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Gazette DUBLIN CITY

February 2 - 8, 2017

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New Metro North hopes derailed by Shane Ross  EMMA NOLAN

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THERE was much excitement this week with news that Dublin’s Metro North may be on track sooner than expected – however, The Gazette can reveal that this is unlikely to happen.

The Government

announced this week they were planning to speed up construction of the highlyanticipated airport rail line by a full two years.

Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe said the Government was reviewing its five-year programme for Capi-

tal Investment, claiming there was €2.6 billion in funding that hadn’t yet been allocated to a specific project. Metro North had been included in the 2015 Capital programme and was due to be completed in 2026 or 2027, with construction beginning in 2021.

There was hope that this would

now be brought forward to 2019.

However, speaking to The Gazette, Transport Minister Shane Ross dismissed these claims. He said: “Unfortunately, there is little scope to accelerate the project and sadly not by the two years mentioned in the [capital investment] report.”

Minister Ross said his department is still looking at construction commencing in 2021, adding: “It would not be possible to accelerate that to 2019, in view of the significant body of work that must be done in terms of planning et cetera and the timeframes required for consultation.”

2 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 2 February 2017

CRISIS | PETER MC VERRY TRUST, FOCUS IRELAND SLAM 94% RISE

Homelessness almost doubled since late 2014  EMMA NOLAN

HOMELESSNESS has increased by almost 100% since December 2014, according to The Peter McVerry Trust.

Latest figures show a 91% increase in homelessness since the end of 2014, and now the charity are calling on the Minister for Housing, Simon Coveney, to fasttrack measures to get empty homes back into the housing system.

The chief executive of the charity, Pat Doyle, said: “The latest official homeless figures show 7,148 people in emergency accommodation in the last week of December, 2016. This is a 36%

increase on December 2015 and a staggering 91% increase since December 2014. “ We h ave a r o u n d 50,000 empty homes in Irish cities, or 13 empty homes for every homeless adult. That is in an intolerable and deeply frustrating situation.”

M e a nw h i l e , F o c u s Ireland say that the Government missed an opportunity to take a big step to prevent many people from becoming homeless at the end of last year by voting down the anti-homeless amendment proposed by the charity.

The amendment called on the Government to change the law to pro-

tect tenants in buy-to-let properties and sought to stop banks – and other financial institutions – from being able to repossess buy-to-let homes and evict the tenants.

It also would have

stopped landlords from evicting to sell with vacant possession.

Focus Ireland chief executive Ashley Balbirnie said: “As our amendment was voted down this has left many people at risk and more people becoming homeless.

“We will continue to challenge the Government on this issue and seek the action required to protect people in their homes.”

The Peter McVerr y Trust are also calling on the Government to introduce a vacant property tax and to direct and resource every local authority to establish teams of Empty Homes Officers.

Pat Doyle said that returning empty homes to the housing system was quicker and more economical than a newbuild supply.

He said: “Empty homes and commercial buildings that can be converted to residential units are the quickest wins available in the battle to make housing available for people in homelessness or on social housing waiting lists.

“These empty units can be tackled immediately and help while we wait for a time when new-build constr uction starts to impact on housing needs and waiting lists.”

Groups urged to seek a share of sport fund BEFORE Christmas, local TD and Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross, announced that €30 million is being made available under the Sports Capital Programme to develop sports infrastructure around the country.

In order to submit an application, clubs must register with the department’s online application system before February 10.

Urging voluntary and community groups to also apply for funding for sporting activities, Minister Ross said the benefits

of funding can impact an entire community and “cannot be underestimated”.

“The programme aims to maximise participation in sport and physical recreation.

“Sports clubs are an obvious vehicle through which this is achieved, but grants are also available to voluntary and community groups for sporting activities. I encourage all groups to consider how these grants could help.”

Online applications for funding are being accepted now on sportscapitalprogramme.ie.

FASTNews

Mary furnished with a €2k prize thanks to EZ Living MARY Collins had a golden feeling at EZ Living when she picked up a ticket to happiness – €2,000, courtesy of the furniture chain’s nationwide Golden Ticket competition throughout January.

Held as part of the chain’s biggest sale ever, EZ Living gave away €10,000 a week across its several stores in Dublin, with Mary just one of the delighted shoppers happy to get an unexpected windfall, as staff member Lisa Halley presented it.

The chain has extended its January sale until this weekend, with Sunday, February 5 marking the last chance to get a great bargain and be in with a chance to win a €500 voucher. For further information, see www.ezlivingfurniture.ie/goldenticket.

Starcamp sets out its schedule for the summer CHILDREN’S nationwide performing arts network Starcamp is to host nine summer camps in eight North Dublin locations next July and August.

Now in its 10th year and supported once again by Swords-based banana importers Fyffes, the concept of the week-long camp is to build self-esteem in boys and girls aged 4-12 through song, dance, drama and games in a safe and non-competitive environment.

Dates and venues where the camps will be held are Artane - Beaumont Recreation Centre (8-12th August), Pobalscoil Neasain, Baldoyle (10-14th July), Clasac Theatre, Clontarf (3-7th and 24-28th July), Scoil Chiarain, Donnycarney (8-12th August), St. Canices GNS, Finglas (24-28th July), St. Mary’s Secondary School, Glasnevin (14-18th), Santa Sabina, Sutton and St Aidan’s CBS, Whitehall (both 31st July - 4th August).

Interested parents can obtain further information on their website starcamp.ie

Dublin Gazette Newspapers, Second Floor, Heritage House, Dundrum Office Park, Dublin 14 Tel: 01 - 6010240. Email: sales@dublingazette.com news@dublingazette.com web: www.dublingazette.com twitter: @DublinGazette Visit us on Facebook at DublinGazetteNewspapers

2 February 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 3

 SYLVIA POWNALL TWO Dublin actors are in the running to replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond.

Clondalkin’s finest export Aidan Turner is now tipped as favourite to play 007 ahead of Tom Hardy and Tom Hiddlestone after his odds were slashed to 3/1.

Punters laid a flurry of bets over the weekend on the Poldark actor who’s staying tight lipped on whether he’s been approached for the spy role.

Castleknock A-lister Colin Farrell – best known for his role in The Lobster and black comedy In Bruges - has also seen his odds shorten from 50/1 to 25/1, according to Boylesports.

A spokesperson for the bookies chain said: “We have seen a few bets of twenties and tenners come in for Colin Farrell resulting in the Intermission actor’s price col-

lapsing to 25/1.” Turner – who at one point planned to follow in his father Pat’s footsteps and become an electrician – has avoided Bond questions like the plague.

The one-time ballroom dancer spent more time dodging reporters than he did posing for photographers on the red carpet at last week’s UK National Television Awards.

When asked whether or not he would be appearing in Ian Fleming’s next 007 instalment he replied: “No questions like that.

Can’t answer that one.”

One dogged journalist would not give up and rephrased the question, asking if he wanted to be the new Bond.

But Turner, 36, declared: “I’m moving!” before disappearing seamlessly into the crowd – a move that Bond himself would have been proud of. Kerry-born Shame hunk Michael Fassbender is also rumoured to be in the mix for the coveted spy role, along with Luther actor Idris Elba.

4 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 2 February 2017

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RULING | LOWER FITZWILLIAM STREET

FASTNews

Vacant Georgian building to be converted into homeless hostel  AISLING KENNEDY A VACANT Georgian building on Lower Fitzwilliam Street in Dublin 2 will be converted into a homeless hostel with 30 beds following a ruling by the High Court last week.

The hostel, which is owned by Dublin City Council (DCC), will be operated by the Dublin Simon Community and will provide beds for single people and couples.

The building, which was once the Longfield Hotel, was bought by Dublin City Council in 2007 but it remained vacant up to 2014 due to the recession.

In March 2014, Dublin City Council decided to move forward with plans to convert the premises into a homeless shelter but it was at this time that one local resident took a

High Court challenge on the council’s decision.

The man said that residents in the area were concerned that the new hostel would be detrimental to the conservation of the south Georgian heart of the city and that it would negatively affect tourism.

There were also submissions made about the safety of pedestrians and property owners

if the hostel was to go ahead and the temptations close by including a casino, pubs, and shops selling alcohol.

Last week, however, the High Court ruled in favour of Dublin City Council and plans to convert the building into a homeless hostel are set to go ahead at a cost of €4m.

A spokesperson for the Dublin Region Homeless Executive told The Gazette that DCC welcomed the outcome of the judicial review on Longfields Hotel on Fitzwilliam Street and said: “The proposed use of the building is for the provision of supported temporary accommodation under the ‘Pathway to Home’ model.”

The spokesperson said that DCC hope to commence work on the hostel in spring.

Men assaulted in separate incidents  AISLING KENNEDY

A MAN was assaulted by a group of men on Anne’s Lane, off Grafton Street, in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Gardai are currently investigating the assault but a description of the men has yet to be released.

The victim was taken to St James’ Hospital for treatment; however, his injuries are not thought to be lifethreatening.

The assault comes only two days after Dancing with the Stars celeb Hughie Maughan and his partner were viciously attacked in the city centre by a group of five men and one woman.

The attack came in the early hours of Sunday morning outside The George on George’s Street. Hughie’s partner, Ryan Ruckledge, was left with a broken foot.

Hughie was left with a black eye and a lump on the side of his head where the woman was reported to have pulled out some of Hughie’s hair.

Hughie said that he tried to defend himself and his partner Ryan and fought back.

He said: “It was a group of about four or five lads and one girl. They were eating a take-away and seemed to be on their way home “We walked by them and they shouted after us. It was awful.”

Illusionist Raymond Crowe. Picture: Brian McEvoy

It’s a kind of magic IRISH audiences can expect a spectacular production full of hilarious magic tricks, death-defying stunts and acts of breath-taking wonder when The Illusionists come to the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre.

The show has shattered box office records worldwide and thrilled audiences of all ages with a mind-blowing spectacular showcasing the jawdropping talents of seven of the most incredible illusionists on earth.

Creative producer Simon Painter said: “We can’t wait to bring this electrifying show to Dublin for a truly entertaining experience for the whole family. The Illusionists is the most non-stop and powerful mix of outrageous and astonishing acts ever to be seen on the live stage.”

The show runs from March 14 to 19. Tickets from €15.00 are on sale now. For more see www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

Cabra lifeguard gets royal seal of approval  EMMA NOLAN A SWIMMER from Cabra has been awarded a Royal Award in London.

David Browne, originally from Cabra West, has been recognised for outstanding voluntary contribution to drowning prevention.

The Northsider was the only Irish recipient of the Certificate of Merit presented by the President of the Royal Life Saving Society, Prince Michael of Kent at the ceremony in London last week (see picture above).

David started lifesaving while still at school, joining his local club at St Vincent’s swimming pool in Glasnevin.

He later qualified as a lifeguard and instructor, and has spent nearly thirty years training and assessing lifeguards in Ireland and abroad.

In 2003 he travelled to Kenya to train lifeguards as part of the Drowning Prevention charity’s overseas aid project.

This training allowed local swimmers to qualify as lifeguards, leading to employment opportunities at some of the many holiday resorts along the Kenya coast.

In Ireland, David has trained more than 300 instructors and also served for two decades as volunteer administrator of the charity’s Irish branch.

As well as teaching, he is an active competitor in life saving competitions, and had competed at local, national and international l e v e l i n c l u d i n g t h e Wo r l d Championships, and still coaches champion life savers in his club environment.

During this anniversary year, David has published a book celebrating the history of the Life Saving Society in Ireland over the last 125 years.

Hospital wins award for patient treatment MATER Misericordiae University Hospital has received a National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) Data Quality Award for achieving compliance with the NTPF’s hospital waiting list Data Quality Standards. The NTPF’s Chairman John Horan (left) presented the award to Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Mark Jeffrey at the NTPF’s inaugural symposium “Working Together for Patient Treatment”, held at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham.

Picture: Conor McCabe Photography

Valentine’s Day at Dublin Zoo LOVE is in the air this Valentine’s Day at Dublin Zoo with a special event for couples.

