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April 14-20, 2016

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Sarsfields continue top start to 2016 Page 32

Pair arrested as two cars crash into Liffey  Ian Begley

Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you

Two male juveniles have been arrested following an incident where the cars they were driving crashed into the River Liffey as they were pursued by gardai in Celbridge.

The incident, which

occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, April 13, prompted a rescue by Tallaght Ambulance service and fire brigade units from Tallaght, Naas, Co Kildare and Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.

Gardai confirmed that no one was injured in either car.

It is reported that one of the cars overturned on entering the water and could been seen on its roof at the riverbank, while the second, a blue hatchback, could be seen sitting in water just below the town bridge.

Gardai were alerted to a

burglary at the Weston housing estate in Lucan shortly after 4am on the day. Two cars fled from the scene and drove towards Celbridge before crashing through a barrier and entering the river at Celbridge bridge.

Water levels were low at the

time and the vehicles could be seen sitting in the river by commuters during the morning rush.

The two teenagers who were arrested at the scene were detained at Lucan Garda Station at the time of going to press.

2 LUCAN Gazette 14 April 2016

complex | ‘good level of interest’ is expected

Shopping Centre on sale for €40 million  Ian Begley ibegley@dublingazette.com

Lucan Shopping Centre on the Newcastle Road

Lucan Shopping Centre, Newcastle Road, is now on the market with a selling price of €40m.

Negotiator with Savills Dessie Kilkenny said that the shopping complex is available for sale individually or as part of a collection, and is “a highly successful retail investment opportunity”.

Anyone interested in buying Lucan Shopping Centre will be expected to pay a passing rent of more than €2.6m per annum.

The shopping complex, advertised on various property websites such as Daft.ie, is part of four investments in the selling agent Savill’s SV4 Collection anchored by SuperValu with an overall guide price of €80m, providing new owners a return of 6.4%.

Lucan Shopping Centre is the largest individual asset going for sale in the collection, where the guide price of more than €40m would show an initial yield of 6.45% The centre dates from 1991 and has a floor area of 12,008 sq m and trades alongside SuperValu and Dunnes Stores, which holds a long leasehold on its premises at a nominal rent.

Savills said they expect a “good level of interest” in the sale, citing the “strength of covenant, unexpired lease terms and proportion of income associated with the anchor tenant SuperValu”.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that the former Foxhunter site in Lucan has been sold.

Av o c a o r i g i n a l l y planned to open an artisan craft shop at the site amidst widespread public approval, but following the sale of the company to US multinational Aramark last year, they were prevented from moving in due to a contractual issue.

The site was due to be redeveloped into an artisan food and craft shop following a successful application for a declaration of exemption and was expected to open in March of last year.

The application submitted by Avoca’s Simon Pratt last year was granted

by South Dublin County Council with an anticipated creation of up to 50 new jobs for the area.

South Dublin County Council confirmed that they were aware that the site was sold recently and are in the process of trying to establish the identity of the new owner.

FastNews

Roundabout sponsorship sought by the council South Dublin County Council (SDCC) is undertaking a scheme for the sponsorship of roundabouts around the county. The council is seeking to partner with businesses, organisations or individuals who wish to progress their corporate social responsibility endeavours by enhancing the county’s built environment while at the same time benefiting from advertisement opportunities being offered on selected roundabouts located on key approaches and within our county.

Proceeds from the scheme will be used to visually enhance the roundabouts sponsored through appropriate landscaping and maintenance. If you are interested in submitting a tender for sponsoring one or more of these roundabouts, visit www.sdcc.ie.

The closing date for receipt of tenders is 12 noon, Friday, April 15.

14 April 2016 LUCAN Gazette 3

initiative | council plan to invest €7m over the next three years

Leixlip

Dyspraxia summit for adults

Improvements on the way for village  Ian Begley

Plans under the village improvement scheme are due to recommence with works soon to be carried out on the North Main Street in Lucan Village.

Revealed at last month’s Lucan Area Committee meeting, at the request of Cllr Ed O’Brien (FF), the council agreed to replace some large paving stones in the village which are uneven and a danger to pedestrians. They will also carry out resurfacing works around the trees on the main street Cllr O’Brien said: “The council has [also] agreed to fund improvements to the Lucan Village area particularly around the village green and the weir beside Lucan Bridge.

Works have already been agreed for the weir area but plans for the village green were shelved due to flood risk associated with the design. I am delighted that council have confirmed to me that a new design will be available later this month and I look forward to reviewing it.

“The village is a wonderful setting to do business in but also to visit socially and is incredibly scenic. I believe if we get the design right the village can ultimately be the centrepiece for historic heritage walks and a gateway into the beautiful Liffey Valley,” he said.

The council plan to invest €7m over the next three years on its village initiative scheme. Nine

traditional villages across South County Dublin have been identified for this programme of design and works which are intended to improve the local authority’s villages in a social, economic and environmental performance.

Clondalkin, Tallaght, Lucan, Saggart and Palmerstown are among those selected.

The initiative intends to encourage and grow community involvement and partnership, to complement and energise council environmental and maintenance programmes and develop new projects.

For more information on the council’s Villiage Initiative scheme, visit www.sdublincoco.ie.

get ready for a holiday

Roisin Sweeney from Lucan, with her children Pearse, Liam and Colm, can look forward to a summer in the sun after she was named the lucky winner of the Lucan Shopping Centre free draw for a €1,500 Falcon holiday voucher. The draw was run in conjunction with the launch the launch of the centre’s new web site http://www.lucanshoppingcentre.ie Lucan Centre has also recently seen the new openings of Starbucks, Mao at home, Base wood fired Pizza and Kay’s Kitchen giving our customers huge choice of appetising offerings, along with Supervalu and Dunnes Stores for all our customers needs.

Dyspraxia Ireland will hold its second summit for adults living with dyspraxia on April 16 in the Springfield Hotel, Leixlip.

The annual summit is a great opportunity for adults with dyspraxia to meet and tell their stories and this year dyspraxia expert Kerry Pace, will be keynote speaker.

Commenting Pace said: “I am thrilled to be involved in creating a day devoted to supporting people explore how dyspraxia affects them. Sessions will offer proactive techniques and strategies to address common issues that adults experience.”

Registration is €50 for dyspraxia members and €65 for non-members.

For students/unemployed tickets are €35 and all tickets can be bought online at www.dyspraxia.ie.

4 LUCAN Gazette 14 April 2016

Nepal | devastating earthquake claimed the lives of over 8,000 people

‘People’s lives are starting to improve’  Ian Begley

Lucan native and founder of the Nagarkot orphanage in Nepal Fachtna ‘Doc’ Clandillon has said that people’s lives are beginning to improve since the devastating earthquake last year that claimed the lives of more than 8,000 people and affected many more.

Clanillion first moved from Lucan to Nepal in 2009, setting up programmes for children from the area as well as an orphanage in Naharkot.

Speaking to The Gazette, he said that the woes of hundreds of thousands of people liv-

ing in makeshift shelters has subsided somewhat since the disaster.

“Since I got back in early January, Nagarhope has been very busy with Government school assistance projects.

“Altogether, we are assisting 35 government schools in eight different districts of Nepal with projects varying from building semi-permanent classroom blocks to rebuilding toilets and drinking water projects.

“We made 500 school bags in Kathmandu and have been donating them to various schools with children most affected by the earthquakes.

“We have also been

providing shoes, uniforms and sweaters for the warm winter season to hundreds of students in various schools, including to all of the children we currently sponsor. Here are a few of the projects being undertaken, some are finished, some are still ongoing,” he said.

Last April, Clandillon was caught up in the worst natural disaster to strike Nepal since 1934.

Fortunately, his Nepalese wife Divya, two young children Aine and Abban and himself were unharmed during the earthquake and its severe aftershock.

Clandillon was in a supermarket at the time

of the quake, which also happened to be the day of his wedding anniversary.

There were no other customers in the supermarket at the time and as everything began to fall down and crumble around him he grabbed the children and got out.

The four of them fled on his motorbike and went back to their home in the outskirts of Kathmandu.

There was no damage to any of the houses where Clandillon and his family lives, but on the first night after the disaster they slept outside and stayed in a one storey shop nearby for several

Nagarhope has been very busy with Government school assistance projects

nights afterwards.

At the time he described how his “life flashed before my eyes”.

“I got on my bike, and stop-started through crazed jammed up traffic, as other aftershocks rattled the four storey build-

ings on either side.

“I got home to see my wife and kids sitting outside with neighbours. I hadn’t seen them for two days, but it felt like a lifetime.”

Clandillon took part in assisting with the

massive clean-up that took part in the days that followed the earthquake and made a nationwide appeal to encourage Irish people to donate what they could in order to help rebuild people’s lives.

14 April 2016 LUCAN Gazette 5

Strategy | aiming to improve bus, rail and road networks in the city

Lucan Luas line included in new transport plan  Ian Begley ibegley@dublingazett.com

Lucan has been included in a new transport plan that will see the town receive its own Luas line.

The National Transport Authority’s Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2016 – 2035 has now been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas by acting Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe (FG).

It involves €10bn of capital spending which includes expansion of Luas lines throughout the greater Dublin area over the next 20 years.

The strategy includes plans to build Luas lines to Bray, Finglas, Lucan and the Poolbeg peninsula, as well as the €2.4bn Metro North line from Dublin city centre to Dublin Airport and Swords, approved for funding under the Government’s capital plan published last year.

Plans for the Metro South and the Lucan line were in the last Dublin transport strategy published five years ago, but were not progressed.

DART services will be extended to Hazelhatch, serving Lucan and Cherry Orchard.

Clondalkin will also get radial bus corridors as a Luas extension is not seen as feasible and Tallaght will get a Bus Rapid Transit facility.

Blanchardstown will get a DART service as the Maynooth line is electrified and level crossings are removed. The town will also get a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line and upgrades to the N3.

Speaking to The Gazette, Cllr Paul Gogarty (Ind) said that Lucan will be waiting a long time before it receives a Luas line, adding that he would prefer to see a greater push for the Phoenix Park railway tunnel to reopen instead.

“Of course I would welcome this news with open arms, but we need to hear something a bit more concrete. The railway tunnel was supposed to be open now, but once it does it will be very beneficial to Lucan as it will allow rail access from Adamstown station all the way into Connelly.

“Lucan has been starved in terms of public transport so I’ll be very sceptical about the Luas coming here, but once I’m sitting in the swimming pool that we’ve been promised for more than 30 years then I will start to get excited about this,” he said.

Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Authority, said it is the first time a map has been set down.

She said: “We are delighted that the transport strategy for the nation’s capital region has been approved by the Minister.

“This is the first time

Phoenix Park event set to bring people from darkness into the light Pieta House recently launched its hugely popular Darkness into Light (DIL) event for 2016 in association with Electric Ireland.

Joan Freeman, founder of Pieta House, Lucan, was joined by Edel McCarthy, group sponsorship manager at Electric Ireland, RTE broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan, along with members of local organisations and volunteers to launch DIL, now in its eighth year.

This year’s event takes place on May 7 in the Phoenix Park and is set to be a unique, early morning experience that begins in darkness at 4.15am as thousands of people walk or run a 5km route as dawn is breaking.

Last year’s event attracted over 100,000 participants in over 80 locations.

“Last year’s Darkness Into Light in Dublin was an incredible success and we’re delighted that you’re hosting the event again this year,” said Freeman.

“We’re so grateful for your continued support. Your courage, vision and generosity has helped Pieta House to bring hope to over 5,000 people alone last year. Together we’re leading the way with Darkness Into Light now reaching communities from Dublin to Abu Dhabi and many more across the world,” she said.

Online registration and further details are available on www.darknessintolight. ie

that a strategic map of transport planning for the decades ahead has been set down on a statutory basis – it gives a firm basis to all agencies involved in planning for the future development of this region,” said Graham.

The strategy sets out proposals for improving bus provision, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, as well as the road network, but its central focus is on the expansion of rail.

An expansion of Luas lines throughout the greater Dublin area over the next 20 years is being proposed

6 LUCAN Gazette 14 April 2016

Hermitage Park | anti-social behaviour has blighted area

‘Urgent’ need for facilities for teenagers  Cathal Dennehy

A l o ca l c o u n c i l lor has said there is an urgent need to develop facilities for teenagers in Lucan to combat the anti-social behaviour which has blighted the area in recent weeks.

In Hermitage Park two weeks ago, vandals set a children’s play space on fire, and this followed several recent attempts to burn the allweather pitch at Weston Hockey Club.

Cllr Liona O’Toole (Ind), a mother of two teenage girls, believes that without proper facilities for teenagers, Lucan will continue to experience such issues.

“We’re not excusing it, but teenagers don’t go out with the intention of burning things like this,” she said.

“It starts out as mischief then gets out of hand.

They were very lucky there wasn’t a fatality in that situation. It could have easily happened.

“Lucan is at a turning point right now. They’re not providing facilities for teenagers.

“We have so much growth at such a fast speed, and so much anti-social behaviour that it’ll go one way or the other.

“I grew up in Ballyfermot, and I’ve seen what can happen.”

In addition to her professional duties in the area, O’Toole is heavily involved with Weston Hockey Club on a volun-

The charred remains of rubber matting at a children’s play-space in Hermitage Park.

teer level, and their facility has also come under attack recently.

“They came with a battery-operated grinder and took the lock off the main gate,” she said.

“They tried a couple of weeks ago to burn the pitch, and managed to burn a patch of it.

They’ve broken squares in the fence.”

O’Toole also revealed there had been a series of break-ins at the car park, a considerable source of embarrassment for club

Contesting for Seanad seats Seven councillors from South Dublin County are contesting for a seat in Seanad Eireann after being nominated by existing members of the Oireachtas, their own parities or an external nominating body. Former mayor of South Dublin County Fintan Warfield (SF) is running on the Culture and Education panel, along with Cllr Anne-Marie Dermody (FG).

Lucan Cllr William Lavelle (FG) and Rathfarnham Cllr Deirdre O’Donovan (Ind), have both been nominated to the Industrial and Commercial panel and will contest for votes to secure one of the nine seats available. Tallaght Cllr Maire Devine (SF) has been nominated to the Labour panel.

members when visiting teams are targeted.

“It’s constantly happening,” she says.

“There is criminal activity in the car park, and the amount of cars being broken into, especially when it’s a visiting team, is awful.

“The council are installing brand new lights to brighten it up, but it needs to be done at a much faster rate. If they continue to damage the pitch, various clubs will lose out. The

Lucan Sarsfields and others rent that pitch.”

O’Toole believes the answer to the area’s problems may be the development of a multi-use games area, which she believes will cut down on antisocial behaviour.

“I had a motion passed with the local area committees to put one at Weston,” she said.

“The gardai said it’s an ideal location, right on the edge of the road, and it will deter them from wanting to damage

the hockey pitch. They put in basketball hoops, goalposts, tarmacadam, and it allows children to have something to do.”

O’Toole also believes parents have a part to play in stamping out vandalism.

“I’ve a 13-year-old, a 16-year-old, two girls,” she says.

“I keep track of my children but there’s always a chance they get caught up in the w rong place at the wrong time.”

14 April 2016 LUCAN Gazette 7

8 lucan Gazette 14 April 2016

Gazettegallery

| 1916-related events currently running in town

At Kilmainham Gaol were actors Joe Taylor, Barbara Brennan and Stephen Jones (top); writers Joseph RCSI president Declan Magee with Liam and Karen Bradley, Isabelle Reast and Alice Sheils, marching past life-size cutouts of Countess

O’Connor and Hugo Hamilton. Kilmainham Gaol pictures:

Markievicv and Captain Christopher Poole at the steps of the RCSI. RCSI picture: Maxwell Photography

Marc O’Sullivan

Rising to the fore W

ITH Rising-related commemorations countinuing around the city and country, The Gazette has gathered together some of the many striking events currently being marked by the people of Dublin.

The Royal College of Surgeons at St Stephen’s Green (main pic) is playing host to Surgeons and Insurgents – RCSI and the Easter Rising, which explores the stories of both surgeons and insurgents during Easter week, 1916, and runs until April 17.

Next, and Kilmainham Jail (above right)

featured in a unique, site-specific theatre piece commemorating the Rising. Entitled Signatories, the piece is moving to three venues – the Pavilion Theatre, Civic Theatre and the National Concert Hall – from April 22 to May 5. For further information and bookings, see www.ticketmaster.ie.

Finally, and the Gibson Hotel, Docklands is currently playing host (below, right) to The Untold Stories – a photography exhibition that focuses on men and women from the docklands district who were caught up in the Rising.

Paddy O’Brien and Anne Keely. The Untold Stories pictures: Shane O’Neill

Nicky Logue, general manager, the Gibson Hotel with Grainne Keeley, daughter of Christina Caffrey, the bearer of a note signed by James Connolly to her mother; (right) Eilish Lynch and Ellen Galvin

14 April 2016 LUCAN Gazette 9

14 April 2016 Gazette 11

asdfsdaf business P27 P16

get happy P14

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

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diary P12

a day in the life: fitness guru Kathryn Thomas on her summer camp for adults

Unhealthy lifestyle gets the boot  Emma Nolan

Ever wanted to leave the world behind and embark on a detox amid the serene backdrop of rural Ireland?

That dream has been made a reality by fitness guru Kathryn Thomas and her Pure Results Bootcamp which she describes as “summer camp for adults”.

Kathryn spoke to The Gazette about a day in her life at Pure Results Bootcamp where guests spend either four days or a week in the idyllic 500 acre surrounds of Parknasilla in Kerry, on a strict exercise and diet detox programme.

“A lot of the guests can’t remember the last time they spent so much time outdoors,” she says.

“It’s an early start -

generally we have clients getting up at about 6:30am.”

Kathryn and her team have arranged the daily exercises classes so that upon waking guests partake in some low intensity exercise, to “wake the body up”.

“The morning exercise session is usually some aqua aerobics or a light jog that we call our Kenyan run.

“This was devised by an Irish Brother who trained a lot of marathon runners in Kenya and his philosophy is that it’s better to wake the body up slowly.”

The camp is also opening a second and more accessible location at the Temple Lodge Hotel in Westmeath this year.

Breakfast is served at 7am where it’s either a

green smoothie and protein balls or scrambled eggs depending on what exercise class is coming up.

“We try to keep it varied, so there’s a different breakfast every day.”

After breakfast, there are two high intensity classes.

“We could have anything from circuits to boxercise or an assault course.

“The classes are all designed so everybody works outside their own comfort zone.”

Guests at Pure Results range in age up to age 70 and are all levels of fitness.

“It’s up to the trainer to push them,” Kathryn says. “Everybody can work out together.”

After the two hours of intense training, it’s time

for lunch. Lunch and dinner at Pure Results often consist of items like poached salmon with Asian greens, turkey burgers with homemade slaw and a lot of fresh fish from local suppliers.

Those wanting to lose weight are served smaller portions than those maintaining their weight.

Day trips are also on the boot camp itinerary with a day and a half off site within the week programme.

Evening classes usually consist of yoga, body balance and, once that’s done, guests can enjoy their evening in the hotel’s spa facilities.

“We also do evening kayaking out on the water in front of the hotel.

“Most people are in bed for around nine o’clock,” she says.

“Our clients say that they sleep so well because they don’t really have to think about anything.

They arrive down and leave their brain at the door and are told where to go and what to do and eat.

“People think ‘oh my God, boot camp is so intense’ and it is, the classes can be intense when you’re in them but it’s also a really good holiday and a great time to feel re-energised and eat good food, completely detox and sleep.

“It’s about investing in and giving time back to yourself.”

Four days at Pure Results Bootcamp starts at €499 and a week starts at €999 with two weeks after care. Find out more at pureresultsbootcamp. com.

Kathryn spoke to The Gazette about a day in her life at Pure Results Bootcamp

12 Gazette 14 April 2016

Gazette

dublinlife DJ Steve Aoki to bring his biggest tunes to Dublin International DJ Steve Aoki is taking to the stage at the Academy on Abbey Street next month.

Presented by Desperados, the Full Moon and Tea Party event is aiming to combine the “normal with the absurd for an epic party experience”.

The Academy will be

transformed into a neon beach party meets Mad Hatter’s haven to shock guests throughout the night.

A spokesperson for the event said: “The renowned full moon, all night beach party will be paired with the traditional notion of afternoon tea to bring music fans a night of absurdity

that only Desperados can deliver.

“Buckets, neon paint and full moon performers will transport attendees to an atmosphere rivalling the party islands of Thailand.”

Taking place on Tuesday, May 17, tickets are priced at €23.90 and available from Ticketmaster.

diary

$30,000 donation from ebay

ebay Ireland has donated $30,000 (€26,400) to three Irish charities.

