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YOUR COMMUNITY • YOUR PAPER
INSIDE: Fun with Colm ‘The Gooch’ Cooper in Cornelscourt P2
May 3, 2012
OPINION: We should reject the Fiscal
Compact Treaty, says Sinn Fein Page 6
Banking on some interest: Having an informal chat OWEN and Elena Lorigan met Kris-
Soccer: Dundrum FC eye double success ahead of final Page 32
Sports Awards: April winners are announced inside Page 29
ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES ..................... 2 BUSINESS .................... 19 MOTORS ....................... 20 TRAVEL......................... 22 ENTERTAINMENT ........ 24 CLASSIFIEDS ............... 26
tel O’Brien, Ulster Bank, Sandyford when they called by the Beacon Quarter branch recently, which was one of a number of Ulster Bank’s branches holding a special event focusing on mortgages. Designed to help highlight the bank’s initiatives to support local people thinking of buying, selling or remortgaging, branch manager Darren Brereton said: “We are very much open for business and we see events such as this as a great one-stop-shop for locals to discuss their needs.”
Fresh appeals over 316 Vodafone jobs Industrial action at Leopardstown call centre facility
I BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN
THERE have been fresh appeals to save the jobs at risk at the Vodafone call centre in Leopardstown after the workers began industrial action. Fine Gael TD Mary Mitchell O’Connor said that it was important for the country
that the 316 jobs, due to be relocated to Newry from the Republic, should remain in the State. Representatives of the Communications Workers Union (CWU) have told Vodafone that their members in Leopardstown are now on strike. Although negotiations have
broken down, Darina Sexton, PR manager for Vodafone, is hopeful that a resolution can be achieved. She said: “Both Vodafone and the CWU have committed to intensive discussions, with a view to reaching a solution.” Full Story on Page 5
2 DUNDRUM GAZETTE 3 May 2012
EVENT Foxrock Cabinteely U-14s celebrate victory
Colm Cooper with the team members of Foxrock Cabinteely U-14s who won the All-Ireland Feile title. Pictures: Geraldine Woods
The Gooch gives thumbs up HERE was plenty of excitement at AIB Cornelscourt recently when Colm ‘The Gooch’ Cooper was in attendance to meet and congratulate team members of Foxrock Cabinteely U-14s who won the All-Ireland Feile Title. Colm,
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who is no stranger to success himself, was only too happy to chat with the players and their proud parents and wish them further success in the future. Colm also met the U-14s C team who reached the Division 6 Finals.
Colm with members of the U-14s C team
Captain Megan Duffy, The Gooch and Caroline Curran
Mark and Robin McGuinness with The Gooch
Colm also met the U-14s C Team who reached the Division 6 Finals
The Gooch shows his support
3 May 2012 DUNDRUM GAZETTE 3
FASHION Yvonne Beale turns hobby into career
Churchtown designer goes international bbhraonain@gazettegroup.com
A LOCAL Churchtown designer is bucking the current trend economically by making a splash on the international scene. Yvonne Beale designs and manufactures intricate, hand-crafted pieces of crocheted jewellery, as well as handbags. Her jewellery pieces have appeared on the catwalk, in magazines and even on the neck of Michelle Obama when she visited Ireland with her husband, US President Barack Obama. Yvonne has always lived in the Churchtown area and has come quite late to her career as a designer. “I worked for 10 years in public relations in London and Northern Ireland, but I’d kept up the knitting and crocheting all my life. It had been a constant sideline and earner for me throughout the years, but I’d never thought of making it my career.” When she became redundant she found herself at a crossroads and decided to take another look at her hobby. She did a business course, began to market her work and hasn’t looked back. She started off with
a knitwear line in the 1990s and all of the pieces she produced were one-off originals. Among Yvonne’s customers today is Hollywood actor, Colin Farrell. Yvonne continued to design bespoke clothing for customers and to work part-time until she was made redundant in 2009. Yet she refused to give up and went back to --------------------------
‘When she became redundant she found herself at a crossroads and decided to take another look at her hobby’ --------------------------
her first love of knitwear and crochet. She produced a collection called “ByYvonne”. Her crocheted jewellery has won awards and been featured in the most prestigious galleries (The Design Centre) and in magazines such as Knitwear Vogue. “I now do leather jewellery too and the American market seems to be most interested in my work. The Americans are really interested in Irish
design and they love the idea of something different to wear in terms of jewellery.” ByYvonne will now appear on DesignBasket. com, a website whose aim is to support and showcase contemporary Irish design. The site brings indigenous craft and fashion to international markets with the click of a mouse. The Designbasket website has been selected as one of Eircom’s Start-up businesses for 2012. It is of great use to those looking for something beautiful and authentically Irish, yet live far away. In particular the Irish diaspora benefits greatly from the website for purchasing gifts, art and crafts of Irish origin. ByYvonne also appears on television in Texas and her contact in Dallas, Rachel Gaffney promotes her work there. Another idea Yvonne is working on is producing a crochet kit, which will give people the opportunity to make their own jewellery by following a pattern. “There’s a great return happening to the notion of making things for yourself,” says Yvonne. “I like to think that I’m adding to the pleasure gained by the ability to say ‘I made that’.”
Windyridge revamps Rochestown site WINDYRIDGE Nurseries and Garden Centre in Dun Laoghaire has just revamped the Rochestown site, thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of owners Paul and Justin Harvey. Where once the land lay idle and weeds grew, the Harveys have erected a 30m by 9m polythene tunnel that is being used to grow a wide variety of their own herbaceous plant range. The brothers set about to redesign and improve the whole garden centre
on Rochestown Avenue and have succeeded in adding to the diversity of their stock and making the site more aesthetically pleasing. “Most of the garden centres in the area have been sold off for development and Windyridge is now one of the last few remaining family-run garden centres and nurseries in the area,” said Paul. For more information, go to www. windyridgegardencentre.com
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I BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN
Life’s a beach: Stylish swimwear for summer
Yvonne Beale’s crocheted jewellery has won awards and been featured in the most prestigious galleries
BEAUTY PAGE 17
4 DUNDRUM GAZETTE 3 May 2012
FUNDING Heritage grant scheme welcomed by council
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown to get ¤50k for scheme
DUN Laoghaire-Rathdown is to receive grants to the tune of €50,000 as part of the 2012, Heritage Grant Scheme. The Heritage Council will allocate around €1.5 million under the scheme to 372 heritage projects across Ireland. One of these, which will receive €5,000, is a publication called The Archaeology of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown in Light of Recent Excava-
tions which will be edited by archaeologist, Christian Corlett and published by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. Another €5,000 grant beneficiary will be the Historic Character Assessment to Support Dun Laoghaire Local Area Plan. This assessment will entail the study of urban differentials in the county over the years, how demographic shifts have altered
local character and what policies are needed to guide the future distinctiveness of the county’s unique character. Urban areas such as Dundrum will feature heavily in the area plan study.
Support
A council spokesperson said that the Heritage Council’s “support for its projects for 2012 is most welcome and it is hoped that at the end of
the current review of the Heritage Council that it will still play a key role in the provision of heritage services at a local level”. T he Heritage Council received a total of 775 grant applications for 2012. However due to budgetary constrains only 372 projects will receive funding under the scheme this year. Research into the 2010 and 2011 grants scheme found that every
Course on getting baby to go to sleep A Baby and Toddler Sleep Course is currently being held in Bewley’s Hotel in Sandyford until May 19. If, like many parents you are having difficulty getting your baby or child to sleep through the night then this course could be of great benefit. The Baby Sleep Academy counts itself as an expert in the field of sleep training for babies and toddlers and the academy has worked with an abundance of sleepdeprived parents, giving them the training and skills required to get their children (and themselves) to sleep all night long. All sleep issues are dealt with and corrected by the academy’s staff. Baby Sleep Academy is also running another baby and toddler sleep training course starting on Saturday, May 19 in Bewley’s Hotel, Leopardstown. The course style is that of a small group workshop which facilitates going into the intimate details of the problems encountered by each parent with their child’s sleeping habits. The Baby Sleep Academy promises that when you leave the course you should feel confident in tackling any sleep issues your child might have or develop. The course will run from 10am to 4pm and costs €75. Contact Edel Gargan for details on 087 2794636 or email info@babysleepacademy.com
€1m spent on grants by the Heritage Council supported 70 jobs directly and 300 jobs across a range of related sectors. Research also shows that in 2010, Heritage Council funded projects attracted approximately 18,700 tourists, while every €1 spent by the Heritage Council generated €4.40 for the Irish tourism industry. Speaking about the grants
scheme, the Heritage Council chief executive, Michael Starrett said: “Despite the reduction in funding available and the critical review which the Heritage Council is currently undergoing as part of the Public Service Reform programme, we are determined that heritage projects in communities nationwide which make Ireland distinctive and unique are protected for the future.”
100 years: Happy Birthday Lucy! LOCAL resident, Lucy O’Brien, was joined by family and friends last Wednesday April 18 to mark her 100th birthday. To mark her milestone birthday, Lucy shared tea and cake with over 15 of her loved ones in St. James’s Hospital. On behalf of the president, she was presented with a traditional centenarian letter by her only son Oliver. She also received a congratulatory certificate from the US government. Lucy was born in Monasterevin, Co Kildare on April 18 1912. She was the oldest in a family of 13 children along with her twin, Sr Annunciata, known to loved ones as Nuncie. Lucy left home at 16 to train as a nurse in London before travelling to New York to work for eight years. While in America, she met her late husband Jim who fought with the US army during World War Two. He received the Purple Heart for bravery after being badly wounded in battle. Lucy has lived in Churchtown for 60 years. She credits her longevity to good food, regular exercise and “enjoying everything in moderation”.
BUSINESS: CREATION OF UP TO 100 NEW JOBS FOR AREA
Amgen announce $200m expansion of local plant AMGEN and the Government have announced a $200m expansion of its pharmaceutical plant in Dun Laoghaire, which will result in the creation of up to 100 jobs for the area. An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, and Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore were the guests of honour at the Amgen groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, April 26 in Dun Laoghaire. Amgen’s expansion plans will in addition create approximately 350 construction jobs during the 19-month building period. The Amgen facility is also ensuring the reten-
tion of 280 jobs already in situ at the site. Welcoming the expansion announcement, the Taoiseach said: “The Government welcomes this exciting expansion by Amgen as we continue to target the development of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry through our Action Plan for Jobs. This is a really positive development for Ireland and for Dun Laoghaire with the creation of 350 construction jobs and a 100 new high-end jobs at their facility. It is a great example of industr y working with the local community and it sends a signal of confidence in
Dublin and Ireland as the location of choice for biotechnology and pharmaceutical investment outside the US.” Impressed
Local councillor Victor Boyhan (Ind) was also in attendance at the groundbreaking event. He said of the expansion: “Amgen was clearly impressed with the technical expertise and commitment to excellence demonstrated by the former employees of Pfizer when it decided to acquire the Dun Laoghaire site.” Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton TD
said: “Today’s announcement that Amgen, the world-leading biotech company, is investing $200 million in expanding its facility in Dun Laoghaire, with the creation of 100 full-time jobs as well as a further 350 jobs in the construction phase, is another great boost for the economy and evidence of what is possible for Ireland at the heart of a stable Europe.” Speaking on behalf of Amgen, Martin Van Trieste, senior vice president, said: “We are very pleased to expand our investment in Ireland. We applaud the Irish Government and IDA
Ireland for its vision in promoting innovation and science, which align with Amgen’s commitment to innovation and investing in scientific programs that make a difference for patients.” Cllr Boyhan added further praise for the concerted support given by the bodies involved: “This investment by Amgen, the largest biotechnology company in the world, gives a substantial boost to Ireland’s life sciences sector. Great credit is due to various government agencies and IDA Ireland and Dun Laoghaire Rathdow n County Council for their support
in helping us secure this world-class facility for Dun Laoghaire.” An Cathaoirleach, Cllr John Bailey (FG), responded to the news by saying: “This is a massive boost of confidence in the workforce, the county and the country.” Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire TD, Mar y Mitchell O’Connor, said that 100 jobs would be specifically for “engineering and science graduates, as well as some entry-level positions. Three-hundredand-fifty construction jobs will also be created during the building phase of the 11,700sq m development.”
