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Month XX, 2012 Swords • Balbriggan • Applewood • boroimhe • Airside • Rivervalley
INSIDE: Charity fashion show in aid of Barnardos is tailor-made for celebs P10
Hurling:
Fingal prepare for Division 3A final encounter Page 32
Swimming: Aer Lingus’ success at national meet Page 30
Water works to disrupt traffic natalie burke
ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES.......................6 DUBLIN LIFE....................11 OUT&ABOUT...................17 CLASSIFIEDS.................26 SPORT............................27
opinion: Senator Averil Power speaks out on high price of childcare Page 8
Swords is set to face weeks of traffic disruptions from the start of this month, Fingal County Council has revealed. The council plans to carry out major water main laying works from Kettles Lane to the junction of Main Street and Malahide Road in Swords. The eight-week programme will be
carried out over three phases, and is scheduled to be fully completed by the end of May or early June 2013. The works are necessary to secure future water supply for the greater Swords area. The works were welcomed by Tony Lambert, chief executive of the Fingal Chamber of Commerce who this week reminded members of the public that Swords will remain open for business.
An eggcellent find: Grainne’s a winner at Pavilions Easter Hunt grainne Conway of Swords was one of the many lucky winners at the Swords Pavilions Easter Egg Hunt. Children were led by The Mad Hatter himself, as they scoured
the centre for delicious chocolate eggs, before taking part in arts and crafts events and face painting. Grainne is pictured with her mother and father, Emer and Jim.
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dublin GAZETTe newspapers i n f o r m at i o n
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The council plans to carry out major water works over the next eight weeks
Water works to disrupt traffic for two months SWORDS is set to face weeks of traffic disruptions from the star t of this month, Fingal County Council has revealed. The council plans to carry out major water main laying works from Kettles Lane to the junction of Main Street and Malahide Road in Swords. The eight-week programme will be carried out over three phases, and is scheduled to be fully completed by the end of May or early June 2013. The works are necessary to secure future water supply for the greater Swords area.
natalie burke nburke@gazettegroup.com
The first phase takes place during the first week of April from Kettles Lane to the junction at Boroimhe, and will take place over three days. Phase 2 will bring the works on to the Pinnock Hill roundabout with an estimated completion date of April 5, while Phase 3 is expected to begin on April 8. The
third phase will bring the works from Pinnock Hill along Dublin Road as far as Swords Garda Station. This phase is set to continue for eight weeks and will require a one-way traffic system along Dublin Road with traffic not allowed to enter Swords from this direction. “I think it’s going to cause a lot of disruption, but I think it’s one of those things that just has to be done,” said Cllr Darragh Butler (FF). “The message this time is that this isn’t just emergency work, that this is part of the solution that will ensure a
more consistent water supply and hopefully, in the long term, be less disruptive overall.” Tony Lambert, chief executive of the Fingal Chamber of Commerce, also welcomed the works, reminding members of the public that all businesses will remain open in Swords. “The businesses and residents of Swords must have a secure and reliable water supply, and the chamber welcomes this work but wants to ensure that people who live and work in the town and the many visitors coming to Swords can go
about their business with minimum disruption,” he said. Local traffic diversion signage will be in place for the duration of this project, and traffic management plans for access to and from Swords during the works are available at www.fingalcoco. ie/Water/EmergencyInformationUpdates. Fingal County Council are apologising for a ny i n c o nve n i e n c e caused by these diversions for the duration of the works: “this scheme is essential to improve water supply in the greater Swords area for the future.”
New aviation policy set to boost local jobs A NEW national aviation policy due to be published next year will be of “great interest” to the people of Fingal, according to Dublin North TD Alan Farrell (FG). The National Aviation Policy 2014 will “impact economic
growth” in the area, he said, protecting and creating jobs in the aviation sector. “Dublin Airport is the largest employer in the region. Crucially, for every one job created in the airport, four are created in the region as a direct result,”
Deputy Farrell said. Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar TD is currently looking for submissions from industry experts and has published an issues paper in conjunction with the Irish Aviation Authority and key stakeholders outlin-
ing strategic areas where growth can occur. “I look forward to the opportunity that developing a new strategy for Dublin Airport can bring in terms of growth and development to benefit Fingal,” he concluded.
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interior Hamptons-inspired design is on display
Big glass house gives glimpse of luxury living natalie burke
A MAN has built his dream house based on homes in The Hamptons, the popular seaside resort on Long Island, New York. But he’ll never live there as it’s inside a giant glass box. Owner of Fairco Windows and Doors, Jim Toal, has built a permanent ideal homes exhibition on the Old Airport Road where customers can experience the world of The Hamptons. Jim’s love for all things
Hamptons began in 1991 when he took a sabbatical to the US after a bad car accident in Ireland. “I fell in love with the eastern seaboard architecture in the US, and promised myself that if I ever got the opportunity I would build a Hamptonsstyle house,” he said. “It has taken 22 years, and I can’t live in the one I’ve built because it’s behind glass, but it doesn’t make me any less proud of what we’ve achieved here.” Fairco Windows and Doors was established 15
years ago, and since then has pioneered high-quality Hamptons timer-look windows in Ireland. “I designed a range very much in the Hamptons style, which became extremely popular, and suddenly our customers wanted interiors to match. “It started with architraves, then bookshelves and wall-panelling, and then moved on to orangeries, all with the high degree of detail that is a feature of this style.” The idea for the show-
Jim Toal, who promised himself that if he got the chance he would build a Hamptons-style house
house took off with the success of their Hamptons-style windows – and a novel twist on post-Celtic Tiger years. “The advent of people being determined to hang on to their tracker mortgages has been huge for our business. People are refusing to move house because they would lose their preferential mortgage rates, so they are remodelling instead. “Our customers wanted to invest in a full inte-
rior makeover, but were frustrated because they couldn’t get the look that they saw in magazines or on popular TV programmes featuring The Hamptons. “I came across this glass building with the appropriate square footage, and I set about designing my dream home – inside a glass wall.” The result is Ireland’s largest indoor showhouse, with a floor plan in exact scale to a 4,000 square
foot Hamptons home. “Noone has ever done anything like this in Ireland. It’s like a film set and it’s just taking people’s breath away. “Even in the short amount of time we’ve been open, we have been taking orders for kitchens and bookshelves as well as our windows.” For more information, call Fairco Windows and Doors on 01 816 5080 or log on to their website www.fairco.ie.
Motoring Classic car sale in Swords A CLASSIC car sale / show and autojumble will take place at the National Show Centre in Swords this Sunday, April 7 from 12pm. There will be 200 classic cars for sale by their owners, as well as visiting classic cars. Classic car clubs will be admitted for free. The kiddies area will include a magician and electric go karts. The workshop will feature demonstrations and Q&A sessions with an experienced classic car mechanic, autoelectrician, valeter and upholsterer. For autojumbler booking information, log on to www.autojumbler.ie. For more information about the show and for entry forms, log on to http://carshows.ie/next. html.
4 swords gazette 4 April 2013
dublin gazette newspapers Weather Winter fuel allowance scheme is extended We have 142,000* HAVE 169,000 READERS readers The extra week is ‘much needed’ - Ryan EACH WEEK in dublin *based on standard industry measurements
*based on TGI-ROI 2012
To p l a c e a n a d c a l l F i d e l m a o n 6 51 6 23 9 o r e m a i l fc l a r k e @ g a z e t t e g r o u p. co m
THE extension of the fuel allowance scheme by one week has been welcomed by local TD Brendan Ryan (Lab), who says the extension is one that was “much needed”.
The announcement was made by Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton in a statement released last week. “T he bitterly cold weather has impacted particularly hard on
the elderly and vulnerable who may not have been prepared for the snow, ice and hail we have experienced over recent weeks,” Deputy Ryan said. “The National Fuel
Scheme runs over 26 weeks and the weekly €20 payment was due to end on Friday, April 5, but has now been extended by one week. It is a critical support for families, the elderly and
vulnerable. “It is important that the Government reacts to changing conditions and ensures that those who need assistance can get access to it,” he concluded.
Watch out: Buck’s new girl pictured IS 22-year-old Kate
Monahan from Skerries, who has been selected as the new Miss Buck’s after a tough competition to represent Buck’s Townhouse in the Miss Ireland competition in June. The 5ft 10in brunette was thrilled with the win and “can’t wait” for the competition. The judges for the night were fashion designer Virginia Macari, top model and former Miss Ireland Sarah Morrissey, photographer Evan Doherty, and the current Miss Ireland, Rebecca Maguire.
fingal: primary schools to partake in battle in the castle
Library initiative aims to spark reading interest natalie burke nburke@gazettegroup.com
A READING initiative programme run by Fingal Libraries is set to continue in two locations in Dublin North this April. Fingal Libraries last week announced that the Battle in the Castle reading initiative programme for senior cycle primary school children will continue on April 16 at both Rush Library and Malahide Library. The initiative will continue with a Viking workshop, which will be hosted by Michael Moylan of Irish History Live. Aimed at primar y school pupils aged 10
to 12, the programme is inspired by the award winning The Secret of Kells, a children’s adventure novel written by Eithne Massey, which was made into an awardwinning feature length animated film. Each participating child received a copy of the book as part of the shared reading programme. A total of 129 boys and girls from fifth and sixth classes at St Andrew’s National School in Malahide and Rush National School have previously participated in a Designing Shields workshop, which was held in February, as well as a drama workshop with the Magic
Carpet Company in March which re-enacted some of the most popular chapters of the book. The Viking workshop will see classes compete against each other for a place in the final part of the programme, the Battle in the Castle quiz, which is set to be held at Malahide Castle on May 24. The winning class will be treated to a full tour of The Book of Kells at Trinity College Dublin, while the runners-up will receive a tour of Dublin Airport, which has been arranged by the programme sponsors, Dublin Airport Authority (DAA). According to Susan
Lovatt from Fingal Libraries, the programme aims to encourage more reading among primary school pupils. “The aim of the programme is to get children reading, and by using a multi-disciplinary interactive creative programme with drama, art, film and an active competitive element, the children are immersed in the story, opening up new reading horizons by taking the story off the page and into the lives of the readers. This provides a shared experience and enjoyment of the book, which we hope will ignite a reading-for-life culture.” “The projects are a
collaboration between primary schools and Fingal Public Libraries, with support from Europe Direct and sponsorship from the Dublin Airport Authority,” she continued, adding that she hopes to spread it to more libraries in Fingal. “This is a pilot initiative which is based in Rush and Malahide Libraries, and we hope to broaden this programme across the county in the future.” The Viking workshops with Michael Moylan take place on Tuesday, April 16 from 10.30am until 11.30am at Rush Library, and from 12.30pm to 1.30pm at Malahide Library.
4 April 2013 swords gazette 5
GREEN Recession cited for 17% fall in solid waste
Fingal helps to boost national recycling rate FINGAL has played its part in helping Ireland increase its recycling rates and decrease levels of solid waste by 17%. Waste figures released in recent weeks by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that Ireland’s municipal solid waste generation has decreased by 17% since it peaked in 2007. According to the EPA, this is largely as a result of the recession and a decline in personal consumption. The report states that
a total of 96,665 tonnes of household waste were collected from the Fingal region in 2011 while Dublin City Council had a total of 155,486 tonnes collected. The results show that almost 46,000 tonnes of mixed or residual waste (from black bins) were collected during 2011 in Fingal, while a total of 19,651 tonnes of mixed dry recyclables (green bin contents) were collected from the area. Fingal had the highest amount of organic waste (brown
bins) collected in the entire Dublin region with 18,117 tonnes reported. A total of 4,631 tonnes of glass bottles and aluminum cans were collected from bring banks in the area. Mayor of Fingal Cllr Cian O’Callaghan (Lab) welcomed the results, saying that Fingal residents are helping Ireland reach its recycling targets. “It’s very positive news for Fingal and for individual households. Not only is it helping Ireland meet its targets, it’s also
Waste collectors operating on the streets of Dublin
better for the environment and better for individual households in terms of the costs,” he said. According to the EPA, Ireland now produces less household waste per capita than the EU average and is recycling 40% of its municipal waste. Ireland is also achieving all its EU waste-recovery targets
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B e c a u s e L o c a l M a t t er s
with the exception of End of Life Vehicle recovery. Commenting on the figures, Dr Jonathan Derham, EPA, said: “Ireland is well advanced towards achievement of all of its EU obligations across a broad range of waste legislation, in particular in relation to recovery and recycling.