On February 11 and 12 at 8am, Dublin Zoo will exclusively open its doors to 100 couples for what will be a memorable, love-filled morning.

Upon entry, couples will collect a romantic breakfast picnic from Haughton House before experiencing the early morning sights and sounds of the Zoo. Over the course of this special event, the animal care team will host themed keeper talks on breeding, courtship and the romantic rituals of some of the animals.

Tickets cost €75 per couple can be purchased online at dublinzoo.digitaltickets. co.uk.

2 February 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 5

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PEOPLE | WINNER LOOKS FORWARD TO REPRESENTING IRELAND IN ESTONIA

The future is secure in the hands of young scientist  AISLING KENNEDY THE young Dubliner who was last month crowned Young Scientist of the Year has created a supersafe data-storage solution that’s so secure not even Donald Trump’s Russian pals could hack into it.

Shane Curran was declared the overall winner at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2017 in January for developing a piece of computer software that stores secrets that are verifiably secure for life.

Shane Curran (16) from Terenure College, Dublin 6 came up with his project entitled ‘qCrypt: The quantum-secure, encrypted, data storage solution with multijurisdictional quorum sharding technology’ last year following his previous entry into the 2016 BT Young Scientist Exhibition.

He spoke to the Gazette this week and said: “I’d been working on this particular idea for a year but I suppose I’ve been interested in this space for a good few years now. It’s only since last January or February that I got into properly researching cryptography though and that’s when the project sort of sprung to mind.”

Shane is from Rathgar and lives with his parents and two younger brothers.

Intelligence runs in the family genetics — Shane’s father is an engineer and his mother previously worked as an industrial chemist.

He said: “My brothers and I are all fairly academic but we all like to do different things. Myself and my middle brother are interested in

Shane with Shay Walsh of BT Ireland and Minister Richard Bruton

rugby and play quite a lot of rugby whereas my younger brother is a little bit more academic.”

Shane explained that he became interested in programming and science from the age of seven when he started building “simple” websites for things he was interested in at the time such as rugby teams and various bands he liked.

“The websites just gradually got more and more complicated and I kept adding new features so I gradually picked up that stuff along the way. I kept building new websites and tools and different services and that until I got to where I am today.”

YouTube Asked how he learned how to build websites at the age of seven, Shane says: “I had the internet so that was my main help but at the time there wasn’t really much inperson help available. So it was mainly off the internet and looking up different YouTube videos on various topics and learning from that.”

Shane said one of his inspirations was 2005 Young Scientist winner Patrick Collison.

He said: “Patrick and his brother John founded a company called Stripe when they 17 and 19 and it’s worth around E10bn now so they’ve done pretty well for themselves. So I’m in good company.”

Shane also names rugby legend Paul O’Connell as a hero of his too as they both play the same position in rugby.

“I play rugby forTer-

enure College and he is definitely someone I look up to.”

For now, however, Shane is focused on school and the professional career that no doubt lies ahead of him.

In terms of how he would like to see the technology he developed as part of his winning idea at the Young Scientist exhibition he explained that his original idea was for the software to be used as part of post-war peace and reconciliation.

“It could be used for taking testimonies or confessions or something like that after war.

But the technology could be used in the financial services sector as well as governmental operations. So in terms of the applicability it’s very broad but the original intention was for peace and reconciliation.”

Shane explained that there are many aspects to his project that could be of benefit to businesses or governmental operations.

“As far as the project goes, I’ve developed a new way of exchanging keys which are resistant to any known attacks by quantum computers and then the multijurisdictional quorum sharding part is essentially a file that can be broken up and spread out over different legal jurisdictions. It’s completely independent from any kind of political input or legal decision in that particular jurisdiction.”

Given that Shane is still in fifth year in school, he said he hasn’t made any huge decisions on his future career just yet.

He said he would like to pursue an entrepreneurial career and added: “I’ll definitely be starting

a business of some sort and growing it from there. That’s my main goal.”

As the winner of the 53rd BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2017, Shane won a prizefund of €5,000, the BTYSTE perpetual trophy, and a trip to the European Space Research and Technology Centre in the Netherlands.

In addition, he will represent Ireland at the European Union Contest forYoung Scientists in Tallinn, Estonia later this year.

He said of the September trip to Tallinn: “That’s the main point on my calendar this year.

It’s going to be a great year.”

6 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 2 February 2017

Out and About

Yolanda Fletcher (Chicago and Illinois tourist

Aoise, Richard and Finley

office) and Sharon Mason

Kennedy

Eva Pla, Umbeto Divenosa, Eva Divenosa, Theo Divenosa and Barbara

An essential event for travel inspiration Angela and Alessia Borza

Lorena Cruz and Ursula Rak

O’Shea from Follow the Camino. Pictures: Aishling Conway

W

Jerry Flynn and Christine Campbell

Maureen Kerr and Camel Herrity

HETHER you were seeking a once-in-alifetime trip, planning a well-deserved family holiday or making plans for a romantic getaway, the Holiday World Show at the RDS Simmonscourt was a must-attend event of the year. The event was a great chance to seek advice with a wealth of tour operators and destination experts on hand. This year’s new additions were exhibitors from Argentina, Japan and Botswana. The 2017 Visit USA Pavilion was the largest ever, with over 40 stands.

Daniel Harewood with Jake Kinahan, Dylan Wall and Josh Kinahan

Former World Boxing Champ Bernard Dunne and Finnian Dunne

Everything was awesome L at premiere screening

Nicola Giffney, Alexander O’Toole and Hugo O’Toole

UCKY locals got a chance to see one of the most awesome – and anticipated movies of 2017 at the Irish premiere screening of The Lego Batman Movie at the Odeon Point Village last week. After stealing the show in The LEGO Movie, the caped crusader is back with his own big-screen adventure as big changes brew in Gotham, and LEGO Batman has to save the city from The Joker’s hostile takeover.

Lewis McGivern, Stephen McGivern, Yvonne McGivern and Arann

Model Kerri Nicole Blanc and Kayla Blanc

McGivern

(left). Pictures: Brian McEvoy

2 February 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 7

8 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 2 February 2017

FASTNews

PEOPLE | INSPIRATIONAL STORY GOES VIRAL AFTER APPEARING ON HUMANS OF DUBLIN Colm O’Rourke is currently a United Nations Youth Delegate for Ireland

CarePlus gets warm welcome PEARSE Street locals welcomed a new business to the area last week with the opening of CarePlus Pharmacy.

Formerly Confrey’s Pharmacy, the shop is owned by Tomas Confrey who has served the area for over 50 years.

“I felt it was time for us to move forward and ensure we were providing our customers with a modern but welcoming pharmacy, and CarePlus delivered on this in every way,” Tomas said of his new and improved shop.

“Already our locals are really positive about the new store look and they love the brightness of the refit and how easy it is to find what they need.

“I want to ensure Conefrey’s is here for another 50 years so I felt going with CarePlus was the best decision for me, my team and my business.”

‘Great things do not come from comfort zones’ A CABR A man’s inspirational story has gone viral after appearing on Humans of Dublin.

Last week, the HOD page shared the story of Colm O’Rourke and it has since gone viral and has led to members of the public thanking Colm for inspiring them.

Colm opened up about being shy as a child and how he was petrified of public speaking.

The former student of St Vincent’s Castleknock College explains how he got over his fear, which resulted in him landing an incredible opportunity.

Colm is currently a United Nations Youth Delegate for Ireland and represents the views of Irish young people at an international level.

With his UN role, Colm is a keynote speaker and can often be found addressing prestigious events both in Ireland and abroad.

Speaking to HOD, Colm

said: “I was painfully shy as a child. I remember the moments when my school reports would be delivered to my house.

“I always did very well in my subjects but every year in the comment box it was always the same; my teachers encouraged me to not be as shy in the classroom.

“It’s not that I didn’t want to engage more, I really did, it was just that I was petrified of public speaking.

Frightened “It really frightened me but I didn’t want to be like that.

When I got to university, there was an opportunity to run for class rep.

“The person had to deliver a speech at the top of the lecture theatre to hundreds of students.

“It was my worst nightmare, but oddly enough I decided to run. Something clicked with me that I was fearful of the unknown, so how could

New forensic hospital build to start in weeks WORK on the new National Forensic Mental Health Hospital at St Ita’s campus in Portrane is due to start in a matter of weeks.

Fingal County Council has advised that initial site preparation works are now complete and building will get under way very soon.

Locals are concerned over heavy traffic volumes accessing the peninsula – despite a number of restrictions on construction traffic imposed by An Bord Pleanala.

Cllrs Adrian Henchy (FF) and Paul Mulville (Lab) have both backed calls for CCTV cameras to be installed, but the council said it’s up to the contractor to adhere to agreed time restrictions attached to the planning

permission and cameras were not a condition of An Bord Pleanala’s ruling.

A committee has been set up by the local community to monitor works.

Cllr Henchy said there was a “huge amount of emotion and sensitivity” around the large-scale project.

An artist’s impression of the new hospital

Dublin Fire Brigade tweeted these photos from the scene of the smash

Hero firemen rush to scene of Dublin 7 horror crash

A PERSON was rushed to hospital following a collision in Phibsborough on Sunday night.

Dublin Fire Brigade units from Phibsborough and North Strand attended the scene, and the person, whose injuries are not thought to be life threatening, had to be cut from the wreckage.

I possibly make a judgement about something I hadn’t fully grappled with?

“I decided to push myself out of my comfort zone because I wasn’t going to get out of it any other way, and I decided to use that opportunity there and then. I got up and delivered a speech against a few others.

“It actually went well, and I won, but most bizarrely was that I enjoyed it. So after that, I got involved with the debating team and other public speaking opportunities.

“Before I knew it I was winning competitions and was being invited to speak at events across the world. Last October, I delivered a speech to the United Nations.

“I never thought I’d be offered such an opportunity.

Great things don’t come from comfort zones, you have to push yourself and keep on trying.

“You’ll get there and you’ll thank yourself for it.”

2 February 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 9

CRIME | COURTS HEAR A LITANY OF SHOCKING ACTS ACROSS THE CITY

No jail for woman who threatened gardai with bloody needles while high

A WOMAN who twice threatened gardai with blood-filled syringes while she was suffering from drug-induced hallucinations has avoided jail.

Christina Joyce (28) claimed she was pregnant with the devil’s baby and told gardai her life was in danger. Gardai repeated the “Our Father” prayer with her during one of the incidents in an attempt to calm her down.

Joyce, of Cedar House, Marlborough Place, Marlborough Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three counts of making threats to injure gardai with a syringe at Cedar House on November 26 and December 5, 2013.

Judge Patricia Ryan said it was an aggravating factor that the offences were carried out against gardai acting in the course of their duty and she noted the effect the incidents had on them.

She noted that Joyce’s explanation had been that she was hallucinating and she took into account her remorse and the efforts she has since made to rehabilitate herself.

The court heard Joyce was now in the early stages of recovery.

Judge Ryan imposed a three-year sentence which she suspended on strict conditions.

Sergeant Brendan O’Grady told Gerardine Small BL, prosecuting, that gardai were called to Cedar House hostel on two occasions after Joyce had taken drugs and was acting aggressively.

On both occasions, Joyce pointed blood-

filled syringes at gardai, causing them to fear for their safety. She also threatened to kill herself by injecting air into her neck and said she would stab anyone who came near her.

Gardai attempted to calm her during the “tense” situations and on one occasion repeated the “Our Father” with her. She was asked repeatedly to put down the syringes.

Pepper spray was ultimately deployed on both occasions and public order shields were also used during the second incident to disarm her.

Joyce was arrested and brought to Store Street garda station. She said she was hallucinating and felt her life was in danger. She apologised to gardai.

Sgt O’Grady agreed with Pieter Le Ver t BL , defending, that Joyce had previously received a two-year sentence for similar offences in 2014.

He agreed that she told gardai she was pregnant with the devil’s baby and she thought that there were demons in the gardai and hostel staff.

It was initially thought it may be a mental health issue but later became clear it was drug-induced.

