Dun laoghaire

Gazette DUN LAOGHAIRE

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July 13 - 19, 2017

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Spidey’s back in a fun-filled (and much needed) franchise reboot

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THE ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITION OF

THE JOSHUA TREE Worth €140 See Pg 3 to enter

SPORT Cabo back on winning trail P30

Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you

PHOTO PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP MUCH-LOVED LANDMARK’S LEGACY

Celebrating the pier into the future could be a snap  EMMA NOLAN

MILLIONS of people from all over Dublin and beyond have walked up and down Dun Laoghaire Pier countless times – and a new project aims to celebrate this local treasure for the harbour’s bicentenary.

People on the Pier is a ‘Humans of New York’-style project that showcases photos of the many people who walk along the pier. Full Story on Pages 8-9

2 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 13 July 2017

21 FACES | CELEBRATING EACH CHILD’S UNIQUE QUALITIES

DLR kids are helping to challenge perceptions around Down syndrome

 EMMA NOLAN

THE Down Syndrome Centre have just launched the second year of their 21 Faces campaign, which celebrates the uniqueness and diversity of children with Down syndrome.

21 Faces is a portrait photo campaign that features 21 of the children that use the services at The Down Syndrome Centre.

It celebrates each child’s unique qualities, champions their potential and aims to challenge some misconceptions.

Five of the 21 Faces featured are nine-yearold Ava Leahy from Dun Laoghaire, two-year-old Milo McGuirk from Kil-

Emma Lande

Ava Leahy

liney, eight-year-old Faye Corcoran from Sallynoggin, six-year-old April Coveney from Blackrock and ten-year-old Emma

April Coveney

Faye Corcoran

Picture: Photocall Ireland

Beauty and the beast help launch a fashionable search BEAUTIFUL Gracie O’Mahony met this handsome beast when they met to help launch Ladies Day at the upcoming 2017 Dublin Horse Show, on Thursday, August 10. The RDS announced that bustling Dundrum Town Centre will be the title sponsor of the day, with the DLR and Dublin city fashion hub perfectly positioned to pick a real winner in the style stakes. The top winner will scoop a €10,000 Dundrum Town Centre voucher. Judging Best Dressed Lady on the day will be celebrity stylist Courtney Smith, fashion editor Bairbre Power and Dundrum Town Centre personal stylist Lorna Weightman, while Xpose presenter, Cassie Stokes will act as MC on the day. All ladies will need to enter will be a general admission ticket for the Dublin Horse Show, with The Dundrum Town Centre Ladies Day registration desk to be located on the Band Lawn inside the RDS.

Celebrations as new SPAR Glenageary officially opens SPAR Glenageary laid on a weekend of celebrations at Glenageary Shopping Centre to help mark its official launch, welcoming shoppers and the community to check out the new outlet.

A range of family-friendly activities helped welcome locals to the new SPAR, with a range of special offers also available.

Cllr Cormac Devlni (FF) officially cut the ribbon to open the outlet, and congratulated Brian O’Hara (left), owner of SPAR Gleneagery on the outlet’s launch. Employs 34 staff in a variety of roles, the SPAR Glenageary outlet models itself as a neighbourhood-style store, including a bakery, deli, and an Insomnia Coffee outlet, with a strong emphasis on fresh food.

Milo McGuirk

Lande from Cabinteeley.

Ava’s mum, Ciara, says that her daughter is a “a happy, fun-loving child”.

“Ava is extremely socia-

FASTNews

ble. She never forgets anyone’s name when she meets them and enjoys meeting new people. We love her to bits and are delighted with her and the person she is becoming.”

Little Milo is the most “forceful and independent” of his siblings according to his mum, Cheri.

“Milo is so determined to get where he needs to be. Nothing can stop him!”

Meanwhile, Faye’s mum, Claire, says she is a busy girl with something on most days after school.

“Faye makes us so proud in everything she does. She is such a strong and independent young girl who handles herself so well with her peers.”

April has really progressed in the past few months, according to her mum Therese. “Her speech is improving, her confidence is growing and more importantly she is really just very happy. The past year has been a complete joy with April.”

Busy Emma is about to start fourth class and her mum, Elaine, describes her as a very happy girl.

“Emma has won medals at Special Olympics athletic events and at her school swimming gala.

She was also voted Senior Sports Personality of the Month in school for April, as voted by her classmates!

“All of these fantastic achievements have helped to boost Emma’s confidence and she is a very happy girl.”

Lorraine Murphy, from The Down Syndrome Centre, told The Gazette: “As well as celebrating the children’s development, 21 Faces also aims to personalise the discussion about Down syndrome and make a connection.

“By reading the children’s stories, viewing their family photos and getting a glimpse of their personalities and an insight into their daily lives, we hope to challenge some pre-conceived ideas about Down syndrome and to encourage the viewer to see the children for themselves and as children first and foremost.”

Read more about Ava, Milo, Faye, April, Emma and the other children of the 21 Faces campaign at downsyndromcentre.ie and keep an eye out for the poster campaign by Dublin Bus and an outdoor poster campaign by Irish Poster Advertising around Dublin City Centre during July.

Chamber urges businesses to apply for county awards DUN Laoghaire Rathdown Chamber of Commerce has announced the first County Business Awards for DLR as a county area within Dublin.

Following 10 years of organising the highlysuccessful Envirocom Awards, DLR Chamber has moved to further celebrate the strength of the region’s very diverse business community.

With a wide range of categories to apply under, these awards cater for the sheer range of enterprises across the county.

Businesses are urged to enter the awards before the deadline of next Friday, July 21, at www.dlrchamber.ie, with the council supporting the awards.

Time’s almost up to apply for a share of €100k fund WITH a looming deadline of this Friday, July 14, not-for-profit and community organisations in Dublin have been urged to apply for a share of the CocaCoca Thank You Fund, which is offering €100,000 in grants for projects that inspire and support young people.

For further information about the fund or to apply for a share, see www.coca-cola.ie/thankyou.

The fund’s administrators are looking for new programmes which bridge the divide between education and the workplace; foster diversity and inclusion among young people; or empower young people to become the leaders of the future.

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

13 July 2017 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 3

DON’T let this fun day SLIP by Water way to go! One of last year’s thrilled Last year’s

riders sets

super-long

off, hurtling

slide – and

off along

this year

the slide ...

it’ll be even

DUBLINERS have been going crazy over the past two weeks trying frantically to get their hands on 98FM’s Big Slide Festival wristbands – a must-have accessory this summer.

Excitement is growing as the largest water slide the capital has ever seen is coming to the Christchurch area this weekend.

The whopping 260ft slippery dip – which will run down the entire length of Winetavern Street – will be even longer than Liberty Hall (194 ft) or Google’s highrise HQ at Grand Canal Dock (220 ft) are high!

In partnership with Dublin City Council, our friends at 98FM are recreating the Big Slide Festival for a second year running, so get your swimming gear ready for what promises to be a slippery ride, packed full of music, entertainment, food – and, of course, fun for all the family.

The event is free, but only a limited number of wristbands allowing access into the festival have been released each day over the past two weeks, with some of the 4,200 wristbands still

WIN U2 longer, and even more fun to try!

available right up to the day of the Big Slide.

The free Big Slide Festival is definitely for anyone who wants to experience Dublin like they never have before.

We had a terrific reader response on our Facebook page when we gave away some of the elusive, exclusive wristbands (well done to the lucky winners, and sorry folks to everyone else), but 98FM still have some to give away.

98FM presenter Dara Quilty said: “After the success of last year’s Big Slide, I’m absolutely delighted to announce we’re bringing it back.

“Last year was the first time Dublin had a 260ft water slide going through it, and I guess this year is the second! We’ve made some adjustments and the slide is going to be way faster, way wetter and way more fun this year.

Bring it on!”

To get your hands on a wristband, tune in to our official media partners 98FM for instructions on how to register. You can’t let a chance like this slide by!

THE ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S EDITION OF

THE JOSHUA TREE

THIS U2 JOSHUA TREE SEVEN LP SUPER DELUXE BOX SET CONTAINS: 7 pieces of original, live and unreleased recordings on 12” 180gsm vinyl.

3.5hrs of audio content / 49 tracks (25x unreleased tracks: 17x live, 7 x new mixes, 1 x archive track) • The Joshua Tree double album (gatefold) with a download code for digital version • The Joshua Tree Live at Madison Square Garden double album 1987 (gatefold) • The Joshua Tree Remixes • The Joshua Tree Outtakes • The Joshua Tree B-Sides • The Joshua Tree – Photographs by The Edge.

An 84-page hardback book of personal never-before seen photography by The Edge, taken during the original Mojave Desert Joshua Tree shoot, 1986 • A folio of 8 rare 12” Anton Corbijn colour prints

TO MARK 30 years since the release of U2’s fifth studio album The Joshua Tree, an anniversary edition of the seminal record was released by Island Records last month.

Alongside the 11-track album, the super deluxe collector’s edition includes a live recording of The Joshua Tree Tour 1987 Madison Square Garden

concert; rarities and B-sides from the album’s original recording sessions.

It also includes 2017 remixes from Daniel Lanois, St Francis Hotel, Jacknife Lee, Steve Lillywhite and Flood; plus an 84-page hardback book of unseen personal photography shot by The Edge during the original Mojave Desert photo session in 1986.

 TO WIN this magnificent prize, just answer the following question:

What city are U2 from?

Email your answer along with your contact details to competitions@dublingazette.com, or see our #GazetteGiveaway post on our Facebook page. Best of luck!

4 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 13 July 2017

FUNDRAISER | GOATSTOWN BIKER CROSSES A CONTINENT FOR TWO CHARITIES

Nursing a 10,000km road trip to help others  EMMA NOLAN

WHEN Goatstown nurse Adam Gaine bought his motorbike in LA in 2014 he had no idea that three years later he would have travelled the span of the European continent on it.

“Riding across any continent isn’t easy, but Europe was particularly

challenging,” the 29-yearold told The Gazette, which caught up with Adam three weeks after he finished his journey.

“I’m still recovering,” he laughs. “I was inspired by a friend of mine, Derek Cullen, who cycled from Cape Town to Dublin a few years ago, so I drove across the United States three years ago and then

I felt like I needed to do another continent.”

Adam’s motorbike is a Honda Shadow VT750 ‘American Classic Edition’.

“This is my bike, my baby, my sole transport, my long-distance bike.”

The EU-wide trip took about eight weeks to complete, during which Adam covered some 10,700km across the span of the

FASTNews

Madigan chair of Committee on Budgetary Oversight FINE Gael TD for Dublin Rathdown, Josepha Madigan, is set to become chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Budgetary Oversight, as signalled

by An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar.

Speaking after the announcement, Deputy Madigan said: “I am delighted to be afforded the opportunity to chair the committee.

“Throughout my time as a public representative, ensuring sustainable public finances and responsible economic policy has been a priority of mine.

“I look forward to hitting the ground running and playing my role in ensuring that Irish budgets continue to be responsible and effective responses to the challenges faced by the Irish economy.”

Adam Gaine and his Honda Shadow VT750 ‘American Classic Edition’

European continent, crossing the Asian border in Istanbul and returning via Greece, Italy and the Mediterranean.

The trip was not without its highs and lows however, with the low point happening in Germany when complete engine failure caused his engine to “eat itself from the inside out”.

“It completely destroyed itself and had to be replaced. I was stuck in the middle of nowhere for about five days – that was definitely a low point.”

As far as the highs go, Adam says one of the best parts of the trip was experiencing seeing the Opera of Herodes Atticus in Athens.

“It’s an amphitheatre that was built in 150AD –

Adam’s daunting return route, taking 10,700km

it was incredible.”

The purpose of the trip was also so Adam could raise money for two charities close to his heart: the Irish Motor Neuron Disease Association, and Pieta House.

