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OCTOBER 11, 2012 Find us on
Month XX, 2012 Swords • Balbriggan • Applewood • boroimhe • Airside • Rivervalley
INSIDE: Arvato scoops top award for ‘green’ initiative P4
taste of success: Keogh’s Crisps win Enterprise Award 2012 See Page 6
If The Shoe Fits: Plenty of fun at the Pavilions fashion event Football:
Raven’s Deegan called into Dubs selector’s role Page 32
“cinderella” creona Kealy, with the charming Michael Davy and Michael Keelan, takes part in the If the Shoe Fits competition at Swords Pavilions which was hosting an Autumn Weekend of Fashion recently. Members of the public who were lucky enough to try on a shoe that was their size got to keep them. Picture: Una Williams
Full Gallery on Pages 8 & 9
Paralympics: Road to Rio laid out at key open day event in UCD Page 29
ALSOINSIDE: Galleries.......................8 BUSINESS..................... 18 MOTORS........................ 20 TRAVEL.......................... 22 ENTERTAINMENT......... 24 CLASSIFIEDS................ 26
Scrapyard blaze enquiry under way Houses evacuated after fire breaks out on Swords Rd
Natalie Burke
Four houses were evacuated following an overnight fire in Swords earlier this week, when a massive blaze broke out in a scrapyard on the Old Swords Road. The fire, which broke out at the Boland’s car dismantlers on
Nevinstown Lane, is believed to have started just before midnight on Sunday, October 7, and continued until the early hours of Monday morning. Recent media repor ts claimed the scrapyard contained a number of gas cylinders, which were feared to have been affected by the fire.
A spokesperson for Dublin Fire Brigade, however, confirmed the cylinders did not go on fire but, due to “standard procedure”, it was necessary the area was evacuated. The cause of the blaze is still unknown and is currently under investigation. Full Story on Page 3
2 SWORDS GAZETTE 11 October 2012
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IT’S A WINNER Fingal Enterprise Week whets appetite
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Caroline Keeling (MD of the Keeling Group); David Keeling (MD of Keelings retail, Ireland); Joe Harford (chairperson Fingal County Enterprise Board); Oisin Geoghegan (CEO, Fingal County Enterprise Board); Joe Keeling (CEO and founder of Keelings); managing director of FoodCentral, William Keeling. Pictures: Joe Keogh
Food showcase proves a treat O NE of the highlights of Fingal Enterprise Week, the food showcase event for the Dublin Food Chain with Keelings at FoodCentral was attended by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD on October 2. The winner of the 2012 Fingal Enterprise Award, Keogh’s Crisps, was also announced by Minister Bruton.
450 wds
Fingal Enterprise Week, which is organised by Fingal County Enterprise Board and supported by Fingal County Council, Bank of Ireland and Newstalk finished on October 5 with National 50+ Enterprise Day and ‘My Biggest Challenges’ seminar. Tom Keogh, Keogh’s Crisps was named as winner of the Fingal Enterprise Awards.
Paul Horan (Bank of Ireland); Caroline Keeling (MD of the
Deirdre Fogarty (River Cafe Lucan); Lynne
Keeling Group
Durgan and Nicola Smyth (Big Red Kitchen)
Jimmy Finn; Aisling Bray; Des Bray (Macro Stainless)
Joe Harford Chairman, Fingal County
Michael Slawski (Bord Bia);
Enterprise Board; Frank Ryan, CEO Enterprise
Danielle Townsend (Danielle
Ireland; Tom Keogh, Keoghs Crisps
Townsend Design)
Joe Keeling; (CEO and founder of Keelings); managing director of FoodCentral, William Keeling; Caroline Keeling (MD of the Keeling Group); Minister Richard Bruton; Joe Harford (chairperson, Fingal County Enterprise Board); Oisin Geoghegan (CEO, Fingal Pauline and Vincent Keeling
County Enterprise Board) and David Keeling (MD of Keelings retail, Ireland)
11 October 2012 SWORDS Gazette 3
firefighters Eight units needed to tackle incident
Four houses evacuated during blaze natalie burke nburke@gazettegroup.com
F ou r ho u ses were evacuated following an overnight fire in Swords earlier this week, after a blaze broke out in a scrapyard on the Old Swords Road. The fire, which broke out at the Boland’s car dismantlers on Nevinstown Lane, is believed to have started just before midnight on Sunday, October 7, and continued until the early hours of Monday morning. According to a spokesperson for the Dublin Fire Brigade, eight units of the fire department were called to the scene
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and the fire was extinguished by 3am. “We got the call just before midnight and we had approximately eight units in attendance during the timeframe. Because of the nature of the fire, it required a large attendance,” she said. According to recent media reports, the scrapyard was believed to have contained a number of petroleum-based chemicals, as well as gas cylinders, which were feared to have been affected by the fire. It was confirmed by the spokesperson for Dublin Fire Brigade, however, that the cylin-
ders did not go on fire but, due to “standard procedure”, it was necessary for the fire crew and An Garda Siochana to evacuate the area surrounding the site. T he spokesperson explained: “We were there to ensure that the blaze was put out and there was no leakage around the site. The fire was put out fairly quick that morning but because of the cylinders that were there, they had to be cooled so the fire brigade remained in attendance.” Four houses to the rear of the scrapyard were evacuated during the blaze, while gardai
Dublin Fire Brigade said it was necessary to evacuate the area
closed the Old Swords Road between the Cloghran roundabout and the Airside Industrial Estate Junction, while the fire crew remained at the scene. The road was closed following the advice of the chief fire officer in charge on the day and
traffic diversions were put in place. AA Road Watch, Dublin Bus and all road users were made aware of the road closures in the two days following the fire. The cause of the fire is still unknown and is currently under investigation.
“The matter is under investigation and it will be between Dublin Fire Brigade and An Garda Siochana, after that we can’t really say much more. We don’t really comment on live investigations,” said a spokesperson for the gardai.
pavilions New store for beauty supplier One of Ireland’s leading suppliers to the beauty and hair industry, Terrisales Salon Supplies, last week opened a new store at the Pavilions Shopping Centre, Swords. While supplying to professional hair and beauty salons and companies, Terrisales also supplies to the general public stocking well known brands such as L’Oreal, Wella, Revlon, Schwarzkopf, TiGi, Fake Bake and more. The new Swords-based store is the fourth shop to be opened by Terrisales, and is located on the ground floor level of the shopping centre. Terrisales has been serving the Irish hair and beauty industry for over 30 years and currently employs 17 full and parttime staff trading from three locations in The Square, Tallaght, Nutgrove Shopping Centre, Rathfarnham and Dublin City Centre.
4 SWORDS Gazette 11 October 2012
fingal 1,500 participants and 15 events held over the course of five days
Enterprise week aims to create more jobs Natalie Burke
Up to 1,500 local entrepreneurs and business people attended this year’s Fingal Enterprise Week, an event providing information and advice to help local businesses in Fingal with their ongoing development and, ulti-
mately, job creation. Organised by Fingal County Enterprise Board, the enterprise week proved to be a huge success, with 15 major events held over the course of the five days. Taking place from Monday, October 1, to Friday, October 5, the events
attracted a huge number of owners and managers of small businesses and people interested in starting a business from Fingal and other parts of the country. Over 200 people gathered at the opening event, Working in a Digital Age at the Carlton Hotel at
Dublin Airport, which focused on how the online era is changing the shape of business, while Wednesday saw another busy day, with a business start-up bootcamp, business startup evening clinics and a Fingal Women in Business event in Swords. The week concluded
with the National 50+ Enterprise Day, which attracted delegates from across Ireland to Fingal. Following the successful week, Oisin Geoghegan, chief executive of Fingal County Enterprise Board, said: “We were delighted that many larger companies including
IBM, Paypal and Keelings bought into Fingal Enterprise Week, by sharing their skills and expertise with smaller business owners and managers. “Many successful entrepreneurs including Nicola Byrne from 11890 and Tom Keogh from Keogh’s Crisps shared the secrets
of their success with practical advice and key tips to new and fledgling companies. “Fingal Enterprise Week was all about stimulating enterprise with the aim of creating new jobs and promoting opportunities in the region,” he concluded.
Dail debate on pyrite scheduled Natalie Burke
A Dail debate on Pyrite, an issue affecting many homes in Swords, Balbriggan, Malahide and Lusk, is to be scheduled before the end of October. The announcement was welcomed this week by Brendan Ryan, Labour Party TD for Dublin North, who said he looks forward to speaking at the debate and encouraging the Government to take “control of the situation”. “Barring any unforeseen events, the Dail is due to debate the Pyrite issue and the fallout from the Pyrite Panel’s Report, on either October 18 or 25. When the report was published in July, [Minister of
the Environment, Phil Hogan] gave the key stakeholders a deadline of the end of September to come back with a proposed solution to the issue,” he said. “This deadline has come and gone. It is evident that these stakeholders have failed to come up with any solution. “I look forward to speaking at the scheduled Dail debate, when I will support the recommendation of the establishment of a resolution board, funded by a levy on the construction industry. The Minister and the Government must take control of the situation and demonstrate to the suffering homeowners that they mean business. There must be no more delays.”
Dr Andrew Hetherington, chief executive Repak, with overall winner Repak Best Member Award 2012, Jacqui Palmer and Denis Gleeson of Arvato Hightech EMEA
packaging: firm’s ‘green’ initiative recognised
Arvato scoops top recycling award Natalie Burke
Balbriggan-based company Arvato, this year beat off tough competition to scoop the top award at the recent Repak Recycling Awards, which were held last week in Croke Park. The local company won the overall Best Member Award for 2012, which was sponsored by Arthur Cox. The Repak Recycling Week Awards honour Repak members who have made major contributions to Ireland’s environment through sustainable business practices and recycling. The company, which is a provider of a range of services and solutions to the IT and high-tech sectors and is the employer of 1,200 people in the Republic of Ireland, was
recognised for its commitment to reducing packaging waste through its pioneering initiative, Project Icarus, which saw the company’s packaging decrease by 20% last year. In 2011, Arvato implemented Project Icarus with the aim of reducing the packaging used to ship a pallet of product by at least 20% without affecting the performance of the pallet. Through this initiative, Arvato succeeded in reducing packaging by over 40 tonnes and saved thousands of euro in packaging costs. Darrell Crowe, head of sales and marketing at Repak said: “Arvato has shown exemplary commitment to sustainability through packaging reduction and is a very deserving winner of the
top award at this year’s Repak Recycling Week Awards. “Project Icarus was launched by Arvato with the aim of reducing packaging by 20% and the team delivered on that objective. “Importantly, Arvato have saved thousands of euro in packaging costs and succeeding in reducing their packaging significantly, demonstrating that to operate sustainably is to operate cost effectively. “Repak and Arvato will be working closely together to demonstrate to other companies how they can achieve similar results. We’d like to thank all of our members for their contribution in making Ireland a better, greener place to live.” Minister for the Environment, Community
and Local Government Phil Hogan TD hosted the awards presentation, which was attended by over 220 companies and stakeholders from across Ireland and 12 awards were presented overall. According to Dr Andrew Hetherington, chief executive of Repak, this year’s awards highlighted the increasing innovation and efficiency of Irish business when it comes to preventing packaging waste. “Packaging prevention not only makes environmental sense but as the study shows, economic and business sense. Overall, the awards are recognition of the small steps that individual companies and local authorities are exemplars in the area of packaging prevention, waste electrical and packaging recycling.”
11 October 2012 SWORDS Gazette 5
6 SWORDS Gazette 11 October 2012
unemployment: TD sets business Firm already in US market with plans for UK out to tackle the issue
Information day to help jobseekers A Jobseekers Information Day will be held in Balbriggan next week, in an effort to help address what local Labour TD for Dublin North, Brendan Ryan, describes as “ongoing and chronic” unemployment problems in the area. The event will be facilitated by Deputy Ryan, who believes the community are currently unaware of the local support systems available to them in Balbriggan. The information day will be held at the Bracken Court Hotel, Balbriggan, on Monday, October 15, between 2pm and 4pm. “Excellent local services are available for the unemployed and it is essential that local representatives show leadership in connecting people with the agencies that can assist in getting them back into the workforce,” he said. “I meet people week in
and week out who do not know about the supports on their doorstop. It is important to bring these local resources together with local job seekers.” The information event, which is free to attend and open to the whole community, will be attended by a broad coalition of organisations to supply information regarding unemployment assistance, educational guidance, enterprise supports, CV and interview advice and internship and placement opportunities. “This Jobseekers’ Information Day is a proactive measure to try and address the problem of unemployment which has blighted the constituency of Dublin North. “This is the first information day I have facilitated and I hope to bring another information day to Swords in the next few weeks.”
