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Nissan’s Qashqai motors into pole position on the most-wanted list
SWORDS
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Month XX, 2012 MALAHIDE • BALBRIGGAN • APPLEWOOD • BOROIMHE • AIRSIDE • PORTMARNOCK • KINSEALY • CLAREHALL
INSIDE: Our Spring Getaways guide will help you find a great relaxing break for Easter P20
Athletics:
FCC league final day proves a massive draw Page 32
Tennis:
Cluskey helps Ireland to Davis Cup victory Page 30
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ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES...................... 8 DUBLIN LIFE...................11 OUT&ABOUT ..................17 CLASSIFIEDS ................26 SPORT ...........................27
BIG INSIGHT: Warwick Davis talks to The Gazette ahead of his visit to Dublin P17
Swords leads on housing needs NATALIUE BURKE
SWORDS has the greatest need for housing in Dublin, it has emerged, with 1,448 new units required over the next five years. That is according to a recent report published by the Government’s advisory body on housing, the Housing Agency, which projects housing level needs across the country between now and the end of 2018. Nearby towns in north Dublin
have a much lower requirement, with Malahide needing 163 houses before the end of 2018, and Skerries needing 174. Commenting on the findings, local Labour party candidate for Swords, Duncan Smith, described the report as a “timely reminder” of the housing crisis. He said: “It is a crisis which will require innovative and creative thinking at all levels of local and national government.” Full Story on Page 4
Step to it: Sonia joins in a 5k fun run in Malahide Castle’s grounds SONIA O’Sullivan was one of the more notable runners who took part in the recent 5k Malahide Park fun run in the grounds of the castle, where the run’s director, Michael McMahon, was on hand to greet her and many of the other par-
ticipants. Sonia took the 5k run in her stride, and joined runners and onlookers at the Avoca cafe afterwards for a refreshing cuppa and a chat, with all happy to discuss the merits of running in the area. Full Gallery next week
2 swords gazette 10 April 2014
dublin GAZETTe newspapers i n f o r m at i o n
politics New county manager on his role
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Paul Reid, the new county manager: “I want Fingal to be a leader in terms of economic growth, community development and getting people back to work. I have great confidence in what I can see already.”
‘We aim for Fingal to set services benchmarks’ ACKNOWLEDGING his arrival into Fingal County Council last week, the new county manager, Paul Reid, has set out his early priorities for looking towards the future for Fingal. Speaking to The Gazette just days into his new role, the manager said he is ready for the challenges ahead as he joins Fingal staff in delivering services to a growing and diverse population. Reid said he is looking forward to the role, and said it is a “privilege” to be working for Fingal County Council. “I have a great identity with the area and, in a sense, I am coming back to where my early career grew. I know Fingal geographically inside out. “It’s great to come to an area that’s very proac-
natalie burke nburke@gazettegroup.com
tive. It’s really refreshing to be here,” he said. With Fingal coming with a reputation for being a “very progressive” county, and for attracting investment and strengthening social inclusion, the manager says he hopes to continue this progress. He said: “Fingal County Council has undergone a lot of change in recent years; most recently with the transfer of water supply and treatment services to Irish Water. “We will also see big changes in local representation after May 23, when Balbriggan Town Council
will no longer exist and our elected council in Fingal will grow from 24 to 40 councillors. “These changes reflect the changed demography of Fingal, whose population has grown beyond 270,000 people, with more than 100 nationalities.” T he manager also spoke about his ambitions for Fingal while in his new role. He said: “I want Fingal to be a leader in terms of economic growth, community development and getting people back to work. I have great confidence in what I can see already. “The strongest message that I want to get across is that it is about evolution, not resolution. Fingal is not broken – it’s about evolving it to the next level.”
The manager said it is encouraging to see solid indicators of economic growth nationally, and that Fingal is ideally placed to leverage this growth. “We have a young, educated workforce, good availability of serviced development land and are a major employer across all sectors. “T he Fingal local enterprise office opens in County Hall in the coming weeks, continuing to expand the great work of the Fingal County Enterprise Board. “With a strong focus on and expansion of economic development services in the council, my intention is to make Fingal the leader on economic growth, getting people back to work and improving social inclusion.”
Reid also noted that Fingal County Council has made significant financial savings of and reduced staff numbers by approximately 300 people since 2008. Looking for ward, he said the council will remain focused on improving how things are done in Fingal by always looking at ways to provide services more efficiently. He said: “At the end of the day, it’s about the citizen, and we aim in Fingal to be the benchmark for providing public services to citizens in Ireland.” Reid officially started with Fingal County Council as county manager from March 31. He most recently worked at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and previously with Trocaire and Eircom.
10 April 2014 swords gazette 3
smoothie talk Dragon backs juice firm
Swords man gets €20,000 offer on RTE show natalie burke nburke@dublingazette.com
WHEN local Swords entrepreneur Patrick O’Brien took on five Dragons recently, he never thought he’d walk away with a €20,000 investment in his company. Patrick bravely pitched his business idea, Green Juice and Smoothies, on a recent episode of RTE’s Dragons’ Den, in the hope of giving his company a platform and raising awareness in it locally. W hile he never dreamed he would be successful, Patrick says he was “absolutely delighted” to be offered four different proposals for investments by the Dragons. “I couldn’t believe it. To have a choice of which Dragon to go with too – I thought I was dreaming,” he told
the Gazette recently. Patrick initially thought he had lost it when new Dragon Eamonn Quinn declared himself out of the running.
Offers However Patrick quickly received offers from the four remaining Dragons and accepted Dragon Gavin Duffy’s offer of €20,000 for 30% stake in the company. “I was delighted with Gavin. He has huge connections around Ireland and he has brought businesses to the market like mine. Even before I went in, I kind of thought he’d be the guy.” Patrick, who is origin a l l y f r o m G a l w ay but currently lives in Swords with his family, entered the Den with his company, Green Juices and Smoothies. Choosing the name
Second comedy club night FOLLOWING a successful opening night in The Old Boro last week, the second instalment of the Swords comedy club is set to return once again this April. Three comedy acts will take to the stage on Thursday, April 24, including the return of popular comedian Andrew Stanley as MC for the night. The show will start at 8.45pm and pre-sale tickets cost €10 from entertainment.ie and the venue. Tickets at the door will be €12.
Steel Magnolias in Swords
Dragon Gavin Duffy with Patrick O’Brien from Green Juice and Smoothies. Picture: Tony Kinlan
Green was to emphasise the Irishness and natural ingredients of the juice and smoothie business. He is a graduate of economics from NUI Galway and has worked in fast moving consumer goods, primarily in the supply chain. He is currently a supply chain manager with a large wholesale distributor.
Starting out “Green Juices and Smoothies started out at a farmers’ market which we used as market research and a good business opportunity. Once we developed what we wanted to do we started approaching retailers and received great support,” he said. Within 12 months, his products were appearing on the shelves of a number of local retail-
ers in north Dublin. Local JC’s supermarket in Swords was one of the first retailers to support the local company and Patrick says with the investment from the Dragons’ Den, they now have the opportunity to progress the company further. “We’re working on ways to give the juices and smoothies a longer shelf life. That’s where we are at the moment.” “I was very nervous at the thought of going on Dragons’ Den, it was such a risky thing to do. Even the night before I was questioning myself. “But for the sake of the brand and the product, it was an opportunity I just had to take.” The sixth series of Dragons’ Den, sponsored by Bank of Ireland, is aired on RTE One on Sunday nights.
Battle of the bands competition natalie burke nburke@dublingazette.com
Radio Nova, Budweiser and Hogs and Heifers Rockin’ Bar and Grill in Swords, have joined forces to hold the ultimate Battle of the Bands competition. The event will support and promote emerging Irish talent and aims to find “the next U2”. Set to
FastNews
be the biggest showcase of emerging Irish talent of 2014, the competition will run over 13 weeks with bands competing each Thursday night at Hogs and Heifers for a place in the final. Each week the winning band will get to showcase their talents on the hugely popular Locals Only show with Johnny Bowe and get to perform live in studio.
The overall band that claims the title will win the coveted prize of studio time at Temple Lane Recording Studios and guaranteed airtime on Radio Nova. The selected runner-up bands will each receive €1,000. Radio Nova broadcasts to Dublin city, county and commuter belt, including Wicklow, Kildare and Meath.
MALAHIDE Musical and Dramatic Society are returning this month with their version of the 1980s classic play, Steel Magnolias. The play will be taking place in ALSAA Sports Centre in Swords from Wednesday, April 30 until Saturday, May 3, at 8pm. Tickets are priced at €12, while groups of 10 or more are €10. For further information, or to make a booking, email malahidebookings@gmail.com.
4 SWORDS GAZETTE 10 April 2014
BIG WIN: SYNDICATE WIN €35,714 EACH ON PLUS 2
REPORT 1,448 units required by end of 2018 ACCIDENT:
WOMAN HIT BY CAR
A whole Lotto luck for locals NATALIE BURKE
C H A M PAG N E w a s flowing this week at the National Lottery offices after a work syndicate of seven lucky ladies from north Dublin collected a cheque for €250,000, which they won in the Lotto Plus 2 draw on Saturday, April 5. The group, who wish to remain private, have p l ay e d t o g e t h e r f o r ten years. Three years ago, they were just one number away from winning the Lotto jackpot. Speaking about their excitement, the head of the syndicate said: “I was watching the draw and marking off the numbers on our ticket. When we got three numbers, I thought: ‘Great, we’ve won a scratch card!’
“T hen we got the four th number, and then the fifth and the sixth. Well, of course, your mind plays tricks on you, doesn’t it? So I got my husband and my son to check the numbers for me. “I texted the six other girls right away, and said: ‘Ring me, urgently!’. “The phone started ringing and they were all worried, asking me if I was all right!” T he group bought their lucky ticket in Centra at Rivervalley Shopping Centre in Swords. The ladies will split their win equally, with each taking home just over €35,714. Individual plans for spending include college fees for children, holidays and taking care of family members.
SERVING THRIVING COMMUNITIES OF SUBURBAN DUBLIN. F O R U P T O D A T E N E W S V I S I T: W W W. FAC E B O O K .C O M / DUBLING AZET TENE WSPAPERS
Gardai name motor fatality NATALIE BURKE
A new government report based on growth and migration projects the estimated needs for housing
Swords tops list for Dublin housing needs NATALIE BURKE
SWORDS has the greatest need for housing in Dublin, it has emerged, with 1,448 new units required over the next five years. This is according to a new report published by the Government’s advisory body on housing, the Housing Agency, which projects the level of housing needed across the country between now and the end of 2018. Almost 80,000 housing units will need to be built nationwide over the next five years in order to meet demand for the growing population. Swords has the high-
est need, with 1,448 units needed over the next five years, followed by Balbriggan, where 925 units will be required. Nearby towns in north Dublin have a much lower requirement, with Malahide needing 163 houses before the end of 2018, and Skerries needing 174. The findings are based on projections of natural growth and migration in 272 urban settlements around the country. Commenting on the findings, local Labour candidate for Swords, Duncan Smith, has described the report at a “timely reminder” of the housing crisis. He said: “It is an indi-
cation of the housing crisis we are facing today and it is a crisis which will require innovative and creative thinking at all levels of local and national government.” Smith said housing is the primary issue arising in advance of the upcoming local elections. He said: “There is a shortage of housing, and it is a crisis. People on the housing list are being told it will be ten years before they receive a housing allocation. This is astonishing. “Right now, due to the lack of new private and social housing, rents are being forced upwards and families on rent sup-
plement are being made homeless.” Commenting on vacant sites currently in unfinished housing estates across Fingal, a spokesperson for the Department of the Environment said it is not possible in each case for the Government to take over the estates. He said: “These estates are sometimes still owned by the developers, and it is not an option for the Government to just take them in-hand. “There are, however, some unfinished estates that are viable and there is money there for the local authorities to finish them.”
