Dublin Gazette: Fingal Edition

DublinGazette NOV 28 - DEC 4, 2019

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THE LATEST NEWS & SPORT FROM THE FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL AREA

JANUARY 4-10, 2018

Transfers will decide who fills Daly’s Dail seat SYLVIA POWNALL VOTERS are being urged to go to the polls in Dublin Fingal this Friday as a dozen candidates chase the Dail seat vacated by new MEP Clare Daly in May. Political analysts predict a keenlyfought contest in the country’s youngest constituency, where transfers will be key in determining who is first over the

“

It’s over to you.

If you have a vote, use it. line.

The national trend shows a rise in popularity for Fianna Fail and the Greens, at the expense of Fine Gael. But Fingal is traditionally a Labour strong-

hold, which could sway votes.

Polling stations for the by election open at 7am this Friday, November 29, and close at 10pm; and the count gets under way on Saturday morning at the National Show Centre in Cloghran.

It is time now for the electorate to have its say – so it’s over to you. If you have a vote, use it.

Bookmakers predict the election will

be a three-way race between Cllr Joe O’Brien (GP), Senator Lorraine CliffordLee (FF), who are both quoted at odds of 11/4, and Duncan Smith (Lab) at 2/1.

However, Clare Daly’s endorsed candidate, 29-year-old Cllr Dean Mulligan (Independents4Change), has been well received on the doorsteps and could throw a spanner in the works.

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COMMUNITY: GREAT FUNDRAISING EVENTS TO USHER IN CHRISTMAS

Festive fun for all ahead at busy Hartstown centre  SYLVIA POWNALL

spownall@dublingazette.com

HARTSTOWN Community Centre is hosting a number of Christmas fundraisers to help pay for essential Health and Safety maintenance and other fire safety upgrade works, which will cost more than €100,000.

Santa will arrive at the centre on Friday, December 20 at 5.30pm, with a Christmas fair also taking place between 4 and 8pm where craft tables will be selling festive gifts, flowers, art and more.

The centre provides

a home for a number of organisations and activities including Little Sparrows Creche, a Montessori, Arch Club, youth club, karate club, Irish dancing and much more.

Dublin Gazette last week reported that the community centre had failed Tusla checks but has since learned that this is not the case. We are happy to clarify that both creches which operate in the building are Tusla-compliant.

Hartstown Community Centre chairperson Declan Sherry told Dublin Gazette: “The creche and Montessori met all inspection standards and are operating as normal.

“We had to move them downstairs to a temporary home as upstairs was

With its creche and Montessori operating as normal, the centre is also looking ahead to continue meeting the community’s needs, as well as organising fundraising events

deemed unsafe. But Tusla have been out to inspect the newly-adapted area, and have given it the thumbs up, and both are fully operational.”

Fingal County Council, which does not own

the building, has pledged some funding.

Declan said a new d e s i g n fo r b u i l d i n g upgrade works, which will include a permanent space for the creche and Montessori, was being drawn up in co-operation with the Dublin Archdiocese.

He added: “All the centre services are working as normal. We’re trying to do

the work around them. We haven’t got the final costing, but it will be in excess of €100,000.

“We just had a bucket collection which was very well supported, and we’ll have other events over the coming weeks.”

For more information, see the Hartstown Community Centre page on Facebook/Instagram.

FASTNews

Have your say on a plan for greenway MEMBERS of the public are being urged to have their say on the proposed Fingal Coastal Way which will link Donabate, Rush, Loughshinny, Skerries and Balbriggan and connect to the Broadmeadow Way. The proposed scheme is at an early stage with key opportunities and constraints being collated prior to the development of potential route options. The project team will be available at the public events to provide further information.

Cllr Brian Dennehy, chair of the Strategic Transport and Infrastructure Development SPC, said: “Public consultation is an essential element of the design process and I would encourage special interest groups, local residents, businesses and landowners to get involved in the public engagement events.”

Public information meetings took place in Rush and Balbriggan earlier this week and a third meeting is scheduled to take place this Thursday, November 28 at Skerries Sailing Club from 5-8pm.

For online information, questionnaire and submissions (before the December 19 deadline), see: https:// consult.fingal.ie/en/browse.

All welcome at Malahide art exhibition ARTISTS from Malahide and Portmarnock are holding an exhibition in Malahide Parish Centre on Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15 from 10am to 5.30pm.

A wide variety of works will be on sale over the weekend, including paintings of local scenes, still life, landscapes, seascapes in a variety of mediums, at very affordable prices, with all welcome to attend.

28 November 2019 FINGAL  DUBLIN GAZETTE 3

CRAFTS: EMMET TURNS WHAT OTHERS THROW AWAY INTO BEAUTIFUL NEW HOMEWARE

‘Scrapheap junk’ is a real gold mine for this designer from Swords SYLVIA POWNALL

A FORMER engineer from Swords has turned his passion for scrap metal into an eco-business, making lighting and homewares from recycled materials.

Emmet Bosonnet from Castlefarm will be showing his clever creations at Gifted – The Contemporary Craft and Design Fair in the RDS, from December 4-8.

T h e d r iv i n g fo rc e behind Kopper Kreation, Emmet has been known to forage in skips and willingly throw himself onto the scrapheap in an effort

to make beautiful things from items others have discarded.

He admitted: “I visit a scrap yard about once a month and when I’m there, the ten-year-old kid in me is jumping up and down with excitement.”

The copper piping, brass fittings, chiller units and other metal items he finds are repurposed and reinvented to become stylish contemporary light fittings, book ends, candle sticks and tea light holders.

It was while working as a senior engineer in a company making solar panels

Donabate man is Colleague of the Year at Tesco A STAFF member at Tesco’s Donabate distribution centre was one of the big winners at the 2019 Tesco Ireland Values Awards.

Simas Baukys – pictured here being congratulated by Tesco director Geraldine Casey, who also paid glowing tribute to Tesco workers nationwide – took home the coveted trophy for Colleague of the Year at the ceremony held in the Radisson Blu in St Helens, Co Dublin.

Voted for by Tesco colleagues countrywide, the awards recognise excellence amongst the retailer’s 13,000-strong workforce across 11 different categories. Simas was nominated by his colleagues at the Donabate centre and he is well regarded across Tesco as a real team player.

Simas, who first joined Tesco in 2015, was recognised not only for his performance, but for being a true friend to those he works with.

Only recently, Simas went above and beyond to support a colleague during a very difficult time.

This act of kindness, among others and is testament to the type of person Simas is and makes him a worthy winner of the prestigious Colleague of the Year award.

and renewable technology that Emmet chanced upon his unlikely treasure trove.

He revealed: “One day at work I had to drive to a scrap yard as our normal driver was away. I was shocked to see how much perfectly fine material was being thrown away, so I went back and bought it.”

What began as a hobby became a full-time career move in 2018. Emmet’s Kopper Kreation is based at The Chocolate Factory, off Dublin’s Parnell Street.

Good design is key for the former engineer,

Above: One man’s junk is another’s source of raw material for some beautiful recycled products, such as these lovely Kopper Kreation table lamps, cleverly made by Emmet Bosonnet (inset), from Castlefarm

whose studio has some retail space which he has turned into a design store called ‘Raw Material’.

There he also sells the work of other ‘industrialstyle’ creatives.

He said: “You can recycle copper, but there is a

huge carbon footprint in transporting the metal and smelting it down. It’s much better if you can repurpose the copper here at home.

“I try to make things that not only look good but that are also adapt-

able and flexible, and most importantly, that are affordably priced.”

Gifted at the RDS is home to more than 500 stands packed with original gifts, with two areas designated specifically to environmentally-friendly

products and a spectacular food emporium hosting more than 100 artisan producers.

Its opening day features a 10% discount off everything. Full details and booking can be found at www.giftedfair.ie.

Sensory room added at airport to soothe flyers DUBLIN Airport has opened a sensory room for passengers with autism, dementia, cognitive impairment or other special needs.

The new space is located after security screening in Terminal 2 and just before the boarding gates, and can also be accessed via Terminal 1.

Depending on the passenger’s requirements, users will have the option to transform the room from a calming and relaxing environment to a stimulating interactive space full of light, colour and sound.

“We are confident that the introduction of the sensory room will make it even easier and less stressful for passengers in need of some assistance on their journey through the airport,” said Dublin Airport customer experience manager Liz Kavanagh.

“It was designed to provide a calm

space for passengers who might feel overwhelmed in busy and unfamiliar airport surroundings.”

The space includes relaxing music, mood lighting, bean bags, comfortable seating, digital display panels, tactile panels, textured flooring and a game to improve memory and motor skills.

The new sensory room, that was designed by Dublin-based Adam Sensory Zones, is free for passengers departing from the airport, with 60-minute sessions available by emailing prm@ ocsireland.com.

The new facility complements the airport’s Autism-friendly ‘Important Flyer’ programme, which was introduced in 2017, with passengers wearing a wristband or lanyard provided in advance to advise staff at security, immigration and other busy spots that special assistance may be required.

4 DUBLIN GAZETTE  FINGAL 28 November 2019

TRAINING: D15 STUDENTS DID THE CITY PROUD WITH GREAT INSIGHTS IN SPAIN

ELECTION

Explaining Ireland to EU peers

Make your vote count on Friday CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The Blanch students were delighted to meet their peers in Spain who were drawn from across Europe, with the group exchanging ideas and discussions on their respective identities and home cultures

FOUR students from Blanchardstown Community Training Centre (CTC) have just returned from an international youth exchange, where they represented Ireland.

The young people travelled to Spain where 24 students from six countries prepared, delivered and took part in workshops in each nation’s culture.

The Blanchardstown quartet were joined by others from Estonia, Italy, Poland, Romania and

Spain and the event was deemed a huge success by all involved.

A spokesperson for Blanchardstown CTC said: “It was a big responsibility for them to act as ambassadors, not only for Blanchardstown CTC, but also for Ireland.

“They had to explain to other Europeans about Irish culture, traditions, food and in general what makes Irish people ‘Irish’.

“Some of the young people

from Blanchardstown had never been outside Ireland.

“It was a new experience for them, but they soon lost their shyness and shared their hopes, dream and vision for the future with their European counterparts.

“They even gave an Irish dancing lesson in the town square.”

The project was fully funded

by Erasmus and the European Social Fund, so there was no cost

FASTNews Gardai investigate an alleged sexual assault on woman

to the young people involved.

The CTC spokesperson revealed: “It was a success and the young people who took part had a once-in-a-lifetime experience, met new friends, built new relationships, strengthened personal values and got to witness the wider world outside of Dublin 15.

“Their feedback included comments like: ‘It was amazing ...

When can we do it again?’.”

A GARDA investigation is under way into an alleged sexual assault on a woman in north Dublin in the early hours of Saturday.

Blanchardstown CTC was established in 2010 and provides vocational preparation and life skills training to meet the needs of early school leavers and local young people.

It is actively involved in a number of Erasmus projects and this is one of the many benefits and opportunities awarded to young people who enrol on its courses.

For further information, see www.blanchardstownctc.ie.

A garda spokesperson said officers were investigating the alleged serious assault of a female that occurred in the Sutton Cross area near Howth

in the early hours of Saturday morning.

No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.

All are welcome at a wonderful free concert in Blanchardstown START the Christmas season with a free concert of festive music presented

by The Baptist College International at Riversdale Community College in Blanchardstown on Thursday, December 5.

The event features choral and instrumental music and all are welcome; there is no charge and seasonal refreshments will be served afterwards.