“In fact, a recent European Environment Agency report showed that Ireland was one of the countries in Europe with the fastest growing recycling rates.” The National Waste Report 2011 is available on the EPA website at www.epa.ie/downloads/ pubs/waste/stats )
HealthcaRe
Nutrition workshop for Fingal FINGAL County Childcare Committee will host a free workshop with nutritionist Gaye Godkin on Wednesday, April 10 in Swords. The workshop will take place from 7pm to 9pm at the Carnegie Court Hotel, and is suitable for parents of young children. It aims to inform, educate, support and empower parents so that they feel confident they are making healthy food choices for their families. This is the third in a series of workshops for parents in Fingal through the Fingal Parenting Initiative. As places are limited, book a place by contacting 01 807 7660 or at info@fingalcountychildcare.ie, or visit www.fingalcountychildcare.ie.
6 swords gazette 4 April 2013
gazetteGALLERIES
Rita McGuinness, Eithne McMorron and Carrie McDonnell from Termonfeckin, Co Louth, at the opening of Ireland’s largest indoor showhouse – a unique Hamptons-style timber-framed house completely encased in glass. Pictures: Conor McCabe photography
Martin Heffron (left) of Fairco; Siobhan Moore, executive of Fingal Dublin Chamber, at the opening
Suzanne Toal from Fairco with Julie Mahon from Annandale House
Jim Toal of Fairco with Siobhan Moore
Arlene McIntyre from Ventura Design with Gerry Brennan from Ballymount Fireplaces
Tony Lambert and Andrea Cawley from CityNorth Hotel,
Linda Molney from the Waterside House Hotel with Tara
Gormanston
Maguire of Fairco
4 April 2013 swords gazette 7
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Arlene McIntyre from Ventura Design with Allen Cassidy, T Cassidy Printing Ltd, with Tara Maguire, Fairco
Eric Toal of Fairco
glass house: LUXURY LIVING ON SHOW
Fingal Dublin Chamber president, Jim Toal of Fairco and Tony Lambert, chief of Ireland’s largest indoor showhouse in Santry
A window into Hamptons world W
E may not have the balmy weather of the exclusive Hamptons on the US east coast but we do, at least, have a model Hamptons home, often seen in the TV show Revenge - thanks to Jim Toal, owner of Fairco Windows and Doors on the Old Airport Road. Toal has built Ireland’s largest indoor showhouse
Patricia Caffrey with Gary Lawlor from Lawlor Office Supplies
Steve Tracy with Allen Cassidy of T Cassidy John Gould of Fairco
Printing Ltd
completely encased in glass in his Santry base. Fairco has pioneered high-quality Hamptons timber-look windows in Ireland for 15 years and the success of their windows gave him the idea for Ireland’s largest indoor showhouse, with a floor plan in exact scale cale to a 4,000 square foot Hamptons home.
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opinion Anti-woman, anti-family, economically stupid - Power
‘Childcare costs the issue – not mothers working’ sen Averil Power (Fianna Fail)
THROUGHOUT Dublin parents are struggling to balance the demands of raising their kids, keeping their jobs and paying the bills. Thousands of families are fighting this battle while living under the shadow of enormous personal debt. For working mothers in particular, it’s a constant day-in, dayout battle to keep the show on the road and juggle the demands of their hectic lives. Many find that childcare costs exceed their takehome pay. But they choose to stay at work because they believe that maintaining their long-term career prospects is in the best interests of their family.
Arrears There are 186,000 households with mortgage arrears in Ireland that may have to avail of the new arrangements for personal debt relief. Last week it emerged that the Government planned to give lenders the power to make parents in such homes quit their jobs if their childcare costs are too high. Many families are already struggling to cope with cuts in maternity benefit, child benefit and back to school payments. Now Minister Varadkar has revealed that mothers in particular may be forced to jeopardise their long-term career prospects because of short-term childcare problems as well. Not only is this measure incredibly anti-
women and anti-family, it is also economically stupid. It would deprive our workforce of skilled female employees and damage their long-term e m p l o y a b i l i t y, w i t h resultant costs for the Exchequer. T he lives of these parents are being held to ransom by a bean counting attitude in Government Buildings that is completely out of touch with the sacrifices that many parents are already making to keep their families afloat. By focusing solely on the personal debt issue, Ministers are completely ignoring the bigger issue of bringing down childcare costs.
Outrageous It is outrageous that for many families the cost of childcare exceeds an entire income. Last May in the Seanad, I listened as Minister Burton promised a new “Scandinavian style childcare system” while simultaneously cutting the one family parent allowance. The cut was delivered, but we are still waiting on the new child care system. Instead, we’ve had Ministers going on the airwaves and setting out new arrangements for women to give up their jobs if their childcare costs are too high. In the face of understandable public outrage, the Taoiseach appears now to be rowing back on this plan. But he is still washing his hands of the real issue here – the exorbitant costs of childcare, the responsibility for which lies firmly at his door. T he new personal
Senator Averil Power (FF): “The Taoiseach is still washing his hands of the real issue - the exorbitant costs of childcare, the responsibility for which lies firmly at his door”
insolvency system is already deeply flawed. It basically gives banks a veto that will allow them to continue to penalise homeowners who are working hard to keep their heads above the water. These are hard times
for families. The burden of debt, rising unemployment and the high cost of living are all making it harder than ever to give our children the start they deserve in life. Yet in spite of the circumstances, mothers and fathers are working
hard to do the best they can for their kids. Instead of adding further obstacles like those revealed this week, it’s time for the Government to start listening to parents and delivering for the families who need it most.
4 April 2013 swords gazette 9
council: work approved in principle
FastNews
Fingal Volunteer Expo RTE’s Helen Dillon to in Blanch next week host gardening talk THE first Fingal Volunteer Expo of the year is set to take place on Thursday, April 11 at the Blanchardstown Centre. The event will be held from 11am to 7pm on the main concourse on the upper level of the centre. It aims to help organisations attract people who are interested in becoming volunteers but who may not know where or how to go about getting involved. Further details are available at www.volunteer fingal.ie.
Water disruptions in Balbriggan
Balbriggan set for water upgrade Natalie burke
THE Balbriggan Water Supply Scheme could see a number of upgrades and expansion works put in place after Fingal County Council’s preliminary report which set out such proposals were approved in principle. The report was approved in principle last week, and was welcomed by Minister for Health and local Dublin North TD James Reilly (FG). Approval has also been given for phase 2 of the scheme to proceed, which will concern the Jordanstown to Kilsough water main contract. This contract is included in the Department of the Environment’s Water Services Investment Programme 2010 – 2013 as a contract to start during the lifetime
of the programme. The preliminary report submitted by the local council last week envisages an upgrade of the existing water supply infrastructure over a number of phases which will cater for the population needs up until the year 2031. It will include the construction of new and upgraded primary infrastructure as well as some mains rehabilitation works. “The phase 2 works consist of the construction of 5.7km of 600mm diameter water main from Jordanstown to Kilsough and 1.1km of 300mm diameter distribution main from Kilsough to Balbriggan,” explained the Minister in a statement last week. “The 600mm main will provide the spine for subsequent phases of
the work and, even more importantly, will allow the increased water pressure at Jordanstown to be more widely used for gravity supply, to the benefit of all consumers in the service area.” The Minister confirmed that the approval clears the way for Fingal County Council to advance the planning of the contract for the Jordanstown to Kilsough water main right through to the tender stage without the need for further reference to his Department. Given the “pressing need” for this new infrastructure the Minister added that, in order to facilitate the development of the project, he would be “urging Fingal County Council to press ahead with the contract as soon as possible”.
Allotments still available A NUMBER of allotments are still available in schemes currently in place in Balbriggan and Skerries, according to Fingal County Council. The latest allotment scheme at Balbriggan was recently completed by the Balbriggan Allotment Association (BAA), with grant support from Fingal Leader Partnership. There are 215 allotments at this scheme, many of which have already been allocated, but there are still some allotments available at Balbriggan, Skerries and Powerstown Mulhuddart (Dublin 15) schemes.
The Balbriggan Allotment Scheme is unique in that it also includes a community orchard, pig rearing area, training allotment and a beekeeping area. The BAA will be organising training sessions on how to set up your allotment, how to prepare the ground and how to sow and grow your vegetables. A pilot fuel allotment project is also being developed at Balbriggan, where allotment holders can plant willow and grow their own fuel. For more information about scheme, visit www.facebook.com/BalbrigganAllotments.
TO celebrate 25 years of the local Naul Gardening and Flower Club, well-known writer and host of RTE’s Garden Heaven Helen Dillon will give a talk on gardening at the Seamus Ennis Centre on Wednesday, April 17. Helen will also be signing copies of her new book. Seating is limited so booking early is advised. Commencing at 8pm, admission is €10. For more information or to book, call 086 2850561.
10 swords gazette 4 April 2013
gazetteGALLERY
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Jenny Lynam and Sara Kavanagh
Master tailor Louis Copeland with business woman and Newstalk presenter Nora Casey. Pictures: Una Williams
Charity fashion show tailor-made for celebs M
ANY stars flocked to the Ballsbridge Hotel recently for the Green Angel Skincare fashion show for Barnardos. Models on the night included some of the cast of Fair City, Louis Copeland and Celia Holman Lee. The glamorous fashion show was
Gina McCormack
hosted by TV3 presenters Noel Cunningham and Cathy O’Connor. The latest trends were on show on the catwalk, with collections from The Ivory Closet, Karen Millen, House of Fraser, Lara Boutique, Avoca and Louis Copeland. Stars from the reality television shows Dublin Wives and
Tallafornia also attended the fundraising event. Mary Byrne, 5th Base and Eva Coffey Creative Communications provided some entertainment on the night. The organisers were delighted with how the event turned out, and are said to be already planning the next one.
Jourdan Scannell, Bob Finnegan and Tallafornia star Cormac Branagan
Noel Cunningham
Liam Geddes and Emma Doogan
Suzie O’Connell and Aine O’Neill
4 April 2013 Gazette 11
schools P14
dublinlife
Let Dublin Gazette Newspapers take you on a tour of the news and events taking place across the city and county this week, as well as the latest from our schools
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family fun: landmark event kicks off april 9
Treats galore for everyone at Five Lamps Arts Festival The Five Lamps Arts Festival in Dublin will begin with treats galore for music lovers, theatre enthusiasts, children and everyone up for entertainment in a variety of forms. This will be the sixth year for the Five Lamps festival which is one of the most popular festivals in Dublin. The festival name celebrates the famous Five Lamps landmark and the sur-
rounding community of north inner city Dublin. Many of the events will deal with the centenary of the 1913 Lockout. Such events include a piece in the Sean O’Casey Theatre called Ballads, Banter and Banners, a visual art exhibition in the LAB in Foley Street called Exiles, and an architectural exhibition in Amiens Street called Re-imagining Sean McDermott Street
from Findlaters to the Five Lamps. Other highlights are Mar uczella, a mime play from Poland’s Theatre Nikoli, Julie Maisel’s flute performance, French-Irish storyteller Fiona Dowling , Johnny Taylor Trio Jazz session, and in the LAB on Foley Street, a poetry reading by Rita Ann Higgins and Paula Meehan One of the big draws for children at the festi-
val will be a production of The Gruffalo, which will be presented by No Strings Theatre Company on April 13 at 2pm in Charleville Mall Library and in Killarney Court at 4pm. The festival will run from April 9 to 25 and you can find out more by going to fivelampsar tsfestival@gmail. com or by ringing 087 9737401 for programme details.
