Swords

Swords Gazet te FREE

The SEAT Mii reminds us of how much fun driving can be

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Month XX, 2012 Swords • Balbriggan • Applewood • boroimhe • Airside • Rivervalley

INSIDE: Breaking the ice and having fun at one of the largest rinks in Dublin P6-7

funding boost: Fingal sporting clubs to benefit from cash injection Page 4

Awards show: Local store enjoys great night out Football:

Maggies take on Crokes in minor final showdown Page 31

Grants:

Local sports clubs allocated vital capital Page 32

ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES.......................6 DUBLIN LIFE....................11 OUT&ABOUT...................17 CLASSIFIEDS.................26 SPORT............................27

supervalu Balbriggan was delighted to attend the 20th Edward Dillon SuperValu Off-Licence of the Year Award 2012/13, which took place recently in The Stillorgan Park Hotel.

Brian Carrick and Mary Quinlan were there to represent the store and, although they didn’t win on the night they thoroughly enjoyed the event.

Pictured at the event are Tony Reade, Mary Quinlan, Brian Carrick and Kevin O’Callaghan.

Managers wages are ‘too high’ – Coppinger City and council bosses salaries revealed after Dail question

 Natalie Burke

The salaries of Dublin City and Council Managers came under scrutiny this week after it emerged that Fingal County Manager David O’Connor’s

annual earnings came to €162,062, the second highest among Dublin managers. T he figures emerged following a parliamentary question raised at the Dail.

The salaries are “too

high” according to Cllr Eugene Coppinger (SP) who said the Socialist Party had been calling for a cap to be placed on salaries for public servants.

“Some of the salaries are just way too high. I don’t

think the current Government are going to change the system. Apart from a cap on wages, we would be looking at a new tax band on people [earning] over €100,000,” he said.

Full Story on Page 8

2 swords gazette 6 December 2012

dublin GAZETTe newspapers i n f o r m at i o n

pavilions Fingal Community College

Block 3A, Mill Bank Business Park, Lucan Tel: 01 - 6010240 Dublin Gazette Newspapers publish eight weekly quality free titles, covering the greater Dublin area from Swords to Dun Laoghaire

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Students from Fingal Community College pose with Santa at the Pavilions Shopping Centre

Students enjoy virtual shopping experience It seems that HMV is one of the most popular stores for buying Christmas presents this year, after a local school took part in a ‘virtual’ Christmas shopping experience last week.

Ten students from Fingal Community College played a game of supermarket sweep in the Swords Pavilions Shopping Centre after they were given various amounts of virtual money to spend on gifts they would like to give and receive this year for Christmas.

With students aged between 12 and 18 years, HMV proved to be the most popular shop for

 natalie burke nburke@gazettegroup.com

both boys and girls, with DVDs and CDs emerging as the top teen choice for giving and receiving this year, with particular interest in the Two For €12 promotion.

According to a spokesperson for Fingal Community College, the project began as a way of promoting literacy and of encouraging students to think about reading.

“It was just a bit of fun, and we chose a boy and a girl from each class from 1st year to 6th year and asked them to spend €150 of virtual money on what they would like for Christmas,” the spokesperson explained.

While students were given free range to spend their ‘virtual’ money, the results showed that students wanted to spend the money on reasonably priced gifts.

“Nobody got anything very exuberant, everything was very reasonable. They were very careful with their money and some of them couldn’t even spend the full

amount of money,” said the spokesperson.

The students were given two-and-a-half hours to visit every shop in the shopping centre and were shadowed by students from the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) at the school, who had undertaken to coordinate the project and its results.

Following closely behind the popularity of HMV, was McCabes Pharmacy, which was the first choice for purchasing gift sets; and Elverys Sports, which was the top choice for boys purchasing sports jerseys, football

boots and other sports attire.

Claire’s Accessories, Argos, Boots, Game and Champion Sports also featured as popular choices among the big spenders. Dunnes Stores was the first stop for those purchasing gift vouchers and slipper socks. The most popular books chosen by the students at Easons included Marilyn: The Passion and The Paradox, as well as Jacqueline Wilson’s Emerald Star.

A full list of all items virtually purchased is available to view on the school’s website, www. fingalcc.ie.

Local party activists help in poster clean-up THE Skerries branch of the Labour Party has been playing its part in keeping its town one of the tidiest towns in Ireland.

Following the latest referendum, the group has been out in force to dispose of leftover cable

ties left on lamp posts following the removal of the most recent referendum posters.

According to the local branch’s development officer, Geoff McEvoy, the clean up of the ties was the group’s small contribution

towards complementing the work of Skerries Tidy Towns.

“The Labour Party in Dublin north has always made sure to remove its own ties when taking down posters, but after a general election, Presidential election and

two referendums in less than two years, there are a lot of left over ties from other groups’ posters.

“So, we decided to do a bit to help out the Tidy Towns and keep our streets looking clean,” McEvoy said.

6 December 2012 swords gazette 3

BUSINESS

rathbeale: road has been site of numerous accidents over years

Women’s exhibition

Council bid to up local road’s safety  natalie burke nburke@gazettegroup.com

The busy Rathbeale Road in Swords is set to see safety conditions improve, according to Fingal County Council (FCC).

The location, which has been the site of several accidents over the past number of years, will be monitored by the Operations’ Department at FCC to tr y to improve the road’s safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

The news was welcomed by local councillor Tom Kelleher (Lab), who said it was “time to take a serious look” at

the road’s safety conditions.

“It is an intensively used road. There are two major retail outlets and several residential estates off the road.

“It is extensively used by pedestrians, cyclists and cars, and it is a very narrow, old-fashioned road in many ways,” said Kelleher.

“It also has a large number of private residents along the way so you have people coming and going from their driveways on a regular basis.

“It’s a very tricky road to negotiate and it takes a huge amount of traffic.”

At a recent area com-

mittee meeting, the council confirmed that yellow box markings on the Rathbeale Road were recently renewed.

Analysis It also confirmed that the Operations Department would undertake an analysis of the turning movements at these junctions, to determine any necessary measures to improve safety conditions. “ T h e r o a d h a s n ’t changed in the last 30 years and the amount of people using it is growing. I think it’s time we had a serious look at it,” councillor Kelleher concluded.

Award presentation: Council’s earns Olympic Torch for sport initiatives pictured at a presentation to Fingal County Council of the IOC

2012 Sport and Sustainable Development Trophy by Olympic Council of Ireland, in Council Chamber, County Hall, Swords, were: Cllr Peter Coyle (Lab), Cllr Darragh Butler (FF), Olympic Council of Ireland president Pat Hickey, Cllr Joan Maher (FG), Cllr Eithne Loftus (FG) and Cllr David O’Connor (Ind). The award is for the many initiatives undertaken by Fingal County Council for the support it provided during the Olympic Torch visit to Dublin on June 6, 2012. It was also presented with an Olympic Torch as a thank you for its tremendous support.

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B e c a use L o c a l M a t t e r s

Members of the public are invited to a free event this weekend, Fingal Women in Business Christmas Fayre, which will see 35 women entrepreneurs from Fingal exhibit their products and services on Saturday, December 8.

Organised by Fingal County Enterprise Board, the event will run from 12 noon to 5pm at Malahide Castle and Gardens, with a variety of stands as well as family entertainment.

The Fayre will feature home-cooked food, crafts and designs, and will offer the community a chance to buy locally-produced goods and support Irish companies.

The Fingal Women in Business Network supports existing and upcoming female entrepreneurs.

4 swords gazette 6 December 2012

FastNews

Christmas film festival

The Fingal Film Festival is set for a seasonal return once again this year, when it will host a special Christmas festival in aid of Youth Mental Health Awareness.

The one-day family festival, which will run in conjunction with Swords Youth Services, will take place on Saturday, December 15, and will raise much-needed funds to support weekend counselling services for young people.

“When we approached our dedicated hard-working team about pulling this event together in such a short space of time, without hesitation or thought, they just said yes.

“We are dedicated to supporting altruistic events that can help improve the lives of young people in all communities,” said Liz Kenny, managing director of the Fingal Film Festival The festival will take place at the Fingal Community Grounds on Seatown Road, Swords Main Street, and will run from 12 noon until 11pm.

A schedule of events is available at www.fingalfilmfest.com.

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grant ‘Terrific news’ for local economy

Over €1m in funding for Fingal sporting clubs  Natalie Burke nburke@gazettegroup.com

The Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring, has announced almost €26 million in new funding for local sporting clubs and societies nationwide, with just over €1 million being allocated to the Dublin Fingal region.

The announcement was made on Sunday, December 2, as part of the Sports Capital Grant.

Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal, Alan Farrell, welcomed the announcement, saying it was “terrific news” for local clubs and the local economy.

“I am delighted by this announcement from Minister Ring,” said Farrell. “It has been many years since the last round of sports capital grants and many clubs across Fingal have been desperately short of funds in these tough economic times.

“The announcement will be a terrific boost for clubs across the north

county, and will also be very significant in terms of our local economy. We all know that playing sports is not only good for your health and well being, but it is a great way for children to learn different sports and give them opportunities to excel in a course of their choice.”

In advance of the funding announcement, 2,170 applications were received by the Government, the highest-ever number of applications to be submitted. The applicants sought a total of €229 million in funding and a total of €25,894,332 (almost €26 million) was allocated. A further €4 million will be made available to national and regional projects in the coming weeks.

While the news was also welcomed by local TD, Brendan Ryan, who said he was “thrilled” for the local clubs who were successful in their applications, he said that there were still a number of disappointed clubs across the county:

Aer Lingus Swimming Club are among the local organisations who are set to benefit from the announcement of the Sports Capital Grant for 2012

“A lot of clubs in Fingal were not awarded muchneeded funding and I hope that further Capital Grant schemes can be made within the lifetime of this government.”

Clubs in the Malahide area set to receive funding include the Malahide Basketball Club, Malahide Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Malahide United AFC, Malahide Rugby Football Club, the Portmarnock AFC, Portmarnock Sports and Lei-

sure Club and the Portmarnock Sub Aqua Club.

T here were fewer clubs in the Swords region allocated funding, with just the Aer Lingus Divers, Swimming Club and Tennis Club allocated funds, along with the Hokubu Dojo and the Swords Sailing and Boating Club.

Local Swords councillor Darragh Butler (FF) expressed his disappointment following the funding announcement.

He said that the Swords Sailing and Boating Club deser ved more than the allocated €23,539 it received.

“When you look at the amount of grant money going to Malahide and Portmarnock in comparison, there is real anger and frustration out there in Swords, Donabate and other parts of Dublin Fingal. Swords certainly feels very let down and overshadowed by our near neighbours once again.”

economy

Funding to sustain 20 jobs Local councillor Anthony Lavin (FG) has welcomed the announcement that extra funding is set to be allocated to the 30 City and County Enterprise Boards (CEBS) nationally, saying that it will help sustain 20 jobs in the Fingal area.

The additional funding of €3.78m, which will be given from the Depar tment of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to the CEBs, was announced earlier this month. It is hoped it will help fund job creation projects for the remaining weeks of 2012.

The funding is provided in response to specific requests from CEBs to meet identified demand, and will be added to the €15m in capital funding which was already provided to the CEBs this year.

