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April 9 - 15, 2015

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INSIDE: School yourself on some of the latest issues in education See P21-23

INEQUALITY: Our reporter’s experience of homophobia while househunting P14

Drawing them in: Artists’ works on show at LexIcon Soccer:

Russell keen to build on Costa Rica victory Page 30

FERGAL McCabe and An Cathaoirleach Marie Baker (FG) were among the many people enjoying the official opening of Aitiuil, a group exhibition exploring the work of five eminent members of the Royal Hibernian Academy. The opening of the LexIcon Library-based exhibition was a welcome opportunity for the artists, their family members and friends, and art lovers from across Dun LaoghaireRathdown to gather to study the eclectic range of the artists’ work, compiled from many years of work.

See Gallery on Page 8

Football:

Leinster glory for Dublin U-21 side once again Page 31

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

‘Mindless vandalism’ wrecks cricket pitch Attackers slated for destroying wicket and leaving club in disarray

 BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

THE management of Cabinteely Cricket Club and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council are searching for alternative grounds following the senseless

burning of the wicket.

Pat Finnerty, chairman of Cabinteely Cricket Club, told The Gazette that the council has offered to pay around €7,000 for a new playing area (or crease), but no suitable grounds have

been found for it.

He said the destruction of the wicket in Kilbogget Park was “sickening”, especially as the club has been progressing well. The council, along with Leinster Cricket, recently appointed a special

representative to promote cricket in the county.

Cllr Mary Hanafin (FF) said the attack on the grounds was “mindless vandalism” and an attack on all park users.

Full Story on Page 2

2 DUN laoghaire Gazette 9 April 2015

sport Recycling bins, accelerant used to destroy crease

Club hit for six as pitch is burnt M A N AGE M E N T o f Cabinteely Cricket Club and Dun LaoghaireRathdown County Council are still seeking new grounds for the club, following an act of vandalism that destroyed their grounds at Kilbogget Park six weeks ago.

The Gazette spoke to Pat Finnerty, chairman of Cabinteely Cricket Club, about the damage done to the cricket grounds.

He told The Gazette that on one night, three green recycling bins were set alight on the crease (playing area where the wickets are).

 Bairbre Ni Bhraonain bnibhraonain@dublingazette.com

The following night, more damage was done as accelerant had been used to finish off the job, destroying the whole crease area, which comprised all-weather material.

Finnerty said: “Then, the council stepped in to cover [the cost of replacing] it with emergency funding. I’ve been looking for somewhere

since then for the cricket crease to be put, but I’m not having any luck as there’s very little space around for cricket creases that has enough green space.

“That’s one of the problems with cricket – you need quite a bit of space.”

He added that the council is prepared to fund a new crease, at a cost of around €7,000, but they have not yet found a place for it.

Unfortunately, there were no CCTV cameras at Kilbogget Park to catch the vandals in the act. However , Finnerty

said the “wanton vandalism” was reported to gardai.

He said the council had been brilliant to the club and, along with Leinster Cricket, it recently appointed someone to look after the cricket community in DLR. “Everything was set up to progress the thing [cricket]. It’s sickening,” he said.

The club’s junior section, now in its third year, was just starting to grow.

The juniors will now play all their home matches away until permanent grounds are found.

The club’s senior section currently uses a local sports grounds temporarily.

A spokesperson for the council said they had been working closely with Cabinteely Cricket Club and Cricket Leinster since the crease was vandalised to find the club a temporary home.

They are also, along with

An accelerant was used to totally destroy the all-weather crease (playing area) used by Cabinteely Cricket Club at Kilbogget Park, leaving the club groundless

Cricket Leinster, looking to identify a permanent home for the club.

T he spokesperson said: “We can confirm that ongoing discussions between the council and Cricket Leinster on the roll-out of a specific cricket programme for Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown have led to the creation of a new post within Cricket Leinster.

“We believe that this new post and the pro-

gramme that will be implemented will provide a wonderful opportunity to further develop the game of cricket in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown.”

Cllr Mary Hanafin (FF) condemned the vandalism which destroyed the cricket pitch at Kilbogget Park.

She said: “Over the past number of years Kilbogget Park has been carefully developed to ensure maximum use

by the local community.

Volunteers support the full range of sports and the cricket club is a valued asset.

“The mindless vandalism which led to the burning of the cricket pitch is an attack on the members and all users of the park.”

Cllr Hanafin said she would work with the club and the council to restore the pitch and increase security.