The concerts starts at 7:30pm sharp. For further information, phone, text or WhatsApp 085 702 1425, or see www.bbc.ac.

While O’Brien could benefit from the Green surge, Fine Gael’s Senator James Reilly may fall foul of the party’s by election curse. He has also faced criticism for pinning part of his campaign on a private day hospital in Swords, which flies in the face of his party’s policy on Slainte Care.

Senator Lorraine CliffordLee has met with a frosty reception on some doorsteps thanks to the emergence of a series of tweets from 2011 in which she repeatedly used offensive language.

Party leader Micheal Martin was quick to support her in her hour of need, but whether that and her apology are enough to smooth the waters remains to be seen.

Labour’s Duncan Smith is the chair of the council’s Strategic Policy Committee on housing and has been a vocal campaigner for more social and affordable homes in Fingal.

Glenn Brady (Ind) is a social worker from Portrane who is committed to improving children’s services, psychiatric services, housing and sustained development.

Tracey Carey (Social Democrats) lives in Malahide and is an advocate for employment rights, affordable childcare and quality mental health services.

Ann Graves (SF) was elected to FCC in May after party colleague Philip Lynam did not stand for re-election in the Swords ward.

Charlie Keddy (Ind) is from Wicklow and is running in all four by elections. His manifesto says he wants to stop abortion, corruption and home tax.

Cormac McKay (Ind) is the founder of the Dublin Loop, which campaigns for free public transport in the capital.

Gemma O’Doherty (Ind) lives in Swords. She ran for President in 2018 and has previously been banned by YouTube for hate speech.

Peadar O’Kelly (Ind) is a former mayor of Balbriggan who ran for town council as a member of the Labour party.

He is calling for more schools and better public transport.

28 November 2019 FINGAL  DUBLIN GAZETTE 5

6 DUBLIN GAZETTE  FINGAL 28 November 2019

GALLERIES OF THE WEEK

Winner of Best Pub – The Betsy, Swords

Winner of Best Community Involvement (Corporate) – DAA

Grace O’Shaughnessy, Java Republic, is congratulated by Jock Jordan, president, Fingal Dublin Chamber; Siobhan O’Donnell, daa, sponsor of the award; and RTE presenter Marty Whelan on winning Business Person of the Year

Winner of both Best Place to Eat (Earth & Vine) and Best Place to Stay – The Castleknock Hotel. Pictures: Alison O’Hanlon

Celebrating Fingal’s business excellence

Karen Dickenson and Neola Killeen, of Neola Apparel, Malahide

The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Eoghan O’Brien, with Grainne O’Donnell and Jim Wylie, of Osbourne Recruitment

Deputy Darragh O’Brien (FF) with Jock Jordan, president, Fingal Dublin Chamber and RTE presenter and the evening’s MC, Marty Whelan

T

HE Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport recently played host to a glittering evening that celebrated the best of business from all across the Fingal region. The black tie affair, hosted by RTE presenter Marty Whelan, brought together big and small businesses from all across the region, which all shared one thing in common: a superb business ethos that deserved awards and praise from their peers.

A record number of entries were received for year’s awards,

with sponsors, and main sponsor Fingal County Council, facing a great range of businesses from all across the county, with some very difficult choices in picking winners in the many categories.

However, the choices for the night’s awards were very well received by both the delighted winners and their assembled peers, with this year’s superb ceremony once again highlighting the strong partnerships between businesses, the council, business supports and initiatives and the communities across Fingal.

Winner of Best Community Involvement (Medium Enterprise) – Swords Pavilions Shopping Centre

28 November 2019 FINGAL  DUBLIN GAZETTE 7

8 DUBLIN GAZETTE  FINGAL 28 November 2019

SUPPORT FOR BALBRIGGAN CITIZENS RETAIL: FREE PAY-AND-DISPLAY PARKING ON KEYDATES

More help at hand for job seekers A C A M PA I G N w a s launched in Balbriggan earlier this month to highlight the need for more supports for job seekers.

Empower Balbriggan is being organised by the local development company and will see a range of events taking place over coming weeks.

According to the 2016 Census, Balbriggan had an unemployment rate of 16.9%, compared with a rate of 10.3% for the county of Fingal overall and a national average of 5.3%.

Co n f i r m e d eve n t s include a pop-up CV

advice clinic and a suiting and styling clinic to get women interview-ready, with further appointment-based clinics on Thursdays, November 28, December 5 and December 12.

Adeline O’Brien, chief executive of Empower, said: “Earlier this year, the Jobs Club in Balbriggan closed its doors. We know this type of service is still badly needed in Balbriggan, and we’re organising this campaign to highlight this need.

“The aim of the clinic is to assist unemployed members of the Balbrig-

gan community with their CV and job-seeking skills.

“In addition to providing local people with practical supports through the pop-up jobs clinics, we’re also hoping to raise wider public and political awareness of the need for employment supports in Balbriggan.”

To book an appointment for any of the popup clinics, contact Graeme Fitzpatrick in Empower at 01 820 9550.

To show support for the initiative, post your views on social media using the hashtag #EmpowerBalbriggan.

The free pay-and-display parking on three key weekends, and a range of Christmas-related fun and festivities across the county, are all part of Fingal County Council’s community- and business-focused plans for the season

FCC gives shoppers an early Xmas gift SYLVIA POWNALL

FINGAL County Council is giving frazzled shoppers an early Christmas present with free paya n d - d i s p l ay p a r k i n g on the three weekends before December 25.

Motorists will not have to put any money in the meter in Swords, Balbriggan, Skerries and Rush on December 7, 14 and 21, as retailers encourage people to shop local.

Meanwhile, the local authority is also planning an extensive Christmas programme this year in a bid to spread some festive cheer among residents both young and old.

For the first time, a Christmas market will take place at Bremore Castle in Balbriggan in addition to the return of the hugely successful Swords Castle event.

Swords Castle will be transformed into a winter wonderland with the opening of the Christmas fair this Friday, November 29 from 3pm.

It continues on Saturday, November 30 from 12 to 8pm and on Sunday from 11am to 6pm.

Stalls will feature traders with an emphasis on local produce and crafts, as well as lots of family fun including Santa Claus, a kids’ Christmas

cartoon cinema club, and musical/magic shows.

Bremore Castle Christmas Market will open on Saturday, December 7 and Sunday, December 8 from 11am to 6pm.

As well as the wide variety of stalls, there will be lots of family fun including Santa Claus, children’s entertainment and a full programme of carol singing and live music.

The switching on of the Christmas lights will take place in Blanchardstown this Thursday, November 28 at 6pm; in Swords on Friday, November 29 at 6pm; and also over in Balbriggan on Friday,

FASTNews A new bus route starts in Swords

A NEW bus route linking Swords to Ashbourne began service on Sunday. The new 197 route will operate 17 daily return services on Monday to Saturday, and 14 daily return services on Sunday inclusive of public holidays.

Stops include Swords town centre, Rathbeale Road, Lispopple, Nine Milestone and Ashbourne.

Additional stops will be added to the service in the coming weeks and months at Rolestown, Bunbury Gate in Swords, and Tesco at Airside.

Fares for adults using a Leap Card are between €1.55 and €3.00, depending on distance travelled, while child Leap fares run from €1.00 to €1.50. Free travel passes are accepted.

For further information and the timetabe, see www.goaheadireland.ie.

Help Tesco to support Temple Street Hospital TESCO is calling on Fingal shoppers to join in its festive fun days on December

December 6 at 7pm.

Free parking will also be available at the courthouse car park in Swords in the three weekends prior to Christmas, starting on Saturday, December 7. They will be open to the public from 9am to 6pm.

The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Eoghan O’Brien, said: “Christmas markets are an enjoyable event for all the family, and it is great to see that there will be two in Fingal this year.

“I look forward to the switching on of the Christmas lights to kick off the festive period.”

Check out Fingal.ie for a fun, free event near you.

6 and 7 to help raise vital funds for sick children this Christmas.

Seasonal cheer is set to top the shopping list with a Christmassy cake sale, fun face painters, limited edition festive floral bouquets and Jingles the Penguin soft toys, all in aid of raising much needed funds for Temple Street Hospital.

Tesco customers and colleagues will also be able to support the little heroes of Temple Street by purchasing limited edition festive floral bouquets (inset) and children’s favourite, Jingles the Penguin soft toys, with funds from each sale going directly to Temple Street to help support its vital work with sick children and their families.

Participating stores include Blanchardstown, Balbriggan, Clarehall, Malahide, Rush, Swords and Swords Express.

28 November 2019 FINGAL  DUBLIN GAZETTE 9

BLANCHARDSTOWN: DEBATE VICTORY SENDING BEVERLEY TO HEART OF THE EU

YouTuber sets sights on trip to Brussels after prestigious win SYLVIA POWNALL

A YOUNG YouTuber from Blanchardstown has her sights set on Brussels after a landmark win in a national debating and public speaking competition.

Beverley Joseph, who works with e-Bay, is now the Irish Soapbox champion after first impressing judges in the 19-andover category at her local library.

Beverley, who is a radio host and YouTuber in her spare time, won over the judging panel with her impassioned speech on the theme, Climate Change is Not My Problem.

She revealed: “My mum saw the flyer at the library, brought it home and

nudged me, saying: ‘I think you’ll be good at this’.

“I’ve cared deeply about the environment since my primary school days, and I was reminded that I won a poster competition for recycling when I was eight years of age.”

When Beverley was 18 on a scholarship programme to Brazil, she interned for the multinational corporation KPMG under its corporate social responsibility department.

She explained: “I had the privilege of hearing passionate activists talk about the impact of climate change and have taken it seriously since then.”

Beverley, who will publish her first children’s

book, Ernest and the Prince of Peace, next year, represented Blanchardstown alongside the under-18 regional champion, Emily O’Shea, from Portmarnock Community School.

She was ecstatic to win the top prize of €1,000 and a trip to Brussels, where she will receive a tour of the European Parliament and other EU institutions.

“I feel great,” she smiled. “It’s really a privilege. It was such a nice event as well and there was a really great atmosphere.”

Siobhan Walshe, manager of the Blanchardstown Europe Direct Information Centre, said: “Beverley was a worthy winner at the regional

Minister of State for Natural Resources, Community Affairs and Digital Development, Sean Canney, congratulates Beverly Joseph on her winning speech on climate change

final in Blanchardstown, and her passion for the topic shone through her speech.

“We are delighted for Beverley, and we would like to thank both Beverley and Emily for repre-

senting our Europe Direct Centre at such a high standard on the national stage.”

LUSK

€4.5m set for 14 new homes at garage site FUNDING of just under €4.5 million has been approved for 14 new houses at the Leonard’s garage site in Lusk.

Deputy Alan Farrell (FG) reports that Stage One approval under the Social Housing Capital Investment Scheme has been given.

Welcoming the move, the Fine Gael deputy said: “These 14 housing units will comprised a mixture of one- and twobedroom homes.

“It is vital that we work to provide more social and affordable housing in our local communities, and throughout the country, to cater for the needs of some of the more vulnerable members of our community.”

10 DUBLIN GAZETTE  FINGAL 28 November 2019

GALLERIES OF THE WEEK

Kim McGivern and Grace Shanley

Elaine Rooney and Noleen Murphy. Pictures: Alison O’Hanlon

Emma Brennan and Ruth O’Brien

St Sylvester’s looks over a terrific 2019

G

LAM and glitz were the order of the evening when St Sylvester’s welcomed Dublin’s five-in-a-row manager Jim Gavin as special guest to its annual gala ball event at the Grand. Malahide.