Earlier this year eBay’s Global Impact Team invited the employees of eBay Ireland to nominate Irish charities for consideration in the eBay Give Grants scheme.

The chosen charities are Inner City Helping Homeless, Women’s Aid Dundalk and To Children with Love.

Debbie Deegan, Founder of To Children with Love, spoke about the donation: “To Children With Love is now operating in Ireland for the first time and we’re working with children from Colaiste Eoin, a very disadvantaged school in Finglas. “eBay’s contribution will allow us fund a cool study hub, where the children will feel comfortable and more importantly encouraged to study and do group project work.

“Without this donation from the eBay Global Impact team, the school would not have been able to create this much needed space.”

recognition for art students Visual Communication Students at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin, have been recognised nationally and internationally at the “most rigorous and honest assessment in the world”, the International Society of Typographic

International DJ Steve Aoki

Designers (ISTD) student assessments.

Twelve final year students have been recognised for their responses to the ISTD set briefs, and have been offered membership to the Society.

The students and staff involved will be awarded certificates in recognition of their achievements at the ISTD Awards in London, taking place in July 2016.

The ISTD is a professional body run by and for typographers, graphic designers and educators.

NCAD student Ally Mo o r h e a d r e c e i ve d ISTD membership with Merit (one of only three awarded in Ireland). A further 11 NCAD students were awarded membership including: Shane Bonfield, Diane Dear, Melodie Fox, Katie Kidd, Eulich McGeown, Niamh McNally, Jennifer O’Brien, Christine O’Flynn, Michael Simpson, Jamie Smyth, and Shauna Woods.

Debra Ireland fundraiser Tickets for a Debra Ireland fundraiser with a performance from Ire-

land’s number one Elvis impersonator, Ciaran Houlihan, are now on sale.

Taking place on June 24 at the Hilton Hotel Charlemont Place, all funds raised from the night will be going directly to the charity which provides support to people with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).

The illness is a distressing and painful genetic skin condition causing the skin layers and internal body linings to separate and blister at the slightest touch. It affects approximately one in 18,000 babies born.

As there is currently no cure for the disease, all proceeds to the charity go towards supporting treatment for sufferers, who are in constant pain and towards high level research programmes.

Mother of six Tina O’Gorman has singlehandedly raised over €1million for charity over the past 34 years and is organising this upcoming event.

She said: “What gives me the greatest satisfaction is the joy on the people’s faces that you have just helped.”

Tickets for the night cost €50 which includes the live show, drinks reception, dinner and late night disco. For more information or to buy tickets, please call Tina O’Gorman on 085 827 4783.

celebrating Thai New Year Thai restaurant chain Saba To Go are celebrating Songkran, aka, Thai New Year with a voucher giveaway worth €15,000.

Songkran is a time of great celebration in Thailand where it is tradition to pour water on your elders to bring health and good fortune, so Saba To Go want to shower their customers with free vouchers.

Alan Cadden, manager of Saba To Go said: “We are delighted to be celebrating Thai New Year in such a big way this year, paying tribute to our Thai chefs, and our authentic Thai ingredients used in our dishes.”

The giveaway is running until Sunday April 17 and vouchers of up to €250 can be won when you order from the Rathmines and Windy Arbour branches.

14 April 2016 Gazette 13

Gazette

feature culture: eclectic greek film festival this month

A terrific collection of cinematic visions WITH summer looming on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to indulge in a little escapism, and the Dublin Greek Film Festival is a chance to do just that.

Now in its second year, the festival runs from Thursday, April 21 to Sunday, April 24 at Chester Beatty Library, Filmbase, Omniplex Rathmines and The Sugar Club.

The festival will be presenting cinematic visions of Greece through features, documentaries and short films, along with

Greek music.

It will start with the screening of the awardwinning music documentary, A Family Affair, which won Best Documentary at Hellenic Film Awards 2015.

It will be shown at Chester Beatty Library on April 21 at 6pm. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Angeliki Aristomenopoulou, and will include a wine reception sponsored by Kir-Yianni Wine Estate.

Agora (2015), directed

by Yorgos Avgeropoulos, an internationally acclaimed Greek documentar y filmmaker, opens the second day of the festival.

T his documentar y shows the development of the Greek economic crisis and will take place at Filmbase on Friday, April 22, at 6pm.

Also to be screened on Friday is Elias Demetriou’s new movie, Smac, which tells the story of Eleni, who is diagnosed with cancer and takes another look at her life.

This will be screened at Filmbase at 8pm.

On Saturday, April 23, there will be a screening of Little England, by Pantelis Voulgaris, one of the most prominent Greek directors. This period drama takes place on award-winning the Greek island of Andros during World War II, and will be shown at the Omniplex Rathmines on Saturday, April 23, at 4.30pm. wAlso that day, awarded shorts from 2015 Drama International Short Film Festival (DISFF) will be

Award-winning music documentary A Family Affair is just one of the highlights of the second Dublin Greek Film Festival, which runs from April 21 to April 24

presented at Filmbase.

For more than 15 years, the DISFF-awarded short films have been travelling in Greece and abroad.

The festival organisers are proud to add Ireland as a new destination to this journey. This free screening will commence at 6pm.

The third day of the festival will finish with a screening of The Sentimentalists (2014), by Nicholas Triandafyllidis, a film which mixes dark comedy with tragic romance. It will be shown at Filmbase at 8pm.

On Sunday, the festival closes with a fundraiser

for refugees in Greece at The Sugar Club. The event will consist of a second screening of A Family Affair, followed by a concert of Pakaw!, the all-female combo that pushes the boundaries of traditional Greek music and Mediterranean rhythms, which starts at 4pm.

Gazette

14 Gazette 14 April 2016

dublinlife

feature

public lectures: top ten tips on dealing with anxiety

Managing the negative effects of worrying Saint John of God Hospital, one of the leading providers of mental health treatment and care services in Ireland

and Europe, delivered the first of its 2016 public lecture series, entitled “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” earlier this week.

Dr Keith Gaynor, senior clinical psychologist at Saint John of God Hospital gave the public lecture that provided

information on worry, how it can affect us and how to manage its negative effects.

Here are 10 tips from Dr Gaynor on how we can teach ourselves to worry less.

1. Don’t waste time on What if’s. Don’t waste time thinking up situations that “might” happen, but in reality are quite unlikely to happen – that is just a misuse of time. Try to pin point when you start asking yourself these questions.

The majority of the scenarios you create using this approach are never likely to happen – so why waste your time thinking about them?

2. Create a worry diary.

Take a diary, a paper one or on your phone, and in it mark an asterisk every time and place you worry and guesstimate how long you worried for.

This is important for two reasons: a. It makes us aware of a process that may have been automatic until now. We need to notice how frequently we worry and most people will be shocked at what they see. b. Secondly, we need to pinpoint those occasions when we worry the most because these are the times we are going to target.

3. Starve worry of space and time. If we want to reduce the amount of time we worry, we need to starve it of time and space in our lives.

We need to look at

Dr Keith Gaynor, senior clinical psychologist at Saint John of God Hospital

those key times we marked earlier, in our diaries, and add more stimulation. We need to shift our attention from the internal (worrying) to the external (finding a solution).

4. Get lost in something different. Don’t let yourself be overcome with worry. The trick to forgetting your worries is to replace them with something else.

Exercise, take a class in something like art, yoga or read a book. Nothing festers worry more than an idle mind.

5. Problem solve, don’t worry. Worrying is normally a very inefficient attempt to problem solve.

So when you worry, try to turn this into useful problem solving by considering what you need to do now to deal with the problem. Decision making is a core skill to com-

bat worry.

6. Learn to accept uncertainty. Uncertainty is a fact of life, so try to accept that you will always have to live with, or tolerate some uncertainty. Unexpected things happen, and accepting this in the longer term will make your life easier and reduce your anxieties.

7. Go to sleep early.

Sleep is the ultimate healer. Nothing can make a mole-hill look like a mountain more than lack of sleep.

8. Don’t Google it. We are all guilty of Googling our ailments, but when the ailment itself is worry there is no point is selfdiagnosing as it will only feed the anxiety.

While the internet is an amazing resource to find helpful information, you can find a negative response for every positive, helpful result.

Panicky Google searches almost always end badly. This leads to the next point…

9. Talk to someone.

Sometimes, it really helps to just get it all out.

10. Be kind to yourself. Stay in the moment.

Spending most of your time worrying about things that might happen in the future means that you’ll spend less time enjoying the present and staying in the moment.

Acknowledge the worries that enter your head, but don’t engage them, try to refocus on what you are doing in that moment.

Put all the energy into something positive and productive instead.

The Lecture Series will take place from 8.00pm to 9.30pm on Monday evenings in the Saint John of God Hospital on the Stillorgan Road until Monday, April 25.

14 April 2016 Gazette 15

Gazette

16 Gazette 14 April 2016

dublinlife

BUSINESS

retail

property

THE opening of a new Lidl supermarket in East Wall has created 18 jobs.

The opening marks Lidl’s 146th Irish store and brings its total number of employees in the Republic of Ireland to more than 4,000 people.

After 10 months of construction, the brandnew 19,500sq ft store in East Wall opened at 8am on Thursday, April 7.

Speaking about the opening, Niall Murray, regional director at Lidl Ireland, said: “We are really excited to be opening our brand-new East Wall store. We and are looking forward to welcoming visitors to the store.”

DRIVEWAYS can showcase your house to make it a really standout property in your area.

Mindful of this, Tobermore are launching an exclusive competition on its Facebook page for you to win a free Landscape design call-out service.

Visit w w w.facebook. com/tobermore.concrete to enter.

Tobermore’s beautiful range of block paving products are designed with durability in mind, are cost-effective and minimum maintenance is required, so that’s one less job for you to worry about. The company’s call-out service involves a detailed assessment

18 jobs at new Lidl

A good driveway can add value in a number of ways

€3m rebrand for Colourtrend ACTRESS Fiona Shaw joined Colourtrend’s Liam Holland, sales and marketing director, and Kevin O’Connor, managing director, at Studio 6, Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, for the unveiling of Colourtrend’s new €3 million rebrand recently.

The investment by the Irish-owned paint brand is one of the largest in rebranding by an Irish-owned private family business. Colourtrend has added a new tagline to its brand – Infinite Colour from Ireland – allowing it to share in the current global interest in all things Irish. Shaw has worked with cinematographer Cian de Buitlear, and the Irish landscape, to help convey the range of natural colours in the Colourtrend palette. Picture: Maxwell Photography

of your outdoor space, the discussion of various ideas and a landscape design drawing from one of the company’s expert landscape designers.

