Gazette swords
PLUS:
June 4 – 10, 2015
FREE
Month XX, 2012 malahide • Balbriggan • Applewood • boroimhe • Airside • Portmarnock • Kinsealy • clarehall
INSIDE: Get ready to tip your hat to Bloomsday, as this year’s Joycean celebration nears P13
escape the mayhem: Broadcaster Andy Kershaw fishes out some insights P16
Pyjama pirates: Kids help deliver charity treasure Soccer:
NDSL extends link with Bohs for U-17 league Page 30
fun pirates Sean Dennis, Noah Tay-
lor, Sophia Taylor and Carly Kirwin guard a special cheque for €300,000 at The Cottage Kids Playschool in Lusk. They children were happy to guard their haul from any greedy landlubbers – at least until it was handed over to Autism Action, on behalf of the 100,000 children who took part in the Early Childhood Ireland National Pyjama Day to raise funds for the charity earlier this year.
Picture: Fennell Photography
Golf:
Brill pushes the boundaries of sight and sound Page 29
Find us on
ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES....................... 8 DUBLIN LIFE....................11 OUT&ABOUT...................17 CLASSIFIEDS.................26 SPORT............................28
Aer Lingus vote ‘rank political cynicism’ – FG Fianna Fail attacked by rivals after backing public ownership motion
keith bellew
AN EMERGENCY motion calling for Aer Lingus to be taken back into public ownership was passed at a recent meeting of Fingal County Council.
This follows the Government’s decision to sell the remaining 25% of shares held by the State in the airline after 75% was sold a number of years ago during Fianna Fail’s time in office. The casting vote was made
by Mayor of Fingal Mags Murray (FF), which led to accusations of political cynicism on the part of Fianna Fail. Cllr Keith Redmond (FG) said this was “rank political cynicism”, considering Fian-
na Fail sold the first 75% of shares. Senator Darragh O’Brien (FF) said these allegations were “a load of nonsense”, as the sale of the first 75% had saved Aer Lingus. Full Story on Page 4
2 swords gazette 4 June 2015
wetherspoon: UK chain opens three outlets
homelessness Strategy takes pasting
A new pub for Swords
Keith Bellew
PUB operator JD Wetherspoon will open The Old Borough in Swords on July 21, having acquired the site in August 2014. This will be the second in a series of three new pubs opening in the Republic in the coming months. The company opens the doors of The Great Wood in Blanchardstown on June 23 as well as The Linen Weaver in Cork on September 1. We t h e r s p o o n w i l l invest more than €6m on developing the new pubs creating up to 150 jobs. At present Wetherspoon has two pubs in the Republic of Ireland: The Three Tun Tavern in Blackrock and The 40 Foot in Dun Laoghaire both of which were
very well received and are currently thriving, according to the company, which says it has succeeded in integrating with the local community by naming its pubs after a piece of local history, culture or local landmark. In the case of The Old Borough the old name was kept as it is a local landmark itself.
‘Looking forward’ Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin said: “Our first two pubs have proven extremely popular and we are looking forward to opening our next three pubs. “ We h ave a l s o acquired a number of other sites in the Republic of Ireland and look forward, in due course, to developing and opening them as Wetherspoon pubs.”
“The scheme will in reality open up very little if any additional accommodation and introducing a programme like this without putting forward any measures on rent certainty means the scheme is doomed to failure,” said Cllr Paul Donnelly (SF)
Leasing schemes ‘are no solution to crisis’
A SINN Fein councillor has criticised the Fingal housing strategy saying leasing schemes are not the solution to the housing crisis in the county. While Cllr Paul Donnelly welcomed the initiative as a short-term measure to alleviate the problem, he believed these types of leasing schemes were not the solution. “I have stated time and time again that the only real long-term solution to the housing crisis is simply to build more houses. The scheme will in reality open up very little if any additional accommodation and introducing a pro-
keith bellew kbellew@dublingazette.com
gramme like this without putting forward any measures on rent certainty means the scheme is doomed to failure,” he said. It also sy mbolises a continuation of the failed policies of the past with an over reliance on private landlords, he added. Cllr Donnelly asked where these houses to rent are going to come
Dublin Gazette Newspapers, Top Floor, Clarendon House, 39 Clarendon Street, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 - 6010240. Email: sales@dublingazette.com news@dublingazette.com web: www.dublingazette.com twitter: @DublinGazette Visit us on Facebook at DublinGazetteNewspapers
from: “Families are desperately making calls to landlords and appealing to them to accept rent supplement, with most appeals falling on deaf ears as the landlords can make much more money on the open market.” The only long-term solution was to build more homes, he concluded. A spokesperson from Fingal County Council responded saying the social housing strategy was committed to supplying 35,000 additional social units over the next six years. It would also provide high quality, secure and affordable housing accommodation for those who needed it by leasing it in from the private rental market as a key element of the strategy. “In Fingal County Council there are a
number of construction projects in progress and others going through the planning process. The Department of Environment, Community and Local Government recently approved four social housing projects, subject to planning, with an estimated capital cost of about €19m. The target number of units for Fingal under the range of housing programmes up to 2017 is 1,376 at an estimated cost of delivery of €81m,” said the spokesperson. Meanwhile, the Department of Environment has announced funding of over €969,000 to bring 59 vacant social housing units back into use, along with €2.15m for housing adaptation grants for older and disabled people. This will allow them to
refurbish their homes to fit their health requirements, for example ramps for wheelchair access. Deputy Alan Farrell (FG) welcomed this new funding saying: “It is a terrible legacy of the recent economic crisis that there are boarded up social housing units around the countr y when there are people urgently in need of accommodation. This funding package seeks to return these units to use and give people and families the fresh start they need in a new home.” He added he was pleased with the allocation of this funding saying it was essential to bring more people off the housing waiting list and improve the quality of life for older people and people with disabilities.
4 June 2015 swords gazette 3
malahide: old rugby club on back road may facilitate primary school
equality
High Yes votes in Fingal
Educate Together site considered Keith Bellew
THE Old Rugby Club site on the Back Road, Malahide, is being considered as a possibility for the new Malahide/ Portmarnock Educate Together primary school. It has been confirmed that the Department of Education is eyeing the site, which has been reserved for a school under the current Fingal development plan and by Fingal County Council. The need for a new primary school in the area has been an issue for some time with the growing young population putting pressure on local schools to pro-
vide places. A facility under Educate Together patronage was the choice for most parents in the area. Deputy Alan Farrell (FG) said his understanding was that the old club house, vacant for more than 10 years, would be renovated and utilised as a school building. H e s a i d : “A s t h e demand for places increases, a new school building will be provided on the site.” Investment in the school would not only benefit the educational framework in the community, but would also provide a vital piece of social infrastructure to the local area, he
said, particularly as the Back Road would be developed in the years to come, having been zoned by the council as land for residential use. “Sites in Portmarnock were actively considered. However, after much discussion, I have been informed that the site of the Old Rugby Club was the most favourable option, particularly in terms of facilitating future levels of demand for primary school places,” said Deputy Farrell. Once the decision is confirmed, he said there would be a new school in the area in the coming years, which will help to relieve the strain of school place capacity in the area.
Anti-litter leads to a win: Blakestown teens congratulated for their efforts THESE students from Blakestown Community College had reason to look happy at movies@swords recently, as their school was one of five from across Fingal that was presented with an award for their work in tackling litter. The Blakestown teens scooped the award for best tagline for their anti-litter advert, with their efforts commended by the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Mags Murray and the chief executive of Fingal County Council, Paul Reid. All the students from the five winning schools were praised for their creative and imaginative ways of helping to spread the anti-litter message to their peers. Picture: Kevin McFeely
VOTERS in Fingal were among the most prominent Yes voters in Dublin during the recent marriage equality referendum, with two wards in the list of the 10 areas with the highest percentage of Yes votes. According to figures released from the count centres at the RDS and Citywest, and compiled by Dublin MEP Brian Hayes (FG), Swords had the sixth-highest percentage of Yes voters in Dublin (at 74%), while Mulhuddart had the tenth (at 72%). Howth-Malahide also had 72%, while Balbriggan was next (at 70%), while Castleknock was last (at 69%). Hayes said these figures show that the yes vote crossed all social divides.
4 swords gazette 4 June 2015
community politics Fine Gael blast Fianna Fail vote as ‘rank political cynicism’ Annual tidy-up at local river
Aer Lingus motion criticised keith bellew
SWORDS Tidy Towns Committee recently carried out its annual Ward River clean-up. They were assisted by the Swords 49th scout troop, Fingal Volunteers (two of whom travelled over from Blanchardstown), Conservation Fingal and Fingal County Council, who provided waders and other gear. The clean-up lasted around four-and-a-half hours, during which time a range of items were pulled from the river including shopping trollies, bicycles and clothes. Tidy Towns chairperson Ken Duffy said: “We adjourned to the Old Schoolhouse Pub afterwards for refreshments and sandwiches, compliments of the management.”
AN EMERGENCY motion calling for Aer Lingus to be taken back into public ownership was passed at a recent meeting of Fingal County Council by 12 votes to 11, with several abstentions. This follows the Government decision to sell the remaining 25% of shares held by the State in the airline after 75% was sold a number of years ago during Fianna Fail’s time in office. The meeting was a special sitting dedicated to dealing with motions, so the full number of councillors was not present at the meeting. The casting vote was made by the Mayor of Fingal, Mags Murray (FF), which has led to accusations of political cynicism and opportunism on the
--------------------------
‘This (FF) is the very party that sold 75% of Aer Lingus, sold Eircom and sold so many previously State-owned assets’ --------------------------
Cllr Keith Redmond (FG)
--------------------------
part of Fianna Fail. Cllr Keith Redmond (FG) said he was shocked by Fianna Fail’s stance, saying: “It’s rank political cynicism. This is the very party that sold 75% of Aer Lingus, sold Eircom and sold so many previously State-owned assets, and now they’re saying it
should be renationalised because the general election is coming up and they want to win a few votes.” He added that he believed selling the remaining shares was the best option as IAG, the British group buying the shares, has given the State a guarantee of veto over the company’s board for seven years. He said this would allow the Government to veto any decisions IAG might make which would hurt workers – a power it does not have over the Aer Lingus board. Senator Darragh O’Brien (FF) reacted to Cllr Redmond’s remarks, saying they were “a load of nonsense” and that he didn’t heed most of what Cllr Redmond said. He believed that the IAG
At a recent meeting of Fingal County Council, an emergency motion calling for Aer Lingus to be taken back into public ownership was passed by 12 votes to 11
guarantee was not worth the paper it was printed on. He said: “The reality of it was that when the 75% stake was sold, that was reinvested in the company to make it viable and it actually worked.” M e a nw h i l e , N i a l l Shanahan, Impact’s trade
union representative for Aer Lingus workers, said the decision to sell the remaining stake “kicks open the door on a process that will see the privatisation of the airline completed”. Registered employment legislation to ensure industrial relations agree-
ments made between workers and employers are legally binding and is due to be passed by this mid-year. Shanahan said they would look to use this to achieve the commitments Aer Lingus gave to workers should privatisation go ahead.
