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Lucan • Palmerstown • Celbridge • Leixlip • Adamstown • Dodsboro • Liffey Valley • ballyowen

INSIDE: A fashionable boutique celebrates its chic new look Page 2

opinion: Derek Keating explains

the Personal Insolvency Bill Page 4

Stepping out: Debs dazzle at the Red Cow LUCAN Community College

Camogie:

First senior A title for Lucan Sarsfields Page 31

students Simone Kilduff, Ali Twoomey, Siobhan Grimela, Tara Keenan and Kelly Fitzgerald looked stunning when they attended their debs at the Red Cow Moran Hotel recently, where they stepped out in beautiful style. The debutantes, their friends and teachers had a wonderful night, with everyone happy to celebrate the important stage in the young citizens’ lives.

Picture: Ian Fleming

Full Gallery on Pages 8-9

Soccer:

Carroll shines in Ireland U-17 Euro success Page 30

ALSOINSIDE: Galleries.......................8 BUSINESS..................... 18 MOTORS........................ 20 TRAVEL.......................... 22 ENTERTAINMENT......... 24 CLASSIFIEDS................ 26

Lighting to protect village taxi drivers Council confirms  paul hosford

decision after spate of incidents

SOUTH Dublin County Council has agreed, in principle, to the installation of lights at the taxi rank in Lucan village.

The move, which was confirmed by the council’s director of roads this week, comes

after a spate of incidents involving taxi drivers in the area, two in September and two as recently as this week.

In the early hours of Saturday morning and again on Monday evening, two taxi drivers were robbed.

Sergeant Morgan O’Neill of Lucan Garda Station

said that the incidents were similar, but not necessarily linked.

He said: “The descriptions of the attackers given by the victims differ, but we are not ruling out the possibility that they could be linked.”

Full Story on Page 3

2 LUCAN Gazette 11 October 2012

work: ‘unemployment crisis in dublin midwest being ignored’

fashion Revamped Palua celebrates grand relaunch

THE number of unemployed people across Dublin Mid-West has risen by 10% in the last year.

Figures released from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) last week show that the number of people signing on in Lucan and Clondalkin in September was 9,157.

Although the figure for September 2011 was 9,197, a total of 1,062 people were transferred from Clondalkin to the Tallaght Live Register last October.

With that number taken into account, the number of people living in Lucan and Clondalkin signing on rises to 10,219, indicating a 10% increase between September 2011 and September 2012.

Sinn Fein Dublin MidWest representative Eoin O Broin accused the Government of “ignoring the growing unemployment crisis in Lucan and Clondalkin”.

O Broin said that the CSO figures were in contrast to the national picture, dubbing the situation a “crisis”.

“Figures released today by the CSO show that the number of people signing on in Lucan and Clondalkin has increased by 10% in the last 12 months. This is in stark contrast to the State-wide figures, which show no significant change in the last year.

“The unemployment crisis in Dublin Mid-West is getting worse and the Government just don’t seem to care.

“They are more concerned with imposing cuts to home helps and children’s benefit than

Palua Boutique’s owner Paula Corbett with TV3’s Cathy O’Connor. Pictures: Ian Fleming

SF hits 10% rise in area’s jobless they are in tackling the jobs crisis,” said O Broin.

“For the last 12 months, Sinn Fein has been calling for urgent action and investment from the Government to create jobs.

“Unfortunately, our calls have fallen on deaf ears. Only when the Government starts to invest in projects to get people off the Dole and back into work will we see any improvement in the Live Register figures.

“Later this month, Sinn Fein will be launching detailed and costed proposals for job creation across the country. We will be presenting these to the relevant Departments for consideration,” he said, adding that the issue had parallels with the banking bailout.

€1 billion “T he Government claims that it does not have the resources to invest in job creation programmes. This is not true. Only this week, the Fine Gael and Labour coalition allowed AIB to pay an unguaranteed and unsecured bondholder €1 billion of tax-payers’ money.

“This money originated in the National Pension Reserve Fund, and was given to AIB last July. The fact that this money was used to pay off private banking debt, rather than invested in jobs, says a lot about the priorities of the Government.

“Until we see a change of direction at the heart of the Fine Gael /Labour coalition we will not see any improvement in the unemployment situation in Lucan and Clondalkin,” said O’Broin.

New look for chic boutique P

ALUA Boutique in Leixlip recently held its relaunch as its fashion store has been renovated.

TV3’s Cathy O’Connor helped relaunch the boutique’s grand opening, along with many excited locals.

After eight successful years in business, the fashion store’s owner, Paula Corbett, said she was delighted and excited about its relaunch, and its new products

and labels. The shop has introduced the skin care line Caudalie, and is now offering customers a greater range of clothing and footwear labels with a new autumn and winter collection to keep fashionistas both warm and glamorous during the cold weather. Many of the boutique’s stunning designer wear was modelled in a very well received catwalk show.

Gina Douglas and Eileen Hyland

Rosanna Flannery and Kay Gemma Brennan

O’Hanlon

Gemma Brennan, Michelle Walsh, May Corbett and Nicole Conroy

The new Palua Boutique

11 October 2012 LUCAN Gazette 3

council Spate of incidents lead to security concerns

New lights to ensure safety of taxi drivers SOUTH Dublin County Council has agreed in principle to the installation of lights at the taxi rank in Lucan Village.

The move, which was confirmed by the council’s Director of Roads this week, comes after a spate of incidents involving taxi drivers in the area, two in September and one as recently as this week.

S e r g e a n t Mo r g a n O’Neill of Lucan Garda Station told The Gazette that the incidents on Saturday morning and Monday evening were similar, but not necessarily linked.

“The modus operandi was fairly similar in both

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

‘We need to be sure that taxi drivers are safe. That has to be our number one priority.’

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

Cllr William Lavelle, FG --------------------------

incidents in that a taxi driver was held up and had money and property stolen.

“The descriptions of the attackers given by the victims differ, but we are not ruling out the possibility that they could be linked,” said Sgt O’Neill, who said that the gardai

had suspects for the incident on Monday night.

Local Fine Gael councillor William Lavelle said he had been meeting taxi drivers for the last two weeks and was highly concerned that drivers’ safety had become an issue.

“We need to be sure that taxi drivers are safe. That has to be our number one priority.

“I have met with taxi drivers over the past couple of weeks to discuss safety, particularly at the rank in Lucan village.

“The lighting has been the biggest issue for taxi drivers. They have said that it can be very difficult not knowing who is

With agreement reached, in principle, for the installation of lights at the taxi rank in Lucan village, drivers hope for CCTV to be added at a future date

getting in and out of the car. At times, the driver can spot people they feel might be trouble,” said Cllr Lavelle.

Lavelle added that taxi drivers had hoped for CCTV to be installed at the rank, to add an extra level of protection and, while it is not immediately going to be installed, it will be on the

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agenda when taxi driver officials meet council staff in the coming weeks.

For Lavelle, the move comes as a relief as it will allow people to access Lucan Village more openly.

“We are a low-crime town and it’s important that we keep the town open for people who

want to come and have a drink or go to a restaurant.

“We must work with the taxi drivers and support them as they are a vital part of the village.

“I am glad that the council has committed to installing the lights, which will increase safety in the area,” said Cllr Lavelle.

driving RSA to process licences LOCAL Fine Gael Councillor Emer Higgins has confirmed that the Road Safety Authority (RSA) will be processing new driving licence applications from next year – removing the function from local authorities.

The RSA (Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness) Act 2012, which was enacted earlier this year, provides for the RSA to be the national authority for driver licensing.

Cllr Higgins said that a new plastic credit-card style licence will also be issued to new applicants from January 2013, which can help reduce fraud.

“There will be a period of transition for part of 2013, during which the local authorities will continue to perform some driver licensing functions on behalf of the RSA. After that, the RSA will have full responsibility for providing the driver licence service,” she said.

4 LUCAN Gazette 11 October 2012

opinion Personal Insolvency Bill is a major step forward

Legislation to offer a quick response to mortgage debt THE new Personal Insolvency Bill 2012 has been published and debated at length in Leinster House.

This bill, which is one of the most complex pieces of legislation ever introduced to an Irish parliament, introduces new arrangements for dealing with personal and mortgage debt.

This legislation demonstrates a very substantial move forward.

Simply speaking, the law allows for individuals, not corporate bodies, in financial difficulty and their creditors to prepare and process a quick and effective response to their problem.

We all know at this stage how this mess happened; what the Government has done is a response to ensure that

every opportunity is available to those who are suffering.

The massive decline in every asset, including property, shares and other investments, is covered by this legislation.

The main features of the new arrangements – with a particular emphasis on mortgage debt – will come into effect by December of this year.

The new legislation proposes three new nonjudgemental arrangements for dealing with debt. A non-judgemental arrangement means that the courts are not directly involved; however, they will be available to support the debtor.

For example, for debts of up to €20,000 for people who have very low income and no assets, this legislation helps, and for debts of up to €3 million,

[this means] an agreed settlement to secure the debt for up to six years.

A new organisation, entitled the Insolvency Service of Ireland, will be established by the Government. Its main functions will be to: (1) Monitor the operation of the new arrangements; (2) Maintain the various registers; (3) Consider applications for debt relief notices; (4) Authorise approved intermediaries, and (5) Process applications.

It is important to note that the Insolvency Service will not have any role in negotiating or agreeing a debt settlement, but it will have the power to supervise fees for that service.

It is expected that the service will be opera-

tional by the first couple of weeks of 2013, and it is estimated that 15,000 applicants will be received in the first quarter of 2013.

For example, if you have no disposable income or assets, and have large debts accrued, you will qualify for the debt relief service.

The new service being established by the Government will be on hand to assist citizens in every way possible to deal with their personal finances, which can be complicated.

The Government also plans to bring in new legislation to cover bankruptcy. This bill includes a number of proposals to change the bankruptcy laws that currently exist in this country.

The main proposed areas are that bankruptcy

Deputy Keating: “Bill ... responds to the calamity that our citizens are experiencing”

will be automatically discharged after three years, and the purpose behind this is to give citizens an opportunity to re-enter the market place in relation to their own personal finances.

Those who are currently in bankruptcy will be discharged after six months of the enactment of the law, providing they have passed the three years’ requirement.

As a government TD, I am very excited by this needed response to a crisis. It is a state-of-the-art and radical piece of legislation that responds to the calamity that our citizens are experiencing.

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It will challenge financial institutions to develop and implement realistic agreements to resolve debt issues with their customers and, although each individual’s personal financial circumstances vary, I believe that solutions will be found within the context of this new legislation and the principles that are set out in it.

It will help those who have genuine but substantial financial obstacles, and it provides real alternatives for those who genuinely are unable to discharge their financial obligations, as opposed to those who do not want to do so.

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I welcome the establishment of the Insolvency Service of Ireland.

This new service will allow those who have financial difficulties, or those who cannot get agreement with their creditors, or those who feel that the agreement that their creditors are applying is unachievable, unjust and pressurised, [to find] help in a meaningful way to resolve the many personal financial predicaments that are being experienced today.

Derek Keating Fine Gael Deputy

Local

Matters

11 October 2012 LUCAN Gazette 5

safety: move to cut down on waste, and reduce number of bonfires

business

Local’s input in new book

Council prepare for Halloween fun SOUTH Dublin County Council (SDCC) have announced the details of their Halloween celebrations, which will take place on October 31 between 5 and 7pm in Clondalkin and Tallaght, with the council once again keen to cut the number of bonfires.

The celebrations, entitled Haunted, will involve more than 200 young people from Clondalkin and Tallaght who will participate in arts and performance workshops, creating artworks and shows that will be displayed on Halloween night.

There will also be a pageant in North Clondalkin and a parade in Tallaght, with music, dance and games at both events.

The Mayor of South Dublin, Cathal King, said he is looking forward to

the activities on the day.

He said: “I am delighted to take part in preparing for Haunted – I am looking forward to seeing all of these wonderful pieces in the parade.

“Halloween is a special time of the year. Haunted is a learning opportunity and a celebration.

“As Mayor of South Dublin County, I want everyone to have a safe and happy Halloween – don’t provide material for bonfires, think of others, and come out and see these artists display their scary artistic pieces.”

In a bid to reduce the amount of material available for bonfires, SDCC, in conjunction with Clondalkin Community Recycling Initiative, are encouraging households to recycle WEEE (waste electronic and electrical) equipment – that’s any-

thing with a battery or a plug, in a safe and legal way.

If you would like to organise a collection for your area, contact Una at unaccri@eircom.net or at 01 457 8321.

There will also be a free WEEE collection day provided by WEEE Ireland on October 27 at PowerCity, Fonthill, from 10am to 4pm.

In a further step to cut down on waste available for bonfires, SDCC will also provide free access to the Civic Amenity at Ballymount on Saturday, October 27, to residents of South Dublin County on production of the Halloween postcard, which has been distributed to all homes in the county.

Here, residents can dispose of waste, including cardboard, paper and plastic.

 hiromi mooney

Model behaviour: Showcasing great looks at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre ALMOST appearing to float in place, this employee from Assets Model Agency was joined by a younger model to help showcase clothes at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre recently. The pair showcased a wide selection of styles and looks available at the busy centre’s many fashion outlets, with the great range of autumn/winter collections attracting great interest from everyone.