His guest star presence was just one of the highlights of the night, with the club’s members and guests looking back on a year to remember. Following a great year of development at the club’s home ground, the completion of a state-of-the-art all-weather pitch at Broomfield is also facilitating more games and prompt-

A glass of bubbly and a great smile from Aisling Fitzpatrick and Sara Byrne

Karen and Sean Kiernan

Dublin manager Jim Gavin

Nicky Cleere

ing great growth in membership, especially at juvenile and ladies divisions.

The highlight of the night, however, was the awards presentation, with St Sylvester’s highlighting the club’s superb players and figures, who together have made the club not just a proud cornerstone of the community, but a force to be reckoned with even in Dublin’s highly-competitive GAA circles. The night was highly praised all round, with Jim Gavin’s great speech to the club also warmly received by all.

Eadaoin Kelly, Declan Sheerin, Hazel Leonard and Hilda Kelly

William Rooney

28 November 2019 FINGAL  DUBLIN GAZETTE 11

GALLERIES

John Carroll with BB and Chewy, and Don Kebble with Cluffy

Orlaith Crowe and Tintin

Annabel Russell and Misty

The dogs get ready to take their owners for some walkies. Pictures: Alison O’Hanlon

Taking humans for walkies fun D

OGS from all across Swords and beyond were happy to take humans for some walkies at Rivervalley recently, as they took part in Fingal Dog Owners Group’s series of walks.

The dogs and their two-legged friends were happy to take part, with similar walks

also taking place at locations in Baldoyle and Malahide.

At all of the walks, there were demonstrations of canine good behaviour, free training and advice, and plenty of chances for the dogs’ humans of all ages to mix with others in a fun and healthy environment.

12 DUBLIN GAZETTE 27 November 2019

PART 4 OF 7

Examining how our politicians have attempted to protect struggling Irish mortgage holders “

You criticise me for not intervening with vulture funds. Well, it was a compliment when they were so dubbed in America because vultures, you know, carry out a very good service in the ecology. They clean up dead animals that are littered across the landscape.

PADRAIG CONLON

THE words of then Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan talking about vulture funds at an Oireachtas Committee on Housing and Homelessness in May 2016.

It was only natural he would defend them, after all he was the very person who invited them into the country.

In figures released to Fianna Fail TD Michael McGrath, which he shared in the Dail in 2015, it was revealed that Michael Noonan had met with private equity groups eight times in 2013 and 2014.

The former Minister was accused of “rolling out the red carpet” for vulture funds, while at the same time ignoring Irish mortgage holders in distress.

He even met with Lone Star, who along with its affiliate Shoreline Residential, were the biggest purchaser of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC) mortgage loans, three times in 2014.

In 2013 he twice met with Apollo, who bought a portfolio of Irish home loans from Lloyds Bank in 2013 for €307m.

In total, officials in the Department of Finance met with private equity firms and vulture funds 65 times during 2013 and 2014.

So how have our politicians reacted to the inva-

sion of vulture funds into the Irish market, and what have they done to help struggling Irish homeowners?

The fightback has been led by several Bills brought to the Dail over the past couple of years.

In 2017, Independent

Michael McGrath TD

TD Kevin “Boxer” Moran put forward the Keeping People in Their Homes Bill 2017 aimed at providing further protections for homeowners in mortgage difficulty.

It proposed that judges evaluate, among other things, a borrower’s family circumstances before granting a possession order in respect of a family home.

In February 2019, the Minister for Justice confirmed the Government would advance the Bill as a Government-sponsored Bill, with some changes, and it was re-named the Land and Conveyancing

Law Reform (Amendment) Bill.

At the start of 2018, Michael McGrath was himself behind a Fianna Fáil private members’ Bill, The Consumer Protection (Regulation of Credit Servicing Firms) (Amendment) Bill 2018, to regulate vulture funds.

The Bill, passed on Christmas Eve last year, became operational on January 21st this year, and brings vulture funds within the full suite of Central Bank regulation.

In January, the Dail also voted in favour of Sinn Féin’s No Consent, No Sale Bill which aims to give mortgage holders the power to block the sale of their loans to vulture funds.

Pearse Doherty’s Central Bank (Transfer of Mortgages) Bill puts into law what currently exists as a voluntary Central Bank code, where lenders looking to sell a mortgage must get the borrower’s permission before selling the loan on to a third party.

The Dáil voted by 80 votes to 45 to pass the Bill however the government, and the Central Bank, has opposed the proposed legislation.

In June 2018, Fianna Fail TD, and chair of the Oireachtas Finance Committee, John McGuinness brought The Affordable Housing and Fair Mortgage Bill to the Dail.

Former Minister for Finance Michael Noonan

Written by Master of the High Court Edmund Honohan, the bill brings together several pieces of Irish and European law, and proposes the establishment of a ‘national affordable cooperative housing exchange’, which would allow not-for-profit housing providers to buy

John McGuinness

distressed loans and lease the properties to the borrower.

The bill also covers the provision of housing by not-for-profit, non-state entities with ethical funding as well as dealing with evictions and the reconfiguration of the government’s legal advice service Abhaile as a mortgage resolution agency.

The Affordable Housing and Fair Mortgage Bill reached its second stage unopposed, but remains currently before Dáil Éireann, potentially stuck in limbo until there is a change of government next year.

The lack of support for his bill from his own party, Fianna Fail, has been a source of deep frustration

for McGuinness.

Addressing party colleagues in a scathing letter last year he said: “Complete silence from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil on this matter says much for the state of Irish politics today.

“Remember, it is not just mortgages that are being sold, it’s the lives of Irish people, many of whom are where they are because of the reckless lending of the very banks now selling them into destitution.

“Fianna Fáil needs to find its soul and regrow its backbone, become the opposition it should be, rather than the supine partner in government it is, and force the government to act by promoting decency, instead of toler-

Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

ating greed and keep our people safe by strongly curtailing the actions of all those who seek to reduce their lives to numbers on an enormously profitable balance sheet.”

28 November 2019 DUBLIN GAZETTE 13

14 DUBLIN GAZETTE 28 November 2019

SENIORS: HOME INSULATION:

DUBLIN

LEARN ABOUT HARRY CONNICK JNR’S LATEST ALBUM

PAGE 22



LEARN all about the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme to help have a more energy-efficient home that will be kinder on the planet – and on your pocket, too...

MAGAZINE THE E-GOLF IMPRESSES P20

LET DUBLIN GAZETTE NEWSPAPERS TAKE YOU ON A TOUR OF THE NEWS AND EVENTS ACROSS THE CITY AND COUNTY

Join the Christmas fun for all at Dublin Castle THE Office of Public Works (OPW) has announced a magical new experience for Christmas taking place in the historical surroundings of Dublin Castle.

Christmas at the Castle is a unique festive event running from December 12 to 22, with the event promising to have something for everyone.

With a boutique open air Christmas market, evening carol singing, a Neapolitan crib and complimentary evening access to the traditionally decorated State apartments, the event will also see Dublin Castle’s historic courtyard filled with more than 30 traditional Alpine market stalls, featuring an array of decorative crafts and inspiring gift ideas along with mouth-watering festive treats.

Visitors to Christmas at the Castle, which has free admission, can indulge in traditional fare being sold by artisan producers and soak up the festive atmosphere with evening carol singing provided by local choirs.

There will be a vintage carousel on site for children, while weekend visitors to Christmas at the Castle can avail of horse carriage rides around the grounds and gardens.

During the celebrations, the OPW will be providing complimentary evening access to the State Apartments from 6-8pm. After exploring the castle’s beautifully decorated interiors, families can visit the gothic revival Chapel Royal, the setting for the castle’s hand-made Neapolitan Baroque crib.

Admission to the market is free. For further information on what promises to be a great festival in the heart of the capital, see www.dublincastle.ie.

28 November 2019 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15 COMMERCIAL FEATURE

Sustainable shopping this festive season

RECIPE CORNER

We all know plastic isn’t fantastic and Christmas can often be the most wasteful time of the year. The Health Store has always offered gift wrapping at Christmas and this year, we have committed to fully recyclable packaging options and we have also launched a range of natural, eco friendly home and personal gifts to help you minimise your footprint this festive season.



Here’s our top picks for a more eco friendly Christmas:

A friendly start to your morning!

1. Natural Skincare Products. Your skin absorbs up to 60% of what you put on it! Ensure you use high quality, natural product on yours with gorgeous gift sets from trusted brands like Kinvara, Sukin, Dr Hauschka, Trilogy, Burts Bees and much more. From €11.50.

2. Stojos. Ditch disposable cups with Stojo’s foldable, pocket sized saviour. Perfect for hot drinks! Stojos from €10.95.

3. Salt Lamps. Add positive ions and cleanse the air with Himalayan salt lamps available in a variety of shapes and sizes & will create a warming glow in your room. Salt lamps from €14.95.

We are not all at our friendliest these cold & dark mornings so here’s a warming, comforting recipe to get us going!

1

YOU WILL NEED:

1 cup of The Health Store organic jumbo oats 1 cup of Oatly organic oat milk 1 cup of water 1 tsp of Steenberg cinnamon powder 1 x Red Apple 2 tsp honey/maple syrup/agave 1 spoon Lizi’s low sugar granola

3. Aroma Diffusers. Spruce up your home with Christmas scents and a chromotherapy diffuser and some 100% natural and organic essential oils. Aroma diffusers from €29.95.

METHOD:

1. In a non stick pot, bring your oat milk to a medium heat and add your oats for about 3-5 minutes.

2. Chop up half your apple into little chunks and add in.

3. Once the consistency thickens, add water in, little by little for another 2 minutes until the apple has softened and the texture is as you like it.

4. Pop into a bowl and shake your cinnamon on top and decorate with slices of the other half of the apple.

5. Lastly, top off your bowl with the spoon of granola and as much or as little sweetener as you like, bearing in mind that the apple will sweeten it up a lot!

6. Enjoy!

5. Advent Calendars and Inspirational Calendars. Swap your chocolate for a daily cup of herbal tea. We love this one from Pukka & think these daily inspiration calendars for next year make great secret santa or stocking filler gifts. Advent Calendars from €10.45.