Tom Keogh, Keoghs Crisps, with his Fingal Enterprise Award and a bag of his prizewinning crisps. Picture: Joe Keogh
Keogh’s Crisps win Enterprise Award Oldtown’s hugely successful Keogh’s Crisps were announced as the winners of the Fingal Enterprise Awards 2012 last week at a major event
highlighting the importance of the Fingal area as a hub for the food sector. T he Dublin Food Forum, which was the biggest food industry event to be held in Dublin this year, was hosted by Keelings and FoodCentral in St Margaret’s, close to Dublin airport, with the theme of Growth, Innovation and Collaboration in the Food Industry. Set up less than a year ago, Keogh’s Crisps have quickly gone from strength to strength, and are now supplying stores throughout Ireland, as well as exporting to New York-based gourmet grocery store Dean & Deluca, which has international outlets from Manhattan to Singapore. Keogh’s Crisps company, which currently
employs nine people, are also in discussions to potentially supply to Canada, China, Japan, France, Germany and the UK. Run by Tom, Ross and Derek Keogh, the handmade crisp company operates from the family farm in Oldtown and, according to managing director Tom, the 10-month old company was delighted to receive the recognition. “After all the hard work you go through to set up a business, it’s great to get the recognition after such a short time. The Fingal Enterprise Board have been fantastic. I approached them about 18 months ago with a pretty advanced plan, and they were instrumental in helping from a mentoring point of view and the
financial assistance to help get the business off the ground at the start,” he said. With new plans already set in motion for the coming months, Tom says the future is bright for Keogh’s Crisps. “We’ve lots of plans and new projects coming up. We’ve started to export into America, we’re also trying to make inroads into the UK market, and we hope to be in there for Christmas. It’s onwards and upwards for us.” Speaking about the Fingal Enterprise Award winners, Oisin Geoghegan, chief executive of Fingal County Enterprise Board said: “We are delighted to welcome the emergence of innovative companies like Keogh’s Crisps, this
year’s winner of the Fingal Enterprise Award. This company is one to watch in the future, the concept is simple but clever.” “T he family, wellknown potato farmers, have branched out into adding value to their primary produce by manufacturing crisps. Very importantly, the company is led by a highly focused and experienced management team. This will prove to be a major boost to enable this company to continue to grow sales, particularly in export markets, in turn fuelling much-needed employment creation.” Keogh’s Crisps will now represent Fingal at the National Enterprise Awards which will be held next month.
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11 October 2012 SWORDS Gazette 7
support ‘Marriage equality is not just a national issue – it’s a local one’
Fingal votes for civil partnerships for same sex couples natalie burke nburke@gazettegroup.com
Fingal County Council has voted in favour of marriage equality, after it passed a motion in support of civil marriage for same sex couples. The motion was passed at a council meeting held earlier this week. The council joins Dublin City Council, which passed a similar motion in September, as well as Cork and Belfast City Councils, which passed similar motions in June.
Marriage Equality, a notfor-profit organisation that aims to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Ireland, welcomed the news that Fingal County Council supported civil marriage for same sex couples saying it was a “wonderful step” to raise awareness of the important issue at a local level. Initiative
“We’d like to thank all councillors involved for their
initiative, and our supporters in Fingal who spoke to their councillors over the last few months about raising the issue,” said Marriage Equality director Moninne Griffith. “Marriage equality is not just a national issue, it’s a local one. It’s about respecting and protecting loving couples and families who are part of our communities and treating them as equal.” The motion was proposed by Labour Councillor for Dublin 15, Mary McCam-
ley, and passed with 12 councillors in favour and three abstentions. Local Cllr Eugene Coppinger (SP) was one of those who voted in favour, and said he welcomed the motion being passed this week. Welcome
“I welcome the motion being passed and there was a good discussion on it at the meeting. It’s good for Fingal County Council, it’s not going to change anything, it just shows that the council
Start it up: Ireland’s first ever National 50+ Enterprise Day the county and City Enterprise Boards
organised Ireland’s first ever National 50+ Enterprise Day today under the theme Succeeding in Your Start Up, to encourage more over 50s to set up their own companies. The Minister for Small Business, John
Perry TD (right) spoke on the day which was the final event in the hugely successful Fingal Enterprise Week. Pictured with Minister Perry are, from left, Oisin Geoghegan, CEO Fingal Enterprise Board and Joe Harford, Fingal Enterprise Board.
is in support of the rights for gay people and marriage,” he said. Support
This week also saw former President Mary McAleese stating her support for the issue, in an interview with Gay Byrne as part of his Meaning of Life series. Mrs McAleese said she had “no problem” with the issue of marriage equality, and that LGBT people were “as entitled to live their lives on their own terms as I do as a het-
erosexual.” Moninne Griffith concluded by saying she was delighted with the support received from councils across the country. “In the coming weeks, we look forward to seeing a dramatic rise in the number of local authorities voicing their support for marriage equality, and sending a powerful message from their communities to the Government that same sex couples, our families and our children deserve equality.”
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Swords pavilions Shoppers take part in a celebration of
Stylish tips for all budgets S
words Pavilions was the place to be for fans of fashion recently when the shopping centre held an Autumn Weekend of Fashion which featured fashion shows daily from 1pm to 4pm on the lower level showcasing the latest Autumn/Winter 2012 trends. The event featured many giveaways with a special If The Shoe Fits competition attracting a lot of interest. Shoppers were invited to make their way to “The Throne” by the centre’s very own Prince Charming. There was a wall filled with boxes of shoes where shoppers could come in, pick a box and sit themselves down on the throne, and, as they say If the Shoe Fits, they got to wear them – right out of the centre. For those shoppers who weren’t into shoes, there was a chance to enjoy pamper zones featuring L’Oreal, Benefit, Elizabeth Arden and Faces. Top stylist Courtney Smith was on hand sharing her tips to suit all budgets and ages with her fashion wardrobe sessions. Tips and tricks hairstyling was provided by Peter Mark on the upper level.
Deirdre King, Courtney Smith and Meggan Dent. Pictures: Una Williams
Jack Magill, Gillian and Grace O’Hara
The event featured daily fashion shows
11 October 2012 SWORDS Gazette 9
all things fashion at a special autumn weekend event
Christina Cawley and Laura Donovan
Alyson Boyle, Monique Bryson-Clarke and Inese Dudele
Models show off the latest trends in high-street fashions
Shauna Rock and Karyn Kilkenny
Michael Davy, Creona Kealy and Michael Keelan
Caoimhe and Emma Fogarty
Matthew John and Alan Marshall
10 SWORDS Gazette 11 October 2012
television Launch of a dating show with a difference
10 10 10 10 10 10CASTLEKNOCK CASTLEKNOCK CASTLEKNOCK CASTLEKNOCK CASTLEKNOCK CASTLEKNOCK Gazette Gazette Gazette Gazette Gazette Gazette27 27 27 27 27 27 September September September September September September 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012
Barry Finnegan and Catriona McGinley
Sean Montague, Katie Jane Goldin and Jonny McCann
Make a date with the Love Clinic L
OTS of revellers mingled at the launch party of the new TV show Love Clinic in the grafton lounge, in the city centre recently. The new TV show, which airs on Thursdays at 9pm, hit the small screen just a few weeks ago, on September 27th. It is proving to be an untypical
Michaela Fitzpatrick
dating show in that it aims to take participants and with the help of experts in the areas of psychotherapy, life coaching and styling, understand where they have gone wrong in their past relationships. Then, the hope is they will be equipped with tools and strategies to get on the road to finding the right partner.
Helen Goldin, Ronan O’Leary and Aisling O’Dwyer
Brendan Marc Scully
A fairly ambitious goal but it should make interesting viewing over the next few months. And maybe we can all pick up some tips from it. Love Clinic is a new show format, created by Straywave Media, with the support of RTÉ and in association with Warner Bros International Television.
Pamela Ryan
Virginia Macari and Jo Jordan
11 October 2011 gazette 11
festival A cavalcade of arts for Dracula author
Celebration of Stoker, fangs to Cornwell bairbre ni Bhraonain
Best-selling crime author Patricia Cornwell is coming to Dublin for the first Bram Stoker Festival which will take place this Halloween. Cornwell will deliver a talk in Trinity College on the rise of the serial killer in crime fiction and its relation to the Dracula legacy. She will also be signing copies of her new book, Bone Bed. The talk, entitled The Anatomy of Fear – From Stoker to Scarpetta, takes place in the Edmund Burke T heatre, Ar ts Building in Trinity College at 7.30pm on October 26. Tickets are €12
and €10 for concessions. Dublin will be celebrating Stoker and all things Dracula-related this October bank holiday weekend, October 26 to 28, with an array of vampire-based events throughout the city. Bram Stoker’s Dublin walking tours will explore the city through the laneways of Victorian Dublin, as well as incorporating creepy visits to places like Christ Church Cathedral’s crypt. There will also be a series of literary workshops on horror writing given by various wellknown authors, includi n g aw a r d - w i n n i n g children’s writer, Celine
McKiernan. McKiernan will give a three-hour writing workshop for children aged 11 to 14, entitled Blood Red Ink in the conference room, Long Room Hub, Trinity College, on October 27 and 28 at 10am, and tickets are €5. Street theatre company Spraoi will give a horror performance suitable for the whole family in the grounds of Dublin Castle, where Stoker worked as a civil servant. Imagining Bram Stoker will be performed October 28 at 5pm, 6pm and 7pm and is a free event, but booking is required. For adults, Ouroboros Theatre Ireland will stage
Author Patricia Cornwell: Coming to Dublin for first Bram Stoker Festival
Stoker, a new play by Paul Walker about the life of the creator of Dracula, and his rivalry with Oscar Wilde. Tickets are €25 and €20 for concessions and the play will be on in the Samuel Beckett Theatre in Trinity College on October 26 and 27 at
7.30pm. The iconic vampire film, and the first of all the Dracula screen representations, Nosferatu, will be shown for free in Meeting House Square in Temple Bar on Saturday, October 27 at 8pm. The silent film will be accompanied by atmospheric
music from 3epkano, a collective specialising in avant-garde cinema soundtracks. Booking is essential as demand is expected to be high. For more information on all the events lined up for the festival, you can go online to www.bramstokerfestival.com.
eyesight
Doctor’s call for eye care A Dublin doctor has urged people in the city to take care of their eyesight. The call from David Keegan, an eye doctor at the Mater Hospital and member of the Irish College of Ophthalmologists, comes as World Sight Day is celebrated on October 11. “More than half of all sight loss is avoidable when detected early, and a regular eye test can identify early indications of eye diseases such as cataract, glaucoma, diabetes and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Many agerelated conditions can be successfully treated if detected early. “In the next 15 years, the Irish population aged 65 and over is set to double and the number of patients with agerelated sight loss problems will increase,” said Keegan.