4 June 2015 swords gazette 5
6 swords gazette 4 June 2015
environment ‘Green Coast’ title follows recent Blue Flag gong
Portmarnock gets a top beach award keith bellew
PORTMARNOCKStrand has followed up its latest Blue Flag gong for excellent bathing water standards with a Green Coast Award, in recognition of its status as an exceptional place to visit. Cllr Brian McDonagh (Lab) was delighted, saying it was brilliant to see the beach attain both distinctions. He said: “[The strand] is an incredible resource,
-------------------------------------------------------
‘Overall, the beach is a fragile ecosystem which needs a collective effort to protect and maintain’
--------------------------------------------------------
Cllr Brian McDonagh (Lab)
-------------------------------------------------------
not just for the people of Portmarnock but for the people of Dublin and beyond. “The flags are a community effort, and everyone who uses the beach
can help keep the flags by taking their litter home with them, remembering to clean up after dogs, and even doing their own twominute beach clean every time they visit.”
He commended the Portmarnock Community Association and the Clean Coast group, which carry out a clean-up of the beach every second Saturday during the summer. He gave a special mention to members Maire O’Brien, Angela Bury, Shay Horan, and Finbarr Quigley. He also paid tribute to Fingal County Council and area engineer Kevin Vallely, who recently oversaw the refurbishment of the toilets at the
The popular sands of Portmarnock Beach. Picture: William Murphy
beach steps. “The next stage is for a refurbishment of the shelters, which will follow an engineering report. Overall, the beach is a fragile ecosystem which needs a collective effort to protect and maintain. With a collective effort we can keep it long into the future,” said Cllr McDonagh. Burrow Beach in
Donabate also received its first Green Coast Award. Deputy Terence Flanagan (Renua) was also delighted and he congratulated Fingal County Council on its hard work in achieving these accolades and meeting the strict criteria of the awards. He said: “Sincere thanks also to the volunteers who dedicate
some of their spare time to removing litter from the beaches. We are very lucky to have a number of beautiful beaches on our doorstep and we should all play our part in their maintenance. “This summer, people should be mindful about taking their litter with them when they are leaving the beach.”
4 June 2015 swords gazette 7
don’sdublin GB Shaw: A giant of Irish literature and an ardent socialist GEORGE Bernard Shaw is one of the giants of Irish literature, and over a long life of 94 years he was a prodigious writer of plays, letters and an ardent socialist. He was born in 33 Synge Street on July 26, 1856, to George Shaw, a grain merchant, and Lucinda Gurly, a professional singer. He attended Wesley College and later a private school in Dalkey. Although he had a lifelong love of learning he disliked formal education, considering “schools and schoolmasters prisons and turnkeys”. Later, in 1895, he was a co-founder of the London School of Economics. He went to London in 1876 and joined his mother, who had moved there with her voice teacher George Vandeleur Lee four years earlier. Most of his early years there were spent in various libraries reading the works of great dramatists, and visiting theatres. His early novels were rejected by publishers, but he began to make a living by writing critical reviews for London magazines. In 1892, his first play Widowers’ Houses, a sharp attack on slum landlords, opened in the Royal Theatre on December 9. He considered it one of the worst plays he ever wrote, but by the mid-1890s he was one of the most popular and successful playwrights in London. Works like Mrs Warren’s Profession, Arms and the Man and Candida drew critical reviews for their incisive commentaries on class-structure, morals and the prevailing social issues. This is often considered his greatest contribution to the dramatic art. In 1925 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, and in 1938 had the rare distinction of becoming the only person to also win an Academy Award for his work on the film, Pygmalion. In 1906 he moved to the small village of Ayot St Lawrence, north of London, and lived there for the rest of his life. The house is called Shaw’s Corner and his ashes, with those of his wife, Charlotte, were scattered along the footpaths and garden they loved.
Don Cameron
www.donsdublin.wordpress.com
George Bernard Shaw was born in this Dublin city centre house, 33 Synge Street, on July 26, 1856
awards Celebrating the creativity of older citizens
Fingal says thanks for the memories FINGAL County Council’s Memory Makers Awards took place recently in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown. The event has been specifically designed for the active age community and takes place during the national Bealtaine Festival, which celebrates
creativity as we age. The emphasis of the competition is on the memory evoked by craft and short story. The event included an exhibition of craftwork and writing from some of the 80 entries across Fingal, including Blanchardstown, Swords, Malahide,
Howth, Baldoyle, Balbriggan and the Naul. Winning entries on the night included a short story from Malahide resident Cecil Allen, a painting by Maud Keogh from Oldtown entitled A Very Special Day, and an amazing crafted blanket by Swords woman
Susan Anne Kirwan, entitled Fulfilment of Love Through the Nursery Rhymes of Childhood. Mary Devine of Mulhuddart received a Highly Commended award for her short story: The Horse and the Ol’ Sow. Paul Reid, Fingal chief executive, said it was
encouraging to see such a high level of enthusiasm from the over-55s in Fingal. Also thanking the participants, the Mayor, Mags Murray (FF), said the event helped to ensure Fingal’s tradition of craftwork and writing was maintained and preserved.
8 swords gazette 4 June 2015
opinion Dublin is focal point of Irish and international rugby
Hosting World Cups would boost morale The double Rugby World Cup bids are vital for the continued economic recovery of Dublin brian hayes
IN December, the Government together with the Northern Irish Executive came together with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) to launch Ireland’s official bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup on an all island basis. Earlier this year, the same three parties came together again to launch Ireland’s bid to host the Women’s Rugby World Cup in August 2017, and we were successful. In both bids, Dublin plays a central role. In terms of the 2017 bid, all group games to be held in University College Dublin before the knockout stages move North for the semi-finals at Queen’s University Belfast and the final at Ulster’s newly redeveloped Kingspan stadium. In terms of the 2023 bids, 12 stadiums have been identified as likely venues for the tournament’s matches with Croke Park, the Aviva Stadium and the RDS all attracting games to Dublin. Indeed the key knock out games, including the
final will be played in the Aviva Stadium and Croke Park. For many reasons, Dublin is a focal point, not just for Irish rugby, but for the game globally. The game’s governing body, World Rugby, formerly the International Rugby Board, has been based in Dublin since 1998. Both the Six Nations and the Pro 12 are run from Dublin, while the vast majority of operations for the European Champions Cup are also run out of Dublin as the predecessor to this, the ERC [Europen Rugby Cup], was based here. The IRFU’s bid teams for both tournaments have been working strenuously over the past number of months to prepare the best possible bid for World Rugby’s executive to consider. Former International Hugo MacNeill is heading up the bid for the 2023 World Cup, while other former players such as Keith Wood and Brian O’Driscoll have weighed in to support. Both bids will require investment from the Government, including
the redevelopment of the RDS to modernise it and increase its capacity. But beyond the stadiums, the Government has already invested heavily through sports capital grants in rugby clubs across the country that will play their part in the bid as training venues and team bases. Changing rooms, floodlights, gyms and artificial pitches will all be constructed in the immediate future. These will be of huge benefit to the bid process but will also be of long-term benefit to the sport of rugby in the wider community. At the moment, Ireland takes in about €50m every year in revenue from sports tourism. The 2023 World Cup alone could be worth up to €1bn in sports tourism revenue. This is not an insignificant amount; the expectation is that the 2023 World Cup would attract up to 350,000 visitors, the vast majority of whom will arrive to Ireland via Dublin Airport. The 2023 event would have an accumulative television audience of over four billion people. The marketing potential
Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes outlnes the advantages for Dublin in hosting both Rugby World Cup championships
-------------------------------------------------------
‘The 2023 World Cup will attract up to 350,000 visitors, most of whom will arrive via Dublin Airport’
--------------------------------------------------------
Brian Hayes MEP
-------------------------------------------------------
from that alone would be worth the investment and generate a huge number of first-time and repeat visitors subsequently to Ireland. Dublin Chamber of Commerce estimated that the two Six Nations matches held in Dublin during 2015 were worth
€40m to the local economy. A study by RBS following the 2014 tournament estimated that the Six Nations generates 200 year-long jobs in Dublin and 400 jobs in Ireland. In the past decade international sporting events such as the Special
Olympics World Games (2003), Volvo Ocean Race (2009 and 2012), Tall Ships Race (2005, 2011 and 2012) and most notably the Ryder Cup (2006) have been held in Ireland. We have a proud history of hosting major international sporting events with the Dublin Horse Show and Irish Open in golf being annual attractions. However, it is obvious that there is a limit to our potential. Ireland is not going to host a football world cup and as my predecessor in the European Parliament,
Gay Mitchell, found out when he was Lord Mayor of Dublin, Dublin will never host the Olympics either. However, the bid to host the 2017 and 2023 World Cups is rooted in realism. It would be a huge boost for Ireland in terms of morale and national pride but crucially it would be a massive economic shot in the arm, one that is set to benefit Dublin in particular. Brian Hayes is the Fine Gael MEP for Dublin
4 June 2015 swords gazette 9
gazetteGALLERY
Joanna O’Byrne and Dinny Collins. Pictures: Stephen Fleming
Dinny’s dream gym D
INNY Collins Fitness had an open day recently. Hundreds of locals turned up to check out the new facility located in Seatown Business Campus, Swords. With this new facility they are set up to offer full body transformations and all members get monthly body analysis to plot their progress. Along with their regular timetable they also have 6am and 7am courses for the early birds. Along with kettlebell and running classes from Fingal Ket-
tlebells they now offer their clients the opportunity to train with “lots of new toys” – from TRX, Med Balls, Boxercise, Barbells, Prowler’s, Plyo Boxes etc. Dinny is also starting the first Calisthenics class around! This teaches you bodyweight movements and poses. But Dinny says “its not as difficult as it looks with the correct coaching”. Check them out on Facebook – Dinny Collins Fitness or visit their website www.dinnycollinsfitness.com
Dinny showing off some exercises which are on offer at his new gym
10 gazette 4 June 2015
gazetteGALLERY
Gay Byrne and Kathleen Watkins
Tom Vaughan Lawlor, Charlie Murphy, Mary Murray and Peter Coonan from Love/Hate arriving for the 2015 IFTA Film and Drama Awards at Sean Bean and Jim Sheridan
the Mansion House. Pictures: Patrick O’Leary
Glitzy awards honour the brightest and best
T
HE stars of Ireland’s film and theatre world were honoured in true Hollywood style recently at the Irish Film and Television Awards at the Mansion House. Veterans of the stage, screen and television set rubbed shoulders with some more recenet arrivals to our screens. Gay Byrne, Kathleen Watkins and Patrick Bergin were among those in attendance, as was Jim Sheridan, who was presented with a lifetime achievement award
Patrick Bergin
by Sean Bean. It was no surprise that Love/ Hate picked up a few gongs on the night. Moe Dunford took the leading actor award for her role in Patrick’s Day. Aidan Gillen took the gong for the leading male in the RTE dram, Charlie. Those who attended the event were very sad to learn that shortly after he had walked up the red carpet to attend the awards, RTE veteran broadcaster Bill O’Herlihy died suddenly.
