Lucan

Gazette OH BABY! LUCAN

April 13 - 19, 2017

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Motoring: The Kia Optima SW has been given a sleek update P20

WE’RE GOO-GOO, GA-GAZETTE ABOUT BABIES! THE FINALISTS OF OUR BONNIE BABY COMPETITION ARE IN AND THEY ARE SOME OF THE CUTEST PHOTOS WE’VE EVER SEEN. IT’S NOW TIME TO GET VOTING TO SEE WHO’S THE ULTIMATE GAZETTE BONNY BABY.

SEE PAGE 10

CYCLING Stenson in Irish Ras team 32

Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you

NTI CONFIRMS IT’S LOOKING TO ADD MORE BUSES TO 25A AND 25B ROUTES

Extra bus services just the ticket for Lucan commuters

 MARK O’BRIEN LUCAN may be getting increased bus services to meet growing demand in the area.

The 25A and 25B routes cover newer parts of Lucan which have experienced a growth of population and demand for service in recent years and locals say that they are always full.

Cllr Ruth Nolan told The Gazette: “Between 7 and 9am, once the buses get to Woodies bridge, they’re full.”

The National Transport Authority confirmed that they are examining options to increase the service during peak hours.

Full Story on Page 5

2 LUCAN GAZETTE 13 April 2017

CRISIS | ‘HOUSING SITUATION APPEARS TO BE GETTING WORSE’

Lucan to get only six social housing units despite 8,000 waiting  MARK O’BRIEN JUST six social housing units will be built in Lucan this year despite the fact that there are over 8,000 people on the housing list in the electoral area.

Cllr Danny O’Brien told the Gazette that one of the problem’s that South Dublin County Council face in the area is a lack of council-owned land.

He said: “In the likes of Lucan and Palmerstown, they (SDCC) own very little land.

“They can’t build houses over here when they don’t own the land so they would be hoping to get them under Part V’s.”

Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 requires a developer to transfer a percentage of housing units to a local authority.

Cllr O’Brien said that due to the lack of social housing units available, the housing situation in Lucan appears to be getting worse.

“Housing is crazy at the minute,” he said.

“There’s just none. I get a huge amount of people ringing me looking for houses and we just don’t have any.”

Cllr O’Brien said it was heart-breaking to deal with families who are potentially

facing homelessness due to a lack of social housing.

He said: “It’s very hard telling somebody when they contact to say that their lease is up and not being renewed and they’re being kicked out in six weeks time and they’ve nowhere to go and they’ve been on the housing list for seven years and you’re telling them that they’re going to have to wait another four, five or six years before they get a house off the council.”

He added that he felt that the previous lack of investment in social housing by local authorities has led to the current situation.

“When you don’t invest in social housing for so long, it’s only a matter of time before this is going to happen,” he said.

The issue of housing dominated the full council meeting of SDCC on Monday night.

The council confirmed that 11 people had been housed in Lucan in the first two months of 2017 from the housing waiting list while a further four had been housed from the transfer list.

The council also confirmed that 398 social housing units would be constructed by the end of 2019 but none of these units will be in Lucan.

West Dublin gardai overtime doubled in 2016 THE amount of money paid to gardai for working overtime doubled in West Dublin in 2016.

The national average increase was 50 per cent but gardai policing the district of the capital which includes Clondalkin and Lucan recorded a 99 per cent increase.

The bloody Hutch-Kinahan feud and the increase in garda policing to deal with it is the main reason for the rise in overtime.

Last year €68 million was paid out in overtime in the 28 garda regional divisions, compared to €45 million in 2015.

The five biggest hikes were in Dublin – up €5 million, or 95 per cent, in Dublin City North Central; up €3.7 million (99 per cent) in Dublin City West; up €3.6 million (83 per cent) in Dublin City North; up €1.8 million (63 per cent) in Dublin City South and up €1.7 million (21 per cent) in Dublin City South Central.”

FASTNews

RTE star Daithi O’Se enjoyed afternoon tea with reigning Miss Ireland Niamh Kennedy to mark the launch of Alzheimer’s Tea Day

Host a tea party to support Alzheimer Society of Ireland The Alzheimer Society of Ireland’s Social Club takes place in St Mary’s Parish Centre on Wednesday mornings from 10.30 am-12.30 am The Social Club is a place where a person with dementia can come with a family member or carer to enjoy a cup of tea and some biscuits over an informal friendly chat.

The Society have been running these Social Clubs for many years now and they say they have proven to be of huge value to both the client and carer.

They offer people the chance to meet people who are in similar situations, get advice from experienced staff and relax in a friendly, safe welcoming surrounding.

For any further information contact Adrienne Mc Avinue on 01 862 5706 ext 2 or 086 838 1215.

13 April 2017 LUCAN GAZETTE 3

FASTNews 150 new jobs announced for the city 150 new jobs for Dublin this year as tech company Citrix plans to expand its office in East Point Business Park.

The new jobs will primarily be in sales and technical support. Citrix currently employs 225 people in Ireland.

Citrix is also establishing a Sales Academy at its Dublin offices to develop junior sales talent with the aim of preparing them for more senior roles with the company in the future.

Speaking at the announcement Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O’Connor said: “We already have a strong footprint of ICT companies in the Dublin area and we always encourage these companies to expand and diversify.”

REAL LIFE | MEET THE DUBLIN TRADESMAN FIXING PENSIONERS’ ROOFS FOR FREE

The height of decency

Sean Collins has been giving up his weekends to fix elderly people’s leaky roofs.

Picture: The Irish Daily Mirror

 SYLVIA POWNALL BIG-heared roofer Sean Collins is giving up his Saturday mornings to repair pensioners’ leaky roofs free of charge.

The generous tradesman says he’s happy to help – and he doesn’t mind missing the footie to do something more worthwhile with his time.

The 32-year-old dad of two from Crumlin started the voluntary service when an elderly neighbour asked him to inspect his roof and give him a quote.

Sean revealed: “I walked by this man’s house every day just saying hello to him. Then one day he asked us to have a look at his roof and give him a price, but he couldn’t afford it.

“I couldn’t believe that this man had to live with a leak coming into his bedroom, so I fixed it for free. He had a bucket at the end of the stairs he had to keep emptying out. The rain was coming down on his bed. I asked why he didn’t just move the bed but he said he couldn’t because it was too heavy. I got to thinking how many more OAPs are in this situation?

So I decided that once a week I’m going out to fix minor repairs for free.”

Sean has worked as a roofer for 15 years and branched out on his own four years ago. He added: “I’m happy to help out as many people as I can. I have four lads working for me and one of them comes out with me each Saturday to give me a hand.

“If they’re small jobs it’s simple enough to do them at no charge.”

Sean is now urging any OAPs in need of his services to check out Collins Roofing on Facebook or contact him directly at 086 1274202.

4 LUCAN GAZETTE 13 April 2017

Lucan’s first Men’s Shed up and running

PROPOSAL | MOVE TO ACCOMMODATE CYCLE LANES

Fears that closing of right turn lane could cause worse traffic

 MARK O’BRIEN LUCAN’S first Men’s Shed is officially up and running.

The group met for the first time last month and Cllr Liona O’Toole told the Gazette that the meeting was very productive.

She said: “There was lots of interesting ideas on the night.

“Suggestions such as making things, fixing things, doing something for the community, arranging outings, bring-

ing in speakers form organisations and much more.”

Men’s Sheds have grown in popularity over the past few years.

T hey offer a safe, friendly and inclusive environment for men to meet and work on projects or discuss things with each other.

The aim is the health and well-being of men as it is felt that a lot of men are more likely to suffer from isolation, loneli-

ness and depression.

T he Lucan Men’s Shed will meet at Lucan Sarsfields and Cllr O’Toole expressed her gratitude to the club for allowing them to use the facilities.

T he Lucan Men’s Shed is open to all men over the age of 18.

For further information visit their Facebook page facebook.com/ mensshed.lucan or email Mensshedlucan2017@ gmail.com

RESIDENTS say proposals to close the right turn lane from Woodies will make Lucan’s traffic problems even worse.

Cllr William Lavelle has written to South Dublin County Council asking that the proposed NTA funded changes be reconsidered.

He told the Gazette: “As a local resident, I have repeatedly expressed my opposition to any measures which would worsen Lucan’s already chronic traffic problems.”

The main opposition to the proposal is the plan to close the right turn lane from Woodies to the

N4 westbound to accommodate new cycle lanes.

I n t h e l e t t e r, C l l r Lavelle said that after meeting with two local Residents’ Associations, he could not support the proposal in its current form.

He said: “From my extensive consultations, there is very little support and some outright opposition to this proposal from among residents living south of the N4.”

He said that while he supported some aspects of the plan, such as the lengthening of the right turn on to Willsbrook Road and increased green light time for northbound traffic on

LUCAN Tidy Tow ns will host a Water Conservation Workshop in Kenny’s of Lucan next Friday, April 21.

The event, which is supported by Cllr William Lavelle, is open to all and will offer tips on how households can save water and help the environment.

Woodies DIY in Lucan have also come on board and are offering €10 off the price of water butts for local residents.

A water butt is a container for collecting

water from roofs and downpipes.

This water can then be used to water indoor and outdoor plants.

Other tips on saving water include using a bucket instead of a hose when washing a car, only r unning dishwashers and washing machines when they’re full and reducing time spent in the shower.

The Water Conservation Workshop begins at 11am and tea and coffee will be served during the meeting.

Save water and help the environment

GOT A PHOTO? Call our NEWS TEAM on 60 10 240 and SELECT OPTION 2 or email news@gazettegroup.com

to Grangecastle Road, he could not support the plan to install cycle lanes.

Increased traffic though Lucan village by motorists looking to avoid the M50 toll and the lack of safety for cyclists using the proposed new cycle lanes were cited as reasons for his lack of support.

Chair of Woodville Downs Residents Association, Frank Hynes, backed Cllr Lavelle’s stance on the issue.

He told the Gazette: “It’s going to block up Lucan Village even more than it already is.”

He added that he didn’t feel the proposed cycle lanes would be

very safe.

“We’d have concerns about the cycle lane coming up from Texaco, having it in the middle of a road where traffic is constantly changing lanes.”

Cllr Lavelle said that he intends to follow up the letter by tabling a joint motion with Cllr Vicki Casserly at the next Lucan Area Committee meeting of SDCC on Tuesday, April 25 asking that the proposal be reconsidered.

South Dublin County Council confirmed that they received the letter from Cllr Lavelle and that the relevant staff are currently evaluating the request.

13 April 2017 LUCAN GAZETTE 5

FASTNews

Loal Deaf Club members enjoy Leinster House visit TANAISTE Frances Fitzgerald organised for local members of the Tallaght-Lucan Deaf Club to visit Leinster House and receive a tour of the Dail and Seanad last week.

She said: “I am delighted to welcome local members from the Tallaght-Lucan Deaf Club into Leinster House this evening for a unique tour through sign language.

“The tour covers a lot about the history of the building, a trip to the Dail and the Seanad public galleries.

“I really hope all members found the tour interesting and informative. They were keen to ask lots of questions about my work as a local TD and the Tanaiste.

“I would like to thank the Oireachtas in particular for facilitating the sign language interpreter, which allowed the members visit Leinster House and participate in the tour,” she said.

Local musicians to attend Irish Youth Music Awards THE Irish Youth Music Awards have been moved from the Aviva Stadium to Croke Park.

The event takes place on Saturday, April 22 and will feature two bands made up of members of Crosscare Dublin West.

Southside will appear on the Main Stage.

The band will perform their original song ‘Smoke’, which was written by lead vocalist Jennifer Irabour.

A second band from Crosscare, No Signal, will appear on the second stage on the day.

The nine young musicians were assisted by a five-strong support team made up of other Crosscare members.

This team of young people took on 23 jobs relating to all aspects of the music industry, including a stage team, fundraising, public relations and graphic design.

The two bands rehearsed in the music studio of Lucan Youth Service under the guidance of local musician Colin Sheehy.

The Irish Youth Music Awards feature young musicians from the ages of 12 to 19 from across the country representing their communities.

The event offers the young musicians the chance to learn from industry leaders through masterclasses and workshops.

Tickets for the festival are on sale from Eventbrite, priced €20.

Group tickets for youth clubs and projects are available, priced €120.