A LOCAL man has contributed two chapters to a new book for businesses of all sizes.

Adrian Rush, from Leixlip, is one of the 17 contributors of new book, Best Practices in Successful Business: A Collection of Tutorials.

The authors are all experienced practitioners and members of the Irish Executive Network.

Rush wrote the chapters, Tendering:Capturing the Opportunity, and, Communication: Say It Like You Mean It. He said: “It’s to give people who are starting a business, or running a business, a series of best practices on how to do things from experienced business people. I believe very passionately in doing tenders and in good business communications.”

The book is available to buy from Amazon.com.

6 LUCAN GAZETTE 11 October 2012

St Catherine’s Park to get new facilities  LAURA WEBB and PAUL

HOSFORD

ST CATHERINE’S Park is to get a facelift, with a number of new facilities being proposed to increase the number of visitors to the public amenity.

The master plan for St Catherine’s Park, located near Laraghcon, is currently on public display for residents to make submissions on what they think about the proposal.

A children’s playground, a coffee shop, an exercise circuit, multi-use games area, a dog run, a par-three golf course/ pitch and putt, cricket pitch, skate park, a BMX

bike track and new pedestrian bridge over the River Liffey are all included in the Fingal County Council (FCC) plan.

It also includes repairi n g S t C a t h e r i n e ’s Church, and restoring the farmyard and historic buildings.

A woodland walk is also being proposed, as well as a regional pedestrian and cycle link between Royal Canal, Lucan and Leixlip.

Commenting on the new plans, Labour councillor Eamon Tuffy said it is an exciting plan for the park.

“Although it is technically outside my constituency, I am very familiar

with the park. I often go there walking or birdwatching, and I have to say I am very impressed with the work that has been done by Fingal County Council, and I am delighted that they are doing it,” said Cllr Tuffy.

Because of their proximity, Cllr Tuffy believes that with the upgrade to St Catherine’s, Lucan Demesne should follow.

“I have called for investment in Lucan Demesne a number of times, and the council has done some work, but I think that this plan puts it up to South Dublin County Council to match, or do their bit on the South Dublin side,” said Cllr

Cllr Eamon Tuffy commended the plans for St Catherine’s Park, and said that Fingal County Council’s plans for the park “puts it up to South Dublin County Council to match, or do their bit on the South Dublin side” at Lucan Demesne

Tuffy, who added that, in his role as Local Area Committee (LAC) chairman, he would strive for similar investments in Lucan parks.

“My priority as chair of the LAC is to get imaginative ideas in tough economic times,” he said.

Plans can be inspected

at FCC offices in Blanchardstown and at Blanchardstown Library.

T hey can also be accessed through www. fingalcoco.ie.

Submissions and observations with respect to the proposed development, should be made in writing on or before

5pm on November 15 to Maria Quill, Senior Staff Officer, Parks and Heritage Properties Division, Fingal County Council, County Hall, Main Street, Swords, Co Dublin.

Submissions on the development may also be made via email to maria. quill@fingalcoco.ie.

gazette

photos

.com

ONE of Ireland’s leading writers, Conor McPherson, will have his 2001 play, Port Authority, staged at the Civic Theatre from October 23 to 27.

The play, which will be staged by Decadent Theatre, tells the story of Kevin, Dermot and Joe, three generations of Irishmen. Set against the backdrop of contemporary Dublin, it is described as “a beautifully woven tale of failure, loss and the elusiveness of love.”

McPherson’s plays, w h i c h i n cl u d e T h e We i r, T h e S e a f a r e r and Shining City, have won Olivier and Tony awards, and he wrote the screenplay for the ground-breaking Irish film, I Went Down.

Tickets, priced at €20 with €16 concessions and €10 for opening night, are available from www.civictheatre.ie or by calling 01 4627477.

PLANNING Praise for public amenity’s facelift

www.

THEATRE Tale of love and loss at the Civic

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11 October 2012 LUCAN GAZETTE 7

WASTE Firm rejects councillor’s payment claims as ‘disingenuous’ FAIR: HOTEL

Gilligan’s comments absurd – Greyhound  PAUL HOSFORD

GREYHOUND Recycling has hit back at claims that their new pricing scheme is “another price hike for South Dublin”.

In a statement to The Gazette, a Greyhound spokesperson said that Fianna Fail councillor Trevor Gilligan was “jumping to conclusions,

misrepresenting the facts and attempting to undermine a company that provides the best value in the market and that employs hundreds of people in his constituency”.

Cllr Gilligan had this week cited the example of one resident whose payments, he claims, will triple.

He said:“One resident currently pays €60.

However, with this new ‘price plan’, they will pay at least €175, so it’s just another price hike.

“Greyhound’s price plan offers no incentive for customers to save money, nor does it encourage residents to recycle or compost.

“T hanks to Greyhound, we will see increased illegal dumping on our streets in

South Dublin. This is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off.

“How do customers know the weight of their own bin? How can we trust Greyhound to weigh our own bins? Are we to now purchase weighing scales for our bins?” said Cllr Gilligan.

In response, Greyhound said that his questions are “absurd”. A

spokesperson for Greyhound said: “The facts are that Greyhound has tailored a choice of plans for each individual customer in South Dublin based on the amount of waste that they generate.

“The plans are flexible, and offer customers the best value in the market. Councillor Gilligan’s decision to use one of the hundreds of plans

that exist as the basis of a press statement is disingenuous.

“His questions are absurd, and suggest that it is only a matter of time until he issues another press statement questioning whether householders can also trust the readings of their gas and electricity meters. That lack of trust is certainly unwarranted.”

60% have paid house charge SOUTH Dublin County Council (SDCC) has revealed that more than 60% of South Dublin households have now paid the €100 household charge – only a slight increase on the previously released figure in July.

At this week’s meeting of SDCC, Labour councillor Eamon Tuffy asked County Manager Philomena Poole to “make an updated report on the percentage of households in the county which have registered for and paid the household charge, to date”.

In her report, Poole revealed that of the 81,822 households liable for the charge, 49,948 had paid thus far, bringing in just over €5 million for the council and giving the county a 61.04% compliance rate.

In her report, the county manager went on to say that penalties would continue to grow on unpaid

properties.

“T he balance due (including penalties) for each unpaid property which is liable for the household charge increased to €127 on October 1, and penalties continue to accrue monthly for all properties which are eligible, but for which the charge remains unpaid.

“Homeowners can pay online at www.householdcharge.ie, or in person at the County Hall, Tallaght, or at the Civic Offices in Clondalkin, where customer care staff are available to assist homeowners in completing the household charge registration form,” said the report.

In July, the council was hit with a cut of €1.9 million from their Local Government Fund allocation due to the rate of non-payment.

The percentage figure of payment at that time was 57%.

On the ball: Council focuses on American guests as part of The Gathering 2013 events SOUTH Dublin County Tourism is teaming

up with a wide range of bodies as it prepares for The Gathering 2013, with South Dublin County Council, Fingal Leader Partnership and The Gathering Ireland helping it to prepare its plans for visitors to, and residents of, the county during the event next year.

American football is one natural extension

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of plans for the event, with Irish American footballers Barry Keil, Declan Mulvihill and Lucan’s Stephen Mooney lining up with Billy Coleman, director, South Dublin County Council and Michael Ring, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Sport and Tourism, to help promote the county’s plans for next year.

HOSTING A GREAT DAY

Win one of six wedding prizes  HIROMI MOONEY

THE Springfield Hotel will be hosting a wedding fair this weekend.

The free event, which takes place twice a year, will take place on Saturday, October 13 from 11am to 5pm, while on Sunday, October 14 it will take place from 12pm to 6pm.

The 98FM Thunderbirds will be attending on Sunday.

T he fair will take place in the hotel’s newly-decorated Anna Liffey Ballroom.

Suppliers On the day, the hotel will showcase their wedding suppliers, which include photography, wedding cars, band or DJ, wedding cakes, room decoration, florist, bridal wear and suit hire.

There will be a 10% discount offered on all the wedding packages booked on the day.

There will also be a draw for six prizes, which are €2,000 off a wedding with Springfield Hotel, a free car, a free cake, free flower arrangements, a free band and DJ, or free photography for your wedding day there.

8 LUCAN Gazette 11 October 2012

schools Lucan Community College students defy gloomy

Principal Diane Birnie joined in the fun with Gregory

Dapper Craig Prior and beautiful Megan Cullen were among the many students enjoying their big night. Pictures: Ian Fleming

Stephen Jones and Rachel Pierce

Out of the classroom and into the party

S

TUDENTS at Lucan Community College recently celebrated their debs in The Red Cow Moran Hotel. Despite the gloomy weather outside, there was plenty of colour and glamorous fashion on the night, with

Sarah Dowd and Scott Keegan

everyone dressed up to look the part.

In keeping with the school’s aim of having everyone involved, many teachers were also present, with some giving the students a run for their money in the style stakes, and

all were agreed on how well the debutantes, and their accompanying partners, looked on their big night out. With such an important night out to celebrate, many wonderful memories were made on the night.

Ryan Kelly and Lauren

Mairead Cooling, Emma Gibson, Lauren Battersey, Niamh Pollock, Autumn

Ali Twoomey and Gavin

Moore

O’Connell and Rachel O’Gorman

Carabini

11 October 2012 LUCAN Gazette 9

weather with glamour and glitz at their sparkling debs ball

Ciara Parsons and

Amela Kucuk and Connor

Clodagh Mullally and

Michael Kelly

Fagan

Gavin Duncan

Twohig, Karthika Srikuman, Damham Loyld, Ian Lynan, Olivia O’Mahony, Cian Spollen and Gemma Hayes

Ryan Kelly, Ronan Ryan and Kenneth Dean

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Elaine Griffin, Anna Lamprecht and Kim Bartley

Simone Kilduff, Ali Twoomey, SiobhĂĄn Grimela, Tara Keenan and Kelly Fitzgerald

10 LUCAN Gazette 11 October 2012

television Launch of a dating show with a difference

10 10 10 10 10 10CASTLEKNOCK CASTLEKNOCK CASTLEKNOCK CASTLEKNOCK CASTLEKNOCK CASTLEKNOCK Gazette Gazette Gazette Gazette Gazette Gazette27 27 27 27 27 27 September September September September September September 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012

Barry Finnegan and Catriona McGinley

Sean Montague, Katie Jane Goldin and Jonny McCann

Make a date with the Love Clinic L

OTS of revellers mingled at the launch party of the new TV show Love Clinic in the grafton lounge, in the city centre recently.

The new TV show, which airs on Thursdays at 9pm, hit the small screen just a few weeks ago, on September 27th.

It is proving to be an untypical

Michaela Fitzpatrick

dating show in that it aims to take participants and with the help of experts in the areas of psychotherapy, life coaching and styling, understand where they have gone wrong in their past relationships. Then, the hope is they will be equipped with tools and strategies to get on the road to finding the right partner.

Helen Goldin, Ronan O’Leary and Aisling O’Dwyer

Brendan Marc Scully

A fairly ambitious goal but it should make interesting viewing over the next few months. And maybe we can all pick up some tips from it.

Love Clinic is a new show format, created by Straywave Media, with the support of RTÉ and in association with Warner Bros International Television.

Pamela Ryan

Virginia Macari and Jo Jordan

11 October 2011 gazette 11

festival A cavalcade of arts for Dracula author

Celebration of Stoker, fangs to Cornwell  bairbre ni Bhraonain

Best-selling crime author Patricia Cornwell is coming to Dublin for the first Bram Stoker Festival which will take place this Halloween.

Cornwell will deliver a talk in Trinity College on the rise of the serial killer in crime fiction and its relation to the Dracula legacy. She will also be signing copies of her new book, Bone Bed. The talk, entitled The Anatomy of Fear – From Stoker to Scarpetta, takes place in the Edmund Burke T heatre, Ar ts Building in Trinity College at 7.30pm on October 26. Tickets are €12

and €10 for concessions.

Dublin will be celebrating Stoker and all things Dracula-related this October bank holiday weekend, October 26 to 28, with an array of vampire-based events throughout the city.

Bram Stoker’s Dublin walking tours will explore the city through the laneways of Victorian Dublin, as well as incorporating creepy visits to places like Christ Church Cathedral’s crypt.

There will also be a series of literary workshops on horror writing given by various wellknown authors, includi n g aw a r d - w i n n i n g children’s writer, Celine

McKiernan.

McKiernan will give a three-hour writing workshop for children aged 11 to 14, entitled Blood Red Ink in the conference room, Long Room Hub, Trinity College, on October 27 and 28 at 10am, and tickets are €5.

Street theatre company Spraoi will give a horror performance suitable for the whole family in the grounds of Dublin Castle, where Stoker worked as a civil servant.

Imagining Bram Stoker will be performed October 28 at 5pm, 6pm and 7pm and is a free event, but booking is required.

For adults, Ouroboros Theatre Ireland will stage

Author Patricia Cornwell: Coming to Dublin for first Bram Stoker Festival

Stoker, a new play by Paul Walker about the life of the creator of Dracula, and his rivalry with Oscar Wilde.