12 gazette 11 October 2012
filmfest Music on the screen celebrated D oc u m e n tari e s and films about Blur, folk legend Daniel Johnston and Ireland’s DIY scene are among the highlights of a new season of music films taking place at Dublin’s Lighthouse Cinema this month. OneTwoOneTwo takes place over the weekend of October 19 – 21 in the recently re-opened Smithfield venue, and will feature new and old music documentaries, classic films including In Bed With Madonna and one of the best concert films of all time, Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense. On the Irish front, there will be a free screening of A Joyful Slog, a documentary examining Ireland’s DIY scene. Tickets are priced from €15, and there is a weekend pass for €65. More information can be found at facebook.com/ onetwoonetwodublin.
health Life-changing leaders sought for show
Don’t think twice – go for Operation Transformation LAURA WEBB
It’s time again to make a lasting change as Operation Transformation returns for its sixth season, and the show is on the look-out for people who wish to make 2013 the year to change their lifestyle and diet. The Operation Transformation team are looking for people who may be struggling to keep the pounds off or feel their current weight is holding them back to leading the life they would like. T he show returns next year on RTE for its sixth series and, once again, RTE Radio 1’s John Murray Show is on board as the radio home
for the series. Radio presenter Murray recently joined four of the 2012 Operation Transformation leaders to put out a nationwide call to find five inspirational new leaders for the 2013 series. Those chosen need to be willing to radically change their eating and exercise habits, and be prepared to inspire viewers and listeners to follow their journey. Speaking at the photocall, Murray said: “The John Murray Show is delighted to be involved with Operation Transformation once again, and I’m sure it will again inspire thousands of people around Ireland to change their life-
styles and become fitter, healthier and happier. “If the next leaders are half as committed as those who have come before, I think we are guaranteed another successful campaign that will get people motivated to shed the pounds.” The TV show’s presenter, Kathryn Thomas said: “The most difficult thing is filling in that application form and signing your name to it. Don’t think twice – just do it. I know it’s a big deal for people, I know it’s a bit daunting, but if last year’s leaders are anything to go by you’ll be glad you applied. If you’re worried about a family member, friend or colleague, please
Participants from the last series of Operation Transformation Killian Byrne, Natalie Cox, Grace Batterberry and Adrian Brereton with RTE’s John Murray
encourage them to take part. “We’re looking for families to take part, too, and ask that people be available to take part in filming between November 2012 and March 2013. I’d encourage anyone who’d like to change their lifestyle to get in touch with the production team. Don’t put it on the long finger,
do it today,” she added. One of last year’s contestants, Natalie Cox said: “Operation Transformation is a great opportunity. Just take the risk, it will change your life and you’ll never be sorry. It changed my whole personality; I’m confident, happy and not afraid of anything. I am so glad I have changed. I even love shopping
now. It was hard but I will never look back, I’m just happy.” The closing date for applications is Friday, October 19. If you think you have what it takes and want to change your life for the better, check out www.rte.ie/ot/featured/ applynow.html or call Sinead or Andy on 01 864 1444.
DublinGazetteNewspapers Advertising Sales Professionals Dublin Gazette Newspapers is Dublin’s fastest growing community weekly regional publisher, with 8 titles covering the M50 from Swords to Dun Laoghaire. We are currently looking to recruit: We are now seeking experienced media sales executives to work in our advertising dept in our Lucan head office on a number of Dublin Gazette titles. Experience in newspaper advertising sales is preferable. Full clean driving licence and own car required; fluent written and oral English essential. Excellent package on offer to suitable candidates. If you can work on your own initiative within a team environment, are motivated, enthusiastic with an excellent work ethic, please send your cv to: mmcgovern@gazettegroup.com
11 October 2012 gazette 13
libraries: contest
music: attempt to get the most people ever dancing to jackson hit
Click! away to win an iPad 3
A great Thriller to enjoy Bairbre Ni Bhraonain
THE National Basketball Arena in Tallaght will host a Guinness World Record attempt to create the largest ever collective performance of Michael Jackson’s Thriller this month. Thrill The World Dublin 2012 is a world record attempt and charity fundraiser to get the most people dancing simultaneously to the song. The iconic dance will see performers dressed up as zombies executing the moves made famous by Jackson in his video for the song, which was a worldwide hit in 1983. G u i n n e s s Wo r l d Records listed Thriller as the most successful music video of all time in 2006, while, in 2009, the video was the first ever to receive the honour of being inducted into the National Film Registry in America by the Library of Congress, in recognition of being culturally, his-
torically or aesthetically significant. The dance routine is more than 13 minutes long, and the fundraising is dedicated to raising money for the Carers Association of Ireland. T he charity helps people who care for the elderly or infirm in their own homes and includes those who are seriously ill, people with disabilities and children with special needs. The public is urged to go along to support the world record attempt, see a spectacle they won’t forget in a hurry, and help out the association. If you wish to be part of the world record attempt, you should register by going online to the website at www.carersireland.com. Thrill The World 2012 takes place on Saturday, October 27 at 6pm and will go on until 9.30pm in The National Basketball Arena, Tymon Park, Tallaght, Dublin 24.
Witch way to help? Girls spell out a great Cow & Gate way to support children’s hospital CLARE Dooley and Lauren Heary had a
horribly good time helping to launch Cow & Gate’s Spooky Smiles For Crumlin fundraising initiative. The girls were hoping to help the company cast a spell over people all over Ireland to help support the hospital, with everyone invited to hold a Halloween party to help support Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin’s cardiac and cancer care
wards, with a Cow & Gate party pack to help make the parties a scream. A Facebook app (www.facebook.com/ cowandgateireland) also invites users to “spookify” little party goers, and share their picture, with Cow & Gate donating €1 to the hospital for each person that uses the app. For further information on the hospital’s work, see www.smilesforcrumlin.ie.
AVID amateur photographers have a chance to show their skills and maybe pick up a prize this month when South Dublin Libraries runs its annual Digital Photo Competition. This year, the competition has been renamed as Click!, and the organisers are looking for photos that capture the spirit of living, working in or even visiting South Dublin County. Your photo should show something distinctive about the county’s admininistrative area that makes it special. Photos can concentrate on any number of Dublin subjects, whether that means the people, the places, the culture or heritage at work or play and in everyday situations or extraordinary events. Entry is free, and the closing date is October 31. The first prize for the winning photograph is an Apple iPad 3. Entries are acceptable by email or in digital form only, and up to three photos can be emailed to sdc@ireland.com along with contact details, title of the photo and where it was taken.
14 gazette 11 October 2012
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One4All’s Decade in Design judges James Earley, Jerry Kennelly, founder of tweak.com, and Aoife Davey, marketing manager of Gift Voucher Shop with cake-carrying friend at the launch of the competition recently
One4All calling for cards to celebrate ten years Diary TO celebrate 10 years in business, gift voucher company One4all is asking budding designers from Dublin to help them mark the occasion by creating a unique graphic for a specially-commissioned birthday gift card. The winner will receive a MacBook, in addition to their design being produced and sold across One4all’s various sales channels throughout the country. Speaking at the launch, judging panel member, renowned graffiti artist, and graphic designer James Earley said: “This is a great opportunity for those in Dublin involved in commercial and graphic design or for anyone interested in a career within this industry. What better way to draw attention, literally, to your talents with a unique project like this in your portfolio?” Closing date for Decade In Design is 5pm on Friday, October 26. Those interested in entering or learning more about the competition should visit www.one4all.ie/ design.
Road Safety Authority highlight mobile danger STAR of the RTE hit drama Raw and RSA Road Safety Ambassador Keith McErlean this week launched the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and Setanta Insurance national road safety film competition, Keep Drama Off The Roads. The competition, which will appeal to all young budding filmmakers, aims to generate awareness among young people of the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving, particularly texting while driving. The competition marks the launch of Irish Road
Safety Week, which takes place from Monday, October 8 to Sunday, October 14. To date this year, 131 people have been killed on Irish roads. One third (31.3%) of those killed were aged 16 to 25. Last year, 56 young people in this age bracket were killed on Irish roads, representing one in three of all road fatalities. A full list of entry requirements for the competition can be found on www.keepdramaofftheroads. ie.
Get ready for library festival coming to the Red Line this November South Dublin Libraries has announced the first Red Line Book Festival, taking place from November 13 to 17. The Red Line Book Festival features both Irish and international contemporary authors, celebrating books, reading, and the written word. The festival will incorporate the traditional Readers Day on Saturday, November 17, with Dermot Bolger as host, with esteemed guests President Michael D Higgins, Gerard Donovan, Anne Enright, Sean Moncrieff, Ferdia MacAnna, Christine Dwyer Hickey and Adrian Kenny. Readers Day takes place in the The Civic Theatre, Tallaght. Tickets priced at €10 and €8 concession are on sale now. Events will take place at the Civic Theatre, The Victory Centre, Firhouse, Rua Red, and South Dublin Library branches. To browse the programme online, see www. redlinebookfestival.com All the events in the Civic Theatre including Readers Day can be booked online at www. redlinebookfestival.com, in person or by phone (01 4627477)
11 October 2012 gazette 15
retail Website brings virtual service to homes
The shopping centre in your living room laura webb
A VIRTUAL online shopping centre has arrived, making e-commerce easier for the seller and buying easier for the shopper. Fresh on the online market, shoppingcentre. ie is an innovative and convenient new way to shop online from the comfort of your home. The website is designed to unite large and small retailers, service providers and other sellers directly with the customer online. T he website rents space to businesses that want to sell online using an efficient platform with
integrated social media, stock management, discount systems and many other features. This approach is designed to make local shopping even easier with a planned expansion of the site to include Ireland’s shopping centres and other locations, for example, blackrock.shoppingcentre.ie and swords. shoppingcentre.ie. Commenting on the new website, James McGeogh, of Connemara Foods said: “I set up a virtual shop myself with its easy-to-use guide in under two hours, and it was launched almost i m m e d i a t e l y. T h a t removed a huge amount
of stress out of a normally time-consuming task.” According to the team behind shoppingcentre. ie, it makes shopping fun, easy and cost-saving. Buyers can easily browse and buy online, compare prices and choose the best option for them. The buyer will be able to shop locally, regionally or even globally from many shops around Dublin, Ireland and overseas. Multiple items can be bought and purchased using PayPal. Vendors then send the products directly to the buyer. There are 21 stores currently “live” on the site, with 35 more on the way. Interested businesses
Jurgita Glodenyte, the owner of shoppingcentre.ie
can join shoppingcentre. ie by registering online, paying the store set-up fee of €195. Sellers who register with shoppingcentre.ie before the middle of October will get the first six months “rent-free”. Alternatively, they can choose to start paying monthly fees and avoid
the store set-up fee. Jurgita Glodenyte, the owner of shoppingcentre.ie, says: “We use a flexible approach and will accommodate every business.” After registration, sellers are coached in how to add products and pictures, prices and deliv-
ery instructions on the site. The team at shoppingcentre.ie can also arrange a PayPal set-up and recommend the best shipping companies to help them deliver their products. For further information, see www.shoppingcentre.ie.
theatre
Thrill to new form on stage DUBLIN’S Project Arts Centre will this week play host to an elaborate experiment in theatre, when Your Brother, Remember? comes to town. Written by reknowned American playwright Zachary Oberszan, the play uses the concept of before-and after photographs, and splices together home videos, Hollywood film footage and live performance within the proscenium arch. Challenging expectations, Oberszan depicts the peculiar parallels of his childhood with his brother and the life of their hero, Jean Claude Van Damme, and explores how the brothers’ life paths diverged from the hopes of their past. The show runs from October 11 to 13 at 7.45pm nightly, with a 5.45pm show on October 13. Tickets, priced from €15-20 are available from www.projectartscentre.ie
16 gazette 11 October 2012
Gazettemusic review: tyler hilton releases the long-awaited forget the storm
Coming through stormy waters Paul hosford
ACROSS the world, there are acts dreaming of landing a major-label deal. Even in the changing musical landscape, the backing of a behemoth company to keep an act on the radar of news outlets, radio stations and tastemakers the world over can be an invaluable resource. But, for every star that labels create, there are the others. T he scrapheap of those promised the sun, moon and stars but come up short is littered with artists too talented not to continue making music. For Tyler Hilton, prob-
ably best known for his role as Chris Keller on the hit show One Tree Hill and for playing Elvis Presley in the Johnny Cash biopic, Walk The Line, a five-year stint spent writing and eventually scrapping an album on Warner Bros was the beginning of something of a rebirth. The Storms We Share may have proved ill-fated, but his new album, the aptly-titled Forget The Storm, sees him in fine form. For a man who hasn’t released an album in eight years, Hilton has a remarkable swagger. Opener Kicking My Heels features big, bassy drums and a huge chorus that recalls Match-
box Twenty in their prime, with Hilton singing “Even God needs the Devil/And I’m one hell of a friend/If it makes you feel better/At least we’re going down together” before embracing his faith, exclaiming “Ha!”. Prince of Nothing Charming is another chorus-driven pop song, with the raspy vocals, the earnest lyrics (“And I got nothin’ when you smile like Mona Lisa/ Cos I need ya/I need ya tonight”) and the big guitars-and-piano-driven chorus proclaiming “Baby, You’re Beautiful”. It is quintessentially American teen-dramasoundtrack standard, but is no worse for it. It is, like the vast
majority of the tracks on the album, a well-crafted, catchy and ever-somelodic song. Hilton is a writer capable of writing big, commercial-sounding hooks, which many scoff at and deride as a skill. But, the reality is, there are many, many hugely talented bands that are a good hook away from being great. Singalong hooks, choruses and riffs are priceless in this day and age as they can command attention in a world where the average music career lasts as long as a Kim Kardashian marriage. But, Hilton himself seems to be aware of his skill and branches out
on Forget The Storm. Leadoff single Loaded Gun is a bluesy piece of stomp rock and Ain’t No Fooling Me sees Hilton in touch with southern rock. The songs come as a breath of fresh air in the album, even if, personally, I prefer the acoustic/piano efforts, with Leave Him and I Belong being absolute highlights and You’ll Ask Me the best song on the album, showing Hilton as a writer of massive talent and potential. Let’s just hope it’s not another eight years to the follow-up. Hilton is on his way to Dublin for a gig at The Academy on October 25 with tickets €20.