Get ready to Groove GROOVE Festival returns to the stunning surround of Kilruddery House & Gardens this August 19 and 20. This year under 12s go free to the festival. Pictured is Holly White who will be giving a talk in Thrive, the festival’s brand new health and wellness zone with Juliette Hayes and Ross Skelton from Dublin.

Picture: Shane O’Neill Photography

NTA is looking at more buses for 25A/B route  MARK O’BRIEN

THE National Transpor t Authority have confirmed that they are looking at the possibility of increasing the amount of buses on the 25A and 25B routes.

T he routes cover newer parts of Lucan which have experienced a growth of population and demand for service in recent years.

Cllr Vicki Casserly first raised the issue of capacity issues in February at the Lucan Area Committee meeting.

At that time the council said that they would be writing to Dublin Bus asking them to explore the possibility of increasing capacity at peak times before 9am.

Cllr Ruth Nolan said she has been contacted by a number of residents in the area saying that there are not enough buses to meet morning capacity.

“Between 7am and 9am, once the buses get to Woodies bridge, they’re full,” she said.

Cllr Ruth Nolan raised the issue at the M a r c h m e e t i n g t wo weeks ago where the council confirmed that it was still awaiting a response from Dublin Bus on the issue.

When contacted by

the Gazette, the council confirmed that it was still waiting for a response from Dublin Bus but that it had also written to the NTA requesting that it reviews the issue.

In a statement, the

NTA said: “The authority has received correspondence from the council regarding a review of bus routes 25a and 25b in Lucan.

“Demand for bus services on the Lucan Road corridor continues to

grow and the authority, in conjunction with Dublin Bus, is currently examining options for the deployment of additional capacity at key times in the morning and evening peak periods.”

6 LUCAN GAZETTE 13 April 2017

Out and About

A FASH BASH

Models gather for a group shot at the Colaiste Phadraig first-ever fashion show held at the Spa Hotel in Lucan. Pictures: Niasad

F

OR the first time in CBS history the Transition Year students of Colaiste Phadraig Lucan ran a fashion show for the public. Held at the Spa Hotel in Lucan, the show drew a huge crowd and everyone was keen to get in tune with the latest fashion trends. The event was unique in the sense that it was organised and operated by the Transition Year students themselves, with help from a few of the more fashionable teachers. The event was supported by many local businesses who either donated clothes for the catwalk or sponsored the brochure for the evening. The night was an outstanding success, raising over â‚Ź2,000 for the running costs of the school.

Kris Arcilla presents Ms Casey with flowers

Hosts for the evening Mr Douglas and Ms Ryan

Lauren Lynch

Anthony McNulty

13 April 2017 LUCAN GAZETTE 7

Out and About

Liffy Descent by Ruth Isdell French

‘Our members have varied interests in photography like nature, landscape special effects and street photography’ Denis Brazil PRO Palmerstown Camera Club

The Man From Laois By Denis Brazil

Every picture tells a story for camera club members T HE continuing success of Palmerstown Camera Club in national and international competitions depends on the commitment that their members continue to give to the club. Novice members quickly become enthusiastic by entering our monthly competitions which have a different theme each time.

The club arranges trips for club members, for example a weekend away or a trip to the Saltees in Wexford Different locations are chosen to capture an array of

Derek by Nina Butler

Are you a member of a camera club?

Would you like to see your shots in print?

Why not send your pictures to aconway@ dublingazette. com Photographer Peter Walsh

Photographer Patrick Kavanach

photography styles and themes.

Their June our annual exhibition is quickly approaching and this is the ideal time for members to display their work to the public.

If you are interested in photography and would like to learn more, you are always welcome to the club.

They meet on Wednesday evening from 8pm to 10pm in The Parish Hall, Kennelsfort Road, Palmerstown opposite the Palmerstown House.

8 LUCAN GAZETTE 13 April 2017

Event set to showcase the very best of Lucan life

SLEEP OUT | STUDENTS LEFT OUTRAGED

Highlighting the plight of homeless  MARK O’BRIEN THE senior students of Lucan Community College are planning a ‘sleep out’ in support of the homeless at the end of the month.

The 4th, 5th and 6th Year students, who are members of the school’s Amnesty group, will participate in a 12-hour sponsored sleep out in the school’s courtyard from 8pm on Friday, April 28 until 8 am on Saturday, April 29.

This is the third year that the students will sleep out in aid of homelessness and they say that they have become frustrated that the homeless figures have increased in that time.

In a statement, they said: “The students are outraged that the figures

have only increased since our first Sleep Out to 7,421 in February 2017, and that this sleep out action has to be done yet again. The students are determined to continue to draw attention to this homeless crisis until the Government takes action to solve this emergency.”

The students say that they hope that the sleep out will help highlight the issue of increased homelessness.

According to figures from the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, the number of people accessing homeless accommodation in Dublin rose from 2,997 in January 2015 to 4,098 in December 2016.

This represents an increase of almost 37% in the space of two years.

An average of 16.5 per

cent of people per quarter were accessing homeless services for the first time over this period, with the highest amount of first time users being 752 in the first quarter of 2016.

With homeless figures still on the rise in Dublin and nationwide, the students of Lucan Community College are inviting all of the local TDs from Dublin Mid-West to the sleep out.

They said: “We are inviting all TDs from our constituency to attend the Sleep Out’ at the school from 8 - 9.30pm to answer questions, listen to the views of the students on the homeless crisis and their calls for urgent action.

“We would also ask them to raise the issue of homelessness in the Dail.”

Colaiste Phadraig crowned champs AFTER a nailbiting finish, Colaiste Phadraig from Lucan, were declared Feachtas All-Ireland table quiz competition winners at a crowded occasion in the Ashling Hotel. Almost 30 second level schools from all over Ireland took part in the final. Pictured are Daire O Broin, Gordon Duffy, Calvin Davis and Abhiram Ajith.

Speaking after the table quiz, Loretta Ni Churraighin, manager of FEACHTAS, said: “We are very pleased with how the competition worked out this year. It shows the demand that there is for such events amongst teenagers who are interested in the Irish Language. We are grateful for the support that we got from the schools involved.

AN event promoting Lucan as a great place to live, work and do business will take place at the Spa Hotel on Saturday, May 6.

Lucan Enterprise Town is being organised

by Bank of Ireland and intends to showcase all that is good about the area.

Local businesses will be represented along with clubs and youth groups as well as a range of entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.

There will be a big focus on fitness at the event, with a number of celebrity guests confirmed to appear.

Dr Eva Osmond will be in attendance, as will Dr Liam Hennessy, sports physiologist and fitness

coach to Padraig Harrington.

Dr Hennessy also previously served as the Director of Fitness for Irish Rugby.

T V3’s Lisa Cannon will also be in attendance to mix with the crowd, groups and businesses.

Local business will be invited to attend an open discussion forum at 11am before the event opens to the public at 12pm.

There will also be a number of charity events over the course of the day in aid of Pieta House.

Further information about the event can be found on the Lucan Enterprise Town Facebook event page or by contacting Bank of Ireland, Lucan on 01 6280601.

13 April 2017 LUCAN GAZETTE 9

WOMEN URGED TO STEP UP TO HELP SUPPORT EB SUFFERERS

Help Lola’s legacy live on Imam Ibrahim Noonan

Mayor attends peace symposium

LOCAL members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association in Lucan held their 11th Annual Peace Symposium at the Lucan Spa Hotel. The theme for this year focused on ‘Global Conflicts and the need for Justice’.

The peace Symposium has become a permanent feature of the Community’s activities for over a decade now, in the proliferation of the true Islamic teachings that emanate a sense of love, tolerance, dialogue and harmony.

This year 122 people were in attendance at the event. Most notable were guest speakers Guss O’Connell, Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Garda Darren Coventry, Gino Kenny TD, Yanky Fachler (The Jewish Historical Society of Ireland) and Imam Ibrahim Noonan (Imam of the Mary Mosque, Galway).

A YOUNG mother whose baby daughter died of a rare form of butterfly skin disease EB (epidermolysis bullosa) has raised €15,000 to help others with the condition, and is appealing for more Dublin women to get involved.

Maria Monzon Rosique from Trim and her partner Barry Flynn lost their sevenmonth-old daughter Lola in November.

Now the young couple are asking women from Dublin to join the Debra Ireland team in the VHI Women’s Mini Marathon on June 5 and help the 300 people in Ireland living with the incredibly painful skin condition that causes the skin layers and internal body linings to blister and wound at the slightest touch.

Debra Ireland is the charity that supports people with EB, the genetic skin condition also known as butterfly skin.

Maria said: “Lola was one in a million to us. EB is a rare disease and only 5% of those who have it get the severe junctional form of EB that she was born with.

“Lola had internal blisters on her airways and digestive system, so she struggled with breathing and feeding but despite her condition she was a happy, smiling baby and we have lovely memories of our time with her.”

There is currently no known cure for

EB, and the only treatment is constant painful bandaging of the skin.

In March, friends and neighbours rallied around the young couple, forming a 53-strong team of runners to take part in the Debra Ireland Wicklow Mountains Challenge, where they raised €15,000 for EB. “We ran in Lola’s name as Team Lola, so in a way she is still with us,” said Maria.

She and Barry are hoping others will be inspired by the support from their neighbours and will form an even bigger Team Lola to run for Debra Ireland in the bank holiday mini marathon.

Maria had heard of EB butterfly skin but had no real knowledge of the condition before Lola was born. The diagnosis was devastating for the first-time parents.

“Because we knew the diagnosis we were able to focus on what was important and create as many memories with her as we could,” said Maria.

To find out more, or to register for Debra’s Mini Marathon team, see www.debraireland.org or call 01 412 6924.

Maria Monzon Rosique and her partner Barry Flynn with their daughter, Lola, who passed away last November.

Lola (also above) suffered from a severe form of EB (epidermolysis bullosa.

10 GAZETTE 13 April 2017

Gazette babies are the cutest..

WIN | VOTE TO SEE WHO’S THE GA-GAZETTE’S SPRINGTIME BONNY BABY

Chloe and Charlotte Coffey are twice as cute!

Joe O’Carroll loves his dinner!

Super-cute little Emma Gilmore (18 months) and her little puppy, sent in by Orla Kennedy

LIttle Katie Smith, sent in by her mum Aishling Monaghan

VOTE! VOTE ! VOTE! W

Three year olds Rebecca and Henry Arthurs are the best of cousins

E’VE had a wonderful response to our Gazette Bonnie baby competition – and we’re hugely grateful to the multitude of proud mums, dads, grandparents and family friends out there who so kindly shared some of the cutest photos we’ve ever seen.

Theses are our lucky finalists, who now go forward to a public vote to see who’s the ultimate Gazette Bonny Baby.

(You can vote for your favourite pic on our Facebook page, or by emailing competitions@dublingazette.com.)

We have some great prizes to give away – including two hampers worth €90 each from our friends at NUK Ireland – and one lucky winner will win a free family or newborn photoshoot worth €180 from Gazette photojournalist and expert baby photographer Ali, of Alison O’Hanlon Photography.

Voting is open from today until April 19, with our winners announced in next week’s papers and on our Facebook page on April 20.

And keep an eye out for more great Gazette Giveaways in your free weekly Dublin Gazette – because Grace Ahern (13 months) remember folks, the future is sent in by Brian Ahern local, the future is free!

Zack the piano man, sent in by Karolina Gasinska

Nine-month-old smiler Parker Daly

13 April 2017 GAZETTE 11

CHARITY | STUDENTS CALLED ON TO JUMP ON THEIR BIKES FOR SIMON COMMUNITY

Get in a spin and help the homeless to get education  EMMA NOLAN DUBLIN Simon Community are calling on students to get on their bike for their upcoming Simon Spin Challenge, which takes place on Friday, April 21, on Grafton Street from 11am-7pm.

The fundraising event will see teams from various different colleges and universities around Dublin spinning on stationary bikes for a total of eight hours over one day.

This fundraiser must raise €10,000 to fund Dublin Simon Community’s programme to support people, who have experienced homelessness, to rebuild their lives and pursue education.

Speaking about the initiative, Sam McGuinness from the Dublin Simon Community said: “The journey from homelessness to a home is much more than putting a roof over somebody’s head.

“We are encouraging students to help create opportunities for future students. The money raised will go towards our grant scheme to help people who have experienced homelessness get an education.

“The grant will remove barriers for people accessing third level and will help with the costs associated with pursuing third level education, be it fees, books or travel costs.”

Students will compete in a Battle of the Colleges on the day. Each team will consist of eight spinners who will cycle for a total of two hours each.