Tickets are €25 and €20 for concessions and the play will be on in the Samuel Beckett Theatre in Trinity College on October 26 and 27 at

7.30pm.

The iconic vampire film, and the first of all the Dracula screen representations, Nosferatu, will be shown for free in Meeting House Square in Temple Bar on Saturday, October 27 at 8pm. The silent film will be accompanied by atmospheric

music from 3epkano, a collective specialising in avant-garde cinema soundtracks. Booking is essential as demand is expected to be high.

For more information on all the events lined up for the festival, you can go online to www.bramstokerfestival.com.

eyesight

Doctor’s call for eye care A Dublin doctor has urged people in the city to take care of their eyesight.

The call from David Keegan, an eye doctor at the Mater Hospital and member of the Irish College of Ophthalmologists, comes as World Sight Day is celebrated on October 11.

“More than half of all sight loss is avoidable when detected early, and a regular eye test can identify early indications of eye diseases such as cataract, glaucoma, diabetes and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Many agerelated conditions can be successfully treated if detected early.

“In the next 15 years, the Irish population aged 65 and over is set to double and the number of patients with agerelated sight loss problems will increase,” said Keegan.

12 gazette 11 October 2012

filmfest Music on the screen celebrated D oc u m e n tari e s and films about Blur, folk legend Daniel Johnston and Ireland’s DIY scene are among the highlights of a new season of music films taking place at Dublin’s Lighthouse Cinema this month.

OneTwoOneTwo takes place over the weekend of October 19 – 21 in the recently re-opened Smithfield venue, and will feature new and old music documentaries, classic films including In Bed With Madonna and one of the best concert films of all time, Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense.

On the Irish front, there will be a free screening of A Joyful Slog, a documentary examining Ireland’s DIY scene.

Tickets are priced from €15, and there is a weekend pass for €65.

More information can be found at facebook.com/ onetwoonetwodublin.

health Life-changing leaders sought for show

Don’t think twice – go for Operation Transformation  LAURA WEBB

It’s time again to make a lasting change as Operation Transformation returns for its sixth season, and the show is on the look-out for people who wish to make 2013 the year to change their lifestyle and diet.

The Operation Transformation team are looking for people who may be struggling to keep the pounds off or feel their current weight is holding them back to leading the life they would like.

T he show returns next year on RTE for its sixth series and, once again, RTE Radio 1’s John Murray Show is on board as the radio home

for the series.

Radio presenter Murray recently joined four of the 2012 Operation Transformation leaders to put out a nationwide call to find five inspirational new leaders for the 2013 series. Those chosen need to be willing to radically change their eating and exercise habits, and be prepared to inspire viewers and listeners to follow their journey.

Speaking at the photocall, Murray said: “The John Murray Show is delighted to be involved with Operation Transformation once again, and I’m sure it will again inspire thousands of people around Ireland to change their life-

styles and become fitter, healthier and happier.

“If the next leaders are half as committed as those who have come before, I think we are guaranteed another successful campaign that will get people motivated to shed the pounds.”

The TV show’s presenter, Kathryn Thomas said: “The most difficult thing is filling in that application form and signing your name to it.

Don’t think twice – just do it. I know it’s a big deal for people, I know it’s a bit daunting, but if last year’s leaders are anything to go by you’ll be glad you applied. If you’re worried about a family member, friend or colleague, please

Participants from the last series of Operation Transformation Killian Byrne, Natalie Cox, Grace Batterberry and Adrian Brereton with RTE’s John Murray

encourage them to take part.

“We’re looking for families to take part, too, and ask that people be available to take part in filming between November 2012 and March 2013. I’d encourage anyone who’d like to change their lifestyle to get in touch with the production team. Don’t put it on the long finger,

do it today,” she added.

One of last year’s contestants, Natalie Cox said: “Operation Transformation is a great opportunity. Just take the risk, it will change your life and you’ll never be sorry. It changed my whole personality; I’m confident, happy and not afraid of anything. I am so glad I have changed.

I even love shopping

now. It was hard but I will never look back, I’m just happy.”

The closing date for applications is Friday, October 19.

If you think you have what it takes and want to change your life for the better, check out www.rte.ie/ot/featured/ applynow.html or call Sinead or Andy on 01 864 1444.

DublinGazetteNewspapers Advertising Sales Professionals Dublin Gazette Newspapers is Dublin’s fastest growing community weekly regional publisher, with 8 titles covering the M50 from Swords to Dun Laoghaire.

We are currently looking to recruit: We are now seeking experienced media sales executives to work in our advertising dept in our Lucan head office on a number of Dublin Gazette titles. Experience in newspaper advertising sales is preferable. Full clean driving licence and own car required; fluent written and oral English essential.

Excellent package on offer to suitable candidates.

If you can work on your own initiative within a team environment, are motivated, enthusiastic with an excellent work ethic, please send your cv to: mmcgovern@gazettegroup.com

11 October 2012 gazette 13

libraries: contest

music: attempt to get the most people ever dancing to jackson hit

Click! away to win an iPad 3

A great Thriller to enjoy  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

THE National Basketball Arena in Tallaght will host a Guinness World Record attempt to create the largest ever collective performance of Michael Jackson’s Thriller this month.

Thrill The World Dublin 2012 is a world record attempt and charity fundraiser to get the most people dancing simultaneously to the song.

The iconic dance will see performers dressed up as zombies executing the moves made famous

by Jackson in his video for the song, which was a worldwide hit in 1983.

G u i n n e s s Wo r l d Records listed Thriller as the most successful music video of all time in 2006, while, in 2009, the video was the first ever to receive the honour of being inducted into the National Film Registry in America by the Library of Congress, in recognition of being culturally, his-

torically or aesthetically significant.

The dance routine is more than 13 minutes long, and the fundraising is dedicated to raising money for the Carers Association of Ireland.

T he charity helps people who care for the elderly or infirm in their own homes and includes those who are seriously ill, people with disabilities and children with special needs.

The public is urged to go along to support the world record attempt, see a spectacle they won’t forget in a hurry, and help out the association.

If you wish to be part of the world record attempt, you should register by going online to the website at www.carersireland.com.

Thrill The World 2012 takes place on Saturday, October 27 at 6pm and will go on until 9.30pm in The National Basketball Arena, Tymon Park, Tallaght, Dublin 24.

Witch way to help? Girls spell out a great Cow & Gate way to support children’s hospital CLARE Dooley and Lauren Heary had a

horribly good time helping to launch Cow & Gate’s Spooky Smiles For Crumlin fundraising initiative. The girls were hoping to help the company cast a spell over people all over Ireland to help support the hospital, with everyone invited to hold a Halloween party to help support Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin’s cardiac and cancer care

wards, with a Cow & Gate party pack to help make the parties a scream.

A Facebook app (www.facebook.com/ cowandgateireland) also invites users to “spookify” little party goers, and share their picture, with Cow & Gate donating €1 to the hospital for each person that uses the app.

For further information on the hospital’s work, see www.smilesforcrumlin.ie.

AVID amateur photographers have a chance to show their skills and maybe pick up a prize this month when South Dublin Libraries runs its annual Digital Photo Competition.

This year, the competition has been renamed as Click!, and the organisers are looking for photos that capture the spirit of living, working in or even visiting South Dublin County.

Your photo should show something distinctive about the county’s admininistrative area that makes it special.

Photos can concentrate on any number of Dublin subjects, whether that means the people, the places, the culture or heritage at work or play and in everyday situations or extraordinary events.

Entry is free, and the closing date is October 31. The first prize for the winning photograph is an Apple iPad 3.

Entries are acceptable by email or in digital form only, and up to three photos can be emailed to sdc@ireland.com along with contact details, title of the photo and where it was taken.

14 gazette 11 October 2012

Gazette Contacts

snapshot The local stories of the day

Block 3A, Mill Bank Business Park, Lucan Tel: 01 6010240 Fax: 01 6010251

Managing Director: Michael McGovern email:mmcgovern@gazettegroup.com Acting News Editor: Rob Heigh email: rheigh@gazettegroup.com Production Editor: Jessica Maile email: jmaile@gazettegroup.com Acting Sports Editor: Stephen Findlater email: sport@gazettegroup.com Picture Editor: Paul Hosford email: picturedesk@gazettegroup.com Advertising Manager: Louise Fitzgerald email: lfitzgerald@gazettegroup.com Advertising Production: Anita Ward email: ads@gazettegroup.com Advertising Sales: 01 6010240 email: sales@gazettegroup.com 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.

One4All’s Decade in Design judges James Earley, Jerry Kennelly, founder of tweak.com, and Aoife Davey, marketing manager of Gift Voucher Shop with cake-carrying friend at the launch of the competition recently

One4All calling for cards to celebrate ten years Diary TO celebrate 10 years in business, gift voucher company One4all is asking budding designers from Dublin to help them mark the occasion by creating a unique graphic for a specially-commissioned birthday gift card.

The winner will receive a MacBook, in addition to their design being produced and sold across One4all’s various sales channels throughout the country.

Speaking at the launch, judging panel member, renowned graffiti artist, and graphic designer James Earley said: “This is a great opportunity for those in Dublin involved in commercial and graphic design or for anyone interested in a career within this industry. What better way to draw attention, literally, to your talents with a unique project like this in your portfolio?”

Closing date for Decade In Design is 5pm on Friday, October 26.

Those interested in entering or learning more about the competition should visit www.one4all.ie/ design.

Road Safety Authority highlight mobile danger STAR of the RTE hit drama Raw and RSA Road Safety Ambassador Keith McErlean this week launched the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and Setanta Insurance national road safety film competition, Keep Drama Off The Roads.

The competition, which will appeal to all young budding filmmakers, aims to generate awareness among young people of the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving, particularly texting while driving.

The competition marks the launch of Irish Road

Safety Week, which takes place from Monday, October 8 to Sunday, October 14.

To date this year, 131 people have been killed on Irish roads.

One third (31.3%) of those killed were aged 16 to 25. Last year, 56 young people in this age bracket were killed on Irish roads, representing one in three of all road fatalities.

A full list of entry requirements for the competition can be found on www.keepdramaofftheroads. ie.

Get ready for library festival coming to the Red Line this November South Dublin Libraries has announced the first Red Line Book Festival, taking place from November 13 to 17.

The Red Line Book Festival features both Irish and international contemporary authors, celebrating books, reading, and the written word.

The festival will incorporate the traditional Readers Day on Saturday, November 17, with Dermot Bolger as host, with esteemed guests President Michael D Higgins, Gerard Donovan, Anne Enright, Sean Moncrieff, Ferdia MacAnna, Christine Dwyer Hickey and Adrian Kenny.

Readers Day takes place in the The Civic Theatre, Tallaght. Tickets priced at €10 and €8 concession are on sale now.

Events will take place at the Civic Theatre, The Victory Centre, Firhouse, Rua Red, and South Dublin Library branches.

To browse the programme online, see www. redlinebookfestival.com All the events in the Civic Theatre including Readers Day can be booked online at www. redlinebookfestival.com, in person or by phone (01 4627477)

11 October 2012 gazette 15

retail Website brings virtual service to homes

The shopping centre in your living room  laura webb

A VIRTUAL online shopping centre has arrived, making e-commerce easier for the seller and buying easier for the shopper.

Fresh on the online market, shoppingcentre. ie is an innovative and convenient new way to shop online from the comfort of your home.

The website is designed to unite large and small retailers, service providers and other sellers directly with the customer online.

T he website rents space to businesses that want to sell online using an efficient platform with

integrated social media, stock management, discount systems and many other features.

This approach is designed to make local shopping even easier with a planned expansion of the site to include Ireland’s shopping centres and other locations, for example, blackrock.shoppingcentre.ie and swords. shoppingcentre.ie.

Commenting on the new website, James McGeogh, of Connemara Foods said: “I set up a virtual shop myself with its easy-to-use guide in under two hours, and it was launched almost i m m e d i a t e l y. T h a t removed a huge amount

of stress out of a normally time-consuming task.”

According to the team behind shoppingcentre. ie, it makes shopping fun, easy and cost-saving.

Buyers can easily browse and buy online, compare prices and choose the best option for them.

The buyer will be able to shop locally, regionally or even globally from many shops around Dublin, Ireland and overseas.

Multiple items can be bought and purchased using PayPal. Vendors then send the products directly to the buyer.

There are 21 stores currently “live” on the site, with 35 more on the way.

Interested businesses

Jurgita Glodenyte, the owner of shoppingcentre.ie

can join shoppingcentre. ie by registering online, paying the store set-up fee of €195. Sellers who register with shoppingcentre.ie before the middle of October will get the first six months “rent-free”.

Alternatively, they can choose to start paying monthly fees and avoid

the store set-up fee.

Jurgita Glodenyte, the owner of shoppingcentre.ie, says: “We use a flexible approach and will accommodate every business.”

After registration, sellers are coached in how to add products and pictures, prices and deliv-

ery instructions on the site. The team at shoppingcentre.ie can also arrange a PayPal set-up and recommend the best shipping companies to help them deliver their products.

For further information, see www.shoppingcentre.ie.

theatre

Thrill to new form on stage DUBLIN’S Project Arts Centre will this week play host to an elaborate experiment in theatre, when Your Brother, Remember? comes to town.