Tyler Hilton’s all-American face is matched by his sound
11 October 2012 GAZETTE 17
GazetteBEAUTY
Edited by Laura Webb
Use the scent of summer to banish the winter blues
S
O IT’S the end of the summer – not that we actually had one, but who says we can’t still enjoy the fresh and revitalising scents that are associated with the summer season? Roger and Gallet Paris, a perfumery since 1862, has two great fresh fragrant water sprays that are sun-filled to brighten up even the darkest days. The first is Eau Sublime Or – Boise D’Orange. This fragrant water has fresh notes of mandarin, with a hint of coconut and vanilla. What is great about this product is that it adds an elegant glow to the skin, courtesy of the little speckles of golden sparkles incorporated into the spray. Another fragrance from this perfumery is Rose Imaginaire – Eau fraiche parfumee. This natural spray has been inspired by the wonders of nature. It, too, has a zesty fragrance of mandarin, complemented by strawberry, giving it a great fruity note, while jasmine and violet blend sweetly, leading to the heart of the
--------------------------
‘Be adventurous with your fragrances, and you will be surprised how they will lighten your mood’ --------------------------
fragrance. These fragrances are not overpowering, and they each leave a subtle scent that will have everyone talking. The recommended retail price is €39.75. For further information, and for a full list of stockists, see www.roger-gallet.ie. Meanwhile, Lancome has launched its new shower gel and body lotion inspired, by its new fragrance – La vie est belle. The shower gel and body lotion are now available, complete with a wonderful fresh scent, courtesy of the new Lancome fragrance. La vie est belle shower gel and body lotion are now available from your nearest Lancome counter, with a RRP of €32 (shower gel) and €34
Eau Sublime Or – Bois D’Orange: fresh notes of mandarin, with a hint of coconut and vanilla
(body lotion). La vie est belle eau de parfum is available from Lancome counters nationwide, priced from €47 (30ml). So, instead of feeling the blues this autumn/ winter, let your senses be
your guide to make you feel and smell like the warmest day of summer. Be adventurous with your fragrances, and you will be surprised how they will lighten your mood – the fruitier, the better!
Super search: Hunt is on for next top stylist THE search is on for a super stylist, with Oasis teaming up with TV3 to launch My Personal Stylist 2012, with a dream job as a personal stylist up for grabs. Last year’s winners of the Oasis Personal Stylist search, Justine King and Sarah Blake, styled Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model 2012 contestant, Lisa Madden (centre) to help launch the search. For further information, and entry forms, call into your local Oasis outlet.
Eau Sublime Or (top), and Rose Imaginaire
Get ready – A&F is about to open FASHIONISTAS everywhere, hold on to your stylish hats – the legendary American chain that is Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) opens its Dublin flagship store next month. On November 1, at 11am, A&F will open its store, located at 34 College Green, with the historic location to be the first of its kind in the region. Known for its exceptional quality, the international chain, which is more than 100 years old, has very well-known admirers, with the brand worn by some of America’s most notable visionaries and leaders. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and John F Kennedy were patrons, as well as American icons such as Amelia Earhart, Ernest Hemingway, James Dean and Katharine Hepburn. A&F is known around the world for its iconic, provocative image of the perfectly toned and defined AllAmerican Guy. The iconic image of the “hot guy” honours the longstanding heritage of strength that A&F has been known for since 1892. For the opening ceremony of the store, the hottest A&F Guys, carefully selected from their stores in the US, Italy, Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Belgium, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong will be flown into Dublin. During the week leading up to the opening, the A&F Hot Guys will be greeting and taking pictures with fans outside the store. Follow A&F on Facebook and Twitter, and line up early on November 1 for the grand opening.
18 GAZETTE 11 October 2012
GazetteBUSINESS
Supported by AIB
Interview: Jacqui Fogarty, Little Miss Party Nails, Little Miss Party Hair FINANCIAL PLANNING MADE EASY I USED to be a dreadful worrier. (Stick with me on this, because it is relevant.) I would lie awake at two in the morning, asking myself where I had gone wrong and a voice would answer back: “This is going to take more than one night.” Then, I had the good fortune to work with a successful entrepreneur who, for the purposes of this article, I shall call Gerry, because that happens to be his name. The thing I noticed straightaway about Gerry was that he had elevated list-making to an art form. Before he wanted to achieve something important – start a business, raise millions of euro a year for charity, launch a takeover – he would prepare a list of all the different steps involved. Anyway, as someone who has elevated plagiarism to an art form, I copied him and, although I cheat (I often write down things I have already done for the satisfaction of being able to cross them off), I have found that the simple process of listing has dealt a deathblow to my nocturnal fretting. What does this have to do with financial planning made easy? If more people realised that financial planning was nothing more than a bit of glorified list-making, they might be keener to take it on.
A well-executed plan What can a financial plan do for you? I’ll cut to the chase – financial plans are like a powerful amulet. This is what a good, well-executed financial plan could do for you: • Wipe out all your personal debts. • Help you pay off your mortgage early. • Make sure you never have to borrow again. • Help you build up plenty of savings. • Ensure that your money achieves the highest possible return. • Give you enough money to retire early. • Protect you and your dependants against financial hardship. • Offer you financial freedom. • Make you wealthy enough to never have to worry about the future, whatever it may bring. Think I am overpromising or exaggerating? If anything, I am erring on the side of caution. A good financial plan can make you invincible. What exactly is a financial plan? Perhaps the easiest way to explain how they work is to use an analogy. If you were driving from Copenhagen to Zagreb – heaven knows why, but you are – and you don’t have one of those wizard satellite navigation systems, you would not choose a road at random and hope for the best, would you? No, you wouldn’t. You would plan your journey. If you encountered diversions, you would get out the map and decide on a new route. Throughout the journey, you would check on your progress. Your financial plan should have the same qualities. That is to say, it should help you reach your destination, make your journey as fast as possible and stop you from wasting time, energy and, of course, money.
Part Two continues next week ... Contact John with your money questions at
jlowe@moneydoctor.ie or visit his website at www.moneydoctor.ie. John Lowe, Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing director of Money Doctor
Jacqui has nailed what little girls want WITH more than 15 years’ experience in the hair and beauty industry, Jacqui Fogarty, from Churchtown, felt there was a gap in the market when it came to hair and nail parties for little girls – hence, Little Miss Party Nails, and her newest party addition, Little Miss Party Hair, was born. She said: “Little girls love nothing more than having their hair and nails done, but I wanted the whole party experience to be more than just that by introducing hair and nail demonstrations for all the guests to creating themselves, with dummy hands and doll heads. “Our parties can be mixed and matched, and are very creative, developing each individual’s imaginative side while waiting their turn.” Being very concerned about applying regular polish, Jacqui sourced award-winning Piggy Paint nail polish from America. This child-friendly formula is non-toxic, hypo-allergenic and water-based, making it perfect for little nails. To seal the finishing touches, nail art/nail decals are applied with a glossy top-coat, glitzy hand tattoo and a ring of choice. They also offer the optional extra of Little Miss Party Bags to really take the pressure off mothers. While each individual guest has their nails or hair professionally crafted by an experienced nail technician/stylist, all the other guests will be busy having fun creating stunning designer nails and crafts or hair designs with gems and glitter as far as the eye can see. Catering for a wide range of different events, and with party sizes covering the Dublin area and surrounding counties, parties start from €125 for approximately 150 minutes, depending on numbers.
Jacqui Fogarty
Q&A Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be? A: In the entertainment industry
Q: What was your first job? A: Promotional work Q: And your first pay cheque? A: A few pounds Q: Have you ever done a job you loathed? A: No Q: When did you start your present job? A: I created Little Miss Party Hair & Nails in March
Q: What is the best thing about your job? A: The flexibility that it gives being a working mum
Q: What’s currently on your desk that shouldn’t be? A: Chocolate
12 is listening to or watching, I am, too – I have to get into their world to be able to party with them
Q: Who would you rather have dinner with – Enda Kenny or Dame Edna? A: Dame Edna
Q: Is there anything about yourself that you would like to set the record straight on? A: Yes – I am a bit of a clean
Q: Who best represents modern Ireland – David Norris or Jedward? A: It has to be Jedward
Q: Where do you enjoy spending money frivolously? A: Everywhere
freak and have to be organised
Q: What music/pictures/movies do you have on your iPod/ iPad? A: A mixed bag of everything
day ... I am a working mum
Q: What sport do you follow? A: Golf, as it’s never off our television
Q: What sport can you play? A: I love skiing Q: What habits would you like to lose? A: Lost many a bad habit a long time ago, but there is still that chocolate on the desk
Q: Have you achieved anything that you once thought you could not pull off? A: Being my own boss
Q: At the moment, what are you looking forward to? A: A few days’ break away with
Q: What part of your working day do you delegate? A: [Nothing, as] All day every
Q: What is your guilty music/ TV or movie pleasure? A: Everything that a girl under
the hubby
Q: Who do you follow on Twitter/Facebook? A: Anyone that makes me laugh
Q: What was your last Tweet/ status update? A: The fact that we are delighted to be promoting Oxfam Ireland’s Pass The Present campaign (www.oxfamireland. org/passthepresent)
Q: Describe your dream meal? A: The one whereby you lose pounds as you eat ...
Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own? A: About 20 Q: What was your worst holiday experience? A: Lots of great holidays when I would arrive – but always drama, getting there and back
Q: Describe your dream holiday? A: The one that never ends ... Q: What would be your dream job? A: I am in it now. Partying every week with happy faces – who could ask for more?
Q: What do you plan to do when you retire? A: Keep partying
11 October 2012 GAZETTE 19
GazetteBUSINESS Many happy returns for 2011 taxes
Supported by AIB
ADVICE: HINTS AND TIPS ON NEGOTIATING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SELF-EMPLOYED
Paul Brady AITI BL BCL, a chartered tax adviser and founder of taxandlegal.ie, recently spoke to GazetteBusiness about the upcoming tax return deadline, and had some hints and tips to help people to complete their returns. It is tax return time again. If you were self employed and/or a landlord in 2011, you are required to file a return and pay tax on or before October 31 next. The following are some tips for those faced with a looming tax bill:
1. Do not bury your head in the sand Do not develop a false sense of security because there is no one banging down your door. A tax liability will not disappear if you ignore it. In fact, it will grow at 8% per annum interest and that is ignoring surcharges and penalties which may apply. 2. Working from
home Many self employed individuals operate from their own home. Remember, you can deduct part of the cost of electricity, heating, telephone and internet. You must apportion costs between private and business use on a reasonable basis. In many cases, people will use square footage, usage or time spent as a basis. If you are renting, a portion of the rent attributable to a home office could be claimed. If you are in receipt of mortgage interest relief at source (TRS), be careful in trying to claim mortgage interest payments as a deduction. 3. Use actual expenses Some sole traders estimate their expenses based on the angle of the sun and direction of the wind. This is not a good idea. If you are audited, Revenue may seek the supporting documentation for expenses claimed
and, if they do not exist, Revenue can use their own estimate of what your expenses were. Needless to say, that is not a desirable situation.
4. Preliminary tax Once your business is up and running for two years, you will have to pay the balance of tax due for last year (ie 2011) and preliminary tax in respect of this year (ie 2012). Preliminary tax is an amount equal to 100% of last year’s tax or 90% of this year’s total. Some banks are offering loans to meet preliminary tax liabilities. If you can pay last year’s tax but preliminary tax is causing you difficulty, you should get in touch with your local Revenue office. Despite the impression given in the media, the Revenue Commissioners are not looking to put people out of business and will work with you. 5. Mortgage deduc-
tions for Landlords Normally, mor tgage repayments will have both a capital and an interest element. If you are renting a residential property, remember that only 75% of the interest element of the mortgage repayments is deductible. Do not make the mistake of assuming that because the mortgage exceeds the rent, no tax arises. Besides, if you declare losses now, they can be offset against profits in the future (here’s hoping!). 6. Spare cash If you have cash to spare, you could reduce your tax bill by investing in a tax relieved film or an EIIS scheme. Investments made now will reduce your 2012 liability. You could also make a contribution to a PRSA or other pension in respect of 2011. Again, up to certain limits, your taxable income will be reduced by the amount of the contribution.
