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WHEREVER YOU ARE IN THE DLR AREA, WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED  NOVEMBER 23-30, 2017

From filming big cats to big mammals, Colin Stafford Johnson is having a whale of a time SEE PAGE 17

Get your skates on – we have 16 FAMILY PASSES for Swords On Ice and Dundrum On Ice to give away!

See PAGE 19 SPORT Naomh Olaf face huge date P40

Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you

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FG MOVE ON GENERAL ELECTION STRATEGY FOR DUBLIN-RATHDOWN

Madigan, Richmond to vie for 2 county seats  EMMA NOLAN PLANS for the next general election are already under way as two local politicians have been nominated to run in Dublin-Rathdown.

Deputy Josepha Madigan and Sen-

ator Neale Richmond of Fine Gael were chosen by their party members to contest for two of the constituency’s three seats – currently held by Deputy Madigan herself, along with Transport Minister Shane Ross and

the Green Party’s Catherine Martin.

The date for the election is yet to be set, but both candidates have said they are “delighted” to have been selected.

Deputy Madigan said: “I will do

my utmost to deliver a strong result for Fine Gael in Dublin-Rathdown,” while Senator Richmond said he “pledges to work hard for the people of Dublin-Rathdown”.

See full story on Page 2

2 DUBLIN GAZETTE  SOUTH 23 November 2017

POLITICS | CANDIDATES EXPRESS DELIGHT AT THEIR NOMINATIONS

Local politicians to run in next general election  EMMA NOLAN TWO local politicians have been selected to run as the Fine Gael candidates in the Dublin Rathdown constituency for the next general election.

Deputy Josepha Madigan and Senator Neale Richmond were chosen by their party members at a selection convention in the Talbot Hotel in Stillorgan on Monday night.

Both have expressed delight at their nominations but the general election date is yet to be set. It is likely to take place before April 2021.

Deputy Madigan was elected to the Dail in the 2016 general election along with Minister Shane Ross of the Independent Alliance and Deputy Catherine Martin of the Green Party.

“I am delighted to accept the

nomination to run for Fine Gael,” Deputy Madigan said following receiving the nomination on Monday night.

“Over the past 20 months I have opened the first Fine Gael constituency office in the constituency, presented two private members bills in the Dail chamber and was nominated by an Taoiseach to Chair the Oireachtas Committee on Budgetary Oversight. I have worked tirelessly on behalf of the people of Dublin Rathdown on both national and local issues.

“It is important that this good work continues and I will do my utmost to deliver a strong result for Fine Gael in Dublin Rathdown in the next election.”

Neale Richmond was a councillor for seven years having first been elected in 2009. He was elected to the Seanad in April 2016 to the

Labour Panel where he is the FG spokesperson on European Affairs.

“I am honoured to have been selected by the members of Dublin Rathdown to run for Fine Gael,” he said.

“I have been involved in local politics for many years, representing Glencullen and Sandyford as a councillor on Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council from 2009 until my election to Seanad Eireann in 2016.

“Since my election to the Seanad last year I have been appointed a Government spokesman on EU Affairs, and I have been appointed Chair of the Seanad Select Committee on Brexit.

“I pledge to work hard for the people of Dublin Rathdown, both locally and nationally, and it is my sincere hope that we return two Fine Gael seats here in the next election.”

FASTNews

Minister helps to launch school’s Christmas fair

Josepha Madigan

PUPILS at Our lady’s National School Ballinteer were paid a visit by Minister Shane Ross and Cllr Seamas O’Neill to launch their annual Christmas craft fair.

Our Lady’s Boys and Girls Schools, Ballinteer, are holding the much anticipated event in their school hall on Sunday November 26 from 10.30 – 2.30.

“We are proud to say that our craft fair has grown in terms of its offering and attendance over the years and is always a fun and magical day for everyone,” Irene Lawler, Chairperson of Our Lady’s Schools Parent Association said. All are welcome.

Local homeless families to get travel support Neale Richmond

Having a ball in aid of charities

KEITH Duffy and his Boyzlife partner Brian McFadden at The Blue Diamond Drama Academy as they announced details of the 2017 Keith Duffy Foundation Christmas Ball.

The Ball takes place at the Powerscourt Hotel in Wicklow on Saturday, December 9. Matt Cooper will act as MC, with entertainment by Picture This, Keith Barry, Al Foran, Barry Murphy and The Swing Cats.

For tickets, contact Colette@keithduffyfoundation.ie or call 086-0666130. Picture: Brian McEvoy

HOMELESS families who have to travel long distances for schools are to receive added supports in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown.

A motion to reduce travel times and burdens for homeless families without cost to the families was passed at last week’s council meeting.

There are currently six families in emergency accommodation outside DLR that have to bring their children to school in DLR. “This is leading to excessive travel times and costs for the family and is not in the interests of the welfare of the children,” Cllr Melisa Halpin (PBP) told The Gazette.

The motion was proposed by Cllr Halpin and after a long debate with support from councillors across the chamber, it was agreed that “even if this only applies to a small number of families it is vitally important to the mental health of both parents and children that the financial and the time burden of these lengthy trips be reduced as a matter of urgency”.

“The passing of this motion will, hopefully, make it easier for homeless families to get the supports they deserve,” Cllr Halpin added.

Clarification regarding Councillor Brian Murphy THE Gazette recently reported that Cllr Brian Murphy “has been kicked off the council for his controversial tweets about Sharia Law” (as reported in ‘Murphy loses party whip after ‘Sharia law’ tweets’, November 9).

The Gazette is happy to clarify that Cllr Murphy remains a serving councillor on Dun LaoghaireRathdown County Council. He has lost the Fine Gael whip for a year and is not a serving Fine Gael councillor, but remains a member of the Fine Gael party. Cllr Murphy has stated his intention to contest the next election as a Fine Gael councillor.

The Gazette is happy to clarify Cllr Murphy’s status as a serving councillor.

23 November 2017 SOUTH  DUBLIN GAZETTE 3

WHEN IT’S TIME FOR THIS DUBLIN ZOO RHINO TO SHOW OFF HER BOUNCING, BABY (50KG) BOY ...

MOMMA NOSE BEST  MARK O’BRIEN

The baby white rhino calf takes his first public steps, above; right: shyly staying close to its protective mum, Nyala. Pictures: Patrick Bolger

THERE was great excitement at Dublin Zoo recently when keepers welcomed a new arrival – a beautiful southern white rhinoceros calf.

The male calf (yet to be named) was born to his proud mother Nyala and father Chaka on Sunday, November 12, and weighs approximately 50kgs.

The cute youngster is Nyala’s first calf and the birth marks another significant success for Dublin Zoo as part of the European Endangered Species Programme, and its aim to assist the survival of the southern white rhinoceros.

Lucky visitors will be able to get a glimpse of mother and calf by look-

ing through the window into the Rhinoceros House.

It is estimated that 20,000 southern white rhinoceros exist in the wild, with the majority found in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Kenya.

4 DUBLIN GAZETTE  SOUTH 23 November 2017

Out and About

Let’s hear it for Leicester Celtic!

The one and only John Giles was a popular special guest at the evening, where everyone had a wonderful time celebrating the club’s successes and best players down the years

I

RISH footballing legend John Giles was the guest of honour as Leicester Celtic celebrated their 50th anniversary in the Talbot Hotel in Stillorgan. The event was a great opportunity for guests to catch up with old team mates and share memories and celebrate all that is great about the club. Everyone was very proud of all the achievements over the years and of all their teams, past and present, with Giles being a very popular guest of honour.

The gathering was a great way for the community to celebrate the continuing legacy of Leicester Celtic

23 November 2017 SOUTH  DUBLIN GAZETTE 5

6 DUBLIN GAZETTE  SOUTH 23 November 2017

Enterprising group focus on responsible business plans

Killian hits top notes at Classical Music Awards

THE Clayton Hotel in Leopardstown recently hosted a Go Green – Save Money workshop for local SMEs, highlighting some environmentallyresponsible practices that could help to save money on waste, water and energy bills. Pictured are Liz Ferris, a member of the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Chamber of Commerce; Phil Walker, managing director, EcoMerit environmental business support; Pat Neill, president, Dun Laoghaire–Rathdown Chamber of Commerce; and Gabby Mallon, business development manager, Dun LaoghaireRathdown Chamber of Commerce.

Picture: Peter Cavanagh

DEATH | TRIBUTES PAID TO TRAGIC CYCLIST RYAN FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Death of cyclist prompts call for better road safety  EMMA NOLAN

THE DEATH of a cyclist in Rathfarnham last week has prompted calls for increased road safety.

25-year-old Ryan McCarthy was killed when he was involved with a collision with a road sweeper truck on the Whitechurch Road.

Ryan’s death marks the 13th death of a cyclist on Irish roads this year.

Tributes dedicated to the young cycling enthusiast appeared on social media this week, with friends and relatives expressing their loss of the “gentle soul”.

One message on Facebook read: “He will be sorely missed, a beautiful gentle soul with his willing smile and softest of eyes. He brought people together in a very special way. Safe onward journey Ryan.”

Ryan’s family said he will be sadly missed by his mother, father, sisters, brothers, grandmother, uncles, aunties, cousins, all his extended family, friends and neighbours.

He is remembered by his parents Stephanie and Declan and his siblings Leah, Amy, Emma, Scott and Aaron.

The Dublin Cycling Campaign have condemned conditions for cyclists on Irish roads.

“He [Ryan] is the 13th person to be killed while cycling in 2017 and his death, like all the others, is totally unacceptable to us,” the group said on Facebook/ “We will be announcing a major action to take place in Dublin in the coming days to highlight the deaths of cyclists and the lack of action to protect cyclists

Ryan was killed in a collision with a road sweeper truck

by Minister Shane Ross, The Dept of Transport, the National Transport Authority, Dublin City Council, and the Garda Siochana.”

A vigil for Ryan and demonstration, called Stop Killing Cyclists was held outside the Dail on Tuesday night.

Following Ryan’s tragic death, the Green Party have also called for a ‘Vision Zero’ approach to road safety.

They want Ireland to learn from countries such as Sweden that have had such a plan in place since 1997, and has seen a dramatic reduction in road deaths and serious fatalities.

Green Party transport spokesperson Cllr Ciaran Cuffe said: “It is not enough to throw free lights and high-viz vests at cyclists. Instead we need a comprehensive approach that tackles driver behaviour, road geometry, lighting, speed limits and other factors.

“We need to recognise that many of our roads and streets need to be modified, particularly at junctions to ensure lower speeds.”

KILLIAN White from Butterfield Grove in Rathfarnham, a sixth-year student at Wesley College, Ballinteer, is the winner of the 2017 Frank Maher Classical Music Awards.

It is Ireland’s largest classical music competition for secondary schools. Seven finalists from Dublin and Cork schools competed at the Royal College of Physicians in Dublin on November 10 to win the top prize of €5,000 to develop their musical career.

Killian plays the cello and performed two pieces; Apres un Reve Op.7, No.1 by Gabriel Faure and ‘Moses’ Variations on One String’ by Niccolo Paganini.

A delighted Killian said: “I hope to audition for the Conservatoire Nationale de Paris early next year and I will use my prize money to go towards my fees and travel costs if I am successful.”

The Awards were created in 2001 by Emmet O’Rafferty, chairman of the Top Security Group, to honour the memory of his late teacher, Fr Frank Maher, who taught music at Castleknock College, his old school.

Their aim is to showcase outstanding young musical talent in Ireland and are open to sixth year post-primary students of strings, woodwind, brass and piano.

The €5,000 top prize must be used to attend a recognised place of tuition, a course of study in Ireland or abroad or on a purchase necessary for the development of their talent.

Christmas GUIDE

23 November 2017 SOUTH  DUBLIN GAZETTE 7

GIFT

TO ADVERTISE HERE CALL THE DUBLIN GAZETTE ON 01-6010240

8 DUBLIN GAZETTE  SOUTH 23 November 2017

MISSION IN ARMENIA | RATHFARNHAM AUDIOLOGIST HELPED A HUGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO HEAR AGAIN

Ailbhe’s delighted to help hundreds with hearing loss  EMMA NOLAN

Dealership helped to drive up gift donations to needy kids WITH an impressive ‘wall’ of gift-filled shoeboxes behind them, Michael Greaney, head of sales at Frank Keane Volkswagen, and Claire Burke, Team Hope Ireland (pictured) had every reason to smile as they thought of all the children that the boxes would bring a smile to this Christmas. Frank Keane Volkswagen Deansgrange and Liffey Valley became the newest drop-off centres in west and south Dublin for Team Hope Ireland’s annual Christmas Shoebox Toy Appeal, with the motor specialists delighted to support the cause. Last year, Team Hope Ireland received more than 250,000 shoebox donations nationwide, bringing joy to countless children in less well-off countries.

A HEARING aid audiologist from Rathfarnham has just returned from a mission in Armenia where she was part of a team that fitted almost 2,000 patients with hearing aids.

Ailbhe Lennon works for Advanced Hearing in Blackrock and travelled with a charity called the Starkey Hearing Foundation, that gives the gift of hearing to underprivileged people.

The 25-year-old Dubliner was the only Irish person on the trip which she says was an incredible and humbling experience.

“I cannot put into words how incredible this hearing mission was.

“We fitted hearing aids to 1,806 patients in three

days,” she said.

Ailbhe and the team were in the city of Yerevan and patients travelled from all over Armenia to be fitted with hearing aids.

“Some had travelled over six hours,” she said.

One of her most memorable fittings occurred on the second day of the trip.

“Myself and my fit-

ting partner from the US, Lorie, fitted an entire family (pictured) with hearing aids.

“First, we fitted the son, who was about six years old. Next was his mother, father and grandmother.

“The whole family had significant hearing loss and did not use any speech – they all used sign

language to communicate.

His [the son] face lit up when we turned the hearing aids on.”

The trip a “once in a lifetime experience” according to Ailbhe, who said that giving the gift of hearing is “the most incredible feeling in the world”.

“The bonds created with the 60+ mission volunteers and over 1800 patients is hard to describe.

“Under the guidance of an experienced Starkey Hearing Foundation team, all volunteers are focused on one goal, to strive to ensure that the people we help have the support they need to reach their full potential, reconnect back to life and become self-determinant citizens of our world.”

Suspended prison sentence activated after declining emergency accommodation A CONVICTED sex offender has had the suspended portion of his prison sentence activated after declining emergency accommodation organised after his release from prison.

David Radford (21), formerly of Butterfield Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin received a three-and-ahalf-year sentence in November 2015 at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sexual assault.

Radford, who was released in March of this year, had the final 12 months of his sentence suspended on condition that he comply with all directions of the probation service.

He has 15 previous convic-

tions, three of which were for sexual assaulting women in random attacks, the earliest dating back to April 2010 when he was fourteen years old.