“A huge number of jobs in this countr y are held in small, local enterprises. These local businesses play a key role in helping to restore our economy to a healthier footing,” explained Lavin.

“I am encouraged that the Government recognises this and has allocated €3.78m to 30 CEBs around the country, including Fingal County Enterprise Board. This money will go towards creating or sustaining 505 jobs throughout the counties concerned and is good news for families relying on the employment provided by CEB assisted businesses.”

6 December 2012 swords gazette 5

SIPTU Reductions described as ‘morally wrong’

Workers take to streets to protest cuts  Natalie Burke nburke@gazettegroup.com

SIPTU home-help workers took to the streets of Swords last weekend to protest against Government cuts to the home help service.

The workers and their suppor ters marched in protest against what they describe as “morally wrong” and “socially unacceptable” reductions to the services they provide.

The workers assembled on Main Street, Swords,

on Saturday, December 1, along with a number of local councillors. They marched to the constituency office of the Minister for Health, James Reilly, at the Chamber Buildings on North Street.

According to SIPTU organiser, Ray Stanley, reducing home-help hours will result in higher hospital admissions for elderly people, higher levels of delayed discharges from hospitals and more people needing to be cared for in nursing homes.

“The policy of reducing the home-help service is morally wrong, socially unacceptable, and economically flawed,” he said.

For home-help worker, Sandra Jesson, it was essential that the crisis in the home-help service was brought to the Minister’s direct attention.

“We are sick and tired of hearing the Minister talking about care in the community when the home-help service is being torn apart. The work we do ensures peo-

A number of local councillors marched with SIPTU home help workers

ple are cared for, so they can live with dignity and stay at home for as long as possible,” she said.

“As workers, we have provided this muchneeded service for years.

Now our funding is being slashed and we are finding it hard to provide the same levels of care. Workers and the elderly are suffering because of cuts.”

According to Miriam Hamilton, lead organiser of the SIPTU Time To Care campaign, the union members are putting enormous pressure on the Government to reverse these cuts.

“Home-help and home care workers throughout the country have lobbied their local TDs, urging them to support their call

for the cuts to be reversed.

Several County Councils have endorsed the campaign. It is clear that the position adopted by James Reilly is not sustainable and is unpopular among the ranks of his own party and the Labour Party.

“He must overturn the disastrous decision to cut the Home Help service,” she concluded.

cannabis Men arrested in raid Three men have been arrested in Swords after cannabis plants worth an estimated €380,000 were seized in a raid on a house last weekend.

The plants were discovered during a search of a house in Kinsallaghan on Sunday, December 2, by members of An Garda Siochana.

Gardai discovered a sophisticated cultivation system for growing cannabis plants as well as approximately 480 plants during the search.

The three men, who are all in their 30s, were arrested and are being detained at Ballymun Garda Station under the provisions of Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 2006.

6 swords gazette 6 December 2012

gazetteGALLERIES

Andrea and Zakia Lafford

Sinead Meade and Aoife McKinney. Pictures: Una Williams

Cool new attraction skates into Swords S

words first ever ice-skating rink of real ice, Swords On Ice, opened recently in its new location beside the Pavilions town centre in Swords. The Swords on Ice rink consists of 400 metres squared of real ice. It is one of the largest rinks in Dublin, but you don’t need to be worried if you haven’t skated before

Aidan Bond and Scott Robbins

as there is a handrail around all sides of the rink for your safety. The Swords on Ice experienced team of Ice Marshalls will only be too pleased to offer assistance and advice on how to enjoy your skating. There is also a great sound system and it has a super state-of-the-art light show to enhance the experience.

Ella Shanahan and Andrew Guest

6 December 2012 swords gazette 7

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Aidan Devlin and John Sullivan

Katie Costello, Karen Bohan and Leon Morgan Marita Rumjanceda

Marco, Luca and Chiara Michelagndi

Paula, Zach and Lily Roche and Ciara, Craig and Conor Darcy

8 swords gazette 6 December 2012

R1

applewood Council says request for school warden is being considered

Schools call for a crossing patrol for busy road  Natalie Burke nburke@gazettegroup.com

TWO local schools are calling for a crossing patrol to be put in place on a busy road in Swords.

Both Swords Educate Together and Gaelscoil Brian Boroimhe, located in the

Applewood area, have raised concerns about the lack of a lollipop person during busy school drop-off and pick-up times.

The issue was raised at a recent area committee meeting by local councillor Darragh Butler (FF), who asked the council to consider the

employment of a School Crossing Patrol.

“The road is extremely busy at school times and the Educate Together School is really driving this as it is a major issue. There are quite a lot of children going to the schools and the road is busy with cars dropping children

off,” he explained.

The council confirmed that the request for the provision of a school warden crossing point on the public road was currently being examined by the Traffic Section, along with the accessibility and safety on the public road network in the

vicinity of the school.

While the council is set to present a further report to the committee following full examination, FCC also noted that it was not in a position to appoint new school wardens due to restrictions on recruitment.

“On one hand, the report

High-flier: Help is on the way

FastNews Strictly Come Dancing event The Wright Venue in Swords will be transformed into a ballroom this weekend as a Strictly Come Dancing charity event takes place on Friday, December 7.

The charity event will be held in aid of The Ross Nugent Foundation and will see T V presenter Marty Whelan MC the event.

During the evening, 13 couples will take to the floor to dance the Salsa, Jive, Rumba, Waltz and the Foxtrot to raise much needed funds for the local foundation, which to date has donated over 80 pieces of equipment to oncology wards in Irish hospitals.

For tickets, contact the charity on 01 845 0062.

Crossmarnock cyclo-cross race SWORDS Cycling Club will host its first Crossmarnock cyclo-cross race in Portmarnock this Sunday, December 9.

T here will be two races on the day. The A Race will last for approximately one hour, and the B Race for approximately 45 minutes.

The event is open to anyone who has a cyclo-cross bicycle, and has a licence from Cycling Ireland. A licence can also be purchased on the day.

Registration costs €15 and is available from www.crossmarnock.eu.

was positive in that they are to return with another report so it looks like the council are looking at it favourably,” said Cllr Butler.

“However, it was disappointing that it was subject to staff resources. It was the best we could have hoped for.”

santa’s little helpers chose an unusual way to get to Santa’s grotto at Tayto Park.

They took the Zip Line, the longest in Europe, to make their way to the Grotto to start helping Santa greet all the boys and girls.

For information on when Santa will be in his grotto in Tayto Park go to www.taytopark.ie.

politics: salaries are revealed after parliamentary questions session

Fingal County Manager is the second highest paid in Dublin  Natalie Burke and Hiromi Mooney

D u bl i n C i t y a n d Council Managers’ salaries came under scrutiny recently when it emerged that Fingal County Manager David O’Connor’s annual earnings came to €162,062.

The figures emerged following a recent parliamentary questions session at the Dail.

O’Connor’s salary is believed to be the second highest among the Dublin managers.

While South Dublin County Manager Phi-

lomena Poole also earns €162,062, Dublin City Manager John Tierney was noted as earning the highest salary of €189,301. The Manager of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Owen Keegan, earns the lowest salary of €153,260 a year.

Deputy Leader of Sinn Fein, Mary Lou McDonald, asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Phil Hogan, for a breakdown of the total remuneration packages, including pay and allowances such

as travels and expenses and contractual pension arrangements for each of the four Dublin local authorities’ City and County Managers. She also asked him to provide the same remuneration details for all heads of Departments or senior managers of each of the local authorities.

T he pay scale for Directors of Services wages range between €90,000 and €106,900.

Fingal County Council has nine such directors.

According to councillor Eoghan O’Brien (FF), who was reluctant

to comment on the FCC Manager’s salary specifically, the issue of high salaries is bigger than just those of the city and council managers.

“There is a broader issue about pay for higher earners in the public service that I think does need to be addressed, but that’s without having a go at the county managers.

“I’m not criticising the work the managers are doing because, at the end of the day, it is a big job. It is a massive role. I do believe in general that salaries above €100,000

in the public sector should all be looked at.”

According to Cllr Eugene Coppinger (SP), however, he believes the salaries are too high.

“Obviously [the Socialist Party] have been calling for a cap on salaries for public servants. Some of the salaries are just way too high.

County Managers would be another example of that; it wouldn’t be just Fingal’s county manager.

I think [Managers’ salaries] all would be above what they should be.

“I don’t think the current Government are

going to change the system. I can’t see in the Budget this week, for example, massive pay cuts for the highly paid civil servants. Apart from a cap on wages, we would be looking at a new tax band on people over €100,000 as well.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government said the pay of County Managers was “protected like everyone else under the Croke Park Agreement.

The Minister can’t do anything because the salaries are protected”.

6 December 2012 swords gazette 9

10 swords gazette 6 December 2012

gazetteGALLERY

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Sheena and Barry Lyons

Robert and Peter Barrable

Aisling O’Loughlin, Linda Barrable, Anna Daly and Ger Brennan

Showing off brand new dealership T

HE official unveiling of the new and much-anticipated SEAT Toledo was the highlight of a special night to celebrate the official launch of the new SEAT dealership at Michael Barrable Motors at Airside Retail Park. Guests enjoyed food, drink and entertainment as they attended the launch.

The new Toledo was an impressive sight

Elaine O’Reilly, Siobhan Moore (SDC) and Tony Lambert

Cathal Moore, Katherina Fitzmaurice and Michael Kennedy

and there were plenty of discussions about it and the rest of the SEAT range amongst the crowd.

This is an exciting venture for Michael Barrable Motors as the new home of SEAT in North Dublin and equally a progressive development for SEAT as part of its network expansion.

Mark Brady, Audrey Mullally and Ray

Simon Elliot, Liz O’Gorman and Michael

Porter

Barrable

Ken Rooney, Laura Darcy and Joanne Hurley

6 December 2012 Gazette 11

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dance: tappy toes teaches little ones

Toddlers to get grooving as UK class arrives here

A NEW dance class for toddlers is set to take Dublin by storm, and will see little ones tapping their toes to their own beat.

Award winning toddler group Tappy Toes is launching in Ireland.

The latest activity was voted Britain’s best preschool activity and caters for kids aged 20 months to four and half years.

The dance/movement class is considered to be

for a demographic that is often ignored. Parents and their toddlers are being invited to come along to dance, sing and play.

Former ballerina Petra Durdikova will be delivering the new Dublin classes, incorporating fun and learning into dance with the use of bells, ribbons, and maracas as well as songs with actions and nursery rhymes.

She moved to England in 2002 where she spent 10 years teaching, choreographing and performing in local dance schools and annual shows.

With four years’ experience teaching Tappy Toes in the UK, she is now ready to take this knowledge and share it with Ireland.

The one thing this new business is looking for is that children involved are enjoying

every minute of it. Creator Claire Greenwood said: “Parents tell me our class is the highlight of their child’s week.”

Children absorb basic fundamentals of dance in a warm, comfortable and enjoyable social environment resulting in physical, psychological and social development.

For further information, or to watch a Tappy Toes demonstration, log onto www.tappytoes.ie

Grace Reilly gets the chance to tap her toes in the Howth Tappy Toes class

Gazette

12 Gazette 6 December 2012

dublinlife

Steady, steady ... this young chef gets to grips with her meal at Wagamama Dundrum

diary

Children happy to wok to learn top Wagamama tips YOUNG child chefs showed off their culinary skills when they took part in Wagamama Dundrum’s cookery class programme recently.

