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SPORT The Ice Man talks to The Gazette 29

‘Cricket decision can do wonders for Fingal’

Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you A one-day game at Malahide in 2013

THERE ARE growing calls for Malahide’s cricket ground to be redeveloped in light of Ireland finally being granted Test status after a ten-year wait.

TD Alan Farrell (FG) this week called for more facilities at the Malahide Castle ground.

He said: “Cricket is the fastest

growing sport in Ireland and as such the development of further facilities at Malahide Cricket Club would undoubtedly further increase the interest in the sport, get more people involved in playing, and provide great opportunities for our local businesses.

Former mayor Cllr Darragh

Butler echoed Mr Farrell, adding: “This is massive news for Cricket Ireland.

“Having attended a number of matches during my year as mayor, I’m delighted that test playing status has been achieved.

It’s great news for Malahide as the home of Cricket Ireland,

and all of north County Dublin where the sport is so popular.

“We need to get the permanent home in Malahide developed in conjunction with Malahide Cricket Club and full steam ahead now for Cricket Ireland.”

More reaction – Page 5

2 FINGAL GAZETTE 29 June 2017

Fingal Chamber’s summer BBQ is a Wright good night

FASTNews

THE Wright Venue was the place to be last Tuesday night when Fingal Chamber of Commerce held its annual summer BBQ – providing business people from across the county with the chance to catch up, network, and most of all, unwind in great company!

Pictures: Stephen Fleming and Alison O’Hanlon

Veronica Duggan and Jenny Grogan

Aer Lingus’s Amy O’Brien with competition judges Dearbhla Walsh, Mark O’Halloran and Neasa Hardiman and Aer Lingus cabin crew member Jessica England

Lights.. camera.. act now to be in with a chance to see your film career take off

Above: The Web Centre’s Don Earley with collegaues Lisa and Eric Kellett. Below: Regis’s Michelle Queally and Terry Quinlan of Pilot Media Design

The Chamber’s legendary Tony Lambert with new Mayor Cllr Mary McCamley

AIRPORT | AUTHORITY WILLING TO PAY 30% ABOVE MARKET VALUE

DAA ups buyout offer for homes by runway

THE Dublin Airport Authority has confirmed it has upped its buyout offer by 10 percent to residents who’ll be affected by the proposed €320 million second runway.

Some 38 residents are to be offered 30 percent above market value for their homes – increased from 20 per cent.

This follows the decision by An Bord Pleanála last March to give a fiveyear extension on permission for the multi-million euro project, which was due to expire this year.

However many local residents are farmers and point out that the offer only applies to farmland or businesses.

Many other houses in the area only qualify for sound insulation Joe Kenny of the St Margaret’s The Ward Residents Committee said there is also concern at the possibility of increased nighttime flights, which he said has a proven adverse effect on health.

He said current prac-

tice in Europe is to reduce night-time flights.

DAA hopes to ease restrictions in the 2007 permission which would prohibit nighttime flights on the new runway and limit those on the existing runway to 65 a year between 11pm and 7am.

Howe ve r S i o b h a n O’Donnell, head of External Communications with DAA, told RTE that nighttime flights have increased since then to 100 a night.

To comply with the 2007 limit would mean 3 million fewer daily passengers.

She said Dublin Airport does not compare to most other European capitals as it is mainly surrounded by green space.

With improved noise controls and quieter aircraft she said only five houses would qualify for the buyout offer under cur-

rent readings.

But she said daa is keeping the offer to the original number 38 houses identified and increasing the above market offer from 20% to 30%.

A separate residents group - the St Margaret’s Concerned Residents Group - and 22 St Margaret’s Residents are taking a legal challenge against An Bord Pleanála’s decision, which is due to be heard in the Commercial Court on 3 October.

DAA hopes to have the second runway built by 2020. However it is facing opposition by residents groups across North County Dublin including Portmarnock, Baldoyle and Swords who have organised an umbrella group - Fingal Organised Residents United Movement (FORUM).

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

UP and coming filmmakers from Fingal and beyond are being urged to enter a new competition which could see them being flown all over the world to promote their work on the international stage.

Aer Lingus has partnered with Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board to launch the new Irish Filmmaker Competition, which will celebrate and support the talent of up-and-coming filmmakers.

Three winning short-film entries will be chosen across two categories, live action and animation, by a judging panel consisting of three renowned Irish film figures along with an Aer Lingus representative.

The judging panellists will include director and writer Neasa Hardiman, who has directed world-class drama with the BBC, ABC, Netflix and Amazon; Emmy, IFTA and BAFTA award-winning director Dearbhla Walsh; and actor Mark O’Halloran, who is known for films including Adam & Paul, Garage and Viva.

The initiative is part of the Aer Lingus TakeOff Foundation which encompasses a range of charity and corporate social responsibility activity including support of Irish Culture and the Arts.

The closing date is July 27 and interested candidates can apply via the following link - aerlingus.com/aboutus/takeoff-foundation/irish-film-maker-competition/ Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board chief James Hickey said: “There are a huge amount of young filmmakers producing great work out there and we are really pleased to work with Aer Lingus to highlight new talent and provide an opportunity for Irish and international audiences to enjoy their short films.”

International recognition for Fingal’s heritage plan THE Council’s Heritage Property Strategy has been nominated for two prestigious international competitions – the Royal Town Planning Institute Awards and Planning Magazine Awards.

The recently adopted strategic review of Fingal’s portfolio of heritage properties, which was completed in late 2016, was the result of an in-depth financial and operational review of Fingal County Council’s heritage property portfolio in partnership with SLR Consulting.

The Heritage Property Strategy was a finalist in the “Excellence in Planning for Built Heritage” category at the RTPI Awards held in London on June 15 and was nominated in “The Best Use of Publically Owned Land in Placemaking” category at the Planning Awards, which took place last week, also in London.

Fingal Mayor Cllr Mary McCamley said: “Fingal’s heritage properties hold a special and important place in the hearts of Fingal’s citizens and it is of great significance that this piece of work to improve and protect the properties into the future is recognised.”

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SCHOOLS | TY STUDENTS FROM DONABATE BUILD ELECTRIC CAR AND RACE INTO THE RECORD BOOKS

Transmission Gear pals power into world finals  BETH KIRWAN and AOIFE LYSTER

Donabate TY students Beth Kirwan, Ethan Holohan, Sam Carroll, Ben Flynn, Aoife Lyster and in the car, Conor Whyte

awareness of the endangered birds of prey in Newbridge Park.

DONABATE Community College’s F24 team After the practice session, the team was are on track to take on the world after the ‘Red allowed to fix up the car once again and put in Kites’ powered their way into the International fresh batteries for the race ahead – an endurance test to see which cars could drive the Greenpower F24 finals. furthest in 90 minutes. There had to be a miniOn June 10th, six TY students hit Belfast to mum of three drivers per race. complete in Greenpower F24, a competition The first race started with a bang, with Ben where a team of 11-16 year olds must make completing his three laps and then returning and then race an electric car. to the pit for a changeover. Unfortunately, just DCU kindly supplied the school with a as he pulled in the relay in the car blew. frame and parts for the car, and the students The team had to bring the car into their have spent the past four months going to DCU each week to work on building the car and pre- garage and quickly replace the relay (a switch paring it for this event. that opens and closes circuits of electricity) so With an early start, The Red Kites’ Conor that they could get back in the race.

Whyte, Ben Flynn, Aoife Lyster, Beth Kirwan, The car was moving faster than before so Sam Carroll and Ethan Holohan arrived at turned out to be a blessing that the relay blew Kirkistown racecourse by 8:30am. They were when it did, as DCU were on hand to help and in for a long day, with a practice session and they had spare parts. two races ahead of them.

When the second race began, it was great The name ‘Red Kites’was chosen to raise to see the car holding its own after the break-

You’d better Belieb it!

THREE young movers and shakers from Swords dance studio House of Swag got the chance of a lifetime last week when they performed on stage with singing sensation Justin Bieber.

Pals Abi Doolan O’Dwyer, 10), Shane Bosson, 12, and Leah McNamara, 10, got to meet – and dance with – their idol after winning an online dance video submission competition out of thousands of applicants.

down in the first.

The changeovers between drivers were quick, meaning they didn’t lose much race time. After the race was finished, everyone crowded around to the podium. The winners were announced and as the team prepared to leave, a steward came up to Mr. English.

He had news that they were not expecting – the ‘Red Kites’ had gotten through to the international final!

The staff at the event had forgotten to announce that DCC’s Red Kites had come first in the Republic of Ireland!

The Donabate Red Kites have now qualified for the Greenpower F24 International competition in Rockingham in October.

n THE Red Kites would like to thank our sponsors; Axa, Toyping, KPH Gas, Siemens, Donabate Parents’ Council and Denise Whyte. A big thank you also to DCU, our parents, to Leslie Brooks and John Furlong, and of course Mr English for his dedication, perseverance and for putting up with us!

4 FINGAL GAZETTE 29 June 2017

Council’s bowled over!

MALAHIDE | FINGAL WELCOMES NEWS THAT IRELAND AWARDED TEST CRICKET STATUS THE Council has welcomed the news that objective of Cricket Ireland for some years Ireland has been granted test status by the and they have worked hard to meet the International Cricket Council and offered criteria demanded. its congratulations to Cricket Ireland on “Fingal County Council has partnered being granted Full Member Status. with Cricket Ireland on several initiatives Ireland plays many of its home interna- across the county and we look forward to tionals in Malahide assisting them in the while Cricket Ireland continued development is also building a High of the game at all levels Performance Centre in the years ahead.” in the county, at the Mayor of Fingal Cllr National Sports CamMary McCamley said: pus in Abbotstown.

“Cricket is one of the Fingal is home to a sports that has great vibrant cricket scene Ireland playing England at Malahide potential in assisting at club level and the back in 2013. Picture: YouTube the integration of the council also has a fullmany different cultures time cricket development officer in part- within Fingal, and Ireland playing test nership with Cricket Leinster. cricket against the top teams in the world County manager Paul Reid said: can only help the development of the “Achieving Test status has been a major game at grassroots level.”

Anthony and Paul Dunne hand over the premises to Swords Men’s Shed’s Ben Mullan and John Cox as then

More than a shedload of space for a men’s group outgoing Mayor Darragh Butler and club members look on. Pictures: Alison O’Hanlon

S

WORDS Mens Shed (SMS) members were delighted to welcome the handover of their brand-new premises at the Seatown Toad, beside Aldi, thanks to the generosity of Paul Dunne, who owns Knifedge Developments with his brother Anthony. With the growing popularity of Mens Sheds across the country as spaces for men to gather and

socialise, SMS had outgrown its former space at the Riasc Centre. The SMS members welcomed their new centre, and are already working on fitting it out to suit their needs. Then outgoing mayor Darragh Butler praised both the handover and the club itself, highlighting both the group and the premises presentation as examples of terrific community spirit.