Mr Le Vert said Joyce had a ver y difficult background including drug misuse and periods of homelessness.

She had been the victim of a number of crimes herself.

He said she was released from prison in November 2015 and had not come to any further garda attention since February 2016.

Woman used €51,000 accidental deposit for spending spree A SINGLE mother went on a “massive spending spree” after a bank accidentally deposited €51,000 into her bank account.

Margaret McDonnell (23) spent the money on items for her two children including bedclothes, clothes and shoes, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

For two weeks McDonnell ate out every night, brought her friends and family out for dinner and bought gifts including two crystal vases and a “crystal mushroom lamp”.

Oisin Clarke BL, defending, said it was a case of the goose laying golden eggs and McDonnell spending the money before it stopped.

McDonnell of Rathvilly Park, Finglas, Dublin pleaded guilty to 13 counts of theft of cash from Bank of Ireland on dates between March 7 and 16, 2013. Between large ATM withdrawals and

money spent in shops and restaurants, a total of €24,946 taken.

Judge Cormac Quinn adjourned the case to April next and ordered a Probation Services report to assess McDonnell’s suitability for community service.

Detective Garda Karl Smith told the court that in March 2013 a Bank of Ireland customer went into the branch in Finglas to get details to allow the transfer of €51,808 into his account from a foreign bank account.

He was given an IBAN number but when the money did not later show up in his bank account he contacted the bank again.

It was then discovered he had been incorrectly given the details of McDonnell’s account.

The €51,808 had dropped into her account on March 6. The following day she withdrew €5,000.

Over the next nine days she spent large amounts in Dunnes

Stores, Tesco, Heatons, Centra, Lifestyle Sports, Shoe Rack and New Look.

On discovering its mistake the bank took back the €26,862 remaining from the original deposit.

They also wrote to McDonnell asking her to repay the rest but she ignored the letter.

After her arrest she accepted full responsibility for spending the money. She told gardai that she thought the money was hers if it was in her bank account.

“I just went on a high. It was such a lot of money. It was in my account so as far as I was concerned it was mine,” she said.

She said she spent the money “on everything and anything, stupid things”.

Asked if she was bothered by the thefts she told gardai: “If only you knew me, you would know I was bothered by this. Any young

girl on social welfare like me would have done what I did.”

She said she ignored the letter from the bank because she was scared and realised she had done something wrong.

Mr Clarke said that his client had never before had disposal income to spend and had never been able to buy gifts for friends or family. On March 7 she spent €3,844 in a gift shop after buying two crystal vases and a crystal lamp.

Counsel said McDonnell had never been in trouble before and had always tried to live her life in an upright fashion. Dt Gda Smith it was highly unlikely she would re-offend.

Mr Clarke said McDonnell was in receipt of €250 lone parent allowance each week and could only afford to pay €10 or €20 out of this to make up the stolen money.

A MOBILE phone repair shop worker has avoided jail after pleading guilty to handling stolen phones.

Mohammed Shafi, who works in Washington Mobile on Parnell Street, Dublin city, said he knew the phones were stolen and would use them for spare parts.

Shafi of Parnell Street, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three sample counts of handling stolen property at Washington Mobile on July 16, 2015. There were 21 counts before the court as gardai had seized 21 items which had been reported stolen.

The items were 18 Apple iPhones, 2 iPads and one iPod. Some of the phones had text messages on them saying “I am stolen” and a request to call a number.

Shafi said he knew some of the items were stolen and said he had been accepting or buying stolen products for a year. He said he paid about €200 for a stolen iPhone 6.

He said he would use the stolen items for parts. Garda Donal Donoghue told Judge Pauline Codd that a rough estimate of total value of the stolen items was between €7,500 and €10,000.

He said he bought some of the items from homeless people and said on reflection he was being greedy.

Brian Storan BL, defending,

said that his client no longer ran the phone shop and was simply an employee now. He said the shop had taken steps to check any phones they b o u g h t n ow were not stolen.

He said they ask for proof of identify and keep a database of the seller and the phone’s IMEI, described in court as the phone’s “number plate”. Counsel said there were signs in the shop outlining these new requirements.

Judge Codd said that these weren’t victimless crimes and that people saved very

hard to buy these phones, which were “a very popular but expensive commodity”.

“If there was nobody to handle stolen goods the benefit to the thief would be non-existent,” she said.

She said she would take into consideration his early guilty plea, his co-operation with investigating gardai, and the fact that he was the main support to his family and child.

She suspended a sentence of two years and ordered that Shafi pay a sum of €200 to one of the victims who had their phone stolen. Judge Codd noted that Shafi didn’t ultimately make a lot of money out of the crimes. She described his two previous convictions for holding fake documents as minor.

Phone repair shop worker handled stolen phones

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HEALTH | DAD OF FOUR WHO BEAT KILLER DISEASE URGES OTHERS TO GET CHECKED

‘I went to the doctor’s to get my heartburn checked and found out I had cancer’

 SYLVIA POWNALL

DAD-OF-FOUR Peter Cosgrove has told how he was diagnosed with cancer after he went to the doctor suffering from heartburn.

Peter, 62, was shocked after a visit to his GP for acid reflux uncovered something far more sinister – oesophageal cancer.

The news struck fear in the Dubliner’s heart because his brother Tom died of the same illness five years ago, aged 55.

Peter said: “I was away on holidays two years before the diagnosis and something stuck in my throat. I went to the doctor and was referred for a scope, but they put it down to an ulcer I was being treated for.

“I had a lot of acid reflux. I had four or five scopes done. Eventually after the fifth one I was called in to see a surgeon. I thought I was going to be told everything was fine.

“But he said ‘I think you need to have your oesophagus removed’.”

Less than a week later Peter, from Artane in Dublin 5, was in Beaumont Hospital having surgery. He recalled: “I was knocked out at eight in the morning and woke up in the ward at 12 that night. The pain was horrendous. I got an epidural but when it wore off it was agony.”

Peter, a retired bricklayer, spent two weeks in intensive care before being let home.

He said: “They won’t let you go home until you can swallow and eat food.

Throat “The surgery pulls your stomach up just underneath your throat so it’s one third the size that it was.

“I couldn’t eat a three-course meal now because my stomach can’t hold it.

“I love my grub, but if I eat too much I feel nauseous and as if I’m going to pass out.”

A year after his 2014 operation Peter lost half a stone very quickly and had to have a ‘balloon’ procedure after medics discovered his throat was narrowing.

He said: “It’s like learning to live all over again, but I’m just glad they caught it. With my brother his throat was sticking and they presumed it was an ulcer.

“He was two years fighting it, he went through chemo, had his oesophagus removed, but he couldn’t fight it. They didn’t catch it on time.

“I would say if you’re using a lot of Rennies or whatever for heartburn, you should go and get a scope done. If it keeps you alive it’s worth it.

“I’d have a scope every week if I thought it would

FASTNews

Volunteers sought to protect North Bull Island

DUBLIN City Council is calling on volunteers to help protect the natural beauty of North Bull Island.

DCC are launching the North Bull Island Volunteer Programme, which they hope will help with the promotion and management of the island in Dublin Bay, which forms an integral part of the Dublin Bay UNESCO Biosphere.

All details of the North Bull Island Volunteer Programme, including details of the type of activities that may be involved, are on the DCC website.

Applications must be received on or before Friday, February 24.

Masked thugs hold up store MASKED men armed with a knife robbed a shop in Tallaght on Monday night.

Two men threatened staff at the store before making off with a sum of money in the direction of the Belfry estate around 9pm.

Gardai confirmed to DublinLive that CCTV footage of the scene will be reviewed, but there have been no arrests as yet.

Gigs off as Chilis singer gets chill Peter, daughter Karen and wife Joan collecting much need cash for Lollypop Day in aid of the Oesophageal Cancer Fund

keep me alive. Some people are afraid to have it done which is stupid because by the time you do it could be too late.”

Peter will take up his annual station at Northside Shopping Centre in Coolock

next month with his daughter Karen and wife Joan collecting for Lollipop Day. His brother’s widow also collects for the charity in Malahide.

Peter added: “It’s bittersweet for

IRELAND has one of the highest rates of oesophageal cancer in the world with 390 new cases diagnosed each year. It’s one of the deadliest forms of the disease, though survival rates are now 40% compared to just 25% in 2001.

Incidence of the disease amongst women is higher here (40% of sufferers) than the European average of 10-20%. The oesophagus is the hollow tube that brings food and liquids from the throat to the stomach. Common undiagnosed symptoms include acid reflux and food ‘sticking’ in the throat.

me – I’m glad I’m still here for my wife, my kids and for my grandchildren, but I’m sorry that my brother’s illness wasn’t caught in time.”

 THE Oesophageal Cancer Fund – which receives no money from the Government – is seeking volunteers to help with its annual Lollipop appeal on Friday, March the 3rd and Saturday, March the 4th.

Thousands of supporters will be selling lollipops for €2 nationwide.

Visit www.lollipopday.ie for more details.

RED Hot Chili Peppers fans were left blue in the face after the band was forced to postpone this week’s Dublin gigs.

The Under the Bridge stars were due to play the 3Arena on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, but had to put off the concerts because singer Anthony Kiedis came down with a nasty flu.

The band will now play two gigs on September 20 and 21, with all tickets issued valid for the new dates.

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DUBLINLIFE SURVEY: TWO-THIRDS SUPPORT NEARBY PRODUCE – BORD BIA SURVEY

Wastewater tech highlights diversity of research at UCD OXYMEM, a fast-growing Irish cleantech company, has been named in the prestigious 2017 Global Cleantech 100 list.

The company has been named in the global list, which is produced by the Cleantech Group (CTG), for the second year running.

OxyMem is a UCD spin-out company, and the only Irish company to make this list. The company is commercialising Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MABR) technology – an innovative solution to reduce costs for wastewater treatment.

Wayne Byrne, chief executive, OxyMem, said: “To be recognised for the second year running in the prestigious Global Cleantech 100 list is real validation of our efforts over the past four years.

“This highlights, to a highly conservative water market, a value proposition that makes OxyMem the stand-out contender in energy-efficient wastewater treatment.”

Pictured at UCD are the men behind the MABR technology – Prof Eoin Casey and Dr Eoin Syron, UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering.

Local food still key to consumer spend  EMMA NOLAN

SOME two-thirds of Irish consumers believe it is “important to buy local food”.

The results of Bord Bia’s research into consumer attitudes to local food were presented to over 200 small food and drink producers at Bord Bia’s recent Small Business Open Day in Enfield, Co Meath.

The Bord Bia study has revealed that local food has become more widely available and there is a growing association for homegrown local food with gifting and special occasions.

The organisation estimates that the small food and drink business sector is worth some €400 million to the economy.

Opening the conference, Minister of the State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Andrew Doyle told delegates: “Bord Bia will continue to

Bord Bia’s Mary Morrissey with Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture, Andrew Doyle, and Grainne Walsh, Metalman Brewing. Picture: Jeff Harvey

support Irish client companies in this regard, providing advice on market opportunities and emerging trends.

“The most immediate impact of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union has been Sterling depreciation and volatility.

“While demand for premium-quality, safe food products is increasing long-term, the advice and information provided here can help companies in very practical ways to hold on to business.”

B o r d B i a ’s s t u d y explores Irish consumers’

definition of ‘local food’, and their attitudes towards it, whilst understanding what motivates them to purchase such produce.

Speaking about the research findings, Mary Morrissey, Bord Bia’s Food and Beverage Manager, said: “It is encour-

aging for small food businesses to hear consumers saying they buy local food products at least once a week and that one-third are purchasing more today than they did a year ago.

“It is clear that the sector continues to offer opportunities for small producers to deliver on demand for local and quality foods directly linked back to the producer. Consumers want to connect with the story of the producer.”

The study’s findings were a key part of the Bord Bia conference, which also covered a wide range of categories foe the key agri sector, ranging from food waste to the rise of premium dairy, craft beer and healthy snacking produce.

The conference presentations also focused on how small businesses can interpret changing environmental trends and use them to grow their business.