“They both do incredible work, they both rely heavily on public fundraising, they both receive a minimum amount of funding from the Government, they both change people’s lives. I couldn’t decide, so I chose both.”

“I’ve raised €6,000

so far, but my target was €10,000. None of the money raised goes anywhere near the costs of the trip, as that was entirely self-funded.”

Adam is now looking to raise awareness of his trip to reach his target. You can donate on everydayhero. com/team-adam. Visit Adam’s website, asiaandback.com so have a look at the vlogs he recorded along the way.

“That’s it really, Asia and back. One bike, one man, two months.”

Adam’s bike gets a much-needed rest at Cherbourg at the end of his epic 10,000 trip

SNAs increase is welcomed LOCAL Fine Gael Senator Neale Richmond has welcomed the announcement that more than 317 new special needs assistants (SNA’s) will be hired in Dublin for the coming school year.

The allocation is part of a national provision of 975 additional SNAs which will be available for allocation to schools over this September to December – a 7.5% increase – in order to meet the level of assessed demand.

“This issue has been raised by so many families and schools who have contacted my office, and I am pleased to say that this allocation will meet the needs of their children,” said Senator Richmond.

13 July 2017 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 5

COURTS | GUILTY PLEA OVER INCIDENT AT STATION

Man stole two USB keys from gardai A MAN who stole two USB keys from a garda station – while being interviewed about a robbery he had committed that day – has been released on bail to attend drug treatment.

Jason Kennedy (45), of Butlers Place, Benson Street, was captured on footage putting the USB keys in his pocket when the garda questioning him stepped out of the interview room to speak to a colleague.

Kennedy pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery at Park Pharmacy, Cabinteely and stealing two USB keys at Shankill Garda station on August 18, 2016.

The court heard Kennedy, who has 43 previ-

ous convictions, had been clean of drugs for a number of years but had suffered a “slip” at the time of these offences.

Judge Karen O’Connor said the robbery had been an aggressive and threatening offence but noted his progress in relation to his addiction and said she was going to give him a chance to complete a residential treatment programme.

Garda Desmond Molloy told Antonia Boyle BL, prosecuting, that at about midday, Kennedy, armed with a hammer, had threatened staff at the pharmacy before making off with €500 in cash and a large quantity of prescription drugs.

He was seen leaving the scene in an Audi with a large dent in the door. The car, which was registered in his name, was spotted two hours later in Rathfarnham and Kennedy was arrested.

Gardai recovered a large amount of medication in the car and found the clothes worn in the robbery as well as the hammer. No cash was recovered.

G d a Mo l l o y s a i d Kennedy was taken to Shankill Garda Station for questioning. The garda said after the interviews, he discovered two USB keys were no longer in the interview room.

Video footage was reviewed and revealed that

when the garda stepped out of the room to speak to the member in charge at the station, Kennedy had taken the items and put them in his pocket.

Kennedy returned the USB keys and told gardai: “It was only a joke.”

Judge O’Connor ordered that Kennedy be accompanied by a staff member to the unit at Coolmine where he is to complete the residential treatment programme as well as the step-down and after-care programme.

She also ordered the gardai be notified of any breach of the conditions of bail. The judge adjourned finalisation of sentencing until January for a progress report.

EDUCATION | KEY ROLE FILLED AT SCHOOL

Dun Laoghaire ETNS has named its new principal DUN Laoghaire ETNS has announced Anne Marie Lillis as its newly-appointed principal ahead of its opening in September.

A graduate of Mary Immaculate College of Education, Anne Marie has been teaching since 1998, and has taught at all class levels in primary school.

Throughout her career, she has completed a masters in Women’s Studies, a graduate diploma in Educational Leadership, and is a trained mentor for newly qualified teachers.

For the past three years, Anne Marie has been deputy principal in a developing Educate Together pri-mary school.

On her appointment, she said: “I am delighted to have this opportunity to lead Dun Laoghaire Educate Together National School. It is a privilege to welcome each child and their families.

“The children will be at the heart of everything we do and I am looking forward to working in partnership with col-

leagues, parents, Educate Together and the wider school community to ensure that each child’s learning will be nurtured and supported in a warm, creative and happy environment.”

“I believe in inclusive, equality-based education where all voices are heard. We will equip our children with the knowledge and skills for learning and living in the 21stt century – skills of collaboration, creativity and problem-solving.

“We will work together to ensure that our journey will be successful, where each child is cared for, safe and enabled to achieve and learn to the best of their ability.”

Dun Laoghaire ETNS is the result of a patronage process that took place in late 2016 in which the par-ents of the town chose Educate Together as their preferred patron for their new school.

Its accommodation has yet to be confirmed by the Department of Education and Skills.

6 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 13 July 2017

Out and About

Ending the season in competitive fun T

HE Cuala Academy Mini All-Ireland was a spectacular showcase recently, demonstrating the sheer scale of the academy and the enjoyment and skills of the kids who participated throughout the year. Each year, the boys and girls divide into teams, with the Mini All-Ireland a highlight of the year for all involved. With the teams balanced to allow for maximum enjoyment and participation, each team is named after a county, and each player gets a team t-shirt to wear for the matches, with this year’s matches creating lots of competitive fun. Pictures: John Coveney

13 July 2017 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 7

Out and About

8 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 13 July 2017

PEOPLE ON THE PIER | UNIQUE PHOTOGRAPHIC PROJECT CALLS ON

Ellen King Keane, Faye Levins, Nathan Nagle, Michelle Delores, Liam Scholfield Browne, Carl Gallagher with (back) Maria Murphy, Louise Power and Denise Dunican

‘Gecko Games’ leads to a great category win for clever Shankill kids at a special Bizworld final A SHANKILL school has been crowned as category winners at the Bizworld by Bank Of Ireland Grand Finals held in Athlone.

More than 40 primary school children from 10 schools nationwide took part in the grand finale of BizWorld.

Students from Scoil Mhuire in Shankill were crowned winners of the Most Informative Q&A Session category, for their children’s gaming app that incorporates exercises called, Gecko Games.

The clever Shankill kids followed in the footsteps of the more than 8,300 children who have participated in 277 workshops run by Bank of Ireland since last September.

Workshops feature everything from brainstorming, business development to guiding students through the entrepreneurial cycle from company formation to market research to pitching for investment and finally finishing with a Dragon’s Den-style pitch of the business.

Help celebrate a beloved local landmark that millions have strolled down the centuries  EMMA NOLAN TO CELEBR ATE the bicentenar y of Dun Laoghaire Harbour, the Local Studies department of DLR Libraries have created People on the Pier – a Humans of New York-style project that showcases photos of the many people who walk along Dun Laoghaire Pier every Sunday.

The project is also a platform for people to share photos of their visits to the harbour, and the Local Studies department are intent on growing their collection of pier imagery.

Dun Laoghaire librarian Marian Therese Keyes told The Gazette: “We’re enjoying People on the Pier, as it is a lovely project and it’s great to capture so many local people and visitors to the pier!”

Over the past 200 years, the East and West piers have been popular destinations for days out such as First Holy Communions, birthdays, first dates, walking the dog, Sunday strolls, hanging

out with friends, taking the air, as well as celebrating engagements, weddings and even reconciliations.

People from all over the world, including famous politicians, royals and celebrities have embarked and disembarked at the ferry terminals, and many thousands of Irish people have joined the diaspora from these shores.

More than a million people walk the pier annually, and for many it is a daily pleasure.

Throngs of strollers On Sunday afternoons, the throngs of Sunday strollers pace themselves along both piers, enjoy fish and chips or an ice cream cone whilst watching the many maritime activities in the bay.

The public can add to the story of this iconic harbour by uploading photos to dlrpeopleonthepier.ie, or at the dedicated Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, as well as emailing photos to localhistory@dlrcoco.ie.

At the end of 2017, the

images could become part of a DLR digital exhibition showcasing contemporary photos of the pier, creating a unique record and legacy for future generations of the ‘present moment’ during the pier’s auspicious bicentenary year.

The sentiment to celebrate the piers’ contemporary life and importance to the town and county, as well as creating a legacy for the future, was perhaps best summed up by President Michael D Higgins when he spoke at the celebration of the Bicentenary of Dun Laoghaire Harbour at the end of May, saying: “Just as we are all custodians of history, recipients of stories, anecdotes and accounts of the past, handed on to us by previous generations, so also we are recorders of the present moment which will craft what is yet to come.”

So next time you’re at the pier, have fun on the day – and also get involved in People on the Pier, and help celebrate the piers’ legacy.

Madeline Corrigan and Lily Young

Visiting Spanish teens enjoy their seaside stroll – just 19

13 July 2017 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 9

EVERYONE WHO WALKS ALONG TO GET INVOLVED

Easy does it ... Tom turns his hand to photographing trio Hair we go!

Mandy Smith and Tom Morgan laugh off the sea

Pam with

Guidi and Eli

winds messing with their shot.

Pictures: Joan Kelly

Ali and Zahara

Al-Saleh

Fionnuala and Eoghan Ballantyne and friend

Bhawna, Amar and Kaghan Singh

more visitors to a place that has welcomed millions

Sallyann Tingle and Julienne Lam

AN CATHAOIRLEACH Tom Murphy took the chance to photograph Luke Leslie (writer and director of the film, Haste), Bjorn Mac Giolla (producer of the film, The Lighthouse) and Ciaran Hickey (writer and director of the film, The Lighthouse) At the lexicon Library, where the award winners of the inaugural DLR First Frames film commissions were announced.

The scheme funded by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council’s arts office and DLR Local Enterprise Office provides a unique opportunity for film makers to create exciting, dynamic and engaging screen stories, with Cllr Murphy happy to congratulate the trio on their respective wins with their very different projects.

Haste is based on the true story of a Victorian student who found himself alone aboard a terrifying runaway train, while The Lighthouse is the story of a young girl who embraces the magic of her seaside town when she befriends a mysterious entity living by the pier. Picture: Peter Cavanagh

10 GAZETTE 13 July 2017

Out and About

Family fun for all L

AYA Healthcare’s City Spectacular returned to Dublin’s Merrion Square last week, showcasing some of the very best in international street performance, interactive family activations and workshops, delicious artisan producers and international street food, making it one of the upbeat highlights of the summer so far. Families from all across the country flocked to Dublin to enjoy this free event which even had Dustin the Turkey in attendance.

Lessons in C ‘Lagom’ for Ballymun children

HILDREN from St Joseph’s Junior National School in Ballymun got a great lesson in how to live more sustainably at IKEA’s Live Lagom (‘the right amount is best’) project. IKEA is encouraging customers and those who work for the company to use just the right amount of energy, food, water, etc, creating a more sustainable way of living. To bring this concept to life for the children of St Joseph’s, IKEA supplied the class with a hydroponics set to grow lettuce leaves. They also supplied recycle bins, a basin for the sink and a timer for their water tap. Pictures: Alison O’Hanlon

13 July 2017 GAZETTE 11

GAZETTE

12 GAZETTE 13 July 2017

DUBLINBUSINESS

SURVEY | WORRIED ABOUT IMPACT OF AGE, TWO-THIRDS ARE UPSKILLING

Older workers fight back to stay relevant ALMOST half of Irish workers worry that age might affect their chances of finding a new job.

Research from IrishJobs.ie reveals that older workers who are planning on changing roles worry their age might stop them from getting a new job.

However, those who are planning to change roles in the next two years report that they are upskilling (65%) to stay employable.

The research carried out by IrishJobs.ie amongst 1,038 jobseekers across multiple industries shows that 31% of older workers believe they lost out on a job opportunity due to their age at least on one or more occasion.

A quarter believe they were passed over for promotion due to

The IrishJobs.ie survey reveals some positive steps many older workers are taking as they consider looking for new jobs

their age; as a result, 62% of older workers were apprehensive about looking for a new job, with 45% planning to stay in their existing sector.

