Swords

Gazette

Northern lights lure you up to Scotland, and lovely Glasgow

SWORDS

PLUS:

SEE PAGE 20 April 9 - 15, 2015

FREE

Month XX, 2012 MALAHIDE • BALBRIGGAN • APPLEWOOD • BOROIMHE • AIRSIDE • PORTMARNOCK • KINSEALY • CLAREHALL

INSIDE: School yourself on some of the latest issues in education See P21-23

Football:

O’Connor calls time on fine Dublin career Page 32

Soccer:

Finn set to lead Irish Under-17s in elite event Page 30

Find us on

ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES...................... 8 DUBLIN LIFE...................11 OUT&ABOUT ..................17 CLASSIFIEDS ................26 SPORT ...........................28

INEQUALITY: Our reporter’s experience of homophobia while househunting P14

St Ita’s road is ruled out

by HSE  KEITH BELLEW

THE HSE has said that a traffic management plan will be implemented for the duration of the construction activity of the proposed National Forensic and Mental Health hospital at the site of St Ita’s in Portrane.

The local community raised concerns about the HSE’s plan to bring construction traffic through Portrane and Donabate villages. They fear congestion and the damage that

heavy construction traffic could cause to the village streets.

Residents and politicians have requested a separate road for construction traffic to be built but the HSE has refused.

Speaking to The Gazette, a HSE spokesperson said that constructing an alternative access route is not possible as it was not proposed in the pre-application phase of the project.

Full Story on Page 3

It’s a day for a knight: On the hunt for a hidden dragon egg NAOISE Canavan from Malahide was well prepared for a special quest at Malahide Castle recently where a hunt for a dragon’s egg was under way at its botanical walled garden. As an Easter egg event with a difference, the young knight

joined other egg- and dragonhunters in a bid to find the treasure, with a number of interesting characters on hand to help or hinder with the quest. Naoise certainly looked the part, and was ready for the challenge. Picture: Stephen Fleming

2 swords gazette 9 April 2015

courts DCU student read theft report and went to gardai

Probation Act for man with fake ID A MAN was caught using a false ID after the real owner Googled his own name and discovered the accused had used his identity when he was arrested and charged with theft.

Aziz Kaiwa (24), of St Margaret’s Road, Swords, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to five counts of having a false document without lawful excuse at various locations in Dublin between January 27 and September 28, 2013.

The fake ID contained Kaiwa’s photo, but had the name of a French

national, Thibaut Pawlisiak, who was a DCU student studying business.

Judge Patricia Ryan dismissed the sentence and applied the Probation Act due to the “very unusual circumstances” of the case, and ordered Kaiwa to keep the peace for six months. This means that he does not have a criminal conviction.

Derek Cooney BL, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Pawlisiak was on a night out in Dublin in late 2012 when he discovered his wallet and iPhone were

missing.

Mr Pawlisiak reported the theft to the gardai and told them there were several bank cards in his wallet, as well as a French national identity card.

Copied Kaiwa later came into possession of an ID, copied from Mr Pawlisiak’s stolen national identity card.

He passed it off as his own identity on several occasions, including when stopped by gardai on April 6 in College Street, and when being treated at St James’s

Hospital for injuries on April 23, 2013.

Garda David Heraghty said that Kaiwa was arrested for a separate incident of theft of a mobile phone on September 28, 2013.

He presented the fake ID card, gave the name of Mr Pawlisiak and was put into custody. The matter came to court and Kaiwa signed a bail bond under Mr Pawlisiak’s name.

An article was then published in a newspaper repor t stating that Thibaut Pawlisiak had been found guilty of mobile phone theft, which Mr Pawlisiak happened to read himself after Googling his name.

Becoming alarmed, he went to the gardai and as a result it came to light that Kaiwa had been using a fake ID card.

Garnet Orange SC, defending, told the court that Kaiwa is originally from the Western Saha-

At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Aziz Kaiwa (24), of St Margaret’s Road, Swords, pleaded guilty to five counts of having a false document without lawful excuse

ra region in Africa. He came to Ireland in early 2012, seeking asylum.

He told gardai that when Kaiwa came to Dublin, he met someone who told him to use a fake ID so he could stay in the country.

Kaiwa had showed up at St James’s Hospital on April 23, 2013, with seri-

ous stab wounds, which he claimed to have received from the man who gave him the fake ID card.

Mr Orange asked Judge Ryan to take into account the fact that the man made no financial gain from using the card, was not accused of stealing the card, and is cur-

rently seeking asylum in Ireland.

Kaiwa has already ser ved a total of 10 months in prison, for the phone theft and fake ID charges.

He has two previous convictions in Ireland, including theft, and has nine foreign convictions.

Seven schools to get funds for works Seven schools in Fingal will receive investment to carry out essential works as part of the Summer Works Programme this year.

St Marnock’s School, Portmarnock, Loreto College, Swords, Rush National School, Mary Queen of Ireland National School, Toberburr, St Mary’s National School, Garristown, Scoil Moibhi and Scoil Realt Na Mara in Skerries will all receive funding for works to be carried out during the

summer.

Funding for works on windows will be provided to St Marnock’s School, Loreto College, Swords, Scoil Moibhi, Scoil Realt Na Mara, Mary Queen of Ireland National School, and St Mary’s National School. Meanwhile Rush National School is to receive funding to install tarmac in the schoolyard.

Deputy Alan Farrell (FG) welcomed the announcement saying that investing in school

Dublin Gazette Newspapers, Top Floor, Clarendon House, 39 Clarendon Street, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 - 6010240. Email: sales@dublingazette.com news@dublingazette.com web: www.dublingazette.com twitter: @DublinGazette Visit us on Facebook at DublinGazetteNewspapers

infrastructure and providing new school facilities where they are needed is of the utmost importance.

“Investment such as this is essential to make sure that our current school facilities receive all the necessary maintenance in order to ensure that our children receive their education in an environment which is conducive to their learning,” he said.

He went on to say that it is important to ensure that additional accommodation is provided to schools in areas where they are facing a capacity crisis.

“The Minister for Education and Skills has previously indicated to me that, once the Depart-

ment has finished analysing demographic data to determine where additional accommodation is required most, measures will be taken to provide this accommodation,” he said, citing Malahide and Swords as areas that are particularly affected by this.

Cllr Duncan Smith (Lab) said he is delighted at the number of schools in Fingal that have received funding for summer works, particularly those in the Swords ward.

“It’s another example of the Government’s commitment to focus funding on school improvements and refurbishments and I very much welcome it,” he said.

9 April 2015 swords gazette 3

policing

community: estates get together to tackle stretch of water

Voicing concerns on crime

Residents clean up Moyne River  keith bellew

RESIDENTS from Castlemoyne, St Samson’s and Belmayne joined together for a clean-up of a stretch of the Moyne River on Good Friday.

According to organisers, more than two tonnes of waste was removed from the area, which marks the border between Fingal County and Dublin City councils.

This included mattresses, bicycles, security fencing, shopping trollies, old election posters, estate agent signs and general rubbish.

