Dundrum Gazet te FREE
November 29, 2012 Find us on
Month XX, 2012 • Stillorgan Dundrum • Churchtown • Nutgrove • Rathfarnham • Ballinteer • Sandyford • Leopardstown • Terenure
INSIDE: Superquinn Ballinteer’s fun day for LauraLynn House gives everyone a great time Page 6
Athletics:
DSDAC shine on national and European stage Page 30 and 32
Hurling:
Kilmacud man inducted into hall of fame Page 31
ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES.......................6 DUBLIN LIFE....................11 OUT&ABOUT...................17 CLASSIFIEDS.................26 SPORT............................27
one ‘angry man’: Fintan O’Toole talks to The Gazette about his new show Page 11
Council set for winter freeze Bairbre Ni Bhraonain
DUN Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council maintenance staff are preparing for the possibility of some harsh winter months ahead in their new state-of-the-art operations facility, which is located off the Ballyogan Road. The facility houses an array of gritting materials in case winter proves particularly bad.
A council spokesperson said: “As in previous years, the council is doing everything possible to prepare for the bad weather we may encounter during winter. “We have stockpiled more than 600 tonnes of salt in our new operations facility in Ballyogan, and we are keeping a close eye on the longrange weather forecast.” Full Story on Page 10
Soldiering on: Having a cracking good time over at Nimble Fingers JAKE Nourse made a new friend
when he called to Nimble Fingers Toy Shop recently, at Stillorgan Shopping Centre, where the store was busy preparing for its upcoming 50th Christmas celebrations. As part of the seasonal fun, Nimble
Fingers are hosting a Christmas Countdown on Saturday, December 1, from 1pm to 3pm. Wellknown Christmas characters, face painting, balloon making and much more will make the day a delight for children and adults alike.
2 DUNDRUM Gazette 29 November 2012
dublin GAZETTe newspapers i n f o r m at i o n Block 3A, Mill Bank Business Park, Lucan Tel: 01 - 6010240 Dublin Gazette Newspapers publish eight weekly quality free titles, covering the greater Dublin area from Swords to Dun Laoghaire
c o n ta c t s Managing Director: Michael McGovern mmcgovern@gazettegroup.com Acting News Editor: Rob Heigh rheigh@gazettegroup.com Production Editor: Jessica Maile jmaile@gazettegroup.com Picture Editor: Paul Hosford picturedesk@gazettegroup.com Acting Sports Editor: Stephen Findlater sport@gazettegroup.com Advertising Production: Anita Ward ads@gazettegroup.com Financial Controller: Carly Lynch clynch@gazettegroup.com Advertising Sales: 01 - 6010240 sales@gazettegroup.com
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retail Chain to open first Dublin outlet
Paint firm to create 10 jobs TEN jobs are to be created by Ireland’s largest independent painting and decorating retailer when it opens its first Dublin store in Rathfarnham next February. Pat McDonnell Paints already has six outlets in five counties across Ireland, employing 80 people. The company will increase that number to 90 with the opening of its Old Nutgrove Centre store in Rathfarnham. The company was set up by Cork couple Pat and Cora McDonnell in 1977, and now has stores in Kerry, Galway, Kilkenny, Athlone and Cork. Aidan McDonnell, company director, said there were positive growth signs in the trade. He said: “The business has changed radically over the past number of
Bairbre Ni Bhraonain bnibhraonain@gazettegroup.com
years, with an increasing concentration on the domestic market, while the professional trade market has also become more focused on quality private work. “Householders are still anxious to maintain their properties to the highest levels possible, and we’ve seen major success with our home colour consultation service. I’m really excited about bringing this, and more, to Dublin.” Local Labour councillor Grace Tallon welcomed the jobs boost.
Aidan McDonnell, commercial director with Pat McDonnell Paints, brushes up on his Dublin knowledge ahead of the chain opening its first Dublin outlet in February
She said: “It’s wonderful for the area, and fantastic that McDonnells have chosen Nutgrove to locate their first Dublin store. “Hopefully, they will
expand in the future, and there will be more jobs on the horizon in the next year or two.” The new store will open in early February in the Old Nutgrove Shopping Centre next to the old Rathfarnham Fire Station, and will offer a full range of paint brands, including Dulux, Color-
trend and Farrow & Ball. The retail positions currently on offer include store manager, assistant manager, and sales and interior design staff. Applicants for the positions can find out more information about how to apply for the roles at w w w.patmcdonnellpaints.com.
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ballinteer Customers thanked for patience
Refurbished Superquinn reopens AFTER weeks of work, the newly-refurbished Superquinn store in Ballinteer reopened on November 17. The refurbishment included widening the store entrance to improve accessibility for shoppers. The store’s aisles
have also been widened, and upgrades were performed on the off-licence and fresh food sections, as well as the cafe. General manager of the store Ger Joyce paid tribute to the new-look store and shoppers’ patience over the past
weeks while the work was being done. “We are very excited to be officially reopening our new-look Ballinteer store. The store will have a unique offering for our customers, with an unmatched selection of fresh Irish produce.
“We would like to thank our loyal shoppers who have been putting up with the disruption over the past few weeks; their patience is greatly appreciated, and we look forward to having them back in the store,” said Ger.
A cool pair: A furry nice new friend GRACE Kendal couldn’t bear to be parted from this cool character when she visited Nutgrove Shopping Centre recently – just in time for Santa Claus to arrive. Organised by the Irish charity, Bothar, which has an outlet in the centre, the entertainment was a great way of helping to promote the charity’s work – and, in particular, how donating an animal to an impoverished family through the charity makes a lifechanging difference around the world. However, in Nutgrove, Grace was just delighted to meet this friendly creature.
enterprise: local focus in new initiative
Site to help promote Knocklyon business Bairbre Ni Bhraonain bnibhraonain@gazettegroup.com
A NEW website to encourage local people to hire local tradesmen and professionals has now gone live, and the organisers are looking for businesses to sign up with them to add to the growing database of contacts. The Knocklyon Local Initiative Project (KLIP) was established earlier in the year, and its online incarnation – www.klip. ie – marks the beginning of a business directory and skills database. KLIP is a not-for-profit venture of the Knocklyon Network, whose aim is “to encourage and foster
the growth of the local community by encouraging tighter links between business, community and employment”. At the moment, organiser Eve Horan and her crew are working on building a database for the new site’s professionals listing and trying to drum up support from local businesses. She said: “We’re all working hard to get this off the ground, as it is to support local business and employment, as well as providing community news. “We are very conscious of the challenges encountered by the local business community in these
difficult economic times, and so we are providing support and help by offering business networking opportunities, and mentoring and training courses, where appropriate.” Horan sees the new online service as a future self-sustaining employment hub for the Knocklyon community. “We are also encouraging jobseekers to check our website for vacancies and, if they wish, they can provide us with their details, which can be viewed by prospective local employers. The hope is that local jobs will be filled by local people, where possible.” The website aims to
service the community, not only in terms of job encouragement, creation and the use of local skills, but will also act as an informative social point of contact for Knocklyon and the surrounding areas by providing up-to-date news items and information on local activities, societies and clubs. Horan and her colleagues are looking for volunteers to get involved with the whole scheme. To help out and become involved, contact Eve Horan at admin@knocklyonnetwork.com. KLIP is part of the Knocklyon Network, supported by Dodder Valley Enterprise Board.
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Shop local The Gazette continues its focus on the many
Supporting our local business W
ITH Christmas almost here, it is important to remember in the rush that almost everything you could need for the festive period is available right on your doorstep. With that in mind, the Churchtown Business Association (CBA) is campaigning to raise awareness of the array of services available to local people this Christmas. This year, the association has organised with Churchtown Business Park, along with businesses from the surrounding area, to hold a Christmas fair on December 8 at the business park. It is important, now
more than ever, that we support our local economy, and Donal Fingleton, of the CBA, says that supporting local businesses means supporting local jobs. “It’s not just promoting small businesses, it’s trying to encourage people to shop locally and spend locally, and to support local business of any size. “Our members range from the sole traders up to SuperValu. It’s about sustaining local jobs and supporting local business,” he says. The vast majority of CBA members employ mostly local people, so the money spent with those businesses stays in the community, helping to sustain and strengthen
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‘One thing that all locals can do to ensure a vibrant community is to avail of services from the local providers’
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the local economy. There has been much said and written about Ireland’s changing attitude towards the notion of community, but one thing that all locals can do to ensure a vibrant community is to avail of services from the local providers, with many not aware of the plethora of businesses around the corner from their own front doors. Fingleton says: “People don’t realise how many businesses are available to them on their
doorstep and the idea behind our initiative is to encourage awareness of the goods and services that are available in the Churchtown area. “It is important that people are well-informed that they don’t have to go outside the area. We want to encourage the mindset of thinking locally.” Support is the key to a thriving local community, and every member of the public can contribute to this support. Simply put, shopping locally
benefits the local area. By shopping locally, without any of the expedition involved in travelling across the city, we can support local business, enterprise and industry. For the Christmas fair, which will start at 2pm on December 8, the stores within the business park, including Connections, Danish Kitchen Design, Le Pet and Skon Wardrobes will have special offers for the day, and a host of market stalls will set out their wares and will have an array of Christmas gifts for sale. The main attraction will see Santa himself arriving at 4pm – with a Garda escort, no less – to turn on the Christmas
lights for all of Churchtown. A n u n a , I r e l a n d ’s national choir, have taken time out of their busy schedule to sing all the Christmas favourites at the market, and a local choir will be given the chance of performing alongside Anuna. Le Pet will be hosting a charity dog show, in association with Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland. Registration for the event costs just €2 and
all proceeds go towards the charity’s work with people with autism, and there will be a host of prizes on offer. As well as the Christmas Market, there will be live performances on stage (with special guests to be announced), a Leinster Rugby skills exhibition, a Christmas Treasure Trail, and much, much more. For further information, see www.churchtown.ie.
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29 November 2012 DUNDRUM Gazette 5
ways that sustaining retailers in turn helps the community
With such a diverse range of services and retailers found across the region, and not just in Churchtown Business Park, supporting them will, in turn, have a positive outcome for the community
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6 dundrum Gazette 29 November 2012
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Jasmine O’Keefe with her father and Mr Balloon Man. Pictures: Geraldine Woods
Fun at Superquinn
Albert and Ceile Wall with Mr Balloon Man
S
UPERQUINN in Ballinteer has recently began hosting fun days in store in aid of LauraLynn House, Ireland’s first children’s hospice that supports children with life limiting conditions and their families.
The hospice opened in September 2011 and has since cared for over 100 families. The fun days at the recently renovated supermarket include activities such as face painting and balloon modelling to entertain the young children.