Ciaran Hinds signing autographs
Sarah Greene
4 June 2015 Gazette 11
bloomsday P15
asdfsdaf exam time P27 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 a festival of great music:
Jamie Martin: “We’d spend a good few hours rehearsing, maybe four or five.”
A DAY IN THE LIFE: Cry Monster Cry’s jamie martin on life in a band
Hitting the right notes Bairbre Ni Bhraonain
ONE OF Dublin’s most exciting bands on the circuit nowadays is folk-rock ensemble Cry Monster Cry. Ahead of numerous appearances lined up on TV, at festivals as well as their own shows throughout the summer, The Gazette spoke to Jamie Martin, one half of the fraternal duo that is the core of the band. Martin ran us through an average day in the life of a professional band member. “I normally get up at around 10am. Then I’d probably go over to my brother Richie in Rathmines and have a meeting about upcoming gigs and whatever that week entails, whether it involves
recording, radio and TV appearances or festivals. “At lunchtime, we’ll grab some food. A favourite place we like to go to is 250 Square in Rathmines because they do really great sandwiches and coffee. After that we go back to Richie’s house and will use it as a rehearsal space if we’re a two-piece or will go to a space in Glasnevin if it’s a rehearsal for the whole band. We’d spend a good few hours rehearsing, maybe four or five. “We start off by playing our instruments, I play the guitar and mandolin, and have a warm-up for about a half an hour. If a good song comes from that, we’ll stick with it. Then we’ll run through the full set list and see what sounds good. If we’re doing a festival,
we may have to cover songs to work on too.” The brothers have always had an interest in music. They attribute this to their early exposure to a wide range of musical genres thanks to their parents’ eclectic tastes. Summer holidays and long car journeys through the wilds of their mother’s home in Donegal were always accompanied by mixed tapes with Bob Dylan, The Everly Brothers, Van Morrison, Ray Charles and Simon and Garfunkel. It wasn’t long before the brothers began playing music themselves; experimenting with many instruments from the piano and violin to the guitar and mandolin before setting up the band in 2012.
Cry Monster Cry last headlined in Whelan’s and the band has another gig coming up there too in a few weeks which will be in aid of the homeless. Also coming up in October, is a gig in Temple Bar’s Button Factory. The band is also due to appear on RTE’s popular music show, The Imelda May Show, in early July. “When we’re rehearsing we won’t get a chance to eat dinner but will just grab a sandwich but if not rehearsing, we’ll cook something at Richie’s. We both like to cook and usually it will be something pasta-based or fajitas. When rehearsing, we finish late, maybe 11pm or midnight and then I’ll go straight home to bed. I’ll be too tired to do anything else except maybe read a book.”
Ireland’s longestrunning chamber music festival has been launched for 2015 with a programme featuring over 40 performers in ten unique venues over six days. KBC Great Music in Irish Houses will take place from June 9 to 14 with an array of Irish and international artists performing pieces from classical greats such as Beethoven, Brahms, Ravel and Reich. The festival will kick off at the Samuel Beckett Theatre at Trinity College with the criticallyacclaimed Colin Currie Group, who will perform scores from Reich, including an Irish premiere, Reich’s Quartet. The first of two “sister acts” of the Festival are Latvian siblings Baiba and Lauma Skride whose programme by Scandinavian composers, Sibelius and Nielsen, marks two further 150 birthday milestones this year, along with WB Yeats. The German Armida Quartett will perform works by Beethoven, Shostakovich and Stravinsky at Belvedere House on June 13. For more information on the full programme visit www. nch.ie.
Gazette
12 Gazette 4 June 2015
dublinlife
diary
Elsie McDermid’s show at the Gaiety Theatre was cancelled when the Rising started. She wrote letters home to her mother in England describing what she was witnessing on Dublin’s streets
Opera diva’s Rising letters LORD Mayor of Dublin Christy Burke revealed a rare eye-witness account of the 1916 Rising at the Mansion House last week. The Lord Mayor and City Librarian Margaret Hayes welcomed a 26-page letter by opera singer Elsie McDermid, of her impressions of the Rising while she was in Dublin. McDermid was booked to sing in a Gilbert and Sullivan show at the Gaiety Theatre but the show was cancelled when the Rising broke out on April 24, 1916. She wrote the 26-page letter home to her mother in England, dated April 25, in which she related, among other things, that digging trenches in St Stephen’s Green was going ahead and gives eye-witness accounts of the first casualties on the streets of Dublin. The letter was never published in historical accounts of the Rising. Colin McDermid, the singer’s nephew, gave
a copy to Dublin City Public Library and Archive and it will be included in the exhibition, Proclaiming the Republic.
Kenny passes audition for Radio Kerry role MICHAEL Healy-Rae is well known for bizarre outbursts and contributions in the Dail. His latest contribution to parliamentary proceedings was equally bizarre. During the orders of business, he all but demanded that Taoiseach Enda Kenny appear on Radio Kerry. He said Enda had “refused” to appear on one of the station’s shows, Kerry Today, making him the only party leader not to have done so. He also said the show’s presenter Jerry O’Sullivan had “been looking for you for a long time.” Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett told Healy-Rae he was out of order and the two proceeded to argue, using the
formula familiar to the Punch and Judy theatre that the Dail has become, until Enda weighed in saying he would be delighted to appear on the show. Don’t touch the dial.
Top world golfer is hosting A fundraiser THE annual Mary McKenna Golf Classic takes place on Friday, June 5, at Donabate Golf Club to raise funds for the Dyslexia Association of Ireland. Having raised more than €30,000 for the associatilon to date, this year’s competition, which is organised by world-renowned golfer Mary McKenna, is the largest ever with a target of 35 teams and the aim of raising €10,000. The golf classic and raffle features some great prizes including two f lights to Istanbul, which have been donated by Turkish Airlines.
Mar y McKenna called on all golfers across Dublin and surrounding counties to dust off their golf clubs and register for the event. All funds raised will be used to support the services of the dyslexia association, including assessment and tuition for people with dyslexia, and an information service. Teams of four people can enter at a cost of €200 per team. Places can be booked online at https://marymckennaclassic.eventbrite.ie or by calling 01 877 6001.
Write time to give tips to budding authors IF you are a budding new writer, hungry for more skills to allow you to make the most of your potential, don’t miss the BooksGoSocial Writers’ Conference in the Writer’s Centre, Parnell Square.
From June 26–28, the weekend of first-class training provides practical support and opportunities to meet, and get to know, fellow writers and other professionals within the industry. This unique event will bring like-minded writers together for chats and longlasting friendships as well as well as arming you with valuable knowledge of the constantly-changing digital market, not to mention important tools to help you write that masterpiece within you that’s just aching to be written. The conference is ideal for both fiction and nonfiction authors and will be hosted at the Irish Writers Centre in the heart of Dublin, the main writers centre in Ireland. Tickets are available from €90 and can be purchased at www.thebookpromoter. com
Strategy talk time at networking awards RENOWNED strategy and communications adviser Olwen Dawe, who has worked mainly in the area of economic development, will visit Dublin on June 26 for the annual Network Businesswoman of the Year Awards. The visit will be Dawe’s first to Dublin since she became president of Network Ireland, an organisation supporting women in business. T he Network Ireland Awards ceremony takes place in the Dylan Hotel on Eastmoreland Place, Dublin 4, at 12.30pm. Network Ireland’s Dublin branch is hosting the awards and an annual summer lunch at the hotel. Early-bird tickets cost €49 for Network Ireland members and €69 for non-members and are available at www.eventbrite.ie/e/network-dublinbusinesswoman-of-the-yearsawards-tickets.
4 June 2015 Gazette 13
Gazette
feature bloomsday: LIterary classic still able to surprise
Join the fun to celebrate Bloom’s Dublin city stroll bairbre ni bhraonain
JUNE 16 has become synonymous with Dublin, James Joyce and Ulysses. Bloomsday is a celebration of Ulysses’ main character, Leopold Bloom, on his tramp around Dublin on that date during the course of a normal day in his life in 1904. Bloomsday has become an institution in the social, cultural and literary life of Dublin. Each year more events are added to the celebra-
tions, which have outgrown the day itself and go on for a week, from June 9 to 16. Events to look forward to inclcude some wonderful guided tours recreating Bloom’s ramble around the capital taking in places like Sweeny’s Pharmacy in Lincoln Place, where he bought the famously redolent bar of lemon soap, and the Martello Tower in Sandycove, where the younger character Steven Dedalus (the young Joyce) shared lodgings
with his pal Buck Mulligan (based on Oliver St John Gogarty). Ulysses, the novel, makes such expansive use of Dublin that it is an ideal platform to show off the capital, revealing hidden areas unknown to even diehard Dubliners.
Characters The James Joyce Centre has organised plenty of events to recreate chapters from the novel, each of which is titled after characters and
events in Homer’s Iliad, which Joyce considered the finest story ever told. The centre’s Footsteps of Leopold Bloom tour on June 4 and 18 focuses on the Lestrygonians episode of Ulysses. Here, Bloom makes his way through the city centre from Middle Abbey Street to the National Library. During his walk, he gets hungry and this leads him to ponder hunger’s effect on historical and cultural events. On June 16, Bloomsday itself, the centre’s itiner-
Hats off to Leopold Bloom ... Bloomsday enthusiast Senator David Norris with James Joyce lookalike, john Shevlin. Picture: Conor McCabe Photography
ary gets off to an early start at 8am and a visit to the Martello Tower in Sandycove to relive the Telemachus scene where Dedalus describes the sea to Mulligan as “scrotumtightening”. From 10am to 11am, the Lotus-Eat-
ers scene where Bloom buys his bar of soap at Sweeny’s Chemist is recreated. Locations change on the hour to correspond to the relevant episodes being recreated, until the final scene at 2am.
Bloom returns home to 7 Eccles Street, where in the bedroom, his wife Molly recites her famous soliloquy. For more information on the festival, go to www.jamesjoyce.ie/ bloomsday
Gazette
14 Gazette 4 June 2015
dublinlife
Bulmers bubblin’ at the races ian begley
FOLLOWING last year’s success with 36,000 attendees, Bulmers Live at Leopardstown is kicking off again this month. Some of Ireland’s most critically acclaimed musicians will take the stage, as well as the iconic UK 1980s group, The Human League. Commencing on June 11, the gig series returns with a strong Irish card for June, July and early August. Opening proceedings on a special Friends of Dublin Football Day, local legend Paddy Casey (June 11) gets things under way. That show is followed by The Hot Sprockets (June 18), Delorentos (June 25), Hermitage Green (July 9), The High Kings (July 16), Damien
Dempsey (July 23), and The Stunning (August 6) take to the racecourse stage. Then, one of the biggest selling UK acts of the new wave synth-pop era, The Human League, is the final act to play live on August 13. As always, the performances will be preceded by a top-class card of horse racing, a wide selection of hospitality options from the Summer Bundle to the premium Pavilion Party, with hospitality options to suit both large and small groups. Over the season, Bulmers Live at Leopardstown is set to offer a fantastic night out for individuals, groups and friends, with a huge variety of on-site entertainment on offer for just €15. For more information visit www. leopardstown.com
feature tips for testing times: don’t worry, be prepared
Look after brain and body for best results ian begley
T H E L e av i n g C e r t and Junior Cert exams are just around the corner. These can be challenging and nervous times no matter how much preparation has been done. While there is no magic way to really learn what you need to know apart from putting in the hours revising, making sure you are on your best form to apply the knowledge learnt on exam day by putting worries to one side and embracing the exam knowing you have done all you can. Neil Shah of the Stress Management Society has some top tips on how to keep on top of the exam period, while remaining calm and focussed: Manage your study time: It is important to schedule your work. Draw up a balanced and realistic revision schedule and stick to it. Studying for long periods of time will not benefit you in the long term as
Exam time: It is important to manage study time and take regular breaks
human brains can only maintain concentration for 90 minutes at a time. Take regular breaks and schedule time to do the things you enjoy. Also, be aware of when you work best; some people prefer studying early in the morning and others prefer to stay up late.