According to Balgriffin resident Cllr Brian McDonagh (Lab), who joined in the clean-up, more than 30 people of all

ages gave their time, and removed a huge amount of refuse.

He said: “The operations department of Fingal [County Council] provided us with litter pickers, bags and a skip for the heavier material. We were very grateful for the assistance of local landscape artist John Cullen, who provided equipment to safely remove some of the heaviest stuff.”

He went on to say that the large items were not the most irritating problem: “The most baffling and annoying thing we had to clean up was plastic bags with dog faeces.

“A minority of dog owners who go to the trouble of scooping up after their dog are then throwing the

plastic bags of poo behind hedges and into the park by the river.

“I would ask the people doing this to desist. The plastic just ensures the poo doesn’t decompose properly, and you have the double problem of plastics in the environment.

“To me, it really is the most infuriating, disgusting, pointless refuse you will find in any clean-up.

Unfortunately, the problem is not unique – it happens all over the place.”

He went on to say that the community hopes to organise more cleanups of the area over the summer, adding that it’s great to see how a few hours can make such an improvement to the local area.

Celebrating diversity: A week of local events in honour of Polish community MINISTER of State for New Communities, Culture and Equality, Aod-

han O Riordain joined the Mayor of Fingal Mags Murray (FF); Piotr Rakowski, from the Polish Embassy; the chief executive of Fingal County Council, Paul Reid; local councillors and members of Balrbiggan’s Polish community for celebrations at Flemington Community Centre recently. The centre was one of many venues nationwide celebrating Polska Eire – a week-long festival that marks the Polish community in Ireland and its contribution to our modern, multicultural state. Balbriggan has several Polish businesses, with hundreds of Polish people living in their area, many of whom came along with their friends and other locals to join in the festivities and community spirit at the centre.

Residents from areas in north Dublin are invited to attend the latest Fingal Joint Policing Committee where they can voice concerns and bring up issues relating to crime in their area.

The meeting, which is set to take place at Malahide Library on Wednesday, April 15 from 7pm to 9pm, is open to residents of Swords, Donabate, Portrane, Malahide, Portmarnock and surrounding areas.

Cllr Darragh Butler (FF) encouraged locals to attend saying the meetings are a “great opportunity” for locals to raise issues in a public forum with senior members of An Garda Siochana, council officials and local politicians.

4 swords gazette 9 April 2015

council: application

Swords to Sutton bike route planned  daniel smith

Fingal County Council is preparing the application of the Planning and Development Act, 2010 for the pedestrian and cycleway scheme from Sutton to Swords.

A journey of about 20 minutes by car, it is intended to have the scheme lodged with An Bord Pleanala in June 2015. There is potential for an oral hearing to be held by the bord into the scheme later in the year.

On the possibility of the Sutton to Swords Cycle route, Cllr Brian McDonagh (Lab) says: “It is an exciting process.

A cycle route from Baldoyle to Portmarnock in particular is badly needed.”

Cllr McDonagh understands the task in hand adding that “it’s a huge ask both economically and for the people of Sutton and Swords”.

“Planning begins in June 2015 but there is currently no date for when work actually

starts,” he said. The Baldoyle Estuary, which is a special area of conservation, needs particular attention in regards to the proposed cycle route but Cllr McDonagh claims “plans have been checked by the park before being processed” therefore should not be too much of an issue.

Paul Mulville (Ind) also commented on the Baldoyle Estuary situation saying: “The planning is pretty much done.

It just has to go through the National Parks and Wildlife service because Baldoyle Bay is a designated special protection area”. He is hopeful that it will go through and even plans on further expanding the cycle route out to Rush.

Cllr Keith Redmond (FG) says: “After the planning process goes through, the National Transpor t Authority has to provide funding followed by additional funds for the spur route between Sutton around burrow to Howth.”

St Ita’s Heavy plant traffic causes fears

Local residents have voiced concerns at the impact of heavy construction traffic in Portrane and Donabate villages to build the proposed National Forensic and Mental Health hospital at the site of St Ita’s (above) in Portrane. Picture: Ophelie Ferlier

HSE traffic plan fails to quell Portrane concerns  keith bellew

THE HSE has said that a traffic management plan will be implemented for the duration of the construction activity of the proposed National Forensic and Mental Health hospital at the site of St Ita’s in Portrane.

The local community raised concerns about the HSE’s plan to bring construction traffic through Portrane and Donabate villages. They fear congestion and the damage heavy construction traffic could cause to the vil-

lage streets, as happened during construction of the Donabate/Portrane sewage plant, which was completed in 2012.

Once the hospital has been built, the residents of the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum will be moved to the Portrane complex. The Portrane site was selected rather than building on the Dundrum site so as not to disrupt patients while construction is in train.

Following a public meeting in October, the HSE provided additional information in which it

rejected the suggestion of residents that a temporary alternative route be constructed through Ballymastone, saying that it would cost up to €1m to do so.

However, Cllr Paul Mulville (Ind) pointed out that it cost about €830,000 to resurface the Portrane Road following the construction of the sewage plant. And, as a stipulation for planning permission, the HSE will be required to fund any resurfacing works that result from this development. He said that, on this basis, constructing a new road would be roughly cost neutral.

According to local Fianna Fail representatives, the concerns raised by local residents are being completely ignored.

Senator Darragh O’Brien and councillors Darragh Butler, Adrian Henchy and Brian Dennehy have written to An

Bord Pleanala outlining the impact that construction plans will have on residents, schools, local clubs and local facilities.

They are also calling for a separate haul road to the site to minimise the disruption.

Senator O’Brien said the hospital would take at least three years to build and that under the current plan, residents face three years of chaos.

He s aid: “At the moment, there is just one access point to the site over a very narrow railway bridge and past four local schools.

“The route is not equipped to take the levels of heavy construction traffic [that will be required], and there is no doubt that it will impose a threat to safety in the community.”

A HSE spokesperson said: “The possibility of an alternative construction access route across

Fingal County Council lands was not raised during the pre-application planning discussions, and thus is not included in the planning application as these lands are owned by a third party and did not form part of the Environmental Impact Study carried out by the HSE.” The spokesperson went on to say that traffic studies carried out by its design team identified that there was capacity within the existing road network to accommodate the traffic that would be created during construction.

“A traffic management plan will be implemented for the duration of the construction activity of the proposed development,” said the spokesperson.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health said any intervention in the statutory planning process would be inappropriate.

9 April 2015 swords gazette 5

6 swords gazette 9 April 2015

funding Budget ‘a drop in the ocean’ – FF

€81m housing plan is cautiously welcomed  keith bellew



Got a story? we want to know!

Call our news team on 60 10 240 and SELECT OPTION 2

or email news@dublingazette.com

FINGAL’S housing list is likely to be cut by 23% following an €81m investment, through which 1,376 social housing units will be delivered by the local authority by the end of 2017.

The funding, along with details of the new Build, Buying and Leasing Programme, has been confirmed by Environment Minister Alan Kelly.

