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Gazette SWORDS

INSIDE: We ask the people what will sway their

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Engineering an interest in a diverse profession MALAHIDE girl Ciara Ocks joined fellow budding young engineer Jude Davis and Caroline Spillane, director general, Engineers Ireland, at a special workshop in the TCD Science Gallery’s MAKESHOP recently. The trio were helping to launch the upcoming nationwide Engineers Week 2016, which runs from Sunday, February 28 until Saturday, March 5. With this year’s theme defined as “Engineering our future”, the tenth annual event is calling on schools, businesses and local authorities to get involved with promoting the wonderful, diverse world of engineering, and the profession’s importance. To find out more, see www.engineersweek.ie.

Annual event brews up a storm at the convention centre

February 4-10, 2016

Pink accents help to give St Valentine’s Day bags of appeal

Rugby player passes a kidney to save a life Two pals at centre of a life-changing transplant operation at Beaumont Hospital

 emma nolan TWO former Swords Rugby Club players underwent a life-changing procedure this week in Beaumont Hospital as one player donated his kidney to save another’s life.

Derek Brennan volunteered his kidney to his team mate, Robert “Mossy” Merrigan, after he had lost hope of receiving a donor kidney when his brother wasn’t a match for a transplant.

Merrigan played with Swords Rugby club for a

number of years before he became unwell and couldn’t play any more.

Vice-captain of the team, Gary McCormick, told The Gazette: “It’s a close-knit club; when you join you become a brother, and you would do anything for your

family – like Derek did for Mossy.

“As they say in rugby, you put your body on the line, and Derek really has put his body on the line for his teammate and friend.”

Full Story on Page 2

2 SWORDS Gazette 4 February 2016

people | former players in lifesaving kidney op

Rugby pals tackle a transplant together  emma nolan

Former Swords Rugby Club players Robert “Mossy” Merrigan and Derek Brennan, who donated a kidney to save friend’s life

TWO former Swords Rugby Club players underwent a life-changing procedure this week in Beaumont Hospital as one player donated his kidney to save another’s life.

Derek Brennan volunteered his kidney to his team mate, Robert “Mossy” Merrigan, after he had lost hope of receiving a donor kidney when his brother wasn’t a match for a transplant.

Vice-captain of the team, Gary McCormick, spoke to The Gazette about how proud he and the rest of the team are.

Speaking about Brennan, McCormick says that he is a very influential member of the team who, once he puts his mind to something, always follows through. “That’s the kind of person Derek is – when he makes up his mind about something, he goes for it.”

Merrigan played with Swords Rugby club for a number of years before he became unwell and couldn’t play any more, which was a massive loss to the club, but he still supported the team and watched the matches when he could.

When he was diagnosed with kidney failure and put on dialysis for a few years, Brennan, who just retired from the club last year, decided that he couldn’t stand Merrigan not being his usual self so he decided to get tested to see if he was a match for the kidney trans-

plant.

“When it turned out he was, Mossy basically didn’t have a choice – he was getting the kidney,” said McCormick.

Brennan and Merrigan became friends through the club, which McCormick says is “like a family”, adding: “It’s a closeknit club; when you join you become a brother and you would do anything for your family, like Derek did for Mossy.”

The doctors in Beaumont are really happy with how the transplant went and Brennan has now been discharged from hospital, while Merrigan is hoping to go home by the end of the week.

“They’ve named the kidney, ‘Declan the Kidney’, after the old Irish rugby coach,” said McCormick.

The Swords team joked about the nicknamed kidney on their Facebook page with a breaking news story with the headline: ‘Declan the Kidney has now transferred from Leinster to Munster’.

McCormack says that he and the team and their families couldn’t be more proud of the pair. He said: “Derek has always been like the hero of the club, someone we all look up to, but he really is a hero now – everyone can’t sing his praises enough after this.

“As they say in rugby, you put your body on the line, and Derek really has put his body on the line for his teammate and friend.”

FastNews

Ceremony held to congratulate Loreto students on successes FOLLOWING the success of students from Loreto Balbriggan at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition 2016 this year, Balbriggan Chamber of Commerce held a special ceremony at the Bracken Court Hotel on February 3 for the six girls who won awards.

The students from Loreto Secondary School – Renuka Chintapalli, Diana Bura, Maria Louise Fufezan, Khadija Gull, Maria Wyzykowska and Emily Tierney – swept up eight major awards in several categories.

Students Maria Louise Fufezan and Diana Bura (pictured above with Fingal County Council chief executive, Paul Reid; Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, DR James Reilly, Mayor of Fingal, David O’Connor) scooped the top award for their project investigating the effects of enzymes in animal feed on soil quality.

Loreto Secondary School were awarded the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals Award forBestSchool,astheirimpressiveperformancemarked the most successful single year ever for any school in Ireland in the competition. See gallery next week.

Malahide native creates a 1916 commemorative candle A CANDLE specially designed to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Rising has been created by Malahide native, David O’Rourke.

O’Rourke is an entrepreneur based in Malahide who designed and produced the candle, which features The Proclamation on one side, and a short biography of the seven signatories on the other side (inset, right).

It comes packaged in an exclusively designed green box with gold lettering all around. The box lists key events in Irish history, from 1916 to the present date.

O’Rourke took his idea from the back of a beer mat he saw a few years ago, and since then he has managed to make his vision into a reality using a network of people he knew, creating new relationships along the way.

Speaking on his commemo-

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rative design, he said that he “built the plane while flying” as he learned to hone his new craft whilst producing the candles, which are now available to buy at 1916risingcandle. com.

4 February 2016 SWORDS Gazette 3

politics

balbriggan | election candidate blasts council’s proposal

Check the electoral register

Anger at plans for 40 modular homes  emma nolan

A CONTROVERSIAL proposal to build 40 modular homes in the Pinewood Estate in Balbriggan has been met with anger from local residents, who say that Balbriggan has been neglected for too long and that the council need to prioritise public services for the community over the construction of temporary accommodation.

General election candidate Joe O’Brien (SF) has said that there is “a long history of Balbriggan not getting a fair deal”.

He said: “The people of Balbriggan have a right to feel aggrieved at Fingal County Council’s attitude towards the town.

“My reaction to the

proposal for Pinewood is that it is a sloppy, rushed, substandard development that has been born out of this Government’s failure to invest in quality social housing, but also its desire to be seen to do something in the run up to the [general] election.

“Pinewood has been long neglected by the council. Last year, I was urging the council to put in a simple set of speed ramps and they didn’t even entertain a simple measure to make the estate that bit safer for children at play,” he said.

In response to O’Brien’s comments, a spokesperson from Fingal County Council told The Gazette: “There are a growing number of Fingal families with dependent children

accommodated in emergency accommodation.

“The aim of modular housing is to ease the pressure for families currently residing in hotels and other emergency accommodation while supply is coming on-stream.

“The proposed modular houses will be designed and built to comply in full with the National Building Regulations, and will conform to Department of Environment, Community and Local Government guidelines and the Fingal Development Plan (FDP).

“T he development specification for roads and other infrastructure will be to normal development standards, and the private open spaces comply with the current FDP.”

 emma nolan

enjoying a real hoop-la THIS furry GCD Swords Thunder mascot was delighted to welcome the mayor of Fingal, Cllr David O’Connor (Ind) and Cllr Darragh Butler (FF) to its side recently at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, where a thrilling men’s national cup final was about to take place. The Swords team were facing off against Templeogue for a northside-southside showdown in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

However, despite some impressive action and lightning-fast reflexes from the Thunder team, Templeogue rained all over the Swords team’s hopes, finishing the match with a closely fought 78-75 victory. The 2016 Hula Hoops Men’s National Cup champions had been the slight favourites going into the match, but the Swords team kept Templeogue at bay, reaching the midway point with an 11-point lead.

Despite the best efforts of the rolling Thunder players, Templeogue fought back, with a frantic finale giving them their victory.

EXACTLY 3,248 young people in Fingal have turned 18 since last year and will have a right to vote in the upcoming General Election.

The National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) is encouraging young people in the county to make sure they are registered to vote. If the election is held on February, 26 the deadline for inclusion on the supplementary register could be as early as February 8.

James Doorley, NYCI deputy director, said: “Any young person who is 18 years of age on or before the date of the election is eligible to vote. If they are not currently registered, they can download and filling in the RFA2 form at checktheregister.ie.”

4 SWORDS Gazette 4 February 2016

information education | weekly workshops available to help children

Support evening to help grieving parents

ANAM Cara, the national organisation that provides support services to bereaved parents and families, are hosting a bereavement information evening in Applewood Community Centre, Castleview Lawn/ Bunbury Gate Road in Swords on Wednesday, February 17, from 7:309:30pm.

This event gives parents an opportunity to hear an experienced bereavement professional talk about the many challenges families may face after the death of their son or daughter.

This event is open to all bereaved parents, regardless of the age of their child or the circumstances of their death, and is provided free of charge to parents.

Organisers are encouraging those who have attended a previous bereavement information evening to come again to hear something different to help with grief.

Peter McCartan, a senior medical social worker in Beaumont Hospital and an accredited systemic family therapist, is the guest speaker at the talk, which will cover complex issues grieving parents must face when they have experienced the death of their child.

The talk will also highlight the milestones on the journey through grief, and the small supports that can make the journey a little easier.

Various types of loss, whether expected or sudden, will also be discussed to understand their impact on grieving parents, their families and the deceased’s siblings.

For further information, email info@anamcara.ie before Tuesday, February 16, or call 01 404 5378/087 963 7790.

Tackling the challenges of dyslexia and learning

 emma nolan THE Dyslexic Association of Ireland’s (DAI) Rush, Lusk and Skerries branch provides an invaluable service to children in the community who have dyslexia.

The workshop, which is also held in Malahide and Balbriggan, is delivered by teachers with specialist dyslexia training and complements the learning support provided in schools.

An individual education plan is developed for each child, which is based on their specific needs as set out in the child’s psychological assessment.

They aim to instil confidence in each child and encourage them to use a variety of skills to aid their reading and writing.

Frankie Hollands, who is a full-time teacher and dyslexia specialist, coordinates the weekly work-

shops, which take place every Wednesday evening for two hours in the Rush and Lusk Educate Together School.

Hollands spoke to The Gazette about the workshops and the challenges that children with dyslexia face.

She said: “The children who come to us have all been officially diagnosed with dyslexia and the aim of the workshop is to help support them with their literacy skills.

“Our philosophy is that we want to encourage the children to believe in themselves, and not just look at the challenges they face with dyslexia but to also focus on the strengths and talents that they already have, and to work towards them in a positive way.”