Whether your house is a chic, contemporary abode or a quaint, traditional haven, Tobermore offer a driveway solution that can enhance the style, beauty and character of your home, whilst

meeting your budget.

Theresa Kiely, manager at Tobermore’s Dublin Paving and Walling Centre said: “As well as creating a parking facility, a well-landscaped driveway enhances the style and value of a property and provides a safe play area for children.”

Call 01 8437440 or visit www.tobermore.ie for more information.

14 April 2016 Gazette 17

cinema P21

OUT&ABOUT Never be out of the loop on what’s happening in Dublin! Let Out&About be your guide to all that is stylish, cultural and essential across the city and beyond this week

gaming P22



Gazette

travel P20

Pets meet bouncy bernard – he’s full of love and energy

Keagan Forde, Michael Glynn, Evan Forde and Dylan Crean from Galway helping to launch the event. Picture: Ruth Medjber

Irish Youth Music Awards: showcasing talents and honing skills

Youths to take centre stage  Cathal Dennehy

Some of Ireland’s most gifted young musicians will showcase their talents and hone their skills at the Aviva Stadium this Saturday at the Irish Youth Music Awards.

Organised by Youth Work Ireland, the national event will see musicians aged between 12 and 19 from across the country representing their community and gaining experience in the music industry.

This is the ninth year of the programme, which brings some of Ireland’s top music industry personnel directly into contact with young musicians.

Those attending will have the opportunity to attend an educational hub featuring music industry panels and workshops. Open for all attend-

ing to participate in will be an industry panel with tutors Alan Cullivan, founding chairman of MMF Ireland (Music Managers Forum Ireland), James Byrne, founder of the label Any Other City, Gav Fox, member of Turn and Idlewild, and Dan Finnegan, founder of Paper Trail Records.

Students can also hone their skills with experts during workshops for individual musical disciplines. These include song writing with multi-instrumentalist Tully Gunawardhana, who has co-composed with The Coronas, and drums with Johnny Boyle, who has toured with The Frames, as well as Marianne Faithful and Damien Rice.

Paul Moore – who has recorded with Mark Knopfler, Van Morrison as well as taking the reigns as musical director with Riverdance – will be offering bass workshops. Vocal

workshops are courtesy of Shelley Bukspan, who has arranged backing vocals for artists such as Mary Black, Bronagh Gallagher and many indie and contemporary young Irish acts.

Regional finalists will be awarded points throughout the day by a separate panel featuring Keith Johnson (IMRO), Grainne Biddle (Sony Music Ireland), Laura Duff (Irish Youth Music Awards Winning Songwriter 2015) and Phil Udell (State Magazine/ Word Up Collective). The overall winning region will be announced on the day.

Performers have been chosen to represent their region at local live selection nights and will be supported by a team comprising the other participants from their region taking on individual music industry roles.

The recipient region will receive

five days’ recording time in a studio and a full backline provided by Music Maker Dublin.

They will also produce an album released on physical CD with a professional design.

The album will be digitally distributed worldwide through iTunes, Spotify and many more outlets. Last year’s IYMAs recipient act, Jake Mc Ardle, went on to perform for President Michael D Higgins.

Tickets for the Irish Youth Music Awards National Day are available from Eventbrite at €20 including booking fee. The event is an all-ages, alcohol-free event. Group tickets are also available for youth clubs or projects priced €120 (including booking fee) allowing admission for six young people, two youth leaders and include a set lunch on the day.

The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our Dog of the Week this week is Bernard, a seven-month old, male cuddly crossbreed looking for a home to call his own.

He is a very sweet, bouncy boy with lots of energy. He loves to play but especially loves to snuggle.

His canine carers think that he is very clever, but he still needs to learn some doggy social skills, so he would be best suited to a home where he is the only dog. Training classes would be a great, fun way for him to get to know his new family!

If you think you could offer Bernard a loving home please contact Dogs Trust on 01-879 1000.

They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50.

Map and directions can be found on their website www.dogstrust.ie. You can also find them on Facebook www.facebook.com/ dogstrustirelandonline or Twitter @DogsTrust_IE.

Gazette

18 Gazette 14 April 2016

R1

OUT&ABOUT

Reinventing the feminine silhouette  Emma Nolan

Minimal and functional – a sneak peek at the autumn winter 2016 collection from Cos has revealed an unusual and exaggerated aesthetic.

Cos have reinvented the feminine silhouette with this collection of “every day decadence” that prioritises layering and asymmetrical lines.

Hemline are long and wide, shoulders oversized and sleeves billowing.

The colour palette relies heavily on Cos staple black, but incorporates some rich charcoals, dusty terracotta and forest greens with a lilac surprise in the form of an oversized pant suit.

Varying textures are a focal point of the collection – heavy wools fea-

ture alongside silk chiffon and buttery leather.

While the looks shown might be a daunting commitment, individually, pieces can be worn with tighter pants or a line skirts for a more accessible take on the look. Such as the oversized bomber jacket (which isn’t going anywhere for the time being), the leather sleeveless turtleneck, the silk chiffon sheer panel top and the oversized wool jersey sweater.

St a n d o u t p i e c e s i n c l u d e t h e reworked menswear trousers worn as a strapless jumpsuit and the leather pumps with textured suede heels.

The collection will be available next season at the Cos Store on Wexford Street, Dublin 2.

14 April 2016 Gazette 19

R1

g spray Clarins Fix Make up settin €28

Aldi CC Cream €3.99

Aldi Face Treatment Oil €5.99

Flormar BB Cream €9.95

Dr Hauschka Tinted Day Cream €28.95

Flormar Double Radiance Primer Highlighter

Clarins Bronzer €45

get a summer glow Flormar Bronzing Powder €9.95

Achieving that bronzed summer glow is rarely achievable by natural means in our temperate (cold and wet) climes here in the North Atlantic, yet most of us have no qualms about reaching for the bottle when a little extra melanin is required.

Now, I’m not talking fake tan here, I’m talking about less intense products to give a quick easy glow without the need for Tanning Thursday and streaky sheets.

The mantra, life is better with a tan, doesn’t apply to everyone and pale skin is beautiful but sometimes you can’t beat that vitamin D glow and since a real tan can be harmful, a touch of bronzer can do the world of good.

Clarins are launching their summer 2016 make up collection this week and

it includes a “made to measure” Golden Glow Booster (€24). Simply add two to drops to your daily moisturiser for a gradual building tan that you can control.

Their bronzing and blush compact (€45) comprises of two universal matte shades, coppery beige and terracotta beige, a gold shade that lights up the complexion and an apricot blush with subtle pearl that promises to give a radiant glow. The collection also includes a make-up setting spray (€28) to ensure a long lasting hold.

Blogger favourite Flormar have a great range of affordable sun mimicking products.

The double radiance primer highlighter (€12.95) has a lightweight creamy texture

to illuminate cheekbones, cupid’s bow and decollete.

BB cream is a great warmer weather alternative to heavier foundations and Flormar’s for under a tenner version delivers hydration, sun protection and a mattifies oily complexions.

Skincare brand Dr Hauschka current have a tinted day cream (€28.95) on the market.

Available in Avoca and pharmacies nationwide, it blends with your own natural skin tone for an even complexion adding a sun kissed glow to your face and neck.

Clarins products are available at Clarins counters nationwide from April 17 and Flormar is available in all good pharmacies now.

Gazette

STYLE

Denise Mannion accepts the prize on behalf of her daughter Niamh Mannion, who is currently pursuing her fashion career in New York. Also pictured are judges Brendan Courtney and Sonya Lennon. Model Ieva Paulikaityte wears the winning outfit. Picture: Anthony Woods

€10,000 bursary for emerging Irish designer An emerging Irish designer has won a €10,000 bursar y to help further her career in the fashion industry.

Niamh Mannion was awarded the life changing prize at the 16th annual Persil Fashion Awards which were held in The Dean Hotel, Harcourt Street last week.

Eight finalists were chosen from over 60 entries from NCAD, Limerick School of Art and Design and Griffith College.

The hopefuls were set the task of designing an outfit which is completely machine washable and inspired by the theme, Bedtime Stories.

Speaking on her design, Niamh said it was inspired by the Brother’s Grimm tale Hansel and Gretel, and the haunting black forest wherein the children find the witch’s cottage.

She said: “The oversized bomber jacket is made from pleather, painted canvas, and hand-frayed bag strapping.

“The sporty poloneck dress is made with scuba jersey and mesh fabrics.

“I created this outfit as an exploration of intricate textures, hand painted patterns and fabric clashing.

“Winning the Persil Irish Fashion Award would be invaluable in furthering my pursuit of a career within the fashion industry and I am over the moon to have been shortlisted.”

Having recently just moved to New York to expand her fashion horizons , Niamh’s mum Denise Mannion was on hand to accept the award.

Speaking to T he Gazette on her daughter’s win, Denise said she was “so proud and delighted”.

“I don’t even know if she’ll believe it,” she joked. “She left for New York on March 15 and my washing machine was going non-stop before she left.

“She’s looking for a job over in New York at the moment so this will be a big boost for her.”

Gazette

20 Gazette 14 April 2016

OUT&ABOUT

fast

TRAVEL NEWS

TRAVEL

spain: beautiful weather, delicious food and history

Explore Germany’s many rural delights More and more Irish tourists are choosing Germany as their destination of choice for short breaks, with a 13% rise in overnight visitors so far in 2016 compared to the same period last year.

With cheap flights, decent weather, and no hassles with currency exchange, it’s little surprise that Munich, Berlin and other major German cities are proving such a hit with Irish tourists.

The German National Tourist Office (GNTO) has capitalised on this trend, and recently launched its “Holidays in the Heart of Nature” campaign, which hopes to spread awareness among visiting tourists of Germany’s rural delights.

“It’s clear from the popularity of rural interest television shows, specialist publications and the media, that people in Ireland have a deepseated love and respect for rural life – just as we do in Germany,” said GNTO’s director for UK and Ireland, Klaus Lohmann.

“Exploring rural and ‘green’ Germany will enable visitors to discover

many fascinating regions and areas, with picturebox villages, incredible landscapes and the chance to relax.”

Sporty types will not be disappointed with the array of activities on offer across the German countryside. The adrenalineinducing free-climbing was invented in Germany and the many hiking and walking routes wind their way through different terrains and levels to suit all needs.