ICS add new mortgage package DILOSK’S chief executive Fergal McGrath and chief operations officer Oran McGrath are pictured deep in enthusiastic conversation at the announcement of its new 10-year, interest-only, buy-to-let mortgage now available nationwide from ICS Mortgages. Supported by an initial facility of €200 million, the new mortgage type is for individuals or companies wishing to enter the rental market, and available from the Irish specialist mortgage lender Dilosk, who acquired ICS Mortgages from Bank of Ireland in 2014. The move by ICS Mortgages is another vote of confidence in the vitality returning to the property market. Picture: Naoise Culhane

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Boxing legend teams up with Windsor Motor Group IRISH boxing legend Katie Taylor, Olympic Gold Medallist, five-times World Boxing Champion and six-times European Champion and now Windsor Motor Group brand ambassador has recently took delivery of her all-new 171 Nissan X-Trail. “The X-Trail is the perfect car for me, it’s comfortable, has tons of space, which is great for all my training gear and is really economical.”

Peter Nicholson, managing director, Windsor Motor Group said: “The entire Windsor Motor Group team is looking forward to working with Katie and exploring the synergies between us.”

Butcher to expand with €30k funding THE Village Butcher in Firhouse has raised €30,000 through Linked Finance, thanks to its online lending platform, www.linkedfinance.com.

The funding is being used to facilitate the company’s expansion with the establishment and fit-out of a second premises in Firhouse.

Husband and wife, Michael Madden and Sarah Kelly have over 25 years of experience in the industry and established their first family-

owned and run butchers in Ranelagh in 2012, after a number of years spent running a meat wholesalers.

The Village Butcher has teamed up with Strongbodies in Firhouse to further extend its protein range.

The butchers has won multiple prestigious awards, including the McKenna Best in Ireland Award, a Taste of Leinster Award and a Taste of Ireland award for their standards of butchery.

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BUSINESS

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DUBLINLIFE

FEATURE

Serving up some tales of the unexpectedly sinister  EMMA NOLAN THE responsibility of portraying a character in an iconic Irish play is not lost on Janet Moran.

“It’s funny doing a play like The Weir, that so many people have seen or read and have high expectations of,” the Dublin actress explained.

“You really feel the responsibility and the pressure of it.”

Audiences often have their own ideas of how a production should be Janet explains but when the material is as rich as a play like The Weir, it’s a pleasure to be a part of.

“It’s just such a solid brilliant play, I think that’s why it’s a favourite for so many people.”

Written by Conor McPherson in 1997, The Weir is often described as an eerie masterpiece of modern theatre.

S e t o n a s t o r my n i g h t i n Brendan’s pub in an isolated Leitrim town, the men are gathering for their daily pint. The arrival of a stranger in their midst – a beautiful woman – spurs them to impress her with stories.

They are stories of “souls past, spirits present and spectres unforeseen”. One story, however, is more sinister than expected.

And on her performance, Janet says: “When you have a play like that you’re halfway there.”

In this production, Janet stars alongside Gary Lydon (Brooklyn, Borstal Boy, The Pillowman), Janet Patrick Ryan (Red Rock) Garrett

OUTDOORSY GEORGE IS A BUNDLE OF JOY AND ENERGY!

Janet Moran and Garrett Keogh in The Weir

Keogh (A Skull in Connemara, The Clinic, Veronica Guerin) and Frankie McCafferty (Vikings, Trial of the Century, In the Name of the Father).

Speaking on her fellow cast mates, Janet admits that they are “terrific” but that she was initially intimidated about working with such established actors.

“The four men are just terrific, I’ve been a big fan of theirs for years so I think I was a little bit

intimated when I first walked in because they’re so good.

“Last time we performed this together we had a great response so this time we know it works and we’re all very happy with it and can’t wait to get started.”

Irish theatre is very close to Janet’s heart having acted in the works of Brian Friel, Sean O’Casey and of course McPherson.

“I love doing new plays because

you don’t know how it’s going to turn out but when you do something from Friel or somebody, you’re on much surer ground.”

This production by Decadent Theatre Company & Verdant Productions will run in The Gaiety from February 20 to March 4 for a strictly limited run.

The Gazette have one pair of tickets to give away – just visit our Facebook page to enter.

OUR Dog of the Week looking for their #SpecialSomeone* is George, a gorgeous 18-month-old Labrador crossbreed.

He’s not just a handsome face, he has brains to burn and is looking for an active adopter with an interest in keeping his mind engaged and his paws moving.

George loves the great outdoors and would love to go on lots of outdoorsy adventures, such as hiking or long beach walks.

He is looking for an adult-only home as he can take some time to get to know people; however, once acquainted, you’ll have a friend for life that will stick to you like glue.

George also gets on well with other dogs.

If you are the outdoorsy type and can offer George a place in your home, and if you can be George’s #SpecialSomeone*, then please contact Dogs Trust on 01 879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off Exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website, www.dogstrust. ie. You can also find them on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/ dogstrustirelandonline, or on Twitter @DogsTrust_IE.

2 February 2017 GAZETTE 15

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DIARY CITY CENTRE: NEW 10K ROUTE WINDS THROUGH LOTS OF LANDMARKS AND KEY PARTS OF DUBLIN

Why not take a night run with 10,000 others TV3’S Xpose’s newest star, Cassie Stokes, helped launch Virgin Media’s 10K Night Run for Dublin city, which will burn brighter than ever on Sunday, April 23 at 9pm.

An expected 10,000 runners are set to take to the streets for the night run, in partnership with Athletics Ireland and TITAN Experience.

With a new 10K route for 2017, runners will start at North Wall Quay/New Wapping Street and take in O’Connell Street, the city quays, Grand Canal Dock and R ingsend before crossing the East Link and finishing at the Samuel Beckett Bridge.

For those looking for a New Year challenge, the Night Run is ideal. There is plenty of time to get out training with family, friends or work colleagues.

On the night, all runners will receive a Virgin Media Running Pack containing a branded running top (to be worn on the night).

GIVE OLD CHRISTMAS GIFTS A NEW LIFE CHRISTMAS gifts can gain a new life by donating to charity. GortaSelf Help Africa, a leading Irish development charity, is asking households to donate their unwanted Christmas gifts to its charity shop this month.

Gorta-Self Help Afri-

ca retail manager Maggie Dwyer said: “Households across Dublin are busy clearing up after the long holiday break.

Inevitably, some people would have received gifts that they either don’t like or don’t have any use for; plus, we all have goods in our homes and our wardrobes that we never use.”

Donating unwanted gifts, or other unused items, to a Gorta shop is a great way to give them a new life while contributing vital funds to support the charitable projects that Gorta-Self Help Africa is implementing to end hunger and poverty in rural Africa.

Funds can support a variety of projects to support families and individuals. For further information, see www. selfhelpafrica.org.

SOAK YOURSELF IN PURPLE RAIN SOUNDS PURPLE Rain – a worldclass live celebration of the music, life and legacy of Prince – will take to the Vicar Street stage this May. This full eight-piece live band delivers a nonstop, hit-packed show spanning more than two hours, complete with backing vocals, horn section, keys and Jimi Love as the unsurpassed Prince.

Expect to see, hear and feel all of the hits from one of the most

loved artists of all time, including 1999, Little Red Corvette, Purple Rain, Kiss, Diamonds And Pearls, U Got The Look, When Doves Cry, Cream, I Wanna Be Your Lover and many more..

Hailed by original Prince and the Revolution drummer Bobby Z as “authentic and on the money”, don’t miss your chance to see Purple Rain live.

Tickets priced €32.50 are on sale through www. ticketmaster.ie, and Ticketmaster outlets nationwide.

A CHARITY CONCERT TO HELP CHILDREN WITH 2017 marking the Jack and Jill Foundation’s 20th year, the foundation is holding a special charity gala on Wednesday, February 8 to help raise the €3m it needs for its unique home nursing care and respite service.

Perfect as an early valentine’s gift, or to help support the foundation’s work, the concert promises to a treat for all.

T he RTE Concer t Orchestra will be accompanied by soloists Niall O’Sullivan (trumpeter) and vocalists Shona Henneberry and Simon Morgan, who will perform a programme of film and classical favourites including Il Postino (from The Postman); Por Una Cabeza (Scent of a Woman); Dream a Little

Dream of Me; Moon River, and many other favourites.

Tickets for the special performance of classical and popular music are available from www.rte. ie/co, priced from €12 to €39.50.

TV3’s Cassie Stokes wants you to swap the counch for Virgin Media’s 10K Night Run throughout Dublin City Centre, with 10,000 expected to take part

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2 February 2017 GAZETTE 17

The Big Picture

ANNUAL AWARDS OF THE PRESS PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND

PRESS photographers from across the island of Ireland gathered last week as the winners of the Press Photographers Association of Ireland ‘Press Photographer of the Year 2017’ awards were announced.

Independent News & Media photographer Gerry Mooney was named ‘Press Photographer of the Year 2017’.

Commenting on Mooney’s impressive portfolio, the judges said: “The broad range of strong images demonstrates the photographer’s talent across the many disciplines of press photography.”

BROTHER IN ARMS

First place - Sports Feature following the Men’s Lightweight Paul O’Donovan and Gary O’Donovan of Ireland celebrate in Rio de Janeiro Brazil.

Games Olympic r Summe Rio 2016 the during final Sculls Double Stephen McCarthy Sportsfile

AILEEN REID

First place - Portrait Triathlete Aileen Reid photographed for a series of portrai ts on Irish Olympians Morgan Treacy INPHO

Pictured are Marita and Gerr y Mooney ‘Press Photographer of the Year 2017’ Picture: Shane O’Neill Photography

s Michael Chester, President, Pres nd Irela of ion ciat Asso s Photographer Picture: Shane O’Neill Photography

Y TRAIN ALL ABOARD THE SK Environment

First place - Nature and the Lough Boora Discovery n’ created by Michael Bulfin at Trai ‘Sky The Park Co. Offaly Cathal Noonan

MASK PROTEST

le First place - Daily Life & Peop protests at Dail Eireann ohoe Don te rlot Cha erer suff Cystic Fibrosis e affordable Gary Ashe/The Star to make a treatment drug mor

ONE ARM. ONE LEG. NO LIMITS

ALL EYES ON BRUCE 2nd Place - Arts and Entertainment - Ramsey Cardy/SPORTSFILE

First place - Sports Action

FIRE

An Irish Volunteer engages fire with an RIC officer during the recreation of the 1916 battle of ambush in which several RIC Ashbourne officers and volunteers were killed Gerry Mooney, Independ ent News & Media

RUGBY MATCH

Juan José Méndez Fernández of Spain competes during the Men’s Road Race during the Rio 2016 Paralympic

Ireland and Leinster Rugby player Devin Toner and Mary Scott celebrate their Wedding Day at the Church

Games in Rio de Janeiro Brazil.

of the Nativity in Moynalvey Summerhill Co Meath. Steve Humphreys, Independent News & Media

Diarmuid Greene Sportsfile

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DUBLINLIFE H&M Pink knitted jumper €39.99

Cos

& Other Stories

H&M Sheer 39.90 panel dress €

River Island

& Other Stories

H&M Black vinyl skirt €39.99

H&M Pink pencil vinyl skirt €39.99

River Island

SPRING TRENDS  EMMA NOLAN

AFTER what seemed like the longest month ever, February has arrived with some interesting takes on Spring trends.

Using the term ‘Spring’ lightly, I’ve selected some high street versions of key trends for the coming season.

Expect to see a strong presence of vinyl, sheer, Mexicanstyle embroidery, oversized blazers, statement shirts,

concept sleeves, and in Dublin, the presence of REPEAL jumpers.

Zara, H&M, Cos, River Island and & Other Stories – these Grafton Street stores will be updating their stock in the next few weeks, and finally ditching the last of the sale lines, to reveal some amazing spring selections to mirror the runways.

2017 will see a resurgence of 80s aesthetic, so think big,

bold and bright!

With such political upheaval globally at the moment, it will be interesting to see how it reflects on popular culture, especially on fashion.