Mime play Maruczella, a treat in store from Poland’s Theatre Nikoli
Gazette
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dublinlife
diary
Irish Cancer Society volunteers Gary Reed and Valerie Abbott tried not to let the dreadful weather on this year’s Daffodil Day dampen their enthusiasm. However, with the society’s main national fundraising event badly affected by the day’s downpours, the society is appealing for online donations to help reach its €3.4 million target.
Hey petal, support Daffodil Day 2013! DEDICATED volunteers supporting the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) were left devastated after a washout day made it hard for them to reach the charity’s fundraising target on Daffodil Day. Despite the heavy rainfall on Friday, March 22, volunteers braved the elements to sell daffodils for the ICS. However, initial indications showed funds being collected from street sellers were significantly lower than on previous years. And so, the ICS is asking all those who would have given to support them on the day to give online donations, instead. It’s not too late to support Daffodil Day and help the society reach its target of €3.4 million. Without a successful Daffodil Day, the society will struggle to continue to provide information, care and support to those with, and affected by, cancer in Ireland services in 2014. You can make a secure donation online at www.cancer.ie, or call 1850 606060 to donate. Alternatively, you can text Daff to 50300 to donate €4, with 100%
of your donation going to the Daffodil Day fund. You can even buy a virtual daffodil on the society’s Facebook page.
fun depression-era party for film fans BONNIE and Clyde, the ultimate gangster-love road movie, is to be screened on Saturday, April 13 at 8pm, and on Sunday, April 14 at 3.30pm, at Film Fatale in the Sugar Club on Lower Leeson Street. Film Fatale is celebrating films from the 1930s with a screening of the cult classic heist film, Bonnie and Clyde, which is based on the true-life exploits of notorious Depression-era bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. The film chronicles the short lives of America’s most infamous criminals, with the screening to be followed by a Dirty Thirties -themed vintage party. Those attending are encouraged to dress the part and come in their best vintage finery, with Bonnie and Clyde as fashion inspirations. Tickets to Film Fatale are €15, while tickets to the Dirty Thirties
party are €5, and are available on the door from 11pm.
be a sport and help support hospices THE Association of Schools’ Unions of Ireland is organising a fundraising event for the Blackrock and Harold’s Cross hospices by celebrating sport in all its forms in a thanksgiving service. This year’s Annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service for the Gift of Sport will see Liam Harbison, chief executive of Paralympics Ireland, delivering an address to the congregation. All of the singing at the service will be led by The Belvedere College Chamber Choir. The first such service, supported by the Association of Schools’ Unions, took place in 1949. This will be the 64th such annual sports service, and organisers are hoping a large crowd of all denominations will attend the service in St Ann’s Church, Dawson Street at 7pm on Sunday, April 14. All proceeds from the collection will be donated to the Blackrock and Harold’s Cross hospices.
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14 Gazette 4 April 2013
dublinlife
Encouraging the young to Think Big Young people from Dublin were among a group of people from across the country that attended a recent Think Big workshop in O2 headquarters in Dublin. Think Big is a programme designed by O2 and Headstrong, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, designed to inspire young people around the country to promote positive mental health in their local community. T he young people attending the workshop on February 16 were each awarded a place on the national Think Big programme, after successfully submitting an idea for a project in their community. Think Big has granted initial funding of €300 to help get each project off the ground, along
with a mobile phone (with €50 top-up), and a Think Big start-up pack. Aisling Flynn,Think Big coordinator, Headstrong, said: “The young people taking part are leading the way in changing how we think about mental health in Ireland. “Young people intuitively understand the importance of mental health, and are ideally placed to promote positive mental health among their peers.” She added: “Each project attending the training has great potential to make a positive difference in their community and, in joining more than 250 other Think Big projects, they are helping to transform our understanding of mental health.”
Emma Holmes, Holly Madigan and Katie Furlong from the Teresian School in Donnybrook, who investigated the electrical properties of fruit and veg as part of their SciFest Science Fair entry at DIT recently
schools: science fair ‘bodes well’ for institutes’ future
Electrifying projects Post-primary students from schools across Dublin took science to the next level last week, displaying more than 70 projects at the recent SciFest 2013@ DIT. On Friday, March 22, secondary school students from across Dublin gathered at DIT to showcase their science projects, and to begin the first of 15 regional SciFest Science Fairs. More than 70 science projects were displayed at SciFest@DIT, with about 150 students from schools across the county displaying their scientific projects. Entries to this year’s SciFest have broken all records, with up to 4,000 students to exhibit their projects at 15 venues over the next three months.
Officially opened by Deputy Mary Mitchell O’Connor (FG), the fair featured a range of scientific discoveries and explorations. For example, the event saw the “five second” food rule being put to the test, and radioactive material found in north County Dublin seaweed being investigated, as well as whether or not smiling is contagious. SciFest is an allinclusive, all-island science competition where second-level students showcase their science, technology and maths projects at a series of one-day science fairs. The winners from each science fair will go on to compete at the national final in November. The SciFest pro-
gramme is primarily sponsored by Science Foundation Ireland’s Discover Science and Engineering wing, and Intel Ireland. It is also supported by a number of other companies and organisations. Top prize
The top prize on the day went to fifth-year student Tom McDonald from Skerries Community College with his project, Coastal Erosion in Skerries, which examined coastal erosion and deposition over a period of two years on his local beach in Skerries. He discovered that the beach profile changes seasonally due to wave and wind action experienced. McDonald will now go
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on to the national final of SciFest which will take place in the Science Gallery in Dublin. DIT SciFest coordinator Dr Julie Dunne said: “It is hugely encouraging to see such high-quality entries for this year’s SciFest@DIT. “Dublin’s post-primary students are displaying a real interest in the sciences, and you only need to take a look at the variety of projects and experiments on show to see that they have taken SciFest very seriously. “It bodes well for the future of institutes of technology that there is such a high standard being set, and [the event] shows the value of SciFest as an outlet for students to explore science in ways that interest them,” said Dr Dunne.
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4 April 2013 GAZETTE 15
SCHOOLS
‘Gazette gave me a great insight into newspapers’ ROISIN PUTTI
Ursuline Secondary School, Thurles, Co Tipperary
AS A transition year student, a huge part of my year is based around work experience in various careers. The aim of work experience is to get a feel for individual careers and to learn skills vital for the workplace. More of ten, however, work experience involves photocopying, shredding and making coffee. Students understand how difficult it is for workplaces to facilitate 15- and 16-year-olds, so we are thankful for the
opportunities we get, and we try to photocopy, shred and make coffee with as much enthusiasm as we can muster. When I applied for work experience in the Dublin Gazette Newspapers, I thought there would be a limited amount of jobs I could do – that’s why I was so surprised when I got there.
Release On my first morning, I was given a press release that was sent to the newspaper, to shorten so it could be published. Later that day, I was handed another one. I was so busy typ-
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ing, proofreading, and rephrasing, the working day went very quickly. In fact, the whole week flew, in a blur of rephrasing long passages and putting press releases into article form.
Events During my week, I wrote about upcoming events and projects, travel and local news. I edited pieces, and tried to shorten the amount of words so they would fit into the paper. I observed the jour-
nalists, and the great work they do, and saw the emphasis on local news stories. I spent some time watching the production of the newspaper, which answered the many questions I had about the making of a newspaper. I observed the advertising staff negotiate with local businesses. I witnessed a bright, happy atmosphere in the offices, which made The Gazette a lovely place to spend a week in.
I have a genuine interest in studying journalism af ter secondar y school, which is why I chose to travel from Tipperary to get work experience here.
Career After my week in the Gazette, I am even more interested and view journalism as an exciting career. I’d like to thank everyone at Gazette Group Newspapers for all their help and support over the last week.
Get involved in our schools pages CALLING all students! Dublin Gazette Newspapers continue to reach out to schools in our catchment areas so that we become a closer part of our community than ever before. Schools are the beating hearts of communities; one of the last places around which a community can gather. We want all budding writers and photographers from all of our schools to help fill the pages and, in order to encourage the next generation of journalists and snappers to get involved, we are partnering with Harvey Norman to present the Dublin Gazette Newspapers’ Cub Reporter and Cub Photographer of the Year awards. For more details, contact rheigh@gazettegroup.com or telephone Rob Heigh at 01 601 0240.
Gazette
16 Gazette 4 April 2013
dublinlife
Q&A
anthony carroll, entrepreneur
Game on for business and social initiatives ANTHONY CARROLL heads up Tab Tech and Street SoCcer Ireland. He is evolving from a business entrepreneur into a social entrepreneur, creating products that have a positive social and community benefit. Through his new company, TabTech & SportsTech, he is developing mobile applications focused on the football, sports and fitness community as well as the education and health sectors. The firm is creating a suite of apps and housing them online where customers can customise their own functional apps using a subscription-based model. It is also selling mobile device solutions, including portable coaching, teaching and presentation solutions. Street Soccer Ireland is a non-profit social enterprise that improves the knowledge and life skills of young people through fun events using football as the vehicle.
How long have you been in business?
I have been running my own business since 2003. I have two current businesses: Street Soccer Ireland and TabTech. Street Soccer Ireland is running since early 2011. TabTech is just recently established and is a spin off from another company in which I was a partner, called Seismic Online.
What makes your business successful?
In general, it’s the staff, the products and the way we do business.
What do you offer your clients that differs from your competitors?
Products that make a positive impact on our customers’ lives, and staff who genuinely care about our customers needs.
What have you changed about your business to combat the effects of the recession?
Put a greater emphasis on the power of the mind among our staff. At all times, we do our best to rise above the doomers and gloomers always trying to keep a positive outlook. We see setbacks as simply positive lessons to learn from and continue moving forward.
to keep positive, be persistent and to keep following our goals. What law or regulation would you change overnight to help your business?
It’s not a law that can be upheld in court, but if I could change a law, it’s the law of negativity that so many people seem to prefer to view or focus on and abide by!
What is your ambition for the business?
To create a global business(es) that really does have a significant positive impact on our customers, while building a reputable brand and credibility in the marketplace.
How do you use social media to help your business?
Everyone needs to embrace the social digital age and we are no different. We have a good presence online via the main social platforms, however we are human beings selling to other human beings and we focus more efforts on providing a personal approach to our customer relationships. It’s ironic that social media is not very social at the end of the day
What’s the worst job you’ve had? How has the recession impacted your business?
It has been just a greater challenge
Door to door insurance sales, although it gave me a great neck and ability to deal with rejection.
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business
Dealing with recruitment agencies Having worked in recruitment for a number of years, I know what it’s like to sit on the other side of the desk. It is a hard, sales-driven business, but job candidates are not products. They are people who have feelings, who need jobs and who can let you down. I also know that while most agencies abide by a professional code of conduct, there are some who won’t acknowledge your CV, persuade you to go for jobs you’re not suited to and send your CV to employers without your permission. As agencies are considered to be about the third most successful method of securing work, it’s worth keeping a few things in mind: Be as specific as possible about what type of work you are looking for. Recruiters don’t have the time to help you clarify your career path. If you don’t know what you want, you are difficult to place and may be filed under miscellaneous. Don’t blitz agencies with your CV. If working close to home is a priority for you, contact the local agencies first. If you specialise in a particular area like IT or accountancy, contact specialist agencies. It is up to you to make contact with them. The most common gripe about agencies is that you never hear from them again. If you have sent them your CV, you should receive an acknowledgement. If you leave them a message, they should call you back, that’s nor-
mal business practice. Recruiters speak to and interview dozens of people a day, however, so – unless you are looking for interview feedback – don’t expect much more communication unless you initiate it. If you are applying for an advertised position, call and speak to the consultant dealing with the job before forwarding your CV. Find out as much as you can about the job and tailor your CV accordingly. Ask the consultant how they work, when you can expect to hear from them and if it is okay for you to call them in a few days. A word on confidentiality: You expect a recruiter to keep your personal details confidential. If they give you the name of a client company which is recruiting, and ask you to keep it confidential, do that. Like many other things, it’s all about developing positive relationships, and remember, recruiters are people too. Rachael Kilgallon is a qualified career coach and founder of
The Career Hub. Contact Rachael at hello@thecareerhub.ie or visit www.thecareerhub.ie.
ambition: company aims to chase market share
A wraparound solution for event management natalie burke
AN EVENT solution company is celebrating its first year in business this year. EventEase.ie is an Irish company, founded in February 2012, which was established to assist event organisers and concert promoters with their specialist accreditation needs and a personalised service for all types of events. The innovative company is the brainchild of its director, Neil Dowling, who has more than 25 years’ experience in all aspects of the concert and event industry. With the company achieving great success in its first year, Neil says the company is looking towards a bright future. “We are going to be chasing market share in Ireland next year; we’re
going after everything. We want to expand the company rapidly,” he said. EventEase offers what Dowling described as a “unique, wraparound service”, managing the operational risk for event promoters, festivals and venues. “We supply and manage staff for areas such as the accreditation of all event personnel, box office, guest list, entrance managers, wrist-banding and ticketing operations. “We are the only company supplying this service in Ireland, and are available for festivals, venues, concerts, corporate and sports events,” he said. The company supplies wristbands and lanyards of all types and currently supply to a number of prestigious events and ve n u e s n a t i o nw i d e ,
Neil Dowling, director, EventEase.ie, with some of the event solution company’s bus advertising
including Body and Soul, Electric Picnic and Forbidden Fruit. The company also sell direct to the public. “No order is too big or too small. We also endeavour to offer preferential discounts for registered charities, independent promoters and new bands, and we are always available to advise and assist clients. “We’re ultra professional. I have people with me 20 years, and we know
how to run gigs. We don’t know it all, by any means, but we know enough,” said Dowling. EventEase are hoping to expand for 2013 and are in the process of creating more jobs in Ireland over the coming year, according to Dowling. For further information, contact EventEase on 01 864 5000, or see its website at www.eventease.ie, or visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ eventease.ireland.