Drop-in support centre for cancer  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

THIS week saw the opening of a new cancer support drop-in centre for Dun Laoghaire. The Purple House Cancer support clinic is a charity headquartered in Bray.

The drop-in centre is in the newly refurbished Park House on Library Road and will be open on the first Tuesday of every month from 12pm to 2pm.

No appointments are

necessary and those who would like support or information about cancer can simply drop in.

The charity will celebrate its 25th year this year and was the first cancer support service in Ireland.

T he new outreach programme in Dun Laoghaire was set up in response to the fact that half of those who attend the Bray centre come from other areas in South Dublin. The

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

council provided the charity with Park House for the service once a month.

The Gazette spoke to Purple House’s outreach co -ordinator, Conor O’Leary, whose mother set up the charity almost 25 years ago.

O’Lear y said: “We provide services to 2,500 people annually, for children, adults and families affected by cancer. Services include counselling, complimentary therapy, hospital transport and a range of other practical supports.

“People come to us really to put their lives back on track after a diagnosis of cancer and we help them through

it. We have a wealth of experience of people who know what they’re going through.

“My mother, Veronica, founded it when we were young children and she was diagnosed with cancer. She set it up to meet a need for family support after she beat cancer in 1990,” he said.

Cllr Patricia Stewart (FG) said: “This is an excellent service to the people of South Dublin and Bray, providing information and support to cancer sufferers and their families.”

For further information on Purple House, contact 01 286 6966, or email info@purplehouse.ie.

9 April 2015 DUN laoghaire Gazette 3

arts

dispute: workers’ committee to consider further action this month

County writer sought

‘Great support for Dunnes picketers’

 Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

AROUND 250 Dunnes Stores employees at six outlets in Dun LaoghaireRathdown took part in one day of nationwide industrial action by 6,000 of the chain’s workers on April 2.

An 11-member committee representing Dunnes Stores workers is set to meet on April 13, to consider if they will take further strike action.

Workers were protesting the fact that 80% of Dunnes Stores’ staff are now on part-time contracts that guarantee only 15 hours a week.

Mandate’s Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown representative Joe Donnelly told The Gazette: “We

placed pickets on all the stores and approximately 250 workers protested.

“In the main, people were very supportive and by and large they observed the pickets. The difficulty with Cornelscourt Dunnes is you have to picket outside the whole premises, as Dunnes own the whole shebang.

“We were trying to stop cars going in, and that was a bit more difficult. [However] it was successful and there were plenty of empty spaces in the car park on one of the busiest days of the year,” he said.

Ged Nash, Junior Minister for Enterprise and Jobs, has told Mandate that new bargaining legislation for industrial disputes will be enacted by

July.

He said it would remedy “employers’ [refusal] to negotiate by way of collective bargaining”.

Cllr Michael Merrigan (Ind), who was at the George’s Street Dunnes Stores branch, said: “I fully support the workers at Dunnes Stores and I I called over personally to the picket line to meet with the strikers. Nobody should be expected to work on such contracts; it’s deplorable, unfair and should be made illegal.”

Also there was Cllr Hugh Lewis (PBP) , who said demonstrators received great support from the public, “many of whom stopped and took time to wish them [protesters] well,” he said.

Water painting: Lovely works are on show as part of club’s 137th exhibition BOAT Reflections, Howth – a painting by Tom Scott – is one of the striking works currently on show at the Concourse Gallery, County Hall, Dun Laoghaire as part of the Dublin Painting and Sketching Club’s 137th exhibition. Comprising a great many works created in a variety of styles, this year’s exhibition features a number of paintings inspired by the poetry of WB Yeats, created specially to celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth this year.

APPLICATIONS are now open for a writer in residence for Dun LaoghaireRathdown County Council Arts Office.

The council is inviting published writers to apply for the post for the period from June 2015 to May 2016. The residency is open to writers working in any genre (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, scriptwriting, etc). The residency this year will focus on the theme of The History of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County.

Applications should be submitted by April 22 to Carolyn Brown, Assistant Arts Officer, Arts Office, County Hall, Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire.

For further information, see www.dlrcoco.ie/arts/ Call_For_Writer_2015. htm.

4 DUN laoghaire Gazette 9 April 2015

learning Student techies to aid adults  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

SECONDARY school students are sharing their wealth of tech knowledge with computer-challenged adults through a free sixweek initiative entitled 121 Digital.

Students from St Joseph of Cluny Secondar y School will teach adults how to use their smartphones, laptops and other devices during the session, which will take place on Monday evenings from 4.15pm to 5.35pm at the school on Avondale Road, Killiney.