The four workshop tutors are fully trained teachers who have additional dyslexic teaching

qualifications, and many have a background in special needs teaching.

Currently, the workshop has 21 students coming to them on a weekly basis.

This is Hollands’ fourth year coordinating the workshops. She became interested in dyslexia when she had a teaching job 20 years ago working with dyslexic students and did a specialist dyslexic course with Dyslexia Association of Ireland.

Through this, she discovered that she herself is actually dyslexic.

Both of Hollands’ children are also dyslexic, so she has experience with its challenges from the viewpoints of a mother, a teacher and at a personal level.

Hollands says that there is a spectrum for dyslexia, ranging through mild, moderate to severe. She said: “Dyslexia is uniquely different in every indi-

Some of the children taking part in the weekly dyslexia workshop held at Rush and Lusk Educate Together school, which aims to support their reading and learning

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‘There are a lot of famous people and entrepreneurs out there who are dyslexic’

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Frankie Hollands, dyslexia specialist

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vidual – you never get two children that present the same signs.

“It is fascinating, but the key is to be really positive, just because your brain works in a different way it’s really important to understand that you’re going to be good at other

things – there are a lot of famous people and entrepreneurs out there who are dyslexic, so it’s getting the children to find their strengths and work hard on those.”

The workshops are structured by separating the children into groups

based on their ages and focusing on a number of activities including reading comprehensions, oral expression in drama and debating, paired reading, computer work and small group and individual teaching.

Hollands says that one parent recently gave her feedback and said that her daughter is beginning to use her imagination again, and actually wants to pick up a pen now.

To find out more, see dyslexia.ie.

The search is on to find Swords’ unsung Super Achievers

 emma nolan

SWORDS-based Pitman Training have launched this year’s Super Achievers Awards – a campaign supporting local talent which will be recognised in an international platform.

Super Achievers seek to showcase and support local Swords workers who love their job, who strive to achieve, and who have a positive impact on their colleagues and families.

The talent being searched for is those who don’t make a song

and dance about things, but who tirelessly work to achieve their professional and financial goals, often overcoming adversity to support their families and work towards their dreams.

Super Achievers has traditionally been fronted by a panel of judges, with Dragon’s Den’s Hilary Devey leading the search for talent last year, but this year Pitman Training has put the power in the hands of those who know the nominees the best – their employers, colleagues, friends and family.

The public vote will still be supported by industry experts, including Adam Fidler (a leading personal assistant training practitioner who has worked as a board-level personal assistant for blue-chip organizations including Boots PLC and Bank of America); author and mother, blogger Kirsty Smith, of www. eehbahmum.com; along with last year’s Super Achiever personal assistant of the year, Florence Katono.

The team are on the hunt for working mum of the year, young

achiever of the year, personal assistant of the year, business newcomer of the year and student of the year (nominated by Pitman Training Centres).

Nominations are now open and entries can be submitted for free via pitmansuperachievers. com. Once entries have been submitted, Pitman Training then releases the shortlist for the judges, including the general public of Swords, to vote on.

Maria Lalor, centre manager at Swords Pitman Training centre, said: “The awards

are all about rewarding and showcasing people who really go the extra mile and strive to achieve, as a way of honouring hard workers, but also as a way of showcasing to others what can be done. ”We hear many great success stories from our students in Swords of lives transformed and are passionate about making sure we recognise these, along with hunting out others from within the local business community, within this national campaign.”

4 February 2016 SWORDS Gazette 5

courts | alert train driver had to slam on emergency brakes

Drunk man fell asleep on tracks as he tried to walk home  emma nolan

A MAN had a lucky escape when he was almost killed on the train tracks between Rush and Lusk stations after he fell asleep there on his way home from a night out.

22-year-old Eric Rogan, a trainee stonemason from St Catherine’s Avenue in Rush, pleaded guilty at Balbriggan District Court for trespassing on Iarnrod Eireann’s North County Dublin railway line on October 9 last year.

Having taken the wrong bus, Rogan thought that walking on the tracks would be the quickest way to get home, but he was found lying asleep on the tracks at 12:20am by the train driver, who managed to stop the train using emergency brakes.

Garda Sergeant Tony Tighe gave evidence that gardai received a call from the train driver that

a male was asleep on the railway tracks.

“The driver of the train travelling northbound was vigilant and spotted the defendant in time,” said Sgt Tighe. He said that the situation could have been “tragic”, were it not for the quick actions of the driver.

tor, Fiona D’Arcy, said that he had been “on a session with friends,” and said: “He took the wrong bus home and thought the quickest way to get home was to walk along the railway lines.”

She said the defendant understands he gave the train driver and the pas-

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Rogan’s defence solicitor, Fiona D’Arcy, said that he had been “on a session with friends”

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Sgt Tighe said that Rogan was highly intoxicated at the time, but has no previous convictions.

Judge Patricia McNamara said that Rogan was “in a sense, lucky to be in court today”. She said: “This was a very dangerous thing to do and could have caused a major incident, never mind you being killed.”

Rogan’s defence solici-

sengers an “awful fright”.

The court heard that Rogan is currently completing a FAS stonemason’s course, and is extremely concerned over having a conviction.

Judge McNamara ordered Rogan to make a donation of €150 to The Samaritans, and if he makes the payment by the end of March, she will apply the Probation Act.

€27k allocated to improve Fingal roads  emma nolan

€27,120 has been allocated to Fingal for road improvement and maintenance works. The funding is part of a national investment programme for 2016 for regional and local roads.

The funding is part of

the €298m funding for regional and local roads announced by Minister for Transport Paschal Donohue last week.

Minister Donohoe said this programme “will allow local authorities to plan ahead and decide their annual work programmes”.

Minister for Children Dr James Reilly welcomed the news in relation to Fingal, and said: “The funding will allow approximately 2,000 kilometres of regional and local roads to be maintained nationally, and close to 2,000 kilometres strengthened this year.”

Balbriggan District Court heard how a trainee stonemason attempted to follow the tracks home between Rush and Lusk stations after a night out drinking with friends, but fell asleep on them

6 SWORDS Gazette 4 February 2016

vox pops | the gazette newspaper asks people about their main concerns Question: What is the most important General Election issue to you?

Health service improvements

One of the main things is the water charges and pay restoration  Paula

Homelessness is a big concern to us because it’s on the rise

Geraghty,

 Ruby Lawlor

blanchardstown

and Sean Durack

One of the main things is the water charges and pay restoration in the public sector, particularly with newly qualified teachers who face a lot of barriers to getting paid when they start working.

Homelessness is a big concern to us because it’s on the rise, which is horrible – it’s getting worse and worse.

We noticed that some premises are putting up homeless barriers, which are very inhumane – they should be putting money towards shelters instead.

 ken healy, dundrum

THERE isn’t one thing in particular that is most important, but I would like to see improvements made to the health service.

They [the Government] need to completely change the local property tax, as the current system is badly implemented.

The water charges are my main concern

I’d like to see more jobs for graduates

 daniel grant, blanchardstown

MY biggest concern is the water charges. I think the Government have no right to tax us on something that’s basically a human right. The fact that they put fluoride in the water is bad enough but now that we have to pay for water, I think it’s just too much to ask.

 Lynda Espey, Rathfarnham

PRIMARILY, I would like to see more jobs available for graduates, especially for those who have moved abroad because they can’t find work here.

That would be a big concern I’d have.

The national debt is a big issue, as is the national pension fund

Garda stations, the HSE and bankers should all be focused on more  Delphine Dillon, Wexford

I WOULD like to see closed garda stations reopened, and an overhaul of the HSE. I would like the politicians and bankers to be held accountable for their failures. And, of course, the water tax and the local property tax [to be changed].

 peter barry, lucan

THE big issue for me would be the national debt.

They’re talking about getting rid of the universal social charge, and spending money here and there, but yet we have a huge national debt disservice. The national pension fund is being dipped into over and over again by the Government, which is putting many hard-working people into a state of uncertainty. I also have big concerns about who is going to replace the Taoiseach.

4 February 2016 SWORDS Gazette 7

and issues in the run up to the general election 2016

Water charges are a concern  John Cummins lucan

The water and household charges would be my major concerns as many people just can’t afford to pay them. The [general] election is coming up, and of course they’re promising us many things. But [An Taoiseach] Enda Kenny once said that he would never put a tax on someone’s home, saying that it would be immoral. He lost his morals very quick once he got elected.

Keeping the country on The cost of medication and the USC the right track

Cost of third-level education to expensive  Anne Trant, lucan

I think the cost of third-level education is getting more and more expensive and while there are grants available to students, transport causes a big problem for them. Going to the likes of DCU and Maynooth is very inaccessible if you’re from Lucan, and the day-to-day costs of transport alone is extremely expensive.

Homelessness is such a big concern

 pat sheehan

 Damien Bracken,

blanchardstown

lucan

 Marie Butler, lucan

MY MAIN concern would be to keep the country on the right track. Homelessness would be a big issue to me. I think the Government are trying to get a grip with the homeless crisis, but I still think a lot more should be done, and there is a lot more that they can do. This will take time and money so, hopefully, the next government will head in the right direction.

MY WIFE is on medication for the rest of her life, so receiving a medication card is something we’re really trying to fight for at the moment. It’s proven difficult now with all of these cuts, and it’s one of the issues that I’m raising to politicians calling at my door. The universal social charge is another big concern of mine, which I think is an absolutely ridiculous tax – I think it’s an insult to the workers of Ireland.

The fact that homelessness is on the rise is such a big concern of mine. I know someone who lost their home and she went on TV to highlight what she was going through, and eventually she was given a house.

There are people on the housing list for a very long time, and I think it’s peoplepower which gets things done. The Government just needs constant pushing.

8 SWORDS Gazette 4 February 2016

opinion | Minister Richard Bruton unveils plans to keep recovery going

A three step plan to grow the economy There is hardly a family in Dublin that was not been affected by the collapse in employment in the crash.

90,000 jobs were lost in the capital over the three years 2008-2010.

T h a t ’s 9 0 , 0 0 0 p ay packets which stopped coming into communities, 90,000 families who faced uncertainty about their future, 90,000 individuals who took a huge hit to their living standards and in

many cases were forced to emigrate.

I saw the terrible impact first-hand around Dublin Bay North, the area that I represent, with hundreds of families directly affected by unemployment and emigration.

That is why we in Fine Gael and Labour unashamedly said from the day we took office in 2011 that job-creation would be our absolute top-priority. Reflecting

this priority we put in place a comprehensive action plan for jobs to mobilise the efforts of the whole of Government towards this one goal.

The aim was to rebuild a new economy based on enter prise and exports, to replace the failed model based on property and debt which collapsed in the crash.

