Dublin Gazette: Fingal Edition

DublinGazette MARCH 12 - 18, 2020

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THE LATEST NEWS & SPORT FROM THE FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL AREA

Women’s Day celebrations TYRRELSTOWN parkrun celebrated female participation on the eve of International Women’s Day on March 7. The event highlighted the need to break barriers and help women feel they can be part of the community – regardless of their ability, fitness or lifestyle. SEE PAGE 5

SPORT

GAELIC GAMES:

Innisfails’ little acorns growing the Balgriffin club from the bottom up.

SEE P30

Around 121 runners enjoyed the recent Holywell Junior Parkrun as gaeilge for Seachtain na Gaeilge 2020. At the start line, ‘Tá gaeilge agam’ wristbands were handed out to all of the runners, with the armbands supplied by An t-Oireachtas as part of its support for parkrun events.

Disney PLUS

SEE WHAT’S COMING TO THE NEW CONTENT SERVICE PAGE 16

Cora’s brave gesture in memory of sister Merryn SYLVIA POWNALL

Find us on Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you

A BRAVE schoolgirl will have her hair chopped this Saturday in memory of her sister who died of a rare form of cancer.

Cora Lacy from Donabate set up a fundraising campaign for the Little Princess Trust to help other children and families impacted by the disease.

With the help of her parents, Jenny and

Mick, she hopes to raise funds for Aoibheann’s Pink Tie, which supported them throughout their difficult journey.

Cora’s sister, Merryn, passed away in 2016 at the age of seven after battling a rare form of Neuroblastoma for three years.

On her fundraising page brave Cora – who has been growing her hair in order to have it cut – said: “I have always wanted

to do something to help children affected by childhood cancer.

“I also wanted to fundraise for a charity that has done so much for us and for so many other families impacted by cancer.”

Merryn will be forever remembered by her family as their “sweet little princess” who touched the lives of so many during her seven years.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

Cancer survivor calls for more supports

A PROSTATE cancer survivor forced to pay thousands of euro for treatment abroad says not enough is being done to support male patients in Ireland.

Retired science teacher James Horgan, from Lusk, was dealt a hammer blow when he was told he had the disease in September, 2018.

And, like many of the 3,500 men in Ireland diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, the news came out of the blue as he had displayed no symptoms.

SEE PAGE 4

2 DUBLIN GAZETTE  FINGAL 12 March 2020

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COVID-19: COUNCIL AXES ALL ST PATRICK’S PARADES

Coronavirus starts hitting life in Fingal

FASTNews

 SYLVIA POWNALL

spownall@dublingazette.com

FINGAL’S first case of coronavirus was confirmed at the weekend – just hours before the council axed all seven St Patrick’s Day parades.

Portmarnock Golf Club said it will remain open after the HSE informed it that a member had been diagnosed with Covid-19.

The 126-year-old club – one of the country’s best-known golf courses – said in a statement that it had notified its members about the case.

Contact-tracing pro-

With the Balbriggan mural again targeted with horrid slurs, it has reluctantly been decided to remove it

Cowardly vandals strike again at mural tocols were been put in place by the HSE after it was confirmed on Saturday that a man had contracted the disease.

A spokesman for Portmarnock Golf Club said they were assured that: “The health authorities were fully aware of

all relevant background information regarding the person and had activated all appropriate protocols, including HSE contacttracing protocols, for individuals diagnosed with Covid-19.”

As anticipated, Fingal County Council on Mon-

day announced the cancellation of St Patrick’s Day celebrations following a detailed risk assessment of the threat posed by the virus.

The parades affected are Swords, Balbriggan, Blanchardstown, Skerries, Rush, Lusk and Malahide – which had hoped to launch a new tradition for the town.

Aine McCabe and Trish Murtagh of Shop Malahide – the driving force behind the Malahide effort – said: “We are gutted for all our participants and volunteers.

“The support we got from our local community was quite phenomenal, and something we are very proud of.

“One consolation is that the structure for Malahide to have its first St Patrick’s Day parade is all set up and will be an even bigger event next year.”

In a statement, Fingal County Council said it would “continue to follow the advice of the Department of Health and the HSE in dealing with the potential impact of coronavirus on our activities.

“Our crisis management team is working to ensure that the council is ready and prepared to deal with matters as they arise.”

Mo n d ay ’s p l a n n e d launch of the Leinster Fleadh 2020 – which is due to be held in Swords for the first time this July – was also cancelled.

MINDLESS vandals have daubed homophobic graffiti on a Balbriggan mural for a second time, resulting in it being removed for good.

The colourful wall art, which was painted by a local artist to mark last year’s Pride celebrations in the town, was defaced with spray paint last week.

Trish Weldridge painted the celebrated mural, which featured love hearts in the Pride colours, a week before last June’s festival.

It was targeted by sick thugs 11 days later who scrawled an offensive four-letter term on it and, despite being restored, it was defaced with the same mindless bile last week – which was followed with a more sinister message in the form of a hangman’s noose.

Locals said it was with much regret that they decided to remove the mural.

Two arrests Daffodil after home Day called invasion off this year A HOME OWNER in Portmarnock was left shaken after being confronted by two armed raiders wielding a hammer at lunchtime on Monday.

Gardai investigating the aggravated burglary at a house in the Beech Park area on March 9 later arrested and charged two men in their 20s.

At around 1:35pm, an occupant of the house discovered two men downstairs, one armed with a hammer.

The two intruders sped off in a vehicle before abandoning it and continuing to flee on foot.

Local gardai later arrested two men after a pursuit.

Both men were detained at Coolock Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, and have since been charged.

THE Irish Cancer Society has cancelled its main fundraising event, Daffodil Day, due to public health concerns.

Averil Power, chief executive of the charity, said the decision was taken to cancel all street collections and events scheduled for March 27.

She said: “We have made this decision to protect the health and wellbeing of our patients, volunteers and supporters.

“We also want to focus all our energies on providing cancer patients and their families with the information, advice and support they need at this time.”

Daffodil Day, supported

by Boots Ireland, is the Irish Cancer Society’s biggest fundraiser, taking place each year in March.

12 March 2020 FINGAL  DUBLIN GAZETTE 3

BALBRIGGAN: LOCAL SINGER EXCITED AND PROUD TO SING AT THE EUROVISION

Lesley’s hoping for a win for Ireland with Story of My Life SYLVIA POWNALL

BALBRIGGAN singer Lesley Roy says she is “proud and excited” to represent Ireland at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

The 33-year-old performed her song, Story of My Life, for the first time on Friday night’s Late Late Show on RTE and the video has since trended at No 1.

Lesley, who divides her time between Balbriggan and New York city, where she lives with her wife of nine years, will bid to reclaim our glory days in Rotterdam in May. She said: “The wait is over. So proud and excited to be Ireland’s Eurovision entry.

“Everyone has a story

to tell ... let’s do this, Ireland.

“I’m very lucky that I am from the era of Niamh Kavanagh, Paul Harrington, Eimear Quinn and the Riverdance years.

‘Deep impression’ “I feel like the back to back years watching it live from the Point Depot, with Gerry Ryan hosting, and the explosion of Riverdance, left a very deep impression on me as a kid.

“I definitely made a mental note that this is something I would love to do for Ireland when I grew up.

“I think I have a very high standard of what a Eurovision song should be because of those mem-

ories, and that definitely informed the type of song I would send.”

Lesley released her debut album, Unbeautiful, in 2008. She has since penned a string of hits for the likes of Adam Lambert, Medina, Jana Kramer, Marlee Scott and Deorro.

She co-wrote and produced the uplifting pop tune, Story of My Life, with a crew of Nashville greats including Robert Marvin, Catt Gravitt and Tom Shapiro.

She revealed: “We wanted something uptempo and triumphant, which centres around overcoming your difficulties in life and getting back up again.”

Lesley will need to put

Ready to sing her all for Ireland ... Balbriggan singer Lesley Roy

in a show-stopping performance in order for Ireland to qualify from the first semi-final in Rotter-

Fingal all set to be wowed with first Michael Dawson and Donal Kearney, of Fingal Festival of Voices, at the beach in Balbriggan

MORE than 2,000 singers from 60 Irish and international choirs will take part in the inaugural Fingal International Festival of Voices from March 12-15.

The four-day event, which is taking place in Balbriggan, will feature top choirs from Ireland, the UK, Belarus and the US and is expected to attract many visitors to Ireland’s youngest town.

The festival will open today, Thursday, with a series of friendship concerts in Balbriggan, Rush and Malahide featuring collaborations between the visiting international choirs and local groups.

From Friday, Balbriggan will host performances of sacred music, Indi-

an classical music and percussion, Malahide Singing Circle, a barbershop chorus and Ceili dancing.

“

The four-day event will feature top choirs from Ireland, the UK, Belarus and the US

There will also be workshops on diverse topics such as the ageing voice and music of the holocaust.

Candlelit tales, on Friday and Saturday, will breathe new life

into Irish myths and legends in St George’s church.

Younger audiences can make archaeological discoveries at The Big Dig on Saturday and Sunday in the festival pavilion.

The festival will also feature folk singing, workshops and talks from international experts, a festival pavilion with food trucks, a busking competition and a singing trail.

The vast majority of events and activities will be free to attend – only the Grand Prix final of the choral competition, the Candlelit Tales and the Friendship Concerts will be ticketed.

For further information, see fingalfestivalofvoices.com.

dam on Tuesday, May 12.

She said: “My mindset for the coming months is to train, rehearse, prepare,

perform, execute and hopefully bring Eurovision glory back to Ireland once again.”

FASTNews

‘Urgent action is needed to tackle rents’ ACTION is urgently needed to tackle high rents, according to Deputy Duncan Smith (Lab).

The Fingal deputy said the Tasc report on household debt in Ireland highlights the burden faced by many in the private rental sector.

He said: “This report highlights how many renters are struggling to pay for the basics, such as heating costs and other utilities.

“The research found that renters are nearly four times more likely to go without heating due to a lack of money than home owners, while just under 30% have fallen behind on utility bills.

“The key to resolving the housing and homelessness crisis is for the State to start building social and affordable homes on a large scale, on public land. We have to take immediate steps to halt rent rises until enough homes have been built.”

4 DUBLIN GAZETTE  FINGAL 12 March 2020

HONOURING SISTER’S LEGACY

Raising funds for Aoibheann’s Pink Tie CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

She captured the hearts of the nation – winning over boxing champ Katie Taylor and even bringing a smile to the face of former Man United legend Roy Keane.

Merryn attended Balbriggan Educate Together NS and lived life to the full, despite battling an aggressive form of cancer which affects the nervous system.

Posting on her Facebook page, her parents said: “For so long, Cora has wanted to do something for children impacted by cancer.

“She’s come to us with so many different ideas and at the same time she’s been growing her hair to donate it to the Little Princess Trust.

“So what better way than to make this the start of her fundraising? She’s picked a charity that has already done so much for us and others – Aoibheann’s Pink Tie. “She’s doing this to help others, but we know this will also help her too. This is definitely only the start. She’s determined to do more.”

Cora has set up a fundraising page in memory of Merryn and the family have been bowled over by the level of support so far, with more than €2,300 raised by 100 people.

LUSK: MAN FORCED TO PAY €40K FOR TREATMENT

They wrote: “We can’t believe the response … this is going to help Cora too.

She struggles at times with the unfairness of the world, and is determined to kick back.

“Thank you everyone who has donated.

Aoibheann’s Pink Tie is a wonderful charity and it’s when you’re on the unfair side of life that you realise how important they are.”

To donate see https://www.idonate. ie/fundraiser/11384241_in-memoryof-merryn-lacy.html.

Retired science teacher James Horgan and his wife, Breda, were forced to fund prostate cancer treatment in Prague that wasn’t available – or even presented as an option to him – here in Ireland

Cancer survivor calls for more supports SYLVIA POWNALL Cora with a picture of herself and Merryn

A PROSTATE cancer survivor forced to pay thousands of euro for treatment abroad says not enough is being done to support male patients in Ireland.

Retired science teacher James Horgan, from Lusk, was dealt a hammer blow when he was told he had

the disease in September, 2018.

And, like many of the 3,500 men in Ireland diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, the news came out of the blue as he had displayed no symptoms whatsoever.

The 72-year-old says he was given two options by consultants at Beaumont Hospital – to either

have his prostate surgically removed, or to have a combination of hormone therapy and radiotherapy.

But James – a father of four, and grandfather of five – feared harrowing side effects and fought instead for proton therapy, a pioneering, pinpointaccurate form of radiotherapy.

He was forced to raise €40,000 for his treatment in Prague after the option of proton therapy was blocked by both the State and his private medical insurer.

James, supported by his wife, Breda, is now calling for Irish patients to get better access to the technology.

He said: “It’s about making patients aware of all the options available to them, without trying to pull the wool over their eyes.

“But at no point in my journey did any consultant even mention proton therapy, a treatment with a wealth of scientific data to show that it’s effective.

“There wasn’t even a short line about proton therapy in any leaflet I was given.