Last month Judge Martin Nolan heard Radford had breached conditions of his bail. Radford had declined emergency accommodation and had been sleeping rough.

His defence counsel, Kieran Kelly BL, said Radford had received publicity in a national Sunday newspaper and had faced abuse since his release. He said Radford had been attacked on several occasions and was concerned for his safety in a hostel.

Judge Nolan said at the October

hearing: “I’m not going to let Mr. Radford out to live rough,” He said that if Radford was not prepared to live in accommodation the probation service provided then he would have no choice but to re-activate the suspended sentence.

Judge Nolan then remanded Radford in custody for one month and said that it was Radford’s decision where he wished to reside.

Judge Nolan read a probation report prepared for the court and noted Radford “prefers where he is to a homeless centre.”

Judge Nolan activated the remaining 12 month suspended portion of the sentence.

23 November 2017 SOUTH  DUBLIN GAZETTE 9

10 DUBLIN GAZETTE  SOUTH 23 November 2017

DOROTHEA FINDLATER | AN APPRECIATION OF AN EXTRAORDINARY LADY, WHO PASSED AWAY AGED 107 ON MONDAY, AND WAS MOST LIKELY THE LAST PERSON TO REMEMBER THE RISING

Ireland’s oldest woman – a remarkable lady, who lived in remarkable times

THE sad passing of Ireland’s oldest woman, Dorothea Findlater (right), has severed a precious link with events of Easter Week 1916.

Dorothea, who died on Monday, was just five weeks short of her 108th birthday. She was also an accomplished spor tswoman, having represented Ireland in two different sports.

Two years ago, she was one of the stars of the documentary film, Older Than Ireland, which focused on several people over the age of 100.

She died at 3am on Monday morning at Abilene, the family home in Blackrock, Co Dublin.

“She just quietly slipped away,” her eldest son, Alex, said. “She was a wonderful and loving mother and grandmother.”

She was born Dorothea de Courcy-Wheeler on December 27, 1909. As

a child of seven, she was taken by her mother to the top of the water tower in the Curragh Camp to see the flames of Dublin burning in the distance during Easter Week 1916.

In an interview with The Irish Times last year, she said: “I remembered climbing to the top of the tower in the Curragh with my mother, and watching a mass of flames across the sky. The whole horizon was ablaze.”

Her father, Capt Harry de CourcyWheeler, was present at the surrender of Patrick Pearse following the Rising. He was the organiser of the Curragh Camp.

During Easter Week 1916, he was appointed staff captain to Gen William Lowe for the duration of the Rising.

In that capacity, de Courcy-W heeler was pictured opposite Patrick Pearse in the famous, grainy picture of the surrender, accompanied by Nurse Elizabeth O’Farrell.

A graduate of Trinity, Dorothea met and, in 1932, married Dermot Findlater, from a wellknown family of Dublin merchants. Dermot died in 1962.

Dorothea was an outstanding sportswoman and became an Irish hockey international, winning her first cap in 1936.

She also repre-

The wedding day of Dorothea de Courcy-Wheeler and Dermot Findlater

Dorothea Findlater (left, then aged 106), sharing a cuppa and a natter with Raheny woman Teresa Moran (then 100) as both ladies helped to launch Census 2016. Picture: Conor McCabe Photography

sented Ireland at golf and was recently made an honorary member of Carrickmines Golf Club.

Not one to let old age get in the way of her enjoyment, Dorothea was a member of Carrickmines Golf Club, where she competed in putting competitions until she was 100.

Dorothea’s passion for rugby was legendary.

Pride of place on her mantelpiece is a large signed photo of Peter Stringer, which the Munster man sent her as a 100th birthday present.

“There was no one like Stringer for whipping a ball out of a scrum,” she recalled in her interview.

In 2014, she was a guest of honour at the Aviva Stadium, where she was introduced to the crowd as Leinster’s oldest sup-

Sharing a lighthearted moment with her son, John, in Airfield earlier this year

porter. Afterwards, she met with players such as Paul O’Connell and Jamie Heaslip.

Dorothea believed that as you get older, you are hampered by your inability to do the things you love. “I find I can’t get around quickly enough. I can’t get on with the garden. I used to do a lot of gardening. Now I’m afraid I may topple over and fall into the rose bed!” she

laughed.

When it comes to a long life, Dorothea’s philosophy was simple: “Keep doing what you always did. Don’t sit back and say, ‘I can’t’ – just go on doing it. There’s no full-stop mark; just go on.”

She is survived by four of her children: Alex, Grania, Suzanne and John. She had nine grandchildren, and 10 greatgrandchildren.

One of her grandchildren is our esteemed colleague at Dublin Gazette, Stephen Findlater, The Gazette’s Sports Editor.

In an article in The Irish Times, a subheading reads: ‘Dorothea Findlater was likely the last person alive who remembers the Easter Rising.’ She might not have been political, but she is very much a part of our history. Rest in Peace, Dorothea.

23 November 2017 SOUTH  DUBLIN GAZETTE 11

Out and About

Mia and Emma Guo

Leon Listen and Esme Henson

Jennie and Madi Gaynor with Eve Murray were delighted to join in with the fun and excitement. Pictures: Collins

Crowds welcome Christmas to town S

ANTA Claus was the special guest at the heart of celebrations in Dun Laoghaire as the town’s Christmas Festival opening ceremony got into full swing, but the man in red was just one of many highlights at the packed event. Young and old alike were spoilt for choice at the harbour, where lots of fun things were waiting at the Christmas market. Organised by the Dun Laoghaire BID company and presented by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, the Christmas Market event highlights were undoubtedly the town’s Christmas lights being turned on, with a dazzling fireworks display over the harbour wowing onlookers, with even Santa spotted applauding the terrific display.

Part of the giant crowd in attendance

Martin and Charlie Cowap

Everybody knows who this special guest is ...

12 DUBLIN GAZETTE  SOUTH 23 November 2017

COMPETITION | LOCAL FISHMONGER’S INSIGHT ACKNOWLEDGED

The Salmon of Knowledge

FASTNews

Speakers Colin Keogh, Dr Bahareh Heravi and Dominic O’Connor. Picture: Nick Bradshaw, Fotonic

Speakers Revealed for 5th Annual TEDx Event

Pictured are Lar McCarthy, winner in the Independent Seafood Specialist award category; Scott Smullen, Dunnes Stores, Cornelscourt, winner of the BIM Young Fishmonger 2018 (Supermarket Seafood Counter); Daniel Drwal of Tarpey’s Super Valu in Cavan and Anne Stephens, The Fish Market, Maynooth, winner of the BIM Young Fishmonger 2018 (Independent Seafood Specialist).

A CORNELSCOURT based fishmonger has been named winner of the BIM Young Fishmonger 2018 competition.

Scott Smullen, of Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, was chosen for his “excellent customer insight and in-depth knowledge of the seafood industry” in the Supermarket Seafood Counter category in this year’s competition.

Scott began his career working on commercial fishing boats.

Thanks to his fishing background, Scott has an extensive knowledge of seafood and a real passion for the industry which drives a loyal customer base in store.

“My professional life has been dedicated to the seafood business so winning this award has been a fantastic pay off for all the hard work put in,” Scott said of the award.

“My passion for the seafood industry makes work a joy for me

and I hope to expand my skills in all areas of the business going forward.”

The judging for the annual BIM Young Fishmonger competition is extensive and included mystery shopper visits and a practical skills test with all finalists under pressure to fillet and prepare a range of seafood to a high standard under time constraints.

Scott managed to impress the judges with his customer service, seafood knowledge and precision knife skills.

Speaking at the awards event, Jim O’Toole, BIM’s chief executive said: “Now in its fifth year, the BIM Young Fishmonger competition has recognised and rewarded talented individuals across the Independent and supermarket retail sector and in doing so, has promoted the industry showcasing an exciting and dynamic sector that is capable of significant growth.”

Local TD is ‘honoured’ to be elected chair of caucus A LOCAL TD has been elected as the first Chair of the Oireachtas Women’s Parliamentary Caucus.

Catherine Martin who represents the Green Party in Dublin Rathdown was elected Chair of the group, which is designed to give women parliamentarians a forum and vehicle to discuss and campaign on issues predominantly affecting women.

There are approximately 86 such groups or caucuses worldwide and Deputy Martin

came up with the idea for the group after her election to the Dail last year.

Deputy Martin said she was “honoured” to be elected chair of the caucus.

“It is a privilege to have been elected to chair this forum of incredibly impressive women in the Oireachtas,” she said.

“I am delighted to have received cross-party support for my nomination for Chair, and wish to thank those who supported me.

“I would also like to thank Claire McGing N U I M ay n o o t h a n d N i a m h G a l l a g h e r, Women For Election for their input and guidance to members on the establishment of the Caucus and the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI), who facilitated the election of Chair, and who will act as our secretariat.

“I am eager to get started and I look forward to meeting and listening to former female members of the Oireachtas, who have

also been invited to take part - their experience and insight will be invaluable.”

Issues that the caucus will deal with include the pensions’ gap, domestic violence and funding for a new SAVI report.

“This Caucus has clear potential to make a real difference to women in Ireland and this will be done by adopting what will be an unparalleled approach to tacking discrimination and inequality with women parliamentarians, cur-

TD Catherine Martin

rent and former, coming together, in a non-party political, non-adversarial way, exploring and finding common ground and then ultimately delivering for women in their everyday lives.”

THE fifth annual TEDx event is being held at UCD next month and it is being organised by volunteers from UCD Research and Innovation.

The event takes place on December 5, (10 am – 4 pm), in the UCD Dramsoc Theatre, UCD Student Centre. The 100 free tickets to attend TEDxUCD 2017 will go on ‘sale’ on Wednesday, November 22 at 1:30 pm via https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/tedxucd2017-tickets-39225749272.

Among this year’s speakers are; Dr Bahareh Heravi, Colin Keogh and Dominic O’Connor.

Over the last four years a total of 40 speakers have delivered a TEDxUCD talk and these talks combined have now received over 385,000 views on YouTube.

Shane Ross given the Light of Hope award LOCAL TD and Minister for Transport Shane Ross has been given the Light of Hope award.

The Irish Road Victims Association (IRVA) presented the Dundrum Minister with the award in recognition of the work he has done in improving road safety legislation.

IRVA said the global award was given to Minister Ross “for his efforts in engaging with the bereaved families of Road Traffic Victims, for including them in efforts to improve road safety legislation and thereby helping to ensure that the voices of this large group of traumatised people – the victims of road traffic collisions and crimes – are heard”.

Annual gala concert THE Rathfarnham Concert Bands will hold their annual gala concert at the National Concert Hall on Tuesday, November 28.

The choir of Loreto High School Beaufort and all bands of the Rathfarnham Concert Band Society will perform in the concert which promises to be a great night’s entertainment for all the family.

The bands will also be joined by a combined children’s choir of over 130 pupils from Divine Word NS, St. Mary’s BNS and Loreto GNS Grange Road.

This is the first time that a choir combining the three schools has been put together.

The theme for the concert is ‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ and on the night the Junior, Intermediate, Senior and Jazz Bands along with the choirs will perform a number of traditional, festive and seasonal songs from stage and screen.

Tickets for the concert are available from the NCH Box Office: 01 4170000 and www.nch.ie.

23 November 2017 SOUTH  DUBLIN GAZETTE 13

ANNA KEARNEY FROM FOXROCK IS CAST AS ANNIE IN THIS YEAR’S NATIONAL CONCERT HALL CHRISTMAS PRODUCTION

Not such a hard knock life

 EMMA NOLAN

IT’S NOT such a hard knock life for 11-year-old Anna Kearney from Foxrock who has been cast as Annie in this year’s National Concert Hall Christmas production.

“I’m so happy, I just couldn’t believe it when I got the call and found out I got the part!” Anna told The Gazette.

The sixth class pupil who attends Mount Anville said that playing Annie has always been a role she’s wanted to play.

“I just love the movie, even before I knew I was going to audition for it I loved Annie.”

Having been attending stage school since the age of seven, Anna says her dream is to appear on Broadway one day.

“Hopefully I’ll get to Broadway maybe, that’s my dream.”

The iconic musical is running at the National Concert Hall from December 27 to January 3 and is starring comedienne Kathryn Lynch as Miss Hannigan who Anna says is “really nice and fun to work with”.

Anna is sharing the role with fel-

low rising star Rachel Kennedy and her favourite number to perform is of course It’s a Hard Knock Life.

“I love that and I love the scenes with the dog – I hope my mum will get me my own dog after this!” she jokes.

A member of Take2 Performing Arts School in Foxrock, this is Anna’s first big lead role outside of the school.

“She just loves it, she thrives there, she can’t wait to get there,” Anna’s mam Eileen says about her daughter’s love for musical theatre. We’re over the moon, we just couldn’t believe it when she got the part.

“I’m thrilled for her. She goes around the house singing non-stop.

“It’s hard to get a break and get in there, there’s a lot of luck involved, so it’s great that she got it.”

Tickets to Annie at the National Concert Hall are available at nch.ie.

Anna Kearney as Annie with Kathryn Lynch as Ms Hannigan

GAZETTE

14 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23 November 2017

DUBLINBUSINESS CEREMONY | AWARD-WINNING ENERGY EFFICIENT ORGANISATIONS

FOUNDERS: Matt Majewski, Jacob Wedderburn-Day and Anthony Collias

Luggage storage firm arrives in Dublin A LONDON luggage storage start-up is about to take Dublin by storm.

CityStasher provides a network of city-centre locations (newsagents, hotels, independent retailers) where tourists and day-trippers can drop bags for short periods of time.

The offering is proving particularly popular with day trippers and those checking out of local Airbnb’s. The CityStasher network allows people to make the most of the day without the hassle of dragging around heavy bags or suitcases.

So far, two local businesses have signed-up to the CityStasher network. The ‘StashPoints’, as they are called, are the mailboxes etc shops on James Joyce Street and Upper Rathmines Road. Joining the network is a great opportunity for local business to earn additional revenue as well as drive footfall.

Customers book ahead via the CityStasher website, pay online, then simply drop the bags off. It costs €6 for 24 hours, and €5 for each additional day. visit www.citystasher.com

Dubs win big at Sustainable Energy Awards

Durkan Residential won the Design Award. Pictured are Julie O’Neill, chairperson SEAI,

THREE Dublin companies won big at the SEAI Sustainable Energy Awards last week.

Durkan Residential Ltd, a Dublin-based private housing developer who has focused on developing cost effective methods for building energy efficient houses, won the Energy in Design Category.

They have built the largest certified Passive House development in Ireland.

M50 Concession Ltd, a public private partnership company that provides maintenance on the M50 motorway, won the Small Business Award.

It has installed power controllers which reduces the amount of energy used for lighting at set times of the night depending on traffic flows.