The thinking behind this plan is that only an economy based on real, sustainable economic activities will be growing steadily over the medium term – real businesses, developing products and services in Ireland and selling them abroad – supporting the living standards that we all aspire to.

We i m p l e m e n t e d thousands of jobsupporting measures through this plan – we doubled the number of trade missions, we put extra IDA and Enterprise Ireland staff in overseas countries where the jobs projects are won, we abolished t h e t r ave l t a x a n d reduced VAT on hospitality industry to boost the number of tourists coming to Ireland.

And these measures produced real results, with 64,100 extra people at work in Dublin since we launched and started implementing our plan in early 2012, according to the independent Central Statis-

tics Office.

The parts of the economy that are growing most strongly are the sustainable, exporting areas which we specifically targeted in the plan – particularly tourism and exporting businesses in manufacturing and services supported

by IDA and Enterprise Ireland.

Dublin saw hundreds of major jobs projects – for example the northside gained from companies like Mylan (500 manufacturing jobs) and Oracle (400 jobs); the financial services and technology hubs in the city centre grew rapidly with thousands of new jobs announced; West Dublin benefited from rapid growth in pharma particularly (eg Alexion 400 jobs, Bristol Myers Squibb 400 jobs); and South Dublin has also benefited from major announcements like Sage (300 jobs) and CarTrawler (400 jobs).

More recently areas of the domestic economy like construction and retail have started to bounce back strongly also.

Contrary to false and dishonest claims coming from some quarters, the evidence shows that most of these jobs are full-time, well-paying jobs.

IDA and Enterprise Ireland companies, who pay well above the average, account for nearly half of them.

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton

O n l y a t i ny p r o portion of the extra jobs (around 7%) can be accounted for by schemes like Gateway and community employment schemes.

An even more tiny percentage are part-time.

These 64,100 extra Dublin jobs mark real progress.

However, there are still far too many people unemployed in the capital.

That is why we are putting in place a new series of plans to drive on and keep the recover y going in Dublin – and the whole country – over the coming years.

If we are re-elected to Government in the coming weeks, we will implement our longterm economic plan, which is aimed at

securing that recovery – which as we all know is not guaranteed, but could ver y easily be destroyed if the wrong policies are implemented.

This we will do by implementing our three step plan – first of all create full employment for Dublin and for the entire country.

Last week I published our Dublin jobs plan at an event in Butlers Chocolate factory in Clonshaugh, which is aimed at creating 66,000 extra jobs in the capital over the coming years.

S e c o n d l y we w i l l ensure that work pays, by reducing taxes on work and ensuring that the entrepreneurs and workers who get out of bed in the morning and drive the economic

recovery are properly rewarded.

And thirdly we will invest the taxes that are produced by the growing recover y in improving the services the families depend on – the gardai, the health services, education, the transport network and the childcare services.

Twice in my lifetime I have seen the opportunity for sustainable full employment destroyed, and each time it was by parties who had no plan to grow the economy but plenty of plans for how to spend the resources that a growing economy produced.

I’m hoping that in a few weeks time the people will re-elect Fine Gael and Labour and make sure we keep the recovery going this time.

4 February 2016 SWORDS Gazette 9

funding | north county dublin set to gain from national initiative

Almost €44k for heritage projects  emma nolan

FUNDING of €43,750 for heritage projects in North County Dublin has been announced by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys.

The move has been welcomed by Fine Gael party colleague, Deputy Alan Farrell, who said: “This funding is a great boost for heritage projects in Dublin Fingal. Seven projects in the north county will receive investment, under the Built Heritage Investment Scheme for 2016.”

The funding will allow for the conservation and repair of heritage build-

ings in Malahide, Swords, Kinsealy, Skerries, Lusk, Rush and Balbriggan.

The news comes as it was announced that €1.5m was allocated to the Swords Castle Cultural and Civic Quarter project last week.

Deputy Farrell said he believes that a wide range of properties nationwide will benefit from funding under this scheme, which follows a similar model to the Built Heritage Jobs Leverage Scheme in 2014, including residential homes, townhouses, railway stations, churches, country houses and other heritage buildings.

He said: “It is expected this new scheme will lev-

erage an additional €8m in private funds nationally and will generate employment in the conservation and construction industries nationwide and here in Fingal.

“Heritage buildings and protected structures are a vital part of Fingal and the Government is committed to supporting their conservation.”

In a statement, Minister Humphreys said: “This investment scheme will support the conservation of heritage buildings and jobs in the conservation sector right across the country.

The €2m investment will leverage an additional €8 million in private sector

funds, and will stimulate labour-intensive projects nationwide.

“Ireland’s heritage buildings and protected structures are a vital part of the infrastructure of our villages, towns, and cities. The economic recovery is allowing for increased investment in our heritage assets.

“As this scheme illustrates, investing in our built heritage is not just good for the individual properties concerned, but can also provide a real boost to job creation in the construction, conservation and tourism sectors.”

Minister Humphreys said that a wide range

Swords Castle is a prime example of the heritage projects in Fingal that a new range of funding is designed to help support, maintain and develop

of properties will benefit from the funding, including residential homes, townhouses, railway stations, churches, country houses and other heritage buildings.

She said: “I would like to acknowledge the

contribution of the local authorities in embracing this scheme, which will have a positive impact on protected structures across the country.

“I am also delighted by the response of private owners and their willing-

ness to release substantial private matching funds, and to invest in our built heritage.”

A number of heritage structures exist in Fingal, including Ardgillan Castle, Malahide Castle and Swords Castle.

10 SWORDS Gazette 4 February 2016

SWORDSGazettegallery | the songs of the 1990s were alive and

Barbara and Maria Byrne

Fred Walsh, Catherine Davis, Lesley Donohue and Trish Connolly. Pictures: Stephen Fleming Photography

Darina Underwood and Colette Conroy

Maria Finnegan and Ellen Murphy

Amanda O’Hara, Marcus Corbitt, Barry Murphy, Anita Curry and Claire Lynders

4 February 2016 SWORDS Gazette 11

well at the smash hits! night at the empire bar and grill, swords

Eimear Redmond and Orla Smith

Sinead Singleton and Aoife Sheils

David Gaul and Ciaran Lattin

90s reasons to go to a night out

Fiona Kelly, Sarah Doyle and Nicky Fitzgerald

Niamh Murphy, Jessie Lynch and Hayley Dowdall

Brian O’Toole, Smash Hits band

M

USIC fans from across the region knew to head along to the Empire Bar and Grill in Swords recently, where live band Smash Hits! were on hand to provide plenty of hits from yesterday. Fondly remembered golden oldies – songs from the 90s, for younger listeners – filled the air as the songs of Vanilla Ice, Take That, Haddaway, Snap, and others filled the air.

The old-skool dance music and instantly recognisable bygone hits got a great reaction from the crowd, many of whom remembered the songs vividly from their first time round, while younger Empire patrons were also very familiar with the hits. The six-piece band put on an impressive show, perfectly capturing the sounds of the era, and providing a great night out at the Empire.

Tony O’Brien, Turlough Sweeney and Charles Griffin

DJ Graham Short

12 SWORDS Gazette 4 February 2016

Gazettegallery

| RTE Radio’s first ever radio comedy festival

Comedy extravaganza comes to arts centre Deirdre O’Kane, Gearoid Farrell, Amy Huberman, Fred Cooke, Colm O’Regan and Maxine Jones. Pictures: Brian McEvoy

Amy Huberman and Deirdre O’Kane

T Comedians The Nualas

he Project Arts Centre in Dublin was buzzing with laughter recently as RTE Radio 1’s Comedy Showhouse got up and running, it is due to finish on February 7.

The first of its kind, the event is a new festival of

Irish comedy, featuring Sean Hughes, Deirdre O’Kane, Andrew Maxwell, Al Porter, Colm O’Regan, Fred Cooke, Amy Huberman, John Colleary, Foil, Arms and Hog and many more. The live comedy recordings will be broadcast on RTE Radio 1 across 2016.

Good things...

ALL NEW SPORTAGE Joe Duffy Kia Airside Motor Park, Swords, (01) 870 1444, www.joeduffy.ie

4 February 2016 SWORDS Gazette 13

Gazettegallery

| launching Team Dublin Clean-Up initiative

Katie Delaney from St Brigids National School with

Megan McLoughlin from St Brigids National

broadcaster Joe Duffy and An tArdmheara Criona Ni

School

Tidying up the capital Go team: launching litter initiative. Pictures: Conor McCabe

Dhalaigh

A

n tArdmheara Criona Ni Dhalaigh and broadcaster Joe Duffy launched Dublin City Council’s inaugural Team Dublin Clean-Up initiative recently outside St Catherine’s Church, Thomas Street, Dublin 8. Team Dublin Clean- Up calls on residents, community groups

and businesses in Dublin to come out and support a special clean-up effort in their local area ahead of the 1916 Centenary Commemorations.

The collaborative clean-up will take place in various locations around the city on Easter Saturday,

March 26 from 11am to 1pm. Individuals and groups can register on www.teamdublincleanup.ie. Dublin City Council’s Waste Management Division will be providing all clean up equipment to those who register and will remove litter collected for disposal on the day.

Pupils from St Brigids National School Lexie, Lee and Zoe Ecock

kia.com

...come in twos

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Test drive these new models, or any car in the equally exciting Kia range, at Joe Duffy Kia today!

Fuel consumption figures in l/100km for the Kia Optima and Sportage range are: Urban 5.2 - 10.6, Extra Urban 3.7 - 5.9, Combined 4.2 - 7.5. The official CO2 emissions are between 247 - 110 g/ km. Warranty is 7 years/150,000km full warranty. Terms and conditions available in warranty and service handbook. Model shown may not be to Irish specification. Detailed Irish specifications can be found on our website. Please check with your dealer that your chosen model has your required specification. www.kia.com

14 Gazette 4 February 2016

music | massive attack live at the olympia theatre, january

Old energies, passions to the fore in new tour  colm murray

MASSIVE Attack’s last visit to these shores was a near perfect performance on a near perfect summer’s evening, closing 2014’s Longitude festival in Marlay Park in the south of the city.

Prior to that, it was (akin to this evening)

at the beginning of their European tour showcasing new material.

Opening the set amid a swirl of fog with new track Dead Editors, the tone was set for the evening.

The following four numbers mirrored that of their Marlay Park set – Battle Box, Unit-

ed Snakes, Rising Son – introducing “living legend” Horace Andy for his first number, the brooding Girl I love You – all portraying the claustrophobic atmospherics associated with a Massive Attack show.

Their trademark visuals still provided a backdrop of pulsating

images and dates from the current Syrian conlict.