“Not only does there need to be better awareness about proton therapy

in Ireland – among both doctors and patients – but there needs to be much better access to it. Things need to change.”

In the end, James and Breda funded the entire treatment in Prague themselves, with James receiving 21 ‘fractions’ – or sessions – of proton beam radiotherapy last summer.

And while doctors now put him back in the ‘comfort’ zone, he hit out at the difficulty he faced trying to get a consultant’s referral for proton therapy abroad.

He added: “There’s something about the level of stress that gets into you when you’re trying to deal with a serious illness – it’s debilitating.

“I can now put that stress to one side and get on with my life.”

Planning permission was granted in 2018 for a €50 million proton centre in Kildare, but it has been bogged down in red tape.

Early symptoms of prostate cancer include an urgency to urinate more frequently, hesitancy when trying to wee, a weak flow, or blood in your urine or semen.

For further information, see https://protontherapy.ie.

12 March 2020 FINGAL  DUBLIN GAZETTE 5

FASTNews Ashtown firm scoops a top work award SOFTWARE company Esri Ireland has been named Ireland’s Best Small Workplace at the annual Great Place to Work Awards.

The Ashtown-based firm also won Best Team Award for adopting a listening workplace ecosystem.

This is the fourth consecutive year Esri Ireland, a market leader in geographic information systems, has been named as a top Irish workplace, rising from second place in 2019.

Its managing director, Paul Synnott, said: “This is an amazing achievement for the entire Esri Ireland team and we are absolutely thrilled to be named as the numberone small workplace in Ireland, as well as picking up a Best Team Award.

“Over the past number of years, we have established a Great Place to Work team to develop and implement a range of practices in the business to drive an inclusive, collaborative and supporting internal culture.”

HOUSING: LEGAL CHALLENGE LAUNCHED OVER PROPOSAL FOR BRADY’S SITE

Co-living plan for Castleknock taken to High Court by student SYLVIA POWNALL

A STUDENT who lives across the road from the site of a proposed shared living scheme in Castleknock has taken a legal challenge in the High Court.

Barry O’Lone cites lack of car parking among his objections to the controversial co-living development at the site of Brady’s Castleknock Inn. There was significant local opposition to plans for a 198-unit, build-torent scheme that got the

“

Brady’s is currently still operating as a pub, but would be demolished to make way for this project, the court heard

go-ahead from An Bord Pleanala in January.

Bartra Property Ltd got the go-ahead for the development, which will contain 210 beds and two car park spaces, on the site of the pub on the Old Navan Road.

Brady’s is currently

still operating as a pub, but would be demolished to make way for this project, the court heard.

Mr O’Lone submits he is concerned that with only two car park spaces, the development will cause “a severe strain on the area” with regard to

car parking.

While the O’Lone home has a driveway, they also avail of the current on-street parking outside the house, as do visitors, he says in an affidavit.

He also says the residential amenity and value of their home will be adversely affected.

He wa s l a s t we e k granted leave in the High Court to seek to quash the board’s decision granting planning permission.

The matter is due before the court in May.

Mr O’Lone also claims that guidelines for new apartments specify that shared accommodation is suited to city centre and core urban locations only.

He says these guidelines do not apply at the Brady’s site which is within a “suburban” area.

He argues that the board erred in holding that the existence of Blanchardstown Hospital justified granting permission as it is “remote from the site” and there is not any proper and/or safe means of accessing

it by bike or foot.

Local residents united in their opposition to the development and last month called on Fingal County Council to take a legal challenge against it.

A letter on behalf of residents of Talbot Court, Talbot Downs, Old Navan Road and Woodpark was sent to the local authority urging its support in blocking the scheme.

Politicians also branded the decision to allow it go ahead as “an outrage”.

Annual opera gala will thrill Castleknock THE annual Opera Gala takes place in Castleknock on March 21 with funds going to two local charities – Home Start Blanchardstown and Special Olympics.

The event will feature the talent of singers David Corr, Karen Nelson, Mana Matthews, Shokri Raoof, Sarah Kilcoyne, Stephen Walker, Eva Eustace and Pat Troy.

This is the ninth year of the successful event, with Mairead Hurley as accompanist and the internationally acclaimed Virginia Kerr as MC for the night.

Home Start links volunteers – who are all parents themselves – with families where there are children under five and which need support, friendship and practical help.

Tickets for Opera Gala, priced €20, are available through Eventbrite. The programme begins at 8pm on March 21 at St Brigid’s Church of Ireland in Castleknock.

A great shot of the participants and volunteers

Mark and Lisa Egan

A well-deserved hug at the finish line

Fanny Gardyn and Siobhan Martin volunteering as timekeepers

A celebration of Women’s Day at a great parkrun TYRRELSTOWN parkrun celebrated female participation on the eve of International Women’s Day last Saturday March 7.

The event highlighted the need to break down barriers and help women feel they can be active and part of the community – regardless of their ability, fitness or lifestyle.

A total of 44 people took part, including visitors from Edinburgh, supported by nine local volunteers.

Tyrrelstown parkrun is a free, friendly, enjoyable 5km community event held

every Saturday morning in Tyrrelstown park, and is one of several parkruns in Fingal.

The event welcomes all ages and abilities, from children to senior citizens, runners and walkers, with everyone doing their own pace. Buggies and dogs are also very welcome.

Even if completing the course is not for you, you can still come along to watch or volunteer. If you would like to take part or volunteer any week, you can find out more information at https://www.parkrun. ie/tyrrelstown/.

6 DUBLIN GAZETTE  FINGAL 12 March 2020

GALLERIES OF THE WEEK

Damien Darcy, Mayor of Fingal Eoghan O’Brien and Derek McKeever

Mary McNamara and Damien Carvery

Jackie Haughey, Roisin Bradley and Cathal Haughey. Pictures: Alison O’Hanlon

Table quiz fun to help a cause Q

Denman Kessler, Lia Morelli, Sinead Kenny and Pat McNamara

Gavin Fogarty, Mairead Somers, Nicola Garvey and Andrea Wilson

UIZMASTERS and local brainiacs were happy to put their knowledge to the test with a great table quiz fundraiser at Naomh Mearnog GAA club recently.

Friends, neighbours and club

supporters of all ages took to their tables in teams, ready to help support the Substance Abuse and Mental Health, or SAMH – a North Dublin Regional Drugs and Alcohol Task Force initiative.

The SAMH service is free of

charge and will be co-funded 50% by community fundraising, and 50% by the Drug Task Force (DTF), and will be based out of the DTF’s recently opened Malahide office.

With some tricky questions in the quiz, as well as some enter-

taining ones, a great night was had by all, with everyone happy to have helped support the cause.

Thanks to the local support, the table quiz raised €1,800 to support the cause – a super testament to the local community.

Redmond and Angela Aherne, Barbara Condon and Stephen MacDonagh

12 March 2020 FINGAL  DUBLIN GAZETTE 7

TRANSPORT: PUBLIC CONSULTATION

Have a say on BusConnects SYLVIA POWNALL

Caroline from Castleknock lands a €16k prize on Winning Streak A DUBLIN gran who won €16k on Winning Streak says she will split the money evenly among her family.

Delighted Caroline Flynn, from Castleknock, vowed to share her National Lottery winnings with her husband, Vincent, their four children and ten grandchildren.

Caroline has been married to Vincent for 53 years and they were having a treble celebration last week – along with Caroline’s Winning Streak appearance, they also marked their wedding anniversary and

Vincent’s birthday.

The couple have four children – Sharon, Susan, Alan and Adrienne – and ten grandchildren.

Modest Caroline described her Winning Streak TV appearance as a “once in a lifetime opportunity” and she insisted that the prize money will be irrelevant compared to the feeling of appearing on the show with Marty Whelan and Sinead Kennedy.

Retired Caroline volunteers at the Respect charity shop in Prussia

Street and she is also very active with the Castleknock ICA group, where she has mastered the art of craft work, knitting and sewing.

Caroline (second left) is pictured being congratulated by Marty Whelan, Winning Streak co-host; Meabh Gleeson, the National Lottery; Carmel Felle, National Lottery ticket-selling agent, Reliable Stores, Roselawn Shopping Centre, Blanchardstown, and Nuala Carey, Winning Streak co-host.

Picture: Mac Innes Photography

Could you escort a Tralee Rose?

THE deadline to apply to become a Rose of Tralee escort for the 2020 competition is March 20.

Last year’s Rose of Tralee, Dr Sinead Flanagan, and the Rose Escort of the Year, Jamie Flannery, are calling for gentlemen in Dublin to become a Rose Escort for this year’s festival, which takes place from August 21 to 25.

Dr Flannery said: “It’s been an absolutely fantastic experience, to date, and we’re only halfway through the [Rose] year.

“The week in Tralee last August was a phenomenal experience. I’ve made friends for life in the Roses, and in the Rose Escort class of 2019, from all over the world.”

To apply before March 20 to become a Rose Escort, see www.roseoftralee.ie.

A PUBLIC consultation day on the revised BusConnects plan and how it affects Blanchardstown is being held next week.

Planners and engineers will be on hand at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Wednesday, March 18 from 11.30am to 7.30pm to discuss the proposed new transport hub at the retail centre.

Amendments to the core bus corridor route have been given a cautious welcome locally, but concerns remain about traffic and safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

The National Transport Authority is now proposing to provide a new entrance to the transport hub at the Blanchardstown Centre behind TK Maxx, subject to the owners’ agreement.

A separate lane for cars

will be provided to stop them parking in the bus lane, while there will be a bus layover bay behind the centre so that vehicles not in use will not block lanes.

There are also plans for a third car park exit beside Mr Price in an effort to avoid gridlock and keep traffic flowing during peak hours.

Commenting on social media, Cllr Daniel Whooley (GP) said: “Overall I think the new design is much better. However, I have concerns that they have decided not to have segregated cycle lanes.

“Dublin is desperately calling out for a redesign of the system, and while I have some reservations with the current proposal, it is what our city needs.”

His party colleague, Deputy Roderic O’Gorman, agreed that the interchange at the town centre has an “improved design”

which will be covered over, providing shelter for commuters.

There has also been some improvement in infrastructure for cyclists at the Snugborough Road junction, but the gap in the cycle lane to the N3 at Auburn Avenue has not been addressed.

Deputy O’Gorman said: “Following submissions, it’s been decided not to change the roundabout at Ashtown to a junction.

There will be signalised crossing points on each arm.

“The aim is to slow traffic from the N3 coming onto the Navan Road and keep the trees at the junction.”

Further details on the route network will be published in May. The scheme is out on public consultation until April 17, and can be viewed at busconnects.ie.

8 DUBLIN GAZETTE  FINGAL 12 March 2020

ENTERPRISE: FINGAL LEO HELPS SHOWCASE SOME GREAT IDEAS

Business-orientated students show their wares at Blanch SC

FASTNews

SYLVIA POWNALL

STUDENTS from schools in Swords and Coolmine got their first taste of business as they manned stalls at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre at the weekend.

Young entrepreneurs from Colaiste Choilm and Coolmine Community School showcased their innovative products ahead of the Fingal student entrepreneur finals.

The busy retail hub is once again supporting the programme, which is run by the Fingal Local Enterprise Office (LEO).

In all, 2,700 students from 29 second level schools are participating in this year’s Fingal programme, which is once again the biggest student entry in the country.

Oisin Geoghegan, head of enterprise at LEO Fingal, said the impact the programme

Abstract nature on show at the hospital Pictured are teachers and students from Colaiste Choilm, Swords, and Coolmine Community School with Helena Humphries, senior enterprise development officer in Fingal LEO, and Niamh Garrahan, marketing manager designate, Blanchardstown Shopping Centre

has on the talents of the future cannot be underestimated.

He said: “The Student Enterprise Programme aims to instil that entrep re n e u r i a l s p a r k i n our students, which is invaluable to develop the local economy.

“To see some of these amazing ideas become viable businesses is inspirational, not only to their fellow students,

but to anyone involved in business and entrepreneurship.”

Blanchardstown Centre’s marketing manager designate, Niamh Garrahan, said they were delighted to be part of the initiative.

She added: “The programme gives secondary school students the opportunity to develop their entrepreneurial skills, and it’s always a

great day at the finals in Blanchardstown.”

The student programme is co-ordinated

by LEOs nationwide and involves more than 26,000 students from 480 secondary schools.

Students create real life businesses and prepare real business plans, with the guidance and support of their teachers and co-ordinators.

The Fingal SEP final

will be held next Thursday, March 19 at the Sport Ireland Campus in Blanchardstown.

The overall winner in each category – Junior, Intermediate and Senior – will fly the flag for Fingal in the national finals in Croke Park in May. More information on the Student Enterprise Programme can be found at www.studententerprise.ie.

Wills and Kate get a royally warm welcome to Howth HOWTH was catapulted into the international spotlight during the royal visit last week as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited the seaside village.

The couple enjoyed a walk along the Howth cliffs under glorious blue skies, which offered sweeping views across Dublin Bay. Wills and Kate spent an afternoon there during their first official visit to Ireland – with Mayor Eoghan O’Brien on hand to welcome them to Fingal.