The project has delivered 43% energy saving equating to financial savings of just over €300,000 annually.

New to the Awards this year was a €10,000 bursary for the winner of the

Research category.

Exergyn, who are based in DCU, picked up this prize for its research on the development of a zero emissions engine that converts low grade heat into power.

The funding will go towards the next stages of research for the company as it tests the longevity of different materials for its engine.

This is the 14th year of the SEAI Sustainable Energy Awards and entrants to the eight categories demonstrated savings of over €27 million.

Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) took away the top prize for Energy Team of the Year.

WIT impressed judges with its organisation wide approach to saving energy, with staff and students working together it has surpassed its 33% energy efficiency target and is saving an impressive €300,000 per year on energy bills.

For full details on all winning projects, visit www.seai.ie

Barry Durkan and Kevin Durkan of Durkan Residential and Jim Gannon (CEO SEAI).

Minister Bruton seeks Music industry worth more than €700m to economy to boost traineeships MINISTER for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton has called on employers and learners to avail of the opportunities available to them in the area of traineeships.

Launching a new FiveStep Guide at an event in the Teeling Distillery in Dublin last week, Minister Bruton said: “If we want to have the best education and training service in Europe by 2026, we need to provide a range of pathways for people to fulfil their career ambitions.

“I am very keen to grow the number of trainees enrolled, and the number of traineeship programmes available.

“We have seen the success our European counterparts

have had in making traineeships and apprenticeships key to economic growth.

“I want to replicate that success here in Ireland and have set a very ambitious programme of work to achieve just that.”

Previously aimed at unemployed people, traineeships are now open to a wider range of participants, of all ages and background.

Currently 1,500 employers, working with ETBs are offering traineeship opportunities across a range of industries, including business, retail, care, construction, engineering, fashion and beauty, finance, ICT, hospitality, sports and leisure and logistics.

Employers showcased at the event were applauded for their contribution and commitment to the delivery of traineeship provision in Ireland.

Mary-Liz Trant, Executive Director for Skills Development, SOLAS said: “It is clear from our guest speakers today that traineeship offers great opportunities to employers and trainees alike.

“Employers can access a pipeline of talent and learners, and participants get to develop cutting edge skills and knowledge onthe-job, making them more skilled, more employable and enhancing their career options.”

MUSIC contributes more than €700 million to the Irish economy, according to a new report published last week.

The Socio-Economic Value of Music to Ireland, commissioned by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and produced by Deloitte, sets out a number of recommendations to maximise the contribution of music in Ireland, including the development of a National Music Strategy.

The report is an update on a Deloitte/IMRO 2015 analysis of the annual contribution made by the music industry to Ireland’s economy.

The findings indicate a strong and growing music industry, which is contributing significantly to the economy and supporting more than 13,130 jobs.

Based on the latest figures available, the updated report has found that the total contri-

bution of the music industry, directly and indirectly, to the Irish economy is €703 million.

This includes music-related consumer expenditure and supply-chain impacts.

The report suggests there is opportunity for further growth in the sector through the development of a National Music Strategy, rooted in four key action areas.

These areas include coordination and collaboration through the establishment of a cross-Government music grouping to work with a cross sectoral Industr y Advisor y Panel to address barriers to growth in the sector, concentration on copyright to help ensure a fair return for music creators, creative skills development through advanced training and education services and compensation that is adequate to address income uncertainty associated with work in the creative and cultural industries.

23 November 2017 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15

GAZETTE

FEATURE P17

CINEMA P22

DUBLINLIFE

As Rapunzel comes to the Gaiety we talk to one its stars

See P20

TRAVEL P26

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

GAZETTE

16 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23 November 2017

DUBLINLIFE

DIARY

CITY CENTRE: CHRISTMAS IS A-COMIN’ – AND THE CAPITAL’S GOT A GREAT PARTY TO LOOK FORWARD TO

Smithfield to play host to a tree-mendous festive party THE 2017 Smithfield Lights event is back and bigger than ever. This is the main family Christmas event in Dublin, and is a must for all families looking for an evening of fun, festive entertainment, with the Sunday, November 26 event sure to delight Dubs of all ages.

Families can enjoy a wide range of children’s festive entertainment, including face painting, workshops, a vintage carousel and an outdoor screening of the classic Christmas movie, The Snowman.

There will also be market stalls with a range of delicious foods, arts and crafts.

The main tree lighting event will take place at approximately 7.10pm, with VIP guest Santa Claus in attendance, as well as the Lord Mayor and other special guests.

The event will be presented by broadcaster Andrea Hayes and will feature music from the Stanhope Street Girls Choir, and Red Empire, while headliners The Riptide Movement will take

to the stage for a special performance at 7.20pm.

Speaking about the event, Ardmheara Micheal Mac Donncha said: “I invite Dubliners, visitors and all, to come and soak up the festive atmosphere, enjoy the entertainment and the special guests.”

ARE YOU SURE YOU’RE REGISTERED TO VOTE? THE National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) is urging young people to make sure they have registered to vote before the registration deadline of Saturday, November 25.

A RedC poll conducted for the NYCI earlier this year found that 22% of those aged 18 to 29 were not registered to vote.

Based on the most recent population data from the CSO, this means up to 24,683 young people in Dublin City risk missing out on their right to vote.

James Doorley, NYCI deputy director said: “We know from our work with young people that the vast majority want to

vote, but not all are aware they have to register.

“This is particularly an issue for the more than 61,000 young people who turned 18 and became eligible to vote over in the last 12 months.”

Local authorities are currently preparing the 2018/2019 electoral register. For those unsure whether they are registered or not, the NYCI advises that they check online at www.checktheregister.ie.

Anyone who turns 18 on or before February 15 2018 is eligible to register.

CELEBRATE LOST ONES AT PIETA HOUSE EVENT PIETA House is bringing its second annual Misneach event back to Dublin this year. The event is focussed on creating a space to honour and celebrate lost loved ones.

The Dublin Unitarian Church at St Stephen’s Green plays host to the 5pm event on Sunday, November 26, where singer Deirdre Ni Chinneide will be joined by the AVIVA choir in lending their vocal talents to the occasion.

Pieta House’s chief executive Brian Higgins stressed that the free, non-denominational event is for everyone. He said: “With Misneach, we wanted to create a space for those who have been bereaved by suicide to reflect on and celebrate the lives of those they have lost, but everyone is welcome.

“Misneach is also for those who have come through our services, or for anyone who has overcome or is going through their own struggles, as a celebration of their strength and courage.

“We would like to think that the event will also appeal to anyone who has supported a loved one through a dark time, or indeed anyone who has supported us in our work.”

For further information, email cat.obroin@ pieta.ie, or find Pieta House on Facebook or Twitter.

GET FIT, HAVE FUN AND HELP A GREAT CAUSE FITNESS and health fanatics will be in their element at an upcoming

A glittering Christmas tree, face-painting, live music, stalls, tasty treats and a party atmosphere – all this and more awaits at the 2017 Smithfield Lights party

event, which will focus on optimum nutrition for mental and physical wellness.

As another event in aid of Pieta House (see previous Diary entry), the Plaza Hotel, Tallaght plays host to the Saturday, November 25 gathering, which will see host Shane Rigney – chef, food writer,

blogger and caterer – and Food For Performance delivering an enlightened day full of fun, craic and laughter.

On the day, guests can watch live cooking demos and presentations on food performance and nutrition from guest speakers and health care experts.

On-site trainers will be providing one-on-one personal training sessions, as well as yoga and lessons on relaxation techniques.

Tickets priced €47.64 are available at eventbrite.ie, and cover the cost of lunch of the day – with a number of prizes to be won adding to the fun.

23 November 2017 DUBLIN GAZETTE 17

GAZETTE

FEATURE

PEOPLE | COLIN STAFFORD JOHNSON - ‘IRELAND’S DAVID ATTENBOROUGH’ – ON HIS PASSION

Wildlife shows are a roaring hit for Colin  EMMA NOLAN WITH a career that’s spanned more than 30 years across continents, climates, jungles and deserts, it’s no wonder that Colin Stafford Johnson is often called “Dublin’s David Attenborough”.

“Ultimately, we do the same sort of job – we both present wildlife shows,” Colin says of his comparison to the famous wildlife narrator, who was a big influence on him when he was starting out.

A multi-award winner, Colin is the foremost nature and wildlife cinematographer and presenter in Ireland today, and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject, as well as having just finished his Irish tour, Living The Wild Life.

Originally from Cabinteely, Colin said it was a night in Maynooth years ago that inspired him to start travelling – he was a student having a drink in a local pub when an Attenborough show came on the television ...

“It was showing The Pacific at the time, and I thought, ‘That place just looks extraordinary – I’m going to go and see it for myself,’ and that’s what I did.

“I got a job washing dishes and got the money t o g e t h e r and set off to

Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and Indonesia. So, he really inspired me to get moving.”

Speaking on his career, to date, Colin says: “The best part about it sometimes is, you find yourself in an incredible place.

I remember one day in the Amazon I was waiting to film in the [jungle] canopy at dawn, and we were waiting for these seed pods to explode, because when they do, parrots come to gobble them up.

“Scarlet macaws were landing in the trees all around me, and a troop of monkeys came through the tree I was in, and a snake came in the window and sat on my lap and then moved out the other side.

“I couldn’t quite believe that someone was paying me to be there!”

It’s those moments that make Colin appreciate the amazing experiences he’s had, despite the career itself being a tough one.

“It’s up and down. Jobs come and go, but if I had to look back, which I don’t like to do that much, I prefer to look forward, but I am very fortunate to have visited some of the most beautiful places in the world.

“I feel very lucky. It’s hard work; it takes up your life, but if animals and wild places do it for you, it’s one way of spending your life in those

places.”

Fresh off his Living The Wild Life tour, Colin says it was all great fun. He travelled around 15 venues nationwide, regaling audiences with tales from the bush, and stories about filming the wild, the weird and the wonderful.

“It’s really nice to get out and meet people and to chat about all the things that go on behind the scenes to make it all happen.”

Just last week, Colin’s BBC2 show, Wild Ireland, won the prestigious Grierson Award for Best Natural History documentary.

Part of Colin Stafford Johnson’s appeal in his shows is his evident delight and wonder, in sync with the viewers

18 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23 November 2017

OPINION | SOCIAL ACTIVIST SR STAN ON FOCUS IRELAND’S RESPONSE TO THE WORSENING NATIONAL HOUSING CRISIS, WITH CHILDREN PARTICULARLY SUFFERING FROM HOMELESSNESS

‘What kind of country are we creating as thousands go homeless?’

THERE has been a lot of talk about homelessness in the last two weeks, with the Taoiseach claiming the number of homeless men, women and children in Ireland is low by international standards.

The reality is sadly very different. Last Christmas, I wrote in The Gazette about the 2,400 children who were homeless.

This has now shot up by 25% to a record total of 3,124 children homeless. When we include adults, there are now a shocking total of 8,374 people homeless nationwide.

It is clear that the housing and homelessness crisis is getting worse, but we should not be wasting time and energy arguing about comparisons to other countries.

We, in Focus Ireland, put our energy into helping those impacted, and finding practical solutions. We need to end homelessness in Ireland, because it is morally and fundamentally wrong.

It breaks my heart to

know that across Dublin in 2017, more children have been born into homelessness than ever before.

Some of them will spend their first Christmas stuck with their family, forced to live in one little room together.

This is truly awful, and it makes me think back to what Christmas is all

about and to the first Christmas in Bethlehem, when nobody would take in Mary and Joseph, and Mary had to give birth to Jesus in a stable and lay him in a manger.

I am sure this will strike a chord with everyone, no matter what their beliefs are; similarly, these children today have also been turned away and left as

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‘The crisis makes me think back to the first Christmas in Bethlehem, when nobody would take in Mary and Joseph, and Mary had to give birth to Jesus in a stable and lay him in a manger. Similarly, these children today have also been turned away and left as homeless.’

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homeless.

They are our children too, and we have a duty as a society to provide a safe home for them. This is what we are working to do.

Our family team in Dublin helps one family a day to secure a home, in partnership with the Dublin Regional Housing Executive and local authorities, and to escape the nightmare of homelessness.

However, at the same time, at least two more families are still losing their homes and becoming homeless every day.

More single people are also being forced into homelessness due to rising rents, evictions and a critical shortage of affordable housing.

How can we stand by while families and their children who are homeless are forced to live in one hotel room for months at a time?

There is nowhere safe for the children to play, do their homework, or for the family to even cook a meal.

This is causing terrible

Sr Stanislaus Kennedy

damage for these families, and also the many single people who are homeless, stuck in hostels or some even sleeping on the streets.

Focus Ireland continues to put forward realistic policy solutions to help prevent and end homelessness. We do this work through our 70 lifeline services in Dublin and around the country.

While the crisis is still deepening, the situation would be much worse without the lifeline services and housing we provide.

We are there when people need us. We have already supported 600 more people this year compared to the same period in 2016.

Meanwhile, we have also supported 290 fami-

lies and 556 children to secure a home and escape homelessness so far this year.

While the State supports some of our work, Focus Ireland also has to raise 40% (or €2 out of every €5) of what it costs to keep our services and housing running through donations and corporate support.

We work hard to support families and individuals every day – not just at Christmas – but

we depend on donations now more than ever to raise funds so that our services can cope with the constantly rising demand.

I am asking people to please give what they can afford (see panel) to support our urgent Christmas appeal.  SR STAN

Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, founder and life president of Focus Ireland

HELP FOCUS IRELAND TO SUPPORT FAMILIES Focus Ireland always stresses that every euro donated counts in the battle against homelessness, as 89 cent of every euro received goes directly to our services to support people who are homeless and those at risk.

Any donation will support our work challenging homelessness and changing lives as we help over 13,500 people each year who are homeless or at risk. We also provide over 800 homes nationwide.

People can donate at www.focusireland.ie, or by telephoning 1850 204 205. Thank you.

23 November 2017 DUBLIN GAZETTE 19

FEATURE

GAZETTE

DUBLINLIFE

SOCIETY: ALONE, AN POST TEAM UP FOR A CHRISTMAS CARD CAMPAIGN TO HELP END LONELINESS

Just Do One Thing – you’ll be helping support older citizens

AN POST has given its stamp of approval to a new campaign that wants to help support lonely older people as Christmas looms.

The Do One Thing campaign, in association with ALONE – the charity that supports older people to age at home – asks everyone to send a personalised An Post card to an older person, helping to end the isolation that many seniours can experience at the special time of year.

TV presenter Baz Ashmawy was delighted to launch the campaign, and called on everyone to support the great initiative.

He said: “We are asking people to ‘Do One Thing’ this Christmas – send a lovely Christmas card to an older person!

