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YOUR COMMUNITY • YOUR PAPER
INSIDE: Local girls impress at speech and drama Page 4
February 9, 2012
ADAMSTOWN: Our special report
on the new town’s growth Pages 8-9
They’re on the ball: 2011 Dublin Sports Awards SPORTS stars, players and teams
Rugby: AllIreland win puts Barnhall in promotion mix Page 30
were out in force for the Dublin Gazette Newspapers 2011 Dublin Sports Awards, in conjunction with Clarion Hotel Liffey Valley and Setanta Sports Ireland, which saw individual and team successes celebrated in style. Pictured are Garrett Marrinan, manager, Clarion Hotel; winners of the October team of the month award, canoeists Peter Egan and Neil Fleming; and Rob Heigh, sports editor, Dublin Gazette Newspapers. Picture: Geraldine Woods
Full Story on Page 29
Sports Awards: Gala celebration of Dublin sport at Clarion Hotel Page 29
ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES ....................10 MOTORS ........................18 BUSINESS .................... 21 TRAVEL......................... 22 ENTERTAINMENT ........ 24 CLASSIFIEDS ............... 26
Community plea to back charity game
Politicians, sports stars set to pitch in for NagarHope
I PAUL HOSFORD
THE Lucan community is being called on to support the NagarHope charity this Sunday, when a host of stars line out for a special Gaelic football/hurling game in Lucan Sarsfields at the 12th Lock. Stars of sport and politics
will be involved, with former Ireland manager, Brian Kerr; Dublin star, Paul Casey; Fine Gael Deputy, Derek Keating, and former Green Party TD, and Celebrity Banisteoir runner-up, Paul Gogarty, all set to be involved. The charity, which was founded and run by local
man, Fachtna “Doc” Clandillon, helps children in rural Nepal, one of the poorest areas on the planet. The game is set to throw-in at 2.30pm, and admission is free, though there will be collections on the day. Full Story on Page 6
2 LUCAN GAZETTE 9 February 2012
COUNCIL: PRE-DRAFT CONSULT
Viewing for local area plan at Civic Offices SOUTH Dublin County Council is reminding locals that pre-draft consultation information for the proposed Newcastle Local Area Plan can be viewed during normal opening hours at the Civic Offices, Clondalkin; County Librar y and County Hall, Tallaght and at St Finian’s Community Hall, Newcastle. Council staff will be available to answer general queries and provide guidance on the Pre-Draft Consultation at St Finian’s Community Hall, Newcastle on Thursday, February 2, from 4pm-7.pm; Monday, February 6, from 4pm-7pm andThursday February 9 from 1pm-4.pm. Staff will also be available to provide general guidance and answer queries on the Pre-Draft C o n s u l t a t i o n e ve r y Wednesday afternoon between 2pm and 4pm at County Hall, Tallaght, during the public consultation period. Submissions and observations in relation to the Pre-Draft Local Area Plan Consultation and impending Environmental Report can be made in writing to the Planning Authority until 4pm Friday, February 24, by e-mail to devplan@sdublincoco. ie or by post to Administrative Officer, Planning Department, South Dublin County Council, County Hall, Tallaght, Dublin 24.
SDCC ‘Changeover loss of service to be addressed’
Canal bins will be upgraded to fight attacks, says council I PAUL HOSFORD
lucan@gazettegroup.com
SOUTH Dublin County Council (SDCC) has said that upgrades will be made to bins on the Grand Canal Green Route. Concerned residents had called The Gazette to complain of overflowing bins, smashed glass and bins that had been set on fire in the area. Along parts of the canal, at Parkwest, Kilcronan and the Ninth Lock, bins were observed to have been tampered with. Residents who contacted The Gazette said that the mess was a blight on a valuable local resource. “It sounds trivial, but it’s a waste of time to do so much work on the canal and not empty the bins,” said one resident.
When contacted by The Gazette, SDCC said that the contract for the bin provision had recently changed over, and there had been some loss of service during the changeover. A council spokeswoman said: “The council has a contract with Noonans, who have just taken over the service. In the time that they were taking over the service, we had four bins set on fire, with one having the liner melt to the inside of the bin. This made it impossible for it to be collected. “In the coming weeks, these liners will be replaced with steel versions, which will not melt if they are set on fire. “Noonans have told us that whey are planning on increasing the service on the canal, particularly in places where the dump-
ing is worse than others, such as Parkwest, Ninth Lock and Kilcronan. “There is a problem with the dumping of household dumping along the canal, but with the CCTV that’s already there, we hope to combat this,” said the council spokesperson. Labour councillor Breeda Bonner said that the route is “generally well-kept”, and is a “fantastc facility that more people should be using more”. She said: “I haven’t noticed any problems with the bins, myself, but if people have problems, they should contact the council immediately. “The route is pretty safe. I walk it a lot and haven’t encountered much in the way of problems. However, I do think people should use it more.”
A full bin along the Grand Canal Green route
Drug addict robbed bookmakers twice A DRUG addict who robbed the same bookmakers twice within five days has been jailed for two years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Dean Reddington (26) of Galtimore Road, Drimnagh, pleaded guilty to robbing €1,000 in cash from Boyle Sports in Riverforest, Leixlip, Co Kildare, on April 25, 2009. He also pleaded guilty to
robbing €700 from the same bookmakers on April 30, 2009. Detective Garda PJ Cummins told prosecuting counsel Ms Fiona McGowan BL, that Reddington walked into the bookmakers wearing a balaclava, shouted at the staff and jumped the counter. He grabbed cash from an employee’s hands
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‘Reddington walked into the same bookies and shouted ‘Hey, Hey, Hey’. --------------------------------------------------------
before opening a till and taking more cash. One of the employees saw a pellet gun in his right hand but Reddington did not point the gun at them. Reddington fled with €1,000. Five days later, Red-
dington walked into the same bookies and shouted: ‘Hey, Hey, Hey’. He held a meat cleaver in a threatening manner and grabbed money from an employee’s hand. A customer approached him carrying a stool but
Reddington managed to escape with €700. Following his arrest he admitted to gardai he used the money to buy drugs. Det Gda Cummins agreed with Ms Gerardine Small BL, defending, that no violence was used, which was in keeping with Reddington’s character. Ms Small explained
Reddington became involved in crime in his 20s when he started to take cocaine. “He admitted everything and apologised and said he did not want to upset people,” said Ms Small. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged that no violence was used during the robberies and sentenced him to two years.
9 February 2012 LUCAN GAZETTE 3
R1
HEALTH Ministers help mark landmark for facility
Centenary celebrations for Peamount IT WAS a time of celebration at Peamount Healthcare this week, as the centre launched their centenary year celebrations. In attendance was local FG minister, Frances Fitzgerald, who was joined by the Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly, and local Fine Gael TD, Derek Keating. Minister Fitzgerald said: “I was delighted to help launch the 100-year celebrations in Peamount. Minister Reilly and I had a very useful meeting with members of the healthcare centre’s Board, and a tour of the centre itself. “It was great to meet so many of the patients who are receiving such fantastic care here in Peamount, and the men and women who use the rehabilitation and occupational therapy services offered in the gym. “This centre is a fabu-
lous resource for the communities of Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart, Clondalkin and Lucan, and I was honoured to participate in their celebrations,” said Minister Fitzgerald. --------------------------
‘I want to congratulate all the staff at Peamount for the excellent care that they provide’ --------------------------
Derek Keating, FG
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“Peamount Healthcare has a schedule of events organised throughout the year to celebrate their 100th year. “This includes a community festival, which will be held in June to coincide
with a visit from President Higgins. “I look forward to continuing to support this centre in the years ahead, and I would like to pay tribute to the dedication of the staff and the vision of the centre’s Board,” said Minister Fitzgerald. Peamount Healthcare was founded in 1912 as a tuberculosis sanatorium, and has developed into a centre of excellence for the quality care it provides today. In celebrating its centenary year, Peamount Healthcare’s core values, standards of care and responsiveness to emerging needs remains in place, and will provide a solid foundation for the continuous development of the centre. Ministers Fitzgerald and Reilly were joined by Mayor Caitriona Jones,
Peamount CEO, Robin Mullan, with Ministers James Reilly and Frances Fitzgerald
Deputies Joanna Tuffy and Derek Keating, as well as councillors Therese Ridge, William Lavelle and Emer Higgins at the event. Deputy Keating extended his congratulations to the staff, saying: “I have
known Peamount Hospital for many years, and many of my constituents from Clondalkin, Rathcoole and Lucan have availed of the services at Peamount Hospital. “I want to congratulate
all the staff at Peamount for the excellent care that they provide, and I believe that Peamount has a huge contribution to make to our health service in the coming 100 years,” said Deputy Keating.
PARTIES
Brochure has range of offers LEIXLIP House Hotel has launched its new Birthday Party Nights’ brochure. If you are celebrating your 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th or 60th, then look no further than the Leixlip House Hotel for an unforgettable party for you, your friends and family. The package includes a private function room with full bar facilities, a disco to dance the night away, themed decorations to suit the occasion, a themed slide show, 10 free cocktails for ladies, a hot buffet with plenty of options to choose from and, of course, a cake, champagne and an overnight stay for the special guest, for an “all-in” price of €15 per person. Leixlip House have also teamed up with Partymad, in Celbridge, to give a €50 voucher for the special guest, plus 10% off all purchases for all those attending your party, if fancy dress is your plan.
4 LUCAN GAZETTE 9 February 2012
ENTERPRISE: A TOTAL OF 30 NEW POSTS CREATED
MUSIC
Kate still in the running LUCAN songstress Kate Donohue has been made one of the frontrunners for the Voice of Ireland competition on RTE. Kate, who has been selected on Sharon Corr’s team, and listed at 14/1 with Paddy Power, is the sixth favourite from a pool of 40 singers left in the nationwide search for Ireland’s next singing star. Kate, who wowed with her rendition of Mustang Sally, will have to overcome Westlife singer Kian Egan’s acts, who have been made 13/8 favourites ahead of Team Sharon, who are 5/2. Sharon McHugh, spokesperson for Paddy Power, said: “Kian gets a lot of ribbing about not being a proper musician or a great singer but, so far, three of his acts are topping the betting. Bressie, Brian and Sharon must be getting very worried.”
Jobs boost at Dualway I PAUL HOSFORD
news@gazettegroup.com
Dramatic wins! Colette McGee School of Speech and Drama get high marks THE STUDENTS of the Colette McGee School of Speech and Drama have had some excellent recent successes. Evie Rose Hartigan and Zeta Hemeryck (above), winners of the Perpetual Trophy for Dramatic Duologue under 10 years, share their success with their classmates. In the London New Era Academy examinations, they had a 100% success rate, with senior student, Orla Lowry Hayes, attain-
ing the highest mark in the Gold Medal Grade and was presented with the Ray Cooney special award for an outstanding performance. The junior class took part in the North Kildare Feis in November and won a number of prizes in both the poetry and drama competitions. Classes are held on Tuesday in Lucan Parish Centre from 3.15–6.15 pm.
FINE Gael TD for Dublin Mid-West, Derek Keating, has welcomed the announcement by Dualway Group, the Rathcoole-based transport and tourism company, that it is creating 30 new jobs in 2012. “Dualway Group has informed me that it will be creating the new jobs in 2012. The company is recruiting for tour drivers, tour guides, sale promoters, sales executives and a health and safety officer. “This is excellent news and a great boost for the Dublin jobs market. Dualway Group is a family-run business which has been operating in the transport and tourism market for over 30 years in Dublin,” he said. Dualway currently
employs 90 people. It operates two local services in west Dublin, school buses and corporate and group transport. Last year, the company suffered a fire at their depot, which cost them almost a third of their fleet, but that has not stopped their expansion. “I am especially pleased to see how hard the team has worked over the last 12 months to rebuild the company and be in the position it is in today. “It is also encouraging to see that the tourism market, which has been an important focus of this government, is thriving and that jobs are being created in this sector. “I would like to wish Dualway Group all the success in the world,” Deputy Keating said.
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9 February 2012 LUCAN GAZETTE 5
6 LUCAN GAZETTE 9 February 2012
EVENT Promoting a love of reading in children ahead of World Book Day
Another goofy chapter from Debbie Thomas Chapter 3: MISSING ELEVEN year-old Abbie is visiting the Hair Museum, a tower with thatched plaits, owned by her new friend Perdita and father Matt, an inventor. Perdita shows Abbie a room labelled ‘Hairstory.’ Abbie gazed round the room. At first glance it was full of people. At second glance they were standing still as statues. At third glance they were statues – or rather tailors’ dummies in costumes. At fourth glance the one on the left looked strangely familiar. ‘Hi, Robin,’ said Perdita.