Counter-culture fashion movements like punk have always stemmed from times of anti-establishment rebellion and, in days when pink is the new black, who knows what’s ahead?

2 February 2017 GAZETTE 19

GAZETTE

FEATURES

& Other Stories

9.99 H&M Long ruffle skirt €4

H&M Grey kick flare pant €39.90

LittlewoodsIreland Printed multi-strap dress €60

9.99 5 ized blazer € H&M Overs

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DUBLINLIFE

Super green stir fry loaded with fresh flavours

FOOD&DRINK

Create a taste explosion in your mouth Chocolate and Raspberry Balls Ingredients 175g butter at room temperature 180g Siucra Rich Dark Brown Sugar  ½ tsp vanilla extract  Three tbsp cocoa powder  50g dark chocolate, finely chopped  210g porridge oats  1tbsp apple juice  2tbsp raspberries, freeze-dried, crushed 

 AISLING KENNEDY

CHEF Domini Kemp has teamed up with Camile Thai restaurant and takeaway to launch a new super green stir fry for the month of February.

Domini’s super green stir fry is inspired by her recent book with Patricia Daly, The Ketogenic K itchen, which promotes a low carbohydrate, healthy fat and moderate protein diet.

The new dish includes chicken, savoy

cabbage, broccoli, fine beans, celery, spring onion, muki beans and basil and is served with a gluten free seasoning sauce.

Having tasted the new super green stir fry dish, the Gazette highly recommends it especially if you are maintaining a healthy eating plan for the new year!

Domini Kemp’s Super Green Stir Fry will be available in all Camile outlets for €12.95 from now until February 28.



To decorate  100g dark chocolate, melted  Raspberries, freeze-dried, crushed Method  Beat the butter and sugar until smooth.  Fold in the vanilla extract then cocoa powder, chocolate, oats and apple juice. Finally, fold in the freeze-dried raspberries.  Form into balls, dip in the melted chocolate, place on a baking sheet and decorate with a few freeze-dried raspberries.

Recipe courtesy of Siucra.

For more information and more recipes see www.siucra.ie

Get your healthy eating plan on an upward spiral  AISLING KENNEDY

FOLLOW US TODAY ON OUR SOCIAL NETWORK Visit: Facebook: www.facebook.com/DublinGazetteNewspapers Twitter: @DublinGazette

IF you’re still on the healthy eating plan for the new year then you can’t go too far wrong by investing in the Kenwood Spiralizer.

It’s a handy little gadget that cuts spaghetti, vegetables, fruit and anything you can think of into spirals.

It can be used to make dishes such as salads, stir fry’s, and soups.

It’s simple to use, you just drop the fruit and veg into the chamber and outcome the spirals.

There are two spiralizing cones with the Spiralizer – the charmingly named Pappardelle and Linguine – and of course it also comes with a handy container that catches the spirals when they come out.

The Kenwood Spiralizer comes in white and green and costs €49.99.

Visit www.currys.ie for more information.

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GAZETTE

TRAVEL

Lanzarote TAKE FIVE: WITH CHEAPER FLIGHTS LOOMING, AMERICAN CITIES ARE BECKONING museum will make a splash AN UNDERWATER museum featuring more than 300 sculptural works opened to the public earlier this month.

Museo Atlantico in Lanzarote is the first of its kind in Europe, with installations 14 metres below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.

The 2,500sqm site can be explored by scuba divers or from glass-bottomed boats.

The sculptures include a 30-metre wall weighing 100 tonnes and all installations have been created with Ph-neutral materials

designed to foster the reproduction of local fish species and create a habitat for marine life.

The artist who created the works, Jason Taylor, said: “I hope the Museo Atlantico represents an entry point into a different world and promotes a better understanding of our precious marine environment and how much we depend on it.”

The first underwater sculpture park opened in Grenada in the Caribbean in 2006. Others followed in Nassau, Bahamas and Cancun in Mexico.

New deals set to make the States even more accessible  SYLVIA POWNALL SOME cities merit more than one visit – and America is home to a whole host of them. With cheaper transatlantic flights on the cards this year thanks to Norwegian Airlines and Wow entering the fray (see right), what better excuse to check out some classic US destinations ...

NEW YORK IT’S the first port of call for most of us when we cross the Atlantic – and for many, the most memorable.

The Big Apple boasts the world’s most famous cityscape and has been wooing visitors from across the globe for generations.

Must-sees include a trip up the Empire State Building, shopping at Macy’s and Bloomingdales and a stroll around Central Park (or skating on ice, depending on the time of year).

That’s just the tip of the iceberg – to discover the

real NYC, from shopping in Soho to the quirky eateries and hidden speakeasies, you’re going to have to come back again, and again, and again.

NEW ORLEANS FROM the Big Apple to the Big Easy. Welcome to the home of the worldfamous Mardi Gras parade and reputedly the most haunted city in America!

The birthplace of jazz has, for the most part, found its rhythm again more than a decade on from the devastation caused by Hurricane

Katrina.

With its gabled houses, charming districts and traditional dialects it’s a real trip back in time. Embrace the laid-back Mississippi way of life, enjoy the warm welcome, and get swept up in the romance of it all.

SAN FRANCISCO CHANGE is the only constant and nowhere is that more relevant than in San Fran. This cultural west coast mecca is the birthplace of everything from jeans to jukeboxes – and even ice cream sandwiches.

Each visit throws up a new adventure, and the rolling scenery of the city (best seen by tram) is bursting with trendy microbreweries, themed restaurants, boho fashions and street art.

Take a wine tour to the vineyards of Napa Valley,

or catch a ferry to Alcatraz via the Golden Gate bridge. The city is full of surprises – not least its friendly locals, whose sense of humour matches our own.

LAS VEGAS WHAT happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, and we’re talking a whole lot of happening here. First on your list has to be a visit to The Strip – a 6km thoroughfare which has rightfully earned its reputation as the entertainment capital of the world.

Home to many of the largest hotels and casinos on the planet, its combination of hedonistic adult entertainment and family fun are an assault on the senses.

From the Bellagio to the Venetian, the opulence will take your breath away.

Return to earth with a trip

to the Hoover Dam, or a five-hour drive through the Nevada desert to witness the splendour of the 443-km long Grand Canyon.

HONOLULU HAWAII is a kaleidoscope of colour and nowhere is this more true than in Honolulu.

The clear blue skies, turquoise seas, sparkling sands and lush green jungles will take your breath away.

Every tourist handbook will steer you in the direction of Waikki – a beachfront suburb bursting with boutique hotels and tanned surfers.

However, getting off the tourist trail will yield even more charms like the hidden beaches, eateries of Chinatown, the grass skirts and the hypnotic music.

Flights to the US could be slashed NEW kids on the block, Norwegian Air International (NAI) and Wow are promising to slash fares on key Irish-US routes from summer.

Return fares with the low-cost airlines could plummet to below €300 in route launch promotions by the budget carriers. In response, Aer Lingus will now offer a whopping 2.5 million seats to the US this year – and will increase its US route schedule from 12 to 13 destinations.

Under its summer sale, Aer Lingus offers fully inclusive direct return fares to the US from €498 out of both Shannon and Dublin. United Airlines fares also start at around €500.

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DUBLINLIFE

FASTNews

Opel has a new and more compact SUV crossover on the way called the Crossland X designed as a city driving car with a higher driving position

Opel adds style in city with the Crossland X OPEL will soon be offering Dublin drivers a new compact SUV crossover option to join the Mokka X, with the arrival of the new Crossland X car. This car is designed as an urban crossover model and is being launched in Berlin this week.

With a length of 4.21 meters, the new Crossland X is 160mm (6in) shorter than an Astra while at the same time 100mm (4in) higher. The occupants get an elevated seating position and to give a better overview.

The new compact crossover comes with Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) with full LED headlights, head

Seat lands Ateca with value to SUV market

As the crossover SUV segment of the Irish car market continues to grow to over 20%, Seat is the latest brand to join this rapidly expanding market opportunity. Michael Moroney has taken Seat’s new Ateca SUV to the roads and compares its value-for-money offering.

up display and the 180-degree Panoramic Rear View Camera along with Advanced Park Assist, Forward Collision Alert with pedestrian detection and Automatic Emergency Braking[1], Driver Drowsiness System, Lane Keep Assist, Speed Sign Recognition and Side Blind Spot Alert. The new Crossland X also comes with the Opel OnStar as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible IntelliLink infotainment technology including up to eight-inch large colour touch screens. Irish prices will be announced closer to its launch on the Irish market.

David Thomas new managing director at Volvo Car Ireland DAVID Thomas has been appointed as the new managing director of Volvo Car Ireland, taking up this role from this week. David has significant industry experience, having worked with Volvo Cars for 22 years in various international posts.

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SEAT is fresh to the SUV market with the Spanish named Ateca that combines a modern design that’s underpinned by Volkswagen technology.

The Ateca mid-range SUV is the latest to join what is becoming a crowded market as sales of so-called SUV crossover vehicles in Ireland and across Europe, continue to rise.

Seat deserves its share of the crossover cake with the new Ateca, which I’ve recently had for a test drive. The look is fresh to the Spanish brand which now enters this segment of the market with the Ateca brandishing a value for money message.

There are five different engine options for the Ateca, ranging from an entry level 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine to the top of the range 190bhp Xcellence version that’s powered by a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine. All engines in the range are 100% Volkswagen in design, build and performance.

Given the strong Volk-

swagen influence it’s only natural that Ateca buyers will do their comparisons against Volkswagen’s new Tiguan, which was featured in this column some time back. What’s different about the Ateca is the brand name, some of the driving features and that value-for-money offer.

Seat offers three difference specification levels for the Ateca, S, SE and Xcellence. They tempted my driving desires by giving me the top of the range Xcellence model with little left to choose from the extra’s list, as my test vehicle.

And while this was a more powerful and interesting version to drive, the more practical version for most Dublin drivers will be the SE version in two-wheel-drive with a 150bhp rated 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine. And this is the version that I’ve used in my comparison notes and it’s also the one that puts the Ateca in a more favourable light.

T he higher power engine gives a more

exhilarating performance while the extra weight from the 4x4 system toned down its appetite a little. Most Dublin drivers will opt for the frontwheel-drive versions for reasons of fuel economy and limited need for extra road holding or off-road desires. For many SUV crossover drivers it’s the extra road visibility that brings the biggest advantages.

Relative to the competition, Seat is offering comparable performance from the 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine at the popular 150bhp rating level.

The Ateca is lighter than most of the other SUV crossovers that I’ve compared it with.

The fact that it’s over 100kg lighter than the r e l a t e d Vo l k s w a g e n Tiguan helps it to achieve slightly better fuel economy and make it marginally faster in terms of acceleration. On paper, the Ateca is the most economical of my comparison group of six midrange SUV crossovers.

The Seat Ateca is a new and strong looking SUV crossover that combines Spanish styling with Volkswagen’s German engineering in a package that offers value for money as the entry level 2.0-litre, turbo-diesel version comes with a starting price from €29,500

Seat Ateca 2.0 TDI 4x4

SPECIFICATIONS Engine Engine power 0 – 100km/hr Economy

2.0 litre 190hp 9.3 seconds 20km/litre (5.3l/100km or 53mpg)

Fuel Tank Capacity CO2 emissions Road Tax Band Main Service Euro NCAP Rating Towing rating Warranty Entry Price

50 litres 135g/km B2 €280 20,000km/12 mon 5 star (2016) 1900kgs 3 years (100,000km) €29,500

Seat Ateca DG reversing camera

However, in practice, the version that I drove with its full pack of features, including four-wheeldrive, as more than 30% poorer in economy terms than the rated figure.

I found that the DSG automatic seven-speed gearbox system makes the Ateca an easy car to drive,

while it adds €2,000 to the list price. This version has also the potential to be more economical and in the right driving hands, it will deliver good driving economy.

Out on the road, this Ateca accelerates well.