The research showed that older employees are going a lot further than their younger counterparts to stay competitive for new roles.

To overcome the perception of being older, 40% are going to the gym more with 64% switching to a healthier diet and another 43% taking more vitamins.

When it came to more extreme measures, some 38% considered dying their hair, with 29% thinking about having their teeth whit-

ened, 44% planning to give up smoking, and another 26% considering giving up alcohol. Some 8% of those surveyed considered anti-aging injections.

Orla Moran, general manager, IrishJobs.ie said: “While it’s illegal to discriminate against employees because of their age, it’s obvious that older jobseekers are concerned about how their date of birth will impact on their search for a new job.

“It’s terrific to see that many older workers are doing the right thing and keeping their skills up to date. In fact, it’s something we’d advise workers of all ages to do – continuing to upskill and staying relevant within their chosen industry is essential for continual employment.”

‘Don’t EU listen to the leavers’ THE notion of Ireland leaving the EU would be “simply idiotic”, says Fine Gael Senator and Government spokesman on EU Affairs, Neale Richmond.

Senator Richmond was speaking at a meeting of the Oireachtas EU Affairs Committee which was attended by the new Minister for European Affairs, H e l e n McEntee.

He said: “In the wake of Brexit, the EU is understandably looking at its own future. The launch of the European Commission White Paper on the future of the EU is therefore welcome and allows all citizens and stakeholders to feed into what that that future should look like.

“It is my strongly held belief that Ireland’s future should not just be as part of the EU but at the heart of the EU. “The notion peddled by some ill-informed sources that Ireland should follow the example of the UK and leave the EU is, to be blunt about it, simply idiotic.

“The decision of the people of the UK to leave the EU is a bad decision based on emotion, influenced by a campaign of mistruth.

“Since joining the EEC in 1973, Ireland has flourished. Our active membership and commitment to the European project has allowed us to fully mature as an independent and sovereign state.

“We have grown socially, economically and culturally through our commitment to Europe. It has allowed us, a small peripheral nation, to take a seat at the top table of global

affairs.

“I am urging the Government and Minister McEntee to double-down on Ireland’s commitment to Europe, to embrace the 88% of Irish people who

are in favour of continued membership, and rebut directly the small minority living in a fantasy land who think Ireland would be better off outside of the EU.”

CarePlus Pharmacy appoints its new commercial director CAREPLUS Pharmacy has announced the appointment of its new commercial director .

Niamh Lynch takes over the key role, bringing a wealth of commercial knowledge and experience to the position.

With more than ten years of senior leadership experience, and more than 15 years buying and selling across many consumer categories, including health

and beauty, Niamh’s comprehensive skillsets and insight will play a key part in supporting her role.

N i a m h ’s p r e v i o u s

roles include positions as global business unit director of Tesco PLC, and national acocunt manager with Unilever.

She holds a Bachelor of Science and Food Business from university College Cork.

CarePlus is a network of franchised pharmacies, owned and managed by community pharmacists with the aim of providing a superior pharmacy experience.

Initiating dialogue with a manager could help you both

Maybe it’s time to start managing your manager?

TURNOVER of staff happens most frequently because of relations with a manager. People tend to move companies because of low job satisfaction more often than because of money.

This can happen for a number of reasons, including not getting enough support, unrealistic demands, or no participation in decisionmaking.

However, all is not lost – there is a way to create a better workplace for you and your manager or supervisor.

Poor communication is often the common issue in the above causes of low job satisfaction.

Of course, some managers could be better communicators, but instead of waiting for them to improve it’s possible for you to take action and ‘encourage’ your manager to exchange information more freely.

Start by opening a dialogue. If you don’t feel comfortable bringing something up face to face, send a short email outlining what you’d like to discuss and then suggest a time to meet.

If the above tips don’t help, perhaps you need to find a new job with a new manager. For further information, contact RecruitmentPlus at 01 2788 610, or also see www.recruitmentplus.ie.

The email you sent will act as an agenda when you do meet up, and will keep your conversation on course.

Another thing to suggest to your manager is implementing an evaluation and review process.

This process can take place as often as needed, but usually annually or bi-annually.

T his provides the opportunity to meet and discuss performance.

These meetings offer a perfect opportunity to engage with your manager and to change the communication levels between you.

Some people may say that it is not their responsibility to upskill their manager. However, anything that enriches your workplace and makes everyone more productive is something that will benefit your job satisfaction in the long run.

You may be able to change the work environment so you don’t become one of the people who leave because of your manager. Make communication easier for your manager, and things will be easier for you.

13 July 2017 GAZETTE 13

TRAVEL P20

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

CINEMA P24

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GAZETTE

DIARY P14

SHE’S A BEAUTIFUL BEAGLE, REVIEW: ONCE AT THE OLYMPIA IS A WONDERFULLY PRODUCED PACKAGE AND CHUNLI HAS A LOT OF LOVE FOR A CARING OWNER OUR Dog of the Week looking for their #SpecialSomeone* is Chunli, a very sweet, two-yearold Beagle.

She can be quite shy at first when she meets new people; however, once you give her time to get to know you, Chunli comes out of her little shell and shows her true, adorable nature.

Chunli is looking for a quiet, adult-only home without too many visitors. As she feels at her best around other dogs, Chunli is looking for a home with another friendly and social canine which is going to boost her confidence. She is looking for owners that will not expect too much of her initially, but will allow her to grow in her own time. Given proper care, love and time, Chunli will become a wonderful companion and a friend for life!

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

Show stopper  JAMES HENDICOTT H AV I N G p u t a f o c u s o n obtaining a really musically talented cast, brought the simpler elements of the story to the fore and utilised a clever set extremely well, the latest incarnation of Once –showing at the Olympia Theatre until late August – is astoundingly well done.

Adapting Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova’s music and taking much that is good from the 2007 movie, the musical is set entirely in a surround with the feel of an old-school Irish pub, the fluid cast almost constantly on stage in their entirety as they

perform the backing track to a gentle tale.

Niamh Perry, playing ‘Girl’, is the undoubted star.

Credit has to be given for her convincing and unwavering switch into a Czech accent, but what really stands out are her vocals, and the restrained tension she creates around the lead man, Brian Gilligan.

While the pre-interval part of the show is relatively lighthearted, full of local colour and witty patter, things take an intense turn after the interval, with the emotional love story at the heart of the tale coming to the fore to glorious effect.

Continued on Page 17

GAZETTE

14 GAZETTE 13 July 2017

DUBLINLIFE

DIARY

Digging in at Zoorassic World at Dublin Zoo are teacher Kelly Mara with Senan Shah, Maisie Conroy, Beth Healy, Alfie Conroy and Rian Shah

FAMILIES: DIG INTO THE PAST WITH DUBLIN ZOO’S T-REX-IFFIC NEW INSTALLATION

Pictures: Patrick Bolger

Boning up on dinosaurs DUBLIN Zoo’s latest attraction, Zoorassic World, is sure to get a roar or two of approval from visitors to the brand-new home for reptiles of the past and present.

With lots of fun dinoand reptile-related features at the latest attraction at the zoo, the lord of them all has to be Stan – a towering life-size replica fossil skeleton of a male adult Tyrannosaurus Rex that lived 65 million years ago.

Stan’s name isn’t very exciting (sorry, Stans everywhere), but the big, bony beast is very impressive in the flesh, standing 3.7m high and 12.2m long.

He’s not alone – other replica dinosaur skeletons at Zoorassic World include a Velociraptor, Oviraptor, Anhanguera,

and an Archaeopteryx, plus life-sized replicas of a Galapagos tortoise and a Komodo dragon, while Zoorassic World is also now home to the zoo’s many living reptiles.

For further information, see www.facebook. com/dublinzoo and www. dublinzoo.ie.

JOIN THE CROWD TO CONTROL THE MUSIC HEADING to some concerts this summer? Make sure to check out Live Your Music, a new concept from Heineken.

Debuted at Sea Sessions festival in Donegal last month, the concept hands over control to the crowd, empowering them to programme the lighting, the visuals and the atmosphere, with a few surprises thrown in.

This weekend, July

14 – 16, Live Your Music will descend on Longitude in Marlay Park with a fully responsive, custombuilt space featuring DJs and collectives from the worlds of house, disco, hip-hop and R&B, including Lui Rwego, Bobofunk and District Magazine.

Music fans can join the crowd and sign up for exclusive experiences at: www.heinekenmusic.ie.

BIG ADVENTURE FOR CHAIN’S MINI CEOS HOTEL brand Radisson Blu has announced a unique nationwide search to find a new board of directors with a difference – a group of Mini CEOs (Child Entertainment Officers) are being sought to help consult on the hotels’ family offering across the UK and Ireland this summer.

T he chosen mini CEOs will win a free stay at a Radisson Blu of their choice for them and their family, along with all the perks of a weekend getaway, including free restaurant meals.

Boys and girls between the ages of 6 – 10 years can apply for the role (and ask their parents or guardians to be a reference for them), with their ‘duties’ to involve reviewing leisure facilities in the hotels.

For further information and to nominate, see http://www.radissonblu. com/miniceo.

DISPENSE AN AWARD TO YOUR PHARMACIST DUBS are being called on to nominate Ireland’s most dedicated pharmacists.

T h e C l a nw i l l i a m Pharmacist Awards have

RACE OVER TO €32K CHAMPION STAKES

launched for 2017 and the organisers want Dubliners to nominate pharmacists who go above and beyond for their patients.

You can fill out an online nomination form before the July 21 deadline, with the winning pharmacist to be recognised in the company of hundreds of their peersat the Clanwilliam Pharmacist Awards

in November.

An adjudicating panel comprising pharmacists from various branches of the profession will select three finalists for each category, to be announced in October, with and a winner in each to be revealed on the awards night.

To make your nomination, see http://www. pharmacistawards.com/

READY to race over to some exciting events at Shelbourne Park? You should be, as the popular stadium has laid on some summer sports highlights to look out for.

Kevin Hennessy and Leon Blanche, representing Irish Independent bookmaker BoyleSports, are pictured (left) with Shelbourne Park racing manager Declan Carey at the launch of a bumper calendar of racing events at the greyhound stadium.

The BoyleSports Champion Stakes, worth more than €32,000, run over two weekends in July and August.

For further information on the calendar of events, see www.shelbourneparkgreyhoundstadium.ie.

13 July 2017 GAZETTE 15

POPCORN RECIPE Three Corn Tacos

THE people over at Propercorn have come up a perfect popcorn-inspired recipe to make your summer meals extra special.

Ingredients: Serves 4 12 small corn tortillas 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1.5cm pieces (keep the peelings) Small tub of sour cream 2 x 20g packs of Propercorn Sour Cream & Black Pepper For the pickled onion: Half a red onion, finely sliced juice 2 limes pinch of sugar For the guacamole: 2 avocados, halved and stoned Half a lime Small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped Quarter thinly sliced red onion For the salsa: 200g cherry tomatoes, chopped into quarters Quarter red onion, finely sliced 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped Juice half a lime For the corn: 4 corn on the cob (or 4 small tins of sweetcorn) 2 large knobs of butter 2 tsp smoked paprika pinch of salt and pepper Method: 1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Mix the pickled onion ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Place the sweet potato chunks on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until slightly charred on the edges.

3. Cut the kernels off the corn on the cobs. In a large frying pan, melt the butter on a high heat add the corn, paprika and salt and pepper. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the kernels are caramelized. Once cooked, turn off the heat and set aside to keep warm.

4. To make the salsa and guacamole, mix the salsa ingredients in a small bowl with a squeeze of lime and a handful of chopped coriander.

5. Mash the avocados then add the red onion and red chili. Squeeze in the lime juice and set aside. 6.

A few minutes before the potatoes are ready, add a dash of oil and salt to the peelings, spread evenly on a baking tray and pop in the oven to crisp up. Cover your tortillas in foil and add to the bottom of the oven to warm up.