And there he was. Robin Hood. Well, a model of him, life-sized and clothed in green. He looked very sorry for himself. His tunic was ripped. His breeches were frayed. A longbow sagged from his right shoulder, a quiverful of arrows from his left. But his hair! It gushed from his chin. It crawled across his brows. And it sat beneath his hat, glossy and red. ‘Watch this.’ Perdita went up to the statue and pressed a button on his thumb. Robin’s left hand unhooked
the bow from his shoulder. His right hand plucked an arrow. The string drew back. The bow nosedived and Robin shot himself in the foot. ‘Oh dear,’ Perdita sighed. ‘Dad’s ideas never quite work.’ Abbie blinked round, open-mouthed. She was beginning to recognise some of the other statues. The man with wild, white hair standing by a blackboard looked like that crazy scientist - what was his name? Franken … no … Einstein. And that barrel-shaped
man with a red beard and pancake hat: wasn’t that Henry the Eighth? ‘What is this place?’ she murmured. ‘And why does all the hair look so real?’ ‘Because it is.’ Abbie stared at Perdita. She didn’t have the sort of face that pulled legs. But what on earth …? ‘My mum’s a world expert on hair,’ said Perdita. ‘She travels everywhere to check up interesting finds. A strand of Cleopatra’s eyebrow, a tuft of Shakespeare’s moustache, that sort of thing.’ ‘But what’s interesting about a few old hairs?’ ‘If they turn out to be real, Mum
brings them back to the museum. Then Dad dips them into this mixture he invented to make the hairs grow. At least …’ Perdita sniffed. ‘He used to. He’s given up now – on everything.’ She waved miserably at Robin Hood. ‘Because he thinks she won’t come back.’ A tear splashed onto the floor. ‘Who won’t?’ asked Abbie. ‘My mum. She’s gone. Disappeared.’ Dead Hairy, by Debbie Thomas, is published by Mercier Press and is illustrated by Stella Macdonald. Available in most bookshops, priced €8.99
UPDATE: NAGARHOPE
Working with Nepal’s poorest I PAUL HOSFORD
THE journey from Lucan to Nepal is not one that is often travelled. Even less so, the journey from local barman to childrens’ charity founder. For Fachtna “Doc” Clandillon, those are two roads he knows well. The Lucan native has lived in the Himalayan republic for the last four years, establishing the NagarHope charity for some of the country’s poorest children. Since then, the charity has grown, catering for 150 children and it recently acquired space to build a community centre. Doc, too, has settled into life in Nepal, marrying a local, Divya, last year. “I started about four years ago in Nepal, after doing a year in India. In the year I was there (in India), I visited Nepal four times. While on those visits, people offered me money to put towards projects, but the ones that had been earmarked
either had enough money or I couldn’t account for where the money would go. “But through those visits I met a guy named Durba and he gave me the idea of helping kids in rural areas and we’ve been doing that ever since,” says Doc, back in Ireland for a month. Arriving in Nepal, Doc says that things were certainly different. “I suppose coming from this part of the world, where kids have a lot more, kids are all in school, it’s completely different. “Initially the idea was to build an orphanage for street children in Kathmandu, but now, the plan is a children’s home and a community centre. “We’ve bought land in a place called Nagarkot and the plan is now to start designing, building and planning the centre. “We hope to help the wider community, with educational classes, teaching organic farm-
Lucan native Fachtna “Doc” Clandillon is back in Ireland for a month
ing, educational supports or even having our own facility where we can teach people to get out of a cycle of poverty.” In the area where the centre is to be built, Doc says that there are numerous problems, with poor education, access to healthcare and infrastructure, but NagarHope plans to help the children in these areas to help break the cycle. “We cater for about 230 kids in total between the two projects we work on. When it comes to the school year, we try to make sure they have everything they need,
books, bags, a warm jumper. Things that the kids don’t have and the parents can’t afford.” The charity is funded by donations and the Lucan community has always been very generous, says Doc. “All along, our support has been through the Lucan community, with fundraisers around the country. But most of our funding and support comes directly locally through Lucan. I suppose 95% of the money comes from local people. “We have a lot of longtime donors and supporters locally. People
do have a good heart, a lot of people wouldn’t care what’s going on but would support it because they know it’s going to a greater good.” This Sunday, February 12, will see a host of celebrities, politicians and sports stars, including former Ireland manager Brian Kerr, Paul Casey, Derek Keating TD and Paul Gogarty, come together for a special Gaelic Football/Hurling challenge in Lucan Sarsfields’ 12th Lock ground. The game throws in at 2.30pm and admission is free, though there will be a collection.
9 February 2012 LUCAN GAZETTE 7
OPINION Eoin O’Broin on economic stimulus
Eoin O’Broin joined other Sinn Fein supporters to stage a protest outside the office of Minister Frances Fitzgerald in Clondalkin recently, where they voiced their opposition to a number of Government policies
Time has now come to invest in jobs I EOIN O’BROIN Sinn Fein Dublin Mid-West Representative
UNEMPLOYMENT in Dublin Mid-West is rising. Live Register figures for January, 2012, recorded a rise for the third month in a row, with 20% of those out of work in Dublin Mid-West aged under 25. More people in Lucan and Clondalkin are signing on today than when Fine Gael and Labour took office in March, 2011. Of course, the levels of joblessness are much higher than the 8,968 people signing on at the Clondalkin Social Welfare Office. This figure does not include formerly selfemployed people now out of work; nor does it include the hundreds of local young people emigrating every month. Budget 2012 took between €500 and €2,000 from the annual income of low- and middle-income families. The household charge, cuts to Child Benefit, increased VAT, motor tax and fuel tax all reduce the spending power of these families. In turn, the local economy suffers as retail sales
decline and redundancies increase. More people end up on the dole, tax revenues fall and Social Welfare spending increases. Contrary to claims by the Government, their budgetary decisions are hurting the economy, keeping us in recession and blocking any return to economic growth. As if this were not bad enough, the Government is failing to invest in job creation. In April, 2011, Fine Gael and Labour announced their jobs initiative. Contrary to announcements at the time, the total extra investment in job creation was a mere €29 million. When one compares this to the €21.3 billion the Government have given to the banks since taking office, you can see why unemployment levels remain high. Indeed, the impact of Budget 2012 on jobs will be negative. Cuts to capital spending, public procurement, Social Welfare cuts and tax increases are estimated, by some economists, to threaten up to 20,000 jobs. So, what is the solution? How can we get Lucan and Clondalkin
back to work? There is an urgent need for the Government to invest in job creation. There is currently €5.3 billion available in the National Pension Reserve Fund. This could be supplemented with an extra €1.7 billion from the European Investment Bank to create a €7 billion jobs stimulus fund. In our pre-budget submission published last November, Sinn Fein outlined how we would invest this fund over three years, benefiting up to 200,000 people.
Investment For Dublin Mid-West, this would mean an investment of €168 million over three years, benefiting almost 5,000 people. Our proposals focused on improving the social and economic infrastructure so important to the future of our businesses and communities. On the social side, we proposed building 100 schools where children are currently educated in prefabs, and renovating 75 more; providing 50 new primary care centres; providing 5,000 additional social housing units
in 2012; and building 150 State-run creches to ensure affordable access to childcare. On the economic side, we proposed an investment of €2.5 billion for the roll-out of next-generation broadband, to improve the competitiveness of Irish companies; an investment of €1 billion in renewable energy infrastructure and a €600 million job retention fund to assist small- and medium-sized enterprises to maintain their current staff and expand their output. Clondalkin, and Lucan, would benefit directly from each of these programmes, creating employment, improving services and making local businesses more competitive. Alongside these measures, we proposed a €597 million family stimulus package, aimed at boosting consumer spending in order to assist the struggling domestic economy. Fine Gael and Labour’s policy of austerity and bank bailouts simply isn’t working. It is time to invest in jobs. The money is there – if only the Government would chose to use it.
8 LUCAN GAZETTE 9 February 2012
PLANNING With deserted car parks, and community facilities
The rise – and stall – I PAUL HOSFORD lucan@gazettegroup.com
ITWAS to be the changing face of Irish development – the country’s first Strategic Development Zone (SDZ); a self-contained town built in what was the hinterland between Lucan and Clondalkin, marking Ireland’s leap into the 21st century of planning. “Out” were housing estates with three-bedroom semi-detached homes, and “in” were dense, walkable neighbourhoods, with swimming pools, cinemas and sports complexes. It was a chance to show the rest of the country how town planning should, and could, be done. But, seven years on, how is Adamstown doing?
Some locals say that living in Adamstown can “be like living in a ghost town” or “walking through a building site”. Taking a walk through the area, it is evident that, while the SDZ was a town planner’s dream, the project’s execution has been left wanting. Schools that opened on time were huge bonuses for the residents, but a main street that comprises just three shops do not a self-contained town make. Obviously, a lot of this is down to the economic downturn, which seriously hampered the developer’s (Castlethorn) ability to build and sell units. In fact, the most recent on-site report states that, of 3,227 permitted units, just 1,384 have been built, while of those units, 1,211
have been occupied. On the developer’s side, Castlethorn – one of the main development companies involved – spokesman Ben Brady says that the SDZ would follow the development timeline, and the future would see new development. “The aspects of the SDZ [that have not been delivered] are not due to be built yet. The SDZ is a timeline and, in that timeline, infrastructure is delivered in tandem with homes and houses ... the town centre isn’t due to be developed until there are substantially more residents than there are now. “I disagree that there is not a lot of infrastructure. There is a train station, three schools and shops. “We’re still selling; we’re still building, and we’re looking at new
planning permissions. The short- and medium-term demand would appear to be for houses. “As the targets [in the SDZ] are required, we are confident we will hit them. Things might have to be looked at, but we still intend moving ahead with the key components of the town,” said Brady. Dr Paula Russell, of the UCD school of Geography, Planning and Environment, told The Gazette that Adamstown is not yet a cautionary tale. She said: “From a planning perspective, it was a good way to plan for a whole new development, a whole new area. The principles followed are excellent. “There is no disputing the urban design quality. It has fared a lot better than a lot of places that didn’t have an SDZ,” said Dr Russell. “A lot of similar places wouldn’t have schools, or public transport hubs, and would find it a lot more difficult. “We have to look forward, even now, to 20 or 30 years into the future. Dublin as a city has become sprawling, and we need to provide those kinds of densities around transport hubs,” she said. On that point, are Irish people unrealistic, in a way? Can we expect lowdensity, three-bedroom semi-detached homes that are on transport hubs and have a large number of amenities? Dr Russell said: “How do we balance what is desired, and what is sustainable in the longer term? I think it’s important that we don’t go back to what we had in the past. “Maybe one thing about SDZs is that the reviewing of the plans needs to reflect what has changed [regarding the SDZ’s direction]. You can’t review every year, but maybe every five years. “If you look around at other developments on the edge of Dublin, they
While the Adamstown planners’ architectural drawing (inset) promised a bustling, saw on its area tour – including this solitary car parked at the otherwise deserted
don’t have some of the things that Adamstown has. “They don’t have the schools, they don’t have the infrastructure, and so, if you look around Dublin, Adamstown offers a lot more than a lot of those developments,” said Dr Russell. Local Fine Gael coun-
ity is that they got about a thousand houses [in place as part of the SDZ’s progress], and the property sector collapsed. “I would like to see Adamstown continue to develop, but in a sustainable way, where we can develop housing that people want,” he said. Cllr Lavelle said that
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‘If you look around at other developments on the edge of Dublin, they don’t have some of the things that Adamstown has’ --------------------------------------------------------
Dr Paula Russell, UCD school of Geography, Planning and Environment
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cillor William Lavelle, who is an architect, told The Gazette that, as a planning concept, Adamstown was the right idea. He said: “On the planning, this is what needs to be done. We had too many years of developer-led housing developments, which led to lowdensity, sprawling estates with no community infrastructure. “The problem we had at Adamstown was that it probably came 10 or 15 years too late. The real-
there were four key issues that residents had, in his experience. “Over the last year, the first two issues were the closing of the pedestrian gap at Finnstown House. We managed to get the gate reopened. “Secondly, the takingin-charge was a big issue, with regards to the roads and drains. That issue is on the agenda for the February council meeting. That is a big step forward, mainstreaming Adamstown in SDCC.