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‘We are asking people to ‘Do One Thing’ this Christmas – send a lovely Christmas card to an older person!’

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“For just €5 you can go online, order a card and write a nice message to an older person linked in with ALONE. An Post will then print and post the card, and every card sent will raise money for ALONE, as well as making a huge difference to that older person’s Christmas.” €3.20 from every card sold will go directly to ALONE’s services, helping the organisation to continue providing friendship, support, social

events, and housing to older people, ensuring that older people aren’t left isolated and lonely.

Echoing Baz’s message, Garrett Bridgeman, managing director of Mails and Parcels at An Post, said: “A personal message is really powerful, particularly at Christmas.

“We are appealing to members of the public to order one of the An Post personalised Christmas cards and share a few kind words with an older person who may be isolated

TV presenter and Do One Thing campaign supporter Baz Ashmawy (centre) with ALONE service users Michael McCarthy and Sheila Collins. Picture: Jason Clarke

or lonely this Christmas.

“It is our hope that this campaign will make Christmas less lonely for many older people, and raise significant funds for ALONE.” ALONE’s chief executive, Sean Moynihan, said: “We are delighted to partner with An Post this year for Christmas. ALONE offers friendship, support, and housing, all aimed at ensuring no older person is left lonely or without

the care and support they need.

“It is our hope that the funds raised through this campaign can bring a little Christmas magic back into the lives of older people and that the money raised will be used to spread that magic throughout the year.”

As well as the individual support that anyone can give, companies can also support the campaign, with special packs of the

ALONE Christmas cards available to purchase.

By purchasing a pack of 100 or 500 Christmas cards online, companies can make a donation to ALONE while ordering their high-quality Christmas cards, which can be personalised with a logo or personal message inside.

To order your Christmas Cards and help ALONE, see www.alone.ie/Christmas; cards for older people linked in with ALONE

cost €5, with 64% of the cost donated to ALONE. Packs of company cards are priced at €250 for 100 personalised Christmas cards, including postage and a €120 donation to ALONE, and €1,250 for 500 personalised Christmas cards, including postage and a €650 donation to ALONE. Companies will receive their stock of cards within three working days, delivered by An Post.

23 November 2017 DUBLIN GAZETTE 21

DUBLINLIFE

 JAMES HENDICOTT HAVING STARTED OUT way back in 1873, the Gaiety Panto is a Dublin Christmas institution, a classically playful comedy returning night after night with plenty of stories... ahem... behind them.

This year, the age-old performance on offer is a stage adaptation of Rapunzel, featuring the return of Ireland’s most famous pantomime dame for the 28th time, as well as Ciara Lyons in the hair-y title role, and former Love/ Hate man Johnny Ward fitting right in as Johnny B. Goode.

For all the throwaway, sporadic feel of panto, though, the Gaiety offering is a serious undertaking, at least internally. For the cast, Christmas starts the morning after Halloween, with rehearsals underway in earnest.

“There are three days off scheduled for the entire run,” Ward tells us, as he returns to the Gaiety following his earlier appearances in Cinderella (2012) and Peter Pan (2014).

“It’s hectic, but I remember it as a child and it means a lot, it’s a real Christmas tradition. You have to be aware of that when you’re performing in it. I met my girlfriend through my part in the panto in 2012, so it has great memories for me more recently, too.”

Ward is better known for his role as Pauley in Love/Hate, with his character dying by falling from a balcony. He also stars in Fair City as Ciaran Holloway, so despite his earlier experiences, the panto is far from his usual style.

“Panto is frowned upon by some, especially those actors who only do film and theatre,” he admits.

“But I think it’s important to do. There are some great people here. Joe Conlan [the dame] has been doing this forever and doesn’t do anything else as an actor. He specialises because he’s just really good at what he does. Panto isn’t like film and TV, and it’s his forte. He’s a real gentleman, but absolutely nuts with it.”

There are technical challenges that come with the role, however, in particular as it continues night after night.

“There’s a part of the script that I read and just thought ‘that’s impossible’, looking at the stage set up, but I had the same experience last time, and it came off, so I’m sure we’ll do it,” Ward explains.

“The whole thing is really physically demanding, because it plays every day, sometimes twice a day. You end the run exhausted. You wake up at half 8, have sound check at half 9 or 10 o’clock. Then there might be a kids show or schools show at 11.

“At 2pm I’ll get a couple of hours to just wander around town a bit, get some food, and then we do it all again. It’s a challenge, but it’s really rewarding. I love watching the kids react.”

The noise, in fact, is part of the experience.

“It’s an interactive thing, and that really adds to the experience. It’s full of young kids, ones

‘IT’S A CHALLENGE, BUT IT’S REALLY REWARDING’ Actor Johnny Ward talks to us as he gets set to take to the stage for the Gaiety Panto

MUSIC

GAZETTE

GAZETTE

20 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23 November 2017

N O S ’ T A H W

E D I U G S T N EVE

with JAMES HENDICOTT

Smithfield Christmas Lights Event

The square will be turning the arrival of their Christmas lighting into a kind of mini festival on November 26, with food, music, movies and high-end hot chocolate promised to accompany the flicking of the switch on Sunday.

FROST - Fumbally Christmas Shop

The creative Dame Lane institution opens up for stocking fillers and special Christmas craft gifts, with the seasonal stalls unveiled QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE WI on November 23, and 3ARENA ON NOVEMBERLL PLAY THE 24 staying open until four days before Christmas. It’s shopping time!

Thanksgiving at Token

Smithfield’s video games-loving corner takes on the American tradition of thanksgiving, promising a beast of a three course meal, American style drinks, an no doubt plenty of gaming goodness along the way. November 23.

Games Expo Ireland

From the same people who brought Comicon to Ireland, the RDS’ Games Expo promises large scale gaming, both serious and casual, as well as the chance to meet the people behind some of the games. Nintendo are on board. November 25-26.

Ireland v Argentina

This year’s Autumn internationals at the Aviva started with a bang, with Ireland swatting aside South Africa.

Argentina close off the run of matches, and present a more athletic, inventive challenge. November 25.

Whiskey Live 2017 Ciara Lyons as “Rapunzel”, Joe Conlon as “Nanny Ninny Noonah”, Johnny Ward as “Johnny B Goode” and Nicholas Grennell as the King “Larry Lilly Loolah”, pictured on stage at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin as they help launch this years Gaiety pantomime Rapunzel. Picture: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

who shouldn’t really be watching things like Love/Hate, but they all seem to know me as Pauley. Once, I was standing on the balcony in a Peter Pan scene a little after that Love/Hate episode ran, and one of the kids yells out ‘don’t jump’. I still get approached by kids calling me Pauley.”

With the Tivoli panto having made its way onto TV on recent years, Ward also feels the in-person side of the Gaiety (which has never been televised) is something special, something to be protected.

“Personally I don’t want it on TV,” he explains.

“It’s not about the cameras, it’s about the

screaming and the interaction, about the tradition and the experience. You can’t capture that on television.”

Ward should know. There’s quite a step between the darkness of Pauley’s like and the lightness of a fairytale story like Rapunzel, but as we head towards December, that lightness just seems like a natural adjustment. It’s the spirit of Christmas represented in the business of the actor, a fun-filled slog that’s ultimately about handing their holidays over for the kids.

Expect a little bit of magic.

Rapunzel runs in the Gaiety Theatre from November 26 to January 7, with tickets from €19.50, available now.

One for the connoisseurs, The Printworks in Dublin Castle hosts a heady event for those who like their tipple a little fiery and traditional. There are two sessions, afternoon and evening, as well as masterclasses. November 25.

Sing Along Social

The most entertaining night out in Dublin returns with ‘girl bands v boy bands’ at MVP, Portobello. The concept is simple: they bring the music, you grab a beer and sing along at the top of your voice. November 26.

Queens of the Stone Age

A chance to get blown away by one of America’s most powerful rock bands, as Queens of the Stone Age bring you glorious guitar-driven angst and abrasive riffs. The 3Arena. November 24.

New album of the week

Paloma Faith - The Architect The enigmatic and soulful pop singer returns with what’s certain to be a powerful yet subtle record, exploring ‘politics from the perspective of the average man or woman’. Expect melodic beauty.

GAZETTE

22 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23 November 2017

DUBLINLIFE

CINEMA

THE FLORIDA PROJECT: COMPLEX LIVES AND TERRIFIC PERFORMANCES ON SHOW

ReelReviews

Projects a wilder side of family life in the States THE Florida Project (Cert 15A, 111 mins) takes a look at all the wonder, innocence and irrepressible curiosity of childhood with an honesty rarely seen on screen.

Director Sean Baker tackles his chosen subject with the same blend of glee and gloom we saw in his previous effort, 2015’s excellent Tangerine, delivering what is easily one of this year’s best comedies – and most troubling, moving dramas.

Six-year-old Moonee, played by Brooklynn Prince (one of the cast’s many newcomers), lives with her mother, Halley (Bria Vinai) in an extended-stay motel managed by Bobby (Willem Dafoe), located on a tourist-trap strip of road that leads to Disney World.

Moonee’s world is populated with unfortunate outcasts of society, the downtrodden and the violent.

Despite these surroundings, Moonee – along with friends Scooty and Jancey – turns the everyday into an adventure, exploring the weird, wild world that naturally

 MARTIN MACNAMARA

manifests on the fringes of commercial wonderlands like Disney.

Moonee raises hell with all the irresistible wonder of a precocious child, unaware of the increasingly dangerous lengths to which her young, rebellious mother must go to provide for her.

Dafoe turns in a careerbest performance here as the motel’s cautious, observant and compassionate hotel manager, falling into a heedful father-figure position and even finding himself having to provide from time to time.

Dafoe has never before enraptured us with a character so completely and utterly human – Bobby is a man fully aware of what he can do to help, yet resistant of becoming too involved in such a broken, sad story.

As with all of The Flor-

ida Project’s characters, there’s clearly a darkness to his past – one only barely hinted at, but everlurking underneath.

A brief conversation with his son, played by Caleb Landry Jones (in an uncharacteristically subdued performance), reveals a sadness essential to his character, but never directly commented on.

The rebellious Halley clearly comes from misfortune, though – again – the past is never commented on, just left to linger beneath a thin surface.

Halley shows concern for nothing other than the wellbeing of her daughter, but this is a concern that can only be stretched so far when faced with the reality of survival on the fringes of society.

Bria Vinai communicates a compassion for her daughter that is hidden behind abrasive, rough edges but is all the more endearing in its subtlety.

It’s Moonee, however, that guides us through this world of misfortune, turning what should be a

THE DEATH OF STALIN

It’s a killer dark comedy AS BRUTAL dictators go, ‘Uncle Joe’ Stalin didn’t give many people much to laugh about when he was alive – but The Death of Stalin (Cert 15A, 107 mins) turns the Soviet leader’s death into a deliciously dark comedy. A cast of terrific, well-known character actors plot and panic once brutal Stalin dies, with the Kremlin thrown into chaotic, murderous (and very funny) disarray.

ORIENT EXPRESS

Takes a stab at murder

Daniel Dafoe playing a good guy? It’s just one of the features of The Florida Project – but its younger actors steal the show in a terrific film that captures the spirit of untamed youth alongside some more adult concerns.

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‘Dafoe turns in a career-best performance here as the motel’s cautious, observant and compassionate hotel manager, falling into a heedful father-figure position and even finding himself having to provide from time to time’ ---------------------------------------------------------

very sad story into a joyous, celebratory experience.

Brooklynn Prince’s breakout performance has to be seen to be believed, bursting with all of the honesty, curiosity and compassion that is innate to a six-year-old, but rarely (if ever) communicated by one on

screen.

It’s Sean Beaker’s deft, controlled direction here that brings all the joy, anger and sadness together into a wonderfully coherent and naturally told story.

While Baker’s a p p r o a c h i s s l o w, methodical and subdued, each and every frame is

bursting with life, ready to explode with all the pastel colours, clear blues and deep greens of postcard Florida.

The Florida Project will pick you up just before it throws you down, always coupling joy with sorrow, yet ensuring the former filters through just that little bit more, so that we’re left in high spirits despite many traumatic turns.

This is empathetic filmmaking at its best, raising critical questions about modern America but keeping us entertained – a light in a time of darkness that serves us to illuminate the problems, just as much as it guides us through them.

Verdict: 10/10

TO USE its full title, Murder on the Orient Express (Cert 12A, 114 mins) sees a cast of top-tier talents gathered on the titular train. When a murder most foul is disovered, brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot must choo-choose who the killer on board is ... It’s a great cast, but there’s a bit too much of Poirot (Kenneth Branagh, abive) at their expense in this opulent whodunnit.

LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE Some bricks and misses

THE LEGO movie was indeed awesome, and the LEGO Batman movie was batty fun – but the LEGO Ninjago movie (Cert G, 101 mins) is ... well, not so much. A host of well-known voices gamely try their best, but there’s something muddled at the heart of the latest LEGO film. Ninjago certainly looks the part, but despite plenty of great animation, it never builds up to any greatness.

23 November 2017 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23

GAZETTE

FEATURE YOU MAY have noticed large rather mysterious paw prints dotted around the streets of Dublin last week with the hashtag #PawsForThought.

Dogs Trust revealed it was behind the paw prints by putting their stamp under some of the oversized paw prints.

To remind people of their Christmas message that “A dog is for life, not just for Christmas”, the charity is urging people to “pause” and think about the lifelong commitment and responsibility that comes with owning a dog and then wait until after Christmas to consider taking on a new addition to the family.

The clever stunt was created using clean graffiti to represent the owners that wash their hands of the responsibility and commitment that comes with owning a dog.

The charity revealed that 756 people contacted Dogs Trust within the first three months after Christmas last year to relinquish their dogs, compared to 479 in the same period the previous year.

This equates to an alarming 58% increase in the number of owners looking to surrender their dogs. The charity recorded that the most common reason for someone wanting to give up their dog was that they didn’t have enough time anymore.

An example of this is Bella (right), who came to Dogs Trust as a young pup and the charity suspect that she was given to someone as a Christmas present.

Bella arrived with an eye infection, which she had been suffering with for a long time.

However tragically, in Bella’s case, her right eye was left untreated for so long that it had swollen completely shut and had to be removed.

If she had been brought to a vet at an earlier stage, this could have been prevented.

Luckily, she ended up in Dogs Trust, where she was nursed back to health, she was given lots of love and they found her, her forever home. But for some dogs there isn’t such a happy ending.

Unfortunately, with over 1,000 abandoned dogs per year coming through the charity’s doors, and thousands more the charity cannot possibly take in, people are still taking on the responsibility of dog ownership without enough consideration of what it really entails.

The charity is urging Dubliners to give the gift of life this Christmas by Sponsoring a Dog instead.

“You can save lives and give abandoned dogs the second chance that they deserve.”