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8 DUNDRUM GAZETTE 29 November 2012
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60 10 240 ENTERPRISENEWS
Do you need a friend to help you start or grow your Business? THE word Mentor, originally Greek, means “trusted advisor, friend and confidant”. Everyone running a small business encounters issues – specific or general – where another view would help, especially if this is coming from someone experienced who is able to take a detached view. For this reason, the Enterprise Board has a panel of Mentors who are appointed to small businesses for a series of meetings on a one-to-one basis, to help the entrepreneur through whatever issues are of concern. The Mentor assigned to the company has a clear objective – to help the owner manager grow and develop skills to enable them to overcome barriers which are impeding the business’ development. The Mentor is able to give the business the benefit of a vast amount of experience, together with an objective view of the issues which it is facing. The Mentor’s role is to guide and advise on the course of action to be taken in a given situation. The Mentor doesn’t become actively involved in the day-to-day running of the business, nor do they take on a role of an executive of a company. Typically, an assignment is of six months duration and during this period, the business owner will meet the Mentors five times. Further details on the Mentor Programme, and an application form are available on the Board’s website: www.dlrceb.ie or please call (01) 494 8400
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HEALTH Representatives seek clarity on abortion
Politicians call for action on X Case BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN bnibhraonain@gazettegroup.com
LOCAL Dail deputies and Dun LaoghaireRathdown councillors have been commenting in the wake of the death of Savita Halappanavar in Galway last week on the need to legislate for abortion in certain circumstances in Ireland. Deputy Mary Mitchell O’Connor (FG) last week issued a statement supporting the passing of swift legislation on abortion, and said that legal clarity on terminations was needed to ensure that doctors did not prioritise their own legal protection over the life of a woman in their care. Deputy Mitchell O’Connor said: “It is not
in anybody’s interest that a patient could be allowed to suffer unnecessarily. We cannot leave doctors in a position where they feel they have to treat a living, sentient human being in a way a vet wouldn’t treat an animal, because there is a lack of legal clarity about how they should act. “We failed over many years to give legislative expression to a right guaranteed by our Constitution and voted for in successive referenda by the people of Ireland, and I don’t want any more deaths at my door.” In 1992, the Supreme Court, ruling on the X Case, found that abortion is constitutionally allowed in Ireland in certain circumstances when the life of the mother is
at risk, including at risk of suicide. However, over the subsequent 20 years, six governments have failed to introduce legislation to enact the ruling. More local reaction came from Councillor Niamh Bhreathnach (Lab), who said: “If we had legislated for the X Case, this death might have been prevented. We must legislate now.” Cllr John Bailey (FG) said: “I think the Government should take immediate action on this matter. It shouldn’t be left to the conscience of one doctor. “This is a matter of life and death, and it has been going on for years. We should set out serious guidelines for doctors to follow in these cases.”
Deputy Mary Mitchell O’Connor (FG) joined local politicians in calling for clarity on abortion legislation, following the recent death of Savita Halappanavar (right)
In a Dail speech delivered in April, South Dublin Deputy Olivia Mitchell (FG) urged the Government to legislate on the X Case, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s findings. She said: “The failure to provide clarity has not stopped terminations taking place. It has merely made them less safe,
and more expensive and stressful.” She also called for immediate legislation to provide clarity on abortion for the people of Ireland: “I personally fully support the introduction of legislation and regulation, in line with the decision made by the Irish people in at least two referenda.”
29 November 2012 DUNDRUM Gazette 9
10 DUNDRUM Gazette 29 November 2012
charity
transport: more than 600 tonnes of salt at new operations site
Choirs to help St Michael’s
Council gets set for winter gritting
Bairbre Ni Bhraonain bnibhraonain@gazettegroup.com
Bairbre Ni Bhraonain
ST MICHAEL’S House, the care provider for people with intellectual disabilities and which has centres in Goatstown in Dundrum, Churchtown and Sandyford, has been selected as Iarnrod Eireann’s Christmas charity. At a recent ceremony to turn on the Christmas tree lights in Heuston Station, the charity’s organisers, and the CIE male voice choir, performed Christmas carols for waiting commuters. From December 1 to 23, professional choirs, as well as school groups and musicians, will be entertaining commuters in Heuston and Connolly Stations, with collection points for the charity.
bnibhraonain@gazettegroup.com
All credit to them: Saving institution’s staff attain specialist qualifications STAFF from Dundrum Credit Union had every reason to look
pleased when they recently graduated with qualifications, following their studious efforts with LIA , the professional education and development association for those who work in all areas of the financial services industry. The branche’s Joan O’Mahony, Francis Nolan, Joyce Flood, Anne Bell, and Pauline Hayden were some of the almost 300 successful credit union students who undertook studying with LIA, with students attaining their CUG (Credit Union Governance), CUA (Credit Union Adviser), various APA (Accredited Product Adviser) and QFA (Qualified Financial Adviser) designations.
DUN Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council maintenance staff from depots all over the county are preparing for the possibility of some harsh winter months ahead in their new, state-of-theart operations facility. Located just off the Ballyogan Road, the facility has more than 600 tonnes of salt on hand to help keep local roads open and safe for commuters. It also houses an array of gritting materials, in case the winter proves particularly bad, and maintenance vehicles are at the ready to respond to whatever weather condi-
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‘The facility also houses an array of gritting materials’ --------------------------
tions winter may bring. There is also a fleet of 150 vehicles, and garages to maintain them. A council spokesperson said: “As in previous years, the council is doing everything possible to prepare for the bad weather we may encounter during winter. “We have stockpiled more than 600 tonnes of salt in our new operations facility in Ballyogan, which also houses our full fleet of vehicles, and a central stores for
materials and equipment. “The location of our new facility provides easy access to the M50 and other road networks, making it easier for us to respond to any emergency situation that may arise. “We are keeping a close eye on the longrange weather forecast, and will have crews out gritting, when required.” A new telemetry control centre is also housed in the operations building. This monitors any water leaks anywhere in the county’s water distribution system, and is part of the Water Rehabilitation Project that is still ongoing in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown.
29 November 2012 dundrum gazette 11
people The Gazette talks to Fintan O’Toole
All fired up over the state of the nation Bairbre Ni Bhraonain bnibhraonain@gazettegroup.com
DUN Laoghaire-Rathdown journalist Fintan O’Toole, along with Deputy Shane Ross (Ind), economist David McWilliams and journalist Nick Webb, were part of an interactive show in the Bord Gais Energy Theatre this week that discussed the state of the nation. He spoke to T he Gazette about the show that, he hopes, will be such a hit it will return to the Dublin stage.
“We did something like it before in the National Concert Hall, and it went very well, but we discovered some weaknesses in that run. “The main one was that there wasn’t enough time for audience participation. So, this time, we have to be more disciplined with the egos involved, to let the audience have its say.” The four panellists are joined by Olivia O’Leary, who acts as an impartial compere during the show. If Fintan is one of
the angry men, we asked, what, then, is Olivia? “She is the calm, magisterial woman and the friend of the audience,” said O’Toole. The format of the show is like a debate. “We present our ideas for 15 minutes each. There is a break, during which questions are collected from the audience, and the second half is all audience participation.” When asked if the forum for such discussion should not be more public, free of charge and so,
children Santa to visit the DSPCA Bairbre Ni Bhraonain bnibhraonain@gazettegroup.com
Journalist and commentator, and one of the stars of Four Angry Men, Fintan O’Toole
more democratic, O’Toole said: “Yes, ideally that would be great, but to get a stage on that scale costs money – it’s expensive, and a lot of people have to be paid. “Still, we’ll be lucky to break even with it, and if there’s a demand for it, we’ll come back to Dublin for a second show.”
O’Toole then considered the likelihood of turning his sharp commentary into active political action. “It’s not an ambition of mine, but it’s a reasonable prospect, if I could make a difference. “If so, it would be my duty to step up, but I have to be cautious because the
public is always looking for a media messiah, and I wouldn’t want to disillusion them further if it wasn’t successful.” FourAngry Men started its run on November 25 in Cork, before moving on to the Bord Gais Energy Theatre on November 27. It will finish up in Galway on December 2.
THE DSPCA, based in Rathfarnham, is organising a special visit to see Santa in the Dublin Mountains surrounded by all kinds of animals. Children can book their place to visit Santa, and will receive a personalised letter from him ahead of the meeting. Once there, children will get a special gift, as well as plenty of drinks and biscuits. Santa will be at the DSPCA’s centre at Mount Venus Road, Rathfarnham, on December 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22 and 23. Children can enjoy story time with Santa, beginning with the first reading at 12pm, and continuing every 30 minutes up until the last reading at 4.30pm.
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29 November 2012 Gazette 13
Pantomimes aplenty for Christmas Tis the season to be jolly, and what better way to make it even jollier than a trip to the theatre to see this year’s Christmas pantomimes. Dublin is getting ready to shout “He’s behind you”, and watch familiar faces dress up in elaborate costumes as they star in the shows. This week, the Gazette takes a little look at some of the pantos that are gracing city stages in the run-up to Christmas. This year, the Gaiety Theatre is taking a look at the classic tale of Cinderella, but giving it a panto makeover. There are two nasty, bullying ugly sisters, a quirky fairy godmother, a handsome prince and single glass slipper, all
the ingredients needed to complete the story of Cinders finding happiness and seeing her dreams come true. This panto is sponsored by Tay to and runs for six weeks from December 2 to January 13. Standard tickets are priced from €25 and are on sale now from usual outlets nationwide. For more information, see www.gaietytheatre.ie. At the Tivoli Theatre, the Cheerio’s Panto is Snow White and the Adventures of Sammy Sausages which opens to the public on December 18. This show stars TV3 presenter Alan Hughes as Sammy Sausages, singer Niamh Kavanagh
as the Evil Queen and Brian Dowling as the Mirror. Nadia Forde will star as the Good Queen, while ITV Superstars finalist Niall Sheehy plays Prince Charming. The show also introduces Molly Lynch as Snow White. The Cheerios Panto Snow White and the Adventures of Sammy Sausages opens Dec 18 with previews from Dec ember12 and runs until January 13, 2013. Tickets cost from €15 and are now on sale from The Tivoli Theatre at 01 454 4472 or on www. tivoli.ie Meanwhile, Ireland’s most energetic twins, Jedward, star in the Dublin Bus Christmas panto, Jedward And The Magic
Jedward will star in the Dublin Bus Christmas panto, Jedward And The Magic Lamp, at the Olympia Theatre
Lamp, at the Olympia Theatre from Wednesday, December 19 to January 6. The show features an all-singing, all-dancing cast of over 100. The script is written by
scriptwriter, broadcaster and journalist Fiona Looney. Tickets for this show cost from €25 and are available now through Ticketmaster at www. ticketmaster.ie
Gazette
feature travel
Ethnic bazaar set out stalls for Christmas Fusion Sundays World Christmas markets are set to start this year in New Market Square in Dublin. Fusion Sundays is Dublin’s only ethnic bazaar and has a wide array of international stalls, ethnic food, live music and entertainment for the children. The market will celebrate many different Christmas traditions, with over 30 stalls selling fare from around the world. There will also be a Laughteryoga session, African dancing and several other workshops running throughout the day. The market will be held from 11am until 5pm on Sunday, December 9 at the Dublin Food Co-op, 12 New Market Square, Dublin 8, and subsequently every second Sunday of each month.
dublinlife A brush with great art Gazette
14 Gazette 29 November 2012
exhibition: awards follow showcase of students’ work
erica o’sullivan Fingal Community College
ON MONDAY, October 12, Fingal Community College held an art exhibition, curated by transition year students, displaying the Junior Certificate art, craft and design projects of 2012. The exhibition was followed by an awards ceremony. Projects from ar t, home economics, woodwork and metalwork were displayed in the school hall, and there was a competition for the best project in each subject. Transition year stu-
dents Jodie Morris and Saoirse Traynor introduced the exhibition, which was officially opened by Julie Clarke, arts education officer, Fingal County Council. Refreshments were served by the transition year catering team.