“Thirdly, there was a problem with undeveloped sites in the middle of other estates. I’ve got an agreement from Castlethorn that they will fill in the gaps where they can, consolidating the residential development. “Lastly, the issue of infrastructure has been a sore point for residents,” said Cllr Lavelle. On this point, it is plain to see from a quick walk around the town that a lot of Adamstown’s promised facilities have not come to fruition. Billboards promise the opening of a cinema and swimming pool in summer, 2009. Meanwhile, the park and ride car park lies empty most days, with most of Adamstown’s rail users opting to either walk to the train station, or to park in the taxi rank at the train station. However, Cllr Lavelle rejected the notion that the execution was poor. He said: “The execution was not poor, but the market changed radically. What will be poor is if we don’t react to that. We need to consolidate the areas that have been built before we move on to new green-field sites.”
9 February 2012 LUCAN GAZETTE 9
‘coming in 2009’, where next for the SDZ?
of Adamstown This hoarding’s swimming pool, ‘opening in 2009’, has failed to materialise
busy urban centre, the empty zones that The Gazette park and ride facility – reveal otherwise
This hoarding refers to “a date at the movies” – but Adamstown has no cinema
EDUCATION: TUFFY WELCOMES INITIATIVE
High-speed ICT project LABOUR TD Joanna Tuffy has welcomed the news from the Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn, and the Minister for Communications, Pat Rabbitte, that high-speed broadband is to be rolledout across all secondary schools in Ireland. Attending the launch of the nationwide roll-out in Scoil Bride, Clondalkin, Deputy Tuffy said: “With more than 200 schools to be connected by September, this project has clearly hit the ground running. “This initiative heralds another completion of one of our commitments in the Programme for Government. The Labour Party has always championed the right for universal access to quality education,” said Deputy Tuffy. She went on to say that changes in the classroom needed to be backed by
technology. “Digital technology and high-speed internet should no longer be regarded as a luxury for some. This initiative will see all children completing secondary school, equipped with a solid understanding of ICT. “This full roll-out scheme comes on the back of the success of an initial pilot in 2009, which found that both teaching and learning both significantly improved. “With so many of the world’s top IT companies, such as Google and Facebook, based here, Ireland has an opportunity to become a leading player in the technology sector. “This initiative can play a leading role in inspiring the young people of Ireland to direct the course of Ireland in achieving this goal,” said Deputy Tuffy.
10 LUCAN GAZETTE 9 February 2012
EVENT Table quiz held to raise funds for much-needed surgery
Maire Dunne, Stacey Dunne, Martina Casserly and Lynda Spellman
Catherine Hayes and Aoife Fealey
Organisers Peggy Smith, Francis Casserly, Imelda Smith and John Casserly. Pictures: Ania Sherlock
A night of fun and games for James HE family of a local boy, James Casserly, held a table quiz to help pay for much-needed surgery for the brave six-year-old. James, who lives in Hillcrest was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was two. In April, he is due to travel to Bristol for an operation called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR).
T
SDR involves cutting some of the microscopic sensory nerve fibres that come from the muscles and enter the spinal cord. It is, at present, the only procedure that can help improve movement in cerebral palsy sufferers. The HSE have part-funded the operation, but there are still thousands of euro to be raised for his post-
Organisers Vicky Casserly, Alison Slike and Jenny Casserly
operative care. His aunt, Jennifer Casserly, arranged the benefit night table quiz in Lucan Sarsfields’ GAA club, which was well supported by a number of locals, including Minister Frances Fitzgerald. For more information on James, and his journey, see www.forjames.com the website which James’ parents use to track his journey.
Paul Murray, John Swan, Alan Hudson and Jimmy Kelly
Lisa Morrissey, Sinead Moran and Aoife Kearns
Ruth Wansborough, Eamonn Deery, Suzanne Curran and Mary Fento
9 February 2012 GAZETTE 11
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TRANSFORMATION: POSITIVE THINKING CAN HELP TRANSFORM YOUR BODY FOR THE BETTER
Prepare for success with nutrition and training OOKING at transforming your body for the better? There are three key elements within your control that will determine a successful transformation. It is not the purpose of the transformation that matters; it can be focused on any goal, such as weight loss, muscle gain, improved body shape, or improved spor ts per formance. What really counts are the three vital elements that are essential if your goal is to physically improve oneself. These three elements are the quality of your thoughts, your fuel (nutrition) and your training. Vital to the success of these three components is being prepared. Fail to prepare then prepare to fail. But when you successfully prepare, you can prepare for success. This principle of preparation is at the core of all body transformations. First you should
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ensure that your mental state is rock solid and you are ready for the road to transformation. With this foundation of a strong and positive mental outlook your chances of success increase significantly. Set clear goals and use positive affirmations and visualisations to help you achieve them. As all transformation experts agree “the power of the positive mind is exponential”. The importance of what you consume should not be underestimated. There are many misconceptions about what constitutes a healthy diet. However, all agree that what you fuel your body with is of the utmost importance. You cannot run a petrol car on diesel. The same principle applies to your body. If you fuel your body with the wrong foods you can expect your body to perform poorly. Prepare for success by being aware of the foods you eat. The importance of Omega
3,6 and 9, saturated and trans fats, and realise how they affect your body. Understand the role of protein in the body and of issues such as acid and calcium balance and how they effect bone health. Recognise food allergies, toxins, stimulants and sugar and how these affect your body in a negative way. Whether you want to detoxify, rejuvenate, shed body fat or slow down the ageing process, it is vital to learn the role of nutrition so you can make food work for you. If you are training, ensure your choice of exercise is the one best suited to your goal. If you are training for fat loss, and concentrating on cardio, then you are missing out on all the benefits of using resistance training to help you shed body fat. If you are in a sport that requires a lot of power then you should be training to build the explosive strength required. Educate yourself about
The three vital elements essential to physically improve oneself are the quality of your thoughts, your fuel (nutrition) and your training
the training process and choose the right training package from the beginning. Remember, to achieve your body transformation goal, it is when you successfully prepare, that you prepare for success. Know how training, food and mindset will affect your goal and help you achieve it. Temple Training begins a new lifestyle and nutri-
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‘The importance of what you consume should not be underestimated. There are many misconceptions about what constitutes a healthy diet’ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
tion workshop in February. This “Complete Lifestyle System” will empower you to “attain a lean body, healthy mind and an abundance of
energy for life”. A lifestyle and nutrition course begins on Tuesday, February 21, at 8pm in the Le Cheile Community Centre,
Donnycarney. Gazette readers receive a discounted rate of €140 for the seven-week course (usually €165). Visit us www.templetraining.ie
12 GAZETTE 9 February 2012
Gazette Contacts
THEATRE Farrell’s play back at the Abbey
Block 3A, Mill Bank Business Park, Lucan Tel: 01 6010240 Fax: 01 6010251 Managing Director: Michael McGovern email: mmcgovern@gazettegroup.com
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Gazette Group 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 Blanchardstown Gazette, Castleknock Gazette, Clondalkin Gazette, Dundrum Gazette, Dun Laoghaire Gazette, Lucan Gazette, Malahide Gazette and Swords Gazette. The placing of an order or contract will be deemed an acceptance of these conditions.
Phelim Drew and Marion O’Dwyer star in Bookworms
Popular play makes a return I BAIRBRE NI
BHRAONAIN
THE Abbey T heatre sees the return of Bookworms, by Bernard Farrell, on Thursday, February 9. It is back by popular demand and was first premiered at the Abbey in 2010. The Abbey has a new, life-extending policy regarding plays it has commissioned for itself. Previous revivals include The Seafarrer, by Conor McPherson; Terminus, by Mark O’Rowe, and The Playboy of the
Western World, in a new version, by Bisi Adigun and Roddy Doyle. To that end Bookworms is back for a fiveweek run. Bookworms is Bernard Farrell’s 21st play and is described as “a laugh-a-minute romp”. The Abbey has a long history and very strong relationship with the playwright stretching back to 1982 when the Abbey first produced his play, I Do Not Like Thee, Dr Fell. Subsequent to this, the national theatre has staged 11 world
premieres of this Irish playwright’s work. T hose involved in the current production are no strangers to the Abbey. Jim Culleton, of Fishamble, directs the cast of the New Play Company and Donna Dent. The story of Bookworms is set on the night of a monthly book club meeting. T he hostess, however, proceeds to set her sights on expanding the experience by inviting all of the members’ husbands. Her dreams
of perfection, classical debate and elegant canape nibbling are soon annihilated as the personal lives of the couples are exposed. What transpires is an unravelling of decorum more shocking and revelatory than any novel up for possible discussion. Jim Culleton does a great job by giving such a cleverly, humorous play the deft treatment it deserves. The cast includes Donna Dent, Liz Fitzgibbon, Louis Lovett, Michael Glen Murphy and Marion O’Dwyer.
9 February 2012 GAZETTE 13
CHARITY: CALL FOR ANY UNWANTED INSTRUMENTS
CHILDREN
Call for Texaco artists
Give kids a musical goal THE Musical Youth Foundation children’s charity is asking people to help it in its mission to provide every child on the island of Ireland with access to a musical education by donating any old, unused or even damaged musical instruments they have. As part of a new project designed to raise awareness for the life-changing benefits of music education, and the work the Musical Youth Foundation is doing, the charity hopes people will dig out old, unused, or even broken, instruments that are cluttering up attics, garages and other storage spaces in order to donate them to the charity. The charity’s founder and CEO, Chris Maher, says: “There are hundreds, if not thousands, of old, unused and unwanted instruments all over the country, and we’re ask-
ing people to help us give every child on the island of Ireland the opportunity to access music education by supporting our call for instruments.” He said: “We promise to find new homes for all instruments donated, and everyone who donates will be invited to a special, topsecret event taking place as part of the sixth annual Dublin City Soul Festival, from May 24-27.” Musical Youth Foundation provides instruments, weekly tuition, practise sessions and supporting workshops in live performance, including singing and songwriting as part of its “guitars for kids” programme, which is running in local community centres and schools in Dublin. If you have an instrument that you would like to donate, email saoirse@ soul.ie.
Turn to them: People in Dublin the largest group availing of a mental support website THEIR cardboard model laptop is only of
use for publicising their service, but, luckily, the online mental health support offered by brothers Oisin and Diarmuid Scollard, and their website, Turn2Me.org, is a much sturdier affair, helping to support thousands of people across Ireland with its services. The Scollards were promoting the significant increase in the number of users on their site over the past six months, with its latest user figures revealing that membership of Turn2me has increased by 51% over the past
six months – the site now has 3,000 unique visits per month – which includes almost 29,000 visits to the website from Dublin in 2011, comprising the greatest proportion of users visiting the site. The Turn2me website is staffed by 30 moderators, who comprise a mix of people with professional psychology training, and others who bring the benefit of their life experience, with visitors to the website able to access support forums, group support, one-to-one counselling, and a wide range of information.
THE search is under way to find the young students who will win awards in this year’s Texaco Children’s Art Competition, in this, the 38th year of the contest. Brochures setting out details of the competition have been sent to all primary and second-level schools throughout Co Dublin, with the closing date for entries Friday, February 24. Copies of the brochure are also available through Texaco service stations, and online at www.texacochildrensart.com. Judging will take place throughout March, and winners will be announced in mid-April, with prize-giving to follow in mid-May. Annually, some 30,000 students compete for the 161 top prizes awarded across seven age categories, including one exclusively devoted to special needs students.