The team that travels the furthest and raises the most money will claim victory and will win some sought after prizes.

Spot prizes for extra challenges on the day will also be up for grabs! The Simon Spin Challenge is a fantastic way to have fun, keep fit and help raise vital funds for a great cause!

If cycling isn’t your thing, you can still give people who are homeless an opportunity to get an education by bucket shaking for your College Spinners on the day.

To take up the challenge for homelessness and become the winning college, email Grace Allen at: Grace@dubsimon.ie or call the Fundraising Team on 01-671 5551 and they will be able to show you how to set up your own JustGiving page for the event.

Each team also needs 10-12 bucket shakers to cheer on their spinners and collect vital funds throughout the day.

This fundraiser specifically aims to raise €10,000 to fund Dublin Simon Community’s third level education grant for clients using our services who wish to pursue further education.

News

12 GAZETTE 13 April 2017

MOTORING: THE OPTIMA HAS IT ALL P20

TRAVEL: CYPRUS - BELIEVE ALL THE HYPE P23

DUBLINLIFE



GAZETTE

CINEMA: GHOST IN THE SHELL SHOCKER P24

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

THRILL 16

MUSICAL YOUTH: CELEBRATING 10 GLORIOUS YEARS OF THE IYMA

SENSITIVE BAXTER IS SUCH A REAL SWEETHEART OUR Dog of the Week looking for their #SpecialSomeone* is Baxter, a one-year-old Beagle.

He is a curious guy and, being a typical Beagle, Bazter likes to busy himself investigating new surroundings. He would love to live with another dog as he is a super social dog. He will happily share his belongings with a doggy pal and a confident dog will help him settle into his new home.

Baxter is a sensitive soul and can be a bit unsure of new people, so his adopters will have to take their time with him. A quiet home with older children of about 10 years of age and up would suit him best.

If you can be Baxter’s #SpecialSomeone*, then please contact Dogs Trust on 01 879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off Exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website, www.dogstrust. ie. You can also find them on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/ dogstrustirelandonline, or on Twitter @ DogsTrust_IE.

Croker gets ready for the Irish Youth Music Awards

Ballymun teenagers The Innocents will follow in the footsteps of another Ballymun quartet when they play Croke Park at the IYMA next weekend

GET DOWN TO THE HUB THE IYMA Education Hub brings together some of Ireland’s top music industry professionals supported by BIMM Institute Dublin.

Those attending the Awards at Croke Park on Saturday next will have the opportunity to sign up for the Education Hub, which will feature music industry panels, master classes and workshops in vocals, song-writing and more. Visit www.iymas.ie for full education hub schedule and the biographies for music industry professionals featured.

Workshops for individual musical disciplines will also take place on the day. These include a drum workshop with Paul Kenny, who has toured with James Vincent McMorrow, Jape, and German band Get Well Soon. Danny Snow, who has toured extensively all over the world with Villagers and Cathy Davey, will be offering a bass workshop.

 REBECCA WESTON THE Irish Youth Music Awards has a new home this year – and a wealth of new Irish talent to go with it!

The Youth Work Ireland initiative will celebrate its tenth year at next Saturday’s National Day festival (April 22), and this year’s event will now take place at Croke Park.

Aimed at creating teamwork and friendship at local level, the IYMA also provides first-hand work experience for participants in all areas associated with the music business such as PR, stage management, graphic design, photography and much more.

Talent The showpiece of the IYMA National Day is of course the Awards ceremony itself, and we have some great talent from the capital who’ll perform at the legendary stadium for a chance to win recording time at 2FM’s famous Studio 8.

The overall winner will win recording time in a professional recording studio, a recording session in RTÉ 2FM’s legendary Studio 8 and a full backline provided by Music Maker Dublin. The winners will also get to produce an album of their own original tracks released on physical CD with a professional design.

WIN WIN

WE’VE got seven pairs of tickets to give away for the Irish Youth Music Awards Festival Day at Croke Park on Saturday April 22.

Just got to the Dublin Gazette’s Facebook page and LIKE and SHARE our IYMA post. Winners will be announced on our Facebook page on Tuesday at 5pm.

Spotify The album will be digitally distributed worldwide through all major outlets including iTunes and Spotify.

Tickets for the Irish Youth Music Awards National Day are available from Eventbrite priced €20 including booking fee here. The event is an all ages, alcohol free event.

Group tickets are also available for youth clubs, projects or schools priced €120 (including booking fee) allowing admission for six young people and two youth leaders on the day. Group tickets must be booked by April 14th.

Meet the Dublin finalists: Pgs 16-17

13 April 2017 GAZETTE 13

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14 GAZETTE 13 April 2017

DUBLINLIFE

DIARY

TALLAGHT HOSPITAL CHARITY CYCLE: RAISING VITAL FUNDS FOR THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

On yer bike for charity THE hugely successful Tallaght Hospital Charity Cycle has been launched for 2017.

The Summer 99 – 2017 Charity Cycle takes place on June 17, with the aim of raising vital funds for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Tallaght Hospital.

There are 200 places available on the cycle, and participants are encouraged to register soon, before these places are filled.

The closing date for registration is June 2.

The entry fee includes refreshments which will be provided on the day, as well as a cycling jersey.

Cyclists have a choice between a 40km route and a 99km route.

The routes begin and end at Tallaght Hospital and take in scenic areas of the Wicklow mountains including Brittas and Blessington. For further information on the event and how to register, please see www.iregister.ie/ v2/events/summer-99-charity-cycle-2017/ Funds raised will be used to purchase Advanced Haem o d y n a m i c Mo n i t o r i n g equipment for the ICU. This equipment will

enable doctors and nurses to accurately assess and manage a patient’s heart and cardiovascular functions during a critical illness.

Professor Gerr y Fitzpatrick, an anaesthesia and intensive care Consultant at Tallaght Hospital said: “The event promises to be a great day out and a very enjoyable occasion for everyone.

“So I encourage everyone who has an interest to register and support our work.

Your support and generosity is much appreciated.”

LUCY HELPS LAUNCH CHARITY PARTNERSHIP THE ISPCC and Ikea have teamed up to raise money for the charity with the help of TV presenter Lucy Kennedy.

The new one-year partnership with ISPCC involves over 713 co-workers from the home furnishing experts fundraising throughout the year.

To mark the announcement of the partnership, IKEA Dublin will donate an initial €5,000 worth of home furnishings for the benefit of therapeutic rooms for children and young people to be distributed among the ISPCC’s services.

Throughout the year IKEA will work closely with the ISPCC, providing expert advice and knowledge to benefit the work of the charity.

I K E A c o - wo r ke r s a r e already planning a number of fundraising activities, which kicks off with an exciting Strictly Come Dancing event where co-workers aim to raise a whopping €20,000.

Launching the campaign, Lucy Kennedy said: “I am really pleased that IKEA Coworkers chose the ISPCC as charity of the year. The ISPCC provides such an important service to children, listening to every child who needs someone to talk to. It’s great that they are being supported.”

DUBLIN AMBER DRINK TO HELP SENIOR CITIZENS THE Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) has announced a new community initiative with ALONE, the charity that supports older people at home.

With 600 members, the LVA is marking its bicentenary this year, and has called on its publican members to pour support into the fundraising initiative in the hope

Pictured from left to right at the launch of the 2017 Tallaght Hospital Summer 99 Charity Cycle: Dr. Pat Conroy, Consultant Anaesthetist; Prof. Gerry Fitzpatrick, Director of Tallaght Hospital Intensive Care; David Slevin, CEO; Siobhan Connors, Critical Care Outreach Nurse and Yvonne Lewis Senior Health Care Assistant in ICU

TV presenter Lucy Kennedy launches the ISPCC and IKEA Charity Partnership with the help of Hollie Walker from Finglas and Riley Delaney-Berry from Rathfarnham. Picture: Brian McEvoy

of raising €200,000 to help older citizens in their own homes.

To help the cause, Guinness has created a new, limited edition beer – Dublin Amber Pale Ale – sales of which will support the fundraiser.

Some 50 cent will go to ALONE from each Dublin Amber sold, with the funds also helping to support its befriending service, with volunteer ‘Befrienders’ helping to give seniors a muchneeded social boost across the city.

Highlighting the charity drive, the LVA said that it, and its members, were delighted to help play a part in supporting the community as a core part of its bicentenary celebrations, with Guinness also saying it was happy

to help.

Dublin Amber Pale Ale is currently available on draught for a limited time only, and can be found at hundreds of pubs across the city.

OPW LAUNCHES BURNING BOOKS – AN EXHIBITION THE Office of Public Works has just launched Burning Books – an exhibition detailing the reproduction of 14 volumes of the Irish Parliamentary Journals dating from the 1700’s which were destroyed during the Irish Civil War in 1922.

In the last decade of the 19th century the book collector and amateur book binder Sir Edward Sullivan was shown a collection of 149 large volumes in exquisite bindings that had been stored, unnoticed, over many

years in the Public Records Office in Dublin.

They were in fact the Journals of the Houses of Lords and Commons of the old Irish Parliament, that ceased to exist after the 1800 Act of Union.

Sullivan made rubbings of all 149 volumes and photographed 20, intending to publish a large monograph on the subject.

He did not receive enough financial support for this, but did succeed in publishing a small volume, Decorative Book-Binding in Ireland, which was published in 1914 by the Sette of Odd Volumes in London.

Fourteen volumes of the 149 bindings were reproduced and are on display in Dublin Castle until September.

13 April 2017 GAZETTE 15

13 April 2017 GAZETTE 17

DUBLINLIFE

N O S ’ T A H W

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

Story Time In Alan Hanna’s Book Shop The Rathmines independent bookshop hosts a wonderful weekly event for children up to the age of about ten, featuring playful readings and snacks. 11.30am every Saturday.

Fast-rising Cork musician comes to Dublin’s Sugar Club on April 20/ 21, having already climbed to the heights of Glastonbury and 3Arena appearances. A silky, modern, vocally-sublime one to watch.

Aine Cahill

The Good Run

An annual health start to Easter, The Good Run takes place on Good Friday, a charity event raising funds to tackle Motor Neurone Disease. Runners tackle 2.5 or 5km around St Anne’s Park, Raheny, on April 14.

A Celebration of Prince

The Grand Social brings together a host of musicians and DJs to celebrate the life of Prince one year after his passing. Fancy dress - especially purple - strongly encouraged. April 21.

Cruinniu na Casca

A celebration of contemporary Irish culture running for free across Ireland on Easter Monday, the Dublin events will include Ceili, pipe bands, trad, street art and activities focused on different industries in Ireland.

Al Porter - At Large

Al Porter

BATTLE OF THE BANDS MUSIC

BAND: THE INNOCENTSYOUTH CLUB: Ballymun Regional Youth Resource

Aine Cahill

The Tallaght native brings his standup routine to Vicar St, a location that’s become something of a second home for him. April 17.

Revolution in Colour

Director Martin Dwan visits the IFI on Easter Monday to present his documentary on the Easter Rising, ‘Revolution In Colour’. The film presents events using old newsreels as a guide, but adding enlivening personal angles and colour to the footage. April 17.

Ulysses and Censorship

Explore the issues James Joyce’s masterpiece suffered when it first appeared, as the James Joyce centre looks at the the great book’s difficulties in its hometown. Throughout 2017.

New album of the week: Imelda May - Life Love Flesh Blood. The Life Love Flesh Blood Liberties hero - now relocated to London - launches her fifth album, which features guest appearances from Jools Holland and Jeff Beck.

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16 GAZETTE 13 April 2017

THE INNOCENTS were formed in 2014 by Ballymun locals Jonathan Ambrose (16 - Lead Vocals) and Sam McGuire (16 - Lead Guitarist).

They often played music together with the hopes of forming a band in their local youth club.

They decided to reach out to their friend Kez Kinevane (17 - Drummer) who had no previous experience playing the drums so starting learning them from scratch, with help from Jonathan and BRYR Volunteer Darren Poole.

The band needed a bass player and Sam met Kenan (18) while busking and they became friends.

Guitarist Kenan had no prevous experience playing the bass so he set about learning, which lead to The Innocents forming.

Over the last few years they have had the opportunity through the BRYR MUSIC CLUB to build confidence & gain experience by playing at local community events, with the continuing support of BRYR Music staff and Volunteers. The Innocents continue to be part of the BRYR Music Club and use the space to rehearse and up-skill.