Cllr O’Brien presented lifelong Aston Villa fan Prince William with a bespoke framed photomontage namechecking Republic of Ireland soccer stars who have played for the famous Birmingham club over the years.

Princess Kate was presented with a copy of Fingal Through Old

The Mayor of Fingal, Eoghan O’Brien, gives the visiting British royal couple a great insight into the area’s often stunning natural scenery found all along the Fingal coastline

Picture Postcards, compiled by Jacinta Judge, and a framed painting of Swords Castle by Fingal artist, Maura O’Rourke.

Cllr O’Brien (FF) said: “It was a great personal honour to welcome the royal couple to Fingal during their first official visit to Ireland.

“They were very impressed with the walk from the Baily lighthouse up to the Summit. We had time for a chat about Ireland, their visit and, of course, Aston Villa.

“The visit pushed Fingal onto the international audience, giv-

ing the area unprecedented global exposure.”

The visit received worldwide exposure after the couple shared their experience with their 1.9m followers on Twitter and their Instagram feed, which has more than 11m followers.

A NEW exhibition is now on display at The Stairwell Gallery in Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown and runs until June 8.

An Engagement with Nature is a collection of artwork which draws on realism, impressionism, textural and abstract influences.

The pieces seek to express and celebrate the joy and beauty of the natural world and the healing qualities derived from the pleasure and enjoyment it provides.

The gallery, which is the responsibility of the Connolly Collective, is now in the hospital’s permanent exhibition space in a bright and open location at the administration building on the Connolly campus.

153 homes to come as part of €80m development PLANNING permission has been granted for a development of 153 new houses in Portmarnock as part of an ambitious €80 million project.

Quintain got the goahead for the scheme on an 11-acre site at St Marnock’s Bay which, in partnership with DRES Developments, is expected to launch in Summer.

Project The project will include a retail and cafe element along with 113 houses, 40 apartments and duplexes, and what the developer describes as a “local centre for the area”.

The site is adjacent to Quintain’s Dun Si development of 150 homes, which was launched for sale last year, with prices ranging from €350,000 to €710,000.

Both sites are part of the Portmarnock South Local Area Plan and sub-

ject to fast-track planning through An Bord Pleanala.

The company said it hopes to deliver 1,000 new homes in the area.

The 153 planned new homes include 78 threebeds, 35 four-beds, 27 twobed duplexes and apartments and 19 three-bed duplexes and apartments.

Aldi turned down for a Clonsilla supermarket ALDI has been refused planning permission for a third time to build a new supermarket in Clonsilla.

An Bord Pleanala last week upheld Fingal County Council’s decision to reject the plan.

The German retail chain wants to build residential and retail units on the Weaver’s Row site – including 19 apartments and 13 houses.

The development was to also include a supermarket, off-license and a creche. As with previous applications, the council had concerns over traffic, parking and design.

12 March 2020 FINGAL  DUBLIN GAZETTE 9

HOWTH PLAN GETS THE GO-AHEAD

177 apartments set for hotel site SYLVIA POWNALL

AN BORD Pleanala has granted permission for the demolition of the Bailey Court Hotel in Howth and the construction of 177 apartments.

The contentious plan by the Marlet Group to build blocks up to five storeys in height on three parcels of land drew widespread local opposition, with close to 90 objections lodged.

Re s i d e n t s o b j e c ting to the scheme were backed by a number of TDs, including Aodhan O’Riordan (Lab), Sean Haughey (FF) and since retired Independent, Tommy Broughan.

D e p u t y O ’ R i o rd a n claimed the proposal “would introduce a scale of development that is

entirely alien to the existing pattern of development which has been sensitively followed by additions to the village over the years”.

The Labour TD also argued that the proposed Block C near the Martello Tower “would appear monolithic”.

Deputy Sean Haughey said “the plans constitute an over-development and over-intensification of use of the site”.

He added: “There is a general belief that the unique village feel of Howth will be seriously compromised should planning permission be granted.”

Former deputy Tommy B ro u g h a n l o d g e d a 28-page objection against the “very high-density development”.

The appeals board acknowledged that its decision contravenes the area development plan – pushing the total new homes for Howth above its 498 allocation.

But planners said the material contravention was justified, having regard to Government policy to speed up the delivery of new housing.

The appeals board cited other examples of highdensity developments on public transport corridors, and said the proposal “would not seriously injure the amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity”.

Marlet has a separate application for 512 units on the vacant former Techrete site at Howth that is currently before the appeals board.

Author launches new books in Donabate THE Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Eoghan O’Brien, is pictured with Parnell-Evans – Feminism, Politics and Farming in 19th local author Gerard Ronan at the launch of his two books in Century Portrane, were published in collaboration with Donabate Library.

Fingal County Council.

The titles - Margaret Evans – Poet of Portrane, and Sophia Picture: SON Photography

10 DUBLIN GAZETTE  FINGAL 12 March 2020

GALLERIES OF THE WEEK

Fellow photographers congratulate Mark Condren, who was named Press Photographer of the Year 2020. Pictures: Shane O’Neill, SON Photographic Ltd

Crispin Rodwell, president, Press Photographers Association of Ireland; Dr Matthew Barrett and caretaker Taoiseach Leo Varadkar

Press photographers mark big wins in style M

ARK Condren was named Press Photographer of the Year at the recent glittering black-tie awards ceremony in Dublin.

The 42nd annual Press Photographers Association of Ireland awards took place

at a gala awards ceremony held in Dublin, with photographers from across the island of Ireland represented.

Awards were presented across nine categories – news, daily life & people, nature & the environment, politics, sports action,

sports feature, portrait, art & entertainment and reportage, alongside a dedicated award for multimedia.

Caretaker Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was in attendance to present the overall award and congratulate the photographers.

Bernie and Dave Meehan

Eric and Jenny Luke

12 March 2020 FINGAL  DUBLIN GAZETTE 11

GALLERIES OF THE WEEK

All the finalists. Pictures: Alan Rowlette

AnnMarie Farrelly, chief executive, Fingal County Council and Niall McCormack, managing director, Corr Optical

Grace Irvine, Martin Irvine and Breda McNally

Winners Osvaldo Sousa and Derya Sousa, Kianda’s chief executive and chief operating officer, respectively

Blanchardstown business wins at Fingal Enterprise Awards A Kate Lawlor, Andrew Thompson, Gill McGowan and Ross McGowan

CLOUD-based platform for paperless operations, based in Blanchardstown, was named as this year’s winner of the Fingal Enterprise Award for 2020.

Kianda Technologies Ltd took the top prize of €5,000 and will now represent Fingal LEO at the 22nd national Enterprise Awards in

the Mansion House next May, where it will showcase its focus on eliminating paper and automate all existing manual processes in a single place. The winning company was one of several Fingal-based companies at this year’s enterprise awards, with Fingal LEO welcoming the diverse entrepreneurial spirit

and business models represented by this year’s finalists. Head of enterprise in Fingal, Oisin Geoghegan, said: “This competition recognises the accomplishments and contribution of the small business sector to our economy. Fingal LEO office is proud to have supported these finalists along their journey.”

12 DUBLIN GAZETTE 12 March 2020

digital

Fall in love with YOUR local paper on our newly improved website www.dublingazette.com, Facebook and Twitter

DublinGazette Wherever you are, we’ve got you covered

For all digital enquiries contact JPMontgomery@dublingazette.com

12 March 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 13

STYLE: A DEEPER SHADE OF BLUE:

TRAVEL

MAGAZINE

THE NEW AUDI 26 WOWS P22

DUBLIN

STAYCATION: Looking for a great family getaway? You’ll find a fabulous pool – and much more to delight – just down the road in Kilkenny, with a great Easter break hotel stay SEE P22

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CLASSIC Blue is the 2020 colour of the year, meaning we’re about to see it hit the High Street in a big way.

Already, hues of royal navy, crisp ocean-like blues and other beautiful blue shades have crept into the style book for many stores.

We’ve picked out some of our fave blues on offer ...

PAGE 21

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

Celebrate a little-known Irish innovator PADRAIG CONLON

A NEW play coming to Dublin next week aims to shed light on the life and legacy of a truly exceptional Irish woman.

Despite being a pioneering organic chemical compound scientist who proved the benzene ring is flat, Kathleen Lonsdale (1903-1971) remains largely unknown by the Irish public.

The Lonsdale Project, written and directed by Sian Ni Mhuiri, is a new theatre show for young people from the ages of 11 years plus that aims to change all that.

The play connects science with real events and spotlights the fascinating story of Lonsdale, who was a prominent chemist, crystallographer, anti-war campaigner, writer, mother, and former inmate of Holloway Prison.

This co-production with Riverbank Arts Centre and theatre

production company, Super Paua, will celebrate her life, her writings, and her adventures in areas such as x-ray diffraction, crystallography and passivism.

Following the play’s recent world premiere at Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge (the town where Lonsdale was born in 1903), it transfers to Smock Alley Theatre to run from Thursday, March 19 to Saturday, March 28.

Actors The play features three of Ireland’s top young rising actors – Clondalkin native, Hazel Clifford, who recently featured in The Gate Theatre’s hit adaptation of Roddy Doyle’s The Snapper; her fellow Dubliner, Graeme Coughlan, who appeared in The Collector; and Aoife Spratt, who has worked on RTE’s Republic of Telly, and recently in Dave Minogue’s feature film, Poster Boys.

Dublin Gazette caught up with Hazel ahead of next week’s opening night in Smock Alley.

She said: “I’m so excited to be involved with this play as I’ve never done anything like this before.

“I’ve never done children’s theatre so it’s going to be a wonderful new experience to be engaging with young children.

“I really hope they like this play – the story of Kathleen Lonsdale is so important; she was such a fantastic, amazing woman who was way ahead of her time.

“Like so many Irish people, I’d never heard about her before I did this play. She believed in the power we have to change the world – something which is really needed today.

“The story of her life is truly inspiring,” she said.

You can see a longer interview online at DublinGazette.com.

Actors Graeme Coughlan, Hazel Clifford and Aoife Spratt – all ready to help bring the little-known life and achievements of pioneering Irish scientist Kathleen Lonsdale to life

14 DUBLIN GAZETTE 12 March 2020

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

A WRY LOOK AT SOME OF THE

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

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

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FIND US ON

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

WOMEN working on the new national children’s hospital project at the St James’s 12-acre site gathered last week to show solidarity with International Women’s Day 2020.

Pictured are staff from the National

Paediatric Hospital Development Board, Childrens Health Ireland, the design team and contractors working on the construction of the hospital.

Women are key members of a huge range of related fields at the ambitious build, including

LA police forced to ask thief to bring back a carjacked body POLICE in Los Angeles were forced to issue a tweet asking for a person who carjacked a hearse to return a coffin with a body inside, following the hearse’s theft from outside a Greek Orthodox church in Pasadena on February 27 while the attendant was inside the church.

The Sheriff’s office tweeted: “To the suspect(s) driving around in a black Lincoln Navigator stolen [in] Pasadena: Out of all the bad decisions you have made, at least make one good one and bring back the deceased person and casket inside the Navigator.”

A witness reported seeing the vehicle the next morning, with Los Angeles police pursuing the hearse on the freeway until it crashed a short time later.

The body and casket were found undisturbed in the back of the crashed car.

scaffolders, architects, health and safety officers, quantity surveyors and engineers, consultants, nurses, HR and financial professionals and administrators to name but a few sectors at the gradually rising new hospital. Picture: Jason Clarke

You can get your mayo by the SLICE, thanks to Japan CALLING all mayonnaise lovers – a Japanese company has unveiled the latest innovation in condiments, by selling mayonnaise slices.

That’s right – you can buy slices of mayonnaise, made for sandwiches, if you’re tired of using the traditional means of putting mayonnaise on bread.

Japan’s Bourbon Company began selling the product on March 2, with slices similar to an individually-wrapped piece of cheese.

The company instructs consumers to put the slice of mayo on bread and then warm both, meaning it shouldn’t be eaten straight from the plastic.

There are currently two flavours of the mayonnaise slices on offer – a tuna ,flavour and another with hints of ‘spicy fish’.

Both flavours come with four slices per package, and cost ¥200 (c. €1.67), though sadly they’re not available to buy in Ireland just yet!

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

This week’s dog of the week is Ivy, a sweet and affectionate five-yearold Husky cross girl who loves belly rubs from everyone she meets.

She can form strong attachments with people – so, ideally, she is looking for a home where there is someone always there to keep her company.

Ivy has a lovely, playful personality and had great fun with her toys.

She would benefit from positive

reward-based training to help her behave calmly around other dogs, and also with handling by vets.

If you have room in your heart and home for Ivy, then please contact Dogs Trust on 01 879 1000.

They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website www.dogstrust.ie.

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

ivy

12 March 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15

ODD THINGS THAT CAUGHT OUR EYE THIS WEEK

Barking mad vote sees a dog end up as mayor A DOG in Colorado received a prestigious honour recently, when he was sworn in as the honourary mayor of his town.