With more than 200 long-distance cycle routes, cyclists are also spoilt for choice, combining rural landscapes with urban discovery.

The bracing coastline in the North offers a huge array of activities from windsurfing to sailing and kitesurfing, plus Germany has a whopping 16 national parks, more than 100 nature parks and 15 unique biosphere reserves.

The big cities will undoubtedly retain their popularity among Irish tourists, but if you’re planning a break this summer, there’s never been a better time to tack on an extra few days to explore the countryside.

Take a walk along the Gran Via, the city’s main tourist artery

Enjoy a European break and visit magical Madrid

 Cathal Dennehy

If you’re looking for a European break with beautiful weather, delicious food and plenty of culture and history, then Madrid may be the place for you this Autumn.

There are few better times of the year to visit the Spanish capital, with temperatures lingering in the high teens or low twenties.

A five-night stay is just about the perfect option for anyone wanting to not just see the city, but also travel outside of Madrid and take in some of the sights in the surrounding areas, rich in culture, cuisine and captivating scenery.

Spend time exploring the old town of Segovia, with its winding streets and old buildings, as well as its almost 30-metre high aqueduct which dominates the area.

There will also be plenty of free time to explore and discover these unique cities at your own pace.

Your base for this holiday will be the Hotel Puerta de Toledo in Madrid - a friendly, tastefully-decorated hotel located in the heart of the city.

An essential way to spend an af ternoon on your trip should be a walk along the Gran Via, the city’s main tourist ar ter y

which stretches from the famous Metropolis building to the Plaza de Espana.

T he street, which stretches for a little over a kilometre, is a hub of culture with museums, chic hotels, opulent theatres, historic cinemas and decorative statues lining the route.

While Madrid may not have the coastal delights of its major Spanish rival, Barcelona, it does boast an array of beautifully maintained parks, a perfect place to take a time out and enjoy a few hours of serenity.

T he biggest green space is the Casa de Campo, which is five times bigger than New

York’s Central Park, and features a large lake with small boats and kayaking facilities.

A smaller, but more central option is the Parque del Buen Retiro, which features tree-lined walks, fountains, monuments and regular performances from musicians to puppeteers.

You will take in some of Madrid’s highlights including the Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Plaza del Oriente, and visit the historic cities of Toledo and Segovia on two full-day included excursions.

Admire the beautiful works of the Museo del Prado, which is amongst the very best art galleries in the world, or stroll

around the gardens in Parque del Buen Retiro.

Head out on a full day excursion to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Toledo, a city beautifully situated on the banks of Spain’s longest river, the Tagus, where you will take a walking tour through the historic centre of the city.

Prices start from €699pp including flights, transfers, taxes and charges, 5 nights’ half-board accommodation and excursions, with f light departing Dublin on September 5, 2016.

For more information visit www.traveldepartment.ie.

14 April 2016 Gazette 21

The Man Who Knew Infinity: film on Srinivasa Ramanujan underwhelms

ReelReviews

Bio doesn’t add up to an inspiring tale of greatness AS ANY school teacher will tell you, bringing maths to the masses has never been an easy thing, but cinema has produced some valiant attempts over recent years.

Back in 2001, A Beautiful Mind chronicled the rise and mental collapse of John Nash, and in 2014 Oscar winners The Imitation Game, and The Theory of Everything, successfully brought to life the individuals behind the integers.

In much the same vein, The Man Who Knew Infinity aims to give the story of Srinivasa Ramanujan a big-screen treatment, and it certainly has some of the components of a Hollywood story.

Ramanujan may be an obscure figure to the general public, but among mathematicians he is recognised as a genius.

Director Matt Brown starts Ramanujan’s (Dev Patel) story as an unemployed youth in Madras in the early years of the 20th century, scrawling lengthy equations in chalk on temple floors, setting the tone for the connection between the mathematical and the divine that seems a key component to Ramanujan’s work.

 Dave phillips

Struggling to find a job in Madras, Ramanujan knows that he has an exceptional talent for numbers and just needs to find somebody in a position of power to recognise it.

The answer comes when a new employer, Sir Francis Spring (a throwaway cameo by Stephen Fry), recommends Ramanujan to some of the old boys in Cambridge.

And so we begin a tale of two worlds, as Ramanujan begins a correspondence with the celebrated English mathematician G H Hardy (Jeremy Irons).

For the most part, Matt Brown does a solid job in contrasting the dusty, convivial and spiritually literate life of people in Madras, with the emotionally stunted life of Cambridge – where the lawns may be green and lush, but nobody dares to step on the grass.

As the First World

War grows on the horizon, Cambridge remains ensconced in a sense of imperial superiority, and much of the plot revolves around Ramanujan’s struggles to be academically and personally accepted within the culture he has found himself thrust into.

With Hardy in the role of a harsh but benevolent taskmaster, Ramanujan attempts to enculturate himself and get his work published.

There are a lot of story elements in here that should make The Man Who Knew Infinity a hit, but it quickly becomes evident that something essential is missing from this equation.

As well as directing, Matt Brown takes the role of screenwriter – a task that he unfortunately performs less adequately.

For the most part, The Man Who Knew Infinity unfolds without a hint of textual nuance, with conversations playing out functionally, rather than organically.

And so, a scene in which Hardy eventually breaks Ramanujan’s spirit, forcing him to conform to Cambridge standards, features the

Gazette

CINEMA

the huntsman Snow thank you ...

AS A sequel that nobody asked for, The Huntsman – Winter’s War (Cert 12A, 117mins) is the prequel to 2012’s visually lovely (but dull as dishwater) Snow White and The Huntsman.

Charlize Theron is once again as cool as ice, while Emily Blunt and Chris Hemsworth gamely give their best – but it’s a film that’s not Grimm enough, or fairy engaging, making it a huntsman to avoid.

zootropolis

Disney’s roaring success

Although The Man Who Knew Infinity ticks all the right, if predictable, boxes in the “struggling maths genius” category, it never soars beyond the sum of its parts

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

‘For a film about numbers, it spends a lot of time spelling things out, and the end result does not make for great cinema ... Just short of two hours, the stodgy pacing of The Man Who Knew Infinity makes it feel a lot longer’

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superfluous dialogue: “I see you’ve finally broken his spirit”.

For a film about numbers, it spends a lot of time spelling things out, and the end result does not make for great cinema.

Equally superf lu-

ous is the storyline of Ramanujan’s wife and mother, who are cooped up together, and at odds with one another back in Madras.

Just short of two hours, the stodgy pacing of The Man Who Knew Infinity makes it feel a lot

longer.

Neither Patel nor Irons, upon whose shoulders the film rests, perform at the top of their game and the end result is a story that feels like it has much more to offer.

An attempt to shoehorn the source material into a Hollywood format leaves us consistently skimming the surface – save a single slide at the end, there is really no insight into the significance that any of Ramanujan’s work had on the field of mathematics.

An east meets west adventure that sadly stays too formulaic.

Verdict: 5/10

DISNEY have added yet another impressive film to their CG roster with Zootropolis (Cert PG, 108 mins), which takes a familiar cop trope – a fresh rookie trying to make their mark and solve a tough case, while teaming up with an unlikely ally – but makes something new.

Warm-hearted, likeable performances add to the great design, making it a treat for audiences.

midnight special Make time for this one

WHILE we’ve all seen oddcouple/on-the-run films before, Midnight Special (Cert 12A, 112 mins) feels like something fresh, yet timeless. A protective father goes on the run with his young boy, who has special powers, while danger follows close behind. It’s a low-key film with a muted tone, yet some lovely performances, and its direction, create what could be a cult classic.

Gazette

22 Gazette 14 April 2016

OUT&ABOUT

GAMING

bafta awards: respected body selects its best titles from the past year

Paying tribute to a range of great games

SOME years ago, BAFTA – the British charity that has become an internationally recognised award/recognition brand for its celebration of the moving image – expanded its remit to take gaming into account.

As gaming sales, and the industry, quietly adds billions to the British Exchequer each year, it’s no surprise that gaming was eventually elevated to enjoy the same critical analysis and recognition as film and television, with the BAFTAs now enjoying global recognition.

The annual BAFTA gaming awards were held just after The Gazette went to press last week, but here’s my analysis of some of the big winners.

The awards proved an unexpected night for the underdogs, as small games and f ledgling companies emerged as the top winners in some David and Goliath showdowns.

First up, and the small, indie title Her Story (developed by Sam Barlow; available on IOS, PC, Mac) was debatably the critical darling of the night, picking up awards for Debut Game, Game Innovation, and Mobile & Handheld – three more to add to its range of awards from around the world.

Her Story’s daring narrative featured jumbled video snippets from

 shane dillon sdillon@dublingazette.com

the 1990s of ‘lost’ police interviews with a woman reporting her husband missing.

This initially simple premise took wouldbe Sherlocks on a ride through an ever murkier, adult tale, creating a truly unique and innovative title in the process.

Moving on, and the award-winning indie title, Everybody’s Gone to The Rapture (The Chinese Room; PS4) also impressed, scooping Audio Achievem e n t , Music, and Performer (for Merle D a n dridge, as Kate Collins) awards to add to its global haul.

Aw a r d s f o r audio may not sound (no pun intended) like par ticularly impressive wins, but Rapture’s soundscapes were key to creating one of the most haunting titles of several years; quite simply, its audio was in a class of its own throughout.

Its imaginative setting – a beautiful, sunlit and rustic English village in Shropshire, set some time in the 1980s in the immediate aftermath after the end of the world – was gorgeous to explore.

However, seeing as it played/sounded like a cross between evergreen radio serial The Archers, and Day of The Triffids, its terrific music score, natural sound effects, and the recovered snippets of overheard conversations between initially calm but increasingly panicky and upset villagers were pretty singular in their use.

Studio co-founder and composer Jessica Curry’s superb, pastoral score also made an unforgettable impression.

Still, while the overall feeling was that the night had gone to underdogs such as these, a number of major titles also won awards.

Best Game went to Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios; PS4, XBO, PC). The latest iteration in the popular franchise once again set gamers loose in an irradiated, post nuclear-war landscape, but packed in a bewildering amount of

Some of the most notable BAFTA 2016 games award winners, from top left: Her Story, Everybody’s Gone to The Rapture, Fallout 4, Batman: Arkham Knight, Until Dawn and Rocket League

quests, missions, secrets, easter eggs and sheer silliness to keep players lost in the wasteland for a very long time.