The 121 Digital programme starts on Monday, April 13, and adults are invited to bring their laptop/tablet/smar tphone along. To book a place, call 086 819 9752, or see www.121digital.ie.

health Bord Pleanala approves 120-bed facility

Rehab hospital revamp gets green light  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

PHASE One of a new development for the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) got the green light last week after winning planning approval from An Bord Pleanala.

The NRH will now become the first major healthcare project granted An Bord Pleanala approval through the Strategic Infrastructural Development Process.

The new hospital will be built on the campus

of the current NRH on Rochestown Avenue, and consists of a 120-bed facility which will replace the existing ward accommodation in the old building.

The facility, which is a partnership between the HSE and the NRH Foundation, will be specifically purpose-built to accommodate the needs of patients requiring complex specialist rehabilitation services. The hospital currently has 110 patients, not including patients who attend on

an out-patient basis.

Dr Jacinta McElligott, chairperson of the NRH medical board, said: “This new building will enable us to achieve our goals of helping patients return to the highest level of function and independence possible, while improving the overall quality of life – physically, emotionally, and socially.”

The hospital can continue to provide its existing level of services at all times during the redevelopment. Completion date for the new hospital unit

The new 120-bed hospital will be built on the campus of the National Rehabilitation Hospital on Rochestown Avenue

is 2017. A spokesperson for the NRH could not give an estimate of how much the new hospital will cost, as the project is in the process of going out to EU tender.

Deputy Eamon Gilmore (Lab) said: “Crucially, the new facility will be made up of single rooms, ensuring that patients have privacy, while also reducing the

risk of infection.

“I will continue to work with the National Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation and the Department of Health to ensure the project’s completion.”

Cllr Victor Boyhan (Ind) said he is delighted with the news and hopes building can begin this summer. He said: “Great credit is due to the hospital planning team for

getting the project to its current stage. Hopefully, government funding will be forthcoming, and no financial delays will set this development back.”

The NRH is the only such dedicated hospital in the country providing complex specialist rehabilitation services for people who have acquired disabilities through accident, injury or illness.

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the opening of the new theatre, December 27, 1904, three one-act plays were performed; two by WB Yeats and one by Lady Gregory. The theatre thrived for a few years, but after the riots that followed Synge’s play The Playboy of the Western World in 1907 and the split with Fays, the theatre’s fortunes slipped.

The old building was destroyed by fire on July 17, 1951, and

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

Don Cameron

www.donsdublin.wordpress.com

The Abbey Theatre

9 April 2015 DUN laoghaire Gazette 5

6 DUN laoghaire Gazette 9 April 2015

proposals: nomination

Harbour plan is shortlisted for top award  daniel smith

DUN Laoghaire Harbour master plan has been shortlisted in the Excellence in Planning to Create Economically Successful Places category at the 2015 Planning Awards for Excellence.

The awards, run by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), will be held at The Pullman hotel in London on Monday, July 6. The plan is to extend the recreational and amenity value of the harbour along with promoting investment and generating revenue from commercial operations over a 15 to 20 year period.

Gerry Dunne, chief executive of Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company, said: “I am delighted that our master plan has been nominated for such

a prestigious award.

“The nomination comes at a time when we are in the midst of a public consultation process on one of the key proposals in the master plan – the development of a new cruise ship berth facility, to enable the harbour to cater for new, larger cruise ships. This will be a great boost for all those who want to see Dun Laoghaire Harbour thrive,” he said.

The RTPI represents 23,000 planning professionals worldwide and promotes spatial planning, shapes policy and raises professional standards.

Projects on the shortlist are recognised for their contribution and demonstrate how significant schemes can be delivered through means of planning.

For further information, see www.rtpi.org.uk.

education Works scheme funds announced

Sixteen schools set for summer repairs  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

SIXTEEN schools in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown are set to avail of Department of Education funding from the summer works scheme for a number of improvements, ranging from new windows to structural improvements.

Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan said last week that a total of €36m had been allocated this year towards the scheme, benefiting some 559 schools nationwide.

Eight schools in the Dundrum area and eight on the Dun Laoghaire side of the county will receive the improvements funding.

Speaking about the announcement, Minister O’Sullivan said: “This is an important investment that will directly benefit 559 schools.

“It will see the allocation of more than €36m for vital school works, such as window repair and replacement,

upgrading of science and specialist rooms and external improvements such as upgrading of school perimeter fences and walls.

“The majority of works will be carried out over the summer months to minimise disruption to students, teachers and other school staff.”