4 April 2013 Gazette 17
MOTORS P24
asdfsdaf P27 TRAVEl P25
OUT&ABOUT Never be out of the loop on what’s happening in Dublin! Let Out&About be your guide to all that is stylish, cultural and essential across the city and beyond this week
Gazette
cinema P20
Pets can you give Roman a new home?
Eoghan and Gillian Casey with 98FM presenter and TV personality Ray Foley and his son, Matthew
funding: water babies splashathon in aid of three national hospitals
Splash out to help children laura webb
PARENTS, babies and toddlers are diving in to support the Water Babies Splashathon fundraiser in aid of three national children’s hospitals. Leading baby and toddler swim school Water Babies announced that the sponsored swim for the little ones will take place across Ireland during Water Babies classes between April 15 and 21. The Water Babies Splashathon will raise vital funds for our three national children’s hospitals: Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin; Temple Street Children’s University Hospital, and The National Children’s Hospital, Tallaght. During the fundraising event, babies and toddlers will complete sponsored challenges in Water Babies classes, from swimming solo underwater for the first
time to swimming through a hoop or even completing a splashathon circuit challenge in the pool. Speaking on behalf of the fundraising teams of our three children’s hospitals, Anne Cooney explained: “[The] Water Babies Splashathon is a fun way to make a real and lasting difference to the children and babies attending our hospitals. “The money raised by parents and Water Babies’ young Splashathon fundraisers will help purchase vital lifesaving equipment such as baby incubators, dialysis machines, ventilators and patient monitors.” Supporting the cause, 98FM presenter and TV personality Ray Foley, whose son, Matthew, attends Water Babies classes, said: “As a parent myself, I appreciate how important it is for children to learn
to swim at an early age, so I’m delighted to be taking part in the Water Babies Splashathon with Matthew. “We will be splashing for cash and raising money to support the great work of our children’s hospitals.” Carol McNally, who runs Water Babies lessons across Dublin, says: “Our previous Water Babies charity event in 2011 raised more than €44,000 for Temple Street Hospital. “Since then, Water Babies has grown nationwide, with classes now in Dublin, Louth, Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, Galway, Cork, Sligo, Wexford, Waterford, Tipperary and Kilkenny. “We are confident that, this year, with the help of all our lovely little splashers, we will be able to raise more than ever, to provide those all-important funds for our children’s hospitals,” said Carol.
In Ireland, Water Babies has four regional franchises teaching more than 2,400 babies and toddlers each week across Ireland. Classes in Dublin include locations such as Baldoyle, Castleknock, Swords, Blackrock and Liffey Valley. According to the team, most participants will happily be swimming distances underwater by about 30 months, then naturally start swimming on the surface as their strength increases. Water Babies was named Best Activity Provider for Tots and Toddlers at the Families First awards held in Dublin last year. To donate to the Water Babies Splashathon Fund, visit www.mycharity. ie/charity/waterbabiessplashathon. To find out more about Water Babies, visit its website at www.waterbabies.ie.
The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our Dog of the Week is romantic Roman, a sixyear-old male Boxer with a heart of gold. He arrived into Dogs Trust in quite poor condition recently and has been given oodles of TLC from all the staff and is now thriving and full of personality! He is a true gent and would need to go to a loving family who can continue his development by bringing him on several short walks a day to help him build up his muscles again. He is happy to hang out in his new forever home with big kids (10+) and a canine pal. If you think you could give this handsome man his perfect forever 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/ dogstrustireland or Twitter @DogsTrust_IE.
GAZETTE
18 GAZETTE 4 April 2013
OUT&ABOUT Betty Jackson Hematite Spike €12
Faith €84
Betty Jackson Hematite Spike €12
METALLICS ATT RACT Faith Rose Padded Faux Leather Clutch Bag €49
Butterfly sequin ombre vest €53
IT’S not a look that people warm to easily, as most feel they could end up looking more like baking foil than fashion forward. But fear not, as this look is easily achievable and can really bring an outfit to life. For instance, an LBD can be spruced up with some metallic accessories, such as those shown on this page. Be red carpet ready, with this amazing number from Jenny Packham (€287),
which teamed with some subtle accessories makes it a perfect evening gown. A metallic top teamed with white jeans can be transformed from day to evening wear in a flash. With this in mind, play around with metallics, and let the inner magpie loose.
Call it Spring Silver ‘Schapp’ Shoes €59
All items featured are available in participating Debenhams stores.
Miss KG Cork wedges €91
Faith Metallic Glitter Heart Bag €54 Betty Jackson Hematite Spike NL €23
Jenny Packham sequin dress €233
4 April 2013 GAZETTE 19
Believable bronzing
LAURA WEBB style@gazettegroup.com
ON the calendar it looks like we should be bathing in sunshine, but reality hit us hard last week when we wrapped up warm to face the snowy weather. So in a bid to bring a little sunshine to our lives, this week, we are talking all things tan, how to avoid blending in with the snow and instead be a bronzed goddess. Like many of us, we don’t always have the time to go to a salon and get the spray tan done, so instead it’s a little DIY job at home. For instant tan, try Karora Self Tan Mist (€24.99). This tan is a quick and easy way to transform skin from pasty to sun-kissed. What’s great about this product
is that it’s made using only organic and natural extracts, making it suitable for sensitive skin. Coverage with this tan was given top marks from our beauty tester, with Jessica saying: “It sprayed on easy and, used with their exfoliating product [Karora Micro Peel €14.99], it made sure it was an even tan. “As a newbie to fake tan, I was very surprised and happy with the results – I went back to looking American,” she laughed. Karora is available at McCabes, Doc Morris, Sam McCauleys and independent pharmacies and salons nationwide or online @ www.cloud10beauty.com. Another instant tan is He-Shi with its hint of sparkle that really radi-
KARORA Self Tan Mist Original 200ml €24.99
Cocoa Brown by Marissa Carter €8.00 KARORA Multi-Action Micro Peel €14.99
ates on dull days. This product first appeared on our beauty radar last December, but as it still feels like that same month, why not add a bit of ChristHe-Shi Luminous Shimmer 150ml mas Sparkle to our socalled spring months. Applied with a mitt, like all tans should, this tan goes on smoothly and without any fuss because it has
a cream texture. It’s light and being an instant tan it’s easy to see where to blend and even out the tan. Beauty tester Natalie said: “After applying the tan, I felt the colour was really natural and my skin had a really nice glow to it. It would be the perfect tan for a night out or a special occasion.” The He-Shi range has a youth revivé opti tan formula that rejuvenates your skin’s appearance, whilst helping to fight the signs of ageing. Other products include their He-Shi Face & Body Gel €21.50.
Some Diamonds, dahling? DON’T wait until a birthday or Valentine’s day to get perfume, treat yourself this month to summer fragrances such as Emporio Armani Diamonds. This summer 2013, Emporio Armani Diamonds is re-interpreted in summer fragrances. Emporio Armani Diamonds for Women – Edition Summer is a musky, floral fragrance that sparkles with freshness. According to the beauty brand, this fragrance gives a raspberry and litchi accord on top cooled down with
a green apple sorbet to give a crispy identity to the fragrance. Emporio Armani Diamonds for Men – Edition Summer is a woody aroma. For this, the brand says fresh mint and iced lemon come together for a fusing icy crescendo start. The limited editions of the original Emporio Armani Diamonds fragrances offer a cool, fresh summer fragrance. Emporio Armani Diamonds for Women and Men, Summer Edition is available nationwide from mid-April, RRP: €34.00 for him and €41.00 for her.
Available at participating stores, salons and spas nationwide. Mousse
Express, self-tan mousse Cocoa Brown (€7.99) is easy to apply and develops into a natural tan within just 60 minutes – yes you read correct, one hour. This mousse is nicely fragranced, glides on to the skin, is lightweight and fast drying. Testing this one, I gave it the full 60 minutes and jumped straight into the shower at 61 minutes. Afterwards there was a slight difference, but
not dark enough for my liking. So it is recommended by the product makers to try it for two consecutive nights for a darker tan, which worked out better. It can also be left on for three hours before washing off to insure a darker look. See www.cocoabrown.ie for stockists These products are just a few of what is available out there, so test and trial before making up your mind. Don’t forget to exfoliate and treat drier areas like to the elbow, knees and ankles with extra care by moisturising well.
GAZETTE
STYLE
Avon’s Skin loving BB balm THE BB craze is very much a hot topic in the beauty word and another coming on to the scene is Avon’s Ideal Flawless Skin Loving BB. This Beauty Balm (BB) is a lightweight formula that is SPF protected. It also aims to tackle dull and dry skin. The BB can be applied quickly and smoothly, helping to create a flawless looking skin tone. This BB balm is mineral and vitamin E infused without blocking pores. It is also developed to hydrate and minimises redness. Available in six shades: Ivory, Shell, Nude, Natural Beige, Medium Beige and Nutmeg, it’s easy to find your perfect match.
Don’t forget to send in your style question for our Style Q&A with Littlewoods Ireland Ambassador, Caroline Morahan. The Star Question will win €50 voucher for Littlewoods Ireland. Email style@ gazettegroup.com The next Q&A is out April 25.
Gazette
20 gazette 4 April 2013
OUT&ABOUT
CINEMA
Theatre THE pavilioN THEATRE 01 231 2929
Douglas Kennedy in Conversation with Nadine O’Regan DOUGLAS Kennedy ranks among that rare breed, the bestelling author whose novels attract critical praise. In his new novel, Five Days, we meet Laura, a model wife and mother who through a chance meeting in a hotel lobby is reminded of the young woman she used to be and the woman she could have become. Douglas will discuss the book and his career with journalist and radio presenter Nadine O’Regan. April 9, tickets €10/€8.
Dwayne Johnson’s Stupidly Sculpted Arms would be a good name for a band
review: explosions! fights! bruce willis! the rock! terrible film!