Parker the Snow Dog, dressed in a patriotic tie and becoming glasses, was voted into the position of mayor of Georgetown unanimously on February 11.

The pooch and his pawl i c i e s p rove d p o p u l a r amongst humans, which included bringing “hugs, love, and cookies to the people of Georgetown”.

Parker’s inauguration ceremony took place at Georgetown Community Center, with Clear Creek County sharing some adorable pictures from the ceremony on Facebook.

The caption of the pictures read: “It was a packed house Tuesday night at the Georgetown Community Center for Parker’s inauguration ceremony.

BITS & BOBS

THIS WEEK’S TOP TWEETS Today I completed a chore I have been putting off for six months. It took 15 minutes. I will learn nothing from this. @ashleyn1cole

Liverpool have now lost to Atletico, Watford and Chelsea since the young fella in Donegal wrote to Jürgen Klopp.

“Local law enforcement, citizens of Georgetown and fans of Parker the Snow Dog attended the event. Police Judge Lynette Kelsey administered the Mayor oath to Parker.”

Parker – with more than 6,700 likes on his own Facebook page – now keeps his constituents up to date by sharing ‘MayorMonday’ content, thoroughly enjoying his new role.

The RTE archives report of the first McDonald’s opening in the Soviet Union looks like it could be the opening of @newschambers Phibsboro Shopping Centre.

Brutalist architecture knows Setting up an online- no bounds. only dating facility for @Aislingonline everyone who can’t leave the house while we’re Just found out my all in self-isolation and mum is actually Daniel Day calling it Quarantinder.

Lewis preparing for a role. @Ciaraioch

@fairycakes

16 DUBLIN GAZETTE 12 March 2020

12 March 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 17

ENTERTAINMENT

GOINGOUTOUT

WHAT’S BIG IN MUSIC, CINEMA, TV AND MORE

Disney+ reveals a AN INSIGHTUL LIBRARIAN’S OUTLOOK massive content line-up for launch RACHEL D’ARCY

WITH just days to go before Disney+ launches in Ireland, the latest streaming service to hit the Irish market has revealed its full line-up of content.

Launching on March 24, there will be more than 500 movies, 350 television and cartoon series, and 26 exclusive Disney+ Originals available from some of Disney’s biggest brands, including Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars.

If you’re more of a Pixar fan, some of the biggest Pixar movies will be available, injecting a healthy hint of nostalgia into our streaming schedules.

Some of the top Pixar offerings include Inside Out, Cars, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and Up. Marvel fans can also rejoice as the biggest films in the franchise hit the platform, such as the cult favourite Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Iron Man trilogy, all

Lilo & Stitch

There will also be more than 600 episodes of The Simpsons, thanks to Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Some of Disney’s most beloved classics will also be available to stream for the first time, including animations such as Oliver & Company, Lilo & Stitch, Hercules, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.

Iconic series from Disney will also be available, with a few of our top picks including Boy Meets World, Wizards of Waverly Place, Lizzie McGuire, and That’s So Raven.

three Captain America movies, and the X-Men series. There will also be dozens of Marvel series available to stream.

If you’ve seen or heard of Baby Yoda during the past few months, and wanted to find out where he originated from, now’s your chance – a host of Star Wars content will be available on Disney+, including The Mandalorian, starring none other than Baby Yoda himself. There will also be the entire Star Wars series of films, as well as television content and shorts from the Star Wars universe.

For further information on what else is coming to Disney+, and how to sign up, see preview.disneyplus.com/ ie.

Baby Yoda in The Mandalorian

‘A social justice fire is burning in me’, Laura muses  JAMES HENDICOTT

L I B R A R I A N by d ay, ambitious and imaginative songwriter by night, Laura Elizabeth Hughes is working on the idea of her twin passions meeting in the middle.

She’s always been into writing. Lyricism is key to her work, but she also jots ideas in the more conventional sense, and is working on bringing her music, and other music, into libraries, too.

Her passions make for a disparate fusion, but it’s one that’s working: the Dubliner’s YouTube channel is closing in on three million views, her music giving that sense of an ambient canvas against which her voice can paint a stark, emotive picture.

“Lyrics are something people will take different things from,” she tells us.

“People connect in different ways, and it’s very personal to me. The human condition can be very individual, but also universal, so I think I just have to put myself out there and hope it connects.

“It’s a singles and EPs game at the moment, but I’m focusing on getting back into the game. There might be an album one day, but 8, 10, 12 tracks is a lot to ask.”

There’s a philosophy to the way Hughes has risen in recent months, and it’s one, perhaps unwittingly, that might sound familiar to fans of the comedian Danny Wallace.

Wallace, feeling frustrated with life, decided to say yes to ... well, pretty much anything he was asked.

The resulting book led to a Hollywood movie,

and changed his life.

“I’ve been of the mind, since summer last year, to just say ‘Yes’ to things,” Hughes says, echoing Wallace’s thesis.

“It’s created some wonderful opportunities. I spend my days in Dublin libraries, telling stories to kids all day. Two years in libraries has opened my eyes.

“The kind of people who go to libraries, there can be a lot of outreach, and it opens your eyes to privilege and changes your worldview.

“I write a lot of unpublished stuff, and there’s

a real social justice fire burning in me at the moment.”

In fact, Hughes adds, she could easily release

an album if it were only down to having the music.

It’s a question of both sticking to the very highest quality stuff, and

keeping some of the tracks to herself.

“Sligo Tourism asked me to use a song on their adverts, which was a bit

CINEMA | PARASITE STARTLES

SINCE snagging the Best Picture Oscar at this year’s ceremony, the hype surrounding director Boon Joon Ho’s Koreanlanguage black comedy thriller, Parasite (Cert 16, 135m) has been second to none.

With films receiving as much buzz as Parasite has, it’s only natural for some scepticism to be present.

What if the film doesn’t

live up to the praise it’s garnered?

Thankfully, from the opening scene right until the credits, the storytelling in Parasite grips your attention, drawing you into the world of both the Park and Kim families.

Although it’s a subtitled film, the humorous moments and slightly more terrifying moments don’t fail to translate for a second, with the content of the movie – think of searching high and low

for a WiFi signal – applicable to all cultures in 2020.

It starts off somewhat slowly, painting a near idyllic tale of a destitute family – the Kim family – managing to secure jobs working for the prestigious Park household, albeit through a level of deceit (think: poisoning the housekeeper to secure a job for their mother, or forging university documents).

With the matriarch of the Park family seem-

ble-write’ a lot in my journal, and the subject matter informs my music.”

Speaking about her forthcoming headline

Are you part of the 37% of Irish people using podcasts?

Latches onto viewers with chilling effect RACHEL D’ARCY

of a no-brainer for me,” she says of a busy year.

“But a lot of my work is about writing and never makes it to music. I ‘ram-

show in The Sound House – part of a longer headline tour – Hughes admits there is a pressure.

“I’ve played there as a support slot before,” she says, “but that’s different – you can just play and there’s no real pressure.

“I do worry it’s just me and my guitar, playing quiet music, and that I might be swallowed up.

“There’s more pressure with headlining, but you do at least know that they’re there for you, which is nice, too.

“I’ve only just started doing [a] full bands show, and I do like the idea of having two ways of playing – one that’s just me, and one that’s a bit more.

“At the moment, it’s all about milestones and hitting those little moments.

I have my goals, but they’re not about those big ideas of success, they’re more about crossing little borders. I want to connect.”

Laura Elizabeth Hughes plays the Sound House, Eden Quay on April 9. Tickets, priced at €12.50, are on sale now.

GARY IBBOTSON

A poor family, the Kims, try to turn their lives around in Parasite – but matters soon start getting out of hand ...

ing somewhat absentminded, and her husband seemingly heartless as well, you find yourself rooting for the Kims, wanting them to succeed and climb out of the poverty that they’ve managed to find themselves in, even if it means betraying their employers.

Things take a sudden turn, however, just when

the Kims manage to get settled and the viewer finds a comfort with the story so far.

The aforementioned housekeeper makes her return to reveal a grisly secret, with the entire movie taking a deep, dark tumble into darkness from that point forward.

Nothing about the plot or its storytelling feels

forced, with everything progressing naturally with a dark humour and a degree of suspense looming in the background.

That suspense is what makes the ending of Parasite one of the best movie endings in the past few years.

You’re aware something is looming, but you could never expect the incred-

ibly grisly, yet somewhat comedic ending and the subsequent dreamlike telling of the final moments of the film.

In all, Parasite isn’t for the faint of heart, particularly in the latter half of the film, but it’s a definite must-see.

There’s a reason it won Best Picture at the recent Oscars, after all!

OVER the past decade or so, the popularity of podcasts has risen like a bottle of cola when it meets a Mentos, or Roy Keane’s rage when he sees a footballer with a fashionable haircut – it’s rocketed, quickly!

Last year, Spotify and Apple announced they hosted more than 500,000 different podcasts on their respective platforms – and it’s estimated there are currently more than 700,000 being made worldwide.

There are roughly 29 million different podcast episodes ready for your consumption.

The most popular podcast in the world, The Daily, by The New York Times, has amassed more than one billion streams since its launch in January 2017. Ireland is no stranger to the expansive world of the podcast, too.

Last June, it was reported that 37% of Irish people listen to podcasts – only third in the world behind Spain and South Korea – and, in 2016, the Dublin Podcast Festival was founded, running every year since.

So, here at Dublin Gazette, rather than overload you with a huge list of podcasts, we’ve just picked out a couple of great Irish

podcasts to listen to, in no particular order, which should be well worth a listen.

(Disclaimer: Not included on this list are the more well-known shows such as Second Captains, and The Blindboy podcast. They’re great podcasts, but we feel it’s important to give more obscure productions a spotlight) No Encore A music-focused podcast hosted by journalist Dave Hanratty and Craig Fitzpatrick, No Encore is a fun, meandering show which sees the hosts discuss and analyse the latest music news, review new releases and interview some of Ireland’s most intriguing musical acts.

Stardust, by TheJournal.ie Produced by TheJournal.ie, Stardust is a six-part podcast detailing the Stardust nightclub tragedy nearly 40 years on.

Survivors, families of victims, journalists and first-responders are all heard from in this exceptional podcast, which informs the listener of the devastating fire, its background and aftermath, including up to the present day and the new inquest launched by the Attorney General.

THE WHO, MARCH 18, 3Arena; Price: €69+ THE Who has one of the greatest rock legacies in music history – they’re one of the all-time great live bands, have sold more than 100 million records, including nine US and 10 UK top ten albums, and 14 UK top ten singles in a career spanning six decades.

Now, 55 years after they made their first recordings, The Who is back with their first new album in 13 years, entitled WHO.

MARCH 12 (Thursday) Ludovico Einaudi @ The Bord Gais Energy Theatre, SOLD OUT The Regrettes @ The Academy Green Room, €16

MARCH 13 (Friday) The Rifles @ The Workman’s Club, €16 Ludovico Einaudi @ The Bord Gais Energy Theatre, SOLD OUT Elvana @ The Academy, €25 Lethal Dialect @ The Button Factory, €18 Alternating Current Festival @ The Sound House, €22+ Country to Country Festival @ 3Arena, €53+ MARCH 14 (Saturday) Annie Mac @ The Guinness Storehouse, SOLD OUT Alternating Current Festival @ The Sound House, €22+ Nada Surf @ The Button Factory, €25 Country to Country Festival @ 3Arena, €53+ Leo Sayer @ The Bord Gais Energy Theatre, €45 Kormac @ Vicar Street, €30 The Stunning @ The Olympia Theatre, SOLD OUT MARCH 15 (Sunday) Alternating Current Festival @ The Sound House, €22+ Mount Alaska @ The Pepper Canister Church, €15 Country to Country Festival @ 3Arena, €53+ Lightning Seeds @ The Academy, €33 Andy Irvine + Paul Brady @ Vicar Street, €47 MARCH 16 (Monday) Colm Mac Con Iomaire @ Vicar Street, €28 Hip Hop Against Homelessness @ The Sugar Club, €15 Kila @ Merrion Square (early show), FREE YelaWolf @ The Academy, €27 Aslan @ The Olympia Theatre, €33 The Bonny Men @ Whelan’s, SOLD OUT Jamie Cullum @ Bord Gais Energy Theatre, €46+ MARCH 17 (Tuesday) Horslips @ The Olympia Theatre, €34 MARCH 18 (Wednesday) Andy Irvine + Paul Brady @ Vicar Street, €47 Grace Carter @ The Academy 2, €18

18 DUBLIN GAZETTE 12 March 2020

DUBLIN FOOD & TRAVEL

A GUIDE TO TEMPTING FOOD AND LOCATIONS

FOOD | PERFECT AS EASTER NEARS

You’ll spring for delicious lamb cutlets GARY IBBOTSON

SLIGHTLY longer days, slightly warmer rain and slightly brighter clouds can only mean one thing: Spring has arrived.

Although the weather might not have changed drastically from the dreary months of Winter, fresh produce certainly does.

Asparagus, rhubarb, scallions, new potatoes and strawberries are all freshest during the spring months and, with them, lamb is a fantastic accompaniment.

