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Flying the flag: School finds it easy being green Soccer:

Liffey Valley host annual McEneff event Page 30

PRINCIPAL Maurice Hartigan and Mayor Fintan Warfield (SF) display Moyle Park College’s first Green Flag Award.

The pair were watched by students who had gathered to witness the raising of the flag.

The Mayor congratulated all who were involved on their hard work in achieving this great award and wished them all the success in achieving their next one.

See Gallery on Page 8

Soccer:

Four Peamount stars in Irish Under-17 squad Page 32

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ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES...................... 8 DUBLIN LIFE...................11 OUT&ABOUT ..................17 CLASSIFIEDS ................26 SPORT ...........................28

Asylum seeker slams direct provision unit African says his basic human rights have been taken away

 IAN BEGLEY

AN asylum seeker has compared his living situation at the Clondalkin Towers Refugee Centre to an “open prison,” saying his basic human rights have been taken away.

The African male, who has been living in direct provision for eight years, did not want to disclose his identity, but wished to highlight the reality of people’s lives while seeking asylum.

Cllr Francis Timmons

(Ind), who recently tabled a motion on asylum seekers, said he wanted to “highlight the poor conditions in direct provision centres across Ireland and also to call for a full report on the quality of life within the Towers”.

The African national said: “Living here is like an open prison. I have the freedom of movement and go where I please but I cannot work or make decisions for myself.”

Full Story on Page 4

2 CLONDALKIN Gazette 9 April 2015

dunnes stores Around 200 staff protest over conditions

Support for strike was ‘phenomenal’

Dunnes Stores workers from Dublin MidWest joined thousands of colleagues across the country who took part in a one-day protest over work and pay conditions.

About 200 Dunnes Stores’ staff at the Clondalkin Mill Centre and Liffey Valley Shopping Centre who are members of trade union Mandate carried out

 ian begley ibegley@dub;ingazette.com

industrial strike action on April 2 in a dispute over secure hours and earnings, job security, fair pay and the right to trade union representation.

Dublin Gazette Newspapers, Top Floor, Clarendon House, 39 Clarendon Street, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 - 6010240. Email: sales@dublingazette.com news@dublingazette.com web: www.dublingazette.com twitter: @DublinGazette Visit us on Facebook at DublinGazetteNewspapers

T he trade union’s national disputes committee prepared for the strike after a ballot on industrial action was passed by the workers.

Dunnes Stores at Liffey Valley and Clondalkin remained open throughout the day with staff members taking shifts on the picket line. Many customers showed their support by choosing not to shop in these outlets.

Jonathan Hogan, Mandate union representative for Lucan, Clondalkin and surrounding areas, told The Gazette the public and political support they received was “phenomenal”.

“Hopefully, the support we’ve been getting is enough for Dunnes Stores to come to the table and negotiate.

“People are now seeing how unfair the workers’ terms are and how dedicated they are for standing up for their rights.

“We’ve had reports saying that trade in the likes of Tesco and SuperValu are up massively because of this strike, which I believe shows that the loyalty of the Dunnes Stores brand isn’t what it used to be. “ C o n s u m e r s n ow have a huge range of places where they can shop and when they see a protest, they can simply pass it by and go elsewhere.”

Deputy Robert Dowds (Lab) who was on the

About 200 Dunnes Stores’ staff at the Clondalkin Mill Centre and Liffey Valley Shopping Centre took part in the picket

picket line at the Mill Centre said: “The employees are asking for nothing more than certainty on how many hours they are working, the right to be represented by their union, and decent job security. Anything but

the precarious situation they find themselves in at the minute.

“The majority of Dunnes Stores employees are low-paid, parttime female workers, and their treatment at the hands of both local and

national Dunnes Stores management has been utterly appalling.”

Deputy Dowds went on to say that the testimonies from the workers who talked in Leinster House about their working conditions explained how they could not plan ahead with their lives because they had no idea how many hours they would be working from week to week.

Clondalkin Cllr Jonathan Graham (SF) who also took part in the picket line at the Mill Shopping Centre, commented: “There was a lot of support from people walking past and taking part in the protest.

“I hope that Dunnes Stores will take note of this demonstration and engage with the union.

“These workers have insecurity in their employment, in their income and in their hours, which results in an inability for them to manage their week.”

In a letter issued to staff last month, Dunnes said they will “not enter into direct discussions” with a trade union.

As of yet, there has been no response from Dunnes Stores in relation to the industrial action.

9 April 2015 CLONDALKIN Gazette 3

us surgery Mother plans trip to prevent son losing his mobility dog prank Council in April fool spoof

Glamorous event raises €1,500 for boy  Ian Begley ibegley@dublingazette.com

B oomers B a r i n Clondalkin recently held a hugely successful Glamathon event in aid of a local boy with cerebral palsy who is in need of life-changing surgery.

The event, which raised €1,500 was the brainchild of a local hairdresser, Leonora Ribiero, who called on beauticians to donate their free time to help raise much-needed funds to go towards eightyear-old Zaki Djellabi’s

operation and medical costs.

Zaki’s mother hopes to raise €80,000 for surgery in the US to prevent her son from becoming wheelchair dependent.

Cllr Emer Higgins (FG) and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald were among those who supported the event.

Speaking to The Gazette, Cllr Higgins said: “Carmel Tuite, Zaki’s mother, has been working tirelessly for months to raise funds to help cover the costs of surgery

Zaki hopes to avail of in the States.

“The Glamathon was a unique way of doing that and provided us all with the opportunity to have a massage and get our hair or nails done in a relaxed setting – for a great cause.

“Well done to all the beauticians and hairdressers who gave up their free time to take part in the event which was a huge success,” she said.

Tuite is already on her way to planning the next fundraiser for her son and

Zaki Djellabi’s mother hopes to raise €80,000 for surgery in the US

has organised a white collar boxing night which takes place on May 8 in the Red Cow. Additional details of this event will be available on the Let’s Do It For Zaki Facebook page within the next few weeks.

Tuite is trying to raise

the money for her son who has been accepted for surgery at The Children’s Hospital in Missouri. Without this surgery he will lose mobility and become wheelchair dependent for the rest of his life.

The operation Zaki needs has been pioneered

by doctor TS Parks in St Louis Hospital in Missouri and has performed over 2,500 operations with patients worldwide for over 25 years.

To donate to Zaki visit www.idonate.ie/letsdoitforzaki or visit www. facebook.com/LetsDoItForZaki.

RESIDENTS enjoyed some rare humour from the council, which tricked people as part of an April Fool’s day prank into believing that dog’s entering public parks now had to wear nappies.

In a public statement which was issued on April 1, a council spokesperson stated: “The council is happy to announce that from May 1, all dogs entering public parks in its administrative area will be required to wear a doggie nappy. This is as a result of the high levels of dog fouling throughout the county and to enhance the experience of all park users.”

One person who failed to get the joke said: “Good. Inconsiderate people are letting their dogs S**T anywhere and everywhere!”

4 CLONDALKIN Gazette 9 April 2015

workshops

Students at Speak Out event

Young social innovators from Clondalkin and Lucan were among 700 young people from all over Leinster who took part in The Young Social Innovators (YSI) Dublin Speak Out event in the Mansion House recently.

YSI and global biopharmaceutical company, AbbVie, combined forces following a successful partnership in 2014 which saw hundreds of young people from Dublin, Cork and Sligo avail of free social innovation workshops.

Workshops were held in Collinstown Park Community College, St Joseph’s College, Lucan, and Colaiste Bride, Clondalkin involving some 150 students in Dublin Mid-West.

Noel Kelly, a teacher at Collinstown Park Community College, said: “The workshop was well organised and the students were totally engaged in all aspects of the session.”

direct provision Asylum seeker describes life

‘I’m in limbo and I don’t know why’  Ian Begley

An asylum seeker has compared his living situation at the Clondalkin Towers Refugee Centre to an “open prison”, saying his basic human rights have been taken away.

The African male, who has been living in direct provision for eight years, did not want to disclose his identity, but wished to highlight the reality of peoples’ lives while seeking asylum.

They are not entitled to work and are given a total of €19.10 per week by the State. The application process for those in direct provision is said to take six months, but many

often spend years in asylum centres across the country.

Cllr Francis Timmons (Ind), who recently tabled a motion on asylum seekers, said: “I think in 20 years’ time, this is going to be a huge source of regret, this is going to be a scandal like the Magdalene Laundries – where we kept people against their own will. We need to learn from the past. This is taking place on our doorstep.”

Cllr Timmons’s motion aimed to “highlight the poor conditions in direct provision centres across ireland and also to call for a full report on the quality of life within the Towers.”

The African national came to Ireland alone.

He told The Gazette that his current circumstances amounted to an infringement of his human rights, causing serious strain on his mental health and wellbeing.

“Living here is like an open prison. I have the freedom of movement and go where I please but I cannot work or make decisions for myself. I’m still in limbo and I don’t know why this process is taking so long.

“People here seem to get angered and frustrated very quickly which is not a surprise since we’re forced to live among 200 other people and restricted in

An asylum seeker has compared his living situation at the Clondalkin Towers Refugee Centre to an “open prison”

doing so many things.”

Asked what it’s like to be forbidden to work for so long, he said: “From my cultural background it’s a taboo to depend on someone else to earn a living, but since coming to Ireland I now have to depend on others to survive.”

The man added that through the help of individuals and non-government organisations he managed to earn a degree in international development studies and is currently studying for his

masters in global health.

“I am very honoured and grateful to the people who helped me get an education here, but I find that these qualifications are being wasted away because I’m not allowed to seek work.

“I’ve tried to commit suicide on two occasions because of the effects that direct provision is having on my mental health.But I will continue to move on with my life because I believe there’s something inside me that’s very strong.”

The Reception and Integration Agency, the body responsible for overseeing asylum seeker accommodation, told The Gazette that Government had recently approved a new Bill, which will “achieve the desired balance in treating asylum seekers with humanity and respect while ensuring more efficient immigration procedures and safeguards.”

It will also make a new framework which will enable timely and efficient protection decisions.

don’sdublin Drawing back curtains on the Abbey’s history The Abbey Theatre (also known as the National Theatre of Ireland) has had a long and interesting history dating back over a hundred years.

In the 1890s, WB Yeats, Lady Augusta Gregory and Edward Martyn published a Manifesto for the Irish Literary Theatre with the intention of establishing a national theatre for Ireland.

Allied to this was the work of the brothers William and Frank Fay who formed WG Fay’s Irish National Dramatic Company that helped develop local acting and writing talent, and the financial input and management guidance of Annie

Horniman.

She was from London and a friend and supporter of George Bernard Shaw and had financed one of his plays, Arms and the Man, in 1894. She came to Dublin in 1903 and worked as Yeats’s secretary when he, Gregory, Martyn, AE Russell and JM Synge founded the Irish National Theatre Society.

She helped fund the new project which was soon augmented by members of the Fay group. The first plays were performed in the Molesworth Hall, but when the old Mechanic’s Hall on Lower Abbey Street became available Horniman

and the Fays agreed to buy the premises.

William Fay was the appointed as the first theatre manager with responsibility for training new actors. Jack B Yeats, the renowned artist, was commissioned to paint portraits of the leading actors of the time that were on show in the theatre’s foyer.

On the opening of the new theatre, December 27, 1904, three one-act plays were performed; two

by WB Yeats and one

by Lady Gregory. The theatre thrived for a few years, but after the riots that followed Synge’s play The Playboy of the Western World in 1907 and the split with Fays, the theatre’s fortunes

slipped.