Hardly Rock solid
MY name is Paul and I quite like professional wrestling. At 26 years old, this confession still raises eyebrows, but the absolute daftness of it all, mixed with the levels of athleticism on show, make the squared circle a favourite form of entertainment for me. With that in mind, and remembering that I grew up in his heyday, I also love The Rock. Sure, nowadays he goes by the name Dwayne Johnson and likes to be thought of as an actor and occasional wrestler, but to me he’ll always be The People’s Champion, The Great One, The Brahma Bull: The Rock. Such is my love of Johnson, I have subjected myself to some of his, shall we say, less glorious filmic output. Faster, Doom, The Game Plan and more
Film of the Week: GI Joe Retaliation h (15) 100 mins Director: Jon M Chu Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum, Ray Park, Adrianne Palicki, RZA
Paul hosford phosford@gazettegroup.com
have been consumed with gusto, with Johnson continuing to prove himself a talented actor (outshining everyone in the absolute wreck that was Be Cool). Another thing that I carried over my childhood is an appreciation of GI Joes. Four inch plastic figures that consumed m a ny h o u r s o f my formative years, GI Joe was brought to the big screen in 2009 with a star-studded cast and a woeful movie. Such was the poor reception of 2009’s Rise of Cobra, the producers did the only logical thing: call The Rock.
OUR VERDICT:
BAFFLINGLY poor. It’s not even a good bad film, in the way the original was. That at least had the good grace to be hilariously bad. This is just bad. Which is a shame because Johnson really deserves a vehicle worthy of his star power and easy action charm. He also needs some laughs, which Chu fails spectacularly to deliver at all. Save your money, see Fast and Furious Six.
Of course, GI Joe: Retaliation also features one Bruce Willis and a certain Channing Tatum (cumulatively setting a world record for biceps in a film). But, really, this is a play directly from the Fast Five playbook. In the fifth instalment of the car-chase franchise, The Rock reinvigorated the whole thing with his stern gaze and unbelievably built body. Again the role of shot in the arm of a flagging franchise is left to The Rock because, spoiler alert, Tatum bolts early doors and Bruce Willis,
one of the biggest stars on the planet, is marginalised in favour of story building. Normally, a focus on story is a good thing, but this is a GI Joe movie. The whole premise is so preposterously nonsensical that the only way to make a decent film is to have some fun with it. Unfortunately director Jon M Chu (director of the Justin Bieber movie), didn’t get that memo and decided that a film based on action figures, starring The Rock, had to be a deadly serious thriller.
It’s the filmic equivalent of having a band with Slash in it and making a dubstep album. Chu seems weighted by the ridiculousness of the premise established by the end of the first film (an evil doppelganger has taken the office of the US President). So weighted, he seems, that he fights it with every inch of his being, trying desperately to establish his film as something else. But Eliza Doolittle, GI Joe: Retaliation is not. Two collaborations with Bieber put Chu in enough stead to be given a budget of $185 million and despite the early buzz of this being almost singularly negative, he has been handed the reins to The Masters of the Universe reboot. But based on this, he does not have the power to revive a franchise.
4 April 2013 GAZETTE 21
GAZETTE
GAMING BIOSHOCK INFINITE: FLOATING CITY MAKES A MEMORABLE SETTING
Elevates a genre to new heights
READERS with decent memories may recall that, ooh, ages ago I had a preview of Bioshock Infinite. After taking a great deal longer in development than expected, and having taken a few sidesteps along the way, the keenlyawaited title has finally arrived – and, boy (or girl), was the wait worth it ... Infinite is the spiritual successor to the critically lauded – and commercial smash-hit title – Bioshock, from a few years ago. As with Bioshock, Infinite is “just” another firstperson shooter, where you wander through the game, shooting this and that on your way to the ending. However, where both titles (I’m skipping past the slightly undercooked and underwhelming Bioshock 2) greatly impress are not just in their gameplay and graphics, but with their story and characterisation – things rarely done well in the FPS genre, yet mastered once again, here. It is 1912, and Booker DeWitt has been sent to somehow gain access to the mysterious floating city of Columbia – a vast city of state-of-the-art everything, encapsulating the very best of American
SQUARE ENIX PRESIDENT RESIGNS
Wada steps down as losses loom in quarterly report
In Bioshock Infinite’s strikingly realised portrayal of the floating city of Columbia in 1912, it’s difficult not to see many design echoes of the truly spectacular 1893 SHANE DILLON
sdillon@gazettegroup.com
ideals of the time. Booker’s task is to find a young woman, Elizabeth, and spirit her back to the world below. However, Columbia – a stone, steel and glass marvel that celebrates art, science and progress – is far from the happy utopia that it at first appears. In fact, Columbia is a society sharply defined by ultra nationalism and isolationist policies; it’s a city that’s only meant for “proper” folk (basically, American, caucasian, God-fearing and rich). The f loating city’s endless posters and propaganda rail against the menace of “foreign hordes” and the corrupted world below, with all of the “normal” standards of its prim and proper 1912 setting. It’s also a place where the rich cavort gaily in the sunshine on the surface, while the poor toil and languish in the city’s underbelly, below – and it’s all ruled over ruthless-
BYTES&PIECES
World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago (below); two worlds – one real, one fictional – both seeking to encapsulate the brash confidence of their times
ly by Father Comstock. Somehow, Elizabeth – an isolated young woman who has seen almost nothing of Columbia, let alone of the world below – is key to the city’s future, and possibly a great deal more, besides. The only problem is, how on earth can Booker and Elizabeth be expected to escape a city that’s on the edge of a social revolution, when all of Father Comstock’s forces are determined to stop them, and to keep Elizabeth there? Like I said, Infinite is anything but a standard FPS, which have too often descended in recent years into noisy, chaotic and rather forgettable setpieces. By wandering through Columbia, using a range of upgradeable “Vigours” (basically, near magic powers) alongside conventional weapons of the era, Booker and Elizabeth run into some terrific setpieces, all presented with
great design throughout. Elizabeth deserves particular praise, as fears of the game being little more than an extended escort mission are soon set aside, due to her help. With such a particularly accomplished world setting – even if it’s a deliberately provocative one, at that – great graphics, interesting characters and a singularly memorable setting, the long-
delayed title deserves to be the smash hit that its chart sales suggest it is. Bioshock Infinite is available now on PC, XBox 360 and PlayStation 3; as always, l o o k around for the best price.
An interesting cross between a damsel in distress, guide, innocent abroad, travelling companion and rebellious protaganist, Elizabeth makes quite an impression as a strong character
IT’S barely been a couple of weeks since Lara Croft’s great, if gory reboot saw her turning into a mudspattered cross between Rambo, Chuck Norris and Kate Middleton on a remote Japanese island, but despite the game’s sales racking up about 3.4 million units, so far, Tomb Raider seems to have been deemed a retail flop. That’s bad news for its publisher, Square Enix, which has been putting out critically well-enough received and reviewed titles such as Sleeping Dogs, and Hitman: Absolution in the past year or so, yet which has consistenty seen such titles return underwhelming numbers – and profits – in stores. Okay-ish sales in Europe haven’t been matched in the US, with Square Enix sales facing the same weak sales slump in the States that almost all publishers have been hit with in the past 18 months or so, in particular. Tomb Raider’s weak sales there have now added to Square Enix’s list of decent – or even great – titles that have somewhat inexplicably failed to make much of a dent at market and, while the company still has substantial assets and a rather big cash pile, to face such commercially uninspiring returns must undoubtely affect its future projects. Such sales were accounted for in a recent company statement that said it expected “to incur extraordinary loss in the settlement of the accounts for its fiscal year ending March 31, 2013”. While Square Enix has a number of interesting games and projects in the pipeline, seeing such key titles failing to meet company targets, and the related impact on their expected profits, both for individual returns and for collective quarterly results, have seen company president Yoichi Wada (above) resign. This marks an interesting – and unfortunate – development underlining the growing air of uncertainty surrounding even top-notch titles and franchises. When even these fail to meet their targets, and when acclaimed companies start to feel the effects of this gaming lull, it begs the question of what (unwelcome) changes are now hitting the gaming industry, in general. With several skilled developers under its wing, and a number of interesting titles on the way, here’s hoping that Square Enix has just hit one of the bumps in the road that all publishers, and developers, have been hitting lately ...
‘250,000,000 GAMERS’ ON FACEBOOK
Milestone figure announced by social media giant IF I could distract you a moment from Facebook, I’d like to mention that it has just announced that more than 250 million users play games through the site on a monthly basis, and that it also plans to add a dedicated gaming section to its Timeline. Personally, while I’m about as much a fan of games on Facebook as I am of Eastenders’ Christmas episodes, obviously 250,000,000 of you are very happy to tend your farms or match jewels or whatever, there. Watch this space for news of 500,000,000 Facebook gamers to appear ...
Gazette
22 Gazette 4 April 2013
OUT&ABOUT
MUSIC
FASTtunes with Radio Nova’s Dee Woods
Forget about God saving the Queen, it’s a revamped arena spectacular that’s keeping the band’s music alive on stage these days. We Will Rock You has been doing just that to 12 million Queen fans for the past decade, and the musical is in town this week ahead of a worldwide arena tour. Directed by writer/comedian Ben Elton with Queen guitarist Brian May and Queen drummer Roger Taylor as the musical supervisors, We Will Rock You delivers 24 Queen songs to your ears through the magic of rock theatre. The show is celebrating its 10th anniversary with this arena tour which features a bigger and better design than previous performances. And Brian May says you won’t be disappointed, promising audiences will have “a big night out” with this big show. We Will Rock You rocks The O2 for four performances from this Thursday, April 4 to Saturday, April 6th with tickets from €40, including booking fee. Or, if you like your Queen shows to feature the real thing, here’s something really special. Brian May will be turning off the lights at Dublin’s Olympia Theatre this summer for one night only as part of The Born Free Tour. The man behind Queen anthems such as We Will Rock You, I Want It All and Fat Bottomed Girls is playing an acoustic show, by candlelight alongside vocalist Kerry Ellis, who’ll be singing songs that have been hand-picked and rearranged by May. It promises to be a show with a difference. Brian May and Kerry Ellis play the Olympia Theatre on Sunday, June 30 and tickets are €36.50, including booking fee. God save us a seat!
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The lights are on and the studio is ready for the launch of 8radio.com, the brainchild of Simon Maher, right
interview: a new sound for dublin music lovers emerges
8’s eclectic dream ROB HEIGH
As every avid music fan knows, the variety of music available on Irish radio is, erm... limited. Niche stations, like Radio Nova, break the mould by catering to a specific style of music and find there are huge audiences disenfranchised by playlistdriven broadcasting that clutters the dial. Rock has its saviour in Nova, but what about our taste? That scattershot love of everything on the spectrum, from Adam and the Ants to Yeah Yeah Yeahs and back again?
It looks like our saviour has risen in the form of 8radio.com, a new station set to light up Dublin every weekend on 94.3FM until July, as well as online every day and on its Apple and Android apps. Their eclectic mix has been putting a big smile on faces in this office and everywhere else it has been heard across the city, and Gazette Music caught up with its creator, Simon Maher, and asked where the idea for the station came from. “I was general manager and one of the presenters on Phantom when it was
seeds set for festival Nick Cave and PiL among first acts for Body & Soul NICK Cave and The Bad Seeds and John
Lydon’s Public Image Limited are among the headline names in the first batch of acts to be confirmed as appearing at Body & Soul 2013, the boutique festival which takes place again this year at Ballinlough Castle in Co Westmeath from June 21 to 23. With more acts to be announced, this is already gearing up to be one of the most magical and unique events of the summer. For more information, see www.facebook.com/BodyandSoulIreland and www.bodyandsoul.ie.
taken over, and when I left, I was thinking about what I wanted to do next. “As my day job, I teach media at Ballyfermot College, and I was asking students about what they listen to now, they said they tend to put on iTunes and hit shuffle. I asked them to hit shuffle and tell me the first five tracks that came up, and they were a really eclectic mix. I realised people are able to cope with an unexpected mix of music, so why don’t we create a radio station that does exactly that?” The audience that 8 are looking to capture are a
unique group, something that Simon’s experience in broadcasting has taught him is possible to achieve. “When we went to the BII to get the temporary licence, they asked if we would be taking people away from the established radio stations, and the fact was that we wouldn’t. A lot of the people who would listen to 8 would have been lost to traditional radio, and we knew that would be our target audience. It’s a different kind of radio. “The majority will always listen to traditional
radio or watch traditional TV, but it’s the other people who we are after.” Simon is keen to spread the word, and hopes that this fledgling period for 8 will lead to a more permanent place, whether that be online or on the airwaves. “We would hope by July that we would have around 2,000 to 3,000 listeners a week logging on to the web version of the station. The 15 weeks of the temporary licence will be used to drive people toward that. If people trust us musically, we will see where we go next.”