Anthony Dunne, John Cox and Sean O’Connor

Len O’Sullivan, Mick Kelly, Frank Keogh and Kenneth Cullen

Ronon Lee and Mathew Graham

Stephen Minnagh, Ronnie Fallon and Paul Prymek

29 June 2017 FINGAL GAZETTE 5

6 FINGAL GAZETTE 29 June 2017

Out and About

Drag queen Maria Damony is pictured with fellow ebay staff celebrating the LGBTQ Pride Festival during a series of events this week at eBay Ireland in Blanchardstown, Dublin. Over €2,000 was raised by eBay employees and by the company’s Diversity & Inclusion initiatives for Irish charity BeLonG To. Picture Andres Poveda

The sun shines bright as revellers take to the streets in celebration

Mark O’Looney co-global lead for the

Linders Renault is driving Pride home

Pride BRG

with Grand Marshal Moninne Griffith!

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar stands beside the Bank of Ireland Float on St Stephen’s Green as staff members dressed as brides get some cheek. Pictures: Julien Behal Photography

29 June 2017 FINGAL GAZETTE 7

A birds-eye view of Dublin’s LGBTQ Pride 2017 festivities. Pictures: Carl Little And Natalie Dale

2017

LGBTQ Pride Festival is celebrated across Dublin

Shauna Naughton from Festival-goers are all smiles and ready for their selfies

Mastercard

One of the many colourful floats

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FINGAL’S GOT TALENT | TWO YOUNG STUDENTS’ WORKS TO GO ON SHOW IN TOKYO Talented Malahide Community School student Nicole Halpin with her winning entry ‘Love Is’ which will go on show at a prestigious Tokyo exhibition in August.

Budding Fingal artists all set to make it big in Japan TWO budding young artists from Fingal are jetting off to Japan to have their work exhibited at the prestigious International High School Arts Festival.

Malahide Community School student Nicole Halpin, 13, and Wiktoria Anna Witkowska, 17, from Loreto College in Balbriggan will be flying out to Tokyo in August for the exhibition described as “a showcase for the world’s best young artistic talent”.

Both girls were winners of the annual Texaco Children’s Art Competition, and they will be showing their winning pieces at the internationally acclaimed event.

The two artworks chosen amongst the five that will represent Ireland at the event are Nicola’s ‘Love Is’ and Wiktoria Anna Witkowska’s ‘The Face’.

The show, which is now in its 18th year, will feature some 400 pieces by students representing nations across the world.

James Twohig, Director of Ireland Operations for Valero, who market fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand, said that works selected to represent Ireland “embody content that will attract viewers and promote the cultural and scenic features for which we are renowned globally.”

Sponsored by the International Foundation for Arts and Culture, the exhibition will take place in Tokyo’s National Arts Centre, one of Japan’s most highly regarded galleries.

Three other Irish children will be heading out to show off their winning pieces: ‘Tom – Summer’ by 17-year old Lucy Deegan from Luggacurran, Co. Laois; ‘Hook Lighthouse’ by Tara Watson from St. Joseph of Cluny Secondary School, Killiney and ‘Remembering Eoin McNeill 1916’ by Jack Lynch from St. Patrick’s Classical School, Navan.

FASTNews

Dublin Airport launches €10m community fund for local projects DUBLIN Airport this week launched a new €10million Community Fund that will support a raft of local initiatives.

The Dublin Airport Community Fund will invest €400,000 a year for the next 25 years in local projects focused on areas such as sustainability, sports and recreation, social inclusion and community development, health, heritage and culture.

Dublin Airport Managing Director Vincent Harrison said: “Dublin Airport has been supporting projects in local communities for decades and as the airport grows with additional facilities such as the new North Runway, we are expanding our support for those neighbouring communities.”

The community fund will open for applications on September 1 for six weeks ,with the first allocation of funds being distributed in November.

Application forms can be found at www. dublinairport.com/ community-fund

It’s Naul to play for in this year’s Pride of Place

Wiktoria Anna Witkowska with her stunning piece ‘The Face’

THE Seamus Ennis Arts Centre in Naul is one of three Fingal entries for this year’s IBP Pride of Place awards.

Naul is entered in the Creative Places Category which will allow the centre and the community of Naul to showcase the unique creativity present in the village.

The Rusheeny Village Residents Association in Blanchardstown and Ongar Tidy Towns in Dublin 15 will also represent the county after being nominated in the Housing Estates and the Urban Neighbourhoods categories respectively.

29 June 2017 FINGAL GAZETTE 9

Out and About

Kayla Tobin, Ruby McKeown and Millie Ward

Sarah and Matthew Popa

Fingal families enjoy a whole lot of flavour Gary, Martin and Katie O Brien.

Left: Cian and Jim Hagen.

Pictures: STEPHEN FLEMING

O

NE of the highlights of the Fingal summer, Flavours of Fingal, returned to Newbridge House and Farm. The event, now in its sixth year, combines the sights and sounds of a traditional agricultural show with a memorable family and food experience. With special attractions including a mobile petting farm, magic shows, biodiversity programmes, living history displays and sheep dog trials, there was something on offer for all the family to enjoy. See more great pictures next week.

Johan, Ethan,Aidan, Georgia and Susan Hurley

Battle reenactments

Cian Martin and Garrett Behan

Roisin Boyle

10 GAZETTE 29 June 2017

Out and About

A charitable journey IKEA co-workers set out from IKEA Dublin for a charity cycle, to Mullingar and back. Pictures: Alison O’Hanlon

IN LINE with IKEA’s vision of creating a better everyday life for everyone, 26 IKEA co-workers set out from IKEA Dublin on the morning of Saturday, June 24 on a 203km charity cycle, to Mullingar and back. Money raised will go directly to UNICEF and the ISPCC.

29 June 2017 GAZETTE 11

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12 GAZETTE 29 June 2017

DUBLINBUSINESS

Increased employee ownership ‘vital’ IRELAND’s first ever Employee Share Ownership Day has been told that increased employee financial involvement in Irish companies is vital to maintain our competitiveness.

More than 150 delegates attended ESOD17 at Dublin’s Google HQ this week, where they heard Ireland lagged its competitors when it comes to incentivising employee ownership, and that the Government needs to improve their approach by increasing the variety of Revenue-approved employee share schemes, particularly for the SME sector.

RDS is the venue for Web Summit’s MoneyConf 2018 ORGANISERS behind We b S u m m i t t o d ay announced that MoneyConf, Europe’s leading fintech event, will take place at the RDS in Dublin from June 11-13, 2018.

MoneyConf has been hosted in Madrid for two years and has become the leading place for fintech CEOs, investors and startups to meet. It will be hosted at the RDS, the venue where Web Summit grew to become the world’s largest technology event.

Over 2,500 attendees have already registered for 2018 MoneyConf. Attendees will be joined by hundreds of top names in the industry, from CEOs of global financial institutions to the founders of the world’s most disruptive startups.

Some speakers already confirmed include: Yoni Assia, Co-Founder & CEO of eToro; Jaidev Janardana, CEO of Zopa; John Sun, Co-Founder of Avant; and Ismail Ahmed, Founder & CEO of WorldRemit Amid legendary networking opportunities, attendees have access to 2 days of talks, including keynotes, fireside chats, workshops and panel discussions.

Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave said: “We are moving MoneyConf to our hometown of Dublin in 2018. Brexit has the potential to transform Dublin as a financial centre. Major banks, credit card companies and fintech startups have all signed leases in recent months. It’s an incredible moment for Dublin and it’s great to be part of it. The RDS is the perfect venue to grow an event like MoneyConf. After all, our partnership with the RDS put Web Summit on the road to where it is today.”

No such thing as a typical day or client for any recruiter THIS a r t i c l e w a s going to be entitled ‘A Day in the Life of a Recruiter’, but really there is no typical day as a recruitment consultant.

No two days are alike because you are dealing with a resource that is made out of people.

Your clients and candidates are all people with different needs – it’s your job to match the right candidate to the right client.

A recruiter’s job is part human resources, part sales, part marketing and part negotiation. The most important par t of the job though is the ability to understand the sector you’re working with.

Anyone can learn sales techniques, but it takes time to learn the ins and outs of a specific sector.

Have you considered a career in recruitment? Recruitment Plus currently has a vacancy for our hospitality desk. If you have hospitality experience and are interested in recruitment, contact RecruitmentPlus at 01 2788 610, or also see www.recruitmentplus.ie.

Having previous experience in that sector will make you stand out as a top recruiter.

For example, if you’ve wo r ke d i n a h o t e l before, you will have a unique insight into what a hospitality client needs and what a candidate is looking for.

One of the top reasons for job satisfaction in recruitment is the knowledge that you’ve made a difference in a candidate’s life.

There are few things better than knowing someone in in a better paid or more suitable job and you helped to get them there.

Recruiters also love their jobs because they get the opportunity to grow their professional networks and the ability to increase their take home pay each month with commission.

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

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29 June 2017 GAZETTE 13

CITY SPECTACULAR: THE NATION’S FAVOURITE TURKEY CAN’T WAIT FOR THE LAYA HEALTHCARE BASH

Dustin: This year’s City Spectacular will be bigger.. & madder.. than Eurovision!  NICK FITZGERALD DUSTIN the Turkey is the Ambassador of this year’s City Spectacular and he says this year’s bash will be bigger than Eurovision.

More than 250,000 people are expected to flock to Laya Healthcare’s free annual street festival, which runs from July 7-9 in Merrion Square.

The family-friendly festival showcases the best in international street performance, interactive family activities, delicious artisan producers and street food from around the world as well as a pet wellness area with DSPCA. And parents are being warned that the kids will be ruling the roost at the three -day event.

John Morrison, aka Dustin The Turkey told The Gazette: “It’s my biggest achievement since the Eurovision and it’s going to go slightly better than the Eurovision.

“Basically, I’ll be doing my thing that I used to do on the Den and I’ll also be doing a quiz where the adults are going

to take on their children.

“Of course, I know what will happen, the kids are going to win every time and the adults are just going to be brutal.”

“It will be a bit like Donald Trump. See I’m the boss, I’m the ambassador, I can do what I want.