Trophies The winners in each category were awarded trophies, and they were named as Donna Fogerty, art; Megan McKeown, home economics; Damien McGlynn, metalwork and Kyle Maguire, woodwork. The parents of students who submitted
a Junior Cert project were invited to see their son or daughter’s work, and to hear the winners being announced. Fif th class pupils from the Old Borough National School, Swords Educate Together, Holy Family National School and St Colmcille’s Boys School were invited to join the fun, and were highly enthralled by the quality of the artwork. The students would like express their sincere gratitude to all who helped make the event such a success. The exhibition would not have taken place without the generos-
Megan McKeon and principal Sharon McGrath
ity of sponsors, Philip O’Neill Photography, Pat O’Farrell School Un i f o r m S u p p l i e r s , Woodgrey Ltd, Elliot Engineering and Zara McDonnell Boardman. The principal, Mrs Sharon McGrath, concluded the exhibition with the announcement of plans for an annual art exhibition at the college
Donna Fogarty
schoolLife
Get involved with the Gazette As part of the recent relaunch of the Dublin Gazette Newspapers, we are reaching out to all the schools in our catchment areas to become a closer part of our community than ever before. Schools are the beating hearts of communities – one of the last places around which a community can gather. We are calling on budding writers and photographers from all of our schools to help fill the pages. In order to encourage the next generation of journalists and snappers to get involved, we are partnering with Harvey Norman to present the Dublin Gazette Newspapers Cub Reporter and Cub Photographer of the Year awards. For further details, contact me, Rob Heigh, news editor at rheigh@gazettegroup.com, or telephone me at 01 601 0240.
PROMOTEyourSCHOOL te l l u s a b o u t y o u r s c h o o l’ s e v e n t s c o n t a c t t h e G a z ette c a l l 6 0 1 0 2 4 0
29 November 2012 Gazette 15
Gazette
schools
The experiments set up were all popular, but the giant bubble (right) was a particular hit with students, thanks to its fun, hand-on way of showing a scientific principle at work
Bubbling with enthusiasm for tests Aisling O’Fiachain
and Julia Ryan Sixth Year, Notre Dame
O N W E DN E S DAY, November 13, our school hall was transformed into a wacky, wondrous, world of science. Throughout the room, our tansition year and sixth year students had set up amazing experiments to let the invited
primary schools in the area get a close-up, hands-on approach to science. We didn’t think it was possible that this year’s Science Fair could surpass the success of last year’s, but it ended up being even better! Here is what people thought of our Science Fair ... Alison and Katie, from
Holy Cross National school, said: “We really liked the Yop experiment.” Ali, from the Muslim National School, thought it was “amazing and the best school trip of the year”. Jamie Murphy, from the Divine Word National School, found the giant bubble experiment to be “a bit nerve-racking, but
very good”. A teacher from the Muslim National School had nothing but positive things to say about the fair. “It was excellent – I feel bad for the students who didn’t get to go.”
Experiment Diane, from Holy Cross National School, said the giant bubble experiment was “really fun – I didn’t
realise I was in a bubble until it popped”. Sarah, a student of Notre Dame Junior School, loved the slime experiment, and found it “cool, disgusting and scientific”. Lisa Walsh, Prep 6 teacher, Notre Dame Junior School said it was: “A wonderful, interactive hands-on experience for all the children.
“They absolutely loved it, and said it was the highlight of science week.” Ryan, Rathfarnham Parish National School, said that “seeing how things work is fun and exciting”. Ms Byrne, another teacher from Notre Dame, thanked the students of Notre Dame, as “the fair wouldn’t have
been such a success without the help of the transition year and sixth year students”. As you can see, everyone had a wonderful time. Now, we just can’t wait for next year’s fair! The students of Notre Dame would like to thank the science teachers for all of their hard work, as it truly was a day to remember.
GAZETTE
16 GAZETTE 29 November 2012
DUBLINLIFE
FASTBUSINESS
Pictured are (from left to right): Joe Foran, Castleknock Hotel & Country Club (award sponsor); Siobhan Moore, president, Fingal Dublin Chamber; Louise Phelan, PayPal vice president and TV presenter Marty Whelan at the Fingal Business Excellence awards where PayPal won Employer of the Year 2012
Blanch-based PayPal wins Employer of the Year award THE European headquarters of PayPal based in Blanchardstown has won Employer of the Year at this year’s Fingal Business Excellence awards. The global online payment company employs 1,500 people at its facility in Blanchardstown. The awards, hosted by TV personality Marty Whelan, took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry on Friday, November 16, and recognised how highly PayPal values and treats its employees. Judges said PayPal more than met the criteria for this award: “They really value their people and do everything in their power to ensure that each and every employee is treated with respect, dignity and fairness in a creative and innovative atmosphere.” Louise Phelan, PayPal’s Ireland-
based vice president of global operations for Europe, Middle East and Africa, said: “At PayPal, we understand that our success as a company is based on how we value and treat our employees. We are very proud the be part of the business community in Fingal and hope that our philosophy can inspire others to keep employees front of mind, keeping them positively engaged, motivated and inspired. “While times are tough for business, it is within everyone’s grasp to create a workplace that really brings the best out in people and ultimately contributes to a better bottom line.” Meanwhile, the company also won two awards and were highly commended in a third category at the Contact Centre Management Association (CCMA) industry awards.
Keelings Sports-Candy launched KEELINGS, the fresh produce company, are celebrating the launch of their LazyTown Sports-Candy range by welcoming the star of the popular children’s show, Sportacus, to stores around Dublin this weekend. LazyTown is a children’s entertainment brand dedicated to promoting health and well-being in a fun way, and Keelings’ Sports-Candy range includes kid size apples, ready to eat mini pears, pre-sliced carrots, washed off-the-vine grapes and easy peelers, all contained in easy to carry punnets.
Keelings is a 100% Irish owned and family run business with an annual turnover of €300 million and employs over 1,400 people in Ireland and a total of approximately 2,000 people across the group. Sportacus will be in Dunnes Stores, Cornelscourt on Friday, November 30 at 4pm, Tesco Extra in Naas on Saturday, December 1 at 10am, in Tesco Dundrum at 4pm, and at Tesco Clarehall on Sunday, December 2 at 10am. Children are encouraged to wear their LazyTown outfits and join Sportacus in his dance moves.
BUSINESS
Supported by AIB
Pensions made simple CONTINUING my analysis of pension parameters from last week, I can tell you that if you are thinking of setting up a pension plan, there are four main components that should be considered: 1. The strength of the insurance company where the pension fund is based; 2. The performance of both that company and the specific fund where the pension funds are maintained – though you would have to discount the last year or two, owing to the credit crunch impact; 3. The annual management charges associated with the pension fund by the insurance company, and 4. The commissions, or fees, payable to the intermediary/broker who sets up the pension plan. Outside of the complex self-employed, company owner, director and senior employee pension options, there are two basic employee schemes – defined benefit (DB) and defined contribution (DC) schemes. The former are where employees receive 66% (50% if in the public sector) of their final year’s income, irrespective of the performance of the fund to which the employee or their employer or both has been contributing, and providing the full 40 years’ service has been completed. The latter schemes see the employee and/or the employer contribute into a fund, out of which will fund the monthly pension when the employee retires. That is, if the fund is still there at that time. This is why rigorous annual reviews should be
undertaken on all DC pensions. Even those in both schemes can supplement their pensions through an additional tax saving scheme called additional voluntary contributions (AVCs). Therefore, take steps now – have a look at the age threshold; have you room to start AVCs and, importantly, can you afford it? It is very tax efficient BUT you may have more pressing priorities. Whatever you do, don’t procrastinate, and seek expert advice before it is too late. Remember, the younger you start, the better, as the following shows (with pension maturity values at national retirement age, NRA, 65) – starting at age 25, the estimated maturity value at NRA would be €679,059, providing a yearly pension of €37,114. Starting at 35, the NRA value would be €332,135, providing a pension of €18,567. Starting at 45, the NRA value would be €145,161, providing €8,299. If in doubt, talk to an independent and professional adviser, or email me. More next week. 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
AWARD: PRESTIGIOUS LEADERSHIP WIN FOR COMPANY
Lucan forestry firm leafs the competition behind FOREST Enterprises Ltd (FEL), a national forestry company with its headquar ters in Lucan, has scooped the Leadership Award at the ActionCOACH Business Excellence Awards 2012, along with a merit award in the Best Team category. FEL has been in business for more than 20 years and has become a recognised leader in forestry management in Ireland. The Leadership Award was presented to Daragh Little, managing director, FEL and, according to Richard Cullen, of ActionCOACH: “Daragh was selected for the Leadership Award based not only on his vision for FEL, but also the forestry
sector in Ireland. “He has grown from a forest manager to a true business leader, building the business, developing his team, influencing the industry and Government policy both at local and European level. “As a result, he secured ongoing funding for forestry and established forestr y higher and higher on the investment agenda. “He instilled this vision and energy in his team, which also led him to being awarded in the Best Team category.“ In 2010, forestry contributed to 1.3% of Irish GDP, and the sector is projected to significantly grow in the next 10 years due to a high demand in timber.
Marina Bleahen, managing director, ActionCOACH Ireland; Daragh Little, managing director, Forest Enterprises Ltd; Richard Cullen, business coach, ActionCOACH Ireland and Vivian Peelo, business banking, AIB
FEL has already more than doubled its size in a four-year period, bringing its current employee number to11. Earlier this year, FEL opened two regional offices in Sligo and Cork, announced four new jobs, and launched an information website on commercial forestry. In the past two years
alone, FEL have invested more than €250,000 in their IT and management systems. Speaking on winning the award, Little said: “I am delighted to win the leadership award. I have worked in forestry for more than 20 years and proactively established myself as a solution provider to policy makers.”
29 November 2012 Gazette 17
asdfsdaf P27 TRAVEl P24
MOTORS P22
OUT&ABOUT Never be out of the loop on what’s happening in Dublin! Let Out&About be your guide to all that is stylish, cultural and essential across the city and beyond this week
Gazette
cinema P20
Pets don’t buy a pet this chrismas – adopt from a centre, instead
Starring as Nancy in the upcoming production of Oliver! at the Bord Gais Theatre, Samantha Barks is a young actress with an already impressive resume. While set to delight audiences with her role in Oliver!, Samantha will soon also be seen on cinema screens alongside Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables.
theatre: exclusive interview with actress at the heart of oliver!
You’ll be left wanting more! hiromi mooney
YOU can achieve your biggest dreams, even if you hail from a small place. A little girl from the Isle of Man once dreamed of becoming a big star some day, and, after many years of hard work, that dream has come true. Now aged 22, Samantha Barks can call herself a West End theatre star and an international film star. Samantha trained at the Arts Education School in Chiswick, and first graced television screens in 2008 on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s competition on BBC One’s, I’d Do Anything. This was a nationwide search for an actress to play the role of Nancy in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Oliver! To show their support for Samantha,
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‘Nancy is very mistreated by her boyfriend, but she’s facing a dilemma – does she fight for the man that she loves, or for the greater good?’ -----------------------------------------
Samantha Barks
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the Isle of Man even renamed itself for one day as the Isle of Sam. Although she finished in third place in the competition, she is now playing Nancy in a touring production of Oliver!, which is coming to the Bord Gais Theatre next month. Although she is
busy with rehearsals, she took time out to speak exclusively to The Gazette. She said: “When I first got the role, it was amazing because it had been part of my life for about four years ... It was my first insight into the showbiz world, with an audition for that part. “I’d worked so hard when I was 17 in the TV show, so to be actually playing it just felt more special, I think, because I’ve had that long-standing sort of a relationship with the role.” Samantha said that she loves being a part of Oliver! because it is “such a laugh”. “You can be on stage with such a talented bunch of people, but also just have so much fun. “Nancy is such an interesting character to play because, on the one hand, she
is the life and soul of every party – everyone loves her, she’s so much fun. “But then, on the other hand, she’s this dark, dark character that comes from a very abused background. She is very mistreated by her boyfriend, but she’s facing a moral dilemma – does she fight for the man that she loves, or does she fight for the greater good? “She meets this boy, Oliver, who has an effect on her like nothing before – it’s greater than her love for Bill, in the end, and that’s her sort of emotional struggle.” In her varied career, to date, Samantha has starred in the lead role of Zoe in the Disney TV series, Groove High, and she made her stage debut as Sally Bowles in Cabaret. Continues on Page 23
THE DSPCA are urging the public to Adopt, Don’t Buy a pet this Christmas as part of a campaign to prevent trafficking and to provide a second chance to many of the pets in its rescue centre. According to the DSPCA, Christmas sees thousands of pets given as presents, many of which are bought online from unscrupulous breeders. The DSPCA is asking people to give pets in rescue centres, such as the DSPCA’s, a second chance by adopting them as gifts rather than purchasing. According to Gillian Bird, head of education, the DSPCA, the society dealt with 3,319 cases of reported animal cruelty, and took in more than 4,400 animals last year alone. She said: “We hear upsetting stories reported to us in the DSPCA every week, and the public can help in many ways.” For further information, see www.dspca.ie.