7. Tortillas are best filled by the person eating them, so to serve, place everything in bowls and tuck in!

GAZETTE

FOOD&DRINK

Say ‘buongirono’ to tasty Italian dishes

MUSIC lovers at the upcoming Punchestown Music Festival at the end of the month can send their tastebuds racing with a dash of tasty Italian fare, courtesy of Italian cuisine specialists Barilla.

The opening of its popup restaurant, By Barilla, will serve a range of authentic Italian fare with a twist for hungry festival goers, with its pasta dishes coming with a threecourse (€25) offering that won’t need a win on the gee-gees to enjoy.

By Barilla’s fare on July 29 and 30 will give diners at the popular music festival some tasty meals that look set to draw upon the family-owned company’s expertise in creating Italian dishes.

Starter options include antipasti dishes, with a selection of meats, cheeses, olives and breads to choose from.

For their main course, diners will be able choose from favourites such as Barilla Fusilli with tiger prawns and served with arrabbiata sauce; Barilla Tortellini of four cheeses with a sage and nut butter sauce; Barilla Linguini Primavera with chicken, julienne of vegetables and flat parsley.

Adding the finishing touch, dessert options will include the ever-popular Tiramisu.

Adding to the Mediterranean-flavoured feeling at By Barilla, guests will be served “Italian family style” at long tables, with starters to be presented on platters, allowing visitors to help themselves.

Following the first course, at intervals a selection of three pasta dishes will be brought to each table, inviting guests to indulge in a variety of

Punchestown Music Festival will have Italian fare, courtesy

dishes.

Wine will also be included as part of the By Barilla festival offering.

Adding a pinch of flexibility, diners can also schedule reservations

around their favourite artist so as not to miss a thing while also not missing their meal.

For further information about Barilla products and recipes, see the site at

of Barilla

www.barilla.com, while the full list of performers at this year’s 2017 Punchestown Music Festival is over at https://mcd. ie/artists/punchestownmusic-festival/

Mini pizza bases serve up a big, delicious treat  EMMA NOLAN KEEP the kids entertained during the s c h o o l h o l i d ay s b y cooking up a storm with Pizza da Piero’s mini pizza bases.

Get crafty in the kitchen and add a range of tasty toppings to these four inch bases – the perfect size for little ones.

P i z z a d a P i e r o ’s founders Piero and Cliona love to decorate each pizza with their

three little girls, making faces with broccoli, sweetcorn and peas, breaking all of Piero’s Italian pizza rules.

It’s lunch and playtime wrapped into one!

Delicious and wholesome mini pizza bases

by Pizza da Piero are the perfect treat for all the family, kids and adults alike.

Pop them in the oven, adorned with your favourite pizza toppings and five minutes later – finito!

Piero creates these fresh and authentic bases at his Dublin bakery every morning using only six simple ingredients; white flour, water, soya f lour, yeast, sea salt and extra virgin oil.

Just as scrumptious as the rest of Pizza da Piero’s range, each mini base is carefully made over a two-day process.

This allows time for the dough to ferment, making it light and easily digestible, so no bloated tummies.

Mini pizza bases by Pizza da Piero are perfect for all the family

Pizza da Piero’s mini bases are a great choice for a light summer lunch or a pizza and movie night with the kids.

At RRP €3.99, they

can be found in SuperValu, Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Avoca, Cavistons Food Emporium, Ardkeen Quality Food Store and Sheridan’s Cheesemongers.

13 July 2017 GAZETTE 17

DUBLINLIFE

 JAMES HENDICOTT A SELF-PROCLAIMED college band reformed to a heyday later in life that far exceeds their 90s peak, King Kong Company are fast becoming Ireland’s go-to festival act, and with good reason.

The Waterford-based act are a high-energy, upbeat dance six-piece with plenty of stage moves.

One member performs in a cardboard box with crudely cut eyeholes, while recent outings include a trip to iconic UK festival Glastonbury, a tea party at Michael D Higgins’s house, and even the launch of their own unlikely beer infused with Buckfast, with King Kong Company plastered across the front.

Colin Hoye, the group’s trumpeter, is the one member currently based in Dublin, and met The Gazette to describe what’s been a strange journey and a wildly busy summer to date.

Amazingly, their self-titled debut of 2016 is the band’s only formal release to date, despite performing together from 1996 to 2000, and then from 2011 to today.

“The technology wasn’t really there to do what we wanted to do back then,” Hoye recalls. “We had this massive eight track and you couldn’t even get the drums alone onto it. We have so many channels now. We had a manual drum machine that we started and stopped for every track back then. We did the best we could, but trying to actually make an album would have been too hard, or too expensive at the time.

“Second time around [following the band’s reformation in 2011], I think we were looking for a mid-life crisis and found one. We had no misconceptions about what we were going to get out of it this time, but we’re surprised at how well it’s gone for us.

“When we decided to get back together, we used the power of social media to help us along the way. We decided to do 12 tracks in 12 months, and our friend John Loftus basically said that he’d do the videos for us.

“Those videos sparked a lot of the characters we have now, and those characters came into the live shows. It’s almost more of a product at this stage.”

Ireland’s Wild Festival Heroes

One album, their own beer and performing in a cardboard box: 20 years of King Kong Company

N O S ’ T A H W

E D I U G S T N EVE

with JAMES HENDICOTT

Belle and Sebastian

Scottish indie darlings are one of the highlights of a series of gigs at the Iveagh Gardens, and are sure to explore the emotive backdrop of their nine experimental and touching albums. €45 entry fee.

July 20

Longitude Festival

Marlay Park’s annual bash bring their camping-free city-festival vibe back for another summer, with star appearances from Mumford and Sons, Stormzy, Skepta, The Weeknd, Catfish and the Bottlemen and Villagers (plus many more) across the weekend.

July 14-16

98FM’s Big Slide

Slip through Dublin streets on a 260ft waterslide running down Winetavern Street, thanks to the radio station and Dublin City Council. You’ll need to grab sliding tickets in advance, and have your swimsuit ready. July 15-16.

Dropkick Murphys

Another of those Iveagh Gardens shows, Bostonian act Dropkick Murphys will bring their punk-tinged nu-Irish stylings to play in an invariably riotous live show. Support from indie-pop heroes of ten years ago The Fratellis adds colours. July 16.

A Night At The Museum

The National Wax Museum diversifies with a new theatre experience, promising to “push boundaries between reality and imagination,” and “you might end up in Heaven or Hell.” July 15

Token Retro Gaming Tournament

The exciting new Smithfield venue that combines a bar, food and retro gaming launches the first of one promises to be a long line on old-school gaming tournaments. July 15.

New album of the week

Coldplay - Kaleidoscope Right after playing their Croke Park date, Coldplay launch a new EP featuring six ‘companion’ tracks to 2016 album ‘A Head Full Of Dreams’. Having been delayed twice, fans will be queueing up for this one.

Continued from Page 13

A unique look – and now, a unique beer as well!

It could only be King Kong Company, who talk to

Live When it came to the album, Hoye recalls the live set-up being very much a key factor.

“We had to do everything we could to bring the live sound into the album,” he explained.

“It would have been very easy to just do it very electronically, but you want to move the music around to have that live effect to it.

“We are very much a live band, and we wanted to show people what we sound like live with the album. In a way we were kind of dreading the album as we knew it would be so much work. We used to be more like acid jazz, so it’s a bit of a change of direction from what we sounded like in the late 90s, but nobody sounds like that anymore.”

Whether the album or an incredibly noto-

MUSIC

GAZETTE

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16 GAZETTE 13 July 2017

The Gazette about their rise and rise so far.

rious live show are the defining factor, there’s little doubt that King Kong Company are on an all time high this year. Last month, their striking imagery appeared on the front of a new brand of beer from Wexford craft beer company, Yellowbelly, entitled ‘Commotion Lotion’, and infused with Buckfast. The launch came within days of their Glastonbury appearance, a lively slot at Body and Soul and a toned-down show at Aras An Uachtarain.

“We did a gig down in Cork, at the Irish Beer Festival last year,” Hoye recalls. “It was a really good festival with a lot of craft brewers at it.

They approached us then about it, and we made the beer. Yellowbelly did all the imagery and

everything. It’s very surreal to have your own beer, really odd.”

Then came the recent trip to the Phoenix Park. “We had to censor [hit track] Donkey Jaw a bit,” Hoye says of the performance at the President’s house. “We were thinking of doing the full version at the garden party, but there were a lot of young kids there. It was censored enough to not offend. It was the strangest gig ever. We were very nervous about it at first, and I think the organisers were a bit nervous about it, too, wondering what we were going to do!

“But our frontman, Mikey Graham, got on the mic at the start and said: ‘Listen, we usually play in muddy fields at festivals, so what we’re

going to do is ask all the children if they want to come up to the front of the stage and dance’. So they did, and they all started dancing and it was great; we won everyone over within five seconds.

It was a great honour to do it.”

And the future? Hoye admits that a new album isn’t really on the horizon, but adds “we’re always in some shape or form working on new music”.

He added: “A lot of the stuff that made this album we played live for a long time before we recorded. I think that’s just the way it’s going. We make music to play live, not to make an album, so it’s good to road test.”

Few bands ‘test’ with quite such a sense of fun.

The stage comes to life to suit, too, and there’s an impressive array of character development, in the narrow but entertaining lives of Girl’s Czech housemates, the occasional but memorable appearances of her daughter, and Phelim Drew’s wacky interludes as music store owner Billy – a lively stereotype of the witty North Dubliner.

Then there are the gimmicks. The best come in the pre-show, pub-style performance from the cast, which takes place with the audience on stage and able to buy from the bar positioned as part of the scenery.

It works well, too, but the key here

is in the simplicity and the casting.

Perry is outstanding all round.

Gilligan has a solid voice and his character constantly seems on the verge of a nervous breakdown, while the extras have a smart dynamic, adding to the humour.

All in, Once is a wonderfully produced package, with ample entertainment value that also tugs firmly on the heartstrings, with the relationships thoroughly believable.

The emotion in Perry as she bowed before an opening night audience said it all: this might be just another step on the road this musical has been powering down over the last few years, but it is also something very special.

ONCE and always terrific

GAZETTE

18 GAZETTE 13 July 2017

DUBLINLIFE

Carousel in a spin over nod from The New York Times

Vivien Butterfly Print Dress €59  EMMA NOLAN

AN IRISH-ow ned vintage boutique was recently mentioned in a New York Times article about places to visit in Dublin.

Carousel design and manufacture their own nostalgia-inspired col-

lections under the “Circus” label, and are stocked in more than 180 independent shops worldwide, and in their boutique on the corner of Drury Street and Exchequer Street.

T he ow ners said they were delighted to be mentioned by the

Brigette cat print dress €65

Nathalie Lemon Print Dress €69 New York Times. “We were over the moon to be included and have seen a surge of interest from USA customers through our website as a result.”

T hey now have a great selection of summer stock in store (pictured above).

Premium Lux Coat €399

Blossom Print Swing Dress €139; Abigail Patchwork Boot €209; Funnel Neck Fitted Knit €85

MINT VELVET LUXE

 EMMA NOLAN Style Editor

THE Autumn/Winter collection from Mint Velvet is chic and understated. Taking its inspiration from effortless Parisian style, it combines boyfriend-dressing with the brand’s signature softer, feminine elements.

Longline silhouettes, blazer and wide-leg trouser combos in both structured and relaxed fabrics are inspired by the 90s power-suit, and suits are paired with trainers for a new take on modern sportswear.

Functionality is key here – everything can be worn with jeans, including dresses. Layer a polo neck underneath lighter fabrics or heavier knits for colder months, as another homage to luxe French dressing.