Paul Brady AITI BL BCL, chartered tax adviser and founder of taxandlegal.ie with some tax tips
www.gazette group.com All of your latest local news, sport, features and pictures are now just a click away
20 gazette 11 October 2012
GazetteMOTORS Bose edition RoadSigns bodes well for Renault’s Grand Scenic Over €2k of extras for loyal customers
When a car hits the right notes, manufacturers are often faced with a dilemma about where to go next? It could easily be seen as arrogant to assume that a successful offering is so good that it needs no refinement, yet at the same time, to mess with a successful concept can often detract from its original appeal. The Skoda Yeti is a car that I have great affection for - it was the very first car that I test drove as a motoring journalist, and it put a big smile on my face.
n Cormac Curtis
The Skoda Yeti Urban
At the time, my own car was a big SUV that guzzled petrol if you so much as looked at it, and it didn’t really like to move very much. The Yeti, on the other hand, politely sipped from its diesel tank and ate up motorway in exceptional comfort. To say I was smitten would be putting it mildly. This car offers so much to so many it has been widely hailed as one of the most complete cars on the road. It’s an incredibly eye-catching and attractive car, and it’s big, but it’s not so big that it becomes impractical for city living. For getting away from it all – it has everything you need for a rural break, no matter how outdoorsy your demands may be. Even using the standard seating configuration, the car has enough clever nets, hooks and storage areas to keep all your gear stowed safely. It offers Skoda’s VarioFlex rear seating system – so even skiing and surf gear can be carried while passengers still ride in comfort. The Yeti Urban is powered by Skoda’s efficient 2.0 TFI (110bhp) engine, which gives it a nice bit of power when you need it. So, in short, Skoda is offering its loyal Yeti customers over €2,000 worth of extras for just €220 with the Urban spec. The car comes with the extraordinary panoramic sunroof, attractive 17” black/silver alloy wheels, a Bolero Radio, multifunction leather steering wheel with Bluetooth, the VarioFlex seating, tinted sunset windows, cruise control, airconditioning, ESP and a total of seven airbags for added safety. For €25,495 you are certainly getting a lot of car for your money.
I was a little taken aback when I heard about the Renault Grand Scenic Bose Edition. Q u i t e h o n e s t l y, I really couldn’t understand how Renault were going to marry a car with a premium sound system as a special edition model. My confusion dissipated as soon as I saw the car. The designers really did manage to capture a variety of musical elements and translate them into style points on an already impres-
sive vehicle. The Grand Scenic itself defies accepted wisdom by providing an incredibly roomy car with a selection of very economical – and comfortable – diesel engines that don’t disappoint when it comes to performance. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating, the efficiency that car manufacturers can squeeze out of such small engines continues to impress me. The model I drove came with the 1.6 dCi engine producing 130 bhp, more than enough poke to balance the
power-to-weight ratio of this particular cruising machine in the driver’s favour. Not only that, it will use just 4.4 litres of fuel per 100km on a combined cycle. The look of the car really does set it apart. The pearl white paint is the perfect canvas on which to show off the obvious as well as the more subtle design cues. A good place to start is the lights. The rear shows off L -shaped clusters that w rap around the side as well as up towards the roof of the car.
This lifts what could have been the least attractive aspect of the Scenic. The boot boasts an attractive chrome strip across the handle, and, moving around to the side, and we are presented with more beautifully understated chrome strips set just above the bottom of the doors. This chrome pack is finished off at the front, where we are presented with three strips accenting the dramatic black, low-set grille. The middle strip has a cluster of LED lights set in to give the front
The Grand Scenic did not
an impressive look at night. On the inside, I can only describe the dash as being lifted straight from a grand piano. There is some of the
11 October 2012 GAZETTE 21
Edited by Cormac Curtis
RoadSigns
The new Panda’s looks are all about practicality
Fiat introduces its new Panda
disappoint when it came to performance
most highly polished panels I have ever seen in a car adorning the console, and only the mere mention of Bose, a name that only appears very subtly on the car, inside and out. In terms of sound – anyone with a passing interest in music will be completely blown away by what the system is capable of producing across its nine speakers. My own choice of very loud guitar and hip hop really must have seemed at odds with the somewhat practical image of the Grand Scenic. The comfort of the driver and passengers is, of course, well taken care of with a list of features including a combined odour/particle filter, dual-zone climate control, electrically operated heated folding door mirrors, a
heated rear windscreen, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers, electric front windows (driver’s one touch) , the innovative handsfree Renault card and the very useful hill start assist. For safety, electronic parking brake, ABS - Emergency brake assist, front lateral and curtain airbags, ISOFIX child seat mounting points (rear side seats), front fog lights, a perimeter alarm and a safety pack are all standard in the Bose edition. Not forgetting the Bose® Energy Efficient Series Sound System with Bluetooth® and Plug & Music. The sat nav features Britain and Ireland maps and the Carminat
TomTom Live navigation system Controls include cruise control and speed limiter, rear parking proximity sensors, electric parking brake, daytime running lights and motorway mode
indicators. I felt the dark grey upholstery with Teflon treatment and leathertype inserts complemented the console, and the leather steering wheel gave one of the most important points
of contact a very luxurious feel. The car’s 17” alloy wheels, extra tinted rear windows and black sari aluminium wheel rim all added to a very exclusive package that made this dad feel very young at heart.
THERE are certain cars that will always have a place in the hearts of Irish motorists. One such car is the Fiat Panda. Many consider it a design classic, with a shape that first hit the streets in 1980. It has had just two significant makeovers in Europe over the last three decades. The most recent shape came off its Italian production line in 2011 and hit the Irish market earlier this year. If you’re honest, the idea of a Panda will probably bring a smile to your face, with just a hint of a smug grin at the thought of the original boxy shape. But let’s not forget that the Panda comes from Italy – and the Italians know a thing or two about style, even if the dependability of their cars wasn’t always world class. At first glance, I liked the look of the Panda – it’s clearly all about practicality, but there are playful elements of design all over this car. The brief here is user-friendly, with a smile. Several features of the second generation of the Panda have been nicely redesigned, such as the vertical rear light cluster and third window, now with softened angles that create the effect of an uninterrupted glazed surface. Smooth, rounded shapes are also found in the strips applied to the bumpers and side panels. Finally, the lower section of the tailgate protrudes with respect to the rear window. Combined with the side line, this gives a distinct impression of a roof panel resting on the bodywork. The interior of the Panda is roomy and comfortable, where flexibility and versatility become the city car’s real strong points. The dashboard – enveloped in a colourful frame – has been designed as a practical multipurpose shell containing a large and roomy storage pocket for very useful stowing. The raised gear lever in the centre of the dashboard, up close to the steering wheel, guarantees comfortable driving. Another stylistic and functional feature is the distinctive shape of the parking brake whose smaller size allows the space to be used more efficiently. This is an agile, manoeuvrable and really big city car - but it faces stiff competition from a wave of small cars that are fighting aggressively for a share of the Irish market, including the Skoda CitiGo, VW Up! and Seat Mii.
22 gazette 11 October 2012
GazetteTravel FastTravel A superb celebration of the arts at Queen’s University Belfast festival WHETHER it’s spending an evening in the company of Van Morrison, listening to the tunes of Ray Davies or enjoying a world-class production of Macbeth, the 2012 Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s University in Belfast is one stop that should be made this month – to a city that’s really made an impact this year. In what is the 50th instalment of the festival, the Belfast arts celebration has come a long way since the modest campus event that first took place in 1961. Over the past 50 years, the festival has showcased some of the world’s biggest acts, including Jimi Hendrix, Kylie Minogue, Rowan Atkinson and Michael Palin. This year, the festival features more than 180 events across 17 days, with world premieres and international acts taking to the stage of Belfast City.
Holidays for Halloween needn’t be hellish at all
n natalie burke
Golden anniversary ... Shan McAnena, Belfast Festival director; Fiona Cunningham, Northern Ireland Tourism Board’s market manager for the Republic of Ireland, and Anne McMullan, Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau, mark a big event
International acts From October 19 until November 4, Belfast will be featuring both home-grown and international artists, authors and performers. Performances by Dublin’s Junk Ensemble, WillFredd Theatre, the Project Arts Centre and the Everyman Theatre in Cork will be highlights of the festival, while productions from across the world will be making their Irish debut. See the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of Enquirer, the controversial production Minsk 2011, by the Belarus Free Theatre, or the Tron Theatre Company’s brilliant re-imagining of Joyce’s Ulysses. Speaking at the launch, festival director Shan McAnena summed up the heart of the festival, saying: “There’s music in shopping centres, churches and museums, comedy at the heart of Queen’s University, theatre in offices, public baths and bars, and art in the open air. “From hip-hop to opera, hunting for fairies to ghosts in the dark, from international superstars to local heroes, we are proud to present the largest and most eclectic festival in Ireland.” For further information, places to stay and things to do, see www.discovernorthernireland. com, or call 1850 230 230.
Halloween is almost here and along with pumpkins, goblins and the other ghoulish types that haunt this time of year, some families may be hoping to make an escape from the regular trick or treating trail. With ghost tours, pumpkin festivals and fancy dress balls on the getaway menu, it appears to be full scream ahead when it comes to choosing a daunting destination this October bank holiday.
Killer Killarney Killarney is known for having its fair share of ghosts and legends and this year’s Halloween festival at the four-star
Malton hotel does its best to awaken the best of them. With party games such as Pass the Pumpkin and Musical Zombies, as well as a programme filled with ar ts and
Two nights B&B with one evening meal is available midweek from just €149 per adult sharing and €60 per child (three to 12 years). See w w w.themalton.com online.
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‘With ghost tours, pumpkin festivals, fancy-dress balls and creepy cruises on the getaway menu, it’s looking like full scream ahead for Halloween destinations’
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crafts, a spider hunt and a ghost bus tour, taking guests on a frightening trip to see some of Killarney’s scariest spots, The Malton has plenty of horrors for the whole family to enjoy.
A family room at the Castlecourt Hotel in Co Mayo
Macabre Mayo Elsewhere, the Westport Plaza and Castlecourt Hotel Resorts in Co Mayo are offering a host of tricks and treats for all the family, from Monday, October 29 to
Sunday, November 4. Just minutes away from the haunted house and fireworks display at the Halloween Fest, Wespor t House, the hotels are tailormade for a Halloween break. The “spooktacular” packages offer a Halloween party night and karaoke for the kids, while mum and dad can escape for some relaxation at the Spa Sula. Three nights’ B&B, plus two evening meals a r e av a i l a b l e f r o m €409 at the Castlecourt Hotel (see www.castelecourthotel.ie online) or from just €449 at the Westport Plaza (online at www.westportplazahotel.ie). See Travel Briefs for a chance to win a break away.
Petrifying Pumpkins For a town normally home to just over 3,000 people, Virginia, Co Cavan, cer tainly knows how to cater for the crowds as a total of 20,000 people are expected to descend in time for the annual Pumpkin Festival, taking place from October 25 to October 29. In what is the town’s sixth year to host the popular Halloween celebration, the event will be headlined by the Hothouse Flowers and
Smashing little pumpkins
the Garth Brooks Experience, and will entertain out-of-towners with a pumpkin weigh-in competition, a haunted forest walk and Ireland’s largest fancy dress party. K nowing where to stay is easy, with plenty of hotels offering some scarily good prices. Stay at the Lakeside Manor Hotel from just €55 per room or treat yourself at the Park Hotel on its own private 100-acre estate from €109 per room. Visit www.pumpkinfestival.ie or www.hotels. com.