Pets aren’t just for Christmas, so think carefully before you bring one home
Gazette
18 Gazette 29 November 2012
OUT&ABOUT
STYLE Debenhams €47
Awear €60 Penneys €13
Christmas Guide - for her! Awear €65
Debenhams €153
Laura Webb
The time has come to think about others and give them gifts that are, truthfully speaking, on our own wishlist. This week, Gazette Style has put together a wishlist for females in the family. From perfume, to make-up, coats to hair styling tools, we’ve got it covered. All you Gazette Style readers have to do is chose one that will make your mother, sister, best friend or nieces Christmas, and don’t worry we won’t tell anyone where you got your ideas from. Don’t miss Gazette Style next week, when we will showcase the men’s wishlist. Happy shopping!
Stylist Easy Curl €39.99
YSL See stockists for details
Heatons €40 Penneys €20
Debenhams €40
Dunnes €15
Lancome See stockists for details
Harvey Norman €129.99
Littlewoods.ie €200
29 November 2012 Gazette 19
Gazette
MUSIC FASTtunes with Dee Woods
Beatles for sale... George Harrison once sang All Things Must Pass, but as we remember him on his 11th anniversary this week (November 29), it’s clear not all things belonging to Harrison have. The so-called “quiet Beatle” features on what’s just been declared Britain’s rarest record. A recording by the band that preceded The Beatles: The Quarry Men from 1958 is the most valuable vinyl in the UK. Beatles Paul McCartney and John Lennon feature alongside Harrison on the single of That’ll Be The Day/In Spite of Danger which is valued at nearly €250,000. And if you are indeed a Beatles’ fan with a few quid, then you might like to know Harrison’s infamous leather jacket is going up for auction soon. It’s expected to go for around €150,000 at Bonham’s in London on December 12. Now I wouldn’t mind that in my Christmas stocking... but that’ll be the day. Dee Woods @ Radio Nova
John Paul Jones, RobertPlant and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, were joined on stage at the O2 in London by Jason Bonham
review: a testament to the enduring power of led zeppelin
Rock of ages past As a youth of some summers past, I was handed a well-worn copy of a strange looking record, adorned with a photo of a painting of a man with a bundle of sticks on the wall of a partially demolished building. No track titles, no words at all, just four symbols. “What is this?” “Just the best rock record ever recorded...” “Okay,” I replied, popping it into a Woolworths bag and heading home to play it. My f r i e n d w a s n ’t wrong. Led Zeppelin IV was an incredible record. Though I was aware of Stairway To Heaven, the album opened up a portal to a style of rock that
did not exist before nor has been created again epic, sometimes pastoral, widescreen and elemental like a hurricane. Though a few years disbanded when I first listened to them, Zeppelin became the go-to act when nothing less than rock would do. I spent years tracking down bootlegs, savouring the BBC Sessions and the Remasters box set... Then, in 2007, 27 years after the band broke up in the wake of the death of drummer John Bonham, the impossible happened. I joined in with the estimated 20 million people worldwide who applied for tickets for their one-off show at
the O2 Arena in London after the band were reunited after the passing of their long-time friend and mentor, Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, who had taken a punt on the English blues band in 1968. A legendary night was had by all (though not me) but, five years later, Atlantic have released a recording and DVD of that night in London in the form of Celebration Day. With the surviving members back on stage with Bonham’s son, Jason, on drums, Zeppelin put on a remarkable show and this is a remarkable testament to their enduring legacy and
contribution to the last 40 years of music. Featuring all of the 16 tracks played that night, sy mpathetically and dynamically mixed by another legend, producer Alan Moulder, the album captures all of the anticipation, the power and the glory of one night in December when the planets aligned and Zeppelin were once more united on stage, where they were always at their most vital. This was no in-it-forthe-paycheck reunion, it was as though Zeppelin had never stopped playing together and that shows through in every single track on Celebration Day.
From Bonham’s countin and Jimmy Page’s piledriver of a a riff on Good Times, Bad Times that opened proceedings, to the final curtain call after a triumphant Rock And Roll, there was a palpable love and respect for each other and the material among the band, a determination to do not only themselves and their back catalogue justice, but to provide a fitting tribute to the man who helped make them the band who still hold so much affection and regard among music lovers, critics and fans worldwide. A simply essential purchase, and one that will make nations happy on any Celebration Day.
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Gazette
20 gazette 29 November 2012
OUT&ABOUT
CINEMA
more
theatre THE pavilioN THEATRE 01 231 2929
RTE Vanburgh Quartet with Nobuko Imai THIS concert brings together the internationally-acclaimed RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet with the sensational Nobuko Imai, regarded as one of the most outstanding violists of her generation. Noted for her flawless technique and warm, expressive tone, Imai has performed as a solo artist with many of the world’s finest orchestras. December 1, tickets are priced at €17/€15.
Mill Theatre 01 296 9340
Miracle on 34th St ENJOY such popular songs such as Pinecones and Hollyberries, It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas and My State, My Kansas, in this joyous, heart-warming musical of pure family entertainment. Miracle On 34th Street tells the story of a mother and daughter that are much too practical to believe in Santa Claus. Macy’s hires a kind, white-bearded, older gentlemen to play Santa at the store, but when the man proclaims to be Kris Kringle and Santa himself, his sanity is called into question. Presented by Glencullen Musical and Dramatic Society and directed by Tom Ronayne. December 5-15 at 8pm, tickets are priced at €20/18.
CIVIC THEATRE 01 462 7477 ABBA Forever
IT’S Christmas! It’s party time! It’s ABBA! From Waterloo to Dancing Queen, expect a dazzling, fantastic performance including the most iconic hits, Mamma Mia, SOS, Money, Money Money, The Winner Takes It All and many more. December 10 and 11, tickets are priced at €20.
Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena take aim at the bad guys
Cops and robbers: Jake Gyllenhaal and michael Pena join the force
An exciting watch I AM having a crisis, dear readers. This time of year inevitably brings too many good films, meaning my inner curmudgeon doesn’t get the chance to stretch its legs. With last week’s surprisingly excellent The Sapphires and the highs of Argo comes End of Watch. Unlike last week’s review, there is nothing surprising about the brilliance on show here. Written, directed and produced by David Ayer, this is unsurprisingly a cop movie. When I say unsurprisingly, it is important to note that Ayer is the man behind the script f o r 2 0 01 ’s Tr a i n i n g Day, was the director of 2006’s outrageously good and criminally
paul hosford
phosford@gazettegroup.com
underseen Harsh Times and 2008’s decent but disappointing Street Kings. Take into account that he also wrote SWAT and Dark Blue and you come to the conclusion that, yeah, this guy likes his men in uniform. Which is not to say that his canon is onedimensional. Ayer ’s experiences on the streets of South Central LA in his 20s have given him a keen eye for the realities of the street and a finely attuned
sense of realism is always attached to his films. Except for SWAT and The Fast and The Furious. Oh, and he did write U-571, the most historically inaccurate film of all time. But he’s apologised for that, so we can just enjoy his LA films. Mu c h l i ke 2 0 0 6 ’s Harsh Times, End of Watch takes a look at a pair of cops on one of LA’s tougher beats. And again like Harsh Times, there is a white guy and a Hispanic guy. But that is largely where the similarities end. Where Harsh Times looked at the subjects with a strangely compelling detached air, End of Watch buzzes with a familiarity
Film of the Week: End of Watch h h h h h (15) 109mins Director: David Ayer Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena, Anna Kendrick, Natalie Martinez, David Harbour, Frank Grillo, America Ferrera
OUR VERDICT: THERE are small stumbles, small little frustrating stumbles, but all in all, this is a great piece of cinema. Brave, unflinching and superbly acted, End of Watch is as good a cop film as there is, but is abundantly more. A great dissection of character, a fantastic look at male relationships and a thoroughly brilliant piece of film-making. See it. See it now.
and an almost childlike energy. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Officer Brian Taylor, a jovial, sarcastic showoff who, along with his partner Mike Zavala (Michael Pena) stumbles across a case that is a few stations above their pay-grade. Like all good movie cops, the two dive head first into it, eschewing the rules, guidelines and protocol of the LAPD.
With many scenes being show n almost entirely through handheld camera, there is a sense of proximity and almost voyeurism in what we’re seeing. Ayer throws off that idea whenever a scene needs more scope or scale and, far from being a jarring juxtaposition, it actually works quite nicely. The grubby corners of LA that Ayer is obvi
ously so familiar with are easily explored with the handhelds, while the action of the film’s second and third acts can be properly portrayed with the less intrusive camera angles. Yes, the bad guys are fairly shallowly drawn, but in this case it doesn’t matter. Their menace is real and Gyllenhaal and Pena infuse their cops with so much likeability, their mere survival is enough to make you root for them. Gyllenhaal is an actor who has quietly gone about establishing himself as one of Hollywood’s most capable, and odd, leading men. Though he will likely miss out on Oscar recognition for this, his performance should be seen.