2

4

INGREDIENTS FOR THIS RECIPE ARE AVAILABLE AT THE HEALTH STORE

STORE LOCATIONS

3

5

ARKLOW Bridgewater Shopping Centre North Quay, Arklow, Co.Wicklow 0402 24893 BLACKROCK Frascati Shopping Centre Blackrock Co. Dublin 01 2788855 BLANCHARDSTOWN Blanchardstown Centre Blanchardstown Dublin 15 822 2036

The Health Store are offering up to 20% OFF store wide this BLACK FRIDAY both in store and online at www.thehealthstore.ie

BRAY The Boulevard Quinsboro Road Co Dublin 01 286 1973 DUNDRUM Dundrum Town Centre Dublin 16 Dublin 01 205 1420

HENRY STREET 21 Henry Street Dublin 1 Dublin 01 685 9431 LIFFEY VALLEY Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, Dublin 22 675 4450 NEWBRIDGE Whitewater Shopping Centre Co. Kildare 045 434 250 STILLORGAN Stillorgan Village Co Dublin 01 210 8608 SWORDS Pavilions Shopping Centre Co Dublin 01 840 4438 TALLAGHT The Square Town Centre Dublin 24 01 4521181

16 DUBLIN GAZETTE 28 November 2019

DUBLIN GAZETTE NEWSPAPERS I N F O R M AT I O N

COOL AND QUIRKY THINGS

BITS & BOBS

Heritage House, Dundrum, Dublin 14 Tel: 01 - 6010240 Dublin Gazette Newspapers publishes four weekly quality free titles, covering the latest news, sport, entertainment and lifestyle from the four local authority areas of Dublin

Some real Christmas crackers NUALA Cole and other members of the Dublin Ukulele Collective treated commuters at Heuston Station to some great Christmas crackers as they helped Focus Ireland and Iarnrod Eireann launch the third annual campaign to help more people make it #HomeForChristmas. People can donate to the cause at www.focusireland.ie, call 1850 204 205, or donate €4 to Focus Ireland when purchasing a rail ticket. Picture: Robbie Reynolds

C O N TA C T S Managing Director: Michael McGovern mmcgovern@dublingazette.com Commercial Director: Liz Ferris lferris@dublingazette.com Group Editor: Patrick Finnegan pfinnegan@dublingazette.com Deputy Group Editor & Travel Editor: Shane Dillon sdillon@dublingazette.com Sports Editor: Stephen Findlater sfindlater@dublingazette.com Production Editor: Jessica Maile jmaile@dublingazette.com Picture Editor: Alison O’Hanlon picturedesk@dublingazette.com Online & Style Editor: Rachel D’Arcy rdarcy@dublingazette.com Advertising Sales:

01 - 6010240 sales@dublingazette.com

FIND US ON

www.dublingazette.com Dublin Gazette Newspapers Ltd. Terms and Conditions for acceptance of advertisements Reserve the right to omit or suspend or alter any advertisement(s) in any of its publications. We also decline any responsibility in the event of one or more of a series of advertisements being omitted for any reason whatever, nor do we accept liability for any loss or damage caused by an error or inaccuracy in the printing of any advertisement. If your advertisement appears incorrectly, contact the Advertising Department immediately, as responsibility cannot be accepted for more than one week’s incorrect insertion. Responsibility cannot be accepted if the complaint is made more than two weeks after insertion. If one places an advertisement for more than one week and then cancels it after the first week, no refund or credit will be given for weeks cancelled. The advertiser undertakes to indemnify the Proprietors against any liability for any civil action arising out of the publication of the advertisement or any other matter printed or published in the City Gazette, Fingal Gazette, South Gazette and West Gazette. The placing of an order or contract will be deemed an acceptance of these conditions.

Anger over snapper’s All’s well for Swalwell in Ducks duck any offers for ‘retouching’ breaking wind incident noise restrictions quacking good case, a gang of little girl’s school pic A PUBLIC representative politician pausing briefly IN60 AFrench ducks have been given A FURIOUS mum has hit out at a school photographer who offered ‘retouching’ editing options for her eight-year-old’s school photographs.

Sam Walker, living in Arizona, shared a photo of her daughter’s school photo price list, offering “basic retouching” to remove blemishes, and “premium retouching”, which was described as “basic plus whitens teeth and evens skin tone”.

In her tweet, the mum wrote: “The girls have their school photo today and there is the option to AIRBRUSH the picture!

“There are two levels offered! What the ... ?!

Have complained! What eight-year-old needs to be paranoid about an ‘uneven skin tone’?”

The post went viral, with fellow parents expressing their horror.

in California has been forced to deny breaking wind on a live broadcast recently.

Democrat Eric Swalwell was live on MSNBC when an unfortunate, lengthy tooting noise was heard in the broadcast, clear as day.

He wa s s p e a king about US President Donald Trump when the noise emitted, with the

and attempting not to smile before he continued speaking.

Buzzfeed News have since shared that they had received a text from Swalwell (inset), ensuring them that it was not him who let rip live on air.

“It was not me!!!!!” he wrote. “Ha. And I didn’t hear it when I was speaking.”

permission to carry on making noise by a French court last week.

The ducks, kept by retired farmer Dominique Douthe at the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains, were ruled to be making noise “within acceptable limits” following a case brought to court by Douthe’s neighbour.

“The ducks have won. I’m very happy, because I didn’t want to slaughter my ducks,” Douthe said following the verdict’s announcement.

A complaint was lodged by Douthe’s neighbour who moved into the city about a year ago, 50 metres away from the flock’s enclosure.

DOG OF THE WEEK DUBLIN Gazette Newspapers has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for lost and abandoned dogs.

This week’s dog of the week is Murley, a wonderful three-year-old crossbreed, looking for a home to call his own.

He loves attention and will make a wonderful new addition to a family who can match his energy levels and provide him with a fun and varied lifestyle.

Murley is a sweetheart and just wants to be loved. He would like his new family to be around all of the day, as he doesn’t like to be left on his own at the moment – he just wants to be with his people too much!

Murley will love a family that will make him feel secure and safe. He can live with older children over the age of 10, and with some dogs, as he can be a bit picky about his canine pals.

If you have room in your heart and home for Murley then please contact Dogs Trust on 01 879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website www. dogstrust.ie.

You can also find them on Facebook www.facebook.com/dogstrustirelandonline or Twitter @DogsTrust_IE. (Remember: Always have your dog on a lead when in public.)

murley

28 November 2019 DUBLIN GAZETTE 17

18 DUBLIN GAZETTE 28 November 2019

CINEMA | THERE’S A FRESH TAKE ON A CERTAIN ECCENTRIC BUT BELOVED FAMILY

Kooky Addams characters return SHANE DILLON

A LAST-SECOND change of plans saw me having to miss seeing a certain animated blockbuster sequel that’s just been released – let’s just say I had to let it go, let it gooooo until another time – and settle instead for something somewhat darker in tone.

The Addams Family (Cert PG, 87 mins) is the latest take on the evergreen family, with this new version just the latest variation on a franchise that has a surprising amount of films already out there.

Presumably as part of the film’s marketing push, MGM have just released a whole lot of classic Addams episodes from the

hit 1960s series on YouTube, and I was already briefed on Addams lore before settling down for an unexpected visit with the Addams at the cinema.

It’s a non-canonical take on the family, bringing the atypical family to a whole new audience, with an allstar voice cast breathing fresh life into Gomez and the family.

Following a brisk opening act which establishes Gomez and Morticia’s move to New Jersey along with a couple of other stalwart Addams characters, we jump forward 13 years to the current expanded Addams family of parents, kids and other family members.

They’re all living in splendid isolation, regard-

Just your extraordinary neighbours that you’d probably welcome moving in next door

ed as creepy oddballs and freaks by the rest of their town, but presented in classic Addams style to the viewer as eccentrics, sure, but as a kind and

loving family in their own way.

The Addams’ assorted oddities, however, present a threat to the plans of an outside villain of sorts,

with Margaux – a horrid reality TV host who’s trying to present, and manipulate, a ‘perfect community’ show – horrified by the ghastly family in

town who present a threat to her scheming plans for perfection.

The Addams are more interested in their own plans, such as little Pugsley’s worries over his upcoming Addams rite of passage ceremony, the Mazurka, but a monstrous clash of cultures is slowly building.

Will Pugsley pass his Mazurka? Will Margaux be able to make the TV show she wants? And will The Addams Family successfully introduce the characters to a whole new audience?

Yes, guess, and probably are the unsurprising answers, as The Addams Family follows a pretty conventional take that, in some ways, channels a lit-

tle of the spirit of Edward Scissorhands.

Its overall core message (‘strange people aren’t strange once you get to know them’) was a little on the nose for my liking, and I just wasn’t mad about its character design and animation.

Still, its voice cast including the likes of Charlize Theron, Bette Midler and Oscar Isaac do a pretty decent job with their roles, while the plot was fine.

While I still prefer the charmingly oddball TV episodes that are available online, this animated reboot could be just the Thing to while away some time with the kooky Addams.

Verdict: 7/10

Showcasing some of the best of new books out now BOOK-lovers Rick O’Shea and Sinead Moriarty are seeing out a year of wonderful books in style, with an exciting selection of fiction and non-fiction books, showcasing the best of new Irish and international talent as part of their Book Club.

Sinead said: “My Eason Must Reads are carefully selected with winter in mind and are perfect for curling up and getting lost in a story.

“This selection shows some of the most exciting upcoming Irish and international literary talent and I’m excited to share these books with everyone.”

Rick added: “I am delighted to share my winter Must Reads with the nation. The books I have chosen will have something for every reader, perfect as a treat for yourself or a gift for a loved one this Christmas.”

The titles selected include The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, a dark fairy tale narrated by protagonist Danny, covering over five decades of the lives of a family.

It’s a story about an obsession with a house and a fractured family, but most of all, it’s a book about

the powerful bond between siblings.

• Barefoot Pilgrimage by Andrea Corr. Andrea takes a lyrical look back on the success of one of The Corrs, with a unique insight.

• Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout.

This is the eagerly awaited followup to Olive Kitteridge.

When we first meet Olive in this book, it’s two years after her husband Henry’s death.

She is a little less prickly and more introspective now that she is in her eighties and experiencing loss and loneliness.

• She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. In 2017, two determined and dogged reporters, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, began their investigation into Harvey Weinstein.

This ground-breaking book is their account of gathering the evidence that led to the story that ended Weinstein’s career, and that also sparked the #MeToo movement, making it an important and insightful account of one of the most important news stories to emerge in this generation.

• The Body by Bill Bryson. Bill returns with a unique and fascinat-

ing look at how our body works.

Jam-packed with a brilliant treasure trove of mind-boggling facts, this is the ideal Christmas gift for that awkward family member who is tricky to buy for.

• Akin by Emma Donoghue. An odd-couple adventure about a retired widower who, due to circumstances beyond his control, ends up on holiday in the South of France with his 11-year-old greatnephew, making it part detective story, part coming together of two lonely people.

• Unfollow by Emma Phelps Roper. Once a vocal and devout member of the notorious and hate-filled Westboro Baptist Church, Emma Phelps Roper tells the story of the origins of the church itself.

• Gotta Get Theroux This by Louis Theroux. In this autobiography, documentary maker Louis Theroux tells the story of how he got started, and also how all of his famous TV programmes came into being.

To check out full reviews of Sinead and Rick’s Must Reads for winter, see www.easons.com/ sineadandrick.

28 November 2019 DUBLIN GAZETTE 19

SOME OF THE BEST THINGS TO SEE AND HEAR GOINGOUTOUT

NOVEMBER 28 (THURSDAY)

Bjork @ 3Arena, €50 Alec Benjamin @ Olympia Theatre, sold out Judah & the Lion @ Whelan’s, €22 Do Nothing @ The Workman’s Club, €13 Julia Jacklin @ The Button Factory, sold out The Sherlocks @ The Academy 2, €15 Careerist @ Whelan’s (Upstairs), €12

NOVEMBER 29 (FRIDAY) Bjork @ 3Arena, November 28 €50

The Lumineers @ 3Arena, €50 BellX1 @ Vicar Street, sold out Radical Face @ Whelan’s, €20 Pumarosa @ The Workman’s Club, €17 Six60 @ The Academy Green Room, €23 Penelope Isles @ Whelan’s (Upstairs), €13

REVELLING IN HIS ARTISTIC VARIETY NEW ORLEANS legend Harry Connick Jr has had a vast, varied career, taking in movie acting, Broadway performances, and his original and perhaps most passionate love, music.

With more than 20 albums behind him, and unquestionably a legitimate Hollywood star to boot, Connick Jr rarely produces a similar style of record twice.

His latest, and first in four years, focuses on another Broadway legend, Cole Porter. Porter left us more than half a century ago, leaving behind a library of musical wealth.