The old building was destroyed by fire on July 17, 1951, and the company performed at the Queen’s Theatre until 1966 when the newly built Abbey Theatre, designed by Michael Scott, was officially opened on July 18. With the contribution of new, exceptional playwrights like Hugh Leonard (Da 1973), Tom Murphy (A Whistle in the Dark 1961) and Brian Friel (Dancing at Lughnasa 1990), the fortunes of the theatre improved and helped raise its international profile.

Don Cameron

www.donsdublin.wordpress.com

9 April 2015 CLONDALKIN Gazette 5

6 CLONDALKIN Gazette 9 April 2015

signs Residents are being urged to report unauthorised advertisements

Council asked to crack down on illegal signage  Ian Begley ibegley@gazettegroup.com

Local councillors are asking South Dublin County Council to crack down on illegal signage around the local authority and are appealing to local residents to report them wherever they crop up.

Reports of illegal Cash for Car signs and unauthorised advertisements for small businesses are cropping up around the county, and in some cases are causing obstruction to residents and providing a danger to motorists, according to Cllr Emer Higgins (FG).

Speaking to The Gazette, she

said: “We have a lot of small business that are struggling to make ends meet and we’re in a scenario where the council charge them to erect signs, but considering that we’re so hard on small and medium businesses who need signage, I think we should be much harder on illegal signage.

“We have a big problem with the cash for cars signs that are all over the county and I know the council are doing their best to take them down, but they keep on cropping up.

“There are illegal signs in Rathcoole that are obstructing pedestrians on walkways and can at times be a danger to

motorists. I don’t have a problem with the council looking at ways to support small businesses promote themselves, whilst at the same time cracking down on illegal signage,” she said.

Responding to this statement, a spokesperson from South Dublin County Council

Kicking back: A special visitor

health

Local nurses win award

dublin footballer

Michael Darragh MacAuley is pictured at Our Lady’s Childrens Hospital in Crumlin with seven-year-old Oliver Bacon from Rosslare.

Michael was officially announced as an ambassador for CMRF Crumlin, the fundraising arm of the hospital. Michael was also on hand to lend his support to CMRF Crumlin’s latest fundraising campaign Give It Up for Crumlin. See www. giveitup.ie.

 ian begley

Three cardiology nurses from Tallaght Hospital were recently honoured at the Irish Healthcare Awards for a cardiology initiative that has made a significant contribution to improving the service to patients attending the hospital’s emergency department.

The hospital’s nurseled service was the winner of the best Healthcare Department Initiative – Large/Teaching Hospital.

Chest pain represents a major proportion of the workload of Tallaght’s Emergency Department and the goal for the health practitioner is to identify high-risk patients that require urgent treatment and to address the needs of lower risk patients for whom emerging heart disease is a concern.

Tallaght Hospital’s chief executive, David Slevin, said: “I want to congratulate advanced nurse practitioner Shirley Ingram and her team on this outstanding achievement. Through their innovation, patients receive a quicker diagnosis that is of incalculable difference in terms of the care they receive and their peace of mind.”

said: “The first stage of any complaint about alleged illegal or unauthorised development is to establish as clearly and precisely as possible the full nature and extent of the allegation in writing.”

To report illegal signage, visit www.sdcc.ie/services/planning/enforcement.

employment: ‘40 months of consecutive decrease in people signing on’

Dublin Mid-West Live Register figures drop 16% in past year  ian begley ibegley@dublingazette.com

The Live Register figures for Dublin Mid-West have fallen by 16% in the past year.

According to recent CSO figures, the Live Register total at the end of March 2014 was 8,207 whereas the figure at the end of March 2015 was 6,906 – a drop of 1,301 or 16%.

The Government is hailing this drop as a sign that the economy is improving, while opposition parties are critical

that other factors are at play.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald welcomed this announcement, saying: “Another drop in the Live Register emphasises that the economy is in recovery and that more people throughout Clondalkin, Lucan, Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart and Palmerstown are entering the jobs market.

“The figures released by the CSO show 40 months of consecutive decrease in people signing on, with all eight

regions nationally seeing a fall in their unemployment figures.

“Every job created is a life back on track, a family improved, a community changed. And it is only through sustained job creation that we can grow tax revenues and ultimately put money back into people’s pockets through income tax cuts.

“That is why since day one this Government has placed jobs at the heart of everything we do, through the Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to

Work strategies.”

Minister Fitzgerald added that through hard work and dedication a strong, sustainable recovery can be delivered right throughout the country and in particular in Dublin MidWest.

Local Cllr Eoin O Broin (SF) told The Gazette that it would be a mistake to read the drop in the Live Register figures as a decrease in unemployment.

He said: “While I welcome a reduction in the Live Register it’s not the

same as an increase in people in employment.

“Clearly the Government have an eye for the next election and while we don’t know the date of it, we’re going to see an increase of alleged good news stories from them.

“The reality for many people in Dublin MidWest is that they are struggling with low pay jobs, rising rents and mortgage payments.”

Clondalkin Cllr Gino Kenny (PBP) said he would be “amazed” if the drop in the local Live

Register figures were as good they seem.

“A good portion of this percentage would be people who are in backto-work initiatives like JobsBridge and Gateway and who are within the low-earn employment sector.

“This economy is a different economy than the one five years ago.

“There are a lot of low wage and very insecure jobs out there now. It seems that Ireland these days is being built as a low-wage economy,” he said.

9 April 2015 CLONDALKIN Gazette 7

celebration Taoiseach commends three community activists

Special women get a special mention  Ian Begley

T hre e Cl o nd al k i n women were recently commended by the Taoiseach at a special celebration in honour of their contribution to the local community.

Roisin Kearney from Clondalkin Equine Club, Lara Darbey from Bawnogue and Tricia Kellet from Palmerstown Woods were all winners of a social media campaign run by Cllr Emer Higgins (FG) to mark International Women’s Day in March.

The competition asked local residents to nominate a woman they feel makes things happen in

the local community and winners were decided on the basis of online votes and “likes”.

Kearney was honoured for her efforts in raising funds for Clondalkin Equine Club, which has made a big difference to the members of the club and their families.

Speaking to The Gazette, she said: “Since we first started twoand-a-half-years ago we became a really strong working group and are now trying our best to acquire land for our horses.

“It was a shock to be honoured because it’s not like I’m doing this type of stuff to win awards, I’m

doing it because it’s good for the community.”

Darbey was honoured for running seven fashion show fundraisers for local and national charities through her boutique in Bawnogue, Siopa Lara.

Commenting on her commemoration, she said: “I hosted my first charity fashion show about four years ago and it just kind of grew bigger from then on.

“I think I’ve done about seven charity fashion shows at this stage and have raised about €20,000 for different charities.

“Being commemorated is fantastic and it’s an

honour to be recognised for something that’s good for everyone, especially women.”

Kellet is the manager of the Rathcoole Community Centre and was honoured for giving up huge amounts of her free time to help make charity events like the 4 Districts Fun Day and the annual Senior Citizens Dinner happen.

Speaking to The Gazette she said: “It felt really good to be recognised. It was a lovely evening and there must have been more than 100 women during the celebration. I don’t think women are being recognised enough in our soci-

Cllr Emer Higgins (FG) and Minister Frances Fitzgerald with two of the winners in Clondalkin recently - Lara Darbey and Tricia Kellet

ety and I think it’s lovely for campaigns like this to go ahead.”

Also commenting on the celebrations, Cllr Emer Higgins said: “It’s fantastic that these inspirational women were honoured by An Taoi-

seach.

“The theme of International Women’s Day was ‘make it happen’ and I was one of 11 councillors across the country who came together to shine a light on women in our communities who

do exactly that.

“It gave people the opportunity to recognise the women in their lives and their communities who make a real difference; and our three winners do exactly that,” she said.

8 CLONDALKIN Gazette 9 April 2015

gazetteGALLERIES

The green team with teacher Stephen Doyle, Barbara Reilly of South Dublin County Council, Mayor Fintan Warfield (SF), principal Maurice Hartigan and teacher Ultan McGowan

Moyle Park College: school’s hard work pays of with award

T

he hard work of Moyle Park College’s third year Green Flag committee led by Stephen Doyle came to fruition recently with the raising of their first Green Flag Award. South Dublin Lord Mayor Fintan Warfield (SF) was there to help in raising the flag, and praise the great work of the students and staff in all they did to improve environmental awareness.

Melissa Jay

Cherie Smith, Melita Genockey, Claudine Tierney, Kate Zamorska, Lynda Fitzpatrick, Fionnuala Connolly, Melissa Jay and Ann Dixon are all smiles as they show off their certificates

Shane Rush, Philip Tyrala, Scott Byrne and Igor Markiewicz

Elizabeth Coughlan and Bridget Gouldsbury

Principal Maurice Hartigan and Mayor Fintan Warfield

Stephen Doyle, Mayor Fintan Warfield (SF) and Jared Lecla Elaine McDonagh and Elaine O’Hara

Anna Taaffe

9 April 2015 CLONDALKIN Gazette 9

Siobhan Lynch from the Education Training Board

Fionnula Connolly with Frieda Kilu

Bawnogue: presentation of certificates

Achievements are celebrated B

awnogue Women’s Development Group recently held a presentation of certificates celebrating the achievement of all course students.

The event also marked International

Women’s Day 2015. During the ceremony, past participants were presented with FETAC certificates and a number of guest speakers elaborated on the importance of women’s community education.

10 gazette 9 April 2015

gazetteGALLERY

Catriona O’Connor and Dee Fiona Morton and Leona Bernes

Hedderman

It’s not hard to spot those Ferrell fans

W

ill Ferrell fans were out in droves for the Irish premiere screening of his latest movie, Get Hard.

The film tells the story of a prison-bound James (Will Ferrell) a millionaire hedge fund manager who asks a black businessman (Kevin Hart), who has never

been to jail, to prepare him for life behind bars.

Guests on the night included RTE presenter Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh, Fair City actress Aoibheann McCaul, as well as Spin Radio’s Cormac Moore. The after party continued later at the hip Sth William Venue.

Jasette Fitzsimons and Melissa Hayward pictured at the Irish premiere screening of Will Ferrell’s new film Get Hard at the Screen Cinema in Dublin. Pictures: Brian McEvoy

Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh

Susan Edmonds

Donna McGarry and Eoin Dillon

Seamus Morton and Damien Bernes

David McLaughlin and Robyn O’Brien

9 April 2015 Gazette 11

asdfsdaf business P27 P16

feature P13

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

day in the life: actress cathy belton

what’son

It’s an early start for a scheming TV3 heiress  keith bellew kbellew@dublingazettecom

Actress Cathy Belton plays the part of Patricia Hennessy, the evil, scheming heiress on TV3’s Red Rock, and recently graced the red carpet for the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival premiere of A Little Chaos along with director Alan Rickman.

This week the Gazette spoke with Belton about a hectic Day in the Life of an actress on set, with early rises, long shoots and late finishes.

Because shooting begins early, she often has to be on set by 6.30am for hair and make-up which

means a very early rise.

She said: “I get up early and have a strong cup of tea, and what I usually do is bring my breakfast with me and have that in the green room after I’m made up and before I get into costume.”

She said that the schedule can vary from day to day once she is in costume, based on how many scenes she has.

Once shooting starts it’s very busy and she might be in one location shooting scenes for two episodes so these are shot back-to-back in order to stay on schedule.

“Once you start it’s fairly busy, you’re just going and going. We would usually work until

about half 12, and then we take a break for lunch.

Then we’re back on at half one, and you work on one, but you might have a scene or two off.