3 May 2012 DUNDRUM GAZETTE 5
CALL CENTRES Efforts made to protect 316 local jobs
Showcase of talent at the Mill Theatre
Vodafone jobs under ‘real threat’ – TD I BAIRBRE NI BHRAIONAIN
CALLS have been made to save 316 jobs at Vodafone in Leopardstown, after workers at call centres in Dundalk and Dublin voted in favour of strike action by a huge majority of 262 to just 2 last week. The Communications Workers’ Union (CWU), representative for the striking members, alerted Vodafone about the decision to strike. In March, Vodafone Ireland announced it would move its call centre from Rigney Dolphin in Dundalk and Leopardstown to Teleperformance in Newry. 26 Vodafone
jobs and 290 contract roles would transfer to Teleperformance due to this decision. Fine Gael TD, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has called on the Communications Minister, Pat Rabbitte to ensure that the 316 Vodafone jobs at risk of being lost to Newry are kept in the republic when he meets Vodafone CEO Jeroen Hoencamp next week. Deputy Mitchell O’Connor said: “It is of great concern to me that there is a very real threat to 300 Vodafone jobs which provide customer care services at Leopardstown in Dublin and in Dundalk. This is on
the back of 140 jobs lost at the company last May when the decision was taken to move call centres from Ireland to Egypt and India.” She contrasted the recent news that Amgen would create 100 jobs in the area: “We had the announcement of a $200 million expansion of the Amgen plant in Dun Laoghaire after just a year in business.” Darina Sexton, PR manager at Vodafone, Leopardstown told the Gazette: “Vodafone Ireland is disappointed that some members of the CWU have decided to consider industrial action at this time. The company
MUSIC
THE Mill Theatre Dundr um will present a showcase of talent from the Churchtown School of Music this month. The school has been running since 2005 and was founded by Ann Maybin. The school now has more than 600 students, who range in age from three months to over 70. Jazz
Fine Gael TD, Mary Mitchell O’Connor called on Pat Rabbitte to protect jobs
remains engaged in a consultation process with the union with regard to the impact of the decision to move its mobile customer care functions to a new third party contractor, Teleperformance. “Both Vodafone and the CWU have committed to intensive dis-
cussions with a view to reaching a solution to the outstanding issues in advance of the intended transition date of May 8. In the event that it is not possible to address all the issues by May 8, Vodafone has agreed to extend the transition date to facilitate an agreed outcome
to these discussions. “This consultation process is ongoing. Specifics for [those] impacted by the move to Teleperformance forms an essential part of the consultation and any solutions for those who will not relocate is being discussed.”
There will be a wide and eclectic choice of music on the night from jazz, rhythm and blues, musical theatre, Irish traditional and rock ‘n’ roll. The show will be on May 28 at 8pm and admission is €12 for adults and €6 for children. For tickets, phone The Mill’s box office on 01 296 9340 or go online at www.milltheatre.ie
Commercial Feature
Teaching Children the Savings Habit Developing positive habits which stay with kids for life
AS credit unions throughout Ireland celebrate National Credit Union GR8 Savers week from the 7th – 13th May 2012, Rathfarnham & District Credit Union give practical advice to parents to help encourage children to develop a healthy attitude to money, and offer incentives to get them up and saving. Learning the Value of
Money In a child’s world, money comes from Mam’s purse or Dad’s pocket. When this runs out, a machine magically spouts out money by tapping in a few numbers. Children need to understand that money is earned and that you can only spend what you earn. Top Tips to Encourage your Child to Save
• Consider rewarding children for regular saving. • Help children to identify a short term goal to save towards. • Make saving interesting. Develop a savings plan or calendar to show when and how the goal can be reached or help children to hang up a picture of what they’re saving for. • Let children learn that they have to save up to buy something they really want. • Encourage your child to join a school savings scheme. The focus in not on the amount saved; rather it is on develop a habit of regular saving. • Give children a piggy bank to help them save or better still, bring them down to Rathfarnham & District Credit Union to open a savings account. RDCU - A GR8 Place to Start Saving! Rathfarnham & Dis-
trict Credit Union will deposit €5 into every child account opened during National GR8 Savers Week [from the 7th – 13th May]. RDCU are also launching a School Saving Scheme in Loreto Grange Road to build on the success of the scheme already up and running in Ballyroan Boys School. Children who already have accounts should also pop in during GR8 Savers Week to see what goodies are on offer! Open your account in either of our offices in Rathfarnham Village or Nutgrove Shopping Centre. You need to bring Passport or Birth Cert/PPS Number and Proof of Parent/Guardian’s address.
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TREATY Sinn Fein’s Paul Donnelly gives us his view
Why the Fiscal Compact is extremely dangerous PAUL DONNELLY, Sinn Fein representative, Dublin West, tells us why Ireland should not ratify the Fiscal Compact Treaty and why it will not work THE Fiscal Treaty will not work, what’s worse is that it will enshrine cutbacks and austerity policies into our constitution. This, in my opinion, is extremely dangerous for us all. Article 3 of the treaty is the most important. It states that government budgets must be balanced or in surplus. The article makes significant changes to the existing EU treaty rules on fiscal policy known as the Stability and Growth Pact.
However, by placing them in an inter-governmental treaty, they are more binding and permanent. This means that, if ratified, future governments will have to implement pro-austerity anti-stimulus budgets in perpetuity. This significantly limits the freedom of decision making of governments in the future, irrespective of the mandate they receive from the electorate. Interestingly, if the Fiscal Treaty had been in force over the past
number of years, it would not have prevented the current crises and collapse of the economy in Ireland because we had a budget surplus of billions of euro each year. The Fiscal Treaty is very clear, it will embed cutbacks and austerity into our future budgets. We will have to endure more stagnation in our economy and, despite promises at the last General Election by Labour and Fine Gael to provide a jobs stimulus package, we still have massive
unemployment that currently stands at close to 500,000 and the resultant mass exodus of our young people through emigration. There will be more cuts to public services in areas such as health. This will result in more bed closures similar to the recent closure of the Redwood ward in Connolly Hospital and the now annual closures of day surgical and outpatient services. It will mean that the current waiting list for speech and language therapeutic ser vices will either remain at 15 months or will indeed get worse. It will mean more cuts to our children’s education from primary schools to third level. Sinn Fein was at the forefront of the recent campaign against the cuts to DEIS schools; we have lost SNAs by the hundreds. Dublin West was particularly hit with the massive reduction in English support teachers. “ [ T h e Tr e a t y ] i s the worst imaginable response to the challenge of recession and stagnation. The agreement will have a far reaching effect on people’s lives by reducing pension provision, cutting public services, eroding people’s rights at work and driving down the cost of labour.” These are not my words but the words of SIPTU president Jack O’Connor. With just a year away from the 1913 Lockout anniversary, public service and private sector workers are faced with the same attacks on their rights, their terms and conditions, as recently experienced by workers
Paul Donnelly: “I am urging the people of Dublin West to come out strongly against this treaty”
in the GAME store in the Blanchardstown Centre and the workers of Vita Cortex in Cork. The Fiscal Treaty will not deal with the debt or the banking crisis. It will mean at least more than €6bn in cuts from future budgets. As we approach the centenary of the 1916 Rising, one wonders what the leaders of that rebellion and all those men and women who fought and died so that we might be free to determine our own future would make of this treaty and how it significantly undermines our sovereignty.
Solving the Eurozone Crisis We need to solve the Eurozone Crisis by investing in jobs and growth, sorting out the debt crisis by not paying the promissory notes of €31bn to Anglo and unguaranteed senior bondholders in Anglo and other banks. We need to get the exchequer deficit sorted by taxing the massive wealth still in this state and those on higher incomes, eliminating waste whilst protecting those on low and middle incomes. We need to support Ireland getting back into the bond markets,
through existing EU treaties. The European Central Bank must take action to stabilise sovereign bond interest rates and ensure market access for all members. After all, the foundation stone of the EU was to build a Europe of partners. This has been sadly lacking over the past four years. I am urging the Irish people and in particular the people of Dublin West to come out strongly against this treaty.
Paul Donnelly, Sinn Fein representative, DublinWest
3 May 2012 DUNDRUM GAZETTE 7
CAUSE Raising funds for dementia
LIBRARIES: COUNCIL AWARDS BOOK SUPPLY CONTRACTS TO UK FIRM
Local book shops set to lose €575k I BAIRBRE NI BHRAIONAIN AND NATALIE BURKE
LOCAL book sellers are set to lose out on up to €575,000 worth of business this year, with local county councils about to award a contract for library book suppliers to a cheaper UK wholesaler. Fingal County Council, Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council and South Dublin County Council are to award the tender to supply adult fiction and adult non-fiction to Bertram Library Services in the UK, which could potentially result in the loss of jobs for smaller Irish suppliers. An Cathaoirleach, Cllr John Bailey FG of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown said that the council was under EU governance in that all contracts must go out to tender. “We don’t have a say in that. All
must get the opportunity to bid for the contract. I think it’s terribly sad and I’m sorry about it. I don’t agree with not supporting local business and the local economy.” According to a spokesperson for the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, local authorities are legally obliged to procure goods and services in a competitive process in order to achieve best value for public expenditure. “The decision to aggregate purchasing spend across the three local authorities to achieve better value for money is entirely consistent with Government policy”. Out of the four categories tendered – adult fiction and non-fiction and junior fiction and non-fiction – two categories were awarded to Irish firms and two to a UK firm.
The spokesperson confirmed that the award criteria were chosen to select the most economically advantageous tender and that the split between price at 65% and service at 35% reflected the fact that the bidding firms had been through a selection process and all were deemed capable of delivering an acceptable level of service. As a result of the value obtained under this tender, libraries will be able to buy more books and other materials for the same expenditure than under previous supply arrangements. “The council appreciates the Irish book sector is under significant pressure in the current economic climate, however, no allowance can be made in the public procurement process,” he concluded
Be aware: New guide is filled with useful tips for travelling to Poland FAI CHIEF EXECUTIVE John Delaney, Tanaiste and Minister for
Foreign Affairs and Trade Eamon Gilmore TD, Sergii Reva, ambassador of Ukraine, Fionnuala Sheehan, chief executive of Drinkaware.ie and Marcin Nawrot, Polish ambassador to Ireland, help to launch the drinkaware.ie and FAI Euro 2012 survival guide,developed by drinkaware.ie in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The guide is packed full of useful tips on travelling safely to Poland.
THE Fresh Breath Clinic Dental surgery in Churchtown is running a fundraising week in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland. The society was founded in 1982 by a small group of people who were caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia. Today, it’s a national voluntary organisation with an extensive national network of branches, regional offices and services. The society aims to support those suffering from Alzheimer’s and their families and carers. You can assist all week long, from April 30 to May 4, by visiting the clinic where there will be tea and coffee available. You can drop by between 10am and 4pm and donate whatever you can to this worthy cause. The surgery is located at 67 Upper Churchtown Road in Churchtown.
8 DUNDRUM GAZETTE 3 May 2012
EVENT
College of Further Education Dundrum
ENTERPRISENEWS Nutgrove Enterprise Park – Workspace Available Are you seeking a professional location to base your growing business?