Beautifully tender and a sponge for flavour, lamb cutlets served with crusty bread and a light salad are a perfect dish for Easter and (hopefully) the brighter days ahead, with this recipe courtesy of Bord Bia sure to be a hit INGREDIENTS • 12 lamb cutlets, well trimmed • 2 tablesp olive oil • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon • 1 teasp ground paprika • 2 teasp chopped fresh oregano or thyme • 1 teasp clear honey • Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper • Serve with peach, soft cheese and rocket leaves, dressed with a little olive oil and lemon juice PREPARATION • Place the olive oil in a shallow non-metallic dish and add the garlic, lemon rind and juice, paprika, herbs and honey. Season to taste, and stir until well combined.

• Add the lamb, turning to coat, then set aside for at least 10 minutes or up to 24 hours covered with clingfilm in the fridge, if time allows. The longer you marinade, the better the flavour.

• When you are ready to cook, light the barbecue or pre-heat a griddle pan until smoking hot.

• Shake off the excess marinade from the lamb, put the lamb on the barbecue on medium-hot coals or on to the griddle pan.

• Cook for 6-8 minutes until cooked through, turning once. Remove from the heat and leave to rest for a couple of minutes.

• Serve the lamb with the salad and crusty bread.

Even by the increasingly great standards of hotel pools, Hotel Kilkenny’s has a real wow factor – just part of the hotel’s attractions

TRAVEL | FAMILIES ARE LIKELY TO LOVE THIS STAYCATION

Kilkenny getaway will really make a splash SHANE DILLON

Travel Editor WITH some people reluctant to travel abroad at the moment (see below), many others will be looking for a great staycaction instead.

Easter is always a popular time to get away from the city, and the fresh air from down the country may sound even more appealing than usual to us city slickers round about now.

If that sounds like you, why not head off to Kilkenny, where a thoroughly

comfortable family Easter break beckons?

The pretty town has been a hit with holidaymakers for many a long year, with a range of hotels popping up to meet demand.

Among these, the fourstar Hotel Kilkenny is sure to appeal to a family on the go, with the hotel offering a two or threenight Easter activity break for a family of four, with two children under 12 staying for free.

The staycation package includes accommodation in a spacious deluxe bed-

room, a full Irish breakfast each morning, and a two-course dinner on one evening in the hotel’s Pure bar.

You can also enjoy full use of the health and fitness club and pool, and full free access to the kids clubs, family swimming facilities and play areas.

The Kids Club at Hotel Kilkenny offers a wide range of activities, which are guaranteed to keep any four to 12-year-old entertained, with a Lego building challenge, foozeball knockout, bowling tournament, disco/karaoke night, cookie decorating, a movie night, tabletop pool

tournament, quiz night, arts & crafts and board game nights – phew!

The kids club is open every day during school holidays from 9.30am until 12.30pm, and again from 5-10pm, giving the grownups plenty of time to relax at the hotel, go shopping or explore Kilkenny.

Sealing the deal, the package is from just €350 for the two-night break, and from €450 for the three-night stay.

For further information on this great Easter Family break package, see Hotelkilkenny.ie.

COVID-19 claims an airline victim: Flybe TOURISTS around the world are nervously following COVID-19’s progress as it strikes at airline and tourism bodies just as much as at our human ones.

Flybe – the largest independent regional airline in Europe – made headlines late last week with its sudden collapse, with the impact of the Coronavirus dealing a death blow to the

already troubled airline.

Wobbling on the edge of collapse over the past year, Flybe had been battling a range of financial difficulties before the rise of the Coronavirus.

However, with airlines everywhere facing a tsunami of cancellations and passenger claims for refunds, Flybe buckled under the pressure, tempo-

rarily stranding passengers and plunging thousands of people out of work.

However, where Flybe has gone, others will follow – even the mightiest airlines are now busy cancelling or curtailing flights, or seeking to make savings to offset the devastating impact that COVID-19 is having on their fortunes.

It’s not just airlines, of course – the hotel, tourism and travel sectors are also under growing attack by the economic fallout.

Unfortunately, 2020 looks set to see more airlines and travel groups collapse, directly because of the tiny virus and its huge impact ...

12 March 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 19

GALLERIES OF THE WEEK

Bronwyn Toner, Alice McAleer, Yvonne McEvoy and Ramona Nicholas

Lauren Redmond and Vanessa McKay

Emelia Devlin and India Hill

Lorraine Keane with designer Deborah Veale and the models at the Irish Fashion Collective show at City Hall. Pictures:Brian McEvoy

High fashion takes over City Hall

A

WARD-WINNING designers Paul Costelloe and Don O’Neill headlined the fourth Irish Fashion Collective show, presented in association with Sherry Fitzgerald, which took place in City Hall recently.

Organised in aid of Saint Joseph’s Shankill, both Don and Paul – who previously featured individually – joined the cream of other leading Irish designers including

Don O’Neill and Pascal Guillermie

Deborah Veale, Louise Kennedy, Helen Cody, Lainey Keogh, Roisin Linnane, Melissa Curry and Sharon Hoey to showcase their Spring/Summer collections in the historic surroundings of City Hall.

All funds raised from the evening went to supporting Saint Joseph’s Shankill and its vision to lead the way in dementia care in Ireland.

Deborah Veale, Siobhan Grant and Mari O’Leary

Helen Cody and Rory Murphy

20 DUBLIN GAZETTE 12 March 2020

 YOUR DUBLIN

MAKE A BEELINE FOR THE DAY TO THESE AREAS

THERE AREN’T MANY CAPITAL CITIES WITH ACTUAL CASTLES IN THEIR SUBURBS – BUT MALAHIDE, DUBLIN CERTAINLY HAS ONE

DUBLIN MADE EASY A LOOK AT SOME OF THE CITY’S MOST POPULAR SUBURBS

WHETHER you’re a true-blue Dub, a blow-in culchie from down the country, or one of the many people from around the world who’ve made Dublin home, our fair city has a huge range of variety in its suburbs. However, many of us tend to just stay in the same old work-home, work-home cycle, and don’t explore the city much. So, this week, we present three suburbs that are well worth visiting.

RANELAGH

WITHIN walking distance of the city centre and full of great places to eat and drink, Ranelagh has undergone a massive change over the past 20 years.

In the pre-Celtic Tiger era, at the tail end of the 90s, Ranelagh was populated mainly by students and renters and along with its neighbour, Rathmines, it comprised the ‘flatland’ area of Dublin.

Since then, however, it’s changed quite a lot and is now one of the most expensive places to live in Dublin, and is now still a very trendy area to live in.

As well as all of its places to socialise in, Ranelagh has two great green areas, with Ranelagh Park and Belgrave Square.

SANDYMOUNT

A VILLAGE steeped in history, Sandymount is full of character and charm thanks to both its seaside location and wonderful old buildings.

James Joyce lived here, at Dromard Terrace, and he famously used Sandymount in his most well-known book, Ulysses.

At the opening of its third chapter we meet the main character Stephen Dedalus mid-thought strolling on Sandymount Strand.

You can follow in his footsteps on the promenade that still exists today while also admiring the striking Martello Tower, which was built in 1804.

MALAHIDE

WITH a medieval castle, marina and beach, the pretty coastal village of Malahide has a head start on most Dublin suburbs when it comes to amazing features.

Only a half an hour from the city centre, you’ll find every kind of shop imaginable, plus award-winning pubs and restaurants in this picturesque seaside village.

It can get very busy in the summer with tourists from all over the world, drawn to its charming streets and the sea.

The town also boasts some excellent toplevel golf courses, if that’s your thing.

Because its by the sea, there are also many great walking trails around the town and by the sea, too.

12 March 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 21

WHAT WONDERFUL WEARABLES

DUBLIN STYLE & HEALTH

STYLE | CHECK OUT THE COLOUR OF THE YEAR 2020 Blue Neck Scarf TK Maxx €5.99

Joe Browns

New Look Blue Puff Sleeve Denim Smock Dress €29.99 M&S Padded Plunge Swimsuit €40

New Look Blue D-Ring Belt High Waist Tapered Jeans €39.99

New Look Navy Faux Croc Tote Bag €29.99 Littlewoods Ireland V by Very Colorblock Chunky Trainer €42

TK Maxx Blue High Heeled Shoe £199

Dorothy Perkins Lola Skye Blue Sweater €32

Classic Blue  Rachel D’Arcy, Style Editor

PANTONE, the authority on all things colour, announced in late 2019 that their colour of the year for 2020 would be the fabulous Classic Blue.

In 2000, the Pantone Color Institute – commonly known as Pantone – created the Pantone Color of the Year as a trendsetting concept for branding, marketing and creativity

as a whole.

This year, Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of Pantone, said that classic blue has been selected for the “consistency and confidence” that the colour expresses in a time “that requires trust and faith”.

“Imbued with a deep resonance, Classic Blue provides an anchoring foundation ... It encourages us to look beyond the obvious,” said Eiseman.

Fashion usually takes some inspiration from Pantone’s colour of the year for the Summer and Spring seasons, and this year is no exception.

There are hues of classic blue on offer across stores as we head into the next season, across garments, accessories, shoes and more.

Here are some of our top picks of the beautiful blue hues on offer across the board, inspired by the colour of the year.

BEAUTYBits Treat yourself with a five-star treatment THE WICKLOW Street Clinic is a five-star, awardwinning aesthetic clinic just off the hustle and bustle of Grafton Street.

Offering pure relaxation, the clinic is a proud Eminence Spa distributor, the organic brand direct from Hollywood that counts Jennifer Lawrence, Victoria Beckham and Madonna among its fans.

The brand plants a tree for every product sold - more than 14 million, to date - and uses solar and wind energy to create its products. They also use organic chemistry harnessed from plants to create alternatives to pharmaceutical skincare with the same results.

The clinic’s professional therapists are trained in CACI non-surgical facelifts, massage, Eminence organic facials, Q Fractional IPL laser facials, hair removal, microneedling, LED facials, the Plasma Pen facelift and are the only clinic in Ireland to have a Harley Street surgeon, Dr Roberto Viel, to carry out botox, profhilo and filler treatments.

The Wicklow Street Clinic won several awards last year and are nominated in the upcoming IMAGE Business of Beauty Awards.

For more details about the clinic, visit thewicklowstreetclinic.ie.

Catrice launch a PETA lipstick collaboration CHIC BUDGET brand Catrice have always been proudly cruelty-free - and now, they have the ultimate collection to prove it.

The ‘CATRICE loves PETA’ collection sees the brand partner with charity PETA to offer ten exclusive, limited-edition lipsticks, available throughout March from Penneys.

The charity lipstick is 100% vegan, containing absolutely no animal ingredients, including carmine (pigments derived from scale insects for red hues). In addition, 10% of the net proceeds of the lipstick sales benefit PETA’s animal welfare initiatives.

SKINCARE | SLEEP IS KEY FOR YOUR OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Be sure to take care of your skin this World Sleep Day RACHEL D’ARCY

WORLD SLEEP DAY is on March 13, which aims to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of sleep.

We spend up to a third of our lives sleeping, but 35% of people do not feel they get enough of it, impacting both their physical and mental health. A lack of sleep can also be a major contributing factor in accelerating some of the premature signs of ageing.

World Sleep Day is organised by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Sleep Society, with the intention to help lessen the burden

of sleep problems on society through better prevention and management of sleep disorders.

World Sleep Day is held the Friday before Spring Vernal Equinox of each year Image Skincare have created a mask that aims to help maximise every minute of your beauty sleep: the Vital C Hydrating Overnight Masque.

This product works while you slumber so you can wake up to glowing, hydrated and healthylooking skin, making it the perfect thing to sample this World Sleep Day, and beyond.

The Vital C Hydrating Overnight Masque is priced at €62 and has a triple mineral complex that energises the skin for a revitalised look.

The gel-texture delivers water to the skin and locks in vital nutrients while you sleep.

Containing plant-passed retinol, the product is safe to use during pregnancy and provides the skin with optimum levels of hydration, and boosts collagen production while you sleep.

Use 3-4 times a week in place of your night cream for optimum results.

Image Skincare are a clinical skincare brand, powered by safe, proven ingredients.

Represented by a network of 20,000 skincare professionals in more than 70 countries worldwide, IMAGE skincare is available from imageskincare.ie.

22 DUBLIN GAZETTE 12 March 2020

DUBLIN TECH & MOTORS

TECH TIME

Battle looms for Twitter’s soul SHANE DILLON

TWITTER looks like it’s facing into a fight for its soul – or, less prosaically, a potential boardoom battle over its future operations – with the news that a major Republican donor has purchased a significant stake in Twitter, and reportedly wants to oust chief executive Jack Dorsey.

Dorsey is viewed by many people as advocating censorship, given Twitter’s ongoing process of removing various posts, or even shutting down accounts entirely.

Many American Republicans, in particular, have singled Dorsey out as an obstacle to ‘Conservative values’ – enter activist investor Paul Singer, founder of Elliott Management, which typically actively pushes for change in the companies that it invests in.