“I signed my new contract with Verve Records after 30 years with Sony and we were talking about ideas. I said I wanted to do a songbook album, something new,” Connick Jr told us of the Porter-devoted record.

“I made a list of my favourite Cole Porter songs, went out and discovered some new songs. I’ve always loved his music, so just picked the songs that

 JAMES HENDICOTT

spoke to me. The songs are great, so they’re easy to do justice to.”

Having been behind a piano since he was barely more than a toddler, there’s an endearingly jubilent confidence to the way Connick Jr talks about music, and about all his projects, though Porter brings out a particular vibrancy.

He rewrote the tracks for his own style, focusing on the enduring legacy Porter left behind.

“I’ve been taking each day as it is for a long time,” he laughs as we chat about performing the Porter tracks on the Late Late Show.

“I feel happy here in Ireland, a lot of my ancestors are from here and I walk down the street wondering if the people I see might be my distant cousins. But I’m really glad I don’t have to

organise this stuff. I have a great management team behind me.

“I got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last month and I found out when I arrived that they’d organised for my star to me next to Cole’s.

“It means a lot to be there amongst all those legends, and that really topped it off. That really was surreal, when they called and asked if I wanted a star, I was beside myself with joy.”

These days, Connick Jr is typically booked up months in advance, be it for acting performances (“I’ve just finished shooting ‘Fear of Rain’; I’m always reading scripts.

I really have to leapfrog between these things.”), or playing night after night in a single New York venue residency, as he’ll be throughout the majority of December.

True Love: A Celebration of Cole Porter by Harry Connick Jr is out now.

See full story on our website.

ENTERTAINMENT

NOVEMBER 30 (SATURDAY)

Versatile @ 3Arena, €43 BellX1 @ Vicar Street, sold out Brian Deady @ Whelan’s, €23 Lawrii Craic @ Whelan’s (Upstairs), €13 Ruel @ The Academy, sold out Ocean Wisdom @ The Academy Green Room, €18

DECEMBER 1 (SUNDAY)

Dido @ 3Arena, €50 BellX1 @ Vicar Street, sold out Yola @ Olympia Theatre, €30 Dublin Ukelele Collective @ Whelan’s, €20 Whitney @ The Academy, €25 Mulholland/ McCluskey @ Whelan’s (Upstairs), €10

DECEMBER 2 (MONDAY)

Melanie Martinez @ Olympia Theatre, sold out

DECEMBER 3 (TUESDAY)

J.I.D @ Olympia Theatre, €25 Aldous Harding @ Vicar Street, €25 Man Forever @ Whelan’s (Upstairs), €12

DECEMBER 4 (WEDNESDAY)

Rod Stewart @ 3Arena, €86 Bay City Rollers @ Olympia Theatre, €35 John Sheahan @ Vicar Street, €36+ Aitch @ The Academy, sold out Amistat @ Whelan’s (Upstairs), €14

20 DUBLIN GAZETTE 28 November 2019

MOTORING & TECH

Our reviewer was wowed by Volkswagen’s e-Golf, with it building impressively on the Golf legacy

This shattered America to traverse feels an awful lot like wild Iceland

Death Stranding delivers a game full of great stars that’s often quite baffling, bizarre – and brilliant, too SHANE DILLON LIKE a postman trying to make his way unsteadily down a rocky mountain side, there’s a lot to pick your way delicately around in the long awaited new PS4 title, Death Stranding (Cert 18, c. €60).

Released less than a fortnight ago – but with annual leave and unex-

Mads Mikkelsen

pected illness delaying this review – this enigmatic title is one of the oddest-butFor starters, auteur Japanese games director Hideo Kojima has assembled one hell of an eclectic cast to star alongDead’s Daryl).

Lindsay Wagner

It includes actors Mads Mikkelsen, Lindsay Wagner and Lea Seydoux, and film director Guillermo Del Toro, to name but a few of the well-known names and faces fleshing out the cast and plot.

The end result is a world that’s full of an ever denser plot, twists, deep lore and things to mull over, all presented in the director’s infamous style, replete

Norman Reedus

with in-jokes, surprises, nods at gaming and pop culture, and much more.

Suffice it to say there were fresh

Scrambling carefully around any

ideas here that I’ve never seen before

spoilers, the main game sounds easy

in 40-plus years of gaming, presented

enough to describe, at first.

in a ravaged but often truly incredible

After a cataclysmic event (the Death Stranding) shatters and destroys most of America, Sam (Reedus) reluctantly agrees to try to join up the scattered

looking open world.

Would Death Stranding be a good, if unusual, Christmas present?

Yes indeed, for despite its flaws such

small cities and stragglers that remain,

as an annoyingly clunky menu system,

namely by being their porter.

there’s an awful, awful lot going on here

Unfortunately for Sam, ghostly echoes of the dead (BTs) left behind by the cataclysm are also scattered about

behind its surface level be-a-postman premise.

Non-gamers will also appreciate

the broken world, spelling potential

seeing the likes of Mads and Lindsay

disaster if he runs into the BTs.

constantly pop up in the complex story,

With the help of a BT-detecting unborn baby, BB, that he lugs around with him in a tank, Sam and BB hit the

while gamers will love its innovation and gameplay loops.

They’ll also come away with a feeling

road (and mud trails, lava plains, snow-

that they’ve truly impacted on the

bound hills, city ruins and damp woods)

world, helped other people, and con-

to be the ultimate parcel porter ...

nected with something bigger than just

That’s already something of an odd setup, but, believe me, Death Stranding

their game.

That ain’t bad going for a gruff ghost-

is packed to the gills with layer after

busting-postie, making Death Stranding

layer of innovative features, with an

easy to recommend ...

absolute mountain of things that I can’t go into here.

For a joy to drive, swing for e-Golf DECLAN GLYNN

great games I’ve ever played.

side lead Norman Reedus (The Walking

DRIVING INNOVATION

Sony provided Dublin Gazette with a review code.

HISTORICALLY, the multi award-winning Golf is Volkswagen’s best-selling model, and is among the world’s top three best-selling cars, with more than 35 million built since the launch of the MK1 model in 1974.

Thanks to its upmarket presence and feel, practicality, comfort, outstanding build quality, and generous equipment levels, the VW Golf continues to be one of the world’s favourite family cars.

The wonderful e-Golf adds one more feature to the Golf’s envious list of attributes – silence.

The electric motor delivers its power instantly, so the car responds quickly and quietly, making the e-Golf simple to drive, smooth and remarkably relaxing.

There are three driving modes in the e-Golf – Normal, Eco and Eco+ – which do vary how much range you can get out of a single charge.

There is also a ‘B’ mode that can be engaged from the gearbox , which will convert the car’s lost momentum into charge in the battery, and is enough to slow the car without the driver needing to press the

FACT BOX

1) Zero-emission motoring 2) 5-star NCAP crash-test rating 3) Annual road tax just €120 4) Choice of driving modes 5) On sale now brake pedal.

The VW e-Golf was initially launched in 2014, and it received the same cosmetic and equipment tweaks as the rest of the Golf range in 2017.

Along with this upgrade came an increase in the energy capacity of the e-Golf’s lithium-ion battery, from 24.2 kWh to 35.8 kWh. Power output was hiked to 136 bhp, and the car’s range was boosted to 230 km when tested under strict new WLTP testing procedures.

As with all electricallypowered vehicles, battery range will ultimately depend on driving style, use of heating and ventilation, and weather conditions.

The e-Golf comes in its own highly specified trim levels – namely ‘e-Golf’ and ‘e-Golf Executive Edition’ – which are priced from €35,995 and €39,495 respectively (inclusive of current Government

incentives).

In addition to the impressive standard equipment in the e-Golf, the ‘Executive Edition’ adds 17-inch ‘Madrid’ alloy wheels, LED tail lights with running indicators, a full leather interior with sports comfort seats in front, Active Info Display, rear view camera, heated front seats, tinted rear windows and keyless access.

Charging the VW e-Golf is a simple procedure. You can charge it through a normal household threepin plug, which takes around 13 hours for a full charge.

Alternatively, you can have a dedicated charging point installed at your home, bringing charging time down to between four and five hours.

However, the quickest option is a public charging station, which can charge the battery to 80% in just 45 minutes using the CCS rapid charging system available for the e-Golf.

My review car was a new VW e-Golf Executive Edition, which looked particularly striking in Atlantic Blue metallic paint.

Driving an e-Golf brought with it a huge element of fun, with no journey failing to leave a huge smile on my face.

The surge of power when you drive an e-Golf has to be experienced to be believed.

With 136bhp (100Kw), and a healthy 290Nm of torque available, the 1-speed automatic gearbox ensures a real wow-effect from a standing start, all the way up to a top speed of 150km/h – where legally permitted.

The e-Golf can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 9.6-seconds.

The VW e-Golf takes all the quality, practicality and comfort of the standard Golf and adds the attraction of zero-emission motoring.

There are many grants and incentives available when you buy a new VW e-Golf, such as €5,000 VRT relief, €5,000 SEAI Grant (Private) or €3,800 (commercial), €600 Home Charger SEAI Grant, Savings on toll charges, 0% BIK, and annual road tax of just €120.

28 November 2019 DUBLIN GAZETTE 21

SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT

FOOD & DRINK

Greg and Cassie team up to launch Just Eat awards LOVE Island star Greg O’Shea has j o i n e d p re senter Cassie Stokes to launch the popular Just Eat National Awards.

Now in its s i x t h ye a r, a total of 25 awards will be up for grabs, and three new categories have been added to the 2019 ballot paper, including Best Takeaway Sustainability, Best Takeaway Vegan and Best Takeaway Breakfast.

Food enthusiast Cassie Stokes is returning as the host of the glamourous awards, which will be taking place in Number Twenty Two, South Anne Street, on Tuesday, January 21 next.

To nominate your favourite local restaurant, see just-eat.ie/takeawayawards2019, and you could be in with a chance to win free takeaway food for a year.

Neven helps cook up €11.5 for centre THE Neven Maguire Cookery Demonstration in aid of The Down Syndrome Centre on November 13 was a huge success.

The event, now in its second year, was held at The Pavilion in Leopardstown Racecourse and was attended by more than 300 people.

It was presented by Brendan O’Connor, and renowned chef Neven (above) had plenty of demonstrations for people to enjoy.

Speaking after the event, Sharon Dagg, chief executive of The Down Syndrome Centre, told Dublin Gazette it was an “unforgettable event” and they were delighted to raise more than €11,000 for the charity.

She said: “We had a fantastic night and want to say a huge thank-you to Neven and his team for an unforgettable event and to the fantastic Brendan O’Connor for being a super MC for the evening.

“We would like to thank the Simply Better team at Dunnes Stores for their support and to everyone who attended the event, for their generosity – the event made just over €11.5k, which we’re delighted about.

“The funds will go directly into providing services and supports for children with Down syndrome.”

For further information about the centre and the work they do, see www.downsyndromecentre.ie, or call 01 661 8000.

Left: The image that shocked the country – a little boy (aged 5) forced to eat literally off the street in one of Europe’s wealthiest countries. Above: volunteer Denise Carroll, one of the founding members of The Homeless Street Cafe.

Volunteers are feeding the homeless – partly because the Government fails them REBECCA RYAN

A HOMELESS charity which runs a pop-up cafe in the city centre is warning that the homeless crisis is getting worse.

Recently, The Homeless Street Cafe reported children as young as newborns being brought out at night to their food queues.

In one particular post, the charity shared a photo of five-year-old ‘Sam’, who was sitting on a sheet of cardboard eating dinner on a cold, wet night.