That’s great because it gives you a chance to catch up on your lines to come and prep for the next scene or maybe you would have a costume scene or maybe a hair and make-up change, so you would be in hair and make-up for maybe half an hour after lunch too,” she said.

The long day usually ends at about half seven, and Belton says that at that point she is not inclined to go out anywhere and goes straight home. Having been



Gazette

diary P12

ukrainians and russians set to hold two operas

Actress Cathy Belton plays Patricia Hennessy, a scheming heiress on TV3’s Red Rock

indoors all day she likes to get some fresh air.

“I tend to go for a run down by the Grand Canal, which I love.

“It clears my head and I let go of Patricia Hennessy and all the stress and it gives me a good airing.”

She says that if she is due on set the next day, then she runs over lines in the evening and watches Red Rock if it’s on, and gets into bed at 10.30pm or 11pm.

“I’d read a bit or watch a bit of telly. I’ll watch something on Netflix

which is always good.

That’s my day when I’m on Red Rock.”

You can catch Belton spinning her webs of intrigue in her role as Patricia Hennessy on Red Rock every Wednesday and Thursday at 8.30pm on TV3.

DURING preparations for this year’s tour with the Ukrainian National Opera in Kharkiv, award-winning opera producer Ellen Kent was caught just six miles from the epicentre of the Ukrainian/ Russian conflict.

Warned by the British Foreign Office not to travel due to fatalities, bombings and kidnappings, she managed to transport the complete sets, props and costumes out of the area.

Which is good news for Ireland, as the National Concert Hall is staging her highlyacclaimed productions of Puccini’s popular Madama Butterfly and La Traviata this month.

Under her guidance, the Ukrainian National Opera will perform Puccini’s Madama Butterfly on April 18, and Verdi’s La Traviata on April 19.

Focusing on overcoming the difficulties of the conflict, Kent has assembled a new company, including Ukrainians, Moldovans and Russians, working together in harmony to bring a heart-wrenching productions of both operas.

For further information on the productions, see www.nch.ie.

Gazette

12 Gazette 9 April 2015

dublinlife

DIARY

Brush up on how McGregor might do in his next big match CONOR McGregor fans are making noise and rallying to support the modest (ahem!) fighter’s next big match against Jose Aldo with a graphic mural splattered across a Dublin City lane.

You just never know what you are going to see when you walk down a lane in this dirty aul’ town – take Sycamore Street (beside the Olympia Theatre), for example.

Imagine The Gazette’s surprise when we noticed a sizable mural of Conor

McGregor holding a defeated Aldo’s head with the title belt draped around his shoulder.

McGregor will face down Aldo in a title shot on Saturday, July 11 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The bout will be the 26-year-old Dubliner’s toughest, to date, seeing as Rio de Janeiro’s Aldo has been unbeaten since 2006.

Although the public will enjoy the mural, it’s doubtful that the litter warden from the council will be too pleased

with the graffiti art – who would want to tackle the Notorious Conor, even if it’s only a mural?

search is on for curvy women CURVACEOUS women looking to boost their confidence, enter the modelling world, or just to have a laugh are urged to enter the Tempted Boutiques “Face of Tempted” plus-size model competition.

The competition, which celebrates body confidence, was launched recently to find new plussize modelling talent, and entrants are invited from all walks of life and all ages across Ireland.

Competition organiser Rosemary Kearns said they are looking for entrants who are a size 16-plus and who love style and fashion. Fifteen women will be selected for the final, to be held on Sunday, May 17 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry.

The total prize package is worth more than €3,000 and includes €1,000 “Curvy Cash” to spend in Tempted Boutique, an overnight spa break for two, and much more.

Entries can be made online at www.tempted. ie, or at www.facebook. com / temptedsize16to28, supplying two pho-

The suitably modest and quietly confident mural on show in Sycamore Street suggesting the outcome of Conor McGregor’s upcoming bout against Jose Aldo. Picture: Shane DIllon

tos and some personal details. The closing date for entries is Friday, April 17 at 5pm.

look good, and help do good HERE’S your chance to look good while doing good when the Bestseller group’s stores, such as Vero Moda and Jack & Jones, host a Give-A-Day campaign where 50% of one day’s net turnover in Ireland will go to CMRF Crumlin, the principal fundraiser for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin and the national children’s research centre.

International and family-owned fashion firm Bestseller is arranging a worldwide charity day across all of its brands on April 10. And, through its fundraising body, Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin has been chosen as the Irish charity recipient.

All money raised on the day will help fund

new radiography equipment which will reduce the radiation dose to a child while also improving x-ray imagery.

CMRF Crumlin and Bestseller are together calling on the public to save their pennies for April 10 to indulge in a spot of weekend retail therapy to help raise money for the hospital’s radiology department.

Bestseller brands, which also include Vila and Name It, have 81 stores in Ireland.

young film critics sought DO YOU enjoy watching films? Would you like to see new films from around the world? Ever thought of beeing a film critic? And are you aged between eight to 18?

If so, this year’s Cinemagic Dublin CineSeekers and CineFocus film jury is for you.

T his coming May, jury panels of film buffs aghed eight to 18 from all

across Ireland will get the opportunity to watch and judge a series of international films during the Cinemagic Dublin 2015 Festival.

The jury meets in Cineworld cinemas in Parnell Street and Film Base, Temple Bar, where they will learn how to review and critique, and choose the winning films of the weekend. They also have the chance to meet other young film fans, master the role of the film critic and play an important part in Cinemagic Dublin’s eighth festival for young people.

To register for the May Cinemagic Dublin Festival Jury, visit www.cinemagic.ie by April 30.

make time for a tea-rific break GO ON, go on, go on ... have a tea break during work and you will be happier – that’s according to a new survey by Lyons Tea. According to findings

from the report, 70% of Irish workers no longer take tea breaks because they just don’t have the time, and are unsure whether or not they are entitled to a break.

Lyons Tea is now looking to banish such widesprea “tea break shame” around the country.

The tea-break study has found that many workers are “ashamed” of taking breaks and feel “frowned upon” by coworkers if they do.

T he sur vey shows half of those questioned would feel happier and be more productive if they took a tea break at 11am, while 20% said they felt “frowned upon” when they did take the plunge.

Operation Transformation presenter and GP Ciara Kelly said: “It’s common now for people to not take breaks, to skip lunch or to eat at their desks, but it’s not good for your overall health or quality of life.”

9 April 2015 Gazette 13

Gazette

FEATURE

escape the mayhem: talk show host Niall Boylan’s secret for keeping stress at bay

‘Exercise? I’d rather play the Playstation 4’  Ian Begley

Dubbed one of Ireland’s most controversial talk show hosts, Niall Boylan’s dynamic radio career sees him interact with some of Dublin’s most outlandish individuals on a daily basis.

B r o a d c a s t i n g t wo shows during the afternoon and at night, it’s certainly fair to say that this Classic Hits presenter’s day is demanding to say the least.

This week The Gazette caught up with Boylan to find out just what he does to unwind.

“I’m not as fit as I once was and tend to be very bad when it comes to

exercising.

“I’d much rather sit down and play the Playstation 4 and at 51 years of age I have to say I find it really therapeutic.

“I also really enjoy spending time with my kids during the weekends.

“I often take them to St Anne’s Park which I really like because I used to go rambling around there as a kid on my chopper bike.

“There’s a restaurant within the park called Tir na nOg that I go to for a cup of tea while my kids and their friends are going mad around the park.

“The only escape I get at night during the week-

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

‘I’ve never taken a day off sick before and never plan to either, touch wood’

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

days is by watching television and playing the Playstation. Everyone else is in bed by the time I get home from work so I more or less have the house to myself.

“I really value the Christmas and summer holidays because they’re the only time I get off to relax and spend time with

my family.

“I’ve never taken a day off sick before and never plan to either, touch wood.

“I’m mentally awake when I get back from work and am anything but tired. I’m wound up like a spring after dealing with callers for three-anda-half hours at night and have to calm down with a nice cup of tea or a bite to eat before I head to bed at 3am.

“My eating and sleeping habits are destroyed by work, but that’s the way it is and now I’m used to it.”

Check out the Niall Boylan Show from 1pm to 3pm and from 9pm to 1am (Monday to Friday).

Niall Boylan: “The only escape at night during the week is by watching television”

GAZETTE

14 GAZETTE 9 April 2015

DUBLINLIFE

FEATURE

PREJUDICE: SUBTLE AND OVERT HOMOPHOBIA MAKES FLATHUNTING EVEN HARDER FOR SOME

Looking for a home, but finding inequality The Gazette’s IAN BEGLEY recounts his personal experience of difficulties he, and many other people, face based only on his sexuality.

FOR some, house-hunting with their partner for the first time can be an exciting new endeavour, marking a whole new chapter in their lives.

For the past two and a half months, my boyfriend and I have been persistently looking to share an accommoda-

tion in Dublin, but have been turned down many times by landlords who have openly denied us residency solely because we’re gay.

I was so outraged and upset that I decided to speak to the Ryan Tubridy radio show recently.

I described how a male landlord in Blanchardstown rang me to see if I was on my way up to visit his place with my “girlfriend”.

I told him that I was

currently on my way, but said that I was with my boyfriend. What followed was a brief, awkward pause. He then said, “You’re gay guys? Oh well, that changes everything. I won’t have gay people living in my house.”

Another silence ensued, and in my disbelief at this blatant homophobia, all I could blurt out was: “Excuse me?”

“Well, in my country we don’t have that type of thing and I wouldn’t really

know what to expect,” he said, before hanging up.

Extremely angered and upset by this incident, I rang the housing charity Threshold for advice, wanting to see if it was within his rights to deny offering accommodation based on sexual orientation. The lady on the line, who was very sympathetic, explained that this was extreme discrimination and is in breach of the equality legislation.

She reassured me that no landlord can discriminate against potential tenants on the grounds of gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race or membership of the Traveller community, and she directed me to the Workplace Relations website so I could make an official complaint.

I intended to follow this up straight away, but thinking logically I decided it was best to focus on securing a place to live first before making a complaint. Pushing on with my search, I found that I had only hit the tip of the iceberg, with similar scenarios happening over and over again.

Wasted time We wasted a lot of time travelling to homes all across Dublin to meet landlords who had no intention of leasing their place to us.

Even when they didn’t directly tell us that they had a problem with a gay couple living in their property, it was obvious by their expression that they had no interest in showing us around.

One landlord from Adamstown told us when we went to visit his house: “You’re gay, are you? I’m not sure if we can allow you to live here.

“There’s a child in the house and I’m not sure

Ian Begley and his boyfriend, Eric: “We wasted a lot of time travelling all across Dublin to meet landlords who had no intention of leasing their place to us”

what the parents would think of it. I’d have to get all occupants of the house together and have a vote about whether you can stay.”

I’m not sure if this “vote” among the other residents actually happened, but we never heard from him again.

Although it is perfectly within our rights not to disclose our sexual orientation, I found that disclosing this seemingly minute fact over the phone, or in an email, saved us a lot of time in the long run.

A few responses I got back included: “You left me a message on Daft.ie.

You mentioned ‘‘you and your boyfriend’’, or is it a typing mistake and you meant to say your girlfriend? Unfortunately, we won’t accept any gay couples in the house.”

Another response: “I’m letting this apartment for €650 per month, including utilities, but I won’t allow a gay couple to stay here, as it may cause hassle down the line.”

And another: “I’m afraid my flatmate said she wouldn’t feel that comfortable, just that she would feel a bit like the odd one out.”