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14 GAZETTE 9 February 2012
GazetteBEAUTY BEAUTY Beauty is at the heart of it all at Karora GIVE more heart this month by being mindful of how your tanning regime can help the Irish Heart Foundation. Irish beauty brand, Karora, is donating €2 to the Irish Heart Foundation from every product sold during February. Shop online at www.karoracosmetics.com or find the product in McCabes Pharmacy Dundrum, Unicare pharmacies and select salons nationwide. For participating salons and pharmacies supporting the IHF campaign call 01-9022333
A smoky, sultry look for Valentine’s I LAURA WEBB
IT only comes around once a year, and even though many think l’amour has been overshadowed by cheesy cards and overpriced flowers, it still hasn’t stopped us from wanting to look our best on Cupid’s busy day. Be on trend this February and get the best Valentine’s Day look, courtesy of Avon’s limited addition Smoke and Mirrors collection. The fresh tones of this collection radiate that new inlove glow that many feel
around this time of year. Not only will this look get you through Valentine’s Day, but it’s going to big this Spring/Summer season. “Smouldering greys and subtle apricots are big news this season. Make a smoky eye in dusky-skied tones your secret weapon, to take your look from sunrise to sunset in just a stroke and a smudge,” commented Liz Pugh, Avon’s professional make-up artist. To achieve the spring look this February use SuperShock gel eyeliner (€8). This super-soft for-
mula is Avon’s best selling gel eyeliner and is available in two limited edition spring-inspired shades – Blackberry and Golden Fawn. The gorgeous tones leave an intense colour finish that lasts all day. Use Avon’s True Colour limited edition Smoke and Mirrors and Myster y Eyeshadow Quad (€11) to create a smouldering, smoky eye. Pucker up for the Valentine’s Day kiss with help from Ultra Colour Rich Lipstick (€9). The fresh, spring look is floral-inspired with hues of apricot, nude and lilac making lips naturally pretty. This lipstick contains jojoba and vitamin
Avon’s limited addition Smoke and Mirrors collection
E leaving lips feeling fully hydrated and moisturised. Nails should also be treated with care by using Nailwear Pro Nail Enamel (€8), available in Star and Apricot Mystery. Giving salon quality results, this nail varnish
lasts for up to 10 days, with its fortified acrylic for strength and protection, and high-gloss formula. More information about Avon can be found at www.avon.ie. Visit Avon Ireland’s Facebook page at www.facebook.
com/Avonie. Avon product lines include Avon make-up, Avon fragrance, ANEW skincare, Skin So Soft and Advance Techniques. Avon also sells an extensive range of wellbeing products, jewellery, lingerie, accessories and gifts.
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9 February 2012 GAZETTE 15
16 GAZETTE 9 February 2011
GazettePETS PETS
Brought to you by Miriam Kerins of the DSPCA
THE FACTS: LACK OF EXERCISE CAN CAUSE STUNTED GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Best care for your pocket-sized pets HANDBAG dogs, the once must-have accessory for many a fickle, fake tanned, gel-nailwearing celebrity are becoming so last season dahling, it now appears many of Ireland’s fashionistas, like the rest of Europe, are bucking the trend, aping the likes of Paris Hilton and ditching the pocket-sized pooches in favour of, oh, well, who cares. The point is, these dogs are being dumped. That means animal shelters like the Dublin SPCA are being left to pick up the pieces… literally. I wonder, does Ms Hilton et al, realise they’re fuelling this phenomenon? If so, would they care? Once seen donning dia-
mond-studded style collars and little pink sweaters, these cutsie-pie dogs are no longer the canine companion of choice for Ladies who Launch. No more the favourite novelty accessory for almost anyone who owns a fake Dolce and Gabbana or Gucci handbag or, sorry, dog carrier, the brutal irony of it all is these poor animals look and smell like dogs but don’t act like dogs because they, er, don’t know that they actually are dogs. Let me explain. Tea-cup dogs come into the rescue shelter not knowing how to walk, act or behave like a dog, in short, they’re lacking in doggy skills. Sure who could blame the poor things; they’ve
Chihuahua
spent their lives sitting in handbags or sleeping on sofas, never having been walked or trained or fed an appropriate diet, or even been given the basic veterinary care they deserve. Did you know that lack of exercise can cause stunted growth and devel-
opment in your dog and mollycoddling them too much can result in behavioural problems? Every week I come into contact with pet parents who’ve paid hundreds for these throwaway, novelty pets only to complain when they’ve to cough up the meagre, highly afford-
able cost for their subsidised veterinary care; or who baulk at the thought of walking, socialising or training them. So why is this happening? Well, it’s a question of economics you see – a supply and demand situation. Not by reputable, registered breeders I hasten to add, they are not the cause of this problem, but by back street puppy farmers and the people who do business with them. I am certain that if these people were aware of the facts then surely they wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole. Then again, maybe I’m wrong, I mean one lady told me, (as I stood in my
Dublin SPCA uniform) that she got rid of her dog because she had re-decorated the house and the animal didn’t fit in with her colour scheme. So, for those of you who’ve bought a tea-cup dog, here’s a few basic tips in order to provide them with the best possible care, specific to their breeds’ needs. • Exercise every day. This breed has quick bursts of energy so short walks are best. • Provide a diet specific for her breed. Consult your vet for advice. • Socialise early with children and other dogs. • Use a body harness rather than a lead to protect their delicate neck. It will also help to prevent damage to the trachea
and soft palate. • Pet her often; this breed needs lots of attention. • When bathing take care not to get water in her ears, this can cause infections. Brush long-haired Chihuahuas daily. • This breed may suffer from the following: Weak knees, colds, corneal dryness, secondary glaucoma • Check with your breeder to see what/ if at all any, screening has been carried out for these health problems. A good breeder will not mind you asking this question. For more
information log onto www.dspca.ie or email me miriam.kerins@dspca.ie
9 February 2012 GAZETTE 17
GazetteMUSIC MUSIC ROCK REPORT: FAMILIAR NAMES ARE COMING BACK
New year, old talents I DEE WOODS
HAPPY Chinese New Year! So 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, and it’s breathing new life into some classic artists. Van Halen and Bruce Springsteen have new albums, and we can also look forward to new music from Alice In Chains, AC/DC and Meatloaf, to name but a few. In suppor t of the wo r l d w i d e O c c u p y movement, keep an eye out for the “Occupy This” album. A host of famous voc al i sts, i ncl u d i ng David Crosby, Graham Nash and Debbie Harry, are joining together to put the movement on the map. New music is always good, but I’m also looking forward to seeing some of the bands we thought we’d never see again (well, almost). The Aussie Pink Floyd play the Olympia at the end of this month, and if you think cover bands
are just well-dressed karaoke singers, did you know Pink Floyd frontman Dave Gilmour asked Aussie Pink Floyd to play his wedding? Not only that, but Nick Mason said the cover band were “probably better than we were”? Nuff said! And if you’re excited about The Doors’ last --------------------------
‘New music is always good, but I’m also looking forward to seeing some of the bands we thought we’d never see again’ --------------------------
album, LA Woman, being reissued for its 40th anniversary this year, then get along to The Doors Alive at The Academy in March. The lads called into the Nova studios when
Super-news as Dublin radio goes super-Nova DUBLIN-based broadcaster Radio Nova has surged ahead in the latest JNLR radio ratings, passing out some of its major competitors in key demographics for the first time. The latest ratings show that the station has consolidated an 11% weekly and 6% daily reach in the Greater Dublin area after only 16 months on air. CEO, Kevin Branigan, said: “We’ve now overtaken major competitors 2FM, Today FM, 98FM and Q102 in key demographics in the city, and we now have more than half the daily audience of 98FM. This is our fifth JNLR survey since we launched and it is by far our best yet; we’ve shown strong continued growth in our 25-54 demographic. “In addition to major gains in ABC1s and Housekeepers, we have passed out 2FM in 25-34s, Q102 in 25-34s and Today FM in 15-34s daily in Dublin – a terrific result for a radio station that has been on air less than 18 months. “Nova offers a unique mix of some of the best guitar songs every made and well-known on-air personalities - and, judging from these figures, we are clearly striking a chord with listeners in Dublin and the commuter belt,” said Branigan.
they played the Academy last year. Lead singer, Willie, is a lovely, sof t-spoken Scottish lad who turns into a leather pants-wearing sex god (aka Jim Morrison) when on stage, and sounds uncannily like him too!
I can’t wait to check out these bands, if only to be reminded of the good old days...you know – when if you were reading about a worldwide economic disaster, a crash or a bond you were probably holding an Ian Fleming novel!
The Australian Pink Floyd are bringing their amazing show to the Olympia
18 GAZETTE 9 February 2012
GazetteMOTORS MOTORS RoadSigns Road Signs GET MORE FUN AND VALUE WITH THE MAZDA2: EVERYBODY needs a little more fun in their lives, but we recognise the need for more value, too. The good news for drivers is that Mazda is helping their customers out with making the Mazda2 incredibly easy to afford. During February and March, Mazda is offering the Mazda2 from only €13,495. The Mazda2 represents some of the best value for money in the segment, in terms of low retail price and generous levels of standard equipment. In addition, Mazda Ireland is running a promotion where one lucky customer who purchases a new Mazda during February and March will win the retail price of their car back in cash. Mazda is also offering low-rate finance of just 5.9% with a low deposit of only 20% up to a period of four years through Mazda Finance. From its launch, the Mazda2 has been ground-breaking. It set the benchmark for lightweight construction, helping the Mazda2 to scoop the World Car of the Year award. Less weight means more fun, with a supple chassis that will put a smile on any driver’s face. In Ireland, the best-selling Mazda2 Sensu model now costs only €14,995. Standard equipment includes 15” alloy wheels, air conditioning, leather steering wheel and gear knob, and side and curtain airbags.
Mercedes-Benz main dealer, Chris Germaine, from Grange Motors, Deansgrange, pictured giving thumbs up to the new Mercedes-Benz B-Class which has just arrived on the Irish market
Quantum leap for B-Class I CORMAC CURTIS
Motoring Correspondent
MERCEDES have begun their roll-out of three new models being introduced in 2012, and the new B-Class can now be seen at Irish dealer showrooms. The new M-Class and SL follow in March/April, but the B-Class is the larger of their two compact models, fitting into the range ahead of the wellknown A-Class. Said to represent “a quantum leap” in the compact class given its billing as the first model change in their history
to have so many new features introduced at one time, it comes on the market with a vastly improved range of standard specifications and an entry-level price that Mercedes-Benz says is 11% lower than the model it replaces. Amongst its most striking aspects are its reduced height, lower centre of gravity, generous interior space and high standard of safety. Its redesigned electromechanical steering, new four-link rear axle and upgraded electronic stability system make it, what MercedesBenz says is, “fascinatingly agile” without cost
in comfort terms. Arguably, its most impressive selling point and the feature most likely to appeal to potential B-Class buyers will be its high quality and spacious interior. Seats are more upright and set lower to the road with the result that headroom has been improved. Its extra interior spaciousness can be made more valuable by an optional feature that allows the rear seats to be adjusted forwards/backwards to facilitate the carriage of bulky items. In its driving and handling characteristics, the
new B-Class outshines its predecessor. An optional lower sports suspension and direct-steer system emphasise its sporty character. Outstanding aerodynamics help to deliver low fuel consumption and reduced CO2 emissions, while a standard item on all B-Class models is an ECO start/ stop function. In Ireland, the model likely to account for the bulk of B-Class sales is the 109bhp entry-level B180 CDI which comes on the market at €29,330 (ex works) with road tax of €160 per annum. A second diesel, also with four-
cylinder, common rail, direct-injection, is a 2.0litre/136bhp unit whose price will be announced later. In petrol form, the first version to go on sale is the 122bhp B180BlueEFFICIENCY selling at €29,890 (ex works) with road tax of €225 per annum. A 2.0litre/156bhp BlueEFFICIENCY version will be added to the range at a later date, the price of which will be announced at the time. Driving the new B-Class is a completely new six-speed manual transmission, notable for
its extremely easy gear change and low shift forces. Also available as an option is a 7G dual-clutch transmission system that combines the comfort of an automatic with the efficiency of a manual. Described by their sales manager, Ciaran Allen, as a car that “ticks all the boxes”, its lower price, reduced running costs, interior spaciousness and exceptional range of comfort and safety features are elements he believes come together to give the B-Class a wide appeal amongst those seeking to match prestige to practicality.
Is parallel parking more stressful than going to the dentist? It’s arguably the most frustrating part of the driving experience, parallel parking, and it has the potential to drive even the most level-headed motorist around the bend. Enter Ford’s Active Park Assist. With more than 100,000 cars having been ordered with this feature, the appetite for this kind of technology speaks for
itself. Ford has now tripled production levels for the technology, which calculates the optimal steering angle and quickly steers the vehicle hands-free into a parking spot. “Ford Active Park Assist takes all the stress out of parking,” said Ford engineer Kay Müller. “At the touch of a button, it
enables you to park in the smallest of spaces, while at the same time reducing the risk of accidental damage to your vehicle and those surrounding it.” A total of 102,460 European customers have specified Active Park Assist since it was introduced on the new C-MAX and Grand C-MAX at the end of 2010, with one-in-three buyers speci-
fying it on those cars alone. A further one-in-five have ordered it on the new Ford Focus, which went on sale last year. A third of European drivers surveyed by Ford last year said they struggled to parallel park. Many confessed to finding it more stressful than a trip to the dentist.