Nutgrove Enterprise Park (beside Nutgrove Shopping Centre) provides small enterprises with professional incubation space at an affordable price. Within easy reach of the M50, Dundrum Town Centre and Dublin City Centre it is the perfect home for a growing business. The Nutgrove Enterprise Park is home to 20 businesses from a range of sectors with the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board and FAS Local Employment Service as anchor tenants. Our office units (which range in size from 274sq/ ft to 365sq/ft) and light industrial units (640sq/ ft) are designed to meet contemporary business needs. Units are available on flexible licence basis with the start-up and growing business in mind. These four year licence agreements can be terminated with one month’s notice. The licence fee is based on the size of the unit and there are supplementary charges for rates, utilities, insurance and VAT. Tenants have access to state of the art conference rooms, together with reception facilities and a shared kitchen. Fully kitted out office share facilities are also available. Nutgrove Enterprise Park has ample secure car parking, 24/7 access to the premises with alarm and CCTV. For more information or to arrange a viewing, please call Lisa Brown on 01 4948400 or email lisa@dlrceb.ie.
Charity garden HE students from College of Further Education, Dundrum, designed a fabulous garden for the residents of Beaumount Avenue, Churchtown, adapting the garden to their specific needs. The house is one of St Michael’s House residential units with support for people with needs to live independently. Monica Alvarez, Garden Design Course co-ordinator, who has overseen the design of many other gardens, said that they had made a decision to donate any further garden renovation to charitable concerns. She also wished to thank the credit union in Dundrum which donated €1,000, Landscape Depot in Firhouse, which helped a lot and provided materials at low cost and Garden World in Kilquade which provided plants. Bridget Blake, principal of the College of Further Education Dundrum was in attendance for the unveiling and praised the students for their great work. The residents were thrilled with their new garden.
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3 May 2012 DUNDRUM GAZETTE 9
EVENT Easter Competition Winners are announced
Manager Sean Aylward presents joint second prizewinner Samantha Keenan with a weekend away in any Carlton Hotel
Stroke of luck
T was an extra special Easter for three lucky customers of the Nutgrove Shopping Centre when they were announced as the winners of the centre’s Easter Competition. Centre manager Sean Aylward was on hand to present the prizes which saw joint second-place winners receive a weekend away in any Carlton Hotel and the winner a €500 voucher to spend in any Carlton Hotel.
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Sean Aylward presents joint second Prizewinner, Caroline Keane, with a weekend away in any Carlton Hotel
First prize winner, Dorothy Tracey, is presented with a €500 voucher to spend in any of the Carlton Hotels
10 DUNDRUM GAZETTE 3 May 2012
SPORT: HEINEKEN CUP
CAMPAIGN Being an ambassador of Irish language
Bod is voted greatest player BRIAN O’Driscoll has been voted the greatest Heineken Cup player of all time in a study conducted by Heineken that analysed the latest opinions, habits and trends of Irish Heineken Cup fans. In the all-Ireland study, a massive 76% of fans voted Brian O’Driscoll as their favourite Heineken Cup Player, while team mate and Munster rival Ronan O’Gara pulled in 15% of the votes. Martin Johnson and Diego Dominguez each snagged 1% of the fans votes and the remaining 7% of nominations was made up of votes for Rocky Elsom, John Hayes, Peter Clohessy, Yannick Jauzion, Peter Stringer and Stephen Ferris. The study found that rugby in Ireland is very much alive and kicking, with fans considering themselves to be very passionate when it comes to their favourite sport – 39% of them rate themselves on top of the scale when asked to rate how big a rugby fan they consider themselves to be on a scale of 1 to 10. Heineken rewarded the fans’ passion last weekend when Heineken Cup Green Zones were set up in a number of participating Dublin pubs, to enhance the excitement and experience of the semi-final which was held on Saturday. W h e n a s ke d h ow important it was that their province did well in the Heineken Cup, over half of Irish rugby fans surveyed admitted it was “a matter of life and death” while only 2% claimed it wasn’t important. When asked if their own province was eliminated would they support another Irish province, a massive 66% said they would support another Irish province while a diehard group of 10% said never, choosing to stick by their province no matter what.
Bernard Dunne’s Brod Club was a huge success when it aired on RTE
Dunne delighted with the reaction to show I PAUL HOSFORD
HE is best known as a former WBA Super-bantamweight champion, but Neilstown hero Bernard Dunne has taken on a new role in recent months, as an ambassador of the Irish language. Bernard Dunne’s Brod Club was a huge success when it aired on RTE in recent months and Dunne was delighted with the reaction the show received, especially from people who had forgotten their native tongue through the years. “It’s been amazing. I’ve had people coming up to me on the street saying how they were inspired by the show to start using the Irish again. They say things like they wish
they had the Irish again or that they wish they’d never lost it and the show has given them a way to get it back. “It’s been really positive and I think that starting it at St Patrick’s week was a big thing because people are generally feeling more patriotic around then,” says Dunne, who rose to fame as a fearless and gutsy fighter, but took on a completely different challenge. The campaign is founded on the belief that there are people with a huge sense of latent pride in the Irish language, people who don’t use Irish but would like to. It is an appeal to show your pride or your “brod” in the language. However much or
however little you have, the message is to use it. Use What You Have is the motto of the show. While the series may have ended, the campaign lives on. There are still a number of events and activities that can be signed up for on the website, w w w.rte.ie/ brodclub The show reached over 1.2 million viewers in its run and Dunne is keen to highlight the importance of a national language. “I think it’s extremely important that we have our own language. It’s part of our identity, part of who we are. “I think the show approached it well in that we asked people just to use the cupla focail that they had. Just start
to throw it in to conversation and see what you can pick up yourself. It’s amazing what people remember of the language once they get going,” says
up a meaning wrong, but you soon become more and more comfortable as you realise that all those years in Irish class were not solely leading up to
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‘I think it’s extremely important that we have our own language. It’s part of our identity, part of who we are’
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Dunne. Indeed, speaking to him is enlightening as he tends to drop in and out of Irish, which is unsurprising given how he has spent the past few months. It honestly can feel somewhat intimidating at first, as you worry that you miss a word or pick
writing a letter about your summer holidays. On that point, Dunne feels that, from his experience, school children and students want to learn Irish, but as a mode of communication, rather than as a school subject. “The schools we were in, the kids would tell us that they wanted more
conversation, that they wanted to be able to speak the language, as well as write it. “We’ve talked to a lot of schools and a lot of people involved in education and we feel like it’s important that it is taught as a spoken language.” Asked whether putting Irish back in the mainstream would be as big an achievement as a world championship, Dunne looks at it another way. “It’s not about that, really. It’s about doing your own little bit. I’m speaking Irish at home with my kids and getting better at it every day. I’m not fluent yet, but I would love to be.” For more information on the Brod Club, log on to www.rte.ie/brodclub
3 May 2012 GAZETTE 11
12 GAZETTE 3 May 2012
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SNAPSHOT The local stories of the day
Jamie to open food festival TASTE of Dublin 2012 is back with a bang for its seventh consecutive year this summer with world renowned chef, Jamie Oliver, opening the festival. Taking place from Thursday, June 14 to Sunday, June 17, in the stunning Iveagh Gardens, this year the stylish and popular food spectacular is acknowledging all things Irish with a stellar line up of restaurants, suppliers, produce, food and drink. Visitors can look forward to great dining opportunities from some of Ireland’s lead-
ing eateries, enjoy high-calibre wine tastings, learn from the best home-grown and international talents, get involved at live chef demonstrations and meet with over 100 industry experts and taste exhibitors. Paying homage to Ireland’s strong reputation on the international culinary scene, Taste of Dublin 2012 will showcase the stars of the Irish food industry as well as welcoming international culinary guests, who believe in the philosophy of using only the best Irish produce on offer.
Well-known chefs, Catherine Fulvio and Clodagh McKenna, officially launch Taste of Dublin 2012
Commenting on his visit, Oliver said: “Taste of Dublin is a fabulous platform for showcasing the best in Irish produce and cuisine and I can’t wait to kick-off the summer in true Irish style at Taste of Dublin this June.” Home-grown talent including Rachel Allen, Clodagh McKenna and Neven Maguire, along with Darina Allen, Paul Flynn and Catherine Fulvio, will join forces with internationally acclaimed chefs, Jean
Christophe Novelli and Valentine Warner. Together, each will aspire, not only to entertain casual dining guests throughout the weekend, but also tantalise the taste buds of the most discerning of food lovers. Watch out as Volvo, the official car partner of the festival, whisks them across the city throughout the weekend in a fleet of stylish Volvo Ocean Race edition cars. This year’s new headline sponsor, Electrolux,
will bring the Electrolux Cookery School and Electrolux Chef’s Theatre, a must see for any food enthusiast who wants to learn from the experts. Tickets are on sale now at www.tasteofdublin.ie or call 0818 30 00 30; with all advance standard tickets only €20 discounted from the 2011 price of €25. Sign up to the Taste of Dublin Newsletter at www.tasteofdublin.ie for special ticket offers and event information.
3 May 2012 GAZETTE 13
MILESTONE A number of events planned for Dublin Fire Brigade anniversary
Celebrating 150 years of service LAURA WEBB
THE Dublin Fire Brigade is celebrating 150 years servicing the citizens of Dublin city and county, and to mark the milestone anniversary a number of events have been organised for the coming months. Serving the community since 1862, Dublin Fire Brigade is one of the few fire services in the world whose members are all trained paramedics. Each year the fire brigade receives over 133,000 fire, emergency ambulance and rescue calls. To honour the fire fighters, commemorative events have been organised, with the first kicking off on May 31 at the Mansion House. Some of the highlights include the reception with the Lord Mayor of Dublin, a Dublin Fire Brigade Colour Party and visiting pipe band
parade throughout Dublin’s city centre and an An Post official commemorative stamp. Not only are there events happening across Dublin, but there is also a TV series called Fire Fighters scheduled for autumn on RTE1. Support
The series goes behind the scenes with the men and women of the Dublin Fire Brigade as they support the community and embark on life saving missions, rescues and non-stop action responses. The series was created by the same production company, Moondance Productions, which brought the successful series The Zoo to our screens. Stephen Brady, chief fire officer, commented: “Dublin Fire Brigade has a long and proud tradition of serving the citizens of Dublin city and
county since its early beginnings in 1862. “The brigade has experienced many changes throughout its history from the early steam fire engines and h o r s e - d r aw n a m b u lances to the current modern fire, rescue and emergency ambulance service. Proud
“Our 150th anniversary gives us the opportunity to celebrate all aspects of our service both past and present and I am proud to be chief fire officer during this momentous year,” Stephen added. To find out more about the Dublin Fire Brigade 150th Anniversary Celebrations please visit http://www.dublinfirebrigade150.ie or like them on https://www. facebook.com/pages/ Dublin-Fire-Brigade150
Fire fighters Cormac Wickham, Derek Clare and Dermot Murray from Tara Street Fire Station
14 GAZETTE 3 May 2012
GazettePETS PETS THE FACTS: DEAFNESS CAN CAUSE CONCERN, BUT
Dealing with the fact E all know that cats can be wonderful, yet stubborn creatures. I mean, all you lovely cat owners reading this will know how frustrat-
W
ing it is when you call Kitty and she simply ignores you, kinda like you don’t matter at all. But have you ever stopped to think that perhaps Kitty is ignoring you because she is
If your cat ignores your call – she may be deaf
unable to hear you? Perhaps Kitty may be deaf! Deafness in animals is not unusual, and sometimes at the shelter we rescue dogs, cats, horses and ferrets
that already have this condition. However, while it may cause concern initially, and bring about certain challenges, there is no reason whatsoever why both owner and pet cannot adapt and lead happy, healthy lives together; especially where a cat is concerned because felines generally deal pretty well with physical impairments. Here are some guidelines which I hope you’ll find useful.