Written by reknowned American playwright Zachary Oberszan, the play uses the concept of before-and after photographs, and splices together home videos, Hollywood film footage and live performance within the proscenium arch.

Challenging expectations, Oberszan depicts the peculiar parallels of his childhood with his brother and the life of their hero, Jean Claude Van Damme, and explores how the brothers’ life paths diverged from the hopes of their past.

The show runs from October 11 to 13 at 7.45pm nightly, with a 5.45pm show on October 13.

Tickets, priced from €15-20 are available from www.projectartscentre.ie

16 gazette 11 October 2012

Gazettemusic review: tyler hilton releases the long-awaited forget the storm

Coming through stormy waters  Paul hosford

ACROSS the world, there are acts dreaming of landing a major-label deal.

Even in the changing musical landscape, the backing of a behemoth company to keep an act on the radar of news outlets, radio stations and tastemakers the world over can be an invaluable resource.

But, for every star that labels create, there are the others.

T he scrapheap of those promised the sun, moon and stars but come up short is littered with artists too talented not to continue making music.

For Tyler Hilton, prob-

ably best known for his role as Chris Keller on the hit show One Tree Hill and for playing Elvis Presley in the Johnny Cash biopic, Walk The Line, a five-year stint spent writing and eventually scrapping an album on Warner Bros was the beginning of something of a rebirth.

The Storms We Share may have proved ill-fated, but his new album, the aptly-titled Forget The Storm, sees him in fine form.

For a man who hasn’t released an album in eight years, Hilton has a remarkable swagger.

Opener Kicking My Heels features big, bassy drums and a huge chorus that recalls Match-

box Twenty in their prime, with Hilton singing “Even God needs the Devil/And I’m one hell of a friend/If it makes you feel better/At least we’re going down together” before embracing his faith, exclaiming “Ha!”.

Prince of Nothing Charming is another chorus-driven pop song, with the raspy vocals, the earnest lyrics (“And I got nothin’ when you smile like Mona Lisa/ Cos I need ya/I need ya tonight”) and the big guitars-and-piano-driven chorus proclaiming “Baby, You’re Beautiful”. It is quintessentially American teen-dramasoundtrack standard, but is no worse for it.

It is, like the vast

majority of the tracks on the album, a well-crafted, catchy and ever-somelodic song.

Hilton is a writer capable of writing big, commercial-sounding hooks, which many scoff at and deride as a skill.

But, the reality is, there are many, many hugely talented bands that are a good hook away from being great.

Singalong hooks, choruses and riffs are priceless in this day and age as they can command attention in a world where the average music career lasts as long as a Kim Kardashian marriage.

But, Hilton himself seems to be aware of his skill and branches out

on Forget The Storm.

Leadoff single Loaded Gun is a bluesy piece of stomp rock and Ain’t No Fooling Me sees Hilton in touch with southern rock.

The songs come as a breath of fresh air in the album, even if, personally, I prefer the acoustic/piano efforts, with Leave Him and I Belong being absolute highlights and You’ll Ask Me the best song on the album, showing Hilton as a writer of massive talent and potential.

Let’s just hope it’s not another eight years to the follow-up.

Hilton is on his way to Dublin for a gig at The Academy on October 25 with tickets €20.

Tyler Hilton’s all-American face is matched by his sound

11 October 2012 GAZETTE 17

GazetteBEAUTY

Edited by Laura Webb

Use the scent of summer to banish the winter blues

S

O IT’S the end of the summer – not that we actually had one, but who says we can’t still enjoy the fresh and revitalising scents that are associated with the summer season?

Roger and Gallet Paris, a perfumery since 1862, has two great fresh fragrant water sprays that are sun-filled to brighten up even the darkest days.

The first is Eau Sublime Or – Boise D’Orange.

This fragrant water has fresh notes of mandarin, with a hint of coconut and vanilla.

What is great about this product is that it adds an elegant glow to the skin, courtesy of the little speckles of golden sparkles incorporated into the spray.

Another fragrance from this perfumery is Rose Imaginaire – Eau fraiche parfumee. This natural spray has been inspired by the wonders of nature.

It, too, has a zesty fragrance of mandarin, complemented by strawberry, giving it a great fruity note, while jasmine and violet blend sweetly, leading to the heart of the

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

‘Be adventurous with your fragrances, and you will be surprised how they will lighten your mood’ --------------------------

fragrance.

These fragrances are not overpowering, and they each leave a subtle scent that will have everyone talking.

The recommended retail price is €39.75. For further information, and for a full list of stockists, see www.roger-gallet.ie.

Meanwhile, Lancome has launched its new shower gel and body lotion inspired, by its new fragrance – La vie est belle.

The shower gel and body lotion are now available, complete with a wonderful fresh scent, courtesy of the new Lancome fragrance.

La vie est belle shower gel and body lotion are now available from your nearest Lancome counter, with a RRP of €32 (shower gel) and €34

Eau Sublime Or – Bois D’Orange: fresh notes of mandarin, with a hint of coconut and vanilla

(body lotion).

La vie est belle eau de parfum is available from Lancome counters nationwide, priced from €47 (30ml).

So, instead of feeling the blues this autumn/ winter, let your senses be

your guide to make you feel and smell like the warmest day of summer.

Be adventurous with your fragrances, and you will be surprised how they will lighten your mood – the fruitier, the better!

Super search: Hunt is on for next top stylist THE search is on for a super stylist, with Oasis teaming up with TV3 to launch My Personal Stylist 2012, with a dream job as a personal stylist up for grabs.

Last year’s winners of the Oasis Personal Stylist search, Justine King and Sarah Blake, styled Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model 2012 contestant, Lisa Madden (centre) to help launch the search.

For further information, and entry forms, call into your local Oasis outlet.

Eau Sublime Or (top), and Rose Imaginaire

Get ready – A&F is about to open FASHIONISTAS everywhere, hold on to your stylish hats – the legendary American chain that is Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) opens its Dublin flagship store next month.

On November 1, at 11am, A&F will open its store, located at 34 College Green, with the historic location to be the first of its kind in the region.

Known for its exceptional quality, the international chain, which is more than 100 years old, has very well-known admirers, with the brand worn by some of America’s most notable visionaries and leaders.

Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and John F Kennedy were patrons, as well as American icons such as Amelia Earhart, Ernest Hemingway, James Dean and Katharine Hepburn.

A&F is known around the world for its iconic, provocative image of the perfectly toned and defined AllAmerican Guy. The iconic image of the “hot guy” honours the longstanding heritage of strength that A&F has been known for since 1892.

For the opening ceremony of the store, the hottest A&F Guys, carefully selected from their stores in the US, Italy, Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Belgium, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong will be flown into Dublin.

During the week leading up to the opening, the A&F Hot Guys will be greeting and taking pictures with fans outside the store.

Follow A&F on Facebook and Twitter, and line up early on November 1 for the grand opening.

18 GAZETTE 11 October 2012

GazetteBUSINESS

Supported

by AIB

Interview: Jacqui Fogarty, Little Miss Party Nails, Little Miss Party Hair FINANCIAL PLANNING MADE EASY I USED to be a dreadful worrier. (Stick with me on this, because it is relevant.) I would lie awake at two in the morning, asking myself where I had gone wrong and a voice would answer back: “This is going to take more than one night.”

Then, I had the good fortune to work with a successful entrepreneur who, for the purposes of this article, I shall call Gerry, because that happens to be his name.

The thing I noticed straightaway about Gerry was that he had elevated list-making to an art form. Before he wanted to achieve something important – start a business, raise millions of euro a year for charity, launch a takeover – he would prepare a list of all the different steps involved.

Anyway, as someone who has elevated plagiarism to an art form, I copied him and, although I cheat (I often write down things I have already done for the satisfaction of being able to cross them off), I have found that the simple process of listing has dealt a deathblow to my nocturnal fretting.

What does this have to do with financial planning made easy? If more people realised that financial planning was nothing more than a bit of glorified list-making, they might be keener to take it on.

A well-executed plan What can a financial plan do for you? I’ll cut to the chase – financial plans are like a powerful amulet. This is what a good, well-executed financial plan could do for you: • Wipe out all your personal debts.

• Help you pay off your mortgage early.

• Make sure you never have to borrow again.

• Help you build up plenty of savings.

• Ensure that your money achieves the highest possible return.

• Give you enough money to retire early.

• Protect you and your dependants against financial hardship.

• Offer you financial freedom.

• Make you wealthy enough to never have to worry about the future, whatever it may bring.

Think I am overpromising or exaggerating? If anything, I am erring on the side of caution. A good financial plan can make you invincible.

What exactly is a financial plan? Perhaps the easiest way to explain how they work is to use an analogy.

If you were driving from Copenhagen to Zagreb – heaven knows why, but you are – and you don’t have one of those wizard satellite navigation systems, you would not choose a road at random and hope for the best, would you? No, you wouldn’t.

You would plan your journey. If you encountered diversions, you would get out the map and decide on a new route. Throughout the journey, you would check on your progress.

Your financial plan should have the same qualities. That is to say, it should help you reach your destination, make your journey as fast as possible and stop you from wasting time, energy and, of course, money.

Part Two continues next week ...  Contact John with your money questions at

jlowe@moneydoctor.ie or visit his website at www.moneydoctor.ie. John Lowe, Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing director of Money Doctor

Jacqui has nailed what little girls want WITH more than 15 years’ experience in the hair and beauty industry, Jacqui Fogarty, from Churchtown, felt there was a gap in the market when it came to hair and nail parties for little girls – hence, Little Miss Party Nails, and her newest party addition, Little Miss Party Hair, was born.

She said: “Little girls love nothing more than having their hair and nails done, but I wanted the whole party experience to be more than just that by introducing hair and nail demonstrations for all the guests to creating themselves, with dummy hands and doll heads.

“Our parties can be mixed and matched, and are very creative, developing each individual’s imaginative side while waiting their turn.”

Being very concerned about applying regular polish, Jacqui sourced award-winning Piggy Paint nail polish from America.

This child-friendly formula is non-toxic, hypo-allergenic and water-based, making it perfect for little nails. To seal the finishing touches, nail art/nail decals are applied with a glossy top-coat, glitzy hand tattoo and a ring of choice.

They also offer the optional extra of Little Miss Party Bags to really take the pressure off mothers.

While each individual guest has their nails or hair professionally crafted by an experienced nail technician/stylist, all the other guests will be busy having fun creating stunning designer nails and crafts or hair designs with gems and glitter as far as the eye can see.

Catering for a wide range of different events, and with party sizes covering the Dublin area and surrounding counties, parties start from €125 for approximately 150 minutes, depending on numbers.

Jacqui Fogarty

Q&A Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be?

A: In the entertainment industry

Q: What was your first job?

A: Promotional work Q: And your first pay cheque?

A: A few pounds Q: Have you ever done a job you loathed?

A: No Q: When did you start your present job?

A: I created Little Miss Party Hair & Nails in March

Q: What is the best thing about your job?

A: The flexibility that it gives being a working mum

Q: What’s currently on your desk that shouldn’t be?

A: Chocolate

12 is listening to or watching, I am, too – I have to get into their world to be able to party with them

Q: Who would you rather have dinner with – Enda Kenny or Dame Edna?

A: Dame Edna

Q: Is there anything about yourself that you would like to set the record straight on?

A: Yes – I am a bit of a clean

Q: Who best represents modern Ireland – David Norris or Jedward?

A: It has to be Jedward

Q: Where do you enjoy spending money frivolously?

A: Everywhere

freak and have to be organised

Q: What music/pictures/movies do you have on your iPod/ iPad? A: A mixed bag of everything

day ... I am a working mum

Q: What sport do you follow?

A: Golf, as it’s never off our television

Q: What sport can you play?

A: I love skiing Q: What habits would you like to lose?

A: Lost many a bad habit a long time ago, but there is still that chocolate on the desk

Q: Have you achieved anything that you once thought you could not pull off?

A: Being my own boss

Q: At the moment, what are you looking forward to?

A: A few days’ break away with

Q: What part of your working day do you delegate?

A: [Nothing, as] All day every

Q: What is your guilty music/ TV or movie pleasure?

A: Everything that a girl under

the hubby

Q: Who do you follow on Twitter/Facebook?

A: Anyone that makes me laugh

Q: What was your last Tweet/ status update?

A: The fact that we are delighted to be promoting Oxfam Ireland’s Pass The Present campaign (www.oxfamireland. org/passthepresent)

Q: Describe your dream meal?

A: The one whereby you lose pounds as you eat ...

Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?

A: About 20 Q: What was your worst holiday experience?

A: Lots of great holidays when I would arrive – but always drama, getting there and back

Q: Describe your dream holiday?

A: The one that never ends ...

Q: What would be your dream job?

A: I am in it now. Partying every week with happy faces – who could ask for more?

Q: What do you plan to do when you retire?

A: Keep partying

11 October 2012 GAZETTE 19

GazetteBUSINESS Many happy returns for 2011 taxes

Supported

by AIB

ADVICE: HINTS AND TIPS ON NEGOTIATING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SELF-EMPLOYED

Paul Brady AITI BL BCL, a chartered tax adviser and founder of taxandlegal.ie, recently spoke to GazetteBusiness about the upcoming tax return deadline, and had some hints and tips to help people to complete their returns.