As such, Twitter shares spiked at 7.9% on the news of Singer’s investment of a currently unknown amount, and his interest to oust

MOTORS | THE ALL-NEW S6 COMPREHENSIVELY IMPRESSES

A superfast and super capable sporty Audi DECLAN GLYNN

Jack Dorsey

Dorsey, with neither Twitter or Elliott Management commenting – yet – on what an investment or future direction for Twitter could entail.

How could this impact on Irish users?

While there are different regulations and regulators operating between America and Europe, any fundamental change at the top of Twitter is almost certain to see a shift in policy here, too.

Views and users which currently fall foul of Twitter regulations could be seen in a more forgiving light, quietly ushering in some, ah, unconventional views.

2020 could be a very interesting year ahead for Irish Twitter users, depending on what happens at the top of the company ...

New show could ‘go viral’ in 2021 IN WHAT is the best – or arguably worst – bit of viral marketing this year, the acclaimed US channel HBO has just announced that it’s working on a TV adaptation of the bestselling PlayStation game and cultural juggernaut, The Last of Us. If living with Coronavirus fears wasn’t already distracting enough, HBO is betting that viewers will lap up its adaptation of the complex, violent, smash-hit game.

After all, with the real world increasingly in panic mode outside right now, what could be better than curling up with a TV show following a gruff, bitter widower trying to safely bring a teenage girl across an America that’s been utterly destroyed by a virus out-

A FRESH, FUN NEW FAMILY CAR

break that killed billions?

The dramatic series is a co-production with Sony’s new division, PlayStation Productions, given that Sony is sitting on a large range of game-related IPs that could work great on TV, similarly to Netflix’s recent big critical and viewer hit with The Witcher.

We’re unlikely to see TLOU before next year, at least – assuming that the Coronavirus doesn’t kill off the show before it begins.

THE new Audi S6 is a sporty all-rounder with a comprehensive range of cutting-edge technologies in the areas of infotainment and driver assistance systems, a powerful drive system, and a striking exterior.

Available in either Saloon or Avant (estate) body styles, the S6 also perfectly fulfils its brief as a fast, fun family car with space for the growing family.

The new Audi S6 features a new 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo TDI (diesel) engine, which produces a hefty 349PS (344bhp), and a whopping 700Nm of torque for truly outstanding performance.

This mighty engine is assisted by a 48-volt mildhybrid system, for greater efficiency.

My review car was an Audi S6 Saloon Quattro Tiptronic TDI, which looked amazing in striking Floret Silver metallic paint.

A massive array of safety, infotainment, comfort, and convenience features are fitted as standard in the new S6, while also standard are five, self-explanatory, driving modes – Effi-

The new Audi S6 is blessed with beauty and power, making it a delight to drive

c i e n c y, equally QUICK FACTS Comfort, matched 1) A6-based super saloon Auto, by the 2) Mild hybrid technology Dynamc a r ’s 3) Outstanding specification i c, a n d standard 4) 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine Individ8-speed 5) On sale now ual. autoPush matic the starter button of the (tiptronic) transmission, S6, and the car roars into enabling the car to sprint life with a wonderful from 0-100km/h in just throaty growl, providing 5.0-seconds, on its way to a clear indication of just an electronically limited how powerful this car top speed of 250km/h, really is. while consuming as little Effortless performance as 7.8l/100km on a comfrom the V6 TDI engine is bined driving cycle.

D e ce n t e f f i c i e n c y, together with an annual road tax of just €570, ensures that the new Audi S6 is a car that can be used every day, without the need for deep pockets.

The S6 is a superb motorway cruiser, but also comes into its own on twisty back roads, too.

The car’s standard four-wheel-drive system ensures that the car feels planted to the road at all times, and provides great reassurance to the driver

when faced with a multitude of road surfaces, while also offering terrific grip as you power out of bends.

The super-fast, amazingly capable, and thoroughly enjoyable new Audi S6 is yet another fine example of Audi’s ‘Advancement Through Technology’ philosophy.

On-the-road pricing starts at €89,060 for the 4-door, 5-seat saloon, with the Avant model priced from €97,030.

Another general decline in registrations THE Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) has released its official new vehicle statistics, showing a further decline in new car registrations.

According to the data for February, such registrations were down 7.7% (with 13,915 vehicles) when compared to February, 2019 (15,069 vehicles).

Registrations in the year to date are also down 4.9% (at 45,096 vehicles) on the same period last year (47,439 vehicles).

Light Commercial Vehicles are down 6.9% (at 2,294 vehicles) compared to February last year (2,465 vehicles), and in the

year to date are down 0.8% (at 7,946 vehicles).

However, Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGVs) registrations are up by 14.5% (at 300 vehicles) in comparison to February, 2019 (262 vehicles).

According to SIMI, in the year to date, HGVs are up 11.04% (at 684 vehicles).

Used car imports for February (at 6,196 vehicles) have seen a decrease of 30.1% on February, 2019 (8,859 vehicles).

In the year to date, imports are down 28.2% (at 12,818 vehicles) on 2019 (17,862 vehicles).

Also in February, 401 new electric vehicles were registered compared to 325 on the same month last year (+23.38%).

SIMI also revealed that, so far this year, 1,294 new electric cars were registered, in comparison to 1,124 in the same period last year – an increase of 15.12%.

Both hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles continue to increase their market share.

Finally, the five top-selling car brands so far this year are Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Skoda, and Nissan, while the top-selling car this February was the Volkswagen Tiguan.

12 March 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23

CHALLENGE YOUR BRAIN...JUST FOR FUN!

CODEWORDS

You could advertise here

DUBLIN PUZZLES SUDOKU EASY

MODERATE

SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

DON’T FORGET TO CHECK BACK NEXT WEEK FOR THE SOLUTIONS TO THIS WEEK’S PUZZLES

WORD SEARCH

HOW TO SOLVE Codewords are like crossword puzzles - but have no clues! Instead, every letter of the alphabet has been replaced by a number, the same number representing the same letter throughout the puzzle.

All you have to do is decide which letter is represented by which number!

To start you off, we reveal the codes for two or three letters.

As you find letters, enter them in the key and into the grid.

Cross off the letters in the A to Z list.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

FIND THE HIDDEN WORDS CAME CANDIDATES CURTAINED DAMSELS INITIATED INSTINCT LEAFLET PRIVY PUFF RASPBERRY RATED

REGRETFUL SCREEN SKIPPER SLAM STAY THIEVES TREADING WASHTUBS WEAR WHOM WORK

To advertise here please contact sales@dublingazette.com or call 01 6010240

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12 March 2020 FINGAL  DUBLIN GAZETTE 27

GAELIC GAMES P30

THE BEST IN DUBLIN

SPORT

INTO THE DARKNESS: SWIMMING: GER Carty reflects on his

biggest ever challenge, surviving jellyfish stings and avoiding cruise ships in the depths of night as well as dealing with his own demons.

He looks back on his 19-hour swim, the culmination of a life of taking on phyiscally-demanding swims across hairy sea conditions.



GAZETTE

HOCKEY P29

PAGE 28

LET DUBLIN GAZETTE NEWSPAPERS INFORM YOU OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AND SCORES OF YOUR FAVOURITE TEAMS PEXPO | TRINITY COMPREHENSIVE AMONG THE ANNUAL WINNERS

Dublin schools excel at DCU’s PE showcase  sport@dublingazette.com

SCHOOLS from the greater Dublin area figured strongly at the sixth annual PExpo hosted by DCU. Winning the best overall award in the junior category for second and third year students were Abhirami Santhoskumar, Ruby Roche and Michelle Dolores of Woodbrook College for a project on “Mixed or singlesex lessons. Do participation levels change?” The project was one of four submitted by Woodbrook students.

Other Dublin area schools taking category wins included St Joseph’s Rush, St MacDara’s Templeogue, Templeogue College, Dominican College Griffith Avenue, Coolmine Community College, Donabate Community College and Trinity Comprehensive Ballymun, where the PExpo first took place in 2015 before moving to DCU two years ago.

Putting in a magnificent entry of 11 projects across a wide range of subjects

was Mount Temple, Malahide Road.

Another school making eye-catching contributions was Donahies Community School with five entries from its second year students.

Other Dublin schools entering projects included Kishogue Community College Lucan, Santa Sabina Sutton, Luttrellstown Community College, St Mary’s Holy Faith Glasnevin, Loreto Balbriggan and Coolmine CS. Students attending the PExpo could judge the work of their peers.

Winning the junior peer prize for a project on “Confidence – does it affect your sporting ability?” were Caoimhe Molloy, Molly Nugent and Phoebe Lemon from Wellington Lane, Templeogue.

Senior winners were Kate Smyth and Karl Ormsby from Trinity Comprehensive School for their project on “Adaptive sport”.

PE is – at last – part of the Leaving Cert cycle, and winning the Leaving Cert PE award were Grace Healy and

Trinity Comprehensive’s seniors won the peer group award. Picture: Lindie Naughton

Riya Suunu of Dominican College Griffith Avenue for their “Investigation on the effects of psychological preparation of sport”. Trinity Comprehensive School took the award in the Senior Cycle PE Framework section.

In the Sports Psychology category, Aaron Hurley of Templeogue College was the winner for a project on “Psychological effects of an injury on an

athlete post-recovery”.

Winning a special prize from the Irish Heart Foundation for their work on fitness testing was a group from Coolmine Community School.

Students submitted projects in nine categories and were judged not only on content but also on presentation.

Next year’s PExpo will take place on Wednesday, March 3, 2021.

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

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

28 DUBLIN GAZETTE  FINGAL 12 March 2020

CLUB NOTES

ROUND

1

FINGALLIANS LUCAN SARSFIELDS COVID-19: At present all games and training are continuing as the normal based WELL done to Junior A la on advice provided

by GAA and Heath Authorities. Teams should no longer supply water bottles. Please make sure players have their own, clearly marked bottle. It is the advice to cease handshakes at the end of matches, until further notice. Please refer to the HSE website for further information.

St Patrick’s Day Parade: The Swords Parade has been this year.

Annual Coach Development Conference: This will take place in the club on Good Friday morning from 9.30am. It is for all coaches & mentors (Juvenile & Adult) in the club. Details on guest speakers to follow.

Membership 2020 Overdue for players : Membership can now be paid on line. http://www. fingallians.com/index.php/membership Annual Club Awards Night: Monday 16th March – Further detail to follow. Tickets €10 per person and available from the bar.

Camps Dates & Times 2020: Easter camp, April 6 – 9th; Cúl camp 1, July 6 – 10th; Dual Camp, July 20 – 24th; Cúl camp 2, 27 – 31st July; Dual advanced camp (13 – 16 year old) 3 – 7th August & Dual camp 2, October 27 – 30th. All Camps are 9am – 1.30pm.

Kellogg’s Cúl Camps: The website goes live (2nd March) for registration. Numbers are limited so it will be on the first come first served basis. https://kelloggsculcamps.gaa.ie

SKERRIES HARPS CONGRATS to Killian McGinnis, Adam Fearon, Ciaran Murphy & the Dublin U20’s on Friday night’s Leinster Final win over Laois, they will now play Tyrone in the All Ireland Semi Final on St Patricks Day. Adult Hurlers defeated Ballinteer St Johns on Sunday to make it 2 wins from 2 in AHL5. Senior Camogie were defeated by Celbridge in the Leinster League on Friday night. defeat to FOLLOWING After O a few weeks of Naomh inclement weather there was a full program of fixtures on the Juvenile side with good wins for our U15 Ladies Footballers, U13 Boys & Girls Football teams on Saturday. While on Sunday both U15 Football teams had wins over Cuala & St Pats (D) respectively.

Plenty of Harps representation on Dublin teams over the weekend - Lyndsey Davey (Dublin Senior Ladies), Megan Carroll & Orlaith Durkan (Dublin Senior Camogie), Emma Parker (Dublin Intermediate Camogie).

Upcoming Fixtures – A couple of local derbies this weekend with our Senior

Footballers hosting St Maurs on Sunday at 10.30am while at the same time our Intermediate Footballers make the short journey to Man O War, as always both teams would appreciate your support! Details of all upcoming fixtures are available on our website.

Our Allcare Pharmacy Academy takes place on Saturday’s from 10 – 11am & caters for boys and girls ages 4-7 years providing best in class coaching and fundamental skills to our youngest members in a safe and fun environment. For more information contact Louise (085-1465673) or Johnny (086-2903490) Easter Camp registration takes place this Wednesday, March 11th, between 6 – 8pm in the Clubhouse.

Easter Hurling & Camogie Tournament takes place from Monday April 6th – Wednesday April 8th (10am – 1pm) & sign up sheets will be available in the local primary schools.

ZINGO Result Sun 08 Mar 2020: 3-7-1-6-4-5-2. No Jackpot Winner or Dividend Winner - next weeks Jackpot €2600.

ROUND TOWER, CLONDALKIN

SWIMMING: MARINO OPEN SWIMMER REFLECTS ON TOUGHEST

Channel conqueror Ger Carty’s battle with demons and the deep blue sea  PAUL KEANE

sport@dublingazette.com

A JELLYFISH sting? Ger Carty compares the painful sensation to a bee sting before correcting himself.