“The parents will be getting custard pies and they’ll be getting ice buckets. The Happy Pear’s Dave and Steve Flynn with Dustin “Bring your doggie, your doggie can They’ll be getting all sorts of things and the kids will be get- get a make-over and they can get a ting prizes. But look, I can’t officially photo. And you can bring your cats and say that if you know what I mean, wink there’ll be a free bed there if there’s any wink, but of course that’s what’s going problems. That would be my favourite to happen. It’s going to be brilliant. And part of it, the DSPCA.” it’s all going to be free, that’s the beauty Family health, fitness and wellbeing of it. will be central to Laya Healthcare’s “It’s for all the family and that’s Greatest Place on Earth area this year. including the four legged members.

Events will include Dustin the Turkey

in this family filled area at the Dublin festival for the Birdbrain quiz where kids can challenge their parents to a battle of knowledge.

R T E ’s F r a n c i e Boylan will co-host and attempt to not let Dustin gobble off too much.

Imaginosity, Dublin’s Children Museum, allows kids to build and create stories and will also be providing a storymaking workshop at an exclusive Imagination Playground.

Just Eat Street - the international street food village - is a feast of food, fun & entertainment running the entire length of Merrion Sq South where visitors can try out over 25 different cuisines from around the world and enjoy music from international musical acts.

Asked how City Spectacular com-

pares to the Eurovision, Dustin said: “It’s a similar sort of madness. You’re going to get every walk of life, it’s going to be brilliant craic. “ I love the Eurovision, the only problem is I didn’t win it. In the Eurovision they made up countries to try and make me not win. This is true, like Azerbaijan, they started inventing places.

“When Johnny Logan won the Eurovision there was Luxembourg, Ireland and The Netherlands, there was three countries and now there’s something like 452.

“I know Europe doesn’t have that many countries. They just wanted to stop me from winning it.

“City Spectacular will have a similar sort of madness. The festival will have stilt walkers, there’s going to be the Happy Pear guys.”

Festival Director Shell Holden added: “We would love everyone - families, friends, couples and pet pooches - to come join in the celebrations and enjoy our FREE festival this July.”

GAZETTE

14 GAZETTE 29 June 2017

DUBLINLIFE

DIARY

THINKPINK! BRING FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS TO A FUN FAMILY PARK EVENT FINGAL County Council brings the fun and excitement of Pets in the Park to Millennium Park, Blanchardstown, on Sunday July 2.

Suppor ted by the DSPCA, King of Paws and 98Fm, the event will transform Millennium Park into a pet paradise for the day.

The free, family-fun event is a guaranteed great day out for all animal lovers throughout Dublin, involving a range of activities, stalls and entertainment right through the event.

DSPCA King of Paws training team will host dog agility and dog obedience classes, where members of the public are invited to bring their four-legged friends.

A small animal farm will give visitors the opportunity to interact with, and learn about, all kinds of animals, while children’s talks and entertainment will also be featured on the day.

Pet lovers can look forward to a variety of stalls offering fantastic deals on all types of animal accessories, grooming products, novelty items and toys, while the DSPCA will offer micro-

chipping and pet health advice.

For further information, see www.petsinthepark.ie.

STEP LIVELY OVER TO DANCE AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY AS PART of the hugely anticipated programme of events marking the re-opening of the Dargan and Milltown wings of the National Gallery this summer, the acclaimed Liz Roche Company presents the world premiere of Totems, in the exquisite surrounds of the Shaw Room and The Grand Gallery.

THIS DYNAMIC DOGGY DUO ARE LOOKING TO SHARE A HOME: YOURS!

RUGBY star Shane Byrne joined breast cancer survivor Teresa Costello, broadcaster Elaine Crowley, breast cancer survivor Olivia Carpenter and blogger Rosie Connolly at the launch of the Great Pink Run, which takes place on Saturday, Septem-

A group of six dancers will come together with live musicians to respond to these historic gallery spaces with five intimate performances taking place from Thursday, July 6 to Sunday, July 9.

Totems strips Roche’s subtle and poetic choreography back to its purest essence, and will combine intricate movement patterns with live music, creating a thrilling, evocative experience.

Totems will place the living, breathing work of one of Ireland’s most innovative and inspiring choreographers into the

historic gallery space as it re-emerges to the public and arts and culture lovers.

For the full times and listings for the 55-minute show (priced €15/€13 conc), see the National Gallery of Ireland site at www.nationalgallery.ie.

HELP CELEBRATE THE VERY BEST OF THE LIBERTIES SPIRIT T H E 47 t h L i b e r t i e s Festival takes over the heart of Dublin from July 17 to 22 with more than 30 diverse events in 20 venues including parks, pubs, churches and heritage buildings in celebration of the area’s

ber 9 in the Phoenix Park. Thousands are expected at the Dublin run, which will help fundraise for and raise awareness of Breast Cancer Ireland’s pioneering research and awareness programmes around the country. Picture: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

vibrant character.

This year’s mostly free programme of events is the most expansive yet, even offering an opportunity to interact with the working horses of the Liberties, and many other free, familyfriendly events.

Guaranteed to be highlights of the summer arts calendar are Night at the Opera, featuring Opera in the Open against the stunning backdrop of St Audoen’s Church on Friday, July 21; Cirque de Comedie in the Guinness Storehouse, featuring drag duo Queens of Pop; comedic songstress Tere-

sa Livingston; Azaria Starfire; and aerial contortionist Spinal Gap on Saturday, July 22.

Tickets for Night at the Opera and Cirque de Comedie are on sale now via libertiesfestival. ie.

Tr a d i t i o n a l c o m munity favourites such as the Garda Vs Street Traders football match returns for its 27th year; the Blue Rinse Ball, and the Older Bowls competition also return in a packed programme that showcases the spirit of the area.

For the full festival programme, see www. libertiesfestival.ie.

OUR Dogs of the Week looking for their #SpecialSomeone* are the amazing Tess and Leela, which need to find a home as a pair. Tess and Leela are inseparable, and are looking for a home together. Tess is a six-year-old female crossbreed, and Leela is a five-year-old Boxer.

Tess is very active and would enjoy living with an active family to bring her on lovely long walks and, if you’re a runner, she will run beautifully beside you. Tess has a fabulous coat and loves to be brushed.

Leela has a little heart murmur, which slows her down a bit, but she is still quite active. (Don’t worry – we will help you take care of her medical needs; we just need you to spoil her and give her all the attention she deserves.) They are both great with children, but we’d suggest sturdy children over five years of age as they can be a little over-excitable at times!

If you think you can offer this amazing pair, 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 at www.dogstrust. ie. You can also find them on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/ dogstrustirelandonline, or on Twitter @DogsTrust_IE.

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

29 June 2017 GAZETTE 15

SHELBOURNE PARK LAUNCHES LIVE RACING FOUR NIGHTS PER WEEK SHELBOURNE PARK, Ireland’s premier greyhound racing stadium has moved to four nights racing per week, making it an ideal venue for a thrilling night out. The stadium will host racing every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday night to meet the growing Dublin market.

Getting to the stadium has never been easier with a complimentary return shuttle bus by Dublin Coach that leaves Burgh Quay at 7PM every Friday and Saturday night which will prove popular with after work punters and tourists.

Patrick Flynn, General Manager at Shelbourne Park added “I look forward to welcoming our patrons to Shelbourne Park as we will now be offering live racing four nights a week. The shuttle bus would not be possible were it not for our successful partnership with Dublin Coach which we will seek to build on into the future.”

MAKING A NIGHT OF IT If you are looking to make a night of it, the smart punter will pre-book online to take advantage of the great value offers of admission and fine dining combined. Mid-week restaurant bookings start at €19.50 pp while group packages can include admission, finger food and Tote vouchers.

A restaurant booking brings the extra offering of Tote wagering at your table as you watch the racing from the fantastic views of the Grandstand restaurant. The Tote offers simple wagering

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‘I look forward to welcoming our patrons to Shelbourne Park as we will now be offering live racing four nights a week. The shuttle bus would not be possible were it not for our successful partnership with Dublin Coach which we will seek to build on into the future’

�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Patrick Flynn, General Manager

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options from as little as €1 with jackpots of up to €1,000.

Shelbourne Park will be available throughout the summer for private events in the outdoor covered BBQ area with a private bar. Events such as

family celebrations can also be held in the 400 seater grandstand restaurant or in the seven corporate suites that offer panoramic views of the track.

In recent years, charities and sports clubs have held successful fundraising nights which can gen-

erate thousands through tickets sales, restaurant packages and sponsorship for worthy causes.

Shelbourne Park will be host to some of the best known classics over the coming months including: the BoylesSports Irish Champion Stakes starting on 29 July, the Dublin Coach Puppy Derby starting 22 September and the BoylesSports Irish Greyhound Derby starting on 17 August, with the final on September 23.

Judging by the numbers attending each week, the extended racing at Shelbourne Park will become a firm favourite in the capital city.

Great value restaurant bookings can be made online at www.gogreyhoundracing.ie or by phoning 1890 269 969.

29 June 2017 GAZETTE 17

DUBLINLIFE

N O S ’ T A H W

E D I U G S T N E EV with JAMES HENDICOTT

Trinity Summer Gig Series

A new series of concerts comes to life at Trinity College, with Gregory Porter opening on July 6. He’ll be followed by appearances from Pixies, Two Door Cinema Club, Alt-J, Bell X1 and James Vincent McMorrow in the illustrious city-centre surrounds..

Late blooming Flowers MUSIC

ONE OF DUBLIN’S BEST LOVED BANDS ON FAMILY, MALI AND GOING VIRAL BEFORE THE

INTERNET EXISTED

MCM Comic Com

The RDS hosts the latest round of the annual, costume-laden event for comic fans. Hosted over the weekend of July 1 and 2, the event is run by MCM, the company currently bringing the Comic Con concept to life around the UK and Ireland, with some events topping 100,000 visitors.

MCM’S COMIC CON HITS THE

RDS

United Against Racism Solidarity Picnic

A family-friendly event with a BBQ in Phoenix Park aims to discuss issues around racism and the direct provision system.

United Against Racism will reveal specific details via their website ahead of the midday meeting on July 3.

The Coronas

Having just released their number one album ‘Trust The Wire’, Danny O’Reilly and co return to the stage at Kilmainham Hospital for their biggest ever headline show. In our recent interview, they promised on-stage fireworks.

The Sad and Beautiful World of Sparklehorse

Whelan’s dedicates a Sunday night in the main venue to this heart-wrenching documentary about the tragic indie band, together with an hour long cover performance of their greatest hits. One for an emotive Sunday night.