13 July 2017 GAZETTE 19

GAZETTE

STYLE Embroidered Sleeve Shirt €129

Oversized Tri-Acetate Blazer €249; Imogen Print Neck Scarf €39

Blossom Print Blouse €99

Tie Back Cotton Shirt €99; Paper Bag Waist Trouser €119; Pippa V Front Shoe Boot €169

Beaded Shirt €119

Split Seam Coat €399

Velvet Blazer €209

Lace Back Dress €169

GAZETTE

20 GAZETTE 13 July 2017

DUBLINLIFE

Ballyvolane House will A veritable eden awaits just a few hours away from Dublin at a family-owned country house located in the historic region of the Munster Blackwater Valley

 JESSICA MAILE

TIME FOR A TIPPLE?

An ode to Bertha and the ‘grass to glass’ approach YOU MAY be asking who is Bertha and what does she have to do with Ballyvolane House? It’s simple, really – Bertha, a cow, is the inspiration behind Bertha’s Revenge, a pure Irish milk gin which is conjured up, distilled and bottled at the estate.

Bertha was truly a one-of-a-kind. This Droimeann cow from Sneem, Co Kerry, lived a legendary 48 years, which earned her the title of World’s Oldest Cow. She died in 1993, but Bertha’s Revenge creators Justin Green and Antony Jackson have kept her ‘spirit’ alive in this finely-crafted gin made from whey alcohol from local dairy farmers, natural spring water and locally grown and foraged botanicals.

Their ‘grass to glass’ philosophy is an ode to Bertha and keeps her memory alive. Bertha’s Revenge is a spicy yet refreshing small-batch, hand-crafted gin that has notes of cardamom, cumin and sweet citrus.

The whey alcohol base makes it an extremely smooth concoction that can be enjoyed in the lush atmosphere of Ballyvolane House or at home in a martini or mixed with your favourite tonic.

IT’S summertime and what’s on the menu for some summer getaway fun? Glamping. Yes, glamping.

Camping in luxury is definitely the way to go when the temperatures rise and the weather is a bit more cordial, and there is no better place than Ballyvolane House near Fermoy in Co Cork to do so.

The house was originally built in 1728 as a classically Georgian-style home but was subsequently remodelled in Victorian times to give it a more Italianate style.

It has been a home to just three families, with the Green family now managing this successful country house.

Its rooms are filled with family heirlooms, portraits and antiques but still offer a relaxed atmosphere to read or just take in the splendour of it all.

This warm and inviting family period home actually gives the option

of staying in one of its six finely-appointed bedrooms or to indulge your wild, bohemian side and stay in one of the 11 cosy bell tents.

The tents are very spacious, with a double or two single beds, and plenty of comfy blankets should you need extra warmth as the night goes on.

There are plenty of ways to enjoy the fresh summer air on this expansive estate.

The house is surrounded by lush woods and well-maintained gardens.

There are trout lakes and salmon fishing on the River Blackwater, and even a variety of fly fishing courses are on offer.

BALLYVOLANE HOUSE

Castlelyons, Fermoy, Co Cork

 Open January 1 to December 24  B&B room rate from €195, Single Occupancy €150  Glamping Bell Tents, B&B pps: €60-€75 (May-Sep)  Dinner from €60  Tel: 353 25 36339; email: info@ballyvolanehouse.ie  www.ballyvolanehouse.ie

As I wandered the grounds, I discovered the picturesque lakes, little man-made waterfalls, friendly ducks, two very nosey donkeys, an expansive walled garden full of

fresh produce and flowering plants, a tennis court, a pitch to kick a ball around and the perfect place to play a bit of croquet.

After all my wanderings, I was treated to a spectacular meal of roast chicken, fresh new potatoes and greens from the walled garden and, to top it all off, a batch of heavenly Eton Mess. They only source ingredients from their walled garden, farm, river and from the local area.

Before I headed to bed, the staff kindly lit the candle chandelier in the tent and placed hot water bottles in the bed for the ultimate in cosiness.

After a refreshing night’s sleep, a nice hot breakfast

The official greeter will also steal your heart!

was certainly in order. My favourite part of brekkie is the fact that it’s served up until noon, which is heaven for those who like to stay up late and get up even later!

You have a choice of a continental breakfast or ‘The Full Monty’, but the latter seemed the way to go and it didn’t disappoint.

The most refreshing aspect of Ballyvolane House is how relaxed and inviting the home is and how comfortable Justin Green, his family and staff make you feel there.

And despite all of the grandeur, the care-free atmosphere completely puts you at ease. It’s simply a true get-away in every sense of the word!

13 July 2017 GAZETTE 21

GAZETTE

steal your heart

TRAVEL

TRAVELNews

Holiday deals this August from €439

IT’S NOT too late to get some sun this summer.

Choose your destination and plan your perfect August getaway now. Whether it’s the knockout scenery and all year round sun of the Canaries, the Balearic’s Spanish culture with nightlife that rivals the rest of Europe or the second-to-none sandy beaches, bougainvillea-splashed villages and round-the-clock nightlife of the Greek Islands, we have something for you.

• 28-Aug, Dublin to Lanzarote, San Marcial, Matagorda, 2-star, SC, 7 nights from €549pp.

• 30-Aug, Dublin to Rhodes, Amfitriti Hotel & Studios, Pefkos, 3-star, SC,7 nights from €439pp.

• 26-Aug, Dublin to Kos, Emmanouel Studios, Lambi, 2-star, SC, 7 nights from €629pp.

• 27-Aug, Dublin to Crete, Golden Bay Apartments, Gournes, 3-star, SC, 7 nights from €559pp.

• 31-Aug, Dublin to Ibiza, Casa Luis, Santa Eulalia, 3-star, SC, 14 nights from €729pp.

Visit www.falconholidays,ie for more details.

Ballyvolane House in Castlelyons, Fermoy, Co Cork is a family -owned period home that offers finely-appointed bedrooms or a perfect spot for a bit of glamping if you fancy a bit of fresh air

Lake Garda

Lake Garda deals: • Depart 15 July, stay at the 3-star Hotel La Perla, Garda, for 7 nights, on a half-board basis, from just €799pp.

• Depart 19 July, stay at the 2-star Furstenhof, Alpbach, Austria, on a B&B basis, for 7 nights, from €499pp.

• Depart 29 July, stay at the 3-star Hotel La Perla, Lake Garda, on a half-board basis, for 7 nights, from €799pp.

• Depart 29 July, stay at the 4-star Hotel Splendid Palace, Limone, for 7 nights, on a half-board basis, from just €989pp.

• Depart 12 August, stay at the Doria Apartments, Garda, for 7 nights, from just €1,545 (based on 2 sharing) or €2,275 (2 adults + 2 children).

• Depart 26 August, stay at the 4-star Hotel Majestic Palace, Malcesine, for 7 nights, on a halfboard basis, from just €985pp.

To book call (01) 433 1080, visit www.crystalsummer.ie or contact your local travel agent.

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22 GAZETTE 13 July 2017

DUBLINLIFE

Mini but mighty I’VE re-lived the Mini experience in the new generation Mini Clubman in recent weeks and it has rekindled a warm relationship with the iconic British car brand.

Those who were reared with the original Mini as their first driving experience will appreciate the transformation that the Mini brand has undergone.

Younger drivers will take the car for what it is; a solid small car with great driving ability that despite its size always pervades a feeling of strength.

This Clubman version plays on a van-type design with twin opening rear doors and that design feature gives stand-out identity to the car that’s anything but a van in image and driving experience.

The Clubman version of the Mini gives it a more male perspective, because the standard Mini has become seen as more of a female desire car. This Clubman with its extended wheelbase adds a different sense of appeal, while it uses all of the design features and more to change how you look at the car.

What you get from a Mini Clubman is more space and more flexibility with a different boot access through the twin opening rear doors.

The rear legroom from the extended wheelbase (that’s 100mm longer than the standard Mini) gives impressively more rear legroom, even if the headroom remains a shade challenged. That rear space seems less crowded and the enhanced legroom is instantly noticed.

Mini, which is owned by the BMW group, has the benefit of BMW diesel engine technology and that’s seen first-hand in this Mini One D version of the Clubman, powered by an impressive twin-

FASTNews June new car sales dip by 14% as Dublin market grows NEW CAR registrations for June took a 14% dip, according to the latest official statistics released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI).

The SIMI figures show that 1,397 new cars were registered last month compared with 1,623 for June 2016. The year-todate figures for the first half of the year show a 10% drop in new car registrations, compared with last year.

The five top-selling car brands for the year to date were Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai,

The new generation Mini Clubman is a four-door spacious car which retains some of the Mini low profile go-kart driving feel across a longer wheelbase. Entry prices start at €28,278.

Ford and Nissan, while the Hyundai Tucson remains Ireland’s best-selling car in 2017,

Mini Clubman One D 1.5 SPECIFICATIONS

Engine Engine power 0 – 100km/hr Economy Fuel Tank Capacity CO2 emissions Road Tax Band Main Service Euro NCAP Rating Warranty Entry Price

turbo diesel three-cylinder engine that’s very powerful.

The engine’s smoothness under the cramped bonnet area has to be driven to be appreciated. The power output at 115bhp

1.5 litre 115hp I was equally impressed 10.4 seconds with its fuel economy 26m/litre figures. The official rated (3.9/100km or 60mpg) economy level is 26m/litre 48 litres (3.9/100km or 60mpg); my 600km test drive returned 102g/km a 30% lower figure.

A3 €190 The fact that the car 15,000km/12 mon could cruise at 120km/hr 5 star (2015) on motorways at just shy 5 years/100,000km of 2000rpm on the engine, €28,278 made this economy level

and 270Nm of torque is so impressive, while its performance in acceleration terms at 10.4 seconds in a 0 to 100km/hr race, is very acceptable.

I took the car across a range of conditions and

followed by the Nissan

Mini gives you more space in a Clubman as Michael Moroney found out when he took the new model for a lengthy test drive.

possible.

This level of economy could give me a range of about 950km with the car’s 48 litre capacity fuel tank. Anywhere close to the 1,000km range on a full fuel tank is where I believe a modern car should be, and this new Mini Clubman meets that challenge.

The car came with the standard six-speed manual gearbox that seemed to have some high points in terms of ratios that took a little getting used to.

I found that the gear

change was a little less smooth than I would have liked, and the clutch pedal a shade heavier, not exactly what you want if you’re planning a drive to a night out in your best ‘car-to-bar shoes’.

The additional boot space in the new Mini Clubman is one of its key selling features. The boot space at 360 litres – which extends to 1250 litres – is impressive and deceptive for the relatively small car.

I tested the extended load capacity with a stepladder and the flexibility of the space impressed.

The boot area is deeper than other Mini models to give a depth of load space that surprised me. Despite this, the Mini does not come with a spare wheel, which I consider one of its very few drawbacks.

This new Mini is a solid-feeling car that scores highly in terms of safety

Qashqai, Skoda Octavia, Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus.

Remarkably, the best-seller in the car

too. The car has a fivestar Euro NCAP safety rating.

Mini claims that in addition to the stiff, rigid and light-weight body structure, a complete set of standard safety features also gives enhanced occupant protection of the new Mini One D Clubman.

Fitting that child seat takes a bit of bending down, but that’s because of the low stance of the car itself.

The standard specification features of the new Mini Clubman are impressive, including Mini Navigation, a sport leather steering wheel with multifunction control and 16in alloy wheels and alarm with immobiliser.

The entry price for the petrol version is €28,278 while the new diesel option that I drove adds another €2,000 to the price.

market in June was the expensive and impressive BMW 5 Series.

SIMI anticipates that new car sales in the second half of the year should mean that the market for new cars will reach a total figure of 132,000 that was predicted at the start of the year.

Sales of new cars in the Dublin region showed one of the smallest declines at 4%, while the Dublin region now accounts for an increased proportion of the Irish car new market, up from 38% in 2016 to account for 40% in the first six months of 2017.