Since this story broke, the feedback I’ve being getting has been amazing.

Many people of all nationalities and ages have been in contact, sympathising with our situation, and in some cases offering to put us first on the list as soon as their flatmate or tenant moves out.

For now, our search for a place to live continues,

but due to the high level of people approaching us with their support, I am optimistic that this long ordeal will have a positive outcome.

And, with the upcoming marriage equality referendum in May, I hope some of the inequalities that still exist in Ireland will be eliminated forever.

9 April 2015 Gazette 15

Gazette

16 Gazette 9 April 2015

dublinlife

Q&A

business business

RDS exhibition to help support SMEs THE Business in the Community Ireland Smart Business Show (Sustainability Workshop for Small- to Medium-Sized Enterprises) will take place at the RDS on April 23.

The Smart Business Show is a two-day business-to-business exhibition that will provide

SMEs with the opportunity to explore the latest innovative technologies, and to engage, connect and do business with exhibitors and thousands of attendees.

T he sustainability workshop gives SMEs the opportunity to hear a panel discussion with a group of Irish SMEs

which are doing better business by reporting on sustainability.

Communication A spokesperson for Business in the Community Ireland said: “We know that effective communication is crucial to fully capturing the benefits of going one step

further for your clients, communities, employees and environment.

“Our expertise lies in helping [businesses] reap these rewards by sharing the message in a sustainability report.”

For further information on the upcoming Smart Business Show, see www.bitc.ie.

Jerry Harrington, empire bar and grill

Grilling a hospitality expert for top advice JERRY Harrington has been in the hospitality business for a very long time, having trained in The Gresham Hotel many moons ago.

He built up a portfolio of properties over the years and left Dublin, going on to America and then settling in South Africa for five years, where he built a restaurant on the shores of the Indian Ocean.

After this he returned to Ireland

and was offered a posting by the Wright Group, where he worked for four years before leaving to join the Lenaghan group to spearhead their growth of the empire’s brand.

Today, as general manager of the Empire Bar and Grill (part of the Lenaghan Group) at Main Street, Swords, Harrington says that his ethos is all about people, service and standards.

How long have you been in business?

one and to grow our business with our new ground floor opening in 10 weeks’ time, with a large outdoor courtyard. This will be the best space in north County Dublin over the past 20 years.

Years and years.

What makes your business successful?

Our attention to detail is what makes Empire successful.

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

A great welcome, customer service that is second to none, great food drink and live entertainment.

How has the recession impacted your business?

Like every business, we do super deals – great, genuine deals that our customers are happy to keep coming back to avail of, such as our signature steak deal, served with onion rings and fries and pepper sauce for €9.95. Why wouldn’t you come back for that? We also have a superb house wine for €20. We also have cocktails, two for €10, Sunday to Friday from 4 to 10pm.

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

I would remove the steep charges of late night bar extensions.

What is your ambition for the business?

Our ambition is to stay number-

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

We use all the social media platforms to engage with our customers, Facebook being the main one for our business.

We keep the content topical, relevant and interesting for our customers. We have almost 8,000 fans on Facebook, and we are only open there since December We have the most brilliant marketing person in the business – Avril Kelly Carter – we have worked together for years, and she is fantastic and has her finger on the pulse.

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

Looking at the masses of people enjoying themselves, due to our hard work and dedication.

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

Don’t stop going to funerals.

What living person do you most admire?

From a business point of view, Larry Goodman and Denis O’Brien.

Block 4 and 5 Grand Canal Square was sold for €233m – the second-largest property transaction in Q1 this year

property: notable investment deals hit market

2014 momentum sees €923m sales  keith bellew

SOME €923m worth of Irish investment property was sold in the first quarter of 2015, much of which was achieved with two large portfolio sales worth more than €200m.

This includes Project Molly, which includes Iveagh Court, Dublin 2; The Watermarque Building, Dublin 4; and Marsh House, Dublin 2, sold by Lonestar estate agents for €350m.

The second-largest transaction was the sale of the trophy NAMA assets, Block 4 and 5 Grand Canal Square, which was sold for

€233m.

Overall, 95% of transactions were for Dublin assets, 93% of which was in the offices sector, followed by retail and mixed-use sales.

Hannah Dwyer, head of research at Jones Lang Lasalle ( JLL) Estate Agents, said: “It is positive to see the momentum of 2014 continue into the beginning of 2015.

“Whereas 2014 was the year of the portfolio sale, Q1 has only seen two large portfolio transactions, with the rest of activity dominated by single-asset sales.

“We do, however, expect this to change in the next three quarters

with a number of portfolios due for release.”

She went on to say that first quarter activity has been strong, and further confidence for the sector can be taken from the level of pre-sale activity that has taken place in the market in the past three months.

She said: “It is expected that these assets will be brought to the market in the short-term, and will further boost total volumes for investments.

We are forecasting that total volumes by the year-end could achieve in excess of €3bn,” she said.

Overseas investor activity has led the mar-

ket this quarter, accounting for 80% of total volumes. This was boosted by the fact that the top three purchases, totalling €675m, were all made by overseas purchasers.

Dw yer said: “It is notable that a significant number of these players are new to the market and are core-style investors rather than just the oppor tunistic funds [buyers], which have dominated the market recently.

“On the domestic side, Hibernia REIT, IPUT, Irish Life and Davy have all been active, plus a number of private Irish investors on smaller lotsize deals.”

9 April 2015 Gazette 17

arts P24

asdfsdaf P27 cinema P25

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

food: the humble prawn is key to a terrific upcoming weekend festival

Pets

There’ll be a cracking good time for all in Howth

 Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

MARK your diaries for one of Ireland’s most successful food festivals as Dublin Bay Prawn Festival takes over Howth later this month.

From April 24 to 26, Howth’s finest restaurants, bars and cafes will come together to host a variety of food experiences, including a selection of special Dublin Bay Prawn dishes.

Added to this is a platter of entertainment which will also be served up for young and old alike.

Speaking to The Gazette about the popular event, Aoife Healy, event chairperson, said: “This is the fifth year of the festival. It started when a group of business owners in hospitality and retail got together, and came up with the idea to try and drive tourism traffic to Howth and to raise its profile and build a brand.

“It was brilliant last year – we had more than 30,000 people over the weekend and there was a huge uplift

either side [of the festival] too,” she said.

Since its first year, attendance at the festival has grown tenfold, beginning from 3,000 people and rising to 30,000.

One intriguing event at this year’s festival is the Mystery Dine Around.

Healy discussed what this comprises.

She said: “All of the restaurants participate in this, and you’re put with a group of people, maybe eight to 10 diners.

“You attend a reception first, and are given a card that tells you the first restaurant to go to, and only when you’re finished your starter in the first restaurant do you learn what will be the next restaurant you’re going to.

“This continues on, finishing up with a late evening drink in one of the pubs, which usually put music on.

“You can book it online at Eventbrite, and it costs €69, including a booking fee, and includes all of your wine and drinks too,” said Healy.



Gazette

travel P20

lovely bella deserves a happy home

King Sitric chef Aidan McManus at the launch of the upcoming Dublin Bay Prawn festival in Howth. Picture: Conor Healy Photography

A new addition this year is the inclusion of a theatrical performance in one of the marquees. Actor Phelim Drew, son of the late, great Ronnie, will perform his one-man show of George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London.

Healy said: “Findlaters have been running some very successful dinner and theatre nights in their restaurant and they’re expanding it this year to one of the marquees.

“The idea is that people can buy tickets for a festival dinner in a number

of restaurants and then go up to see Phelim Drew doing his one-man show at 8.15pm.”

Other activities include a fun fair, a foamy soft play area, powerboating and watersports demonstrations to displays by the coastguard and the RNLI. There will also be plenty of music with buskers, cooking demonstrations and of course, the real business of the festival: prawns.

For further information, see www. dublinbayprawnfestival.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 gorgeous bulldog cross, Bella, who’s about one year old. Bella arrived to us from a local authority pound with a horrific case of mange and needed one of her eyes removed due to the damage it had caused. Bella has been a trooper throughout all the treatment she has needed and the staff have been blown away by her sunny disposition.

Bella is a young girl so she is still quite bouncy and full of energy. She gets on well with other dogs but ones who wouldn’t mind a bit of rough and tumble as she can be a bit full on when she plays! If you think you can help Bella find a fabulous home, please call the centre on 01 879 1000 and speak to our Rehoming Team.

You can also pop up for a visit – it’s open six days a week from 12pm to 4pm.

The centre is closed all day Tuesday.

GAZETTE

18 GAZETTE 9 April 2015

OUT&ABOUT

STYLE

2

1

lt coat €395

0

€475

6

4 n dress €245 Coast Harve

Bastyan Eva be

€20 bloom skirt

n Maxi dress Karen Mille

Coast Hyper

3

5 Karen

Coast

Millen

Rita mid

t Midi skir €210

159

i skirt €

FINE FASHIONS TO SET HEARTS RACING BEING a fan of the races doesn’t mean you have to don silks and jodhpurs and, this week, stylist and fashion guru Lisa Fitzpatrick (right) talks Gazette Style through some fabulous outfits deserving of a Ladies’ Day win ahead of her nationwide Fashion Fix roadshow.

She said: “I love going to the races and even more so, I love dressing up for them. I have picked some of my favourite pieces from Coast, Karen Millen and Bastyan that would be fabulous at racing meets.”

Working clockwise from

the top left, she said: “This Karen Millen maxi dress (1) is gorgeous. The colours are ideal to bring right through from spring to autumn.

“Another f loor-length item that I really love at

the moment is the Coast Hyper Bloom Skirt (2).

Maxi dresses and skirts are great and always make an impact. You’re sure to stand out from the crowd!

“We all know that we can’t rely on the Irish weather so it’s important to wrap up for the races, too. I think this gorgeous Bastyan Eva Belt Coat (3) is fabulous, and will do just that. This belted design also creates a simple and chic silhouette.

“I also love this Coast Harven dress (4). Again, this is also the length I love:

midi. This dress is so elegant and stylish, and can be taken from day to night,” said Lisa.

“I’m a big fan of midi-skirts.

They are just so comfortable, yet so stylish; I love this one from Karen Millen (5).

“Now that the clocks have gone forward, we can officially say it’s spring time, and what better way to do this than to wear yellow! I just love this Coast Rita skirt (6),” she said.

All these items, and others shown above, are available in Coast/Karen Millen’s spring/ summer 2015 range.

THROUGHOUT the months of April and May, Lisa will be visiting counties around the country with her stylish roadshow, Lisa Fitzpatrick’s Fashion Fix. The fun-filled day will include style workshops, hair and make-up master classes, fashion shows, surprise celebrity guests and much, much more.

Dates confirmed include: • April 18, The Spencer Hotel, Excise Walk, IFSC, Dublin 1 • May 10, The Kingsley Hotel, Victoria Cross, Cork • May 16, The Savoy Hotel, Henry Street, Limerick • May 23, Hotel Kilkenny, College Road, Kilkenny • May 30, The Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa, Lough Atalia, Galway Tickets can be purchased on www.fitzpatrickstyle.com, or by calling Tara at 01 460 7575. (A discount is available for group bookings.)

9 April 2015 Gazette 19

Gazette

FOOD&DRINK

Plenty to savour at FX Buckley Steakhouse FOR diners who like a table and some waiter service with their food, FX Buckley Steakhouse on Parkgate Street should do the trick.