Macy Gray

The distinctive vocals of the American R&B legend are best known for how they’re delivered on the stunning hit single ‘I Try’, but Gray’s genre-spanning music has won her broad acclaim outside of the pop world, too. She appears at the National Concert Hall, July 2.

Chapelizod Community Festival

The summer party gets underway down near Phoenix Park, with a week of entertainment ranging from local musicians and comedy to kids and sporting events. The festival runs from July 2 to July 9, and aims to bring the area together.

Stars and Stripes Forever

The American national day gets a bold celebration in St Patrick’s Cathedral, where all things American-music themed are celebrated in a free one-off organ concert, expected to touch on film sounds from Indiana Jones to Star Wars. July 4, naturally.

New album of the week

TLC - TLC. Forever associated amongst those of us of a certain vintage with ‘Pure Shores’ and it’s perfect soundtracking of ‘The Beach’, TLC remain on the comeback trail with the release of their first album since 2013, bought out via their new ‘852 Muziq’ label.

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16 GAZETTE 29 June 2017

 JAMES HENDICOTT TO THE UNINITIATED, it seems like Hothouse Flowers have been on the wind-down for quite sometime.

Despite regular shows, there hasn’t been an album released formally in well over a decade.

The band that emerged from Colaiste Eoin in Booterstown so powerfully that they never had to get real jobs after school might appear to have gone a little quiet. Not for long.

“What’s going on with us is a bit like those people who starting tiling a bathroom in 2002 and still haven’t finished,” Fiachna O’Braonain explains.

“There hasn’t been an album in ten years, yet it feels like we haven’t stopped gigging. We all have very different lives outside the band. I have three children under five. It’s hard to get out of the house.”

“I’ve been doing different projects with different people,” Liam O’Maonlai adds. “I think it was about three years ago we got invited to play in Windmill Lane for Culture Night. In payment for that we got eight days studio time. We didn’t actually avail of it until a year ago. Those eight days really facilitated us.

“Often you can get these gigs where you have to put a lot of money in to set things up, but they wanted us to make a record there.

“And we did, we made a record. We narrowed it down to eleven pieces of music. Maybe towards the end of the summer, maybe earlier, it’ll be here. There’s just a couple of little things to address.”

“There is already an album called ‘Let’s Do This Thing’. It’s on the website but nowhere else. I had a listen to it and decided it didn’t sound quite as good as the rough mixes, so we’ll be putting it out again.

“Everyone who already bought it will get it a sec-

ond time for free, but they’ll be getting anotherversion, another part of the project.”

To many, it must have felt like that album would never arrive.

“Pete [O’Toole]’s return to the band was the missing link in terms of making a record,” O’Maonlai explains of the bassist’s return to the band in 2015 after an eleven year absence. “He’s a musical tour de force.”

Hothouse Flowers date back to shared, musicobsessed 70s school days in south Dublin, a time in which O’Maonlai played in a band alongside My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields, having pushed through his first forays into music slightly against the will of his parents.

“We went viral before the internet,” he recalls. “We were having a ball coming in every day and busking in Dublin. People were getting obsessed with record deals back then, with U2 doing so well. You could tell

people’s heads were getting turned.”

“I only recently heard that Chris Blackwell [the key Island Records man who worked with U2 and The Cranberries] said in interview that his only regret is not signing us. That would have been a great deal. But we were cocksure of ourselves back then. We were bringing houses down, we’d been playing live since we were nine or ten years old in different bands. If you’d try to invent it, you couldn’t have.”

More recently, Hothouse Flowers have been very much about the live outings, but their sound has also been adapted by some impressively outthere experiences exploring other aspects of music.

While O’Braonain has leaned more on family life, O’Maonlai has been seriously exotic in his outlook.

“Africa’s one of the seedbeds of rock and roll,” O’Maonlai says of his exploration of music in Mali.

“The 6/8 rhythm is all over Irish music as well as rock

and roll. It’s such a rich tapestry. It’s tough seeing these countries almost being censored from the world when there’s so much richness in them.”

“In Mali, you meet somebody and they’ll teach you something. I met a guitarist nearTimbuktu, and you’d literally sit next to him and he’d teach you these mad Malian riffs. It was amazing, there’s always that formula between people. The one with something to give and the one with something to receive.”

O’Braonain, who was living in France a few years ago, worked with Belinda Carlisle on her pronunciation for an entire French language album, and ended up dueting with the singer “kind of by accident. I was a placeholder for other singers, but she ended up using my vocal,” he explains.

The band also got involved in the Apollo House movement, after Glen Hansard got in touch.

“He told us to keep our ears to the ground; he called

together mates to be the musical face of the thing. Eyes were on it because there’s a relationship to music, and music’s an in-between territory that doesn’t label anyone. Music is not capitalist, or black, or white,” O’Maonlai says. “Musicians can be involved in very important things just by being present sometimes. It’s a very elemental force.

As for the future? “I think we’d stop if we weren’t enjoying it.” O’Braonain says.

“We still have that love for finding the heart of a room. It doesn’t really matter which room.

“A tough room can bring out great music. When we went out to play, we never did not knowwhat we were going to do. Our career has hinged on that, on those days. We’ll keep going as long as it’s still there.”

Hothouse Flowers bring their powerful live show to Live at Leopardstown on July 13.

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DUBLINLIFE

Mules Rule!

H&M flat slider mules €39.99

 EMMA NOLAN Style Editor

ONE shoe trend is dominating this season and that’s the mule.

This oft forgotten style represents a certain aloofness that can’t be got from other summer sandals.

While it takes a certain type of person to pull off high heeled mules, their lower heeled and flat counter parts are the ideal summer shoe.

Effortlessly elegant, there’s something incredibly feminine about ‘clip-clopping’ around in a pair of mules and the high street has every shape, size, colour and fabric available.

Dune London Meera €125

littlewoodsireland V by Very Floral tapestry mule €41

Topshop NOVEL square toe mules €77

A new home for Bow & Pearl  EMMA NOLAN, Style Editor

DUBLIN boutique Bow & Pearl has moved to Rathmines.

Now taking up residence in the Swan Centre, the brand is going in an “edgier direction” after seven successful years in business.

“We’ll be offering customers unique, high end yet affordable items and we hope they enjoy the selection,” owner Bronagh

O’Sullivan said.

The brand caters for the fashion conscious customer, with Bronagh focusing on buying high-end, unique styles available at a realistic price-tag.

“The store itself has turned out beautifully, we worked with creative director and retail expert Lara

Bronagh O’Sullivan

Curry on the aesthetic of the space and we can’t wait for customers to come in and enjoy the shopping experience,” Bronagh added.

The newly located Bow & Pearl can be found in unit 33 in the Swan Centre, Rathmines, Dublin 6. Their latest collection is also available on www.bowandpearl.com

29 June 2017 GAZETTE 19

New Look pastel blue floral brocade mules €29.99

Ne w lea Loo the r h k ros e e €3 eled m gold 9.9 9 ules

H&M tan ruffle mules €19.99

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STYLE

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20 GAZETTE 29 June 2017

DUBLINLIFE

FOOD&DRINK

CITY CENTRE: THE GAZETTE DROPS IN TO CHECK OUT 98FM’S ‘BEST BAR’ WINNER

We confess – this bar is pretty great!  NICK FITZGERALD

THE Confession Box at No 88, Marlborough Street has scooped the title of Dublin’s Best Bar for the second year running, coming out tops in 98FM’s Best of Dublin search.

Proud owners Pauline and Monica Keenan will have owned the bar for seven years by the end of July. The award-winning sisters know Dublin city very well, having worked here for 30 years.

Hailing from The Liberties, the Keenans have now claimed four awards from 98FM – in 2014 and 2015, they also snapped up Dublin’s Best Pint awards.

On winning for the fourth time running, Monica said: “The reason we’ve won is because of our customers, the loyalty we have with them and

the craic we have together!

“It’s like a home from home. It’s real friendly here, with great pint of Guinness.”

One of the smallest pubs across Dublin, The Confession Box sits in the shadow of the Pro-Cathedral – a place which had a big impact on the bar.

Original name During the 1919-1921 War of Independence, the public house was known to locals as The Maid of Erin. At the time, rebel Volunteers, under the leadership of Michael Collins, would often occupy the pub and use it as a refuge.

Sympathetic priests from the Pro-Cathedral established a holding in The Confession Box to listen to the rebels’ confessions, and also provide communion.

Their actions, along

with the size of the pub and its closeness to the Pro-Cathedral, led to The Maid of Erin being nicknamed The Confession Box, as we now know it.

Today, the rebels are long gone, replaced by the sight of three awards placed proudly against the glass of the bar’s frontfacing window. As you step in, you immediately encounter a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

Monica told T he Gazette: “Half of them [the customers] wouldn’t know each other, but that’s what it’s like here – once one starts talking, they all start talking! It’s always like that.”

She added: “There’s great enter tainment.

There’s live music all the time and everyone gets on with each other. You could have an 80-year-old sitting with an 18-year-old and they’d still have things

There’s a lot of history inside The Confession Box – not to mention one of the best pints in Dublin

in common; everyone has something in common.”

Locals come from all over the world to visit – yes, locals, usually calling in a few times per year.

People come back from Florida, various parts of America, and Sweden, to name but a few places, actively staying in touch with Pauline and Monica by sending them postcards and emails, even sending presents.

Pauline modestly said: “It’s a typical Irish pub

with friendly banter, it’s what Dublin’s really about – people mixing and chatting and talking, telling their stories; listening, laughing and joking, being there for each other at some stage.

Rallies together “There’s always someone down there that’s less fortunate than yourself, so when that happens everyone rallies together.”

Monica said: “One particular time, a customer of

ours passed away and his daughter hadn’t got the money [for his funeral]. “ Eve r y o n e r a l l i e d around like a community, got the money to bury him, got the money to lay him to rest because everyone gets on and it’s like a big community.”

Micheal O’Nuallain, brother of famous Irish writer Flann O’Brien, frequently graced The Confession Box with his presence. The jack-of-alltrades had one unusual

request: that the staff would heat up his pint of Guinness to room temperature.

Today, punters can enjoy live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, including on Bank Holiday Mondays.

The Confession Box is open from MondayThursday from 11am to 11:30pm; Friday and Saturday from 11am to 1:30am, and on Sunday from 11am to 11:30pm; telephone 01 874 7339.