The post went viral and caused national outrage.

Dublin Gazette spoke with one of the founding members of The Homeless Street Cafe, Denise Carroll (39), who said they shared that photo in a moment of complete frustration of the crisis.

She said: “I think this photo came about at a moment of exasperation and totally overwhelming circumstances.

“For us, we just couldn’t believe that it was acceptable that this little boy had to come to us for his dinner – that his only comfort to try to eat his evening meal was to sit on the side of a street on a piece of cardboard.

“This little boy is looked after fantastically by his mother, in her circumstance, but this is how she was forced to feed her child.

“Many people aren’t aware that a lot of emergency accommodation has no cooking facilities, and strictly forbids cooking in bedrooms.”

Mum-of-three Denise, who is a nurse, said it was when she read a post of Facebook four years ago from a soup kitchen looking for help that she got involved in helping the homeless.

“We had lots of food in our house, so I answered the appeal, made sandwiches and brought them

to town.

“I was so saddened to see the homeless gather that night looking for food and essentials. I suppose it was an image burned in my mind, and I felt compelled to begin volunteering with the homeless.

“A year later, The Homeless Street Cafe was born when we started our own group to help the homeless every Tuesday night.”

Dignified Denise and the team set up the pop-up cafe, “which seems a more dignified description than soup kitchen,” she says, and they are out every Tuesday night at Grafton Street, outside Dunnes Stores and the Disney store.

Denise drives in a van, and the homeless service users help to unload tables, food, drinks, and essentials.

There are approxi-

mately 40 volunteers who give their time to help the initiative, and businesses such as Village Vets and Ratoath Barbers donate their services.

When the pop-up cafe started out, they served about 70 people each night; now, that number has grown to more than 300 people.

Denise said the homeless crisis is getting worse and believes the Government needs to step up.

She said: “There is no question the homeless crisis is getting worse.

We really need a massive intervention before we have even more deaths on the street.

“If I had to send this government a message, it would be that, at present, the plan to solve homelessness is acutely failing.

“No more spin on figures or promises – we have more than 10,000 people homeless, and children eating on the streets.

“Put your hands up and admit it’s not working and re-evaluate. Look to countries which have successfully solved their homeless problem.

“Stop paying hotels etc for short-term answers – one hotel alone earned €5 million from homelessness last year. How many peoples’ lives could have been changed with that [funding] forever?

“A very wise person told me that to solve a problem, you must first understand it, and I don’t feel our current leaders have any true understanding of this crisis,” said Denise.

The Homeless Street Cafe are holding a protest on December 5 at noon, gathering at the Garden of Remembrance in the city centre, and are encouraging people to join them.

To find out more about the incredible work they do, see their Facebook page for The Homeless Street Cafe.

22 DUBLIN GAZETTE 28 November 2019

DUBLIN SENIORS

This week, we look at improve the energy efficiency and CHALLENGE YOUR BRAIN...JUST FOR FUN! warmth of homes, medication and Home Care

The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme explained Home Care can provide the answer THERE is no doubt that we are living longer than any previous generation, and while that is good news overall, it brings plenty of challenges with it.

The question that family of elderly parents or relatives need to ask is what how do we cope with elderly relatives, particularly as many people have their own families and work commitments to attend to.

Ideally, we would like to have our parents live in their own homes, free from illness and surrounded by friends and family. Alas, that is not the norm and alternative plans need to be put in place. Options include paying for care at home, sending your loved one to the comfort of a nursing home, or taking them into your own homes to look after them.

It can be very difficult caring for the elderly.

This challenge can be even more significant if the elderly you are caring for is also resistant to care.

This resistance to elderly care could be triggered by a number of factors. Firstly you have to remember that if your loved one is in need of elderly care, then they are at a stage of their lives when they have to cope with their own challenges – for example physical loss, mental loss, or loss of independence.

This can be difficult for them to accept, and they could also be facing the challenge that they might think it is a sign of weakness to accept elderly care.

As we get older we are increasing the likelihood of getting ill, and less tolerant leaving us susceptible to stress.

If elderly parents, or a single elderly parent is living on their own, they may need some assistance in maintaining their independence, staying safe, eating well and enjoying their retirement.

Home Care companies will also involve the professional carer, the family and the client in all decisions, so it is very much a team and combined decision regarding future care. It can happen than an older person is initially resistant to having a carer coming into the home, seeing it as a threat to their independence or seeing visits as an invasion of their privacy.

With care and attention, it is very possible for elderly parents to maintain their independence and stay living at home for many years.

THE Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme aims to improve the energy efficiency and warmth of homes owned by people on low incomes.

It is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

You can get full details of the scheme from the SEAI’s website.

The Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme provides funding for: • Attic insulation • Draught-proofing • Lagging jackets • Low-energy light bulbs • Cavity wall insulation •Energy advice.

Since 1 June 2018, the Scheme covers a number of new energy efficiency measures.

In certain circumstances, the Scheme may cover external or internal wall insulation, central heating and replacement windows.

You may be eligible for external or internal wall insulation under the Scheme if your walls are unsuitable for cavity wall insulation.

A surveyor acting for SEAI will arrange to call to your home to confirm that you are eligible and assess the amount of work needed.

If you are eligible, the work will then be done by an installer, appointed by SEAI. However, as the scheme is in high demand, you may have to wait some months before the work can start.

Rules You must own your home and be living in it.

Your home must have been built and occupied before 2006.

You must be getting one of the following payments: • Fuel Allowance as part of the National Fuel Scheme • Working Family Payment • Jobseeker’s Allowance for over six months and have a child aged under seven years • Domic iliary Care Allowance • One Parent Family Payment

• Carer’s Allowance and live with the person you care for Rates You will not be charged for works done under the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme.

How to apply You must complete the application form (pdf). You can download it from seai. ie or contact SEAI to ask for it to be posted out.

You will need to provide evidence that you are eligible for the scheme. Full details of the information required are on the application form.

Where to apply Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Locall: 1800 250 204, Homepage: http:// www.seai.ie/ Email: warmerhomes@ seai.ie

Be informed on the drugs and medicine you take BEING informed about the medication you take is essential to maintaining your health.

It is important that you remember and understand what your doctor tells you about any condition you may have and any medicine prescribed.

It is also a good idea to write down any questions you have before you visit your doctor or pharmacist so you don’t forget anything.

If you don’t like asking questions you may want to take a friend or family member with you.

Here are some questions you (or your carer) may want to ask your doctor or chemist about

your medications: • What is the name of the medication and what is it for?

• Are there any possible side effects?

• What should I do if there are any side effects?

• How long will I need to take this medication for?

• Will this medication affect any of my other medical problems?

• What should I do if I forget to take my medication?

• Will this medicine interfere with any others that I take?

• Is there anything I should avoid while tak-

ing this medication – such as alcohol, cigarettes, driving?

• Check that you are taking the lowest possible effective dose of medication • Take your medicine at the same time every day Medication costs If you are not a Medical Card holder, you can apply for a Drugs Payment Scheme Card which allows you to spend no more than a maximum of €120 per month on medications.

Senior helpline LoCall: 1850 440 444 Seven days a week, 10am-1pm and 7-10pm.

28 November 2019 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23

CHALLENGE YOUR BRAIN...JUST FOR FUN!

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28 November 2019 FINGAL  DUBLIN GAZETTE 27

FOOTBALL P31

THE BEST IN DUBLIN

SPORT

FAY HONOURED: BOXING: SWORDS Boxing Club’s Niamh Fay was honoured this week by Fingal County Council who held a civic reception at County Hall for her gold medal exploits at the European Youth Boxing Championships.

The Ballyboughal native won the gold medal when she defeated Croatia’s Nikolina Cacic in Sofia.



GAZETTE

SOCCER P28

PAGE 29

LET DUBLIN GAZETTE NEWSPAPERS INFORM YOU OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AND SCORES OF YOUR FAVOURITE TEAMS RUGBY | YOUNGSTER SCORES DECISIVE TRY AGAINST LYON

Deegan’s delight for Leinster  sport@dublingazette.com

MAX Deegan’s first Heineken Champions Cup try set Leinster Rugby on their way to a dogged 13-6 victory over first-time opponents Lyon at Matmut Stadium de Gerland.

On his first European start, the young number eight crashed over in the 22nd minute to establish a 10-0 lead, a scoreline the province held up to half-time thanks to some excellent defending during Jordan Larmour’s sin-bin period.

Lyon out-half Jonathan Wisniewski landed two penalties during the final quarter, but man-of-the-match Johnny Sexton’s second successful penalty – in the 78th minute – got his side over the finish line in a closely-fought Pool 1 encounter.

And while the performance was not quite perfect once again, Sexton felt winning away in France is another boost for the team’s character.

“The big games the margins are so

fine, so small. They do come down to swings in the games,” said the outhalf, who was named man of the match.

“So, yeah, we’re happy with the win. I suppose the attitude that we had if you compare it to when we went down to Toulouse last year having got a five-point victory over Wasps, where we lost. We weren’t ready for the battle that day.

“Today was much better and I’m proud of how we turned up. But like I said when you don’t take your chances – we had a few of them – that makes it a really difficult game in those conditions.”

Leinster return to Pro 14 this weekend against Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun on Saturday evening at 7.35pm.

The blues lead the way in their section with six wins from six while the Warriors have three from the same amount of games.

Leo Cullen’s side have a few injuries clearing up. Fergus McFadden (elbow) made a return to on-field training last

Leinster’s Johnny Sexton was named man of the match in Lyon.

Picture: Martin Doherty

week and will look to increase his workload throughout training this week.

Centre Joe Tomane will also increase his workload after sustaining a minor hamstring injury ahead of the European opener against Benetton while Rory O’Loughlin returns to on-field training after picking up a shoulder

injury in that match.

Tadhg Furlong came through Saturday’s game on his return from a back complaint.

Seán Cronin, however, remains unavailable for selection but will again increase his training load as he recovers from a neck injury picked up on international duty.

SPORT CONTACT INFO SPORTS EDITOR: Stephen Findlater sfindlater@dublingazette.com

For more information or to send in news and photos: sport@dublingazette.com Phone: 01 601 0240

28 DUBLIN GAZETTE  FINGAL 28 November 2019

CLUB NOTES

ROUND

1

CASTLEKNOCK NOV.20 – DELIGHTED to welcome our neighbours St. Brigid’s and Oliver Plunkett/Eoghan Ruadh to Somerton for their vital AFL1 Play-off match.

Nov.21 – Great night in the Clubhouse at the DEFIB Presentations on behalf of the Farrell family to the clubs who participated in the Callum Farrell Memorial Competition during the summer. Huge thanks goes to the organising committee who put so much time and effort into such a worthy cause. We are all in their debt. No Lotto Jackpot Winner. Next week’s Jackpot is €2,400. Five Match 3 Winners each receive €60 – John Greene, Joanne McCann, Ger McCann, Sean Murray and Voila. Lucky Dip €30 goes to Tina Breen.

Nov.22 – Celebration time as Christine ‘Chrissie’ Kenny, one of the stars of our Intermediate Camogie Championship success is married to Peter McKenna.

Congrats from everyone in the Club.

Nov.23 – Congrats to Castleknock U-16 Footballers on winning the U-16 ‘B’ Shield beating Parnells in the Final to bring down the curtain on a fantastic year for them. Congrats as well to Cliona Hewson on being called up to the Dublin Camogie U-16 Squad for 2020.

Nov.24 – The Minor Footballers Championship success was celebrated in style in the Clubhouse when all Minor players, their parents and mentors came together to cut the cake in recognition of a terrific year’s success. Paintballing next stop.