Children from St Andrew’s College lined up for the educational event, and had their wooden spoons and woks at the ready for an action-packed day of learning the secrets and skills of the restaurant industry.

The class had the opportunity to learn about food, nutrition, order systems, the restaurant industry and the Wagamama brand.

Restaurant manager, Brian Smyth, said: “This experience follows sev-

eral cooking-day experiences that Wagamama had undertaken with local schools last year.

“Some of the previous participants had written letters to Wagamama saying it was the best day in school they’d ever had.”

Wagamama is continuing its educational projects with other local schools every few months until next June. Interested schools should get in touch with the team via Wagamama’s Facebook or Twitter pages.

ring in 2013 at christ church AN EXPECTED 500 people will ring in 2013 with the Dublin Gospel

Choir at a special New Year’s Eve Gala Concert to be held at Christ Church Cathedral.

The evening includes a post-concert champagne reception in the cr ypt, followed by a countdown to the ringing of the bells at midnight on the cathedral grounds.

The Christ Church Cathedral New Year’s Eve Gala Concert is always hugely popular, so patrons are asked to book well in advance.

Tickets cost €45 per person, and include the reception. Doors open at 8.30pm, and the concert begins at 9pm.

To book your place at the concer t, call

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01 677 8099, or see Christ Church Cathedral’s website at www. christchurchdublin.ie/.

celebrations at docklands SANTA Claus is coming to town, and he’s set to give children a great holiday experience at the Dublin Docklands.

Santa is arriving on Saturday, December 8, and will be meeting boys and girls every Saturday and Sunday from 12 noon to 7pm – what’s even better, it’s free to meet the man in red.

Charity To celebrate the true giving spirit of Christmas, Santa will be asking boys and girls to bring a gift and leave it at Santa’s Giving Tree, for distribution to a leading children’s charity.

On Friday, December 7, Santa will officially switch on the Christmas lights for the Dublin Docklands Christmas Festival, which will run in the IFSC from December 7 to 23, from 12 noon to 8pm daily, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am.

Entry is free, and the event promises to be a real delight for children and adults alike.

For further information on the upcoming Dublin Docklands Christmas Festival, or to book space at the event, see the website at www.dublindocklandschristmasfestival.ie.

6 December 2012 Gazette 13

Gazette

feature

break away project

A cosy evening for Christmas The Break Away Project, a new performance group based in Dublin, is holding a cosy evening of stories, music and mulled wine as part of its Christmas celebrations this year.

Artistic director of the project, Helena Byrne, spoke to The Gazette about the project and the upcoming storytelling evening.

“The Break Away Project was founded in January and each month we hold an event. So far, we’ve hosted four readings, three concerts and, in October, put on a full play of Dr Seward’s Dracula in the Crypt of Christ Church.

Links Rena Maycock and Feargal Harrington established Intro Matchmaking in 2011

Date with a difference  Hiromi Mooney

With many Christmas nights ahead on the social calendar, there are plenty of opportunities to meet someone special. But what do you do if you feel that you can’t pluck up the courage to approach the opposite sex?

Perhaps you find the idea of introducing yourself to strangers too daunting, or you have negative experiences in the past and lost your confidence.

Whatever the reason, help is just a phone call away with Intro Matchmaking, a company established in September 2011 by Rena Maycock and Feargal Harrington from Malahide, which is based on Dawson Street in the city centre.

They worked with focus groups for a year and a half before they set up, and discovered that up to 80% of people felt that bars and pubs were hostile environments to meet the opposite sex, and over 70% had admitted to telling lies on online dating websites

– such as exaggerating their height or reducing their waistline. They also discovered that some people set the bar too high.

“There could be expectations that are so high in some people’s cases that we know that they’ll never be pleased,” said Feargal.

“A very blunt expression here is ‘those who can be pleased will be’ – and it’s so true. I mean, we get stories that some people literally say ‘I’ll only meet that man if he’s above six foot, if he’s from a certain location in Dublin, if he’s never been married – only if he’s single, no children, and third-level educated in certain professions’.

A la carte

“It doesn’t work that way, because it’s like they’re treating it as an a la carte menu in a restaurant.

“We had some very difficult people to begin with, but (they) actually changed their mind, and ended up with people who are polar opposites to what they had come

in and initially specified as being their requirements.”

Intro Matchmaking’s clients range in age from 22 to 79, and one in three of their members joined through word of mouth.

Feargal said that since they have opened, one in four of their clients are now in long-term relationships.

“It just proves that people wouldn’t go into a long-term relationship unless they really felt that it was definitely going to work,” he said.

“We schedule dates.

We book the restaurants for the couples and they’re booked under their personal names – never under the company name, so there’s no fear or worry that you need to actually be holding a rose or wearing a certain colour for the person to recognise you. So it’s kind of seamless in the sense that there’s no hassle.”

Intro Matchmaking first speaks to clients by phone, and then meets them to check that they provide legitimate details and identification. It then assess them to help find

their perfect match. In this way – unlike online dating services, it can ensure that it’s members cannot make false claims about themselves. It also never makea their clients’ details available, which leaves them assured that it’s a very confidential,

trustworthy and discreet service.

Now that Christmas is approaching, Feargal advises all singletons to attend all of the social events around them.

For more information about Intro Matchmaking, visit www.intro.ie.

“For 2013 we have a lot of things planned as part of our remit is to forge links between Irish and American artists. One of the biggest upcoming events for the year of the Gathering will be our production of It Came From Mars by Joseph Zettlemaier, and he is due to come over for the production in Easter, hopefully.

“This December, though, we’re having an evening of storytelling and music with tales of folklore from Ireland, Scandanavia and Italy. The music will be a mixture of unusual Christmas songs, not the obvious stuff you’d hear on the radio.”

The candlelit Evening of Stories, Music and Mulled Wine will be hosted in the Centre for Creative Practices at 15 Pembroke St Lower, Dublin 2 on December 16 at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost €12 and can be booked by calling the centre on 01 799 5416.

Gazette

14 Gazette 6 December 2012

dublinlife

DublinGazetteNewspapers cub reporters and photographers of the year November 2012 winners

H Reporter of the

MONTH

Aisling O’Fiachain & Julia Ryan Sixth-Year Notre Dame students Aisling and Julia showed their journalistic skills by bringing to life their school’s science fair that brought the wonders of chemistry, biology and physics to visiting primary school pupils.

Spikeball has proven to be a big hit with the children that the Transition Year pupils taught

Photo

colaiste cois life: sport teaching programme

of the H

MONTH

Wiktoria Stawasz ADAMSTOWN Community College student, Wiktoria Stawasz, sent in this shot of local nature, with squirrels still bounding about as winter looms. You can see more of Wiktoria’s work at wikta2703.deviantart.com/gallery.

schoolLife

Get involved with our new Gazette schools pages As part of the relaunch of the Dublin Gazette Newspapers, we are reaching out to all the schools in our catchment areas to become a closer part of our community than ever before. Schools are the beating hearts of communities, one of the last places around which a community can gather.

We are calling on budding writers and photographers from all of our

schools to help fill the pages and, in order to encourage the next generation of journalists and snappers to get involved, we are partnering with Harvey Norman to present the Dublin Gazette Newspapers’ Cub Reporter and Cub Photographer of the Year awards.

For more details, contact rheigh@ gazettegroup.com, or on 01 601 0240.

Transition Years teach Spikeball to local kids  Aisling NI Bhlo-

scaidh and Ashley Nic Gabhann

Colaiste Cois Life, an all-Irish Secondary School in Lucan, was recently selected to take part in the Volleyball Association of Ireland’s Transition Year Girls SpikeBall Leaders Award Programme for 2012.

The initiative is funded by the Irish Sports Council’s Women In Sport project, which encoura ges girls to actively participate in sport.

O n O c t o b e r 18 , Colaiste Cois Life was visited by Mary Lalor and Graham Torrance, development officers

from the Volleyball Association of Ireland, for a full day course.

Mary and Graham introduced us to the game of spikeball (an adapted game of volleyball). We learned the SpikeBall rules, how to play the game and how to introduce it to Primary School students.

We also learned about coaching, refereeing, sports reporting and organising a SpikeBall Blitz.

Fif teen girls were divided into five groups and were sent out to local primary schools in the Lucan area.

These schools included Scoil Eiscir Riada, Gaelscoil Naomh Padraig and Griffeen Valley

Educate Together.

The girls were coaching fifth and sixth class students in SpikeBall skills and prepared them ahead of a blitz on November 30.

T he coaching was very beneficial to the leaders, and the students thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a huge learning experi-

ence for the Transition Year girls. The highlight of the course was the sense of achievement after successfully completing the course.

T he toughest par t was getting the students attention and maintaining authority over them.

Overall, it was a great experience for everyone involved.

6 December 2012 Gazette 15

Gazette

schools st conleth’s college: bond theme for event

Shaken not stirred at Build-A-Bank launch  Conor White

THE Bond Bank in St Conleth’s College got itself off to an actionpacked start when it held its launch day on November 20.

Students from throughout the school came to visit the bank and learn about the products it has on offer.

Centred around the theme of ‘James Bond’, the bank is the school’s entry to the Build-a-Bank Challenge, a national competition overseen by AIB. Students are encouraged to set up bank accounts, apply for internet banking and avail of a debit card.

The bank team, a group of six Transition Year students, open the

bank every Tuesday so that money can be lodged.

At the launch, the visiting students were invited to listen to a presentation about what the bank could offer them, teaching invaluable skills about money and personal finance.

However, the audiences were initially ‘shaken and stirred’ by the bank’s own advertisement created on the James Bond theme. Sales and marketing executive, Gavin Sheridan, donned a black suit and was filmed on his mission to withdraw from an ATM and use mobile banking, among other tasks.

There was a rapturous response from all that attended. Most students created accounts and left the

room with an extremely positive attitude about the bank.

It is hoped that this supportive relationship can continue throughout the year with the bank’s seasonal promotions and savings’ week in the pipeline.

St Finian’s CC: Olympic star Carruth stars at school’s awards night 

Bank manager Conor White

Ojamiji Catherine Adaranijo

St Finian’s Community College in Swords recently held its annual awards evening, where the guest speaker was Olympic gold medallist, Michael Carruth. Mr Carruth spoke at the beginning of the ceremony and encouraged students with motivating words such as “if you believe, you achieve”.

On the night, students received awards for their achievements in academia, sport and positively contributing to school life throughout the 2011-12 academic year.

Notably, the junior student of the year was awarded to Jessica Gargan, and the senior student of the year was Sruthy Kumar. It was a very enjoyable evening of celebration for parents, students and teachers. Photographer – Clara Kinsella

GAZETTE

16 GAZETTE 6 December 2012

DUBLINLIFE

Managing a joint account

Q&A

OLLIE FLOOD, MANAGER, HARVEY NORMAN

Bedding down to succeed in Blanchardstown role OLLIE Flood has worked with one of Ireland’s leading retailers, Harvey Norman, since 2006. He has been working in home furnishings for 18 years, having previously worked with BB Blinds for 12 years before joining Harvey Norman in 2006.