Neven Maguire cooks up a storm with Dunnes Stores ONE of Ireland’s best loved chefs and Brand

The Simply Better collection is one of the

said: “Through our Simply Better Collection,

Ambassador for Dunnes Stores’ Simply Bet-

most successful food brands in Ireland, with

we want people to have the best ingredients

ter Collection, Neven Maguire, launched a new

over 250 food awards since it was established

to cook restaurant quality food at home. The

magazine COOK with Neven Maguire, devel-

in 2013. At present there are 350 products

Summer edition of COOK with Neven Maguire

oped to nurture people’s passion for cooking

in the collection with plans to introduce 100

will make this even easier, with a magazine

at home with easy to follow recipes devised

new and exciting products this year. All of the

packed full of mouthwatering dishes that

exclusively by Neven for Simply Better.

products are chosen for their provenance,

even the most culinary challenged could

many from small producers, and all with a

master!”

As well as an abundance of delicious Pictured at the launch is Dermot Murphy, Simply Better

recipes, the magazine will feature the Simply

nod to the past, where food was made “in the

brand manager, Neven Maguire and Daragh Lawles,

Better ‘Food Heroes’ - stories of some of the

right way”.

Simply Better marketing and design brand manager.

food producers involved in bringing the best

Picture Andres Poveda

quality food to homes across Ireland.

Speaking about COOK with Neven, Diarmuid Murphy, Simply Better brand manager

The magazine which will be available in Dunnes Stores nationwide and online, was launched in Dunnes Stores, Swan Shopping Centre, Rathmines.

DUBLINLIFE

TRAVEL

GAZETTE

GAZETTE

29 June 2017 GAZETTE 21

STAYCATIONS: WHY JET OUT WHEN YOU CAN LIVE THE HIGH LIFE RIGHT HERE IN IRELAND

HaveaRadtimebythebanksof theShannoninancientAthlone PACK up the family for a fun-filled summer break at the newly refurbished Radisson Blu Hotel,Athlone.

Enjoy a family break for two adults and two kids including breakfast on both mornings, a delicious dinner on the evening of your choice in Element’s Bistro and a choice of either a family visit to Glendeer Pet Farm or a family pass to Athlone Castle so you can make the most of the summer sun.

The kids will be kept more than

happy with plenty of activities in the hotel’s Kids Camp while mum and dad can explore the maritime town of Athlone, fit in some exercise in Synergy Health & Leisure Club or simply enjoy a drink in the Quayside Bar & Lounge or out on the terrace overlooking Athlone Marina.

The summer family break packages are available from €255 so trade in the daily grind for some leisure time at Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone. Call 090 644 2600 to book.

EIRE GO BREAK Luxury on Ice

WHATEVER your perfect Wild Atlantic Way break is, the sumptuous Ice House in north Mayo is the perfect base.

Overlooking the River Moy and the woodlands beyond, the Ice House is in the perfect location to wrap yourself in the wilderness of the West Coast of Ireland, all the while enjoying the fantastic food, soothing spa, bubbling hot tubs and

DON’T fancy queuing at check-in desks and waiting for bags for hours on end? Well there’s no need, with beautiful scenery and wonderful accommodation on offer right here at home. Treat yourself, your better half, or the entire family to a staycation in the most wonderful place on earth – our own little island of Ireland.

super service that this award winning boutique hotel offers.

With a two night break starting from €284 per person sharing including dinner on one evening, the Ice House can also book their guests in with Rachel’s Irish Adventures (www. rachelsirishadventures. com)for hiking, tours, watersports and other adventures.

Faithlegg House Hotel has it all MAKE a change this summer and embrace the great outdoors from the picturesque haven of Faithlegg House Hotel and Golf Resort in Co Waterford.

The hotel’s central location makes it the ideal base to discover the coastal county’s hidden gems. Explore the ancient east through the Waterford Greenway, a spectacular 46km off-road cycling trail along an old railway line between Waterford and Dungarvan.

And after a long day exploring, head back to Faithlegg, slip down to the Estuary Spa for a treatment, a dip in the jacuzzi or retreat to a cosy armchair in the Aylward Lounge.

That evening savour a delicious meal in the award winning Roseville Rooms Restaurant prepared by head chef Jenny Flynn using the finest ingredients from local producers you may have passed on your cycle!

The Get and Go Greenway package at Faithlegg House Hotel is available from €179 per person sharing and includes a two-night stay in luxurious accommodation, breakfast on both mornings and dinner on the night of your choice in the Roseville Rooms Restaurant. To book, call 051 382000 orvisit www.faithlegg.com.

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22 GAZETTE 29 June 2017

DUBLINLIFE

FASTNews

Taking the crew to

Van drivers have extra choices with the crew cab offers that allow for comfort and safety for all passengers along with a decent carrying load area, as MICHAEL MORONEY discovered when he loaded up the Renault Trafic crew cab for a lengthy test run.

The new larger Polo claims to bring the future to the compact car class with more space and more technology as standard

Volkswagen’s Sixth generation bigger Polo is on the way VOLKSWAGEN has a new sixth generation car on the way, following the model success which has clocked up more than 14 million units sold. One of the world’s best selling compact cars is undergoing an entirely new exterior design change.

The new model will have a longer wheelbase for more comfort, and more interior space as well as a bigger and 25% bigger boot. The interior will be more spacious and comes with a new cockpit layout structured for the digital world. The car will be offered with front assist, blind spot detection, adaptive cruise control and LED headlights like in the Golf class.

There will be a choice of efficient TSI (petrol), TGI (natural gas) and TDI (diesel) engines in the new Polo.

The car will be offered with an array of assistance systems which previously was only familiar in larger Volkswagen cars.

Most drivers under-prepared after passing driving test NEW research by Liberty Insurance shows that 61%

RENAULT offers van drivers a wide choice in the mid-range sector vans based around its popular Trafic van. For those van drivers who need the flexibility to combine load space with people carrying capacity, the crew cab van ensures that all passengers are safe and secure.

When it comes to describing the new generation of Renault Trafic crew cab, you can also add passenger comfort and space.

From a driver’s point of view crew cab vans like the Renault Trafic crew cab, no longer present a daunting driving prospect because there is scope to add fittings that help with manoeuvrability and ease of driving.

That was my experience when I recently took the long wheelbase version of the Renault Trafic crew cab for a

thankfully, those days are gone for van drivers.

The high seating posiSPECIFICATIONS tion in the Renault Trafic Enginesize (litre) 1.6

crew cab gives the driver Engine power (hp) 145 and passengers great road visibility. Entry to the van Engine Torque(Nm) 340 could be helped with some 0 – 100km/hr (seconds) 10.2 grab handles, which were Economy (km/litre) 16 an obvious omission, as

(6.3/100km or 45mpg) the entry height requires Fuel Tank Capacity (litres) 80 a significant lift compared AdBlue Capacity (litres) 20 with a car or SUV. Setting up for comfort CO2 emissions(g/km) 164 after that was easy, with Road Tax Band Commercial €333 great seat adjustment Main Service 30,000km/24 months and the added comfort of Towing rating(kg) 2,000 driver armrests. The rear Warranty 5 years (200,000km) passengers were not forPayload (kg) 1,040 gotten and they too were provided with armrest, Entry Price €29,495 full seatbelts and for those lengthy 1,160km test run. pay their way. Noise lev- with family transport Once behind the wheel els are better controlled needs, there are two ISOthe comfortable seating than in the past, so that fix couplings for reliable position in modern vans with a crew on board, child seat fitting. you can actually hold a became obvious.

The van is a working Modern vans like the conversation. That might area for many users – it Renault Trafic crew cab seem a strange remark, combines the transport are built for comfort, for but vans of old were more role with that of a worklengthy days behind the functional than comfort- shop and mobile office. wheel, as vans have to able or sound proof and, There needs to be lot of

Renault Trafic dCi 145 Crew Cab

small item storage as well as the flexibility to convert for larger items. Here the Renault Trafic crew cab excels with deep side door storage, under-seat storage was well as lots of room to deter drivers from filling the windscreen area.

Out on the road the Renault Trafic crew cab drives with confidence as its twin-turbo diesel 1.6litre engine pumps out 145bhp of power. That was more than adequate for me with a partial load and some passengers.

That engine size may look small, while it delivers 340Nm of torque enough to allow it to tow a two tonne load, as well.

This modern design van engine comes with Stop & Start technology and the new regenerative braking system, called Energy Smart Management. Renault claims that this helps the Trafic to

of drivers feel under-prepared for the road even after passing their practical test. The research has also shown that half of all drivers under 30 do not feel confident when driving in certain places or performing particular manoeuvres, like reverse parallel parking and using major roundabouts with multiple exits. Only two-in-five of all drivers claim to be ‘very confident’ in these areas.

In addition to a lack of confidence in their own ability, seven-in-10 drivers think that Irish roads are more hazardous than they were a decade ago. This opinion is higher among females (81%), older drivers aged 55-64 (76%) and residents of Connacht/Ulster (79%).

Deirdre Ashe, director of Personal Lines at Liberty Insurance, said: “In many ways, this isn’t entirely surprising. Our roads are busier than ever before, with more distractions for drivers, like smart phones. Adding to the danger is the huge number of uninsured private vehicles on Irish roads, estimated by the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) to be over 151,000.

“In light of these findings, we all as drivers have a duty in taking greater personal responsibility for our actions on the road,” she said. “In short, our findings demonstrate the importance of the ongoing collaboration between government and industry in the promotion of safer driving, particularly among younger drivers and in regional areas with less developed infrastructure.”

Colour campaign for Jeep 172 offers JEEP is now offering the option of any colour shade in a new complimentary colour offer available on the range of SUV’s from Jeep Renegade to the Grand Cherokee for 172 registrations. In addition, they are offering three years’ free servicing, competitive financing and upgrade offers designed to appeal to anyone looking for a new 172 model.

Jeep’s most compact model, the Renegade, is available from €22,950 and with PCP or HP finance offers.

The Jeep brand is always distinctive, and the wide stance 4x4’s come with exceptional glass-to- wheel proportions. The Jeep range is immediately recognisable as a Jeep thanks to characteristic traditional design cues, such as the seven-slot grille and Jeep has included a host of colour options for new 172 Jeep orders and the new Jeep Compass is on the way for later this year the trapezoidal wheel arches.

29 June 2017 GAZETTE 23

GAZETTE

MOTORING

the Trafic in comfort and style

The Renault Trafic crew cab van has an impressive specification that blends practical load space with driver and passenger comfort for the full crew or family. Entry prices start at €29,495.

achieve fuel economy of up to 16 (6.3/100km or 45mpg).

During my test drive I

was typically about 30% off that rated figure, while the overall performance still gave me an impres-

sive range of 945km on a full diesel tank. That to me is economical driving performance for a big van

with passenger and load capacity.