The scheme involves €1.5bn being invested nationwide. Fingal will have the option of both building new units and acquiring vacant units.

Further details on building proposals will be announced later this month.

The funding has been welcomed by Minister for Health Leo Varadkar. He described the 23% target as a significant reduction of the numbers on the housing list.

He said: “It’s estimated that this funding will help to sustain more than 600 jobs in the construction sector. There will be further developments from the Housing Assistance Payment, which will reduce demand on our housing waiting list.”

Cllr David McGuin-

Housing remains a huge issue for people in north county Dublin. Plans to build 1,376 social housing units in the county by the end of 2017 have seen a mixed response, despite the Government’s support for the ambition plan.

ness (FF) was less enthusiastic, saying: “I just think it’s a drop in the ocean. We are looking at 8,000 people waiting on housing in the Fingal area. There are people waiting eight years.

“Any move to deal with this issue is welcome, but this is very piecemeal, and I don’t think it’s going to go far enough to appease the amount of people looking for housing.”

Fingal County Council chief executive Paul

Reid said: “Plans are well advanced for a substantial construction programme, with the planning process under way for sites at Lusk, Ballyboughal and Cappagh.

Further schemes will be presented to the council in the coming months.”

He went on to say that while the plan was ambitious, he looked forward to working to meet the target.

A spokesperson from the Department of Environment said: “The

Government’s Social Housing Strategy 2020 sets out clear, measurable actions and targets to increase the supply of social housing, reform delivery arrangements and meet the housing needs of all households on the housing list.”

The Department also hopes to reduce the list through the Housing Assistance Payment and Rental Accommodation Scheme systems.

Cllr Eugene Coppinger (A A A) said that any

attempt to reduce the numbers on the housing list was welcome, but the funding would not be of any use unless rent controls were introduced.

In response, the Department said the mismatch between demand and supply was causing an increase in rents, but the Government was monitoring the rental market closely and considering options for achieving stability and sustainability in the market.

Reduction in Live Register ‘pretty minuscule’  keith bellew

A local TD has criticised the Government over the methods which it has employed to reduce the number of people signing on to the Live Register.

The latest Live Register figures in north County Dublin show a decrease in both Balbriggan and Swords. The number of people signing on in Balbriggan has been reduced by 114 from 4,146 to 4,032 and in Swords there was

a reduction of 102 from 3,442 to 3,340.

Deputy Clare Daly (Ind) said that while any reduction in the Live Register was welcome, the reduction in Swords and Balbriggan was “pretty miniscule”.

“They [the figures] of course mask the bigger picture which is how were those reductions achieved and it is an appalling indictment of the present Government that many of the ‘jobs’ that are being created are

schemes whereby people are simply getting top-up payments in order to massage the figures, or where people are coming off the register as they have run out of payments and failed the means test.”

Meanwhile Deputy Brendan Ryan (Lab) welcomed the reduction and pointed out that the current total number of people on the Live Register in Balbriggan was down from a figure of 5,180 when the current Govern-

ment took over in March 2011, while the number in Swords was down from 4,621 over the same period.

He said: “I am very encouraged by the continued downward trend in unemployment figures in Fingal and throughout the country. This is real proof that recovery is taking hold. We are now seeing a real decrease in unemployment levels and this trend is very positive.”

9 April 2015 swords gazette 7

education School’s long-awaited extension, revamp is approved meeting Help for bereaved parents

St Syl’s gets planning go-ahead  keith bellew

A MAJOR revamp for St Sylvester’s Infant School is on the cards as planning permission for an extension to the school building has been granted.

Full planning permission has been secured for the demolition of the existing prefab buildings, which currently accommodate seven classrooms.

A new two-storey extension will be built to the north west of the existing school to accommodate seven new classrooms, two resource rooms, a principal’s office, an administration office, a disabled bathroom, a circulation corridor, stairs and a lift.

The project will cost the Department of Education in the region of

€1m, which means that the construction contract will have to go out to tender. It is anticipated that the build will begin in the summer, with completion estimated for April 2016.

Malahide-based Senator Darragh O’Brien (FF) has welcomed the news and congratulated the school and parents for their hard work on this development.

He said: “This is fantastic news for the children, staff and management at St Sylvester’s. Along with Cllr Eoghan O’Brien (FF), I have had the privilege of working with them to help secure approval for a much-needed revamp of the school. It’s clear that their hard work has now paid off.

“The current facilities at St Sylvester’s are totally inadequate for the

number of children and staff at the school. This new building will make a huge difference in providing the optimum learning environment for all pupils.

“I would like to commend the principal, Sharon Dunne; the chairperson, Denise Boyne, and all the members of the board of management and staff for the hard work, commitment and dedication they have shown to the school’s future.

“Both myself and Cllr O’Brien are former pupils of St Sylvester’s and we are looking forward to the work commencing in the coming months,” he said.

Cllr Brian McDonagh (Lab) said it is great to see that the funding put aside by the Department of Education is bearing fruit,

Senator Darragh O’Brien (FF) and Sharon Dunne, principal, St Sylvester’s Infant School, who welcomed news of the approval of planning permission for the school

and that the project itself will create construction jobs. He said: “It’s really good for the local area; they have been looking for that for some considerable time.”

He added that with the cuts to education currently going on in Northern Ireland, it would be nice to see people welcome

what is happening in the Republic, and to realise that there is positive investment being made.

“At a time when we were under considerable financial restraints, we made choices and this is one of those that has borne good fruit.

“Hopefully, we’ll be able to do more investment

in our communities and improve services, because we have been able to stabilise the economy and you can’t invest in public services unless you’ve got an economy that’s stabilised,” he said, adding that he would like to see many of the teachers working part time positions given fulltime positions.

Anam Cara, the organisation that supports bereaved parents, is holding its monthly parent evening on Wednesday, April 15, at Applewood Community Centre from 7.30pm to 9pm. Anam Cara Services are available free of charge to all bereaved parents.

Anam Cara support groups provide parents with a safe environment where they can connect with other bereaved parents who understand the intensity of the grief and loss.

It is an inclusive organisation where parents do not identify themselves by their children’s age, how they died, or if their death was recent or many years ago. For information visit www.anamcara.ie, email info@anamcara.ie or call 01 4045378.

8 swords gazette 9 April 2015

gazetteGALLERIES

The cast of Annie Meets Oliver celebrating their success

Gay Byrne with Charlotte Delamer, his wife Kathleen Watkins and David Delamer at The House restaurant in Howth

picture perfect: Mccolgan snaps to it for Howth lifeboats

V

ETERAN broadcaster Gay Byrne did the honours at the official opening of the Howth Horizons exhibition of photographs taken by John McColgan, multi-award winning director and producer of Riverdance.

The exhibition runs until April 20 at The House restaurant in Howth, and all proceeds from sales go to Howth RNLI. Byrne, also a keen photographer, spoke of his happiness at being back in Howth, where he had lived for 35 years. “Nobody who lives in a fishing village anywhere in Ireland can have anything other than huge admiration and pride in the people who run the lifeboats.�

Abbey Duffe takes centre stage in Annie Meets Oliver.