He worked in the Dundalk store initially, before moving to manage the Holywood store in 2009; he has now taken on the reins as manager

in Harvey Norman’s latest store in Blanchardstown Retail Park, at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre.

He says: “For me, this is a fabulous step forward, running the most fantastic furniture store in the country. I look forward to seeing the store grow with our customers, keeping that important balance between working hard and having a great store and enjoying my day’s work.”

How long have you been in business?

What law or regulation would you change overnight to help your business?

I’ve been in the furnishing business 20 years; the last eight with Harvey Norman. Now, I’m in our newly opened, massively expanded 30,000 sq ft Harvey Norman store in Blanchardstown Retail Park.

What makes your business successful?

We know our customer, we know that they want the range and quality of products at competitive prices, and that’s what we offer them.

What do you offer your clients that differs from your competitors?

It comes down to two things: products and service. Our range of products is a great mix of both design and value, plus our trained staff know what they are selling and how to listen to the customer to ensure they choose the right product for them – what could be better?

How has the recession impacted your business?

It’s a flat economy, but Harvey Norman sales are up, and market share in key categories is growing.

What have you changed about your business to combat the effects of the recession?

It’s not a change; it’s a continuation – big selection, affordable pricing and an ever increasing focus on great customer service.

BUSINESS

Supported

by AIB

Introduce legislation to abolish upward-only rent clauses in commercial leases. Our Irish rents are crazy.

How do you use social media (Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, etc) to help your business?

We interact with our customers in lots of ways, so in that way we are very social. We regularly interact via customers’ own social media including Twitter, blogs, and boards.

What is your ambition for the business?

For the new store in Blanchardstown to become our busiest Dublin furniture and bedding, electrical and computers store.

What is the best piece of business advice you ever received?

There is no such as thing as ‘No’.

What is your favourite thing about doing business in your local area?

Blanchardstown is a great centre, always busy, and our new furniture and bedding store is going to amaze people. I look forward to seeing those customers return again and again to buy from us.

What living person do you most admire?

Alan Sugar.

DISAGREEMENTS about personal finance can be very divisive – I have seen figures that suggest half of the couples who break up do so because of a disagreement about money.

So, when I say that you need to agree a joint financial strategy with your partner, I don’t say it lightly. One approach that I have found works well is to: • Look for common ground. It is likely, for instance, that you both want the same thing – to be free of debt, and to have plenty of spare cash.

• Communicate freely and honestly. Assess where you are, and how each of you have contributed to the current state of affairs. Be honest. Discuss each of your strengths and weaknesses, and the things you are doing right, and the things you are doing wrong.

• Compromise. Don’t allow past behaviour and events to poison your chance of success. Put grievances behind you. Start afresh, and in doing so, accept that you will both have to agree to do things differently in the future.

Here are some valuable tips on handling joint finances – whether with your partner, or with someone else.

• Maintain your independence. A joint account is perfect for joint responsibilities, but it is a good idea to keep an account for yourself so that you have money available to spend as you want.

Decide which areas are joint expenditure, and which you are each going to handle alone.

• If one half of a partnership takes over all the money

management, it can lead to big trouble. The person in charge may end up resenting the fact that he or she is doing all the work ... and he or she may also become controlling. The person not involved is leaving himself or herself vulnerable, and is adopting an essentially childlike position.

Both of you should take decisions together – even if one of you does the day-to-day accounting.

• Be honest about how you each feel. If one of you wants to save and the other wants to spend ... admit it, and work out a strategy that allows each of you to do as you please. Compromise!

• Plan for a future that isn’t completely dependent on staying together. I realise that this may seem pessimistic, but I frequently find myself counselling people who unexpectedly find themselves having to deal with money for the first time.

Communication, of course, is the key. More next week.  Contact John with your money questions at jlowe@moneydoctor.ie or visit his website at www.moneydoctor.ie. John Lowe, Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing director of Money Doctor

AIB: SEMINAR ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL FIRMS

Experts offer retail tips on e-commerce in 2013 LAST week, AIB hosted a seminar for over 200 of its SME customers, Retailing in Ireland – Prospects and Possibilities 2013, at the AIB Bankcentre in Ballsbridge.

It provided information on current consumer spending trends and the likely profile of consumer spending in 2013, along with expert views on best practices for e-retailing from Google.

A wide variety of retailers attended the event, from hardware to fashion to hotels, all with varying levels of experience in e-retailing.

Gerard O’Neill, chairman of Amarach Research and a leading economic commentator on future trends and forecast-

ing, said that the online market in Ireland will be worth an estimated €6bn in 2016.

Cian O’Mongain, senior industry manager at Google, also outlined best practice in this area for both novice and existing online retailers, sharing his tips and tricks to take advantage of opportunities that lay ahead.

AIB’s head of business banking Brendan O’Connor said: “SMEs are critical to our economic recovery, for the maintenance and creation of thousands of jobs.

“We are determined to assist our business customers to grow and develop their business, both through the access to credit they need and

Gerard O’Neill of Amarach Research, Louis Copeland, Mark Dinneen of John A Taylor Ltd, and Anthony Doyle from AIB at the seminar

through a range of supports such as this seminar today.”

Through AIB’s Big Drive For Small Business campaign, it launched a new initiative to speed up SME loan decisions which assisted over 50 SME customers in creating their own TV and radio advertising campaigns, while offering coaching to 2,500 SME

customers. The bank also organised over 100 business management seminars, with 4,000 participating to date.

AIB has exceeded the Government SME lending target of €3.5bn for 2012 and sanctioned 2,156 requests for credit from businesses across the Midwest region in the first nine months of this year.

6 December 2012 Gazette 17

gaming P21

asdfsdaf P27 motors P22

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



Gazette

cinema P20

Pets can you give beau a home?

Celebrity chef Kevin Dundon entertains while cooking up a storm as part of the the Supervalu Roadshow in Churchtown, Dublin. Pictures: Geraldine Woods

food: tv chef kevin dundon joins forces with supervalu retail chain

Cook up a calm Christmas  laura webb

Irish chef and TV personality Kevin Dundon has joined forces with SuperValu to bring customers a delicious range of signature dishes that will help destress the cook in the family this festive season.

Over the past two-and-a-half years, Kevin has been working with the supermarket chain on its selection of fresh food. This year, he is travelling around Ireland in an air-stream caravan, which has an iconic silver-bullet style, to showcase the SuperValu Christmas range.

Speaking to the Gazette ahead of the roadshow, where he visited a number a local SuperValu stores in Dublin before heading off around the country, he said

meeting the public was his favourite thing to do. “I love people. We pull up to a store and I just chat to people and talk about their dishes and how we can help, and we showcase our signature range and the other produce available in SuperValu. “[The supermarket chain] buy a lot of local products, and that is the whole ethos. That is something that I always believed in and it’s the main reason I got together with SuperValu,” he said.

The SuperValu Christmas road-show showcases the store’s wide-ranging festive products, which extend beyond just turkey and ham.

“Within the signature range, we have a fantastic rib beef on the bone, When you roast it up, it is very impressive on

the table and it also cooks really well.

Salmon en croute is another – fresh salmon with spinach and a cream sauce wrapped in pastry. Make it in the oven and when you cut it, it looks great.

“The dish I love, which I do on the show, is a rack of pork with crispy crackling on top and apple compote on the side.

“However, I think, on Christmas Day, it is all about the roast. I like to tell people it’s just like cooking a Sunday roast: it doesn’t have to be stressful. You could cook your ham the day before and when you cook your turkey, take that out and let it rest for half an hour. Put your glaze on your ham and put it in the oven for a half an hour, you don’t necessarily have to have a hot ham with turkey dinner.

“Home kitchens are limited in space, and it is hard to juggle everything. Have your potatoes and vegetables already peeled and ready to go the day before – that also helps.”

Growing up, Kevin was inspired by the women in his life. He said his mother and grandmother were great cooks who introduced him to cooking. He is still a firm believer in making dinner family time.

“My family is mad busy coming up to Christmas and, for me, this time of year is for family. I love to cook, and I do cook Christmas dinner, but it’s not stressful for me because that’s what I do,” he laughed.

Continued on Page 23

DUBLIN Gazette Newspapers has teamed up with Dogs Trust, Ireland’s largest dog welfare charity, to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs.

Our ‘Dog of the week’ is Beau, a two-year-old Staffie cross. This is one beautiful boy with a big heart! He needs his confidence built as he can be quite a worried little man when meeting new friends but once he gets to know you, he will shower you with love and affection.

This handsome hound would prefer canine company rather than cats or kids, and would probably love a home where he is the centre of someone’s world. He especially likes playing with his tennis ball and would love a big garden or getting out for a walk where he strides along wagging his tail admiring the world around him.

If you think you could give Beau the fabulous forever home he deserves, contact Dogs Trust at 01 8791000 (www. dogstrust.ie). All their dogs are vet-checked, vaccinated, neutered and microchipped before being rehomed.

Gazette

18 Gazette 6 December 2012

OUT&ABOUT Debenhams €170

STYLE

Debenhams €54

Heatons €13

Christmas Guide - for him!

M&S €8

 Laura Webb

It’s the second instalment of Gazette Style’s guide to Christmas presents for those special people in your life. Last week we showed you some very impressive gifts for the woman in your life, so this week it is all about the man.

Now that Movember is over, some men may be in need of a shaver, or may want to keep it and so taming it is a must. We also have some great fashion for the man in the house, while aftershave is also the way to go for the other half.

Check out our final instalment next week which will be all about the kids.

Debenhams €39

Urban Outfitters €111

Penneys €9 Emporio Armani See stockists for details

M&S €47.50

Debenhams €124

Debenhams €34

Next €49

Debenhams €17

6 December 2012 Gazette 19

Gazette

MUSIC FASTtunes with Dee Woods

Instant karma’s gonna get you... a bizarre wardrobe

Deftones’ Kai No Yokan pushes the band’s aural assault into a more powerful fresh direction

review: the ongoing resurgence of deftones continues

’Tones of survival  rob heigh

A COMMON statement about bands who last, say, more than the average lifespan of a mayfly is that they are “survivors”.

A genuine definition of survivors is a band of brothers who have been to the edge of personal devastation and disassociation and who have pulled together to create some of the finest art of their careers.

That is the appropriate description for California’s Deftones. The band, formed in Sacramento in 1988, have proved themselves more than capable of weathering the kinds of storms that a 25-year career in the music busi-

ness can throw up.

Having established themselves with a trio of platinum selling albums straight out of the blocks, one of which, Around The Fur, was a bona fide classic of the genre, Deftones proceeded to solidify their position in the alt metal scene.

However, following personal tragedies, illness, drug problems and ultimately, a 1988 car crash that put bassist Chi Cheng into a coma, from which he is still to fully recover, the impetus to come back together from the battles that threatened to derail the band for good and make some of the best music of their careers found a foothold.

Since then, Deftones have been creating some astonishing soundscapes and have just released their seventh album, Koi No Yokan.

To many, their overpowering aural assault would be too much, but listen just beneath the surface and there is a melodic texture and crafting seldom encountered in their niche.