Upcoming: The Castleknock HFC, in conjunction with Castleknock Cycling Club, is holding a Pieta House Mental Health talk in the Clubhouse in Somerton on Thursday Nov.28 from 7-8.30pm.

The talk given by Alan Farrell will include information about maintaining our own mental health and wellbeing through self-care and stress management. The talk is free but you need to register (see Website).

CPR Course in Clubhouse in Somerton. The Club in conjunction with the Irish Heart Foundation is running three CPR Courses on Dec.4th open to the entire community. The courses last for one hour and are free. Course 1. 5-6pm. Course 2. 6.30-7.30pm Course 3. 8-9pm. Register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YWWJTGN.

GARDA/WESTMANSTOWN EXCELLENT week for the club with the announcement of the 2010 Sports Capital Grants and the allocation of over €60,000 to help with upgrading of facilities at Westmanstown.

This funding will allow the club to further develop for the benefit of both Garda Siochana members in the DMR and the local community in the Westmanstown area.

Thanks to Sean Burke and Leo Devlin for their work in preparing the application and the support of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Councillor Emer Currie and their staff is greatly appreciated by all club members.

We now field teams from

nursery to adult in football, hurling, ladies football and camogie and we look forward to welcoming new members of all ages and grades for the new season in 2020.

Club Annual Dinner and Awards Night also in Westmanstown on Saturday December 7th.

The Annual Dinner and Awards night is the last round up for the season and an opportunity to socialise with your fellow club members as well as looking forward to next season.

Janet Mitten and her organising committe are doing a superb job and a great evening awaits - don’t miss it !!

SOCCER: O’SHEA ALWAYS KEPT THE FAITH AFTER SLOW START Mid-Sutton in action against Ayrfield last Friday night in Sportslink

Mid-Sutton transforming season with five in a row

LSL SUNDAY SENIOR 1B

Mid-Sutton Sportslink 3 Ayrfield 0  DAVE DONNELLY sport@dublingazette.com

MID SUTTON Sportslink manager Dermot O’Shea feels it was inevitable his side would go on an extended winning streak as they made it five wins on the bounce in LSL Sunday Senior 1B. The Santry side saw off the challenge of fellow promotion contenders Ayrfield United and moved above their opponents into fourth with a 3-0 victory.

Goals from Ciaran Mackey, Andy Lougheed and Andy Nugent saw Mid Sutton to a victory that wasn’t quite as comfortable as it

looked with the second and third goals coming in the final ten minutes.

The win moves them within a point of Ardmore Rovers in the third promotion spot, having lingered in the relegation zone only a month ago.

They’ve scored 20 goals across the five victories – an average of four a game – and conceded just twice in the same span to underline their promotion credentials.

That ruthlessness in front of goal was exemplified in the space of four minutes late in the game as strikes from Lougheed and Nugent put the game to bed.

Mackey had opened the scoring midway through

the first half as he capitalised on some slack Ayrfield defending to turn a cross into the net.

The visitors had been unfortunate not to take the lead inside the first ten minutes as a spectacular volley from Philly Hand rebounded back off the crossbar, and MSS didn’t look back from there.

“It’s been coming. The games we’ve played where we’ve been beaten, we still played good football,” O’Shea told the Dublin Gazette. “Individual mistakes cost us. We cut them out and now all the lads’ hard work is paying off. We like to play good football, and if you play good football you’ll get chances.”

O’Shea took the reigns

at Sportslink over the summer following a stint in charge of Drumcondra/ Stella Maris, with former captain Ger Barry installed as his assistant.

He admits it took him some time to discover his best team, while injuries have also hampered their progressed, but after just one win in their first six games, they’re very much the league’s form side.

“We’ve hit our rhythm.

After coming in new in the summer, it takes a little while to find your best combinations. Even in the games we’ve lost, we created a lot of chances, we just didn’t take them.”

A busy Christmas period awaits, as the astro facility in Sportslink means

they’re somewhat protected against the bad weather that’s seen games called off elsewhere in recent weeks.

If they can successfully navigate the Christmas period, and remain in touching distance of the top three, O’Shea feels they have a real chance of securing promotion to the third tier.

“It would be nice to get in there and be around the top three. I take it game by game. You can only think one game ahead – it’s easy to get carried away.

“I’m very happy with the squad we have. You never know though. I’ve a few injuries coming back fit, so they’ll be like new signings to us.”

Verona welcome Leeds to D15

The travelling contingent from Verona

VERONA will welcome Cork’s Leeds AFC back to Coolmine Park following their 1-1 draw in the third round of the FAI Intermediate Cup. The Dublin 15 club started the better but found themselves one down after eight minutes when a goal kick went directly to the Leeds striker, beating the offisde trap and he duly nailed the chance.

To Verona’s credit, they did not let their heads drop after this initial setback and battled their way into the game with a deserved equaliser on 42 minutes. Ben Bosze whipped

in a corner which found Ross White to fire home, with a deflection on the way, for 1-1.

The second period was a cracking half of football. Verona dominated until 15 minutes from the end but Aido Mihutescu, Adam Clarke, White and Bosze all went close but could not find the killer touch.

It looked like they were going to rue those missed chances as Leeds got a second wind and threw everything they had at Verona.

But two big Steo Daly saves meant a replay chance was assured.

28 November 2019 FINGAL  DUBLIN GAZETTE 29

MOTORSPORT: FLEDGLING GROUP OF FEMALE DRIVERS SHOW OFF THEIR SKILLS

Formula Female’s true Spirit SPIRIT OF DUNBOYNE FESTIVAL  BRENDAN COFFEY

sport@dublingazette.com

RACING enthusiasts flocked to the annual Spirit of Dunboyne Motorsport Festival where a unique group of females showcased their driving skills.

The main junction in the middle of town and a group of girls are waiting to cross the road. This time, the green man was not their signal to walk.

Nicci Daly, better known as an Ireland hockey international, corralling her Formula Female team for a photo, a fledgling crew of young drivers making their way in this masculine world.

Daly leads her dozen-strong gang like the Pied Piper of motorsport.

Amira Bouhlel, (10), is the youngest, a grand daughter of Mattie McNamara, a legend of Irish racing.

Bouhlel’s older sister, Emel (21), is perched on the rear bumper of a hatchback, the boot door open overhead and tells of her involvement.

“Before rallying, I wouldn’t have

had many close friends because I never had something to bond with people,” Emel Bouhlel reveals. “I just didn’t seem to fit in. I wasn’t interested in soccer or camogie or any of that stuff.”

“Since I started navigating, I’ve made so many new friends. It’s unbelievable. It has changed my life.”

April 2018 marked the turning point. Sean Lyons, an uncle, decided to run his Subaru Impreza at the Circuit of Kerry. Searching for a navigator, Lyons looked close to home.

“I never thought of navigating until my uncle asked,” says Bouhlel.

“It didn’t register with me that I’d stay doing it. As soon as I hopped in that car, I was hooked.”

That moment released a passion, a passion rediscovered. Bouhlel experienced her first rally merely six months old. All through primary school, she learned that weekends were for racing.

“We used to go up in the camper on a Friday night and come back on Sunday,” she recalls. “On a Friday, I’d always be picked up early to go to a

rally. I grew up with a lot of older people in my life because of my grandad.”

It is stories like these which have helped inspire Daly to set up Formula Female, many with strong similarities to her youth when she spent her weekends around Mondello with her father Vivion and uncle Derek but never had an avenue to take part herself.

“In this sport, parents and their children spent a lot more time together,” Daly surmises.

“It’s not like football where you drop them off and pick them up an hour later.”

For this reason, she submits, stronger bonds develop, a view endorsed by Emel Bouhlel.

“You have to be there the whole time,” Boulhel maintains.

“You stick together. When you start rallying, you do become a family together. You’re always looking out for each other.” ** To read more about Formula Female at the Spirit of Fingal festival, go to the Dublin Gazette website.

The civic reception for European Youth Champion boxer Niamh Fay was attended by Niamh and loved ones, members of Swords Boxing Club, Mayor of Fingal Cllr Eoghan O’Brien, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council AnnMarie Farrelly, and various Councillors.

Swords BC’s Fay honoured

BOXING

 sport@dublingazette.com

SWORDS Boxing Club’s Niamh Fay was hono u re d t h i s we e k by Fingal County Council held a civic reception at County Hall for her gold medal exploits at the European Youth Boxing Championships.

A member of Swords Boxing Club, the Ballyboughal native won the gold medal when she defeated Croatia’s Nikolina Cacic in Sofia, Bul-

garia in September.

The 17-year-old comes from fine boxing stock – her father, Gary Fay, is her trainer and a former Irish title-holder, while younger brother John Fay won bronze at the Europeans last year.

Mayor of Fingal Cllr Eoghan O’Brien said: “I’m honoured to host the first civic reception of my tenure to recognise an inspirational athlete.

Niamh was the only Irish boxer to reach the finals from a team of 19, and

the youngest boxer in the finals overall.

“Her long list of achievements reflects an incredible work ethic – she is currently training twice a day throughout the week and also studying for her Leaving Cert.

“I was particularly struck by how humble Niamh is given her talent, and I have no doubt that she can go as far as she wants to in the world of boxing.

“I hope that, in years to

come, Niamh returns to Fingal with a gold medal around her neck from the Olympic Games.”

Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, Ann Marie Farrelly added: “Niamh has made Fingal proud with admirable dedication, skill and determination.

“It’s important that we recognise and appreciate a truly inspirational athlete, and I’d like to commend Niamh and Swords Boxing Club on their fantastic victory”.

Amira Bouhel, above, and the full Formula Female team, below

30 DUBLIN GAZETTE  FINGAL 28 November 2019

CLUB NOTES

ROUND

2

SKERRIES HARPS ZINGO RESULT Sun 24th Nov. Zingo result: 2-6-1-5-4-7-3. We had no winners of Jackpot or Dividend. Next draw Sunday 1st Dec Jackpot will be a fantastic €7,800. Dividend €150. In house draw for a hamper every week in the build up to Christmas! Envelopes still €2 or 3 for a fiver. Thanks to all who support the Zingo every week. Play online www.skerriesharps.ie/zingo.

The last Academy for 2019 takes place this coming Sat 30 Nov 10-11.30am. Special visit from Santa for all the boys and girls!!

Club shop open during academy for Christmas shopping, order book for items not in stock has closed. All those who have ordered specifically for Christmas will be contacted when the order is delivered.

Upcoming Diary Dates: • Thurs 28 Nov - Club AGM takes place 8.30pm sharp at the Clubhouse. All members encouraged to attend to learn more about the day to day running of the club.

• Sat 30 Nov - Juvenile Presentation event will take place from 6pm sharp -7.30pm in the Community Centre for all teams from u8-u16. All teams to arrive for 5.45pm please. If you can help with set up for this event contact Paul at secretarybng.dublin.skerriesharps@gaa.ie • Sat 30 Nov – Volunteer & Mentor Appreciation night in the Clubhouse from 9pm - live music from Totally 80’s.

The club extends its deepest sympathy to the family of the late Priscella Curtis (nee Moore) and Matthew (Mattie) Reilly, May they Rest in peace.

ST BRIGID’S

OUR ANNUAL Club AGM for 2019 will be held on Sunday week, 8th December, 2019 in Russell Park. Another date for your diary is 14th February, 2020 - Our Club Dinner Dance in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown! Tickets to go on sale very soon!