This young band have already accomplished so much in such short time that they’ve been together. Most recently they performed on Coolock based radio station Near FM. They sold out their debut

paid gig (110 tickets) in 6 minutes in the Setanta GAA Club in Ballymun.

Since this they have played in the Grand Social, Liberty Hall, Axis Theatre in Ballymun and now getting ready to play their biggest gig to date in Croke Park as part of the Irish Youth Music Awards (IYMAs) all ages festival on April 22nd.

ALANATIE are a musical trio from Ballyogan formed in 2016 by rapper and pianist Adam Whelan (17), lead vocalist Lana Whelan (14) and drummer Katie Grehan (18).

They started writing and practising at The White House, Ballyogan in preparation for IYMA. Before this Katie did tutor workshops with Rónán Ó Snodaigh from Kíla - and the band performed at an intergenerational fundraiser for the She project in Boylan Centre in Dun Laoighaire. They have been writing original songs since September 2016 and are well on course for their performance at the IYMAs in Croker on April 22nd.

BAND: ALANATIE

BAND: NEWKIND

YOUTH CLUB: The White House, Ballyogan

h Resource Centre

YOUTH CLUB: Finglas Yout

NEWKIND is a band that started off with 2 members called James Moran, a beatboxer age 17, and Clayton Cooper, a rapper aged 12.

They released an EP ‘Newkind’ in 2016.

The newest member Thomas McPartlan is a 16-year-old singer and guitarist. They all met each other in the FYRC and instantly clicked.

They wrote a song called “It’s Life” which they have performed in the FYRC which got them through to the Irish Youth Music Awards. They have also performed for the Suicide Awareness event in Finglas and ‘Be a Buddy, not a Bully’ anti Bullying event in the FYRC. The largest crowd they performed

in front of was three thousand people at the Halloween community festival in Finglas.

Due to unforeseen circumstances Thomas is unable to perform with his band so Robbie Tomkins has stepped in to fill Thomas`s position as the singer. The song they are going to perform is “It’s not enough”. Robbie likes people to take their own meaning from the song rather than defining it. The young people and youth workers from the FYRC are thrilled to be taking part in the IYMAs and are very excited about showing off some of Finglas musical talent.

Croke Park is the venue for next Saturday’s IYMAs. Picture: CrokePark.ie

BAND: HOSTILE FEELINGS

h Service

YOUTH CLUB: SWAN Yout

SWAN Youth Service and Blackrock College have teamed up this year for the 2017 IYMAs. Since September 2016 the SWAN Youth Service music group along with 7 Blackrock transition year students and their teacher have been meeting weekly to share music skills and work on writing their own original songs together.

The SWAN and Blackrock group known as Hostile Feelings is this year is made up of four musicians.

Two are from SWAN Youth Service and two are from Blackrock College.

The singers, Sophie Murphy (15) and Tom Dwan (16), both with a passion for singing whether it’s on a stage or on a barge on the canal as part of the ‘5 Lamps Arts Festival’!

Jodie Kavanagh (16) plays the Cajon box drum having recently discovered her love of drums and adding the beat to any song. Thomas McCormack (16) is a talented guitarist and artist and modest to boot!

BAND: SOUTHSIDE

ublin West

YOU

osscare D TH CLUB: Cr

SOUTHSIDE are a new 5-piece band composed of Denny Stupakov (26 - saxophone), Jeremy Mazingu (16 - drums), Ryan Cullen (16 - vocalist), Theo Rush (17 - saxophone) and Sam Urwin (17 bass) who all originate from the southside of Dublin.

Despite forming the group as strangers to participate in the IYMA, the boys have managed to combine their different styles of music – metal, jazz, hip-hop and pop – to create an eccentric blend of sound never heard before, each of them bringing their own unique and individual sounds and working together to create one sound as one band.

The band shares a fiery passion for music as seen through their electric performances on stage and continue to show this through their original music.

The band since their creation has had some impressing performances, both of these being at the Megabyte Night’s Open Mic and Youth Café in the Lucan Youth Centre and they are extremely excited to be the representing CrossCare Dublin West this year and can’t wait to play Croke Park on April 22nd.

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18 GAZETTE 13 April 2017

DUBLINLIFE

Co-lab creates a beautiful sole

 EMMA NOLAN Style Editor

ONE of Grafton Street’s newest addition – & Other Stories – has collaborated with footwear brand TOMS and the results are toe-rrific!

The new co-lab sees new interpretations of TOMS styling along with a ready-to-wear collection and a campaign fronted by model Erin Wasson.

Four of TOMS’ classic shoe styles are transformed with colours and prints by & Other Stories: the classic TOMS Alpargata (the slip-on style that started it all), the Lexie

(which is TOMS’ signature summer sandal), and two completely new styles: the Deconstructed Alpargata (with a minimalist structure in a soft suede treatment), and the Palmera Chukka (moccasininspired lace-up booties).

The best part is the news that with every pair of shoes purchased, TOMS will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need.

Materials and colours applied to these styles can also be seen incorporated throughout the ready-towear selection.

Georgine Le Toqueux, designer at & Other Stories, said: “The giv-

ing aspect of this co-lab gives it an extra dimension.

“Inspired by TOMS’ idea that two strangers on either sides of the planet or the street, can enrich each other’s lives, we created this collection.

“The goal was to combine modern shapes and embellishment that feel authentic with beautiful details, putting a lot of love into it.”

This collection is available now from & Other Stories Grafton Street, and also online.

STYLE

M50MOTORING The Dublin Gazette drives you through the motoring world on a tour of the latest models, technology & industry news

The new generation Volkswagen Golf has landed at Dublin Volkswagen dealerships with the entry price of €20,895 for the smooth 1.0 litre TSI petrol version

SSANGYONG UNVEILS THE NEW REXTON KOREAN car maker SsangYong unveiled a new and more stylish Rexton SUV at the recent Seoul Motor Show. This new SUV also claims a great driving experience, high levels of safety and new technology. This latest Rexton comes with a 2.2 litre turbo-diesel engine with full-time four-wheel-drive and a seven speed MercedesBenz design automatic transmission.

The launch of the car took place in the company of Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra, the Indian company that now owns 73% of the SsangYong Motor brand.

SsangYong claims that the new Rexton will be one of the safest cars in its class, with nine airbags including knee-airbag for the driver and side-airbags in the rear.



GAZETTE

13 April 2017 GAZETTE 19

NEW GOLF UNVEILED

THE updated Volkswagen Golf has gone on sale in Volkswagen dealerships across Dublin with subtle revised styling, more technology, improved connectivity and a revised engine line-up. The starting price for the updated Golf is €20,895.

This latest Golf comes with new LED rear lights as standard across the range. Most of the models across the new Golf hatchback and estate models are now offered with a new generation of larger and more sophisticated touch screen infotain-

ment systems.

The new Golf claims to be heavy on technical innovation with the new Discover Navigation Pro radio-navigation and online system featuring gesture control. This system features a large 9.2-inch screen and sits alongside the Active Info Display which is standard on all Highline and Performance Golf models. There is also a larger range of online services and apps available.

The Irish line-up retains the familiar Trendline, Comfortline and Highline

specification. Volkswagen in Ireland claims that the majority of customers now opting for the Highline specification thanks to Volkswagen’s 5.9% APR on Trendline, 3.9% on Comfortline and 1.9% on Highline, GTI, GTD and R models.

Attractive

Volkswagen is also offering a series of Innovation Packs with the new Golf, which bundle some of the most popular and attractive options into packages, that claim savings of €1,100

over the individual items within the current 171 offer.

Following a short drive the car that most impresses is the 1.0 litre TSI model that comes with a turbocharged petrol engine that’s both smooth to drive, has ample power for city driving and now proves economical to own. The new e-Golf fully electric car is also a new competitive electric city with all the benefits of modern Gold styling and a competitive entry price of €34,890 after all government supports.

Nissan begins search for new ‘Generation Next’ car ambassadors NISSAN has launched a nationwide search to find 10 new car ambassadors to follow in the footsteps of Irish rowing stars Paul and Gary O’Donovan. The successful applicants will get to drive a brand new, taxed and insured Nissan of their choice for one year as Nissan Generation Next ambassadors, following in the footsteps of the famous Skibbereen brothers.

The Nissan Generation Next car ambassador programme supports people from all walks of life who could use a new Nissan car or van to follow their dream and to realise their potential of becoming Ireland’s next

Irish rowing stars Paul and Gary O’Donovan

generation of leaders and champions.

It presents an opportunity for young entrepreneurs, innovators, rising sports stars, musicians, artists, chefs and anyone who is

passionate about what they do to get ahead on their journey to success with the backing and support of Nissan. “We believe in the power of today’s generation of young Irish people to compete and to succeed on the world stage and we are proud to support them and to back what they do,” said James McCarthy, CEO of Nissan Ireland.

Nissan Generation Next has already helped 30 inspirational ambassadors to overcome obstacles and to achieve their goals, including the two O’Donovan brothers whom it supported throughout the course of their remarkable journey to Olympic, Euro-

pean and World Championship success.

Applicants can apply online at www.nissangenerationnext.ie up to Wednesday, May 17, 2017. Family and friends can also make applications on behalf of individuals whom they consider to be an ideal Nissan Generation Next ambassador.

A shortlist of 20 candidates will be announced soon after and put forward to a public vote. The seven individuals generating the largest number of votes will win a place on the Nissan Generation Next ambassador programme. The judges at Nissan will select three of the remaining candidates to join them.

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M50MOTORING

Optima enhances style, FASTNews space and performance Toyota tops the first quarter market

Kia upgraded the large Optima SW estate car for 2017 with improved economy and enhanced design, while retaining the seven year warranty offer and value for money label as Michael Moroney found out on his recent test drive.

KIA’S new Optima SW estate car is sleeker and more modern than before.

This is a car that challenges the established larger estate cars with a combination of modern looks, low running costs and value for money.

On its own, the new Kia Optima SW has certain appeal; the car looks modern, it drives well and its value for money relative to the likes of the Ford Mondeo, Toyota Avensis or Volkswagen Passat.

This is the market segment that the Optima SW and its related Hyundai i40 SW both trade in but at a slightly more competitive price offering.

While the Kia name has been linked to the seven year warranty offer, there’s more to owning a car than that alone. You have to like getting into the car, like its styling because for many people it’s the place where you can spend up to 20% of your life.

The full upgrade for the new Optima SW has enhanced the appeal of the car. The international Red Dot design team voted the Optima design one of the best modern cars for 2016.

I agree largely with their view and I love the slightly devious look of the front grille in the Optima.

Somehow it reminds me of a cartoon caricature of a smiling shark so there is a slightly humorous look to the car that sort of

pleased me every time that I approached it.

Apart from the new look, Kia has done some serious work under the skin of the new Optima SW. Its lighter and claimed to be stronger and safer due to the use of more higher grade steel in its manufacture.

The internal look of the car is very modern and airy. The dash is slightly lower than some of the competition giving a great frontal view. It’s very clean and uncluttered with a large central screen to house the information and sat-nav system.

Personally, I prefer a slightly higher dash, but that’s my own prejudice.

The infotainment system works well and is very easy to navigate, with simple set-up for the Bluetooth mobile phone connection.

The car feels spacious with ample headroom in the rear. The leather affect seats were comfortable, with durable and washable rear covers on the rear front seats that are easy to keep clean.

The glove box is big but there are not too many other large storage areas.

The electronic handbrake was easy to get used to and included the hill hold facility for easier hill starting.

The rear visibility is reasonable and reversing is helped by the standard reversing camera system

WHILE Toyota was the leading car brand for sales for the first three months of 2017, Ford is claiming the market leadership for new car and van sales combined.

The latest figures show that 29,610 new cars were registered in Dublin for the first three months of 2017, a massive 39% of the national market but a 1.7% dip on last year’s levels comThe new generation Kia Optima SW is a spacious and more stylish estate car with an impressive economy performance and good comfort coupled with a large and flexible boot space. Prices start from €29,950 for the entry level EX models.

pared with the national decline of 8.31%.

Toyota sold 7,507 new passenger vehicles in the first quarter of 2017. Toyota claims that overall hybrid sales rose to 26% of total Toyota sales in 2017, up from 12% in the same period last year.

The dash on the new Kia Optima is uncluttered and simple.