It is tax return time again.

If you were self employed and/or a landlord in 2011, you are required to file a return and pay tax on or before October 31 next.

The following are some tips for those faced with a looming tax bill:

1. Do not bury your head in the sand Do not develop a false sense of security because there is no one banging down your door. A tax liability will not disappear if you ignore it. In fact, it will grow at 8% per annum interest and that is ignoring surcharges and penalties which may apply.

2. Working from

home Many self employed individuals operate from their own home. Remember, you can deduct part of the cost of electricity, heating, telephone and internet. You must apportion costs between private and business use on a reasonable basis. In many cases, people will use square footage, usage or time spent as a basis. If you are renting, a portion of the rent attributable to a home office could be claimed. If you are in receipt of mortgage interest relief at source (TRS), be careful in trying to claim mortgage interest payments as a deduction.

3. Use actual expenses Some sole traders estimate their expenses based on the angle of the sun and direction of the wind. This is not a good idea. If you are audited, Revenue may seek the supporting documentation for expenses claimed

and, if they do not exist, Revenue can use their own estimate of what your expenses were.

Needless to say, that is not a desirable situation.

4. Preliminary tax Once your business is up and running for two years, you will have to pay the balance of tax due for last year (ie 2011) and preliminary tax in respect of this year (ie 2012). Preliminary tax is an amount equal to 100% of last year’s tax or 90% of this year’s total. Some banks are offering loans to meet preliminary tax liabilities.

If you can pay last year’s tax but preliminary tax is causing you difficulty, you should get in touch with your local Revenue office. Despite the impression given in the media, the Revenue Commissioners are not looking to put people out of business and will work with you.

5. Mortgage deduc-

tions for Landlords Normally, mor tgage repayments will have both a capital and an interest element. If you are renting a residential property, remember that only 75% of the interest element of the mortgage repayments is deductible.

Do not make the mistake of assuming that because the mortgage exceeds the rent, no tax arises.

Besides, if you declare losses now, they can be offset against profits in the future (here’s hoping!).

6. Spare cash If you have cash to spare, you could reduce your tax bill by investing in a tax relieved film or an EIIS scheme. Investments made now will reduce your 2012 liability. You could also make a contribution to a PRSA or other pension in respect of 2011. Again, up to certain limits, your taxable income will be reduced by the amount of the contribution.

Paul Brady AITI BL BCL, chartered tax adviser and founder of taxandlegal.ie with some tax tips

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20 gazette 11 October 2012

GazetteMOTORS Bose edition RoadSigns bodes well for Renault’s Grand Scenic Over €2k of extras for loyal customers

When a car hits the right notes, manufacturers are often faced with a dilemma about where to go next?

It could easily be seen as arrogant to assume that a successful offering is so good that it needs no refinement, yet at the same time, to mess with a successful concept can often detract from its original appeal.

The Skoda Yeti is a car that I have great affection for - it was the very first car that I test drove as a motoring journalist, and it put a big smile on my face.

n Cormac Curtis

The Skoda Yeti Urban

At the time, my own car was a big SUV that guzzled petrol if you so much as looked at it, and it didn’t really like to move very much.

The Yeti, on the other hand, politely sipped from its diesel tank and ate up motorway in exceptional comfort. To say I was smitten would be putting it mildly. This car offers so much to so many it has been widely hailed as one of the most complete cars on the road. It’s an incredibly eye-catching and attractive car, and it’s big, but it’s not so big that it becomes impractical for city living.

For getting away from it all – it has everything you need for a rural break, no matter how outdoorsy your demands may be.

Even using the standard seating configuration, the car has enough clever nets, hooks and storage areas to keep all your gear stowed safely.

It offers Skoda’s VarioFlex rear seating system – so even skiing and surf gear can be carried while passengers still ride in comfort. The Yeti Urban is powered by Skoda’s efficient 2.0 TFI (110bhp) engine, which gives it a nice bit of power when you need it.

So, in short, Skoda is offering its loyal Yeti customers over €2,000 worth of extras for just €220 with the Urban spec.

The car comes with the extraordinary panoramic sunroof, attractive 17” black/silver alloy wheels, a Bolero Radio, multifunction leather steering wheel with Bluetooth, the VarioFlex seating, tinted sunset windows, cruise control, airconditioning, ESP and a total of seven airbags for added safety.

For €25,495 you are certainly getting a lot of car for your money.

I was a little taken aback when I heard about the Renault Grand Scenic Bose Edition.

Q u i t e h o n e s t l y, I really couldn’t understand how Renault were going to marry a car with a premium sound system as a special edition model.

My confusion dissipated as soon as I saw the car.

The designers really did manage to capture a variety of musical elements and translate them into style points on an already impres-

sive vehicle.

The Grand Scenic itself defies accepted wisdom by providing an incredibly roomy car with a selection of very economical – and comfortable – diesel engines that don’t disappoint when it comes to performance.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating, the efficiency that car manufacturers can squeeze out of such small engines continues to impress me.

The model I drove came with the 1.6 dCi engine producing 130 bhp, more than enough poke to balance the

power-to-weight ratio of this particular cruising machine in the driver’s favour.

Not only that, it will use just 4.4 litres of fuel per 100km on a combined cycle.

The look of the car really does set it apart.

The pearl white paint is the perfect canvas on which to show off the obvious as well as the more subtle design cues.

A good place to start is the lights. The rear shows off L -shaped clusters that w rap around the side as well as up towards the roof of the car.

This lifts what could have been the least attractive aspect of the Scenic.

The boot boasts an attractive chrome strip across the handle, and, moving around to the side, and we are presented with more beautifully understated chrome strips set just above the bottom of the doors.

This chrome pack is finished off at the front, where we are presented with three strips accenting the dramatic black, low-set grille.

The middle strip has a cluster of LED lights set in to give the front

The Grand Scenic did not

an impressive look at night.

On the inside, I can only describe the dash as being lifted straight from a grand piano.

There is some of the

11 October 2012 GAZETTE 21

Edited by Cormac Curtis

RoadSigns

The new Panda’s looks are all about practicality

Fiat introduces its new Panda

disappoint when it came to performance

most highly polished panels I have ever seen in a car adorning the console, and only the mere mention of Bose, a name that only appears very subtly on the car, inside and out.

In terms of sound – anyone with a passing interest in music will be completely blown away by what the system is capable of producing across its nine speakers.

My own choice of very loud guitar and hip hop really must have seemed at odds with the somewhat practical image of the Grand Scenic.

The comfort of the driver and passengers is, of course, well taken care of with a list of features including a combined odour/particle filter, dual-zone climate control, electrically operated heated folding door mirrors, a

heated rear windscreen, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers, electric front windows (driver’s one touch) , the innovative handsfree Renault card and the very useful hill start assist.

For safety, electronic parking brake, ABS - Emergency brake assist, front lateral and curtain airbags, ISOFIX child seat mounting points (rear side seats), front fog lights, a perimeter alarm and a safety pack are all standard in the Bose edition.

Not forgetting the Bose® Energy Efficient Series Sound System with Bluetooth® and Plug & Music.

The sat nav features Britain and Ireland maps and the Carminat

TomTom Live navigation system Controls include cruise control and speed limiter, rear parking proximity sensors, electric parking brake, daytime running lights and motorway mode

indicators.

I felt the dark grey upholstery with Teflon treatment and leathertype inserts complemented the console, and the leather steering wheel gave one of the most important points

of contact a very luxurious feel.

The car’s 17” alloy wheels, extra tinted rear windows and black sari aluminium wheel rim all added to a very exclusive package that made this dad feel very young at heart.

THERE are certain cars that will always have a place in the hearts of Irish motorists. One such car is the Fiat Panda.

Many consider it a design classic, with a shape that first hit the streets in 1980. It has had just two significant makeovers in Europe over the last three decades.

The most recent shape came off its Italian production line in 2011 and hit the Irish market earlier this year. If you’re honest, the idea of a Panda will probably bring a smile to your face, with just a hint of a smug grin at the thought of the original boxy shape. But let’s not forget that the Panda comes from Italy – and the Italians know a thing or two about style, even if the dependability of their cars wasn’t always world class.

At first glance, I liked the look of the Panda – it’s clearly all about practicality, but there are playful elements of design all over this car. The brief here is user-friendly, with a smile.

Several features of the second generation of the Panda have been nicely redesigned, such as the vertical rear light cluster and third window, now with softened angles that create the effect of an uninterrupted glazed surface. Smooth, rounded shapes are also found in the strips applied to the bumpers and side panels. Finally, the lower section of the tailgate protrudes with respect to the rear window. Combined with the side line, this gives a distinct impression of a roof panel resting on the bodywork.

The interior of the Panda is roomy and comfortable, where flexibility and versatility become the city car’s real strong points. The dashboard – enveloped in a colourful frame – has been designed as a practical multipurpose shell containing a large and roomy storage pocket for very useful stowing.

The raised gear lever in the centre of the dashboard, up close to the steering wheel, guarantees comfortable driving. Another stylistic and functional feature is the distinctive shape of the parking brake whose smaller size allows the space to be used more efficiently.

This is an agile, manoeuvrable and really big city car - but it faces stiff competition from a wave of small cars that are fighting aggressively for a share of the Irish market, including the Skoda CitiGo, VW Up! and Seat Mii.

22 gazette 11 October 2012

GazetteTravel FastTravel A superb celebration of the arts at Queen’s University Belfast festival WHETHER it’s spending an evening in the company of Van Morrison, listening to the tunes of Ray Davies or enjoying a world-class production of Macbeth, the 2012 Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s University in Belfast is one stop that should be made this month – to a city that’s really made an impact this year.

In what is the 50th instalment of the festival, the Belfast arts celebration has come a long way since the modest campus event that first took place in 1961. Over the past 50 years, the festival has showcased some of the world’s biggest acts, including Jimi Hendrix, Kylie Minogue, Rowan Atkinson and Michael Palin.

This year, the festival features more than 180 events across 17 days, with world premieres and international acts taking to the stage of Belfast City.

Holidays for Halloween needn’t be hellish at all

n natalie burke

Golden anniversary ... Shan McAnena, Belfast Festival director; Fiona Cunningham, Northern Ireland Tourism Board’s market manager for the Republic of Ireland, and Anne McMullan, Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau, mark a big event

International acts From October 19 until November 4, Belfast will be featuring both home-grown and international artists, authors and performers.

Performances by Dublin’s Junk Ensemble, WillFredd Theatre, the Project Arts Centre and the Everyman Theatre in Cork will be highlights of the festival, while productions from across the world will be making their Irish debut.

See the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of Enquirer, the controversial production Minsk 2011, by the Belarus Free Theatre, or the Tron Theatre Company’s brilliant re-imagining of Joyce’s Ulysses.

Speaking at the launch, festival director Shan McAnena summed up the heart of the festival, saying: “There’s music in shopping centres, churches and museums, comedy at the heart of Queen’s University, theatre in offices, public baths and bars, and art in the open air.

“From hip-hop to opera, hunting for fairies to ghosts in the dark, from international superstars to local heroes, we are proud to present the largest and most eclectic festival in Ireland.”

For further information, places to stay and things to do, see www.discovernorthernireland. com, or call 1850 230 230.

Halloween is almost here and along with pumpkins, goblins and the other ghoulish types that haunt this time of year, some families may be hoping to make an escape from the regular trick or treating trail.

With ghost tours, pumpkin festivals and fancy dress balls on the getaway menu, it appears to be full scream ahead when it comes to choosing a daunting destination this October bank holiday.

Killer Killarney Killarney is known for having its fair share of ghosts and legends and this year’s Halloween festival at the four-star

Malton hotel does its best to awaken the best of them.

With party games such as Pass the Pumpkin and Musical Zombies, as well as a programme filled with ar ts and

Two nights B&B with one evening meal is available midweek from just €149 per adult sharing and €60 per child (three to 12 years). See w w w.themalton.com online.

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

‘With ghost tours, pumpkin festivals, fancy-dress balls and creepy cruises on the getaway menu, it’s looking like full scream ahead for Halloween destinations’

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

crafts, a spider hunt and a ghost bus tour, taking guests on a frightening trip to see some of Killarney’s scariest spots, The Malton has plenty of horrors for the whole family to enjoy.

A family room at the Castlecourt Hotel in Co Mayo

Macabre Mayo Elsewhere, the Westport Plaza and Castlecourt Hotel Resorts in Co Mayo are offering a host of tricks and treats for all the family, from Monday, October 29 to

Sunday, November 4.

Just minutes away from the haunted house and fireworks display at the Halloween Fest, Wespor t House, the hotels are tailormade for a Halloween break.

The “spooktacular” packages offer a Halloween party night and karaoke for the kids, while mum and dad can escape for some relaxation at the Spa Sula.

Three nights’ B&B, plus two evening meals a r e av a i l a b l e f r o m €409 at the Castlecourt Hotel (see www.castelecourthotel.ie online) or from just €449 at the Westport Plaza (online at www.westportplazahotel.ie).

See Travel Briefs for a chance to win a break away.