On this night, they chose to rely on new material for the bulk of their set and left out many classics such as Safe From Harm and Unfinished Sympathy.

Perhaps they felt tracks like these wouldn’t have been in keeping with the overtly ominous overtones of the rest of the set, and the socio-political commentary being screened behind them.

Even the hits they did choose to perform – such as Teardrop – just didn’t have the impact that was expected (vocalist Martina Topley Bird does not have the strength to pull this off convincingly), but instead sounded a little weak (this may have been the fault of the mix), although the return of Horace Andy with Angel was definitely the highlight of the show.

Massive Attack can

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

‘Their trademark visuals still provided a backdrop of pulsating images, from binary to flashing logs, and images and dates from the current Syrian conlict’

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

be forgiven for areas of the set which appeared rusty, given this was the opening night of the tour.

Certainly, as the tour picks up momentum and the release of further material becomes more familiar, this will definitely be a must-see show in the year ahead – it’s always a pleasure to see these guys, warts and all.

Massive Attack started their new tour off with a spin to the Olympia Theatre

Ritual Spirit feels infused with talent MASSIVE Attack’s long awaited new material has dropped in the form of a new EP, Ritual Spirit (Virgin/EMI), with a stellar cast of guest vocalists.

The four-track EP takes you on a journey that begins with Dead Editors – an opening track nearing five minutes long, featuring acclaimed rapper Roots Manuva at the fore.

The record takes a sonic shift to a more melodic realm with Ritual Spirit, introducing East Londoner Azekel on vocals. Atmospherically, it’s the lightest of the four tunes.

New outfit (lauded by Massive Attack leader, Robert Del Naja

as “the best band in the world”) Young Fathers’ collaboration on Voodoo in My Blood feels like a climactic moment for the EP, with traits reminiscent of Heligoland pushed into fresh new territory.

Driving it home is Take It There, and Tricky kills it. Since his acrimonious split from the group after the release of the Protection album, his presence is an embellishment that feels like he never left as he wraps the track around his rasping vocals. (Tip: listen to this on a decent sound system and turn up the bass!)

Rumour has it that a full-length album is set to come later in the year, but if Ritual Spirit doesn’t

keep you sated, take comfort in knowing the group have another EP on the way.

Written and co-produced by Grant Marshall, the next release is pencilled in for spring – bring it on!

4 February 2016 Gazette 15

asdfsdaf finances P27 P18

feature P17

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

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a day in the life: author ava mccarthy balances writing with work and family life

Maintaining the write attitude  emma nolan

INTERNATIONAL best-selling crime author Ava McCarthy has just released her latest novel: Dead Secret.

T he Dublin-based writer took time out of her hectic schedule to talk to The Gazette about a typical day in her life, which sees her as not only a prolific writer, but a full-time financial services IT project manager at Bloomberg, and a mother of two.

Speaking on her newly published work, she said: “It’s about a young woman who discovers her husband has murdered their only child, so she decides to kill him and kill herself – but it doesn’t quite go to plan, and she learns things about her husband that she didn’t really want to.”

McCar thy resisted writing Dead Secret for a while, due to the dark and uncomfortable themes that it deals with, but she couldn’t get the story out of her head so she finally built up the courage to begin it.

On juggling writing and work, she said: “I work full time as well as writing, so it’s a challenge – it’s pretty hectic.”

Having taken a few years off work to write her

first three novels, McCarthy didn’t think she’d write another book, and she returned to work, but she said she decided to “use every spare moment” and finally wrote Dead Secret.

McCarthy, who has degrees in physics and nuclear medicine, credited her writing skills with her logical approach to fiction writing, and said that she is “particularly proud” of this book.

A typical day in the writer’s life starts at “the hideous hour of 5am” when she gets up to shower, wake the dogs, have a

cup of tea and sit down at the kitchen table when everyone else is asleep, where she can write for two hours before leaving for work.

“It has to be every day, otherwise I’d lose momentum, even if it’s only for half an hour, but it adds up.”

McCarthy said that her morning writing session flies by before it’s time to hop on the Luas to work, where she continues to jot down notes.

Her 9-to-1 routine consists of a busy work day, and then McCarthy finds a quiet place at lunch to

sit with her laptop to continue writing.

She said that there’re not many quiet places to sit in her busy office.

“Sometimes, the only alternative is to go into the ladies [toilets], put the lid down, lock myself in, put my laptop on my knees and just click away on the keyboard,” she laughed.

“You learn to tune out all the flushing, although I don’t know what the ladies in the other cubicles thought I was doing!”

McCarthy’s evenings are reserved for family time with her two teen-

Author, financial services IT project manager and mother of two, Ava McCarthy

age children, her husband and two dogs. While she often does a little work then, she uses this time to unwind and prepare for

the next day.

“My family are around then and the last thing I want is for my books to affect them in any way.

Once we’re all back in the house together, I don’t want to be locking myself in a room to write,” she said.

Gazette

16 Gazette 4 February 2016

dublinlife

diary

Sample a taste of Dublin with culinary delights

Foodies mark your calendars as Dublin’s favourite food festival, Dine in Dublin, returns this February for the eighth year running.

Taking place from Monday, February 22, to Sunday, February 28, the capital will come alive with a feast of culinary delights. Brought to you by DublinTown,

Dine in Dublin sees the biggest names in the Dublin foodie scene offer a tasty dining experience over the course of seven days.

Over 50 of Dublin’s most famed restaurants will participate, offering the very best of fresh local produce. The 2016 line-up includes Dublin hot spots Pichet,

San Lorenzo’s, Saba, The Church, Fallon & Byrne, Zaragoza, Red Torch Ginger, Le Bon Crubeen and Flanagans to name but a few.

Those shopping and socialising in the city centre can soak up the f lavours of the festival at Dine in Dublin’s Dine Pavilion; an exciting outdoor kitchen sit-

uated on the city centre streets throughout the week of Dine in Dublin.

Here the city’s top chefs will host live demonstrations showcasing the very best of their most loved Dublin dishes.

For more information and the latest news, including confirmed restaurants, activities and booking information, visit www.dineindublin.ie.

developing coding skills with fun Schools all over Ireland are invited to register to take part in this year’s National Scratch Competition.

Scratch is a visual programming language that encourages children to develop coding skills through fun and interactive learning. An educational tool that fosters creativity, critical thinking and problem solving and communication skills in children, participants can create their own interactive stories, animations, games and music which can then be shared on the web.

Since the inaugural competition in 2010, Scratch has established itself among students and teachers as a leading platform and showcase for Ireland’s aspiring digital creators.

T he 2016 Scratch National Final will take place in the RDS during Tech Week 2016 (24 to 30 April). The closing date for registrations is Friday, February 12.

Top Dublin chef Temple Garner of San Lorenzo is pictured with Minister of Tourism, Transport and Sport Paschal Donohoe and Kerri Nicole Blanc announcing the dates for the 2016 Dine in Dublin festival

Irish Student Summit 2016 This year’s Irish Student Summit 2016 will take place on February 4 in Dublin Castle.

The event will host over 600 students, over 40 start-ups, 22 workshops and powerhouse business speakers from Twitter, Paddy Power, the American Embassy, the Indian Embassy, Silicon Republic, Ireland AM, Mor Gin, Cool Beans and Humans of Dublin.

One Student Start-up will walk away with a €1,500 investment from Enterprise Ireland in their business idea. A panel of judges will narrow down applications to the ten best from the online submissions and the public will be able to vote for their favourite two on Twitter and Facebook.

At the Summit, the final two applicants will go head-to-head in front of an audience and a panel of judges, who will vote for the winner.

Find out more at studentsummit.ie.

ridesharing not a popular option Four out of five passengers in Ireland feel safest

in a licensed taxi and a large majority would be against paying a stranger for a lift under a controversial ridesharing plan, according to a survey carried out for taxi company Hailo.

The survey, carried out by iReach, sampled 1,000 people nationwide.

It found that 85% of passengers do not feel they will come to harm in a taxi, with 64% saying they feel “safe” and 21% saying they feel “very safe”.

The survey found very low levels of public support for ridesharing in Dublin- a practice, illegal in Ireland but operating in some parts of the US and Europe, which allows motorists to offer lifts to the public for payment.

experience a digital career The Digital Hub in Dublin 8 is continuing its Future Creators Programme in conjunction with TV3 to give young people a chance to experience what a digital career would be like.

The programme offers young people the opportunity to hone their digital media skills in one of Ireland’s leading media

environments.

The programme aims to equip young people (aged 13 to 16) from Dublin 8 with digital skills, including coding, app development, digital photography, filmmaking, and website development.

47% have not yet made a will A national survey, published by end of life planning provider Once I’ve Gone, looked at the public’s opinions towards wills, and revealed that 47% of respondents have not yet made a will.

The survey showed that apathy is the number one reason for not making a will with two thirds (66%) of those without a will, claiming that it was down to “not getting around to it”. 8% felt that they were still “too young to make a will”, while 3% did not want to think about dying. These opinions were voiced despite the fact that 92% of those taking part in the survey were aged between 36 and 65+ years of age with loved ones to provide for once they have gone.

For more information about the service visit www.onceivegone.com.

4 February 2016 Gazette 17

FEATURE charity: annual fundraising harbour2harbour event to support depression

Walking to help beat the blues

THOUSANDS are expected to turn out for the eleventh annual Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk from Dun Laoghaire to Howth, or Howth to Dun Laoghaire, on St Patrick’s Day. The aim of the event is to raise vital funds for Aware’s support, information and education services about depression and bipolar disorder, which are available throughout Dublin.

The Harbour2Harbour Walk is a fundraising event that raises approximately €40,000 for the organisation’s services each year. Participants can start at

Howth Harbour and walk to Dun Laoghaire Harbour, or start at Dun Laoghaire and walk to Howth.

The 16.2-mile route showcases the beauty of Dublin Bay and offers a great alternative to mark our national holiday. It’s a great way to spend time with friends or family, and is also ideal as a solo challenge.

The route starts in Dun Laoghaire at the Harbour Plaza behind Dun Laoghaire Dart Station, and at the Bloody Stream Pub in Howth.

The Dun Laoghaire BID company is organ-

ising a family fun day in the Harbour Plaza to coincide with the walk, with food stalls, music, children’s entertainment and fairground rides.

Dublin Port Company sponsors the event for the second time this year, and will provide a fun-filled halfway stop at Ber th 18, Dublin Port, close to the East Link toll bridge.

Aw a r e r e l i e s o n events like this as well as public and corporate donations for 85% of its annual funding. Participants are encouraged to raise sponsorship through online platforms such as just-

giving.com, and some supporters have walked this route many times for Aware over the past decade.