Be assured, this is no softer a record than Deftones have previously created. If anything, it is a heavier, more piledriving collection of songs than their previous release, Diamond Eyes, named by many as one of the defining records of the start of the new decade when it

appeared in 2010.

Where Koi No Yokan departs from the immediacy that marked Diamond Eyes out as a classic in the making is in its construction. The longer gestation period that this album enjoyed has resulted in an impressive and multi-layered set of songs that chime with a unity of purpose and sing with a layered creativity that gives infinite hope for the

future of the rock genre.

There are times when it is as gentle as Jane’s Addiction at their most brutal, at times as affecting as anything Deftones have recorded before.

In spite of their tribulations, the rallying cause that they have found since the loss of Cheng has made Deftones a more uncompromising, and more impressive, rock survivor.

This weekend sees the 32nd anniversary of the death of John Lennon. It’s a time for Beatles’ fans and Lennon devotees around the world to reflect on the legend that helped shape the path of music forever...

Or, if you’re Yoko Ono, it’s a time to unveil jockstraps and other saucy clothing designed in his memory. Ono has revealed a new men’s clothing collection inspired by drawings she gave her late husband as a wedding gift.

Talking about her new collection, 79-yearold Ono said: “I felt it was a pity if we could not make clothes emphasizing his very sexy bod. So, I made this whole series with love for his hot bod and gave it to him as a wedding present. You can imagine how he went wild and fell in love with me even more.”

But will people fall in love with the clothes?

The fashion range, for American brand Opening Ceremony, includes jockstraps, skin-tight tops with strategic holes and trousers with handprints on the crotch. Check out the full range at www.openingceremony.us, if only to prove yourself wrong if you thought bras, pink mesh tops and open-toe thigh-high boots were only for women. Yes, they’re in the collection too. And they deliver to Ireland.

Not sure it’d go down well with all John Lennon fans here, but worth a look nonetheless. The hoodie with the word “Dream” across the front, priced $75, might be a safer buy for the Lennon lover in your life. Ironic though, that a $200 jockstrap is included in a collection inspired by a man who once wrote You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.

Dee Woods @ Radio Nova

Yoko Ono and John Lennon wearing some more conventional attire in the late 1960s

Gazette

20 gazette 6 December 2012

OUT&ABOUT

CINEMA

more

theatre THE pavilioN THEATRE 01 231 2929 The Gloaming

THE Gloaming is a newly minted collective of five remarkable musicians poised to become a vital force in Irish music.

Navigating between the contemporary and traditional genres, their creativity trumps predictability – with music that is haunting and beautiful in equal measure. Having started recording of their debut album in August, they end the year with a series of intimate shows.

December 9, tickets are priced at €26.

Mill Theatre 01 296 9340

Miracle on 34th St ENJOY such popular songs as Pinecones and Hollyberries, It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas and My State, My Kansas, in this joyous, heart-warming musical of pure family entertainment. Miracle On 34th Street tells the story of a mother and daughter that are much too practical to believe in Santa Claus. Macy’s hires a kind, white-bearded, older gentlemen to play Santa at the store, but when the man proclaims to be Kris Kringle and Santa himself, his sanity is called into question.

Presented by Glencullen Musical and Dramatic Society. December 5-15 at 8pm, tickets are priced at €20/18.

CIVIC THEATRE 01 462 7477 ABBA Forever

IT’S Christmas! It’s party time! It’s ABBA! From Waterloo to Dancing Queen, expect a dazzling, fantastic performance including the most iconic hits, Mamma Mia, SOS, Money, Money Money, The Winner Takes It All and many more.

December 10 and 11, tickets are priced at €20.

Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook – not a bow and arrow or hangover in sight

review: cooper, lawrence, De niro and stiles at the top of their game

Silver? This is gold LOOKING at it objectively, you might say that the guy who directed The Fighter might aim a little higher for his next film than a self-penned, low-budget romantic comedy about a man with psychiatric problems.

But, then again, this is the man who famously called Lily Tomlin every name under the sun in a rant on the set of I Huckabees. So really, all bets are off when it comes to predicting his next move.

In Silver Linings Playbook, Russell actually makes a film that suits as a successor to the awards laden Fighter.

Here, the family is as dysfunctional, the frustration at what might have been as palpable and the loving moments

 paul hosford

phosford@gazettegroup.com

as tender. The only real difference is that Bradley Cooper’s Pat doesn’t have a heroin addict brother dragging him down.

Instead, he has his ow n demons and a conviction for assaulting his wife’s lover.

After being released from a state mental facility and moving back in with his parents, played

by Robert De Niro and Jackie Weaver, Pat must confront his issues, his family and his newest friend, Tiffany.

Tiffany comes with a whole slew of prob-

lems of her own, which makes everyone nervous.

Law rence is an actress with the world at her fingertips at the minute, with The Hunger Games and X-Men establishing her on the A-list and her Oscar nomination for Winter’s Bone last year marking her as a truly special talent.

She should have her pick of projects, which makes her appearance in Playbook all the more impressive.

Eschewing what were certainly higher-profile roles for the chance to play what appears on paper to be a much younger love interest to Bradley Cooper.

That age gap is barely noticeable, however, as Lawrence brings a maturity to the role that

Film of the Week: Silver Linings Playbook h h h h h (15) 122mins Director: David O.Russell Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Julia Stiles, Chris Tucker, Jackie Weaver

OUR VERDICT: THERE are small stumbles, small little frustrating stumbles, but all in all, this is a great piece of cinema. Brave, unflinching and superbly acted, End of Watch is as good a cop film as there is, but is abundantly more. A great dissection of character, a fantastic look at male relationships and a thoroughly brilliant piece of film-making. See it. See it now.

is much needed.

Without it, Tiffany would become a bratty post-teen and her madness would be offputting.

In Lawrence’s hands, it becomes appealing, almost attractive as she keeps a sure hand on the quirks of her character.

Her work here proves that the nomination for Winter’s Bone was no fluke and she is a generational talent, some-

one who should be watched for many years to come.

C o o p e r t o o p l ay s against type. Gone is the megawatt smile and easy charisma, replaced instead with an anger, a fr ustration and a deep set of problems that Cooper manages to make work, despite some shortcomings in the script.

With Robert De Niro on fine form as Pat’s father and Chris Tucker

providing the comic relief, this is as well an acted piece of cinema as you are likely to see all year.

A side-note; welcome back to Julia Stiles, it’s been too long.

The star of the show, however, is Russell. His blistering announcement to Holly wood, 1999’s Three Kings, has been long-forgotten, but The Fighter announced the return of a real talent.

With Playbook, Russell continues that form and will make many sit up and notice.

That he is still best know n for the viral video of the Tomlin rant is sad, if understandable, but soon he will be known solely for his work.

Especially if he keeps up this kind of form.

6 December 2012 gazette 21

Gazette

GAMING far cry 3: it’s pretty, crazy and fun

It’s so Far, so good in this fun threequel  shane dillon

I TOUCHED on this in last week’s page, but space prevented me giving it more room.

And so, I return to Rook Island, the central hub of just-released Far Cry 3, and quite probably the daftest, most unpredictable gaming playground we’ve seen this side of Just Cause 2’s Panau island.

I’m not sure what it is about islands that makes game designers want to turn them into places the average SWAT team would want to avoid, but who knows – maybe one day, we’ll see an Irish designer come up with an analogous Aran Island setting, involving a quest for revenge after a cow gets kidnapped, or something.

Anyway, mooooving right back to the game’s exotic tropical island set-

 shane dillon sdillon@gazettegroup.com

ting (somewhere around the Indian and Pacific Oceans), and the playerprotagonist has much to enjoy here.

As briefly mentioned last week, the player ends up on the island with his girlfriend and friends – only for the action-seeking group to get more than they want to when they run into the wrong type of people.

The very wrong types, who have a habit of disposing of such guests, with guns, and other such extreme visitor controls.

(Perhaps the guys should have just gone to lovely Fundoran instead, up near Sligo.)

BYTES&PIECES new title hits a very honourable sales target

From here on in, you’re in familiar territory, yet one that very much has its own clear identity and style.

You’re tasked with saving your friends, and your girlfriend, and helping the few friendly people on the islands to claim back their territory – by tackling the bad guys, one group of thugs, or enemy stronghold, at a time; sometimes by stealthy means, yet more often than not by charging around like Chuck Norris with a headache.

In order to do this, there are all kinds of toand-fro missions that you can carry out, gradually unlocking more and more areas, mission types and friendly characters, as your actions begin to change the control of power on the islands.

Of course, there are all kinds of other distractions in Far Cry 3 to undertake

The tropical island setting of Far Cry 3 would be lovely to visit – were it not for the roving gangs of heavily armed thugs, occasional leopard attacks and, presumably, hotel prices in high season

instead, if you’d rather take a break from the main and side missions.

After all, your friends would probably understand that, rather than rescue them from their hellish captors, you went looking for a hill peak to go hang-gliding from. I mean, who wouldn’t?

As usual for such titles, there are lots and lots of treasure hunts and distractions to go wandering off on, away from the ‘real’ game, Whether collecting rare plants, going on animal hunts – or being hunted, by some particuarly dangerous beasts – searching out obscure parts of the

NEWS just in – Dishonoured (below), the particularly stylish first-person stealth-’em-up, has done better than expected at retail and, as such, has been decreed a new franchise, ripe for returning to.

Its publisher, Bethseda, praised its sales, which have kept pace with the critical acclaim that the well-rounded title garnered on its recent release, and were strong in both physical and download form.

It’s an all the more impressive feat, consid-

islands’ history, or just taking parts in races on land, sea and in the air, there’s an awful lot to do, with virtually everything you do gifting your character with experience points, with which to unlock ever more useful skills and upgrades.

I should also mention that Far Cry 3 looks great, building on the detailed worlds that the series is famed for. While not perfect, there’s still a pretty immersive sense of scale and detail to its setting, making it a world that’s well worth getting lost in.

A multi-platform title, Far Cry 3 is available in shops now.

ering its release near the end of the year, at a time when all of the Christmas heavyweights start limbering up to do battle, and particularly for a brand new title. With some downloadable content on the way to add to Dishonoured’s scale, it’s a welcome bit of news, as all too often slightly quirkier games get overlooked at retail, in favour of, say, bogstandard shooters featuring angry, bearded soldiers. (Yawn.)

Not so with Dishonoured’s characters, whose late Empress, left, would surely welcome the news that gamers can expect to return to its setting, soon.

22 Gazette 6 December 2012

Gazette

&ABOUT OUT road

MOTORS

NOISE

Fiat 500L earns a fivestar safety rating The Euro NCAP released its latest round of results last week, and the FIAT 500L has earned a five-star safety rating from the independent vehicle safety assessment body.

With an overall score of 83/100, the FIAT 500L’s coveted five-star rating was awarded on the basis of the scores it achieved. Adult occupant protection was (94/100); child occupant protection, 78/100; pedestrian protection, 65/100, and driver-assist safety system, 71/100.

Thousands of hours of virtual simulations were employed during the creation of FIAT’s brand new “Small Wide” architecture which was engineered without the need for prototypes. To ensure there were no unforeseen anomalies, some 200 tests were conducted on components and sub-systems, as well as more than 100 shock test simulations and in excess of 100 crash tests. They took taking all possible types of impact into consideration: frontal impact, side impact, rollover, pile-up and impacts with pedestrians.