Mercy and Egheose Okooboh

Pictures: Niall Griffin

Stephen Harris, Russell Rafter and Fred Connolly

Broadcaster Joe Duffy and artist John McColgan

Gay Byrne launching the exhibition Teacher Claire Hall and Ben Oldfield

Glenn Matthews and Adrian Sandelance

9 April 2015 swords gazette 9

Laura and Jessica O’Dwyer

Michelle Kelly and Sophie Buckley

in tune: PUPILS GIVE CLASSIC STORIES A MAKEOVER

Oliver meets Annie in Swords

T

WO pint-sized giants of the musical stage had a happy get-together in Swords recently, when the pupils of the Holy Family Senior Primary School took part in the vibrant musical, Annie Meets Oliver, bringing together some key moments in the two famous musicals, Oliver and Annie. There was no shortage of urchins for the production as about 130 pupils took part in the musical.

The pupils displayed a high degree of versatility in the roles, to the delight and enjoyment of the audiences that turned out to see the show.

10 gazette 9 April 2015

gazetteGALLERY

Catriona O’Connor and Dee Fiona Morton and Leona Bernes

Hedderman

It’s not hard to spot those Ferrell fans

W

ill Ferrell fans were out in droves for the Irish premiere screening of his latest movie, Get Hard.

The film tells the story of a prison-bound James (Will Ferrell) a millionaire hedge fund manager who asks a black businessman (Kevin Hart), who has never

been to jail, to prepare him for life behind bars.

Guests on the night included RTE presenter Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh, Fair City actress Aoibheann McCaul, as well as Spin Radio’s Cormac Moore. The after party continued later at the hip Sth William Venue.

Jasette Fitzsimons and Melissa Hayward pictured at the Irish premiere screening of Will Ferrell’s new film Get Hard at the Screen Cinema in Dublin. Pictures: Brian McEvoy

Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh

Susan Edmonds

Donna McGarry and Eoin Dillon

Seamus Morton and Damien Bernes

David McLaughlin and Robyn O’Brien

9 April 2015 Gazette 11

asdfsdaf business P27 P16

feature P13

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

day in the life: actress cathy belton

what’son

It’s an early start for a scheming TV3 heiress  keith bellew kbellew@dublingazettecom

Actress Cathy Belton plays the part of Patricia Hennessy, the evil, scheming heiress on TV3’s Red Rock, and recently graced the red carpet for the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival premiere of A Little Chaos along with director Alan Rickman.

This week the Gazette spoke with Belton about a hectic Day in the Life of an actress on set, with early rises, long shoots and late finishes.

Because shooting begins early, she often has to be on set by 6.30am for hair and make-up which

means a very early rise.

She said: “I get up early and have a strong cup of tea, and what I usually do is bring my breakfast with me and have that in the green room after I’m made up and before I get into costume.”

She said that the schedule can vary from day to day once she is in costume, based on how many scenes she has.

Once shooting starts it’s very busy and she might be in one location shooting scenes for two episodes so these are shot back-to-back in order to stay on schedule.

“Once you start it’s fairly busy, you’re just going and going. We would usually work until

about half 12, and then we take a break for lunch.

Then we’re back on at half one, and you work on one, but you might have a scene or two off.

That’s great because it gives you a chance to catch up on your lines to come and prep for the next scene or maybe you would have a costume scene or maybe a hair and make-up change, so you would be in hair and make-up for maybe half an hour after lunch too,” she said.

The long day usually ends at about half seven, and Belton says that at that point she is not inclined to go out anywhere and goes straight home. Having been



Gazette

diary P12

ukrainians and russians set to hold two operas

Actress Cathy Belton plays Patricia Hennessy, a scheming heiress on TV3’s Red Rock

indoors all day she likes to get some fresh air.

“I tend to go for a run down by the Grand Canal, which I love.

“It clears my head and I let go of Patricia Hennessy and all the stress and it gives me a good airing.”

She says that if she is due on set the next day, then she runs over lines in the evening and watches Red Rock if it’s on, and gets into bed at 10.30pm or 11pm.

“I’d read a bit or watch a bit of telly. I’ll watch something on Netflix

which is always good.

That’s my day when I’m on Red Rock.”

You can catch Belton spinning her webs of intrigue in her role as Patricia Hennessy on Red Rock every Wednesday and Thursday at 8.30pm on TV3.

DURING preparations for this year’s tour with the Ukrainian National Opera in Kharkiv, award-winning opera producer Ellen Kent was caught just six miles from the epicentre of the Ukrainian/ Russian conflict.

Warned by the British Foreign Office not to travel due to fatalities, bombings and kidnappings, she managed to transport the complete sets, props and costumes out of the area.

Which is good news for Ireland, as the National Concert Hall is staging her highlyacclaimed productions of Puccini’s popular Madama Butterfly and La Traviata this month.

Under her guidance, the Ukrainian National Opera will perform Puccini’s Madama Butterfly on April 18, and Verdi’s La Traviata on April 19.

Focusing on overcoming the difficulties of the conflict, Kent has assembled a new company, including Ukrainians, Moldovans and Russians, working together in harmony to bring a heart-wrenching productions of both operas.

For further information on the productions, see www.nch.ie.

Gazette

12 Gazette 9 April 2015

dublinlife

DIARY

Brush up on how McGregor might do in his next big match CONOR McGregor fans are making noise and rallying to support the modest (ahem!) fighter’s next big match against Jose Aldo with a graphic mural splattered across a Dublin City lane.

You just never know what you are going to see when you walk down a lane in this dirty aul’ town – take Sycamore Street (beside the Olympia Theatre), for example.

Imagine The Gazette’s surprise when we noticed a sizable mural of Conor

McGregor holding a defeated Aldo’s head with the title belt draped around his shoulder.

McGregor will face down Aldo in a title shot on Saturday, July 11 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The bout will be the 26-year-old Dubliner’s toughest, to date, seeing as Rio de Janeiro’s Aldo has been unbeaten since 2006.

Although the public will enjoy the mural, it’s doubtful that the litter warden from the council will be too pleased

with the graffiti art – who would want to tackle the Notorious Conor, even if it’s only a mural?

search is on for curvy women CURVACEOUS women looking to boost their confidence, enter the modelling world, or just to have a laugh are urged to enter the Tempted Boutiques “Face of Tempted” plus-size model competition.

The competition, which celebrates body confidence, was launched recently to find new plussize modelling talent, and entrants are invited from all walks of life and all ages across Ireland.

Competition organiser Rosemary Kearns said they are looking for entrants who are a size 16-plus and who love style and fashion. Fifteen women will be selected for the final, to be held on Sunday, May 17 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry.

The total prize package is worth more than €3,000 and includes €1,000 “Curvy Cash” to spend in Tempted Boutique, an overnight spa break for two, and much more.