Aw a r e s e r v i c e s include support groups, support line, support mail, Beat the Blues programmes (28,000 students each year) , and free life skills programmes based on cognitive behavioural therapy for 3,000 people each year.

More information on all of Aware’s services and this fundraising event is at aware.ie. The Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk 2016 is supported by Dublin Port Company and 98FM.

Jane Clancy and Ingrid Trant taking part in last year’s Harbour2Harbour walk, in aid of Aware

Choccy treats at Nutgrove

NUTGROVE Shopping Centre in Rathfarnham is celebrating Valentine’s Day this year with special musical entertainment and delicious chocolate truffles for visitors.

From 12-3pm on Saturday, February 13, customers can enjoy the musical stylings of David Mooney, who will be bringing his jazz renditions of classic love songs to the food court to serenade shoppers and celebrate the season of love.

The Nutgrove promo guys and girls will also be on hand to share a Valentine’s classic – chocolates – with visitors as a thankyou for all the love shown to Nutgrove Shopping Centre over the past year.

Gazette

18 Gazette 4 February 2016

dublinlife

FEATURES

the money doctor: making a financial plan - part 1

Save this advice – it could make a huge difference  john lowe

A PRIEST once told his congregation he had good news and bad news.

“The good news,” he said, “is we have finally enough money to build our much needed community centre this year.

The bad news it’s still out there in your pockets !”

Completing a financial plan for any project is essential, let alone your own personal plan, and the first part of that task is to actually start it.

Here’s how to do it in just 15 minutes – in my humble view this is a must read ...

I used to be a dreadful worrier. (Stick with me on this, because it is rel-

evant.) 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 Peter, because that hap-

pens to be his name.

The thing I noticed straight away about Peter 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 the subject on the card? 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.

est 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.

T hink I am overpromising or exaggerating? If anything, I am erring on the side of caution.

A good financial plan can make you invincible.

What a financial plan will do for you I’ll cut to the chase.

Financial plans are powerful amulets. 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 high-

Financial planning in a nutshell W hat 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.

Making a financial plan probably seems daunting.

However, the Money Doctor – John Lowe (inset) – has lots of sound advice to help you along the way.

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.

Getting started: think holistically Most financial products are bought on a one-off basis. Suddenly, you need a mortgage or you fall into the clutches of a life insurance salesman and – bang – you are making major financial decisions before you have time to think.

The result is that you may not get the best product for your needs ... or the best value. Every major financial decision you make should be part of an overall plan.

Thus, a particular product – such as a mortgage, loan, insurance policy or investment – should be judged not just on its individual merits but also in terms of how it moves you closer to where you want to be.

Dream, dream, dream, dream, dream, dream The Everly Brothers had a point. Dreaming has a huge role to play in financial planning. Consider what you’d like to be doing in, say, five years, ten years and 20 years.

Consider what work (if any) you’ll be doing, where you’ll be living and how you’ll be spending your leisure time. What will your family situation be? What – and this is key – will your financial situation be?

Once you have a clear picture of the future life you’d like to have, you can start expressing it in financial terms and working out how to get there.

See Part 2 next week

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

Pets spencer is a playful pet who loves his toys and time with his carer The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our Dog of the Week this week is Spencer – a male three-year-old playful pitbull cross who simply adores spending time with his carers.

He isn’t too keen on other dogs at the moment, so needs to be the only pet in the home, so he can have all of the attention for himself.

Spencer loves to play with his toys and will keep himself busy with them all day long.

Snuggle He’s a real creature of comforts and likes to snuggle into his soft, squishy bed.

If you’re looking for an active dog who excels in agility and other training, please contact Dogs Trust on 01-879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website www. dogstrust.ie.

You can also find them on Facebook www.facebook.com/ dogstrustirelandonline or Twitter @DogsTrust_IE.

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4 February 2016 Gazette 19

cuisine: annual three-day fair to once again highlight popular niche

Brewing up a lot of interest in craft drinks  ian begley

THE annual Alltech Craft Brews and Food Fair – Ireland’s largest craft beer festival – is back once again and is taking place in The National Convention Centre.

The three-day event will host the best of Irish and International craft breweries and distilleries, from Friday, February 5 to Sunday, February 7.

The 2016 fair will host more than 50 Irish and international breweries, cider producers, distilleries and craft brew distributors who will be sampling in excess of 300 craft brews from all across the world, including many seasonal and once-off brews created just for the event.

Last year, more than 10,000 people attended the event, which will also offer a selection of the best of Irish foods including cheeses, baked goods and hot food options, such as pies and crepes.

Conor Farrell, of Alltech’s Lexington Brewing & Distilling Company, said: “We are incredibly excited about this year’s event, which will show-

case the best of Irish and International craft brewers and distillers, allowing consumers to sample the range of brews being produced both in Ireland and overseas.

“The event also provides an opportunity for craft distributors and producers to network and share insights and innovations within this ever growing sector.”

Six Nations rugby will be aired on three of the biggest screens in Dublin throughout the weekend, and live musical acts will include the Camembert Quartet, DJ Aidan Kavanagh, Pump up the Jam, We Banjo 3 and Booka Brass Band.

Broadcaster and craft beer aficionado Rick O’Shea will entertain crowds attending Sunday’s fair with live interviews with exhibitors.

The day will also see the annual Craft Beer Grand Slam, which will warm up the crowd before the Ireland v Wales rugby clash, testing the taste buds of a team of Irish and Welsh fans.

The winners of the Dublin Craft Beer Cup competition will be

announced on the first day of the event by Dr Gearoid Cahill, European director of brewing science at Alltech.

This international competition was launched by Alltech in 2013 and allows craft brewers to showcase their beers and have them rated, tasted and analysed by an expert independent panel of beer judges.

Award-winning brewers receive prestigious gold, silver and bronze medals in eight different categories of beer and cider, establishing the best examples of each style.

At 2pm on Saturday, February 6, Alltech will attempt to break the current Guinness World Record for the Largest Beer Tasting at the event.

The current record of 714 people was set in Mexico in November, 2014. To set a new record, a gathering larger than this need to taste a minimum of three beers in the same room.

Tickets are available from www.tickets.ie and can be purchased from €15. For further information, see eu.alltechbrewsandfood. com.

Broadcaster Rick O’Shea and Conor Farrell, European sales manager, Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co, announcing the upcoming Alltech Craft Brews and Food Fair

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20 Gazette 4 February 2016

OUT&ABOUT New Look Dress €29.99

Pandora Interlocking heart bracelet €179

The Nuxuriance Ultra range, from Nuxe

 emma nolan

€120

ANTI-AGING skin care brand Nuxe has introduced its innovative new botanical formulation, Nuxuriance Ultra, to Arnotts this month and will roll the range out nationwide from February 20.

The French company’s first line of global anti-aging replenishing skincare is formulated on the basis of millions o f n e w- g e n e r a t i o n botanical cells from the saffron and bougainvillea bi-floral cell, which contain active molecules to create an extra-effective, targeted and continuous anti-aging action.

Studies carried out on more than 300 women revealed global anti-aging efficacy on all signs of skin aging, including a reduction in the number of wrinkles (even deep wrinkles), denser skin, enhanced radiance, along with seeing the oval of the face reshaped and lifted facial features.

The Nuxuriance Ultra range consists, firstly, of a replenishing serum containing crocus extract, which evens out the complexion.

There are two daytime moisturiser options for different skin types. For normal to combination skin, the fluid cream –

which contains sebum trapping ingredients – promises to mattify oily patches and makes pores appear smaller.

T he rich texture cream contains meadowfoam oil and organic poppy petal extract to nourish dry patches and aid cell nutrition.

The Night Magic moisturiser contains prickly pear extract, which stimulates the skin’s desquamation enzymes to create a rested appearance.

The collection also contains an eye and lip contour serum which targets wrinkles, slackening skin, dark spots, puffiness and dark circles.

Some 80% of women who tested this product found that the skin around their eyes appeared energised after use.

The final product is a re-plumping roll-on mask which resulted in firmer facial skin on 81% of women tested.

Thanks to maca root extract and the novel ultra-cool metal massaging applicator (which helps to create a stimulating and draining effect), this strengthens the formula’s action on skin radiance.

Nuxe’s products contain a selection of natural active, paraben-free ingredients, without mineral oils or animal origin ingredients.

New Look Skirt €14.99

t on Skir Monso

Nuxe ready to introduce its botanically-formulated Nuxuriance Ultra range

LOVE PINK WITH St Valentine’s Day just around the corner, now’s the time to get the colours just right in your latest look, and to drop some subtle (or not so subtle) visual hints that love is in the air ... and you might like some extra, well-deserved attention from your other half!

However, even if you’re not dressing up to get in the mood for February

14, pink is a wonderful, fresh colour to banish the freezing February winds, and to help brighten up and lighten up your spring wardrobe.

With pink jumping into many big name labels (see box, right), here are some simmilar high street designs that won’t break your (credit card’s) heart.

Next Coat €82

Accessorize Wallet €6

Littlewoods Ireland Bag €56

4 February 2016 Gazette 21

R1

Yours for a pretty pink penny AS ALWAYS, one turns to Brown Thomas for some of the top designer threads and on-trend label launches.

While the high street mir-

rors and mimics some of the latest looks from international designers, there’s just nothing like the original – and, while these items from a number

of high-end labels will set you back more than a pretty penny or two, we think you’ll agree that they’re more than worth it!

Littlewoods Ireland Skirt €48

Roksanda Rylett Short Sleeve Dress €1,295

Victoria Beckham Twisted shoulder drape midi dress €1,995

Roland Mouret Ivy wool crepe dress €1,535

Lanvin Single shoulder beaded tassel dress €995

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STYLE

Gazette

22 Gazette 4 February 2016

R1

OUT&ABOUT

TRAVEL

See for yourself why Hayfield Manor attracts couples to Cork from all across the country, with a great Valentine’s package

With luxurious rooms like the Bartra suite at the Ice Hotel, Ballina, Valentine’s Day couples won’t want to leave their home from home

february 14: lots of great getaways across the country

You’ll both love these St Valentine’s Day breaks  ian begley

WITH the festive season behind us, Valentine’s Day is on the horizon and this year there are a bounty of romantic getaways for lovers who need a well-deserved break.

Rathmullan Hotel in Co Donegal is offering a Valentine’s escape for €230pp from February 13 – 16.

Enjoy morning strolls on the beach, an afternoon seat by a roaring open fire, a classic love story from the comfort of your bed in late afternoon and a long bubble bath soak after dinner.

This package includes two nights bed and breakfast with a romantic evening meal in the Cook & Gardener restaurant, with a movie each evening, and staying in a standard room.