Honours were also bestowed upon Skoda’s new compact saloon, the Rapid. It earned good marks in the Euro NCAP crash test for its high level of safety.

It was recognised for its excellent test results in the areas of occupant protection for adults and children, pedestrian protection and safety assistance systems.

“The Skoda Rapid is one of the safest cars in its segment,” says FrankWelsch, SKODA board member for technical development. “These Euro NCAP results are confirmation coming from an independent party. Our compact saloon is an ideal family car offering lots of space for five occupants and their baggage. It is functional, high quality and conforms to top-level safety standards,” said Welsch.

Skoda’s new compact saloon, the Rapid

The SEAT Mii boasts plnty of extras including alloy wheels, front fog lights and heated door mirrors

seat: a pleasant surprise for those looking for a city car

Mii makes driving plenty of fun again

n Cormac Curtis

This will be the second round of deja vu I’ve had on the motoring pages this year, as I am writing about the third sibling in what is affectionately know in motoring circles as “The Triplets”.

In case you missed my verdicts of the Skoda CitiGo and the VW Up!, let me fill you in.

T here has been a heated battle raging in the small car market all across Europe this year, in one corner there is the odds-on favourite, the VW Up!, in the other corner, there is the new boy threatening the established veteran in the shape of the Skoda CitiGo, and in the third corner (OK, this is not a traditional boxing analogy) there is the plucky

specs: SEAT Mii 1.0 Sport 5Door  0 – 100km/hr: 13.2 secs  Top speed: 171km/h  CO2 Emissions : 108g/km  Tax Band: A  Current Tax Rate: €160  Price: €12,000

underdog that is the SEAT Mii. You may be aware that all three cars come from the same family, namely the Volkswagen Group, so they share quite a lot in terms of chassis, gearboxes and the like.

They all have a pretty similar look, but, to be fair, there’s not a huge amount you can do with something this size when you’re competing for the same market.

But they all have their own distinct person-

alities, and the little Mii was a real eye-opener.

As mentioned, I had already been in the Up! and the Citigo – in the case of the Skoda, I had tested it at its launch in Portugal as well as on Irish roads – so I was not really expecting anything to take me by surprise.

But this car seemed to edge the other two in one key area – its noise.

Even though I tend to drone on about points of contact and the tactile connection between car and driver – the sound is every bit as important for a car to have character.

Don’t get me wrong, this car ticked plenty of other boxes that count just as much – but to get a symphony of exhaust notes thrown into the mix is a huge bonus for

a petrol head like me.

To give you a mental picture, think of how the Minis in the Italian Job sounded as they made their way around Rome… that’s exactly how it felt driving the Mii, an absolute pleasure.

That’s the thing about driving little cars, they remind us of how much fun driving can be.

When you strip away the couch-like comfort and pampering of highend luxury saloons, the dizzying array of digital controls and touchscreen do-das, and the panoramic, all-glass ceilings of the modern people carriers, you are left with the basics – four wheels, a little poke, a short wheel base, and lots of manoeuvrability.

How much fun is that?

But the Mii, like all the Triplets, boasts real world practicality too, and the 1.0 Sport 5-door I tested came with plenty of spec as standard.

From the 15” ANIA alloy wheels; front fog lights with cornering; body coloured electric and heated door mirrors and handles to the electric windows up front; hill hold; leather steering wheel and gearstick for the all-important points of contact; SPORT Specific trim and upholstery; rear tinted windows; and front and rear sport suspension, nobody can accuse SEAT of skimping on the extras.

The SEAT Mii will be a pleasant surprise to anyone in the market for a small city car and it really stands toe-to-toe with its siblings.

6 December 2012 SWORDS GAZETTE 23

GAZETTE

FEATURES

Interview KEVIN DUNDON FROM P17

Thousands of poinsettias being nurtured for the Christmas market. Inset top, the plants before they turn their distinctive crimson shade, and inset below, the poinsettia bloom.

HOUSEHOLD: MEXICAN PLANT IS A HUGE FESTIVE HIT HERE

The dark secrets of poinsettia growers...

GARDEN centre retailer B&Q is expecting to sell thousands of poinsettias this Christmas, when this most popular houseplant makes its annual Christmas debut.

Indigenous to Mexico and Central America, this plant is now a Christmas staple for many Irish homeowners.

Over 100 million poinsettias are sold every year throughout Europe, but what many people are not aware of is exactly how the plant gets its

famous crimson colour.

The secret – shading the plants in darkness for 50 days as it grows.

Growers begin in May, six months before the plants will go on sale, to grow the plants and to ensure they all get that famous red glow.

Poinsettias only develop coloured blooms when kept in darkness for a minimum of 50 days, for 12 hours a day.

So, to ensure that the plant is available in October for homeown-

ers to buy, growers artificially control the environment, blocking out all sunlight.

As a result, poinsettia fans can enjoy the first colourful plants as early as the end of October Ben Smith, horticulture bedding buyer at B&Q, said: “Not many people know the secret trick to getting a really red poinsettia, but it’s the help of our shorter days and artificial darkness which brings out the famous colour.

“For many, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without this red plant, but for those wanting a change this year, we’re also introducing the new Ivory Poinsettia.”

B&Q’s poinsettias start out as any other green plant growing in daylight.

Darkness falls for the last 50 days of the growing cycle to ensure Poinsettia’s turn red.

Poinsettias are traditionally associated with Christmas due to

a 16th century Mexican legend. The story goes that a young girl was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus’ birthday, so was told by an angel to plant weeds from the street in front of the church altar.

Crimson blossoms sprouted from the weeds which became poinsettias. This Mexican seasonal tradition was then adopted by more countries with the plant becoming a Christmas favourite.

KEVIN says: “But for a lot of people it is very stressful, so we trying to take the stress out of Christmas for our customers and people around Ireland. It’s all fresh food and it’s all Irish. I have devised recipes for our butchers in stores to put together, Brussels sprouts and cranberry with seasoning. They are in a tray, already prepared, and all you have to do is put them in the oven and you’ll have fantastic Brussels sprouts.

“We make a point in our house to eat at 5.30pm every night when I am at home. We all have dinner together, very much a family event. It’s a time to catch up on what’s going on,” he said.

Kevin’s impressive CV is just too extensive to mention everything he has achieved, but one thing that stands out is that he cooked for the Queen during his seven-year stay in Canada.

So, what was the dish that was fit for a queen?

“BBQ smoked salmon starter with maple syrup poured over the salmon and they had a rack of lamb. The mad thing was she brought her own china and there were tasters there too, who tasted the food before,” he told the Gazette.

Not only will Kevin be visiting local stores, but he will also be appearing on our small screens.

On December 17, a new TV series starring the renowned cook will air on RTE One at 8.30pm.

Kevin Dundon’s Christmas Made Easy, is a must-see for tips and alternative recipes this Christmas.

For further information on the Christmas Range, Roadshow or SuperValu’s festive offers log onto www.supervalu.ie, check out www. facebook.com/SuperValuIreland or drop into your local SuperValu.

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24 swords gazette 6 December 2012

Gazette

&ABOUT OUT fast TRAVEL

Busy elves in Wales SANTA’S elves will be at Bluestone National Park in South Wales this Christmas and, for families hoping to catch a glimpse of them in action, StenaLine is offering some great deals in the run-up to Christmas.

Travel to the magical Kingdom of the Elves at the park, for just €419 for two adults and two children.

The price includes four nights’ accommodation in a two-bedroom Caldey Lodge (pictured) in Bluestone National Park, from Monday to Thursday, including travel by car from Rosslare to Fishguard. For further information, see www. stenaline.ie/bluestone, or call 01 204 7733.

northern ireland: Lots of fun and urban delights in its capital city

Shake it up in Belfast with Cuban dance fever  hiromi mooney

THERE’S always something exciting to do in Belfast, whether it’s a day out shopping, enjoying some of the fine dining the city has to offer, or sampling some of the talent in the concert halls or theatres – day and night, the city is bursting with various events or activities.

Although you can drive to the city, you can also conveniently get a train from Connolly Station in Dublin city centre, and be brought directly to the heart of Belfast in two and a half hours.

That’s how I travelled, anyway, and after a relaxed and carefree journey, I arrived at my destination.

I checked in to the Malmaison Hotel, which is a boutique hotel located on

Victoria Street. Although it’s not the cheapest accommodation option, the experience there is certainly memorable.

The hotel had a nice ambience, friendly staff, and the sophisticated MALBAR bar on the ground floor – which boasts a vast selection of cocktails.

However, even if you decide not to stay there for the night, you can still sample some of their culinary delights in The Mal Brasserie restaurant.

I enjoyed a pickled pear and pecan nut salad for starters, which was followed by duck for my main course, and, to top it all off, I devoured a Valrhona chocolate fondant for dessert – which went down quite a treat.

The hotel and restau-

Malmaison Hotel, a boutique hotel located on Victoria

rant have some upcoming special deals in time for Christmas and New Year’s, so it’s worth looking them up.

I went up North just in time for the 50th Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s University, which took place from October 19 to November 4.

The festival was first formed by a group of students from Queen’s as the university’s first arts festival.

Since then, it has been celebrating dance, music, theatre, visual arts, film, classical and world music, with performers from all over the world. Throughout the years, many of the world’s greatest musicians, writers and performers have appeared at the festival.

The festival is also the perfect platform for new talent – no wonder it’s one of the main highlights

on the Belfast events calendar.

This year, the 50th festival gave Belfast a chance to reflect on all of its past achievements, and to celebrate its new talent and future. One such event, which I attended, was an evening of Cuban music and dancing with The Buena Vista Social Club in The Ulster Hall.

World-famous In the 1990s, this group revived the forgotten repertoire of son, bolero, danzon and guajiro – which are now world-famous.

Today, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club continues their work, featuring new musicians. The lineup now includes singers Omara Portuondo, Idania Valdes and Carlos Calunga; pianist Rolando Lunal; trombonist Aguaje Ramos and trumpeter Guajiro Mirabel.

6 December 2012 SWORDS GAZETTE 25

GAZETTE

Travel Clearly some great deals with Crystal Ski travel ONE of the most popular destinations for a post-Christmas holiday often involves a warm chalet, white mountain slopes and, of course, a pair of skis.

If you’re already thinking about your New Year break, Crystal Ski has a host of offers to take you to Austria, Andorra or Italy. Travel to Austria on January 12 and stay at the two-star Pension Sonja, Niederau, on a B&B basis from €399 per person.

Travel on January 6 or 13 to La Thuile, in Italy, and stay at the threestar Apartments Planibel, from €399

WE HAVE 135,000* READERS EACH WEEK Street in Belfast, has a nice ambiance and first class entertainment like The Buena Vista Social Club (inset, above)

The Buena Vista Social Club performed many lively songs on the stage, while the audience gathered close to them on the dance floor.

The strong rhythm of the music meant that you couldn’t help but swing your hips with the beat of the music – it was as if it was your body’s natural response to sway as soon as another tune came on.

The closer the people were to the stage, the more they let loose. The group engaged really

well with the crowd as well, with everyone clapping, cheering and dancing – and the crowd even encouraged them to return to play one more tune.