Petrifying Pumpkins For a town normally home to just over 3,000 people, Virginia, Co Cavan, cer tainly knows how to cater for the crowds as a total of 20,000 people are expected to descend in time for the annual Pumpkin Festival, taking place from October 25 to October 29.

In what is the town’s sixth year to host the popular Halloween celebration, the event will be headlined by the Hothouse Flowers and

Smashing little pumpkins

the Garth Brooks Experience, and will entertain out-of-towners with a pumpkin weigh-in competition, a haunted forest walk and Ireland’s largest fancy dress party.

K nowing where to stay is easy, with plenty of hotels offering some scarily good prices.

Stay at the Lakeside Manor Hotel from just €55 per room or treat yourself at the Park Hotel on its own private 100-acre estate from €109 per room.

Visit www.pumpkinfestival.ie or www.hotels. com.

Creepy Killiney If there’s one type of hotel that really sells the Halloween theme, it’s got to be an original 18th century castle.

And for families who don’t want to travel too far, the Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Killiney, could

11 October 2012 LUCAN gazette 23

Edited by Natalie Burke

Competition Win a wickedly good weekend in Westport this Halloween Dublin Gazette Newspapers and the Castlecourt Hotel, Westport, Co Mayo, have joined together to offer our readers the chance to win a frightfully good getaway this Halloween mid-term, with a two-night stay at the four-star resort for two adults and two children sharing, with breakfast each morning and dinner on one evening of your choice.

Children can avail of the Buzz Club during their stay, with daily sports, treasure hunts and talent shows.

The dates for the prize are Thursday, November 1, and Friday, November 2, and to win, answer this simple question: What day of the week does Halloween fall on this year?

Send your answers (including name, address and contact number) by email, with the subject line, Halloween, to competition@gazettegroup. com, by Friday, October 19.

Max and Ruby Kelly helped launch the 2012 Virginia Pumpkin Festival. Inset, the spooky exterior of the Malton Hotel in Killarney.

be just the haunt.

From just €370, families can enjoy two nights’ B&B with one evening dinner for two adults and two children.

Guests will be greeted by wine and chocolates as well as a spooky Halloween gift for the children. Available from October 29 to November 2, email reservations@ fitzpatricks.com.

Scary Co Derry One of Europe’s greatest Halloween festivals, the Bank of the Foyle Halloween Carnival, is set to return to Co Derry once again this year, with five days of family fun leading up to the spectacular carnival parade and fireworks display on October 31.

With events organised for all ages, visitors can dress up in creepy costumes joining the throngs of witches,

warlocks, vampires and monsters haunting the streets.

W hy not take up Northern Ireland Tourists Board’s (NITB) special accommodation offer at the Everglades Hotel, Co. Derry with two nights’ B&B and one evening meal from just £95 (€118) per person sharing.

For more information or to book, visit www. discovernor thernireland.com or call 1850 230230.

King Cong Spending a night in bewitching surroundings is one theme that sells to both the children and their parents when it comes to taking a Halloween family break.

A “ghoulish getaway” package at Lisloughrey Lodge in Cong, Co Mayo will keep the little monsters entertained in

the Skeleton Club with scary movie evenings, Halloween games and ghost story telling, while the family can enjoy breakfast each morning, a delicious dining experience with the “Best Chef in Connacht” at W i l d e ’s R e s t a u r a n t before the Halloween Party pumpkin carving and old-style trick or treating.

Available from €390 for a family of two adults and two children, visit www.lisloughreylodge. com.

Sail from Ross-scare Off-shore, ghost ships make up the biggest part of seafaring lore and Stena Line have created the perfect package to create your own legend this Halloween.

The Halloween Family fun day cruise takes place on Wednesday, October 31, setting sail

across the Irish sea on a non-landing cruise from both Dublin Port and Rosslare.

Passengers can enjoy a scarily good day of Halloween balloon modelling, scary face painting, spooky treasure hunts and Halloween arts and crafts.

With a prize for the

best dressed, families can take their trick or treating on board from just €35 for one adult and one child, €60 for two adults and two children or €70 for two adults and three children.

Visit www.stenaline. ie/halloween to book your place.

Lighting up the Halloween night in Derry

24 lucan Gazette 11 October 2012

GazetteENTERTAINMENT

GoingOUT THE pavilioN THEATRE 01 231 2929 Brendan Grace

THE greatest family comedian of his generation proudly presents 40 years in the comedy business, Brendan’s new show features some brand new material and some old favourites from his vast repertoire over the last 40 years including all time favourite parodies Father of the Bride and Chinese Takeaway. As always it is advisable to secure your ticket early. Grace is playing two shows, October 19 and 20 and tickets are priced at €31.

mill theatre 01 296 9340 Sylvia’s Quest

THIS innovative promenade show uses cutting edge radio technology, which empowers you to listen to the sounds, voices and worlds which only Sylvia can usually see and hear on headphones, as you follow her through her labyrinth. Sylvia’s Quest invites you to take to Dundrum and follow Sylvia on her thrilling quest through the centre’s labyrinth. Sylvia shares her multiple worlds with you, her new friend, as she guides you through her labyrinth of secret streets and time portals. October 17-21 tickets priced at €10/€12.

CIVIC THEATRE 01 462 7477 Gay Byrne Live on Stage

THE Civic Theatre is proud to announce a rare opportunity to see Gay Byrne, one of the most loved television and radio personalities in history, for a live performance. In his five decade broadcasting career, Gay Byrne was “the man who changed Ireland”. From senior politicians to senior clergy to the brightest stars in the Hollywood firmament, he has been a confessor figure to the good, the bad and the ugly. Catch the legendary Gaybo on Wednesday, October 17 at 8pm, with tickets priced at €20.

draiocht 01 885 2622 One-Man Star Wars Trilogy

GROWING up on an isolated farm in Canada, young Charles Ross was starved for entertainment. His family owned just three VCR tapes, one of which was the first Star Wars. Ross watched the film more than 400 times, committing every line to memory. And what was once a childhood obsession has now become a career. The actor’s One-Man Star Wars Trilogy takes fans on a whirlwind adventure through a film franchise that has preoccupied the imaginations of so many children around the world. October 18 at 8pm, tickets €18/14.

Brad Pitt, looking less than Hollywood gorgeous, takes aim in Killing Them Softly

No soft sell for Pitt

Visceral, brutal and violent, there is plenty to like about this gangster film, with a return to form by Ray Liotta

 PAUL HOSFORD

AF TER a couple of weeks in the sun, an easygoing, light-hearted film was just what I was after to ease me back into the reviewer’s chair.

Un f o r t u n a t e l y f o r me, Brad Pitt has reteamed with the director of 2007’s criminally overlooked and underrated The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford and the lure of that team was, quite honestly, too strong.

Assassination was, simply put, one of the finest films of the 21st century and director Andrew Dominik, who announced his arrival with 2000’s hilarious and violent Chopper, could very well become

Film of the Week: Killing Them Softly hhhh (18) 97 mins Director: Andrew Dominik Starring: Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendehlson, Sam Shepard,

OUR VERDICT:

IT won’t please everyone, with some violent overtures, a television news narration of the wider world and nothing that is truly original on show. But, what Killing Me Softly does is recall 1970s film-making at its finest. Gritty, dirty and drained of colour, Dominik creates a world where no character occupies the moral high ground and all are merely shades of grey.

a very important part of the American film landscape (granted, he’s Australian).

Without wanting to anoint anyone, Dominik has the visual flair, the technical ability and the violent streak to position him as his generation’s successor to Martin Scorsese.

Heady praise, indeed, but with Killing Them Softly his third film, it is hard to ignore the fact that, forgive the cliche,

they just don’t make them like this anymore.

Dominik takes his own gangster script, set in the days of the handover from George W Bush to Barack Obama, and forgets the last 20 years of gangster films ever existed.

No Tarantino-esque fizz to the conversations, no pop culture references and no jumping around the timeline.

This is a film about

two men, Frankie and Russell (McNairy and Mendehlson, respectively), who are hired to rob a mob-protected card game run by local hood Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta, on excellent form).

Of course, it is Markie who has hired the hapless duo to rob his game, but nobody involved in the plan is as smart as they think they are.

That’s where Pitt and Gandolfini come in as outside enforcers for the various mobsters smarting at the loss of their money.

Of course, they are not just in tow n to s h a ke p o c ke t s a n d kindly request that the money be returned and, soon, Frankie and Russell are in a desperate situation, with no way

out in sight.

Although some elements of the film are slightly heavy-handed ( T h e Ve l ve t Un d e rground’s Heroin for when a character is on drugs feels a little too on the nose), the strong characters and often beguiling, almost honourable code that they live by are captivating.

This is where Pitt, who is surely the world’s finest actor over the last five years (Tree of Life, Benjamin Button, Jess James, Moneyball, Inglourious Basterds and Burn After Reading), steals the show.

His Jack Cogan navigates a messy world, but his job remains the same.

The lesson, seemingly is, things don’t always change.

11 October 2012 LUCAN GAZETTE 25

GazetteGAMING

Exclusive: We play Halo 4 (and talk to a key Chief)  SHANE DILLON

JUST a week ago or so, I dropped in to Microsoft’s HQ in Madrid – as you do – for an exclusive, handson playtest (see below) and look at the upcoming and exclusive XBox 360 title, Halo 4.

The latest in a longrunning series (of pure, classic space opera), a lone hero – Master Chief – must work with scant allies and over-stretched resources to deal with hostile alien threats.

Which he resolves with lots and lots of shiny space guns, as well as occasional forays into vehicle-based combat ...

In my role as the only Irish journalist invited to the Madrid showing, I was also able to bag a second exclusive – an interview with Frank O’Connor, a key figure in the long-running Halo franchise.

Indeed, as franchise development director for Halo 4 (and with his extensive Halo background), Frank is, basically, “Mr Halo”, making him the perfect person to talk to about the latest title in

the series, what will make Halo 4 appeal to all-new players and diehard fans alike, developing for the 360, and more ...

of creating. But, to be honest, this time we didn’t drop that many features, compared to the number that we were able to add.

Was it pretty hard to come up with new stuff for Halo 4, or was it just an iteration of concepts, rather than all-out revolution?

The first game basically created the template for how you create [this type of] videogame on this type of hardware, from “muscle memory” and control through to networking games and usergenerated content.

But, yes, we have to have evolution, too, so we had to have some really big things change, to make it exciting, creatively.

Do you think you have pushed the 360 to its limit with Halo 4?

No. This was our team’s first effort on Xbox, yet this is what we [could do]. You have to imagine that our next effort will be even better than this one!

We’re supporting the 360 for quite some time [to come] with new map packs, and other content that we’re still creating right now. The old girl’s got a lot of life left in her!

(Above) Halo’s hero, Master Chief, stands by, ready for the global launch of Halo 4 in November; (right)

Were there a lot of ideas that you had to drop through development?

When you’re building games, it’s a funny thing because some of the best ideas you have, the most ambitious ideas you have tend to get dropped.

We try to be realistic from the outset, and think about what we’re capable

Can you sum up Halo 4 in one thing?

I can’t! And the reason is that there are too many constituents to it. But, one thing is that Halo 4 is a fantastic piece of value.

Say, back in America, I go to the movies. By the time I pay for my parking, tickets, popcorn etc, I’m up in the $40 range – and if two people go … It can be an expensive night out, just for an hour and 45 minutes of entertainment!

Frank O’Connor, franchise development director for 343 Industries, Halo 4’s developer. Pictures: Shane Dillon

But Halo, for $60, will give me literally hundreds of hours of entertainment.

Do you think Halo will reach out to new audiences with its latest addition?

Halo will definitely bring in new audiences, this time; it’s been a fiveyear break since Halo 3.

A lot of people didn’t have a 360 five years ago, and will be looking for new experiences.

Our job is to make sure that the new audiences have a smooth “on-board” experience with Halo, but we also have to make sure that our 10-year Halo veterans are happy, too.

Will Halo 4 be accessible to everyone, or is it something more suited to long-term players?

A lot of people are intimidated by that Halo

So, after an extensive preview, what’s Halo 4 really like to play?

I PLAYED through several hours of a number of Halo 4’s modes; and had quite a blast! (Sorry!)

After playing through a couple of Single Player campaign missions, it’s just as you’d expect from Halo, but more so – a mixture of the old and the new, with an elaborate, unfolding plot that’s presented with noticeable polish, thanks to intricate graphics and audio – if you’ve time to notice such things, as the hectic

gameplay (with Halo’s famous AI to the fore) remains as engaging and challenging as ever.

The Co-op play (with fellow hacks) was also plenty of fun, with expansive locales and a number of strategic chokeholds mixing up gameplay challenges.

Finally, what many gamers still see as its strongest point – Halo’s Deathmatch games – were great, with a terrific must-try surprise giv-

ing a real kick to some of the levels.

In short, as an old Halo fan, 343 Industries definitely seem to have nailed the series at its best, with all of the above.

Thanks to its unique identity, its strong pedigree, and a clear vision of what Halo “is”, Halo 4 should shoot to the top of the charts upon its release. I’ll certainly be playing along ...

number – 4 – and ask: “Well, will I have to play 1, 2 and 3 [first]?”, but this is a new story, and quite complete.