Upstairs from Ryan’s, the restaurant specialises in steaks, as the name

Echoes of the past, such as polished whiskey casks, are a visible reminder of Ryan’s of Parkgate Street many, many decades of serving travellers and tourists

The Picky Eater RYAN’S of Parkgate Street – still “Bongo Ryan’s” for those of a certain vintage – has been around a while.

Since 1886, it has sat elegantly between the Phoenix Park and Heuston Station, offering refreshment to weary travellers. Today, it continues to ply its trade, albeit in a more modern manner.

On a quiet Monday, The Picky Eater and pal repaired to the Victorian pub for a late-afternoon pint and a morsel after a tramp through the Phoenix Park.

The menu offers a tempting range: Irish “tapas” for nibblers; plenty of starters ranging from creamy chowder to flambeed kidneys; mains for vegetarians, the gluten-intolerant and committed carnivores, along with dishes of the day set out on the old-fashioned blackboard just behind the bar. Sea bass and beef and Guinness pie on the day in question.

We chose chowder and spicy chicken wings to start, followed by cornfed chicken with pea and chorizo pearl barley with sauteed spinach and green herb dressing (€16.95),

and pan-fried hake with crushed baby potatoes, grilled asparagus, black olive and tomato dressing (€17.50).

The chowder was loyal to its name: creamy, chock full of fish and, in truth, a meal in itself. Alas, the bread was nondescript – two different sorts of tired soda which needed a bin.

The wings were a triumph and suitably devoured. Half full and slightly trepidatious of the mains, Picky Eater took in the Ryan’s interior.

Revamped gas lamps and polished whiskey casks; old brass match strikers and big wooden drawers, relics of the days when pubs sold tobacco and tea and the clientele smoked; massive hanging baskets beneath oldworld skylights and snugs for those seeking quiet.

Stepping into Ryan’s can be like stepping back in time – if it wasn’t for the

huge TVs that cater for diehard sports fans.

The food came in its own good time and found us relaxed and ready. The chicken was really succulent: crisp on the outside but juicy and tender inside, the pearl barley was perfect texture- and taste-wise, with spinach an ideal accompaniment.

But the hake was the star of the show: it parted softly under the fork and melted in the mouth.

On tastebud overload, we surveyed desserts and plumped for a selection of cheeses from Sheridan’s Cheesemongers, served with house onion jam, fennel honey and water biscuits (€8.95). The right choice – a mix of strong and mild, soft and hard and the remaining drop of beer to round off the afternoon nicely.

For “high tea” on a quiet afternoon, Ryan’s is recommended.

Conclusion ANOTHER Victorian jewel of the city, Ryan’s (at 28 Parkgate St, Dublin 8; tel 01 677 6097) has some modern touches, but otherwise remains a classic of its era, attracting tourists, locals and long-term fans to its striking interior with ease. A trip to Ryan’s is a must when heading to the Phoenix Park.

suggests.

But the menu is diverse and interesting and the wine/beer list is extensive, with plenty of informed staff to help you choose what’s right for you, if help is what you need!

The pub can be daunt-

ing to plough through on a weekend evening, but once on the stairs take a look at the photos of an older Dublin as you climb. And, when you’re in the restaurant proper, relax, sit back and bon appetit!

FX Buckley Steakhouse

GAZETTE

20 GAZETTE 9 April 2015

OUT&ABOUT

TRAVEL

FastTravel

Set cruise control with these luxury Cunard trips  IAN BEGLEY

TO MARK 175 years of sailing, Cunard Line has arranged celebrations on every cruise in 2015, with special features and events on board from €1,999pp for travel in May. Queen Mary 2 is Cunard’s flagship ocean liner and booking a transatlantic crossing to or from New York on this ship is a holiday like no other.

Cunard will host a gig by rock band Crosby, Stills and Nash on the liner this September 4. The trio will perform some of their greatest hits in the liner’s Royal Court Theatre, and will also participate in a question and answers session, along with an autograph opportunity for passengers on board.

You can also join Cunard’s Blue Note Jazz at Sea from New York to Southampton, sailing on October 29 from €1,999pp.

Balcony upgrades can be arranged from €235pp and extra nights in New York can also be added.

Price is per person based on two sharing and strictly subject to availability.

For further information, call 01 637 1699, or see www.clickandgo.com.

Glasgow’s architecturally rich cityscape provides plenty of food for the eyes, while for modern comic tastes, the Stand Comedy Club (inset) should sate your laughter needs

SCOTLAND: COMEDY FESTIVAL IS JUST ONE OF GLASGOW’S MANY ATTRACTIONS

A bonnie hop over the sea

 ROB HEIGH

GLASGOW has a reputation for sharp wit and the ability to laugh at almost everything in life, so it made perfect sense that a trip to Scotland’s other capital city should be paired with taking in a little of the 2015 Glasgow Comedy Festival.

Glasgow is a fabulous city, a lot like Dublin in many ways – its small and self-contained city centre mirrors our own, with a massive array of unique artisanal and boutique shopping experiences alongside the high street regulars. There is an immersive experience to be had among the Victorian architecture, and stepping a little way beyond the city centre opens up a wealth of hidden gems.

Chief among those is the Byres Road. Part of the university district of

the city, its mix of longstanding shops that have been there for generations and newly blooming cafes and shops means that long hours can be (and were) spent there.

Not only that, but it is home to one of the bestloved restaurants in the city, The Ubiquitous Chip.

It is a treat to go there – booking is definitely in order – and their longstanding reputation has not been dulled by time or trend.

Its monkfish tails are still unsurpassed, and the Aberdeen Angus steak au poivre is as good as I remember – an unabashed indulgence.

The fact that it is topped off with access to the Botanical Gardens, which is always worth a walk through, just across the Great Western Road, makes it an unmissable destination.

At the other end of Byres Road is the Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed Glasgow School of Art, heartbreakingly damaged by fire in 2014, and it is a symbol of Glasgow’s place in the world’s centres of art and design.

In addition, a short trip out of the city centre to The Burrell Collection is well worth your time, as was a brief afternoon journey to the Glasgow Gallery Of Modern Art. However, the main order of business for me was the comedy festival, which will see more than 400 international acts converge on the city for the 13th instance of the event, that sees some 700 shows being performed for an expected audience of more than 106,000 comedy fans.

The festival started in 2003 at the venue I attended on my first night

See for yourself why The Ubiquitous Chip has been delighting diners for years

in the city, the iconic Stand Comedy Club, which had brought the idea of a comedy festival to the city council the year before.

The Glasgow festival is an interesting counterpoint to the Edinburgh Fringe, which has of course been running for considerably longer, and is open to a much wider and diverse range of arts beyond comedy.

Glasgow is a “pure” comedy festival, and it sees some of the biggest

acts in the business – Stewart Lee, Jimmy Carr and Al Murray – alongside our own local heroes, Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan.

There are a host of upand-coming talents such as Damo Clark, Paul Currie and many, many more to appeal to the broadest comedy palette imaginable for the duration of the festival.

For further information about those events and on holidaying in Scotland with everything it has to

offer, see www.visitscotland.com, while for more on the second city of the empire, see www.peoplemakeglasgow.com.

I travelled with P&O Ferries, which operates from Larne to Cairnryan and Troon, providing the shortest and fastest crossings to Scotland. Online fares start from €74. For further information, see www.poferries.com.

To find out more about the Glasgow Comedy Festival, see www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com.

LEARNINGCURVE



GAZETTE

9 April 2015 GAZETTE 21

EXHIBITION: STUDENTS SKILLS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Fashion forward fun at Sallynoggin  LAURA WEBB

THINGS are getting stylish at Sallynoggin College of Further Education with the first art house inspired fashion exhibition taking place this month.

Fashion Edit, is a first of its kind for the college and is conducted and styled by their fashion industry practice students.

Taking place on April 16, this event will have a unique blend of live fashion installations, fashion show and drinks reception.

According to the college, the students are mixing things up by moving away from the stereotypical fashion show and paving the way for a fresh new contemporary take on a fashion event.

The event will showcase the students diverse skills in styling, visual display, merchandising and their knowledge of the fashion industry, some of the many skills they have learned through their time at the college.

With 2015 the year of Irish design, the event

Film director Lenny Abrahamson, crime writer John Connolly, former judge Catherine McGuinness and vice president of Intel’s Internet of Things, Philip Moynagh were recognised for their achievements

Trinity College celebrates alumni with a gala dinner

A FILM director and crime writer were

was a Trinity scholar, son of a scholar

among past Trinity College pupils who

and grandson of a scholar, was born in

were presented with Trinity College

Dublin and graduated from Trinity with

Alumni Awards at a special gala dinner

first-class honours.

last week.

known to adult readers as the crea-

crime writer John Connolly and former

tor of detective Charlie Parker, who

judge Catherine McGuinness received

has appeared in 12 novels, beginning

the awards in recognition of achieve-

with Every Dead Thing (1999) and most

ments in their respective fields and the

recently the internationally-bestsell-

contribution they have made in Ireland

ing The Wolf in Winter (2014). He studied

and internationally.

English at Trinity College, Dublin and

Abrahamson BA (1990) directed

will highlight and celebrate Irish designers and retailers.

The fashion show will consist of some of the most talented up-andcoming Irish designers.

It will also showcase key pieces and trends for womenswear and menswear for spring/

LAST week saw Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys officially launch the UCD Decade of Centenaries programme.

The university is planning more than 25 special events to commemorate the decade of centenaries, many of which will draw from UCD’s wealth of national and international archives relating to the period from 1912 to 1923.

At the launch, at UCD Charles

journalism at Dublin City University.

Meanwhile, Catherine McGuin-

Fashion Edit will showcase the talents of

numerous commercials for TV before

Sallynoggin College of Further Education’s

directing for TV and film. Credits

ness BA (1957) is a former judge. Her

fashion industry practice students

include: Adam and Paul, What Rich-

original BA was in Modern Languages

ard Did and Frank, staring Domhnall

(French and Irish). In 2003, she was

Gleeson, Michael Fassbender, and

conferred by Trinity with an honourary

Maggie Gyllenhaal. Abrahamson who

degree of Doctor in Laws.

summer 2015 which will be supplied by Irish owned boutiques such as The Loft, Marion Cuddy Irish Designers Emporium, The Design Centre, Lennon Courtney and Maven.

Former student of Sallynoggin College and renowned fashion stylist,

columnist and TV presenter Courtney Smith is the host for the night.

The Fashion Edit will take place in Film Base located on Curved Street, Temple Bar on April 16 at 4.30pm with a drinks reception at 6pm followed by the show commencing at 7pm.

A Decade of Centenaries launched  BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

John Connolly BA (1992) is best

Film director Lenny Abrahamson,

Institute, which houses the famous Kevin Barry window, Minister Humphreys said: “The scale, ambition, depth and breadth of the UCD commemorations forms a seminal part of the national programme.”

While there, the Minister examined a selection of the unique papers, documents and photographs held by UCD Archives.

One such archive was the diary of civil servant JR Clarke and 450 interviews of people active in Ireland’s revolutionary past from the Rising to the end of the Civil War.

Among the staff of UCD who played a role in events of 100 years ago were Thomas MacDonagh, assistant professor of English, signatory of the Proclamation and commandant of the Dublin Brigade, Eoin MacNeill, professor of Early and Medieval Irish History, and Irish Volunteers chief of staff, Mary Hayden, professor of Modern Irish History and founder of the Irish Catholic Women’s Suffrage Society, and Agnes O’Farrelly, lecturer in Modern Irish and a founder of Cumann na mBan.