Kia Optima SW EX 1.7

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine 1.7-litre Engine power 141hp 0 – 100km/hr 10.2 seconds Economy 23km/litre

(4.4/100km or 64mpg) Fuel Tank Capacity 70 litres CO2 emissions 113g/km Road Tax Band A4 €200 Main Service 20,000km/12 months Euro NCAP Rating 5 star (2015) Warranty 7 years /100,000km Entry Price €29,950 that transmits on the large central info screen.

The improved 1.7-litre turbo-diesel engine is claimed to be more economical and gives slightly more power up from 136bhp to 141bhp. The car has more engine torque to give better acceleration,

making its slightly faster than some of the competition.

Kia use what they call the Idle Stop & Go (ISG) engine stop/start system on all models and this they claim has reduced the CO2 emissions levels by 14% to 110g/km.

The Optima has an improved 1.7 litre turbo-diesel engine that delivers 141bhp and 340Nm of torque

Ford had a combined van and car sales tally of 10,292 vehicles for

The rated fuel economy level has also improved to 23km/litre (4.4/100km or 64mpg) which is very competitive. Add the two together and you get a low running cost car.

I found that this rated fuel economy figure was not possible to achieve on the road; my performance figure was about 40% poorer at 17km/litre. This is a realistic figure and I was impressed that the 70-litre capacity fuel tank, one of the largest in the segment, meant that the car was able for a range of more than 1,000km before a refill.

If you are an outdoor person that uses your estate car for towing a boat you’ll note that the Optima’s towing rating is low at 1.5 tonnes compared to the German competition

while the boot space is also smaller. Kia fit a space saver spare wheel in there, which is a benefit.

The entr y price is €29,950 which is real value when you look at the specification of the car, even relative to the Hyundai i40. This is just €2,000 over the entry price for the saloon car version.

The entry level Optima SW EX model comes very well equipped with satnav, auto light control, rain sensor wipers and reversing camera included in the package, along with 17-inch alloy wheels.

The seven-year Kia warranty is the other appeal factor that you just can’t dismiss and now there are new performance levels and better road holding to add to the driving pleasure.

the first three months of 2017. That was made up of 7,357 new car registrations and 2,935 commercial vehicle (CV) registrations.

In terms of the top selling cars for March, Ford had two entries in the 10 top-selling models for the month with Focus (510 units) and Fiesta (477 units) coming in at sixth and seventh place respectively (see listing below).

Top Selling Car Models March

Units

1 Nissan Qashqai

899

2 BMW 5 Series

753

3 Hyundai Tucson 627 4 Skoda Octavia 539 5 VW Golf

515

6 Ford Focus

510

7 Ford Fiesta

477

13 April 2017 GAZETTE 21

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22 GAZETTE 13 April 2017

M50MOTORING

FASTNews

With the recent rise in the popularity of smart phones, nearly half, 49% of drivers say they regularly use their phone for accessing their social media profiles while driving

Half of drivers want a mobile phone driving block MOBILE phone use behind the wheel continues to be a significant problem on Ireland’s roads but a new survey of Irish motorists reveals that nearly half of drivers (46%) would support the introduction of technology to disable certain phone functions for the sake of safety.

More than one in four respondents (26%) felt that some form of blocking device would be more effective at deterring mobile phone use than the introduction of harsher penalties.

The survey of Irish motorists for Continental

Joe Duffy Motors opens new Jaguar Land Rover showroom

JOE DUFFY Jaguar Land Rover recently celebrated the launch of its new 30,000 sq/ft showroom at Airside Motor Retail Park, Swords, with a special event attended by 300 loyal customers, local VIPs and Jaguar Land Rover enthusiasts.

The new showroom claims to offer Jaguar Land Rover customers a premium sales and ownership experience. Over the last six months, the Joe Duffy showroom has been transformed into a landmark building in the local community with an eye-catching design, featuring free wi-fi, a coffee bar and a relaxed loungestyle waiting area.

Tyres’ Vision Zero initiative, a commitment to reduce

Joe Duffy Motors new Jaguar Land Rover 30,000 sq/ft showroom at Airside Motor Retail Park, Swords, Co. Dublin

road fatalities worldwide, also highlighted that more

Luxurious

than half of drivers (54%) admit to regularly using

Joe Duffy customers are now treated to the full range of Jaguar Land Rover vehicles with sixJaguars and six Land Rovers on display. There are more parking spaces compared with the old site, as well as a modern and luxurious design

their mobile phone while behind the wheel.

Some other key findings from the survey include: · More than one third (36%) of respondents feel that mobile phone use is ‘normalised’ as so many people are doing it · 23% of drivers say they find it difficult to be disconnected from their mobiles for any length of time · 62% feel it is OK to use a phone in stopped or slow moving traffic versus 22% who said it is illegal to use a phone in any traffic situation

Tougher car approval rules proposed by EU EUROPEAN lawmakers

law has yet to be finalized

endorsed tougher draft

between EU lawmakers,

regulations last week

the European Commission

for the approval of new

and individual member

cars sold in the European

states.

Union.

The rules are aimed

Under the proposed new regulations, car com-

at tackling conflicts of

panies would no longer

interest between national

directly pay car exhaust

regulators and their

testing agencies. The plan

domestic manufactur-

is that in future individual

ers to avoid a repeat of

EU countries would have

the Volkswagen Group

to fund car exhaust test-

emissions-cheating

ing centres by levying car

scandal.

companies. Each year

The European Parlia-

EU member states would

ment voted for the draft

have to test at least 20%

bill, which would allow

of the car models placed

Brussels to fine car

on the market in their

manufacturers up to

country in the previous

€30,000 per vehicle. The

year.

developed with the help of architecture firm Taylor Design Architects.

The Joe Duffy Jaguar Land Rover showroom is the first dealership to launch Jaguar Land Rover’s new corporate identity and design in Ireland.

This will be rolled out

across the retail network in Ireland over the next 12 months.

Gavin Hydes, managing director at Joe Duffy Group said: “This €8.5m investment is another essential step in our growth plans for Joe Duffy Jaguar Land Rover. It fur-

Euro NCAP marks 20th anniversary of lifesaving crash testing THIS year Euro NCAP, the European car crash testing organisation is celebrating more than 20 years of operations. The organisation claims that more than 78,000 lives have been saved since Euro NCAP’s tough crash safety tests were first launched. Euro NCAP has published over 630 safety ratings, crash-tested some 1,800 cars and collectively spent over €160 million to make cars safer.

The first tests exposed safety failings in top-selling family cars, forcing a fundamental rethink in the way vehicles were designed to prevent accidents and save lives. Twenty years on, nine-out-of-10 cars sold on the European market hold a Euro NCAP rating and the motor industry actively supports the development of new requirements for the top safety ratings.

Today, the results of crash tests of two family cars built 20 years apart underline the huge advances in vehicle safety since 1997. Safety technologies that were non-existent or optional at most – such as driver and passenger airbags, side protection airbags, belt reminders and electronic stability control, are now standard on all cars sold in Europe.

ther demonstrates our commitment to Jaguar Land Rover, their confidence in us and our strategy to provide first class facilities for our Jaguar and Land Rover customers.”

Gerard O’Farrell, managing director of Jaguar

Land Rover Ireland, said: “Jaguar Land Rover is enjoying a period of rapid growth and a considerable part of our success is down to our excellent retailers.

Joe Duffy Group’s stunning new showroom is a great addition to our retail network.”

One in 10 cars hit advertised economy figures – UK consumer research ONE of the UK’s leading consumer-led motoring websites HonestJohn.co.uk, has analysed 118,000 real fuel economy fuel reports, submitted by UK drivers, and they found that an average car now uses 24% more fuel than it should, according to its advertised economy figure.

They found that the BMW X5 was the UK’s worst performing car for real economy, achieving 66.9% of its advertised fuel economy, followed by the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Audi A4 with a respective 67.5% and 68.3%.

The Volvo XC90 (68.5%) and Fiat 500X (69.6%) complete the bottom five cars on sale right now for real world economy, according to the consumer lead survey.

At the opposite end of the scale the analysis showed that the latest

Mazda MX-5 to be the UK’s best real economy performer, with an average of 101.5%. In second place was the Toyota Verso (99.5%) followed closely by the Toyota GT86, with a real world fuel economy of 98.4%. The final entries in the top five are the Subaru Forester (97.1%) and Peugeot Partner Tepee (92.9%).

Real world

From September 2017, the current NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) test for new cars will be replaced with the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). However, while the WLTP should be more reflective of real world driving conditions and involve longer distances and higher speeds, it will still be laboratorybased.

13 April 2017 GAZETTE 23

TRAVEL NEWS

TRAVEL

GAZETTE

DUBLINLIFE

THE MED: SUNWAY SERVE UP SOME APRIL DEALS FOR SUNSEEKERS

Go north: A new-found love for the wilds of Donegal’s Malin Head  JESSICA MAILE

WHERE I grew up, heading up north was almost always a good thing. It meant fresher air, less people and a wildness that soothed the soul.

This is what I hoped I would feel as I made my way up to Malin Head on the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal, which is one of the gems of the Wild Atlantic Way. Malin Head had to be all of these things because it is as far north as you can go on mainland and it certainly didn’t disappoint!

The Inishowen Peninsula offers stunning beaches, such as Pollan Beach

Whether you’re after a sunkissed landscape with crystal-clear waters that was once home to the Gods or a modern, vibrant culture, Cyprus delights

in Ballyliffin, where

A sizzling sun holiday awaits you in Cyprus

you can search for your very own semiprecious stones and Five Finger Strand.

There are also plenty of ancient sites to visit on the Inishowen Heritage Trail.

The tiny village of Malin Head itself is a great place to stay. The views of the Atlantic are spectacular and the residents are very friendly. Farren’s Bar “Ireland’s Most Northerly Bar” was a hot-spot for cast and crew during filming last year of a movie you may have heard of. What’s it called again? Oh yes, Star Wars: Episode VIII. Although there were many places to see and things to do, walking to the tip of Malin Head was top priority.

Just a five-minute drive led us to a a 19th-century signal tower that was built by the British in 1805 as a Napoleonic lookout tower to help defend against a possible French invasion.

From there, we followed the path to Hell’s Hole (not a comforting name whilst walking along steep sea cliffs, and then on to the official end of the path.

We were greeted with signs saying “continue at your own risk” and continue we did and it was worth the risk. The views of the cliffs, the noise of the sea birds, the crashing of the waves and knowing there was nothing beyond where you stood but a whole lot of ocean and then North America! And that view is what Malin Head is all about!

The extraordinary Pollan Beach in Ballyliffin where you can search for semi-precious stones and (top) the walking path at the tip of Malin Head

NOW that Spring is finally well and truly on the way, it seems that Summer is just around the corner – and with Sunway holidays, it is!

The travel operators are offering a great range of sun-kissed holidays in Cyprus, where holidaymakers can enjoy a Summer feeling this April.

An island that is rich in history and culture, and packed with wonderful experiences that are just waiting to be enjoyed, there are very many memorable things about Cyprus.

From its wide choice of hotels and sandy beaches, Cyprus has something for everyone.

This month, Sunway’s April packages (below) include flights, accommodation, transfers, 20kg baggage per person, the services of a Sunway representative and all taxes and charges, with holidays from €599pp, with all of the deals below departing Saturday, April 22.

Ayia Napa Once a quaint fishing village, Ayia Napa is now

better known as a tourist haven. The resort boasts three long, white sandy beaches – the most famous of which is Nissi Beach and the crystal waters are the resort’s big draw.

There is a stunning 16th century Venetian monastery that overlooks the harbour in Ayia Napa town, and although this is the backdrop to the resort, Ayia Napa is firmly in the 21st century.

S t ay a t the Rio Gardens (2-Star) for 7 nights, self-catering, from €599pp.

Stay at the Napa Plaza Hotel (4-Star) with a Superior room for 7 nights, bed and breakfast, from from €689pp. Stay at the Nissiana Hotel/bungalows (3-Star) for 7 nights, halfboard, from €699pp.

Limassol Limassol is the island’s second largest city, and the island’s main port and a

bustling holiday resort.

T he city fans out between two of the most spectacular archaeological sites in Cyprus, which were built on clifftops with spectacular views.

The main hub of activity takes place around the busy 10-mile seafront which is dotted with an abundance of bars, tavern-

as and excellent shopping.

Stay at the Estella Hotel Apts (2-Star) for 7 nights, self-catering, from €599pp.