How will I know if my cat is deaf? • She doesn’t respond when called. • She doesn’t realise you’re in the room unless you physically touch her.
3 May 2012 GAZETTE 15
Brought to you by Miriam Kerins of the DSPCA
OWNERS AND PETS CAN ADAPT AND LEAD HAPPY, HEALTHY LIVES TOGETHER
that your feline friend could be deaf • You have difficulty wakening her up from her nap. • Her walk is unbalanced. • She appears to be disoriented.
Why are some cats deaf? Ver y of ten, white cats are born deaf. It’s usually hereditary and is associated with the same gene that makes the cat’s fur white and is common among those white cats with blue eyes. It’s believed the problem happens at around three to four weeks of
life and is linked to the cochlear blood supply. However, loss of hearing can be associated with illness, old age or other health-related problems like ear mites, polyps, or even a side effect to certain medications, a visit to your vet will determine this.
Communicating with a deaf cat • Many owners parenting a deaf cat will be amazed they even have the condition. This is because Kitty’s sense of feel is amazing and highly developed and she will pick up the vibrations of
other animals as well as humans. • A deaf cat will be easily startled so make sure to pound your feet heavily on the floor. • Try wearing the same per fume or deodorant every day; after all, there’s nothing wrong with Kitty’s sense of smell and she’ll immediately recognise your approach. • All cats flick their ears when they react to noises but your deaf cat will flick and move in unison in order to communicate with you and other household pets. Watch her and study the
signs in order to understand what she wants to say to you. • Make sure you give your deaf cat the space she requires. All cats like to climb, however, a deaf cat will feel more comfortable climbing higher and sitting on a high shelf will give her security. Try building a shelf or
seating area in the hot press or suspended from your ceiling; that way she can survey her territory. • If she’ll allow you, (and make sure she is totally comfortable with this), gently place your mouth against her tummy or her head but do take care not to startle her and whisper some terms of endearment;
over emphasise certain words so that she will know you love her. Once she associates this action with love, she will purr. • Touch your cat gently every time you enter or leave the room; this will alert her to your movements. • Never allow your hearing impaired cat outside on her own.
I do hope you’ve found this article helpful; however, please bear in mind, it should be used as a guideline only and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice. For more information, contact your local equine vet or log onto www.dspca.ie or email me at miriam.kerins@ dspca.ie
16 GAZETTE 3 May 2012
GazetteBEAUTY BEAUTY Refreshing scent of Yves Saint Laurent’s elle WE already love the signature smell of YSL’s elle, but when limited edition smells come out to play, we have to get our hands on them. The 2012 limited edition of Yves Saint Laurent’s elle frangrance will be on shelves this May 16. Always stylish in its bottling, the water colour bottle looks great, with its artistic brushstrokes of vibrant flashes of the YSL shades. The scent, according to its makers, is sensual and refreshing, with its sparkling notes of grapefruit, sambac jasmine and a spicy savour of pink pepper berries. For YSL, the woman who wears this fragrance is radiant, impulsive, who plays with light and colour. Don’t forget to try it for yourself when it hits stores this May 16. RRP for YSL elle Limited Edition is €45 for 90ml.
Showing off that beach body
SHOWING off beach bodies means firming and toning hips, thighs, bums, tums and bingo wings, but that doesn’t mean wasting energy in the gym. A new range of skin products by quirky skin care range, Cowshed, has the answer for anyone a little gym-shy. The new Slender Cow Range is, according to its makers, “a functional, targeted three-step program to detoxify, firm and tone skin – the ultimate pre-bikini skincare ‘workout’, designed to tone the parts that other treatments can’t reach”. The Cowshed Slender Cow range consists of: detoxifying body scrub €39.95, body sculpting serum €44.95, extra firming body butter €34.95 According to a spokes-
person for Cowshed, this range contains: “A bespoke seaweed blend of fast-working functional ingredients; Norwegian kelp to help detoxify, pearl moss to rejuvenate and bladderwrack proven to improve skin elasticity. Slender Cow’s body sculpting serum and Slender Cow’s extra firming body butter each contain the unique super-ingredient dermochlorella – a freshwater micro algae, clinically proven to improve skin tone and firmness by up to 46% and decrease the appearance of stretch marks by up to 32% after 12 weeks continual use.” Here are Cowshed’s three key steps to getting that bikini ready body: Step 1: use detoxifying body scrub – to detoxify, tone and smooth skin,
The Cowshed Slender Cow range consists of the detoxifying body scrub, body sculpting serum and extra firming body butter
with this lu xurious Himalayan pink salt and Dead Sea salt scrub. It purifies the skin, removes toxins and prepares skin for the next sculpting step. Step 2: use body sculpting serum – to target cellulite, firm, nourish and tone. This
cellulite boosting formulation contains a trio of nourishing oils including tamanu, macadamia nut and borage seed to help strengthen skin, whilst reducing the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks. A blend of uplifting essential oils of sweet orange and petitgrain,
ylang ylang and carrot seed oil all effectively target stubborn areas, stimulating and conditioning the skin, whilst also breaking down vexing toxins. Step 3: Use Extra Firming Body Butter – to target cellulite, firm and condition.
3 May 2012 GAZETTE 17
Edited by Laura Webb
Shop until you drop with Wonderbra’s brand new website
The new Heidi Klein spring/summer swimwear collection is now available at Brown Thomas
Stylish swimwear for summer ST YLISH swimwear can be hard to come by, but when you find the perfect match it boosts confidence for holidaying in the sun, one brand bringing confidence to the beach is Heidi K lein and the new collection is now available. T h e d e s i g n s h ave been worn by celebrities all over, from Sienna Miller to Kate Moss, Kelly Brook to Gwyneth Paltrow, just some of the stylish women working the brand. Launch
To launch the fabulous spring/summer collection Heidi Gosman, co -founder of Heidi Klein brand, will visit Brown Thomas Dublin on Thursday, May 10. The visit coincides with the launch of Oh Buoy! The summer event at Brown Thomas. Heidi will be on hand to meet customers to chat about the best styles for the many different body shapes that are out there. What’s great about this design of swimwear is that her designs feature hidden suppor t functions to flatter and enhance. The look of the 1960s French Riviera is inspi-
ration for both resort and summer collections. These timeless styles h ave c o n t e m p o r a r y details that add to the elegant shapes and pieces designed for the
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--------------------------
‘What’s great about this design of swimwear is that her designs feature hidden support functions to flatter and enhance’ --------------------------
collection. The hidden support and secret padding with under wiring ensures every fit is perfect for each unique body shape. Colours of olives, golds and elegant dark grey provide rich earthy colours, while the turquoise of the Mediterranean Sea is referenced in the best selling signature coral and snake print. Nautical navy and white are always well suited to the summer season. The new collection is available exclusively at Brown Thomas.
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SHOP til you drop online with Wonderbra, after the global brand re-launched its website for customers in Ireland and the UK. Let’s face it, if we are not shopping in the high streets, we are shopping online to find the latest in fashion, beauty, and eyeing up what is on trend. Knowing this was the best tool for its Irish customers the world’s most well known underwear brand – Wonderbra – has done tailored to our needs. www.wonderbra.eu showcases the full Wonderbra collection, replacing the previous site wonderbra.co.uk. The new site is transactional, allowing Wonderbra to effectively meet the needs of its target consumers who are heavy online users. On the site there is a store finder and it features the full range of products modelled by face of Wonderbra, Adriana Cernanova, with simple navigation for ease of shopping.
18 GAZETTE 3 May 2012
GazetteMUSIC MUSIC FastTunes with Radio Nova’s Dee Woods
HOMETOWN GIG: THREE OF BEST NEW BANDS COME TOGETHER
Dublin’s finest join up as JD supergroup I ROB HEIGH
EVER hang out with Adam Clayton in Malahide Village? Did you audition for a band at Mount Temple along with Paul Hewson and Dave Evans? Ever make music with Larry Mullen Jnr in the Artane Boys’ Band? Then congratulations: you know one of the fifth richest musicians in the world! U2 are sitting at No 5 in The Sunday Times’ Musical Rich List. Bono, Edge, Larry and Adam collectively worth a whopping €625 million. Although there is a sense of pride (excuse the pun) to see our lads so high up on a list of mostly English and American richies, I do have to wonder — in these tough times — what is the point of publishing a list that may as well be called “People That Will Always Be Richer Than You But Probably Work A Lot Less”? Yes, I know the likes of U2 and Paul McCartney are worth millions. Sure, haven’t I been giving them my cash since I was old enough to walk to the record shop on my own? But in case you don’t mind having your nose rubbed in others’ wealth: Just ahead of U2 on the list is Andrew Lloyd Webber with a wealth worth singing about at €720 million; Paul McCartney’s in at No 3 with wife, Nancy Shevall, with €810 million; the second richest musical figure is theatre producer, Cameron Mackintosh, with €885 million, and top of this very high pile is record executive Clive Calder, with €1.65 billion in his pockets. Maybe I’m being excessively sensitive to this annual printing tradition. If I’m honest, my biggest problem with this Musical Rich List is the fact that David and Victoria Beckham are on it (in at joint-tenth place with Daniel Ek with €232 million) In fairness, I’d say David’s pre-match mumbling of England’s national anthem has contributed more to the music world than Victoria ever did. I wonder does he ever serenade her at home? “God save the Lean”, maybe?
DUBLIN has been long recognised as a hotbed of talent for young bands who make the jump from the local scene to the international stratosphere, and that tradition looks set to continue with the success and buzz about upcoming new bands, including Delorentos, The Minutes and We Cut Corners. These alt-rock pioneers are set to take the stage in salute to their hometown roots as part of JD Roots, an innovative new music initiative by Jack Daniels that celebrates the unique influence of home towns on the music and character of some of the most exciting and talked about bands on the current music scene, which takes place in a unique, one-off, free live performance in The Button Factory, Dublin on Friday, May 18. In what promises to be an intriguing process, the three bands will collaborate for the first time ahead of the gig to explore artists and songs from Dublin who have inspired and influenced their musical style and direction. The bands will then play what promises to be a thrilling show in The
Delorentos, The Minutes and We Cut Corners line up ahead of their JD Roots gig
Button Factory, where they will perform a selection of songs from their own set lists as well as a selection by Dublin artists who have made the greatest impact on them and their music. This unique show - the first and possibly only time all three acts will perform on the same stage together - is sure to make its own contribution to Dublin’s rich and evolving music scene. Fresh from the critical acclaim of their third studio album, Little Sparks, released in Januar y, Delorentos are at the very top of their game.
Lauded as ones to watch in 2012 among music critics across Ireland and the UK, The Minutes have been blazing a trail on the live music scene over the past 12 months, and they were personally picked by Noel Gallagher as support for his first-ever solo live show with The High Flying Birds at The Olympia. We Cut Corners were winners of The JD Set Unsigned in 2009 and the Dublin duo have been amassing fans ever since, and received a Meteor Choice Prize nomination for their debut album,
Today I Realised I Could Go Home Backwards. Delorentos co-lead singer, Ronan Yourell, said: “We are genuinely excited about the chance to work closely with two of Dublin’s great new bands, The Minutes and We Cut Corners, on JD Roots. “Dublin as a city and a place has a magical and powerful history, something which has had a massive influence on all of us for different reasons. Through our conversations to date, we’ve all got just a little bit excited about the possibilities and the chance to pay tribute
to some of the artists, which have been shaped by Dublin was too tempting to resist for all of us. “The challenge will be to settle on a shortlist of songs and then bringing something new, fresh and personal to them. It should be a really exciting live show.” Tickets for this exclusive JD Roots performance at the Button Factory are free and are available now at www.jdroots.ie. All those who register will go into a draw for tickets. A limited number of tickets will also be available on the Jack Daniel’s Ireland Facebook page.