The BMW 5 Series

13 July 2017 GAZETTE 23

GAZETTE

MOTORING

Kia crosses over with compact Stonic KIA HAS a new compact crossover type of SUV, called the Stonic, on the way for the end of 2017 as the Korean brand aims to get a slice of one of Europe’s newest and fastest-growing vehicle segments.

This market segment is called the B-SUV segment in motor industry language and currently accounts for 1.1 million new car sales in Europe each year, around 7% of the market. The segment is forecast to expand to more than two million annual sales in Europe by 2020.

Kia claims that the new Stonic will be the most customisable Kia ever, inside and out, and that it boasts true European design flair. The design of the car includes the familiar Kia ‘tiger-nose’ grille designed in Europe, in collaboration with Kia’s Korean design studio.

The new Stonic’s ‘Targa’-style roof enables buyers to choose a two-tone paint finish. It will be available in up to 20 two-tone colour combinations, with a choice of five distinctive colours for the roof.

A range of lightweight, downsized, turbocharged petrol and diesel engines are available, each paired with a manual transmission, claims to deliver maximised driver engagement and effi-

ciency. Buyers have the choice of Kia’s lightweight 1.0-litre T-GDI (turbocharged petrol direct injection) engine, producing 120bhp, as well as 1.25or 1.4-litre naturally-aspirated MPI (multi-point injection) petrol engines. An 1.6-litre diesel engine completes the range, offering the lowest emissions in the line-up.

Kia claims that the car’s European-tuned steering and suspension are designed to offer an exciting drive, with immediate handling responses and a stable ride. The car is fitted as standard with electronic stability control and vehicle stability management (VSM), ensuring the front-wheel drive Stonic can cope in all conditions. Specific functions of VSM include torque vectoring by braking, straight line stability, and cornering brake control.

The car gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, bringing seamless smartphone functionality to the touchscreen infotainment system. Like other Kia models, it is available with heated front seats, automatic cruise control and keyless entry.

The car claims class-leading shoulder room and generous leg- and head-room. The impressive 352-litre boot capacity expands or shrinks as required with a two-step boot floor.

The Stonic compact SUV due here by the end of the year comes with Kia’s quality promise; the car will be sold as standard with the company’s unique seven-year, 150,000km warranty

GAZETTE

24 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 13 July 2017

DUBLINLIFE

CINEMA

SPIDER MAN HOMECOMING: FRANCHISE GETS A MUCH-NEEDED KICKSTART

ReelReviews

Spidey gets a breath of fresh air in fun reboot A F T E R a n u n w a rranted franchise reset with Andrew Garfield’s regrettable turn as one of Marvel’s most beloved heroes, no one was asking for another Spider-Man movie.

Thank God we got one.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (Cer t 12A, 133 mins) Spider-Man: Homecoming, directed

by Jon Watts, returns the characters to his fundamentals, giving us the friendliest neighbour Spider-Man we’ve seen on the screen thus far, and a much-needed return to super-hero basics for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Most refreshi ngl y, Homecoming comes unburdened with the now entirely unnecessary Spider-Man origin story.

This is a clever and genuinely admirable move on the screenwriters’ part; after two franchise resets, everyone and their uncle knows how Spidey got his powers and why he does the things he does (FYI: radioactive spider bite, murdered uncle, compulsion to help others).

After some brief backstor y to the movie’s

 MARTIN MACNAMARA

villain, T he Vulture (Michael Keaton), we’re returned to the air-strip battle of Captain America: Civil War, in which we first met Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. This time around, the action is captured straight from Spidey’s phone, and comes complete with excited post-battle commentary from their hero in a manner befitting any teenage YouTube enthusiast.

When the narrative starts proper, Peter is just getting used to his new life as a superhero, operating under the guise of an internship at Iron Man’s “Stark Enterprises” to cover his frequent disappearances from family and friends.

Peter navigates relationships at home with Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) and at school with best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and his crush, Liz

(Laura Harrier).

While Peter spends his extra-curricular time fighting street thugs, eventually moving up to bigger villains with the Vulture, Spider-Man’s real battles are those of the average teenager: struggling with authority figures, a need to grow up too fast, and the heartaches of high-school romance.

Spider-Man: Homecoming gets its priorities right – we don’t need another movie about superheroes battling world-threatening forces.

This is a genuine breath of fresh air.

Indeed, the spirited tone and vibrant palette of Homecoming is the perfect foil to DC’s overly grey, ultra-grim ‘Expanded Universe’, and Spidey finds the time to poke fun at that world’s everbrooding caped crusader.

However, Mar vel’s stable of heroes get its fair share of mockery too – none more so than Captain America, who frequently appears in educational classroom videos at Peter’s school, and who Hannibal Buress’s jaded gym teacher refers to as

OKJA

Deliciously subversive NETFLIX serves up its first bona-fide cinema hit – which most of us will watch at home instead – with Okja (Cert 15A, 120mins).

Long story short: company creates Okja, a genetically modified superpig to make some superbucks; little girl who raised pig goes on a rescue mission when the company decides it’s time to go makin’ bacon. While its tone is all over the place, Okja is a movie marvel, and an enjoyable romp.

DESPICABLE ME 3

Merry minion mayhem

We’ve had more than enough dour, grim superhero films of late – thankfully, this new

THERE are plenty of Grusome scenes in Despicable Me 3 (Cert G, 90mins) when the eponymous baddie-who’s-not-so-bad and his yellow pals get mixed up with his long lost twin brother. Cue mishaps, minions, and an amusing threequel in the popular franchise. There’s nothing very fresh or innovative here, but the Despicable crew do what they do well in this enjoyable film.

Spiderman film has a much more lighthearted centre, and is all the better for it

a “war criminal” in one of the film’s most subtly hilarious throwaway gags.

Without a world to save, there’s plenty of space for Downey Jr’s Iron Man to operate at his most loveably pigheaded.

After all the brooding and feuding of Civil War, where Iron Man undoubtedly pulled the narrative short straw, this is a welcome return to form for the character.

Michael Keaton turns in the MCU’s best badguy performance since Tom Hiddleston’s Loki.

The Vulture is a villain

not fuelled by a hunger for power or world domination, but by disdain for the state and a need to provide for his family, justifying his life of crime in a manner similar to Tony Soprano.

However, it’s Holland that shines here, delivering on all the promise of his brief appearance in Civil War. Spider-Man: Homecoming demonstrates, with an expertise crafted over 16 MCU films (mistakes made and lessons learned), that you can update, modernise or outright alter a superhero’s story, just as long as

you stay true to the heart of the character (protesting fan-boys be damned).

Not since Marvel’s first go-round at Captain America has a hero been so wonderfully in swing with the spirit of the source material.

It may suffer from a lack of tension and some clumsy action set-pieces, but Spider-Man: Homecoming is the best version of the character yet.

Maybe not the hero we asked for, but in these trying times, he’s certainly the hero we need.

Verdict: 8/10

THE BOOK OF HENRY

Stunning in its own way ANOTHER week to give a nod to this spectacularly strange and truly, truly terrible film. The Book of Henry (Cert 12A, 105mins) is all about your typical boy genius, Henry. SPOILER: he dies halfway through the film, but not before leaving how-to instructions for his single mum to murder (yes, murder) their next-door neighbour, who may be abusing his stepdaughter.

Words fails us ...

13 July 2017 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 25

GAZETTE

GAMES While an awful lot of the game is spent with a first-person view of your ship’s cockpit and HUD, as well as in-game menus, the game’s optional cameras show off some very, very pretty places. Whether in your ship, visiting a space station, cruising through space or roaming about on a quiet moon, the game can look pretty incredible at times, regardless of your platform.

Screengrabs: Shane Dillon

ELITE DANGEROUS: CONSOLES GET A GREAT PORT OF THE HIT 2015 PC GAME – BUT AT A COST

A stellar experience

SPACE is an awfully big place, but when it comes to games set in space – on contemporary consoles, at least – gamers are pretty much stuck on terra firma.

The reasons are many and varied, but by and large they boil down to the view that space-set games are probably too potentially complex, and too niche, to bother developing a game for.

Still, console gamers can now set off on their own galactic adventure with the recently released Elite Dangerous (PS4, XBO, Cert 7, c. €25) – a long-awaited port of the popular 2015 PC title.

On whatever platform, ED is a modern take on the legendary 1984 BBC Micro title, Elite, following pretty much the same principle, but with shiny 2017 visuals and some

 SHANE DILLON sdillon@dublingazette.com

serious programming grunt under the hood.

Now as then, gamers are given an entire galaxy to explore – our own Milky Way – with countless star systems to make their way to, with their starting spaceship (little more than a tin can with big dreams) getting traded in for ever bigger, better ships along the way.

It’s down to the gamer to choose the way they want to play the game, and thus shape the unique adventure that they’ll find along the way.

For example, miners might happily dig around

in asteroid fields looking for lucrative minerals; space pirates might raid shipping lanes for goods to sell; couriers might ship sensitive information around – there’s even space for people to run glorified taxi services for rich snobs, if they like.

Whatever you want to do, ED provides lots of choice to do so, as you set about choosing the missions you want to tr y, and then spend time upgrading your ship and tinkering with all kinds of systems to help you stay on the right – or wrong – side of the law.

As a game that can be played solo or with others online, players can even spend their time exploring, trying to find and

blow other gamers out of the skies, further adding to their loot and reputation (or they can be a big wuss like me, and just run a lucrative freight service with no weapons but one hell of

an engine to outrun any trouble).

Needless to say, there’s an awful lot of content here, with a daunting amount of stuff to see and do in a vast game, which requires

And now, a warning. The ‘base’ game is available here for €25, with all of the galaxy-hopping fun you could ever want. However, an entire second half of content – including being able to visit planets, zip about in a rover, as well as some other cool stuff – is locked away behind a €25 paywall. While I think it’s worth it, this seems like a strange system to me, and is likely to be offputting to many.

serious grinding (levelling up) to progress.

However, alongside some content set behind a paywall (see left), the daunting choice in the game, its steep initial learning curve, as well as the frequently clunky controls, could leave Elite circling the shelves in search of a patient owner.

It’s also worth noting that despite the relative paucity of some parts of the game, the graphics can stutter at times, with some unwanted lag.

Still, despite its flaws and ED’s niche nature, those who stick with the game will find it a rich and uniquely atmospheric experience.

After all, there’s just

nothing quite like Elite on consoles at the moment, with it bundling in some of the add-ons that have fleshed out the PC original since its release, further adding to its value.

Ultimately, the spirit of the 1984 original is also very much to the fore here, with ED providing a truly vast amount of things to do.

Elite Dangerous is another ‘Marmite’ title – some gamers will love it, while an awful lot will find it deathly dull.

Would-be Elite commanders are unlikely to find themselves making the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs here, but if you have the time and patience to tinker around with ship loadouts, galaxy maps, warping about solar systems and planning your rise from Harmless to Elite, it’s a must-buy.

26 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 13 July 2017

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28 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 13 July 2017

SPORT

FastSport CLONDALKIN DENIED IN SMITH CUP DECIDER: ETB CLONDALKIN missed out on the Bobby Smith Cup title last week as they were undone 2-0 by ETB Carrigaline at the Carlisle Grounds.

The Cork outfit had most of possession in the first half in a very entertaining game but failed to break down a very resolute Clon defence which was well-marshalled

by Dolapo Lawal.

Cal Sheehy opened the scoring midway through the first half.

Clondalkin created the better opportunities as Sam Afolabi went close after a right wing pull back from Glen Fullam and Eoin Devereux got in on goal a few times but failed to hit the target.

The game was more even in the second half with Clondalkin’s Leon Foley going close and Claudio Silva very prominent for Clondalkin in the middle of the pitch.