Entries can be made online at www.tempted. ie, or at www.facebook. com / temptedsize16to28, supplying two pho-

The suitably modest and quietly confident mural on show in Sycamore Street suggesting the outcome of Conor McGregor’s upcoming bout against Jose Aldo. Picture: Shane DIllon

tos and some personal details. The closing date for entries is Friday, April 17 at 5pm.

look good, and help do good HERE’S your chance to look good while doing good when the Bestseller group’s stores, such as Vero Moda and Jack & Jones, host a Give-A-Day campaign where 50% of one day’s net turnover in Ireland will go to CMRF Crumlin, the principal fundraiser for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin and the national children’s research centre.

International and family-owned fashion firm Bestseller is arranging a worldwide charity day across all of its brands on April 10. And, through its fundraising body, Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin has been chosen as the Irish charity recipient.

All money raised on the day will help fund

new radiography equipment which will reduce the radiation dose to a child while also improving x-ray imagery.

CMRF Crumlin and Bestseller are together calling on the public to save their pennies for April 10 to indulge in a spot of weekend retail therapy to help raise money for the hospital’s radiology department.

Bestseller brands, which also include Vila and Name It, have 81 stores in Ireland.

young film critics sought DO YOU enjoy watching films? Would you like to see new films from around the world? Ever thought of beeing a film critic? And are you aged between eight to 18?

If so, this year’s Cinemagic Dublin CineSeekers and CineFocus film jury is for you.

T his coming May, jury panels of film buffs aghed eight to 18 from all

across Ireland will get the opportunity to watch and judge a series of international films during the Cinemagic Dublin 2015 Festival.

The jury meets in Cineworld cinemas in Parnell Street and Film Base, Temple Bar, where they will learn how to review and critique, and choose the winning films of the weekend. They also have the chance to meet other young film fans, master the role of the film critic and play an important part in Cinemagic Dublin’s eighth festival for young people.

To register for the May Cinemagic Dublin Festival Jury, visit www.cinemagic.ie by April 30.

make time for a tea-rific break GO ON, go on, go on ... have a tea break during work and you will be happier – that’s according to a new survey by Lyons Tea. According to findings

from the report, 70% of Irish workers no longer take tea breaks because they just don’t have the time, and are unsure whether or not they are entitled to a break.

Lyons Tea is now looking to banish such widesprea “tea break shame” around the country.

The tea-break study has found that many workers are “ashamed” of taking breaks and feel “frowned upon” by coworkers if they do.

T he sur vey shows half of those questioned would feel happier and be more productive if they took a tea break at 11am, while 20% said they felt “frowned upon” when they did take the plunge.

Operation Transformation presenter and GP Ciara Kelly said: “It’s common now for people to not take breaks, to skip lunch or to eat at their desks, but it’s not good for your overall health or quality of life.”

9 April 2015 Gazette 13

Gazette

FEATURE

escape the mayhem: talk show host Niall Boylan’s secret for keeping stress at bay

‘Exercise? I’d rather play the Playstation 4’  Ian Begley

Dubbed one of Ireland’s most controversial talk show hosts, Niall Boylan’s dynamic radio career sees him interact with some of Dublin’s most outlandish individuals on a daily basis.

B r o a d c a s t i n g t wo shows during the afternoon and at night, it’s certainly fair to say that this Classic Hits presenter’s day is demanding to say the least.

This week The Gazette caught up with Boylan to find out just what he does to unwind.

“I’m not as fit as I once was and tend to be very bad when it comes to

exercising.

“I’d much rather sit down and play the Playstation 4 and at 51 years of age I have to say I find it really therapeutic.

“I also really enjoy spending time with my kids during the weekends.

“I often take them to St Anne’s Park which I really like because I used to go rambling around there as a kid on my chopper bike.

“There’s a restaurant within the park called Tir na nOg that I go to for a cup of tea while my kids and their friends are going mad around the park.

“The only escape I get at night during the week-

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

‘I’ve never taken a day off sick before and never plan to either, touch wood’

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

days is by watching television and playing the Playstation. Everyone else is in bed by the time I get home from work so I more or less have the house to myself.

“I really value the Christmas and summer holidays because they’re the only time I get off to relax and spend time with

my family.

“I’ve never taken a day off sick before and never plan to either, touch wood.

“I’m mentally awake when I get back from work and am anything but tired. I’m wound up like a spring after dealing with callers for three-anda-half hours at night and have to calm down with a nice cup of tea or a bite to eat before I head to bed at 3am.

“My eating and sleeping habits are destroyed by work, but that’s the way it is and now I’m used to it.”

Check out the Niall Boylan Show from 1pm to 3pm and from 9pm to 1am (Monday to Friday).

Niall Boylan: “The only escape at night during the week is by watching television”

GAZETTE

14 GAZETTE 9 April 2015

DUBLINLIFE

FEATURE

PREJUDICE: SUBTLE AND OVERT HOMOPHOBIA MAKES FLATHUNTING EVEN HARDER FOR SOME

Looking for a home, but finding inequality The Gazette’s IAN BEGLEY recounts his personal experience of difficulties he, and many other people, face based only on his sexuality.

FOR some, house-hunting with their partner for the first time can be an exciting new endeavour, marking a whole new chapter in their lives.

For the past two and a half months, my boyfriend and I have been persistently looking to share an accommoda-

tion in Dublin, but have been turned down many times by landlords who have openly denied us residency solely because we’re gay.

I was so outraged and upset that I decided to speak to the Ryan Tubridy radio show recently.

I described how a male landlord in Blanchardstown rang me to see if I was on my way up to visit his place with my “girlfriend”.

I told him that I was

currently on my way, but said that I was with my boyfriend. What followed was a brief, awkward pause. He then said, “You’re gay guys? Oh well, that changes everything. I won’t have gay people living in my house.”

Another silence ensued, and in my disbelief at this blatant homophobia, all I could blurt out was: “Excuse me?”

“Well, in my country we don’t have that type of thing and I wouldn’t really

know what to expect,” he said, before hanging up.

Extremely angered and upset by this incident, I rang the housing charity Threshold for advice, wanting to see if it was within his rights to deny offering accommodation based on sexual orientation. The lady on the line, who was very sympathetic, explained that this was extreme discrimination and is in breach of the equality legislation.

She reassured me that no landlord can discriminate against potential tenants on the grounds of gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race or membership of the Traveller community, and she directed me to the Workplace Relations website so I could make an official complaint.

I intended to follow this up straight away, but thinking logically I decided it was best to focus on securing a place to live first before making a complaint. Pushing on with my search, I found that I had only hit the tip of the iceberg, with similar scenarios happening over and over again.

Wasted time We wasted a lot of time travelling to homes all across Dublin to meet landlords who had no intention of leasing their place to us.

Even when they didn’t directly tell us that they had a problem with a gay couple living in their property, it was obvious by their expression that they had no interest in showing us around.

One landlord from Adamstown told us when we went to visit his house: “You’re gay, are you? I’m not sure if we can allow you to live here.