4 April 2013 swords gazette 23
24 swords gazette 4 April 2013
Gazette
MOTORS OUT&ABOUT road NOISE More efficient and better equipped volkswagen: The new Golf 1.4 ACT TSI Highline 140bhp
Ford launches the new Fiesta ST
The new Ford Fiesta ST is Ford’s fastest and most dynamic small production performance car ever, employing a precision-tuned and driver-focused powertrain and chassis to deliver the ultimate Fiesta driving experience. Developed by Ford Team RS, the European arm of Ford Motor Company’s Global Performance Vehicle group, the new Fiesta ST is equipped with a 1.6-litre ecoboost petrol engine to achieve 0-100 km/h in 6.9 seconds and offer 182 PS and 240 nm of torque. Top speed is 220 km/h. Ford Team RS tuned the powertrain, suspension, steering and brakes for optimised driving dynamics; and introduced features only previously found in larger performance cars – including enhanced torque vectoring control (eTVC) and three-mode electronic stability control (ESC), six-speed manual transmission and rear disc brakes. Everyday practicality is underlined by fuel efficiency of 5.9 l/100 km and 138 g/km CO2 – a 20 per cent emissions reduction compared with the previous generation Fiesta ST, though it produces almost 20 per cent more power than the first-generation model’s 2.0-litre engine. The new Fiesta ST features a large trapezoidal grille with a unique honeycomb construction and dramatic rear diffuser element. The refined high-contrast interior is equipped with Recaro seats, and a new sound symposer channels the engine note to the cabin to ensure the distinctive engine roar is integral to the driving experience. Electronically-optimised enhanced chassis eTVC applies brake force to the inside front wheel of the Fiesta ST when cornering to improve road holding and reduce understeer without affecting speed. New software controls the Fiesta ST’s balance in response to steering inputs under acceleration and braking – and ESC offers full system intervention; wide-slip mode with limited intervention; and full ESC deactivation. Electronic power assisted steering offers a sharper steering ratio of 13.69:1 and a shorter steering arm for a more direct response. The Fiesta ST debuts rear disc brakes on the Fiesta platform and introduces a larger tandem brake master cylinder that boosts braking performance.
The Fiesta ST
n Cormac Curtis
I recently took the 1.4TSI ACT Highline spec Golf with 140bhp for a week-long road test. The test model I drove may have had enough poke to leave me with a grin as wide as O’Connell Bridge, but its fuel efficiency betrayed its boyracer appeal. This is thanks to VW’s active cylinder technology, or ACT. This helps to create an extremely efficient engine capable of 4.7 l/100km (combined cycle) and 109 g/km thanks to the ability to deactivate the central two cylinders under light loads. This makes it 23% more efficient than the equivalent engine in the previous version of the Golf. The petrol engine range available for the new Golf starts with a four-cylinder 1.2-litre TSI unit producing 85 bhp, rising via a 1.2-litre TSI 105 bhp up to the all-new 1.4-litre TSI 140 bhp engine with the active cylinder technology mentioned above.
The two diesel engines at launch are a 1.6-litre TDI 105 bhp and a new 2.0-litre TDI 150 bhp unit. Both feature the latest common rail diesel technology for maximum efficiency. All new Golf models – both diesel and petrol – come with a Stop/Start system as standard, along with battery regeneration. A 90bhp diesel will follow in Q2 of 2013. On Trendline models, the standard composition colour system includes a five-inch colour touchscreen, FM/AM radio as well as eight speakers (front and rear) and a CD drive (MP3 compatible). The CD drive is located in the glovebox along with the SD card slot. It’s the host of other features that sometimes makes road testing a car that bit more difficult – in this case, I find myself thinking of the features that I could do without to bring down the price a bit (I’ll get to the price later), but, at the same time I know that it is often the sum of the parts that make this particular model so
The Golf is a stunningly well built and beautifully designed car
thoroughly enjoyable. Let’s start with what’s included in the highline spec. There is the impressive 5.8” composition media radio with TFT display and Bluetooth connectivity; climatic air conditioning; electric windows front and rear; electronic parking brake with autohold function; cruise control; sport seats with lumbar support, front; front fog lamps including static cornering lamp; fatigue detection;
SIMI Motor Industry Awards Denning’s Cars win the coveted Bodyshop of the Year award local business Denning’s Cars have won the nationwide award of Bodyshop of the Year at the recent SIMI Motor Industry Awards in association with Castrol and attended by Niall Quinn (right). Denning’s are a bodyshop repair specialist which are approved by major brands such as BMW/Mini, Mercedes-Benz and Honda, whilst also being the chosen repair centre for many major insurers. Pat Denning started the business in the 1960s and since then, Pat and three of his children have grown the business from strength to strength. For more information visit www.dennings.ie or www.facebook.com/denningscars
ESP (electronic stability programme) including multiple impact braking. Phew! I would say that for such a generous supply of kit, the highline spec Golf is definitely good value for money. But the model I was driving had even more tasty treats, such as the sport pack that included 17” “Madrid” alloy wheels and 65% light absorbing tinted rear windows; it had a winter pack, a Dis-
cover pro’ navigation system, park assist including park distance control, premium multi-function display, adaptive cruise control with front assist, lane assist including dynamic light assist, xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lights. But these options alone came to an extra €6,336. Which would make the beautiful Golf that I drove cost a whopping €33,081. The moral of the story is – do your homework.
4 April 2013 swords gazette 25
Gazette
TRAVEL fast
TRAVEL There’s Norway better to holiday in
The delights of Nhatrang Beach, Vietnam, could await you on a Thomas Cook five-star luxury cruise
getaway: from the bahamas to vietnam, dream cruises await couples
Romantic breaks you’ll love natalie burke
IT ISN’T hard to imagine a romantic break on the high seas and this year, Thomas Cook have a range of romantic cruise destinations perfect for Irish couples hoping to savour some of the magic of
the sea this summer, from just €1,399 per person sharing. Couples can discover the beauty of the Caribbean this summer aboard the Freedom of the Seas, with the serene beaches of the Bahamas and stops at the idyllic islands of St Maarten and St Tho-
mas providing the ultimate release. Couples can relax in the adults-only solarium, with two cantilevered whirlpools extending 12ft from the side of the ship. This seven-day voyage starts at just €1,399 per adult, including flights.
If a trip to the exotic is called for, South East Asia provides a spectacular backdrop for a couple’s paradise. Operated by the world’s only authentic boutique cruise line, a five-star luxury voyage through the timeless wonders of Vietnam, Cambo-
dia and the Mekong River is available from €3,348 for 16 days, cruise only, taking in the oriental beauty of the Nokor Bachey Temple and the Angkor archaeological area. To book, call Thomas Cook Cruise at 01 514 0336, or see www.thomascookcruise.ie.
choice galore: continent has so much on offer for great holidays
Let The Americas lift your spirits natalie burke
WITH the month of March finishing up with showers of snow, the idea of finally availing of some much-needed sunshine has been a thought playing on all our minds. Perhaps setting sail on a sunshine cruise could be just what you need to help brighten your mood! Whether it’s a tropical cruise through the Caribbean or a more adventurous exploration of
Canada you have in mind, American Holidays is offering some great cruising rates for the month of April, and their staff are even offering to tailor an option to suit you. Start your holiday by spending three nights at the three-star Stay Hotel in Miami, Florida, before hopping aboard a 14-night cruise on the Norwegian Pearl, and spend another three nights at the fourstar Stay Hotel in Los Angeles, California, from
€2,035 per person. Price includes return f lights from Dublin, accommodation as stated, taxes and charges. The option to upgrade to an ocean-view room is available from €235 per person, travelling on April 18. Why not spend five nights at the three-star Hotel Orlando in Florida before taking a sevennight cruise on an allinclusive basis aboard the Freedom of the Seas from
€1,199 per person? Travel on September 10, with a price that includes return flights from Dublin, accommodation as stated, taxes and charges. An option is also available to upgrade to an ocean view from €129 per person. For a chance to see the Big Apple and the sights of Canada, spend three nights at a three-star New York hotel before setting sail on a seven-night cruise aboard the Norwegian Gem, from €1,435
Cruise in style aboard the Freedom of the Seas
per person when you travel on September 18. The price includes return flights from Dublin, taxes and charges, while upgrades are available for €55 per person.
For further dates and prices, call American Holidays at 01 673 3804, call into their office at 18-19 Duke Street, Dublin 2, or see www.americanholidays.com.
P&O cruises are offering a chance to explore Norway aboard the newAzura, this May. Departing Southampton on May 24, take in beautiful Bergen (above), the Briksdal glacier near Olden, and Stavanger from €719 per person. The Azura features 11 restaurants, five shopping boutiques, four swimming pools, two lounges and an open air cinema. From Southampton, enjoy a Norwegian summer on the classic Oriana, which includes the Gary Rhodes-inspired Oriana Rhodes restaurant. First stop is the world’s most northerly capital, Reykjavik, famous for its nightlife and views. After taking in the fishing port of Isafjordur and the city of Akureyri, it’s on to the spectacular Faroe Islands. The holiday departs July 7, priced from €789 per person. Prices are per person sharing for these seven night cruises, unless stated, and do not include gratuities. To book, call the Thomas Cook Cruise team (exclusive agents for P&O) in Dublin at 01 514 0336, or see www. thomascookcruise.ie.
26 SWORDS GAZETTE 4 April 2013
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PLANNING NOTICE FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL
I, Eoghan Mateer, am applying for full planning permission for a single storey porch/utility room extension to the front and side of the existing dwelling with red brick front elevation and pitched roof over including one no. rooflight, all with associated site works at 71 River Valley Grove, Swords, Co.Dublin. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the planning authority during its public opening hours and a submission or observation may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (20Euros) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of this application. 17942
4 April 2013 SWORDS Gazette 27
sport awards P29
asdfsdaf gaelic games P27 P31
dublinsport Let the Gazette keep you up to date with all the best local sporting action from around the city as we cover all the stories that matter to you and your community
Gazette
oisin fagan P28
FastSport Jude’s hope to raise the bar:
Garda cycling club’s Caroline Ryan, left, and Fingallians’ Sinead Finnegan launched the Race the Ras charity cycle in Croke Park last week
cycling: national breast cancer research institute to benefit from race
Ryan and Finnegan in Croker to launch charity cycle event A HOST of top sports stars past and present joined forces with top world track cyclist Caroline Ryan in Croke Park last week to officially launch the Race the Ras charity cycle. Entering its third year, the charity race will see almost 150 amateur cyclists, accompanied by a host of current and former GAA stars – among them Fingallians and Dublin ladies football star Sinead Finnegan – lining up to bike across Ireland from May 19 to May 26. All money raised will go to the National Breast Cancer Research Institute.
The charity cycle is linked with the An Post Ras, Ireland’s most prominent cycling event. The cyclists will start three hours ahead of the professionals and will travel through 13 different counties. Stage finishes will be in the towns of Longford, Nenagh, Listowel, Glengarriff, Mitchelstown, Carlow, Naas, and Skerries on the final day.
Endurance Current Dublin Senior Football selector Declan Darcy spoke of the endurance needed to undertake the cycle:
“This is a serious undertaking. Each of the eight stages averages 146kms in length - 1,260kms in total - and will take over five and a half hours to complete, so the eight-day cyclists will be on the bike for almost 50 hours in total. “Most families in Ireland have been affected in some way by cancer and this is just a small way former GAA players can help raise much needed money. “We are also delighted that more women will be taking part this year and Dublin vice captain Sinead Finnegan was here to show support.”
Broadcasting legend Micheal O’Muircheartaigh was also on hand to launch the charity race and said: “Race the Ras has been a huge success raising €260,000 to date since it began in 2011. “I would ask people to donate no matter how small as it will make a huge difference to the National Breast Cancer Research Institute.” To register for the cycle, log on to http://racetheras.com. With eight stages to choose from, cyclists can opt to do all eight stages, a single stage or opt for a combination of two or three stages.