Stop comparing yourself with others; adopt a revision technique that works for you. Everyone has a different approach to revision. Choose your own method and find the revision style that suits you. Examples
Some examples include revising alone in a quiet room; revising with a friend; going to the librar y; playing music in the background; or working on the computer. Manage your study space: Avoid technology, television or social media when you are studying. Keep your study room clean and clear to avoid distractions. Maintain a healthy lifestyle: Eat well and don’t skip any meals, especially breakfast. Good nutrition fuels your brain as well as your body. Also make sure you keep hydrated as your
brain can only function at its best when hydrated. When in a stressed state, our bodies are expecting a physical response – fight or flight. Engaging in physical activity such as short walks in the park, going to the gym or simply doing some stretching is the best way to burn off your stress and regain focus. Get support: If you are feeling stressed, allow yourself a break to spend some time with your relatives or your friends. Some social interaction will take your mind off revision for a while and give you a mental break. You can then go back to revision feeling re-energised and focused. If it all gets a little too much to handle why not take a moment out with Rescue Remedy, which is a blend of five Bach Flower Remedies especially beneficial when you find yourself in stressful exam situations.
4 June 2015 Gazette 15
Gazette
16 Gazette 4 June 2015
dublinlife
FEATURE
escape the mayhem: broadcaster andy kershaw
It takes some fishing to relax a workaholic Renowned broadcaster Andy Kershaw is currently touring Britain and Ireland performing his one-man show based on his acclaimed autobiography, No Off Switch, which tells of his time as a tour manager for the Rolling Stones, copresenting Live Aid, the Old Grey Whistle Test, touring with the Hells Angels, covering the Rwandan genocide as a war correspondent, and most
recently, presenting the BBC’s One Show. He will make his Dublin debut on Saturday, June 6, at the Abbey Tavern in Howth as part of the Howth Literary Festival. This week The Gazette spoke with Kershaw about what he likes to do to Escape the Mayhem of his fast-paced life and career. He said he was somewhat of a workaholic, as the title of his autobiography suggests, and he is
not happy when he is not working. There are only two activities that he can enjoy apart from working and these are fishing and attending motorcycle racing competitions. “I love going fishing, all kinds of fishing, but even there when I’m sitting beside a pond or a lake or in a boat at sea I’m busy thinking, plotting and planning because it’s a very contemplative activity. The only type of fishing I don’t do is fly fishing
with the floating line and all that splashing around,” he said. He went on to say that his favourite kinds of fishing are sea-fishing from a boat and general coarse fishing in rivers and lakes for perch and tench. He employs the catchand-release technique as opposed to bringing the fish home to eat. “I have fished all over the world. I have a fishing rod that will pack down very small and go
SUPPORT
Local BUSINESS
SHOP LOCALLY
keith bellew
Call the Gazette on
60 10 240
Renowned broadcaster Andy Kershaw
in my rucksack for when I’m travelling. I like discovering waters that aren’t regularly fished or haven’t been fished for a long time. “I love going into the Pennines [mountains in Cumbria, England]. I’m always coming across these dams up in the
moors and wondering whether anybody has ever fished them. “Since childhood I’ve been a huge motorcycle racing fan, and I love going to watch the bikes, and I love coming to Ireland to watch them because of the real road racing [in Ireland].
He went on to say that he would like to take a fortnight’s holiday in Ireland soon and dedicate all of his time to fishing and motorcycle racing. You can catch Andy Kershaw performing his one-man show at the Abbey Tavern in Howth on, June 6.
4 June 2015 Gazette 17
cinema P23
asdfsdaf P27 music P24
OUT&ABOUT Never be out of the loop on what’s happening in Dublin! Let Out&About be your guide to all that is stylish, cultural and essential across the city and beyond this week
Gazette
travel P20
Pets clara could be your friend for life
The National Library of Ireland (NLI) will commemorate the 150th anniversary of poet William Butler Yeats’ birth with a month-long celebration of his life and works
National Library of Ireland: commemorating Ireland’s most celebrated poet
150 years of WB Yeats
Keith Bellew
On Wednesday, June 3, the National Library of Ireland (NLI) will commence its month-long commemoration of Ireland’s most celebrated poet, William Butler Yeats. 2015 marks the 150th anniversary of Yeats’ birth, and NLI has a packed programme of events to celebrate the life and work of the Nobel Prize winner. Events during the month will include lunchtime talks, lectures and a panel discussion; music and theatre performances; poetry readings; and public tours of the award-winning exhibition Yeats: The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats. Speaking to The Gazette about
the highlights of the commemoration programme, head of outreach at the NLI, Katherine McSharry, said: “For me, one of the highlights is the Yeats birthday itself which is June 13, and the reason for that is it’s a day for anybody who is interested to come in to the National Library and enjoy listening to Yeats’ poetry, to hear some music, eat some of the Yeats’ cake and to really come in and enjoy the national library because that’s something Yeats did himself. Because he is somebody that spent a lot of time here, I think it’s lovely that we’re able to offer that opportunity to other people to really be a part of their national Library.” She went on to say that she thinks the annual Joseph Hassett Yeats Lec-
ture which will take place on Thursday, June 11, will be one of the biggest draws of the programme as this year’s lecture Players and Painted Stage: The Drama of Yeats’s Life will be given by Carroll Professor of Irish History at the University of Oxford, Roy Foster. “He’s an amazing speaker, he’s also WB Yeats’ biographer so he knows the story of Yeats really intimately,” she said. The programme will not be limited to the exploration of Yeats’ poetry, as every aspect of his life and work will be looked at, from his plays, and his role in the foundation of the Abbey Theatre to his role as a Free State Senator, and his unrequited love for Maud Gonne.
“I think one of the most interesting about Yeats, unlike somebody like Joyce, is that he was so involved in so many different areas, so for that reason we have a short theatre piece which makes reference to the fact that Yeats wrote a lot for the theatre and was involved in the founding of the Abbey Theatre,” said McSharry. Another aspect of his life that will be explored is his fascination with the occult. There will be a number of interesting items on display including examples of some the automatic writing his wife Georgiana Hyde-Lees did, and various mystical tools that he made himself during the 1890s. For a full list of the programme of events visit www.nli.ie.
The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our Dog of the Week this week is Clara, who’s a terrier of about three years old. Clara can be a little bit nervous of new people but once she gets to know you, you’ll have a friend for life. Clara loves her food and will do anything for some of her favorite treats, so she’ll definitely enjoy some positive reward based training with her new family. She also loves curling up in her duvets to go to sleep. Clara needs an adult only home with experience of dealing with nervous dogs. Her new family will be offered support from our Training and Behaviour Team here in the centre to help Clara settle. If you think you could offer Clara a loving home please contact Dogs Trust on 01-879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website www. dogstrust.ie. You can also find them on Facebook www.facebook.com/ dogstrustirelandonline or Twitter @DogsTrust_IE.
GAZETTE
18 GAZETTE 4 June 2015
OUT&ABOUT
BEAUTYbits
Kilkenny Shop Coeur de Leon bracelet, €69.95
Bioderma’s micellar solutions to hit Ireland
Aldi ladies canvas travel bag €11.99
TWO new products are launching on the Irish market this month, with Bioderma, leading French dermocosmetics brand and creator of the world’s first micellar solution, now available in Ireland in pharmacies nationwide from June. The brand has enjoyed phenomenal success thanks in part to the innovative cult beauty product, Sensibio H2O, which sells one bottle every three seconds worldwide. Bioderma will launch in Ireland with four ranges including: Sensibio – formulated for all sensitive, prone to rosacea and reactive skin types, Atoderm -
dals
for very dry to atopic sensitive skin, Sebium - for oily blemished skin and Photoderm - tailored sun protection for each skin type.
san land
€35
r Is
Rive
Prescribed by physicians
M&S Collection Sunglasses €24
and recommended by pharmacists worldwide, Bioderma has a unique approach of dermocosmetic skincare. By placing biology at the service of dermatology, Bioderma seeks to understand how skin reacts and in turn, how to protect and regenerate skin cells while treating a wide range of skin conditions. For more information about the brand, go to: www.bioderma.com
Get soft, silky skin with Nimue’s milk peptides ALSO new to the consumer is Nimue Skin Technology, which introduces the new Nimue Cleansing Milk enriched with moisturising milk peptides and Cermamide-3 which helps to maintain and stabilise the epidermal barrier of the skin leaving the skin feel soft and smooth to the touch. The new Cleansing Milk is a soap free creamy milk emulsion with a soft, smooth and delicate texture that gently and effectively removes make-up, pollutants and daily impurities, leaving the skin with a delicate smooth finish. Milk peptides and Ceramide-3 works to restore the skin’s natural equilibrium with the combination of three acids: lactic, glycolic and citric acid which all work together to gently remove dead skin cells, encouraging skin renewal. The soap free emulsion is based on a liquid delivery system which acts as a built in water reservoir within the emulsion to maintain moisturisation on the skin for up to five hours. All Nimue stockists can be found at www.nimue skin.com
Mint v e skin la lvet Brandy s ce-up pump nake €119
4 June 2015 GAZETTE 19
GAZETTE
STYLE
Summer Nails ON A BUDGET
Lighten Up River Isla
nd handba
2
g €65
op ny Sh t n e k l i K ee iely Sw Orla K ured xt Pea te ag €229 b n lemo
!
House of Fraser BIBA Leopard print jelly beach bag €77 Newbridge Silver Rose Petal bracelet saffron cord €29
SOSU Serial Shopper €7.99 available at pharmacies
1
Essence gel nail 1.79 Brazil Jungle
Limited Collection Jelly Bean Polish in Lemon €5.50
3
4
5 Max Factor Gel Shine Lacquer Vivid Vermilion and Sparkling Berry Packs €10.39
Nails Inc Gel Effect €20 littlewoodsireland
Gazette
20 Gazette 4 June 2015
OUT&ABOUT
FastTravel Travel in Scandinavian style to enjoy Hong Kong’s treasures BETWEEN September 11 and October 24, you can fly from Dublin to Hong Kong, via Stockholm, for under €600 for return flights. You’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to things to do in Hong Kong. The city exudes sophistication, with impressive skyscrapers, museums and galleries at every turn. Sample some delicious dim sum, pick up souvenirs at Ladies Market in Mong Kok or hike to the Big Buddha on Lantau Island. Scandinavian Airlines new luxury long-haul cabins feature fully flat beds in business class and top quality in-flight entertainment, allowing you the chance to fully relax from the moment you board. Book your flights with Scandinavian Airlines on www.flysas.ie.