9 February 2012 GAZETTE 19
Gazetteh Valentines
20 GAZETTE 9 February 2012
RETAIL: AVOID ANY HEARTACHE OVER THE SPECIAL DAY’S COST
You could share a romantic movie treat at Brooks
Share a romantic film stay at Brooks Hotel BROOKS Hotel in the heart of Dublin has a range of Valentine offers for couples – with its romantic movie offering in the Drury Street hotel’s 26-seater private cinema just one of a number of notable features at the hotel. This is just one feature of a number of special Valentine packages, with others including such delights as a range of overnight and two-night packages that include the chefs’ signature chocolate treats and Prosecco on arrival, a complimentary room upgrade, a rose petal bed, and dinner in Francesca’s restaurant. However, the cinema feature stands out as a special Valentine’s treat, and is exclusive to diners on Valentine’s night, with the movie a complimentary treat for the first 26 guest bookings – and with dinner and the cinema available for €39.95 per person. For further details, and package info, see www.brookshotel.ie, or phone 01 670 4000.
Bake to your heart’s content with M&S IT’S said that the way to someone’s heart is through their stomach, with Marks & Spencer taking this advice to prepare a range of offers that won’t bust the budget, and let you bake to your heart’s content. The M&S range of Valentine’s wares are too tempting to pass up, providing some wonderful ways to help cook up a delicious treat for your loved one (or even for yourself).
12 Mini Heart Silicone
Le Creuset Heart
Cases, €7
Casserole dish, €47.50
Heart Springform Cake Pan, €10
Hearts Mixing Bowl, €27
Get a Lidl bit of help for a wonderful time LIDL has been busy preparing for St Valentine’s Day with a wide range of special offers, all designed to complement the special mood, but without any heartbreaking cost. Whether preparing for an unforgettable homecooked meal, or looking for the perfect gift to show you care, Lidl stores are stocking up with just what you need. For starters, look no further than Lidl for flowers, with its luxury deluxe grand prix roses. Sourced from Westland, in south Holland, which is famous for its greenhouses and mastery of all floral horticultural skills, the deluxe grand prix roses sport large flower heads and are, say Lidl, typically the heaviest and highestquality Dutch roses available on the market. Howe ve r, t h e s e delightful roses are just part of Lidl’s Valentine
range, with other flowers including valentine tulips, luxury oriental lillies, luxury bouquets, the classic arrangement of a dozen red roses and, from Saturday, February 11, a single red rose, with prices starting from €2.99. Celebrate the romance of the day with a sparkling champagne, with Lidl’s Comte de Brismand Champagne Brut, available for €12.99 (Super Saturday offer on Saturday, February 11). A special pink Caca – the Freixenet Cava Brut Rose – is available for €9.99. With chocolate proving a delicious partner for champagne, make a perfect match with Lidl’s luxury brand, JD Gross, and Belgian Chocolate Sea Shells for €1.49 (also on Saturday, February 11). Looking to sniff out a special offer? Lidl’s scentsational fragrance, Sud-
Roz Purcell and Kevin McLaughlin fill up with
denly Madame Glamour, with citrus and floral notes incorporating bergamot and jasmine, has topped blind tests carried out on the Tom Dunne Show, Newstalk and Ray D’Arcy Show, Today FM – with this remarkable level of quality available at just €3.49. Other gifts include Valentine’s wrapping paper,
Lidl’s wares before February 14
for €1.49; heart- and roseshaped baking moulds, for €4.99; a satin negligee, for €5.99, and Valentine’s stay-up tights, for €2.99. Last, but not least, bone up on your cooking skills with a delicious steak, with all the ingredients for a simple, yet delicious, deluxe Angus striploin steak recipe, with wilted spinach and a porcini
mushroom and garlic cream sauce, and with all ingredients available from your local Lidl store to provide a restaurantquality meal for under €24. For these, and other special Lidl Valentine’s in-store offers, see www. lidl.ie, www.facebook. com/lidlireland or visit your nearest Lidl store.
PAMPERING: MAKE-UP TREATS TO LOOK YOUR BEST
Star treatment at LA Academy “ROSES are red, and violets are blue. Come to LA Make-Up Academy, and we will look after you!” So says the well-known leading make-up academy, based on Chatham Street, Dublin 2, which is busy preparing for Cupid’s arrival with a range of lovely offers. For this Valentine’s Day, ladies are invited to give themselves the pampering they deserve, with the academy marrying all of Cupid’s ideas of love to create unique packages that are designed to cater for all Valentines needs. LA Academy’s “Love to Me” Valentine’s packages includes everything a girl could desire, such as rouge-red lips, sultry
eyes and luscious locks to make their Valentine’s Day perfect. All of these pampering packages to look your best come with five-star treatment, such as sipping on a glass of bubbly and availing of delicious nibbles in the LA lounge, in preparation for an unforgettable experience.
Packages A number of packages and options are on offer, such as the Love To Me package, preparing you for your big night out with sultry eyes and lashes to flutter, coupled with devilishly red lips, for €35. Alternatively, T he
Secret Sweetheart package, featues smouldering smoky eyes with individual or strip lashes and a luxurious pout. And, for an unforgettable entrance, you could go for bouncy, waved Brigitte Bardot-style hair, for just €45. These glamorous offers are for anyone who is dear to you, or would be ideal as a treat for yourself – after all, you deserve it, and you deserve the LA Make-Up Academy five-star treatment. For further information, contact LA MakeUp Academy on 01 675 1999, or visit w w w. lamakeupacademy.com.
LA Academy has some special Valentine packages to draw you in, including sultry eyes and luscious locks
9 February 2012 GAZETTE 21
GazetteBUSINESS BUSINESS
Supported by AIB
Interview: Mark McGarvey, of cheapstorage.ie
Cheap storage with priceless service
years left, that’s SAVING € 40,000 a year! While property bargains currently abound, there is enormous hassle from finding tenants, continuous repairs, rent reduction requests and slow payments. Add the fact that interest rates eventually can only go one way – UP. Do you really want this hassle? You can earn 5.04% gross each year by just placing it on deposit… hassle-free. Also, one lender would deduct € 36,000 from your annual income to fund your family needs – that leaves € 4,000 income availability which will get you a loan of precisely € 18,000. That’s an expensive doll house ! That € 40,000 will act as a handy Rainy Day Fund – my recommendation is that you should have at least three to six months annual income in a RDF for emergencies, sudden loss of income or that investment opportunity.
The Money Doctor’s Tip of the Week BUDGETING
Mark McGarvey, of cheapstorage.ie
on business development and management end of things.
yourself that you would like to set the record straight on? A: I think one of my best traits,
Q: Have you achieved anything that you once thought you could not pull off? A: Starting up business during
Q: What music/pictures/ movies do you have on your iPod/iPad? A: The National, Bruce Spring-
the height of the recession was difficult and there were times when I was worried, but, with hard work and dedication, we got our name out there and business is now booming.
Q: Who do you follow on Twitter/Facebook? A: A variety of Irish businesses.
Q: What is the best thing about your job? A: Having the opportunity to develop my own ideas and the ability to challenge myself daily.
Q: What part of your working day do you ‘delegate’? A: As more work comes in, I need to delegate the operational side of the business to others so I can focus more
work next year. Peter – Churchtown D 14
– source : LV Insurance ) so, if you have 25 working
counts, so lots of paper work.
two years ago.
pre-school, but she may look for part-time
( from birth to completion of third-level education
nese takeaway
Q: When did you start your present job? A: I set up cheapstorage.ie over
does not work financially, as the children are
you are looking at close to € 1,000,000 to rear them
in business and personally, is that I’m an honest guy, so I really would have no need to.
Q: Have you ever done a job you loathed? A: A few, when I was teenager.
annum, am married with four children. My wife
number one asset and with those four children,
Q: What’s currently on your desk that shouldn’t be? A: Doing my month-end ac-
chicken balls.
now as an investment ? I earn € 50,000 per
kids and a … to quote Kenny Rogers. Income is your
Q: What was your first job? A: A kitchen porter in a ChiQ: And your first pay cheque? A: Thirty pounds and a bag of
ings of € 40,000. Should I buy another property
A – Let us look at the facts – married, four hungry
Q&A Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be? A: A footballer.
Q – I have paid off my mortgage and have sav-
Q: What sport do you follow? A: Soccer mainly, started
steen, Tom Petty, Arcade Fire, Johnny Cash and lots of 80’s music.
Q: What was your last Tweet/ status update? A: A picture I put up of Blar-
watching a bit of MMA recently.
ney Castle on a trip to Cork.
Q: What sport can you play? A: I currently play for Mount
Q: Describe your dream meal? A: Anything without mayon-
do you own? A: Six. Q: What habits would you like to lose? A: None, I think, but my wife would like me to tidy up more!
Q: At the moment, what are you looking forward to? A: A number of good friends of ours are getting married this year, so I am looking forward to celebrating with all of them.
Q: What was your worst holiday experience? A: Food poisoning in Thailand, so that wasn’t nice.
If you have not undertaken a budget exercise, call or email me to bring you through the consultation process. See web site for details.
Contact John with your money questions at
jlowe@moneydoctor.ie or visit his website at
Canada and do lots of outdoor activities.
director of Money Doctor
Q: What would be your dream job? A: Professional footballer
band called The National.
Q: Where do you enjoy spending money frivolously? A: In antique shops.
Q: What do you plan to do when you retire? A: Relax and travel with my
Q: Is there anything about
Q: How many pairs of shoes
wife.
Q: What is your guilty music/ TV or movie pleasure? A: Music, and it has to be a
1. Do I need this item of expenditure ? 2. Is there a better or cheaper alternative ?
Q: Describe your dream holiday? A: I’d like to travel around
naise, with the company of my family and friends!
Merrion FC.
Only 45% of people in a recent survey stated they had completed an annual household budget exercise. One of the most important chores at the start of any year should be the completion of such budgets. Only when you know what your expenditure is can you plan on the surplus ( or deficit ! ), or even ask those two important questions
www.moneydoctor.ie. John Lowe, Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing
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MARK was born in Stillorgan, the youngest in a family of six, and spent most of his early years playing sports, especially football. He attended Oatlands College in Stillorgan and received his third-level qualifications in business and computers. After college, he developed his sales skills in the telecommunications industry in Dublin and later moved to Sydney, Australia, where he headed up teams of telesales agents.This is where he really began to develop his flair for management and entrepreneurship. Mark decided to return home to Ireland in 2010 to take over the directorship of his family warehousing business and opportunity arose when two of his units became available. Rather than pursue the route of finding new tenants during the global recession, Mark decided to use these offices and warehouses to start his own business and, from this, cheapstorage.ie was born. The company has recently expanded into a removals service, which offers customers an extra security knowing that their goods will be handled with care and consideration and, of course, offering that personal touch throughout the entire storage process. In 2012, Mark plans to expand the business more by offering a service to and from the UK, and also expanding into national wide storage units. In the past two years, Mark and his company have seen exceptional growth during this economic downturn, yet has not compromised his high standards of customer loyalty and service.
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GazetteTTRAVEL FastTravel Abbey Travel launch new Over 50s’ brochures ABBEY Travel has just launched two new brochures for the Over 50s’ market for 2012 – Portugal for Over 50s’ and Canary Islands for Over 50s. In these brochures, you will find great value seven- and 14-night packages to popular hotels in the Algarve, Lisbon Coast, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. Seven night packages start from €499 per person. Direct flights and airport transfers, seven- or 14-nights hotel accommodation, B and B basis in Portugal and half board basis in Canary Islands and local representation is all included. Abbey Travel also offers holidays for Over 50s to popular resorts in Spain, including Costa del Sol, Catalan Coast and Majorca and a range of walking and cycling holidays in their Adventure Holidays for Over 50s’ brochure. Call Abbey Travel on 01 804 7100 or visit www.abbeytravel.ie for more information.