If you ask me which game to start with, I would say to start with Halo 4.

Then, when you love that universe – and we hope you do – you can go back and try the other games [to flesh out the Halo universe some more].

And, with that, Frank had to go, though there were, of course, many other Halo and XBox topics that I could have asked him about. I guess they’ll just have to wait until Halo 5 or 6 …

Halo 4 is released exclusively for the XBox 360 on Tuesday, November 6 with a RRP of €69.99, or €89.99 for a limited edition.

GAZETTE

26 LUCAN GAZETTE 11 October 2012

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GazetteSPORT

11 October 2012 LUCAN gazette 27

glorious gaa: All the best stories as the championships reach fever pitch: Page 31

soccer: local clubs line up exciting ties in second round of intermediate cup

LSL’s top two face off as Merrion get Phoenix showdown

 sport@gazettegroup.com

THE second round of the FAI Intermediate Cup draw threw up some tasty fixtures, set to be played on the weekend of October 28.

LSL Sunday Senior high-flyers Mount Merrion have been handed a home draw against Phoenix should they be able to get past the challenge of Glebe North in the first round in what could be the pick of the

bunch.

Merrion have been transformed this season since their dalliance with relegation a year ago in the league, winning five of their first six ties before enduring a blip. Among their two losses was a 2-1 setback to Phoenix who have now nestled into second place in the division with an unbeaten start to the campaign.

Another Sunday Senior contender, Bluebell United, have also

picked up a home tie as they welcome Belgrove Home Farm to the Red Cow and eye another bid for the competition in which they have such a proud record.

Elsewhere, Wayside and Dublin Bus have unfinished first round business but, if they make it through, they face an away day at St Patrick’s CY who have yet to pick up a win in the league.

Verona are at Greystones while Broadford

Lucan United and Phoenix are once again hoping to push on in the FAI Intermediate Cup

Rovers have a huge task ahead of them as they face last year’s finalists Cherry Orchard.

The Cherries, runners-up to Avondale for the past two years, had an 8-2 win away to Skerries Town in the first round and must travel again in round two, this

time to Broadford who had a bye in the opening round.

After last year’s heroics in this competition, Lucan United may fancy an upset despite the two divisions that separate them and Greystones A F C . T h e W i c k l ow team have struggled in

the Senior 1 this term and lie in the relegation zone while the Airlie Heights men have risen from a slow start with three wins from four.

Lucan beat a number of higher division sides last season, earning a place in the FAI Senior Cup for their efforts,

notably bringing Phoenix to a replay after an epic tie at Scribblestown.

TEK United go to Kilnamanagh; Glenmore Dundrum meet Newbridge Town in St Tiernan’s while St Mochta’s take on Pegasus St James Athletic.

28 LUCAN Gazette 11 October 2012

GazetteSport FastSport

To Hell and Back: Huge turnout for annual adventure race over 1500 participants came through the

third annual “Hell and Back”, Ireland’s toughest 10k race at Kilruddery Estate last Sunday.

Barbed wire, electric shocks, ponds of peril, and Satan’s Pit were all obstacles on the man-made hell on earth covering 1,200 acres.

The event was run by Alive Outside, a full time professional sports events company in Patrick Street, Dun Laoghaire.

The next event on their schedule will take place on January 27, 2013, and will be the Ultimate Test of Winter Hell and Back.

hurling: new initiative offers €10,000 prize fund

Leixlip handballers Court’ success LEIXLIP’s handballers are ready for battle at the world handball championships after they received their brand new, specially designed gear at the Courtyard Hotel last week.

The Courtyard Hotel is the main sponsor of Leixlip Handball and, in handing over the new jersey to club captain Una Wrynn, the proprietor of the hotel, Luke Moriarty, said he was delighted to be sponsoring the side.

“Leixlip has a proud handball tradition,” said Sean O’Connor, chairman of the Leixlip Handball Worlds Committee, “and since I became involved with the club, a number of years ago I am aware that they have represented their club and community with distinction both at home and abroad, winning many All-Ireland and international competitions.

We are proud to sponsor them,” he said.

“We have 27 players competing in the world championships (14 juveniles and 13 adults) which take place in City West from October 11 to 21.

“We have been looking forward to this since the last championships in Portland, Oregon in the US three years ago. Our preparations have gone well and we are satisfied that this is the best-prepared team to represent Leixlip since the foundation of the club” said Sean.

“We are satisfied that a number of our players will reach the latter stages of the competition and we are quietly confident that, with a bit of luck, we might bring home a title or two.”

In paying tribute to the Courtyard and Luke Moriarty for their generous sponsorship, Seán also thanked Leixlip Town Council and all the other benefactors who have contributed so generously to the club’s fundraising campaign.

The event in Citywest sees some of the best handballers from around the world compete, including Dublin 15 native and multiple AllIreland champions Eoin Kennedy.

Galway’s Joe Canning and and Kilkenny’s Eoin Larkin with flight attendants Joanne Walsh, Natalie Morton, Jessica Reilly and Grainne Nagle

Etihad set to raise the bar  sport@gazettegroup.com

ETIHAD Air ways, sponsor of the GA A Hurling All Ireland Senior Championships, has launched a new competition for clubs across the country with the ultimate prize, a year’s sponsorship package with the Abu Dhabibased airline.

The winning club will receive €10,000 cash sponsorship fund; new branded playing and training kit; as wellas mentoring, coaching and social visits from key figures inside and outside hurling.

Among the other prizes on offer are Etihad Airways flights and All-Ireland hurling final tickets.

D ave Wa l s h , E t i had Airways’ Ireland country manager, said: “Sports clubs are always looking for sponsorship opportunities and we are delighted to launch the competition with this incredible prize.

We are looking for the club that wants to raise the bar and show us why they deserve to be the winner.”

Uachtaran Chumann Luthchleas Gael Liam Ó Néill urged hurling

clubs ever y where to engage with the initiative.

Engaging He said: “This is an excellent way of engaging with our sponsors Etihad Air ways and there is an attractive prize on offer for the lucky winning club.

“It’s innovative and exciting, and participation alone has the potential to stir interest and vibrancy in our clubs as they look at different ways of making them and what they do stand out from other clubs.”

Clubs enter the competition by submitting written and video entries that show how they “Raise The Bar” and why they deserve to win the sponsorship package.

Achievement comes in many forms, not just silverware. Etihad Airways wants to reward one special club, whether the focal point of their community, or managing to keep the club going against the odds or even growing their club in recent times.

Details can be found online at etihadgaa.ie.

T he winning club will be decided by a public vote and a panel of judges consisting of Nicky English, Des Cahill and Micheal O Muircheartaigh.

Etihad Airways has a rich history in innovative hurling competitions and “Raise The Bar” follows the hugely successful “Best Club Under the Sun” competition.

T his was won last year was won by Clarinbridge GAA Club in Co Galway and previously saw Lucan Sarsfields claim the prestigious title.

11 October 2012 LUCAN gazette 29

Paralympic road to Rio laid open

FastSport

Next Saturday, potential Paralympic medallists can make their first move toward pursuing their Young boxers take on sporting dreams, writes PETER CARROLL Newcastle’s finest THIS Saturday, fresh off the amazing success of London 2012, Paralympics Ireland will be on the hunt for the next generation of talent, with chief executive Liam Harbison claiming to be confident that “someone will walk through the door this weekend that will go on to be a medallist for Ireland at the Rio Games in 2016”.

The Paralympics Talent Search is a chance for all people interested in sport that have a disability or visual impairment to try their hand.

The event will need all interested parties to be in the UCD Sports Centre between 10.30 am and 3pm on Saturday, October 13.

Harbison claims that in light of the success of Team Ireland at the Paralympic Games, this talent search could be

a massive success with a lot of people becoming aware of Paralympic sport for the first time this year.

“For the first time the Paralympic Games got blanket coverage – everyone was exposed to it and I’m sure a lot of

many people that wanted to give these sports a try.

“What’s really fantastic is finding people that are already athletes and turning them toward a sport that they maybe wouldn’t have been aware of had they not

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

‘Someone wilI walk through the door this weekend that will go on to be a medallist for Ireland at the Rio Games in 2016’ - Liam Harbison

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

people will want to get involved with it now that have physical disabilities or visual impairments.

“We ran a similar project in 2009, on a far smaller scale, and we expected about 50 people to turn out on the day. It turned out to be 400. There were just so

come out to the open day.

“I can remember we had a lot of amputees showing up on the day who had been playing soccer, but there is no amputee soccer in the Paralympics so we put them on to different sports and they went

Liam Harbison, far left, with Paralympic medallists and ones for the future

on to really enjoy them, something that wouldn’t have happened if they hadn’t shown up that day,” said Harbison.

Although many people dream of representing Ireland at the Paralympic Games, Harbison underlined that the point of the talent search is not strictly to find some new members for Team Ireland, but rather to get disabled people involved in sports and to find them something they can enjoy doing.

“The primary goal of The Paralympic Talent Search is to get people who have disabilities and visual impairments active and get them involved in sport in general.

“From there the enjoyment factor comes into it and then there is always the goal to gain a mastery of the skill involved in the activity and that’s where our Paralympians generally come from.

“The process of getting to the Paralympic Games is a huge one.

“It takes a lot of effort from coaches and the athletes but there have been some cases where people have done great things very quickly and that’s an amazing thing to see,” said Harbison.

With a talent search on a much lesser scale in 2009, Harbison witnessed himself how much a life can be changed by simply try-

ing to get involved in sport.

“I remember a woman coming into us and she seemed completely debilitated and she wanted to try out one of the cycling sports.

“She had been waiting quite a while and one of the coaches suggested that she should try one of the rowing machines while she was waiting so she gave it a go.

“T hat woman was Anne Marie McDaid and she went on to represent Team Ireland this year at the Paralympic Games.

“It completely changed her and the quality of life she enjoys now is amazing.

“Similarly with Mark Rohan, he crashed his motorcycle and suffered terrible injuries and started off his Paralympic journey playing wheelchair rugby.

He just decided to give hand cycling a try and now he’s a double Paralympic champion,” said Harbison.

The event includes exhibition areas for Paralympic Sports, opportunities to take part, expert advice on what sports suit your disability type, demonstrations of elite Paralympic team sports including wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and cerebral palsy football and presentations by some of Ireland’s Paralympic heroes including Michael McKillop.

MONKSTOWN’S Cameron Fox and Eoin Larkin, Whitechurch’s Sean Mari and Mulhuddart’s Killian McDaid were all part of a Dublin schoolboy’s boxing team (aged from 11 to 14) that travelled over to Newcastle recently.

They went there to box against the Tyne, Tees and Wearside regional schoolboys champions, many of who were ABA Champions – the equivalent of an All-Ireland champion.

The boxing took place in the newly built Gateshead Academy of Sport and, after 15 bouts, the Dublin schoolboys came away with an 8-7 win, quite an achievement against one of England’s most successful regions.

Mari (27kg) and Larkin (31kg) got the side off to a fine start when they saw off Spennymoor’s Charlie Eddy and Kieran Lindsay, respectively.

Cameron Fox boxed well but was undone

by Newbiggin’s Rhys Harrison while McDaid also found Wellington’s Morgan Guest a formidable opponent at 44kg level.

But the event proved a high quality exercise for all concerned with Ed Griffin (Esker ABC) and JP Kinsella (Monkstown BC) among the backroom team helping the side progress.

Dublin 15 hosts All-Ireland WESTMANSTOWN GC will play host to the Míele All-Ireland Ladies Fourball Championship 2012 national finals next weekend with 32 lady golfers teeing off with high hopes of claiming a national green pennant for their club.

T he competition continues to grow from strength to strength and this

year ’s tournament which teed off mid May, saw a record number of 235 clubs involved and over 2,200 woman golfers from across the North, East, South and West taking part.

T his tournament provides lady golfers across the country the opportunity to win an All-Ireland national pennant in a fourball matchplay format.

Eastern Region winners Dublin City, having defeated Lucan, last year’s winners,

30 lucan gazette 11 October 2012

GazetteSport FastSport

soccer: peamount duo star for Irish Under-17s

Whelan bound for world championships in UK ADAMSTOWN cycling club rider Brendan Whelan will travel to the UK this week to compete in the World Masters Track Championships at Manchester Velodrome. Whelan will compete in the two endurance events, the scratch race and the points race.

Whelan has already won all Irish national masters titles this season, winning five gold medals in July, and he recently won the veteran national track championships in September.

Elsewhere, the club’s track cycling coach Stephen Gibbons completed a very busy day of track accreditations at Sundrive Velodrome on Saturday including a pass for new ACT rider Finola Lawlor from Beech Park in Lucan.

Lawlor is the latest rider invited to join Adamstown cycling team, and she wasted no time in earning her accreditation.

She has been training with ACT riders for a few weeks and has impressed the coaches and senior team.

Adamstown CT hope she will be ready to represent them racing on the road and track next season, including team national track events alongside Roisin Kennedy.

Harriers duo on top form TWO Lucan Harriers finished in the top 10 of the 5k Cross-country in Castlemartin Estate, Celbridge last week as Tommy Buggle and Derek Taylor finished sixth and ninth to show what superb shape they are in leading into the Dublin novice cross country race.