THE woman who was killed on her way to work when she was hit by a car in Dublin city centre earlier this week has been named as Yao Webster. T h e 3 5 - y e a r- o l d mother of one, who lived in Donabate with her husband and child, and worked at Ushers Quay Post Office, was hit by a car which had been struck by a Luas tram.
Accident T he accident took place at the junction of Jervis Street and Abbey Street Upper on Monday, April 7, at approximately 8.45am during the rush hour. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and her body was removed to the city morgue for a post-mortem examination. Gardai are appealing for witnesses following the fatal collision. Witnesses, or anyone with information, are asked to contact Store Street Garda Station at 01 666 8000. Alternatively, they can call the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111.
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10 April 2014 swords gazette 5
transport Coach firm takes top award
funding: local share of national provision is welcomed
€138,000 to help Fingal fight graffiti NATALIE BURKE
FINGAL is set to receive just over €138,000 in funding to help tackle the issues of graffiti across the county. The funding was announced recently by the Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, and is part of a nationwide provision of €850,000 given to local authorities under the Anti-Litter and AntiGrafitti Awareness grant scheme. A total of €138,050 will be allocated to Fingal County Council – the same amount received by the other Dublin county councils. Dublin City Council will be receiving a slight-
ly increased amount, of €171,040. The funding will enable Fingal to support appropriate public education and awareness initiatives in relation to both litter and graffiti. The anti-litter grants cover a range of measures aimed at raising public awareness of the litter issue and promoting anti-litter and antigraffiti activity at a local level.
Focus There is a particular focus on voluntary initiatives involving local schools, young people and community groups. Welcoming the funding, Cllr Anthony Lavin (FG) said he hopes to
see some of the allocated funds being spent on raising awareness of the issue, particularly in Portmarnock, Kinsealy and Malahide. He said: “There is an increasing amount of graffiti appearing in Malahide, and there is graffiti visible along the estuary in several places. Also from the estuary, you can see graffiti on the wall behind the railway.” Cllr Lavin said there is currently an issue with graffiti appearing on items of public furniture around the north Dublin area, including placename signs and traffic signage, as well as on communication cabinets.
NATALIE BURKE
Going green: Swords students get eco-friendly with action project students from Loreto College Swords were among many groups
of young people across Dublin who recently presented their action project to a panel of judges for the Leinster competition for the Eco-Unesco’s Young Environmentalist Awards. The awards encourage and empower young people to build awareness of various environmental issues and promote simple lifestyle changes to improve the environment in their local communities through their action project. The Loreto College students presented their project Love a Tree As You Would Love Yourself. They will find out after the Easter break if they have made it through to the awards gala showcase and awards ceremony final, which takes place next month at the Mansion House.
LOCAL coach operator Swords Express has been named Passenger Transport Company of the Year for the second year running at the 2014 Irish Logistics and Transport awards. Now in its seventh year of operation, the service has established itself as a key link between Swords and the city centre. Speaking about the company’s latest success, owner and managing director Paddy Kavanagh said he was thrilled. He said: “We have come on in leaps and bounds since our inception in 2007, and we are delighted to offer the people of Swords an essential rapid link between Swords and the city centre.”
6 swords gazette 10 April 2014
awards Farrell, Fassbender and Gleeson home for event
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‘It’s great to come home and see friends and family, and it’s great to celebrate Irish film and television and encourage the next generation’ Michael Fassbender clutches his Best Supporting Actor IFTA award as journalists congratulate him; Brendan Gleeson (right), another IFTA
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winner (Lead Actor in a Film) was happy to praise the virtues of Sligo, where he filmed Calvary. Pictures: Photocall Ireland
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Michael Fassbender
Stars shine at IFTAs Bairbre Ni Bhraonain
It isn’t going to go down as the best moment in television history but the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTA) did have a lot of heavy hitters in attendance and the Gazette caught up with many of them on the red carpet. There were a few notable surprises on the night, including a disappointing performance by popular RTE drama Love/Hate, with only one of the four stars nominated scooping an award (Peter Coonan, AKA Fran), and Dundrum’s Tom VaughanLawlor missing out. The biggest winner on the night was John Michael McDonagh’s film
Calvary, which picked up three IFTAs. The Gazette took to the red carpet, and the atmosphere in Double Tree Hilton on Leeson Street was electric, with the likes of international stars Colin Farrell, Michael Fassbender and Jamie Dornan all in attendance. Fassbender received an IFTA for his performance in 12 Years A Slave. He said: “It’s great to come home and see friends and family, and it’s great to celebrate Irish film and television and encourage the next generation.” When asked to explain his chemistry with director Steve McQueen, with whom he’s made three films, Fassbender said: “I
don’t know how to explain that. I suppose we’re on the same wavelength, and he’s a very sensitive person and a genius, so I feel like I can talk to him and therefore he can direct me happily.” He recently worked with young up and coming Irish actor Jack Reynor, of whom he said: “Jack is such a nice guy, and is also hugely talented. He has a huge opportunity right now. “We worked together on the last film I did, and I guess I’m rooting for new talent coming through.” Castleknock man Colin Farrell, who lost out on an IFTA this time around to Fassbender, spoke of the wealth of Irish films up for awards – in particular,
Calvary, whose writer he hailed as “one of the best writers around”. Farrell also spoke of his current film, The Lobster, with Rachel Weisz, which he is now filming in Kerry. “Two weeks in, and it seems to be going okay. Nobody’s died yet, and I still have the job, so ...!” When asked which Irish actors he would like to work with, Farrell said: “I’d love to work with Brendan [Gleeson] again; I’d love to work with Cillian [Murphy] again – I haven’t worked with Cillian since Intermission. “There’s a bunch of lads and lassies; Eva Birthistle [who won for Amber] and Michael Fassbender. I’m a huge fan. I know Michael a little through
the years, so it’d be great to find something with him in it.” About coming home, Farrell said: “I’ll be home for two and a half weeks at Christmas. About once every two and half years, I get to come home and work for two months, which is nice. “It’s not my intention [to live abroad], it’s just the way it’s happened, and I’m being looked after.”
Presented Just back from America, Dundrum girl Amy Huberman, who presented one of the biggest awards on the night to President Michael D Higgins, said: “I really like LA, and I really enjoyed it again this time.”
About her future writing projects, she said: “I have a couple of writing things that I’m sinking my teeth into.” Malahide resident Brendan Gleeson said it was “an odd feeling” to win out against his son, Domhnall, in the same category, Lead Actor in a Film. He said: “I don’t know what to say. This is the kind of thing that divides people, but it shouldn’t and won’t. It’s nicer to win than not to win, obviously.” Of working on Calvary, Gleeson said: “It was beautiful. We were in Sligo, which has got to be the place to be. It was very fulfilling, and very challenging.” Foxrock man Peter
Coonan was another winner on the night. When asked if he’d miss playing Fran in Love/Hate when it all winds down, he said: “It’s a tough question. I don’t think I’m ready to answer that: we’ll have to wait and see.” When asked if he was looking forward to playing a completely different character next, he said: “Definitely, yeah! You always have to test yourself, and that’s what I’ve been doing in the last couple of months with theatre and film and different things. “We’ll finish off the season [of Love/Hate] and see where we go after that.” See Gallery on Page 10
10 April 2014 SWORDS GAZETTE 7
FINANCE Volunteer gives expert advice in Africa
Local woman helps Ghanaian credit unions NATALIE BURKE
THE Gazette has always been a popular read but it seems that it’s attracting readers from across the world these days – including some in Ghana. The recent issue of the newspaper was tucked safely into the luggage of Vivenne Keavey, manager at Malahide Credit Union, as she took part in a two-week volunteering programme in Ghana. The Ghana Coaching Programme allows participants to share their
expertise, knowledge and skills with their counterparts in some of the most rural areas of Ghana. The programme, which is in its sixth year, is a collaboration between the Irish League of Credit Unions International Development Foundation, along the Canadian Cooperative association; Malahide Credit Union; Camlin Credit Union; and St Anthony’s and Claddagh Credit Union. The technical assistance provided by the volunteer mission is
aimed at strengthening credit unions by providing advice on day-to-day operations, loan management, and human resource management. The coaches are paired with related volunteers from the Canadian credit union movement and, following a number of days of intense research working with Ghanaian credit union management, staff and their boards, the coaches then provide the credit union with a robust recommendation document to improve specific
A Ghanaian reader gets the best in north Dublin news, courtesy of a well-travelled Swords Gazette, brought to Ghana by Swords woman Vivienne Keavey (inset)
elements of the credit union. Following her participation in the programme recently, Keavey said it was an experience she will never forget. She said: “I was amazed to see how close the Ghanaian model is to ours. Their credit union, or ‘Society’ as they call it, is
based on the same operating principals. However, their movement is not as evolved as ours. “It has taken us more than 50 years to get to where we are in Ireland. “Their enthusiasm is contagious and they are so proud of what they have achieved in a short space of time.
“There is a terrific sense of achievement and pride in the credit union movement in Ghana, and I would like to think that the 2014 volunteering programme coaches contributed in some small way to the overall success of this thriving and progressive movement,” said Keavey.
FUNDRAISER Strictly the best dancing SIXTEEN couples are set to battle it out to become champions of Strictly Come Dancing, which takes place in Kettle’s Hotel, Swords on Saturday, April 26. The event, which will be held in aid of the Sunflower Chernobyl Children Appeal, will be hosted by Andrew McCann, Ireland AM’s Know Your Rights expert, who participated in the event last year. Guest judges include Senator Darragh O’Brien (FF) and Teena Gates, former 98FM presenter and motivational speaker. All funds raised on the night will go towards the appeal. Tickets are priced at €20 per person and are available from Kettle’s Hotel or from any of the dancers.
8 swords gazette 10 April 2014
gazetteGALLERIES
Damian Higgins with Nicola and Ryan O’Dea
Robert and Carrie Brown
There was a great cheer from everyone once the balloons were sent on their way. Pictures: David O’Shea
awareness: BALLOONS RELEASED FOR AUTISM
All happy to be blue for a launch
S
Fiona Prunty and Gail Nangle
OME chilly spring rain couldn’t dampen spirits at Swords Castle recently, where bright blue balloons were released as part of local engagement with World Autism Day. Snowflakes, an autism awareness group,
laid on a number of autism-related events, with the balloons’ release proving a hit with young and old participants and onlookers alike at the historic venue, with coloured lighting also turning the north Dublin landmark blue for the night.
10 April 2014 swords gazette 9
Nicola O’Dea and Emma Scully
Got a story? Tell your local Call our news team on 60 10 240 www.dublingazette.com follow us
John Scully and Sinead Finn Grace
10 swords gazette 10 April 2014
gazetteGALLERY
Actor Colm Meaney
Love/Hate actors Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Laurence Kinlan and Killian Scott . Pictures: Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland
Calvary honoured
T
he 11th annual Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTA 2014) took place recently at Dublin’s DoubleTree by Hilton, Burlington Road. The event was hosted by Simon Delaney and Laura Whitmore. The annual awards are the highlight of Ireland’s entertainment and cultural calendar celebrating the very best of
Neil Jordan with Best
Michael Fassbender with his Best Supporting Actor
Director award
award
Irish screen talent across film and television. The biggest winners on the night were the films Calvary, Byzantium and Philomena which all picked up three awards each. Calvary took the highest accolade, Best Film, along with Best Actor for Brendan Gleeson and Best Script for its writer-director John Michael McDonagh.