3 May 2012 GAZETTE 19
GazetteBUSINESS BUSINESS
Supported by AIB
Interview: Ronan Doyle and Tony Mallon, partners, Compositedoors.ie
Only the very best in doors and windows COMPOSITEDOORS.IE have opened a new stateof-the-art showroom, conveniently located at 3 St Gall Gardens South, Columbanus, in Dundrum, The business, owned by partners Tony Mallon and Ronan Doyle both locals to the Dundrum area, has grown so much over the past 18 months that they decided to open the showroom so that prospective clients can see the superior quality of the Palladio composite doors at first hand. The partners realised that after the severe winter conditions of 2010 – 2011, there was a market for energy-efficient products, particularly since most of the business in the construction market was now to do with refurbishment/retro fitting. Home owners have also become more knowledgeable about the need to conserve energy in their homes. They also realised that there was no website on the Irish internet which was user-friendly for home owners thinking of changing their entrance door or back door. Tony has been involved in the manufacture, supply and installation of “A” rated windows and doors to the domestic market throughout Dublin and the surrounding areas for over 15 years, and also supplies to the window and building trade. Ronan has been involved in the hardwood flooring business for 12 years and has supplied and installed plank and design floors throughout the Dublin region.
REPOSSESSION Q – The arrears on my mortgage will never be paid, let alone the normal repayments. Currently, I am on an interest only facility but this ends next month. My partner lost his job and we can just about afford to feed our two children and ourselves. If our home is repossessed, how long does the process take and can they still pursue us for any outstanding debt on the property? Theresa - Mulhuddart A - My sympathies to you on your situation. First of all, you are not alone. There are many many borrowers with similar stories. Like Robins Williams in Good Will Hunting AND Enda Kenny said “it’s not your fault” and what is really important is your family and surviving this period of time. Cash is king and income is your number one asset and you have to protect and prioritise both. Under the Central Bank guidelines, lenders are holding off repossession of homes for up to two years. What is crucial is both budgeting – put down on paper all your expenditure irrespective of income – and communication. As regards outstanding debt, your names are already on the Irish Credit Bureau for missed payments – and stay there for five years – and if you have a judgment against you, it stays there for life. But, you may never want to borrow again. If there is a deficit on the home after the lender has repossessed, sold the property and put the proceeds against your mortgage, you then have three options:
Compositedoors.ie is a new venture by Ronan Doyle and Tony Mallon, supplying doors, floors and windows
1. The outstanding balance may be written off by the lender if it is decided not to pursue a bankruptcy
Q&A
course. 2. The lender may ask you to repay an unsecured
When you were a kid, what did you want to be? Ronan: A fireman. Tony: A pilot. What was your first job? Ronan: Helping the milkman on his rounds delivering milk. Tony: Grocery shop assistant. And your first pay check? Ronan: £14. Tony: Half a crown. When did you start your present job? Ronan: After being made redundant in 2010, I started my first business Architechural Flooring, and then set up Compositedoors.ie with Tony at the beginning of 2011. Tony – I have been supplying and installing windows for 15 years, but set up Compositedoors.ie with Ronan in early 2011. How many people do you have to talk with every day?
Ronan: Too many. Tony: 35.
Ronan: Volkswagen Passat Estate. Tony: Lexus.
At what time does your working day begin and end? Ronan: Begins at 7am, when I get up and it doesn’t end! Tony: 8:30am to 7pm.
Would you ever bungee jump? Ronan: No. Tony: Yes.
What is the greatest thrill of your working week? Ronan: Confirmed sales. Tony: Getting great feedback from happy customers. And what part of your job do you dislike the most? Ronan: I don’t dislike any of it. Becoming self-employed was the best move I ever made. Tony: Making the tea. Do you fly Ryanair or anybody else but Ryanair? Ronan: I’m not fussy, once I get there I don’t mind who brings me. Tony: Whoever is cheapest. What car do you drive?
Do you play any sport? Ronan: Golf. Tony: Golf. What is your favourite food? Ronan: Steak and chips. Tony: Seafood. And drink? Ronan: Heineken. Tony: White wine. What is the name of your favourite shop? Ronan: Compositedoors.ie Tony: House of Fraser. How many times each week do you go the “hole in the wall”? Ronan: No idea. Tony: Twice
How many times each year do you shop for clothes? Ronan: Three. Tony: 10. Where is your favourite holiday destination? Ronan: South of France. Tony: Laguna Beach, California.
loan over an agreed period for the outstanding balance on a monthly basis. 3. You can go to court via the personal insolvency route, declare bankruptcy whereby the debt is wiped and after three years, you may start afresh. Whereas in the past, there was a stigma attached to being declared bankrupt, over the coming years it is going to be a norm. In the US, they nearly clap you on the back on bankruptcy (at least they tried) and they dust themselves down and start all over again.
How many pairs of shoes do you own? Ronan: Three. Tony: Six. What other job in the whole world would you really like to have? Ronan: Professional golfer. Tony: Taoiseach. When do you wish to retire? Ronan: Never. Tony: As soon as I can afford to. What will you do then? Tony – Play more golf!
Keep communicating with your creditors – they cannot get blood from a stone but compassion has to be the order of the day. Contact John with your money questions at
jlowe@moneydoctor.ie or visit his website at www.moneydoctor.ie. John Lowe, Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing director of Money Doctor
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20 GAZETTE 3 May 2012
GazetteMOTORS MOTORS RoadSigns Road Signs
Range Rover Evoque-s Car of the Year Award with writers THE Range Rover Evoque has been named Supreme Winner of the Women’s World Car of the Year 2012, as well as the top-ranked model in the luxury car category. This latest success sustains the exceptional acclaim with which Evoque has been greeted around the world, reflected in more than 110 separate honours. The Women’s World Car of the Year is judged by a panel of 17 women motoring writers from around the world. Each vehicle considered for an award is rated according to criteria which reflect issues that are important to women car buyers. These include practical elements, such as safety, the amount of storage space, childfriendliness, environmental performance and value for money, and also elements such as design aesthetics. Having achieved the highest marks in the luxury car section, the Range Rover Evoque went on to be named their Car of the Year. Although the results have been announced this week, official presentation of the trophy to Land Rover will take place at the Paris Motor Show in September. Responding to the news of this latest honour, John Edwards, Land Rover Global Brand director said: “The Women’s World Car of the Year title further reflects the great market reach of Evoque. “Across the world, women are a customer base in their own right, so it is vital for any manufacturer to ensure their products meet their preferences and requirements. “As a vehicle designed, engineered and built in Britain, the Range Rover Evoque continues to demonstrate its world-class appeal. “We are delighted that as well as the 111 honours it has received for its design, engineering and performance, it has proved just as successful in terms of excellent global sales.”
Mazda’s new compact SUV, the CX-5, is an exceptionally complete car
Mazda’s impressive new compact SUV I CORMAC CURTIS
INBA Ittai… don’t worry, when I first heard those words at April’s launch of Mazda’s new compact SUV, the CX-5, I hadn’t a clue what they were on about either. But, according to Mazda, Jinba Ittai is the state of “oneness between car and driver” that the company has gone to great lengths to achieve. Such a lofty and ambitious target is admirable, and, no doubt, the suits in the top-level boardroom at Mazda HQ all nodded their approval when the concept was pitched. But, as with all visionary developments in the motoring world, it was the engineers and designers who were, no doubt, left scratching their heads when this new and innovative direction was decreed. It has to be said, those same engineers and designers really did push the boat out on this one.
J
Working from a completely clean slate, the company’s new direction was approached with four key elements in mind: emotional and appealing design, interior functionality and craftsmanship, predictable and responsive driving dynamics, and sustainability. All of which makes for quite a mouthful. Lucky for us, all of this “blue sky” thinking has brought together each of Mazda’s Skyactiv technologies together into an all-new and very impressive compact SUV. The Gazette was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of the CX-5 in Vienna, where two variants were available for test drives. Easing into the day, my driving buddy and I opted for the less powerful option, a two-wheel drive, 150bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine with an automatic transmission. This is Mazda’s first foray into the segment, but everything about the
car suggests that they are past masters at it. Starting with the allimportant looks, we are talking about something that is unmistakably Mazda, but with an allnew excitement and edge to it. For me, the design of the CX-5 is absolutely spot-on. My first glance at the car – well, about 50 of them actually, all lined up at the launch – was a side profile of the “black mica” coloured version. Even though it’s their first SUV, you wouldn’t mistake this car for anything other than Mazda, while at the same time, it has just as much impact and presence as a BMW X5, but a whole lot more current. We’re told that the inspiration for the front end of the car is the cheetah, and, even if you never see the resemblance, the look does evoke a slight sense of menace. All-in-all, pretty much every box in the looks
department is well and truly ticked. The power comes from a choice of engines, and those available in the Irish market are set to be a 2-litre petrol with 165bhp, a 2.2-litre diesel with 150bhp and a 2.3-litre diesel with 170bhp. The days of SUV cars coming with 3-litre, gas guzzling engines would appear to be a thing of the past, and the 165bhp automatic version of the CX-5 we tested is rated to achieve a combined fuel consumption of 5.3l/100km, whereas the higher-powered 175bhp version with the manual six-speed transmission can still achieve an impressive 5.2l/100km. These figures are partly due to the 14:1 compression ratio that the engines achieve – a world-leading achievement in a massproduction vehicle. Clearly Mazda’s engineers have put some serious work in to the performance and efficiency of these new engines, but putting
all these stats and figures to one side for a moment, it’s also worth noting the features that Mazda have included elsewhere in the car. It may not be something you will need to use all that often, but the sat nav system in the car is of the TomTom variety – one of my personal favourites. The interior of the car offers some very useful cargo space, with a threeway split for the seats, all folding down with ease to cater for a variety of load options. With the seats up, the CX-5 actually offers classleading space in the boot, with space for four fullsized suitcases, beating both the VWTiguan (twothree cases) and the Ford Kuga (three cases). For those moments of musical indulgence, there is a terrific Bose sound system with nine highperformance speakers and background noise compensation technology. On the safety front,
3 May 2012 GAZETTE 21
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Mazda’s smart City Brake support feature is also included – offering automatic emergency braking at a 6-metre distance when travelling between
4 and 30 km/h. Other safety features are a rear vehicle monitoring system, that lights up an LED in your rearview mirror when another
vehicle is passing, as well as a lane departure warning system, where the steering wheel vibrates if you stray too far from the centre of your lane.
This is an exceptionally complete car, and with prices starting at €25,195 for the petrol version, it will appeal to an awful lot of people.
Donation: Raising funds for Guide Dogs IRISH Guide Dogs for the Blind officially
launched their annual fundraising car draw at the Cork City Ford Centre recently. The winning prize is a brand new Ford Focus valued at €20,000 donated by Ford Ireland. A number of Irish Guide Dog’s staff and their dogs took time to attend the launch. Tickets can be bought on the charity’s website at www.guidedogs.ie or from volunteers who
are selling them nationwide. Tickets are €5 each and the draw will take place on Saturday, December 1. Pictured are Eddie Murphy, chairman and managing director of Ford Ireland, and Padraig Mallon, chief executive of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, at the launch the car draw with a little help from dogs in training: Hector, Megan, Kuta and Creem.