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Cheer on the boys in green when they take on Croatia at the spectacular Stadion Miejski in vibrant Poznan
Making your UEFA Euro 2012 dreams come true ARE you a diehard soccer fan dreaming of following Ireland to the UEFA Euro 2012 championship? If so, Thompson Sport can make your dreams come true. As one of two licensed tour operators in Ireland, Thompson Sport are in a great position to guarantee a match ticket. By booking this package, this means you have been assigned a ticket by UEFA and have a guaranteed right to purchase. Once you secure your travel package with Thompson, UEFA will contact you directly to take payment for the face-value of your ticket. This means you’ll be getting your ticket sent direct to your home address from UEFA. Ireland V Croatia
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You will depart from Dublin for Poznan on Saturday, June 9, the day before the match. Experience the thrill of the build-up to the big match.
Then cheer on the boys in green as they take on Croatia at the spectacular Stadion Miejski in vibrant Poznan. Stay at the three-star Polonez Hotel from €1,549pp, which is superbly located in the centre of Poznan where you can explore the sights and sounds of everything Poznan has to offer. Price includes access to a licensed match ticket through UEFA, plus three nights accommodation, return flights from Dublin Airport and all transfers. You will also have the services of a Thomson Sport host with a local representative for the duration of your trip to make sure things run smoothly. Travel from June 9 to June 12. Alternatively, stay at the three-star HP Park Hotel from €1,699pp. This hotel is located along the picturesque Malta Lake shore in Poznan, with
an artificial ski slope, cycle track and luge track within walking distance and plenty of outdoor space to explore. Ireland V Spain
There will be nothing quite like the electric atmosphere in the PGE Arena, where Ireland meet defending European and World Champions Spain. The excitement will begin on your daytime flight from Dublin to Gdansk on Tuesday, June 12. You will have an opportunity on Wednesday to explore all that Gdansk has to offer. Then, on Thursday, enjoy the build-up to the match and also the aftermatch party. Stay at the three-star Novotel Centrum Hotel from only €1,549pp. The Novotel Centrum Hotel is located in the culturerich Granar y Island region of Gdansk, a short walk from the Old Town. Travel June 12 to 16.
Or stay at the four-star Mercure Hotel, from only €1,699pp. The Mercure Hotel is set in the picturesque surroundings of the historic Gdansk Shipyard and other historic monuments. Ireland V Italy
Trappatoni’s squad are back in the Stadion Miejski to take on the Azzuri. Both teams have a lot to prove after Italy’s 2-0 defeat in the friendly against Ireland last summer. Travel on June 16 and return on June 19. Stay at the three-star HP Park Hotel, from only €1,699pp or the Polonez Hotel from €1,549pp. For a 10-night trip and access to all three matches, stay at the three-star Novotel Malta Hotel from only €2,899pp. Price includes access to a licensed match ticket through UEFA for the matches against Croatia, Spain and Italy, 10 nights
accommodation, return f lights from Dublin Airport and all transfers, including a coach transfer from Poznan to Gdansk for the match against Spain. You will also have the services of a Thomson Sport host with a local representative for the duration of your trip to make sure things run smoothly, plus some nice little extras. Travel on June 9 and return on June 19. For more information on the Euro 2012 packages, visit www.thompsonsports.ie or call 01 4331013. Day trips
Joe Walsh Tours are also giving diehard soccer fans a chance to watch Ireland battle against some of Europe’s top teams. Joe Walsh Tours have launched their Euro 2012 packages with day trips to each of the group stages
matches in Poland. So, be there in the flesh to see the boys in green take on Croatia, Spain and Italy in what promises to be a nail-biting experience. Ireland v Croatia on the June 10, 2012 from only €494 (including tax). Ireland v Spain on the June 14, 2012 from only €524 (including tax). Ireland v Italy on the June 18, 2012 from only €494 (including tax). Offer includes direct return flights from Dublin to Poznan or Gdansk, return airport-stadium transfers in Poland, one small piece of hand luggage per person, the assistance of a Joe Walsh Tours representative throughout the duration of the trip and all airport taxes and charges. Match tickets are not included. For further information, or to book your Euro 2012 package, visit www. joewalshtours.ie
9 February 2012 LUCAN GAZETTE 23
Edited by Mimi Murray
TravelBriefs
The Giant’s Causeway
Escape to the coast and stay in the charming Ballygally Castle ESCAPE to the coast with a castle retreat and overnight stay for two at the Ballygally Castle, with an evening main course from only £80 per couple. This enchanting hotel is regarded as one of the most luxurious hotels in Antrim and is full of character and charm, boasting 44 beautiful bedrooms and many of the castle’s original features and antique furnishings, which give the hotel a unique, welcoming atmosphere. The famous Glens of Antrim and the Giant’s Causeway are located close to the hotel and the superb scenery can be enjoyed from many coastal and glen walks. To book or for further information, go to www.hastingshotels.com/ballygally-castle or call 048 2858 1066 and quote CASTLE RETREAT.
WEDDINGS Trim Castle is a place of legendary beauty
The perfect venue for the perfect day TRIM Castle Hotel, located in the Boyne Valley Region, is steeped in legendary beauty and is the perfect venue for the perfect wedding day. Every woman dreams of a fairytale experience for their big day, and Trim Castle Hotel is one of the most beautiful and historic locations in Ireland in which to get married. It sits with quiet authority overlooking the mystical Trim Castle and the adjoining rolling lawns of St Patrick’s Church. Looking onto the Castle, alight in romantic colour amongst the evening sky, is a breathtaking scene. It brings elegance and charm to an already very special day. Trim Castle Hotel is a registered venue for civil ceremonies. The hotel’s Wedding Fair will take place on Sunday, February 19, 2012 from 2-5pm and, is the perfect day to view the venue. The Great Hall banqueting suite will be fully set for a wedding on the
day and there will be an array of suppliers in attendance. Modern couples don’t settle for just any venue, and Trim Castle Hotel possesses the old-world charisma of the historical Anglo-Norman castle, and the contemporary standards of magnificent food and stunning decor. The floor-to-ceiling windows of the Great Hall banqueting suite and wonderful pre-function area allow a view of the castle and church lawns that is unique. The roof-top garden, located on the third floor, provides the ultimate backdrop for wedding photography, with spectacular views over the grounds of the castle and the surrounding area. The team aspire to achieving the highest standards of personal and professional attention in the planning and preparation of your special celebration. All wedding packages offer a number of complimentary features, such
Trim Castle Hotel is located in the breathtaking Boyne Valley Region
as consultancy and planning with one of their experienced wedding coordinators, red carpet and champagne reception for the bridal party and complimentary stay
for the bride and groom in one of the deluxe rooms with champagne breakfast the following morning, For further information, please contact the
hotel’s wedding co-ordinators on 046-9483000 or email info@trimcastlehotel.com. Web: www. trimcastleweddings.com or www.trimcastlehotel. com
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24 LUCAN GAZETTE 9 February 2012
GazetteENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT
GoingOUT PAVILION 01 231 2929 How Do Actors Play
THIS workshop for children and accompanying adults will see Louis Lovett and Muireann Ahern take you through the actor’s journey on stage, with topics looking at how to take hold of the moment you’re in, how to look forward to the moment coming next and, most importantly, how to look back, presented in the mischievous but educational spirit of play. The workshop is at 10.30am on Saturday, February 11, with tickets priced €8 for children, and €10 for accompanying adults.
MILL THEATRE 01 296 9340 David O’Doherty
LISTING David’s many comedy awards and nominations would fill half this page and so, instead, David is happy to simply list some of his modest achievements, including being the founder member of Destiny’s Child, inventing the iPad, and, most impressively, being the 1990 East Leinster under-14 triple jump bronze medallist. The Irish triple jump legend (and occasional comedy festival-winning comedian) returns to The Mill on Friday, February 10, with tickets for his 8pm show priced at €16.
DRAIOCHT 01 885 2622 Alternative Self Portraits
DRAIOCHT has a number of fascinating courses running at the moment, including Genevieve Harden’s alternative selfportraits eight-week course, running on Thursday mornings from 11am to 1pm until Thursday, March 29. Genevieve will guide and encourage students in experimenting and creating alternative self-portraits, drawing on the inner artist’s eye. Priced €80/€65 conc/OAP €40, contact Draiocht at 01 885 2622, or email emer@draiocht.ie
Human Muppet fan, Gary (Jason Segel) teams up with his Muppet brother, Walter (far right) to help make The Muppets famous again, as they join the Swedish Chef, Gonzo, Beaker and Doctor Bunsen Honeydew, Sam, Sweetums, Fozzie and Rizzo for a new, lively, big screen adventure
A fur-ly good film The Muppets return, infused with the spirit of classic Muppet madness, but with a dash of modern humour I KATE CROWLEY
LET history judge me on my solemn decree – The Muppets delivered the definitive version of Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, and that’s a fact, Jack. No, not you, Jack Black – although I’ll get to you, later – but I’m merely tipping my hand at being somewhat kindly predisposed towards The Muppets, in general. Why, many a night I spent in front of our magnificent, wooden television in the living room, back in 197(cough, cough, no need to start pondering my age, dear readers), watching The Muppets on the small screen, while I also watched their bigscreen excursions in subsequent years. Despite the premature death of their creator, Jim Henson, the characters have endured – and this is an endear-
FILM OF THE WEEK: The Muppets #### (G) 109 mins Director: James Bobin Starring: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Peter Linz, Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzy, Gonzo, and a cast of thousands
OUR VERDICT: NOT quite up there with the very best of earlier Muppet films, and the long-running classic television show, The Muppets still makes a pleasant return, as behind the occasional schmaltz (and outright mayhem) it’s got something rarely seen these days in family films – heart. So, while it’s not the very best of Muppet madness, it’s still fun to hang out with this raggle-taggle group of characters ...
ing return to form for our furry friends. But first – the humans. Gary (Segel) and his girlfriend, Mary (Adams) live in Smalltown, and, as huge Muppet fans, it seems like a great idea for them to head off to LA, to see the legendary Muppet Theatre – with Gary’s Muppet brother, Walter (Linz) in tow. Unfortunately, the Smalltown trio soon find that the big Muppet stars they grew up with are, effectively, washed-up
nobodies, forgotten by, well, pretty much everybody, while the theatre itself is a wreck. Not only that, but the theatre’s up for grabs, with a greedy oilman all set to buy and demolish it. (Ten guesses why, folks.) Goodness! Is this the ignominious end for T he Muppets? E r r, no, of
course not. Gary, Mary and Walter are soon on the case, as a standard round-up-theold-gang plot plays out, with them seeking out all the big Muppet stars of old, determined to stage one helluva show to raise the necessary $10,000,000 needed to buy and save the Muppet theatre (and also, basically, put the Muppets back in the public eye again). Also of course, things don’t go according to plan, with a certain stunning, headstrong, porcine princess getting her nose out of joint, and refusing to team up with Kermee and co. But the show must go on, and it’s not long before The Muppets are back in action, with everything going well until – Well, t h a t ’s
enough. Either you’re a fan of those furball goofballs and bug-eyed antics, or you’re not, in which case this is definitely either a one- or a four-star film for you to consider. It’s not quite up there with classic, vintage Muppet madness of old – but then, without Jim Henson at the helm, those dizzy heights of comic wackiness are unlikely to ever be scaled by The Muppets again. Still, this film has plenty of heart, and daftness, while the human cast – including Jack Black, Whoopi Goldberg, and a few other well-known faces as Themselves – provide able support for the inevitable pratfalls, mugging, insults and calamity that come to pass. To paraphrase The Muppets’ Statler and Waldorf – my critic spirit guides for umpteen years – it’s great for The Muppets to be here. (It’s great for them to be anywhere.)