Actress Jane McGrath
Actress Orla O’Rourke
Karen Koster
Operation Transformation won best Reality TV show
David Rawell from Moone Boy which Jamie Dorman won Best Actor in The Fall
won Best Entertainment Programme
10 April 2014 Gazette 11
feature P15
asdfsdaf businessP27 P16
dublinlife Let Dublin Gazette Newspapers take you on a tour of the news and events taking place across the city and county this week
Gazette
diary P12
what’son Cinemagic Film and Television Festival
Brian McAleer of Sheehan’s pub on Chatham Street
a day in the life: barman Brian McAleer sheds light on life behind the bar
‘I couldn’t do a 9 to 5 job’
Lisa Banks
It’s no secret that most Irish people enjoy a visit to the pub every now and again, but life on the other side of the bar is a different and challenging experience. This week, the Gazette caught up with barman Brian McAleer of Sheehan’s pub to get the inside scoop on what a typical day of pulling pints and serving up hearty Irish food is like. Brian usually starts his day with an 8.30am wake-up. “I have a light breakfast of coffee and cereal when I have time, and come into
work for 10am.” A barman since 1998, McAleer has worked at the iconic Sheehan’s in the city centre’s Chatham Street for 12 of his 16-year career, so he has his routine down pat. When he arrives at work around 10am, he takes in deliveries, sets up the bar and prepares the tables for lunch service. “Because we’re just off Grafton Street, we get quite a few tourists as well as locals and office workers from around the area for lunch,” he says while pulling a few perfect pints of Guinness. Between the rush of lunch crowds, Brian tries to find a bit of time to himself to unwind,
saying: “I take a half hour break, maybe get some lunch or do some things around town. I would just eat in house.” His afternoon is filled with some familiar faces who sit up at the bar. “We get the afternoon crowd from 5pm onwards. The lunch crowd dies down and you get locals in for a few drinks and to watch the racing.” McAleer started bartending as a teenager and has since grown to love the job. “My most memorable parts are meeting characters from around the area. I’ve enjoyed the city changing over the years, and being part of the changes in Sheehan’s. It wasn’t always what I wanted
to do for a career but I realised after a while that it’s something that suited me and I suited it. I couldn’t do a 9 to 5 job nowadays.” As the sun starts to set, both tourists and locals alike drop in for some dinner and drinks in the cosy pub. For his own break, Brian sometimes heads down the road to other bars to get some food and chat to friends. After he pulls his last pint of the day, he usually relaxes with a drink or two of his own before heading home, adding: “At the end of the night I might watch a bit of TV before heading to bed around 1am.”
This month and next, young, would-be actors and film buffs will get the chance to indulge their passion with a feast of masterclasses and screenings at the seventh Cinemagic Film and Television Festival for Young People. The festival runs in venues all over Dublin this April and May and has a programme of activities specially tailored for 12 - 25-year-olds. The Cinemagic Festival promises to be action packed this year with a host of film screenings including special premieres, international feature films, documentaries, shorts, foreign language films and education screenings. Throughout the festival Cinemagic will also be offering young people the opportunity to take part in practical events including industry masterclasses and their extensive education programme for schools. This year’s Talent Lab Masterclass and Q&A series for 16 25-year-olds will be hosted in Filmbase from April 14-16. For further information see www.cinemagic.org.uk.
Gazette
12 Gazette 10 April 2014
dublinlife
Lindt bunnies hop to Temple Street for a sweet Easter PATIENTS at Temple Street Children’s Hospital were treated to hundreds of Lindt Gold Bunny soft toys to celebrate the seventh annual Lindt Make Easter Sweet for Temple Street campaign. Doing the bunny run was radio presenter and former Westlife singer Nicky Byrne with his copresenter Jenny Greene
from the Nicky Byrne Show. They carried hundreds of bunnies through the wards to make sure each patient received a gift from their Easter baskets. T h e L i n d t M a ke Easter Sweet for Temple Street campaign sees Gold Bunny Roadshows arrive in shopping centres across Ireland raising much-needed funds
for Temple Street Hospital. To date, the campaign has raised over €380k for the hospital which has enabled the fundraising team to purchase vital pieces of life saving equipment for the young patients at the hospital. This year’s campaign hopes to raise enough money for the hospital to buy a specialised ear,
nose and throat (ENT) microscope for their ENT Theatre.
new puppy wing for dogs trust A DUBLIN-based rehoming centre for our canine friends will save 500 more puppies each year with a brand new dedicated puppy wing to open this summer. The Dogs Trust re-
Presenters of 2FM’s THe Nicky Byrne Show Jenny Greene and Nicky Byrne deliver a toy to Mary Jane Cremin from Wexford during their bunny run at Temple Street Hospital. Picture: Leon Farrell /Photocall Ireland
homing centre in Finglas is expanding its successful centre with a new puppy wing, which
is being developed in response to surging levels of puppies being abandoned in Ireland.
The new puppy wing will be a home to six mothers, their puppies and up to an additional
FOR UP TO DAT E NEWs fo l l ow us:
10 April 2014 Gazette 13
encounter; in the past the statue has been dressed in a poncho, a shower cap and a knitted scarf to help protect him from the often unpredictable Irish weather.
Greyhound bid for recyclers
Lindt Gold Bunny soft Children’s University
30 puppies at any one time, providing the veterinary care, socialisation and, most importantly, loving care needed to get these puppies on their paws and ultimately into loving homes. The new puppy wing will also create seven jobs which will include specialist puppy canine carers and veterinary staff. Construction is currently under way with the facility expected to open in early summer 2014.
Kavanagh finds his feet again THE statue of poet Patrick Kavanagh has been returned to his normal bronzed self after vandals gave the sculpture a painted pair of red shoes last month. A team of specialists from the Cast Bronze Foundry was needed to remove the paint, however the result was nearly seamless as Kavanagh was repaired to his previous condition with no harm done. Located at the edge of the Grand Canal on Dublin’s south side since 1991, the statue was created by sculptor John Coll and is owned by Dublin City Council. But the dodgy paint job isn’t the poet’s only
TO launch the search for Dublin’s recycling champion, Greyhound Recycling has revealed some of the many strange items found in recycling bins. Among them was a live kitten that was found and adopted by a member of Greyhound staff and mothered by her pet dog, Molly. A large range of Christmas presents was also found at the recycling depot – staff suspected they were hidden in a bin as a surprise. Unfortunately, they were never claimed. One person accidently threw €4,500 into a bin. Some other bizarre findings include an urn containing ashes, a wedding dress; engagement ring and complete wedding cake and hundreds of undelivered newspapers. This list was provided by Greyhound Recycling to launch a search for Dublin’s Recycling Champion. Over the
coming months, nominated households will have their bins assessed to establish the success of their recycling techniques. The winner receives a prize of €1,000.
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backstreet boys in town
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THE most successful boy band in music history gave a pleasant surprise to a few lucky fans at Ireland’s oldest pub on April 1. US band The Backstreet Boys enjoyed pints and posed for photos with fans at the Brazen Head ahead of their gig later that night at the O2. Together since 1993, the boys have sold over 130 million records over the past 20 years, despite a few breaks along the way for solo careers. The boys were also spotted at various bars around Temple Bar in the days leading up to their concert. Nick Carter jumped on stage at Bad Bob’s to sing a few tunes, much to the delight of onlookers. Bandmate Kevin Richardson later took to Twitter to post a photo of himself pulling one of his first pints of Guinness behind the bar. Hopefully he let it settle first!
Kevin Richardson of The Backstreet Boys tweeted this picture of himself at The Brazen Head
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14 Gazette 10 April 2014
dublinlife
ESCAPE THE MAYHEM
chaos control: E for Enthusiasm and P for Persistence
‘I can mentally relax and stay positive every day’ - Cullen
Each week the Gazette speaks to Dubliners about how they like to unwind in a bustling, busy city. Former Apprentice host Bill Cullen explains how he finds time to relax FORMER Apprentice host and one-time owner of Renault Ireland Bill Cullen hasn’t let the downfall of his businesses slow him down in the slightest. I n 2 01 2 , C u l l e n ’s motor-trade business was put into receivership by Ulster Bank along with his five-star
Muckross Park Hotel the following year. Now at 72 years old, Cullen’s back with the relaunch in the guise of his business Bill Cullen Premier Cars, a Ssangyong dealership on the Naas Road. Speaking to the Gazette about how he escapes the chaos of
his life, Cullen said: “In terms of escaping the mayhem, I can do that all in my head. In other words, I can mentally relax and mentally stay positive every day. “In that way I can break away from everything that’s going on around me. You wouldn’t be able to imagine the sort of things I’ve gone through over the past two years with banks and receivers and of all that,” he said. “[Jackie Lavin] and myself believe it’s totally
and utterly unfair the way the banks treated us and we’re trying to sort all that out now in many ways, but that’s another day’s work – we’ll keep at it. “That’s the kind of mayhem that we had in our lives for the past year and a half, but now that we’ve opened a small business I can focus on that and I’m putting all my experience into it to make it as successful as possible. “My father was an army man and always
used to say to us ‘have a pep in your step’ and gave us a box on the ear if he saw us moping around with our heads down. “ H e ’d s ay ‘ E f o r Enthusiasm and P for Persistence’, then he’d give us a kick up the arse and say ‘get up and let’s see you walking’. “Another way that I clear my head and get ready for the day is to get up at 4am in the morning and workout for 30 to 40 minutes in my bathroom. I go hop-
Bill Cullen: “I don’t work for money.”
ping out the door, not tired at all. “I don’t need an alarm and I don’t even need a clock. I can tell you the time by just looking up
at the sky. “I don’t work for money. I just like to get the job done right then the money usually follows.”
10 April 2014 Gazette 15
Gazette
FEATURE
SCHOOLS: dAVID gILLICK shows his skills in the kitchen
Eating on the run stephen findlater sfindlater@dublingazette.com
DAVID Gillick is hoping to use the combination of his success in the athletics arena and Celebrity Masterchef to help inspire school goers to improve the way they eat. A two-time European indoor 400m runner, the Ballinteer man conducted his new healthy schools initiative at his alma mater St Benildus last week, speaking to students about sport and nutrition. He followed up by running a cooking demonstration for the students to emulate before picking the best dish with the winner receiving a pair of New Balance trainers. Gillick has previously run similar initiatives in Pobal Scoil Iosa in Malahide as well as in Loreto, Foxrock while he is an ambassador for the Aviva Health Schools Fitness Challenge. And he is hoping that his initiative can provide a novel way for students to start to thinking about what they eat and why. “On the back of working with the Aviva Fitness Challenge, it got me thinking how I can help to influence kids’ eating at a young age,” he said. “I think it’s a practical way to get across the idea quite clearly about healthy nutrition and teach them how to cook some healthy dishes.” From his own experience, he says it is something he would have loved as a child growing up. A keen Gaelic footballer with Ballinteer St John’s as well as an international athlete, he admits that he did not have much knowledge
David Gillick shares his culinary tips with students at St Benildus College, Kilmacud. Picture: Geraldine Woods
about what were the best things to eat to aid his performance. Similarly, he did not understand the value of certain foods as it was not something that he paid much attention to, saying that meals were confined to either “what was in my lunchbox or what my mum put on my plate at dinner”. “Home economics is something I didn’t do at school, but over the last number of years in running, I have realised it is a really good life skill to have, giving you a good idea of the value of nutrition and exercise in adult life. “If I had known of the importance of nutrition at a younger age, I would have jumped on it.” But he says now there is a growing appetite for this kind of thing, espe-
cially with the popularity of social media food posts on Twitter and Facebook. “A lot of the Leinster r ugby players tweet about what they’re eating. Kids follow that. They mightn’t understand why those lads are eating certain things, so that’s why we try and give information about why the top rugby players or soccer players eat particular foods.
“There’s a bigger reaction than I thought there would be from kids taking an interest in what they are eating. “It is out there in the media a lot but if we can bring it down to practical terms and [we can] show them there is a benefit on a daily basis and [give them] an understanding of what they should be eating. Educating them is the key thing.”