“There’s a child in the house and I’m not sure

Ian Begley and his boyfriend, Eric: “We wasted a lot of time travelling all across Dublin to meet landlords who had no intention of leasing their place to us”

what the parents would think of it. I’d have to get all occupants of the house together and have a vote about whether you can stay.”

I’m not sure if this “vote” among the other residents actually happened, but we never heard from him again.

Although it is perfectly within our rights not to disclose our sexual orientation, I found that disclosing this seemingly minute fact over the phone, or in an email, saved us a lot of time in the long run.

A few responses I got back included: “You left me a message on Daft.ie.

You mentioned ‘‘you and your boyfriend’’, or is it a typing mistake and you meant to say your girlfriend? Unfortunately, we won’t accept any gay couples in the house.”

Another response: “I’m letting this apartment for €650 per month, including utilities, but I won’t allow a gay couple to stay here, as it may cause hassle down the line.”

And another: “I’m afraid my flatmate said she wouldn’t feel that comfortable, just that she would feel a bit like the odd one out.”

Since this story broke, the feedback I’ve being getting has been amazing.

Many people of all nationalities and ages have been in contact, sympathising with our situation, and in some cases offering to put us first on the list as soon as their flatmate or tenant moves out.

For now, our search for a place to live continues,

but due to the high level of people approaching us with their support, I am optimistic that this long ordeal will have a positive outcome.

And, with the upcoming marriage equality referendum in May, I hope some of the inequalities that still exist in Ireland will be eliminated forever.

9 April 2015 Gazette 15

Gazette

16 Gazette 9 April 2015

dublinlife

Q&A

business business

RDS exhibition to help support SMEs THE Business in the Community Ireland Smart Business Show (Sustainability Workshop for Small- to Medium-Sized Enterprises) will take place at the RDS on April 23.

The Smart Business Show is a two-day business-to-business exhibition that will provide

SMEs with the opportunity to explore the latest innovative technologies, and to engage, connect and do business with exhibitors and thousands of attendees.

T he sustainability workshop gives SMEs the opportunity to hear a panel discussion with a group of Irish SMEs

which are doing better business by reporting on sustainability.

Communication A spokesperson for Business in the Community Ireland said: “We know that effective communication is crucial to fully capturing the benefits of going one step

further for your clients, communities, employees and environment.

“Our expertise lies in helping [businesses] reap these rewards by sharing the message in a sustainability report.”

For further information on the upcoming Smart Business Show, see www.bitc.ie.

Jerry Harrington, empire bar and grill

Grilling a hospitality expert for top advice JERRY Harrington has been in the hospitality business for a very long time, having trained in The Gresham Hotel many moons ago.

He built up a portfolio of properties over the years and left Dublin, going on to America and then settling in South Africa for five years, where he built a restaurant on the shores of the Indian Ocean.

After this he returned to Ireland

and was offered a posting by the Wright Group, where he worked for four years before leaving to join the Lenaghan group to spearhead their growth of the empire’s brand.

Today, as general manager of the Empire Bar and Grill (part of the Lenaghan Group) at Main Street, Swords, Harrington says that his ethos is all about people, service and standards.

How long have you been in business?

one and to grow our business with our new ground floor opening in 10 weeks’ time, with a large outdoor courtyard. This will be the best space in north County Dublin over the past 20 years.

Years and years.

What makes your business successful?

Our attention to detail is what makes Empire successful.

What do you offer your clients that differs from your competitors?

A great welcome, customer service that is second to none, great food drink and live entertainment.

How has the recession impacted your business?

Like every business, we do super deals – great, genuine deals that our customers are happy to keep coming back to avail of, such as our signature steak deal, served with onion rings and fries and pepper sauce for €9.95. Why wouldn’t you come back for that? We also have a superb house wine for €20. We also have cocktails, two for €10, Sunday to Friday from 4 to 10pm.

What law or regulation would you change overnight to help your business?

I would remove the steep charges of late night bar extensions.

What is your ambition for the business?

Our ambition is to stay number-

How do you use social media (Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, etc) to help your business?

We use all the social media platforms to engage with our customers, Facebook being the main one for our business.

We keep the content topical, relevant and interesting for our customers. We have almost 8,000 fans on Facebook, and we are only open there since December We have the most brilliant marketing person in the business – Avril Kelly Carter – we have worked together for years, and she is fantastic and has her finger on the pulse.

What is your favourite thing about doing business in your local area?

Looking at the masses of people enjoying themselves, due to our hard work and dedication.

What is the best piece of business advice you ever received?

Don’t stop going to funerals.

What living person do you most admire?

From a business point of view, Larry Goodman and Denis O’Brien.

Block 4 and 5 Grand Canal Square was sold for €233m – the second-largest property transaction in Q1 this year

property: notable investment deals hit market

2014 momentum sees €923m sales  keith bellew

SOME €923m worth of Irish investment property was sold in the first quarter of 2015, much of which was achieved with two large portfolio sales worth more than €200m.

This includes Project Molly, which includes Iveagh Court, Dublin 2; The Watermarque Building, Dublin 4; and Marsh House, Dublin 2, sold by Lonestar estate agents for €350m.

The second-largest transaction was the sale of the trophy NAMA assets, Block 4 and 5 Grand Canal Square, which was sold for

€233m.

Overall, 95% of transactions were for Dublin assets, 93% of which was in the offices sector, followed by retail and mixed-use sales.

Hannah Dwyer, head of research at Jones Lang Lasalle ( JLL) Estate Agents, said: “It is positive to see the momentum of 2014 continue into the beginning of 2015.

“Whereas 2014 was the year of the portfolio sale, Q1 has only seen two large portfolio transactions, with the rest of activity dominated by single-asset sales.

“We do, however, expect this to change in the next three quarters

with a number of portfolios due for release.”

She went on to say that first quarter activity has been strong, and further confidence for the sector can be taken from the level of pre-sale activity that has taken place in the market in the past three months.

She said: “It is expected that these assets will be brought to the market in the short-term, and will further boost total volumes for investments.

We are forecasting that total volumes by the year-end could achieve in excess of €3bn,” she said.

Overseas investor activity has led the mar-

ket this quarter, accounting for 80% of total volumes. This was boosted by the fact that the top three purchases, totalling €675m, were all made by overseas purchasers.

Dw yer said: “It is notable that a significant number of these players are new to the market and are core-style investors rather than just the oppor tunistic funds [buyers], which have dominated the market recently.

“On the domestic side, Hibernia REIT, IPUT, Irish Life and Davy have all been active, plus a number of private Irish investors on smaller lotsize deals.”

9 April 2015 Gazette 17

arts P24

asdfsdaf P27 cinema 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

food: the humble prawn is key to a terrific upcoming weekend festival

Pets

There’ll be a cracking good time for all in Howth

 Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

MARK your diaries for one of Ireland’s most successful food festivals as Dublin Bay Prawn Festival takes over Howth later this month.

From April 24 to 26, Howth’s finest restaurants, bars and cafes will come together to host a variety of food experiences, including a selection of special Dublin Bay Prawn dishes.