Before dinner each evening, find popcorn and a sweet romantic treat in your bedroom, and spend two hours in the company of Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart and other stars of the big screen.

At the other end of the country, Ballymaloe House in Cork is also offering a romantic two night getaway from February 12 – 15, for €260pp.

You will be welcomed with a glass of pink bubbly, and during your stay take a romantic stroll through the extensive 300-acre farm and gardens.

Relax by the fire in the drawing room or enjoy afternoon tea in the house’s conservatory.

Enjoy an intimate dinner for two in the Ballymaloe restaurant, romantically decorated with red

tulips.

Over in Wexford, love is a long, lazy lie-in at Dunbrody House, who are offering their very own “Love Is” package.

From €290pps, you will

with pre-dinner canapes and cocktails.

Spoil the one you love this Valentine’s Day with a one-night stay in luxurious Castle Leslie Estate, Co Monaghan.

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

‘Treat your sweetheart this lover’s weekend by taking a stroll through Longueville House’s walled gardens, cosy up by the roaring open fire, enjoy a drink or two and a three-course meal in the award-winning restaurant --------------------------------------------------------

get midweek accommodation throughout February in one of Dunbrody’s luxury rooms or suites.

Guests will also avail of the dinner-for-two menu from the Harvest Room, which includes a fivecourse seasonal menu

For €320pps, you can enjoy one night’s accommodation with a romantic candlelit dinner, along with a glass of bubbly in Snaffles restaurant.

Chocolates and a single red rose will await you in your bedroom, followed

by a fabulous full Irish breakfast the following morning. This offer is valid until February 25.

Steal away with your loved one for a romantic one-night stay in Longueville House, Co Cork this Valentine’s Day, from €169pps.

Treat your sweetheart this lover’s weekend by taking a stroll through Longueville’s walled gardens, cosy up by the roaring open fire, enjoy a drink or two and a three-course meal in the house’s award-winning restaurant, and enjoy a lazy lie-in the next morning.

This offer is valid from February 12 – 14, and includes a bottle of bubbly and chocolates in your room on arrival, dinner for two, and complementary late check out the next morning.

Welcoming Wexford invites you to Dunbrody House, where its ‘Love Is’ package offers plenty to give lovers a well-deserved break from city stresses

Castle Leslie Estate in Co Monaghan successfully marries old-world touches with modern luxuries, making a stay at its historic setting certain to delight

At Hayfield Manor, Cork, you can treat your better-half to one night of luxurious accommodation in a manor room, where you can enjoy a gourmet dinner in the romantic ambiance of either Orchids Gourmet restaurant, or Perrotts Garden Bistro.

On the morning of your departure, enjoy Hayfield Manor’s famous full Irish breakfast. This offer is valid from February 11 – 17, and is priced from €258pps.

Couples can also avail of a heart-to-heart one night break at the Ice House, Ballina, Co Mayo,

from €240 per night.

From February 11 – 14, enjoy a one-night stay in a luxurious river view room, and bubbles on ice in your room on arrival, along with a chocolate treat.

Your stay is complete with a themed table d’hote dinner in the Ice House’s restaurant.

Enjoy unlimited access to the Chill Spa thermal area throughout your stay and you can have a lazy breakfast the following morning.

For further information on all of these offers, see www.irelandsbluebook. com.

R1

4 February 2016 Gazette 23

SALE EXTENDED TO NEXT SUNDAY 7TH FEB

Gazette

24 Gazette 4 February 2016

OUT&ABOUT

CINEMA

ReelReviews

room

Well worth venturing into CRITICS around the world have been falling over themselves to praise The Room (Cert 15A, 118 mins), and it’s not hard to see why, thanks to the mesmerising performances at the heart of the film. A woman lives with her young son in a single room where they’re both being held captive by a man. She hatches a daring escape plan, so that her son can see the outside world for the first time ...

the 5th wave

Makes a bit of a splash ANOTHER film in the burgeoning ‘young adult’ genre, The 5th Wave (Cert 12A, 112 mins) sees likeable lead Chloe Grace Moretz star in the latest apocalyptic tale where only a plucky teenager can win the day. When aliens invade, unleashing waves of attack designed to exterminate us pesky humans, a young woman gets caught up in the fight back. Deftly told, and daftly entertaining.

dirty grandpa

Simply a mess to avoid HERE’S another truly terrible film for Robert de Niro to besmirch his legacy with. Here, he teams up with cinema albatross Zac Effron for Dirty Grandpa (Cert 18, 102 mins), which delivers exactly what the title suggests: a young man is confronted with his grandfater’s grubby, sleazy side on a long road trip together. Can they bond on the trip? Can you last to the end of the film?

Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo are among the leads fleshing out Spotlight, which largely follows a newspaper team’s efforts to report on corruption and child abuse

spotlight: A church sex abuse scandal is meticulously unravelled

Reveals disturbing darkness BASED on the Boston Globe’s early 2000s uncovering of Catholic Church sex abuse scandals, Spotlight (Cert 15A, 129 mins) is a sobering, enlightening, and fundamentally important film.

Given the difficult subject matter, Spotlight seems oddly out of place when placed next to The Martian, and Mad Max: Fury Road, on the Oscar nomination lists but, if anything, it goes to highlight some of the diversity that is creeping into the awards ceremony (though, as director Spike Lee pointed out last week, the academy is not quite there yet).

Named after the “Spotlight” investigative team at the newspaper, the film follows the behind-the-scenes work-

 Dave phillips

ings that led to a series of reports that exposed massive corruption in the Boston archdiocese, and beyond.

It is a harrowing story that we are all unfortunately familiar with from similar exposes in Ireland and around the world – a story that tells of that recognisable pattern of victims cowed into silence, priests moved on to new parishes, and the church as an organisation trying to save face at all costs.

And, while the focus remains for the most

par t on the church, Spotlight is really a film about the darker side of institutions – religious or secular – and how it takes someone from the inside to break the circle of silence which allows such corruption to occur systemically.

The “insiders” in this case are the Boston journalists who can sense the importance of uncovering the truth, while also being aware of the devastation within their community that will follow in the wake of their reports.

Set mainly in the bustling newsrooms of the Globe, Spotlight features an impressive ensemble cast including Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, and Liev Schreiber.

Schreiber plays

Marty Baron, the newly appointed editor, who is enough of an outsider to let the Spotlight team loose on the topic.

Chief among these is Walter “Robby” Robinson (Keaton) who, as a Boston local, is fully aware of the domino effect of blame – implicating everyone from school officials to lawyers – that come as part and parcel of pursuing the story.

“This is how it starts” Keaton’s characters says to a prominent local official who is pushing him to not run with it; “one guy leans on another guy, and soon everyone ends up turning a blind eye”.

There is an air of truth in the statement, which runs through the entire film. Spotlight feels

authentic in part because of the huge effort made to mirror the real journalists’ personalities with the characters presented on screen.

Nothing here seems overly scripted or filmic; instead, we get a genuine feel for the anguish of the voiceless victims, the vastness of the implications of the exposure, and the sheer ardour of the investigative work.

It is, in its tone and setting, reminiscent of the newsroom storyline of the final season of HBO’s The Wire (which, fittingly, director and writer Tom McCarthy starred in).

And, as in The Wire, the audience feels dropped into the deep end of a real, fast-paced world replete with its own jargon and rules of

engagement.

Spotlight is the kind of film that immediately forces you to sit forward and pay attention because it smacks of something that feels authentic and significant.

There is simply not enough space to do justice to Spotlight – a film that is crammed full of strong and memorable performances (Ruffalo and McAdams are nominated for Best Supporting Oscars), and which never once flags during its two hours of screen time, and which imbues such a powerful and important message.

This is how stories should be told, and this is how films should be made.

Verdict: 10/10

4 February 2016 Gazette 25

26 swords gazette 4 February 2016

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SWORDSCLASSIFIEDS

Gazette

28 gazette 4 February 2016

SPORT

FastSport Mercy pipped at post in U-18 National cup: DCU Mercy missed out on the Hula Hoops Under-18 women’s National Cup title to SuperValu Brunell 72-69 after over-time.

The first half was truly a shooting showcase at either end and as Alex Macheta continued to be a thorn in DCU Mercy’s side, it was the introduction of Aoife Maguire for Mercy that proved to be crucial, as she helped drive the Dublin side to a 32-31 point lead at the break.

The second half was nail-biting, as Amy Murphy and Laura Morrissey helped put Brunell back into the lead, but determined play from Anna Brennan and Elizabeth Black kept the game neck-and-neck.

The teams were level on six separate occasions to see the game tied on 61-apiece on the final buzzer.

In over-time, it was Alex Macheta who was Brunell’s inspiration to nick a dramatic victory.

basketball: southsiders prevail in thrilling endgame over Swords

Temple of glory for Keenan men’s national cup Templeogue GCD Swords Thunder  sport@dublingazette.com

78 75

TEMPLEOGUE beat GCD Swords Thunder to claim their first Hula Hoops Men’s National

Cup Trophy with a 78-75 win at the National Basketball Arena.

It was a maiden final appearance for both sides, but a classic decider. The lead swung four times before Thunder missed a three-pointer on the

MVP Michael Bonaparte takes on Dan Nelms

final buzzer to send the Templeogue faithful into rapture.

“The way we came out in the third quarter and did our best to lose it in the fourth, it’s a special night,” said Templeogue Coach Mark Keenan with a fourth Cup medal around his neck. “You see the spirit within the group. We always believe we can do it.”

It was an adrenaline fuelled opening quarter. Michael Bonaparte showed no ill effects of the injury that prompted rumours of an American recruit being parachuted into the Templeogue lineup.

Sean Flood was the early scorer though. Having shot at just 13% in the semi-final, the 19 year old

Templeogue celebrate their National Cup success. Picture: Cathal Noonan/Inpho

landed three from four triples as Templeogue led 24-16 after 10 minutes.

From Swords Thunder’s American quartet, it was Dan Nelms who got the nod to start. The Davidson alumnus set about neutralising Jason Killeen on the offensive boards, before Mike Garrow added more penetration into the mix. Then Thunder took over altogether.

The second quarter was a write off for Templeogue, managing just four points and turning the ball over six times.

Isaac Westbrooks upped his steal count and Alex Dolenko contributed a pair of three-pointers to a 10-0 run for a 39-28 lead at the break.

Ex-Ireland International Paul Cummins was

heating up in the second quarter of his first game in 11 weeks. His outside shooting topped up second chance scores from Michael Bonaparte to level the sides at 49-49 late in the third. Stephen James followed up with a couple of downtown three-pointers and it took Westbrooks to snap a 13-0 run with the last shot of the third.