To help spread their message this Christmas, Dogs Trust want people to #PawsForThought by posting their Paws or Pause Pose on social media, with pictures of them or their furry friends pausing for thought!

Speaking about the campaign, executive director, Dogs Trust, Suzie Carley said: “We hope that by spreading the message that ‘a dog is for life, not just for Christmas,’, we will encourage people to wait and consider adding a dog to their family in the New Year instead, when the festivities die down.”

Think before getting a pooch for Christmas HOLLY HAS HER HEART SET ON A LOVING FAMILY HOME OUR Dog of the Week looking for their #SpecialSomeone* is Holly, a five-yearold female terrier cross who is still looking for a loving family.

This sweet lady enjoys human company and gets worried when there is nobody by her side.

On the other hand when Holly feels safe and comfortable she shows quite an independent spirit and is happy to do her own thing.

Holly would love a furry friend in the home to help her settle in, but ideally her companion would be gentle and calm.

Holly is deaf and partially blind; therefore she is looking for a sensible, understanding and patient family that is going to be able to give her all she needs. Holly will blossom living with someone who is home for most of the time, ideally someone home all day.

Contact Dogs Trust on 01 879 1000; they are based in Finglas, just off Exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website, www. dogstrust.ie. You can also find them on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/ dogstrustirelandonline, or on Twitter @DogsTrust_IE.

GAZETTE

24 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23 November 2017

DUBLINLIFE H&M Metallic midi shirt €50

River Island Velvet jumpsuit €95

Topshop Bonded velvet blazer €70 Arnotts Caroline Kilkenny Taylor sequin top €150

Zara Sequin dress €50

Zara Sparkle mini dress €59

SILLY SEASON STYLIN’

Mango Knot metallic skirt €36

Penneys Bag €8

Style Editor

’TIS the season of a million nights out – which means a million outfits to plan. As usual, it’s all about sparkles, metallic and velvets. And, you know what? Who cares?

Embrace the seasonal dalliance with sequins – there’s no getting away from them.

With the influx of Christmas decorations everywhere come November 1, they’re followed by the inevitable Christmas party wear in every single shop.

Infused with the usual styles this year are some of 2017’s biggest trends: statement sleeves, one shoulder, Eighties, suits ...

So, take inspiration from the year when planning outfits and don’t be afraid to get adventurous.

It is the silly season, after all ...

New Look Silver plisse jumpsuit €25

 EMMA NOLAN

23 November 2017 DUBLIN GAZETTE 25

Penneys One shoulder sequin top €15

GAZETTE

STYLE

PARIS DUBLIN

Penneys Tulle dress €17 boots €28 body suit €10

FROM

TO

SPEAKING of party wear, Dublin’s latest fashion fix, & Other Stories, has launched their celebration collection for the festive season.

Inspired by French singer/songwriter, artist, actress, model and all-around fashion muse Lou Doillion, the collection is a reflection of her wardrobe. The ultimate French It Girl, Lou is the daughter of another style icon – Jane Birkin – and the director, Jacques Doillon, and is a half-sister of Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Of the Doillion-inspired collection, designer Georgine Le Toqueux said: “I wanted to create a collection that captures the iconic sense of style associated with French women.

“Influenced by the past but reinvented for the modern woman, this collection has a touch of elegance merged with rock’n’roll, and Lou helps to tell that story beautifully with her style and attitude.”

The collection will be available in the Grafton Street store and online from the end of this month.

Prices range from a €99 velvet blazer, a €89 pair of velvet trousers and a €69 shirt to a €125 dress, a €295 pair of leather trousers and a €79 sheer blouse.

Topshop

GAZETTE

26 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23 November 2017

DUBLINLIFE

Captivating Croatia

From tourists on the popular Game of Thrones trail around Dubrovnik to fine cuisine off the beaten track, the Adriatic Coast is home to your next unforgettable holiday getaway

 SYLVIA POWNALL Travel Editor

THE Adriatic Coast has long been a draw for the more discerning traveller, and one glimpse of its sparkling turquoise waters will have you completely hooked.

On a 12-day trip to Dubrovnik last month, I made the mistake of asking our tour guide what time of year is best to visit – “All year round, of course” came the bemused reply.

Croats are fiercely patriotic, and while they come across as a bit stern at first, they have a wicked sense of humour and a quick wit, and they love the Irish

banter.

The summer months are in fact the busiest – but the sunny weather comes at a price, with swarms of tourists disembarking cruise ships daily to throng the city’s Old Town.

Shoulder season (April and October) is favoured by those in the know as temperatures still climb into the 20s and tourist attractions are open, but you can avoid the crowds and higher prices of peak season.

Whilst I was expecting breathtaking scenery along the coastline, it’s no exaggeration to say I was blown away by the endless vistas with a picture-post-

card view at every turn.

We stayed in Cavtat, a charming harbour resort just ten minutes’ drive from the airport, and 45 minutes from Dubrovnik by water taxi (less by bus).

The five-star Hotel Croatia was the perfect base for exploring. It’s tucked into the hillside with com-

manding sea views and sunsets you feel you can almost reach out and touch.

The only downside is the steps leading down to the resort, but they’re well worth negotiating and can shave 10 minutes off the journey.

Despite a luxurious sun deck on the fifth floor (complete with heated indoor pool, sauna, spa and gym), it’s hard to resist the urge to explore the coastline.

W e took four trips into

A PLACE FIT FOR A KING (OR MURDEROUS QUEEN) As one of TV’s most popular dynasties, the Lannisters (including scheming Cersei, played by Lena Headey, right) have played a big part in making Game of Thrones the global hit it is – and

needing just a little CG trickery

Dubrovnik is a big star within the show. The

(above) to help create the city

city’s Old Town district has played a key role

of ‘King’s Landing’, attracting

in the show all along, with several locations

thousands of fans to Dubrovnik.

Dubrovnik but could easily have doubled that. And while we packed a lot in, we’d gladly have done a lot more if time permitted.

The Old Town – better known to Game of Thrones (GoT) fans as King’s Landing – is all white limestone, cobbled streets and red terracotta roofs.

Being a GoT fan, I enrolled on a half-day guided tour taking in some of the series’ b e s t known filming locations, includ-

ing Flea Bottom, the Red Keep, Little Finger’s brothel, Black Water Bay and the steps used for Cersei’s Walk of Shame.

The GoT team playfully shout “Shame!” as they pass each other in the street – and our guide, Tea (who played Peasant Number 346 in one episode) gave us the inside track on the actors with Peter Dinklage her undisputed favourite.

Things to do in Dubrovnik are many and varied – and probably too lengthy to list here – but our highlights included walking the historic city walls (be prepared for a 60-step climb, but it’s worth it) and a panoramic tour to the fortress of Mount Srd, which can also be accessed via cable car.

The city takes on a different feel after dark with restaurant tables spilling out onto the cobbled streets. If you’re undertaking the climb for the cable car, stop off at Lady Pi Pi for lunch (and look out for the interesting statue outside).

Eating a traditional Peka dish (typically lamb or beef, slow-cooked under a hot iron bell for three hours) is also a must

23 November 2017 DUBLIN GAZETTE 27

FOOD

GAZETTE

TRAVEL Easily accessible day trips can whisk you away to even more beautiful, striking destinations and sights – such as Mostar, in nearby Bosnia Herzegovina

Escape to the sparkling waters at laid-back Lokrum Island

Get ready for Twelve Treats as the Dylan reveals luxurious new menu

Croatia’s beaches are world-famous – and Cavtat’s have plenty to delight visitors

for all foodies – but be warned, you have to order it in advance.

As the richest city in Croatia, Dubrovnik is not cheap – but its prices are not a million miles away from what we pay here.

There is a heavy Venetian influence, which is good news for all coffee lovers. Expect to pay around €2.50 for an ice cream or a coffee, €7 for a glass of wine and €20 for a main course.

A 15-minute ferry trip to Lokrum Island is also worthwhile. Here you will find botanical gardens, an old monastery and an army of roaming peacocks, who show no hesitation in wandering right up to you and posing for a photo.

The fishing town of Mali Ston is less than an hour away and is famed for its oysters. Closer to home, the waters off Dubrovnik are speckled with more than 1,000 islands.

Daily cruises to the Elafiti group of Kolocep, Lopud and Sipan are popular – as is D’Vino’s Bar as a top destination for sampling Croatian wine, which offers three locally produced vintages on its taster menu.

If you find you’re running out of cash, you can dine on the cheap at Buffet Skola, where the prsut (similar to prosciutto) sandwich is a top cheap dish.

We took a full-day tour to Montenegro with our own private driver, Bozo Crvik (www.perfect-travel-croatia.com).

It was the perfect way to travel and Bozo (pronounced Borzh) tailored the day to our needs and had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the surroundings.

We stopped off for countless photo opps before spending two hours in the Old Town of Kotor. Then it was on to Buddva – a beach resort popular with the likes of Madonna and Sting just a stone’s throw from St Stephen’s Island, where parts of Casino Royale were filmed.

A day trip to Mostar in Bosnia Herzegovina was a real eye-opener. This one we did by coach, and once we’d crossed the border after a 30-minute delay, the change in the landscape was immediately apparent.

Mostar is the largest city in the Herzegovina

Dubrovnik’s architecture and streets seeped in history combine to create a breathtaking destination

region and suffered the worst damage during the war. After a tour through the Old Town (a UNESCO World Heritage site) with an English-speaking guide, we got free time to shop and eat.

Unexpected bonuses were seeing a plucky s w i m m e r t a ke t h e 24-metre dive off the Stari Most Bridge and the Aladdin’s Cave of souvenir shops stuffed with handcrafted copper, silver, stained glass, jewellery, silk and tapestries.

All too soon it was time to depart. Our Aer Lingus flight home was populated with pilgrims returning from a visit to the shrine at Medjugorje. Two women shared their experience in the perfume aisle of the duty free.

“I cried all day Thursday,” said one. The other replied: “There was one day I started crying and I literally couldn’t stop.”

I was close to tears myself, but for an entirely different reason – having to say goodbye to the imposing mountains and majestic coastline of the Croatian Riviera. Well, maybe not goodbye, more like au revoir ...

GETTING THERE Aer Lingus fly direct to Dubrovnik and several tour companies provide package deals to Cavtat. Click & Go (www.clickandgo.com) will tailor your trip, while Croatia Tours (Croatia.ie) offer multidestination holidays allowing you to split your time between Croatia and neighbouring Montenegro.

THE Dylan Hotel has launched its new Twelve Treats of Christmas Afternoon Tea menu, with the luxurious menu – created by head chef Mark Bodie – running for a limited period, until January 7.

The menu includes a lavish array of carefully crafted sweet and savoury delicacies inspired by the Christmas season, such as slow-roasted Irish turkey breast sandwiches, accompanied by Ballymaloe cranberry relish for a Christmas twist, Irish smoked salmon on soda bread with creme fresh and pomegranate, and duck liver parfait on homemade brioche.

The menu also includes freshly-baked

raisin and cinnamon scones served with strawberry jam and clotted cream, and a selection of sweet treats such as the Dylan homemade Christmas pudding, served with confit ginger for a festive feel, and the Dylan’s Mini Mince Pie Lollipop, made with luxurious Cocoa Barry.

A selection of organic teas, infusion coffees and quality hot chocolate completes the Twelve Treats of Christmas, with the afternoon tea experience costing €45PP. Available seven days a week, reservations can be made through reservations@dylan.ie or by calling 01 660 3000.

Triggerfish Cookshop angles for customers looking for top quality

THE Triggerfish Cookshop has just opened its doors in Blackrock village, offering a space dedicated to cookware, kitchenware and tableware.

Owner Bob Toal says he didn’t want to call his new cookshop something bland, but he was inspired by the name of the tropical triggerfish he ate on a trip to Florida’s northwestern ‘Panhandle’ area.

His adventures in the culinary hotspots of Japan, China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey, Lebanon and Peru

coloured his thinking for the cookshop, inspiring The Triggerfish Cookshop to focus on quality, function and design, says Bob. There will be a revolving range of products from around the culinary globe, to match each season.

Customers will also find kitchen staples including pots and pans,

bakeware, glassware, storage, cooks tools, gadgets, cook books and chef knives.

Many of the brands – including Mauviel’s copper cookware sets, Kai Shun’s Damascus steel knives from Japan, and Skagerak’s beautiful Danish wood-cutting boards – are not available anywhere else in Ireland.

The knife section, which is a real focal point of the store, will display sets of both German and Japanese knives.

For further information, see triggerfishcookshop.ie.

GAZETTE

28 DUBLIN GAZETTE  SOUTH 23 November 2017

DUBLINLIFE

FASTNews

Arteon and A5 go Volkswagen has a new five-door sports coupe with the Arteon that’s now also the flagship in the range. MICHAEL MORONEY has driven both the Arteon and Audi’s A5 in recent weeks and here he compares both German offerings.

Volvo XC40 gets Grafton Street pop-up shop VOLVO Car Ireland has opened Ireland’s first high street car pop up shop at 32 Grafton Street.

The new shop, which is open for a limited time, provides visitors with a chance to see Volvo’s new XC40 compact SUV, in the Scandinavian inspired shop.

The XC40 is Volvo’s first ever entry in the small premium SUV segment.

Volvo’s new XC40 D4 Momentum Pro in fusion red is housed within the unit.

Customers will be able to browse the different

Audi A5 Sportback 2.0 TDI

Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 TDI

Engine 2.0 litre 2.0 litre Engine power 150hp 150hp 0 – 100km/hr 8.9 seconds 9.1 seconds Economy 22.7km/litre 22.2km/litre (4.4/100km or 64mpg) (4.5/100km or 63mpg) Fuel Tank Capacity 40 litres 66 litres CO2 emissions 113g/km 116g/km Road Tax Band A4 €200 A4 €200 Main Service 20,000km/12 months 20,000km/12 months Euro NCAP Rating 5 star (2015) 5 star (2017) Warranty 3 years (100,000km) 3 years (100,000km) Entry Price €52,600 €49,325

paint and fabric choices on display and experience the car in ‘showroom mode’ which showcases the cars’ technology at its best.

Customers can test out the cars’ top of the range Karmon Hardin sounds system and interact with the Sensus Connect system all while enjoying some Swedish Fika in a relaxed environment.

Fika is considered a social institution in Sweden; it means having a break, most often a coffee and sweet treats, with one’s colleagues, friends or family.

It’s more than your usual coffee break – it’s a cultural institution.

Patricia Greene, Head of Communications at Volvo Car Ireland, said: “We’re very excited to bring Volvo to Grafton Street for the countdown to Christmas.

“As Ireland’s premium shopping street we feel Grafton Street is a great fit for the Volvo brand and allows us to give shoppers a truly unique experience and reach a new demographic of shoppers who may not have been overly familiar with the Volvo brand before.’