Despite being full of game bugs and glitches, and although the title wasn’t exactly pushing the consoles into a sweat, let alone to their limits, Fallout 4 became a critical darling pretty quickly, leaving a warm, fuzzy, irradiated feeling in gamers’ hearts.

Next, and Best British Game went to Batman: Arkham Knight (Rocksteady Studios; PS4, XBO, PC).

By no means a small title – Rocksteady is one of the biggest British games developers – this latest iteration of the Batman franchise had top-notch graphics that pushed the consoles hard.

Despite some niggles – its over-reliance on the Batmobile, and its

infamous, disastrously unplayable PC launch – this Batman was the best yet.

The very cinematic yet oddball title Until Dawn (Supermassive Games; PS4) claimed the Original Property award, as its complex, multichoice narrative – trying to keep a group of youngsters alive through the night at a remote, snowbound cabin – impressed with great if occasionally gory graphics, while its branching slasher plot demands repeated playthroughs.

Finally, Rocket League (Psyonix; PS4, XBO, PC, LX, Mac) continued its relentless drive into gamers’ hearts, scoring Famiy Game, Sport Game and Multiplayer Game awards.

While the thought of, basically, playing football by using cars to knock a ball about in giant stadi-

Sam Barlow collected a clutch of BAFTAs for his acclaimed game, Her Story. Picture: Matt Crossick/PA

ums doesn’t sound like much, the game’s spectacular success underscored that the simplest games, or ideas, still strike a chord for anyone just

looking for a blast of pure, uncomplicated fun.

For the full list of winners, and nominees, see awards.bafta.org/ award/2016/games.

14 April 2016 Gazette 23

Gazette

MOTORING

The fourth-generation Kia Sportage looks sturdy, but has plenty of comfort within the spacious cabin. Pictures: Paddy McGrath

kia sportage: changes to popular model deliver an impressive ride

Fourth-generation ups the ante in the crossover stakes

 dave phillips

WE TAKE a trip back to the compact crossover market this week, this time checking out what is fast becoming one of Ireland’s favourite makes and models.

In 2015, the K ia Sportage was listed in the top ten best selling cars in Ireland, and it is seems evident that the trend is set to continue for the foreseeable future.

There are currently more than 11,000 listed on Irish roads, with Kia hoping to add another 3,000 by the end of the 2016.

It is easy to see what makes the Sportage so popular – as a brand, Kia continues to take leaps and bounds in terms of quality, while still main-

taining a market-leading warranty.

And the compact crossover model essentially gives solid hatchback performance and then some, ticking a lot of boxes for buyers looking to strike a balance between performance and versatility.

The trend continues in this fourth-generation Sportage. Available with the choice of two engines – a 1.7-litre diesel, or a beefier 2.0-litre (with AWD) – the newest Sportage comes in three trim levels, and starts out from €27,995.

We took out what is proving so far to be the most popular configuration, the mid-level trim combined with the 1.7litre engine – which with stop/start technology as standard, falls into the

€200 A4 category for road tax.

On the outside, the Sportage’s familiar sleek and solid stance gives it a muscular presence on the road. Face-on, the headlamps have been set up higher than the grille – a small change from the last generation, but one that sets the new Sportage apart aesthetically from other compact crossovers on the road.

And, while the width remains the same, Kia have added an extra 40mm in length – which goes toward making the interior all the more comfortable.

A very comfortable cabin, and a good amount of adult space in the rear, will no doubt contribute to the Sportage’s popularity.

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‘The new Sportage works out as a very comfortable ride, feeling incredibly well-insulated with minimal road noise regardless of the surface’

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The mid-level EX trim (€29,995) comes with half-leather seats, adding a touch of luxury to the simple, wide and sturdy soft-plastic dash.

A 7” touchscreen incorporates Sat-Nav and a reversing camera, as well as the usual media inputs.

An effortlessly clean and uncluttered panel below controls heating, and a 4.2” LCD screen can act as a speedometer, as well as displaying speed limits or other

in-ride information as needed.

An incredible panoramic sunroof, stretching all the way back to the back seats, comes optional on the EX trim, and will bump the price up another €1,105.

The new Sportage works out as a very comfortable ride, feeling incredibly well-insulated with minimal road noise regardless of the surface.

The 1.7-litre engine zips along and provides plenty of torque, feeling

The latest tech deliver all the aids you could want, adding to the driving experience

like there is always something extra to give.

The Sportage feels effortless on the motorway, while suspension upgrades in this new generation, combined with the increased wheelbase, give a much greater sense of stability when

taking the car out across less-maintained country roads.

All in all, this fourth generation Spor tage looks, feels and performs solidly and impressively.

No doubt we’ll see it again in the top ten sales at the end of the year.

24 lucan Gazette 14 April 2016

Ireland’s most famous Olympian, EXCLUSIVE

Golden exploits of Dublin’s proudest sporting son Almost 60 years ago, Ronnie Delany sent Dublin and the rest of the country into delirium with his golden exploits at the Melbroune Olympics. No Irish athlete has managed to achieve such a gold run since. For the 81-year-old, family life in Dublin is far more important than any Olympic gold medal.  Cathal Dennehy

Almost 60 years have passed since one of Dublin’s proudest sons, Ronnie Delany, turned in a performance that would change his life forever.

It was December 1,

1956, when the Sandymount resident – competing over 10,000 miles in Melbourne, Australia – sent the Irish nation into euphoria, sprinting to gold in 1500m at the Olympic Games.

Six decades on, the memory has crystal-

lised in his mind, and it’s no surprise, because Delany’s run may well be the greatest feat in Irish sporting history.

“I remember the intensity of concentration,” says Delany, now 81.

“During the race,

Ronnie Delany and Brush Shields, during the Remembrance Run 5k 2015.

Picture: Tomas Greally/Sportsfile

you’re focused. You don’t hear the crowd.

You’re watching, focusing, monitoring, and if you have the gift to be able to win, you’re going to win.”

Delany played a patient game in the final, saving his speed for the home straight, at which point he unleashed a devastating change of gears to leave Australian rival John Landy and the world’s best milers trailing in his wake.

“I threw my arms wide in celebration as I went through the victory tape, and kneeled down to say a prayer as a mark of my faith,” says Delany.

“You’re almost saying: ‘I don’t believe it, I’ve won the Olympics.’

At 21 years of age, I was going to climb up the rostr um as Oly mpic champion.”

It was the feat which would define his career – indeed his life – but truth be told, he felt more fortunate a half century later, when his home city honoured him with the freedom of Dublin.

“That’s probably the proudest moment of my life,” he said.

“I’m indebted to my city. When your own select you for such an honour, it’s an absolute pleasure.

“I love this city, and getting that honour is a renown you enjoy throughout your life.”

D e l a ny w a s a c t u ally born in Arklow, Co Wicklow and moved to Dublin at the age of five.

As a result, both counties are understandably keen to claim him as their own.

“I can claim dual citizenship,” he says with a laugh.

“I had a dilemma back in the 50s. Dublin decided to make me the Dublin man of the year, while Wicklow decided to make me Wicklow man of the year. It required a solemn decision, so I decided I’d take both!”

At the age of 19, Delany left Ireland for six years to attend college at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, moulding himself into the world’s best middle distance runner over 3,000 miles from home.

“I never had a sense of loneliness,” he says.

“My life was extraordinarily full. I took the academic side seriously and the running seriously, and I also had to work.”

At a time when he was one of the world’s best athletes – but also an amateur who was unable to take any earnings from the sport – Delany worked a number of different jobs to get by.

H e wo r ke d a s a “grease monkey” at a friend’s garage, as a caddy at a local golf course, and as a park-

Ronnie Delany sprinting to gold in the 1500m at the

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

“That’s way above the Olympics, the happiness I’ve enjoyed in family life. The gift of my children, the gift of my grandchildren, that’s way above anything else.”

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

ing attendant at a local church.

“I’d be out parking cars for midday mass and people there would be papers hot off the press about the guy who ran a world record at Madison Square Garden the night before,” he said.

“The people probably didn’t know the guy who set the record was the guy parking their cars.”

After winning gold in Melbourne, Delany didn’t get to return home to Dublin along with the rest of the Irish team, but had to hightail it back to Villanova for his end-of-term exams.

It was weeks later before he made it back

to the Emerald Isle, landing at Shannon airport and being brought to Dublin by motorcade to be received by the Lord Mayor.

Only then did he realise the effect his achievement had on the psyche of the Irish people.

“It was celebration after celebration,” he said.

“We Irish are great for celebrating; give us an excuse and we’ll do it.”

Delany retired from athletics at the relatively youthful age of 26, though for the past six decades, he’s brought back to Melbourne in some small way on a daily basis.

“When you have the

14 April 2016 lucan Gazette 25

Ronnie Delany speaks to The Gazette

Ronnie falls to his knees and offers a prayer of thanks after winning the gold medal

Olympic Games

honour and distinction, when your fate says you’ll be an Olympic gold medallist, there’s never a day you’re not reminded of it,” he says.

“I still get correspondence from all over the world, requests for autographs. The impact on your life is ongoing.

“You don’t look at yourself in the mirror every day and say it to yourself, but you have a deeper sense of being part of history of the Olympic Games, part of the inspiring inspiration of the Olympic Games.”

Beyond the satisfaction of his spor ting achievements, Delany says nothing has compared to the sense of contentedness he has gleaned from bringing up four children, and the 81-year-old is now a proud grandfather to 15 grandchildren.

“T hat’s way above the Olympics, the happiness I’ve enjoyed in

family life,” he says.

“The gift of my children, the gift of my grandchildren, that’s way above any thing

House on Stephen’s green.”

Another of his regular activities is to go to the theatre, which was a

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

“My life was extraordinarily full.

I took the academic side seriously and the running seriously, and I also had to work”

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

else.”

These days, Delany likes to stay active by playing tennis twice a week at the Fitzwilliam Club, and he also swims regularly.

Though he admits he’s not a man for pubs, one of his favourite ways to spend an evening is at one of his most beloved Dublin restaurants.

“My favourite restaurant locally is Bistro One in Foxrock,” he says.

“That’s a great, local family-run restaurant.

My favourite restaurant in the city is the Cliff

particular passion during his adolescence.

“My abiding memory of my teens was theatre,” he says.

“I loved going to the theatre in Dublin. I still go to plays and musicals these days, but I don’t have the same opportunity to go as I used to.”

This December, it will be 60 years since Delany turned in his ultimate performance of sporting theatre, and for Dublin’s proudest sporting son – and indeed his beloved city – it will never be forgotten.