“I’d say it’s probably more like a bad nettle sting, that’s how I’d describe it.”

He should know because when he climbed out of the sea at Sangatte, in 2011, hauling himself up onto the unwelcoming, rocky coastline of northern France – almost 19 hours after leaving England – his body was covered in them.

“It was mainly on the legs and upper torso that the jellyfish got me,” he recalled, matter of factly.

Truth be told, after swimming for 18 hours and 52 minutes, through night and day, through shipping lanes, through body battering currents and in dangerously cold temperatures, the impressions left on his ravaged body by Compass jellyfish while crossing the English Channel were the least of his concerns.

“I was in a desperate state. My face and body had puffed up through stress, I looked about 70, my tongue was swollen, my eyes were swollen, my face was swollen, it was sheer stress,” recalled Carty who, on September 16, 2011, swam 68 miles in total, from one country to another.

“I was looking to do it in 10 and a half hours; I ended up just shy of 19 hours. As

the crow flies, it’s a 23-mile crossing but I ended up swimming around 100km, 68 miles.

“I spent nine hours in the dark. There was a boat accompanying me but it wasn’t like it was two or three feet away, I had to keep 100 or 200 metres away because of the swell and fumes.

“You’re on your own, looking ahead into a black abyss. You look down at times and you see giant shapes moving beneath you. I saw an awful lot of cruise ships; I could actually hear the music coming from some of them.

“They looked ginormous. I was in one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world and you do get scared that one of them mightn’t see you and might run over you.”

Young Gerard Carty began swimming when he was at Scoil Mhuire National School in Marino.

He tried athletics. “I was brutal”, he shrugged.

He tried Gaelic football.

“I hadn’t got the aptitude or the co-ordination for that,” he concluded. So he tried swimming.

“I’ve a relatively long torso and short legs,” he said. “Even though I’m six-foot, that’s the way my body is built and it’s a good composition for a swimmer. I started taking part in galas with the school, and it went from there really.”

Carty won the Dun Laoghaire Harbour swim

in 2004 and that same year set Irish records at 800m and 1,500m while swimming in Glasgow.

Four years later, aged 39, he set out with around 20 other hardened sea swimmers from Rathlin Island, off the coast of Antrim, and pointed his body towards Ballycastle 14kms away. Only five completed that race in August 2008 and Carty came first in just over three hours.

“That was the platform for me when I was told, ‘You’ve got to swim the English Channel’,” he recalled. If only they knew what they were asking.

His prep for the crossing, just over three years later in 2011, was flawless, even sleeping with just a thin sheet on his bed for a year beforehand to get his body used to prolonged periods of intense cold.

He satisfied all the criteria and competency tests laid on by the Channel Swimming Association

and paid the €3,500 for a manned boat to accompany him across.

Hurricane Katia meant a false start before he finally entered the water on September 16 under a full moon.

Around 4am, eight or nine hours in, he could sense his body clock ticking towards sleep. Then he tore a rotator cuff muscle in his left shoulder.

For a while, he swam using only his right arm.

The closer he got to France, the warmer the water and he was able to swim with both arms again.

“The cold took my mind off the pain,” he said. “It’s like an ultra-marathon, or someone running for hours and hours; it’s 90 or 95% mental. Everybody gets their demons, they start knocking on your door saying: ‘You’re too tired.

You can’t keep going’.

“Your mind is making every excuse to quit or give up. I tried to think of my

mind as a blackboard when those thoughts would enter. I’d pick up the duster and just wipe out the negative thoughts.”

Aside from ambition, obsession and sheer belligerence, what helped propel Carty through choppy waters and his demons was the real inspiration.

“I was swimming on behalf of my colleague, Paula Mulvaney, who was battling cancer at the time,” said Carty.

“Channel swimmers don’t normally do it for charity because 90% don’t make it across. Nobody wants to hear about you failing so that was keeping me going.”

Carty is a senior sports development officer/water safety development officer with Dublin City Council.

He still swims competitively and is a regular in the Leinster Open Sea races though initially after the channel swim, he fell out of love with swimming.

12 March 2020 FINGAL  DUBLIN GAZETTE 29

EVER CHALLENGE Ger Carty, who is one of Ireland’s toughest long distance swimmers. He is also one of the local heroes who is helping to promote Dublin City Sports & Wellbeing Partnership’s work all across the city.

HOCKEY: BALBRIGGAN WIN BACK-TO-BACK JUNIOR 1B TITLES

Loreto’s Leinster leaders

LEINSTER JUNIOR 1B FINAL

Loreto Balbriggan celebrate their success

 STEPHEN FINDLATER

sport@dublingazette.com

“I suffered from PTSD after it,” he admitted. “It was a very difficult crossing, the week after a bad storm, swimming through slop at times. I was way out of my comfort zone.

“I get the odd flashback even now; getting your feeds every 45 minutes, only stopping for 15 seconds to take them or you’ll be pushed away off course, trying to lie on your back and co-ordinate yourself to pee.”

Three kilometres from the shore, Carty remembers finally spotting France. Yet despite fresh adrenaline coursing through his veins, he couldn’t make that last surge forward.

“The boatman advised me not to go for it. The tide was against us and he reckoned it could pull me away and we’d miss our landing spot altogether so he took me parallel to the shore for what seemed like an hour.

I got very frustrated,” he

recalled.

So what was the feeling when it was all done, euphoria or relief?

“I was exhausted,” revealed Carty. “I remember looking at the rocks, wondering after 19 hours lying in the water if I could even stand up on them.

‘Would I fall and break my ankle on the rocks?’

“It took me a year really afterwards. I didn’t swim for a year, maybe 14 or 15 months.

“I was fed up of it, lost the gra for it. I know people who have failed the channel swim and given up swimming entirely.

“I didn’t want to be one of those people and I’m grateful to a friend of mine who told me: ‘Look, you have to get back in the water’.

“Even just for exercise and keeping healthy, and my boys were only young at the time, I knew I had to do it. It was the best decision I made to get back in.”

LORETO Balbriggan retained the Leinster Junior Division 1B title at Grange Road with a dramatic shoot-out win over St Columba’s after a wonderful six-goal contest in normal time.

The game got off to a cracking start with a strong attack from the Columba’s girls with Cilia Holdermann – a star for Corinthian’s first team this year – scoring the first goal in the first four minutes.

Loreto Balbriggan initially looked shocked to be chasing the game so early but they kept their composure and soon employed an effective close-marking job on the Whitechurch outfit’s midfield.

Daisy Pereira proved her athleticism in this game while still managing to stay in the game herself which was crucial. In response Loreto Balbriggan secured a short corner and went direct with the shot, captain Caoimhe McCann bringing the game to 1-1.

The game was a serious battle for each ball between the two sides, going tit-for-tat and end to end with nothing separating the teams.

There were several fast breaks from Columba’s putting Loreto’s defence under pressure with the support from both teams on the sideline roaring the girls on, adding to the tense atmosphere.

Another exchange of goals followed; Holdermann netted for Columba’s, Ella Moynihan equalised for a second time for 2-2 at halftime.

Columba’s went close on several occasions to retaking the lead for a third time in the second half but Balbriggan’s fantastic goalkeeper Aoife Gleason produced eight crucial saves. The confidence and composure by this 14-year-old was outstanding.

She is one of the many players still eligible to play on the junior school team next year.

Grace Murray and Ella Markey, in alternatiing sweeper roles, made some superb interceptions.

Hannah Tighe’s reverse clearance up the line on the left showed to be an excellent tool with Aishing Patterson or Eva Murphy on the end of them. In the last five minutes, Loreto

Balbriggan scored an excellent team goal, started by a clearance up the line by Erika Mitchell, setting up the 3-2 goal by Nicole Ford, assisted by Katie Lloyd.

They tried to shut out the tie in the closing minutes but Holdermann once again was unstoppable at times and she equalised with barely 100 seconds left for 3-3.

Loreto Balbriggan, however, held their nerve in the shoot-out with McCann, Patterson and Mitchell all scoring in the first three rounds while Columba’s could only get by the

brilliant Gleason twice in five attempts.

Captain McCann said after the game: “Having Aoife in the goal relaxed everyone who was taking an eight-second shuttle; we knew we could trust her to hold off some of the other team’s shots.

“We had experienced shuttles in the semi final only four days before against St Raphaela’s, this also meant the players were used to the stressful situation.

“Eight seconds is longer than you think… that is what our coach kept reminding us!”

Carolan hat trick fires up Verona DDSL UNDER-16 PREMIER 2  sport@dublingazette.com

VERONA and Lucan United served up a six-goal thriller in the DDSL Under-16 Premier 2 to keep the Blanch side unbeaten on the road this year.

The Dublin 15 side fell behind to a first minute penalty but reacted quickly and were unlucky when Alex Pop came close and Conor Duke saw his well hit free kick impressively

saved. The pressure told when a precise through ball from Keith Obaseki found Brian Carolan free to slot home the equaliser.

Lucan went in front again with a close range finish but, once more, Verona responded quickly and equalised when a well taken Ben Hilliard corner landed at the feet of the inform Carolan to tap into an empty net just before the break.

Verona took control in

the second period and created a host of chances with Samuel Bumbu and Emmanuel Osas going agonisingly close.

Up stepped man of the moment Carolan to give his team a deserved lead when he side footed into the net to complete his hat-trick.

Some further Verona chances went a begging but Lucan drew level with a breakaway goal near the end to ensure both teams shared the spoils.

Verona’s Brian Carolan

30 DUBLIN GAZETTE  FINGAL 12 March 2020

CLUB NOTES

ROUND

2

CASTLEKNOCK OUR Healthy Club Committee is looking for new members and new ideas to promote the mental and physical health of our members, young and old. Contact Barbara O’Neill at 0863782419 or childrensofficer@castleknock.net with your suggestions for activities or people/organisations we should contact.

Don’t forget to sign up for the GAA Healthy Club challenge through the My Life app. The club in each province that takes the most steps will win a €2500 O’Neill’s voucher Think what that could buy for your child’s team, and all you have to do is walk. Details on the website.

Mar.3 – Bookings open for this year’s Cúl Camps – there are two in both football and hurling. Cúl Camp 1 is from July 6-10 and Cúl Camp 2 in from July 13-17. You can book through http://kelloggsculcamps.gaa.ie – once you get into the site go to the Find A Camp box and select Dublin West. Then you can choose which of the two Castleknock Camps you wish to book. If you have any problems message our ever-helpful GPO Maria at 087-7563654.

Mar.4 – While the Covid-19 threat exists mentors will not be supplying juvenile teams with water containers. Players should bring their own water bottles which should be clearly marked and used only by themselves. The County Board also recommends that players cease handshakes after games until further notice.

Mar.5 – No Lotto Jackpot winner. Next week’s Jackpot €5,000. Nine Match 3 Winners get €35 each – Kevin McCambridge, Karen Feeley, Ruth Dargan Akiwumi, Paul Cunningham, Niall O’Connell, Edwina Hogan, ‘Gerard’ Kindlon, Neal McDonald, Jackie. Lucky Dip €30 goes to Cindy.

Mar.6 – Congrats to Like Swan, Senan Forker (and the rest of the Castleknock lads in the extended panel - pictured) on Dublin’s 0-18 0-8 win over Laois in the Leinster U-20 Football Final in Carlow. At full-forward Luke acted as the perfect target man and his strength and unselfish distribution contributed hugely to Dublin’s victory. The All-Ireland Semi-Final against Ulster Champions Tyrone is part of a double header in Croke Park on St. Patrick’s Day, so no excuses. Mar.8 – Great AHL3 win for the Senior Hurlers beating Naomh Olaf 2-14 2-12 following a terrific second-half performance against the gale. A similar story for the AHL5 team which beat Lucan 2-7 0-12 with an injury time winning goal into the wind by Oisin Murphy O’Kane.

Excellent 0-12 1-4 win over Cuala in the MFL Div.1 in difficult conditions.

The MFL Div.4 side also had a good five point win over Cuala and the Div.6S team drew with Kilmacud. Good day.

Wishing Aoife Whelan a speedy recovery from injury after her Dublin team lose 0-10 1-10 to Limerick in the Senior Camogie League. However good news for Aisling Andrews on Dublin’s 4-08 0-7 win over Laois in the National Camogie League (Intermediate) and congrats to Mollie Turner, Caitlin Coffey and Cara Feeney on Dublin’s second Minor Camogie Championship win.

Great to see the huge turnout in Tir na nOg.

ST BRIGID’S DRIER weather meant that the first full schedule of games could finally be played without pitch closures.

AHL1 lost out narrowly to Craobh Chiarain while AHL4 drew with Cuala and AHL8 had a good win over Raheny. U13 U14 and U16 Boys, U14 camogie and U15 Ladies football all had good wins and U13 girls football had a thrilling 5-10 apiece draw with Lucan Sarsfields on the teams’ first competitive outing.