Gazette
16 Gazette 10 April 2014
dublinlife
business
Q&A: music makers academy, dun laoghaire
A focus on live music hits all the right notes ACTIVE musicians on the Irish music scene, and best of friends professionally and socially, both Christopher Cole and Simon Jordan are Dun Laoghaire locals who share a passion for music and education, and a strong desire to promote the importance and joy of live music performance for students of music. Beginning his musical career as a guitarist more than a decade ago, Cole also studied music at UCD, where he graduated with first-degree honours in 2011. Jordan, a veteran vocalist/guitarist of 15 years, performed and taught in Spain for many years, and has now returned to his native Ireland as one half of Music Makers Academy. How long have you been in business?
We have been in business for 18 months.
What makes your busi-
ness successful?
Music Makers Academy offers a unique brand of simplified music training across all genres in guitar,
bass, keyboards, drums, ukulele and singing. The weekly lessons enable students to experience the fun of “jamming” and playing together in pop and rock bands right from the very start of their courses. Students play the songs they want in their own bands under the direction of the tutor team in our fullyequipped “jam rooms”, which are kitted out with guitars, basses, drums, keyboards, amps, PAs and mics for the use of students. What do you offer your clients that differs
from your competitors?
Unlike most other music schools, at Music Makers Academy, the emphasis is on making music together and providing students with the opportunity to play in groups and bands under the guidance of our trained tutor team. We’ve done away with the stuffy, traditional method of music tuition, and have put the focus on playing contemporary music in a live atmosphere. At Music Makers Academy, we really believe in the importance of performance as a key factor in a musician’s development. The emphasis is on encouraging our students to play live in front of an audience – that’s what music is all about! With this in mind, all students of the school experience the thrill of live performance on a regular basis, ending every term playing in
Managing directors of Music Makers, Simon Jordan and Christopher Cole: “We’ve done away with the stuffy, traditional method of music tuition, and have put the focus on playing contemporary music in a live atmosphere”
some of Dublin’s top theatres and venues – previous venues have included Rua Red Theatre, the Sugar Club and the Mermaid Theatre, with our next concert scheduled for Thursday, May 1 in the local Purty Loft (Dun Laoghaire), which will be open to the public and with free entry for all.
Makers Academy during the recession, we were already prepared for the economic climate . With this in mind, we aimed to offer students the most we could in terms of tuition, course materials, concerts, school trips and rock camps at the most affordable and economic price.
How has the recession affected your business?
How do you use social media to help your business?
As we set up Music
Music Makers Acad-
emy has a strong following online. We keep our students and the public up to date with events via Facebook and our website, as well as posting pictures, audio clips or videos of songs the students have performed and/or written. For more about our business, see www. AcademyMM.com; and music followers can also find out more about us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ musicmakersdublin.
What should I do with €200k? Q – My mortgage has a balance of €175,000. It is on a current tracker rate of 1.25% (1% margin), but last month my mother’s probate came through, leaving me with just over €200,000 tax-free. What would you advise – that I pay off the mortgage, or invest this sum? Pat – Kimmage A – While it is very tempting to have your home debt free, the fact is that you could earn greater net interest on a deposit account than paying mortgage interest. For example, the best demand deposit account currently is 2.3% - net 1.357% after deduction of 41% DIRT tax – or 0.107% greater interest. However, you might want the cash flow, and therefore it still comes down to your annual budget. On a 25-year capital and interest term, you are paying circa €679.52 every month – including the capital. While you would earn €15.60 more interest each month on the deposit than you would be paying the mortgage interest, you still have to pay that capital back monthly. Paying off the loan entirely eliminates that monthly debt completely. Your cash flow immediately improves. Does this suit you, or have you something better to do
with the money, if you can afford to continue those payments? For example, would you want to: - Invest in your own start-up business; - Pay off any other debts and keep some cash for your rainy day fund (at least three months’ NET income); - Help any family members in trouble; or - Improve and update your home, or buy an iPad, get a smartphone upgrade, buy a top-end TV, etc. One thing you do have is time. With tracker rates likely to remain low for the next two years, you do not have to make this decision now. Email me for further information or to discuss options. Contact John with your money questions at jlowe@moneydoctor.ie or visit his website at www.moneydoctor.ie. John Lowe, Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing director of Money Doctor
10 April 2014 Gazette 17
asdfsdaf P27 motors P25
cinema P22
OUT&ABOUT Never be out of the loop on what’s happening in Dublin! Let Out&About be your guide to all that is stylish, cultural and essential across the city and beyond this week
people: warwick davis speaks to the gazette ahead of coming to dublin
Pets
‘Focus on an actor’s talent, not their size’ rob heigh
THE comic con phenomenon has become legendary in recent years, with the San Diego convention being the world’s pre-eminent gathering of all things sci-fi and fantasy-related. It had more than 130,000 attendees in 2013, and the passes for this year’s event sold out in a frenzied 90-minute scramble. Now, the acclaimed MCM convention that has run for several years in Britain is reaching the shores of Ireland and Dublin on April 12 and 12, and the RDS convention is set to be visited by a plethora of stars of stage and screen, including Colin Ferguston, Lyndie Greenwood, Ian McNeice, Danny John Jules and Hattie Hayridge, as well as artists, gamers, cos-players and fantasy fans alike.
Chief amongst the attractions is British actor Warwick Davis, who has become a beloved and respected character actor over the course of his acting career, which is now into its third decade. He made his first screen appearance as Wicket the Ewok in the third of the original Star Wars films, Return of the Jedi, at the tender age of 11, having answered a radio advert that Lucasfilm had run in England looking for short actors.
Production Warwick is currently on tour with his Reduced Height Theatre Company, which exclusively features short actors in a production of the classic farce, See How They Run. Talking to The Gazette, Warwick said the play is playing to packed houses in England and Wales, and the reaction to the show has vindicated his
decision to help bring the company together, based on his recent experience in the acting world. He said: “The work I’ve been offered in recent years is not about height, but about what I can offer to a production, which prompted me to think about doing a production myself, and using the talent out there amongst the shortist community, who themselves were only ever thought about because of their height – not their talent, or what they could bring to a production. “I wanted to be able to bring them that platform to be able to show the quality of their performance. “We’re not making the change overnight, but we are saying that if you have a short actor in a production, it doesn’t have to be a story about prejudice, or their height. With the play, it’s laying the foundations for change.”
Gazette
travel P20
jetz is a peppy pup The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our Dog of the Week is Jetz, a four-year-old male Saluki cross. He would love a home where new owners could help him with training (sometimes he gets a bit excited and jumps up) and possibly even another confident dog. He just loves being the centre of attention and will make a fantastic addition to the right family. If you think you could give Jetz a loving home, then please contact Dogs Trust at 01 879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50 and would love to show you around. Map and directions can be found on their website www.dogstrust.ie Over the decades, Warwick Davis has carved out an impressive career as a popular character actor, with many memorable roles on television and in cinema
Warwick is coming to Dublin this weekend as a special guest at the first MCM Comic Con here, at which he will be a very popular attendee, to say the least. Warwick has some major nerd credentials in his CV, having appeared in all eight of the Harry Potter movies – albeit in different roles – as well as in both of the Star Wars trilogies, and on television in Doctor Who, and
with Ricky Gervais and Karl Pilkington, as well as a lead in the timeless fantasy classic, Willow. He said: “I don’t do that many [conventions], but when I do go, what I find is that people are lining up to meet me, which is quite delightful. “I’m lucky to have [played] a wide range of characters that have connected with a lot of people. “It’s nice to get to see
your audience – when you work in films or television, you don’t often get the chance to do that – and comic cons are places you can get to do that.” Doors open Saturday from 9.30am to 6pm, and on Sunday from 10am until 5pm. Tickets start at €12 for adults, and €8 for 11 to 14-year-olds, while kids under 10 go free. For further information, see www.mcmcomiccon. com/ireland/.
FOR UP TO DAT E N E W s follow u s :
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18 Gazette 10 April 2014
OUT&ABOUT
STYLE
Elvery
s Bodylo gic Scu lpt jog p ants €4 5
SPORTYLOOKS
Nike Free Traine
GAZETTE Style recently tested out the new Skechers GoRun3 to see whether they really do exactly what they claim to do. Designed for speed, the makers claim these shoes give “a barefoot running experience”. Well, Gazette Style can attest to this – the runners provided much comfort, and our tester could actually go for longer than usual because her feet felt so cushioned. And the hot pink colour made her want to flash her feet in public for longer, too! These runners feature an all-new performance-engineered upper, with what Skechers call a Power-prene mesh on the forefoot, that provides support while allowing toes to splay for comfort. Skechers GOrun 3 and GOrun Ride 3 are now available, priced €85, in Skechers’ retail stores located at Henry Street, and the shopping centres at Liffey Valley, Blanchardstown, The Square and Swords Pavilions.
rs €110
Skechers will do your feet (and style) proud
Elverys Bodylogic Hoodie €34.99
FitnessGets NEON laura webb
WITH the Samsung 10k Night Run just weeks away here in Dublin, Gazette Style thought it was important for runners to be seen in the dark by wearing some bright fitness gear. Neon is definitely the colour for fitness enthusiasts this year and, with some runs – such as the Samsung Night Run, and the Darkness into Light initiative – taking place in darkness, the need for bright clothing is a must. Last month, the Electric Run took place in Dublin, with thousands of people taking to the streets dressed head to toe in neon – a sight not for the faint-eyed! So, here are some neon-coloured (and subtle neon-hued) fitness clothes that will have you standing out from the crowd.
Step up to expert help nk Top €22
Elverys Ta
ort Bra €10
Heatons Azzurri Supp
er rain T s
n ato
He
20
s€
Elverys LED laces €12
TO MAKE sure you get the right shoe, take a trip out to Runners Need, in Dundrum for gait analysis. Our tester, Suzanne Sheehy, said: “The staff asked about any injuries, my running history and my future running goals. “A video was taken of me running for a short period on a treadmill. Then, a slow-motion detailed analysis was performed by the Runners Need consultant to show my personal biomechanics [a study of the body’s movements]. “It was clear to see that I was an overpronator [where my foot rolls inwards]. From their selection of high-quality running shoes, I was given the ASICS Women’s Gel Super J 33 (€119). I took them out for a run, and they are super lightweight, with a 6mm heel-drop. These runners have rescued me from further injury,” said Suzanne. Runners Need is located within Snow + Rock, Unit 3.2 – 4.2, Dundrum Town Centre.
Heatons Seamless Vest €15
Skechers GoRun3 trainers
10 April 2014 Gazette 19
Gazette
FOOD&DRINK
The Grafton Lounge Lunch menu
Dawson Street
The Grafton Lounge does a roaring lunch trade with an extensive menu such as salads, gourmet sandwiches and a number of hot meals
The Picky Eater The Grafton Lounge has established itself on the Dublin nightlife scene, and is frequented by many a Dublin celebrity as well as some musical heavy hitters who have used the pub for their after parties in the past. However, what people may not know is that the pub does a roaring lunch trade with an extensive menu. There are plenty of salads as well as gourmet sandwiches and a number of hot meals. T he Spicy Falafel Wrap (€9.95) is packed with taste and is a nice alternative to the old reliable chicken wraps. The falafel was complemented nicely by r o c ke t , g r i l l e d r e d onions, roast peppers, sweet chilli and coriander mayo all packed neatly in a tasty tortilla wrap. T his came with a side of red cabbage and salad, and of course a few fries to help fill a
hungry belly. The crispy fried buffalo wings (€5.95) come with a cucumber and coriander yoghurt and are served with a hot spicy sauce. These may lead to finger licking! T he Graf ton Beef shredded sandwich (€11.95) is stuffed full of slow cooked beef served with thyme jus, jalapeno relish, crispy onion and vine tomato, gem lettuce and a bap. Too much to eat at lunch but ideal if you are ravenous. We sampled a chocolate butterscotch brownie (€5.95), with white chocolate ice cream and cr ushed hazelnuts. Very light and tasty. There is also a good range of wines and cocktails on offer if you are so inclined at lunch! For more information on the Grafton Lounge go to www.thegrafton lounge.ie.