Added to this is a platter of entertainment which will also be served up for young and old alike.

Speaking to The Gazette about the popular event, Aoife Healy, event chairperson, said: “This is the fifth year of the festival. It started when a group of business owners in hospitality and retail got together, and came up with the idea to try and drive tourism traffic to Howth and to raise its profile and build a brand.

“It was brilliant last year – we had more than 30,000 people over the weekend and there was a huge uplift

either side [of the festival] too,” she said.

Since its first year, attendance at the festival has grown tenfold, beginning from 3,000 people and rising to 30,000.

One intriguing event at this year’s festival is the Mystery Dine Around.

Healy discussed what this comprises.

She said: “All of the restaurants participate in this, and you’re put with a group of people, maybe eight to 10 diners.

“You attend a reception first, and are given a card that tells you the first restaurant to go to, and only when you’re finished your starter in the first restaurant do you learn what will be the next restaurant you’re going to.

“This continues on, finishing up with a late evening drink in one of the pubs, which usually put music on.

“You can book it online at Eventbrite, and it costs €69, including a booking fee, and includes all of your wine and drinks too,” said Healy.



Gazette

travel P20

lovely bella deserves a happy home

King Sitric chef Aidan McManus at the launch of the upcoming Dublin Bay Prawn festival in Howth. Picture: Conor Healy Photography

A new addition this year is the inclusion of a theatrical performance in one of the marquees. Actor Phelim Drew, son of the late, great Ronnie, will perform his one-man show of George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London.

Healy said: “Findlaters have been running some very successful dinner and theatre nights in their restaurant and they’re expanding it this year to one of the marquees.

“The idea is that people can buy tickets for a festival dinner in a number

of restaurants and then go up to see Phelim Drew doing his one-man show at 8.15pm.”

Other activities include a fun fair, a foamy soft play area, powerboating and watersports demonstrations to displays by the coastguard and the RNLI. There will also be plenty of music with buskers, cooking demonstrations and of course, the real business of the festival: prawns.

For further information, see www. dublinbayprawnfestival.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 gorgeous bulldog cross, Bella, who’s about one year old. Bella arrived to us from a local authority pound with a horrific case of mange and needed one of her eyes removed due to the damage it had caused. Bella has been a trooper throughout all the treatment she has needed and the staff have been blown away by her sunny disposition.

Bella is a young girl so she is still quite bouncy and full of energy. She gets on well with other dogs but ones who wouldn’t mind a bit of rough and tumble as she can be a bit full on when she plays! If you think you can help Bella find a fabulous home, please call the centre on 01 879 1000 and speak to our Rehoming Team.

You can also pop up for a visit – it’s open six days a week from 12pm to 4pm.

The centre is closed all day Tuesday.

GAZETTE

18 GAZETTE 9 April 2015

OUT&ABOUT

STYLE

2

1

lt coat €395

0

€475

6

4 n dress €245 Coast Harve

Bastyan Eva be

€20 bloom skirt

n Maxi dress Karen Mille

Coast Hyper

3

5 Karen

Coast

Millen

Rita mid

t Midi skir €210

159

i skirt €

FINE FASHIONS TO SET HEARTS RACING BEING a fan of the races doesn’t mean you have to don silks and jodhpurs and, this week, stylist and fashion guru Lisa Fitzpatrick (right) talks Gazette Style through some fabulous outfits deserving of a Ladies’ Day win ahead of her nationwide Fashion Fix roadshow.

She said: “I love going to the races and even more so, I love dressing up for them. I have picked some of my favourite pieces from Coast, Karen Millen and Bastyan that would be fabulous at racing meets.”

Working clockwise from

the top left, she said: “This Karen Millen maxi dress (1) is gorgeous. The colours are ideal to bring right through from spring to autumn.

“Another f loor-length item that I really love at

the moment is the Coast Hyper Bloom Skirt (2).

Maxi dresses and skirts are great and always make an impact. You’re sure to stand out from the crowd!

“We all know that we can’t rely on the Irish weather so it’s important to wrap up for the races, too. I think this gorgeous Bastyan Eva Belt Coat (3) is fabulous, and will do just that. This belted design also creates a simple and chic silhouette.

“I also love this Coast Harven dress (4). Again, this is also the length I love:

midi. This dress is so elegant and stylish, and can be taken from day to night,” said Lisa.

“I’m a big fan of midi-skirts.

They are just so comfortable, yet so stylish; I love this one from Karen Millen (5).

“Now that the clocks have gone forward, we can officially say it’s spring time, and what better way to do this than to wear yellow! I just love this Coast Rita skirt (6),” she said.

All these items, and others shown above, are available in Coast/Karen Millen’s spring/ summer 2015 range.

THROUGHOUT the months of April and May, Lisa will be visiting counties around the country with her stylish roadshow, Lisa Fitzpatrick’s Fashion Fix. The fun-filled day will include style workshops, hair and make-up master classes, fashion shows, surprise celebrity guests and much, much more.

Dates confirmed include: • April 18, The Spencer Hotel, Excise Walk, IFSC, Dublin 1 • May 10, The Kingsley Hotel, Victoria Cross, Cork • May 16, The Savoy Hotel, Henry Street, Limerick • May 23, Hotel Kilkenny, College Road, Kilkenny • May 30, The Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa, Lough Atalia, Galway Tickets can be purchased on www.fitzpatrickstyle.com, or by calling Tara at 01 460 7575. (A discount is available for group bookings.)

9 April 2015 Gazette 19

Gazette

FOOD&DRINK

Plenty to savour at FX Buckley Steakhouse FOR diners who like a table and some waiter service with their food, FX Buckley Steakhouse on Parkgate Street should do the trick.

Upstairs from Ryan’s, the restaurant specialises in steaks, as the name

Echoes of the past, such as polished whiskey casks, are a visible reminder of Ryan’s of Parkgate Street many, many decades of serving travellers and tourists

The Picky Eater RYAN’S of Parkgate Street – still “Bongo Ryan’s” for those of a certain vintage – has been around a while.

Since 1886, it has sat elegantly between the Phoenix Park and Heuston Station, offering refreshment to weary travellers. Today, it continues to ply its trade, albeit in a more modern manner.

On a quiet Monday, The Picky Eater and pal repaired to the Victorian pub for a late-afternoon pint and a morsel after a tramp through the Phoenix Park.

The menu offers a tempting range: Irish “tapas” for nibblers; plenty of starters ranging from creamy chowder to flambeed kidneys; mains for vegetarians, the gluten-intolerant and committed carnivores, along with dishes of the day set out on the old-fashioned blackboard just behind the bar. Sea bass and beef and Guinness pie on the day in question.

We chose chowder and spicy chicken wings to start, followed by cornfed chicken with pea and chorizo pearl barley with sauteed spinach and green herb dressing (€16.95),

and pan-fried hake with crushed baby potatoes, grilled asparagus, black olive and tomato dressing (€17.50).

The chowder was loyal to its name: creamy, chock full of fish and, in truth, a meal in itself. Alas, the bread was nondescript – two different sorts of tired soda which needed a bin.