Torchbearers Ronnie Delaney and Bridget Taylor outside Government buildings when the Olympic Torch crossed into the Republic of Ireland in 2012

26 lucan Gazette 14 April 2016

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Gazette

28 LUCAN gazette 14 April 2016

SPORT

FastSport irish american football team set for debut: THE senior Ireland American Football team will travel to the Netherlands on August 26 to take on the Dutch National team in a friendly fixture in their very first international match.

It will be the first time an Irish national American Football side will take on another country’s national team and marks a significant forward step.

The Ireland programme began last year and includes a senior and junior full contact team and a flag gootball team, all with the goal of competing in friendly fixtures as well as European and International competitions.

“I am delighted that our senior team will be playing in their first friendly game against the Dutch Lions later this year” said Ireland General Manager Orla McAleese. “Our coaches and players have worked extremely hard over the past few months and they are really looking forward to it.”

cycling: dundrum club step in to organise road championships

Orwell to host Irish nationals  sport@dublingazette.com

ORW E L L W h e e l e r s won the bid to host the National Road Race Championships from June 23-26, an award announced by Cycling Ireland earlier this week.

The former club of Stephen Roche will

use the Phoenix Park as a focal point for the championships, it being the planned location for the start and finish area, subject to licence.

Orwell is one of Ireland’s largest cycling clubs, along with being one of the most progressive, having recently received sponsorship

from Scott Bicycles.

The club promises an exciting weekend of racing, which will incorporate the national time trial championships, the elite men’s and elite women’s road race championships, the veteran championships and the masters championships.

Action from the final stage of the 2016 road race

Orwell Wheelers are looking forward to hosting the national road championships

The National Road Championships are hosted by Cycling Ireland clubs every year, with the location being rotated between the four provinces.

The 2016 Championships were initially to be hosted by Clonmel CC, the Munster club who also held them in 2012.

But they were forced to withdraw their application, leaving way for new applications to be received.

Orwell were successful in securing the prestigious event. They have hosted many National Championships over the past 70 years, most recent of which was t h e ve r y s u c c e s s f u l 2009 Criterium Championships held on the

Meadowmount circuit in Dundrum.

Denis Gleeson, President of Orwell Wheelers, said of the championships: “It is a great honour for our club to be chosen to host the 2016 National Road Championships, particularly since it will be based in our heartland of Dublin City and the Phoenix Park.

“Our club, while only founded in 1948, boasts of having one of the first English speaking winners of the Tour de France. We have produced many national champions, a number of whom are still active members, and we are proud to be one of the largest and most active cycling clubs in the

country.

“Come June we hope to see many of our racing friends from around the country and those travelling from abroad.

We want this to be a special event.”

Orwell’s race director and event organiser Stephen O’Shea added: “I raced in the past in the Phoenix Park and loved the atmosphere associated with this unique location.

“Taking up the task of putting together a spectacular championships this year will be challenging!

“However, I am comforted knowing that the club’s many members are supportive of the event and I thank them in advance.”

Avoca miss stroke of fortune in national Trophy final  sport@dublingazette.com

Avoca’s Anna Richardson on the attack against Bandon last Saturday. Picture: Adrian Boehm

EMMA White’s pair of diving saves denied Avoca the women’s Irish Hockey Trophy title as Bandon claimed at Belfield last Saturday, denying the Blackrock club a cup double.

It went the distance by Avoca after a huge arm-wrestle at Belfield, one in which the west Cork outfit had the slight edge on chances but could not find the backboard until the shoot-out.

There, Jenny Buttimer, Rachel Desmond and Jessica Kingston all potted their efforts which,

in tandem with White’s blocks, allowed the nerveless Vicky Burns the chance to win it.

That normal time ended scoreless could scarcely have been predicted in a crackerjack first half in which the play swung wildly from end to end.

Amy Buttimer was sent clean through but saw her first up effort excellent shut down by a sliding Esme Galloway, Avoca’s stand-in keeper after Danni Cummins picked up an injury in the past week.

Desmond’s follow up was cleared off the line while she

also got a deflection to a cracking disguised pass from Burns but Galloway again did enough to keep it out.

W hite, meanwhile, kept out Aideen McGuinness and Rachel McAuley chances as Anna Richardson bossed the midfield in a superb opening stanza.

The second half was tighter though both sides did have giltedged chances to win it, Katie Desmond denied by Galloway’s long stick while Sarah Healy missed out with the goal beckoning.

Bandon, though, had the know-how in the shoot-out from their semi-final and shot their way to a famous maiden victory in this competition.

Nonetheless, Ronan Hickey’s Avoca can look back on a reasonably productive season.

They were promoted to the top tier in Leinster and duly stayed in Division One with something to spare.

The Leinster Hockey Shield was added on St Patrick’s Day with a 2-1 success against a fancied Glenanne side to cap off their exploits.

14 April 2016 LUCAN gazette 29

Gazette

Sailing senior still on the crest of a wave National Sailing Club’s Leonard McKay continues to get out on the water every Saturday during the summer, making the 82-year-old the perfect subject for Setanta’s new TV series  james hendicott sport@dublingazette.com

LEONARD MCKAY – at 82 years old, the senior member of the Irish National Sailing Club – has spent his life living on the Dun Laoghaire sea front, and much of his life sailing in its harbour and the wider Dublin bay.

A keen fan of a sport he calls “primal,” McKay rarely misses a Saturday on the water and particularly loves the aspect of small-boat sailing that pits him against nature.

Indeed, in tandem with Mar y Beck, he claimed last weekend’s squib class silver cup on his third outing of 2016.

“I enjoy the feeling of it being you against the elements,” McKay tells

GazetteSport. “I sail in squibs, three metre boats that have two crew, and compete within the club.

The last 25 years sailing every week, spending summers on the water have been the highlight of my life.”

McKay is one of a number featured in a new Setanta Spor ts series Super Fit Seniors, in which outstanding distance runner Eamonn Coghlan talks to various older athletes about their fitness regimes, attitudes and approach to sport.

The sailor told the show his main training regimen is to “keep breathing” and that he doesn’t “know anything about calories, or pay any attention to them”.

Instead he eats the same unprocessed foods

he has eaten all his life, growing as much of the produce as he can manage himself in his garden.

The gardening itself also plays a fitness role.

“I eat a good breakfast and a three course lunch every day,” he says. “I always have, even when I was working. For tea, I just eat a slice of toast and have a cup of tea.

I don’t snack. I think snacking is a problem today.”

Speaking of the health that enables him to continue sailing into his 80s, McKay recalls his upbringing, the rationing of sugar in the 1930s and 40s, and how it led him to eat a naturally healthy lifestyle.

“I just kept it going,” he explains. “I have an artificial left knee. We’ve

Leonard McKay tends to his boat in Dun Laoghaire harbour as part of the Super Fit Seniors on Setanta Ireland

talked in the club about whether it would be possible to continue if I had another one. We think it would. The club is very big on getting disabled people out onto the water, too.”

McKay talks passionately about his love for

boats are just you, the wind and the waves. It’s just the ropes and your muscle.

“We don’t go out if the wind is above about a force four, you have to be safe,” he adds. “We’ve been out into the harbour a couple of times this year

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

‘The last 25 years sailing every week, spending summers on the water have been the highlight of my life’ Leonard McKay --------------------------------------------------------

the INSC and is often trying to tempt others onto the water. “90% of the people in the club don’t own boats,” he explains.

“It’s a very accessible sport. We’ve had a lot of people from around the world, people who work for companies like Google and Facebook, joining recently.

“They might sail at home and they want to continue here. They pay their dues and take a club boat out. There’s everything from paddle boards to cruisers.”

Not that McKay ranks them all equally. “I look down my nose a little at cruisers,” he admits. “I don’t think you’d have trouble finding people my age who use cruisers, as there’s a lot of support equipment and often a large crew. The smaller

and just turned around and come back because of conditions. But it’s two and a half hours of exercise every Saturday that I really enjoy. When I haven’t done it, I’ve really noticed the difference during the week.

“Some of my friends gave up sailing at 60 because they thought they were too old,” he concludes. “I still get them to come out with me every so often, but there’s the call of Saturday afternoon TV sport.

For me, playing sport always beats watching someone else play. So I just keep going.”

Super Fit Seniors, a sixpart sports entertainment series will be shown freeto-air on Setanta Ireland for six weeks and started this Monday, April 11 at 7.30pm.

FastSport

Kevin Sims interviewed by Eamonn Coghlan

Sims continuing 60-year connection with cycling AT 84-YEARS-OLD, Kevin Sims takes his cycling seriously. Aside from a break in the 1960s during which he took up powerlifting, Sims has been racing bicycles most of his life.

That including in the 1953 Ras, the first ever edition of Ireland’s premiere cycling race, in which he departed an O’Connell Street start competing for Kildare.

Sims trains three to four times a week - “Tuesday and Thursday, Saturday if I can manage it, and a race on Sunday,” with his sport taking him around the country, where he competes in an over 80s age category.

“I’d try to go 35 miles,” he tells GazetteSport.

“I have to compete against people a few years younger than me, and a lot of them would be former pro cyclists. Some of them looks great.

But I still race. In the winter every weekend, and in the summer, when the light’s better, on Tuesdays too.”

Sims is one of the stars of new Setanta series Super Fit Seniors, in which he says he does “a 60 mile race from Tallaght, riding with my two daughters.”

Sims also rides alongside fellow veteran Sean Lally, who twice finished second in the Ras. When he’s not cycling, Sims loves gardening, but points to the wonderful experiences the sport has brought him as particularly great memories.

“I rode through the French Alps with friends a few years ago, and the scenery was incredible,” he recalls. “We went back and did it in Italy and Germany, too. Now, I go to Spain every year.

It’s tough - it’s very hilly - but I really enjoy it.”

He does, however, avoid cycling through town, instead using Wicklow for his training, and looks at today’s obesity epidemic with some horror.

“You didn’t see big people in the 30s and 40s,” he explains. “It’s just the last 20 or 30 years, people are overeating and sitting in front of the TV instead of exercising. I’ve always kept myself around 11 stone” With his current fitness regime, Sims’ won’t be facing that kind of problem anytime soon.

Gazette

30 lucan gazette 14 April 2016

SPORT

FastSport

soccer: schools team to take on scotland in centenary shield

Lucan’s fit4life and Triathlon crew shine LUCAN Harriers had plenty to celebrate over the weekend with success on a number of different fronts.