The road holding was impressive with the 4x4

2 February 2017 GAZETTE 23

GAZETTE

MOTORING

Michael Dwyer, senior sales executive, Windsor Motor Group, Katie Taylor and Conal O’Gorman, sales manager, Windsor Bray Nissan

Katie Taylor announced as Windsor Motor Group’s newest ambassador system included.

The test car was fitted with brown leather interior to give it a more luxury feel. Leather adds strength to car seating but can be cold to sit into first thing in the morning. Seat adjustment was good and I was quickly comfortable behind the wheel.

Compared to the Volkswagen Tiguan, there is a slightly less techie feel to the Ateca. It’s like the overall driver Ateca experience has been toned down a little to ease the competitive strains within the Volkswagen brands. It will be interesting to see how the new Skoda Kodiaq will look and drive when it appears shortly, as it too has a similar heritage.

There are loads of options available for the Ateca and for me the most useful is the Park Assist system. This makes parking so much easier, especially in supermarket car parks and it will save the Ateca bodywork from scratches over time.

The Ateca has a high safety rating with two

ISO-Fix attachments for the rear seats. It has an impressive five-star safety rating from the recent and more stringent EuroNCAP testing programme.

The test car came with a space saver spare wheel in the boot. The boot itself is rated at 510 litres for the two-wheel-drive versions; it gets slightly smaller when you take the four-wheel-drive option.

The boot load area is larger than that of the Ford Kuga and Nissan Qashqai but smaller than the Toyota RAV4 and Volkswagen Tiguan.

The entry price for the 150bhp Ateca 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is €29,500 which is competitive relative to the related Volkswagen Tiguan, but not so much so when you compare it with the likes of similar offers from the Ford Kuga or Toyota RAV4 with similar power and performance. The Ateca gives you all of the performance features of a Volkswagen family SUV crossover at a more affordable price with a unique Seat styling feel.

The Seat Ateca is spacious in terms of passenger area, with good wide door access

The steering wheel and dash area design is uniquely Seat while on closer look you can see the Volkswagen similarities in terms of the controls and the soft touch steering wheel

There are five engine options the most popular of which is this 2.0-litre turbo-diesel version that’s available with either 150bhp or 190bhp, which was the power rating of the test car

WINDSOR Motor Group is delighted to welcome Irish boxing legend, Katie Taylor as a Windsor Motor Group Ambassador. Katie, Olympic Gold Medallist, five-times World Boxing Champion and six-times European Champion, not to mention local and national hero, recently took delivery of her all-new 171 Nissan X-Trail.

Commenting on the partnership, Peter Nicholson, managing director, Windsor Motor Group said: “We’re very proud to welcome Katie Taylor to the Windsor Motor Group Ambassador family. Katie embodies everything the X-Trail has to offer – powerful, packs a punch when it comes to the competition and, just like Katie, the X-Trail manoeuvres beautifully.

“She’s a remarkable and inspirational lady, who is passionate, driven, and determined and clearly has her sights set on one goal – to be the best – these are attributes Windsor Motor Group mirrors.”

Sculpted for style, space and efficiency, the X-Trail is packed with class-leading technology and remarkable safety features. With its stunning features, its exterior aerodynamics that whisper through the wind, advanced engines and virtually gearless Xtronic transmission that maximises efficiency and performance.

With the X-Trail’s All-Mode 4x4-i, you’ve got a system that’s capable onroad and off. Auto Mode constantly monitors conditions and adjusts the balance of power between front and

rear wheels for best traction. Powering the all-new X-Trail is an advanced 1.6litre diesel engine, tuned to provide the performance of larger diesel powertrains, while offering enhanced fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions.

The engine also features Nissan’s automatic Start/Stop system, which shuts down the engine when it’s not needed, to save fuel, then smoothly and quickly restarts as you pull away.

“I can see why people fall in love with the X-Trail – it’s a beautiful car and drives like a dream”, said Katie Taylor. “The X-Trail is the perfect car for me, it’s comfortable, has tons of space, which is great for all my training gear and is really economical.”

Katie is driving the all-new Nissan X-Trail XE, with gravity inspired double-stitched leather trim seats with spinal support and LED interior lighting.

The X-Trial also features NissanConnect, which is packed with a range of features, and is incredibly easy to use thanks to the high resolution seven-inch anti-glare touchscreen. With a powerful combination of audio, navigation and communications functions, as well as cutting edge connectivity and smartphone integration features, all of which will keep Katie’s world within reach. The X-Trail also features Intelligent Driver Assistance and navigation functions, supporting Katie in all kinds of traffic situations.

GAZETTE

24 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 2 February 2017

DUBLINLIFE

CINEMA

ReelReviews

SING

Musical funfest LOVE animals? Love cartoons? Love music? Then feast your eyes on Sing. Sing, directed and written by Garth Jennings, is an animated musical comedy about a down-on-his-luck koala that holds a singing competition in hopes it will save his theatre. The film includes 60 songs and features the voices of top stars such as Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane and Scarlett Johansson.

LION

A truly engaging film BASED on a non-fiction book, Dev Patel impresses in Lion (Cert PG, 118 mins).

Despite having been raised by a good family (with Nicoloe Kidman as his mum), a man adopted as a child is compelled to discover his past, and driven to find out what happened to his birth family in India.

So begins an epic journey across a continent and cultures, with a compelling emotional narrative driving it forward.

LA LA LAND

Last - definitely not least LA LA Land (Cert PG, 128 mins) is as good as its multiple awards, award nods and audience reaction say it is. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone sing and dance theuir way through a slightly melancholy musical that pays tribute to Los Angeles, Jazz, Cinema, Romance, and more. Its terrific visuals, some striking editing and punchy music make it a delight, and one to watch out for at the Oscars.

The boys are back in town: Spud (Ewen Bremner), Renton (Ewan McGregor), Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller) and Begbie (Robert Carlyle)

T2 TRAINSPOTTING: MUCH ANTICIPATED SEQUAL IS HEAVY ON NOSTALGIA AND HUMOUR

On the right track FROM it’s cool, It’s that reliance on our stylised opening onwards, in adoration of which the presthe original that ent day world of ultimately stops T2 TrainspotT2 from genuting is cut with inely affecting iconic shots the way Trains MARTIN MACNAMARA potting did. The from the original, story here takes Danny Boyle’s sequel to what is often hailed place 20 years after the events as one of the most important of the first film and follows a British films ever made rides much more straightforward high on an expected sense of narrative, rather than a vignette style structure like the original’s nostalgia.

In case the images of a young string of interrelated moments Renton (Ewan McGregor) joining up a number of heroindon’t do it for you, a tender, afflicted lives.

Unfortunately, T2 suffers instrumental reworking of Lou Reed’s Perfect Day should from its coherence – there’s no force the wistful reminiscence stream of consciousness style into overdrive – that is, until a storytelling driving the narparticularly heavy scene early rative, even if that same sense on reminds us suddenly, and of storytelling becomes a plot sharply, just how brilliantly point later on. T2 is a much simmiserable 1996’s Trainspotting pler film and consequently, a far less interesting one. really was.

Returning to Scotland from his new life in Amsterdam, Renton aims to make amends with the friends he robbed and abandoned, Spud (Ewen Bremner) and Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller). Spud still struggles with his addiction to heroin, “the only friend that never left him” while Sick Boy has replaced it with cocaine. However, recently escaped from prison, the psychotic Begbie (Robert Carlyle) has no intention of forgiving Renton’s past-sins, spitting his rage at anyone who gets in the way.

T2 is heavier on humour than tragedy. Still, Boyle’s given us another very, very funny film – even if it’s somewhat stripped of the bleaker than bleak, black comedy of Trainspotting. T he-

matically, the focus here is midlife crises, middle-aged disillusions and powerlessness. Boyle and his leads do a superb job capturing a sense of what’s lost in the passage of time, where everything changes and everything stays exactly the same.

Again, the action here is highly stylised, consistently punctuated with expertly timed freeze frames. The style, narrative and dialogue relentlessly wink and nod to the 1996 original; at times there’s a comforting familiarity to it. Often, however, it feels unnatural, forced.

Renton’s updated “choose life”

speech is an unfortunately strained example of this.

While T2 starts brilliantly, it relies too heavy on these updated reflections of the past and the audience’s nostalgia for the original. Early on, we wish this sequel would do its own thing – when it does, however, T2 transforms into somewhat of a straightforward, admittedly enjoyable dramatic thriller, its climax a million miles away from the open-ended uncertainty we’d expect.

This is a fine film – often hilarious, occasionally affecting and visually stimulating throughout – but while it attempts to capture the spirit of the original, T2 Trainspotting fails to achieve that which made the original so hilariously compelling and tragically inventive.

Was it ever really going to?

Verdict: 6/10

2 February 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 25

GAZETTE

TECH RESIDENT EVIL 7: REBOOTED CLASSIC SERIES LIVES AGAIN

The NationalParkService was in rebellious mood over President Trump’s Inauguration crowd

Rebels Tweet as Trump takes over SEEING as all social media falls under Tech – without which, there’d be no social media – let’s dip a toe into the worldwide waters.

Someone who’s making more than a splash in said choppy waters at the moment is US President Donald J Trump.

Away from the headlines President Trump has been generating within barely a wet weekend in the Oval Office, his actions also sparked an online rebellion within a variety of US departments.

S o m e s t a f f we r e incensed that their websites were ordered to remove certain information – eg related to climate control – from the official platforms.

In response, a number

of those staff set up rival social media profiles and slapped logos and data all over them, while clearly stating their unofficial nature; others have retweeted content now pulled from the official profiles – in effect, inviting the curious to side with the administration, or their resistance.

It’s unlikely that the actions of a few rogue parks officials or disgruntled meteorologists are bothering the new administration too much.

However, with many in the tech world keenly studying what President Trump says and does, it’s very likely that social media platforms will continue to provide an interesting, passionate frontline of dissent.

Petitions against Paddy’s Day trip STAYING with President Trump, a number of online petitions are seeking signatures to call for Mr Kenny not to visit the White House this St Patrick’s Day. For some decades, it’s been traditional for the Irish leader to present the American leader with a bowl of shamrocks on our national day, promoting formal and informal networking. However, many people oppose the tradition, viewing it as embarrassing, and akin to a vassal state paying tribute to its master.

Now, President Trump’s reprehensible travel bans have added weight to the arguments calling for Mr Kenny to cancel this year’s trip. With several thousands having already heeded such calls, interested parties can find several petitions calling for Mr Kenny to cancel this year’s trip over at Change.Org.

Fresh blood for a horror franchise

A grimy, ‘video camera’ perspective pervades much of the visual aesthetic, adding to the creeping menace found throughout the game

IN GAMING as in cinema, one of the oldest tropes has been that of the haunted house, or house of horror – somewhere terrifying and mortally dangerous to escape from.

It’s a thematic journey for the onlooker/observer that enjoys intermittent popularity, as do zombies, which are currently enjoying a new lease of (undead) life on the small screen.

Combine the two, and perhaps you’d end up with Resident Evil 7 (PC, PS4, XBO; Cert 18; c. €70)– the latest in the long, long-running survival horror franchise that’s had a scary amount of spin-offs.

 SHANE DILLON sdillon@dublingazette.com

At heart, it’s a pure survival horror game, played out from a first-person perspective.

An elevator pitch might say: “It’s a cross between The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Night of the Living Dead – you have to survive and escape from a crumbling house and estate roamed by a hillbilly cannibal family, with monsters lurking about, too.”

And that’s it, in a nut-

shell. Scramble about as you try to evade the monstrous Baker family, survive and escape the ramshackle plantation estate, which has a number of surprises in store.

It’s a fresh, Gothic twist for the series, and breathes new life into the once impressive franchise which had become a tired, stale pastiche of itself.

Interestingly, it’s possibly the first killer app – pun intended – to breathe life into the impressive but under used PlayStation VR headset, as the whole game can be played via virtual reality, adding extra immersion to an already impressive game.

It’s hard to think of a better game to sell VR, with RE7’s great graphics, and jump scares, really showcasing the power of the tech as players roam the shabby house.