Finance focus on Alfa Romeo’s 181 offers

ALFA Romeo’s 181 offers, which are available until December 31, 2017, include Personal Contract Plan (PCP) finance, with an APR rate of just 2.9%, as well as a low rate Hire Purchase (HP) finance rate from 0%.

The most recent addition to the Alfa Romeo, the new Stelvio SUV embodies everything a true Alfa Romeo should.

Featuring 50/50 weight distribution, Alfa Romeo Q4 all-wheel drive architecture, best in class power-toweight ratios and new engine and driver technologies, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is available with 2.9% APR PCP finance or from 0% APR HP finance.

Alfa Romeo’s super-mini and hot-hatch, the gor-

geous MiTo and Giulietta are offered with PCP finance rates of 2.9% APR or HP finance starting from 0% APR.

The arrival of Volkswagen’s new Arteon provides another attractive choice for those drivers who want to combine some luxury and sporty motoring with practical family transport.

It takes the position of being the flagship of the Volkswagen range, with a new style that’s more impressive than the Passat CC of the past.

Volkswagen claims that the Arteon combines the spaciousness of a saloon

with the driving dynamics and design of a sports car and some of that I have to agree with.

I’ve had the Arteon on the road in recent weeks and followed that drive with a run in Audi’s new A5 Sportback.

Both cars have similar target markets, and that encouraged me to compare these impressive cars in terms of driving style, space and the value on offer.

The Arteon is instantly recognisable as a large car. The overall length is longer than the Audi A5 and there is significantly a feeling of spaciousness.

The rear seat passengers get a great deal in the Arteon, with the type of legroom that is characteristic of the big Skoda Superb. The fact that the Arteon is overall a marginally longer car has allowed Volkswagen to deliver more rear legroom.

The boot space is also impressive and both cars offer electric boot opening, which is a noticeable help for a boot that stretches as long as they both do. The Arteon wins out on boot space coming in at 563 litres compared with 480 litres for the A5.

The rear end styling of the Arteon is clearly new and distinctive, while that of the Audi A5 shows the signs of an upgrade, that’s still a classic. They are

Michelin gets motorists to grip for winter driving AS winter temperatures start to plummet into single figures, tyre specialists Michelin is advising motorists to fit tyres designed specifically for winter conditions with compounds that remain flexible to improve grip and braking.

The French tyre company recently launched their CrossClimate+ fitments, which are tyres built to offer improved traction on snow-covered or wet and cold roads as well as year-round performance.

These new tyres are designed to counter the changeable weather that constantly

afflicts Irish roads. Michelin claims that the new range offers the benefits of a summer tyre for dry and wet braking, energy efficiency and total mileage, while also boasting the braking performance and traction of a winter tyre on cold and snow-covered roads, with little difference in performance as the tyre tread wears down.

Following a series of UK independent tests, Michelin’s CrossClimate+ range, currently available in 15 to 18-inch sizes, has recently been named as the ‘best all-season tyre’ by magazine Auto Express.

both very attractive cars from either end; front or back.

Both the Audi A5 Sportback and the Volkswagen Arteon that I drove were powered by similar Volkswagen Group 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engines. They both deliver 150bhp, while the Arteon comes with marginally more engine torque.

Maybe that’s needed as the Arteon is a heavier car. Audi has shaved 85kg from the weight of the A5 compared with the model of the past, while the Arteon is more of a heavyweight.

With similar engines you can expect some performance differences between both cars, but

23 November 2017 SOUTH  DUBLIN GAZETTE 29

Arona delivers top head-to-head SEAT Euro NCAP safety result SEAT’s new compact crossover car, the Arona has joined SEAT’s Leon and the Ibiza in achieving

tests, the new SEAT Arona has

five stars in the latest Euro NCAP

achieved excellent results, stand-

safety tests.

ing out for occupant and pedesArona driver assistance

NCAP’s demanding safety tests.

systems are also outstanding.

The efficiency of the Autonomous

NCAP prestigious and independ-

Emergency Braking (AEB) and

ent safety tests carries more

Front Assist stand out in particu-

merit each time, as they have

lar in this area.

recent months.

similar engines and performance data, and with only marginal differences in prices.

Adding any additional features might complicate a comparison, but the truth is that both cars have a lot to offer.

Making the choice between them will hardly be about performance or style, because in my view they both stand out in these features.

Your choice will be about the best deal on offer, so negotiate hard, with either the Audi A5 or the Volkswagen Arteon; you’ll be getting a stylish car that combines economy with a wow factor.

trian protection.

highest possible scores in Euro

become much more demanding in

tionality, a dedicated smartphone interface for iOS and Android devices.

The A5 comes with some new driver assistance systems, like Audi pre-sense city, and front and rear parking sensors.

The test car was the Audi A5 Sportback S-Line version and had some additional premium features, such as LED headlights, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, leather-upholstered seats, 18-inch alloys running on Pirelli Centurauto P7 245/40 R18 tyres and the sports suspension.

These impressive sport coupe cars come with the latest safety features,

In each of the sections that make up the Euro NCAP safety

Achieving five stars in Euro

Both cars come packed with the latest safety and driver technology features.

On the Volkswagen side, all Arteon models come with 18” alloy wheels, ErgoComfort seats, 8” ‘Discover Media’ Sat Nav system, predictive cruise control, park distance control, app connect, rain sensing wipers, security and service subscription and 3-zone Climatronic A/C with controls in the rear.

From the Audi side, the A5 has Audi’s latest infotainment features. These include the Audi MMI navigation system with 7-inch colour display, Bluetooth and USB charging func-

the most objective way.

three flagship models, Ateca,

The Arona has achieved the

they are very marginal.

The lighter Audi A5 is marginally faster and more economical, but I doubt that you’ll notice these differences in real driving conditions.

What’s interesting is that Volkswagen fits a 60% larger capacity fuel tank as standard, meaning that you can get significant range from Arteon if you are a long distance driver.

My test drive indicated a range of over 1,100km on a full tank and the extra range makes for more pleasant longer journeys. The smaller fuel tank of the Audi may be marginally more economical, but require more frequent fuel stops.

GAZETTE

MOTORING

Through the use of its radar technology together with the

Euro NCAP puts vehicles that

latest versions of ABS and ESC, it

come onto the market through a

not only senses and acts when it

number of tests, more and more

detects other vehicles but also

rigorous each time.

pedestrians.

For example, in order to test

Taking all of this into account,

child safety protection in a reli-

it allows the car to brake in the

able way, crash test dummies are

safest and quickest way.

used to simulate for children aged between six and ten years old.

Front impact tests or side

The new SEAT Arona is another new member of the SEAT range that is part of the biggest prod-

impact tests against a Pole at 75

uct offensive ever carried out

degrees are also more severe.

by the Spanish brand in which

As well as these criteria, the

the Leon stands out with its new

range of dummies used in these

facelift, as well as the new Ibiza,

tests has increased and their

the Ateca and the soon-to-be-

biofidelity adapted in order to

seen large SUV, which will be

reflect real accident conditions in

launched in 2018.

Nissan upgrades flagship X-Trail NISSAN’S flagship crossover, the X-Trail and the brand’s best-selling model worldwide has been upgraded.

The changes include a new exterior design, enhanced cabin refinement, more practicality for owners and some additional and useful technology features.

The X-Trail will be available with ProPILOT which gives autonomous driving capability. Nissan is now also offering the SV Premium grade for the first time on the X-Trail.

It will be available with the option of a 2.0-litre diesel engine or 1.6-litre petrol engines for the first time in Ireland.

Entry prices will start from €32,150, that’s unchanged from earlier this year.

Nissan Ireland has launched the new X-Trail with a new 2.0-litre 177bhp turbo-diesel engine, which claims to have broadened the range to meet the needs

of consumers who require a higher-output engine. For the first time in Ireland the X-Trail is now also available in with a 1.6-litre 163bhp petrol engine.

The front parking sensors have been revised and they now sit completely flush to the bumper surface.

The rear bumper has been redesigned to give it a more robust look with new chrome detailing. The rear lamp signature has been upgraded to become full LED, while the parking sensors are improved, as at the front of the car.

The biggest change to the profile of the new X-Trail is the addition of a chrome side moulding across the base of the two doors. On the inside

there is a new D-shaped steering wheel with a smaller central hub than before and the three spokes are slimmer for improved instrument visibility.

Other interior upgrades add to the higher-quality ambience and increased refinement of the new X-Trail. A new leather knee pad on both sides of the centre console has been added. The air vents now feature a new gloss black surface.

The new SEAT Arona

Nissan’s two for one 181 offer NISSAN Ireland has launched a new 181 consumer offer that enables customers to buy a new Nissan Micra, Pulsar, Juke or Qashqai now and they can exchange it for the equivalent model in 2019 free of charge.

Nissan claims that this unique offer provides customers with the opportunity to purchase two new cars for the price of one and therefore benefit from an extended four-year Nissan manufacturer’s warranty, four years RAC membership.

The deal also means that you get a 191 car at 181 prices and with lower maintenance costs it will be at least two years before customers are likely to have to pay for a service.

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SPORT

FastSport CAMPBELL RULED OUT OF QUALIFIERS: FORMER St Francis player Megan Campbell is likely to miss the rest of the Republic of Ireland women’s FIFA 2019 World Cup qualifying campaign after rupturing her ACL. The 24-year old suffered the injury in her right knee during Manchester City’s 2-1 UEFA Women’s Champions League victory over LSK Kvinner on Thursday night.

Campbell suffered the injury in the 54th minute of the game and is now likely to miss the rest of the FIFA 2019 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Ireland are set to face the Netherlands, the reigning European Champions, on Tuesday, November 28 with kick-off at 7pm (8pm local time) as they look to continue their unbeaten campaign.

BASKETBALL: ALSAA CLUB WIN CRUCIAL TABLE-TOPPING TUSSLE WITH UCD

Baker cooking up a storm with Swords Thunder win

SUPER LEAGUE ROUND-UP  sport@dublingazette.com

GRIFFITH College Swords T hunder cause an upset against UCD Marian to close the gap at the top of the men’s basketball Super League, r unning out 93-86 point winners after a superb second half performance.

A blistering fourth quarter from the home team saw Isaac Westbrooks and Travis Black impress at both ends of the court to take the win.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” said Swords’ Dave Baker. “We knew coming into the game how good UCD are, but we felt that if we could keep it tight going into the fourth quarter that maybe we would start asking UCD some questions that they haven’t been asked this year – and that’s what we did.”

Black Amber Templeogue meanwhile secured a big win on the road against Garvey’s Tralee Warriors, dishing up an 80-71 point victory over the hosts. A huge third quarter from Templeogue’s Mike Bonaparte paved their road

Swords Thunder coach Dave Baker

to glory and, coupled with a brilliant display from Lorcan Murphy, they just had too much for Tralee.

“It was a huge second half for us,” admitted Templeogue head coach Mark Keenan.

“We never really got going in the first half but we were still in the game.

“We keep showing a bit of character when we get down

– it’s great. Tralee is a hard place to come and get a win as everybody knows, so we’ll take it any day we get it. “ Elsewhere, Éanna overcame Pyrobel Killester in a thrilling Dublin derby – a superb second half comeback helping them to a two-point win, while a buzzer beating score from Emmet Donnelly saw DCU Saints pip UCC Demons to the

win, 80-78.

In the Women’s Super League, Cour tyard Liffey Celtics remain unbeaten at the top of the table, after a superb 66-60 win over Ambassador UCC Glanmire in Cork on Sunday afternoon.

A dazzling display from Liffey’s Jazmen Boone sent them into the lead by the end of the second quarter, and they

kept their cool to close out the win.

“We’re absolutely delighted,” said head coach Mark Byrne.

“I think this is the first time that Liffey Celtics have beaten Glanmire in Glanmire.

“You know you are always going to get a super tough game when you come down here.

“We weren’t at full strength and we didn’t play amazing, so I’m very happy we came out the right side.”

Elsewhere DCU Mercy showed no mercy as they ran out 101-37 point winners over Portlaoise Panthers.

Meanwhile, it took overtime to separate Maxol WIT Wildcats and Singleton S u p e r Va l u B r u n e l l o n Saturday evening as, despite trailing by 10 points at half time, a superb second half display saw Brunell level matters by full time (64-64) and pushed on to win 74-71 in the end.

“I was delighted to get the win in overtime, I thought we had left it behind us when we were 13 down in the fourth quarter,” said Brunell’s Francis O’Sullivan.

All roads lead of Odyssey for Sport Changes Life gig  DECLAN KING sport@dublingazette.com

Sport Change Life founder Gareth Maguire.

BA S K E T BA L L f a n s f r o m Dublin and beyond and will be heading to the Odyssey Arena in Belfast for the “Naismith Hall of Fame Basketball Classic” on December 1 and 2.

The dream of the classic is three years in the making for Sport Changes Life founder and organiser Gareth Maguire and comes to fruition in a few weeks’ time with four NCAA colleges arriving in the city.

The colleges for this year’s

first classic are Holy Cross, La Salle, Manhattan and Towson in a tournament that will be televised live by CBS Television to over 60 million in the States.

The action gets underway on Friday, December 1 at 4.30pm with Manhattan playing Holy Cross while Towson face La Salle in the second game at 7pm.

Speaking about the venture, Maguire explained the concept of the tournament and where the funds go.

“This has been three years of solid work to get things ready

but the icing on the cake was the recent announcement that CBS was on board.

“Because of the nature of our organisation Sport Changes Life, we wanted to get as much coverage as possible in America where our scholars come from. We bring scholars over each year to study, work in the organisation and play basketball throughout the country.

“When we started a number of years ago, it was a Northern based project but my wife Deirdre and I thought that we should move south as well and

we have scholars in Dublin, Carlow, Water ford, Cork, Limerick and Galway in an allIreland strategy.

“As well as studying for quality Masters Degrees, the scholars work in disadvantaged communities throughout the country” “Our philosophy is ver y simple, it doesn’t matter if the kids are Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Hindu, Jew or Athiest we want to help each and every one of them to improve their lives and to give them something to look forward to.”

23 November 2017 SOUTH  DUBLIN GAZETTE 35

GAZETTE

FASTSport

Picture: Terence McCann Photography

Panthers on the prowl for new blood for 2018  JAMES HENDICOTT

SOUTH DUBLIN PANTHERS coach Steve McConnell is looking to add to his squad as one of Ireland’s fastest-growing minority sports, American football, goes through its off season.

The Panthers (formerly the Dublin Dragons) have been running since 2001, making them one of the oldest sides in Ireland, but the sport has grown to surprising local strength in recent years, with a total of around 20 different sides competing across three divisions.

McConnell is keen to invite potential players along to sessions, and those with an interest in the sport can be encouraged by the diverse types of athlete that can fit into the game.