NEXT Saturday, April 6 is the deadline to vote for Dublin representatives St Jude’s in Etihad’s Raise The Bar competition with the winning club announced. Voters are asked to decide which of the final four clubs are most deserving of a year’s sponsorship package with the Abu Dhabi-based airline. Jude’s are up against Limerick’s Na Piarsaigh, Cork’s Blackrock and Wexford’s Kilanerin This vote, along with the views of a panel of judges consisting of Nicky English, Des Cahill and Micheal O’Muircheartaigh, will decide which club comes away with the ultimate sponsorship package. For more information, go to etihadgaa.ie.
c o n ta c t s Sports Editor: Rob Heigh rheigh@gazettegroup.com
For more information or to send in news and photos: sport@gazettegroup.com Phone: 01 651 6205
Gazette
28 SWORDS Gazette 4 April 2013
SPORT
FastSport
Age just a number for evergreen Fagan
Portmarnock man Oisin Fagan’s colourful career brings him to Essex on Friday as he looks to put a check on Chris Munch and bunch Get In The Game for Heineken Cup Goodwin’s world title ambitions with his unique style SHANE Byrne was among the sporting luminaries who turned out to support the launch of a new multimedia campaign, Get In The Game, ahead of the final of the Heineken Cup being played at the Aviva stadium on May 18. The campaign was launched to a packed house of rugby fans, players and legends in Dublin last week, with Byrne, Frankie Sheehan, Alan Quinlan, Bryn Cunningham and pundit Brent Pope on hand to take part in the digital event. Designed to bring the Heineken Cup experience from the pitch onto fans’ mobiles, computers and into pubs and homes across the country, Get in the Game offers a range of opportunities between now and the date of the final to get involved and be part of the ultimate rugby spectacle. Fans can get involved with Get in the Game via www.heineken.ie/game, or by stepping up to challenges featured in pubs throughout Ireland. Arcade-style games such as Conversion Challenge and Catch will be available to online players who will also have their Heineken Cup knowledge tested with quizzes. It is all linked in a single contest where the overall winner will receive a once-in-a-lifetime VIP experience at the final. Karl Donnelly, Heineken’s sponsorship brand manager, said: “Sports fans are increasingly looking for new and engaging ways to enrich the Heineken Cup experience. We have developed an innovative and multifaceted approach that lives on mobile devices, computers and in pubs. Wherever you are, you can Get In The Game with the aim of scoring points and winning prizes.” Donnelly, said: “Today, so much of the conversation around sports events takes place across social media. Heineken recognises how important this space is. We are utilising this rich conversation and harnessing it with visual animations and projections over the weekend of the Heineken Cup final. A custom built structure for this visual display will also provide an interactive virtual kicking game; fans can literally kick conversions which will, in turn, send tweets in support of various teams. A social sentiment project like this has never been seen before in Ireland.’
WITH 15 years separating Oisin “Gael Force” Fagan from his Friday night opponent Chris Goodwin, the Portmarnock scrapper says the gulf in experience gives him plenty of reasons for belief ahead of their date in the Grays Civic Hall in Essex. After an initial date in Cork fell through, 39-year-old Fagan is looking forward to getting back in the ring for the first time since January 2011 against the current World Boxing Federation lightweight champion despite being pitted as the underdog. “Obviously, I’ve been out of the ring for a couple of years but I keep in tip-top shape all the time,” he told GazetteSport. “I can count on two hands and two feet the amount of days I have taken off in the past 20 years; I just keep fit anyway, waiting for the call to come. “Obviously, the odds will be stacked against me but I’m mad for it. He’s 24, I’m 39 and the Irishman in England never goes down too well.” T he relocation of the bout to Goodwin’s home turf from Ireland is a glitch for Fagan but he says that it does not overly bother him. During his career, he has made a habit of putting it up to some of the world’s best, facing
stephen findlater sport@gazettegroup.com
down a packed house of screaming Mexicans in the MGM Grand in Las Vegas against Cesar Chavez Junior while also encountering a hostile crowd against the Pittsburgh kid Paul Spadafora in Pennsylvania. Both times he went the distance against the soon-to-be world champions while he also tussled with Amir Khan whom Fagan tussled with in London, showing little fear of travelling. Such a situation came of a necessity for the Dubliner who arrived to the professional game late by chance, seeking only to earn enough money to fly home from the US. “I was never well promoted in the States and was always the man brought to places and putting it up to the hometown boy. In one way, it’s not great for your record but I’ve only really lost to world champions. “I had to start [fighting professionally] because I was in a tough place in my life and needed a few quid to get home from America. I’ve always thought in the back of my mind, if I started as a kid,
I might have been able to box a bit cleverer. “I was never experienced as an amateur, only having three fights, before I was pushed into being a pro. But it did work for me because I’m afraid of nothing and I don’t have any fear going to Essex.” Fagan made his debut a little over 10 years ago and says the lack of amateur training has left him with a unique, all-action style, something he says Goodwin is unlikely to have seen before. That style is the antithesis of the work he is currently doing with the IABA and Dublin county council, working as a community development officer to help develop the sport. “I wouldn’t teach kids
to box like me because I don’t box, all I do is fight! I know there are 12-yearolds out there who are better boxers than me but it would be hard to find a better fighter. I know my strengths and weaknesses and I know I’m a world class fighter.
the pedal.” And he reckons this method could be key to landing another couple of decent fights in the future. “I’ll be his toughest to date. On the flip side, I’ve had about 10 opponents who were
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‘I wouldn’t teach kids to box like me because I don’t box; all I do is fight’ - Oisin Fagan
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“Nobody really has a style like mine. I don’t say that to brag but I get bored by boxing and I like when people say ‘he’s a good scrapper’, that I’m exciting and never take my foot off
on a better level than this guy. You can’t really take that too much into account but I’m quietly confident. I like going in as the underdog and I’m happy enough to take on that role.”
Oisin Fagan, right, says his experience will help him see off Chris Goodwin
4 April 2013 SWORDS Gazette 29
Gazette
DublinGazetteNewspapers 2013 dublin sports awards march winners
Local teams FastSport line out in U-12 contest sport@gazettegroup.com
H STARof the MONTH
fiona coghlan LUCAN teacher Coghlan has been the leader of the pack with Ireland’s women’s rugby team, captaining the national team to their historic set of achievements in the 2013 6 Nations championship run, only the third captain ever to claim the Grand Slam.
DE LA Salle Palmerston hosted their fifth annual Under-12 festival of rugby last week in the new surround of Ballycorus Road. Over 25 teams took part, with the guests of honour being the London Irish RFC squad whose visit was part of the Gathering event. Most of the participating clubs were from within the Metro area which covers Dublin, Meath, Wicklow and Kildare but DLSP were also delighted to wel-
come Wicklow, Naas, NUIM Barnhall, Coolmine and Terenure for the first time. The club were particularly indebted to the likes of Vivian Harrington, John Connolly and Michael Nugent for organising an event of this magnitude while they also were thankful for the support provided by Old Wesley RFC. They stepped in to provide their impressive Ballycorus Road facility as a venue, after Kirwan Park had been declared unplayable due to waterlogged pitches.
TEAMof the MONTH H monkstown HC MONKSTOWN hockey club ended their 99-year wait for Irish Senior Cup glory, finally breaking their hoodoo in the competition in the most thrilling of finals as Andy Ewington, for the second time in a week, netted a silver goal winner.
Get set for the Great Ireland Run sport@gazettegroup.com
D u bl i n G a z e t t e Newspapers is delighted to announce that we have teamed up again this year with the SPAR Great Ireland Run to recognise runners in each of our papers’ local areas. The Gazette will recognise the fastest man and woman from each paper’s circulation area with a specially designed plaque as well as prizes
of sports gear. After the run, we will also be publishing a results list of the top local male and female finishers. The SPAR Great Ireland Run 2013 will take place in the Phoenix Park on Sunday, April 14, at 1 pm. This year’s run will more than ever be about enjoying a full family running day as a mini run for five- to eightyear-olds over a one mile lap has been added to
the programme alongside a junior run for nine to 15-year-olds over 2.5km. The mini-run and junior run will precede the main event and an adult can run or walk alongside each child in the mini-run. Up to 12,000 entries are expected and every adult entrant will receive an exclusive technical T shirt as well as a medal and a generous goody bag after completing the run.
Participants are being encouraged to raise funds for good causes and the event’s nominated charities are the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation and SPAR’s charity par tner, the 3Ts – Turn The Tide of Suicide. The Baby Max Wings of Love Fund is the nominated charity for the junior run and mini run. Entries can be made online at www.greatirelandrun.org.
Dundrum athlete Ava Hutchinson at the launch of the Great Ireland Run
Four medals for Whitechurch at Dublin championships Whitechurch Boxing Club were celebrating recently when their six entrants into the Dublin championships returned with two gold and two silver medals. Sean McGuirk and Seamus Maughan picked up their first championship medals for the club, with McGuirk beating a current Irish Champion on his way to silver, while Sean Mari and Megan Felton progress to the AllIreland championships as county champions. The youngest member of the team, Seamus Maughan, met a great opponent in Michael McDonagh from Darndale BC in his final but can be proud of his performance over the three rounds. The club’s first ever national champion, Megan Felton, continued her winning ways by pipping an excellent Niamh Kelly from Baldoyle BC by 12 points to 8 in a high-tempo final. Reigning Irish champion and Irish international boxer Sean Mari claimed his county title this year by virtue of a walk over, and is now focused on defending his national title this month. The two other members of the team, Dylan Fox-Reynolds and Paddy Maughan, both showed great improvement in their boxing over the course of the championships.
Fantastic Fins win in Athlone Fingallians AC were in flying form last week at the national championships in Athlone, with fine performances from the travelling panel. Marie Torsney won the Under-17 girls’ national indoor shot putt title with a personal best of 13.54m, and Fiona Tuite won the Under-18 title in the same event, with another personal best,
14.54m, which was also a new national record. Meanwhile, in the boys’ Under-18 1,500m Sam Martin placed third, as did Ciaran McManus in the boys’ Under-13 60m race. Torsney, Tuite and Martin were all award winners in Fingallians’ 2012 athletic awards. Notable performances were also recorded by Bronwyn Keogh, Rachel Murray, Brian Markey, Stephen O’Connor and Conaill Tuite.