A number of niggling game design issues linger, relics of the franchise which are familiar problems to Resi gamers: juggling inventory space, hoping that what you’re using now won’t be needed later, and so on.

Still, for a series which had left many gamers cold with its previous, disastrous installment, the switch to an immersive new game engine away from the traditional third-person view has had an immediate effect.

Largely ditching the clapped-out threat of zombies and shady corporate shenanigans for something more psychologically unsettling, RE7 has freshened up the franchise with a bold new direction that holds true to the core survival horror aspect of the series, while adding some more contemporary twists on dread.

It’s good to see the series return to life with a bold new direction, which has been executed in considerable style here.

F o r t h o s e w h o ’ ve lurched away from the series, RE7 is a welcome reboot that deser ves returning to – if only to try and escape from ...

26 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 2 February 2017

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28 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 2 February 2017

SPORT

FastSport KANE & O’REGAN FIRST RUN INTO RECORD BOOKS: IRISH athlete Sinead Kane has made history by becoming the first visually impaired athlete ever to complete the World Marathon Challenge – entering the World Record Books in the process.

The 34-year-old competed in the challenge, which consists of seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, with the help of her guide runner John O’Regan from inner city Dublin. The duo began their journey in the Antarctica on January 23rd and ended it in Sydney last weekend with a time of 4.42.59.

Kane has a 95% deficit in her vision since birth and only started running seriously four years ago.

She recently told Ryan Tubridy that her New Year’s resolution was to create a Guinness World Record.

O’Regan works for Irish Rail but is an ultra-runner who has pulled on his trainers for races in some of the hottest and coldest places on Earth.

RUGBY: CLONTARF MOVE UP TO FOURTH WHILE TERENURE SECURE SECOND WIN

Lans-downed as Tarf test is too much for students

 KARL GRAHAM sport@dublingazette.com

THERE were wins for four Dublin sides in Division 1A during an action-packed weekend of Ulster Bank League rugby.

Clontarf moved up to fourth position in the table after a 29-0 win over Dublin University at College Park.

Mick McGrath was the star of the show as he crossed the line no fewer than four times for his side, with Rob Keogh converting three of them and kicking a penalty for Clontarf.

Dublin University held strong during the first half and only trailed by seven points going into the break, but Clontarf stepped it up after the restart against a side who have now dropped to second from bottom in the table, to run out as deserved winners.

St Mary’s College secured a much-needed 27-18 win over Old Belvedere at Templeville Road to move ahead of Dublin University and to within one point of their opponents in sixth position.

Dave Fanagan and Conor Hogan scored tries for the home side with the former also adding two conversions and a penalty.

Clontarf RFC in UBL Division 1A action

Brian McGovern also got his name on the score sheet with a penalty try.

Scoring tries for Old Belvedere were Shane McDonald and David Brandon, while Willie Staunton registered a conversion and two penalties.

Terenure College won their second league game of the season with an impressive 27-17 defeat of Garryowen at Lake-

lands Park but still find themselves adrift at the bottom of the table.

The home side trailed 10-0 at the break in a tight first half but a spirited second half performance saw them land their much-needed win.

Two penalties from Mark O’Neill got them back into the game before a penalty try put them in front.

Garryowen were reduced to 13 men and Terenure took advantage with a Mark Hiney try.

Hiney crossed the line again for his second try soon after Garryowen were shown another yellow card.

The visitors managed to put another try on the board during the dying embers of the game but it proved little more than a

consolation.

UCD secured their fourth league victory of the season with a 17-3 win over Cork Constitution at the Belfield Bowl to join St Mary’s College and Dublin University on 22 points.

The students got the first points on the board through a penalty after five minutes and the score remained that way until Cork tied it up with a penalty of their own on 25 minutes.

The hosts were forced to defend their line for the remainder of the half and could themselves lucky to go into the break on level terms.

They started the second half brighter and took the lead with a Stephen Murphy try that was converted by Matthew Gilsenan.

Peadar Timmins was next to score with his try also converted

by Gilsenan, and UCD held out to move up to seventh in the table.

Finally, Lansdowne had their lead at the top of the table cut to one point after a 19-10 loss to second placed Young Munster at Tom Clifford Park.

Alan Bennie scored a try for Lansdowne and Alan Tynan kicked four penalties and a conversion but it wasn’t enough.

Double joy for Dublin as Aidan’s and Holy Faith win  sport@dublingazette.com

St Aidan’s retained their Under-19 A title. Picture: inpho.ie

ST AIDAN’S CBS defended their SUBWAY Schools Under 19 A title in style this evening, coming back from a 14-point deficit at half time to drive on and win by 74-62.

The last game of the SUBWAY Schools Cup finals proved to be a fascinating match up once more as, in a repeat of last year’s Cup final.

Brian Ashton was one of the many stars for St Aidan’s today, and was the driving force behind their third quarter comeback,

with Matt Treacy on side to help net some vital scores. Ballincollig opened up a four-point lead at the end of the first with some good scores.

Momentum stayed with Ballincollig in a scrappy second quarter, as they added another 19 points to their tally. Brian Ashton and Treacy were on hand for St Aidan’s to try and stem the tide of the Cork attack, but Ballincollig maintained control, taking a 38-24 point lead in to the dressing room at half time.

A revitalized St Aidan’s emerged after the break, with

Treacy quickly closing the gap.

Aidan’s continued to shoot in style, with six three-pointers reducing the lead to just two points, before Emmet Lawless put the crowd on its feet by giving St Aidan’s the lead with two minutes on the clock.

With the supporters well and truly in a frenzy of excitement, the fourth quarter unfolded at pace once more. St Aidan’s continued to knock the scores in and were crowned Under-19 A Boys champions once more.

Holy Faith Clontarf also won their final but they did so in more

comfortable fashion with a 46-75 point victory over Dunshaughlin.

After a close and tense first quarter, Jerome Westbrooks’ charges took complete control of the game, closing down an in-form Rachel Huijsdens of Dunshaughlin to outscore them by 26 points in the second quarter which was effectively the quarter that won the game for them.

A strong fourth quarter from Dunshaughlin saw them outscore Holy Faith for the first time, as their never say die attitude brought them right up to the final buzzer with their heads held high.

2 February 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 29

GAZETTE

FASTSport

Christie helps beauty queen fight her critics Boxing coach who usually spends her time training stars of basketball and american football has teamed up with a former Miss America to help her forge a career in the world of boxing  JAMES HENDICOTT

Greyhound racing gets million euro Boyle boost IRISH Greyhound Racing celebrated its biggest sponsorship of recent years with the announcement that BoyleSports have signed a 3-year agreement worth €1 million in prizemoney to Greyhound Owners, Trainers and Breeders.

The new agreement will see BoyleSports renew their title sponsorship of the Irish Greyhound Derby.

Ireland’s biggest Greyhound Racing event, the derby runs through August and September at Shelbourne Park and attracts audiences from across the globe. The three-year agreement secures sponsorship of the event through 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The bookmakers have also committed to title sponsorship of another important classic event, the Champion Stakes, which is also run at the Dublin venue in July and August.

Both events run over the 550yd distance, and drawing to a close just in time for the Derby, the Champion Stakes attracts many big names as the perfect entree the main event.

The Champion Stakes sponsorship is based on an initial one-year term with the option to renew for a further two years.

Alongside the two high-profile events, BoyleSports will also sponsor 12 additional sweepstake events and 40 ‘Getting Out Races’.

The sweepstakes will cater for a variety of grades and distances and will be scheduled to ensure that there is no more than one per month, maximising greyhound owners and trainers opportunity to participate in the events.

John Boyle, the chief executive of BoyleSports, said: “We are very committed to Irish sport and this partnership with the IGB, cements BoyleSports position as the biggest supporter of Irish greyhound racing sponsoring two of the most prestigious events on the calendar, the BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby and the BoyleSports Champion Stakes.”

sport@dublingazette.com

LUCAN native Kerrie Christie’s Los Angeles dream has taken a new twist, as the boxing coach from west Dublin has found herself involved in coaching an unlikely amateur fighter over the past few months.

Having relocated to the city of angels in 2015, joining Olympian Tony Jeffries’ Box N’ Burn gym, Christie has recently found herself coaching former Miss America Whitney Miller.

The beauty queen has ditched her life of glam to focus on a new path in the much rougher world of amateur box-

ing.

Miller won the Miss America title in 2012, and first showed an interest in ju jitsu shortly after her time in the role, bef ore mov ing across to boxing during the last 18 months.

The Texan has been spending extended periods residing in LA to prepare herself, and won her first fight - an unsanctioned amateur bout against River Fuller - back in August.

Christie told GazetteSport of the project: “She wanted to be a fighter, and train like a fighter. She’d trained for a few years, and her first fight was put off.

She started with ju jitsu, and then she wanted to move to boxing. It was

decided it would be boxing first, and that’s how we got involved.”

Miller’s road wasn’t to be easy. “Her oppon e n t s a i d s t u f f l i ke ‘you’re coming into my sport and disrespecting it, how dare you think you’re a fighter,’” Christie explains.

“But I witnessed it.

Whitney lives in Austin, Texas and was coming to LA to be in training camp in the gym for a few weeks at a time.

She’d be in the gym during the day and at the track at night, she was training like a proper boxer, the real deal.”

“I don’t think her opponent saw that or gave her any credit for it. But it’s for a fight so I wouldn’t have done

Kerrie Christie moved to LA in 2015 to team up with Tony Jeffries’ Box N Burn gym. Picture: Instagram @ kerrie_bnb

her any favours going easy on her. If it was just a bit of training you’d just tap someone, but when it’s for a fight, and the opponent has a few fights already, you don’t want them to get any surprises on the night.

That means punching them in the face hard.”

“She didn’t seem concerned about it. She

Christie says of the gym.

“We have a lot of boxers, who come in for training camps. We’ve had Michael Conlon, and Conor McGregor.

Some of them are very serious, others are there for fitness.”

“A lot of basketball players and NFL types come into the gym, and I don’t know who a lot of

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‘This is LA, your face is your calling card, but she never seemes to worry about it’ - Kerrie Christie

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didn’t come across like that at all, and never took anything personally. If I caught her, she caught me a few times.

That’s sport.

“I’d tell her if she was dropping a hand, or how she could move to be a little bit better. She’d just take it in and be excited by it. This is LA, your face is your calling card, but she never seemed worried about it.”

“I love people that are in one world and then go to another, and I see a challenge in that,” Christie said of Miller.

“I can relate a lot to that. I was a fighter, and I competed as a physique model one year, just as I wanted a challenge.”

“70-80% of our members are boxing fanatics who enjoy getting in shape through boxing,”

those people are, I didn’t grow up watching those sports. That’s good for me, as it means I don’t train them any different.

When I don’t know who people are, I shine better at what I do, I’m a little bit more natural.”

“About six months in it kind of really took off with private clients, being a leader in classes, things like that,” Christie recalls. “A year and a half in and I feel it’s kind of perfect all around.”

Christie will soon be involved in helping to set up the Box N’ Burn Academy, a new project aimed at training future boxing trainers into the role, and the latest expansion of the successful boxing-focused gym.

With a year left on her visa, she is currently applying for a green card.

GAZETTE

30 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 2 February 2017

SPORT

FASTSport

FOOTBALL: AHERNE’S CAPTAINCY OFF TO A GREAT START FOR BLUES

Killester struck by Thunder in cup final PYROBEL Killester fell at the final hurdle as they were defeated 72-51 by Griffith Swords Thunder in the final of the Hula Hoops Men’s National Cup at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght last weekend.

President Michael D. Higgins was in attendance to watch Jose Maria Gil Narbon put in another great performance to take the MVP award, but it wasn’t enough to see Killester leave with the trophy.

A Killester trio of 2010 National Cup winners all started the game with Al Casey captaining the side alongside Peder Madsen and the indefatigable Jermaine Turner.

Coach Brian O’Malley elected to use Turner sparingly in the first quarter with the veteran forward now 42-years-old.

That quarter saw Thunder build up a seven-point lead through 20-year-old Charlie Coombes.