“American Football really is the sport for everyone,” he tells us. “The bigger stronger guys, the smaller, faster guys and everyone in between.

Since the positions can be so specific there really is a fit for most people.

“Obviously, we’re looking for the best athletes we can find, guys with previous experience in rugby or GAA make the transition really well, as there are a lot of transferable skills.

“The Panthers are in the unique position of having a large enough squad to field two teams.

We have a development team which will play in the lower division in 2018. So while we’re looking for the best athletes we can, we also have an eye on the future for guys getting back to fitness or guys who might not have played an organised sport before. We can invest the time to develop those guys too which is a real positive for us,“ he explains.

As well as training twice a week, the Panthers also have classroom and online sessions to teach tactics. Between them, the club’s coaches have over 100 years of experience in the sport, but there’s also a heavy social element to the club.

While the Panther’s will keep sessions going right through the winter, the competitive season gets back underway in the New Year, making this the perfect time to experience a more casual offseason take on the sport and decide if it’s for you.

No experience required.

To get in touch with the South Dublin Panthers, visit their website at southdublinpanthers. com.

Boucher pouches over - time winner for Glens

Tallaght club lead the way in men’s EY Hockey Legaue with unbeaten run rolling into seventh week; Three Rock keep their winning streak going but Monkstown stunned by Dale  STEPHEN FINDLATER sport@dublingazette.com

SHANNON Boucher smashed home a 68th minute goal to continue Glenanne’s brilliant start to the men’s EY Hockey League season, ensuring that Banbridge’s woes also carry on with just two wins from nine games this term.

Boucher’s mid-circle finish completed the Glens’ second comeback from 2-0 down this season to keep their lead at the top of the rankings.

Bann, meanwhile, suffered five green cards and two yellows in the last five minutes to finish the game with nine players.

Fraser Mills put Bann in front 10 minutes in when he snapped up a rebound created by Neil Gilmore’s shot. Zach McClelland and Bruce McCandless went close to second goals before Mark Barlow scored his first senior goal in the 29th minute with

another rebound for 2-0.

Boucher pulled one back before half-time from close range to put the game back in the mix and they started the second half with a couple of corners that Bann did well to charge down.

Gareth Lennox made a superb double save to keep out another to keep it at 2-1 going into the final quarter but a stroke a minute into the last stanza got Glenanne on terms, Shane O’Donoghue scoring.

Two more Glens corners were denied while Bann had a couple of great chances to go back in front, the biggest one from an Alexander Tinney break. Jamie Wright and Mills, though, both were shown yellow in the last four minutes with Boucher scoring the winner.

It keeps the Tallaght club at the top of the table by three points, ahead of 2016 champions Lisnagarvey.

Rathfarnham’s Three Rock Rovers remain in third place thanks to their 4-1 win over Cookstown.

Three Rock comfortably made it three wins in succession despite the absence of six first team regulars – Daragh Walsh, Ross Canning, Harry Morris, Richard Pautz, David Kane and James Walker.

Mitch Darling started the scoring in the 21st minute before Conor Empey added the second six minutes before halftime.

A Darling deflection made it three in the third quarter and Ben McCrea scored his first for Rovers since his return from UCD, getting on the end of a good counter-attacking move. Stu Smyth pulled one back from a corner with eight minutes to go for scant consolation for the Co Tyrone club.

Monkstown, however, were unable to keep the

good run going for Dublin clubs as they were stunned by Annadale who recorded their biggest win of the campaign to date, winning 2-0 at the Merrion Fleet Arena, bumping Dale up two places to seventh spot.

The Carryduff side showed their hunger for the battle with two early circle incursions leading to corners which David Fitzgerald repelled.

Aaron Bailey, in reply, made two brilliant runs that brought former Town keeper Nick Holman into play, saving at the feet of Shane Nolan.

Annadale went in front in the 18th minute when Peter Caruth – against his former club – made a superb run that ended up with Fitzgerald saving.

Monkstown goalkeeper Dave Fitzgerald makes a save, left; Stephen Cole, right, launches an overhead pass . Picture: Deryck Vincent

Caruth recovered the ball and slapped to the back post where former Kilkeel man David Tremlett was on hand to tap in.

They held that lead into the big break courtesy of a Holman save from a Guy Sarratt drag-flick.

The lead was extended to 2-0 13 minutes into the second half following a slightly fractious start to the second half in which David Cole got a green and then a yellow card, the latter leading to a corner which Rhiley Carr flicked into the bottom right corner.

From there, Dale frustrated Monkstown who piled forward, winning a couple of corners, one of which was saved off the line but could not break through.

GAZETTE

36 DUBLIN GAZETTE  SOUTH 23 November 2017

SPORT

FASTSport

BOXING: BUSIEST PRO IN IRELAND TO BATTLE NORTHSIDE OPPONENT

Taylor and DSD tune up in fine style for nationals THIRTY-nine athletes and official from Dundrum South Dublin AC travelled to Milton Keynes for the second round of the British cross country challenge in Milton Keynes as part of their build up to the national cross country championships in Abbottstown.

It turned out to be a real challenge for DSD as many British and European champions turned out to test themselves on one of the toughest courses available.

Abbie Taylor was the stand out performer for the club with a second place finish in the Under-17 girls 5,000m race, which was run in conjunction with the Under-20s.

Khahisa Mhlanga, Chelmsford AC, (European 800m champion) set off at a blistering pace up the first hill and Taylor sat in her slipstream around third and fourth position for the first lap.

The 16-year-old, giving away age and experience, looked at home at this tempo and maintained contact for three quarters of the journey.

Ella McNiven, Liverpool Harriers (Under-17 SIAB champion of last year) had to battle all the way to the line to beat the DSD athlete for Under-17 gold while Taylor also scored an incredible fourth place finish in the combined Under-20 race.

Niamh Carey came in a gallant 14th in this class field. It was great to see the DSD colours so prominent at the finish as Grace Dervan was 30th; Roseanne McCullough 45th; Lucy McCann 48th; Corrine Kenny 52nd and Sadhbh O’Loan 69th supporting the top two finishers.

DSD also had a big contingent in the Under17/20 men’s race with Paul O’Donnell leading the team home, supported by Conor Halpin in 39th ; Ruadhan O’Grada in 46th; Aaron Donnelly 49th; Roly Mossop 59th; Luke MacGabhann 66th; Liam Blackburn 80th; James Lenehan 83rd; Brian Maguire 88th; Ross O’Toole 113th and William Kinsella 123rd.

A great run from Alex Flynn and Morgan Clarkson ensured tenth and eleventh placings in the biggest field of the day for the Under-15 boys event.

Both DSD boys were in contention in the top ten until the last 400m with Ethiopian born Muhamed Ali showing a clean pair of heels to the 150 who finished this race. Cian O’Sullivan found the top pace a little hot but produced a great sprint finish to come home in 27th place.

Jay Byrne, right, in the lead-up to his date with Josh Kelly

Byrne to negotiate Crank sport@dublingazette.com

2017 has been a memorable year for Jay Byrne, and the Loughlinstown welter is looking to round it off with a big win next month.

On Saturday, December 2 at the National Stadium, Byrne takes on unbeaten Balbriggan prospect Gerard “Crank” Whitehouse for the vacant Celtic Welterweight title.

The bout is the co-main event of the ‘Celtic Clash 4’ card ran by Boxing Ireland Promotions and Tony Davitt Promotions - with former RTE pundit and top amateur Eric Donovan defending his BUI Celtic featherweight

title against Juancho Gonzalez.

The fight, Byrne’s seventh of the year, is yet another big one for the Dubliner who has become known as Ireland’s busiest pro.

Over the past few months By rne has become a regular on Sky Sports, fighting thrice on major cards. A man who only took up boxing in his mid-20s, “The Negotiator” found himself sharing the ring with two Olympians in Josh Kelly and Anthony Fowler, as well as another top English prospect in Felix Cash.

The deck was always stacked against Byrne

STAR STRIKER Stewart on comeback trail with reds double CORINTHIAN Hockey Club’s Ian Stewart

was on the mark twice for the Whitechurch Park club as they beat Dublin University 3-1 to remain top of the Leinster men’s Division One. Stewart missed large portions as he was diagnosed with cancer but subsequently recovered to return to the pitch this season.

He has since scored nine goals in seven league games this season, propelling the club to first place in the table.

Picture: Adrian Boehm

who lost these three fights – however he succeeded in giving Kelly and Cash the toughest tests of their careers thus far.

Indeed, the Dubliner carved himself out as something of a cult hero among English fans as a brave opponent who refused to lie down and roll over. It all went wrong though in his most recent Sky sojourn though when he suffered a fourth round stoppage against Fowler at the Echo Arena.

T he disappointing result in Liverpool, and some soul searching, has seen Byrne have a change of tack - with domestic glory in front of his large

fanbase taking precedence over high-profile fights as “the opponent”.

Byrne explains how “I lived the dream and after it I said that’s enough now.

Enough of the big stage like that as I don’t want to be in fights with that outcome.

“I was going to retire after that fight and my team said no way and that I couldn’t retire all because I had a bad night at the office.

“After the fight, I spoke to Declan [Geraghty Snr], Tommy [McCormack], my family and also Eddie [Hyland]. They all said I need to get back onto the domestic scene and work

on what I’ve been learning. Now it’s time to go win an Irish title before even thinking of walking away.”

While Byrne’s three scraps on Sky Sports all played out at light middleweight [154lbs], he is now back down at his more natural weight of 147lbs.

The 31-year-old notes how “I know I’ll be a massive name in Ireland at that weight. I am going to prove that I am worth that name now.”

In Whitehouse he faces a hungry 22-year-old opponent with big amateur pedigree – having won European Schoolboys bronze for Ireland.

23 November 2017 SOUTH  DUBLIN GAZETTE 37

GAZETTE

SUPER CELTS

FASTSoccer GIRLSSoccer

Leicester Under-14s’ perfect DDSL season LEICESTER Celtic completed their DDSL Under-14 Division 2 league title victory last weekend when they beat Drumcondra 4-0 away from home.

The win saw them land they 18th successive win of the campaign, putting them out of reach of Liffey Valley Rangers who are six points back with just one game to play.

Picture: Evija Jakovleva

RUGBY: SUTTONIANS’ COMEBACK PROVES IN VAIN

Xxxx

Dalkey’s Reynolds on the mark but Leinster denied interprovincial title

Seapoint’s Under-16s made it four wins in succession in the league

Manning holds nerve for Seapoint victory UNDER-16 LEAGUE Seapoint 38 Suttonians 35  sport@dublingazette.com

SEAPOINT Under-16s continued their fine form with a 38-36 win over Suttonians, surviving a massive second half fightback to record the victory with a last ditch penalty.

The Kilbogget Park club Seapoint started brightly and looked the better attacking force in the first half, scoring after only five minutes when out-half David O’Dowd split the defence and scored under the posts.

Shortly after, Sam Turner capitalised on a Suttonians’ mistake and again

scored under the posts with Stephen Manning converting both times.

Suttonians rallied, however, and put together a good handling movement to score an unconverted try out close to the corner flag. Shortly before half time, after a good kick from O’Dowd was chased and secured by Alan Casey.

Ross Gallagher, who had a great game at scrum half, spotted an undefended blindside in the ensuing ruck and scooted down the touchline to score just before half time. Manning’s conversion made it 21-5 at half time.

Despite Seapoint’s big lead, Suttonians refused to

give up and they won the second half. They scored early and looked dangerous in attack, putting the ball through the hands and running hard at every opportunity.

Thomas O’Shea scored an important try after a big two minutes of work from Sam Turner who secured a turnover and then made one of his trademark charging runs.

Kacper Agatowski then scored to make the scoreline 35 10. Game over one would have thought. Suttonians didn’t think so.

Running hard they scored four unanswered tries, three of which they converted to go a point ahead 36 points to 35 with three

minutes left on the clock.

Pressure by Seapoint after the restart resulted in a defensive lineout to Suttonians in their own 22 with the referee calling only 40 seconds left on the clock.

All Suttonians had to do to win the game was secure possession and boot to touch. However Sean Walsh soared high, well lifted by Turner and Law, to win the ball in the air, They attacked and were awarded a penalty in front of the posts for a dangerous tackle. Man of the match Manning held his nerve to convert the penalty and Seapoint escape with a victory.

MARIA Reynolds represented Leinster as they lost out to Connacht in the final of the Under-15 Girls Interprovincial championship at the AUL Complex last weekend.

Reynolds from Loreto Abbey in Dalkey managed to bag herself a goal in the tournament but she couldn’t prevent Connacht running out 2-0 winners to deny Leinster their sixth title in a row.

Connacht went into the game knowing a draw with suffice – while Dublin required a win - to see them lift the trophy, but they hit the ground running and took the lead after seven minutes. Dubliner Rugile Askainyte showed bravery to keep out the initial effort from Anna Fahey but there was nothing she could do to prevent Kate O’Dowd’s follow-up finding the net at the far post.

The westerners then went 2-0 up six minutes before the break when Abbie Callanan gave Akainyte no chance with a tidy finish. They could have been three down early into the second half was it not for Akainyte denying Fahey from a one-on-one situation.

Leinster fought hard in search of a route back into the game but, despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession in the second period, they struggled to trouble the Connacht defence and time eventually ran out for them.

The reigning champions had gotten their tournament off to a good start with a 1-0 win over Munster last Friday, with Rathcoole student Rachel McGrath grabbing the winner early in the second half.

The following day Leinster secured their second win with two late goals against Ulster. Reynolds opened the scoring nine minutes from time before Della Doherty found the net with a magnificent strike from 30 yards six minutes later.

Reynolds will now be hoping to be named in the international squad when the management team get together to construct a panel from the four provinces. New international manager Richard Berkeley will select a squad of 30 players for the first phase of trials at Abbotstown this weekend. The final team will then be picked for the Bob Docherty Cup due to take place in March of next year.

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GAZETTE

38 DUBLIN GAZETTE  SOUTH 23 November 2017

SPORT

HURLING: DALKEY CLUB A STEP CLOSER TO BACK-TO-BACK LEINSTER WINS

FASTGAA

Pat Burke on the attack. Picture: Steven Dagg

Jones double powers Crokes to AFL1 victory A POWERFUL second half saw Kilmacud Crokes capture the Dublin AFL Division 1 title when defeating St Maur’s, 2-14 to 0-12, at Parnell Park.

The sides were level at the break, 0-7 each, before two Aidan Jones second half goals put Crokes on the road to victory.

Kilmacud started the better with both Paul Mannion and Mark Vaughan picking off a brace of points and with ten minutes to go in the opening half the Stillorgan side were 0-7 to 0-3 to the good.