Gazette
30 SWORDS gazette 4 April 2013
SPORT
FastSport
Celtic back on track with Hyde Park match After weeks of inactivity, Swords Celtic will reignite their charge at the LSL Sunday Major league with a North County derby against mid-table Hyde Park of Balbriggan. Larry Clair’s men have been in fantastic form this year and are unbeaten in the league, with 10 wins and two draws from 12 games, but due to the terrible conditions their momentum has been broken as their Balheary ground recovers from the snowfall. Clair revealed that he is under no illusions as to how important this weekend’s clash is and although he believes that a win could get the side right back on track, he is all too aware of the threats that the local opposition possess. “Hyde Park are a very good side,” said Clair. “They have won promotion three times back to back and the lads on that team are a very strong, resilient unit. They might not be challenging for the title this year, but what they’ve done to get into the division speaks for itself. “We’ve obviously been out for awhile and you never want a break when you’ve got some good momentum behind you. But, all of the teams are in the same boat and we’ve kept the lads as fit as possible without getting a match in.” Now with 10 games to go and only one team ahead of them in the league, Dublin University who lead by four points and have played three more games than Celtic, Clair is reluctant to claim his side will win the league, but remains quite confident. “With 10 games to go it would be very silly for me to say we will win the league. I would’ve been a lot more confident had it not been for the break, but we’ll take it one game at a time and hopefully we’ll get over the line. “We still have to play Dublin University in Balheary and if we can get three points out of them we’ll be in very good shape,” he said.
swimming: top performances across board from club
Aer Lingus swimmer Andrew Meegan was involved in seven finals at the Leinster long course championships at the NAC last week
Aer Lingus swim to victory stephen findlater sport@gazettegroup.com
AER LINGUS swimming club enjoyed a superb gala at the Leinster long course championships at the National Aquatic Centre last week. Olympian Barry Murphy claimed four gold medals as he swept to the 100m breaststroke title with three seconds to spare over Darragh Greene, with club mate Cian Cunningham finishing eighth. Murphy also showed his sprinting prowess when he landed the 50m butterfly in a time of 24.97 seconds,
the 50m freestyle in 23.62 ahead of Atlantis’ Botonde Solymossy and the 50m breaststroke, three seconds clear of the pack. Andrew Meegan was involved in seven finals, picking up first in the 400m freestyle, silver in the 200m freestyle ahead of clubmate Conor Turner in third, while Meegan also took bronze in the 200m butterfly. In tandem with Ben Doyle, Ben Griffin and Turner, the club claimed the 4x200m freestyle relay silver. Their women’s team went one better in the female equivalent as the
trap’s little helpers Swords Celtic answer Ireland’s call at Aviva swords Celtic’s U-13 Premier team played their part in the Republic of Ireland’s 2-2 draw with Austria last week. The players, pictured, acted as ballboys for the match at the Aviva Stadium. The side are currently going well in the NDSL Premier division in fourth place with two games in hand over each of the sides above them as midweek football returns this week.
team of Catriona Finlay, Orla Walsh, Rachel Nevins and Danika Sugrue swept home. Indeed, there was plenty more success on the relay front, with silver in the women’s 400m medley, Orla Walsh, Caitriona Finlay, Aisling Byrne and Rachel Nevins pipped by Kilkenny to the title. The men’s team of Doyle, Conor Turner, Ben Griffin and Sean O’Brien were first in the male equivalent event. On the 400m freestyle relay front, Caitriona Finlay, Orla Walsh, Rachel Nevins and Ali Berry won gold while it was the
men’s turn to take silver via the quartet of Conor Turner, Andrew Meegan, Benjamin Doyle and Jonathan McGee. Doyle’s gala stepped up another gear with a 2.13.29 swim in the 200m backstroke claiming another gold for the club. Sixteen-year-old Ben Griffin won the men’s A final in the 200m individual medley with a 2.11.55 holding off club mates Doyle and Sean O’Brien as they claimed a clean sweep of the medals. For good measure, Nathan Turner reached the B final, claiming 17th place overall.
Griffin claimed the 200m breaststroke title, too, with a time of 2.32.22 to complete a superb gala from a personal perspective. Paralympian Ellen Keane claimed ninth place in the A final of the 200m individual medley in a time 2.46.7. There was a double in the 400m individual medley with Conor Turner in second and Ben Doyle taking bronze. On the women’s side, Rachel Nevins showed her speed with finals appearances in both the 100m butterfly and 200m freestyle.
4 April 2013 SWORDS gazette 31
Gazette
Fingal fire to league victory over Donegal sport@gazettegroup.com
FIRST-half goals from Brian McCarthy and Peter Daly helped Fingal to a 2-11 to 1-9 victory over Donegal in a dress rehearsal for the Allianz Hurling League Division 3A final in a fortnight. An understrength D o n e g a l s i d e we n t
into the encounter at O’Donnell Park, Letterkenny unbeaten, but were outplayed in the final 20 minutes when the nor th Dubliners scored seven points in succession. The visitors led by 2-3 to 0-7 at the break, but found themselves behind within a minute of the restar t when
Paddy Hannigan scored the goal for Donegal and put them back in contention. But the home side — who hit nine wides in the first half and also missed a penalty — could only add two more points to their tally as Fingal took control with Fingallians men John Matthew
Sheridan and Peter Daly leading their final quarter scoring charge. I t s aw t h e n o r t h Dublin region finish the opening half of the campaign unbeaten with four wins from five outings, the only blemish being a 0-15 to 1-12 draw with Louth in the first round of the competition.
football: jackies unstuck against monaghan
Club Noticeboard fingallians 250 boys and girls braved the very
Conradh na Gaeilge to participate
cold weather this week and partici-
in their annual congress seven-a-
pated in the club’s annual Easter
side tournament in Newry on Sat-
camp, sponsored by the Pavilion
urday, April 6. Any interested male
Shopping Centre.
and female adult players, le cupla
This year’s camp was a combined camp of hurling and foot-
focail, should contact Liam on 086 381 4422.
ball. Despite the snow, the children
Athletic: Great per formances
who attended demonstrated some
we r e r e cor d ed by Anne Ma r ie
excellent skills and are definitely
Torsney, Fiona Tuite, Sam Mar-
ones to watch as future Dublin
tin, Ciaran McManus, Bronw yn
stars.
Keogh, Rachel Murray, Brian Mar-
A special thank-you to all the parents who supported the camp,
key, Stephen O’Connor and Conaill Tuite.
the hard working coaches, and to
The GAA museum has undergone
Noel Delaney, our official photog-
extensive refurbishments over the
rapher.
past few months, and from April 1
The nursery will resume next Sat-
visitors will be able to enjoy the new
urday, April 6 at 10am for boys and
interactive activities and exhibits.
girls aged four to seven years. New members are always welcome.
To find out more, contact 01 819 2323 or gaamuseum@crokepark.ie
A big thank-you to all who sup-
Etihad Skyline Tours are running
ported the Junior ladies raffle. The
extra tours at Croke Park until
ladies teams season starts this
April 7: 10.30, 11.30, 12.30, 13.30 and
week, so good luck to all the play-
14.30.
ers for 2013. Our U-12 girls entertained the crowd at half time during the Dublin game at the weekend. The club have been invited by
Book your tour here: www.skylinecrokepark.ie Fingallians extends deepest sympathy to the Power family. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilís.
fingal ravens WE ARE holding a pub quiz on Friday,
let Elaine Casey know on 087 961 2660.
A target too Farney for Dublin’s ladies
April 12 in the lounge of Kettle’s Hotel at
Junior disco in Kettle’s Hotel on
9pm sharp - table of four only €30. We
Thursday, April 4, 7.30pm until 9.30pm,
urge all our members to please come
Over-10s to 14 years of age welcome,
along and support this fundraiser.
Only €5 entry, part of the Lord Mayor
nfl division 1
Fingallians’ Sinead Finnegan captained Dublin for the first time, but the Jackies were outclassed on the day
Dublin 1-5 Monaghan 4-15 sport@gazettegroup.com
HOME advantage for a sizeable Fingallians contingent provided little comfort at Lawless Memorial Park when unbeaten Monaghan waltzed to victory past the Dublin ladies footballers with plenty to spare. Sinead Finnegan captained the side in the stead of Sinead Goldrick in an all-Fins half-back line, flanked by Fiona Hudson and Laura McGahan with Amy McGuinness in midfield.
Another Fingallian, Denise McKenna, would later come off the bench to net Dublin’s only score of the match, but it was a tough outing all round. McGuinness started strongly, kicking four of Dublin’s first half points, including one fortuitous effort after her initial free rebounded straight back into her grasp. But the goals conceded at the far end cost them dearly. Monaghan raised the green flag on four occasions in the opening half whilst playing against the breeze. Therese McNally and Caoimhe Mohan got
a goal apiece, while full forward Ciara McAnespie hit Dublin on the double, resulting in Monaghan taking a 12-point lead in the dressing room at half time. It was rough on the Jackies who were vastly understrength without the likes of Goldrick (hamstring), Sinead Aherne (illness), goalkeeper Cliodhna O’Connor, Niamh McEvoy (knee), Orlagh Egan (shoulder) and Kim Flood (broken foot) while Aimee Hazley and Emma Merrigan were also unavailable. Despite the best efforts of Dublin’s Siobhan
McGrath, Finnegan, Denise Masterson and Lyndsey Davey, Monaghan were just too strong in all sectors of the field. McKenna’s goal provided scant solace in the face of 10 more Monaghan second half points as they kept their unbeaten run in the league going, installing themselves as early favourites come championship time. Next Sunday, Dublin welcome Mayo to the capital with both sides in need of a win to secure a place in the semi final. This fixture is pencilled in for a 2pm throw in time in Portmarnock.
Best of luck to our senior team in the first round of the championship
of Rolestown fundraising campaign, candidate: Christine Roche Keane.
on Wednesday, April 10 at 7pm in St.
Cash for clothes, we need you to
Margarets against St Pat’s, Palmer-
donate your unwanted/unused
stown.
clothes, Saturday, April 20 at the club,
2013 membership is now overdue, no
part of the Lord Mayor of Rolestown
players of any team are permitted to
fundraising campaign, candidate:
play and will not be covered by insur-
Bernadette Kavanagh.
ance even for training until their membership is paid. Any mentors that require training or re-training on the defibrillator please
Congratulations to Kilsallaghan girl Lynne Cantwell and the Ireland ladies rugby team, Grand Slam winners 2013, well done.
st sylvester’s ALLIANZ Hurling League Div 3A: Don-
Sunday, April 14, with the venue to
egal 1-9, Fingal 2-11.
be confirmed.
All six of our players took part in
The intermediate hurlers lost
Fingal’s victory over Donegal today
out to a last-minute goal by St Vin-
with five of them starting. Hilary
cent’s in the Conlon Cup. The score
Murray Hession, Graham and Alan
was 1-10 to 2-9 for St Vincent’s.
Morris, Andrew Richardson and Cillian O’Flynn all started with Kevin O’Flynn coming in off the bench before half time and all six playing really well. The win pu t s Fing al in to the league final against Donegal on
There is a full programme of fixtures next weekend. Saturday, April 8: AHL3 - Broomfield, 6pm - St Sylvester’s v St Vincent’s. Vincent de Paul Cup - Broomfield, 6pm - St Sylvester’s v Parnell’s.
GazetteSPORT all of your swords sports coverage from page 27-31
jackies’ woe: Depleted Dublin fall to defeat against a rampant Monaghan in league encounter P31
april 4, 2013
marching onward: Last month’s Sport Award winners are announced P29
Fingal’s hurlers decisively saw off the challenge of Donegal in their last league match of the campaign, and will face them again in the Division 3A final
Final hurdle for Fingal Manager Kenny warns of complacency ahead of tie against Donegal in spite of local hurlers defeating same opponents in last league match
peter carroll
sport@gazettegroup.com
Fingal will meet Donegal in the AHL division 3A final and despite seeing the UIster men off by five points, 2-11 to 1-9, in Letterkenny last weekend manager Mick Kennedy is not taking anything for granted ahead of the April 14 clash. Donegal had been unbeaten throughout their league campaign up until Sunday’s meeting at O’Donnell Park and much of the damage was done by two first half goals from Brian McCarthy and Peter Daly leaving the score at the interval at 2-3 to 0-7. A quick goal from Paddy Hannigan, just a
minute after the restart, put the Donegal side back on terms but, after they put two more points over, Fingal managed to shut the door and tag on eight scores of their own. However, the Donegal ranks will be confident of a better showing when it comes to the final as they rested many of their regulars, but they will also look for a lot more accuracy in front of the posts which may have cost them some valuable momentum as well as scores, with Hannigan and Ciaran Matheson squandering some valuable opportunities and a penalty being missed during the tie. “You have to be confident heading into a league,” said Kennedy. “But Donegal are a very good side, they play an open game and
they have to be respected.” “The two sides are quite evenly matched and I think it could come down to a puck of a ball to decide the game because both sides want [the title] so much. “Having taken the result in O’Donnell Park at the weekend it will definitely give us a big boost and the fact that we will gain promotion this year if we win will certainly play a role in it for our lads. “I’ve rang Croke Park and they have confirmed that we will take the step up if we win and the thoughts of playing at a higher level will really up the level of intensity in the build up to the game. “I think the lads have really shown their
desire to win throughout the year, we’ve come back from behind a number of times throughout the season, and I know they will be just as competitive if they gain promotion. “We have the full support of the clubs in the area and we are working with the Dublin Under-21 panel. The goal was to turn this side into a feeder for the Dublin panels and I think that’s exactly what we’re doing. “The players all want to take their careers to the highest level, the inter county panel, and we want to see them reach their goals. There has been no shortage of effort and this season they have really stepped up to the mark,” said Kennedy.