Stay at the Kapetanios Odyssia Hotel (3-Star) for 7 nights, half-board. from €749pp. Stay at the Mediterranean Hotel (4-Star) for 7 nights, bed and breakfast, from €869pp.

Protaras Protaras is an ideal holi-

day location for families and couples alike. Famous for its long stretches of sandy beaches and crystalclearwater, Protaras comes into bloom in the springtime and has its very own flower festival.

Enjoy the natural beauty of the area on many hiking trails, sample local cuisine in one of its many tavernas or restaurants, dance the night away at one of the local discos or visit a traditional Bouzouhi club and relax with a glass of excellent local wine.

Stay at the Capo Bay Hotel (4-Star+) for 7 nights, bed and breakfast, from €829pp. Stay at the Sunrise Beach Hotel (4-Star) for 7 nights, bed and breakfast, from €844pp.

Paphos This resort is split into two regions: Kato Paphos and Tombs of the Kings.

Kato Paphos has four beaches and is a busy area

with an attractive harbour and an abundance of outdoor restaurants.

In the town centre there are plenty of cafes, bars and live music venues and shops, while 10 minutes away you will find Coral Bay, with its sandy gently shelving beach and a smaller selection of restaurants and bars.

One of the main archaeological sites, The Tombs of the Kings, is located midway between these resorts. This is a perfect resort for families, couples and groups of friends looking for both a relaxing and varied holiday.

Stay at the Alexander the Great Hotel (4-Star) for 7 nights, bed and breakfast, from €1239pp. Stay at the Elysium Hotel (5-Star) for 7 nights, bed and breakfast, from €1179pp.

The prices per person above are based on two sharing, and are subject to availability. For reservations, contact Sunway at 01 2311 800, or book online at www.sunway.ie.

GAZETTE

24 LUCAN GAZETTE 13 April 2017

DUBLINLIFE

ReelReviews

FREE FIRE

Aims for cinema success IT’S not easy to bring something new to the slightly clapped-out shooter genre, but Free Fire (Cert 18, 91 mins) aims to please with its interesting mix of violence, tension and sprinkles of humour. A 1970s-set gun trade between dodgy types in a warehouse soon goes horribly, entertainingly wrong, with barbs and quips flying through the air as much as the bullets.

Ghost in the Shell (the 1995 anime, inset,based on the 1989 manga) is an interesting, pschologically complex examination of the human condition – but the new film starring Scarlett Johansson (above) ... not so much. While the 2017 film is a let down, at least it always looks incredible, with some dazzling CGI adding some superb life to the visuals.

TABLE 19

You’ll go to sit elsewhere RELEASED yonks ago in the States, Table 19 (Cert 12A, 87 mins) finally, quietly slinks in to Dublin cinemas.

Mercilessly slated by critics, this tale of wedding guests at the eponymous table collectively realising that they’re the unwanted losers dumped together – but hey, maybe they’re cooler than everyone thinks – is something to swerve around on the way to a better film.

THE BOSS BABY

It’s a bit goo-goo ga-ga SOMETHING of a curate’s egg, Boss Baby (Cert G, 97 mins) is pretty enjoyable thanks to Alec Baldwin’s voiceover work as the titular character, but the plot itself is a mess. There’s an enjoyable enough film here, but it’s hidden behind lashings of unecessary and sometimes confusing plot.

Baldwin fans and kids will enjoy it, but everyone else may be left more than a little confused.

GHOST IN THE SHELL: A FEAST FOR THE EYES, A FAMINE FOR THE SOUL

Major disappointment ‘WHITEWASHING’ in Hollywood is no contemporar y phenomenon; from Brando’s turn as Genghis Khan to the recent controversy over Netflix’s Iron Fist, the lexicon of mainstream visual enter tainment has long been vulgarised with a tendency to mash Caucasian stars into roles much more suited to, or written for, actors of an Asian heritage.

N a t u r a l l y, w h e n Rupert Sanders’ Ghost in the Shell (Cert 15A, 106 mins) , the Hollywood remake of the acclaimed anime of the same name was first announced, with lead actress Scarlett Johansson taking the role of Major Motoko Kusanagi (now just “The Major”), the news was met with the vitriol of a thousand online think-pieces.

 MARTIN MACNAMARA

The news spurred on many necessary conversations on the dangerous trend of whitewashing. In a political and social climate so driven by race relations, you’d think the producers would have had a little more foresight.

Still, despite whatever progress the industry has made in recent years, this trend is seemingly showing no signs of dying off.

The beloved animated sci-fi from director Mamor u Oshii dealt with themes of selfidentity and humanity in

a hyper-connected world – themes common to the literary world of ‘cyberpunk’.

As with most of the d i s t i n c t i ve i m a g e r y from the original, these themes play a large part in this remake.

In a future where most humans are augmented with cybernetics, The Major is the first of her kind, built from the ground up as the perfect cyborg soldier, with a human brain encased inside – “the ghost in the shell”.

When a terrorist begins hacking into people’s minds and controlling them, The Major is put on the case, along with the rest of her team, Section 9 – led by Chief Aramake (the incredible Takeshi Kitano).

Ghost in the Shell is a technical marvel. From

the smallest holographic detail to the most bombastic, CGI-fuelled action sequence, this is a sumptuous display of wonderfully executed, perfectly integrated visual effects.

The intro, with Clint Mansell’s mood-perfect sy nth score exper tly adapting the music of the original, re-imagines the opening sequence from said film perfectly; a seamless assimilation of live action and CGI. The cityscape clearly takes notes from Blade Runner and the original source material, but also from Katsuhiro Otomo’s startling anime Akira, the illustrations of Jean ‘Moebius’ Giraud and the heavy sci-fi prose of William Gibson.

In a word, it’s visually beautiful – ripped straight out of a cyber-

punk dream. The frame is always on the verge of bursting at the seams.

Unfortunately, beyond these incredible visual feats and a few riveting action sequences, Ghost in the Shell has little to offer. For all its manifold layers of sci-fi world-building, this is a shallow experience, narrativity speaking.

Its thematic meditations on humanity and identity are extremely cursory.

We’re frequently told about the cybernetic “risk to individual identity” and the problematics of “messing with the human soul” yet Ghost in the Shell is altogether soulless.

Forgoing the original’s contemplative twist for a conclusion that allows the film to squeeze the whitewashing issue into

the narrative, Ghost in the Shell has nothing new to say about its subject matter.

Johansson may be playing a robot, yet although we’re constantly reminded there’s a ‘soul’ in there, she never shows it.

Still, Juliette Binoche does an admirable job as her creator, Dr Ouelet, and it’s great to see Kitano fire off a few rounds in some of the latter action sequences.

Ghost in the Shell is saved from an otherwise worthless existence with said action sequences and some innovative CGI. One can’t help but wonder, however, how much more mercifully shorter it would have been without all that stylised slow-mo...

Verdict: 5/10

13 April 2017 LUCAN GAZETTE 25

PETA have an udder complaint for games

SOMEBODY in PETA likes videogames, a lot.

Well, perhaps ‘like’ isn’t quite the right word, but the organisation is definitely keeping tabs on animal welfare in games – whether they’re real animals or not.

Following on from PETA, the animal rights organisation, taking assorted pops at various games down the years (with Warcraft seeming to be a particular favourite for repeated PETA criticisms, because as we all know, Orcs and Dwarves should never wear fur from Wargs, or Griffins), Nintendo’s new Switch console has fallen foul of PETA’s ever watchful eye.

While a new Switch title ( 1-2-Switch ) may strike gamers as an innocuous party minigame about milking a cow, PETA saw things differently. Very differently.

A letter from PETA’s president to Nintendo has some rather sour words about the game – indeed, it complains that “you’ve taken all the cruelty out of milking”, and “can we have some realism here, please”.

Unfortunately, Cow Milker 2017 doesn’t seem to exist on the Switch just yet, or on any console or platform.

As such, the quest to provide ultra realism in milking games – including replicating “the filthy conditions that cows endure on farms” – so that there’ll be an acceptable critique of modern agricultural practises in an industrialised agri-produce sector (instead of, y’know, giggling with friends as you each jiggle a controller about in a race against the clock) will just have to wait…

GAZETTE

TECH

2016’s greatest games rewarded with Baftas THERE were no great surprises at this year’s Bafta game awards, which rolled out most of the expected winners in their various categories in London last week.

First up – at least in my list of some of the bigger Bafta categories here – and to nobody’s surprise, Uncharted 4 continued its juggernaut roll, crushing all opposition to snatch Best Game, with this Bafta surely one of the last remaining awards left on the planet to throw into the developer’s loot cave.

However, U4 had to console itself with ‘just’ the top award, as it faced stiffer competition in more specific categories that it was also nominated for.

As such, despite U4 bringing two of gaming’s top A-list actor-performers together (Nolan North and Troy Baker), relative unknown Cissy Jones claimed the Performer Bafta for her quick-witted, foul-mouthed and very human role as Delilah in Firewatch.

 SHANE DILLON sdillon@dublingazette.com

Critics (including yours truly) highly praised Firewatch, the debut game from Campo Santo Productions, for its highly naturalistic dialogue and plot, with its confident art style also helping it to blaze a trail to win the Debut Game Bafta.

Moving on, and just as with much more passive media, such as TV and cinema, music can play a huge role in any game’s success, with a lot of highly-respected composers quietly plugging away at their trade.

Composer Lyndon Holland shyly took the Music Bafta for his great score for the short but sweet Virginia, with his rich, multilayered score impressing many people last year, with it sounding a little like an

orchestral, mid-Western mash-up between Stranger Things and Twin Peaks.

Audio Achievement was another category with a particularly strong field of contenders, with The Last Guardian proving the surprise winner.

It definitely has a wow factor with its arresting visuals, yet there’s little that’s particularly memorable about its audioscape, compared to the all-out aural assault executed by several of its rival finalists.

Ultimately, as happens every year, the night belongs to one game, and Inside proved the judges’ darling, coming away with a haul of Baftas, including Narrative, Original Property, Artistic Achievement, and Game Design, as well as other category nods.

Sporting a bleak, almost monochromatic visual aesthetic and a low-key narrative (at first glance), Inside crafted a brief, dark (both literally and metaphorically) and stark title,

Some of the Bafta winners clockwise from top left: Uncharted 4, Inside, Firewatch and Virginia

shot through with flashes of peril.

With such a diverse range of games scooping the Baftas, gaming appears

set to have a bumper year ahead, with plenty of gems to make next year’s Bafta games awards even more interesting.

Ready to surrender social media passwords to visit the US? AT THE time of writing, the Trump administration is still mulling over a new ‘extreme vetting’ policy that, if passed and applied, could make travel to the States problematic for many people, at least on a point of principle.

In short, travellers could be asked to hand over their social media passwords and phone contacts for vetting, with the Wall Street Journal quoting administration officials as saying that financial information and ideological information could also be requested.

In short, no passwords –

The threat of possibly having to hand over personal passwords to visit the US has sparked unease

no entry, as the boiled-down advice from assorted civil liberties lawyers points out, while being refused entry Stateside

would present a raft of problems for any detained travellers.

“Could” is the key word here, as nothing has yet been decided

or confirmed – the idea is floating about, although the US Customs and Border Patrol have already piped up with: “All international travellers arriving to the US are subject to US Customs and Border Protection inspection …

“Keeping America safe and enforcing our nation’s laws in an increasingly digital world depends on our ability to lawfully examine all materials entering the US.” While absolutely nobody could begrudge America – or any country – running a thorough border check and main-

taining a vigorous look-out for problematic or potentially dangerous visitors, many people would quite rightfully baulk at handing over such intimate information to a foreign (or domestic) government, not least the vast majority of Irish and other visitors just looking to take a holiday or visit family members in America.

If such an extreme vetting gets the go-ahead soon, plenty of visitors are likely to be in for a rude shock when they arrive across the pond, not least those who refuse hand over their precious data. Watch this space ...

26 LUCAN GAZETTE 13 April 2017

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28 LUCAN GAZETTE 13 April 2017

SPORT

FastSport DUBLIN SIDES SWEEP BOARD AT INTERVARSITIES: GRIFFITH College scooped the men’s A title at the 2017 National Basketball Colleges Committee Intervarsities after they came through all of their pool group games unbeaten and continued their impressive form to run out 76-45 point winners over Ulster University.

Alex Calvo, Alex Dolenko and Jose Maria Gil Narbon were the stars for the Dublin college throughout the weekend and were hugely impressive once more in the final.