Wi-fi fall on must-have list GLOBAL travellers’ desire for free wi-fi is still the number one amenity when choosing a hotel for both leisure and business stays, but this is slowly changing, according to the latest research from online accommodation booking service hotels. com Globally, complimentary wi-fi is the top factor in choosing a hotel for leisure stays (30%), as compared to 34% in 2013. Fifty per cent of global respondents said free wi-fi is their must-have when travelling for business, down from 56% two years ago. Free breakfast is once again the second musthave amenity for leisure travellers (21%) and third for business travellers (12%).
Soak up US sun and fun for all the family with June specials IT’S not too late to book a fun-filled getaway to the USA with American Holidays this summer. Soak up the sun and sights in sunny Orlando, Florida, in an adventure with your nearest and dearest. Orlando guarantees families adventures never to forget. Embrace your inner child at Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, SeaWorld, Wet ‘n Wild, Legoland, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure to name a few. Spend seven nights at the International Palms Resort from €699pp, which includes return flights and accommodation. Based on two adults and two children sharing this offer is available only in June. To book and for more information visit www. americanholidays.com.
Nantes: Beautiful, strange and wonderful
Bemusement gives way to amazement in this small city dave phillips
There is one feeling that Nantes seems to invoke in Irish people, and that is mild bemusement. Tell someone that you’re headed off to France for the weekend and you’ll be met with a friendly smile and the inevitable question – whereabouts? Tell them Nantes and watch their brow closely; you should be able to see a crinkle forming. For the geographically oblivious (among whose ranks I am often at the forefront) Nantes is
Europe’s green capital; a little city that sits on the Loire River, about 50km from the Atlantic coast. Officially part of the Pays de la Loire region, it was historically the capital of Brittany and still retains a strong connection to the Breton language and Celtic culture. And while Anne of Brittany – who went on to become Queen of France – left a mark on her birthplace, perhaps the biggest cultural imprint comes from Nantes other eminent enfant: Jules Verne. Ve r n e ’ s n o v e l s
embraced a particularly Victorian lust for adventure and invention, and it seems that this outlook is still very much alive and well on the streets of Nantes. Take a walk through Nantes’ Bouffay district and you’ll find a hectic blend of markets, bars and restaurants crammed into the tight medieval hub. There’s a chaotic blend of the old and new, a butcher’s shop front along one of the streets sits unchanged for decades – boucherie spelled out with painstaking detail in
The Lilian Bourgeat, Batiment Aethica,- on the Ile de Nantes is another of the city’s amazing installations. Picture: Bernard Renoux
well-maintained tiny red mosaics, while above the mantel, white plaster busts of a cow and a sheep are adorned with pink neon wigs. “This is part of an art installation,” explains Chloe, our guide. She delivers this information politely despite it being the umpteenth time she has done so. It is a line that seems applicable to practically everything in Nantes, which feels like a university town that grew up and prospered, but never lost its idiosyncratic, artistic spirit. On the other side of town, new and strange buildings continue to spring to life from disused dockland shells. Nantes had relied on shipbuilding and trade for centuries, until the nearby Saint-Nazaire became the main port on the Loire. Much like in Dublin, recent years have seen an injection of massive investment and an overhaul of the old shipyards. But the overhaul has kept that keen creative spirit intact. Now you can find an architect’s office with a massive measur-
The Grand Elephant, above, and La P
ing tape unfurled around its gardens. It adds to the feel that the city is a giant playground, just waiting to be explored. Very little in Nantes is purely functional, huge attention is paid to the aesthetic value of things as well. Across the road from the architect’s office there’s an upmarket furniture store, but the building it is housed in is clad in lightweight aluminium shreds, and discreet outdoor speakers play an ongoing loop that blends birdsong and metallic melodies. It sounds beautiful, and as people cycle by nonchalantly on their way home from work, it becomes evident how normal it is for things to be extraordinary. “This
4 June 2015 GAZETTE 21
GAZETTE GAZETTE
TRAVEL TRAVEL
FastTravel The hills are alive with the sound of a good deal
Parade de Yodel and La Parc la Beaujoire, below, illustrate how the old and new rub shoulders in this green city. Pictures: Jean-Dominique/Billaud/LVAN and Martin Argyroglo/LVAN
is part of an art installation.” The mantra repeated, we continue on. Across the river at the incredible Parc de Chantiers, the originality of Jules Verne’s vision is fully realised through a huge three-storey steam-punk carousel that allows you ride on lobsters, whales and other underwater beasties using antiquated joysticks and switches to make claws grab, tails swish and eyes spin as you whizz around. Les Machines De L’Ile Nantes is a collection of incredible machines that has to be seen to be believed. Le Grand Elephant is 45 tonnes of wood and steel that can carry 50 passengers on its back – at 40-foot high the
view from the top may be impressive, but the view from the bottom, watching the giant feet move, and eyelashes blink as water gushes from the trunk, is far better. Getting to see all the cultural highlights of Nantes is very simple. A 10-mile trail is marked out across the city that will take you from historic chateau x and churches, to pop up bars and restaurants along the Loire, and across the river, where the little clustered fishing houses with communal backyards has become one of the most popular spots to live in Nantes. It is not only marked out on the map you can pick up at the tourist office, but literally
marked out as a painted green line that stretches all across the city. There is a wholesome sense of relaxation that comes from walking Le Voyage a Nantes, knowing that if your eye is caught by an interesting cafe or gallery, you can explore away, safe in the knowledge that you will easily find your way back onto the green line. Like any bustling city, there are plenty of options for accommodation, including some that embrace Nantes quirkiness. The four star Okko Hotel forgoes the usual bar and restaurant set up in favour of a communal living room, where guests can eat together. You won’t be disappointed
by the cuisine in Nantes but really this is a place where culture is at the helm. Nantes is a beautiful, strange and wonderful little city to explore. You may arrive in Nantes bemused, but you’ll return amazed.
Aer Lingus fly three times weekly from Dublin to Nantes; Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Flights operate to September 12, 2015. Fares start from €59.99 oneway, including taxes. For more information on fares and schedules visit
aerlingus.com
TO mark the 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music, Crystal Summer is offering holidaymakers in Austria a fantastic free Salzburg day trip and €50 off per holiday booking. Book a holiday to either St Wolfgang, St Gilgen or Fuschl am See, travelling from now to the end of September 2015, and take advantage of this fantastic offer. As the most successful film musical in history, The Sound of Music has captivated audiences for decades. The tour takes you to all of the film’s most memorable locations, including the Benedictine Convent and Leopoldskron Palace, where the legendary Do-Re-Mi was performed by Maria and the von Trapp children. Spend seven nights at the threestar Hotel Leifer in St Wolfgang from only €699pp from June 24. To book your holiday visit www. crystalsummer.ie
ABC CERTIFIED 51,340 COPIES EACH WEEK
Everything you need to know about Nantes can be found at http://www.levoyageanantes.fr/en/ http:// in.t.rendezvousenfrance. com/
(ABC: Group MFD, May-June 2014)
ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TO OUR READERS CALL 60 10 240
22 Gazette 4 June 2015
Gazette
June 4, 2015 Gazette 23
OUT&ABOUT
CINEMA
man up: smart script, sharp direction
The highs and lows of the mistaken identity date dave phillips
THE humble romantic comedy is a commodity that is increasingly thin on the ground. The past decade has seen a dearth of traditional rom-coms, you know the kind with two people meeting and overcoming a few stumbling blocks before settling down to eternal bliss. They really don’t make them like they used to, and arguably for good reason. There is only so much you can wring
from the nuts and bolts of fantastical romantic relationships before the audience get a sense that they have seen it all before, hence the need to subvert the genre, or fall back on gross-out humour, or God forbid, add zombies. But Man Up, the latest film from Inbetweeners’ director Ben Palmer doesn’t do this, instead it marks a return to that old-school, very British style of rom-com, relying for the most part on the classical cutesy chemis-
try between Jack (Simon Pegg) and Nancy (Lake Bell), and occasionally propping that up with a bit of crass humour. The set-up is simple: Nancy is single in her thirties, and desperately maudlin at the prospects of a life alone (we must deign to the Hollywood logic). After yet another matchmaking evening turns into awkward disaster, a hungover Nancy has a copy of a poppsychology bestseller Six Billion People and You foisted on her by a
well-meaning stranger on the train, who thinks that Nancy could use the book to develop a more positive outlook in life. Meanwhile Jack is divorced and forty and similarly miserable, waiting in Waterloo Station to meet a blind date set up. His cue to recognise her is that she will be waiting under the clock and carrying a copy of Six Billion People and You. Set over the course of a day, Man Up follows the highs and lows of the mistaken identity date
Simon Pegg and Lake Bell put in solid performances
– but what is refreshing is that the date seems relatively real. There is a beer on the South Bank, and there is bowling, and there are some tequila shots. The mundanity of it is charming, and of course things are kept interesting as Nancy is kept on her toes - she must now answer to the name Jessica, be a decade
younger, and compete in triathlons. Lake Bell steals the show as Nancy, comfortable with the awkward and bumbling style of dialogue that makes Man Up shine. Pegg also puts in a solid performance; Jack may not immediately be likeable – he’s egotistical, jealous, and cocky – but as the story develops we
start to see some of what has brought him to that space. Man Up proves to be just as mixed up and temperamental as its characters. We never stray from the well-beaten narrative path of true love. But buy into the myth for an evening and you’ll be sufficiently entertained. Verdict: 6/10
S u p p o r t l o c a l b u s i n e ss
GAZETTE
24 GAZETTE 4 June 2015
OUT&ABOUT
MUSIC
SIMPLY RED: BIG LOVE
Happy to accept being blue-eyed soulsters – Mick COLM MURRAY
MICK Hucknall says the love of his wife and daughter inspired him to write the first Simply Red album in eight years. The band this week announced they will r e l e a s e t h e i r 11 t h album, Big Love (East West/Universal) in June to coincide with their 30th anniversary year. Of the album, Hucknall said: “I hadn’t intended to do anything, and it was my manager who said it was going to be our 30th anniversary and I agreed to do a tour.” It’s not so long ago that Simply Red had embarked on a “farewell tour” back in 2010, so in essence they have “un-retired”. Around that period, there was the obligato-
------------------------
‘It’s not so long ago that Simply Red had embarked on a “farewell tour”, so in essence they have un-retired’ ------------------------
ry Greatest Hits packages – two, in fact, and Mick Hucknall’s tribute to Bobby Bland. On the new album, highlights include the celebratory first single, Shine On, driven by their trademark blueeyed soul sound, and The Ghost Of Love, a big soul song punctuated by wah-wah guitar and the kind of bold orchestral strokes that once powered Barry White and his Love