GAZETTE

22 GAZETTE 9 April 2015

LEARNINGCURVE

Some useful tips to help you study smarter WITH big exams on the horizon, many

Making sure your desk is tidy and

college students will be starting to

organised is also important as it

worry and panic, but with proper

means you can concentrate on study-

preparation, you can get through it

ing and learning, instead of sifting

all and concentrate on your summer

through a mountain of crumpled

plans.

sheets.

The following is a few handy tips for study and revision.

Having a good study area can make all the difference in the world. If you study in a quiet, well-lit area, away

Also, logging out of your email and Facebook and turning off your phone is a great way to eliminate possible distractions.

Make sure you know all the ins and

from the hustle and bustle of the

outs of each exam. Find out what

house, your capacity for learning and

format the exam will take – whether

remembering vastly increases. If this

it is short answer, multiple choice or

isn’t possible, it might be better to

essay format. Make sure you know

study at the library.

how much of your overall grade each exam is worth and allot study time accordingly.

Mind maps, study plans and to-do lists can be very helpful. Try making a to-do list before each study session. Breaking tasks down into small, manageable pieces will make it less overwhelming.

Spend your time as carefully as possible over your range of subjects, concentrating on those you find more difficult, without neglecting those you excel at.

Mature students bring a lot of experience to any college atmosphere and teach their younger colleagues life skills

OPPORTUNITIES: MATURE STUDENTS

The time is now to go back to college  BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

IF YOU are one of the many people in Ireland who has always harboured a desire to go to college but never got the chance, why not apply as a mature student next year?

For a change, being older is an advantage when it comes to college, as mature students do not have to meet the normal matriculation requirements or compete with Leaving Certificate students in the points race.

Although you must apply through the CAO system, most colleges use an interview process to decide your suitability for all undergraduate courses.

If you show a keen interest and are serious about staying in the course, in all likelihood you will be accepted.

Universities and other colleges welcome mature students and have a spe-

cial mature students’ information page on their websites.

Mature students are seen as reliable and this is based on the fact that the drop-out rate is far lower for mature students.

They also bring a lot of experience to any college atmosphere and teach their younger colleagues life skills. Some 11% of students in Irish universities are mature students, while the figure in institutes of technology is 20%.

Over 10,000 students in full-time education are over 30-years-old, according to the Higher Education Authority.

So, if you were anxious about being the odd one out in a sea of freshfaced 19-year-olds, you can rest assured that you will not be alone as there has never been as many mature students in college.

Financially, it can be

a strain to fund yourself through your college course for three or four years. There are resources out there to help, however. Schemes such as the back-to-education allowance and the SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) grants are available to those who fit the criteria.

As well as that, mature students who began a college course but dropped out over five years ago, can restart their course with no sizeable fees applying.

If the idea of jumping straight into a degree course is a bit daunting to you, you can do a preparatory year-long evening access programme first at many colleges for a reasonable fee.

When applying for a course through the CAO, you must submit additional information including a CV, any prior exam results and a personal

statement along with your application.

For information on applying to Trinity College as a mature student, you can contact Trinity Accesss Programmes on 01 896 1386 or email mature.student. officer@tcd.ie To find out about going to University College Dublin as a mature student, you can go to www. ucd.ie/registry/admissions/myapply for more information.

For information on NUI Maynooth’s offers for mature students, you can go online at www. maynoothuniversity.ie/ study-maynooth/maturestudents.

You can contact www. susi.ie for information on susi grants and http:// w w w. we l f a r e . i e / e n / Pages/Back-to-Education-Allowance-Scheme to find out about the back to education allowance criteria.

9 April 2015 GAZETTE 23



Progress to impress with DUBLIN GAZETTE’S education supplement

HOUSING: USI SITE ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO RENT SPARE BEDROOMS

The eternal question of where to live  IAN BEGLEY

AS another year at college nears an end, odds are that you’ll have hundreds of questions running through your mind like where to live next semester?

Some may choose to live at home, but for others college could mean trying to find accommodation for the first time.

With the shor tage of accommodation in Dublin and other built up areas, the Union of Students Ireland (USI) recently set up a site encouraging people with spare bedrooms to rent to students.

This service is deemed

very necessary as the student population in Dublin faces a serious shortage of accommodation, with CAO offers and the subsequent start of the academic year just months away.

USI president Laura Harmon said: “This is an access-to -education issue. The cost of accommodation in and around Dublin has risen enormously, pricing many students out of the accommodation market. Many “buyto-renters” have repurposed accommodation they had previously made available to students for wealthier renters.

“To compound this, the value of the student grant has fallen against inflation over a number of years. The end result will be students unhoused and dropping out. USI is calling for the Government to form a task force on student accommodation – there needs to be a specific strategy on this serious and growing problem.”

As a short-term measure to support the initiative, the Union of Students in Ireland has put together a simple website, allowing home owners to list their spare rooms and their conditions, with the objective of providing students

The Union of Students Ireland (USI) has set up a website to help deal with the shortage of student accommodation in Dublin

with contacts for those willing to help.

The system also allows for landlords and agents to place their available

accommodation online – and it’s free to use.

The website is available at www.homes.usi. ie.

The USI also mentions that there are many useful accommodation hunting websites out there, including Daft.ie

and Property.ie, which make it easy to search through lots of accommodation listings on the internet quickly.

These sites also have maps that point out where the specific accommodation you are looking at is located. Accommodation lists may also be available from your students’ union. It’s recommended that you contact a students’ union rep as it’s the best port of call when hunting for a place to live and if you experience problems during the year.

Visit www.usi.ie for more student accommodation tips.

Gazette

24 Gazette 9 April 2015

OUT&ABOUT

ARTS

god bless the child: production is something of a curate’s egg

Author Michael Murphy

Share some insights of life and love  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

THE Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire is hosting a unique show by former newscaster Michael Murphy, entitled Stories, Poetry and Dreams, based on three of his books.

Murphy, along with friends and fellow broadcasters Emer O’Kelly, Eamonn Lawlor and Eileen Dunne, will read extracts from At Five in the Afternoon, The House of Pure Being, and The Republic of Love.

The result promises to be an entertaining and intimate experience for audiences as Murphy, who is also a psychoanalyst, recites emotional passages, some of which deal with his experience of cancer.

Murphy and his guests will also share deeply insightful reflections on love and sex, friendship and family. Stories, Poetry and Dreams is a celebration of life and humanity in all its trials and triumphs.

The evening also offers an invitation for the audience to participate and share their own experiences.

Stories, Poetry and Dreams takes place at the Pavilion Theatre on May 2. Tickets cost €20/€17 and are available by contacting 01 231 2929, or by emailing boxoffice@ paviliontheatre.ie.

O’Connor’s short stories lose lustre on the stage

 Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

AS A big fan of short story writer Frank O’Connor, I was tentatively looking forward to seeing God Bless the Child, a play based on O’Connor’s work, at The Gaiety Theatre.

However, I was soon to discover that some things are better left alone and not everything can be successfully adapted for the stage.

In my opinion, Patrick Ta l b o t ’s a d a p t a t i o n – while an enjoyable enough affair with three good actors playing roles as children – falls flat as a theatrical piece.

The three short stories on which the piece is based (My Oedipus Complex, The Genius, and First Confession) were treated in a manner somewhat stilted as each of the three actors took it in turn to assume the voice of the narrator and deliver a soliloquy to the audience.

The effect was tiring and repetitive after a while, and though the performances were very good, the format was a predictable round of 1-2-3.

Howe ve r, j u d g i n g by the audience reac-

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

‘The original stories contain much more than mere comedy and all their poignancy and insight was missed. Perhaps it will act as an appetiser for the audience to go on and read the real thing.’

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

tion, my opinion was in the minority. People all around me audibly expressed their huge enjoyment of the show, with constant laughter running throughout.

Actors Ciaran Bermingham, Shane Casey and Gary Murphy wore schoolboy uniforms and two of them sat on classroom benches like subs at a football match, waiting for their turn while the third actor performed to the audience.

Comic effect All three performances were very good, but Bermingham stood out the most. The actors’ Cork accents were pretty flawless, if a touch florid for comic effect.

The piece really played to the comedy in the short stories and the audience happily lapped

it up.

However, the original stories contain much more than mere comedy and all their poignancy and insight were missed.

This does O’Connor’s work a disservice for those who have never read anything by the Cork writer will presume that he has less depth than is the case.

On the other hand, because the audience seemed to love the show, perhaps it will act as an appetiser for them to go on and read the real thing.

The featured short stories related pivotal episodes from the narrator’s childhood and include paternal jealousy, bullying, being misunderstood and the fear of making a “bad confession” and therefore burning in hell.

There were plenty of

Shane Casey as Michael in the God Bless the Child segment of the production

genuinely funny quotes in the show, such as when Gary Murphy’s character, Larry, said of a lame teacher he admired: “I was so impressed, I decided to have a lame leg myself.”

In First Confession, O’Connor is hard-hitting against the Catholic Church and this was properly adhered to in the play.

The play was peppered with recitals of decades of the rosary by the three characters as they took to their knees before the Virgin Mary and the Sacred Heart.

Jackie’s (Ciaran Bermingham) terror of eternal damnation, which has been drilled into

Shane Casey, Gary Murphy and Ciaran Bermingham are very good in their roles

him by a menacing nun, depicts a shameful period in Irish history.

When God Bless The Child played to packed houses last year at Everyman, Cork it received a hugely positive response, and that seems to be the case with Dublin audiences too.

T he show, though

undramatic, delivers an entertaining evening with a great deal of mirth and solid acting performances.

God Bless the Child runs at The Gaiety Theatre until April 11. Tickets, costing from €19.65, are available from The Gaiety Theatre Box Office at 0818 719 388.

9 April 2015 Gazette 25

Gazette

CINEMA

ReelReviews

spongebob movie A sponge out of water

SPONGEBOB’s appeal is much like the tide – it seems to rise and fall at regular intervals, with our favourite silly sponge never too far from our screens.

He’s rounded up all his pals for Spongebob: Sponge out of Water (Cert G, 92 mins) which is as brilliant/brutal as ever, depending on whether you’re a fan. Chief villain Antonio Banderas gamely tries to out-act the singing sponge.

cinderella

A timeless tale ... again

The Rock and Jason Statham mix it up in Fast & Furious 7, which is more or less business as usual for the popular series

Fast & Furious 7: franchise returns even brasher and dumber than ever

Take another Furious spin

 daniel smith

OVER the top, ridiculous and brilliant; words which perfectly describe the seventh instalment of the Fast and the Furious saga, Fast & Furious 7.

An element of emotion is added as the film is used as a swansong to the late Paul Walker who died in a car accident in November 2013 while the movie was being made.

This meant a major rethink about what to do with Walker’s character, Brian O’Conner, which director James Wan took on the chin brilliantly.

The film starts off where Fast & Furious 6 left off when, after the end credits, Deckard Shaw (portrayed

by Cockney cult hardman Jason Statham) avenges his younger brother Owen’s death by crashing into Tokyobased Han, a member of Dominic Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) crew, killing Han in the process.

“You don’t know me – you’re about to,” says Shaw at the very end of Six, which ties in with Seven as a parcel from Tokyo turns out to be a bomb.

This explodes seconds after Shaw hangs up a call to the Toretto family home that has been the epicentre of the Fast & Furious franchise.

The explosion, along with the death of a crew member, sets Dominic on a mission to find Shaw.

Along with the usual

crew of Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Ludacris) and partner Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), he also gets military help from “Mr Nobody” (Kurt Russell).

Their first mission is to seek out a hacker working under the alias “Ramsey”, who turns out to be a woman (Nathalie Emmanuel), whose sophisticated hacking device is what the crew need to track down Shaw.