Renault drivers have the option of using the

Eco system by pressing a dash mounted button for enhanced economy. I noted the economy difference when put to the test.

I found it a useful feature that will save fuel on longer runs, while it was difficult to be exact on the level of fuel saving.

The Renault Trafic crew cab uses the AdBlue fuel system to give lower CO2 and NOx levels, essentially a cleaner exhaust.

Entry prices for the shorter Renault Trafic crew cab van start at €29,495 and that’s about €6,000 more than the standard van. The advantages of the extra seats to allow six to travel in comfort and safety are obvious when you have to carry people as well as gear.

The dash design on the Renault Trafic crew cab is modern and car-like with easy access controls and a steering wheel that’s comfortable to use and not too big and (below) the side doors slide open wide on the long wheelbase to give great second row seat access

GAZETTE

24 FINGAL GAZETTE 29 June 2017

DUBLINLIFE ReelReviews

BABY DRIVER

Fast-paced thrills galore ANSEL Elgort makes a great impression in Baby Driver (Cert 15A, 113 mins) – not easy to do, when the rest of the film is such a blast. He’s great as the titular getaway driver caught in an increasingly murky job, but the film itself is pretty captivating, with some top-notch visuals and its excellent soundtrack making it one of most engaging films of the summer. Worth racing over to catch.

WONDER WOMAN

A welcome introduction

Hopefully, the last one There’s no denying that the film can look pretty spectacular, with some top-notch special effects and often great cinematography. However, its eye-popping visuals aside, there’s little to recommend or even like here, with its turgid plot, awkward sexism and generally dire script likely to bore and annoy in equal measure.

 SHANE DILLON WHAT can you say about this latest Transformers film (Transformers: The Last Knight; Cert 12A, 150 mins) which hasn’t already been said about all of its predecessors?

When you get into the nuts and bolts of it, T5 – the fifth in the interminable series – shifts things around a bit, but in essence it’s just a variation on the Transformers theme.

Were it not for the addition of Anthony Hopkins delivering key exposition dumps (slumming it big-time after his charismatic turn in TV’s superb Westworld) and an almost Monty Pythonian sledgehammering of King Arthur into the franchise’s lore, you’d be hardpressed to spot the difference between this and director Michael Bay’s previous Transformer films.

This time round, Bay throws the Trans-

former multiverse wide open, lobbing in a plot McGuffin to send the film careening along from spectacle to spectacle.

Turns out that the Transformers have been fighting their interminable war for a very long time, with Merry Olde Englande – courtesy of King Arfurr and pals – also playing a key role in their age-old battle of the planets.

That McGuffin I just mentioned?

Some ancient Transformer high-tech gadgetry (in effect, a magic staff) which could change the fate of the Transformer civil war in our time – but which proved very handy back then when given to Arthur, and his bumbling Merlin, to get their act together and forge their legend.

Flash forward to today, and we return to Cade Yeager (a scruffy and often confused-looking Mark Wahlberg) as the regular joe (and awesome all-American-hero) mechanic-inventor

once again at the centre of everything.

After decimating Chicago, the Transformers are hiding out at Yeager’s junkyard, as they’re now regarded as dangerous and illegal aliens by the powers that be. Still, they’re continuing to fight against the evil Decepticon robots, and keep trying to protect Earth.

Out of nowhere, said high-tech but hidden staff is now the key to winning the Transformers war (because, y’know, plot McGuffin), and so the race is on to find it, with twists and scraps a-plenty along the way.

There’s more to the plot than that, of course – much, much more, with the film’s bum-numbing run time dragging things on and on and on – but if you’re looking for an engrossing plot in a Transformers tale, brother, this ain’t the film for you.

Instead, director Bay has just followed his usual shtick, creating anoth-

er film that couldn’t be anything but a Transformers tale, with everything from admittedly terrific special effects to casual sexism, product placements and endless slo-mo shots and explosions to get through.

As such, as a two hour-plus FX reel, Transformers rocks! But as an actual film with a compelling plot, a strong narrative, likeable characters, sharp dialogue or cohesive editing, however ... not so much.

Ultimately it’s almost impossible to score a Transformers tale like this – people know they’re truly terrible films, but will still go to see it in their droves.

So, I’ll give it one mark for Tony Hopkins, one for some terrific special effects, one for its mildly entertaining King Arthur stuff, and one for the merciful arrival of the end credits. That gives us .. 4/10

WONDER Woman (Cert 12A, 141 mins) is still wowing on the big screen in her first big-budget blockbuster. The film gets a few things wrong, with some stodgy pacing making the first act drag on, but Gal Gadot is pretty great as the titular Amazonian princess, bringing some understated wit, empathy and the requisite physical prowess to the role. Look out for a Wonder-ful sequel!

CARDBOARD GANGSTERS Unfolding Dublin drama

CARDBOARD Gangsters (Cert 18, 92 mins) definitely impresses with a slice of Irish life you won’t see in any glossy tourism ads.

The gritty film could have been set in half a dozen deprived Dublin places, not just Darndale. Lead John Connors impresses, as a group of young thugs try to move up the criminal ladder. It’s fairly grim stuff, but it’s well made, and a decent modern Irish film.

29 June 2017 FINGAL GAZETTE 25

GAZETTE

CINEMA

Sophie Glligan, Amelia Devlin, Loriane Keane and Romy Devlin

Ryan O’Dwyer Dublin GAA hurler is pictured with family Oisin, Lucy and wife Cliona. Pictures: Andres Poveda Baz Ashmawy with daughters Mahy and

Felix, Arlo and Casper Quick from

Hanna

Ringsend

Three times the Despicable charm T

HE Universal Pictures Irish premiere screening of Despicable Me 3 was held at the Savoy Cinema at the weekend, much to the delight of Minion fans, young and old. Steve Carell brings Gru back to life for the third epic delight full of super villians, lots of bubble gum, a priceless diamond and maybe even a long lost twin brother...?

Twins Leo and Lucy Olivia Ruberton, Lucy and Abbie Donnelly from Finglas

Mellon from Sandyford

Twins Ben and Nahan Coyle from Rathfarnham

Conor Stynes from Lucan

26 FINGAL GAZETTE 29 June 2017

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28 FINGAL GAZETTE 29 June 2017

SPORT

FastSport GYMNASTICS SUMMER CAMPS: OLYMPIAN Gymnastics’ recreational summer camps will get underway next week for the first of seven weeks which give gymnasts a chance to progress their gymnastics in a fun and encouraging environment over a one week period.

The camps will take place at Templeogue College St. Colmcille’s Community School, Knocklyon and Alexandra College, Milltown, running from 9.30am to 2.30pm daily.

The cost of the camps are €100 for a five-day Camp while there is a €10 sibling/ additional camp discount.

Week one of the camps runs from Monday, July 3 to Friday, July 7 with further camps beginning on July 10, 17, 24, 31 and August 7 and 14.

To register your child for Summer Camps, log on to www.olympiangymnastics.com with online registration open now.

For further queries or information. contact info@olympiangymnastics.com or 086 082 5737.

BOXING: BALLYFERMOT MAN BEATS CRUISE TO CLAIM MIDDLEWEIGHT BELT

Cool Hand Keeler takes Irish title by narrowest margin

 KARL GRAHAM sport@dublingazette.com

LUKE Keeler shrugged off a broken hand to become the new Irish middleweight champion at the National Boxing Stadium in Dublin on Saturday night after securing a narrow one point win over Darren Cruise.

The 30-year-old from Ballyfermot and Roscommon’s Cruise were competing in the headline fight of Red Corner’s ‘For Honour and Pride’ card as both looked to leave the ring with the previously vacant title wrapped around their waist.

The fight got off to a cagey start but both fighters managed to land a big shot during the opening exchanges. Keeler was looking busier in the ring but Cruise was picking his punches well.

Round two saw Keeler take a front step in the fight but Cruise hit back at the Dubliner during the third.

“Cool Hand” Keeler dominated the fourth round with some good work to his opponent’s body but the Roscrea man hit back in the next round as he pushed the Ballyfermot

Luke Keeler piles on the punishment on Darren Cruise. Picture: Laszlo Geczo

man onto the ropes.

The damage to Keeler’s right hand became noticeable during the sixth as he held back on launching hooks in favour of more jab work. Cruise took advantage to make a good start but Keeler eventually got back into the swing of things and finished the round stronger.

Cruise started the seventh

with a big right followed by a hook to the body in an attempt to slow down Keeler. The Celtic Warrior man was then reprimanded by the referee for a low shot that seemed to have little negative effect on Cruise.

Accuracy In round eight, Cruise once again started well to land some accurate jabs that Keeler sim-

ply had no answer for, and took the round easily.

Keeler was knocked back during the ninth as the trend of Cruise dominating the opening exchanges of the round continued. However, Keeler got his jab back into the mix and finished well to take the round.

The fight was tight as the final round got underway and

it was evident that both fighters knew they still had every chance of seeing their hand lifted into the air upon completion.

Shots were exchanged but it was Keeler who seemed to have the cleaner of them. The mid-section of the round saw a lull as both tired but Cruise was determined to have the last say and landed with a big straight.

Neither fighter deserved to lose the bout but Keeler managed to pip it with a final score of 96-95 to take his first title and give his European ranking a boost. Talks of a rematch are beginning to circulate but Keeler is likely to turn his attentions towards earning a shot at a European title.

There was no such luck for Castleknock’s Stephen Collins as he came unstuck against Mullingar’s Paddy McDonagh in the battle for the vacant light heavyweight title on the same card.

Collins was dropped in the first round and eventually went on to lose 97-94 on referee David Irvine’s scorecard, recording the first defeat of his professional career.

Net gains for Republic of Ireland side at Quad series  BERNARD DUFF sport@dublingazette.com

The Republic of Ireland netball team ahead of their game with Barbados in Lisburn last weekend. Picture: Michael Lowther

THE Republic of Ireland netball team season came to a close last weekend in Lisburn. Six fixtures in seven days was a grueling workload for an amateur organisation but the Irish ladies could look back on their efforts with immense appreciation.

It was certainly a summer that could be divided into two phases for a side based predominantly in south Dublin. Ireland dominated the European Championships second tier competition in Aber-

deen in May. In that tournament, they put together four back-toback victories as they dominated.

In truth though, the 24th world ranked ladies were really looking forward to the challenge at last week’s Summer Quad Series in Lisburn, competing with Northern Ireland (ranked 12), Barbados (11th) and Singapore (19th).