SKODA have announced their new compact saloon will be called the Rapid. The car will make its debut in Europe before the year is out. A Chinese version of the Rapid will be built and sold in China from 2013. The close to series concept car MissionL China, which Skoda are displaying at Auto China 2012 in Beijing, provides a specific preview of the new Chinese model. “As part of its growth strategy, Skoda has initiated the largest model offensive in its corporate history and will bring a new vehicle to market every six months on average in the years ahead,” Skoda CEO, Winfried Vahland, said at the brand’s press conference in Beijing. “The Rapid is our next new model at the starting gate. It has a central importance for our growth and will provide us with a strong tailwind on international markets,” said Vahland. With the Rapid, Skoda offer an attractive and family-oriented model in a world’s growing segment between the Fabia and the Octavia. The MissionL design study provides a specific preview of the car’s design and concept. For the design of the interior Skoda did an extensive research in China and asked customers about their individual wishes to build for them a car they exactly want. MissionL China and the future compact sedan are the ideal combination of Skoda genes and Chinese demand. Skoda showed the MissionL’s European variant at IAA 2011 in Frankfurt and are displaying a version modified for Chinese market in Beijing. “MissionL China is true Skoda. It perfectly embodies the brand’s values: fresh design, functionality, roominess, ingenuity, and price to value ratio typical for our cars,” Vahland added. “This car makes a clear statement: precise and emotional. Lots of room for the driver, passengers and luggage. An ideal car for families. Simply clever.”
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GazetteTTRAVEL
Edited by Mimi Murray
Bath’s Pulteney Bridge (above) and The Old Parsonage (right) highlight the beauty and history in the town, while Bristol (top right) is a walker’s dream, with plenty to see and do. Pics: VisitBath/Dave Pratt
WEST COUNTRY: WITH COUNTRYSIDE IN TOUCHING DISTANCE, BRISTOL AND BATH HAVE IT ALL
West is best with breaks, shopping and sightseeing RAVEL to the west country couldn’t be easier these days with direct flights to Bristol, your gateway to the region. Whether it’s a short city break to Bristol or Bath you’re after or seeking out the lush quaint honey coloured countryside of the Cotswolds, the English west country offers a fascinating and diverse range of experiences for all travellers. With a plethora of things to do and see, visitors are also spoilt with excellent quality accommodation, places to eat and drink, histor y, culture, the great outdoors as well as exciting shopping outlets, sure to provide genuine retail therapy. After your short flight
T
to Bristol (less than an hour from Dublin) , the first port of call for any dedicated shopper is the Clifton Village area of Bristol, offering up many up-market independent shops and boutiques selling jewellery, art, gifts, furniture, fashion good food and more. For those after a genuine bargain, try one of the many outlet stores in the region, including the Mulberry Factory shop which is close-by. If your legs haven’t given in, you will be spoilt for choice with a wide range of award winning and reasonably priced restaurants and gastropubs in the area, ser ving some of the many locally brewed craft beers and ciders
from the region.
A relaxing Bath After taking in the sights and sounds of Bristol, the next port of call has got to be the jewel in the crown of the region, the Roman city of Bath. Built around the only natural hot spring in England, the entire area of the city is a UNESCO world heritage site. Take a lazy stroll around the streets of this architectural treasure and view the stunning Royal Crescent, the Circus, Pulteney Bridge amongst other gems and finish up with a trip to Thermae Bath Spa, Britain’s original and only natural thermal spa where you can enjoy the warm,
mineral-rich waters as enjoyed by the Celts and Romans over 2000 years ago, now that is real therapy! A trip to the west countr y wouldn’t do the region justice without exploring some of delights the countryside has to offer. For golfers there is some of the finest golf courses England has, offering easy great choice and beautiful scenery. With over 6,100km of dedicated walking and cycling tracks, along with 1000s of acres of national trust parkland there is plenty of ways to find the inner explorer in you. Such amenities also provide an excellent area for bird watching
and other green pursuits. The west country is also steeped in pagan, Christian and mythical history, legend and landmarks. A number of must see experiences includes Stonehenge and the village of Glastonbury whose abbey houses the first Christian sanctuary, visited by none other than our own St Patrick and where King Arthur’s final resting place lies, so the legend goes.
No cheesy pun! For the foodies amongst us, a visit to Cheddar, the home of cheese is top priority. Spawning many excellent artisan cheese makers, a visit to Cheddar
offers the opportunity to sample real cheese which is creamy and delicious with a choice of pasteurised and unpasteurised. You’ll soon forget the rubbery stuff in supermarkets! A good base for all of these places is a lovely old bed and breakfast called The Old Parsonage just outside Bath, a grade II sandstone house built in the 1680s. They provide great cooked breakfast with home made bread served on Wedgwood Devon Rose china, continental coffee, yogurt, fresh fruit and various cereals. For details log on to www.theoldparsonagebandb.co.uk.
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GazetteENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT
GoingOUT THE PAVILION THEATRE 01 231 2929 Nubes (Clouds)
EVER watched a cloud turn into a sheep right before your eyes? Enter an enchanting, joyful world full of moving objects and dream-like imagery. Nubes (Clouds) takes a wildly imaginative approach to the theme of clouds, inspired by the surrealist artist Magritte. Audiences of all ages will delight in watching vibrant dances and inventive scenes involving flippers, ladders and puppets in suits. This show can be enjoyed at 2pm and 4.30pm on May 12 and 13. Tickets start at €40 for a family then range from €14 to €8.
MILL THEATRE 01 296 9340 Opera d’Arte
EXPERIENCE all the passions of opera in one spectacular production, featuring leading voices of the Irish and International operatic stage. With piano accompaniment by musical director, DAVID WRAY (musical director: Opera in the Open, Music Theatre Ireland), Immerse yourself in a diverse programme of musical masterpieces including selections from La Traviata, Carmen, Cosi Fan Tutte, Bohème, The Magic Flute, Die Fledermaus and The Barber of Seville. May 9, 8pm, tickets priced at €26/24.
CIVIC THEATRE 01 462 7477 Fruitcake
STARRING Mary McEvoy (Biddy in Glenroe) as Della Dolan, Fruitcake starts off as a cookery demonstration but develops into an account of one woman’s life with each ingredient reminding her of past memories and decisions made which ultimately change the course of her life. For two shows at 8pm and 3pm, in the Civic Theatre’s Main Auditorium on May 8, this show is guaranteed to go down well. Tickets are priced at €15 with a €12 concession. There will be €10 special Bealtaine tickets for the matinee.
DRAIOCHT 01 885 2622 Thought Once Was
THIS double bill promises to be a visceral feast for the senses. The Space Where Thought Once Was, is an exploration into Dementia. The second work is entitled Scatenato, from the Italian musical term, meaning wild, unchained, and loose. Joining the dancers on stage will be the Contempo String Quartet, Galway’s Ensemble in Residence. There will be just one show, on May 8 at 8pm and tickets priced at €16 or €12 concession are sure to sell fast.
Many captions might ask is it a bird? Is it a plane? But this paper knows the difference between the Marvel and DC multiverses
Gods and heroes The biggest film of the year so far crashes, bangs and wallops its way to our screens. And boy, is it mighty I PAUL HOSFORD
YOU could be forgiven for thinking, with the past week’s inclement weather, that summer is an age away. Or maybe, if you’re like myself, you know that a much better bellweather of the seasons in Ireland is the arrival of certain films. Oscar-worthy contenders mean that it is one month either side of Christmas, Adam Sandler’s latest execrable offering means you are either side of the summer. And the long, hot, rainy days of summer well and truly arrive when the first blockbuster finds its way into cinemas. This year, the first one up is Avengers Assemble, the Marvel dream team movie that many thought would never see the light of day and has essentially had it’s
FILM OF THE WEEK: Avengers Assemble ##### (12A) 143 mins Director: Joss Whedon Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddlestone
OUR VERDICT: THIS is it. If ever there was confirmation that nerds had inherited the earth it is this. Creator of Buffy and Firefly directing? Check. A faithful comic book adaptation high on action? Check. Scarlett Johannson in leather for much of the film? Check and check. Avengers Assemble is pitch perfect action. It never stops to take a breath and will leave audiences absolutely thrilled.
story being told since the final scene of Iron Man in 2008. Since Tony Stark’s first outing, Captain America was brought to life as The First Avenger, a reboot made The Hulk Incredible again, Thor flexed his Mighty muscles and Iron Man got a second run. All of these films had neat crossovers and, if you’ve seen the lot, the early pace of Assemble won’t confuse you. I f y o u h ave n ’t , i t doesn’t matter because there are super heroes on screen. Lots of
them. Of course, the biggest reservation to be had with a project such as this is that there will be too many super-cooks to spoil the super-broth, as it were. But, with the foundations already laid, director Joss Whedon takes the ball and just runs with it. Not a ponderous run, either, this is full on, balls-to-wall sprinting for over two hours. This is as close to joy as summer cinema will ever get. Whedon’s script is peppered with
comedic gold and the actors all seem to be having a blast. Dow ney Junior as Tony Stark is a marriage made in heaven. Downey has made a superhero role his own to the extent that many associate the hero with the actor, not the other way around, a trap that Val Kilmer and Michael Keaton know all too well. His acerbic barbs, particularly to Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, are a pleasure, as is the warmth and sweetness that is inherent in Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner. Ruffalo is the third actor to don the stretchy pants of the verdant monster with anger issues in only nine years. In lesser hands, the role would be a throwaway or an attempt to ape predecessors, but this is Mark Ruffalo.
The man is simply too good to let a role like this slip by. Evans’ Captain America keeps the group honourable, while Samuel L Jackson’s Nick Fury keeps them all in line, acting as the world’s largest babysitter. But, what use is a cadre of heroes if they have nobody to fight? Enter Loki, Thor’s brother and a reject of Asgard. He is thoroughly evil and Tom Hiddlestone injects him with a smirk and a swagger that genuinely make you believe he can topple the finest collection of heroes ever. Overall, this is what you want from the summer. Fun, breathless and frenetic, it has an emotional depth that few directors could have attained. Assemble some friends and go.