Machine gun fire, a cat fight between Rodriguez and UFC fighter Ronda Rousey, and a multi-million dollar hypercar flying through three buildings later, the device is obtained and used to track down Statham.

They return to LA and are confronted by Shaw

and his allies. Having been out of action courtesy of Shaw, Hobbs (played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) links up with Toretto’s crew to hunt down Shaw and his militant buddies.

The bald testosteronefest concludes with a car park brawl between Shaw and Toretto, but in typical Fast & Furious style, even after the six-storey car park is destroyed, they both miraculously survive.

The film then wraps up with O’Conner retiring from the day job to a family life with his son and Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster), who is expecting a baby girl, ending rumours that Walker’s character would simply be killed off.

W hat follows is a

touching tribute to Walker over the course of all seven movies.

O’Conner, in a Toyota Supra, cruises alongside Toretto’s Dodge Charger in a scene reminiscent of the climactic race in the first movie.

Using younger brothers Caleb and Cody Walker as stand-ins, and using CGI to project Walker ’s face, they pulled off what would be his final film in a proper manner.

To the keen movie critic, Fast & Furious 7 could be considered awful, thanks to unnecessary explosions, cheesy scripting, and poor attempts at humour courtesy of the supporting cast.

But from someone who has watched the

series since the very start, it was fantastic.

It’s the unnecessary explosions and cheesy scripting that make the movie unique; these have been a staple of all seven Fast and Furious films, and without them, these would make no sense.

Thanks to the RouseyRodriguez scrap, a $3.4m Lykan HyperSport car being hurled through three Abu Dhabi skyscrapers, and the seemingly impossibility of Toretto being killed despite what the film throws at him, it’s a memorable movie and will keep the cult fan base of the series very happy, along with the great tribute to the late Paul Walker.

Verdict: 8/10

KENNETH Branagh delivers his version of the timeless fairytale as Cinderella (Cert G, 113 mins) delivers a strictly by-the-book film.

The film ticks virtually every box on the Cinderella story list, bringing nothing new.

Still, at least it’s not as awful as Into The Woods’s botched fairytale, and it looks terrific, with a classy cast – including Cate Blanchett and Derek Jacobi – adding a dash of gravitas.

while we’re young Facing a fear of aging

BEN Stiller and Naomi Watts face into mid-life uncertainty in While We’re Young (Cert 15A, 97 mins), which sees them questioning what they’ve done with their lives and where they’re going, thanks to (perhaps unwisely) comparing themselves to some younger, and seemingly much cooler new friends. A nicely made film, it’s an interesting tale for the millennial generation.

26 clondalkin gazette 9 April 2015

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28 Gazette 9 April 2015

SPORT

FastSport doolin pleased with Under19 euro point: PAUL Doolin’s Republic of Ireland side came back from 2-0 down at the break to clinch a point in their last UEFA U-19 Championships Elite Phase with a 2-2 draw with Slovakia in Mannheim thanks to second half goals from a Ryan Manning penalty and Joel Coustrain.

The Slovaks ended the game with three players dismissed while the Irish also had Kevin Toner ordered off for two bookable offences.

“We were hoping to get something from it.

We looked to finish off on a decent performance. They were a very good side and scored a couple of goals in the first half but we deserved something,” said Doolin.

“We were outstanding in the second half.

Our attacking after the break was excellent.

Slovakia had a couple of chances too. It was probably just as well it ended what it did as the discipline seemed to have gone from the game.”

rugby: heaslip proud of blues but says toulon will be huge test

Leinster need big step up  sport@dublingazette.com

JAMIE Heaslip said that Leinster need to step up another gear following their narrow 18-15 win over Bath in the European Champions Cup

Quarter-Final at Aviva Stadium last Saturday.

Speaking after the tie, the skipper said it was hugely important that the province improved ahead of the semi-final against Toulon and the

crucial run of games coming up for the province.

Six Ian Madigan penalties sealed the win for Leinster, and a place in the Champions Cup Semi-Finals for the first

Leinster mascots Jill O’Brien, from Donnybrook, and Nathan Levy-Valensi with Leinster captain Jamie Heaslip and Bath captain Stuart Hooper. Picture: Brendan Moran

Leinster supporter Eoin O’Driscoll from Goatstown. Picture: Stephen McCarthy

time since 2012, at the Aviva on Saturday.

Speaking after the game, the Leinster captain reflected on the important role the experience within the squad played in seeing out the game.

“We can take a lot of positives out of it.

They’re on our line, they’re 25m out in that last minute and a half, two minutes of the game.

“Someone asked me was that the experience part; a little bit of experience and a little bit of the lads showing their character. I couldn’t be prouder of them.

“But at the next level, no matter who it is, Wasps or Toulon, we have a massive chal-

lenge and we’ve got to improve on today.

“If you make any kind of individual or system errors, [Bath] are going to punish you. And that happened twice.

“There were probably a couple of other times where they really did stress us and make line breaks, or half line breaks.”

With a semi-final place secured, and a tie with Toulon or Wasps to look forward to, Heaslip emphasised the importance of upcoming games in the Guinness PRO12, starting with the game away to Dragons next Sunday.

“It’s another massive game. It’s great at this time of year; it’s just big game after big game.

We’re chasing that top four pretty hard, so the Dragons games is huge.

“And the game following, that’s going to be massive as well, in terms of the club and the group that we have.”

With an eight-day turnaround between the Bath and Dragons games, the squad have time to rest and recuperate before another crucial fixture.

“We’re just going to rest up now. A lot of us were saying that’s probably one of the fastest, toughest games we’ve played, including internationals. That’s right up there.”

Leinster face Newport Dragons next Sunday at Rodney Parade in their next league game.

UCD produce best Champions Cup run in 20 years  sport@dublingazette.com

UCD captain Katie Mullan attempts to tackle Rot Weiss Koln’s Lena Vonhoegen. Picture: Ady Kerry

UCD ladies finished in Ireland’s best position in the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup since Randalstown in 1995 as they ended in sixth place in the competition, hockey’s equivalent of the Champions League.

That is because of a spectacular 3-2 win over Canterbury, complete with two South African, three English and a Scottish international in their line-up.

The result in Bilthoven, the Netherlands, saw UCD advance to the fifth place playoff, guar-

anteeing Ireland retain a place in the top tier of European club hockey for another season.

They had fallen behind just eight minutes in to Nikki Triggs’ field goal but Chloe Watkins levelled from close range before Emily Beatty’s cracking shot and a third from Deirdre Duke swapped things around to 3-1 at half-time.

Jen Wilson got one back for the English club but UCD held on for a famous win in what is hockey’s equilvalent of soccer’s Champions League, one later described as the biggest result in

the club’s history.

Speaking about the victory, coach Jonathan Harte praised the ability of his side to dig in to get the result, particularly Sarah Robinson at the back.

“We had to guts it out in terms of defending in numbers, being under pressure as the opposition pressed us to get back to 3-3 in the last 10 minutes.

“It is great for UCD and great for Irish hockey and hopefully all of Irish hockey can keep pushing on.”

They ultimately fell to English champions Surbiton as two final

quarter goals saw UCD fall out of touch, meaning they finished sixth overall.

Harte’s side trailed 1-0 at the break and 2-0 early in the second half but a sharp volley from Katie Mullan reduced the arears with 17 minutes to go.

Nikki Evans was proving a handful in the forward line while, defensively, Leah Ewart and Mullan were in strong form.

But the loss of Anna O’Flanagan to injury was keenly felt and the students ran out of steam in the closing phases with Julie King and Jo Hunter punishing them.

9 April 2015 Gazette 29

Gazette

Home comforts for Smith’s Eastern side

FastSport

Gerry Smith tells Nathan Kelly how how he is looking forward to his fifth campaign at the head of the Eastern Region side that will represent the country at the Regions Cup in Dublin THE DRAW has been made, the stadiums have been chosen and the dates have been set.

Safe to say the wheels are definitely in motion for this summer’s UEFA Regions’ Cup, being hosted here in Dublin.

It is the first time Ireland will host the competition in what will be its ninth edition and Gerr y Smith’s Eastern Region side have been drawn in Group A alongside Ankara (Turkey), South Moravia (Czech Republic), and Tuzla Canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

The Eastern Region side qualified for the finals after three wins from three in their Intermediary group back in October, but Smith still seemed on a high from just making the finals when asked his reaction

to the draw.

“We’re just delighted to be in the finals first and foremost,” he said.

“The fact that we’re here is great and we’re really looking forward to it.

“When we went to Hungary last October, if you had said to me that we’d have qualified and the finals would be in Ireland, I’d have chopped both your hands of and taken it to be honest.

“It’s great that we get to play here but the most important thing is to be in the finals.

“On the draw itself, we’ve played the three teams before. The first time we qualified we played the Czech Republic, going back a long time ago, and they beat us 3-0, that team actually went on to play professional football

Eastern Region manager Gerry Smith

afterwards.

“We were probably lucky to get nil in that one if I’m honest. In that same group we had Bosnia and they beat us 3-0 too, and we were even luckier to get nil because they were a fantastic side.”

Ireland have certainly improved since first qualifying for the competition in 2001, going on to feature four times before this year, and reaching the final in 2011, but ultimately losing to hosts Portugal in the decider of the world’s top amateur competition.

“The Eastern Region recently played a couple of friendly fixtures against Dolnoslaski from Poland, who are in the other group in this summer’s competition and have won the Regions’

Cup in the past.

“A 1-1 draw and 1-0 defeat to the Poles further displays the progress made under Smith’s guidance through the years. “ We ’ ve d e f i n i t e l y come on from where we were,” he told GazetteSport.

be played in Tallaght.

When asked if he felt there was a massive advantage to a self-hosted tournament, Smith, perhaps surprisingly, played down the fact the competition is being played on home soil.

He said: “I don’t think it makes too much dif-

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‘Playing in Portugal in 35 degree heat can knock the living daylights out of you’ - Gerry Smith

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“This is our fifth time to be in the finals so we’re looking forward to it. As I said we’ve played all three teams, we played Turkey in Portugal in 2011. They’re a very good team, a very strong team and country in relation to soccer and we drew 0-0, so there’ll be nothing in it really.

There are eight really good teams in the finals, unfortunately only one team can win it, and I’m sure we all feel we have a chance.”

The tournament itself will run from June 26 to July 4, and matches across the two groups will be played at Tallaght Stadium, the UCD Bowl, Richmond Park, Home Farm, Tolka Park and the Carlisle Grounds.

The winners from both groups will go on to contest the final which will

ference really. What it does from our point of view is, it can be a tall order to be cooked up in a hotel for 10 or 12 days, it can get a bit monotonous so, in that respect, it’s nice that the lads will be able to nip home for an hour or two for whatever reason.

“But in relation to on the pitch, I don’t think it has a bearing on anything to be honest.

“That said, when we played in Portugal, we played in 35 degree heat on two of the days which can knock the living daylights out of our players.

“But other than that, I don’t think it makes that much difference.”

Ireland’s first game of the Regions’ Cup will be played against Ankara on Friday June 26, at Tallaght Stadium at 7pm.

Soccer Sisters takes over Fingal for Easter FINGAL was a flourish with young girls playing the beautiful game over the Easter break as the FAI’s Soccer Sister Easter Camps were held in 12 different venues across the county.

There was no area left uncovered as camps were runs from Blanchardstown to Baldoyle to Swords to Balbriggan and allowed girls from the ages of seven to 12 to get as much top quality football education in while the schools were shut.