It was an extremely enjoyable alternative evening that celebrated Cuban music at its best.

So, now that the festival has wrapped up, it’s time for the Christmas season to kick in with some more exciting events in Belfast – which calls for a good excuse to plan another trip up North

again soon.

As the city is lit up with Christmas lights and decorations, Belfast is turned into a magical place, creating a whole new atmosphere and experience again.

Christmas Market The annual Belfast Continental Christmas Market at City Hall is now on until December 20, where there are more than 80 traders from 26 countries. Here, you’ll be spoiled for choice with a selection of Christmas

presents. Santa Claus will also be in Belfast at his indoor Grotto at the Hillmount Nursery until December 23.

Children can tell Santa himself of their Christmas wish list and can also enjoy petting real reindeers and donkeys.

So, whenever you decide to go to Belfast, you can be assured that there is plenty to do.

You can plan your trip in advance by checking w w w.discovernor thernireland.com, and www.gotobelfast.com.

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per person on a self-catering basis, or the three-star Apartments Olympic, Sestriere, from €469 per person.

Alternatively, why not visit Andorra, on January 6 or 13, and stay at the three-star Hotel St Gothard, Arinsal, on a half-board basis from €499 per person.

For further information, or to book your ski break, call 01 433 1055, or see www.crystalski.ie.

26 swords gazette 6 December 2012

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6 December 2012 SWORDS Gazette 27

sports awards P28

asdfsdaf gaelic games P27 P31

dublinsport Let the Gazette keep you up to date with all the best local sporting action from around the city as we cover all the stories that matter to you and your community



Gazette

cumann na mbunscol P29

FastSport Graham leads the pack in mo run: LUCAN’S

Scott Evans is hoping for more celebrations in Baldoyle after he was ranked as the top seed for the event in Dublin which gets under way on Thursday

badminton: ballinteer man in good form ahead of irish open event in baldoyle

Bitburger run likely to inspire top seed Evans at Dublin event BALLINTEER man Scott Evans will head the bill at badminton’s Carlton Irish Open, which gets under way on Thursday, December 6 in Baldoyle, For the first time ever, home players are the top seeds for both men and women’s singles.

On the men’s side Evans will play Maxime Michele of France in his opening match and then either Flemming Quach of Denmark, or a qualifier who could turn out to be Ireland’s Tony Stephenson.

He is looking to progress from the

qualifying tournament as one of eight players to earn their ticket via that route.

Other Irish players among the eight groups of eight include Nigel Boyne, Scott Burnside, Io Wai Lau, Tony Murphy, Stuart Lightbody, Josh Magee, Jonathan Dolan, David Walsh and Liam O’Leary. Dolan, currently the number 10 junior in the world, has a tough draw and is likely to face France’s Lucas Corvee before the deciding match in his group.

O’Leary is in a group that includes No 8 seed Daniel Massersi from Italy.

Included in Scott Burnside’s group are Daniel Font from Wales and fellow Irish player Io Wai Lau. Should Evans progress, there is plenty of top quality talent to negotiate with Germany’s Marcel Router, England’s Toby Plenty and the dangerous Malaysian player Kuan Beng Hong, whom Evans came unstuck against in the opening round of the Welsh Open last Friday, lying in wait.

Since then, Evans has spent the week training in England before coming to Dublin. Prior to that, he produced a

good run in the Bitburger Open, making it through to the quarter-finals before falling to England’s Raj Ouspeh.

En route, Evans knocked out a pair of seeded players, enjoying a strong week all round. From there, he returned to his club side Gentofte in Denmark, winning two games against Henri Hurskainen and Anand Pawar.

Chloe Magee, meanwhile, tops the pre-tournament rankings on the women’s side and potentially plays qualifiers in her opening two rounds of the competition.

Sinead Graham was the first lady home overall in the Mo Run 10km in Phoenix Park recently in a fantastic time of 44.12, beating her target of 45 mintues with plenty to spare.

Meanwhile, at the cross country BHAA 6k Race in Santry, first home for Lucan Ladies, and third in her category was Bernie Stapleton in a great time of 30.10 minutes; quickly followed by Eileen O’Brien in a great time of 31.43 minutes, second in her category.

For the men, first home in this 6k race was Gerry Martin in a time of 28.33 minutes followed by Jim Dwyer in a time of 35.21minutes.

c o n ta c t s Acting Sports Editor: Stephen Findlater sfindlater@gazettegroup.com

For more information or to send in news and photos: sport@gazettegroup.com Phone: 01 651 6205

Gazette

28 SWORDS gazette 6 December 2012

SPORT

DublinGazetteNewspapers

community games: dublin region honoured

2012 dublin sports awards november winners

H STARof the MONTH

Limekiln’s Marguerite Nylans, Olive Kavanagh, Tom Sheridan, Margaret Carroll, Director, HSE Community Games, Amanda Kavanagh, Siobhan White, Maureen Quinlan, Mary White and Brian MacManus

barry murphy THE Aer Lingus swimmer broke a string of Irish national records to show his form at the European short course championships in Chartres, France. He topped his best mark in the 50m butterfly and the 50m breaststroke.

TEAMof the MONTH H

Limekiln wins big at Awards night  sport@gazettegroup.com

castleknock LEINSTER junior championship glory was annexed last week to go with Dublin honours as they had too much in the tank for St Fintan’s last weekend at Parnell Park. A truly breathtaking season continues with an AllIreland quarter-final in Britain.

DUBLIN area Limekiln/Templemanor picked up two awards at the HSE Community Games Area and Volunteer Awards Event last Saturday in Ballinasloe.

It was honoured with the Dublin Area Award and a Special Merit award, the first time that the area has won the county title.

The area is made up of two small estates consisting in total of 303 houses. While it is always easier for large population areas to win these participation awards, Limekiln/ Templemanor emulates the spirit of

the Community Games.

The population is well under the Community Games area limit, and it has no halls or facilities to call their own.

Limekiln/Templemanor circulate newsletters to all houses and almost every child is in an activity. It was instrumental in getting the skittles competition off the ground and this year it managed to field three teams with one getting through to the Leinster finals.

In addition, it has a top class youth committee which organise fundraising; helps with coaching at area level; as well as helping

at county, Leinster and national finals.

The area secretary is Eileen Reilly, who is also County Dublin’s children’s officer and takes the role of county manager at the national finals. Its adult volunteers co-ordinate and referee rounders at Dublin, Leinster and national level.

Also honoured at the event was Balbriggan’s Siobhain White for her years of service. She joined Dublin Community Games in 1980 and has served as a member of the county executive committee and served as assistant county secretary for a number of years.

Balbriggan girls annex futsal title for the first time  sport@gazettegroup.com

Loreto Balbriggan claimed the Leinster Futsal first years title in Gormanston last week

LORETO, Balbriggan and the Dublin Oak Academy were crowned FAI Schools First Year Futsal Leinster champions last week in Gormanston at the Post Primary Schools futsal competition.

Now in its fourth year nationally, the competition caters for first-year students with both boys and girls categories catered for with 288 participants from 23 schools represented.

On the girls’ side, Loreto had to work hard for their success

throughout the day as they came up against a wonderful St Leo’s College of Carlow in the ultimate decider in a hugely entertaining final.

Loreto may have been the underdogs going into the final, but they held their own to overcome a classy Carlow side 2-1.

T hey were impressive throughout their group stages winning four out of the five games played, only falling to Tullamore’s Sacred Heart.

The Balbriggan outfit were well prepared by teacher Stuart O’Brien as they captured

the points with an opening win against rivals Eureka Secondary School, 3-1.

Scoil Chriost Rí were a tougher test but they narrowly overcame the Laois side 2-1, while Presentation Kilkenny and Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon were also dispatched.

It set up the final date with St Leo’s, an end-to-end tussle with Balbriggan claiming the tie 2-1.

On the boys’ side, Dublin Oak had tasted success four years ago in Tallaght when the competition was only in its

infancy.

Oak were up against groupone winners Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore in a cracking clash.

They were under pressure for much of the game but managed a 3-2 victory to lift the prestigious title.

They won five out of five of their group games, scoring 16 goals, conceding only four en route to the final and carried that form through to the final Loreto Balbriggan and Dublin Oak Academy will now progress to the All-Ireland finals.

6 December 2012 SWORDS gazette 29

Gazette David Dennehy of St Helen’s Portmarnock

The Scoil Archbishop Ryan, Balgaddy team with Corn Na Laoch in Croke Park Pictures: Ray McManus and Barry Cregg

Cumann feel the noise at Croke Park festival

L

OCAL clubs produced a carnival atmosphere in Croke Park last week as the finals of the Dublin football Cumann na mBunscol took place on the hallowed turf of the GAA headquarters. Over 1,200 children

took part in the competition for primary schools in some form over the two days with more than 20 finals taking place.

There were first-time wins in the competition for the likes of Scoil

Archbishop Ryan while Scoil Lorcan in Palmerstown won their first title in 10 years with a win over Scoil Mobhi from Glasnevin while plenty of other silverware made its way to the various corners of the county.

St Brigid’s Roisin McGovern and Sarah Browne

Scoil Lorcain, Palmerstown captain Evan Walshe lifts Ruby Smith on the attack

St Oliver Plunkett’s, Malahide captain David McCormack lifts the cup

Nia Ni Chinneide

the Sciath Chumann na nGael shield

Gazette

30 SWORDS gazette 6 December 2012

SPORT

FastSport

Fingal pick off crucial league win over YMCA SIMON McKeever’s winner inside the last 90 seconds saw Fingal pick up a precious three points with a 3-2 win over YMCA in Leinster hockey’s men’s division one.

With just five games to go in the campaign, the result could be the difference between ninth and tenth place as the result lifts them five points clear of Avoca at the foot of the table in the automatic relegation place.

Fingal are not out of the woods as ninth place would see them meet second place in division two in a promotion-relegation playoff, but it gives the ALSAA club more of a chance of making up the gap to Glenanne in eighth place, currently four points ahead of them.

Last Saturday, though, player coach David Bane and his side enjoyed their best performance of the season against a side that had been third in the rankings until just two weeks ago.

Indeed, barring a strong performance from Irish international goalkeeper Iain Walker, Fingal felt they could have won out with a little more to spare as the netminder produced a series of decent stops before David Bane’s drag took a foot on the line.

He converted the resulting penalty stroke himself for a 1-0 lead in the tenth minute.

And it became 2-0 when the hosts dispossessed YMCA as they endeavoured to play a ball around the back.

The ball was quickly transferred to Chris Neville, pictured, who coolly slotted home after rounding Walker.

But the Y fought back, finding Declan Spencer on the back post for a lifeline and they were level 10 minutes from the end as Jonny Bruton cut in to the top of the circle and his reversestick effort deceived Nigel Grothier.

Andrew Shekleton, though, did well to win a late corner and, from the second phase, McKeever finished off. It puts five points between them and Avoca at the bottom with five rounds to go.

soccer: Celtic u-13s through to national cup final 32

Swords Cetlic’s U-17A side became the first to score against Drumcondra this season when they shared the spoils in a 3-3 thriller

United given a Trim-ming SFAI U-13 cup Trim United Swords Celtic  peter carroll

0 3

sport@gazettegroup.com

TWO of Swords Celtic’s schoolboy teams, the U-13 and U-14 Premier outfits, have booked their place in the last 32 of the SFAI All-Ireland cup competitions, progressing from the regional phases of the knock-out events that began with an entry list of over 300 teams.