29 November 2012 GAZETTE 21
GAZETTE
GAMING NINTENDO: NEW CONSOLE IS ALMOST HERE
Wii U is here for, umm, you SHANE DILLON
THE Wii is dead – long live the Wii U. Confused? I don’t blame you, as the news that Nintendo has a new console may be, well, news for many parents and casual gamers. Nintendo has announced that, as of now, it no longer has any new first-party Wii games in development – this means that it will continue to support the Wii, but not to make any new games for it, while it focuses on its all-new Wii U console instead, which launches this Friday, November 30. But, as Nintendo prepares to put its perfectly
SHANE DILLON sdillon@gazettegroup.com
decent (and particularly family-friendly) console into sleepy retirement, the company has finally unveiled its next console – the Wii U – with which it looks set to finally pose a challenge to Microsoft and Sony. Although arriving late to the games party, at least Nintendo have finally rucked up with some hardware of note, and with, seemingly, a
STEP UP TO A CHALLENGING ISLAND
Madness, mayhem – and lovely views – in Far Cry 3 The sleek lines of Nintendo’s Wii U is very much in keeping with modern design trends – and, thankfully, it’s got plenty of power, too, along with a potentially very interesting controller (left)
more astute sense of how to position itself, and to make its console a real contender as a platform for gamers to embrace. But first, what is the Wii U? Put simply, it’s very much a modern games console that, in many ways, is comparable to the power of the XBox 360 or the PlayStation 3 – a notable step up in pure oomph from the Wii’s modest capabilities. Nintendo being Nintendo, they’ve sought to do something that differentiates it from the competition; in this new console, that’s very much the case with its special controller – and how. The GamePad is a large,
COMPETITIONgiveaway giveaway WIN A GREAT KINECT GAME
Your chance to get sporty with XBox THE Gazette has teamed up with Microsoft again for another great XBox 360 giveaway – and, once again, there’s a fun Kinect title up for grabs (which, as you’d expect, requires a Kinect body-tracking sensor to play). With Christmas almost upon us, family party games are always a real hit at this time of year, as well as games that you can return to time and again for lots of fun – so, what better game to pick up than Kinect Sports Ultimate? For those who aren’t as superfit as me (cough), you’ll have lots of fun getting breathless (or showboating your skills) in a wide range of sports, including soccer, football, golf, skiing, tennis, boxing, darts, baseball, bowling, track & field, table tennis, beach volleyball and basketball – if that’s not enough to suit any sporting interest (or to get granny showing off her previously little-seen volleyball skills), well ... Not only that, but we’ll (okay, Microsoft) even bung in some extra prizes for each
BYTES&PIECES
of five lucky winners: a Gold threemonth XBox Live subscriptions, as well as 2,100 Microsoft Points. So, to win your copy of Kinect Sports Ultimate, and the other goodies, just answer the following question ... In which sport would you use a racket? A. Tennis B. Golf C. Darts Email competitions@gazettegroup.com with your answer before noon on Friday, December 7. Please include your full name and address; one entry per applicant; five correct winners will be selected at random, with prizes posted out the following week.
chunky controller with a centralised touchscreen, which offers all kinds of interesting options for games, once designers get to grips with it (no pun intended). For example, that screen could show all kinds of information that directly relate to the onscreen action – such as to be an always-on map of where the player is in that game’s world, with lots of other obvious uses such as showing rankings, inventories, and so on.
Attractiveness Add to that the tactile attractiveness of swiping through and selecting content on this secondary screen, which has an instant relevancy to the on-screen action, and it’s clear that this feature alone has the potential to make the Wii U a very creatively interesting console, and gives it a unique selling point over its rivals. W hat’s under the hood? Suffice to say that it holds its own against the 360 and PS3, with graphics that are a significant step up from the Wii, if programmed right. A few points of note – it can support high definition graphics, with this HD capability a first for Nintendo, as well as using Flash storage for on-board saves. The GamePad can be used to play some games without the TV, with other peripherals also usable, and on the way.
Because nobody in the world really cares about how many tiny elves it whips on treadmills to make the machine process sub-pixel shading – yawn – let’s jump straight on to what will be a huge selling point for many. The fact that it’s backward-compatible with Wii games, meaning that Wii fans, families, those trading up – and even a certain Mr S Claus – can breathe a sigh of relief, as the new console supports all those Wii games people already have. Lastly, in what’s likely to be of most note to hardcore gamers, it’s also worth pointing out that several “heavyweight” games and franchises are also being ported to the Wii U, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Assassin’s Creed 3, and many more. While Nintendo remains the most familyfriendly console out there – to its detriment, some would say, as it hasn’t presented much choice or use for more mature gamers – it’s great to see that the Wii U will offer a “better” range of games. As expected for a launch console, it ain’t cheap, folks – kiss goodbye to at least €400, for the console and a few good games – but for a great, interesting new console, with some already noteworthy launch titles – this could be what Wii, or U, have been waiting for ...
THIS weekend, lots of gamers will be heading to a beaufitul island paradise to get Lost (see what I did there?) with Far Cry 3 – the latest and very pretty, yet pretty violent addition to the popular open-world franchise. Available on PlayStation 3, XBox 360 and PC, the game sees you searching for your girlfriend, and friends, on a beautiful island chain – beautiful, that is, except for some of the inhabitants – very bad men with guns – who aren’t best pleased to have some tourist interlopers ... I rambled – or rampaged – though an extensive hands-on advance preview of the game recently, and can confirm that it’s a great shooter, with an interesting (if slightly unhinged) plot and set of characters, as well as a frequently stunning open-world setting. So, for gamers looking for a lovely-looking (and often frenetic) shooter, you don’t have very Far to look ...
OH, DELL ...
Latest results underline crisis in the PC sector THERE are all kinds of fascinating, bizarre – and occasionally worrying – stories happening across the tech sector at the moment, with former hardware and software giants suddenly facing into unexpected battles. One such battle lies ahead for PC maker Dell, with a number of tech sites and reports picking up on its latest quarterly results, which show pretty hefty drops in both revenues and operating profits – these, in the same year in which its share price has also taken a drastic dive. Former tech giants, such as HP and Blackberry-maker, RIM, have seen a drastic reversal of fortunes in this time. With traditional PC/laptop sales plateauing, at best, or simply slumping around the world, as users migrate to tablets instead – not to mention the inexorable rise of smartphones – Dell, as with rivals and allies alike, faces a challenge to turn things around, before it drifts a little too close to beleaguered MySpace territory ...
IF SPOTTED ...
Tech figurehead continues to evade police in Belize AT THE time of writing, a story that’s been fascinating tech reporters and, well, just reporters around the world has been the bizarre tale of multimillionaire internet entrepreneur John McAfee – yes, that McAfee, whose antivirus software many readers have on their PCs – who remains on the run in Belize, after being named as “a person of interest” in the shooting dead of his neighbour, Gregory Faull, with police looking to interview him for their enquiries. Unfortunately for San Pedro police, and to help with the enquiry into the late Mr Faull’s murder, McAfee has, to use an old-fashioned phrase, gone “on the lam” around the tiny country – a curious decision to make, yet one made even stranger (and attracting intense media attention) by his decision to start a blog, and to contact international media, both protesting his innocence and detailing the ways in which he has avoided Belize police, how he has disguised himself, and so on. Perhaps the best, last word on this continuing situation (at the time of writing) should be left to Belize’s prime minister, Dean Barrow, who has said of McAfee’s evasion: “It strikes me that he is extremely paranoid ... I would go as far as saying he is completely bonkers.”
22 Gazette 29 November 2012
Gazette
&ABOUT OUT road
MOTORS
NOISE
Young artists invited to dream up car Creative kids will be delighted to hear that Toyota Ireland have announced the launch of the annual Dream CarArt Contest. The national competition invites budding Irish artists under the age of 16 to dream up their car of the future. Nine Irish finalists will be awarded prizes which range from a Nintendo DS, Digital Camera, iPod shuffle and art supply vouchers, as well as the chance to win an unforgettable trip to Japan if they are successful at a global level. A panel of three judges, RTE presenter Diana Bunici, lecturer in Fine Art at NCAD OliverWhelan and a representative from Toyota Ireland have the tough job of selecting three finalists in each age category (under 10 years, 10-12 years and 13-15 years) as the national winners. These winners will be announced in March 2013. Young artists are being asked to draw or paint their vision of a Dream Car using standard art materials (digital submissions will not be accepted). All entries must be in colour and include a car and a background or setting on A3 size paper. All submissions can be entered by dropping art work into an authorised Toyota dealership or sending it to Toyota Ireland, Killeen Rd, Dublin 12 and clearly mark it Toyota Dream CarArt Contest. The submission must be accompanied by an entry form which can be downloaded from www.toyota. ie . The contest will be open until February 28, 2013. The nine Irish winners’ works will go on to compete against international winners for gold, silver and bronze in a global competition with a grand prize of a once-in-a lifetime trip to Japan.
At the launch of the annual Toyota Dream Car Art Contest was TV presenter and competition judge Diana Bunici. Diana was on hand at the Radisson Blu St Helen’s to help Kayla O’Toole (5) and Matthew Lawless (6) kick-start their competition entries
The Ibiza comes with a serious shopping list of features as standard
seat: spacious, economical motor with up-to-date styling
Ibiza is great value with VW reliability
n Cormac Curtis
Sit ting into the SEAT Ibiza last month was a reassuring experience for a number of reasons. Firstly, the car simply had a ver y well-puttogether feeling to it, but what really put me at ease was that SEAT were supplying me with pretty much the most standard spec of the Ibiza range that anyone on these shores is likely to come across. No leather upholstery, no heated seats and steering wheel, no 22” bling alloys, no premium sound system named after an electric guitar and it certainly didn’t make coffee… this was possibly the most honest car that I have been trusted to review in some time,
specs: Ibiza 1.2 Style 0 – 100km/hr: 13.9 secs Top speed: 163km/h CO2 Emissions : 125g/km Tax Band: B Current Tax Rate: €225 Price: €15750 (Metallic: €345, as driven: €16,095)
and SEAT are clearly more than confident that the car speaks for itself. And it does. As I said, the Ibiza is a solid motor from the off, and you can feel it. I actually watched a recent British motoring TV programme where two of the presenters were blindfolded and given the task of assessing the interior build quality of two saloons – a silly bit of TV, but it did make me
think of the cars I have driven recently and how I would rate them in terms of value for money. A fter I considered points of contact, such as the steering wheel, gear knob, window buttons and audio/climate controls, as well as upholstery, dashboard materials and how the doors felt opening and closing, the Ibiza was very hard to beat. Considering this car would be a good €10,000 less than most of the other cars I have tested in recent months, it was very difficult to look past it as top of the value heap.
Praise The highest praise from a passenger in the car came from my highly-critical other
half – she doesn’t suffer poor quality and has a bit of an obsession with the VW Golf, but that didn’t stop her taking the words out my mouth and comparing the Ibiza to the classic Volkswagen hatchback. It has to be said that the Ibiza 1.2 Style has a great deal more going for it than the Golf ever did back in the day. Not only is the quality bullet proof, but it comes with a serious shopping list of features as standard, some of the more eyebrow-raising additions are the very pretty 16” Stratos alloy wheels that match the body very nicely indeed, a tinted rear window, up-to-date new foglights with cornering, the rear view mirrors and door handles are heated and come in body colour.
As far as the illumination goes, there are sparking chromed headlights and rear LED lights. Going back to comfort and points of contact, the gearstick and steering wheel are both leather, and the car comes with air conditioning and a stereo that has Bluetooth, USB and Aux connections to its six speakers. So a spacious, fivedoor, economical motor with bang up-to-date styling and a host of extras for well under €16,000, what else are the 18- to 25-year-olds looking for these days? This car represents some of the best value on the market and as part of the VW group, it should be every bit as reliable as its stable mates.