Meanwhile, DCU made it a double whammy of wins as, after their men’s side won out over IT Tallaght in the B final, the women’s team were later crowned A champions with a win over IT Carlow in a nail-biting final.

Meanwhile, hosts Trinity College Dublin were the first team of the weekend to scoop a cup as they overcame Cork IT in an extremely close and tough women’s B final.

HOCKEY: STUDENTS ADD EYHL TITLE TO IRISH SENIOR CUP SILVERWARE

UCD’s Tice twice on target for second title in six days

 STEPHEN FINDLATER sport@dublingazette.com

UCD claimed the women’s EY Hockey League in dramatic fashion last Saturday as Lena Tice struck two penalty corners to inflict a first defeat of the league season on HermesMonkstown, leap-frogging their Dublin rivals on the final day of the campaign.

The 2-1 result earns them a European spot and was their second title in six days, adding to the Irish Senior Cup won at Belfield with a 1-0 win over Cork Harlequins.

The first quarter was dominated by the visitors who showed their intent from the whistle, forcing several corners but the Hermes keeper Liz Murphy dealt comfortably with the chances created. The home side did force a corner but Clodagh Cassin in the UCD goal saved the corner switch.

The home side started to settle in the second quarter, creating opportunities to take the advantage. Cassin pulled off a top class save from a Chloe Watkins corner drag and, just before the end, Nikki Evans showed fantastic skill controlling and

UCD celebrate winning the EY Hockey League. Picture: Adrian Boehm

spinning to shoot on her reverse.

With the UCD keeper beaten, the shot pinged the crossbar to deny the home side a half-time lead.

Evans did, however, give her side the lead in the 38th minute when good work by Anna O’ Flanagan in the circle, saw her battle out of a tackle to pop the ball left for the finish. UCD now needed to score twice to take

the title and, in the 44th minute, they forced a corner.

This time, the ball was cleverly rolled into the circle to allow Tice to apply a devilishly powerful slap that defeated the defensive lines.

The students kept pushing on in the closing quarter and were rewarded with 12 minutes to go with what proved to be the crucial goal.

Again, Tice did the damage in the same manner as the first.

The home side threw everything at UCD, withdrawing their keeper in the final moments as they chased the equaliser but, on the day, the college side did enough to take the win and the title.

Elsewhere, Pembroke completed their great escape from a potential relegation playoff with a 2-0 win over Ulster Elks. In

tandem with Belfast Harlequins 5-1 loss to Loreto, it boosted Pembroke to eighth place on goal difference, ahead of Belfast Harlequins on goal difference.

It was their second win in their last three games, adding to a recent success against Ards and they went 1-0 up early on. Erica Markey inspired the first goal when she only had the goalkeeper to beat in the seventh minute but was taken down.

A penalty stroke was awarded which was converted by Rachel Scott to open the scoring for the home team, easing the tension. They continued to set the tone in the second quarter when Alice Ward and Erica Hinkson combined well before Markey made it 2-0 in the 31st minute.

Eanna Horan set up the attack down the right before Jill Ringwood picked up the pass and crossed to Markey who made no mistake for a 2-0 halftime lead.

Into the second half, Pembroke continued to attack and won a penalty corner in the 40th minute.

Eanna Horan’s shot on goal was blocked by a defender and the follow-up hit the post.

Dublin Galaxy break into new netball stratosphere  BERNARD DUFF sport@dublingazette.com

The Dublin Galaxy side that won the Irish netball final

FORMED just last year, Dublin Galaxy lined out in Tallaght Leisure Centre in Dublin on Saturday afternoon to compete the Irish Netball final against the Cork Rebels, bidding for a first national title.

Galaxy are already a force in the Irish game having led the league that preceded the playoffs with both sides looking for their maiden title.

Cork captain Wendy Howell made one switch to the starting

seven from the previous week’s 38-36 semi-final win over outgoing champions St Anne’s Dragons whereas Galaxy’s captain Christina Tuataga balanced her team after dismissing Leinster Netball Club 45-32 midweek.

She said: “We are made up of varying levels of ability from players who have played internationally to those who had never played competitively before. So, it makes things complicated when deciding combinations. Many of us used to play socially before the club was formed but now it’s competitive, they love it.”

A tight first quarter ended with Rebels two down (14-12) as both attacks found their range. It was the second quarter that proved decisive as Galaxy pulled out to an eight goal half time lead (2719) after Galaxy’s Tania Rosser – a former Irish rugby international – found space at wing attack to feed Tuataga at goal attack.

Cork rallied in the third quarter which was goal-on-goal. Going into the fourth quarter, Galaxy led 40-31. Despite eight last quarter goals by Cork’s Alesha Clarke, who finished with stats of 31 goals from 36 attempts, it wasn’t enough

as Galaxy prevailed 51-41.

Player of the Match was Tuataga after scoring 43 from 54 shots.

Afterwards, Tuataga said “I am really delighted with our team.

We’ve had a huge squad this year and we did that purposely because to bring up beginners and those of low experience, they need to be playing alongside well versed players”.

As for the following season?

“Watch this space” she said with the victor’s grin.

Earlier, the Division 2 title went to Finglas club St Michael’s NC, defeating UCD 28-19.

13 April 2017 LUCAN GAZETTE 29

GAZETTE

FASTSport

Hyland hits high notes at record-breaking gala Dublin swimmers produce series of superb performances to notch up a string of national titles with Tallaght’s Brendan Hyland beating the Irish best in the 100m and 200m butterfly  sport@dublingazette.com

Ballyboden St Enda’s launch an Poc Fada

Boden’s Poc Fada in bid to challenge Cuala reign  STEPHEN FINDLATER

DAVID CURTIN and a number of his teammates including Dublin star Niall McMorrow helped to launch Ballyboden St Enda’s new Poc Fada last week, with the aim of raising money for the club’s large hurling section.

The Poc Fada contest will take place along the River Dodder where it runs alongside the Ballyboden St Enda training pitches and clubhouse, and carries a GAA themed prize from the accompanying €5 raffle tickets: a helicopter ride to Croke Park on All Ireland Final day (a choice of football or hurling), plus two premium tickets to the match, a night’s hotel accommodation in Dublin and dinner on the day of the game.

Curtin spoke to the Gazette on the day of the launch, telling us “With the opening of the new pitch, we’re doing something in conjunction with it. Across the road [from the clubhouse] there’s an old country lane, and the river running alongside it. For the Poc Fada they’ll be starting from one end of the lane and going to the other. It’s traditionally up and down the hill, but the idea of it is a lot of fun. It’s who can get there in the least shots, and it’ll be the first year of it.

“Hopefully, this gets a lot of support, and it’ll be a runner every year. It’s a huge club here, but a huge club has a lot of financial expenses. Every team needs fundraising, all clubs need to do it whether it be a junior team, intermediate team or senior team.

“This kind of idea has a bit of fun attached to them, and we hope to sell a few tickets with a fantastic prize alongside it all.”

Curtin also spoke about Ballyboden’s chances in the Championship this year, pointing out that the club’s seniors lost to eventual All Ireland club title winners Cuala narrowly last time out, taking them to extra time, and feel that having been drawn in the same group as the Dalkey club, they have a real shot at beating them.

Ballyboden open with Cuala at Parnell Park on April 29, with fixtures against Faugh’s and Crumlin in May. The Poc Fada - and draw for the association competition - will take place on July 1.

TALLAGHT swimming club’s Brendan Hyland provided some of the highlights of the Irish Open Swimming Championships at the National Aquatic Centre, featuring among a number of record breakers at the event.

All told, there were 10 new senior records and seven new junior records from the gala with Hyland leading the way with a couple of best times.

On day one, he produced an Irish best in the 200m butterfly. In so doing, he took over half a second off his own record. It was his fastest time in three years clocking 1.58.08 in Thursday evening’s final, securing his fifth consecutive national title in the event.

Ellen Walshe of Tem-

pleogue won the women’s event in 2.16.43, swimming under the consideration time for both World and European Junior Championships.

In the men’s 50 breaststroke race, UCD’s Darragh Greene touched in 28.08 to win gold. Greene had entered the final as top seed after a preliminary swim of 28.00 which was under consideration for the World University Games.

Into day two, from a Dublin perspective, Trojan’s Ben Griffin took the gold in the 400m individual medley with a swim of 4.29.41, winning by four seconds over the rest of the field.

On Saturday, Hyland came back to the fore on the penultimate night of the gala. He reclaimed the 100m Butterfly Irish record in the final.

The Tallaght swimmer blasted a 53.26 second swim to take down Conor Brines record from earlier this year. Brines of Larne Swimming Club touched second in 54.13 seconds.

A thrilled Hyland said “I was delighted with the 200m to get back on track, it was three years coming and I’m really happy I stepped up in the 100m tonight. I love to race, looking at the other Butterfly results from Dave McCullagh [February] made me put my head down and get focused for this weekend.”

In the women’s 100m butterfly final, UCD’s Shauna O’Brien was just off her Irish record, winning in a time of 1.00.41.

Te m p l e o g u e ’s E l l e n Walshe was second in a European Juniors consideration time of 1.01.60.

Closing out the gala in

the men’s 800m freestyle final Aer Lingus’ Nathan Turner and Finn McGeever battled throughout with just eight hundredths of a second separating them

for the athletes and their coaches. The standard of swimming across the board has exceeded all expectations and we have a number of world class

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

‘It was three years coming and I’m really happy I stepped up to the 100m. I love to race!’

- Brendan Hyland -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

in the end. It was Turner who eventually took gold in 8.30.03 with McGeever clocking 8.30.89.

Swim Ireland’s new National Performance Director Jon Rudd was impressed by this weekend’s swimming, commenting: “This has been a wonderful four days for Swim Ireland, particularly

athletes within our midst.

“I sense already something of a culture shift; fast heats, faster finals, a sense of urgency and focus on deck. We’re gaining momentum in such a short space of time and once you get something moving in such a positive fashion, you can only go from strength to strength.”

Ellen Walshe,left, from Templeogue Swim Club on her way to winning the Open Women’s 200m Butterfly final while, right, Tallaght’s Brendan Hyland celebrates one of his two national records over the weekend. Pictures: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

GAZETTE

30 LUCAN GAZETTE 13 April 2017

SPORT

FASTSport

SOCCER: CLONDALKIN CLUB TOO STRONG FOR CLONTARF IN RYAN CUP

Garda RFC through to Paul Cusack Cup final GARDA’S senior women’s rugby team are through to the final of the Paul Cusack Cup after a hard-fought semifinal victory over Wanderers.

They will now face Wicklow in Donnybrook Stadium on Saturday week (April 22).

Emma Chamberlain was the star of the show in the semi-final with two well taken tries.

Five-pointers from Ciara McDonnell and Siobhan O’Neill with two conversions from kicking sensation McDonnell saw Garda triumph in a 24-14 victory.

Leonard strikes memorable Esker winner CHARLIE Leonard struck an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box for Esker Celtic to beat Lakelands 3-2 at Under-13 level last Saturday morning, The Lucan side took an early lead through Alex Melvin with a tidy finish.

The visitors equalised before half-time and took an early lead in the second half with two well taken goals.

Esker upped the tempo in the game, resulting in captain Rhys McDonnell equalising with a terrific header from a super cross from Aaron Walsh.

And the comeback was complete when Leonard’s shot whistled into the top corner.

At Under-10A level, meanwhile, Esker were involved in a smashing game in Hermitage Park against local rivals St Francis.

In a very even but competitive game, the visitors took a first half lead with a very well-taken goal to lead at the interval.

Wes Benton pulled off two magnificent saves early in the second half to keep Esker in the tie.

With captain Ivan Wall driving his team mates on, they never gave up and had two great opportunities to equalise but the Francis keeper was on top form and saved both.

It looked as though it wasn’t to be Esker’s day until the last minute when striker Adam O’Donnell cheekily back-heeled the well deserved equaliser resulting in great celebrations.

Booth Road Celtic are into the final four of the Noel Ryan Cup

Sheppard guides Booth through NOEL RYAN CUP Q-FINAL Clontarf FC Booth Road Celtic  sport@dublingazette.com

1 6

PHILIP Sheppard netted a hat-trick for Booth Road Celtic as they reached the semi-final of the Noel Ryan cup after a 6-1 win over Clontarf FC at Richmond Road Astro last weekend.

The LSL Major 1B Saturday side actually fell behind during the opening minutes of the game but veteran Sheppard equalised with 21 minutes on the clock after racing onto an excellent through ball from Mikey Collins.