It was D-Day for the January intake in the fit4life group with seven of the group completing their first ever 5km at the Griffeen Valley parkrun on Saturday.

There was great support from other members of the club and they were all encouraged over the line. Valerie Callanan, Maggie Russell Mulqueen, Lorraine Becker, Suzanne O’Reilly, Johanne Monahan, Catherine Sheehan and Michelle Cuneen were the successful runners to complete the race thanks to coaching from Josephine Dignam, Breffni Worrall and Trish and her team.

They are pictured, above, with a wider group of Lucan Harriers athletes.

Elsewhere, the club’s Will Byrne won the third of the ATC Duathlon series organised

by Athy Triathlon Club on Sunday – this coming after the 10km in the K Club on Saturday Gerry Byrne, meanwhile, finished in the top 30 and won his age category. The further great news is that both Will and Gerry Byrne have been selected to represent Ireland in the World Duathlon Championships which will take place in Aviles, Spain in June.

Will Byrne is pictured, below, with his prize from the Athy event.

The Republic of Ireland schools team

Local duo in schools panel sport@dublingazette.com

LUCAN CBS’s Conor Kane and Confey College’s Jamie Aherne are both in the Republic of Ireland shake-up to play in the eighth Inspiresport Centenary Shield fixture of the series will take place in Celtic Park in Killarney on Thursday, April 14 against Scotland.

The title has already been decided in England’s favour following their late 2-2 draw with the Republic of Ireland last Friday night.

It means Paddy O’Reilly’s side will be

playing for pride as he hopes to increase his points tally for 2016.

The Republic of Ireland are currently with two draws under their belts following their opener with Northern Ireland in Arklow Town which ended scoreless on St Patrick’s Day. Scotland on the other have three games played with an opening 1-1 draw to Northern Ireland in Glasgow at the end of February.

The Scots were bitterly disappointed to lose at home to Wales as a solitary goal from Ifan Jones 12 minutes into

bob docherty cup Spillane plays her part in run to second place king’s Hospital’s Aisling Spillane was part

of the Republic of Ireland side that finished second to England in the Bob Docherty Cup, falling 1-0 at Dragon Park last week.

A well-rehearsed English move eight minutes into the second period saw Holly Manders come off the bench to smash an unstoppable volley crashing past Rachel Kelly in the Republic of Ireland goal.

Nonetheless, it was a fine campaign from Ireland in the prestigious annual tournament.

the second period was enough to see them win out the game.

The tartan army also suffered a defeat to England in Fleetwood Town on April Fool’s Day. Substitute Aaron Smith put the English in front early in the second half only for this to be cancelled out on the hour mark by another substitute Kyle Banner.

The game looked to be ending in a draw but Smith secured his second of the night as he lobbed the goalkeeper, Wilson inside the box for the match winner with four minutes

of injury time on the clock.

The visitors will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing season and end it on a high, with an away win against last year’s Champions.

The outing will provide both managers with the opportunity to play some fringe players.

However, a win in this contest will be very much in their mind-set.

The Republic of Ireland stick with the same squad that travelled to England for their game last week which

saw Eoghan Morgan of Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Clontarf captain the side.

St Colmcille’s Darragh Gibbons and Clonkeen College duo Eric Donnelly and Shane Hanney are among the other Dubliners involved in the line-up.

O’Reilly will no doubt want to avail of the full six points on offer in his two remaining games.

Following the Scotland encounter, the Irish will travel to Llandudno to take on the Welsh in a fortnight’s time.

14 April 2016 LUCAN gazette 31

Gazette

premier semi-final

Armagh edge out Dubs in Division 3 showdown

Club Noticeboard lucan sarsfields

lucan Sarsfields duo Michelle Kelly and

Emer Keenan were both among the starters for the Dublin Premier Juniors who fell to Armagh by just a single point, 2-10 to 1-14 in camogie’s National League Division 3 semi-final.

Dublin were one point up at half time with the aid of the breeze but they could not hold on in the second despite goals from Lynn Devoy and Elaine Gallery.

THE full report from last week’s ladies

first outing at Kilcock Golf club on Sat-

football Feile is available on the club

urday, April 16 from 10am to 11.30am.

website.

New members welcome.

The senior hurlers lost away to

The next bingo night is on this

Cuala 0-21 to 0-14 at the weekend.

Wednesday, April 20. We would still

Their next outing is in the champion-

like to run this every week but it will

ship on Saturday, April 23 at 5.30pm

require a few more volunteers – if

away to O’Toole’s in O’Toole Park.

anyone can lend a hand, please make

The senior football team will hopefully benefit from recent challenge games in their next league outing on

camogie: lucan’s late flurry turns the tide

Saturday, April 16 away to St Brigid’s.

yourself known to the organisers on Wednesday night.

Set Dancing is on Wednesdays at 8.30pm in the function room.

The senior football championship gets

Tickets are still available for our

underway on Saturday, April 28 at 6pm

premium draw. Niall Roache was last

v Round Towers, which is scheduled to

week’s winner. The next draw is in two

be played in Newcastle.

weeks.

For the senior 1 camogie side, follow-

The Cupla Focal Club continues on

ing their 2-8 to 0-7 win over St Brigid’s,

Monday night. Eight O’Clock for the

are away in the Leinster League on

novices, nine for the more experienced

Saturday 1 in Rathnure, Co Wexford.

speakers.

CCC2 was a football weekend with success for the U-14A, 14B, and 15B teams. The U-16A and 16B teams had good championship wins.

Lucan Sarsfields Golf Society has its

Cards are on Friday night next at 9pm for anyone interested.

This week’s €4,500 lotto draw was delayed till Monday night so results are not available.

ST pat’s palmerstown THE lotto numbers for this week were

Lucan Sarsfields camogie side have begun 2016 in fine style

Dowling cracker key as Sars start strong

division one St Brigid’s Lucan Sarsfields  sport@dublingazette.com

0-7 2-8

A YOUTHFUL Lucan senior camogie squad put in a dogged display to win their first match of the Dublin League in midweek at St Brigid’s.

The scoring was very low in the early stages thanks mainly to the Lucan defence who were battling into a fresh breeze. Keeper Annemarie Courtney was required to demonstrate faultless handling while Kate Britton had an uneventful first half but was

called into action many times later on.

The other five backs all showed their experience and ability for the hour.

Mairi Moynihan, Ailise Dowling, Laura Murtagh and Sam Fitzgerald all put in serious shifts at midfield at different stages against the strongest home sector. Achieving parity here was crucial to the ultimate victory Two early points from play by Kate Whyte settled early nerves while Ailbhe Ryan slotted a couple of frees to leave the sides level after 22 minutes, 0-4 to 0-4.

A goalmouth scram-

ble was eventually dispatched first-time to the net by the in-rushing Ryan to leave the visitors with a two-point cushion.

Ailbhe Ryan had two more points in the 37th minute and 44th minute, after a lovely pass back from Laura Murtagh, to strengthen their position.

However, St Brigids made a good push in the fourth quarter against the wind and were well in the game with seven minutes to go at 0-6 to 1-6).

The game changed in a minute, however, when a

long ball into the Lucan square hopped on the crossbar and luckily for Lucan went over for only a point.

Immediately, Moynihan broke through for an inspirational point and Dowling had the match winning goal after an amazing strike from 25 metres on the run after good approach work by the Lucan forwards.

Ryan scored another free in the end - it was academic at that stage.

The tie also featured Lucan debuts for Rhiannon Withero, Orla Sadlier, Yazmin Kilduff and Jessie McClelland.

from 7-8pm.

3, 4, 18 and 28; there was no winner so

Our Friday hurling and camogie

next week there will be two draws with

skills session has started up again on

jackpots of €10,000 and €1,000.

Friday from 6-7pm, from U-8 upwards

The draw takes place in the Palm-

and all are welcome. It’s a great chance

erstown House every Sunday night at

for the kids to learn from experienced

10pm and tickets cost €2. Thank you

coaches.

to all our sellers and to all that support our lotto every week. Tickets

Well done to all our teams that played at the weekend.

available from all the usual sellers

Our U-8s played Gael Oige and all

including SuperValu, Palmerstown

the hard work in training is paying off.

House, Manor Hair Studios and in the

Two hard fought wins and a draw. Well

clubhouse on Tuesdays and Thursdays

done lads.

na gaeil oga BHI seachtain iontach againn mar

taispeantas on bhfoireann ar fad. Bhi

Chumann ar an bpairc! Comhghair-

comhscor ag na mna sa pheil freisin.

deas le foireann camogaiochta NGO;

De Domhnaigh beidh na foirne peile

bhuaigh siad den chead uair sa tsraith

ar ais ag imirt, foireann A in aghaidh

in aghaidh Baile Buadain Naomh Eanna

Rath Eanna ag 11am i bPairc Naomh

4-4 go 0-3. Moladh ollmhor do gach

Caitriona agus foireann B sa bhaile

duine.

freisin i gcoinne Sairsealaigh Leamh-

Beidh seoladh feachtais: Pairc

cain ag 3pm.

Bhuan do NGO i dTeach an Ardmheara

Beidh na paisti ar ais ag traenail

ar an 19u Aibrean le hArdmheara BAC

i nGaeilscoil Naomh Padraig, F7 ag

Criona Ni Dhalaigh is Micheal O Muirc-

10am agus F6 ag 11am (nios mo eolais

heartaigh ann.

ag Daithi ar 083 3058326); beidh eolas

Is ocaid mhor stairiuil don chumann

seolta chuig tuisti an fhoireann F8 go

a bheidh ann is taimid ag suil go mbeidh

luath faoin deireadh seachtaine ag

gach ball fasta ata sa chlub linn ar an

teacht. Beidh cúrsa oiliúna ar siúl ar

oiche. Is ceim thabhachtach i bhfor-

an 20u Aibrean ag 7pm, ma ta speis

bairt an chumainn ata ann. Dean teag-

agat, bigi i dteagmhail ballriocht! Muna

mhail linn tri riomhphost cumannclg@

bhfuil tú tar eis ioc as go dti seo, dean e

gmail.com ma ta speis agat teacht.

anois! Teigh go nagaeiloga.ie.

Bhi an-bhua ag ar n-iomanaithe in

Ma ta nios mo eolais uait fuinn, dean

eadan 0-2 Chaislean Cnucha (5-13 go

teagmhail linn ar Twitter @NaGaeilOga,

0-2) sa tsraith ar an Domhnach; an-

Facebook Na Gaeil Oga.

32 LUCAN Gazette 14 April 2016