Unlimited. The break has done Hucknall a power of good; newly refreshed, he now has a much clearer appreciation of Simply Red’s considerable legacy. He says that the b a n d ’s l a s t s t u d i o album, 2007’s Stay, was an attempt to pull away from their sound. “With Stay, I was running away from Simply Red, but now I’m comfortable with the notion of us as a blue-eyed soul group. I had to stop myself fighting that idea. “Our sound is original too. I honestly don’t know of another band that has pulled so many musical strands together,” he said. Their tour hits Dublin on December 1. Key tracks: Shine On, The Ghost of Love
Earl Sweatshirt (right) went down a treat with the Forbidden Fruit audience. Picture: James Martin
KILMAINHAM: THOUSANDS PARTY
Bank Holiday festival bears plenty of fruit
LAST weekend signalled the arrival of the summer festival season kicking off in earnest with the uber hip Forbidden Fruit festival within the splendid surrounding of the Dublin’s Royal Hospital Kilmainham. Now in its fifth year, the festival (reflecting its urban location) has evolved into a more urban /dance line up. Nowadays performers have less to transport in the way of instruments and backline. And the sole requirements for this year’s headliners – Fatboy Slim, Wu Tang Clan and Richie Hawtin – barely consisted of a few mics, mixers and a couple laptops to wow the masses. Friday evening was an easing-in process with punters getting into the spirit of things with a
truncated line up and just the original stage and undergrowth stage with full line up in the form of DJs Nicolas Jaar and Mark Knight warming up for the main man, Fatboy Slim. Always one to play to the crowd, he didn’t disappoint and crammed as many of his 90s hit and remixes into a 90-minute festival friendly set. The comedy stage on Saturday and Sunday hosted some of Ireland’s top talent. This included Fred Cooke, Pat McDonnell and David McSavage. Damian Lazarus and the Ancients Moons provided an uplifting take on house to a rammed tent while over on the lighthouse stage Mount Kimbie shook things up. The original stage had its bass speakers pushed
to the limit with hip hop the order of the evening. Earl Sweatshirt kept it downbeat before Joey Bada$$ lifted proceedings with a mix of old and new dating back to the nineties. Even the absence of RZA failed to dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm as the Wu Tang Clan gave ’em what they came for. Sunday was all about the four-to-the-floor and house music with the main stage and tents peppered with good time DJs and collectives. Representatives Sleep Thieves did themselves proud with a production to match their dense, deep mood over at the live live stage. Booka Shade’s hotly anticipated live appearance didn’t disappoint either. Gorgon City followed and by now it was a race against time to fit as much
as possible before the curfew crept in. A quick dart to the live live stage to lively local collective the Greedy Pig dj’ and the busy undergrowth stage to check out a mix of breaks, acid and house expertly delivered by Maya Jane Coles and then the much anticipated Hamburg resident, Cyril Hahn, followed. Shame the same couldn’t be said of pin-up Hot Since 82, as he fluffed his lines at least twice early in his set. Benefiting from the full production it should have been easy for Richie Hawtin to deliver yet seemed to be unaware of his 90-minute set time. The chugging under tune kept ticking along for 45 minutes or so with only a drop here and there to lift the masses from their shuffle.
4 June 2015 gazette 25
pond: challenges lazy expectations
Fused
A work of high art following no rules
bairbre ni bhraonain
WHAT can I say about Pond? It is difficult to quantify the unquantifiable. This is a novel in its own sphere, following no decent rules of literary device or plot in its radicalism. The heroine speaks to us from her mind and we are privy to her gumble of thoughts and snatches of memory, never really knowing w h e r e we s t a n d o r exactly what is going on at times. Claire-Louise Bennett is an experimental artist in the tradition of Aldous Huxley with loud echoes of Beckett and Joyce. The unnamed character drifts from one mood or thought to another with no discernible purpose apart from the immediate apprehension of her existence. That should be enough, perhaps, and this is what is being explored by Bennett. Pond challenges us and our lazy, conservative expectations, as all good literature should
but seldom does. Pond, as an absolute good, is most challenging about what literature is. What is demonstrated through this novel is that literature, once in the steady hand of an artist fully in charge of --------------------------
‘Whereas Beckett’s tramps find engagement through dialogue with others, the unnamed woman in this novel does not’
---------------------------------------
her medium, can feed on any single thing, or on nothing at all. The unnamed woman in Pond is utterly selfpossessed, self-obsessed and lives a solitary life. In this way she reminds me of Beckett’s lonely tramps, but whereas Beckett’s characters do find engage-
ment via dialogue with others, the unnamed woman does not. Instead, she sometimes tells us of conversations held in the past with various itinerant lovers or her landlady. Other than this, she is quite alone. Her memory is often very sketchy too, and her priorities are odd. In one excerpt, she struggles to remember an incident and is unsure of every detail except that she is positive she was wearing a hat. In another chapter, she relates a time when a rat catcher came to her cottage. She is knocked offkilter by his presence to such an extent that she does not know how she takes her tea; so she takes it the same way the rat catcher does. She also has a problem with physical perspective, often repeating: “When I am alone it’s very hard for me to gauge distance.” T his is followed through into temporal distance as she finds it hard to remember the past and resents
Gazette
ARTS
Israel Galvan. Picture: Luis Castilla
Dancer who redefines Flamenco tradition bairbre ni bhraonain
Pond is a work of high art in the steady hand of an artist fully in charge of her medium
any form of “enforced remembrance”. Not only do we question the character’s sanity but also, as a reader, it is impossible not to try to psychoanalyse her. The book is a goldmine for interpretation. T here is so much humanity in it that it is difficult to confine criticism to any broad themes. Bennett is a magnificent writer, and the connections she makes are highly individual and always poetic. One example is her description of her cottage demolition, seen from the side of a hill. She recalls the resulting carnage as being like a “glazed and gangly calf wrenched sideways out its mother’s dazed and quaking backside”.
Claire-Louise Bennett is an experimental artist in the tradition of Aldous Huxley with echoes of Joyce
The character is charming at times and has a real innocence about her. Her engagement with her surroundings is absolute, she gives her all to it and it is impossible not to agree with everything she says. Bennett’s powers of description are simply
unparalleled and a joy to read. Even her search for a knob for her old cooker becomes a riveting quest. What can I say about Pond? It is a work of high art. Pond, published by The Stinging Fly Press, is available in bookshops for €12.99
ONE of the highlights of this year’s Dublin Dance Festival, which finished on May 30, was Israel Galvan, arguably the best Flamenco dancer on the planet. His El Edad de Oro (The Golden Age) performance at the Abbey Theatre, was full of unexpected invention and great fire. Galvan commands a stage with enormous prowess and magnetism, and the audience was putty in his hands. Although he is nontraditional, his form of Flamenco is highly artistic and authentic. He uses, not only his lightening feet in his performance, but also his arms and body to create, at times, a single undulating movement. He also uses stillness to great effect, filling the gaps between action and quietness with great tension, making the audience wait for what will come next. Galvan also claps to accompany his dance, merging sound and movement to perfection. It is no wonder he is renowned for his cutting edge innovation, which embellishes the tradition of Flamenco he has inherited.
26 swords gazette 4 June 2015
SWORDSCLASSIFIEDS driveways
improvements
support
ALL BUDGET DRIVEWAYS
â‚Ź4750 â‚Ź1650
• Driveways • Patios • Concrete Imprint • Decoration Walling • Fencing Natural & Coloured Stone PH: 0873900300 / 01 6971796 www.allbudgetdriveways.com allbudgetdriveways@yahoo.com Malahide Rd & Kimmage Rd
UP TO 45% OFF
DOORS
tradesman
dvds
DVD TRANSFERS ďƒźVideo & Camera Tapes ďƒźCineFilms ďƒźPhotos & Slides converted to DVD ďƒźMusic & Titles added Tel: 01-2807838 / 087 9132265 alleventsvideo@eircom.net
BRICK, BLOCK & STONE WORK Experienced trades men. Garden walls, sheds,brick piers,patios,brick bbq’s,decorative internal brick work. Dry Lining insulation service call Dave anytime 087 291 7647
+, 1MBTUFSJOH 4FSWJDFT
LANDSCAPE
3FHJTUFSFE BOE *OTVSFE &YUFOTJPOT 3FOPWBUJPOT /FX #VJME o *OEVTUSJBM $PNNFSDJBM BOE %PNFTUJD (BSEFO 8BMMT 4IFET FUD $PSOJDF BOE $PWJOH 'JUUFE
'SFF 2VPUBUJPOT +JN
LEGAL & PLANNING APPLICATION
ANNOUNCEMENT SELECT PAVING & LANDSCAPING
FOR ALL YOUR PAVING & LANDSCAPING SOLUTIONS Serving The Greater Dublin Area
UP TO 45% OFF
Full range of services - Cobblelock, Driveways, Patios, Slabbing & gravelling. Imprint concrete, decorative walling and fencing. Fully registered and insured company STAR DISCOUNTS for this month All work guaranteed No 2 Fairview Strand, Dublin 3 www.selectpaving.ie Call today for a free E: selectpaving@hotmail.com no obligation quotation 0858335596 / 01 685 6262
We can now officially accept planning & legal notices from all four County Councils in greater Dublin region ¡ Dublin City ¡ Dun Laoghaire South Dublin ¡ Fingal
¡ Standard rate ₏75 + VAT ¡ Payment in advance
Ph. 01 601 0255
FOLLOW US TODAY ON OUR SOCIAL NETWORK Visit: Facebook: www.facebook.com/DublinGazetteNewspapers Twitter: @DublinGazette
The Goddress, Dress Hire & Sales Dunshaughlin Village, Meath Call For Appointment 0872919604 / 0851961268 facebook.com/ TheGoddress
4 June 2015 swords gazette 27
SWORDSCLASSIFIEDS painting
TOP CLASS PAINTING Interior & Exterior painting. Damaged ceilings, walls repaired - like new 25 YRS
Call Colm EXPERIENCE 087 9700259 01-4570829
OUTDOORS
CLOTHES LINES EST. 1985
UNBEATABLE PRICES
MADE FROM 2" HEAVY GAUGE BOX IRON For more info contact Pat Mob: 087 275 2175 Tel: (042) 966 3222
ACTIVE PAVING
GREENSCAPE GARDEN LAWNS & SERVICES Specialising in Instant Lawns All Paving & Patio’s Covered Best prices on all Natural Stone Laid Natural and Pebble Stone – All colours All tress and hedges maintained Decking & Garden Tidy up’s Shed’s supplied & also taken down & removed Small and big walls built Free estimates – fully insured Special rates for OAP’s 30% OFF IN MAY & JUNE
Tel: 01 8344390 OR 087 3466333 Email: Greenscapegardens316@gmail.com Find us in the golden pages
Gazette
28 Gazette 4 June 2015
SPORT
FastSport First ever table cricket tie in dublin: CRICKET Leinster held a hugely successful first ever Table Cricket match in the province with St Michael’s, Belcamp Lane in Coolock taking on their counterparts from Ballybough. Both teams have had approximately eight training sessions in the game designed for people with severe physical or learning disabilities. Coolock won the toss and opted to bat first. They put up a good total of 282 but it wasn’t enough as Ballybough replied with 290, edging a victory by eight runs. Lynn Conroy, one of the players, said of the new sport: “The training was very interesting and I enjoyed the tournament. I got to make new friends and to engage with the Leinster coaches again. I’d love to keep playing this game.” The sport is supported by Dublin City Council and The Lords Taverners.
cricket: D’Arcy and morrissey inspire big senior cup fight back
Big stand sees Tarf through sport@dublingazette.com
CLONTARF ran up a remarkable victory over Leinster in the opening round of the Leinster Senior Cup as they recovered from a seemingly down and out position
to stun their Rathmines opponents. Struggling at 84 for six, chasing Leinster’s first innings of 200, Adrian D’Arcy and Joe Morrissey put together a century stand that set up a great win.