It was Killester’s young guns who brought them back into contention as Paddy Sullivan let fly with his first touch of the game for three points.

Turner’s re-introduction late in the first quarter brought with it his first and only Superman impression of the evening either side of an ‘and-one’ play.

Thunder’s Alex Calvexe chipped in from outside while American duo Justin Goldsborough and Conroy Baltimore rotated to put the squeeze on Turner who did manage to kick out to Cian Nihill for an open three late in the second quarter.

It looked destined to be a low scoring game but with 27 points off the bench, Dave Baker’s Thunder side had enough fire power for a six-point lead at half-time.

Killester had failed to score from play in the last four minutes of the third quarter but a block, steal and rebound by Jose Maria Gil Narbon teed up six points on the run and gave his team hope.

If Swords were to be bested, Killester would need Turner’s tomahawk but instead it was Westbrooks who dealt the killer blow. He fooled everyone in the arena with a mid-air switch to Alex Dolenko for an open triple and less than a minute later, he repeated the trick for his seventh assist of the night.

Dublin ladies in high spirits after their victory over Monaghan

Dubs down Mons in Nock sport@dublingazette.com

DUBLIN got their 2017 NFL Division 1 campaign off to the perfect start with a 1-7 to 0-5 win over Ulster champions Monaghan at the Naomh Mearnog GAA club in Portmarnock.

The game was played out in front of a sizeable crowd and was an entertaining affair despite the wet, cold and blustery conditions in Dublin.

The defensive units of both sides were on top for most of the game with both forward lines been provided very little to work with.

Monaghan’s All Star

forward Ciara McAnespie registered the game’s opening score after 10 minutes. It was f ollowed soon a f ter with scores from Cora Courtney and Caoimhe Mohan to move Monaghan into a 0-3 to nil lead.

The home side responded in great fashion by reeling off four unanswered points from Sarah McCaffrey, Nicole Owens and new Dublin Captain Sinead Aherne to take a slim one point lead into the dressing room at half time.

The Sky Blues were then dealt a blow when midfielder Lauren

DUBLIN SPRING SERIES Dublin and Mayo set for another Croker replay THE Dublin Spring Series is almost back upon

us once again, meaning four mouth-watering clashes will soon hit Croke Park.

February 11th sees the capital’s senior hurlers and footballers take to the field against All-Ireland champions Kilkenny, and Tyrone respectively.

Then on March 4th the hurlers will take on Waterford before the footballers meet Mayo.

Tickets for the series can be purchased on the Dublin GAA website or in participating SuperValu and Centra stores.

Magee was sent to the sin bin just before the break for a clumsy challenge on Monaghan’s Cora Courtney.

Whatever Mick Bohan said to his team at the break must have been inspirational because Dublin came out in the second half as a different team. They started with more purpose and began to string together some good moves as well as moving the ball well out of defence.

In the opening minute of the half, Dublin got the break they needed to shrug off the Monaghan challenge. A well worked move led to a goal for

Olivia Leonard to give the home side a 1-4 to 0-3 cushion. Her shot across the face of Catriona McKenna’s goal hit the far post before finishing in the back of the net.

Monaghan received another blow five minutes later when they lost full back Josephine McKenna to the sin bin for a high challenge on Dublin full forward, Lyndsey Davey.

The Dubs added to their second half tally with points from Davey and McCaffrey before Courtney sisters Rosemary and Sharon responded for the Farney County.

It was too little too late for Monaghan, however, with the Dubs, including man of the match Noelle Healy, having done enough early in the game to secure victory.

Bohan handed out senior league debuts today to Kate McKenna, Tarah O’Sullivan, Kelli Taite, Aoife Kane and Hannah O’Neill, an indication of the battle within the current panel to nail down first team places.

Next up for Dublin is a second round clash Kerry at the Castleisland Desmonds club ground in the Kingdom County’s back yard.

2 February 2017 DUBLIN CITY GAZETTE 31

GAZETTE

BELFAST FIGHT NIGHT

FROM THE PITCH TO THE RING FOR WALL’S HANNEY

CLUB NOTICEBOARD ST VINCENT’S

EAST WALL’S Jake Hanney will fight

Belfast’s Tyrone McKenna for the Boxing Union of Ireland Celtic Super Lightweight title on February 18th at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

The fight card is to be headlined by Paddy Barnes and will see Hanney, who stars for Eastwall Bessborough’s Saturday soccer team, become the first fighter to challenge for McKenna’s title.

HURLING: CURRIE PROVES TOO HOT FOR NORTHERN RIVALS

We are pleased and excited to finally announce a new range of club leisure and training gear. After the matter of club gear was raised by members at the AGM, we have been weighing up options in relation to suppliers and supply models and we have decided to appoint TheGAAStore as club suppliers.

TheGAAStore will run an online shop (www.thegaastore.com)which will go live in 6 weeks. In the meantime, they will run a club fit and order night on Thursday February 2nd and Saturday February 4th.

They will also run 3 other Club shop days through the year. Prices on these Club days will be discounted from the online price so we strongly encourage all members to purchase their gear on these days.

The club have teamed up with a new sponsor in the form of Bank of Ireland. The partnership will place a particular emphasis on supporting the club’s juvenile and adult

NA FIANNA

Dublin North take on Dublin South in the battle for capital bragging rights

North trump South in battle of Dublin Leinster Senior Colleges Hurling Quarter-final Dublin North 1-15 Dublin South 1-10  JAMES HENDICOTT sport@dublingazette.com

DUBLIN North Colleges eventually overcame their Southern equivalent in tough conditions at Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon, seeing the North Dublin side top their postprimary group.

Dublin North made the early running, with Billy Ryan finding space almost straight from the opening, before Sean Currie hit a soaring free from the halfway line with two minutes

on the clock, and Michael Murphy added another shortly afterwards.

Ryan chipped in from play on 12 minutes, with Eoghan O’Neill quickly extending the lead.

Liam Murphy finally opened the South’s account with a free, added to with a nicely curling second in short order.

However, a beautiful turn from Sean Currie found him space to reassert the North’s control.

Liam Murphy - fast becoming the South’s only notable weapon soon upped his personal score to 0-6, but namesake Michael responded

and Billy Ryan grabbed his third from play.

South’s goalkeeper Conor O’Donoghue smashed home a penalty. to level things up at half time at 0-9 to 1-6, with the North having squandered a six point lead.

The second half saw a scrappy opening in which both teams missed chances, with it taking almost ten minutes of play before Ryan added a point that edged the North back in front. Powerful substitute Davy Keogh levelled for the South before Murphy had the North back in front.

Sean Currie’s break

and sharp finish into the South’s goal was to prove a pivotal moment, coming in the middle of a period of North dominance as they edged in front 1-14 to 1-9 with a series of quickfire points The quick reaction of the North’s ‘keeper Josh Rooney saw off a chance for the South, who were then reduced to 14 men.

Ultimately, that put an end to the South’s challenge, with a couple of late points exchanged but the North comfortably came out on top 1-15 to 1-10, to set up a tie with Kilkenny CBS on February 4th.

Congrats to our Under-21 B footballers on Sunday’s championship final win against Trinity Gaels.

Congrats also to Conor McHugh and Dublin’s Senior footballers on Sunday’s O’Byrne Cup final win.

Well done to Dublin North Schools including Na Fianna’s Seán Currie, Micheál Murphy, Darragh Bergin and Kevin Burke, on Sunday’s post-primary ‘A’ hurling championship win over Dublin South.

Thanks to all club members and supporters for their great support again for this year’s national club draw tickets.

Tickets are selling fast but a few are still available, for more info contact Colum Cronin 087 6550422. This year a Members’ Raffle for €1,000 will be held on St Patrick’s Day for those club members who support the 2017 draw.

Na Fianna Nursery returns this Saturday morning (4th Feb) at 9.30am.

Club shops also open and teas/coffee served with a smile from our wonderful

sections across football, hurling, camogie and ladies football. Bank of Ireland will work with the club in supporting and engaging with the wider community via schools and other local initiatives, in addition to connecting with the business community.

St Vincent’s GA A offer party packages for parties of all shapes and sizes such as; 21st birthdays, 40th’s and 50th’s. Wedding anniversaries, christenings, graduations and much more. We are committed to the highest level of customer service, and we want to help make your experience enjoyable and hassle-free. We also include many complimentary extras such as: complimentary cake and flowers when you book for 40 guests and more. If you have questions about sizes, quantities, colours or pricing, you can send us some basic information about your event to vinssec@tinet.ie.

coffee shack staff. Parents travelling by car are reminded to park sensibly and to observe yellow boxes at all times.

Draíocht Players make their annual visit to Na Fianna on Friday 17th February at 8pm to present the O’Casey classic Juno and the Paycock as an exclusive club fundraiser. Always a great night, tickets €10 each will go on sale in the club later this week.

Tickets for Dublin’s League Spring Series, including Croker double header on Saturday 11th February when the hurlers take on Tipperary at 5pm and the footballers play Tyrone at 7pm, are available through the club. Members are reminded that all ticket purchases through the club are recorded and will be taken into consideration when allocating tickets later in the season.

Members’ subscriptions due since AGM and can be paid in club office Mon-Fri 9.30 to 1pm, in the club on Saturday mornings or online, see club website.

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GAZETTESPORT

ALL OF YOUR DUBLIN CITY SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 28-31

LA QUEEN: Kerrie Christie teams up with former Miss America to help her build a new career in the ring P29

UP DA DUBS

Ladies in Blue get campaign off to dream start with impressive victory over their Ulster rivals. Full Match Report - P30

FEBRUARY 2-8, 2017

UBL: STRONG WINS FOR TARF, UCD AND TERENURE AS LANSDOWNE LOSE P28

The Dubs got their campaign off to a dream start with an impressive victory over Monaghan

Clarke’s cubs clinch cup Footballers add another trophy to a bulging cabinet with O’Byrne Cup victory over Louth as many fringe players get the chance to impress

 DAVE DONNELLY

sport@dublingazette.com

A stirring second-half display earned Dublin’s footballers a ninth Bord na Móna O’Byrne Cup title with a 2-16 to 1-10 victory over Louth at the Gaelic Grounds in Drogheda.

The two in a row All-Ireland winners led by just a point at the break but they pulled away in the third quarter of the game - holding Louth scoreless for over half an hour.

Colm Basquel and Killian O’Gara added late goals to put gloss on the score line as Paul Clarke’s development panel sought to impress senior boss Jim Gavin ahead of next week’s league opener in Cavan.

It was the Wee County who began the game the stronger in familiar surroundings as a brace of points from Ronan Holcroft saw Colin Kelly’s side race into an early 0-3 to 0-1 lead.

Two more points from Pauric Smith saw Louth lead 0-5 to 0-3 after 23 minutes, but they were made to regret their failure to turn dominance into a healthy lead as Dublin stormed back to go into the break ahead by 0-6 to 0-5.

The ‘Boys in Blue’ laid siege to the Louth goal during the final part of the match, racking up seven unanswered points and building an unassailable lead in the process.

Free taker Paul Hudson notched a personal

tally of 0-6 but man of the match Niall Scully, and Ciaran Reddin also got their names on the scoresheet as they underlined their own championship credentials.

The Dubs were relentless in their charge to the finish line as substitutes Basquel and O’Gara netted in the 66th and 75th minutes to end the game as a contest.

And Clarke, who ensured his temporary reign finished on a high in Drogheda, felt the performance was such that a majority of the starting line-up could make the step up to the senior side.

He said: “Four or five was probably the number discussed at the start but there are eight or nine now that we can say to Jim ‘they

could play league next week’.

“These lads have skill sets. That’s why they’re here.

“They’ve performed with their clubs admirably over the last season and some of them have performed very well at minor and under-21.

It was just a matter of them coming together.

That’s the hard part - to have fellows coming together in a short space of time.

“It’s great credit to them that they can achieve something like that. It certainly shows that every one of them has a good attitude because the thing about it is having a mindset and attitude to push on for national league and championships. Some guys have shown that in abundance,” Clarke concluded.