Leading 57-51 with ten minutes left gave no cause for comfort. Michael Bonaparte did. A threepoint play and a massive block on Sergi Guardia gave them their first double-digit lead.

Thunder hadn’t clapped out just yet. Alex Dolenko finished defiantly off his own steal and Dan Nelms’ dunk edged them

closer and a Westbrooks jump-shot brought it back to 67-70 with 90 seconds left.

Jason Killeen completed a double-double with his most precious rebound of the evening to prevent Thunder from an equalising opportunity.

Fouled in the process, they also iced the freethrows at the other end.

There were just 22 seconds and it was the first time the crowd felt they were looking at champions.

It was of no consolation to GCD Swords Thunder Head Coach Dave Baker that he was part of a thriller. It was a spectacle, but obviously we’re disappointed. We’re proud to have come so far and we can enjoy that much.”

Killester burned by Team Montenotte in women’s final  sport@dublingazette.com

Claire Rockall scores a basket despite the efforts of Killester’s Ali Maguire. Picture: Cathal Noonan/Inpho

PYROBEL Killester found Team Montenotte Hotel too hot to handle in the women’s Hula Hoops National Cup final last Sunday at the National Basketball Arena, falling 96-64 in a one-sided affair.

Killester had lost none of the grace or steel that has seen them fight for silverware on two fronts this season. They were simply overpowered by a side peaking when it mattered most.

Aine McKenna was the big

gun and revelled in her captain’s role. The MVP had 10 points in four minutes and the Glanmire club still had time for a 12-0 run, becoming just the second side of the national cup weekend to hit a 30-point quarter.

Killester coach Karl Kilbride gave his bench the opportunity to get to grips and put three Under-20 women’s cup champions on the floor from earlier in the weekend.

Aoibheann Byrne and Aisling McCann rewarded his faith with baskets as Killester managed a considerable 20-point quarter.

The only problem was that Glanmire repeated their first quarter trick and put up another 31 points.

One by one they stepped up to hit their shots. Marie Breen hit a pair and Chantell Alford refused to miss.

They’d hit the half-century in 17 minutes of basketball, shooting at 67% on both sides of the three-point line.

When the sides met in the 2015 decider, Team Montenotte Hotel won 62-36 on the back of a one-point lead at half time.

This time around, they were

already 62-34 clear at the break.

In 32 years of national cup basketball, only two women’s clubs have scored 80 points or more in 40 minutes.

I n 19 91, B l a r n e y b e a t Snowcream Wildcats 86-56 and were back at the Arena as part of their 25 year jubilee celebrations.

Glanmire’s first National Cup win was courtesy of an 89-75 win over UL Aughinish. Marie Breen scored 29 points that day in 2007 and had a double-double in 2016.

4 February 2016 gazette 29

Gazette

Humble Brandon’s family inspiration Former Moyle Park College and Lucan United man Brandon Payne says family roots are keeping him grounded as he looks to make the leap forward with Glasgow Celtic in 2016  adam doherty

sport@dublingazette.com

MOST young talents, when asked, would point to the greats like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo as their main source of inspiration.

For former Moyle Park College and Lucan United man Brandon Payne, his inspiration comes from much closer to home. He cites his uncle Philip Sheppard – a former St Pat’s, Shamrock Rovers and Cherry Orchard striker – as the key motivator in his footballing career.

It is indicative of his humble approach – saying he is just a “normal lad from Bawnogue” – and the importance of family to Payne who is making waves since his move to Glasgow Celtic.

The 18-year-old says he is living the profes-

sional footballers dream at the moment, saying it is something he was: “just brought into as soon as I could basically play!

“Growing up, my idol was my uncle [Sheppard], he played and brought me into football so he was someone who I looked up to as a kid.”

Indeed, family is especially important to him, saying the struggles of being away from his family and, especially, his younger brother Jordan being the hardest part.

“It is tough being away from the family, I only get to come home every so often.

“I have grown up with Jordan; he is a good person and a great footballer so hopefully he can push on and do well for himself, but I do keep in touch with him daily through Facetime”.

Payne’s career started with Ashwood before moving on to Lucan where he linked up with an incredibly productive side, one which has seen Irish underage international team mates Conor Masterson signed up

by Liverpool and Sean Whelan moving to Preston.

At Lucan, he rapidly rose to earn an Under15 call-up for Ireland but suffered a careerthreatening injury when he broke his leg against Dundalk.

“The injury was horrible, I was out for about a year so it took me ages to get back fit and I thought I wouldn’t be able to play again.”

Nonetheless, he worked his way through many doctor and physio sessions and came back to his best to get his first deal in January 2014 with

Brandon Payne in Lucan United action. Picture: Stephen Findlater

Glasgow Celtic.

It saw him follow in the footsteps of Roy Keane, a player very much in his mould as a combative midfielder with a keen relish for the tackle allied to an eye for a pass.

When part of the Irish underage set-up, the FAI

its after my injury; he did not have to meet and speak to me but he did so I was really grateful he did.”

When asked about the lifestyle and adapting to the life as a full-time footballer, Payne says he is certainly in his element.

“The lifestyle is unbeliev-

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

“Many people said [Roy Keane] would be scary but he told me straight out what I need to do” - Brandon Payne --------------------------------------------------------

arranged for Payne to meet Keane in Malahide.

Keane spoke to him about his experience of being rejected so many times as a youth and this provided much motivation for the youth.

This talk rung true for Payne in the wake of his injury issues that set him back. The motivational effect was immediate and he scored in a match later that evening.

When speaking about this experience of meeting Keane, Payne said: “He was unbelievable; many people said he would be scary, but he was real down to earth and he was straight out by telling me what I needed to do to make it.

“He won’t tell you lies, he really is an idol to so many people and he is also a great person to talk to. It lifted my spir-

able, but you cannot get too carried away with it.

“Adapting to it is obviously tough but, at the end of the day, you are getting paid so you cannot complain or give out too much.”

Speaking of his time at Celtic, Payne has endured a couple of injuries but has been a regular for their development side in the 2015-16 season to date and is back with the Republic of Ireland Under-19 side, lining out against Hungary and Croatia.

Speaking of his goals for the future, Payne adds: “I aim to push on and make a good living, so hopefully I don’t have to come back to Ireland and work!

“In five to ten years, I feel I will still be playing football or will definitely still be involved with it.”

FastSport

Smith steps away after stellar Irish amateur stint GERRY Smith has announced his decision to step down from his role as Republic of Ireland amateur international team manager.

Smith has opted to stand down after 20 years in the role following the fantastic high of leading the Eastern Region to the UEFA Regions Cup title last summer.

The Dubliner previously led the Irish representatives to the UEFA Regions Cup Final in 2011 when they were beaten by hosts Braga from Portugal.

Smith, 60, also managed the Republic of Ireland at the World Under-20 championships finals in the UAE in 2003. He also worked with Brian Kerr in a scouting and analysis role at the successful 1998 Under-18 UEFA championships finals in Cyprus.

His time with the junior international side included winning the Quadrangular tournament four times and securing runners-up places six times. Smith and his squad also won the Davie Pocock Cup twice against the Netherlands.

Smith’s 35 games as manager in the UEFA Regions Cup saw his Irish representatives qualify for final tournaments five times. His Irish side’s last 10 competitive games were all victories.

“I feel the time is right for me to step down from the role having reached the pinnacle by winning the UEFA Regions Cup in 2015,” said Smith.

“I have enjoyed the job immensely and wish to extend my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the secretary Denis Cruise, the committee, council members and all past Presidents for the help and cooperation in making my job that much easier over the years.

“I would also like to place on record my thanks to all my own backroom staff and all the players who have played under me as a manager over the years. I have made great friends and will be eternally grateful to the FAI for the opportunity to manage such a great group of people.

“It is my intention to stay involved in football in the future but for now I’ll be recharging the batteries. So for the next weeks and months I’ll be at games and trying to enjoy them in a different way.

We got out on a high and that’s all you can ask for.”

Gazette

30 SWORDS gazette 4 February 2016

SPORT

FastSport

soccer: dalton cup set to raise funds for local charity

Irish Under-15s fall to narrow Dutch defeat THE Republic of Ireland U15 side went down to an unfortunate 2-1 loss to the Netherlands in the first game of their friendly international tournament in Turkey on Tuesday.

Colin O’Brien’s squad for the trip features Malahide United’s Oisin McEntee and they produced a solid display in testing heat and were unlucky not to secure at least a draw from the game. Turkey beat Austria 3-0 in the other game in the group.

Ireland started well with Nathan Collins forcing a save from the Dutch keeper Joey Koorevaar following a seventh minute corner.

In the 26th minute Sean Brennan had a low strike saved after being put through by Callum Thompson.

Soon after, Max Murphy slipped a pass through for Adam Idah to break in on goal but the Netherlands keeper saved well.

In the 65th minute Wouter Burger opened the scoring when the Irish back four could only half-clear a corner and his volley went through a number of bodies to find the net.

Two minutes later the Netherlands extended their lead when a long ball through fell to Damien Timan and after his first shot was blocked

by Max Murphy it turned to Timan and he knocked home the loose ball.

Tyriek Wright pulled one back for the Irish five minutes from time when he fired home after good work by Adam Idah.

Kian Clarke made another excellent save in injury-time to deny the Dutch a third goal but overall a draw would have been a fair result.

Irish head coach Colin O’Brien was pleased with the performance as a whole in testing conditions in Antalya.

“It took us 20 minutes to settle and the boys really got an education playing in the heat. It was very hot, which would have been a challenge to our lads at this time of the year,” said O’Brien.

“We defended well but gave it away a bit too easily after we won it back. The second 20 minutes of the first half we created the better chances and I was pleased with how we did.

“In the second half Holland got two quick goals, one from a set-piece and the second one was a bit fortunate albeit with a good finish.

Our goal was down to good link up play.”

Members of the Portmarnock Fights Cancer group that are running the Dalton Cup

Portmarnock fights cancer  nathan kelly sport@dublingazette.com

FRIENDSHIP and football will combine in the poignant way it so often can when the Dalton Cup is played at Portmarnock Sports and Leisure Centre (PSLC) on February 21.

The six-a-side competition, named in memory of Jack Dalton, a 19-yearold local who sadly passed away from cancer in February 2013, will see all proceeds go to the Irish Cancer Society via the Portmarnock Fights Cancer group.

That group was set-up

by Jack’s close friends

while he was still fighting the illness and to date they have raised €13,000, all of which has gone to Irish Cancer Society.

The Dalton Cup will be the first time a football tournament will be used to fundraise for this group and co-ordinator Stephen Brady is hoping it will be a big success.