For Republic of Ireland, the standard meant their panel of 12 was tested to the limit. Wins against Barbados and Northern Ireland were not expected and the team lost by some margin in both games; 55-21 and 68-20

respectively.

But Irish Goal Defense Gen Slater explained: “Against each team there was a specific goal.

For three of the four quarters against Barbados, we met our goals of losing by a quarter by five or less. We rarely played as well as we did against Barbados.

“The really poor quarter was the next day in the last quarter.

By then, against Northern Ireland, we were gassed”.

Slater was among Ireland’s best performers across the week: “I have the experience of playing the hard games where it’s

just go all the time but a lot of the younger girls are only getting that experience by playing here in these games.”

Playing with a swollen knee, goal keeper Kate Bermingham had the least enviable job of marking a superstar Goal Shooter for each nation. Barbados’ Shonica Wharton (39 goals from 41 shots), Northern Ireland’s Lisa Bowman (45 from 47) and the player of the tournament Singapore’s Charmaine Soh (72 from 77 combined in the group game and third/fourth place game) showed no mercy.

29 June 2017 FINGAL GAZETTE 29

GAZETTE

FASTSport

Ice man Turner turns up heat for Channel record North Dublin man joins up with Infinity team to be part of the first group to swim from the Isle of Man to Ireland, fighting through sea sickness and fog to reach Ardglass

Top tier Para-Badminton comes to Blanchardstown

 JAMES HENDICOTT

 BERNARD DUFF

sport@dublingazette.com

THE FZ Forza Irish Para-Badminton International 2017 took place in the National Sports Campus in Blanchardstown last weekend with Paralympic motivation very much on the mind.

Now in its third year, the large space of the new venue proved to be favourable with competitors having been moved from the smaller Antrim Forum.

With para-badminton recently included for its maiden outing at the 2020 Toyko Summer Olympics, it meant that some of the 132 athletes participating from 28 countries had a real chance of gaining a dream ticket to Tokyo.

Para-badminton has six different categories and the eight strong Irish playing team were represented in five. Over the four days of the tournament, an incredible 21 different competitions took place.

In Wheelchair 1 & 2 (WH1-WH2) Ireland were represented by Michael Curry and Chris Stewart in the men’s and in the women’s Laura Lee Jenkins teamed up with Scotland’s Fiona Christie in doubles.

It was the Jenkins/Christie pairing who gained a bronze medal. They won two of three matches in their group before losing in the semi-final to Swiss pair Mathez/Suther-Erath (21-13, 21-14).

The wheelchair categories are played on a wooden floor rather than the familiar matting and the court is half as wide as a standard court.

In Standing Lower (SL4), which is played on a full court, Stephen Halpin and Wayne Brerenton didn’t qualify out of their group. Likewise, in Standing Upper (SU4), Owen Casey found the going tough.

In the final category, Short Stature 6 (SS6), Ireland had the most success, winning two bronze medals bringing the weekend’s tally to three bronze medals.

In the men’s singles, Niall McVeigh lost in the semi-final to eventual champion England’s Krysten Coombs (19-21, 10-21). After winning two and losing two, Emma Farnham did enough to also claim a coveted bronze medal.

Ireland manager Eugene McVeigh said: “This is really eight years work to get where we are. The national badminton centre in Lisburn is our base and Ulster Badminton has been really supportive.

Next stop now is the World Champs in Korea in November”.

ICE swimmer Conor Turner took on a new challenge earlier this month, as part of the first team ever to swim from the Isle of the Man to Ireland, a step away from his usual challenges in terms of distance, environment and practical difficulties.

Turner came to the fore in the rarefied world of ice swimming this winter, when he came second in the world championship in Germany, and very much focuses his swimming career on the winter event these days.

Having been invited to participate in the international team crossing the distance of just under 70km in the Irish Sea, Turner arrived somewhat

blind.

“Every other member of the team has been involved in an [English] channel crossing,” Turner told the Gazette. “I got the invite from Infinity Channel Swimming, whose baby it is, and pretty much just turned up and swam. They did the research, organisation, worked out the detail and all that.”

Turner’s team are the first ever to complete the distance, taking 18 hours, eight minutes and 32 seconds. the six members rotated on hourlong stints and Turner set off from the Isle of Man end. The finishing time enabled the Dubliner to personally complete the swim in Ardglass, County Down. His team consisted of Turner himself, Carole Laport

Conor Turner on the swim between the Isle of Man and Ardglass .

(France), Anna Carin Nordin (Sweden), Rory Fitzgerald (GB/Ireland), and Elina Makïnen (Finland).

“We swam alongside a rig,” Turner explained.

“People gave us instructions and direction, and we swam for an hour each time. It was daylight for all but three or four hours but the first parts were very rough.

“I tried to treat my section of the swim like a 5km, which takes about an hour, and is a distance I’d be quite used to. I swam at about 85% to account for it being an hour of effort. Then you change over which means one swimmer dropping back and the next getting in the water and swimming past them.”

The toughest stages

for Turner were actually in the boat, however, though he admitted the best bit of each hour was “getting back out”.

“I got quite seasick, which isn’t something I’ve had to worry about before,” he said. “The second shift, I was getting into the water between 1 and 2am, and because I’d been sick, I

though I probably will.

You learn from this, and I prefer to learn my own lessons, as something that works for someone else might not work for me, and vice versa.

“There’s definitely big adaptions necessary in the preparation: how to eat, how to rest, that kind of thing if I’m going to do something like this

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

‘I don’t find the temperature difficult; 12 or 13 degrees is tropical compared to ice swimming.’ - Conor Turner

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

was running on fumes.

That was pretty difficult.

“There was plenty of wildlife, lots of jellyfish stings. But I didn’t find the temperature particularly difficult, at 12-13 degrees. That’s tropical compared to the ice swimming.”

The swim ended with some modest drama, as fog descended and the team struggled with navigation into the planned finish in Ardglass harbour. “We ended up a kilometre or so off course,” Turner recalled.

“But we just went in to the shore, stood up on the rocks and marked the finish. Then got back in the boat to go to the harbour. You couldn’t see 20 metres in front of you face; the fog just came in from nowhere in the last hour and a half.

“I’m not sure I’d do something like this again,

again. It’s a different kind of thing to the swimming I’ve done before and I’m not sure I understand the motivation behind it, if I’m honest.

“It’s very tough and not always that enjoyable.

“But it was some feeling standing at the end knowing that your team is the first to ever do that swim.”

Turner’s main goals this season remain with the ice swimming championship, with his training ramping up in Autumn for next year’s event in Estonia, though he is a little concerned by the reduced distance – 450 metres instead of 1,000.

In the meantime, he’ll be competing in a range of sea swims, ramping up to five and 10km towards the end of the summer.

“For fun,” as you do.

GAZETTE

30 FINGAL GAZETTE 29 June 2017

SPORT

FASTSport

CRICKET: MIXED SUCCESS FOR THE HILLS, RUSH AND NORTH COUNTY

Double bronze for Ryan at Transplant Games DUBLINERS produced some fine performances on the opening days of the World Transplant and Dialysis Games in Malaga with Lenny Ryan part of the bronze-medal winning side in the Triples Darts event.

Ryan, a kidney transplant recipient who is pictured above on the right, also won a bronze on Tuesday in the petanque singles.

Their teammate Deirdre Faul defended and retained her world champion title in Squash today, her sixth Gold in a row at World Transplant Games events.

At another venue in Malaga, fellow Dubliner Deirdre Faul secured victory over stiff competition from opponents from France and Singapore in the Squash event where she reaffirmed her World Champion status.

Faul, a liver transplant recipient, can now boast six in a row in squash as she also won gold at the 2007 Games in Thailand, 2009 in Australia, 2011 in Sweden, 2013 in South Africa and 2015 in Argentina.

Faul said after her win: “I’m delighted to get the six in a row in my 40-49 year age category. I want to thank my squash coach Frank Donnelly and all the squash players at my club, Old Belvedere.

“I am 14 years transplanted this summer and I am so grateful to my donor and the donor family for making the tough decision to donate. Of course, I would like to say thanks to my Dad and my sons for all their support.”

Later this week at the World Games, Faul, also a champion swimmer, will also take part in swimming events including 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle and 100m breast-stroke.

Transplant Team Ireland includes four liver and 23 kidney transplant recipients ranging in age from 30 to 79 who will compete against almost 1,000 participants from more than 50 countries at what will be the largest gathering of transplant recipients this year.

Every athlete at the World Transplant Games will have already received a kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas or bone marrow transplant.

Rush endured a tough start to their T20 league campaign

Fingal clubs open T20 accounts sport@dublingazette.com

THE HILLS, Nor th County and Balbriggan all picked up a win and a loss on the opening day of cricket’s LHK Insurance T20 league last Saturday with Rush falling to one defeat while they tied their other game against Phoenix.

Indeed, the day at Phoenix was a particularly closely contested one for Fingal clubs in the competition.

First up was a nail-biter between Balbriggan and Rush in a battle between the coastal neighbours with the former successfully defending 172 by just

a single run.

Connor Fletcher’s 44 off 27 balls, continuing his fine form this season, got them off to a flying start and it was back up by some late hitting by Trent McGrath with 45 from 25 balls.

It set an imposing total but Rush were always in the mix as Stephen Doheny kept the innings ticking along at a good pace. His century partnership with Neil Rock for the third wicket meant that they had a potentially doable 58 to make up with six overs to go.

But Rock’s dismissal for 52 when Rush were seven runs short of the total

SENIOR CHAMPION Morrow wins Leinster crown in Dun Laoghaire PORTMARNOCK’S Adrian Morrow captured

the Leinster Seniors Amateur Championship 2017 title at Dun Laoghaire GC. The current senior international shot an impressive 74 to add to his first-round score of 73 finishing on 147, three over par.

Maurice Kelly, Naas, was six shots behind with a final score of 153. Morrow, second from right, is pictured being presented the trophy by Leinster golf’s John Ferriter and Noel Mannion.

Picture: Pat Cashman

proved a critical moment and Balbriggan held on by the narrowest of margins.

It left Rush needing to bounce back in their second game later in the afternoon against hosting Phoenix. This time around, their bowling attack managed to consistently take wickets to restrict the city centre club to 155 with only Ben White really cutting loose with 35 runs late in the innings.

Doheny bowled a tight line to land two wickets for 25 while there were wickets, too, for Aaron McGuire, Daniel Coffey and Dean Brogan.

In pursuit, Rush got off to a brilliant start with

Conor Armstrong and Doheny running up 90 for the first wicket with the latter recording his second half-century of the day.