Creepy Killiney If there’s one type of hotel that really sells the Halloween theme, it’s got to be an original 18th century castle. And for families who don’t want to travel too far, the Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel, Killiney, could
11 October 2012 swords gazette 23
Edited by Natalie Burke
Competition Win a wickedly good weekend in Westport this Halloween Dublin Gazette Newspapers and the Castlecourt Hotel, Westport, Co Mayo, have joined together to offer our readers the chance to win a frightfully good getaway this Halloween mid-term, with a two-night stay at the four-star resort for two adults and two children sharing, with breakfast each morning and dinner on one evening of your choice. Children can avail of the Buzz Club during their stay, with daily sports, treasure hunts and talent shows. The dates for the prize are Thursday, November 1, and Friday, November 2, and to win, answer this simple question: What day of the week does Halloween fall on this year? Send your answers (including name, address and contact number) by email, with the subject line, Halloween, to competition@gazettegroup. com, by Friday, October 19.
Max and Ruby Kelly helped launch the 2012 Virginia Pumpkin Festival. Inset, the spooky exterior of the Malton Hotel in Killarney.
be just the haunt. From just €370, families can enjoy two nights’ B&B with one evening dinner for two adults and two children. Guests will be greeted by wine and chocolates as well as a spooky Halloween gift for the children. Available from October 29 to November 2, email reservations@ fitzpatricks.com.
Scary Co Derry One of Europe’s greatest Halloween festivals, the Bank of the Foyle Halloween Carnival, is set to return to Co Derry once again this year, with five days of family fun leading up to the spectacular carnival parade and fireworks display on October 31. With events organised for all ages, visitors can dress up in creepy costumes joining the throngs of witches,
warlocks, vampires and monsters haunting the streets. W hy not take up Northern Ireland Tourists Board’s (NITB) special accommodation offer at the Everglades Hotel, Co. Derry with two nights’ B&B and one evening meal from just £95 (€118) per person sharing. For more information or to book, visit www. discovernor thernireland.com or call 1850 230230.
King Cong Spending a night in bewitching surroundings is one theme that sells to both the children and their parents when it comes to taking a Halloween family break. A “ghoulish getaway” package at Lisloughrey Lodge in Cong, Co Mayo will keep the little monsters entertained in
the Skeleton Club with scary movie evenings, Halloween games and ghost story telling, while the family can enjoy breakfast each morning, a delicious dining experience with the “Best Chef in Connacht” at W i l d e ’s R e s t a u r a n t before the Halloween Party pumpkin carving and old-style trick or treating. Available from €390 for a family of two adults and two children, visit www.lisloughreylodge. com.
Sail from Ross-scare Off-shore, ghost ships make up the biggest part of seafaring lore and Stena Line have created the perfect package to create your own legend this Halloween. The Halloween Family fun day cruise takes place on Wednesday, October 31, setting sail
across the Irish sea on a non-landing cruise from both Dublin Port and Rosslare. Passengers can enjoy a scarily good day of Halloween balloon modelling, scary face painting, spooky treasure hunts and Halloween arts and crafts. With a prize for the
best dressed, families can take their trick or treating on board from just €35 for one adult and one child, €60 for two adults and two children or €70 for two adults and three children. Visit www.stenaline. ie/halloween to book your place.
Lighting up the Halloween night in Derry
24 SWORDS Gazette 11 October 2012
GazetteENTERTAINMENT
GoingOUT THE pavilioN THEATRE 01 231 2929 Brendan Grace
THE greatest family comedian of his generation proudly presents 40 years in the comedy business, Brendan’s new show features some brand new material and some old favourites from his vast repertoire over the last 40 years including all time favourite parodies Father of the Bride and Chinese Takeaway. As always it is advisable to secure your ticket early. Grace is playing two shows, October 19 and 20 and tickets are priced at €31.
mill theatre 01 296 9340 Sylvia’s Quest
THIS innovative promenade show uses cutting edge radio technology, which empowers you to listen to the sounds, voices and worlds which only Sylvia can usually see and hear on headphones, as you follow her through her labyrinth. Sylvia’s Quest invites you to take to Dundrum and follow Sylvia on her thrilling quest through the centre’s labyrinth. Sylvia shares her multiple worlds with you, her new friend, as she guides you through her labyrinth of secret streets and time portals. October 17-21 tickets priced at €10/€12.
CIVIC THEATRE 01 462 7477 Gay Byrne Live on Stage
THE Civic Theatre is proud to announce a rare opportunity to see Gay Byrne, one of the most loved television and radio personalities in history, for a live performance. In his five decade broadcasting career, Gay Byrne was “the man who changed Ireland”. From senior politicians to senior clergy to the brightest stars in the Hollywood firmament, he has been a confessor figure to the good, the bad and the ugly. Catch the legendary Gaybo on Wednesday, October 17 at 8pm, with tickets priced at €20.
draiocht 01 885 2622 One-Man Star Wars Trilogy
GROWING up on an isolated farm in Canada, young Charles Ross was starved for entertainment. His family owned just three VCR tapes, one of which was the first Star Wars. Ross watched the film more than 400 times, committing every line to memory. And what was once a childhood obsession has now become a career. The actor’s One-Man Star Wars Trilogy takes fans on a whirlwind adventure through a film franchise that has preoccupied the imaginations of so many children around the world. October 18 at 8pm, tickets €18/14.
Brad Pitt, looking less than Hollywood gorgeous, takes aim in Killing Them Softly
No soft sell for Pitt
Visceral, brutal and violent, there is plenty to like about this gangster film, with a return to form by Ray Liotta
PAUL HOSFORD
AF TER a couple of weeks in the sun, an easygoing, light-hearted film was just what I was after to ease me back into the reviewer’s chair. Un f o r t u n a t e l y f o r me, Brad Pitt has reteamed with the director of 2007’s criminally overlooked and underrated The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford and the lure of that team was, quite honestly, too strong. Assassination was, simply put, one of the finest films of the 21st century and director Andrew Dominik, who announced his arrival with 2000’s hilarious and violent Chopper, could very well become
Film of the Week: Killing Them Softly hhhh (18) 97 mins Director: Andrew Dominik Starring: Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendehlson, Sam Shepard,
OUR VERDICT:
IT won’t please everyone, with some violent overtures, a television news narration of the wider world and nothing that is truly original on show. But, what Killing Me Softly does is recall 1970s film-making at its finest. Gritty, dirty and drained of colour, Dominik creates a world where no character occupies the moral high ground and all are merely shades of grey.
a very important part of the American film landscape (granted, he’s Australian). Without wanting to anoint anyone, Dominik has the visual flair, the technical ability and the violent streak to position him as his generation’s successor to Martin Scorsese. Heady praise, indeed, but with Killing Them Softly his third film, it is hard to ignore the fact that, forgive the cliche,
they just don’t make them like this anymore. Dominik takes his own gangster script, set in the days of the handover from George W Bush to Barack Obama, and forgets the last 20 years of gangster films ever existed. No Tarantino-esque fizz to the conversations, no pop culture references and no jumping around the timeline. This is a film about
two men, Frankie and Russell (McNairy and Mendehlson, respectively), who are hired to rob a mob-protected card game run by local hood Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta, on excellent form). Of course, it is Markie who has hired the hapless duo to rob his game, but nobody involved in the plan is as smart as they think they are. That’s where Pitt and Gandolfini come in as outside enforcers for the various mobsters smarting at the loss of their money. Of course, they are not just in tow n to s h a ke p o c ke t s a n d kindly request that the money be returned and, soon, Frankie and Russell are in a desperate situation, with no way
out in sight. Although some elements of the film are slightly heavy-handed ( T h e Ve l ve t Un d e rground’s Heroin for when a character is on drugs feels a little too on the nose), the strong characters and often beguiling, almost honourable code that they live by are captivating. This is where Pitt, who is surely the world’s finest actor over the last five years (Tree of Life, Benjamin Button, Jess James, Moneyball, Inglourious Basterds and Burn After Reading), steals the show. His Jack Cogan navigates a messy world, but his job remains the same. The lesson, seemingly is, things don’t always change.
11 October 2012 SWORDS GAZETTE 25
GazetteGAMING
Exclusive: We play Halo 4 (and talk to a key Chief) SHANE DILLON
JUST a week ago or so, I dropped in to Microsoft’s HQ in Madrid – as you do – for an exclusive, handson playtest (see below) and look at the upcoming and exclusive XBox 360 title, Halo 4. The latest in a longrunning series (of pure, classic space opera), a lone hero – Master Chief – must work with scant allies and over-stretched resources to deal with hostile alien threats. Which he resolves with lots and lots of shiny space guns, as well as occasional forays into vehicle-based combat ... In my role as the only Irish journalist invited to the Madrid showing, I was also able to bag a second exclusive – an interview with Frank O’Connor, a key figure in the long-running Halo franchise. Indeed, as franchise development director for Halo 4 (and with his extensive Halo background), Frank is, basically, “Mr Halo”, making him the perfect person to talk to about the latest title in
the series, what will make Halo 4 appeal to all-new players and diehard fans alike, developing for the 360, and more ...
of creating. But, to be honest, this time we didn’t drop that many features, compared to the number that we were able to add.
Was it pretty hard to come up with new stuff for Halo 4, or was it just an iteration of concepts, rather than all-out revolution? The first game basically created the template for how you create [this type of] videogame on this type of hardware, from “muscle memory” and control through to networking games and usergenerated content. But, yes, we have to have evolution, too, so we had to have some really big things change, to make it exciting, creatively.
Do you think you have pushed the 360 to its limit with Halo 4? No. This was our team’s first effort on Xbox, yet this is what we [could do]. You have to imagine that our next effort will be even better than this one! We’re supporting the 360 for quite some time [to come] with new map packs, and other content that we’re still creating right now. The old girl’s got a lot of life left in her!
(Above) Halo’s hero, Master Chief, stands by, ready for the global launch of Halo 4 in November; (right)
Were there a lot of ideas that you had to drop through development? When you’re building games, it’s a funny thing because some of the best ideas you have, the most ambitious ideas you have tend to get dropped. We try to be realistic from the outset, and think about what we’re capable
Can you sum up Halo 4 in one thing? I can’t! And the reason is that there are too many constituents to it. But, one thing is that Halo 4 is a fantastic piece of value. Say, back in America, I go to the movies. By the time I pay for my parking, tickets, popcorn etc, I’m up in the $40 range – and if two people go … It can be an expensive night out, just for an hour and 45 minutes of entertainment!
Frank O’Connor, franchise development director for 343 Industries, Halo 4’s developer. Pictures: Shane Dillon
But Halo, for $60, will give me literally hundreds of hours of entertainment. Do you think Halo will reach out to new audiences with its latest addition? Halo will definitely bring in new audiences, this time; it’s been a fiveyear break since Halo 3. A lot of people didn’t have a 360 five years ago, and will be looking for new experiences. Our job is to make sure that the new audiences have a smooth “on-board” experience with Halo, but we also have to make sure that our 10-year Halo veterans are happy, too. Will Halo 4 be accessible to everyone, or is it something more suited to long-term players? A lot of people are intimidated by that Halo
So, after an extensive preview, what’s Halo 4 really like to play? I PLAYED through several hours of a number of Halo 4’s modes; and had quite a blast! (Sorry!) After playing through a couple of Single Player campaign missions, it’s just as you’d expect from Halo, but more so – a mixture of the old and the new, with an elaborate, unfolding plot that’s presented with noticeable polish, thanks to intricate graphics and audio – if you’ve time to notice such things, as the hectic
gameplay (with Halo’s famous AI to the fore) remains as engaging and challenging as ever. The Co-op play (with fellow hacks) was also plenty of fun, with expansive locales and a number of strategic chokeholds mixing up gameplay challenges. Finally, what many gamers still see as its strongest point – Halo’s Deathmatch games – were great, with a terrific must-try surprise giv-
ing a real kick to some of the levels. In short, as an old Halo fan, 343 Industries definitely seem to have nailed the series at its best, with all of the above. Thanks to its unique identity, its strong pedigree, and a clear vision of what Halo “is”, Halo 4 should shoot to the top of the charts upon its release. I’ll certainly be playing along ...
number – 4 – and ask: “Well, will I have to play 1, 2 and 3 [first]?”, but this is a new story, and quite complete. If you ask me which game to start with, I would say to start with Halo 4. Then, when you love that universe – and we hope you do – you can go back and try the other games [to flesh out the Halo universe some more]. And, with that, Frank had to go, though there were, of course, many other Halo and XBox topics that I could have asked him about. I guess they’ll just have to wait until Halo 5 or 6 … Halo 4 is released exclusively for the XBox 360 on Tuesday, November 6 with a RRP of €69.99, or €89.99 for a limited edition.