“We’re hoping for a big turnout,” he told GazetteSport. “We’ve received great help from the PSLC in allowing us to use our facilities and we want to spread the word in the next two weeks to as many people and local organisations as we can.

“Jack spent a lot of

Raheny 5 mile Clohisey leads the way at his home race route local favourite Mick Clohisey won the AXA Raheny 5 last Sunday on a new course and in windy conditions when he clocked 24.05.

Foyle Valley’s Scott Rankin came second 19 seconds back with Ennis Track’s Rory Chesser third in 24.33.

Mary Cullen stole the show to win the women’s race in 26:16 and finish a remarkable 17th overall. Raheny won the men’s team title while Crusaders won the women’s team. The race attracted over 2,700 runners and 100 walkers. Picture: Deryck Vincent

time playing football at the centre before his illness and they’ve been very good for us since we’ve started our group.

He also played football as a kid for local clubs so we’re hoping word spreads and as many people as possible get involved.”

Brady is a player at local side Portmarnock AFC and explained how his club will help in the running of the event. “ P o r t m a r n o c k h ave offered to come along the day and assist in marking out pitches and just helping out with the running of the competition which will be a big help.

“Clubs such as Malahide United have shared our poster on their Facebook page too which is good and we’re hoping the likes of the AUL can also put the word out to drive interest.”

The Dalton Cup is for anyone ages 16 and over and entry per team is €80, with eight players the maximum on any squad. To register or to find out further details, visit http://portmarnockfightscancer.com/ registration/ As well as Stephen, the Portmarnock Fights Cancer group also includes Aideen Walsh, Meggan Ward, Orlagh Geoghan,

Jack Comey, Cameron Ward, Ian O’Meara and Aifric O’Reilly, all young locals giving their time and efforts to raise fund and awareness for their friend Jack.

As well as the Dalton Cup, the following week this group of fundraisers will host an eight-hour Basketball-a-thon at the PSLC which will be followed by their annual table quiz in the Martello Room at the same venue.

The quiz was a massive success last year, anyone seeking more information can check the Portmarnock Fights Cancer Facebook page.

4 February 2016 SWORDS gazette 31

Gazette

football: jackies up and running with big win

Club Noticeboard FINGALLIANS WELL done to the Dubs on their three

The Fingallians primary school art

the Walsh Cup and the men’s and ladies

competition will be held again this

footballers both beat the Kingdom at

year. Prizes will be awarded to win-

home in the National League.

ners of third/fourth class and fifth/

A big thank you to Ciaran Kilkenny

Winners will be selected during

cialist dual training session on Sunday

Seachtain na Gaeilge by a celebrity

morning with our Under-10s. It was

judge. Max size will be A3. Entries

followed by a very entertaining Q & A

must be received by the club by March

with Ciaran.

1. Entries will be on display during

This year’s Easter Camp dates are

Seachtain na Gaeilge from March 1-17.

Monday, March 21 to Thursday, March

The theme this year is: Eiri Amach na

24. It will be a combined hurling and

Casca, 1916. Tuilleadh eolais oliamocul-

football camp for boys and girls aged

baird@gmail.com.

lidl nfl division 1

Dublin 2-14 Kerry 1-6  sport@dublingazette.com

ST SYLVESTER’S Niamh McEvoy led the Dublin ladies to an emphatic win over Kerry by 11 points in the opening round of the Lidl Ladies National Football League, starting the year in superb form.

It was clear that the Dublin team were up for the fight with Noelle Healy, Lyndsey Davey and Sinead Aherne scoring three points within three minutes for the Dubs.

Former Kerry captain Bernie Breen responded for Kerry with a welltaken point in the fourth minute. The Beaufort player’s kick was helped on its way with the aid of a strong wind which was blowing into the railway end of Parnell Park.

Dublin’s movement upfront was impressive with the inside line of Aherne, Niamh McEvoy and Amy Ring all showing well. Dublin’s first goal came in the 18th minute following a penetrative

run from Davey, who laid off a brilliant pass to McEvoy who finished the ball to the back of the Kerry net with aplomb.

Further points from Ring and Healy pushed Dublin’s lead out to nine points with 22 minutes gone. Kerry kept plugging away but were guilty of some poor shooting and their wide tally was starting to mount.

The Kingdom got a fortunate break in the 29th minute when a speculative cross field pass by Anna Galvin dipped over the head of Dublin keeper Ciara Trant and into the back of the Dubs’ net.

The goal lifted Kerry and they reduced the gap to 1-8 to 1-3 at the break.

It was Dublin who once again started the second half in spritely fashion with four unanswered points courtesy of Carla Rowe, Aherne, Siobhan Woods and Aherne again.

With 42 minutes gone on the clock, McEvoy once again broke Kerry hearts with another well taken goal. The pass for McEvoy’s score came at

the end of a well worked passage of play involving Aherne and Davey.

With the writing on the wall Alan O’Neill emptied his Kerry bench giving a number of his players some valuable game time. Likewise, Dublin introduced a number of players into the game with Rebecca McDonnell, Amy Conroy and Niamh Ryan making their senior debuts when brought in near the closing stages.

Gregory McGonigle and his management team will be happy with his side’s performance.

Dublin kept Kerry to just three points in the second half while scoring all bar one point of their final tally of 2-14 from play.

Dublin’s defence was solid, midfielders Lauren Magee and Healy have the makings of a strong partnership while up front Davey, McEvoy, Aherne and Ring where in superb form.

This Saturday, February 6, the club hall will host Fingal Volunteers during

tions to follow.

McEvoy on the double as Kingdom defeated

sixth class groups.

and Opel Ireland for organising a spe-

four to 13. Further info and applica-

The Dublin ladies football panel. Picture: Peter Hickey/GAAPics.com

both the 60m and 200m.

weekend victories. The hurlers won

Scoil Rince Ni Rua will hold a cake sale

the Easter Rising. This will be hosted by

at this Saturday morning’s academy

the Fingal Old IRA 1916-21 Commemo-

from 10 to 11.30am. This Irish dancing

rative Society from 2-5pm.

school has provided many of our Scor

The club will host a free raffle on

dancers through the years and Fin-

Valentine’s night. There are no tickets

gallians are currently Dublin Scor na

available but anybody who supported

nOg county champions. There will be a

the club in the Christmas draw will be

multitude of entertainment provided

entered.

Bags of all clean unwanted clothes,

on the morning.

Attention adult football teams. The

bed linen, towels, shoes, bags and soft

Seachtain na Gaeilge Peil tri Ghaeilge

toys can be dropped into the club bar

seven-a-side competition will be held

any evening from 7-9pm or on Satur-

at Somerton, Castleknock on March 5.

day mornings from 10am to 12pm for

Use your Irish and get game time as we

the club’s recycling drive. No house-

enter the season. Further info from

hold bric-A-brac.

Liam on 086 3814422

First Responders: They will hold a

Well done to junior athlete Anne

public information meeting on Febru-

Marie Torsney who came second at

ary 23 in the Old School House bar at

the shot putt in the national indoors

7.30pm where we will have speakers

and Bronwyn Keogh who came third in

from CFR Ireland

ST FINIAN’S PLAYER registration day is on next

Bookings can now be made for the

Saturday, February 6 from 10am to

Easter camps by ringing the club

2pm in the clubhouse.

office on 01 8132656 during opening

We have 10 club members from the Holy Family School playing in Croke Park at half time during the Dublin v Kerry game.

hours. Online registration should be available later this week.

The lotto jackpot was €1,900 and the numbers drawn were 9, 12, 16

We now have credit/debit card

and 18. There was no jackpot win-

acceptance terminals in the club-

ner. The winners of the €25 lucky dip

house. If you wish to pay your mem-

prizes were Noreen Dowling, Fiona

bership over the phone or buy tick-

Dowling, Cora and Myra, Adrian

ets for Neven Maguire, you can ring

Wansboro.

the office on 01 8132656 from 9.30am to 2pm or from 6pm to 9pm.

Nex t we e k’s j a c k p o t w i l l b e €2,000.



Got a story? we want to know!

Call our sport team on 60 10 240 and SELECT OPTION 3 Niamh McEvoy makes a pass. Picture: Peter Hickey

or email sport@dublingazette.com

GazetteSPORT all of your swords sports coverage from page 28-31

february 4-10, 2016

kingdom conquered: Niamh McEvoy strikes twice pursuing the celtic dream: Brandon Payne on his rising as Dublin sweep past the challenge of Kerry in NFL P31 career with Glasgow club P29

Templeogue fans watch on as their side come back in the second half to defeat Swords Thunder. Picture: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

Little solace for Swords

Thunder boss Dave Baker says playing a part in the most engrossing national basketball cup finals of recent memory provides little comfort

 nathan kelly

sport@dublingazette.com

OVER 48 hours separated GCD Swords Thunder’s heartbreaking defeat in their first ever Men’s National Cup final and the conversation head-coach Dave Baker had with GazetteSport, but the pain could still be heard in his voice.

Last Saturday night in the National Basketball Arena, Thunder fell to a 78-75 defeat to Templeogue in what many have labelled the most thrilling game at the arena in recent history.

It could have been so different, Swords led 39-28 at the mid-point but Templeogue came

back with a vengeance.

There was still a chance for extra-time when the “phenomenal” Isaac Westbrook threw for three on the buzzer but, much to the north Dubliners’ devastation, it bounce out.

“It was a strange game,” said Baker. “To be honest, we didn’t play well enough to be in contention at the end of the game but, somehow, we were.

“I was shocked that we could play so poorly in the final two quarters and still be in with a chance to level the match on the buzzer.”

The fact that the final was probably the most exciting in many a year on these shores, Baker insists being part of it means little after defeat and he said he would have settled for

a boring win.

“After it was over and you’re standing there, everyone is coming up and raving about the game and how exciting it was and how it was brilliant for TV but that means little to us.

“It was heartbreaking to lose. But, for a team in just its second year at the top level, it’s a huge achievement to reach a final.

“We were runners-up in the league last year and now in the cup; we now just have to use those experiences and go one further.”

Thunder will roll straight back into National Premier League action this Saturday when they host Belfast Star in the ALSAA and Baker has told his players to leave the cup final defeat in the past. “Saturday night is a

must-win game,” he said.

“I spoke to the players in the huddle after Saturday and, later that night, when we were out and told them we just need to move on from the cup final.

“It was a proud moment to be there and a big day for the club. Our medal presentation the next day at ALSAA was nice, but we cannot dwell on it.

“We’re in fourth spot at the moment; Belfast are two places behind us but I want us to make that spot our own.

“I think Templeogue will go on and finish first but if we finish fourth, we’ll get them in the Champions Cup play-off and I fancy another bite of the cherry.”