Conclusion
The extensive lunch menu at The Grafton Lounge offers up a nice selection of gourmet sandwiches, salads and hot meals. , The Grafton Lounge is at Royal Hibernian Way, Dawson Street. Tel: 01 679 6260
S e r v i n g 6 t h r i v i n g c o m m u n i t i es of suburban Dublin. FOR U P T O D A T E N E W s f o l l o w u s : @ D u b l i n G a z ette
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20 Gazette 10 April 2014
SPRINGgetaways
GREATescapes
Escape to Wexford for some family fun If you’re looking for somewhere to escape to with the kids this Easter, the Maldron Hotel & Leisure Club in Wexford is offering a range of activities and special offers for over the midterm break. The sunny south east is an ideal destination for families all year round, and the Maldron is hosting kids’ camps throughout Easter weekend, ensuring mum and dad get some well-deserved time off. The hotel’s spacious family rooms cater for families big and small, and offer interconnecting rooms for larger numbers. Easter weekend family packages include free easter eggs for children, a family evening meal, access to kids’ clubs and vouchers to go bowling nearby. Packages from one- to three-night stays are available. All packages include full use of the leisure centre, comprising of a 20m pool, a kiddie’s pool, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi. For more details of Easter special offers, visit www.maldronhotelwexford.com.
Enjoy Athlone’s stylish waterfront This Easter, a family of two adults and two children can pack themselves off to the stylish waterfront Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone for a special break. Enjoy two nights’ family accommodation, a buffet breakfast each morning to set you up for the day ahead and a delicious dinner on the evening of your choice in Element’s Bistro from just €259. Include a family cruise on the Viking Ship on the Shannon from €24 for a family of two adults and two children. The family can explore the maritime town of Athlone, fit in some exercise in Synergy Health & Leisure Club, bring the family to Athlone Castle or simply relax with something chilled to drink in the Quayside Bar & Lounge or out on the terrace overlooking Athlone Marina. For more information on the hotel’s latest offers or to book, visit www.radissonblu.ie/hotelathlone or call 090 644 2600.
leisure: Blue Book lists a host of luxury hotel and country houses
A little bit of luxury over the Easter weekend
natalie burke nburke@gazettegroup.com
If you’re tempted by a last minute springtime getaway this Easter, Ireland’s Blue Book has a host of luxury Easter hotel and country houses to choose from. Springtime is certainly being celebrated at Ballymaloe House in Co Cork, where an Easter visit can bring the whole family to explore the 400-acre farm and admire the peacocks and the quickly-growing piglets. Take the kids for a
wander along the nature walks or enjoy afternoon tea beside the fire. On Easter Sunday, Ballymaloe will host an Easter Bunny Hunt and egg painting fun event. The Easter offer includes a three-night stay, with a five-course dinner each evening, a full Irish breakfast each morning, as well as complimentary afternoon tea and cake and activities for the kids. Priced from €460. If chocolate trails aren’t really your thing, perhaps a well-deserved spa break
away to the Ice House in Co Mayo would be your ideal Easter treat. Enjoy panoramic views of the River Moy while relaxing in the peace and tranquillity of the Ice House spa. For just €159.50 per person sharing, stay two nights in a luxurious room and enjoy dinner on one evening from the hotel’s 2AA Rosette Restaurant Table d’Hote menu and lazy breakfast each morning. The Easter package also includes full use of the thermal suite and a
Take an activity-based spring break away and make the most of the outdoors at Coopershill House in Co Sligo
Enjoy the breathtaking lake views and relax at the
50-minute Chill Spa signature massage. Further Easter indulgence can also be enjoyed at the Wineport Lodge in Co Westmeath, where the hotel is offering an overnight stay for two from just €103.50 per person sharing. A relaxing stay at the lodge will ensure you chill out completely, whether it’s enjoying the breathtaking lake views in the Bollinger Lounge, or unwinding in the lakeside hot tub. The Easter package includes a chocolate treat for each of you, use of the hot tub, a four-course evening meal and breakfast delivered to your room. For the more adventurous, perhaps a round of golf, archery or a clay pigeon shooting session would be the cherry on top of an Easter break away. From €339 per room per night, stay at Mount Juliet Country
Estate in Kilkenny and enjoy dinner, bed and breakfast, and one leisure activity of your choice. The inclusive dinner includes three courses in either The Lady Helen or Kendal’s restaurant. If you’ve real energy to burn, an activity-based spring break away could see you making the most of the outdoors at Coopershill House in Co Sligo. There’s a first time for everything, which is why stand-up paddle boarding is one activity that is suitable for all ages and the perfect way of exploring Sligo waters. After an hour-and-a-half lesson, head back to Coopershill to a roaring fire and afternoon tea. From €279 per person, the Easter package includes the sport lesson, two nights bed and breakfast, one fourcourse evening meal and afternoon tea. With Easter taking
10 April 2014 Gazette 21
Gazette
CLOSEtoHOME Exciting family package breaks If you don’t fancy travelling too far for a family friendly getaway this Easter, the Gibson Hotel is offering some exciting package breaks including a one night break in the hotel and either a day trip to Dublin Zoo or a Viking Splash tour. This package includes an overnight stay in a family room for two adults and two children, full Irish breakfast for all and a family pass to Dublin Zoo or a Viking Splash Tour for two adults and two children, all for just €165 inclusive. If the kids have any energy left after all that monkeying – or splashing – around, you can keep them entertained with the Gibson Hotel’s movie and games room, offering a wide array of activities to ensure the little ones are amused and giving you a chance to relax. Over the Easter weekend (April 19 -20), you can take part in some delightful family Easter celebrations including the EGGciting Easter egg hunt and face painters from 4-6pm. For more details, see www.thegibsonhotel.ie.
Got a story? Let us know! Call our news team on 60 10 240 and SELECT OPTION 2 or email news@gazettegroup.com Wineport Lodge in Co Westmeath
place late this year, a visit to Connemara is just the ticket to enjoy some late spring sunshine. Easter at Cashel House Hotel in Co Galway is the perfect time to relax and enjoy a weekend at a slow pace. Cashel House has all the elements of a classic country house with authentic surroundings, charming interiors and true Irish hospitality. T h e E a s t e r p a c kage at Cashel House includes two nights bed and breakfast and one evening meal. Escorted local walks can also be arranged to take you through the scenic hills nearby. Easter packages are available from €179 per person. Spring break packages mentioned above are subject to availability. For further details and more spring breaks away with Ireland’s Blue Book, visit www.irelands-blue-book. ie.
Enjoy panoramic views of the River Moy at the Ice House in Co Mayo
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22 Gazette 10 April 2014
OUT&ABOUT
CINEMA
ReelReviews
Divergent
A dash of deja vu to view IN AN oppressive future world, a young woman with a destiny stands up against the government regime, with help from a hunky male. Yes, The Hunger Gam– whoops, Divergent (Cert 12A, 143 mins) pretty much follows the genre template as “the chosen one” discovers her inner strengths and revolts against the way of things. With help from a hunky male. Passable fare ...
Kerry provides a backdrop to some of the sharper issues that modern family life, and relationships, can face in Ireland, but it’s a tale international audiences can also take to
noah
Water hit for Crowe DESPITE being banned in several countries (come on – it ain’t that bad), Noah (Cert 12A, 138 mins) is an entertaining reimagining of one of The Bible’s most well-known stories. Noah faces an unstoppable force (Ray WInstone) in a race against time to prepare for The Flood, and the end of all things – almost. While fundamentalists are up in arms about the film, it’s made a splash at cinemas.
The winter soldier Storming the box office
LAST but not least, Captain America’s sequel with The Winter Soldier (Cert 12A, 128 mins) has stormed the box office – with good reason. Even for those who don’t like superhero films, this sequel has delighted audiences, thanks to its top-notch action sequences, as well as its sly critiques of some of the governmental over-reach that many audiences around the world are uneasy about.
run and jump: there’s more to this drama than a first look may suggest
A surprising little Irish film SET amid the undulating hills of Kerry, Run And Jump is a colourful, fresh piece of drama that offers more than it seems to at first glance. Va n e t i a ( M a x i n e Peake) is a dynamic but overburdened young mother who is forced to maintain stability for her family after a stroke leaves Conor (Edward MacLiam) unable to fulfil his roles as a father and husband. While we can only catch glimpses of how the family functioned in the past, the “new” Conor is confused, unpredictable, and aggressive – the polar opposite to the reclusive Ted (Will Forte), an American academic who stays with the family to monitor and document Conor’s recovery. Vanetia is a proactive whirlwind, so caught up
Dave phillips
in fulfilling the needs of others that she neglects her own, and as the ditch widens between her and Conor, she inevitably begins to develop a deeper relationship with Ted. Wr i t t e n b y Kerr y native Ailbhe Keogan, a n d develo p e d w i t h director Steph Green, the film has a
refreshingly unique and authentic voice. Ted, as the outsider American upended into Irish culture, functions as a way to serve up some of the more expected comic elements through interactions with the gossiping neighbours and quirky kids; but this is never what drives the story – it is a film focused on relationships rather than location. Keogan’s characters are fully realised, and it is their idiosyncrasies intersecting that provides the moment u m , while Green is confident and def t-
handed enough to allow things to stew away and develop slowly. For a film that wears much of its plot line on its sleeve, Run and Jump still manages to be surprising. While Vanetia is the overt focus of the piece, a lot of space is given to the men around her, and exploring the concept of masculinity remains a constant undercurrent. Conor, once competent in his role as father and husband, is now displaced through his brain injur y – unwilling to spend time in the house, he sits in the workshop, carving func-
tionless wooden spheres. His father is an oldschool patriarch, unable to understand Conor’s inability to “be the man of the house”, while struggling himself to function in a world with a rapidly changing value system. Conor’s son, Lenny (Brendan Morris), is coming of age in a space where his father is practically absent; and Ted is taking steps away from academia to a place where he is forced to be more emotionally vulnerable. I t ’ s a credit to the film that so many
interesting storylines are given the space to intertwine. Through clever and competent writing, Run and Jump is a film that crams a lot into its running time. And, towards the end, it does feel as if it has taken on board too much, as if there are too many “big issues”, and too little space to explore them. But, thankfully, this doesn’t mar the experience. The soft hills of Kerry provide fertile ground for exploring the natural ups and downs of life, and Run and Jump is a confident, competent, and exciting film that expertly captures them.