29 November 2012 DUNDRUM GAZETTE 23
GAZETTE
FEATURES
A feature of Samantha Bark’s role in the upcoming big-budget production of Les Miserables (above) will be live, on-set singing, adding extra vibrancy to her performance
THEATRE: ACTRESS CHANNELS ‘POSITIVE ENERGY’
Focused on her art Continued from Page 17
However, Samantha’s career took another turn when she made her West End debut as Eponine in the classic musical, Les Miserables. After a year in the part, she played this role again in the Les Miserables 25th anniversary concert at the O2 Arena in London in 2010. Stunning news came when Cameron Mackintosh announced that The King’s Speech director Tom Hooper had cast her as Eponine in the upcoming Les Miserables Hollywood movie. Mackintosh made the announcement on stage during a curtain call of Oliver! in Manchester last February, and Samantha’s stunned reaction can be seen on YouTube. “I was literally just as shocked and surprised as I looked,” said Samantha. “I still can’t even remember [the moment]! It was just the most incredible moment of my life, where everything just changed in such a quick moment, and to have that on record
– that I can actually watch and go ‘Actually, that did happen; that wasn’t a dream’ – it’s really cool.” Samantha later learned that she was chosen to play the part over other famous stars, such as Taylor Swift and Lea Michele. “Whenever you go for a role, you always know that you’re up against all of these wonderful actresses – it’s just that you don’t necessarily know who they are. “So, I just keep this as my motto: ‘I’m not going to gain anything by knowing who I’m up against, or who’s been seen’. It’s not very productive and it’s not a positive energy to go in with into an audition room. “I just try to block that kind of gossip out of my mind, and be the best that I can be,” she said. “You’ve got to be completely 100%-focused on your audition and what you need to do – not what other people are doing.” The Les Miserables film, which opens early next year, is set to be memorable for its music as all of
the singing was recorded live on set, instead of having the actors mime to the pre-recorded audio. This allowed the actors to make their acting decisions spontaneously while in the heat of the moment. Samantha appears in the film alongside Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman and Amanda Seyfried, and Barks is being touted for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. “It was fantastic. It was an amazing experience. The whole cast was a nice bunch of people.
Overwhelming “It was overwhelming in one way to be working with people like that, but also they were a nice bunch of people, so they made me feel as relaxed as I possibly could be,” she said. “We were all supportive to each other, and it was amazing – just the whole fact that everybody had such support for each other. It was very exciting.” So, from being a little
girl on the Isle of Man to becoming a Hollywood star on the rise, what advice does Samantha have to be successful? “Literally, you have to work your socks off. You can’t just sort of let things happen, and sit back and go: ‘Oh yeah, that’ll happen’, or ‘Why isn’t that happening for me?’ “I tend to just set my sights on something and then work as hard as I possibly can. “Some things happen, some things just don’t. You need to not dwell on something when something doesn’t work out for you. Use that negative energy and put it into the next thing that you want to happen. “Celebrate your success, and don’t dwell on any failures that you might come across,” she advised. Samantha has dreamed a dream, and it has come true. You can see her in action on stage in Oliver! at The Bord Gais Energy Theatre from December 12 to January 12, or on the big screen in Les Miserables from January 11.
24 DUNDRUM gazette 29 November 2012
Gazette
&ABOUT OUT fast TRAVEL
Take a oui break and celebrate the festive season in Europe ESCAPE the winter chill and embrace the festive season in one of Europe’s favourite cities with a perfect pre-Christmas getaway. Stay three nights in romantic Prague from just €167 per person with GoHop.ie. The package includes return flights from Dublin, three night’s accommodation in a three-star hotel, and all taxes and charges, travelling on December 9. Alternatively, see the sights of Copenhagen with a four-night stay in a four-star hotel, from just €300 per person, travelling on December 7. Why not ring in the New Year beneath the Eiffel Tower with a five-night stay in a four-star hotel in Paris? Travelling on December 29, the package is available from just €348 per person. All prices include return flights from Dublin, accommodation, taxes and charges. For more winter break offers, see www.gohop. ie/specials.php.
Step back in time at Strokestown Park FOR any family looking for a Christmas Day out with a difference this festive season, then perhaps taking a trip back to Victorian times could lead you straight to Strokestown Park in Co Roscommon. Visitors will be greeted at The Woodland Walk Cafe and travel through the secret tunnel into the underground rooms of Strokestown House – for the very first time – where guests will meet Santa’s Elves and enjoy a delicious hot chocolate. While children will have a chance to meet Mr and Mrs Claus, adults will enjoy the oldworld Christmas gift shop with Irish crafts, magical books and a chance to create a personal Christmas hamper. A family ticket (two adults and three children) is priced at €50; single adult tickets are €7, while tickets for children availing of the whole magical experience are priced at €15. All bookings, including group bookings for larger groups and schools, can be made at www.strokestownpark.ie.
kerry: the long drive to kenmare is worth it – thanks to this hotel
You’ll fall for lodge’s comfort and luxury laura webb
BAGS packed and ready to go – road-trip. I had heard of the stunning views of Sheen Falls Lodge at Kenmare in Kerry, so I was really looking forward to seeing it for myself. Checking the journey ahead, I was warned by my Sat-Nav that it would take more than four hours to get there from Dublin – so, it was time to get moving. I picked up my friend,
Anne, and we were well on our way as we travelled down the M7. Merging onto the M8 towards Cork, we decided to take a quick pit-stop. Once we were fed and watered, it was back on the road, excited about the destination ahead. On reaching Cork, we stayed on the N25 – or so we thought. It was our first wrong turn of the journey, and we were now heading towards Waterford – not the des-
tination we were looking for. So, it was time to turn back and head back the way we came, but, unfortunately, it wasn’t the right way either. After much circling around, we finally realised we should have continued straight on the N25, rather than turning off to the left. By the time we left Cork, it was dark and we were longing to be at Sheen Falls, but our nightmare journey didn’t
The hotel bedrooms are as inviting and comfortable as you could wish for
Although tucked away in Co Kerry, the journey to Sheen
stop there – diversion signs, oh dear! We finally arrived and I have never been so happy to see accommodation. On arrival, the staff were more than helpful, and we were given a mini-tour of the lodge. Our room was situated in the sailing quarter, and had spectacular views of the lake and forest, which were wonderfully lit to enhance their beauty at night. Dinner at La Cascade was booked, a place where dressing up for the occasion is a must. As we waited for our order, we were given a selection of artisan bread, which Anne was delighted to taste because she is currently studying professional baking. The selection was Italian herbs and seeded rye
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‘The whole feel of the lodge is pure relaxation, where you feel like you are a far cry from civilisation’ --------------------------
bread, as well as some potato rolls. They were each freshly baked and cooked to perfection. I had salmon for my starter, and venison for my main – both delicately cooked, and complemented by flavour. The lodge is situated just off the main road at Kenmare and is hidden away from the hustle and bustle of life. It is an ideal place for a couple’s retreat, for those
29 November 2012 DUNDRUM gazette 25
Gazette
Travel fast
TRAVEL
Support Leinster Rugby in Clermont
Falls Lodge is undoubtedly worth it, with its welcoming luxury and comfort – not to mention its wonderful location in The Kingdom
who just want to enjoy each others’ company, to relax and maybe try out some of the many attractions the lodge has to offer, such as fishing, falconry, clay pigeon shooting, tennis and horse-riding, to name but a few. After some gentle exercise, a spa treatment is a must and that is what we decided to do the morning after we arrived. However, before our treatments, it was time for some breakfast, which was served at the restaurant we ate at the night before. Seeing the view during the day was even more magnificent. The whole feel of the lodge is pure relaxation, where you feel like you are a far cry from civilisation. Again, the food was well presented and tasted
as good as it looked. We were offered a European-style buffet with pastries, fruit, cereal and yogurts among other things, or you could order Sheen Falls breakfast specials such as pancakes, omelettes, French toast or a good aul’ Irish brekkie. Full to the brim, it was time to relax and attend our treatments at the health club. The Sheen Falls Health Club offers an array of treatments, from massages to manicures – it caters for a full body experience. I was treating myself to a Yonka Aromastone 60-minute massage. This was a hot stone massage that would relax even the tightest of muscles. There are two types: a full body or a back, shoulder and neck
massage. I received the latter massage, which is considered the better option for an hour’s treatment. Again, the staff could not have been nicer, and worked wonders on making Anne and me feel more relaxed, and we both ended up feeling like we were on cloud nine. The return journey took a little over four hours, which showed that the day before had just been one of those disaster trips – but we weren’t at all put off by the journey, and would go back in a heartbeat. While I would admit that this lodge isn’t easy on the pocket, you do have to pay that little extra for life’s luxuries and, for me, Sheen Falls is luxury at its best.
WHILE Round Three of the Heineken Cup will no doubt prove to be Leinster’s most difficult assignment when they travel to Clermont and face the former French Top 14 Champions this December, the sporting clash will be a must-see. Joe Walsh Tours have a selection of flights and overnight packages available for the game, as well as official match tickets from €359, plus tax. Departing on December 8 for one night, the package includes direct return flights from Dublin to Clermont, including hotel transfer, one checked-in bag and one night at the threestar Kyriad Prestige, or the four-star Holiday Inn Garden Court, in Clermont city centre, on a B&B basis. The package also includes transfer to Stadium Marcel Michelin, and back to the airport on December 9. For further details, or to book your package, see www.joewalshtours.ie/leinster, telephone 01 241 0800, or email info@joewalshtours.ie.
Escape to Malta’s sun for Christmas
Splash out on – or in – any of the hotel’s many features, all designed to leave you relaxed and refreshed
WITH some choosing to revel in the winter weather when it comes to Christmas time, sometimes a break away is exactly the winter warmer that you really need. Whatever your Christmas budget, Concorde Travel is offering a range of packages to whisk you away to the island of Malta. Packages are available for three or seven nights, in a wide range of accommodation. Depart on December 21 for seven nights and stay at the three-star St George’s Park & La Vallette, from €594PP; stay at the four-star Hotel Maritim Antonine, from €634PP, or stay at the four-star Hotel Cavalieri, €704PP. Travel on Christmas Eve and spend seven nights at the fourstar Cavalieri, from €670PP, or treat yourself at the five-star Radisson Blu Bay Point, from €764PP. The Christmas packages include return flights, taxes, transfers and accommodation. To book your Christmas break, see www.concordetravel. ie, or phone 01 775 9300.
26 dundrum gazette 29 November 2012
DundrumCLASSIFIEDS
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Retention Permission is sought by Lucinda Keogh for the development of a single storey extension to the rear and side consisting of a kitchen / living / dining room; ensuite bedroom and associated site works to the rear at 72 Moreen Avenue, Sandyford Dublin 18. Previous Planning permission was granted underD06B/0563. This planning application may be inspected or purchased during office hours 10:00am to 4:00pm Mon – Fri at the offices of the Planning Authority, County Hall, Marine Rd, Dun Laoghaire. A submission / observation may be made in writing to the Planning Authority on payment of a fee of ₏20. Submissions must be made within 5 weeks from date application is received by the planning authority. 17032
planning Notice dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Planning permission sought for sub-division and change of use of existing two storey annex building at side, from Bed and Breakfast accommodation to detached dwelling house. Proposed works include first floor window to north east elevation, pitches roof canopy to front, new vehicular access and associated site works at Pinehill, Sandyford Village, Dublin 18, for Mr Henry Martini. The Planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making copy at the offices of the PlanningAuthority, County Hall, Dunlaoghaire during its public opening hours. A submission or observation may be made on payment of â‚Ź20 within a period of 5 weeks from the date of application is received by the planning authority. 17031
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29 November 2012 dundrum Gazette 27
athletics P30
asdfsdaf gaelic games P27 P31
dublinsport Let the Gazette keep you up to date with all the best local sporting action from around the city as we cover all the stories that matter to you and your community
Gazette
sports awards P28
FastSport third time unlucky for Loughran:
Former Irish women’s hockey manager Sally Ann Fanagan, centre, celebrates her national volunteer award with, left to right, Alex Speers, Lisa Jacob and Emma Gray
volunteers: fanagan named adult manager of the year at the aviva stadium
Local heroes honoured for selfless services to sport LORETO hockey club member Sally Ann Fanagan was honoured this week with the Adult Manager of the Year Award at the Irish Sport Council’s National Awards to Volunteers in Sport in the Aviva Stadium. Fanagan was awarded the gong following an amazing service to Irish hockey, taking over as the Irish senior women’s team manager in 2006. During her tenure, she amassed 155 caps before she retired in June, taking in three European championships, two Olympic qualifiers, two Champions
Challenge campaigns and one World Cup qualifier. The awards are a collaboration between the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Irish Sports Council and the Federation of Irish Sport which represents over 70 sports in Ireland. In attendance at the event was Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring who acknowledged the exceptional work of the honoured volunteers in sport “For me all our winners epitomise
true sportsmen and women who not alone get a great deal out of sport but perhaps just as importantly put a huge amount into sport,” he said. Also on the list of award winners was Cormorant swimming club coach Marian Fenton, martial arts administrator Brendan Dowling and Gymnastics Ireland’s Mary Murray. Blackrock Flyers founders Colm and Shelagh Leech also received one of the awards on the back of the fantastic work they have done in disability sports and in particular, the Special
Olympics. The Leeches have been volunteers with Special Olympics for over 15 years during which time they have taken on a variety of different roles working at national, regional and local club levels. Their daughter, Tara, is a participant in the Special Olympics in gymnastics, basketball, athletics and golf. In 1989 the couple were among a group of parents to establish a Special Olympics Club in Bray before they went on to found a further club in Blackrock.