The older of the two sides claiming their place via a walkover given to them by Glenmuir Unit-

ed while the U-13s overcame Trim United 3-0 in Meath.

Eddie Darcy’s U-13s are now strangers to the All-Ireland Cup having been knocked out in the last eight by St Kevin’s last year, but it was no easy task in seeing off Trim United, who haven’t been beaten in a competitive game in a year.

“It was our best performance of the year,” said Darcy.

“After going out in the later stages last year, we were really up for it.

“We could’ve won 9-0 in the end, the pitch was

St Finian’s finest Rivervalley club names 2012’s top performers ST FINIAN’S winners of the players’ player of

the year awards were named last weekend.

Pictured with their winnnig trophies are men’s hurling winner James Shelly, left, ladies’ football winner Emma Curran and football winner Kevin Ryan who helped power the side back up to AFL2 with some top drawer performances.

The awards were presented on the night by Noel and Fiona Peacock who also sponsored the event.

really wide and well-kept so that helped too.”

Karl Stanley opened the scoring for Celtic 10 minutes after Christian Harris fed him a fantastically weighted pass.

Double The lead was doubled when Alex McCormack guided the ball into the Trim net from a free kick on the edge of the area Minutes later, it was Stanley who sealed the lead with long range effort that flew into the top right-hand corner.

“We sat down at the start of the year and we all wanted to go on a

cup run and getting a win against Trim, who have gone unbeaten this year in the league, was the perfect way of getting everyone excited about it.

“It’s great that we have two teams involved in such a big tournament this year.

“It is just the beginning as far as I’m concerned; I think we can get past more teams in new year.

“If we can avoid the big teams early on I think we can go the whole way.

“At the moment, we’re focusing on Corduff this weekend.

“We need another win over them to guarantee our place in the top three of the premier league this year.

“We already played them this year so I’m expecting the same again this weekend.

“I’d like to head into the break with another three points. That way we can enjoy the Christmas and get back down to business when the cup comes into play again in the new year.”

Swords are currently lying fifth in their NDSL division, but have games in hand on each of the sides ahead of them.

6 December 2012 SWORDS gazette 31

Gazette

Sexton’s Syl’s aiming to step up a level  sport@gazettegroup.com

AFTER a cold, hardfought game in Marino with St Vincent’s a fortnight ago, St Sylvester’s minor footballers have booked their place in the minor championship quarter final where they are scheduled to meet Castleknock.

It’s a draw that manager

John Sexton said will test his side to the fullest with significant improvement required.

“With a view to the Castleknock game, we weren’t happy with the intensity in the Vincent’s match, but we only played two games in two months including that one so it can be quite difficult.

“I’m happy that the

lads didn’t give in and that they showed a lot of character, but we know Castleknock are going to be a very tough test.

“No team makes it to a quarter final on merit and at minor level especially.

“The game is just so unpredictable. It doesn’t matter how we did against Vincent’s and it doesn’t matter how Castleknock

got on in their last game.

“It’s all about what happens this Sunday.”

Speaking about the Vincent’s win, meanwhile, Sexton added that Mark Hazley’s winning score was a work of art.

“I really don’t know how he did it, I certainly didn’t think a point could be scored from that angle, but we were delighted.”

ladies football: kilmacud claim minor crown

Club Noticeboard FINGALLIANS APPLICATIONS are invited for the posi-

mas break on Saturday, December

tion of adult hurling manager. The

8. It will resume again on Saturday,

closing date for applications is Mon-

January 19, 2013 at 10am.

day, December 10. Applications should be forwarded to john.mcgee@osg.ie.

The juvenile Christmas parties for U-4 to U-11 teams will take place this

It was a busy week for three of our

Saturday, December 8. The U-4 to

primary schools as they made the

U-8 teams will have their party from

journey to Croke Park to play in their

11.30am to 1.30pm and the U-9 to U11

respective Cumaan Na mBunscol

teams will be from 2.30pm-4.30pm.

finals.

Santa will also be paying a special

Both Gaelscoil Bhrian Boroimhe and

visit to the club. For more information

Swords Educate Together were suc-

please contact your son/daughter’s

cessful, but St Cronan’s narrowly

team mentors.

missed out on victory. There were a

Well done to the four Fingallians

number of Fingallians players on the

players on the Dublin minor girls

different teams who were fortunate

team who made their debut in the

enough to play in GAA HQ. Well done

open challenge match last weekend.

to all the teachers and students

Well done Niamh Rickard, Blathnaid

involved.

Mc Kenna, Emer Ni Eafa and Rachael

Saturday was a big morning for

Brogan.

some of Dublin’s future stars as our

The club shop is now taking Christ-

U-7s had their first hurling and foot-

mas orders. A full list of all items and

ball blitz against neighbours St Fin-

prices is available on the club website

ian’s. In all, the club were represented

www.fingallians.com or you can con-

by five teams.

tact the shop on shop@fingallians.

The nursery will finish for the Christ-

com.

FINGAL RAVENS THANKS to all who attended our club

The children’s Christmas party

AGM last Thursday. We would like to

takes place in Kettle’s Hotel this Sun-

welcome any new committee mem-

day, December 9 from 3 to 5pm.

bers and also our new club president Christy O’Brien.

Kilmacud Crokes’ Molly Lamb tries to block down St Margaret’s Lorna Colgan. Picture: Peter Hickey/GAAPics.com

Margaret’s undone by classy Crokes Minor a final Kilmacud Crokes St Margaret’s  peter carroll

4-16 2-7

sport@gazettegroup.com

ST Margaret’s just came up short after putting on a heroic display in the first half of the Dublin minor ladies championship final against Kilmacud Crokes.

Emma Colgan scored both of the goals for Margaret’s in the first half in a display that saw Kilmacud chase the game for large passages while Alannah Jones and Holly Greer kept the Crokes charge in the mix, lead-

ing by three points.

However, the second half saw the league champions hit a new gear, and Margaret’s were chasing the game with Crokes looking as relentless as ever.

Speaking after the game, Crokes’ boss Donal Gallagher admitted that Margaret’s were their closest rivals and the games had been very even over the years. “ M a r g a r e t ’s h ave always been great rivals of ours. They are a very tough and talented team and there’s never much between us,” said the Crokes man.

Also speaking after the final, Margaret’s coach Rory Dwyer praised the work of the players and coaches at the team and believe they could be right up there challenging for silverware next year.

“They were the stronger team this time. They had a great second half and it was always going to be hard for us playing one of the bigger teams.

“There are only three of our girls heading up to the senior ranks next year, so we’d expect to be there or thereabouts next season. I know the girls are capable of it.

“Our coaches Deirdre Colgan and John Kiely have been amazing this year and it’s a testament to the time that they spend with the girls how far they’ve come.

“It is an exceptional group of girls and the way they play for each other has definitely taken them this far in the competition.

“It was nearly an impossible group to get through and I think it sums up the girls’ ability when they were told they had to beat Clontarf by 21 points or they wouldn’t advance, that they ended up winning by 23.”

Please support our Christmas raffle.

It will take place in Kettle’s Hotel (Bar)

Our senior team and our ladies’ team

on Saturday, December 22; great priz-

have been invited into the Paudi O’Se

es include turkey, ham, hampers, wine

tournament in Ventry, Co Kerry, on

and many more.

Friday, February 22 to Sunday, February 24, 2013.

If you can donate a prize, please contact Nick Halligan on 087 221 4992.

Accomodation (self-catering) will

If you would like to buy a ticket,

be €65 and there will also be trans-

please contact any committee mem-

port costs. Any members who wish

ber, tickets are €2 each or three for

to go must pay a €25 non refundable

€5.

deposit. Please contact Peter Kettle

Lotto numbers were 17, 27, 33 and

on 087 995 7429, Stephen Madigan on

38; €20 to Banjo (Snr), Angela Kinsella,

087 919 1631 or Lisa McCarty on 085 730

Betty and Ann Fox. Next week’s jack-

0934.

pot is now worth €4,800.

ST finian’s CONGRATULATIONS to the winners

To celebrate their win and also the

of our players’ player of the year

win by the senior boys in winning their

awards.

final, the club hosted a reception in

The men’s football winner was Kevin

our clubhouse.

Ryan, hurling was James Shelly and

The Christmas grand prize draw

Emma Curran won the ladies football

tickets are available from all team

award. Many thanks to Noel and Fiona

mentors or committee members.

Peacock who sponsored the players’

First prize is €1,000. Get yours before

night event.

they are all gone.

We must also congratulate the sen-

The mentors and helpers night is

ior Holy Family schoolgirls football

being held in Peacocks on Thursday,

team who won the Cumann Na mBun-

December 13.

scol Corn Irish Rubies trophy in Croke

We are holding a Christmas fair in

Park last Monday. It was the first time

the clubhouse on Saturday, Decem-

a girls’ team from the school ever

ber 15 and Santa will make an appear-

reached a final in Croke Park.

ance.

GazetteSPORT all of your swords sports coverage from page 27-31

final destiny: St Margaret’s find Kilamcud too hot to handle in minor football final second half P31

december 6, 2012

cumann na mbunscol: Dublin celebrates best of primary school GAA P29

Grant opens new sailing opportunities  peter carroll

sport@gazettegroup.com

SWORDS sailing and boating club was one of the big local beneficiaries this week when it received a Sport Capital Grant of €23,539.

Committee member Donal Brennan hopes it will bring more attention to the fantastic amenity which exists in the area that he believes quite a lot of people are unaware of.

“We have a very well laid out development plan,” said Brennan. “We have plans put in place for the future of the club and we really hope to bring further interest in sailing and boating into the

area.

“Our main target would be to bring more people into the club and sport. We really have been pushing to expand the club and this extra funding should go a long way to doing that.

“We currently have about 120 members including families and children that are attached to Swords sailing, but I really believe that a lot of people don’t get involved with our type of sport because they think it is only for wealthy people.

“The club already have plenty of boats for our members to use and now hopefully with this capital injection we can buy a few more

boats for the members to use.

“It really is a fantastic amenity and I’m surprised that more people haven’t gotten involved with it. I think if more people gave it a chance they would release how fantastic the estuary is.

“The Broadmeadow Estuary is well known for being a well sheltered, safe location with very little tidal effect which makes it perfect for the sport.

“We have a very active junior section of the club who take part in dinghy racing along with the adults and we also have a fully licensed ISA training facility.

“Certainly, at this time of the year things can get fairly quiet,

but during the summer we have a programme devoted to getting the sport established among the youth of the area, which is very affordable.

“We’ll have a sail on New Year’s Day to get the year underway and we hope we can do great things in 2013.”

Elsewhere in the Swords area, the Aer Lingus Divers were awarded with a sum €19,040; the Aer Lingus Swimming Club (not connected to Aer Lingus airline) received addition funding of €12,900; the Aer Lingus Tennis Club obtained a grant of €25,000; and Hokubu Dojo received €3,593 all from the sports capital grants.

Swords sailing and boating club is hoping grant can aid expansion plans