Verdict: 8/10
Run and Jump’s characters offer a refreshing take on family life
10 April 2014 GAZETTE 23
BOOKS: IN MY ROOM, BY JIM LUCEY
Theatre
A dry but fascinating look at Irish mental health BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN
IN MY Room tackles the thorny and difficult problem of depression and suicidal ideation by using real case studies. The book is full of statistical data and information on the state of Ireland’s mental health, and each case study of a patient who attended psychiatrist Jim Lucey’s treatment room is concluded with an apt little poem chosen by the author. This is a very nice touch, not least because the poems chosen are not only very fitting to each patient, but are also by some of the best poets, past and present. Lucey deals with Ireland’s perception of depression, which is still a very stigmatised matter, according to the author. He stresses the importance of dealing with depression in the community like any other illness, and writes on improving the quality of treatment, rather than using the erection of new buildings to measure the success of our mental health service. To render the whole area of mental health more immediate to the reader, Lucey tells sev-
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‘Lucey has created a very valuable record of Irish mental health in this book but, like many academics, he falls into the trap of a slight dryness in his writing style’
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eral different stories of patients made up of an amalgamation of real people he has helped back to recovery. A cross-section of Irish society is thus represented, each one depicting a different experience of depression with unique complications. One woman from Cavan, for example, who was depressed after having her last child, was most concerned about keeping her treatment secret when she was referred to Lucey by her GP. She told him that her neighbours and even her friends would never look at her in the same way if
they knew she had gone into therapy. Another case study – this time, regarding a quantity surveyor – featured someone very resistant to the whole idea of treatment. He refused it, because he was of the mind-set that men must deal with problems themselves. It transpired that as a child, his father had taken him to the beach and told him to stay put while he went for a swim. His father never came back, having gone into the sea to die by suicide. This had seared into the man’s psyche the idea that a man must bear his responsibilities, no matter what, and go it alone. Lucey could not reach this man, who continued to refuse treatment, and continued to suffer his depression alone and in silence. Another case focused on a man coping with depression and anxiety together, which is very difficult to treat. Not only was he concentrating on past disappointments, but he was also anticipating more worry, so he was never fully in the present. Lucey has created a very valuable record of
GAZETTE
ARTS
Bram Stoker’s Castle Dracula experience has a unique setting
Fangs for a great show BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN
In My Room is available now, priced €16.99, and is published by Gill and MacMillan
Irish mental health in this book but, like many academics, he falls into the trap of a slight dryness in his writing style. This is a shame, because his subject matter is good, but the reader is often left disconnected when Lucey launches into jargon and vague, all-encompassing theories. At such times, the reader really has to make an effort to stay focused and to read between the lines of jargon to get to the root of what is being said. Lucey could do with using more analogies to illustrate these ideas, in order to emotionally reach as well as teach the reader. That said, In My Room is a very worthy book full of insights into real Irish
The book’s author, psychiatrist Jim Lucey
people, and how they are dealing with depression and their thoughts of suicide today. It is well worth a read, and his ideas are very sound, based on real research and experience. Psychiatry is a true calling for Lucey, who is patently excited about
the new territory yet to be explored in this field, and like all good explorers, is willing to share his discoveries with the world. In My Room, by Jim Lucey, is published by Gill and MacMillan and is available priced €16.99 in all good book shops.
AN EVENING of mystery, magic, fun and fear is lined up each Friday in Clontarf as Bram Stoker’s Castle Dracula comes to life in Ireland’s only graveyard theatre. The extraordinary theatre comes to life in Westwood, Fairview in Clontarf at 7.30pm each Friday. Audiences (aged 15-plus only) can expect to be treated to the Vampire Show, a comedy magic show, and a tour of Bram Stoker’s Castle Dracula, complete with characters from the world’s most famous Gothic novel. The unique venue hosts memorabilia from a number of Dracula movies, and reveals the history about the famous Irish writer, including stories, pictures, posters and even Stoker’s death certificate. To book tickets, email tickets@secretcastleofmagic.com, or call 01 851 2151. You can sink your teeth into a preview of the show at www.SecretCastleOfMagic.com.
24 Gazette 10 April 2014
Gazette
MUSIC OUT&ABOUT FastTunes It’s Gazette Music’s Go selecta! Picking album round-up! the best for Fruit ’14
interview: festival booker dave parle making the right choices
Local boys have made very good recently - The Riptide Movement from Lucan inked their deal with Universal which should see them move into a much bigger pond, and on the back of that deal, they last week released new album, Getting Through. It’s a major step forward for the band in terms of sound and songwriting. The new single that they debuted on The Late Late Show, All Works Out, has a Killers-esque killer chorus, while other tracks like You And I and the title track show a new maturity and determination to capitalise on the potential they have always had.
Blowing up after appearing on another Late Show, this time the David Letterman variety, a couple of weeks ago are Baltimore band Future Islands, whose fourth album, Singles, has just hit the streets. Lead single Seasons (Waiting For You) is a sewn-up staple for the summer already, but the rest of the album is a blend of classic electro-pop with the Northern Soul vocals of singer Samuel T Herring adding a unique layer of class and power to these synth driven songs. The best recent release by a long distance, however, is Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs, the third album from the Philadelphia band and a beautiful, immersive experience it is. A spiralling, shifting, driving record, this is something very special indeed, and tracks An Ocean Between The Waves and closer In Reverse are peerless pieces of dream-pop Americana. It will keep fans of Tame Impala and Caribou happy until those two acts return to action, but The War On Drugs have the power to shoot past these two and be the preeminent indie rockers of the generation. They play at the Button Factory on May 29
ROB heigh rheigh@gazettegroup.com
The heavy duty of picking a festival bill is certainly an onerous one – selecting the right acts to appear on your headline and secondary stages, making sure there is a flow to the vibe that the acts create and enough variety to ensure music heads and casual fans alike will have a memorable experience is an art form in itself. The honour of doing that job for this year’s Forbidden Fruit festival, which takes place this year on Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1 at the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham, falls to Dave Parle from Tallaght. Dave started out in the music industry promoting Antics, a weekly indie club night in The Pod on Harcourt Street. For the last six years he has been a live music booker for Pod, booking multiple gigs and festivals. He is the head booker for The Button Factory in Temple Bar, and Gazette Music caught up with him to talk about how this year’s Forbidden Fruit came together. What goes into booking a festival like Forbidden Fruit? When does the process begin? The process never really stops but, generally, we all sit down together and discuss who we’d like to
Some of the acts at this year’s Forbidden Fruit festival: (clockwise) The Flaming Lips, 2ManyDJs, TEED, Public Enemy, Bell X1, Warpaint and, centre, Flying Lotus
see at the festival, what acts we love and which of these we love seeing live. So after that, we put together a target list we work on bringing them to the festival. Do you have a wish-list of acts that you want to book? Is there a certain criteria that you follow to pick which acts will appear on the bill? It’s definitely based on a wish list but we do also have to work with what acts are available on that particular weekend. It’s not always possible to get whoever you want as they might be on the other side of the world. Are there acts you wanted to book but missed out
on, and equally, any acts who you were delighted or surprised when they said yes? There’s always acts that are missed out on, that’s just the nature of the beast. Sometimes you can be having a tough few days and out of the blue you get some good news on an act you thought wasn’t going to be possible. It’s all very exciting. What do you think it is about this year’s line-up that distinguishes this year’s festivals from previous years? This year, we’ve made it more open to people who want to enjoy a good day out. You’re not obliged to go to both days
by any means, which is why each day is quite different to the other in terms of music styles. The festival is a great way to enjoy a fantastic array of the world’s best acts right in the heart of the city centre so when the day is up, you can go home and be asleep by midnight if you so wish! How much does your own taste influence what acts you target for booking? Yes, it definitely influences it. We don’t book anything we don’t believe in ourselves. They’re all performers that if we weren’t working behind the scenes, we’d be out front enjoying the music. I’m personally so excit-
ed about our line-up this year. Flaming Lips put on one of the best shows in the world. Flying Lotus has been an act I’ve been dying to see live for so long and his 3D show looks incredible. Then there’s Warpaint, Nils Frahm, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Public Enemy … We’re all very excited about our line-up this year. What would be your own perfect one-day festival line-up? That’s a tough one! It’d probably involve an LCD Soundsystem reunion and Radiohead. For more information, log on to www.forbiddenfruit.ie.
10 April 2014 gazette 25
Gazette
MOTORING the irish rover Amy brings the style to Evoque promotion amy huberman was on hand recently
to help launch the inaugural Land Rover Style Award on Friday, May 2 at the Punchestown Irish National Hunt Festival. The most stylish lady on the day will receive the keys to an equally stylish Range Rover Evoque which will be hers to drive for the year. For further information, log on to www.punchestown.com.
SUV lUV: nissan’s new model proves popular
Qashqai heads most-wanted list
cormac curtis
Anyone who read last week’s Gazette motoring pages will know that the latest Qashqai model went down very we l l i n d e e d i n o u r office. So it is with no small degree of smug satisfaction that we can announce that the same car range has been announced by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), as the most popular car of choice in Ireland this month. Despite only coming onto the market at the end of January the brand new Nissan Qashqai is proving once again to be a very popular choice with Irish consumers. To date, Nissan have sold 2,057 new Qashqai’s, accounting for 4.12% of the total car market. While conventional saloons and hatchbacks still dominate the sales charts, crossovers and SUVs are now taking more space at the top table – 29 per cent of the top 10 best selling cars are now SUVs, with
The Nissan Qashqai is proving very popular with Irish drivers
the Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai ix35 and Kia Sportage leading the way. Commenting on Nissan Qashqai’s success, James McCarthy, chief executive of Nissan Ireland, said: “We are delighted that the new Nissan Qashqai is once again proving to be one of the most popular cars on the market. The previ-
ous model pioneered a whole new type of car and surpassed all expectations, selling over 20,000 units to Irish customers since it was originally launched in 2007. It was hard to see how this level of success could be maintained with an everincreasing set of competitors following in its footsteps - until we saw the all new model late
last year. “ I n c r e d i b l y, t h e all new 2014 Nissan Qashqai has once again laid down the gauntlet in terms of style, technology, driving excitement and most importantly value for money and we’re very confident that the Nissan Qashqai will remain one of Ireland’s most popular cars for many years to come.”
26 GAZETTE 10 April 2014
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10 April 2014 Gazette 27
soccer P29
gaelic games P27 P31 asdfsdaf
dublinsport Let the Gazette keep you up to date with all the best local sporting action from around the city as we cover all the stories that matter to you and your community
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coaching P28
FastSport ireland back cancer campaign: The
Metro St Brigid’s athlete Sean MacSeoin celebrates completing the SPAR Great Ireland Run in Phoenix Park last weekend. Picture: Pat Murphy / SPORTSFILE
athletics: over 10,000 take to the roads in spar-sponsored annual event
Great Irish day out for runners in Phoenix Park JAPHETH Korir of Kenya and Iwona Lewandowska of Poland were convincing winners of the men’s and women’s races at last Sunday’s Spar Great Ireland Run in the Phoenix Park. In sunny, warm and breezy conditions, Lewandowska dominated the women’s race from gun to tape and ran home in 33 minutes 39 seconds, nine seconds clear of European cross country champion Sophie Duarte of France. Allesandra Aguilar of Spain was third and local favourite, Fionnuala Britton, was fourth in 33:54.
Two times European Cross Country Champion Britton started as one of the pre-race favourites along with Duarte of France. However there was a surprise in store when Lewandowska made her break with seven kilometres remaining. Britton crucially allowed the Polish athlete along with Duarte to move away, a gap the Kilcoole AC athlete would never manage to close. She had the consolidation of winning the national 10k title with 44-yearold Catherina McKiernan, 10 years
after winning the event, finishing a fine second with Dundrum South Dublin athlete Sarah Mulligan third. In the men’s race, Korir, the world cross-country champion was comfortably in control from 4k onwards and kept Britain’s Andy Vernon at bay. Korir crossed the line in 29:12 with Vernon seven seconds behind. Michael Shelley of Australia was third in 29:33. First Irishman was Mark Hanrahan from Leevale in Cork in sixth place in 30:20. Hanrahan, who had returned from a
recent spell of warm weather training in Australia, won the men’s national title in a time of 30:20 with Mick Clohisey (Raheny Shamrock AC) second in a time of 30:46 and Tomas Fitzpatrick (Tallaght AC) placing third in a time of 30:47. The elite men’s mile was won by defending champion Paul Robinson of Ireland who finished in four minutes two seconds, two seconds ahead of his compatriot John Travers who was a further two seconds ahead of Britain’s Ross Murray.