FORMER Mount Anville student Sinead Loughran was left on the runnersup side for a third consecutive year in the NCAA hockey championship final as University of North Carolina fell to Princeton 3-2. For each of the past three years, UNC have fallen at the final hurdle by the same scoreline after epic runs to the final of the competition. Loughran’s university had won their regional conference before beating Syracuse 6-1 – who featured fellow Dubliners Emma Russell, Liz McInerney and Gillian Pinder – with Loughran on the score sheet in the national semi-final.
c o n ta c t s Acting Sports Editor: Stephen Findlater sfindlater@gazettegroup.com
For more information or to send in news and photos: sport@gazettegroup.com Phone: 01 651 6205
Gazette
28 DUNDRUM gazette 29 November 2012
SPORT
DublinGazetteNewspapers 2012 dublin sports awards november nominees
WITH winter closing in, local stars are continuing to warm the sports landscape with a string of blistering performances. Dundrum South Dublin AC’s runners claimed the most of the first major cross-country crowns of the winter with Ava Hutchinson’s performance chief among them. A string of local soccer stars are forging their way into Republic of Ireland squads while Barry Murphy’s recordbreaking feats were part of an immaculate Irish swimming team overall performance. From a team perspective, November has seen numerous clubs shine on the Leinster GAA scene but none more so than Castleknock’s footballers. From a collective perspective, Lucan Sarsfields’ immaculate work at underage level has borne fruit in abundance as they annexed their 20th camogie title in six seasons. Swords Celtic have similarly blazed a trail on the soccer front.
H STARof the MONTH
sean byrne
barry murphy
ava hutchinson
ST JOSEPH’S striker Sean Byrne produced a fine showing for the Republic of Ireland as he got on the mark for the U-16s as they played out a highly competitive pair of matches against Estonia.
THE ALSAA swimmer broke a string of national records to show his form at the European short course championships in Chartres, France. He topped his best mark in the 50m butterfly and the 50m breaststroke.
LONDON Olympian Ava Hutchinson picked off the national intercounty cross country title, showing her form leading into the European championships with victory in the senior women’s race.
castleknock junior football
swords celtic
lucan sarsfields camogie
LEINSTER junior championship glory was annexed last Sunday to go with Dublin honours as they had too much in the tank for St Fintan’s last weekend at Parnell Park. A truly breathtaking season continues.
AFTER an eighth successive win at the start of the month, Swords Celtic have rocketed to the top of the LSL junior leagues and look in great shape for promotion up to the intermediate ranks as the midway mark nears.
A MEMORABLE month for the 12th Lock club, their minors won a third successive A championship - the fifth top tier underage in quick succession while three of their senior team have been added to the Dublin panel.
TEAMof the MONTH H
Fingal host cricket coaching development event sport@gazettegroup.com
Recent participants in one of the ICC introduction to coaching courses
FINGAL Cricket Development Officer Reinhardt Strydom, with the help of Simi Singh, recently presented an ICC introduction to coaching course in the Fingal area. The course was delivered at Corduff Sport Centre, Blanchardstown last week and was attended by 13 participants who were represented by clubs from different areas of Fingal and Leinster. The course ran for four hours explaining the basic laws of cricket, how the game works
and to show different small sided games that can be played in the schoolyard. The session started with a demonstration of how the game of cricket works along with the basic rules with a layout of a cricket field. Following that, batting was demonstrated with the grip and stance shown along with the execution of the forward drive. The bowling element concentrated initially on the basic action before progressing to run-ups and follow-throughs. To finish, the teachers were
shown hand-eye co-ordination skills and games and also four different cricket games to play with their students. These games included Pairs cricket and Continuous cricket. Participants arriving with little or no knowledge of cricket learned a lot over the four hours. “They left understanding the game better, had fun, learned to bat and bowl and were all looking forward to trying out these games with their relevant classes. This will hugely help the growth of cricket in Fingal and special thanks have to go to all
the schools and teachers who attended. “A very successful course with many positive outcomes resulted from the day’s activities. “The council are committed to developing sport in Fingal and cricket is a major part of that plan. “This programme gives teachers the basic skills of the game and enables them to pass on what they have learned to their students through fun and active games,” said Niall Mc Guirk, senior sports development office for Fingal County Council.
29 November 2012 DUNDRUM gazette 29
R1
Gazette
O’Caoimh flying high in the wakeboarding world Killiney teenager has entered the wakeboarding world’s top 20 with stellar performances in Asia, South Africa and Australia all while continuing his studies in Ireland TALENTED Killiney native David O’Caoimh ended his year with a tenth place finish at the final wakeboarding world cup event in Palembang, Indonesia last Sunday. Despite negotiating 33 degree heats, the teenager did well to storm his way through the qualifying heats but he came unstuck at the semi-final stage whilst performing one of his most technical tricks. Nonetheless, the result continued his rise into the top 20 in the world in a growing sport that is looking toward potential inclusion in the 2020 Olympic Games. It is quite the achievement for the 18-year-old who, despite the elements in Ireland working against the sport in many respects
stephen findlater sport@gazettegroup.com
– the climate one of the major factors – he has been making waves on the international scene. O’Caoimh has been on the water for the guts of three quarters of his life, first following in his parents footsteps. They were keen windsurfers and introduced him to that sport initially during summer holidays in Cavan but he soon graduated to the wakeboard, a hybrid of water-skiing, snowboarding and surfing with added gymnastics. Pulled along by a speed-
boat at 20 to 25 miles per hour, competitors use the wake of the boat to perform flips and spins to spectacular effect. And, since the turn of the year, O’Caoimh has been one of the foremost protagonists, training on the ice cold waters of Ireland year-round. In 2012, his winning season kicked off when he won the gold medal in the junior men’s division at the European wakeboarding championships in South Africa in February. It led to an invite to the prestigious wakeboard world cup in Australia to which only the top 20 male riders in the world are selected. There, he was up against full-time professional wakeboarders from
all over the world, managing to take fifth place. A few weeks later he went on to compete at the US Wake Games and took bronze in the junior pro men’s category. He then defended his national pro title in Ireland and, a fortnight
petition where, for the second year in a row, he won the gold. Speaking about the incredible run of results, O’Caoimh said: “I am so happy to have had such a fantastic season and I’m really delighted with my titles.”
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‘I am so happy to have had such a fantastic season and I’m really delighted with my titles’ - David O’Caoimh
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afterwards, he took the top spot at the Irish open wakeboard championships. From there, it was off to Germany to compete at the prestigious Chill and Ride international com-
Killiney man David O’Caoimh has produced an incredible year on the world wakeboarding scene
While many of his opponents can afford to compete full-time, O’Caoimh is currently combining competing with his studies. Despite travelling to Asia, Australia, South Africa, the USA and Europe to train and compete, he managed to find time to sit the Leaving Certificate and is currently in first year at UCD. But he is hoping that by the time he finishes college, he could be looking at an Olympic campaign. Wakeboarding has been shortlisted for the 2020 Olympic Games and the world championships are now held under the auspices of the IOC. In addition, the first Wakeboard Cable Park has recently been given planning approval and is expected to open in the Dublin Docklands next spring.
FastSport
St Luke’s create school history in Parnell Park ST Luke’s National School in Tyrrelstown created history for their school by winning the first ever GAA trophy this week when they won the final of the Dublin 15 local schools league, played in Parnell Park against Tyrrelstown Educate Together. Both teams brought large numbers of supporters who created a fantastic atmosphere in the ground. St Luke’s shaded a close match and were inspired by their midfield duo of Michael Afuye and Chris Sombete. The match showcased a huge level of school pride and team spirit and proved a fantastic day for the young people of Tyrrelstown. Speaking about the game, St Luke’s teacher Kris O’Connor said: “The whole school is extremely proud of their boys, who remained undefeated for the duration of the league and represented the school with great dignity. “The victory has done huge things for GAA in the school and has provided encouragement for younger children to get involved. Hopefully, this is the first of many trophies to be won by the children of St Luke’s National School.” O’Connor was part of the team’s coaching team along with Conor Lynch who gave their own time to train, coach and mentor the boys along the road to their success, fostering a strong commitment in the team.
Polar Plunge set for 40 Foot THE fourth annual Polar Plunge will take place on Saturday, December 1 from 11.30am at the Forty Foot in Sandycove with all funds raised going to Special Olympics Ireland. Participants are requested to raise €25 to plunge into the Irish Sea.
Refreshments will be available afterwards while the Newtownpark gospel choir and the Howth coastguard will provide entertainment. For more information, go to www. specialolympics.ie/ easternregion while you can request sponsorship cards from Brenda or Paul on 01 891 2000 or eastern. region@specialolympics.ie.
Gazette
30 DUNDRUM gazette 29 November 2012
SPORT
FastSport
athletics: national senior titles delivered at tattersalls
Wesley duo ready for the Pavilion Punch Up event NEXT Saturday, two former Old Wesley players Ross Johnson and Matt Crockett will be stepping into the boxing ring at the Leopardstown Pavilion to raise money for Motor Neurone disease Ireland (IMNDA). The IMNDA, in conjunction with White Collar Boxing, is bringing a special show to the venue for the first time with 36 men and women of all ages, weights and fitness levels committing themselves to eight weeks of intensive boxing training two evenings a week in the High Performance Gym at the National Boxing Stadium. The group are being coached by a member of the elite high performance coaching team, Eddie Bolger, who trains Joe Ward (Irish light-heavyweight champion). At the end of the training period, they will be matched with a suitable opponent who they will step into the ring with on Saturday and go three rounds. Tickets for Fight Night are now available priced at just €20 while there will be special guests and exciting prizes which include boxing gloves signed by Katie Taylor. Each ticket also includes discounted admission into Club 92 afterwards.Tickets can be purchased on 1800 403 403 or go to www.imnda. ie.
Sportswriter event set for Meadowbrook MEET the Sportswriters is a special free event organised as part of the Dun LaoghaireRathdown County Council writer in residence programme and will take place on Thursday, December 6 at 7.15pm in the DLR Leisure Services in Meadowbrook, Ballinteer. The event will be
hosted by Katy Hayes, DLRCOCO’s writer in residence 20122013, and will afford the audience the opportunity to hear renowned authors and journalists John Breen, Declan Lynch and Johnny Watterson read from their work and talk about their relationship with sport as writers. To reserve your place, please contact Ciara King, assistant arts officer, by email at cking@dlrcoco.ie or by phone at 01-271 9529.