But substitute Ryan McCarthy side-footed home a corner from Graham Bogue in the final minute to wrap up the victory for Carrigaline.

PARALYMPICS: WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS BECKON FROM RAHENY ATHLETE

Comerford goes from zero to 100 with scholarly outlook

 JAMES HENDICOTT sport@dublingazette.com

IF ORLA Comerford’s emergence onto the Paralympic scene in time for the Rio Games last year was something of a dramatic one, her trip to London to take part in the 2017 World Paralympic Championships later this month will be much more conventional.

Comerford traveled to Brazil almost straight off the back of her leaving cert last summer, a move she described as “zero to one hundred” as she jumped in the deep end of a first major championship.

The Raheny Shamrocks club runner has been competing since the age of six and does battle in the visually impaired T13 category, reaching the final in the 100 metres last summer.

Now a student at NCAD, she feels more prepared this time around.

“It’s going really well,” Comerford told the Gazette.

“The competitive season so far has been good; the main difference from last year is that I’ve come through all the

Orla Comerford in action at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. Picture: Paul Mohan/Sportsfile

rehab for a long-term injury and I’m feeling a little more confident. I seem to be able to get through a little more prep without getting injured.

“I’m not really sure what I’ll be up against in London as there are often people out

there you don’t know about,” she adds.

Classification “New people are classified before races, and other people move categories, for example between T12 and T13.

“You think you know who you’ll be facing, but there are often a couple of people running good times who you haven’t come across before.

I’m expecting a lot of the same competition as in Rio, but also a few new young peo-

ple, or people who’ve moved into my category.”

In between the two major championships, Comerford made the brave decision to attend NCAD, a college with no athletic pedigree to speak of, turning down scholarships at more sport-leaning universities like UCD and UL. “It was a really hard decision to make but I’m very artistic minded, and I wanted to put together a portfolio and have a go,” she explains.

“I said I’d only try once and if I didn’t get in, I’d treat that as what’s meant to happen.

“They’ve been understanding about training camps and competitions and things like that, so it’s been great. I’ve been training with the same group at Raheny for years, and I’ve had the same coach for quite a while now, so I have plenty of support elsewhere.”

As for aims for London?

“It’s hard to say, it comes down to the race on the day,” Comerford tells us.

“I always look at times, of course, and good times do tend to mean good results, but what happens on the day is what really matters.”

Multi-talented Rosser preaches touch rugby gospel  BERNARD DUFF sport@dublingazette.com

Ireland’ women’s touch rugby side in action against Scotland last weekend. Picture: Gordon Heggie

THE multi-talented Tania Rosser is looking to spread the gospel of touch rugby this summer following her dominant performances on the netball court.

The former Irish contact rugby international scrum-half says the touch version is starting to spread in Dublin.

“Touch is a 6-a-side game,” she said. “It’s very fast and very skillful. Anyone can take it up as the contact is minimal so you mostly won’t need prior experi-

ence in other versions of rugby.”

The game is run by the Ireland Touch Association and in Dublin the action takes place in Terenure School on Wednesday evenings.

“We have a mixed sex competition and a women’s comp too” says Rosser. “We also expanded and now we have six clubs in Dublin. For instance, we are starting in Clontarf and DLSP in Kilternan this summer too.

“The IRFU are also starting a new Touch competition this summer too which will be located in Donnybrook. Just check

out Ireland Touch on Facebook and you can get playing”.

The Ireland team are the Irish Falcons and both a men’s and a women’s team travelled over to Edinburgh to play in the international Premier Permit Tournament last weekend – important development prior to next year’s European Championships.

Playing against their more established neighbours, the results didn’t go as planned.

Chris Tuataga also of Dublin Sports Club and the Irish Falcons said: “We took a while to tighten up our defence and once

we did that we were glad that we definitely could compete at the top teams’ level”.

With multiple national teams from England, Scotland, France and, just for the men, Wales, the competition at the Peffermill Playing Fields in Edinburgh was a bit too tough this time for Ireland.

They finished in the plate competition below the main cup by finals day on Sunday. But with the game expanding dramatically here it won’t be long until the Irish Falcons are beating the best.

13 July 2017 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 29

GAZETTE

FASTSport

Rugby World Cup fever as Ireland fight on four fronts  BERNARD DUFF

IRELAND’S men’s team are ramping up their preparations for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup in October having booked their passage via last autumn’s qualifiers.

But they aren’t the only Irish rugby league team competing in a World Cup this year. Prior to the World Cup, Sydney will host the Festival of Rugby League World Cups in early July in which four competitions will take place: women’s, Army, Police and Universities. It’s the latter that the Ireland Students team is currently participating.

With a cost of close to €4,000 per person, it might have seemed impossible to send the team of 21 players and four staff. But as Rugby League Ireland (RLI) executive Richard Egan explains: “A portion was contributed by our sponsors McGettigans and there were contributions too from Sport Ireland too but it was the students themselves, their families and friends who contributed the vast majority of the funds”.

The team is a new one as the cycle only began in January.

“We held open trials in all four provinces.

We even had players coming in who had never played league before who made it through the trials and onto the panel.”

With four matches scheduled against Pacific Nations, Scotland and the might of the hosts Australia in the group stages before a placement match the experience will be great for the development of the game.

“The 2021 World Cup is just four years away and the students who mostly are in their early 20s now can look ahead to the tournament in the UK and possibly get to play in the main Rugby League World Cup if they stay focused.”

With Rohan Smith, a professional league coach joining with Ireland students coach Karl De Chenu already the players have had a great experience.

“We used our contacts to train with the Canterbury Bulldogs Under-20 team and also got to watch an NRL match.”

Ireland lost their first game to an experience Pacific Nations 48-4 on Friday. But the true benefit will be in the years to come.

Brill’s blind ambition at Irish open championship Dundrum woman fulfils her dream of landing golf title with victory, beating the world champion by 15 shots; she did so while also co-hosting the event and running its organisation  JAMES HENDICOTT sport@dublingazette.com

BLIND GOLFER Carol Brill fulfilled her dream in winning the Irish Blind Open golf championship last weekend, a frantic victory in a tournament she also had a huge part in organising.

The Dundrum native suffers from Usher Syndrome, a progressive condition that causes the slow deterioration of both eyesight and hearing, and currently has a visual range of approximately 1% of the normal range, as well as some hearing difficulties.

Her title, won over two days, came with a massive 15-shot win over the reigning World Blind Golf women’s champion,

American Linda Port.

Describing an intensely busy weekend, she also greeted many of the competitors, had a key role in the scoring of the competition, acted as the main contact point for visiting golfers, and even organised the logistics of getting competitors back to the airport. She explained that the win hadn’t sunk in until she had the chance to call her mum and pass on the news.

“The catchphrase of the weekend came from my guide Theresa Schutte [of the same family as the Dublin and Cuala hurlers], who told me to focus on ‘self-care’ ahead of my first round on the Thursday,” Brill recalled.

“The practise day on

Carol Brill is presented with her Irish Open title.

Thursday didn’t really happen, as I spent so much time talking to competitors. On Friday, Theresa took me off to a nearby course, Malin Castle, to warm up away from the logistical stuff.

“Despite the lack of practise on the main course, which I’ve played a few times before, I had a great front nine,” Brill recalls of her opening round at the championship course in Greenore, County Louth.

“I’ve always had a bad front nine on that course.

I kept scratching the second hole, in particular, but surprisingly it went really well.

“I was absolutely exhausted by the 18th, so much that I don’t remember it well. I do remember

myself and Theresa falling out of the golf buggy as it pulled away, and I think that jolted me into action. I was amazed to find I was five shots up on Linda Port, but I was aware a lot of these players always have better second days.”

Having had a rough night working on scoring and second day pairings, Brill’s Saturday started badly.

“The front nine weren’t great, and the 10th hole was disastrous; I hit two bunkers,” she recalls.

“I was in tears leaving the tenth hole because I thought it was over, but I pulled myself together and promised myself that I wouldn’t be more than one over par for the last eight holes. I managed that, and learnt when I got in that I’d won by 15 shots.”

Brill’s win is all the more extraordinary given that she also spends much of her life campaigning for political recognition for dual sensory loss.

“We’ve formed an advocacy group, meeting a few times a year, with the aim of first gaining recognition for dual sensory issues, and then creating a register looking at needs. There are over 70 types of blind deafness, and their needs are very different,” she explains.

“For example, one of my friends has the same syndrome as me, but she has far more problems with her hearing, where-

as mine are more with sight. She also lives very rurally and can’t rely on the phone signal.

“And that’s just within one syndrome. The government but out guidelines for deaf blindness recently, but they take a very extreme view of everybody as being totally blind and totally deaf, which is just not the case.

“The guidelines talked about translators as a key point, for example. I don’t need that, but it doesn’t mean I don’t have other issues.

“A register of specific issues applying to specific people would be really helpful in aiding help in this area, especially in employment, education, public transport problems, areas like that. Ironically, when it comes to this area, policy is somewhat deaf and blind.

“We’re not hopeful of change under this government, but I’m also expecting an election in the next twelve months, so we’re playing a long game with the white paper.

“Essentially, it’s doing the work for them, in order to make it very clear what’s needed.”

Brill, meanwhile, will continue in competitive golf, heading to Vienna for the Austrian Open in September, and Sydney for the Australian Open in October. The political angle will remain “simmering in the background”.

GAZETTE

30 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 13 July 2017

SPORT

FASTSport

DSDAC gold-rush keeps rolling on national stage DSDAC produced another memorable weekend at the AAI National Track and Field championships in Tullamore.

It backed up their brilliant performances at the national relays a week earlier when they won six gold, three silver and two bronze medals.

First to win her event in great style was Laura Gallagher. She took the Under-15 80m hurdles title with a time of 11.89, a personal best, to add to her indoor title and her Under-14 indoor and outdoor titles last year. She also finished fourth in the Under-15 100m in another personal best of 12.80.

The club’s 400m athletes are also in sparkling form at the moment and showed this with a great new best by Niamh Gowing, pictured centre, who decided to forego the hurdles for the flat 400m. She was rewarded with a time of 56.56 when finishing first in the Under-19 girls race. Katie Magee was fourth in this final in 59.08.

James Holden returned to his winning ways, taking the Under-19 boys 400m title in 49.52.

Also in this race and in their first national championships, Paul O’Callaghan was fifth in 53.86 and Luc Gray was seventh in 54.00. First timer Orla Walsh was eighth in the Under-18 400m in 61.61.

In the Under-17 boys 400m, Ciaran Carthy showed his class when winning in 50.77, yet another personal best. Also in this race, Ben Jones finished fourth in 52.22 after his third place finish in the 800m in 1.58.

Liam Jenkins equalled his fastest time when he finished second in the Under-16 boys high jump with a jump of 1.78. Molly Hourihan was third in the Under-17 girls long jump with 5.32m.

Other notable performances saw Eva O’Donohoe throw the Under-16 javelin 23.98m.

At 3,000m, Aisling King (Under-19) won bronze in 10.46.07; Saidhbh O’Loan (Under-17) was third in 11.12.50 and Aaron Donnelly seventh in the boys Under-18 race in 9.16.89.

In the Under-16 boys 100m final, Gavin Doran was fourth in 11.50 and Tobi Edward seventh in 11.80, both recording personal bests.

Cian Dunne finished sixth in the Under-15 boys 80m hurdles in 12.59 and Hannah Murray was eighth in the Under-15 girls 80m hurdles in 13.04.

SOCCER: EX-UCD MAN JOINS STRADBROOK SIDE AFTER WIN OVER COBH

Cabo call on Swan for LOI final push sport@dublingazette.com

CABINTEELY picked up a strong transfer this weekend with confirmation that Ryan Swan would be linking up with the club.

He was most recently with Exeter City and has previously played for UCD and Bray Wanderers.