Republic of Ireland women’s national team showed their support for Breast Cancer Ireland’s Lace Up For A Cure campaign by wearing pink laces during training in the lead up to their World Cup qualifier against Germany at Tallaght Stadium. The campaign, which will officially launch later this year, is being spearheaded by Peamount United defender and former Ireland international Susan Byrne who lost her mother Philomena to breast cancer in April of last year. There are a limited number of laces available through www.breastcancerireland.com priced at €5 each.
c o n ta c t s Sports Editor: Rob Heigh sfindlater@gazettegroup.com
For more information or to send in news and photos: sport@gazettegroup.com Phone: 01 651 6205
Gazette
28 Gazette 10 April 2014
SPORT
FastSport Ireland to face world champs sri lanka: CLONTARF will play host to cricket’s World T20 champions Sri Lanka on May 6 and 8, adding an extra attraction to the already enticing fixture at Castle Avenue. Ireland will play the visitors in two 50-over matches with plenty of big names in their initial touring party. Among them are star batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan along with a healthily stocked spin department including Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath and Sachithra Senanayake whilst cricket fans will be excited to see fast-bowler Lasith Malinga. Ticket sales for the matches have been strong with initial demand outstripping last year’s RSA Insurance ODI Series against Pakistan at the same venue. There are discount tickets for a two-match package, with adults being able to see both games for €35, U-16s €12, and a family package (two adults, two kids) being priced at €89.
coaching: irish institute of sport process identifies candidates
Pursuit sets programme for future sport@gazettegroup.com
THE Irish Institute o f S p o r t t h i s we e k announced the outcome of the Pursuit of Excellence Programme (PEP) application process with 34 high performance coaches from 20 sports successfully joining the programme. Gary Keegan, director, Irish Institute of Sport, explained: “This announcement signals our most ambitious investment into high performance coaching. “Fifty-seven coaches from 21 sports applied to come on the Pursuit of Excellence Programme. We were delighted with this response and we would like to thank our NGB partners for ensuring that such a high number of talented coaches applied for the programme.”
PEP involves two targeted support programmes for both senior and emerging high performance coaches and got under way in February. Podium is a three-year coach performance support programme, targeting high performance coaches with an eye on the 2016 Olympic Games. Horizon is a 15-month programme targeting Ireland’s top high potential performance coaches. The Podium group includes Irish sporting luminaries like boxing guru Billy Walsh, Davis Cup captain Garr y Cahill and Paralympic swimming medallist Dave Malone. Malone, from Ballinteer, is now head of swimming at Swim Ireland and says that working
with this group of elite coaches provides a great sounding board to help improve thus far. “The term ‘pursuit of excellence’ for me is a constant journey of improvement as an elite coach, leading your athletes in their programmes into competition on the world stage and giving them that extra edge. “This has given me the confidence to try out new ideas and open my way to new ways of learning and impact the programmes for my athletes in a better capacity. “The highlight was engaging with the coaching community on a wider scale, different levels of sport and working with elite athletes for Olympic and Paralympic level and learning about their experiences.
Eoin Rheinisch is one of the local sportspeople who have been accepted onto the high-performance coaching programme with the Irish Institute of Sport
A lot of them were common; a lot were completely new. It’s been a challenging and rewarding experience.” On the Horizon program, Salmon Leap kayaker Eoin Rheinisch is on the list along with the likes of fellow Olympian Kenneth Egan and Mo n k s t ow n h o c ke y club head coach Graham Shaw. All are making the switch from international player to top level coach after glittering
careers with Rheinisch now heading up Canoe Ireland’s junior and Under-23 elite groups. “The pursuit of excellence has been the same for me as it has been as an athlete, constantly putting yourself in a position of discomfort in order to better yourself,” he said “That means never standing still and always trying to push myself as a coach. “In the last year, I have improved a huge amount in terms of how
effective I am as a coach. As a technical coach, I have always been quite strong but in other areas I have fallen down and it has been highlighted to me on this programme. “The highlights [of the programme] are being mentored by the podium participants, having someone like Billy Walsh - the most successful coach in the country - sharing his experience and his knowledge has been invaluable.”
Ireland bounce back to claim win in Czech Republic sport@gazettegroup.com
Republic of Ireland Under-18 head coach Paul Doolin hailed his young squad after an impressive 2-0 friendly victory over Czech Republic in Libcice nad Vltauou last week which saw the boys in green bounce back from a 2-0 defeat against the same opposition three days previously. Goals by Cobh Ramblers striker Ryan Goldsmith and West Bromwich Albion’s Jack Hallahan helped claim the victory. Ireland’s preparations were hampered by an injury to starting
keeper Peter Burke in the warmup but Harry Doherty stepped in and produced an accomplished display. The Irish went ahead on 29 minutes when Goldsmith found the net with a brilliant left-footed free-kick. St Patrick’s Athletic midfielder Jack Bayly came close to extending that lead with a 34th minute effort that flew across the goal-mouth and six minutes later Suchan shot just wide from a free-kick for the Czechs. Hallahan wrapped up the scoring in the 89th minute when he
produced a clever finish after an excellent Irish move. “It was a very good performance,” said Doolin. “The goals we conceded on Tuesday weren’t great but I knew it would be tough as we only met the lads on Saturday whereas the Czechs have a full programme and meet four times a month. “It was a fantastic result and very good to keep a clean sheet. We scored two fantastic goals from Ryan Goldsmith and Jack Hallahan. “We came here not knowing much about opposition but we
did very well. The defending was excellent Dylan Barnett, Jamie Mulhall and Sean Heaney all did well – everybody worked very hard and we had to deal with their physicality. They were aggressive and strong.
“It’s a fantastic result. It’s incredible how much access the Czechs have with their Under-18s. “The Czechs had periods of domination in the first half but we put in a very good display. It’s been a decent week.”
10 April 2014 Gazette 29
Gazette
Longford calling for their football future
FastSport
While many League of Ireland fans travel to Richmond Park or Tallaght Stadium to see their favourite team, several young men from west Dublin are plying their trade at Longford Town Girls Soccernites moves nathan kelly sport@gazettegroup.com
Last year, two young coaches and a handful of players from Liffey Valley Rangers left the schoolboy club to join Longford Town’s Under-19 team. Coaches Mark Connors and Derek McDonnell are now at the helm of that side, and four of their long-serving players — Lee Higgins, Dylan Nolan, Craig Fitzgerald and Giordano Cinelli — signed first team contracts with Town a couple of months ago. GazeteSport began by asking Connors to sum up the first year. “A mixed bag. There’s been some some frustration, disappointment, but a lot more good times, and then, ultimately, with the boys getting their opportunity with the first team, there’s been excitement.”
Connors’ right-hand man, McDonnell, has been working with him for several seasons now, beginning at Liffey Valley before making the move together last year. “Overall, I think it’s been a great experience. In terms of the facilities you play in, the professionalism around the club, you know you’re not at schoolboy level any more,” said McDonnell. “Like when things that would have been a problem at a schoolboy club aren’t even an issue. Even though some of the results haven’t been great, it’s a great learning curve. It’s not all about results but we’ll learn for next season and push on.” For the players, the stepup from DDSL to Airtricity was always going to be a big one. Striker Dylan Nolan, who broke into the first-team last season,
said: “It’s great, you’re playing in better grounds and training facilities, it’s brilliant. The standard is good, better than DDSL, which is where we played before.” Right-midfielder Craig Fitzgerald expressed how he felt when asked to sign a first-team contract. “When it came up, I didn’t even think about it. To be given that opportunity to just train with the first team, it’s a different level. The ball comes to you and you haven’t got time to take a touch and another and another, you just have to think quicker so it’s tough but good.” Talk turned to Liffey Valley, and Fitzgerald said: “I loved that team, it was only five minutes away from home and when I began playing for Liffey Valley, I never thought I’d become a footballer playing at this standard. When
Longford Town coaches Mark Connors and Derek McDonnell with players Lee Higgins, Dylan Nolan, Craig Fitzgerald and Giordano Cinelli
I played for my previous team, you just went down and trained once a week, but when you went to Valley, with the two coaches Mark and Derek, they took it so seriously.” That Valley side, which ultimately disbanded when the coaches and players left for Longford
me. For me personally, it’s worked out because of how serious they take it, and the way the like to play, so they’ve been very big for me.” With all four lads having already tasted firstteam action this season, albeit in a friendly, the question was put to the
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‘In terms of the facilities, the professionalism, you know you’re not at schoolboy level any more’ - Derek McDonnell --------------------------------------------------------
last year, can be deemed a big success for the Ballyowen-based club. Five league titles, a promotion to DDSL Premier, three Kennedy Cup finalist places, 13 league representatives, four players offered trials in England (Fitzgerald tried out at Leeds United), four FAI emerging talent players, and one international through Dylan McKeever, who was with the Under19s last season but has now left Longford. I put the question to Higgins, who was skipper at Valley for long periods, and has featured on the bench with Nolan for the first team this season, how big these two coaches have been in his footballing career so far, he replied: “They are two quality coaches, they take everything so serious, even at schoolboy level and that was big for
youngsters whether or not they are looking to break into the team this year or are happy to bide their time. Cinelli’s answer reflected the thoughts of each of the lads: “I’m hoping to play, but I’m not too pushed with trying to get in right now, I’m only 17 so I can’t be expecting to play all the time but I’ll keep working hard and do my best.” Amazingly, two more Clondalkin lads are also part of set-up at Longford Under-19’s, Keith Tomney and Jay Garvey are part of the backroom staff as fitness coach and kitman. On that note, it is safe to say that the unique, footballing connection between Clondalkin and Longford is set to continue, and there is a bright future ahead in the game for the six young men I spoke to.
to Fairview for summer
Sport Against Racism Ireland (SARI)’s Girls’ Soccernites programme is moving its location this week and will be running every Friday evening from 5 to 6pm at Fairview Park. The programme intends to use the game of soccer as a development and leadership training programme for young women from the ages of 13 to 18 years, and to increase equal participation of young women in soccer and sport in general in Ireland. It involves inclusive participation for young women from different ethnic backgrounds in the inter-related divisions of the programme, which include on the pitch soccer training, a Leadership and Development Programme both on and off the pitch, outdoor and community activities and representing the team in national and international soccer competitions and educational programmes. For more information on the Girls’ Soccernites, contact Tosin Omiyale on 087 266 1347 or Kerrie Clohessy on 086 265 2175, or e-mail info@sari.ie.
CYM close season with league double CYM’s women’s rugby team brought the curtain down on only their second season in the game by capturing the Paul Cusack Cup, and thus securing the Leinster Division 4 league and cup double. Having booked their place in the cup final with a very convincing win over Blackrock RFC, the Terenure club saw off Templeogue’s St Mary’s in NUIM Barnhall last Saturday.
Hooker Ciara Flanagan and Brenda Healy scored tries to build a 10-3 lead at half-time before Healy extended the advantage in the second half. The victory was sealed when woman of the match, prop Rachel Horan, ran from inside her own 10m line to score a well-deserved try, closing out the 20-3 win. “It is fantastic for the team to win the double. We all put in a huge effort this season to work towards this and it is great to achieve it. It was truly a team effort,” said captain Diane McIlhagga.
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30 SWORDS gazette 10 April 2014
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tennis: ireland remain in group II after victory at CLTC
Swords Celtic and CU set sponsorship deal Swords and District Credit Union and Swords Celtic FC recently announced their community partnership. The initial agreement is for a three-year period during which the credit union will provide sponsorship to the club. Swords Celtic chairman Ray Kelly said: “I wish to gratefully acknowledge the generosity of Swords and District Credit Union. “This sponsorship will greatly assist the club in its continuing development of facilities for the benefit of our membership. “In Swords Celtic, we have some 40 teams and over 600 underage players representing a total of 17 nationalities living in the area. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with Swords and District Credit Union.”
Unbeaten Rivervalley keep up winning ways RIVERVALLEY Rangers’ Under-13 side continued their remarkable unbeaten run in the NDSL C league with a 3-1 win away against Hartstown Huntstown last Sunday. It brings their unbeaten run in the competition to 10 games, putting them four points clear of Maynooth Town with four rounds of the league still to be played. The club’s U-12F side is also riding high in their division following a 4-2 away day victory over Ashbourne.
The result lifts them two points clear of Clonee United in first place though the main challenge looks set to come from Drumcondra who have two games in hand and are three points back. Elsewhere, Swords Celtic’s push for the Under-14 Premier title sees them take on Clontarf this weekend as they bid to extend their unbeaten run to 16 games in their league campaign. They sit atop the table with one point to spare over Woodlawn Sportslink who are the other unbeaten side in the division. The two sides have drawn twice this season.