Joseph Sweeney stormed past the challenge of Michael Mulhare to win the national intercounty cross country title last Sunday
DSDAC triumph in Ratoath sport@gazettegroup.com
DUNDRUM South Dublin’s Ava Hutchinson and Joseph Sweeney were both on the top step of the podium as they claimed glory at the Woodie’s DIY national intercounty cross-country championships and juvenile even age group championships that took place last Sunday in Tattersalls in Ratoath. On the men’s side, they were tasked with the challenge of running five circuits of the 2km course. Michael Mulhare of Laois took an early lead on the first
lap but defending champion Sweeney soon overhauled him in a time of 33.27. Commenting afterwards, Sweeney said: “I ran that conservatively, I wanted to save myself for two weeks’ time. I am really looking forward to the Europeans now.” The senior women’s race produced a tremendous battle between Dublin’s Hutchinson and Cork’s Lizzie Lee. Olympic marathon representative Hutchinson duelled with Lee for the majority of the 8km race. At one point it looked like Lee would
boden trio honoured Top camogie awards for St Enda’s players anne Griffin received a special achieve-
ment award last Friday at the Dublin camogie awards night in Westmanstown for scoring the first ever two-point sideline cut. Griffin, centre, was presented with the award by camogie association president Aileen Lawlor and Dublin senior manager Denis Murphy. She was one of three Ballyboden St Enda’s players honoured at the event along with Fiona Ni Shuilleabhain and Sile Nic Coitir.
break Hutchinson as she made a move on the final circuit. However it wasn’t to be and Hutchinson propelled herself to victory in a time of 31.06, ahead of second place Lee four seconds back. On a good day for Dublin, Sarah McCormack finished an excellent third position (31.27), just ahead of Louth’s Fiona Roche (31.34). Commenting afterwards Hutchinson said: “That was really hard, it was one of the toughest races I have had in a long time. I am really looking forward to the Europe-
ans now and I believe we can do very well as a team there.” The combined junior and U-18 boys’ race saw a group of four athletes pull clear on the opening lap. The group consisted of Dublin trio Ian Guiden, Killian Mooney and Aaron Hanlon along with Armagh’s Stephen Kerr. On the second lap the group was down to three athletes as Hanlon started to drop back. Kerr proved the strongest and strode to victory in a time of 20.53, Guiden battled all the way to the line to secure second place in a
time of 20.59. Mooney had the race of his life to place third overall (21.04) and first Under-18 athlete across the line. Defending champion Siofra Cleirigh Buttner was the decisive winner of the junior and Under18 girls 4km race. Buttner, still only in the U-18 category, was the overall winner in a time of 15.54. DSD clubmate Killian Mooney took the U-18 men’s title with several other Dublin athletes winning in the juvenile age groups including Blackrock AC’s Sarah Healy who took gold in the girls’ Under-12 race.
29 November 2012 DUNDRUM gazette 31
Gazette
Dublin South bounce back in SAHL Club Noticeboard sport@gazettegroup.com
DUBLIN South bounced back from defeat to Kilkenny CBS in the Leinster Colleges senior A hurling league as they got the better of St Brendan’s, Birr 4-21 to 5-10 in O’Toole Park. Ballyboden St Enda’s club man James Roche tallied an incredible 3-7.
Birr settled the quicker but Mark O’Loughlin’s ninth minute goal was the catalyst for Dublin South to go on a scoring flurry which reaped 1-4 without reply. Before the interval two goals from Roche had the Dubs 3-14 to 1-5 to the good. Birr, however, hit 2-2 on the restart to close
the gap before Roche completed his hat trick six minutes into the second half. Also on the mark was Round Tower’s livewire Gary Quinlivan who chipped in with three frees. Elsewhere, Colaiste Eoin’s fine start to the competition was stunted by a 1-11 to 1-6 against
Wexford’s St Peter’s. They had impressed early on this term when they defeated the mighty St Kieran’s of Kilkenny 1-14 to 0-11 after beating Dublin north 9-7 to 1-9 a week earlier. Dublin minor of the past two years, Oisín O’Rorke, grabbed the goal 10 minutes from time.
hurling: rock inducted into hall of fame
ballinteer st john’s THERE was no winner of the Thursday,
port the girls on the day, and to their
November 15 lotto draw of €4,800. Next
families.
week’s draw will be for €5,000. Well done to the minor ladies footballers and management on fantastic
Congratulations to the Under-21
championship final two weekends ago
footballers on their great victory over
over Foxrock/Cabinteely.
St Brigid’s and qualifying for the semi-
Thanks to all who travelled to sup-
CONGRATULATIONS to Fiona Ni Shuil-
As Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve
tir who were presented with a national
fall on a Monday, there will be no draws
league medal, a special achievement
on Monday, December 24 or Monday,
award for scoring the first two point-
December 31.
er line-ball and Justmaths.ie player
Instead, there will be a double draw
of the match award from the senior
on Monday, December 17 to cover
one championship final, respectively,
December 24 and a double draw on
at the camogie awards night in West-
January 7 to cover December 31.
sport@gazettegroup.com
KILMACUD Crokes legendary player, manager, coach and chairman, Tom Rock, was honoured by the Friends of Dublin Hurling last week for his amazing contribution to hurling over the years. The new Hall of Fame inductee was part of the Kilmacud team that won the intermediate double in 1982, putting Crokes among the senior rankings, before he coached the club to their first Dublin SHC title three years later, in a dual role as he was also acting as the
I’ll never forget.” Reminiscing on the 1985 championship win, Rock described how the county win was one of his favourite memories. “What a team we had. All-Stars like Pat Cleary and Mick Bermingham. But what I was most proud of was that there were eight local lads on that team, all of whom were U-21, which made it even more special.” Watching the years go by without further county championship success, Rock admits that he did have his doubts that it would be won again and described himself as “very
emotional” when Crokes lifted the championship in 2012, 27 years later. “We always had football success, but I like to think we’ve caught up over the last five years with the hurling. I helped develop one of the minor sides that have been part of a fantastic run of success and there’s been a lot of work put in at the club and now I believe the hurling section is just as organised as the football. “To see the lads winning the championship this year was a very emotional experience for me. I was overwhelmed and very proud of the team.”
Deadline for items for Christmas Boden News is Friday, November 30 -
The camogie section AGM is on
please submit to osuilleabhain.gear-
Wednesday, December 5 at 8pm. The
oid@gmail.com or leave them in on
football AGM is on Tuesday, December
disk or a USB at the Members’ Bar. Its
11 at 9pm.
up to each section to ensure items are covered.
laughter in the lounge for two nights -
Bingo continues Tuesday nights at
Thursday, November 29 and Saturday,
8.30pm. The jackpot is €350. Lotto week
December 1.
eight numbers were 16, 25, 2 and 8. The
The show starts at 9pm. Admission is
hurling chairman. He was also the chairman of the club between 1990 and 2001, and received a standing ovation when his name was called out amongst 360 of his peers at the award ceremony. “I never expected to receive an award like this,” said Rock. “It was absolutely amazing and I can’t describe how much I appreciate it. “To have my name called out in a room full of people that have done amazing things for the game, people that I believe deserve this a lot more than me, it was a moment
free and guaranteed laughs.
leabhain, Anne Griffin and Sile Nic Coi-
The Boden drama group is back with
peter carroll
final of the championship.
Ballyboden st enda’s
president Aileen Lawlor.
Crokes legend gets Friends’ recognition
clubhouse afterwards.
team performance in winning their
manstown by camogie association
Tom Rock receiving the Hall of Fame award from former Dublin manager Jimmy Grey last week
Thanks to Dermot and all bar staff for help in organising celebrations in
jackpot of €4,500 was not won.
naomh olaf CONGRATULATIONS to our U-21 foot-
Friday, December 30 sees Movember
ballers who had another good win in
come to an end and with this comes
the championship against Craobh
the shave off. Some of the clubs well
Chiarain on a score line of 1-9 to 1-5.
known characters will be getting their
They now face Good Council in the
tashes shaved and one individual get-
quarter final due to be played this
ting their head shaved all in the name
coming Saturday, December 1.
of hard working charities.
Our Under-15 camogie girls had
The club’s annual clothes recycling
a great win in the top four playoff
fundraiser takes place from Novem-
with a score line of 4-5 to 3-0 against
ber 30 to December 3. Any unwanted
Raheny.
clothes can be dropped into the club
This week’s Jokers wild jackpot is up
on any of the dates. For more infor-
to €620 after Joey Jackson drew out
mation please contact Mary Gibney
the queen of spades. The draw takes
on 087 2405222.
place every Saturday night at 10pm.
There was no winner of this week’s
Come support and enjoy a great night
lotto. The numbers drawn were 18, 25
in the club.
and 28.
wanderers FULL Wanderers GAA club AGM on November 29 at 8pm in Frank Kelly Park.
details or Mark on 087 6732628. Juvenile training each Saturday is from 11am-12 noon for all ages, and
There was no winner of the lotto
each Wednesday from 6.30pm to
jackpot. Numbers drawn were 4, 6 and
7.30pm for ages six and up at Frank
19; €25 to Eileen Molloy, Mary Morris-
Kelly Park. All welcome.
sey, Maurice Hickey, Rob Weldon. The jackpot next week is €5,900.
Contact Niall for details on 086 8857303. Ladies training each Monday
A unique fundraising player’s calen-
and Wednesday at 7.20pm in Frank
dar will be released this month; con-
Kelly Park. Contact Gerry on 086
tact shop@wanderersgaa.ie for more
8176361.
GazetteSPORT all of your dundrum sports coverage from page 27-31
volunteer awards: Rathfarnham’s Fanagan named manager of the year for her services P27
november 29, 2012
November’s sports stars: This month’s nominees for the GazetteSport awards P28
High hopes for Dundrum seven peter carroll
sport@gazettegroup.com
DUNDRUM South Dublin Athletic Club, winner of the Athletics Club of the Year award for 2012, had seven club athletes selected to represent Ireland at the Spar European Cross Country Championships, carrying on the club’s “rich tradition in distance racing” according to coach Eddie McDonagh. Representing the club in the senior women’s division will be Ava Hutchinson and Linda Byrne, Joe Sweeney and Brendan O’Neill will run in the senior men’s category, Siofra
Cleirigh Buttner and Claire McCarthy will compete in the junior women’s category while Killian Mooney will run in the junior men’s category. Also from the locality, Sean Hehir will be in action in the senior men’s category representing Rathfarnham WSAF.
Over the moon “We are over the moon with the seven athletes that will go forward to represent the team in Budapest,” said McDonagh. “It’s great for the club and although we have been well represented in international tournaments over the year, this is
particularly exciting because of the youth heading off this time. “Our specialist area has always been distance and it’s great to see the club’s rich tradition in distance racing will be carried on by this group. “We have high hopes for the athletes involved. “Last time around Joe Sweeney came fifth in the European championships and Siofra finished second in the U-17 category before, so I know that she will want to finish in the top 10. “There really is a lot of talent heading over and I’m sure everyone will want to compete to the best of their abilities, and if they
do that, anything can happen,” said the veteran cross country coach. Teresa McDaid, team manager for the Irish contingent heading to Hungary to compete, seems very happy with the team that has been selected and is confident of having some success on the journey. “We have solid teams competing at this year’s championships with chances of quality performances at junior and senior level. “For many of our juniors this is their first year competing in this age category and they will be looking to gain experience from this competition.”
Irish Olympian Ava Hutchinson is just one of DSDAC’s star performers