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GazetteGAMING GAMING Breaking down the plays for Madden’s latest run PAUL HOSFORD
WITH the NFL draft having dominated the US media - both sports and mainstream - last weekend, fans of American Football are licking their lips in anticipation of what their new players will bring to the table. But, with free-agency, the draft and Bountygate put to bed, football fans need the next milestone to look forward to. For a fan of the gridiron who lives 3,000 miles away from the nearest professional stadium, the marker that the season is here has traditionally been the arrival of NFL Madden on whatever console I fancied it. From owning it on an oddly-shaped cartridge on the Mega Drive, through PS One and PS2 iterations, it is the one game franchise to which I am oddly loyal. Part of it is knowledge based. Before I knew the game, the easiest way of getting to know who the guys on the less glamorous squads were was to fire up the XBox and go through the rosters of teams like the Chiefs, Browns and Jaguars. But, mostly, it is blind faith. Every year, I go back to Madden hoping and praying that it will deliver the deep, enrich-
ing football experience that I, and many others, crave. Last year was not the year. Don’t get me wrong, the 2012 vintage was a perfectly serviceable game, but with no real competition anymore, Madden seems to have gotten lazy. The absence of the 2K series has allowed EA Sports more or less phone it in. Think of the renaissance of the FIFA franchise and you think of the years the EA behemoth spent in the doldrums at the expense of Seabass Takatsuka and Konami’s Pro Evolution series. With that in mind, Madden 12’s major selling point was an improved presentation system. Yes, seeing your players led onto the field by mascots and announced by position and college attended was nice the first couple of times, but was it really worth a year’s development? The commentary became repetitive to anyone who played the game regularly and a complete lack of presentation for created or modified teams meant the diamond lost its lustre fairly quickly. The game’s biggest failing, however, was the franchise mode that was as shallow as a Kardashian and about
Bytesandpieces Nintendo continues its losses DESPITE dominating the Asian marketplace with its new handheld console, Nintendo posted its first annual losses this week, but the $460 million figure wasn’t as bad as first feared. The losses, which were included in financial results up to March 31, were caused by poor hardware sales. The company’s net sales dropped 36.2pc compared to the previous year. While Nintendo said it cut the price of its Nintendo 3DS console below its cost price, sales were slower in Europe and the US during the Christmas period than previous years. It sold 13.53m Nintendo 3DS consoles and 9.84m Nintendo Wii consoles. Nintendo has said it believes it will make an operating profit of 35bn yen (US$429m) in the coming year, and that it will release games such as New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Animal Crossing to drive up Nintendo 3DS software sales. It expects to sell the 3DS above its cost price by the middle of the financial year and will also launch the Wii U at the end of 2012. Madden 13 will let you live the dream – if your dream involves being Matt Cassell
half as much fun at times. The thrill of unearthing a draft steal in the fourth round was lost because of a clumsy scouting system that requires you to whittle down all seven picks to just 75 players’ physical attributes and then five that you could get full disclosure on. As anyone who has read War Room, Michael Holley’s seminal account of the New England Patriots success in the mid 00s will know, making a team capable of collecting a championship takes a lot more than knowing that a quarterback tipped to be a highround pick has a weak arm and poor stamina. The amount of effort an NFL franchise actually puts in to drafting players coming from college is staggering and the art of guessing what each team will do is itself a multi-million dollar industry. For EA to boil it down to the bare minimum makes the franchise mode feel like a lottery. It hurts that there is no feedback on likely
weak positions in the following season, nor is there an option to see upcoming free agents like there is in the NHL series, which continues to set the bar for EA games. While the exponentially superior NCAA Football got all of these things more or less spot on, Madden trailed. But the good news is that EA appears to have listened to the fans, in an attempt to win back the fans deserting its star title for what is essentially meant to be a little brother. Changes this year include:
Dropbacks The days of all snaps being identical are gone. Quarterbacks are getting seven-step drops, five-step drops and so on, which will make the game feel more realistic on both sides of the ball. Trajectories As someone who plays the game (www. rhinos.ie since you asked) , my greatest frustration has been the inability to throw a pass in anything other than a
laser or a lob. This year, there will be 25 trajectories to get the ball to the receiver in the most appropriate way.
QB Avoidance Moves You’re going to move more slowly in the pocket this time around – at least when looking to pass – but now you have the eight directions of the right stick to move your quarterback. These little stab moves buy you time to get free and make the play. Receiver Awareness Receivers never make mistakes. I say this as a card carrying member of the club. But, this year, the icons over receivers will light up when a player is expecting a pass. This doesn’t mean he’s open. This just means the receiver is looking for the ball. Similarly, you can throw when the icon isn’t lit up, but the chances of a catch are lower. Other changes include read and react defenses and better special teams. All of which sound good, whether you know what Green Right Slot Spider 3 Y Banana is or not.
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GazetteSport Sport FastSport
RUGBY: FESTIVAL FOR SCHOOLS PLAYERS A HUGE SUCCESS
Local winners from the Great Ireland Run 2012 DUBLIN Gazette Newspapers is once again delighted to announce the winners of this year’s local prizes for participants in the Great Ireland Run, which took place in the Phoenix Park on April 15. Here is the list of the top local male and female finishers in the race, who win a specially designed plaque as well as prizes of sports gear - we will be in touch with you shortly. Blanch Gazette Sean MacSeoin 34:39 Dervila Holmes 39:04 Castleknock Gazette Kieran Gallagher 35:19 Kate O’Neill 36:51 Clondalkin Gazette Mohammed Dahir 38:57 Deirdre Daly 46:56 Dundrum Gazette Peter Toomey 36:41 Aoife Clarke 44:57 Dun Laoghaire Gazette Flavio Rea 40:46 Lindsay McMillan 47:42 Lucan Gazette Karl Fitzgerald 37:40 Niamh Maher 41:43 Malahide Gazette Niall McArdle 35:55 Michelle Tyrrell 45:24 Swords Gazette David Gargan 37:06 Suzanne Sheehy 40:17
Celebrations at the final whistle as Clontarf claim the Stratton Festival title at Kirwan Park last week
DLSP host Stratton sport@gazettegroup.com
CLONTARF upset the odds last Saturday in a thrilling 24-15 victory over Mullingar, in the final of the inaugural U-16s’ Stratton Festival, which came to a thrilling conclusion at DLSP’s Kirwan Park. Having overcome a very strong Old Wesley side in the quarter-final and tournament top seeds, Galway Corinthians, in the semi-finals, Clontarf made no mistake in a pulsating final that swung in both sides’ favour on several occasions. After an opening penalty by Mullingar, ’Tarf scored the first try of the final which was duly converted, to open up a 7-3 lead. That lead was short-lived after Mullingar struck back with
a converted try of their own. ’Tarf did manage to level up the game at 10-10 just before half time, with a well-struck penalty. Mullingar started the second half well, and had ’Tarf under pressure on their own 22, but a turnover ball found its way to their winger and he opened up the jets to score under the posts. That looked to be enough for ’Tarf, but Mullingar struck back in some style with a wellworked try. The crucial game-levelling conversion narrowly drifted outside the post to leave the score at 17-15. With time almost up, Clontarf sealed their victory with a try in the last play of the game, and became deserved winners of the first revised Sean Stratton Cup.
The competition itself draws its name from Sean Stratton, the driving force in creating mini/youth club rugby, in the early 70s. A former club president of Palmerston, this tournament was named in his honour and the organisers were privileged to have his daughter, Paula Fogarty, on hand to present the cup. The concept of the festival is to address a problem age group in youth rugby, U-16s. With the majority of these players tied up in schools’ junior cup rugby, clubs can only field teams at U-15 and U-17. The event takes place from late March, when schools players are eligible to return to their clubs. Twenty-two teams took part in this year’s event over three Saturdays.
The hope is that next year, the organisers can create provincial qualifiers, subject to branch approval, with the best from each province competing in a weekend of finals in Kirwan Park. Elsewhere, Old Wesley got over the disappointment of losing their cup quarter-final to Clontarf by going on to beat DLSP in the final of the plate
in a hard-fought 5-0 victory. Terenure picked up the bowl by defeating Greystones 7-0. Speaking about the competition, Clontarf’s coach Rory Ryan was full of praise for the new initiative: “This event has filled a much-needed gap in youth rugby. The tournament was a huge success and must continue every year.”
Action from Old Wesley and Terenure in the plate final
3 May 2012 DUNDRUM GAZETTE 29
CRICKET: LADIES OPEN CAMPAIGN IN ECB DIVISION
2012 DUBLIN SPORTS AWARDS APRIL WINNERS
Batting for Ireland
STARof theMONTH CAROLINE RYAN GARDA’S cycling sensation claimed Ireland’s first elite world track medal since Harry Reynolds back in 1897, winning bronze in Melbourne, as well as setting a personal best and new Irish record for the women’s individual pursuit on the final day of the 2012 world track championships in the Australian city.
TEAMof theMONTH MALAHIDE CS
AN all-ages golfing machine, Malahide calmly saw off the challenge of Kilkenny in the Irish Schools’ National Matchplay competition to add to the schools’ impressive run of sporting achievements at Naas Golf Club in a thrilling final set of games. SUMMERTIME, and the living is...soggy. In spite of the rain, the sun came out and shone on some great performances by our sports stars last month, and it’s time to honour them with the Stars they deserve. An incredible length of time had passed between successes on the track for Ireland’s cyclists, and Caroline Ryan was a deserving candidate to revise that trend, which she did in style at the world
Ireland’s ladies Elena Tice, Emma Flanagan and Isobel Joyce at the launch of the new national cricket kit
sport@gazettegroup.com
I R E L A N D wo m e n ’s cricket team will begin their competitive season with a double header in Division 3 of the ECB County Championships this Bank Holiday weekend. The side features an array of talent from Dublin, with representives from Malahide, Pembroke, Merrion, and Rush, and they play their matches in the English county structure, on the proviso that
they play all of their matches in England. First up for Isobel Joyce’s side is a clash with Leicestershire on Sunday at Bardon Hill, which has a 12pm start, followed by Huntingdon and Cambridgeshire on Monday at Sawston at 11am.
Results Following their promotion last year, the side have worked hard during the winter under the watchful eye of head coach Jeremy Bray, and
are hopeful of another successful season. Bray said: “The squad has got a great blend of youth and experience, and I’m sure will be rewarded for all their efforts during the close season. “It’s an exciting time for Irish cricket in general and you can feel there’s a real buzz about the game at the minute. I’m sure it won’t be too long before the women are emulating the men’s team in terms of results.”
Tag for greatness: Coolmine’s charity rugby event championships. Meanwhile, Malahide CS golfers claimed the national title with a consummate performance at Naas that belied their young years, and pointed to a long and successful future in the game. Let us know about your achievements in sport, so that the Gazette can tell the rest of Dublin. Contact us on 01 601 0240 or sport@gazettegroup.com to tell us all about your successes.
COOLMINE RFC in Dublin 15 recently hosted a charity tag rugby day for Mount Sackville secondary school to benefit Focus On Romania, a charitable organisation which aims to focus world attention to the inadequate care of children and young adults in state institutions in Romania. This year more than 370 boys and girls descended on the club for a day of tag rugby, and with so many teams to look after, the Irish Tag Rugby Association stepped in to help with the organisation of the day. This year’s Tag Day raised over €3,000.
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The squad in full is: Isobel Joyce (capt) , (Merrion); Clodagh Conway (Rush); Laura Delany (Leinster); Emma Flanagan (Pembroke); Cecelia Joyce (Merrion); Shauna Kavanagh (Pembroke); Louise McCarthy (Pembroke); Rebecca Rolfe (Leinster); Melissa Scott Hayward (Merrion); Clare Shillington (Malahide); Alison S m i t h ( P e m b r o ke ) ; Elena Tice (Merrion); Mary Waldron (Malahide).
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GazetteSport Sport FastSport
Ballinascorney hails new captains at drive The sun was shining on Captain Tim O’Neill and Lady Captain Alice McGlynn at their drive-in at Ballinascorney Golf Club in Rathfarnham recently as Tim and Alice launched the 2012 golfing year at the club, and the announcement was made that the club would host its first GUI competition later this month. In keeping with tradition, both captains wore fancy dress – this year to a Flintstones theme, and both “Fred” and “Wilma” had no difficulty in clubbing their balls off the tee to the applause of the more than 100 members who turned up to cheer them on. The drive-in was followed by a mixed nine-hole scramble event and a celebratory dinner. Speaking after dinner, O’Neill was looking forward to the coming year in Ballinascorney. “Our new extended layout is now well established and has been a tremendous success,” he said. “As a result we have been chosen to host our first GUI competition – the Pierce Purcell on Saturday, May 19. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish the very best of luck to the seven other clubs who will be playing here on the day.” Lady Captain McGlynn mentioned the club’s growing membership and the various special offers which have been put in place to attract new members. “We have been glad to welcome several new members to the club this year and it is particularly good to see a number of younger members and beginners joining as well. We have some very attractive special offers which allow people to become full members for less than €600 with no joining fee and the feedback to those has been very positive.” Club President Kay O’Brien congratulated both captains and looked forward to a successful year for the club. “I wish Alice and Tim all the very best for the coming year. With our growing membership and very active social scene in the club I believe 2012 is going to be one of the most successful years in our history,” she said.