Well done to our Senior Footballers (pictured above) who maintained their AFL1 status following a battling one point win over OPER. Hard luck to our Minor A Camogie who lost out narrowly in their Championship semi final on Sunday. Best wishes to our Minor B Camogie team who face St Kevins in the Shield Final this coming Sunday! This weeks other fixture details and times on our website and twitter pages!

There was no winner of our Club Lotto Jackpot last week. Our next Jackpot rises to €7,400 and will take place this Thursday, 28th November in Russell Park. Get your tickets from our usual sellers, in the club bar on play online via our website!

Our Club Nursery, in association with Sherry Fitzgerald continues this Saturday morning INDOORS in our Club Hall from 9.30am with our GPO Colm Schwer. All boys and girls aged between 4 and 7 are welcome, especially new families! Just arrive down and speak to any of our friendly

coaches or email us at; Pro.stbrigids.dublin@gaa.ie for more information.

Juvenile Handball Training, which is open to current and new juvenile players, continues every Wednesday evening at 7pm in Russell Park! We’ll have our Handball Coaches on hand to support all new players and introduce them to the game! Everyone is welcome! Contact Enda on 086 8288308.

St Brigids Christmas Tree Sale begins this Friday from 12 noon and runs this weekend and next weekend with stands, wreaths and lights also on sale!

Check out all the details on our website and social media pages!

Try our new St Brigids Clothing range this Saturday from 9am to 1pm in Russell Park with O’Reilly’s! Orders placed at the weekend will arrive in time for Christmas!

Jingle Fun Day, a Fundraiser for our Under 8’s takes place this Sunday, 1st December from 3pm to 5pm in Russell Park Lots of fun for all the family! Crazy Bingo also returns to Russell Park on the 8th of December from 2.30pm and all are welcome!

Keep up with all our news on our website www.stbrigidsgaa.com, our free to download Club App and our Facebook and Twitter pages.

FOOTBALL: LEAGUE PROMOTION A HUGE BOOST

Mearnogs’ Carthy has 2020 ambition  CÓILÍN DUFFY

sport@dublingazette.com

NAOMH MEARNÓG’S Shane Carthy is keen to make an impact at both club and county levels in 2020.

The 25-year old didn’t feature for Dublin senior footballers this year as he spent part of his summer abroad before he came back to help Naomh Mearnóg claim Division 1 status for next year.

The Portmarnock outfit achieved topf light status for next year thanks to a 1-10 to 0-8 promotion playoff win over neighbours St Sylvester’s earlier this month, and Carthy says there’s exciting times ahead on the club front.

“Getting promoted to Division 1 is a big, big thing for the area and it’s great,” he told Dublin Gazette. ”It’s incredible what the likes of Ballyboden St Enda’s and Kilmacud Crokes have done recently and we are just aspiring to get up to that level.

“It’s difficult at the minute, they are at a different level to us. But as sport is, you are aspiring to be the best and compete against the best.

Shane Carthy at the announcement of the 10th year of DCU Business School and GPA scholarships. Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

“The structures that are in those clubs are absolutely incredible, and we have tried to mirror that in our own club.

“It may be in a smaller context at the minute, but all of these things take time.

“Hopefully, it will come to fruition in the next few years down the line.”

There’s a lot of talk recently about having a fixtures programme that’s fair to both club a n d c o u n t y p l aye rs

SUPER SYL’S Malahide side land 16C shield

ST SYLVESTER’S Under-16 hurl-

ers won the C championship shield last weekend as they got the best of Lucan Sarsfields with a 5-16 to 2-6 success at Broomfield.

It added to hurling silverware for the Malahide club at Under-15 level, too, as captain David King hailed how his side “left nothing on the pitch” in the victory, hopefully setting a good base for the club for the transition up to minor level in the sport.

across the counties, but Carthy says that players in Dublin are very lucky, with a fair structure.

“I’ve seen it from both sides of the coin,” he said.

“2019 was the first ye a r t h a t I w a s n’t involved from the league with Dublin, so I’ve seen what the club player has to go through. “ I ’v e t h e u t m o s t respect for the slog that goes on from very early on in November/December for a season that’s

busy in nature.

“I’ve been on the other side, coming back from the county team, and Jim [Gavin] gives that leeway to players, if you aren’t playing for Dublin, to go and play with your club.

“He’s a big club man himself, as has been well publicised and it’s fantastic. As players you want to be playing football. It may need to be rolled out a bit better, but it’s all on a trial and error basis.”

28 November 2019 FINGAL  DUBLIN GAZETTE 31

FOOTBALL: PLUNKETT’S GO THROUGH THE TRAPDOOR TO DIVISION 2 St Brigid’s Philly Ryan on the attack against St Oliver Plunkett’s/ER. Picture: Martin Doherty

Brigid’s just about survive AFL1 drop AFL DIVISION 1 RELEGATION PLAYOFF St Brigid’s St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh  KEVIN MALLON sport@dublingazette.com

0-7 0-6

A DONNACHA Ryan point two minutes into time-added-on ensured top flight league football for St Brigid’s following a tense, low-scoring AFL Division 1 relegation play-off against St Oliver Plunkett’s Eoghan Ruadh at a windy Somerton Park.

At this level, particularly with difficult, swirling conditions, things were particularly difficult and small margins make a huge difference.

This was shown midway through the first half when luckless Plunkett’s hit the Brigid’s woodwork three times in the space of 10 dramatic seconds before the ball was finally cleared to safety.

Plunkett’s played with the benefit of a strong first-half breeze but still the sides went in at the break level at 0-4 each.

Paddy Andrews - who enjoyed a great tussle with James Donoghue - was

responsible for the first three Brigid’s scores, Lorcan McCarthy getting the fourth.

Bernard Brogan, well marshalled for the most part by Jack Mullins, opened the Plunketts scoring from play following by another three points from the ever-reliable Gareth Smith to leave the sides deadlocked at the break.

The second-half was every bit as tight with the first 10 minutes bringing no change in the score.

Brigid’s midfielder Daire Plunkett then put his side back in front but a Gareth free soon had the sides back on level terms.

Both sides were guilty of missed opportunities with goalkeeeper Stephen Moore doing well for Brigid’s.

Ten minutes from time, Paddy Andrews used the wind well to float over the lead point before perhaps the score of the night from Plunkett’s Sean Bugler who hit a terrific equalising point on the run.

Just when extra-time looked inevitable up popped St. Brigid’s impressive wing half-back Ryan to land the win-

ning score, leaving Plunketts deflated and Kevin Bonner’s players relieved to have retained their Division 1 status yet again.

It is the second year in-a-row that the Brigid’s have preserved their AFL1 status by winning a relegation battle. Last November they defeated St Sylvester’s 3-15 to 1-9.

St Brigid’s on the attack. Picture: Martin Doherty

This year was an extra reprieve as they finished level on points with Fingallians on 10 points in the regular season but the Swords side went down based on their head-to-head result.

Plunkett’s earned the playoff thanks to a final day 3-13 to 1-9 win over Templeogue Synge Street but could not see out the final playoff result.

HURLING

Brigid’s get just reward in annual Dub Stars ST BRIGID’S have been rewarded with five places in the Dublin Bus Dub Stars starting line-up following their breakthrough run to the county’s senior hurling championship final.

Donnacha Ryan has been named as full back with Daire Plunkett and Mark Kavanagh included in the half-back line.

Eoghan Dunne’s performances over the course of 2019 secured him a slot in the halfforward line while Cian O’Sullivan has been named at right cornerforward.

The Russell Park men have the second highest volume of representation behind eventual county champions Cuala who have six players involved for the annual challenge match with the senior county side that traditionally acts as the curtain-raiser for the new year.

Brigid’s Paul Winters and Andrew Dunphy, meanwhile, were both included on the bench for the tie. It follows a brilliant campaign in which the Dublin 15 club reached the final of the competition for just the second time, the previous time coming all the way back in 2003.

En route, they overcame St Jude’s in the group stages with a huge 1-30 tally.

In the knock-out stages, they eliminated Na Fianna and Craobh Chiarain to reach the final.

Craobh Chiarain have a pair of players in the line-up while St Vincent’s and Ballyboden St Enda’s have one each.

Gazette SPORT NOV 28- DEC 4, 2019

ALL OF YOUR FINGAL SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 27-31

FAY GETS CIVIC HONOUR

BOXING: Swords

BC’s Niamh Fay gets civic honour from Fingal council following her historic success on Euro stage.

SEE P29

SURVIVAL SKILLS FOOTBALL:

St Brigid’s just about stay up in AFL1 for second successive season. SEE P31

O’SHEA’S CREW ON THE WAY UP SOCCER: Mid-

Sutton Sportslink on the comeback trail, transforming season from relegation zone to promotion contenders.

SEE P28

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Heroic Healy adds yet another historic title  CÓILÍN DUFFY

sport@dublingazette.com

NOELLE Healy was on cloud-nine with her Mourneabbey colleagues as she added club AllIreland glory to Dublin’s three county titles in success.

The St Brigid’s woman relocated to Cork this year for work and she duly helped the side to a slender 2-9 to 0-14 win over first-time finalists Kilkerrin-Clonberne from Galway in the LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Saturday.

“It’s been a lovely year, and I can’t get over how welcoming the girls and their families have been, so to be able to put a finish on it like that is really, really special,” she told Dublin Gazette after the game.

It was a late, late point from Laura Fitzgerald, with just 16 seconds left on the countdown which ultimately separated the sides - at a stage where Mourneabbey were down to 14 players, after a sin-binning for Ciara O’Sullivan with seven minutes remaining. “ We ’ve a b r i l l i a n t back-line with Roisin O’Sullivan, Kathryn Coakley and Eimear Meaney, and they really stood up,” Healy said.

“You even saw Doireann [O’Sullivan] in the back-line as well just putting her shoulder to the wheel and running the ball.

“Thankfully, all we needed was one score and one play, and Laura

Noelle Healy in action for Mourneabbey during the All-Ireland senior club championship final.

Picture: Eoin Noonan/Sportsfile

“She bought into Mourneabbey. It seeped into

her veins. She loved it I’d say. And we loved having her. did brilliant to get the ball and have the composure.

“She’s one of the best strikers of the ball I’ve seen, and I’m delighted for her.”

Healy said the whole game was an excellent showcase for ladies football.

“There was a great crowd here and, hopefully, there was a great crowd watching on TG4 also.

“There was just some

phenomenal football on display, and some brilliant point taking,” she said.

“Some of the young stars on the KilkerrinClonberne team really shone, and there’s some exciting young players there.

“It was a really good advertisement for football.”

Mourneabbey became the first Cork club to deliver back-to-back All-

Ireland senior ladies club football titles for the first time in 40 years, with Newtownshandrum last doing it back in 19781979.

Mourneabbey manager Shane Ronayne said it was great to have Noelle on board this year.

“Noelle is a fabulous player, but a fantastic person as well and that’s what makes the difference.

“As I said to her in there

(dressing room), she could have just rolled in and said ‘I’m a star, I’m going to be on the team’. That wasn’t the way with her.

“She was down at training when she couldn’t train, she was doing water when we were playing league matches all of that kind of stuff. “ S h e b o u g h t i n to Mourneabbey. It seeped into her veins. She loved it I’d say.

“We loved having her,

and there she was today with a minute to go, on her back fighting for us.

“I think that’s testament to the character she has, that she has got her All-Ireland Club medal now. She’s probably going to be back in Dublin next year with work.

“We’d love to have her next year obviously with a player of her calibre.

But, as I said, a fantastic person, and we are delighted to have her.”