Speaking on the camps and their success over Easter, Paul Keogh, FAI/Fingal County development officer said: “The number of camps and numbers on the camps continue to rise. With the Stephanie Roche exposure and also the great work of the grassroots clubs it is becoming more and more accessible for girls to play on a team amongst friends. In Fingal alone, there are 12 venues for the girls to choose from with the biggest FAI Soccer Sister Easter camp in the country taking place in Gormanston, Balbriggan, with 92 girls attending.”

With a number of local clubs participating in the organisation and co-ordination of the camps in the area, they are viewed as an excellent chance for young girls to take their first steps into football.

Marion Brown, Fingal County Council principal sports officer added: “Fingal are delighted as always with the continued growth in girls’ sport. Through our sports development officers and our sports plan for the area the focus given to increasing women in sport is a top priority. More and more clubs are facilitating the growth of the girls’ game which is very important. And also, without the long hours of dedication of the volunteers it would not happen.”

Gazette

30 CLONDALKIN gazette 9 April 2015

SPORT

ken’sDiary

Puncture cannot stop Kenneth hitting 130km Olympic silver medallist and Irish boxing legend Ken Egan is to take part in this year’s Laurels Charity Crew Cycle from Galway to Dublin on April 19. In the run-up to the event, Egan has partnered with Gazette Sport to document his preparation for the big day, and here is his latest report from the road.

LAST Saturday morning, there was the biggest number yet, 43, taking part. The hardship and the weather was mighty with our aim of 130km today.

We reached our target but the drama that was to unfold was crazy; we set a steady pace and motorists didn’t like our presence this morning.

Some suggested we broke up into two smaller groups but we stuck together and soldiered on, heading for Lucan and then on to Edenderry where we stopped for tea and scones.

We had picked up eight punctures on our travels and I was cursing some of the gang for having bad tyres. Lo and behold, I got one of those punctures and had to bum a tube as I arrived with the bare essentials: a bike and a bottle of water; such a novice!

In any case, we carried on and made it to the finish line, completing the route.

My final preparations, though, see me heading off to cheer on my good friend Andy Lee in Brooklyn this weekend in his world title defence so I’ll miss the last cycle before the big one.

Peace out and see you on the other side.

For more information about the event, log on to www.facebook.com/laurelscharitycrew, and come back next week for the latest instalment of Ken’s cycling diary. The group has raised €520,000 for Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin through their efforts in recent years.

soccer: over 250 people gather for Brian mceneff event

The Jobstown side that won the Brian McEneff tournament

Smiles abound at Liffey Valley  sport@dublingazette.com

LIFFEY Valley Rangers held their fourth annual Brian McEneff Memorial Tournament last Friday on a day that, as always, was packed with quality football, great support and smiles on young faces.

After weeks of preparation, Ballyowen Park was set and ready on Good Friday as the Valley welcomed Ballyoulster United, Esker Celtic, Jobstown Celtic, Kilnamanagh, and Sacred Heart to take part in the Under-9s tournament.

Rangers themselves fielded two teams in the tournament, an A and B side, the latter of which was made up of Under-8 players and four of their girls, one of whom was Brian McEneff’s granddaughter, which was an added touch for the watching family.

Despite a wet and dull start to the day, about 250 people gathered around the three pitches marked side by side as the tournament kicked off just after 10am.

This year’s competition was formatted

towns cup run Clondalkin fall short at hands of Kilkenny Cats clondalkin fought hard but were ulti-

mately undone by a free-scoring Kilkenny backline as their Towns Cup campaign came to an end at the semi-final stage in the Carlow sunshine on Sunday, falling 40-22.

The Cats built an 18-3 half-time lead to be well in control. Clon fought back with tries from Paul Nolan, Barry Mulloy and Neil Finlay to reel in some of the gap but Kilkenny were just too strong.

Picture: Sharon Flanagan

slightly differently than previous years, with two groups which meant every team was guaranteed at least five games.

The weather picked up gradually as the day moved on but the level of football on show from every team was at its peak for the entire day, as games were played quick and fast, with an abundance of goals, saves, passing and tackles on show.

Despite there being a final at the end of the day, results were primarily at the back of people’s minds as the

smiles on the players faces being treated to a football filled Friday was the real result for everyone involved.

That’s not to say the young players held back in their ambitions to be crowned champions at the end of the day, and it was Liffey Valley’s A side and Jobstown who contested the final.

It was the Tallaght outfit who came out on top in a brilliant final which rounded off five hours of excellent schoolboy football.

The presentation was carried out after

the final, where every player from every team received a medal. Jobstown were presented with their trophy by Marian McEneff, the wife of the club’s former liaison officer for whom the tournament remembers.

Coaches and parents from all visiting clubs did not hold back in their praise for how the day was run by Liffey Valley, with one parent overheard at the presentation stating it was the “best day of football he had attended in a long time”.

9 April 2015 CLONDALKIN gazette 31

Gazette

skills competition

FastGAA

Round Tower’s Clarke wins Timmons trophy seventy girls competed in the annual Feile Under-14 skills competition in Silver Park last weekend in glorious sunshine.

The overall winner was Hannah Clarke from Round Tower. Such was the keen competition that there were joint second and joint third place winners with Raheny’s Laura Robertson and Crumlin’s Claire Kiernan in second place overall.

hurling: lucan land first win of the u-16b year

Brogan back in the fold for Monaghan rematch

The Lucan Sarsfields Under-16B hurlers who have recently been sponsored by Almech

Four-star Sarsfields too good for Na Fianna under-16 b hurling Lucan Sarsfields 4-14 Na Fianna 2-4  sport@dublingazette.com

LUCAN Sarsfields Under-16 B hurlers managed their first win of the season last week with an impressive 4-14 to 2-4 win over Na Fianna in Division 5 at 12th Lock.

After an opening day defeat to St Sylvester’s and a draw in the second game of the league, a win felt a long time coming for Alan Flynn’s side but what a win it was when it eventually came.

Sarsfields flew out of the blocks with a goal

after just a couple of minutes following some neat play which Joseph Lakes finished, who added to his goal with a point soon after. Despite spirited attempts to get a hold of the game, the early goal seemed to take the wind out of Na Fianna’s sails and Lucan added scores via Cillian Murphy, Oisin O’Brien, Oran Tully and Michael Doyle.

At the other end, Ryan Hyland was giving an assured performance between the posts while the back line of Zach Meade, Thomas Heffernan and James Hoey kept

the visitors’ chances to a minimum.

The second half began with Lucan leading 2-8 to 1-2 but Na Fianna began well, pressing the home side with the wind at their backs.

Sarsfields’ half-back line seemed to relish the added pressure however.

Eoghan Higgins, Aidan Flynn and Paul Murtagh stood up and were certainly counted for, preventing Na Fianna from getting too close to the goal to cause any real concern.

Scores were added for the hosts from Shaun Keegan, Murphy, Lakes,

and Doyle while some quality defending forced Na Fianna into a number of wides.

The win leaves Flynn’s side off the mark thanks to an all-round strong display with the standout performer being Lakes, no more so because he was operating in midfield despite normally playing as a half-back, but still managed to score 2-4 in total.

Up next for the side is a bit of a derby against nearby rival Castleknock, who have won one and lost two of their opening three games in the league so far.

DUBLIN’S preparations for this Sunday’s NFL Division 1 semi-final against Monaghan will have surely been boosted by the return of championship veteran Alan Brogan, pictured above after the All-Ireland semifinal exit in 2014.

The three-time All-Star and clinical forward returned to training this week despite months of speculation about his impending retirement, having played his last game for the Dubs in the All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Donegal last summer.

The news will have been timely for fans of the Boys in Blue, having lost Eoghan O’Gara for the foreseeable future with an ACL injury a couple of weeks ago. Brogan will certainly be around the top of the list of replacements for the gap, along with some of Dublin’s rising stars, most notably Brian Fenton, who impressed on his National League debut on Sunday scoring 1-1 and offering a strong presence.

The Dubs only secured their place in the final four of the league after an impressive 1-22 to 1-11 win over Monaghan on Fenton’s debut in Clones in the final round of regular league fixtures last weekend. It is a result that will leave Monaghan fans bemoaning the fact that they have to face the capital again this Sunday in Croke Park.

A couple of early scores from Kevin McManamon and Bernard Brogan put the Dubs in front before Fenton shook the net after four minutes to open up a 1-4 to 0-0 lead. Monaghan did their best to close the deficit but a superb 45 score from Diarmuid Connolly and another point from Brogan gave Jim Gavin’s team a 1-6 to 0-4 lead on 25 minutes.

This was increased just before the first half drew to a close thanks to three scores before the turn and the break did not slow the Dubs down as they came back out with a Connolly point inside 20 seconds of the second half. The rest of the half was mostly a barricade of Dublin points before Monaghan scored a late goal to improve the scoreboard.

It is hard to say whether or not the Brogan brothers will line out together in blue again as soon as this weekend, but it is news that will bring Dubs fans much joy heading into summer football.



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GazetteSPORT all of your clondalkin sports coverage from page 28-31

jobs a good one: Brian McEneff tournament draws the crowds once again for annual event P30

april 9-15, 2015

smith’s eastern promise: Republic of Ireland amateur boss’s Regions Cups bid P29

Four Peas in elite panel The Republic of Ireland Under-17 side that will play in Cork this week

Greenogue club well represented in the Republic of Ireland squad that will play England, Hungary and the Netherlands in Cork this week  nathan kelly

sport@dublingazette.com

FOUR Peamount United club members were named in Dave Connell’s squad for this week’s UEFA European Women’s Under-17 championship elite round group stage in Cork.

Lauryn O’Callaghan, Eleanor Ryan-Doyle, Niamh Farrelly and Lucy McCartan are the Peas present as Ireland’s Under-17 side are set to face England, Hungary and the Netherlands over the space of five days.

Thursday will see the group begin with the Netherlands facing Hungary at St Colman’s Park in Cobh in the afternoon before the international derby of Ireland versus England takes

place at Turner’s Cross at 8pm.

Speaking after his squad had been announced, Connell said: “Everybody was available and we’ve made three changes to the group of players that got us through the qualifying round in September.”

The manager, who also looks after Ireland’s Under-19 squad, is under no illusions of the difficult group Ireland have been placed in. “It is a very difficult group we’ve drawn again,” he said.

“We seem to be prone to getting hard groups but we’ve done it before in difficult groups.

We’re confident but we know it won’t be easy and we’ll give it a go.”

Despite the tough draw, the Irish squad will

at least take comfort in the fact that they will be playing in front of their own fans, and the boss is hopeful of some big crowds down in the Rebel County.

“My assistant Dave Bell has promoted the tournament well down in Cork while the local league too has shown great support so we’re expecting big crowds.

“The tournament is on during the school holidays and we have two girls from Cork in our squad so hope to get good support. Sometimes it can be difficult for players playing in front of a big home crowd but we’re confident they’ll cope.”

Ireland made it to the Elite Round after an unbeaten qualifying campaign with wins over

Lithuania and Romania followed by a draw with Serbia to top their group.

In preparation for the elite round, Connell’s side played Iceland, who will host the finals from June 22 to July 4, in a couple of friendly fixtures at the AUL complex at the end of March. Ireland won both games, with RyanDoyle netting in a 2-1 win in the opener that was followed by a 1-0 win two days later.

On their next fixture, against our old foes, Connell said: “We have England first and that’s a tough opener but we’d prefer to play them first. We’ve seen them play and we know a lot about them and we’ll be well prepared. It’s a special game and we’re very much looking forward to it.”