9 February 2012 LUCAN GAZETTE 25
GazetteGAMING GAMING Bytesandpieces Tiny titles spark copyright debate
With flagship launch titles such as Uncharted: Golden Abyss offering this level of graphic fidelity, Sony’s PlayStation Vita handheld device (inset) is likely to have lots of gamers reaching for it once it hits the market here
Should be plenty of Vita-lity in this one SHANE DILLON
REMEMBER the PlayStation Portable? The PSP was pretty popular for a while, but never quite set gaming markets alight for a variety of reasons. I had one, but although I amassed a sizable collection of games, I never had the feeling that it reached its potential, with increasingly lacklustre
support from the gaming industry, and, certainly, the PSP never had anywhere near the kind of “legs” that Nintendo’s DS had. Step forward Sony’s spiritual successor to the PSP, the VITA, which has been performing reasonably well overseas, with our Japanese friends having the advantage of early access. As hand-held consoles
go, the Vita is taking an interesting approach, being what one gaming pundit described as “a PSP with bells on”, as in many ways it’s a straightforward evolution of Sony’s earlier piece of kit. Of course, it’s a handheld console with greatly souped-up power and abilities, compared to its predecessor and, in a nod to modern gaming inter-
Anotherweebyte... Some X-cellent titles on the way MICROSOFT are about to push out some interesting XBox 360 downloadable titles, with XBox LIVE Arcade House Party! seeing a number of titles hitting the XBox Live Arcade every Wednesday from February 15 until March 7. And, as an incen-
tive for those who buy all four downloadable titles, Microsoft will give gamers 800 Microsoft Points (MP) in return. Two titles in particular stand out – Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (February 22, 1200MP), which sees a return to the surprisingly involving survival horror game’s setting, involving a Stephen King-ish writer and the horrors
he finds in Bright Falls’ dense woods. This time, Alan finds trouble in Arizona, and should prove pretty entertaining again. Later, I Am Alive (March 7, 1200MP) sees a long-delayed game of survival in a destroyed city finally arrive, boasting a strong narrative and an interesting setting – both adding to the XBox party experience.
ests, its “touch-enabled” functions lend it an interesting adaptability to add an extra dimension to games, including its curious rear touch pad. So, how has the Vita been doing since its recent release, and how do they bode for its upcoming release within our own regional territory? Well, since hitting the market in Japan in December, the Vita has performed ... okay. Sales figures haven’t been fully disclosed just yet – in fairness, it’s a little too soon to start racking up the figures, ahead of Sony’s quarterly accounts – but all accounts are that its performing solidly, if not spectacularly. Here, there has been much focus on the impressive power of the console, which Sony have been showcasing to great effect with the Vita spinoff from one of its flagship titles, Uncharted: Golden Abyss. With sales of 350,000
units in Japan during its first week, followed by a tailing-off but solid sales, Sony CFO Masaru Kato has said that the company had “a good start” for hitting 500,000 units within three weeks. Will Dublin gamers take to the Vita with as much early-adopter enthusiasm as we’ve seen overseas, and which we can expect to see from the Vita’s (expected) release here in late February? Perhaps, as, despite the recession, gamers and tech-heads still seem to find the money for the latest gadget, and Sony’s Vita certainly lays down quite a challenge for the iPhone generation, many of whom will undoubtedly be looking for something more than just an Angry Birds machine. Despite the challenging times we live in, it’s good to see progression in the portable gaming market, and the Vita could have plenty of life once it hits its stride.
THERE’S an interesting row simmering away regarding content and intellectual property (IP), and what constitutes a publisher’s title adding to an already established genre, or being, perhaps, more similar than one may expect. Given the stakes involved with publishing on Apple’s formats, the issues of how strongly IP is defined, and subsequently protected, are beginning to become ever more prominent. Nimblebit, publisher of Tiny Tower, has been busy exchanging broadsides with Zynga, publisher of Dream Heights, in a continuing case that’s fascinating the gaming industry. Launched last year, Tiny Tower’s core gameplay mechanics – building a tower block floor by floor, choosing what types of use each floor would be put to, and then filling staff positions, ordering stock, and so on – are now also on show in Dream Heights, which looks ... similar, and shares many of the same core gameplay mechanics, such as the number of employees per floor, stocking systems, express elevators, and so on. Zynga has rejected any claims of plagiarism, and stuck to its guns that the titles merely resemble each other, and some core details coincidentally match. Still, it’ll be interesting if the renewed industry interest focuses attention on identifying greater ways to define, and then control, IP rights.
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26 LUCAN GAZETTE 9 February 2012
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GazetteSPORT
JANUARY JOY:
Last month’s 2012 Sports Awards winners are announced: Page 29
SWIMMING: UNIQUE CLUB TAKES MORE HONOURS IN MASTERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT
Atlantis rises to the top as Bardi claims records sport@gazettegroup.com
ATLANTIS swimming club celebrated another milestone in their short existence last week when club member Rodrigo Bardi set a new Irish record in the 50m and 100m breastroke in the Masters’ category at the Masters’ Championships in Derry. It provided another medal in the fledgling club’s history since they formed with just seven
members last autumn, basing themselves in the Markievicz pool on Townsend Street. Since then, numbers have swelled to 19 but treble those numbers could be accommodated as they are in a unique position as one of the only competitive clubs based in a Dublin City Council pool. As such, the club is grateful to the Markievicz staff who have allowed them to open the centre at 5am for morning swims
without members having to become leisure club members. The club was formed in the wake of the change in structure at a leisure centre in Clontarf, which saw club coach Nicky Barker moving on from his management role. A number of the children he coached there wanted to continue training under the Cabinteely resident, leading to the formation of Atlantis. And the switch has
Members of the Atlantic Swim Club, with club coach Nicky Barker far right
given him a new lease of life, he told GazetteSport. “When you are responsible for running a centre and a lot of staff, you can get distracted easily. While I was there, we had plenty of national champions. Now we can just concentrate on the task at hand. “Back in January 2011,
we looked for a new facility to train in. We looked at 22 or 23 places around Dublin, but couldn’t find space. The management at the Markieviz were incredibly amenable.” For him, the philosophy of the club is simple: “If I was to say ‘swim fast and have fun’, it would be plagiarising too many people but, basically, it’s that sim-
ple. The committee have put an awful lot into getting the club organised.” He brings with him a wealth of experience, working for five years at the Kilternan Sports Hotel. He has also coached a series of national champions like Leo Delaney, William Ensor and Maria Schaler. The parents are delight-
ed he will be continuing to work with their children: “The consistency is the coach. You can swim in any pool, but it was the coach who was important to us and our children.” The club currently is looking for new recruits of all ages. For more information, contact Irene Clonan on ireneclonan@ gmail.com.
28 LUCAN GAZETTE 9 February 2012
GazetteSport Sport FastGAA
BOXING: EGAN UNABLE TO TURN WARD TIDE IN CRACKING FINAL with Setanta’s Senan Connell
Learning curve in place for Gilroy’s Dublin DUBLIN manager Pat Gilroy kept his players in the dressing room for quite some time on Saturday night and, having seen the way he went about the game against Kerry, there may well be a part of him that is happy with the way they performed and ultimately lost. Little indicators, like leaving Diarmuid Connolly on frees and having Alan and Bernard Brogan on the bench for the whole game, would indicate to me that the Kerry game was a great opportunity to try things out, and Pat was happy to do just that. If this was a league final, or indeed a championship game, Stephen Cluxton would have been on the frees and the two lads above would have played some part. What will have disappointed him was the manner of the defeat and that is why a few home truths were no doubt spelled out in the dressing room. They have nowhere near the amount of work done that they had at this time in 2010, or 2011, and there are cobwebs. The physicality just was not there. Dublin are on a pedestal. All-Ireland champions, every team will raise their game to beat them and when Kerry raise their game, you know you’ll be in trouble. Dublin will find it very difficult on the road to Mayo. I do expect a backlash from the team but going back West to get a result is not easy and I even remember being on the end of one hammering myself as a player. They will need to step it up a gear or two. Senan Connell is a pundit with Setanta Sports, broadcasting 14 exclusively live Allianz League matches this season. Setanta Sports Satellite customers can subscribe for just €8.49 per month to get this great GAA plus 33 Premier League games, FA Cup, European soccer and World Class Rugby. Subscribe at Setanta.com/gaaoffer or call 0818 20 30 40.
Neilstown man Kenneth Egan lost out for the second successive year as his pursuit for an eleventh National title is on hold for another year
Ward’s power play sport@gazettegroup.com
IF 2011 was a shock, last week proved a coming of age of sorts as European champion Joe Ward once again got the better of Neilstown man Kenneth Egan, denying him an 11th national senior title in his 12th consecutive final. Despite being in the challenger’s boots this time round, Egan made Ward wait as he was greeted to a rapturous reception by a sold-out National Stadium. But the teenager from Westmeath displayed raw power and a perfectly executed strategy to get ahead and overwhelm Egan who was hampered by a broken finger sustained in the first round. He scarcely dwelt on that misfortune, though, as he graciously paid trib-
ute to his conqueror, who now takes Ireland’s berth in the Olympic qualifiers in Turkey for the last three remaining places at the Games at light-heavyweight. “The best of luck to him in the qualifiers,” said Egan. “If he qualifies I’m going to put a couple of grand on him to win a medal. “I wasn’t going to stop. I was there to try and take back the title. The crowd were amazing and I fought on but he was just too strong. “If he keeps himself in shape, he’ll be tough to beat. He went out there with a lot of pressure on him in his second senior title fight but he performed and beat an Olympic silver medallist. He boxed well, had a game plan and stuck to it.” It confirmed the turn-
ing of the tide after a decade of Egan being imperious on the domestic scene, his Southpaw style perfectly suited to the amateur game, picking off shots with an immaculate technique. He was overwhelmed, though, by a bulkier opponent who initially pushed forward and scored heavily in an aggressive opening salvo before switching back into a more defensive pose. Egan did land late in the first round but a 9-5 deficit put him in the rare position of chaser. He endeavoured to stay true to his style but the Moate man’s reaction time was lightning fast, countering with panache and brute force to leave Egan to face a rare standing count in the second which ended 17-8. And the final change of
the guard was confirmed as the Moate man closed out an emphatic 29-10 victory. Egan confirmed he will continue to compete but admitted that Ward very much has his number in the current climate. “I’m going to be back again. I’ll take a break now. There’s nothing to do now but go back to the drawing board. “I suppose I had a bad
night at the office. It was great to see so many people come out and cheer me on. It was a case of the underdog against the champion, and Joe is a great champion. “I went in to try and take the title back but I got my game-plan wrong; my awareness and my distance was wrong and Joe came out on top, but it was a great night for Irish boxing.”
Egan found Ward too hot to handle last Friday
9 February 2012 LUCAN GAZETTE 29
in association with
DUBLIN SPORTS AWARDS 2011: A CELEBRATION
2011 DUBLIN SPORTS AWARDS NOVEMBER WINNERS IN ASSOCIATION WITH
STARof theMONTH
AVA HUTCHINSON THE DSDAC athlete was in sparkling form in Montreal in January to claim the Olympic qualifying standard in the marathon, joining teammate Linda Byrne as one more Dundrum South Dublin athlete competing for a place at London 2012. Her showing in the prestigious event was further proof of the talent pool at the club.
TEAMof theMONTH SWORDS JUDO CLUB
THE Swords club claimed an incredible nine AllIreland titles at the National schools dojo in Finglas in January, with another victory in the shape of the Nikita Levchenko in the 41kg minor men’s section and Eddie McLoughlin in the junior mens’ 55kg section at NUI Galway last week to underline the quality of the fighters and the coaches at the North Dublin club.
ANOTHER sports awards year over, and a new one just begun! Time flies when you’re having fun and it was a huge delight to present the 2011 Dublin Sports Awards at the Clarion Hotel Liffey Valley last week in the presence of the cameras of Setanta Ireland. But sport goes on as we know, and we’re delighted to present the first winners of the 2012 awards. Ava Hutchinson added herself to the roster of impressive athletes from Dundrun South Dublin likely to appear at London 2012 with a qualifying performance in Montreal last month.
Castleknock GAA’s Niall Nulty receiving the team award on behalf of the club with Clarion Hotel’s Garrett Marrinan and GazetteSport editor, Rob Heigh
Dublin’s finest at Gazette celebration sport@gazettegroup.com
THE 2011 Dublin Sports Awards, in conjunction with Clarion Hotel Liffey Valley and Setanta Sports Ireland proved to be the best-ever celebration of the finest in Dublin sports, when the 24 monthly stars and teams named throughout the year were honoured last weekend. In front of a packed house, compere Paul Dempsey, the esteemed sports journalist and presenter on Setanta, exper tly steered the evening that saw the main awards being presented to Dundr um
South Dublin high-jump expert Deirdre Ryan and the fastest-growing club in Dublin GAA, Castleknock. Speaking after the event, GazetteSpor t editor, Rob Heigh, said: “Every year, it is a privilege to report on Dublin sport, and to have the opportunity to give something back to the people who make sport in the city so vibrant and diverse is an honour in itself. “The variety and scope of the awards, that mean we have the chance to honour individuals, clubs, schools and teams across the myriad of
sports in the city, allows us the chance to thank not only the people who recieved the awards, but all of those whose great achievements appear in the sports pages of the eight Gazette newspapers every week of the year.” The diversity of the event saw representatives of 14 different sports, from underage soccer to senior golf, receiving awards on the stage from the affable Dempsey. This was the first year that the event was covered by Setanta Sports Ireland, and a pro gramme based on the events of the evening
will go out on the cable channel in the next few weeks. “We are looking forward to another year of incredible achievement on the sporting calendar,” said Rob Heigh. “With London 2012 and Euro 2012 on the horizon, as well as the Six Nations just started, it certainly looks like 2012 will be as packed with excitement, drama and Irish success on a local, national, and international stage to look forward to. “These awards are about the best of our sporting communities, and the best of Dublin.”