Clontarf are safely through to the second round
D’Arcy carried his bat for 114 and led Tarf to the win. In the first innings, Leinster also had to recover from the loss of early wickets – Queenslander Mick Granger removed five of the top order in a devastating spell of five for 24 – as they dropped to 15 for four. But JP O’Dwyer clipped 58 and Ritchie provided 93 not out to launch them to a century partnership and a respectable total. But Tarf rallied after their similar early travails to land the victory and their place in the second round. In Phoenix Park, the hostes looked to have laid the foundations for a win with a massive first innings total of
Clontarf’s Mick Granger picked up five wickets. Picture: Deryck Vincent
327 for seven with runs from Sam Anderson (91), Alistair Taylor (79) and Masud Ahmed (76). But YMCA kept their composure throughout their innings and maintained a steady pace, keeping wickets in hand and never letting the run rate get out of hand. A win by eight wickets sounds comfortable enough but a couple of wickets at any stage could have turned the match on its head. As it transpired, YM planned it perfectly and secured the win in the gloom in the 59th over. There were two centuries in the innings Jack Tector [107] and Simmi Singh [125*]. Milverton saw another tense match with fluctu-
ating fortunes. Pembroke batted first and lost early wickets but a century stand between Jono Cook (70) and Lorcan Tucker (50) saw them post a competitive 249/9 in the 60 overs. Although The Hills reached 100 for two i n ve r y g o o d t i m e and looked comfortable, wickets fell steadily thereafter and when the 7th wicket went down at 167 Pembroke were well on top. But Tomas Murphy led a fightback and at 198 for seven with plenty of overs remaining, The Hills looked like they were back in with a chance. But three wickets for four runs from Jack Balbirnie, introduced late in the innings, finished off the
match. Although North County could be said to have never really lost control of their match against, Balbriggan they were made to fight all the way. Balbriggan were another team to lose early wickets and Mooney and Harper out with only four runs on the board. Balbriggan made something of a recovery from their disastrous start but the final total of 135 never looked like being enough. North County also lost a couple of early wickets but at 89 for the loss of only two wickets the game seemed in the bag. But six more wickets were to fall before North County were finally able to get over the line.
Five Dublin-based players in China-bound selection sport@dublingazette.com
UCD Marian’s Conor Meany is among the players named in the 12-man selection.
UCD Marian Conor Meany and Dan James along with Templeogue’s Conor Grace and Jason Killeen and DCU’s Martins Provisors have all been named in a 12-man Premier League selection by coach Colin O’Reilly to compete at basketball’s SinoEuropean Championships in China in July. The C&S UCC Demons Player-Coach is also available for selection for the trip to Jiansgu province while four other players from the undefeated treble
champions are also included while Neptune’s Roy Downey completes a Cork sextet. Killeen and Grace are some of the only players in the squad with professional basketball experience. Twenty-three players were named on the initial panel. “It took us five weeks, three training weekends and three games to finally come to agreement around the selection,” said O’Reilly of the selection. “As always, when you bring the best talent in the country together, it’s hard to really
decide between one player and the others within that sample size but we feel we have picked a balanced squad with one eye on the present and one on the future. “Our goal now is to turn a selection of players into a cohesive unit with everyone on the same page trying to better the team. “From the five weeks working with this group I feel this is very achievable before heading to China. “The commitment shown by each player has been sensational
and their improvements are very evident even at this early stage.” O’Reilly added that the side will look to create its own character in the coming weeks. “We are trying to establish a player driven culture of improvement, while implementing a style of play that’s fun and also rewarding for guys. “Over the next few weeks we will run individual sessions in Dublin and Cork to build on the foundations put in place so far while continuing to build momentum towards the competitive action in July.”
4 June 2015 Gazette 29
Gazette
Blind golf a perfect fit for brilliant Brill Despite suffering from Usher syndrome, Carol Brill is enjoying a new sporting lease of life; she tells JAMES HENDICOTT about playing golf internationally despite having less then 3% vision CAROL Brill, who suffers from a rare eyesight and hearing-affecting genetic disorder, Usher syndrome, is set to be the first Irish woman to compete in the Italian Blind Golf Open in Milan this coming October. Dundrum’s Brill is an active campaigner on issues surrounding Usher syndrome, having recently spoken to the Oireachtas about the debilitating genetic problem. Usher syndrome causes progressive damage to both eyesight and hearing. The rare condition is passed through recessive genes, and affects approximately one in 20,000 people. Astonishingly, Brill first picked up a golf club early in 2015. Her visual problems kicked in at the age of ten, but have slowly worsened ever since,
leaving just a 3% visual window - through which she has perfect vision directly in front of her. Somewhat surprisingly, golf is well-adapted to blindness, in that changes to the practical rules are relatively insignificant. Besides a few minor tweaks, the only rule changes are based around the participants reliance on a well-established guide for information on the distance and direction of the hole, as well as assistance in lining up shots. While simple in theory, though, the game is clearly a massive challenge in practise. Brill also sees it as “a chance to get out of my own head. “I can see the golf ball, but that’s it, I don’t see anything else around the golf ball”, Brill explains, “but I don’t feel the limi-
tations of my condition. I just focus on the ball and hit it. I might miss it a few times, but I hit it. “I’m so busy, even though I’m classified unemployed”, Brill tells GazetteSport “because I’m always campaigning around deaf and blindness. I just want to make life better for people who are losing communication and mobility. “We see and hear the world, and to lose both of those senses is a massive, massive challenge. “For the Milan Open, only three classifications can play, B1, B2 and B3. I’m classified as B3. B1 is completely blind, while I’m B3, because I have very limited 20-20 vision,” Brill explains. “My coach Gary has nicely demonstrated that it’s possible to hit the ball without seeing
Carol Brill is campaigning for more awareness of people with sight and hearing issues.
at all, by putting stickers on his classes. Of course, I worry about the day I really can’t see the ball, but he does it without a problem. “I had to give up my tennis, so its really encouraging to know I’m not going to lose this. You lose parts of your life
course. Leopardstown Golf Course have been great, too. It’s so encouraging to have people so interested in helping you.” “Carol’s a very determined woman”, Cullen said. “When she puts her mind to something she just goes and does it.
--------------------------------------------------------
‘I don’t feel the limitations of my condition. I just focus on the ball; I might miss a few times but I hit it!’ - Carol Brill --------------------------------------------------------
altogether. I’ve lost driving, too, for example. A lot of this is about finding ways to make up for those losses. “I try to be positive all the time. Of course, there are days I get down, otherwise I wouldn’t be human. I just don’t allow myself to stay there, I keep picking myself up.” Coach Gary Cullen, a former Irish international golfer now working with American Golf, talks passionately of Brill’s progress, after meeting her through a contest on Twitter. The meeting came about through “complete chance, after professional lessons came up for grabs,” Brill says. “They’ve been so supportive, letting me use their driving nets when there are no customers, and helping me on the
She’s just completed her first 18 holes, which went really well for only four months’ training. “She had a few blow outs, but it’s seriously different to your everyday golf, and I’m learning while I do it as well. “We use a lot of numbers, and adjust Carol’s stance to help her measure how hard to hit the ball.” Cullen’s admiration of Brill is unquestioning, though, and he had little hesitation in agreeing to guide her around the Milan course. “She’s extremely inspirational; she’s done a huge amount of work on many different things. I think for her it’s a nice bit of head space”, Cullen says. “She’s a brilliant woman. She doesn’t let the world stop her.”
FastSport
Dun Laoghaire’s Doyle stars in billiards finals DUN Laoghaire’s Wayne Doyle won both the long format and 150-up championships last week at the Irish Billiards Championship as he got the better of Aidan Murray from Wicklow. It was a highlight of the Republic of Ireland Billiards and Snooker Association season as they held their biggest ever championship finals weekend with 14 national snooker and billiard champions were crowned in the Ivy Rooms Snooker Club in Carlow. Doyle also reached the quarter-finals of the World Billiards European Open earlier in the week and is fast emerging as one of the top young billiard players in the world. Aonghus McAnally, also from Dublin, won the intermediate billiards long format championship when he beat Robert McCrum but it was McCrum who came back to win the Intermediate 150-up Championship when he beat Brendan Devlin from Celbridge SC in the final. Colm Gilcresest, another Celbridge SC member, retained his master snooker championship with a dramatic five frames to four victory over John Farrell from Terry Rogers SC in Dublin. Andrew Doherty from Terenure became the first Dubliner to win a RIBSA Junior National Championship since 2006 when he beat Adam Fitzgerald from Youghal CYMS 4-1. Fitzgerald bounced straight back after losing the U-19 final to win the Under-21 Championship and qualify for the IBSF World Under 21 Championship later this year when he beat his club mate Noel Landers 4-3. The match was tied at 3-3 when Landers called a foul on himself that no one else saw it and that let in Fitzgerald to get back into the frame which he won to claim the title. Michelle Sherwin from Q’s SC Dublin, continued her domination of the ladies game in Ireland when she won her 11th Irish ladies championship with a 4-0 victory over Irish number two Claire Mill. Brendan O Donoghue from the New Institute snooker club in Nenagh won the title for the second time in his career when he beat Robert Murphy from the QClub Wicklow 7-2 in a high quality final.