Thank you to everyone who supported the U10 fundraiser on Saturday morning in the Coffee Shop.

Our Club Nursery, in association with Sherry Fitzgerald will be in action this Saturday 14th March from 9.30am to 11am in Russell Park. All boys and girls aged between 4 and 6 are welcome, especially new families. Just arrive down and speak to any of our friendly coaches or email us at pro.stbrigids. dublin@gaa.ie for more information.

There was no Jackpot winner in our Club Lotto draw on Thursday last. Our next Jackpot rises to €9,600 and the draw will

take place on Thursday evening 12th March in The Greyhound. Thank you to all who support our Club Lotto and to our great Lotto Committee.

Due to demand, our Club Shop with @ oreillyssports opening hours are now Monday, Wednesday and Friday - 5.30pm to 7.30pm, Saturday - 9.30am to 1.00pm.

For group bookings and further info email stbrigidsgaaclubshop@gmail.com. Click on the button on the website to view the clothing range.

Our Club Bar is available for functions and Birthdays (21st parties and older). Ring 018202484 after 8.30pm any evening or call in and speak to Paddy.

Juvenile Handball Training continues every Wednesday evening at 7pm in Russell Park. All are welcome. Contact Enda on 086 8288308.

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

GAELIC GAMES: SEWING SEEDS FOR FUTURE SUCCESS

Innisfails’ Acorns  sport@dublingazette.com

INNISFAILS GAA Club in Balgriffin, one of the oldest clubs in the country, relaunched their juvenile section, the Acorns, with just five children and has grown exponentially, without the assistance of a games promotions officer or school connection, now nurturing three teams and a nursery group.

According to Tony Greenhalgh, vice-chairman of Innisfails, the success of the rejuvenation is down to dedication, passion and the hard work of the adult members of the club.

“We didn’t have a juvenile section for ten years so we were very adultfocused,” says Greenhalgh. “We knew that, with an ageing membership, the club could only go so far.

“The group who started the Acorns grew up with this club and know what a club can be. GAA doesn’t just mean sport.

“It means belonging, it means socialising and support.

“With all the new communities developing in the area, we really wanted to merge old members with new communities, taking a new approach to the continuation of the club.”

Since 2017, the Acorns

Members of the Innisfails’ Acorns along with their coaches continues to grow at pace since its formation three years ago.

have grown from just five children to more than 70 and, with many different nationalities involved, the future has never been brighter.

Stefan Pelgen, from Germany, joined the club with his son: “Max was such a quiet, shy little boy when we joined and I was a German dad in Dublin.

“Now, Max is so outgoing and confident. We have both made loads of friends and I have even become a coach!”

Greenhalgh explains that these trainings, matches and accompanying activities are all free.

There is a high coach-

LATE NITE LEAGUE Graduation day FRIDAY evening saw the conclusion of a coaching programme for members of An Garda Síochána in Dublin 17.

FAI interim deputy chief executive Niall Quinn presented Gardaí from nearby Coolock Garda Station with their Introductory Futsal Certificates after completing the programme with the aid of FAI Development Officer Jimmy Mowlds (pictured back row, far left).

The Late Nite League programmes act as a positive diversion from traditional anti-social behaviour windows, mostly on Friday and Saturday evenings.

to-child ratio and complimentary refreshments provided on Saturdays to try to encourage the social side of the club.

Nicola Foxe, the club PRO, adds: “I didn’t grow up in a GAA community and the thoughts of joining one of the bigger clubs slightly intimidated me.

“But when I heard about Innisfails, its history and rejuvenation, I thought that sounded great: a historical club that my children could grow with.

“My daughter, Nina, loves being part of a team and my three-year-old, Elise, is always welcome and loves being part of

the club even if she is too little to train yet. It’s just brilliant to be part of it.”

Innisfails’ Acorns have just celebrated the ir third year since rejuvenation and new members are always welcome.

Juvenile training takes place every Saturday at 9.45am while the club also has other societies and all-weather facilities available for new members, including a pitch and putt course, pool and darts teams, indoor bowls and karate.

“Innisfails was and is a community club with something for everyone, and more in the pipeline,” finishes Greenhalgh.

12 March 2020 FINGAL  DUBLIN GAZETTE 31

LADIES FOOTBALL: FINGAL PLAYERS TO THE FORE IN WIN OVER WATERFORD

Four-star Dublin ease relegation pressure in NFL LIDL NFL DIVISION 1 Waterford 0-13 Dublin 4-5  sport@dublingazette.com

NOELLE Healy, Carla Rowe, Sinead Aherne and Siobhan Woods all raised green flags for Dublin as they stormed back from seven points to beat Waterford in Dungarvan and, crucially, move clear of the relegation places in their Lidl NFL Division 1 campaign.

Five Kellyann Hogan frees and three Roisin Tobin points left the hosts 0-12 to 2-2 ahead after 40 minutes before Bohan’s side struck 2-3 without reply.

Two goals in as many minutes by Rowe and Aherne along with a yellow card for Déise full back Roisin Dunphy turned the game in their favour.

Dublin won the toss and chose to play against the breeze in the first half.

Two Tobin points from play and three Hogan frees gave the home side a fivepoint advantage after ten minutes.

Waterford were all over the All-Ireland champions.

St Brigid’s Ciara Trant saved a closerange Hogan effort and Eabha Rut-

ledge made two goal-line blocks from Katie Murray and Tobin.

Chloe Fennell kicked Waterford’s sixth point in the 13th minute. The team in white and blue put huge pressure on Trant’s kickouts during that early purple patch. Hogan and Liz Devine were also off target.

Full forward Woods got Dublin off the mark on 16 minutes off the outside of her right. Clann Mhuire’s Rowe then converted a free. Waterford hit back with the next three points as they moved seven up.

As the rain started to lash down, Woods found the Waterford net with the aid of the post in the 27th minute to trim the lead to 0-9 to 1-2. Dublin defender Orlagh Nolan was then sent to the sin bin and Tobin replied with her third from play.

In the third minute of injury time, however, Brigid’s Healy hit the top corner of the net after Skerries woman Lyndsey Davey did the tough work as Waterford went in 0-10 to 2-2 in front.

The leaders missed four chances within six minutes of the restart.

Dual star Caoimhe McGrath eventu-

Stunning second half for Dublin minors

Clann Mhuire’s Carla Rowe netted a vital goal for Dublin. Picture: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

ally made that Déise dominance count with a point, and Katie Murray then kicked her second from play.

St Sylvester’s Aherne was introduced on 42 minutes for the Dubs and it proved a key moment. Roisin Dunphy conceded a penalty and received a yellow card for a foot block and Rowe rattled the bottom corner from the spot.

Sarah McCaffrey then won a turnover off a Waterford kickout and set up Aherne for a simple finish to give Dublin a 4-3 to 0-12 lead. Rowe (free) and Eabha Rutledge added points.

Caoimhe McGrath got a consolation score in injury time as Waterford face a big game away to Westmeath in their battle to avoid the drop.

Knock make it two wins from two AHL DIVISION 3 Castleknock 2-14 Naomh Olaf 2-12  KEVIN MALLON sport@dublingazette.com

HURLING: St Brigid’s fall to Craobh in AHL1 opener ST BRIGID’S lost out to Craobh Chiarain on a

margin of 0-19 to 3-8 on the opening day of AHL Division One. Cian Derwin and Paul Kelly amassed a combined tally of 0-11 for Chiarain’s, but the likes of Billy Ryan, James Finn and Keith Cooling also made valuable contributions for the Clonshaugh brigade.

Picture: martin doherty

FIVE points in-a-row during a powerful 10-minute second-half spell into the wind was enough to give Castleknock’s Senior Hurlers the edge over Naomh Olaf in this AHL3 game in Somerton.

Assisted by the wind Castleknock opened up an early seven point lead, 2-2 0-1, after just nine minutes.

Midfielder Conal Purcell struck two huge points added to by superbly taken goals from Luke Whelan and Cian Boyle to give the home team a commanding lead.

Naomh Olaf responded well, however, and within another five minutes, after four successive Olafs scores, the margin was

CAMOGIE

down to a mere three.

The game had just entered the second-quarter when Cian Boyle fired over the first of his four first-half frees but much of Castleknock’s good work was undone in the 19th minute when a defensive mistake led to the goal which appeared to put the visitors in the driving seat.

Brian Hughes and Niall O’Callaghan ended the half with well-taken points from play but Castleknock suffered another bodyblow when a pitch-length move resulted in a second Olaf’s goal to leave Castleknock ahead by only two points, 2-8 2-6, at the break.

Indeed matters could have been worse but for a fine Brian Lawlor save at the expense of a ‘65’ in the dying seconds of the half.

The second-half opened in ominous fashion for Castleknock as Olaf’s

pulled level within three minutes of the restart.

It was then, however, that Castleknock played some great hurling. Into the teeth of the wind, the defence held Olaf’s scoreless for the next 19 minutes while the forwards scored five points of their own.

Brian Hughes, Luke W h e l a n a n d Ro n a n McCann took some excellent scores and when Cian Boyle followed up

Picture: Niall O’Connell

with two more, one from play and one from a free, Castleknock had moved into a healthy five-point lead, 2-13 2-8.

Refusing to lie down, Olaf’s took control again after that landing four points in six minutes to leave just one point in it as the clock ticked over into time added on. And it took a Luke Whelan point from play in the 34th minute to ease Castleknock concerns.

A CRACKING late run of seven points saw Dublin’s minor camogie side get the best of Laois 1-10 to 2-2 in the Tesco All Ireland Minor A Camogie Championship last Saturday in Clonad.

In tough, windy conditions, Dublin lined out with Naomh Mearnog’s Sophie Brennan in goal with her club mate Ellie Kane and Castleknock’s Caitlin Coffey and Mollie Turner in the forwards.

Niamh Comerford got Dublin off to a great start with the first point before Laois hit the net with a low flying free.

Comerford scored another point from a free in the ninth minute and Emily Byrne followed on a minute later with a lovely point from play under pressure.

This was to be Dublin’s last score of the first half as Laois edged in front 1-2 to 0-3 at half-time.

The Dubs came out in the second half to play with the wind more favourable for them and they took advantage of it.

In the seventh minute Laois scored their second goal but that was to be their last score. In the same minute, Byrne hit the back of the Laois net to cut the gap back to 2-2 to 1-3.

Dublin would go on to score the next seven points without reply via Róisín Ní Chathasaigh (0-3), Aisling Gannon (0-1) and Meadhbh Hicks (0-1) along with two frees by Comerford for a strong victory in the end.

Gazette SPORT MARCH 12-18, 2020

ALL OF YOUR FINGAL SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 27-31

Fingal flyers make big impact for U-20s  sport@dublingazette.com

DUBLIN secured back-toback Leinster Under-20 football championship titles with this commanding 10-point, 0-18 to 0-8, provincial final victory over Laois at Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow on Friday night.

The Dubs featured a healthy Fingal contingent with St Maur’s Ciaran Archer – who ended the Leinster campaign with a tally of 2-17 – leading the line, while St Sylvester’s Josh Bannon and St Margaret’s Rory Dwyer were in the backs; Skerries Harps’ Killian McGinnis

was in midfield.

Luke Swan, at full forward, was one of six Castleknock players in the panel, all told.

The side were slow starting but a string of seven points in-a-row as the opening half developed put Tom Gray’s side on the road to victory.

“We came down here expecting a right battle.

“I know the scoreline looks like we won comfortably, it certainly didn’t feel like that during the course of the 60 minutes!” said Dublin manager Gray afterwards.

“When we reflect on this day we’ll be very

Castleknock’s six Dublin Under-20 panelists

Xxxxx xxxxx

happy to have won the game, but we’ll also recognise we’ll need to kick on to be a challenge in the semi-final.”

The O’Moore County opened well with points from Ronan Coffey and

keeper Matthew Byron who drove over a massive free from 50 metres.

Dublin needed to get going and wing-back Lee Gannon provided the inspiration with a well struck point from 35

metres and soon followed up with another score.

Archer started to find his range with the first of his seven points coming from play following good direct play from Swan.

Laois did briefly return

to the lead but the Dubs reeled off seven points without reply to swing the tie their way.

Points f lowed from Archer, Mark Lavin, stylishly slicing over with the outside of his right boot, Seán Foran, Archer again, Lorcan O’Dell, and two Archer frees to move 0-10 to 0-4 clear.

When attack-minded corner-back Alan Murphy’s goal chance glanced off the Laois crossbar Dublin were in full flow and, by the half-time break, were 0-11 to 0-5 in front, with Archer closing out the scoring.

The O’Moore County

enjoyed lots of second half possession but the Dublin defence gave nothing away cheaply as their work-rate, intensity and tackle count kept their opponents at arm’s length.

Kieran McKeon kicked three brilliantly struck, clinical points inside the concluding ten minutes to ensure Dublin did not loosen their control of the game on the scoreboard.

Dublin advance to face the Ulster champions Tyrone in their All-Ireland U20FC semi-final in Croke Park as part of a doubleheader with the other semi-final (Kerry v Galway) on St Patrick’s Day.