CYCLING: LOCAL RIDERS IMPRESS IN LADIES LEAGUE RACES
Nine different clubs were represented in the top ten finishers in the third round of the Wheelworx Criterion League A race last week
Orwell making the Criterion sport@gazettegroup.com
ROUND Three of the W h e e l wo r x O r we l l Ladies Criterion League saw some enthralling racing, with representatives from Orwell Wheelers well to the fore in the final shakedown in both the A and B races. In the B race, there was a thrilling 12-lap battle that saw Isabel Cogan from Orwell take the honours, taking the race on the final corner after biding her time behind Swords’ Vanessa Fenton, who had driven the pace in the race throughout. The race was marked by a high level of co-oper-
ation in all of the groups and, in the early laps, the gaps were not being closed, with the Limit trio of Carmel Buckley (Lakeside), Eileen O’Sulllivan (Sorrento) and Cliodhna Carthy (Orwell) looking dangerous. By the halfway mark, all three groups were still apart but, with five laps to go, Colleen Foley (Swords) ramped up the pace from the middle group and rapidly reeled in and passed the Limit riders, with only Naoise Sheridan (Orwell) and Rebecca Heaney (SERC) able to stay with her. In the meantime, the six rider Scratch group were
There’s me jumper: Cooney presents colours LEINSTER representative and former De La Salle Palmerston player, John Cooney, who was scrum-half on the Ireland U-20 team that won the 6 Nations title in 2010-11, recently presented his Irish jersey to DLSP President, John Dwyer at the club’s grounds at Kirwan Park. John, who now plays his club rugby with Lansdowne FC began his rugby career as a part of DLSP mini’s academy.
all chipping away at the gap to the riders ahead. Just inside of three laps to go, the Scratch group finally swept up the two groups ahead of them, leaving just Foley, Heaney and Sheridan out in front. The next move was from Fenton, who jumped across to the leaders with Isabel Cogan (Orwell) tucked onto her wheel, and when they caught the break with only two laps Sheridan was the only one who could hang on to them momentarily, leaving a three rider leading group, with a five rider chasing group lurking less than ten seconds behind.
Going into the final lap, Fenton continued to drive the pace, while Cogan bided her time, launching her own attack from the final corner, opening up an impressive gap on the drag to the finish line. Sorcha McKeating attacked the chasing group from the second to last corner, passing Sheridan but just running out of time to catch Fenton before the line. Sheridan held the chasing group off to take fourth, while behind her Foley won the sprint for fifth from Heaney, Annette Dawe (Cuchulainn) and Julia Carroll (Orwell).
The A race was run over 20 laps, split into two groups, with a minute headstart given to the Limit group over the Scratch group. Around the halfway mark, the group splintered under the pressure, leaving only a four rider group to chase, consisting of Spath, Anne Dalton and Orla Hendron (both Orwell) and Laura Banfield (Swords). Last week’s B race winner Patricia Buckley (Orwell) launched her by now customary attack with two laps to go, building a massive gap which continued to open all the way to the finish.
3 May 2012 DUNDRUM GAZETTE 31
HURLING: CHAMPIONSHIP WIN AT PARNELL PARK a
CLUB NOTICEBOARD BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S THE hurlers made a good start to
music and great entertainment for
the championship. Senior A hurlers
all ages.
edged out Vincent’s by six points in their championship opener; Senior B hurlers beat Naomh Olaf by 10 points: Junior A hurlers opened their
The Cian Durkin Tournament is on Bank Holiday Monday. Sincere sympathy to Derek Ward on the death of his brother.
campaign with a fine eight-point win
For those who paid their member-
over Craobh Chiarain; and the junior
ship before March 1 and haven’t
C hurlers opened with a big win over
received their membership card,
Naomh Fionnbarra.
please note there are cards for col-
Hurling quiz in clubhouse on Thursday, May 17. Many thanks to Rathfarnham Credit Union for sponsorship of the minor football team. Family Fun Day next Sunday: Free
lection behind the clubhouse bar. People who have paid after this date should be receiving them shortly. Lotto: Numbers drawn were 7, 23, 18 and 8. The jackpot of €10,000 was not won.
ST JUDE’S
Ballyboden St Enda’s were delighted to welcome Stephen Hiney back into the fold after a return from injury
’Boden start search for six with victory SHC GROUP C Ballyboden St Enda’s St Vincent’s
0-15 0-10
I sport@gazettegroup.com
WITH the drive for five complete, Ballyboden St Enda’s began their push for an unprecedented sixth successive Dublin Senior Hurling Championship title with a decisive win over St Vincent’s last Saturday at Parnell Park. It was not their smoothest of performances, but Paul Ryan’s unerring accuracy and Dean Curran’s all-round per formance in the first half carried them through. Left with a defeat in what has been called the group of death, the result leaves Vincent’s in a major scrap for progression, after perennial semi-finalists Lucan Sarsfields fell to a minor shock defeat at the hands of Cuala, handing the southsiders the
box seat in what is likely to be the race for second place. Further good news came in the form of Stephen Hiney lining out in the half-backs for his first taste of championship action in over a year, while Conal Keaney was another player to return from injury to the SHC fold when he came off the bench in the second period. Vinnies did out-score them in the second half, with Willie Lowry, Mark Chawke and Diarmuid Connolly putting in big performances, but a run of wides meant they never truly got in range. Ballyboden had built a 0-10 to 0-3 advantage by the half-hour mark, and Emmett Carroll’s rambunctious presence up front was yielding a glut of frees, which Ryan delighted in firing over. He had six points to his name by the break,
using the cross-field wind adeptly from the left side of the pitch, most from well outside the 50-metre range. In defence, they did need to be alert, with Chawke bursting through on one occasion, while John Hetherton had a good goal chance, only for Stephen Nagle to come up with a brilliant block with Hetherton in his shooting stride. Gary Maguire also denied Tomas McGrane — though had McGrane picked a corner, the Dublin number one might have had more to do than his expertly-controlled stop and clear. Elsewhere, K ilmacud Crokes had just enough in the tank to see off newly-promoted St Pat’s, Palmerstown, who fought back gamely from 0-10 to 1-2 at halftime, one which extended to eight points when
Crokes grabbed a goal early in the second half. With the aid of a strong wind in O’Toole Park, Pat’s clawed back the deficit to four points but a second goal for the Glenalbyn men was a vital score with 15 minutes to go en route to a 2-12 to 2-9 victory. Ballinteer St John’s, m e a nw h i l e , s t a r t e d well against Craobh Chiarain, picking off the first two points in a game with plenty of bite in the second game of the O’Toole Park double bill, picking off the first two scores. But former All-Star Alan McCrabbe stepped up to the mark in the wake of a red card for each team on the quarter-hour to become the game’s authoritative figure. Craobh led by four at half-time and always had a five or six point lead in the second to go home with the spoils, 2-15 to 2-7.
IT WAS a great weekend for the club’s
in Tymon with a 7.15pm throw in. Good
hurlers with three teams winning in
luck to all and remember all games
the championship. The seniors beat St
are subject to change, keep an eye
Brigid’s by a point in O’Toole Park; the
on the website and Facebook for any
inters beat Balinteer St John’s by eight
changes.
points and the juniors beat Faugh’s.
The club are running a bus to Tul-
There was also a win for the minor A
lamore for the U-21 All-Ireland final
footballers v Ballinteer St John’s, while
on Sunday, May 6, leaving the club at
the minor Bs were beaten by Raheny.
11.30am and returning after the game.
Thursday’s fixtures the Inter foot-
Please put your name down on list
ballers play Crumlin in O’Toole Park at
behind the bar if you are interested in
7.15pm in the championship, while, in
travelling.
the junior C championship, St Jude’s
Lost and found: Silver bracelet
play Ranelagh Gaels, and, in the jun-
recently found on camogie pitch,
ior D championship, Jude’s play St
Tymon Park. Owner should contact
Pat’s, Palmerstown; both games are
Sheila Power on 086 817 1124.
BALLINTEER ST JOHN’S THERE was no winner of last Thurs-
a night of music and craic? Spread
day’s lotto draw. Next week’s draw
the word to your friends, family and
will be for €2,000.
neighbours.
Tickets are available online at www. ballinteerstjohns.com or from the usual outlets.
Singalong in the bar on Tuesdays, singers and musicians welcome. Issue 3 of BSJ30 is now available
Wednesday night sees a great night
online on the website, which includes
of traditional music, no cover charge.
articles on adult hurling, senior foot-
Why not come up and join in or enjoy
ball, the clubhouse and much more.
NAOMH OLAF CONGRATULATIONS to our minor
win. Highlight of the game was a
footballers who picked up two very
magnificent score of 3-1 by Chrissy
important points against Foxrock
Fennel.
Geraldine’s on Sunday morning last
Our senior hurlers went down to
in Cabinteely. They were very con-
Ballyboden St Enda’s in atrocious
vincing winners on a score-line of
wet and windy conditions on Sun-
6 -12 to 0 - 6. Cor mack Br acken
day evening with a scoreline of 2-8
scored a hat-trick of goals in a
to 0-4.
great all-round performance by Naomh Olaf.
Congratulations to our senior hurling manager, Enda Kinsella, and
Our junior hurlers had a very
his bride, Colette, who were mar-
i m p r e s s i ve h o m e w i n o n S u n -
ried in Knocklyon Church last week-
day against Clanna Gael with an
end. Enda still turned up to manage
impressive final score of 4-7 to 0-12.
Naomh Olaf in their SHCB match on
Conditions were very difficult, but
Sunday. Congratulations to Keith
Olaf’s put in a remarkable second-
and Sylvia Hannon, Greystones, on
half per formance to secure the
the birth of their second child.
ALL OF YOUR DUNDRUM SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 28-31
CHAMPO’S BACK: Ballyboden’s St
Enda’s bid for a sixth title begins P31
MAY 3, 2012
APRIL ACCOLADES: Winners of Dublin Sports Awards announced P29
sport@gazettegroup.com
DUNDRUM FC are lining up a rare double as their LSL Saturday Major 1C side take on St James Athletic this weekend in t h e J o e Ty n a n C u p final (2.30pm, Jackson Park), bidding to retain the title they won 12 months ago. Liam Mur phy was the hero that day as his penalty was all that separated the Drums from Templeogue and he, once again, will be among the leading lights. The final comes just a fortnight after the club completed a comprehensive league victory, r unning up a seven point margin over their Major 1C rivals with
just one defeat in their campaign. But that setback came at the hands of St James, 3-1, while Dundr um were also unable to beat the side in the final game of the campaign, drawing 1-1 a fortnight ago. For the club’s Syl Byrne, it shows how difficult Saturday’s final will be. “It’s going to be very tight,” he said. “The way they played against us, they looked the better team but I would say that, putting the pressure back on them!”
Confidence Nonetheless, confidence abounds after a series of promotions in recent times around the DRFC with the club’s
Sunday team also pushing hard in division two, finishing in third place. “The lads have been going up the divisions quite quickly but they had a bit of a stumble last year in a very small league, not having a very good league campaign. “But they had good runs in the cups, getting to the sixth round of the Leinster Junior and got to the quarter-finals this year against Kilbarrack who went on to the final. “We have a very small squad and we have to mix it up as best we can, playing the guys on Saturdays and Sundays depending on who is available so it is a great achievement for both sides to get where they
are. “Quite a few of them have come through the schoolboys section – six or seven. It’s very much a source of pride for the club that they’ve been able to step up to the higher level in the senior sides.” The anticipation for the final has been heightened by the presence of former Dundr um men Declan and Shane Reid in the James’s line-up while Ciaran O’Connell is another who used to play with the club. It gives the final a very local f lavour as both sides make the short hop up the Enniskerry Road to Wayside Celtic’s immaculate Jackson Park home for the big date.
Dundrum claimed the LSL Saturday Major 1C a fortnight ago and are spying a double this weekend
GazetteSPORT
Dundrum’s double dream date