Swords Judo Club showed the small-club ethos of grass-roots development with nine titles at the All-Ireland Schools Judo event last month.
Let us know! Let us know about your achievements in sport, so that the Gazette can tell the rest of Dublin — and give you, or your team, a chance to be one of our monthly stars. Contact us on 01 601 0240 or sport@gazettegroup.com to tell us all about your successes, and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/ gazettesportII. PJ, proud father of Deirdre Ryan
Host Paul Dempsey, of Setanta, with Insaka FC
30 LUCAN GAZETTE 9 February 2012
GazetteSport Sport FastSport
RUGBY: BLUE BULLS PUT THEMSELVES IN PLAY-OFF PLACES
Airlie Heights to host huge Phoenix FAI tie LUCAN United bring the biggest game in their history back to Airlie Heights when they face Phoenix in the replay of their FAI Intermediate Cup fourth round. League of Ireland legend Mark Rutherford’s penalty secured a 1-1 draw at Scribblestown for the Lucanians after John Brophy had put the Ashtown club into the lead. Brophy later picked up a red card and will be suspended for the return date. The sides meet again on Sunday morning at 11am with a place in the last eight up for grabs with Lucan hoping to extend their record breaking run a step further. Barnhall took a hard-fought win after a facile second half saw them clear of rivals Boyne at Parsonstown last weekend
Zaidan to host fundraiser LUCAN CRC Cyclist Darragh Zaidan (double Irish Junior national champion in 2011) will spend the 2012 season racing for the French VCC Morteau - Montbenoit Team’ The promising young rider hopes to launch his cycling career with the help of the top French club. To help him do so, Lucan cycling are holding a
Fundraising Dinner for Zaidan on Thursday, March 8 in DIT Cathal Brugha Street (just off O’Connell Street, Dublin). Tickets will be €50 and there will also be a raffle with a couple of sponsored prizes. Tickets are limited to 60 and are available through the club’s website, by emailing Brendan Whelan on brendan. whelan@trackcycling.ie of phoning Zaidan directly on 0857813731.
Barnhall win on the Boyne-ce AIL DIVISION 2B NUIM Barnahll Boyne RFC
25 7
I sport@gazettegroup.com
A BRIGHT opening five minutes on a miserably wet and sloppy day in Parsonstown, was sufficient time to foretell the outcome in a one-sided affair in this All Ireland League encounter last Saturday. A dominant scrum, line-out and two knockon’s within a few feet of the Boyne line was enough evidence to suggest a home win was on the cards, but the conditions were the undoing of a lot of good work when
Gavin Duffy hacked on a loose pass to Mark Kavanagh. Duffy controlled the ball well as he chased after the loose kick and his final effort across the NUIM Barnhall line only for his brother Eoin to touch down to score an opportunist try under the posts. The following 30 minutes was all one way traffic for the home side. The pressure heaped on the Boyne pack, and the rampant running of Tom Mckeown, Gareth Murray, Barry and Cormack Dunne and Ray Dufficy, forced penalty after penalty out of the Boyne defence.
WIT and wisdom: Colleges camogie contest launched NAOMH Mearnog and DCU player, Laura Twomey, and Mairi Ni Mhuineachain, from Lucan Sarsfields and Trinity College, were on hand last week to help launch the Ashbourne, Purcell and Fr Meachair Cup camogie competitions. The college contests will take place at the Waterford Institute of Technology, who hosted the 2011 Fitzgibbon Cup, on February 18 and 19. Chairman of CCAO, Shane Darcy said, “The Ashbourne-Purcell weekend is one of the premier events in the camogie calendar with over 400 camogie players taking part.”
Simon Gillespie distributed the ball well but poor handling halted any progress until Gillespie’s third attempt on goal from 35 metres out started the scoreboard moving for the Blue Bulls. Tighter control by the forwards and closer passing began to pay dividends, and determined running by Adam Hughes had the Boyne defence often making last-gasp efforts to prevent a rout. Barry Dunne crossed the whitewash from the dominant NUIM Barnhall scrum, and the kick slid past to open up a slender lead of 8-7 at the interval.
The second period started with a much better focus from NUIM Barnhall. A line-out gave good possession to Barnhall who lost contact only to win it back again courtesy of the excellent efforts of Murray. The ball found its way to Barry Dunne who crossed over for a fine try close to the posts. A simple conversion by Gillespie stretched the lead to 15 points to seven and the team began to play with more composure and structure. On 15 minutes, Boyne again conceded a penalty in the middle of the park about 45 metres out, and an excellent kick put
NUIM Barnhall a further three points ahead. McKeown, Murray and Barry Dunne kept the pressure on the Boyne backs and the possession was soon snapped up by the home side. A five-metre scrum saw the ball difficult to control as the scrum moved forward quickly towards the Boyne line. Tom McKeown touched down close to the posts, and Gillespie had a straightforward conversion to cap the victory. The win sees Barnhall in third place in the league and their promotion fate lies in their own hands.
9 February 2012 LUCAN GAZETTE 31
in association with
DUBLIN GAA: SENIOR SIDES RETURN TO LEAGUE
CLUB NOTICEBOARD LUCAN SARSFIELDS WELL done to our U-16 B footballers
Our nurseries for boys and girls
on a great start to their league by
born in 2005, 2006 and 2007 are
beating Ballyboden 15-15 to 0-3.
every Saturday at 1.30pm on our
Best of luck to our seven U-8
all-weather pitch at the 12th Lock.
football teams who play their first
This is your child’s chance to be
league matches for the club this
coached by Dublin senior hurling
Saturday.
captain, Johnny McCaffrey.
Valentine’s night music in the bar this Saturday with Peter Mangan.
Deepest sympathy to the Allen family on the death of David.
Set dancing classes every
Opening times for our club shop
Wednesday at 8.30pm. All newcom-
are Tuesday and Thursday from
ers welcome.
7.30 to 8.30pm and Saturdays from
The Nagarhope celebrity chal-
10.30 to 11.30am.
lenge match and magic show will be
This week’s Lotto numbers drawn
in the 12th Lock at 3pm this Sunday,
were 1, 18, 20 and 23. There was no
featuring Johnny McCaffrey, Ber-
winner. Next week’s jackpot will be
nard Brogan, Paul Casey, Paul Cur-
€12,500.
ran, Declan Carr, Joe Dooley and
Sha y Hurson’s team will be in
Martin and John Quigley, amongst
charge next Sunday when our spon-
many others. Admission is free.
sor will be Carey’s Newsagents.
ST PAT’S, PALMERSTOWN Dublin ladies were in ruthless form against Kildare in their first outing of 2012. Pictures: GAAPics.com
Jackies jubilant on return to Division 1 LADIES’ NFL DIVISION 1 Kildare Dublin
0-6 5-18
I sport@gazettegroup.com
GEMMA Fay’s reign as Dublin ladies captain got off to the perfect start when the Dublin ladies’ footballers got their year off to the perfect start, announcing their return to NFL Division One in serious style. The Ballyboden St Enda’s woman was one of four club members in the starting line-up as the Jackies ran up an emphatic 27-point victory over a hapless Kildare, to get new manager Peter Clarke’s tenure in the hot-seat off to the perfect start. From the throw-in, Dublin looked like they meant business, with the Kildare goalkeeper making a fine save after just 40 seconds. This was a sign of things to come, with Niamh McEvoy and Sinead Aherne netting for the Jackies with two goals in
the first eight minutes, along with points from Olivia Leonard and Natalia Hyland to build a lead of 2-4 to no score after 15 minutes. Kildare, to their credit, fought hard and began to win more possession, but with Siobhan McGrath marshalling a wellorganised defence, the Lilywhites only managed a point from their possession before Dublin midfielder Goldrick netted the third goal for the Jackies in the 20th minute. Followed by points from Aherne, Ciara Murphy and Siobhan Woods, it left the score 3-8 to 0-1 in favour of Dublin when referee Pat Kehoe blew for half-time. Kildare started the second half brightly, kicking the first score of the half and began to settle into the game. Dublin, however, driven from midfield by the elusive Goldrick, rallied again, with points from McEvoy, Hyland and
Woods. Kildare never gave up and kicked four points, but goals from Leonard and Aherne polished off a fine performance from Dublin which gets their campaign of to a great start. Next up, they travel to play in Meath next Sunday. Meanwhile, on the men’s side, Kilmacud Crokes’ Craig Dias made his senior competitive debut but there was to be no repeat of the Dubs victory of last September as they fell 1-14 to 0-11 to Kerry in Croke Park. The kingdom dominated the second half of the first round of the Allianz NFL Division 1 clash on Saturday night to give them the spoils over a lacklustre Dublin. Darran O’Sullivan netted the killer goal 15 minutes from time after top class build-up play to extend his side’s lead to five points. It was a rusty start for
the Dubs who might have been further down in the final tally had Kerry converted some of their 17 wides. Early on, Kevin McManamon’s point made it five points each in the 20th minute and the lead was grasped when Stephen Cluxton’s ’45 and another effort from Mossie Quinn made it 0-7 to 0-5 at half-time. But Kerry bossed the second half and Dublin’s cause was also not helped by the sending off of Eamon Fennell in the 67th minutes as the home side’s challenge petered out before the finish.
THERE were good wins for our
16, from 7 to 8pm. Then we can wish
U-13s, 14s and 16s footballers over
Roisin the best of luck in the final.
Skerries Harps, St Brigid’s and St Monica’s.
Congratulations to Dublin’s best suppor ter, Andy Slater, and his
Members please note the A.G.M.
wife, Madeleine, who celebrated
will take place on Wednesday, Feb-
their golden wedding anniversary
ruary 29, in the clubhouse at 8pm.
recently.
Nominations for committee positions and motions / recommendations must be returned to the club secretary, Pauline Mooney, on or before February 22. Our Scor Na nOg All-Ireland final-
To view our website, simply logon to www.stpatricksgaa.ie Lotto: Numbers drawn were 4, 10, 18 and 30. There was no winner of the €8,000 jackpot.
ist on February 18 in Castlebar, Roi-
Match any three numbers winners
sin Brady, can be heard in an inter-
were Linda Nolan, Stephen Duffy,
view on Liffey Sound radio, 96.4FM,
Betty Cantwell, Pat McDermott and
this Friday at 5.30pm.
Mick Moran, and each receive €40.
All our Scor Na nOg club representatives will put on a show in the clubhouse on Thursday, February
Next week’s jackpot is €8,200. Draw held each Sunday night at 10pm in the Palmerstown House.
GARDA/WESTMANSTOWN Pre-season picked up a gear last week with games against South Central Division and Bunclody in Wexford. Men’s training continues on Tuesdays at 7.30pm and on Thursdays at 8.15pm. The season starts next Sunday with all three teams in action in the cup competitions.
Good luck to all our teams for a successful season. Ladies training continues on Mondays at Parkwest, Wednesdays at Lucan and Westmanstown on Saturday morning at 9am. The next committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 14, in Westmanstown at 8pm. Westmanstown Gaels started the
The Intermediates are home to
season with the U-12s getting off to
Kilmacud Crokes at 11am. Junior
a great start with a win against St
As are away to Kilmacud Crokes at
Jude’s away in their blitz competi-
11am, and junior Bs will play home to
tion, while the U-14s started with a
Ballyboden St Enda’s at 3pm.
home fixture against St Peter’s.
Follow GazetteSport on Facebook and Twitter and at www.gazettegroup.com
32 LUCAN GAZETTE 9 February 2012