The eight schools in the Dundrum area due to receive the summer works funding are Scoil Naomh Treasa in Mount Merrion, St Patrick’s National School in Glencullen, and St Laurence’s Boys National School in Kilmacud.

Also set to benefit are the Good Shepherd National School in Churchtown, St Tiernan’s Community School in Balally, Our Lady’s Grove in Goatstown, Ballyroan Boys National School and Scoil Naisiunta Padraig Naofa in Kilternan.

Cllr Lettie McCarthy (Lab), chairperson of St Tiernan’s Secondary School board of man-

St Tiernan’s Community School in Balally is among the schools that will benefit

agement, said: “I am especially delighted that we can finally upgrade our windows, as this has been an issue for us for a number of years. The school will save a lot of money on heating bills.”

The eight schools on the Dun Laoghaire side of the county are Lore-

to, Dalkey, Our Lady of Mercy Convent School in Booterstown, Scoil San Treasa in Mount Merrion and Holy Family in Monkstown.

St Laurence College, Loughlinstown, St John’s National School in Ballybrack, St Joseph of Cluny Secondary School in Kil-

liney and St Joseph’s in Dun Laoghaire are also set to benefit.

Deputy Eamon Gilmore (Lab) said: “This is excellent news for the local schools involved and their 2,400 students.

I’m delighted to see that their applications have been successful.”

9 April 2015 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 7

SCHOOLS Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown students make music tracks

Singing for the environment  BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

STUDENTS from two schools in Dun LaoghaireRathdown have been making sweet music.

They are the latest to compete in a new environmental music programme established by PURE (Protecting Uplands and Rural Environments).

The project offers young musicians in the county the opportunity to win a professional recording session to lay down their original music tracks.

The students – from Rathdown School in Gleanageary, and St Raphaela’s Secondary School in Stillorgan – composed and performed original songs which have now been uploaded onto the PURE project website at www.pureproject.ie.

Students at both

schools recently took part in workshops to write, produce and perform their own songs.

One Step at a Time is the track created by Rathdown School in Glenageary, while Purify is by St Raphaela’s Secondary School in Stillorgan.

Both tracks are live on the PURE website.

Some 11 students from St Raphaela’s Secondary School created their single Purify. Students involved were Mairead O’Shea Scanlon, Jessica Mallen, Anastasija Manojlovic, Aishling Murphy, Lainey Ward, Emily Rudden, Emma Pichot, Kim O’Brien, Caitlin Kelly, Chloe Hynes and Jane O’Carroll.

The Gazette spoke to two of the students, Jessica Mallen and Mairead O’Shea Scanlon, about

the project. Mallen said: “Purify is about how we, as a new generation, can save the environment for those who have to take care of it afterwards.”

O’Shea Scanlon said: “We kind of threw a blues gist into it because a lot of the instruments used were classical, and we didn’t want it to be boring.

“The main singers were Aishling [Ward] and Emily [Rudden].” O’Shea Scanlon played the violin on the track, which also had a piano, guitar, oboe, flute, recorder, trumpet, saxophone, cello and singers.

In Rathdown School, Glenageary, seven students came together to produce One Step at a Time. They were Honor Brigg, Edel Kanani, Lucy Maule, Adaeze Mbanefo, Georgia McRedmond,

Students from Rathdown School, (top) and St Raphaela’s, Stillorgan

Angel Okah, Rosie Kinahan Sheehy and Joy Spendlove.

Marian Jordan, head of music at Rathdown School, said the students:

“really enjoyed it as a project and engaged with it fully. It was a wonderful opportunity [for them].”

The two DLR secondary schools are now in

with a chance to win a one-day professional recording session at the Temple Lane Studios. Winners will be announced in July.

COMEDY Nualas are back in town C O M E DY t r i o T h e Nualas come to The Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire this month for a show entitled, Lock Up Your Husbands.

The new production is being hailed as their most daring creation ever, seeing the three comics sing higher harmonies, use different keys and even wear shorter frocks throughout the performance.

The Nualas claim that when Lock Up Your Husband previewed in Leitrim, at least three gardai and a relationship counsellor had to be called.

You have been warned ...

Lock Up Your Husbands plays at the Pavilion on Saturday, April 18 and tickets, costing €19 or €17 for concessions, are available from www. paviliontheatre.ie.