GAZETTE
26 SWORDS GAZETTE 11 October 2012
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GazetteSPORT
11 October 2012 SWORDS gazette 27
glorious gaa: All the best stories as the championships reach fever pitch: Page 31
soccer: local clubs line up exciting ties in second round of intermediate cup
LSL’s top two face off as Merrion get Phoenix showdown
sport@gazettegroup.com
THE second round of the FAI Intermediate Cup draw threw up some tasty fixtures, set to be played on the weekend of October 28. LSL Sunday Senior high-flyers Mount Merrion have been handed a home draw against Phoenix should they be able to get past the challenge of Glebe North in the first round in what could be the pick of the
bunch. Merrion have been transformed this season since their dalliance with relegation a year ago in the league, winning five of their first six ties before enduring a blip. Among their two losses was a 2-1 setback to Phoenix who have now nestled into second place in the division with an unbeaten start to the campaign. Another Sunday Senior contender, Bluebell United, have also
picked up a home tie as they welcome Belgrove Home Farm to the Red Cow and eye another bid for the competition in which they have such a proud record. Elsewhere, Wayside and Dublin Bus have unfinished first round business but, if they make it through, they face an away day at St Patrick’s CY who have yet to pick up a win in the league. Verona are at Greystones while Broadford
Lucan United and Phoenix are once again hoping to push on in the FAI Intermediate Cup
Rovers have a huge task ahead of them as they face last year’s finalists Cherry Orchard. The Cherries, runners-up to Avondale for the past two years, had an 8-2 win away to Skerries Town in the first round and must travel again in round two, this
time to Broadford who had a bye in the opening round. After last year’s heroics in this competition, Lucan United may fancy an upset despite the two divisions that separate them and Greystones A F C . T h e W i c k l ow team have struggled in
the Senior 1 this term and lie in the relegation zone while the Airlie Heights men have risen from a slow start with three wins from four. Lucan beat a number of higher division sides last season, earning a place in the FAI Senior Cup for their efforts,
notably bringing Phoenix to a replay after an epic tie at Scribblestown. TEK United go to Kilnamanagh; Glenmore Dundrum meet Newbridge Town in St Tiernan’s while St Mochta’s take on Pegasus St James Athletic.
28 SWORDS Gazette 11 October 2012
GazetteSport FastSport
To Hell and Back: Huge turnout for annual adventure race over 1500 participants came through the
third annual “Hell and Back”, Ireland’s toughest 10k race at Kilruddery Estate last Sunday. Barbed wire, electric shocks, ponds of peril, and Satan’s Pit were all obstacles on the man-made hell on earth covering 1,200 acres. The event was run by Alive Outside, a full time professional sports events company in Patrick Street, Dun Laoghaire. The next event on their schedule will take place on January 27, 2013, and will be the Ultimate Test of Winter Hell and Back.
hurling: new initiative offers €10,000 prize fund
Leixlip handballers Court’ success LEIXLIP’s handballers are ready for battle at the world handball championships after they received their brand new, specially designed gear at the Courtyard Hotel last week. The Courtyard Hotel is the main sponsor of Leixlip Handball and, in handing over the new jersey to club captain Una Wrynn, the proprietor of the hotel, Luke Moriarty, said he was delighted to be sponsoring the side. “Leixlip has a proud handball tradition,” said Sean O’Connor, chairman of the Leixlip Handball Worlds Committee, “and since I became involved with the club, a number of years ago I am aware that they have represented their club and community with distinction both at home and abroad, winning many All-Ireland and international competitions. We are proud to sponsor them,” he said. “We have 27 players competing in the world championships (14 juveniles and 13 adults) which take place in City West from October 11 to 21. “We have been looking forward to this since the last championships in Portland, Oregon in the US three years ago. Our preparations have gone well and we are satisfied that this is the best-prepared team to represent Leixlip since the foundation of the club” said Sean. “We are satisfied that a number of our players will reach the latter stages of the competition and we are quietly confident that, with a bit of luck, we might bring home a title or two.” In paying tribute to the Courtyard and Luke Moriarty for their generous sponsorship, Seán also thanked Leixlip Town Council and all the other benefactors who have contributed so generously to the club’s fundraising campaign. The event in Citywest sees some of the best handballers from around the world compete, including Dublin 15 native and multiple AllIreland champions Eoin Kennedy.
Galway’s Joe Canning and and Kilkenny’s Eoin Larkin with flight attendants Joanne Walsh, Natalie Morton, Jessica Reilly and Grainne Nagle
Etihad set to raise the bar sport@gazettegroup.com
ETIHAD Air ways, sponsor of the GA A Hurling All Ireland Senior Championships, has launched a new competition for clubs across the country with the ultimate prize, a year’s sponsorship package with the Abu Dhabibased airline. The winning club will receive €10,000 cash sponsorship fund; new branded playing and training kit; as wellas mentoring, coaching and social visits from key figures inside and outside hurling.
Among the other prizes on offer are Etihad Airways flights and All-Ireland hurling final tickets. D ave Wa l s h , E t i had Airways’ Ireland country manager, said: “Sports clubs are always looking for sponsorship opportunities and we are delighted to launch the competition with this incredible prize. We are looking for the club that wants to raise the bar and show us why they deserve to be the winner.” Uachtaran Chumann Luthchleas Gael Liam Ó Néill urged hurling
clubs ever y where to engage with the initiative.
Engaging He said: “This is an excellent way of engaging with our sponsors Etihad Air ways and there is an attractive prize on offer for the lucky winning club. “It’s innovative and exciting, and participation alone has the potential to stir interest and vibrancy in our clubs as they look at different ways of making them and what they do stand out from other clubs.”
Clubs enter the competition by submitting written and video entries that show how they “Raise The Bar” and why they deserve to win the sponsorship package. Achievement comes in many forms, not just silverware. Etihad Airways wants to reward one special club, whether the focal point of their community, or managing to keep the club going against the odds or even growing their club in recent times. Details can be found online at etihadgaa.ie.
T he winning club will be decided by a public vote and a panel of judges consisting of Nicky English, Des Cahill and Micheal O Muircheartaigh. Etihad Airways has a rich history in innovative hurling competitions and “Raise The Bar” follows the hugely successful “Best Club Under the Sun” competition. T his was won last year was won by Clarinbridge GAA Club in Co Galway and previously saw Lucan Sarsfields claim the prestigious title.
11 October 2012 SWORDS gazette 29
Paralympic road to Rio laid open
FastSport
Next Saturday, potential Paralympic medallists can make their first move toward pursuing their Young boxers take on sporting dreams, writes PETER CARROLL Newcastle’s finest THIS Saturday, fresh off the amazing success of London 2012, Paralympics Ireland will be on the hunt for the next generation of talent, with chief executive Liam Harbison claiming to be confident that “someone will walk through the door this weekend that will go on to be a medallist for Ireland at the Rio Games in 2016”. The Paralympics Talent Search is a chance for all people interested in sport that have a disability or visual impairment to try their hand. The event will need all interested parties to be in the UCD Sports Centre between 10.30 am and 3pm on Saturday, October 13. Harbison claims that in light of the success of Team Ireland at the Paralympic Games, this talent search could be
a massive success with a lot of people becoming aware of Paralympic sport for the first time this year. “For the first time the Paralympic Games got blanket coverage – everyone was exposed to it and I’m sure a lot of
many people that wanted to give these sports a try. “What’s really fantastic is finding people that are already athletes and turning them toward a sport that they maybe wouldn’t have been aware of had they not
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‘Someone wilI walk through the door this weekend that will go on to be a medallist for Ireland at the Rio Games in 2016’ - Liam Harbison
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people will want to get involved with it now that have physical disabilities or visual impairments. “We ran a similar project in 2009, on a far smaller scale, and we expected about 50 people to turn out on the day. It turned out to be 400. There were just so
come out to the open day. “I can remember we had a lot of amputees showing up on the day who had been playing soccer, but there is no amputee soccer in the Paralympics so we put them on to different sports and they went
Liam Harbison, far left, with Paralympic medallists and ones for the future
on to really enjoy them, something that wouldn’t have happened if they hadn’t shown up that day,” said Harbison. Although many people dream of representing Ireland at the Paralympic Games, Harbison underlined that the point of the talent search is not strictly to find some new members for Team Ireland, but rather to get disabled people involved in sports and to find them something they can enjoy doing. “The primary goal of The Paralympic Talent Search is to get people who have disabilities and visual impairments active and get them involved in sport in general. “From there the enjoyment factor comes into it and then there is always the goal to gain a mastery of the skill involved in the activity and that’s where our Paralympians generally come from. “The process of getting to the Paralympic Games is a huge one. “It takes a lot of effort from coaches and the athletes but there have been some cases where people have done great things very quickly and that’s an amazing thing to see,” said Harbison. With a talent search on a much lesser scale in 2009, Harbison witnessed himself how much a life can be changed by simply try-
ing to get involved in sport. “I remember a woman coming into us and she seemed completely debilitated and she wanted to try out one of the cycling sports. “She had been waiting quite a while and one of the coaches suggested that she should try one of the rowing machines while she was waiting so she gave it a go. “T hat woman was Anne Marie McDaid and she went on to represent Team Ireland this year at the Paralympic Games. “It completely changed her and the quality of life she enjoys now is amazing. “Similarly with Mark Rohan, he crashed his motorcycle and suffered terrible injuries and started off his Paralympic journey playing wheelchair rugby. He just decided to give hand cycling a try and now he’s a double Paralympic champion,” said Harbison. The event includes exhibition areas for Paralympic Sports, opportunities to take part, expert advice on what sports suit your disability type, demonstrations of elite Paralympic team sports including wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and cerebral palsy football and presentations by some of Ireland’s Paralympic heroes including Michael McKillop.
MONKSTOWN’S Cameron Fox and Eoin Larkin, Whitechurch’s Sean Mari and Mulhuddart’s Killian McDaid were all part of a Dublin schoolboy’s boxing team (aged from 11 to 14) that travelled over to Newcastle recently. They went there to box against the Tyne, Tees and Wearside regional schoolboys champions, many of who were ABA Champions – the equivalent of an All-Ireland champion. The boxing took place in the newly built Gateshead Academy of Sport and, after 15 bouts, the Dublin schoolboys came away with an 8-7 win, quite an achievement against one of England’s most successful regions. Mari (27kg) and Larkin (31kg) got the side off to a fine start when they saw off Spennymoor’s Charlie Eddy and Kieran Lindsay, respectively. Cameron Fox boxed well but was undone by Newbiggin’s Rhys Harrison while McDaid also found Wellington’s Morgan Guest a formidable opponent at 44kg level. But the event proved a high quality exercise for all concerned with Ed Griffin (Esker ABC) and JP Kinsella (Monkstown BC) among the backroom team helping the side progress.