Sw a n s t a r t e d h i s League of Ireland career with Bray before moving to UCD where he was a key part of UCD’s Europa League campaign in 2015.

Swan scored all three of their goals in their four European matches and was awarded SWAI Player of the Month for the month of July. Swan scored 18 goals for UCD in two seasons, earning a move to League 2 side Exeter City in February.

Speaking on the signing Swan said: “I am delighted to be here. It’s a great

club, Cabo are a club on the rise. I have good ties with Pat and I wanted to link up again with him.

I can’t wait to get going now. The target now is to get in the team, get scoring goals and enjoying my football again.”

Director of Football and First Team Manager Pat Devlin expressed his delight at Swan choosing Cabo’ despite interest from a number of clubs.

“We are delighted to have Ryan here, it’s a brilliant opportunity for Ryan and Cabinteely.

It’s a great fit, he’s been out injured since coming back from Exeter, now it’s an opportunity to put himself in the shop window and show everyone what he can do.”

On the pitch, Cabinteely recorded a first win in the league since late May on Friday night after a 2-1 victory over Cobh.

SCOTCH FOURSOMES Foxrock GC gets set for highlight of the year THE prestigious Foxrock Golf Club Scotch Foursomes Open runs from July 16 to 21 with the support of tournament sponsors Hugh Jordan & Co and Merrion Capital Group.

The event is a highlight in the golfing calendar and has seen golfers from a host of wellknown golf clubs battle it out for the coveted title over the years.

The first prize for the invitation only event will be to the value of €1,000 with the winners’ names engraved on the exquisite sterling silver 1884 Claret Jug Trophy.

Cabintee;ly’s new signing Ryan Swan with manager Pat Devlin

They did the damage early in both halves, before Cian Coleman’s goal set us up for a grand stand finish. The hosts couldn’t have wished for a better start. Marty Waters was given space on the edge of the box.

He elected to shoot, and it proved to be the correct decision as his effort beat Paul Hunt, going into the top left corner. That was a fruitful period for hosts, as Karl Byrne, Joe Doyle, and Waters on the right caused some consternation on the left flank of Cobh’s defence.

It took the visitors a full

25 minutes to force Mick Kelly into action, but Shane Lowth’s effort was comfortable for the Cabo keeper.

As the half wore on, Cabinteely began to retreat into their shell somewhat, but they were able to limit Cobh to half chances and they took their lead into the break.

The hosts made the perfect start to the second-half. Waters collected Doyle’s through ball, before switching the play out to Paul Fox. He smashed the ball passed Hunt to double Cabo’s lead. But the

cushion lasted less than five minutes. Coleman finished from close range from a Donnellan corner.

Try as they might from there, Cobh couldn’t get the ball in the net. Five minutes after their goal, Stephen Christopher made poor contact with a pinpoint Walker cross, pushing the ball wide with the goal at his mercy.

Then, as the game entered its final ten minutes, Matthew Whelan had a glorious chance.

His effort from six yards was straight at Kelly, however, and Cabo had survived.

13 July 2017 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 31

GAZETTE

STAR COACHING CAMP

CLUB NOTICEBOARD

Shankill youngsters get top class tips

CUALA

SHANKILL GAA enjoyed a superb summer

camp, sponsored by O’Donnell’s Pharmacy, with approximately 160 local boys and girls attending.

They were all presented with their new club summer camp tops, special medals and certificates. During the week, they received expert coaching from Dublin stars like Molly Lamb and senior footballer Con O’Callaghan.

CONGRATULATiONS to the first ladies

lotto jackpot will be €11,600. Our lucky

football team who continued their

dip winners last week were Brendan

unbeaten run all season with a win over

Golden and Kazi Ushioda.

Portabello in the cup last Wednesday.

Mick Fitzsimons and Mark Schutte in

their 7s campaign this Tuesday in the

the Leinster SFC final next Sunday. And

Dublin 7’s competition.

also to Peadar O’Cofaigh Byrne and

Hard luck to David Treacy, Sean

LADIES FOOTBALL: KILMACUD STAR NETS IN LEINSTER WIN

Well done to the minor footballers

senior hurlers who lost to Tipperary in

who had a 5-15 to 1-10 win over Bally-

the All Ireland qualifiers last Saturday.

boden in Division 1 last Sunday.

Well done to Martha Byrne and the

A date for your diary – Cuala All-Ire-

Dublin footballers on winning Dublin’s

land hurling champions 2017 golf classic,

sixth consecutive Leinster champion-

will take place on Friday, August 25 –

ship against Westmeath.

Powerscourt Golf Club. Further details

O’Toole’s in AHL1 by 2-19 to 1-11 last FriThis week’s Cuala Development Fund

SHANKILL

Amy Connolly, Emma McDonagh, Sarah McCaffery and Con O’Callaghan, Dublin

– is taking a break for the summer holi-

U-16 captain Grainne O’Driscoll with club

days and will be back in action on Satur-

GPO Steve Davis and Paul Ennis.

Our older teams may have some

grown young players assisting the sen-

friendly matches or blitz games over

ior coaches at the camp, that’s a sure

the summer; your manager will be in

sign of progress in our club. A special

contact.

word of thanks must go to all the organ-

by O’Donnell’s Pharmacy, was a brilliant

Dublin 3-18 Westmeath 0-8  JAMES HENDICOTT sport@dublingazette.com

K ILMACUD Crokes Lauren Magee made a big impact as she was sprung into action to make a big impact for the Dublin ladies footballers and they ran up an emphatic sixth successive Leinster senior ladies football championship title.

She was initially named on the bench but with Lyndsey Davey picking up an injury in the warm-up, Magee took her chance brilliantly.

and control proceedings through the likes of Aherne and Nicole Owens.

Denise McKenna could have added to the goal tally in the dying seconds, with a last gasp Westmeath stop just keeping out the player who’s proving a great addition to the side this year, and grabbed 0-2 of her own after coming off the bench.

Overall, the contest was relatively serene in the second half, with Dublin ringing the changes and keeping the Lake County at arms-length as they comfortably got their hands on that sixth title.

However, this year, it was a great sense of pride to have our own home-

The club summer camp, sponsored

a score up but the goal brought on a period of utter dominance that effectively closed the game out by half-time. Rowe and Healy were doing much of the damage up front but it was Niamh McEvoy’s hand pass into Lauren Magee – who made no mistake from 12 yards out – that cemented the dominance.

Healy again found space to fire the Dubs into a chunky 3-8 to 0-5 half time lead.

T he clinical Dubs headed for the break with smiles on their faces, then, and were happy to show their possession football

evenings this summer.

– sponsored by O’Donnell’s Pharmacy

Castle.

She was joined in the starting line-up by Cuala’s Martha Byrne and Foxrock Cabinteely’s Sarah Goldrick and Niamh Collins in a strong local contingent. Sunday’s 3-18 to 0-8 win at Netwatch Cullen Park in Carlow saw Mick Bohan’s side in full control inside the first few minutes, as they raced out of the blocks.

Noelle Healy scored the opening goal after 17 minutes – en route to a 2-3 tally – finding herself in front of an open goal after great work from Carla Rowe found space amid the Westmeath defence.

The Dubs were already

The 06 boys are enjoying their experi-

AFTER a year of hard work, our academy

day, August 19 at 10am in Shanganagh

LEINSTER SFC FINAL

to follow. ence in the Camaint games in the long

day.

Magee springs into action in big victory

Mark Tracey in the minor final.

Moran, Cian O’Callaghan and the Dublin

Our senior hurlers lost out to

Dublin celebrate their sixth Leinster success in a row. Picture: Peter Hickey/GAAPics.com

Good luck to Cuala’s Con O’Callaghan,

The senior camogie teams began

isers of the camp which was a mighty task.

success again this year. With approxi-

New club players are always welcome;

mately 160 boys and girls at the camp,

contact Kevin on 086 8449902. For more

a great time was had by all concerned.

information on the club contact, sec-

This year’s summer camp jersey was fantastic as was the special camp medal

retary.shankill.dublingaa.ie or call 086 4010438.

and certificate. The weather was kind

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

and what a line-up of coaches we had on

Join Shankill GAA Club, your community,

hand:

your GAA club where everybody knows

Dublin senior footballers Molly Lamb,

KILMACUD CROKES

your name.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Dublin Senior

They now face Westmeath in the quar-

Ladies Footballers who beat Westmeath

ter finals. Niall Commerford, Conor Kin-

3-18 to 0-8 in the Leinster Championship

sella, Anthony Quinn and Fionn O’ Ceal-

Final.

laigh were the Crokes representatives

Well done to Molly Lamb, Lauren Magee and Aoife Kane who were all part

on the team.

Well done to our U-14 Division 1 footballers who beat Skerries with a score

of the team.

Well done to the U-17 Dublin team who beat Offaly on Thursday evening.

line of 6-6 to 2-4 getting revenge for their loss to Skerries in the semi final of Feile.



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GAZETTESPORT

ALL OF YOUR DUN LAOGHAIRE SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 28-31

SWAN SONG: Cabinteely sign up star of UCD’s Euro run as Stradbrook club end their wait for LOI win P30

JULY 13 - 19, 2017

LONDON CALLING FOR ORLA: Comerford taking scholarly approach to worlds bid P29

The trophy-winners of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2017 representing a fleet of 475 boats have gathered for the biennial four day series. Picture: David Branigan/Oceansport

Maybury’s Royal flush RIYC sailor wins Boat of the Week as close to 2,500 sailors from around the world take in the biennial Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta extravaganza

 DAVID DONNELLY

sport@dublingazette.com

NEARLY 2,500 sailors took part over four days at Ireland’s largest sailing event, the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta, last weekend.

Sailors travelled from as far away as Australia and South America, as well as the UK and Europe, to participate in the prestigious biennial event on picturesque Dublin Bay. 475 boats took part across 35 classes between Thursday and Sunday and more than 300 volunteers were on hand to ensure the event ran as smoothly off the water as it did on.

Dublin clubs led the prize haul, winning 23 of 35 classes, including the most prestigious of all, the Boat of the Week trophy, awarded to John

Maybury of the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

Maybury was presented with the top award for his J109 Joker II boat at the prize-giving ceremony at the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire on Sunday afternoon.

His boat had led the ultra-competitive IRC class one 28-boat fleet from start to finish and was the standout candidate for the ultimate prize.

Maybury faced a challenge going into the final day as his Royal Irish clubmate Richard Goodbody’s White Mischief cut his lead to three points overnight but he ultimately won by a comfortable 13.5-point margin.

Sunday was Maybury’s fourth successive class win at the Dun Laoghaire Regatta, having first won in 2011.

It follows his achievement of a first-ever hat-

trick of IRC National Championship wins at Crosshaven last month.

Howth Yacht Club’s Paddy Gregory in his Beneteau 34.7, Flashback, was another contender for the Boat of the Year prize after he led a 31-boat field to lift the Royal Dee Offshore Championship.

Ten classes included the Regatta as part of their championship calendar, including three deciding national titles: Sigma 33s, Beneteau 21s and the Wayfarers.

290 races were scheduled in all over the four-day Regatta with a lighter-than-forecast sea breeze of six knots ensuring there were few unforeseen complications, and several races hung in the balance heading into the final day’s sailing.

Coastal classes finished inside the harbour on the final day, a long-standing tradition, in the harbour’s bicentenary year.

Although there were 180 visiting boats in the Regatta, the majority of awards remained in the Dublin Bay area with the bulk going to Dun Laoghaire’s big four yacht clubs.

Royal Irish led the way with six awards, ahead of the Royal St George with five wins, the National Yacht Club with three and Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club with two.

Sunday marked the end of Tim Goodbody’s chairmanship of the Regatta as he hands over the reins to incoming chairman Don O’Dowd after presiding over the 2015 and 2017 events.

The Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta will next take place in 2019 from July 11 to 14.