8 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 9 April 2015

GAZETTEGALLERY

Hilda Clarke beside her husband Carey’s portrait of her, with her grandchildren Lara, Siobhra and Sarah from Killiney also admiring the striking work. Pictures: Peter Cavanagh

Remarkable samples of artistic diversity

T

HE works of five eminent members of the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) are celebrated at LexIcon Library in Dun Laoghaire, courtesy of Aitiuil – a group exhibition that celebrates their diverse work and skills.

The artists, now all sen-

ior academicians in their 70s and 80s, include former RHA president Carey Clarke PPRHA; professor of painting John Coyle RHA; professor of sculpture Imogen Stuart RHA; George Potter RHA and honorary member Melanie le Brocquy HRHA, all of whom

have a connection with Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Their works are on display in the library’s Municipal Gallery until Saturday, May 9, with Aitiuil providing a great insight into their creative processes throughout the years.

Mick O’Dea RHA, who introduced the exhibition, with An Cathaoirleach Marie Baker; Tara Murphy, director of Solomon Fine Art, Dublin (who curated the exhibition) and Kenneth Redmond, arts officer, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council

Artist Carey Clarke PPRHA and wife Hilda with artist Mick O’Dea RHA

Marie and Paddy McGilligan with artist George Potter RHA (centre)

Artist Imogen Stuart RHA with Bjorn Dahl

9 April 2015 dun laoghaire gazette 9

10 gazette 9 April 2015

gazetteGALLERY

Catriona O’Connor and Dee Fiona Morton and Leona Bernes

Hedderman

It’s not hard to spot those Ferrell fans

W

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

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

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

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

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

Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh

Susan Edmonds

Donna McGarry and Eoin Dillon

Seamus Morton and Damien Bernes

David McLaughlin and Robyn O’Brien

9 April 2015 Gazette 11

asdfsdaf business P27 P16

feature P13

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

day in the life: actress cathy belton

what’son

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

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

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

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

means a very early rise.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



Gazette

diary P12

ukrainians and russians set to hold two operas

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

indoors all day she likes to get some fresh air.

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

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

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

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

which is always good.

That’s my day when I’m on Red Rock.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gazette

12 Gazette 9 April 2015

dublinlife

DIARY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All money raised on the day will help fund

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 April 2015 Gazette 13

Gazette

FEATURE

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

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

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

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

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

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

exercising.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

my family.

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

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

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

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

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

GAZETTE

14 GAZETTE 9 April 2015

DUBLINLIFE

FEATURE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I told him that I was

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 April 2015 Gazette 15

Gazette

16 Gazette 9 April 2015

dublinlife

Q&A

business business

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

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

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

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

which are doing better business by reporting on sustainability.

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

further for your clients, communities, employees and environment.

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

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

Jerry Harrington, empire bar and grill

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

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

After this he returned to Ireland

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

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

How long have you been in business?

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

Years and years.

What makes your business successful?

Our attention to detail is what makes Empire successful.

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

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

How has the recession impacted your business?

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

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

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

What is your ambition for the business?

Our ambition is to stay number-

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don’t stop going to funerals.

What living person do you most admire?

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

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

property: notable investment deals hit market

2014 momentum sees €923m sales  keith bellew

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

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

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

€233m.

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

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

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

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

with a number of portfolios due for release.”

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

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

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

Overseas investor activity has led the mar-

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

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

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

9 April 2015 Gazette 17

arts P24

asdfsdaf P27 cinema P25

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

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

Pets

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

 Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Healy discussed what this comprises.

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

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

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

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



Gazette

travel P20

lovely bella deserves a happy home

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

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

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

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

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

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

For further information, see www. dublinbayprawnfestival.ie.

The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs.

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

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

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

The centre is closed all day Tuesday.

GAZETTE

18 GAZETTE 9 April 2015

OUT&ABOUT

STYLE

2

1

lt coat €395

0

€475

6

4 n dress €245 Coast Harve

Bastyan Eva be

€20 bloom skirt

n Maxi dress Karen Mille

Coast Hyper

3

5 Karen

Coast

Millen

Rita mid

t Midi skir €210

159

i skirt €

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

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

Working clockwise from

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I’m a big fan of midi-skirts.

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

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

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

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

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

9 April 2015 Gazette 19

Gazette

FOOD&DRINK

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

huge TVs that cater for diehard sports fans.

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

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

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

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

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

suggests.