Gazette
30 SWORDS gazette 4 June 2015
SPORT
fastSport
soccer: under-17 league opens new doors for league
Swords land massive 37 medals at nationals STUDENTS of Swords Karate Club took home a staggering amount 37 medals, including nine national titles, from the recent JKS national championships. Clubs from all over Ireland attended the championship held in Tuam, Co Galway and the Swords students were up against some very tough competitors across the disciplines of kata (forms) and kumite (fighting). The success of the club at national level is directly attributable to the standard and quality of instruction students receive from club instructor Dermot O’Keeffe, sensei sixth dan, who is himself a world champion in the sport. Sisters Ali and Jennifer O’Keeffe took the national titles in both the junior and senior kata and kumite individual events respectively, a total of four individual national titles between them. They then went on to successfully captain their teams and take national titles in the junior and senior kata events with club mates Rachel Smith and Athar Farooqi on the junior team and Emma O’Neill and Jolanta Ploskonka on the senior team. One of the youngest students to compete, Ashad Farooqi took the national title in the Gohon Kumite for eight to 10-year-olds while Gess Kolkovskij took the title in the veterans (Over-40s) kata. Philip Kennedy and Paul Fitzpatrick kept the winning streak going for the club by taking the national title and runner-up position in the senior men’s kata category proving that karate is not just for kids. Based in Swords for the past 14 years, Swords Karate Club provides a range of structured karate classes for all age groups from age four upwards in the full time karate facility in Seatown Business Campus and new members are welcome to join at any time during the year. Next up in the clubs calendar is their summer camp from Monday, July 13 to 17 and it promises to be lots of fun with a wide range of karate activities planned. For more information about joining contact Dermot Sensei on 085 807 3885.
Bohemians and the NDSL have extended their agreement to encompass the new FAI Under-17 league
NDSL deepen Bohs’ ties sport@dublingazette.com
BOHEMIAN and the North Dublin Schoolboys/Girls League (NDSL) have this week announced an agreement that deepens their current partnership. Following the FAI’s recent announcement of the new SSE Airtricity Under-17 National League starting in August, Bohemians and NDSL have agreed that the Bohemian squad for this competition will be recruited mainly from the NDSL Academy team. T his arrangement
opens pathways for players in NDSL clubs and leagues also to develop through Bohemians to play at Under-19 and senior league levels. The NDSL Academy team is comprised of players in NDSL clubs who are selected to represent NDSL in interleague competition. Representatives of Bohemians and of NDSL said they were “delighted with the outcome of the talks over the past couple of months”. “We hope this partnership will continue for many years to come and I am sure both organisa-
mckenna golf classic Donabate to host huge annual fundraiser the annual Dyslexia Association of Ireland Mary McKenna Golf Classic will take place again on Friday, June 5 at Donabate Golf Club. Having raised over a €30k for the DAI to date, this year’s competition is aiming for its largest attendance ever with a target of 35 teams and raising €10,000. The golf classic and raffle features some great prizes including two flights to Istanbul, sponsored by Turkish Airlines. You can book online at https://marymckennaclassic. eventbrite.ie or by calling 01 877 6001.
tions will work tirelessly to ensure the players are well looked after and are successful,” said NDSL secretary, Tony Gains. “Bohemian FC is a well-established club with a very proud history and we are delighted to be involved in this new beginning. We hope we will see some of our players play at the highest level in the near future.” Bohemian FC Youth Director Conor Emerson said he expected both parties to the agreement to reap the benefits. “This partnership with NDSL strengthens the alternatives for the best
young players to going abroad to pursue careers in football. “It allows them to complete their education in their own communities and families while also playing top-flight football.” The new National League will provide a step on Ireland’s elite player pathway. Its establishment will bridge the gap between schoolboy football which runs up to Under-16 level and the SSE Airtricity Under19 league which is now firmly established as a springboard for young talented players into
adult football. T h e S S E A i r t r i city Under-17 National League will offer elite players, many of whom will have graduated from the FAI’s Emerging Talent Programme, their first opportunity to play in a national league, as well as a chance to train, practise and play at an elite level in this age group. In all, 22 clubs will compete, including 19 SSE Airtricity League clubs, as well as Mervue United, Salthill Devon, and the Monaghan United Cavan Football Partnership.
4 June 2015 SWORDS gazette 31
Gazette
senior hurling
Byrne salvo earns Syl’s draw from five down
Club Noticeboard fingallians
st Sylvester’s produced a great fighting
second-half display to snag a draw, and very nearly a win, as they drew 1-8 each with Naomh Olaf in the senior B hurling championship. They trailed 1-5 to 0-3 at half-time but bounced back with Collie Byrne nabbing 1-5 in total including firing a free straight to the net. It meant they led by two points before Olaf’s recovered their form.
THE club would like to wish all our
text Dan on 087 9217044 or Stephen
members and friends the very best
087 7799725 to arrange a tee time.
in their exams over the coming The executive and games committees have ruled that players will
golf club on Friday, June 26. The tee times will be 11–1pm and 1.30–3pm.
not be eligible to represent the club
The cost per team of €200 will
if their membership has not been
include dinner served after your
paid in full by June 11.
round. Prizegiving will take place
St Mungo’s comedy play How the
football: royal county nick leinster victory
The hurling section will host a golf classic fundraiser in Balbriggan
weeks.
at 9pm in the club bar.
Worst Team in History Got to the
Works are starting this week in
All Ireland Final will take place on
the club. There may also be a small
Saturday, June 20 at 8pm; €15 per
disruption to car-parking, over the
person or €25 for two.
first couple of days, as a security
Tickets are available from Ger O’Connor or Feidhlim at the club
fence is erected around the site. Club maintenance draw results: first - Alan Hickey; second - Alma
bar. Our U-12 squad are hosting a quiz
O’Donnell; third - Derek McKittrick
in the club hall on this Saturday,
and Sean Gallagher; fourth – Ita
June 6 at 8pm. The cost of a table
McKittrick; first - Eileen O’Murchu;
for four persons will be €40. Fur-
sixth to 15th will be displayed on
ther details are available from the
club notice boards.
U-12 manager pauloneill07@gmail.
The numbers last week were: 5, 20, 21, 25 and 31. We had two win-
com The next golf society outing takes
n e r s : T i n a Ge a l y a n d Vi v i e n n e
place this Friday, June 5 in Hollys-
Grice. The jackpot this week will be
town golf club from 2–3pm. Please
€1,960.
st finian’s THE highlight of the past week has
We have been awarded a prize of
been the performance of the U-13
€1,500 from the ESB Official Energy
girls in their match against St Oliv-
Partner to the GAA staff fund. Many thanks to club member
er Plunkett’s. Dublin’s run was brought to an end by Meath last Saturday in Clane. Picture: GAAPics.com
Meath fight back to end Dublin U-14 run sport@dublingazette.com
DUBLIN’S Under-14 girls lost their Leinster football title after a stunning second half turnaround saw Meath charge home in Clane last Saturday. Fingalian’s Emma McCormack has played a key role in the march to the Leinster title, appearing in a number of the league encounters, in which Dublin proved something of an unstoppable force. McCormack scored a point on the day on top of her earlier league contributions. Dublin went into the game as hot favourites,
both as title holders, and having defeated Meath in the championships first round a few months ago. They made a confident start, too, with Jodi Egan knocking in an early goal in an impressively lively first half, and setting the tone for the early stages. On 13 minutes Dublin clocked a second goal through Roisin McGovern, and while Meath were staying in touch through kicking slightly more impressively than the sky blues, Dublin went in at half time leading 2-3 to 0-5 and living up to their favourites tag. That was as good as
things were to get for the capital side. Meath were not to be denied, and set about Dublin in the second half with a guile and determination the Dubs found hard to counter. Orla McLoughlin laid the vital groundwork, scoring a goal almost straight from kick off to reduce Dublin’s lead to a single point and up the pressure on the holders. The Royal players had started running at the Dublin defence, with Emma Duggan, Susie O’Rourke and Lauren Geraghty in particular causing mayhem as they
charged at the blues defence. The key moment came in the 46th minute, with Meath awarded a penalty that half-back Sorcha Gough duly converted, giving the Royals a lead they were never to lose. The Dubs weren’t done: they rallied with determination following the second Meath goal, but weren’t quite capable of finishing their chances. Dublin put together a total of just three points in the entire second half, despite substitute Jessica Connolly firing up her team-mates with a couple of late points.
With promotion to Division 1 on
Mark Degnan and ESB staff mem-
the line, the girls knew that a place
ber Paddy Mulvey for the nomina-
in the top division would be theirs if
tion and submission.
they avoided defeat. In what was a very exciting match, particularly when their opponents
The lotto jackpot this week was €3,300. The numbers drawn were 2, 4, 12 and 19.
drew level with a goal in the final
There was no jackpot winner. The
minutes, the girls hung on to secure
winners of the €25 lucky dip prizes
the point necessary to put them top
were Tony Dervan, D O’Gorman,
of the table.
Phyllis Cervi and the O’Donoghue
Congratulations to all the girls and their coaches, Sean and Conor; they have put in a lot of effort this year and it has been rewarded with their results on the field. A date for your diary is the St Finian’s club fun day, which will take
Family. N e x t w e e k ’s j a c k p o t w i l l b e €3,400. Online booking of places in the four summer camps will become available later this week on our website homepage at www.stfinians.com.
place this year on Saturday June
Application forms can also be
20 from 1pm to 5pm in the park in
found in the Downloads section of
River Valley.
our website.
Got a story? we want to know!
Call our sport team on 60 10 240 and SELECT OPTION 3
or email sport@dublingazette.com
GazetteSPORT all of your swords sports coverage from page 28-31
new agreement: Bohemians and the NDSL extend their link-up with dawn of new Under-17 league P30
june 4-10, 2015
Granger inspires clontarf: Leinster senior cup sees huge fightbacks across the board P28
Finnegan surprised by league honour stephen findlater
sport@dublingazette.com
SINEAD Finnegan said she was taken by surprise by her inclusion in the Tesco Team of the League following her performances for the Dublin ladies footballers in the National League, helping the county to the competition’s semifinals. The Fingallians’ half-back was one of two Jackies to earn a place in the line-up along with Foxrock Cabainteely’s Sinead Goldrick. They were honoured for their spring season at Croke Park last Friday as part of the best 15 players in their division but Finnegan
said that there is more to come from her and Dublin when the summer championship campaign begins. “I did not expect to be included in the team for the league,” she told GazetteSport. “I wasn’t surprised when Goldie [fellow Dubliner Sinead Goldrick] was included, she is always very consistent. But I was very disappointed with how our last match of the league went and, personally, felt that I played poorly against Galway. “When I heard that I got the award, I was delighted but didn’t expect it.” They fell 4-13 to 3-4 in that semi-final match to the Tribes-
women. However, a stunning 5-13 to 2-7 win over reigning All-Ireland winners Cork a fortnight prior to that tie was probably among the games that put Finnegan in the frame for the award. It helped Dublin break into the top four and was a personal landmark for the Fins’ defender. “We got quite a comprehensive win down in CIT; it was important for us, even psychologically. From my own point of view, I had never played in a team that had beaten Cork so, for that alone, it was super. “The Cork game was very good for us as a team in general. When other players are doing well
around you, it’s easy for you to play well. That was probably the stand-out match of the league for me. In other matches, it was mixed with some good and bad performances.” Since the league ended in late April, Finnegan has been back in club action where her Fingallians’ team has picked up a draw against St Brigid’s and a win over Thomas Davis, putting them in good shape for a semi-final spot. Now, though, the focus switches back to the Dublin campaign with a Leinster semi-final date – against an opponent as yet unknown – on July 6 the immediate focus.
Fingallians’ Sinead Finnegan was named in the Tesco ladies football team of the league