Buggle is a master of the muck and hills and he caught his club mate at the halfway point to give him one of his best fin-

ishes for some time.

Both of these runners had hard training weeks and so will take in some downtime before the keynote Phoenix Park race.

They will be joined by current club champion Gareth Fereday, National duatlon champion Joe Lynch, national bronze medal winner Gerry Byrne, Henry Langton and Gary Mortimer in one of the club’s strongest teams for quite a while in the forthcoming novices next weekend.

Rebekah Carroll and Amy Corcoran, third from left and first on the right in the middle row, were part of the Republic of Ireland U-17 team

Irish U-17s reach elite tier  sport@gazettegroup.com

PEAMOUNT United’s Rebekah Carroll and Amy Corcoran were part of the U-17 women’s national team that qualified for the elite stages of the European championships.

The Girls in Green now join France, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Czech Republic and Northern Ireland amongst the team’s already qualified.

Coming into the final encounter with Finland, the side knew they could proceed to the elite qualifying stages if they claimed a draw from the game.

However, the side came together and it was Aisling Frawley that got the important winner in the dying embers of the game to see Ireland through with maximum points from Group 9.

Going into the next stage, Ireland can be sure no other outfit will be excited to see their names drawn beside that of the Emerald Isle, as the team registered some big wins against stage hosts, Belarus, who they managed a one-sided result over, 3-0, before they went on to give Georgia a 7-0 thumping.

Speaking af ter his side secured their quali-

Captain’s prize: Sarsfields golf society awards gary Beagan won the Lucan Sarsfields golf society’s captain’s prize at the K-Club last week a the annual event as he finished with 44 points, coming in just ahead of Damian O’Brien in second place on a beautiful day on the Smurfit Course.

Derek Quilligan, meanwhile, won the category one prize ahead of Eoin Mullarkey, pictured, but he was content to claim the annual golfer of the year award for his performances over the season.

fication, manager David Connell highlighted how the top spot of the group was always their target, as was the 100% record they left Belarus with.

“We set out to win the three games and win the group so it is very nice to have done that,” said Connell. “We knew going out that a draw against Finland would have been enough to qualify as one of the best losers but that’s a dangerous way to approach any game and I am pleased the girls kept looking for the win and got it.”

“It took us a while to settle against Finland

and we got a break with the own goal. That got us going and we created plenty of chances after that.

“Lauren Dwyer was off the pitch receiving treatment for an injury when they equalised from a corner and the girls showed great character in going up the pitch and scoring a well worked goal a few minutes later,” he said.

Looking forward to the qualification, although Connell stated there are a few teams he would rather avoid, he is sure Ireland will be competitive no matter who they play come spring of next year.

“Hopefully we can avoid some of the big guns like France and Germany but I don’t think too many of them will want to get us.

“We played a high pressure game against Finland and the girls did a great job in making sure they had little or no room to move. I don’t think anybody would be comfortable playing against that sort of pressure,” he finished.

The second round draw will take place in Nyon on November 20 with the games to commence in spring 2013.

The semi-final and final scheduled for Switzerland in June.

11 October 2012 lucan Gazette 31

camogie: lucan claim first senior title

Club Noticeboard lucan sarsfields CALLING all Katie Taylor and Bernard

report by November 8 to the secretary.

Dunne wannabes. Lucan Sarsfields are

lucansarsfields.dublin@gaa.ie.

seeking white collar boxers; €400 spon-

The club is organising a clothing col-

sorship required per boxer, eight weeks

lection to raise funds. Please leave items

training starting in the New Year.

of clothing, towels, curtains, shoes,

Apply or nominate a friend. It’s going

handbags, belts and soft toys inside the

to be a knockout night, contact Ciaran

front door of the clubhouse weekdays

on 086 2130103 for more details.

from 6pm and weekends from 12 noon

Well done to our minor B hurlers on

up until Friday, October 26.

beating Raheny in the championship on

Two results of our golf society outing

Sunday. Well done also to our U-8 Foot-

at the Hermitage on September 13: first

ballers who won all 12 of their matches

-Garry Beagan 40pts, second-Derek

last Saturday morning.

Quilligan, 35 pts. Cat 1 - Ben Quilligan,

The annual general meeting of Lucan Sarsfields GAA club will take place on

35pts, Cat 2 - Brian Mahon, 32 pts, Cat 3 - Michael Gilmartin, 33 pts.

Thursday, November 15 at 9pm in the

The AGM of the golf society will take

function room of the clubhouse. All pro-

place at the clubhouse on Monday,

posed motions, recommendations and

October 22.

nominations for officer positions on the

The 25-card drive resumes on Friday,

executive should be submitted to the

October 12 until May 2013 at 9pm sharp.

club secretary by Thursday, October

The prizes are: first - €50, second prize

25 2012. All submissions must be made

if three or more tables. Entry is €5 per

Sars the senior camogie stars

in writing and signed and posted to the

person. Accumulator: records will be

club address, sent via e-mail, left in the

kept of the number of games won night-

secretary’s postbox in the clubhouse

ly by all players (in the 12 games played

bar, or emailed to secretary, lucansars-

at each table) over the season.

Senior a shield final

Lucan Sarsfields continued their brilliant progress, breaking new ground last weekend

Lucan Sarsfields Naomh Mearnog

1-13 1-7

 sport@gazettegroup.com

IN THE curtain-raiser to the Dublin senior A championship final, Lucan captured their first senior silverware with an excellent win over Mearnog in a keenly fought contest at Blakestown last Sunday.

With both teams starting nervously, Lucan played with the strong breeze in the first half and settled earlier.

Points by Michelle Kelly, Orla Beagan (free) and Kelly again saw them lead by two.

Good defensive play, especially by Siobhan Grimes, Claire Rigney and Anne-Marie Callaghan, and staunch midfield work by Audrey Murtagh opened up good scoring opportunities for the forwards.

Beagan scored an excellent goal, followed by another pointed free, then Ali Twomey struck

over a fine point. Joelenne Hoary added three points (0-2 from frees) to see Lucan lead 1-8 to 0-4 at the interval.

Mearnog regrouped, pulling at least one and sometimes two extra players back into defence, and scoring opportunities dried up, leading to a less entertaining but nevertheless absorbing second-half contest.

Mearnog matched Lucan for scores in this half, but Lucan’s excellent teamwork and persistence saw the concession of scorable frees by Mearnog.

The in-form Hoary pointed three excellent frees, with points from play coming from Kelly and substitute Emma Flanagan.

Lucan led 1-13 to 0-7 with five minutes left before Mearnog pressure led to a late goal and a few anxious moments before Lucan celebrated their first ever season in senior A ranks by annexing the senior A shield.

This was very much a team performance, built on an excellent workrate, and reflecting the commitment by players and management since the season started back in January.

Proud captain Emer Keenan acknowledged that commitment and the team’s achievement in winning the first Senior A trophy, and hinted at serious ambition for greater achievement in future.

Team manager Mick Roche was equally sanguine about the current season, expressing disappointment that the team hadn’t reached its potential.

“We are well good enough to have reached a championship quarterfinal, even in this first year in senior A, and should probably have reached the semi-finals. “ We had a point or two to prove in the league and possibly peaked a bit early, but we’re still learning.

“We’re in the league semi-finals, we’ve won the Shield and we’ve secured senior A status in both league and championship for 2013. We’d probably have taken that gladly at the start of the season. And we’re still blending the team and trying out new players all the time.”

The league semi-final, probably away to Vincent’s, beaten finalists in the championship, promises to be another gripping contest in three week’s time and surely offers Lucan players and management an early opportunity to deliver on their undoubted potential.

Lucan: Kate Whyte, Ailise Dowling, Mairi Moynihan, Siobhan Grimes, Sinead O’Toole, AnneMarie Callaghan, Claire Rigney, Audrey Murtagh, Laura Murtagh, Michelle Kelly (0-3), Joelenne Hoary (0-6), Julie McGinley, Orla Beagan (1-02), Emer Keenan, Alison Twomey (0-01), Emma Flanagan (0-01) (for McGinley), Ailbhe Ryan (for O’Toole), Claire Barry (for Keenan), Roisin O’Grady (for Dowling), Deirdre O’Toole, Eadaoin Ni Chathasaigh

fields.dublin@gaa.ie. Only full members (over 18 years old) may attend.

Team mentors are asked to send a team report for inclusion in the annual

Entry fees, in excess of the prizes paid each night, will be accumulated as prizes for the top two players over the full season. Everyone is welcome.

st pat’s palmerstown THE senior footballers demonstrated

on for the next week or two so just be

that they have what it takes to make

mindful that car parking inside may

it into the quarter-finals when they

be an issue.

came from six points down to draw

Lotto number and results: first

the game in extra time with Temple-

draw winning numbers were 10, 29, 30

ogue Synge Street.

and 9. There was no winner.

The junior footballers could not

The second draw winning numbers

close the gap in time losing the quar-

were 18, 19, 24 and 15. There was no

ter-final to Geraldine Morans.

winner. Any three numbers: Paul,

The minor hurlers had a comfortable championship win to win by seven points on Sunday morning.

Internal works are scheduled to go

Heffo.

The next draw is on Sunday: first draw jackpot of €10,000; second draw jackpot of €3,000.

westmanstown/garda THE season is drawing to a close with

beating Ballyboden St Enda’s.

most playing schedules coming to an

The U-12s played Foxrock away to

end. The intermediates had a good win

complete their final competitive game

over Garristown in their league fixture

of the season. The U-14s played Cel-

at Westmanstown, winning 1-13 to 0-13.

bridge in a cross-county friendly and I

Their final league fixture is away to

am happy to report that the Dubs won.

Crumlin at Pearse Park next Saturday,

New members are welcome. Our

October 13 at 4.45pm. The junior 2s won

annual fees are €60 per child and €30

their final league fixture away to White-

thereafter. Check out www.westman-

hall Colmcilles coming out on top by two

stowngaels.ie or visit us at 10am every

points.

Saturday at Westmanstown Sports

The ladies finished their season participating in the All-Ireland intermediate

Centre or call Declan Jennings at 085 8006101 for more information.

sevens at Naomh Mearnog. Well done to

The big event information evening on

all who took part. A date for your diary,

Tuesday, October 2 was a great success

please note Saturday, December 8 is the

and we are now all looking forward to

annual awards night.

the launch night in early November.

The busy football weekend saw the

The senior/juvenile club committee

U-8s lose out to St Jude’s at home. The

meetings are scheduled for 8.30pm on

U-9s lost to Clann na Gaels away but

Tuesday, October 9 in the Westmans-

the U-10s continued their winning ways,

town Sports Centre.

all of your lucan sports coverage from page 27-31

Paralympic dreams: London

success set to lay pathway for Rio glory P29

championship matters: Dublin GAA season builds to a crescendo P31

GazetteSPORT

Palmerstown football club have been enjoying a new beginning, bringing together Rangers and United into one main entity

october 11, 2012

Two become one in Palmerstown

Three years in the making, Rangers and United now have power in numbers as the two local clubs come together  peter carroll

lucansport@gazettegroup.com

DESSIE Robinson, chairman of the newly amalgamated Palmerstown Football Club, formerly Palmerstown Rangers and Palmerstown United, is looking forward to the official launch of the club which is due to take place on Saturday, October 20 in Glenaulin Park.

After a few botched efforts to bring the sides together, the two clubs finally joined up this summer and are now through their first month of competitive football. Robinson claims that it took a long time for the two to unite but the club is now in full flow.

“We first came together with the idea about three years ago.,” said the new chairman. “Both clubs were doing really well but we could’ve done with strengthening our sides, but we met up and nothing really came of it.

“We weighed up what the benefits of an amalgamation would be against the negatives that would come of it and we just decided to get it

done. We started last month with 22 teams playing across six pitches and we’ve done great considering the big change for managers and players.”

Robinson believes the club are now in a better position than ever to ensure the best training, facilities and sponsorships for the teams. The club have vowed to put a new emphasis on training from the nurseries up and Palmerstown are also moving to make sure every single coach at the club has completed a course before taking on a management role.

“We have four nursery sides at the moment,” said Robinson. “That’s already quite a considerable amount and when the two clubs came together we wanted to make sure all of the younger kids got the best opportunities afforded to them.

“There’s a huge emphasis on training now and we are making sure all of our managers have their Kick Start 1 qualification to guarantee the best coaching for our players,” he said.

Robinson also pointed out how a lot of their sponsors have commented on how they were

reluctant to put their name to Rangers or United over the years, having an affinity to one or the other, but now they have no problem sponsoring the side.

“There’s no competition on either side now, whereas before the sponsors might have played for one of the clubs in the past, we’ve found it a lot easier already to get sponsors on board.”

When considering the old rivalry the clubs used to have, Robinson had his own unique way of summing up the two clubs’ relationship.

“It was always a friendly rivalry,” he laughed, “we would always take off our boots before we kicked each other!”

Not afraid to have a joke, one thing Robinson is serious about is the future of the club: “Ten years from now Palmerstown FC will have hopefully moved up the divisions and the name of the area will become synonymous with football talent.

“We just want to make it so none of the kids will have to move to the bigger clubs and that they can be guaranteed the best training in their own neighbourhood,” he finished.