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

The pub can be daunt-

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

FX Buckley Steakhouse

GAZETTE

20 GAZETTE 9 April 2015

OUT&ABOUT

TRAVEL

FastTravel

Set cruise control with these luxury Cunard trips  IAN BEGLEY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A bonnie hop over the sea

 ROB HEIGH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LEARNINGCURVE



GAZETTE

9 April 2015 GAZETTE 21

EXHIBITION: STUDENTS SKILLS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Fashion forward fun at Sallynoggin  LAURA WEBB

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

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

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

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

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

With 2015 the year of Irish design, the event

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

Trinity College celebrates alumni with a gala dinner

A FILM director and crime writer were

was a Trinity scholar, son of a scholar

among past Trinity College pupils who

and grandson of a scholar, was born in

were presented with Trinity College

Dublin and graduated from Trinity with

Alumni Awards at a special gala dinner

first-class honours.

last week.

known to adult readers as the crea-

crime writer John Connolly and former

tor of detective Charlie Parker, who

judge Catherine McGuinness received

has appeared in 12 novels, beginning

the awards in recognition of achieve-

with Every Dead Thing (1999) and most

ments in their respective fields and the

recently the internationally-bestsell-

contribution they have made in Ireland

ing The Wolf in Winter (2014). He studied

and internationally.

English at Trinity College, Dublin and

Abrahamson BA (1990) directed

will highlight and celebrate Irish designers and retailers.

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

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

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

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

At the launch, at UCD Charles

journalism at Dublin City University.

Meanwhile, Catherine McGuin-

Fashion Edit will showcase the talents of

numerous commercials for TV before

Sallynoggin College of Further Education’s

directing for TV and film. Credits

ness BA (1957) is a former judge. Her

fashion industry practice students

include: Adam and Paul, What Rich-

original BA was in Modern Languages

ard Did and Frank, staring Domhnall

(French and Irish). In 2003, she was

Gleeson, Michael Fassbender, and

conferred by Trinity with an honourary

Maggie Gyllenhaal. Abrahamson who

degree of Doctor in Laws.

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

Former student of Sallynoggin College and renowned fashion stylist,

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

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

A Decade of Centenaries launched  BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

John Connolly BA (1992) is best

Film director Lenny Abrahamson,

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

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

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

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

GAZETTE

22 GAZETTE 9 April 2015

LEARNINGCURVE

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

Making sure your desk is tidy and

college students will be starting to

organised is also important as it

worry and panic, but with proper

means you can concentrate on study-

preparation, you can get through it

ing and learning, instead of sifting

all and concentrate on your summer

through a mountain of crumpled

plans.

sheets.

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

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

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

Make sure you know all the ins and

from the hustle and bustle of the

outs of each exam. Find out what

house, your capacity for learning and

format the exam will take – whether

remembering vastly increases. If this

it is short answer, multiple choice or

isn’t possible, it might be better to

essay format. Make sure you know

study at the library.

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

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

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

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

OPPORTUNITIES: MATURE STUDENTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

cial mature students’ information page on their websites.

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

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

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

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

Financially, it can be

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

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

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

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

statement along with your application.

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

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

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

9 April 2015 GAZETTE 23



Progress to impress with DUBLIN GAZETTE’S education supplement

HOUSING: USI SITE ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO RENT SPARE BEDROOMS

The eternal question of where to live  IAN BEGLEY

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

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

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

This service is deemed

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

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

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

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

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

with contacts for those willing to help.

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

accommodation online – and it’s free to use.

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

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

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

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

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

Gazette

24 Gazette 9 April 2015

OUT&ABOUT

ARTS

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

Author Michael Murphy

Share some insights of life and love  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

it up.

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

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

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

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

There were plenty of

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

T he show, though

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

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

9 April 2015 Gazette 25

Gazette

CINEMA

ReelReviews

spongebob movie A sponge out of water

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

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

cinderella

A timeless tale ... again

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

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

Take another Furious spin

 daniel smith

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Along with the usual

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

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

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

They return to LA and are confronted by Shaw

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

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

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

W hat follows is a

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

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

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

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

But from someone who has watched the

series since the very start, it was fantastic.

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

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

Verdict: 8/10

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

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

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

while we’re young Facing a fear of aging

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

26 dun laoghaire gazette 9 April 2015

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28 Gazette 9 April 2015

SPORT

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

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

“We were hoping to get something from it.

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

“We were outstanding in the second half.

Our attacking after the break was excellent.

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

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

Leinster need big step up  sport@dublingazette.com

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

Quarter-Final at Aviva Stadium last Saturday.

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

crucial run of games coming up for the province.

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

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

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

time since 2012, at the Aviva on Saturday.

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

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

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

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

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

lenge and we’ve got to improve on today.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

the club’s history.