But things started to go awry when Armstrong departed and Rock was dismissed second ball.

Indeed, six wickets fell for 22 runs to completely change the game’s complexion.

Doheny was dismissed with 10 still needed but Coffey got a couple of late runs to tie the game.

Phoenix did not dwell on that setback too much, however, as they went on to smash Balbriggan by 10 wickets.

At Inch, North County

started their campaign with a five wicket win over Railway Union with Andrew Sheridan’s four wickets and Eddie Richardson’s 58 not out the key interventions.

They were 11 runs shy of Merrion, however, in their second game of the day despite another 42 from Richardson.

The Hills were hammered by 93 runs in their opening game but bounced back with a big 61 run win against Terenure as Albert van der Merwe held court with 58 runs in a total of 163. He then took two wickets for just 17 runs from his four overs.

29 June 2017 FINGAL GAZETTE 31

GAZETTE

CAPTAIN AHERNE

Syl’s star leads with big tally against Laois

CLUB NOTICEBOARD FINGALLIANS OUR hurlers drew with St Peregrine’s

ST SYLVESTER’S Sinead Aherne scored a monster 3-4 as Dublin ladies football side stormed through to another Leinster championship final with an 8-13 to 2-3 win over Laois last Sunday.

It sets up a final date with Westmeath in the provincial final on July 9 as the sky blues continue their pursuit of a sixth successive provincial title.

Camp applications: Online at www.

game is a must win v Naomh Mearnog on

fingallians.com or forms are at the bar

Wednesday, July 5 at home, throw in at

each evening from 6pm. Places are still

7.30pm.

available.

Nursery: Our shop and kids aged four

Summer football camp: Monday, July 3

to six are on holidays. Thanks to Nicola

to Friday, July 7. Registration for football

Fitzgerald, Paul Shannon, Shane How-

camp 2017 will also take place in club bar

ard, Sean Hickey and all the coaches

on Friday night between 6-8pm.

for their great work within the nursery

Picture: Peter Hickey/GAAPics.com

the past few months. Well done to all

FOOTBALL: SKERRIES’ UNDER-14 SIDE SET SLIGO ALIGHT

Hurling School of Excellence: Tuesday,

achievements in 2017. The nursery will

July 25 – Friday, July 28. This camp will

resume on Saturday, September 9.

be run by Dublin hurlers Sean Hickey and Paul Flynn Football School of Excel-

beating Westmeath. The final will be

lence: This will now take place from Tues-

played on Sunday, July 16 at 4pm v Kil-

day, August 8 to Friday, August 11.

Apres Bellewstown: Saturday, July 8:

 SEAN GEOGHEGAN sport@dublingazette.com

SKERRIES Harps made club history last weekend as they won the Under-14 national Feile Division 1 shield for the first time following a 4-9 to 0-4 win over Galway champions Corofin in Sligo.

The team’s 2-5 to 1-6 win over Na Fianna in the Dublin final back in April was already a huge achievement for this Skerries side, so to now land a national title is massive for the club.

The Dubliners got off to a great start under

the shadow of the picturesque Knocknarea Mountain as early points for Ethan Dunne and Eoin Wilde were split by a Charlie Clear goal.

Eoghan O’Connor Flanagan then recorded a personal tally of 2-1 to give Skerries a big 3-5 to 0-4 lead going into the break.

Skerries also started the second half well, grabbing early points through Ronan Mulcahy, Sean Emmett and Clear, and a goal from the boot of Wilde.

Corofin tried desperately to respond but a solid defensive perfor-

mance from the likes of Callan Kelly, James Kenny and Joe May kept them scoreless throughout the second period.

Skerries had reached the final at the expense of Clane after defeating the Kildare champions by a score of 2-8 to 0-6.

They started the game strongly, with Wilde grabbing an early goal and point for himself, but Clane responded with five points to take the lead.

Eoin Thorne hit a great free before Wilde pointed again to leave Skerries with a narrow 1-3 to 0-5 lead at the interval. Sker-

ries held a strong wind advantage in the second hall and took advantage with points from Greg McEneany, Luke Whelan and Ronan Geoghegan.

Skerries limited Clane to just one point in the second half and Callum Lynch sealed the win with a goal late on.

The shield is competed for by the teams who finished second in their groups, with the winners moving on to the cup competition. Skerries recorded a win over Donegal’s St Eunan’s but unfortunately lost to Austin Stacks of Kerry to finish second.

Kelloggs Cul Camp: Monday, August 14 to Friday, August 18.

Celebrate with the winners and com-

Bootcamp with Noel: Every Tuesday

miserate with the losers. Entry €10; free

morning from 9.30am – 10.30am, there

to race goers – Bellewstown Raffle – for

will be a bootcamp for any members

those of you who can’t join us, you can

interested in improving their fitness

enter our draw. €10 per ticket – simply

levels. All fitness levels are welcome.

put your name and number on an enve-

Classes are €5 per session and all you

lope and leave at the bar. Prizes include

have to do is turn up five minutes before-

CityJet flights and signed Dublin jerseys.

hand on the day. The bootcamp will be on

Credit Union Cup: Congratulations to

the all-weather pitch in Fingallians and

GSBB who won both the boys and girls

U-14 NATIONAL FEILE

Shane Howard.

the Dubs qualify for the Leinster final

dare.

Historic Harps land national Feile shield

Summer hurling camp: Monday, July 10 – Friday, July 14.

our mentors for their great work and

Dublin senior footballers: Sunday saw

Skerries Harps with their national Feile Division One shield.

of kit from Member First Credit Union.

2-16 each. The final championship group

will go ahead rain/hail/shine.

credit union cup on June 16 and 19. Also,

Bloodbank: The mobile unit will be in

congratulations to GSBB girls and St Col-

the club on Wednesday and Thursday,

mcilles boys on winning a sponsored set

July 5 and 6, each day from 2.30 to 5pm.

ST FINIAN’S ST FINIAN’S GAA club expresses deepest

place form Tuesday, August 15 to Friday,

condolences to Barry O’Hea’s family and

August 18 and the third camp will take

friends on his untimely passing. Barry

place from Tuesday, August 22 to Friday,

has been actively involved with the club

August 25.

for several years both as a supporter

Online payments can be made under

and as a coach with our U-13 camogie

the Summer Camps 2017 side menu on

and football teams.

the club website, www.stfinians.com.

His three children Blaithin, Oisin and

Forms are also available and payments

Clodagh play football and hurling/camo-

made in the club office. Forms can also

gie with the club and his wife Niamh is

be downloaded from the club website.

also an active supporter of the club

The club is currently looking for some-

acknowledging the great sadness this

body who regularly attends home and

has caused his family and friends and

away adult football and hurling matches

community as a whole. Ar dheis DE go

to take photographs at those games

raibh a anam dilis.

which can be submitted to the Club PRO

It was mixed fortunes for the adult hurling teams this week. The AHL9 had

for uploading to the Club Website and Facebook page.

a great win over local rivals Fingallians

This role may suit somebody with an

in River Valley on Sunday with goals

interest in photography and a high spec

from Ian Fahey, Johnnie (Pat Spillane

digital camera will be provided. Expres-

knee bandage) Walsh and Matt Murray

sions of interest should be forwarded

with Luke McBride in super form at wing

topro.stfiniansswords.dublin@gaa.ie.

forward. The AHL4 team were very nar-

There are aerobics and fitness class-

rowly beaten at home by Naomh Fionn-

es taking place in the clubhouse activity

barra on Wednesday evening despite

room on Monday, Wednesday and Friday

good scoring from Adam O’Shaughnessy,

evenings. For further details, please

Dom Harris and James Shelly.

contact Bernie at 085 135 9766.

Online payments are no longer being

The club lotto jackpot on June 23 was

accepted for the Kelloggs Cul camp from

€1,700 and the numbers drawn were 4,

Monday, July 3 to Friday, July 7 but pay-

15, 20 and 22. There was no winner. Lucky

ments can still be made in the club office.

dip winners were D Levins, John Preston,

The second summer camp will take

Una Woodriffe and John Dowdall.

GAZETTESPORT

ALL OF YOUR FINGAL SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 28-31

HISTORIC HARPS: Skerries U-14s continue amazing run with shield success on the national Feile stage P31

JUNE 29 -JULY 5, 2017

COOL HAND LUKE KEELER: Ballyfermot man shows class to win Irish senior belt P28

Swords’ Nicola Shiels and Declan Bambrick are looking forward to a first season of women’s rugby in the club

Swords’ new horizon Local rugby club introduces women’s section as social media campaign gathers momentum with over 40 players expressing a keen interest

 KARL GRAHAM

sport@dublingazette.com

SWORDS Rugby Club are launching their first women’s team as part of their plans to regenerate the club by providing equal opportunities to both men and women from the area.

“It is something that has been on our minds for the last couple of seasons but we were trying to restructure the men’s team after we lost a lot of players to immigration and injury,” PRO Liam Linnane told GazetteSport.

“We were advertising the men’s team on Facebook when a woman from Swords contacted us to say it was a shame that we didn’t have a women’s team, so we took that feedback onboard.

“We went out to see how much interest we could build and, at the minute, I think we are up to 40 confirmed players for pre-season so it has taken wind.”

There have been attempts from other clubs to set themselves up in the area but, for one reason or another, they have struggled to keep going.

However, Swords’ attempt so far has garnered a lot of interest.

“Some of the teams have struggled in the past with their teams falling by the wayside so we wanted to build something in Fingal. We knew, in such a big area, we would be able to get the interest up. Instead of having just a men’s team, we decided we wanted to let everyone in Swords be able to play.

“We have had people from the Irish women’s team say they would be interested in coming down and helping out, and even possibly joining the team depending on the level we get to come down. It is everything from grassroots to international level at the minute.”

The team will compete in the Leinster League this year but they are taking things slowly while finding out what level the team will be capable of competing at.

“We are talking with the IRFU and the Leinster branch now about getting the team into a competition. We want to wait until we have a number of players and gauge the level before we put it into any league.

“We are looking to build up the player base in

Swords and with it being only our first season, use it as a feeding period and hopefully next season be in a far stronger position to change leagues if we feel we need to,” Linnane concluded.

The men’s team finished fourth in Leinster division three in their first season back with a proper squad after going from having full two teams to losing 13 players from their first team due to emigration and injury.

Pre-season training for the women starts on July 19 at 7.30pm in the ALSAA Sports Centre in Swords. The team are still looking for players of all skill levels who are interested in taking part in a fun and social setting.

For the men, pre-season training gets underway on July 4 at 7.30pm.