The first half ended 1-1

but Booth Road burst into action in the second half to run out convincing winners.

Sheppard grabbed his second of the game to give his side the lead after he took advantage of confusion between Clontarf’s keeper and one of his centre-backs to roll the ball into the net.

‘Sheppy’ then completed his hat-trick five minutes later with a wonder strike from the outside of his right boot that flew into the top corner.

Another five minutes and the game was all but put to bed when Collins got the better of his marker before lobbing the ball

PARKRUN GROWTH Gillick leads the way with new VHI link-up OLYMPIC athlete David Gillick led the way as

he helped launch VHI and Parkrun Ireland’s announcement of a new five-year partnership earlier this week in St Anne’s Park.

The agreement will see VHI become the presenting partner for Parkrun Ireland, enabling the community-based running events to further develop and grow. VHI will become the first presenting partner of Parkrun globally. Gillick is pictured with a group of runners who regularly take part in the St Anne’s Parkrun.

Picture: Dan Sheridan/Inpho

over the keeper from close range.

It went from bad to worse for Clontarf minutes later when one of their defenders rose highest to meet Nathan O’Callaghan’s cross and head the ball past his own keeper. Shane Merrigan completed the scoring three minutes before fulltime with a tap in after the Clontarf keeper spilled the ball.

Two other local sides also went head-to-head in the Noel Ryan cup as Cherry Orchard got the better of Collinstown FC 2-1 to join Booth Road in the pot for the semi-final draw. Azeez Tusuff opened

the scoring for Orchard after 25 minutes, and Stevie Nicholl doubled that advantage in the second half. Collinstown pulled one back with 10 minutes of the game remaining to set up a tense finale but an equaliser never came.

There was also cup success for Booth Road’s LSL division 3 Sunday side as they beat Wayside Celtic 3-2 in the quarter-final of the Albert Walsh cup at Jackson Park.

The first half was a tight affair but Wayside took the lead when they intercepted a back pass to go into the half time break ahead.

Booth Road drew level when Dean O’Ruairc

conver ted from the penalty spot after Ryan O’Callaghan was taken down by the Wayside keeper.

Wayside then hit the post when they should have scored and Booth Road made them pay for that miss shortly afterwards with a wonder goal from Wayne Long. A pass was delivered towards the right wing that was taken down by Long before he unleashed a volley into the back of the net form 30 yards out.

O’Callaghan chipped the keeper for Wayside’s third before the home side grabbed a consolation in injury time.

13 April 2017 LUCAN GAZETTE 31

GAZETTE

Lucan Sars sweep to pair of wins CLUB NOTICEBOARD  sport@dublingazette.com

LUCAN Sarsfields’ inter and junior hurlers enjoyed strong wins in AHL4 and AHL8 respectively with the former seeing off St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh 6-11 to 0-13.

They put in a dominant second half performance to capture the points at sunny Martin Savage Park. Lucan started well and had two early goals but allowed Plunkett’s back into it and the sides were

level at half time 2-3 to 0-9.

A brace of goals early in the second half had Lucan on top again and this time there was no way back for Plunketts.

Lucan’s defence was solid throughout and the goal was never really threatened. Johnny Byrne was busy in midfield and Eoin Kenny helped himself to 3 goals in the full forward line, where Gar Coleman also showed well when introduced.

In AHL8, the margin of victory over Ballinteer St John’s was 2-11 to 0-7, making it two wins from three in the league.

The experience of Ger Twohig and Darragh Reidy and the young legs of Adam Finnerty and Darragh Ryan combined well to give Lucan dominance around the centre.

A goal in each half from Mark Quaid and the accuracy of Keith Masterson made it tell on the scoreboard.

FOOTBALL: UNDER-14 BOYS EMULATE GIRLS ACHIEVEMENT

LUCAN SARSFIELDS THE FEILE continues with the football-

April 22: Lucan A, Division 1, hosted by

ers in action last weekend. The As were

Lucan (note this means restricted club

playing in Division 3 and despite being

activities); Lucan B, details not available

level with Naomh Olaf, the score differ-

yet.

ence prevented them from progressing to the semi-final.

Lucan played host to one group in

Details of the Easter Camps, School

Olaf but overcame both Cuala and Tem-

of Excellence and the schedule for the

pleogue to progress as runners up. This

summer camps is online. Booking avail-

meant a trip to Erin Go Bragh to meet

able online.

a resilient Geraldines team who put a stop to Lucan’s progress.

A special thanks to Denis Conheady helped out ensuring fantastic hospitality, and fantastic weather.

of two premium tickets; €20 gets you in to every draw for the year. Contact Paul

is a semi-final against Oulart The Bal-

McGann on 087 2546555.

Senior hurling are out in the championship; the first game will be in Parnell

4-9 4-8

W E S T M A N S T OW N Gaels completed the second leg of a remarkable double Feile success last Sunday as the Under-14 boys emulated the success of the Under-14 Girls the previous week.

The Division 5 Group B preliminar y round was hosted by the Garda Club at Westmanstown on Saturday in glorious sunshine and the visiting teams represented Round Tower Clondalkin, Man O War and

Club shop is closed next week, reopening on April 20. Any urgent needs, contact O’Neills in Walkinstown on 01 4293548.

There was no winner of the €1,500

8.15pm. Junior hurling is enjoying some

lotto but the numbers were 14, 15, 20

success with both teams winning their

and 27. The sponsor was Fergal McCa-

recent games.

rthy, Painter and Decorator, and next

ing a summer draw with a €30,000 prize

Westmanstown Gaels St Anne’s  sport@dublingazette.com

The 25 card drive continues on Friday night.

Park against St Brigid’s on April 27 at

Fancy a new car? The club are hav-

by four points in a very short time.

The Gaels, however, dug deep once more to draw level at the end of the first period.

In the second half it was nip and tuck and could have gone either way until Daragh McNicholl finally decided it with a fine point on the call of time-final score 4-9 to 4-8.

There was great jubilation when inspiring captain Killian Slater was presented with the cup and the whole squad, coaches and parents got a tremendous welcome. on return to Westmanstown.

Premium ticket draw: every week when there is a game or a concert in

St Martin’s from Kilkenny. Their reward

tery Road on April 21.

laght Stadium on Sunday morning.

An excellent St Anne’s side proved to be fine opponents and contributed greatly to a thrilling finale.

Early on, it looked like Westmanstown might win comfortably when leading by 2-1 to 0-1 but found themselves trailing midway through the second half by three points.

Just when it looked like it might not be Westmanstown’s day they managed to equalise right at the end to force extra time.

St Anne’s started the stronger in the extra period and were leading

free tea/coffee.

Croke Park, there is a draw in the club

their next game against UCD in Monas-

Robert Emmets.

The level of skill and committment on display by all teams is testament to the great work being done around the county by juvenile coaches.

The Gaels won their opening tie 5-3 to 3-4 against the Clondalkin side before outdoing Robert Emmets 5-7 to 3-5 to put them in pole position and they advanced to the semi-finals in spite of a loss to Man O War. This led to a semi-final against Round Tower Lusk. This resulted in a good win for the hosts by 4-8 to 1-7 so all was set for the final at Tal-

bar hosts bingo where you can avail of

The senior camogie side had a great

The senior football championship is

FEILE DIVISION 5 FINAL

The set dancing is on Wednesday at 8.30pm in the function room while the

Leinster league quarter-final win over

lagh.

Gaels’ double Feile footballing delight

to be finalised.

Division 7. The Lucan side lost to Naomh

(Lucan co-ordinator) and all people who

Westmanstown Gaels celebrate their success.

AIG Feile 2017, hurling, Saturday April 29 (Bank Holiday weekend). Venues yet

week’s €1,500 draw will be managed by Team Seamus Clandillon.

fund including the first prize of a brand

Tickets can be purchased online, at

new Seat Ataca. Tickets will be distrib-

the club, in Carey’s Newsagents (sellers

uted in the next week.

of this week’s winner) or in Vesey Arms

AIG Feile 2017, camogie, Saturday

or Kenny’s Bar.

ST PAT’S, PALMERSTOWN GREAT weekend for St Patrick’s GAA club

Congratulations to our new refer-

Palmerstown with a great performance

ees Brian Mooney, Jack Clarke and Ellie

from our U-14s at their Feile on Saturday

Clarke doing a great job in Glenaulin on

in Bremore Park. They did themselves

Saturday.

and their mentors proud on the day.

Dates For our Diary: Gaelic4Girls con-

Glenaulin Park was full of activity on

tinues on Thursdays, 7-8pm for ages

Saturday morning with our U-8, 9, 10 and

eight to 12 at St Pat’s, Glenaulin. Enrol

11s in hurling action. Well done to our U-10

at 6.45 pm. Easter Camp – April 18-21,

ladies in their camogie blitz on Saturday

9.30am to 1.30pm for ages five to 12, €30,

afternoon.

at St. Patrick’s GAA club, Glenaulin.

Congratulations to the U-13 camogie

The U-14s have been chosen as hosts

side on a great match Sunday with a win

for their hurling Feile na nGael in Glenau-

of 6-5 to 5-6 over Commercials. The U-8s

lin on April 29 and 30.

were busy with a blitz on Sunday morning showing some great camogie skills.

Hard luck to our senior hurlers, losing out in a great game on Saturday.

The minor footballers lost to Round Towers on Sunday morning.

Oskars club development fundraiser: new actors welcome to sign up. Contact the club secretary. Auditions on Monday, April 24. Live Oskars show on June 17.

Our lotto draw takes place every Sunday at 10pm in Palmerstown House.

Thank you to Andy Slater and Keith

Numbers drawn on April 9 were 3, 21, 27

Pickett, representing St Patrick’s GAA

and 30 with no winner. Next week’s jack-

club at St Lorcan’s BNS 50th birthday

pot is €5,000.

celebrations and tree planting ceremony; a great occasion for Palmerstown past and present pupils and staff.

Tickets available at SuperValu, Manor Hair Studios and Palmerstown House.

Thank you for all your support.

GAZETTESPORT

ALL OF YOUR LUCAN SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 28-31

FEILE HEROES: Another week, another U-14 success story as Westmanstown boys follow up girls victory P31

APRIL 13-19, 2017

HITTING THE HY’ NOTES: Tallaght man breaks pair of national records P29

Adam Stenson and Sean Moore after their one-two win in Navan earlier this season

Stenson’s Ireland call

Celbridge cyclist named in Irish development team as a strong Team Bikeworx crew take on the prestigious Ras na Mumhan over Easter

 sport@dublingazette.com

ADAM Stenson, from Celbridge-based Team Bikeworx, will take to the roads of Munster this Easter weekend to ride the prestigious international cycle race Ras Mumhan in the Irish vest.

It is part of a strong crew from Team Bikeworx with the club sending a team down to the event which is one of the premier cycling events in Ireland, passing through some of the most demanding terrain in Cork and Kerry covering 500km in 4 days.

Team Bikeworx is a growing club who are currently working with young, up and coming

Under-23 riders to develop them to compete at the top end of their sport both in Ireland and internationally. They have several riders who have just entered the senior ranks and are already competing with the top riders in the country.

And their “in-form” rider Stenson is testament to this following his selection for the Ireland development squad for this weekend.

Stenson is no stranger to international duty as he has previously represented his country at both the European and world championships.

As for Team Bikeworx, their line-up will comprise of three local Under-23 riders:

Stephen Bryan, Sean Moore and Reese Young along with the more experienced senior riders Diarmuid Kavanagh and Dermot Greegan.

Speaking ahead of the race, the club’s Derek Stenson said of their chances: “The riders are all in good shape after a strong start to the racing calendar picking up results each weekend, including two wins so far this season and will be hoping for more strong results this weekend.

“The team are supported by local businesses in the Celbridge area including Ray Crofton Motors, Bikeworx and Peak Physical Therapy. We will see plenty more from this

team with other big events planned including the Tour of Ulster following over the May Bank holiday weekend and several stage races throughout the summer months.”

Also in action this weekend will be junior rider Jack Caldwell who will be riding the Gorey three-day race.

Caldwell has had a few big results so far this season will be hoping to take home a marquee result from Gorey.

Youth riders Quillan Donnelly, Dylan Hayes and Ryan Geraghty will take a well deserved rest over Easter after a terrific start to their seasons with a podium spot in nearly every race they have entered thus far in 2017.