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

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

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

They ultimately fell to English champions Surbiton as two final

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

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

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

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

9 April 2015 Gazette 29

Gazette

Home comforts for Smith’s Eastern side

FastSport

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

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

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

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

to the draw.

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

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

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

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

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

Eastern Region manager Gerry Smith

afterwards.

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

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

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

Cup in the past.

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

be played in Tallaght.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gazette

30 DUN LAOGHAIRE gazette 9 April 2015

SPORT

ken’sDiary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Peace out and see you on the other side.

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

soccer: ucd waves star upbeat after costa rica win

UCD Waves Julie Ann Russell in action against Cork City earlier this season

Russell ready for Spanish tie  sport@dublingazette.com

N E W LY c r o w n e d Women’s International Player of the Year Julie Ann Russell is looking forward to taking on Spain this week as Ireland face yet another of the teams heading to this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals in Canada.

The fact that Ireland head into the game at Mareo Stadium, Asturias, on the back of a win against another World Cup bound team, Costa Rica, will be a boost according to Russell,

who plays her club football with UCD Waves.

“I think it was vital for us to beat Costa Rica in the last game of the Istria Cup so we are coming into this game against Spain with a win behind us.

“Although the results didn’t go to plan over there it was great to get together as a lot of us playing in different leagues across Europe,” said Russell.

Un l i ke t h e g a m e against Costa R ica, Ireland will go into Wednesday’s game as underdogs while Spain

new clothing deal Helly Hansen added to regatta sponsors list helly Hansen has been confirmed as the

official clothing partner for the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2015.

This year, the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta will see the introduction of new classes to the regatta, as well as a number of national and regional championships within the event.

For the first time, there will also be a Volvo online television channel in the build-up to, and during, the Regatta which runs from July 9-12.

are currently ranked 14th in the world, some 17 places higher than Ireland, but Russell believes that doesn’t give the team an edge.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say it gives any advantage to us.

“It might just take a small bit of pressure off the team as people will not be expecting us to beat Spain. You just never know what will happen in a game of football.

“To get the opportunity to play against a top nation is amazing and I know both the girls and

I can’t wait to get out and play and test ourselves.

“I know that they are ranked 14th in the world and I know that they will be technically really good and very quick, but I feel if we play to the right tactics we will be able to put it up to them. “ Having won the Under-19 award in the 2009-10 season, Russell was honoured to be named as Senior Player of the Year at the recent 3 FAI International Awards “It was such an hon-

our to win the International Player of the Year.

“To play for my country means so much to me so to win this award it felt incredible.

“The team are a great bunch of girls and I believe everyone had a great year of football shown by our results and progression so to be chosen to win player of the year felt surreal.

“Putting in all the hard work training and balancing my masters and then work it made it even more special to me to win the award.”

9 April 2015 DUN LAOGHAIRE gazette 31

Gazette

minor success

Kilmacud hurlers win first trophy of 2015

Club Noticeboard cuala

A LATE goal was the deciding factor as

Kilmacud Crokes minor hurlers landed the Division 1 league title in O’Toole Park last Friday.

The final saw Crokes come up against Na Fianna and it was an epic encounter which swung back and forth throughout.

After a long barren spell, the Stillorgan side sprang to life in added time as a goal from Conor O’Dwyer proved decisive.

WELL done to the Dublin U-14 ladies

If you’re out doing the shopping this

footballers who made it four wins

weekend, don’t forget Cuala is one of

from four in Leinster on Saturday

three community organisations com-

with a 1-15 to 3-6 win over Kildare.

peting in the current Tesco Ballybrack

Cuala had three starters in the team

Community Fund.

who have now qualified for the Leinster Final.

Good luck to the U-14 camogie squad who will play in the clubs first ever Division 1 camogie Feile next weekend.

football: kildare undone by clinical effort

Over the next six weeks, each time you shop in TESCO Ballybrack, you will receive a goodwill token which you can use to vote for Cuala.

The adult footballers golf masters takes place on Friday, April 10 in Old

The girls have been drawn against

Conna Golf Club. There are still a few

Oliver Plunkett’s, Kilmacud Crokes

slots and sponsorship opportunities

and St Jude’s in the group stage to

available. For further details, please

be hosted at Ballyboden St Enda’s. All

call Patsy Greene on 086 1211802 or

support welcome.

Ciaran Irwin on 087 7959881.