Maur’s battled back over the conclusion of the half with Chris Carthy kicking four unanswered points to bring the sides level by the interval.

Callum Pearson edged Crokes back in front early in the second period before then setting Jones up for his opening goal.

When Pat Burke added a point Crokes were five clear but back came Maur’s again with scores from Carthy and Ciarán Reddin.

With just less than 20 minutes to play wingback Jones showed his scoring touch to fire to the net again and effectively seal victory for his side.

Cuala and St Martin’s Under-13s played a challenge match at Hyde Road ahead of their club’s meeting in the Leinster senior hurling semi-final

Cuala’s retention shot still on LEINSTER SHC SEMI

Cuala 3-15 St Martin’s 0-15  sport@dublingazette.com

CUALA were far too strong for St Martin’s as they beat their Wexford opponents by 3-17 to 0-15 in the Leinster club senior hurling championship semi-final at Parnell Park last weekend.

Last year’s All-Ireland champions were inspired to victory once again by Young Footballer of the Year Con O’Callaghan, with David

Treacy also impressing in front of the posts.

Things got off to a bad start for St Martin’s off the pitch as they lost star forward Rory O’Connor to injur y just before throw-in, but they started well on it by scoring the first two points.

Cuala grew into the game, however, and O’Callaghan began to profit as his midfield got on top. The dual star was heavily involved in the first goal after 18 minutes when his fierce shot was well saved but the

rebound scuffed across the line by Jake Malone.

O’Callaghan wouldn’t have to wait long for his goal, however, as he found the net a minute later after batting the ball past the onrushing St Martin’s keeper to put them ahead by 2-4 to 0-5.

St Mar tin’s rallied towards the end of the half but still went into the break trailing by five points.

Darren Codd got St Martin’s off to a good start in the second half

with a fine point but Cuala soon reinstated their authority on the game.

Two scores from Treacy and one each via the hurls of Nick Kenny and Colm Cronin pushed C u a l a s e ve n p o i n t s ahead.

O’Callaghan had been quiet since the end of the first half after receiving more attention from the St Martin’s defence but he sprung back into life to hit three points in quick succession.

He was involved again

shortly afterwards to set up Cronin for a goal.

St Mar tins looked dead and buried by this stage and their hopes were all but dashed when Codd and Jack O’Connor were both dismissed within a minute of each other.

T his lef t Cuala in a comfor table situation and allowed them to wring the changes as they closed out the game. The reigning champions will now face Offaly’s KilcormacKilloughey in the final.

CLUB NOTICEBOARD

BALLINTEER ST JOHN’S

LOTTO results (November 16): numbers were 2, 3, 5 and 13. No winner.

Next week’s jackpot is €2,200.

Lotto joker €350. Winner of €100 Freida Coleman, €50 Brian Hainsworth and Jackie Lee. Joker consolation Tom Waters.

Bingo every Monday at 8pm. Congrats to Glen Whelan and GPO Donal Gormley on their selection on the Dublin senior hurling panel for the AIG Fenway Park Boston event.

The great U-21 hurling championship run ended in

disappointment in Cloghan.

A two-point half time lead was not enough to hold off Whitehall who finished stronger in the end to qualify for the final.

End of season social in the clubhouse on Friday next at 8.30pm.

Best of luck to neighbours Naomh Olaf in their senior football playoff on Sunday.

Free car BSJ stickers with the club crest now available in the club shop.

The club shop is open in Aras Naomh Eoin (clubhouse) on Thursday from 7.30–8.30pm and Saturday from 11.30am to 12.30pm (excludes Bank holiday weekends).

CUALA

OUR senior hurlers beat St Martin’s 3-17 to 0-15 last Sunday in Parnell Park to reach the AIB Leinster SHC final for the 3rd year in a row.

O’Moore Park, Portlaoise has been confirmed as the venue for the Leinster final on Sunday, December 3 at 2pm when Cuala will face Offaly champions Kilcormac-Killoughey.

Hard luck to our ladies junior footballers who lost out ot Corduff ladies by 4-8 to 2-10 in the All-Ireland Junior semifinal in Monaghan on Sunday.

Although it wasn’t their day, the team battled bravely against

a strong Corduff side and can be rightly proud of a fantastic season in which they were crowned Dublin and Leinster champions.

The Cuala ladies team and management would also like to sincerely thank all those who travelled to support the girls.

The support from our sponsors, Sherry Fitz and Sherry Fitz Lettings and all those in Cuala has been incredible all year and enabled us to go as far as we did.

The Hats Are Back! Red and white official Cuala bobble hats are available again in the Cuala shop.

The Cuala AGM is on

Wednesday, December 6 at 8pm in the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire.

There was no winner of the Cuala development lotto this week.

The lucky dip winners were Colm Small and Bob Allen.

Current jackpot is €12,500. Get your tickets at www.cualagaa. ie/lotto.

KILMACUD CROKES CONGRATULATIONS to the senior footballers who have won the AFL1. They beat St Maurs 2-14 to 0-12 midweek in Parnell Park.

Well done to the Crokes

hurlers Ronan Hayes, Fergal Whitely and Cian MacGabhann who were part of the Dublin squad in Boston to play in Sunday’s AIG Fenway Park Classic.

Good luck also to Paddy O’Donoghue who has been named as part of the Dublin hurling backroom team.

Well done to the nine senior hurlers who were nominated for Dub Blue Stars: Eoin Dalton, Bill O’Carroll, Niall Corcoran, Jamie Clinton, Ross O’Carroll, Cian Mac Gabhann, Fergal Whitely, Oisín O’Rorke and Seán McGrath.

The third and final event in the Kilmacud Crokes football

23 November 2017 SOUTH  DUBLIN GAZETTE 39

GAZETTE

LADIES FOOTBALL: ALL-IRELAND FINAL HOPE ENDED IN EXTRA TIME

Foxes Mourn semi loss

ALL-IRELAND SEMI-FINAL

Foxrock Cabinteely 0-15 Mourneabbey 4-5  JAMES HENDICOTT sport@dublingazette.com

FOXROCK Cabinteely were edged out in Bray on Saturday afternoon, as the largely dominant Dubliners were undone by powerful Cork side in Mourneabbey.

FoxCab had much of the attacking play but found themselves up against a fiercely wellorganised defence while the concession of three goals against the run of play goals took them to extra time, and ultimately defeat.

Things had started well.

After an early exchange of points, the persistent dispossession of the Cork side by the Foxes defence fed their halfforward line, with Ciara O’Riordan and Fiona Claffey the stand-out players of the early stages.

O’Riordan, in fact, was an utterly dominant figure early on, scoring four and setting up another of Foxcab’s first six points, the response coming via a superb looping goal over Laurie Ahern’s head from Ciara O’Sullivan. Midway through the first half,

the Foxes led 0-6 to 1-1.

Amy Ring’s free-taking was making inroads, too, as Mourneabbey were forced to concede frees in order to break down a wave of Foxrock attacks.

But the Cork side were to punish their mistakes with Doireann O’Sullivan profiting when Ahern could not deal with a high ball to slot into the net from inches out. It gave the Cork side an undeserved 2-2 to 0-7 half time lead.

Things were to get worse after the break.

After a superb chance for Claffey, which flew just wide, Mourneabbey were awarded a dubious penalty. While there did appear to be contact as the Foxes tracked back, it occurred substantially outside penalty territory.

The consistently impressive Laura Fitzgerald, nevertheless, slammed Mourneabbey 3-2 to 0-8 in front.

Much of what was good about Mourneabbey’s fluid “attack in the break” strategy came through Cork star Brid O’Sullivan, who was a constant playmaker. Foxrock did power back, largely through Ring frees, the last of which came a couple of

minutes before full time, forcing the game level at 0-13 to 3-4.

It’s at points like this that the cliches about ‘wanting it more’ are often rolled out, but in truth, it was a combination of visible tiredness among the hosts and an impressive burst from the visitors that proved to be critical, as Foxrock Cabinteely endured a desperate start to extra time.

Mourneabbey grabbed an early extra time goal

as a high ball in ended up loose in the danger zone with Fitzgerald in the right place to hit it home.

While they had had a couple of glimpses themselves, Foxrock Cabinteely had never threatened the net in the way their visitors seemed to.

With the addition of a Ciara O’Sullivan free, they were really chasing the tie at four points down.

The away side walked the line between cyni-

cism and professionalism as a string of fouls broke down Foxes attacks, eventually leading to a sin binning just before the extra time break, by which time another Ring free had reduced the deficit back to a goal.

But the Leinster champions looked out on their feet for the second period.

Substitute Jodi Egan was able to reduce the gap to just the two but an intelligent Mourneabbey panel simply played their strategy better at key moments.

Foxrock Cabinteely’s Roisin McGovern up Mourneabbey’s Roisin O’Sullivan in Bray last

JUNIOR SEMI-FINAL

Corduff deny Cuala CUALA were denied a place in the All-Ireland ladies junior club football final following an absorbing tie against Monaghan side Corduff at Gaelic Park on a 4-8 to 2-10 scoreline.

Barbara Ward struck the clinical blow on 55 minutes for the hosts after Cuala had come from five points down to draw level.

After Ward’s goal, Ulster final star Elena McEnaney sealed the victory with a point.

Earlier, the sides could not be separated after a high-quality opening half, as they went in level at 1-5 apiece.

Cuala had started the brighter and when Leinster final hat-trick heroine Sinead Wylde punished a short kick-out on six minutes by firing to the net. Corduff responded in emphatic style, however, with an unanswered 1-3 to end the half level.

Cuala were dealt an early blow in the second half when corner back Billie Kate Huggard was sin binned after they had edged in front.

Despite that setback, the sides were still level entering the final quarter before McEnaney hit the home side’s second major. With ten minutes remaining, Emma Conlon followed up with a third and suddenly Corduff were five clear.

Back came Cuala with Wylde and Jennifer Dunne points before Wylde raised the green flag and the sides were level before Corduff got the crucial late scores.

weekend. Picture: Matt Browne/Sportsfile

CLUB NOTICEBOARD

series of autumn information evenings took place on Wednesday.

The evening addressed the subject of ‘Positive Mental Health and Resilience in Teenagers’ and we were extremely fortunate to have as our guest speakers Dr Niall Muldoon (Psychologist and Ombudsman for Children) and Dr Yvonne Quinn (Snr Clinical Psychologist) to share their experience, insights and advice.

Coiste na nOg AGM on Wednesday, November 29 at 8.30pm in the function

room. All club members welcome.

NAOMH OLAF

GOOD win for the minor camogie team against Naomh Fionnbarra on Sunday.

This result sees the team qualify for the minor C final which is fixed for Parnells GAA Club next Sunday morning at 11am. Good luck to the team in this final.

Also next Sunday at 11am in Pairc Ui Bhriain

will see the senior footballers take on Na Fianna in the final playoff match for promotion to Division 1. Good luck to this team also in this very important fixture.

Any changes of venue which may be enforced by weather conditions will be advised via social media.

Hard luck to the minor hurlers who lost out in their shield semi-final against Faughs on Sunday and to a very weakened Under-21 football team who bowed out against Clontarf in

the championship.

Lotto numbers were 3, 9 and 10. No winner; €1,400 next week.

SHANKILL

WE EXTEND our deepest sympathy to committee member and club coach Mike Brophy and family on the death of his father Michael. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.

The academy is back in our winter location at St Laurence’s College.

Catering for both boys and girls from four to six years of age, our

academy is sponsored

by O’Donnell’s Pharmacy and is in action every Saturday morning from 10am to 11am. The cost is only €2 per child and there is no annual subscription.

Qualified coaches are always in attendance and all equipment is supplied free of charge.

So why not come along any Saturday morning and give the Academy a try?

Plenty of action this weekend; the U-7 and U-10 hurling teams had blitz games as well as our U-11

and U-13 girls football teams.

The club online shop is alive and working on our web page: www.shankill. gaa.ie.

To ensure delivery in time for Christmas, get your order in ASAP. The ladies adult football team is going from strength to strength with all abilities catered for so check out our Facebook page and follow the link to the ladies Facebook group, e-mail stevedavis203@gmail. com or contact Steve on 087 6414123.

The men’s adult football team have ambitions to climb up through the league divisions so new players are always welcome.

Contact Kevin on 086 8449902.

For more information on the club, contact, secretary.shankill. dublingaa.ie or call 086 4010438.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join Shankill GAA Club, your community, your village GAA club where everybody knows your name.

GAZETTESPORT

ALL OF YOUR SOUTH DUBLIN SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 34-39

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NOVEMBER 23-29, 2017

MOURNEABBEY’S FOX-HUNT: Kilbogget Park club go to extra time in All-Ireland semi P39

Naomh Olaf in action against Whitehall Colmcilles earlier in their league campaign

Olaf’s date with destiny Sandyford club face “huge” game with Na Fianna as they bid to reach the top tier of league football in Dublin in their final AFL2 playoff match

 KARL GRAHAM

sport@dublingazette.com

NAOMH Olaf are set to take on Na Fianna this weekend in the AFL division 2 playoff final at Pairc Ui Bhriain for one of the biggest games in the club’s history.

“It’s huge,” the club’s adult games co-ordinator John McGrath told GazetteSport this week.

“We were promoted from division three last year and nobody was too sure what to expect this year. We were hoping that we could survive but, as the season wore on, our expectations grew and grew, and here we find ourselves again one game away from succes-

sive promotions to division one. That is ultimately where we want to be.”

Olafs came within a game of automatic promotion after leading the division all season before falling to Raheny in their final match, allowing Ballinteer St John’s to pip them. They got their revenge over Raheny in the playoff semi-final, however, and now have the chance to join local rivals Ballinteer at the peak of Dublin league football.

“We were beaten well by Raheny on the day,” said McGrath. “It was such a big occasion for us. I think nerves and other things got to us and we just didn’t perform well. But we gathered ourselves, regrouped and beat them. We felt we were in control in the sec-

ond game a couple of weeks later from start to finish.”

Olafs beat Na Fianna early in the season but the side from Glasnevin has since recovered from their poor start to surge up the table and won the intermediate championship.

“When we beat Na Fianna, they weren’t going particularly well. But looking at them, they’ve won their last eight to 10 games so they’ve obviously got themselves together out there and regrouped. As well as that, they are winning minor and under-21 championships.

Even their junior teams are performing at the business end of the season. They are a highly successful club so they won’t be short of qual-

ity players and we are expecting a very serious challenge.

“Based on what we have seen and what we know of them, they are a young, fast, fit team so we are expecting a really, really tough challenge from a team that is on a roll.”

Olafs’ senior side have impressed many with their performances over the last few years. McGrath says it is the unseen work done at underage level that has made the big difference.

“This hasn’t just come about because of what has happened this year. It has come about because of what has happened over the last decade because the real work has gone on at juvenile level,” McGrath concluded.”