Dublin 15 hosts All-Ireland WESTMANSTOWN GC will play host to the Míele All-Ireland Ladies Fourball Championship 2012 national finals next weekend with 32 lady golfers teeing off with high hopes of claiming a national green pennant for their club. T he competition continues to grow from strength to strength and this
year ’s tournament which teed off mid May, saw a record number of 235 clubs involved and over 2,200 woman golfers from across the North, East, South and West taking part. T his tournament provides lady golfers across the country the opportunity to win an All-Ireland national pennant in a fourball matchplay format. Eastern Region winners Dublin City, having defeated Lucan, last year’s winners,
30 swords gazette 11 October 2012
GazetteSport FastSport
Walsh and Meehan win yet more titles DOUBLE Paralympic medallists Catherine Walsh, from Swords, and Fran Meehan continued their superb 2012 when they produced a time of 27minutes 32.89 seconds to win the 2012 National paracycling time trial championships tandem title in Arklow. It was the best performance on the 19.2km time trial circuit at the event run by the South East Road Club and also was the last leg of the 2012 Invacare Paracycling Time Trial League. Their win was enough to win the top prize for the year as 2012 Invacare Ireland Paracycling Time Trial League overall champions in the Women’s B category. The Men’s B category was won by John Goldrick and Denis Toomey. Paracycling commission chairman Denis Toomey paid tribute to local man and paracycling development coach Frank O’Leary for the work he put into the success of the league. He thanked the South East Road Club for hosting a terrific event and for providing all the refreshments afterwards. He paid special tribute to Invacare Ireland for their support in sponsoring the league and with providing great deals for those looking for handcycles. Sharon McLean was on hand to present the jerseys. The national paracycling championship medals were presented by Irish Paralympic Gold Medal Swimmer Darragh McDonald. In the H1-H4 handcycling category Athlone H2 handcyclist Declan Slevin followed his club-mate Mark Rohan’s winning ways in claiming the national handcycling championship Title finishing in a time of 41minutes 46.72 seconds. Second place was taken by Darrell Erwin which secured him the Handcycling Invacare H1-H2 League Yellow Jersey. The H3-H4 Yellow Jersey was won by Paul Tobin. The solo bike C1-C5 National TT Title went to Banbridge CC stalwart Chris Burns in a factored time of 30 minutes 58.79 seconds. Chris also took the C1-C3 League Yellow Jersey and Ballahadreen CC Cyclist Jerry Towey took the C4-C5 Yellow Jersey.
soccer: malahide CS student nets interpro second
Leinster were pipped to this year’s interprovincial title by a talented Munster U-18 side, pictured above
Cashin stars for Leinster team sport@gazettegroup.com
DYLAN Cashin of Malahide Community School was part of the Leinster squad that just came short of winning the provinces sixth FAI Schools U-18 Boys’ Interprovincial title, having won 10 of the last 11 tournaments, playing out a scoreless draw with Munster in the decisive match that saw the silverware make its way south. Leinster’s opening encounter saw them pit their wits against Ulster’s best schoolboys and it was a good start for their attempted title defence
although they conceded first with Aidan Sweeney scoring first for the northerners. However, Wexford man Kevin O’Connor was on hand with a brace to cancel out Sweeney’s earlier attempt. With a win meaning two points in the tournament format, Munster and Leinster were deadlocked at the top with two points, with Ulster and Connacht yet to bank points after the Friday fixtures. John McShane’s defending champions could perhpas have taken the westerners a bit lightly in the penultimate
Fingal’s cricket fever: Over 500 take part over 500 schoolchildren attended a number
of coaching camps held within Fingal making them the most successful camps run in recent times. The summer camps were run over four to five days at different venues around Fingal– Swords CC, Balbriggan CC, North County CC, The Hills CC, Rush CC and Malahide CC. The growth of cricket in Fingal was clear to see during the running of these camps with over 100 of these children experiencing club cricket for the first time. All the camps had record numbers attending and this is mainly due to the great work that the local clubs, Fingal County Council and the Leinster Cricket Union.
games played on the Saturday, the Connacht side scored the only goal of the encounter with Portumna’s Conor Barry giving Tom Byrne’s side their first victory of the weekend. Leinster may have noticed the title slipping away when Ulster banked another point from their clash with Ulster, leaving them on top of the table and with Connacht seeing off the reigning champions, that left the west equal with Leinster. Therefore, Leinster not only needed to win their own game against the unbeaten Munster men,
but they would also need Connacht to lose or draw. Munster certainly made it tough for the Leinster men as theyaimed to become the first province to claim six FAI Schools U18 Boys’ Interprovincial title in a row. They battened down the hatches and effectively parked the bus knowing that a draw from the encounter would see them lift the trophy. Connacht did everything they needed to do in their closing game against Ulster, scoring the only game of the last day’s play, and putting themselves on top of the
league table via youngster Liam Flatley who pounced on an opportunity in the dying embers of the game. With the situation the way it was, Connacht then needed Leinster to find a winner against Munster, although they would have been level with McShane’s side on four points. They would have taken the tournament lead on the head to head result, having seen off the Leinster men the day before. The goal would not come, however, and Munster were crowned champions.
11 October 2012 swords gazette 31
football: malahide men stun plunkett’s
Club Noticeboard fingallians THE U-15 championship semi-final
most welcome.
double header on Sunday, Octo-
Fingallians boxers take on Naomh
ber 14; our A team play Ballymun at
Barrog in the “Battle of Fingal” on
home in the A Championship (throw
Saturday, November 3 at the Wright
in time to follow).
Venue, Swords.
Our B team play in the C cham-
Doors open at 7.30pm and night-
pionship semi-final away against
club entrance is included in the
Lucan or Na Fianna at 11.30am.
ticket price of €20.
Well done to our U-14 hurlers who beat Castleknock 2-16 to 0-7 on
Please come out and support your club.
Saturday afternoon. This win puts
Tickets are available now from
them in division one next season;
all boxers and also behind the club
well done to the panel and men-
bar.
tors.
Jim Gavin last week announced
Last week saw the introduction of
his backroom team of Mick Deegan
a new side to the club. Social Gaelic
(Erin’s Isle), Declan Darcy (Clanna
football for mothers/mummies.
Gael Fontenoy), Michael Kennedy
This will continue each Monda y
(DCU) and Shane O’Hanlon (St Vin-
at 7pm. New and old members are
cent’s).
fingal ravens A BIG thanks to all who supported
junior football championship win-
the club quiz on Friday, thanks to
ning manager with Dublin in 2008,
St Sylvester’s Micheal McCarthy had an impressive day for his side and manager Gabriel Bannigan, below
the managers and mentors for
Mick was also an All-Ireland SFC
SFC title dream still alive for Sylvester’s
entering teams.
winner as a player in 1995 with Jim
sport@gazettegroup.com
SAINT Sylvester’s upset the odds to topple a fancied St Oliver Plunkett’s/ ER in the Dublin SFC fourth round clash at Parnell Park on Saturday evening. Plunkett’s lead 1-4 to 0-5 at half-time and six minutes into the second half a pointed free and goal from Gareth Smith had moved the Navan Road side six points clear, 2-5 to 0-5. However, from there to the finish Sylvester’s held the upper hand and began to make their superiority in terms of possession count, something they failed to do for periods of the opening half. The introduction of Darren Clarke bolstered their attaching options but primarily they went more direct and no player benefited more than Dublin senior panellist, Micheal McCarthy, who had a very influential game despite a mediocre opening.
Clarke slotted three frees between the 40th and 48th minute to kickstart Syl’s fightback and McCarthy continued it with a point before he was in the right place at the right time to finish a rebound to the net following a fine save from Plunkett’s keeper, Philip Brogan. Suddenly the Malahide men were three points clear and there was no looking back - they can look forward to a quarterfinal tie. It earned them another huge tie in the final eight of the competition but they must wait to find out whether it is 2009 champions Ballyboden St Enda’s or the victors of 2008 and 2010, Kilmacud Crokes, who they will face. That pair played out an epic draw at O’Toole Park and so must replay in midweek and so may have a touch of fatigue, something which may aid Gabriel Bannigan’s charges.
Elsewhere, Syl’s AFL7 side fell at the final hurdle as they were undone 0-11 to 1-6 by St Vincent’s in a spirited but ultimately disappointing display that saw the Marino men lift the AFL7 title from under their noses. The Malahide club were well in the game throughout but could not find a way through the Vinnie’s defence. At the other end, the Syl’s defense were very frugal but Vincent’s didn’t miss a single point effort and got maximum reward for their efforts. Nonethe-
less it was a great season for the St Sylvester’s lads as they were promoted to AFL6. They also had a good run in the championship while the Parsons Cup win last week added silverware and plenty of positivity ahead of 2013. The club’s intermediate side also had a tough break as they bowed out of the championship at the hands of Cuala who are going in search of a third successive final appearance. The Dalkey club won out by 0-12 to 0-9.
Thanks to all those who participated on tables, donated spot prizes and supported the raffle, to
Gavin. We wish Mick every success in his new role.
all those who helped in organising
The U-12s had their last game on
the night and gave a dig-out. Spe-
Saturday with a win over Erin’s Isle;
cial thanks to Nick Halligan and Carl
this was the girl’s last game with
O’Flaherty.
the team and we wish them all the
Best of luck to our minor team who play Clontarf at 11am next Sunday morning in the championship. Mick Deegan has been announced
best of luck as U-13 girls next year. The division 10 team had a good win away against St Pat’s of Donabate last Sunday.
as a selector in Jim Gavin’s Dublin
We are holding a karaoke night in
senior football management team.
the Pound on Saturday, October
Mick will bring a wealth of experi-
20.
ence with him from his roles as
There was no jackpot winner of
manager with Fingal Ravens for the
the lotto; €20 to Carl O’Flaherty,
last eight years and as All-Ireland
Pat McDonagh and Luke Griffin.
st finian’s CONGRATULATIONS to our Under-15
out to encourage the lads.
hurlers who won their league final
The executive committee of St
and who were presented with the
Finian’s GAA Club extends deepest
league winners trophy after the
sympathies to Jean McGill, our club
game.
registrar, and to all her family, on
They defeated Na Fianna by 3-12 to 2-4 to win the division four title. Well done to all the mentors and players.
the passing of her brother Anthony Garvey. May he rest in peace. St Finian’s ladies’ social nights meet on the third Tuesday of every
Our Under-12 footballers also
month at 8.15pm with dif ferent
continued their excellent form with
topics, crafts and speakers each
a good win against Na Fianna in the
month.
league. Special mention for Cillian
Refreshments and nibbles pro-
Murphy and Dylan Gray who put in
vided for €5. There are also social
excellent performances.
event s arranged every second
Our adult hurling team will be playing in the junior B championship final next Sunday, October 14 at 2pm in Parnell Park and we are expecting a huge turnout from the club to support the lads.
month. Ring Jenny on 087 755 9499 for further details. The club AGM will be held on November 22. The Lotto jackpot was €7,000. The numbers drawn were 14, 16, 17 and
Our club has not had a champion-
23 and there was no winner. The
ship final for a number of years so
€50 winners were Doreen Robinson
let’s make sure that everyone gets
and Rita Collins.
all of your swords sports coverage from page 27-31
walsh’s way: Swords woman adds
another accolade to stellar 2012 haul P30
championship matters: Dublin GAA season builds to a crescendo P31
GazetteSPORT
Mick Deegan will take on a role as one of the Dublin senior footballers selectors after eight years with Fingal Ravens
october 11, 2012
Gavin comes calling for Ravens’ Deegan Rolestown boss hopeful his experience as an All-Ireland winner will come in handy in the Dubs’ new set-up peter carroll
swordssport@gazettegroup.com
FINGAL Ravens boss Mick Deegan is looking forward to getting back to inter county duty after newly appointed Dublin manager, and former team mate of Deegan’s, Jim Gavin, named the Fingal Raven’s manager as part of his selection panel. Sepaking to GazetteSport this week, the 1991 All-Star and 1995 All-Ireland winner highlighted why he believes Gavin was the right man for the job. “Honestly, Jim was always the right man for the job,” said Deegan. “He did such a fantastic job with the U-21s in his three years there and he really knows the game. “I wouldn’t have gone in with him if I didn’t think he was the real deal and I’m looking forward to helping him to future successes with Dublin.” Having tasted All-Ireland glory in 1995 when Dublin beat Tyrone and then again as a manager in 2008 when he brought the Dublin junior panel
to national glory, Deegan is looking forward to the journey that lies ahead. “There’s no doubt about it, the next best thing to winning the All-Ireland as a player would be to win one as part of the management team. “I played in Dublin panels for 18 years and I’m now in management for 13 years. Winning the junior All-Ireland was an amazing occasion and it would be amazing to be a part of it with the senior panel. “I’m looking forward to the challenge – finding the right style for the lads to play with, identifying the right players to bring up from the younger teams and so on.” When questioned on whether he believes his own success along with Gavin in 1995 will help him pick out players for the senior setup, Deegan answered in a light-hearted manner. “I certainly hope so. Jim just played up ahead of me when we played for the Dubs, so I’d like to think our success would help us to identify talent.” As for the current Dublin team, Deegan believes there is still a very solid line-up theree capable of
winning further leagues and championships. “You don’t just become a bad team in six months after being the best in the country. This is a side that got to the semi-final of the All Ireland championship, they only played to their potential for 20 minutes and they were still unlucky to go out. “All of the lads just need a rest, a lot of them are still in championship action for their clubs at the moment, but once that’s finished up we’ll let them regroup and have a meeting before Christmas,” said the new Dublin selector. Deegan will now step down from his role at Ravens at the end of the league campaign after a solid eight years at the helm. “I think I’ve left them in a better place than when I took over, and that’s all I can do. It’s been a great time for me and I wish them all the best for next season,” he finished. It does mean he will step away from his post in Rolestown after eight stellar years during which he lifted the club to the upper echelons of senior football, reaching an All-Ireland intermediate club championship final on the way.