Watch out for updates on social

Juvenile girls parent Deborah

media and online as the girls progress

Byrne is seeking dancers, especially

through the weekend.

male, for a fundraiser on May 15 to

Our first adult camogie league

rebuild a school in Haiti. If interested,

games in almost eight years take

contact Deborah at deargbkps@hot-

place this week. Our Division 5 team

mail.com

play Lucan Sarsfields on Thursday,

Af ter huge popular demand,

April 9 in Meadowvale at 6.45pm, All

Gaelic4Dads is back. We’ll be throw-

support encouraged to cheer on our

ing-in on Friday, April 10 in Thomas-

young panel in this milestone game.

town at our usual time of 7pm.

shankill THE juvenile academy is back in action

at 10am on Sunday. Both of the girls

after the Easter break on Saturday at

matches are in Shanganagh Castle.

10am in Shanganagh Castle.

Dublin Under-21 captain David Byrne

Dublin glory once more for local trio leinster u-21 final

Dublin 3-10 Kildare 1-12  sport@dublingazette.com

THREE local players were present as Dublin retained the EirGrid Leinster Under-21 Championship last Thursday at Pairc Tailteann.

Kilmacud Crokes duo Ross McGowan and David Campbell were both involved as was Cuala’s Conor Mullaly, as the capital retained the provincial championship. McGowan started the contest at left corner-back while Mullaly lined out at centre half-

back. Campbell entered the fray after 53 minutes for Andrew Foley at centre half-forward.

The Dubs did not seem to miss injured talisman Killian O’Gara as Cormac Costello stepped up to fire two goals and two points for Boys in Blue.

Basquel was key for the capital too, firing over five points during the contest.

The game started off as a close encounter, with the side’s level on 0-3 each in the opening quarter before Costello teed up Basquel for the opening goal after 20 minutes. Minutes later,

the provider turned scorer as Costello shook the net following quality play from Conor McHugh.

Kildare hit back, however, thanks to some quality kicking from Neil Flynn and a goal

by Mark Sherry which reduced the deficit to two points going into half-time. Indeed it was Kildare who began the second half better, hitting four points without reply before Costello struck again for the Dubs, firing in another goal.

The Dubs managed to maintain their lead going into the closing stages

despite a spirited performance from Kildare and Flynn in particular.

Before the referee ended proceedings Costello was brought down and was awarded a penalty, which McHugh stroked over to confirm a fourpoint win.

It was a four-point win which continued Dublin’s dominance in the province at this level, this marking their sixth Leinster win in eight years.

Dessie Farrell’s side now have an All-Ireland semi-final to look forward to against either Cork or Tipperary.

There was no winner of our Chase

The academy caters for children

the Ace Sunday night draw in Brady’s

from four to eight years of age at only

of Shankill which currently has a jack-

€2 per week; there is no annual sub-

pot of €2,150. The €50 prize went to

scription and covers Gaelic football,

Michael and Allen.

hurling and camogie. All equipment is supplied.

New members are always welcome.

Boys’ U-12 training is at 10am on Saturday in the Castle.

Training for the men’s adult football team is on Thursday at 9pm in Rathmichael School. We play Thomas Davis on Sunday at 3pm in Kiltipper Road.

If you would like to join the team,

Girls’ U-11 play Trinity Gaels at 5pm

please contact Damien 085 2327359 or

on Saturday. Girls’ U-9 play their first

any club member. Follow us on Face-

game against Clanna Gael/Fontenoy

book and Twitter.

naomh olaf WELL done to the Dublin U-21 Foot-

on Monday, April 13 at 7pm to launch

ballers and captain David Byrne

the Mol An Oige youth coaching and

(Naomh Olaf) on a great victory in

leadership programme.

Navan, defeating Kildare in the Leinster championship.

David is one of Naomh Olaf’s positive young leaders.

Eve r yo n e we l c o m e . Fu r t h e r details to follow later this week.

Mol An Oige application places are in big demand.

We are all very proud of the effort

Please submit forms this week if

and commitment that David puts in

possible. Some forms available in

for his club and his county.

the clubhouse.

Great turnout from the Olaf’s

Congratulations to Roisin

U-16s and their mentors who trav-

MacLoughlin and the Dublin minor

elled to Navan to support David and

camogie team on defeating Water-

the team.

ford 2-16 to 3-8 in Waterford on Sat-

Thanks to everyone who travelled to Navan. Looking forward to the All-Ireland semi final next.

Dublin Football Mana ger Jim Gavin will be in Naomh Olaf GAA Club

urday. Roisin put in another solid performance at right corner back.

Unfortunately, Galway beat Limerick in the other match and Dublin are now out of the championship.

32 DUN laoghaire Gazette 9 April 2015