James Cluskey was in fine Davis Cup form when Ireland defeaqted Egypt at the Castleknock Lawn Tennis Club
Cluskey key in Davis Cup win stephen findlater sport@gazettegroup.com
SWORDS man James Cluskey played a key role as he helped Ireland beat Egypt in the BNP Paribas Euro/ Africa Zone Group II Davis Cup relegation play-off in Castleknock last weekend. Playing with Sam Barry, his doubles win pushed Ireland to the brink of victory when the pair saw off Sherif Sabry and Mohamed Safwat in straight sets last Saturday. They raced to a 6-2 success in the first set before playing out a
much tighter tie-break in the second. With a two-set advantage, they swept home with another 6-2 set, making it 2-1 to Ireland overall in the rubber. It built on home favourite James McGee’s 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 win over Karim-Mohamed Maamoun in the first leg. Following McGee’s initial win, Sam Barry pushed Egypt’s number one Safwat all the way in a thrilling five-set tie but ultimately fell in the decider on Friday. In conjunction with the doubles win, it laid the platform for over-
rally honours Barrable receives Star of the Month award Swords’ rising rally star Robert Barrable, seen here with Gazette Sport editor Rob Heigh, was among the local sports people honoured at the Dublin Sports Awards at the Wright Venue recently when he received the Star of the Month award for November 2013 for his inspired and inspiring performances on the road in his Ford Fiesta R5, as he prepared to return to the WRC tournament in the premiere event of the calendar, the Rally of Portugal.
all success as McGee won 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 to give Ireland an unassailable advantage in the tie on Sunday morning with his second singles win of the weekend.
Contrast It was an outcome in stark contrast to the last time Ireland played Egypt, prevailing in the fifth set of the fifth rubber on the fourth day of a scorching encounter in North Africa. But McGee hopes this comfortable win can be the catalyst to see Ireland move away from relegation issues in the future and push for pro-
motion in the coming years. Speaking afterwards about the tie, he said: “ We n e e d t o m a ke progress and not be hanging on by a thread in Group Two on a regular basis. “With myself, Sam Barry, James Cluskey and Daniel Glancy, we have a good team and hopefully Louk [Sorensen] will be available for next year as well.” Reflecting on his own performance in the Safwat tie, he said he benefited from not having to play in the doubles following his Friday win
over Karim-Mohamed Maamoun 6-0, 6-3, 6-2. “It’s great that we have retained our place in Group Two, but it was quite a tough match for me. “A good deal of the pressure was taken off me after we won the doubles, and as well, Mohamed had played two matches in two days whereas I had played just one. “Also he had played seven sets whereas I had played only three, so physically I had a bit of an edge. But still he’s a top 200 player and I could easily have lost to him today.”
10 April 2014 SWORDS gazette 31
Gazette
Local stars help Dublin to Under-21 title sport@gazettegroup.com
S T S Y LV E S T E R ’ S Stephen Cunningham and Naomh Mearnog’s Shane Carthy played their part as a more economical Dublin beat Meath 0-15 to 0-10 to claim the Cadbury Leinster U21FC final at O’Moore Park, Portlaoise last week. The Dublin forwards
made the most of their chances to see the Metropolitans pick up the title and with it an All-Ireland semi-final against either Cavan or Donegal. The Dubs led 0-7 to 0-3 at the interval but that misrepresented the opening half to some degree as the Royals kicked eight wides and dropped a few more short as well as being
brilliantly denied from the penalty spot when Lorcan Molloy pulled off a great save to stop Bobby O’Brien’s effort. On the restart Dublin began to exert greater influence in the middle third, particularly on the breaking ball with Niall Scully to the fore, and moved 0-11 to 0-4 by the 36th minute and Carthy
doing trojan work. From there to the finish Dublin kept Meath at arm’s length with points from Gavin Burke and Carthy extending the lead to 0-13 to 0-6 while the Dublin defence, with David Byrne particularly influential, ensured that Meath never got in for a lifeline of a goal to the finish.
hurling: lawless park tussle sees visitors win
Club Noticeboard fingallians This Saturday morning will see the
this Thursday on the all-weather
start of Feile 2014 at 10am. Our U-14
pitch. Good luck to all the local schools
girls will take part in Division 1, hosted
taking part.
by Ballyboden St Enda’s. Members are
Our new facility, the Sluagh Hall, is
asked to make the journey and sup-
fully up and running. A very success-
port the girls.
ful athletic development session was
The Easter camp will take place
held for U-8 and U-9 camogie girls in
from April 14 to 17. The camp is open to
the Sluagh Hall on Saturday morning.
boys and girls aged four to 13 years.
Well done to our Scor na bPaisti
The cost of the camp is €40 members
team who did well in the recent Dub-
and €60 non-members but if you
lin competition. Special mention for
signed up before 6pm on April 3 you
Maria Keeling who won a second place
will receive a €10 discount. Further
in solo singing. Also thanks to our Roi-
information is available from our GPO
sin Ni Mhorain who helped as a mol-
by email Nicola.fitzgerald.gpo.dub-
toir/judge.
lin@gaa.ie
Some of our Irish language enthu-
The U-8 and U-9 combined camogie
siasts will be attending the Rights for
teams had a great day out with three
Irish Speakers demonstration march
wins and one draw at home against
in Belfast next Saturday.
Erin’s Isle on Sunday. Well done to the
Beimid go leir Dearg le Fearg le
girls and mentors for their continued
cheile. Ma ta siob no tuilleadh eolais
hard work.
uait teigh i dteaghmhail le Liam O Cul-
The Credit Union Cup will take place
baird 086 381 4422.
st sylvester’s Sinead Ahern scored 11 points for
following their 15 points to 10 win over
Dublin in the win over Tyrone. Niamh
Meath.
McEvoy put in a great performance
The intermediate hurlers had a very
at midfield and Nicole Owens came off
impressive win over Clann Na Gael on
the bench to play her part. They play
Saturday evening to continue their
Monaghan in the league semi-final on
unbeaten start to the league.
April 27. Fingallians’ AHL 3 hurlers proved no match for the visitors to Lawless Park, Castleknock
Fingallians fall to strong Castleknock ahl division 3 Fingallians 0-11 Castleknock 2-19 sport@gazettegroup.com
CASTLEKNOCK continued their impressive start to the AHL3 campaign when they saw off Fingallians with plenty to spare at Lawless Park, making it three games unbeaten at the start the 2014 campaign. It sees them build nicely for their first ever effort at the intermediate championship campaign as the league takes a back seat for the next six weeks. For Fingallians, it was a rough outing as
they were unable to tame the likes of Niall O’Callaghan (0-8), Andrew Hughes (1-3) and Cian O’Dulaing (1-2) who ran up big tallies. They started as they meant to continue with O’Callaghan firing over inside three minutes off the back of O’Dulaing’s great work. O’Dulaing added a free before Fingal inter county star John-Matthew Sheridan broke his side’s duck with a classy score. But it was brief respite as Hughes and Jamie Tunney, who had a key game in centre-forward,
split the posts for a three-point lead that was extended to four when Tunney played in Conal Purcell. With O’Callaghan metronomically tacking on the scores, Fingallians were clinging on via a Sheridan’s trio of frees, profiting from Peter Daly’s physicality. Hughes did shoot over when well placed to go for goal while a couple of frees went awry, meaning that despite a big dominance of the general play, the lead was a manageable four points, 0-10 to 0-6. But the tie moved quickly out of reach in
the second half when O’Callaghan’s free was cleverly flicked in by O’Dulaing for the first goal of the day. Two Sheridan frees reeled in part of that gap but Fingallians were never to be closer than five points behind from there on in. A glut of five successive points for Castleknock doubled the lead with Tom Quinn clearing the bar with a peach while Tunney also got in on the act. Andrew Hughes shot over while he also snuck his side’s second goal under the bar via a couple of ricochets en route to a 14-point victory.
Our own senior ladies football team got off to a great start to the league with an impressive win over Clontarf. Congratulations to Stephen Cunningham who won a Leinster U-21 football winners medal with Dublin
The junior hurlers made the long trip to Bray and were very unlucky to lose by two points. The minor A football team’s game against Raheny was cancelled. The AGM takes place on Thursday at 8.30pm. Please attend.
naomh mearnog Our minor footballers defeated White-
St Margaret’s, while our senior foot-
hall to make it three wins in a row.
ballers are at home to Crokes on Sat-
We had wins also for our U-11 hurlers, U-14 and -15 footballers. The U-9 camogie girls defeated Jude’s.
urday evening. We are looking for men and women of all ages to join our rounders section.
Congratulations to Shane Carthy on
No experience required as this is social
his man of the match performance for
activity. Contact Michael Geoghegan
the Dublin U-21s and well done to the
at 01 846 2613.
Jackies on beating Laois to qualify for the league semi-final. Another busy week sees our ladies football team commence their league campaign with an away game against
Anyone interested in taking part in our fantastic Easter camp, please contact Paddy Gorey. All membership fees are now due and must be paid immediately.
fingal ravens Well done to the third team on their
Naomh Mearnog at 11am on Sunday in
victory in the Jim Nevin Cup on Sat-
Rolestown. Third team play St Pat’s at
urday versus Colmcilles. Hard luck to
3pm on Sunday in Rolestown.
the minors who were defeated at the weekend.
No winner of this week’s lotto jackpot. Numbers drawn were 2, 22, 29 and
Fixtures for this week are as follows:
37. €250 to Gwen Kinsella for matching
first team play Ballinteer in Rolestown
three numbers. Next week’s jackpot is
at 6pm on Saturday. Second team play
€9,461.
GazetteSPORT all of your swords sports coverage from page 27-31
april 10, 2014
ireland in motion: James Cluskey helps national team to victory against Egypt in Davis Cup P30
living la vida longford: Former Liffey Valley stars on life at League of Ireland club P29
Council’s school finals a huge success stephen findlater
sport@gazettegroup.com
FINGAL County Council’s Sports Office hosted an “unprecedented” 1,600 students from 55 schools from around the region on Tuesday in the biggest athletics event run by a local office. The Fingal Athletics League Finals day brought third to sixth class boys and girls – who had been initially competing in groups in Swords and Blanchardstown – to the Morton Stadium to contest races ranging from 350m to 650m. Every participant received a medal for participating while they also got a chance to try out the javelin, shot
put, hurdles and sprint sections on the fun field after completing their race. Speaking about the turnout, Niall McGuirk, Senior Sports Development Officer, Fingal County Council said it was an incredible event and has grown beyond all recognition since it was first introduced eight years ago with eight schools taking part. “That was an unbelievable, unprecedented turnout. Last year, we had 40 schools; 55 is incredible” he told GazetteSport. “The logistics are tough but the support we had from clubs and, of course, Athletics Ireland,was huge. There were volunteers from Fingal Volunteers Centre,
numerous clubs from around Fingal, a team of over 40 helping out. “It was a massive undertaking. No other county council in Dublin has run an event like that for kids like we did today. Of course, the sun was shining so that really helped!” The event was run in partnership with Athletics Ireland and is supported by a number of Fingal’s Athletics Clubs with Balbriggan AC, Lusk AC, Fingallians AC, Clonliffe Harriers AC and Portmarnock AC all contributing to this fantastic event. “This programme was aimed at creating a fun environment for children to become physically active and to give children of all abilities an opportunity to take part in athletics.
“Obviously, due to the numbers attending, schools are happy with the league and it wouldn’t be such a success without the commitment shown by the teachers and principals who are all helping to develop a strong sporting ethos in their respective schools. “That represents 50% of the schools in Fingal. It’s not winner takes all, first past the post. Some of those kids may never be athletes or going to an Olympics. “But they have got to run in an international athletics stadium, the same one Derval O’Rourke will do the 100m hurdles in, and got a medal Joanne Umeh and Heather Murphy in their pocket so I think it was a from Castleknock National School at Morton Stadium this week great day.”