The wings were a triumph and suitably devoured. Half full and slightly trepidatious of the mains, Picky Eater took in the Ryan’s interior.

Revamped gas lamps and polished whiskey casks; old brass match strikers and big wooden drawers, relics of the days when pubs sold tobacco and tea and the clientele smoked; massive hanging baskets beneath oldworld skylights and snugs for those seeking quiet.

Stepping into Ryan’s can be like stepping back in time – if it wasn’t for the

huge TVs that cater for diehard sports fans.

The food came in its own good time and found us relaxed and ready. The chicken was really succulent: crisp on the outside but juicy and tender inside, the pearl barley was perfect texture- and taste-wise, with spinach an ideal accompaniment.

But the hake was the star of the show: it parted softly under the fork and melted in the mouth.

On tastebud overload, we surveyed desserts and plumped for a selection of cheeses from Sheridan’s Cheesemongers, served with house onion jam, fennel honey and water biscuits (€8.95). The right choice – a mix of strong and mild, soft and hard and the remaining drop of beer to round off the afternoon nicely.

For “high tea” on a quiet afternoon, Ryan’s is recommended.

Conclusion ANOTHER Victorian jewel of the city, Ryan’s (at 28 Parkgate St, Dublin 8; tel 01 677 6097) has some modern touches, but otherwise remains a classic of its era, attracting tourists, locals and long-term fans to its striking interior with ease. A trip to Ryan’s is a must when heading to the Phoenix Park.

suggests.

But the menu is diverse and interesting and the wine/beer list is extensive, with plenty of informed staff to help you choose what’s right for you, if help is what you need!

The pub can be daunt-

ing to plough through on a weekend evening, but once on the stairs take a look at the photos of an older Dublin as you climb. And, when you’re in the restaurant proper, relax, sit back and bon appetit!

FX Buckley Steakhouse

GAZETTE

20 GAZETTE 9 April 2015

OUT&ABOUT

TRAVEL

FastTravel

Set cruise control with these luxury Cunard trips  IAN BEGLEY

TO MARK 175 years of sailing, Cunard Line has arranged celebrations on every cruise in 2015, with special features and events on board from €1,999pp for travel in May. Queen Mary 2 is Cunard’s flagship ocean liner and booking a transatlantic crossing to or from New York on this ship is a holiday like no other.

Cunard will host a gig by rock band Crosby, Stills and Nash on the liner this September 4. The trio will perform some of their greatest hits in the liner’s Royal Court Theatre, and will also participate in a question and answers session, along with an autograph opportunity for passengers on board.

You can also join Cunard’s Blue Note Jazz at Sea from New York to Southampton, sailing on October 29 from €1,999pp.

Balcony upgrades can be arranged from €235pp and extra nights in New York can also be added.

Price is per person based on two sharing and strictly subject to availability.

For further information, call 01 637 1699, or see www.clickandgo.com.

Glasgow’s architecturally rich cityscape provides plenty of food for the eyes, while for modern comic tastes, the Stand Comedy Club (inset) should sate your laughter needs

SCOTLAND: COMEDY FESTIVAL IS JUST ONE OF GLASGOW’S MANY ATTRACTIONS

A bonnie hop over the sea

 ROB HEIGH

GLASGOW has a reputation for sharp wit and the ability to laugh at almost everything in life, so it made perfect sense that a trip to Scotland’s other capital city should be paired with taking in a little of the 2015 Glasgow Comedy Festival.

Glasgow is a fabulous city, a lot like Dublin in many ways – its small and self-contained city centre mirrors our own, with a massive array of unique artisanal and boutique shopping experiences alongside the high street regulars. There is an immersive experience to be had among the Victorian architecture, and stepping a little way beyond the city centre opens up a wealth of hidden gems.

Chief among those is the Byres Road. Part of the university district of

the city, its mix of longstanding shops that have been there for generations and newly blooming cafes and shops means that long hours can be (and were) spent there.

Not only that, but it is home to one of the bestloved restaurants in the city, The Ubiquitous Chip.

It is a treat to go there – booking is definitely in order – and their longstanding reputation has not been dulled by time or trend.

Its monkfish tails are still unsurpassed, and the Aberdeen Angus steak au poivre is as good as I remember – an unabashed indulgence.

The fact that it is topped off with access to the Botanical Gardens, which is always worth a walk through, just across the Great Western Road, makes it an unmissable destination.

At the other end of Byres Road is the Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed Glasgow School of Art, heartbreakingly damaged by fire in 2014, and it is a symbol of Glasgow’s place in the world’s centres of art and design.

In addition, a short trip out of the city centre to The Burrell Collection is well worth your time, as was a brief afternoon journey to the Glasgow Gallery Of Modern Art. However, the main order of business for me was the comedy festival, which will see more than 400 international acts converge on the city for the 13th instance of the event, that sees some 700 shows being performed for an expected audience of more than 106,000 comedy fans.

The festival started in 2003 at the venue I attended on my first night

See for yourself why The Ubiquitous Chip has been delighting diners for years

in the city, the iconic Stand Comedy Club, which had brought the idea of a comedy festival to the city council the year before.

The Glasgow festival is an interesting counterpoint to the Edinburgh Fringe, which has of course been running for considerably longer, and is open to a much wider and diverse range of arts beyond comedy.

Glasgow is a “pure” comedy festival, and it sees some of the biggest

acts in the business – Stewart Lee, Jimmy Carr and Al Murray – alongside our own local heroes, Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan.

There are a host of upand-coming talents such as Damo Clark, Paul Currie and many, many more to appeal to the broadest comedy palette imaginable for the duration of the festival.

For further information about those events and on holidaying in Scotland with everything it has to

offer, see www.visitscotland.com, while for more on the second city of the empire, see www.peoplemakeglasgow.com.

I travelled with P&O Ferries, which operates from Larne to Cairnryan and Troon, providing the shortest and fastest crossings to Scotland. Online fares start from €74. For further information, see www.poferries.com.

To find out more about the Glasgow Comedy Festival, see www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com.

LEARNINGCURVE



GAZETTE

9 April 2015 GAZETTE 21

EXHIBITION: STUDENTS SKILLS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Fashion forward fun at Sallynoggin  LAURA WEBB

THINGS are getting stylish at Sallynoggin College of Further Education with the first art house inspired fashion exhibition taking place this month.

Fashion Edit, is a first of its kind for the college and is conducted and styled by their fashion industry practice students.

Taking place on April 16, this event will have a unique blend of live fashion installations, fashion show and drinks reception.

According to the college, the students are mixing things up by moving away from the stereotypical fashion show and paving the way for a fresh new contemporary take on a fashion event.

The event will showcase the students diverse skills in styling, visual display, merchandising and their knowledge of the fashion industry, some of the many skills they have learned through their time at the college.

With 2015 the year of Irish design, the event

Film director Lenny Abrahamson, crime writer John Connolly, former judge Catherine McGuinness and vice president of Intel’s Internet of Things, Philip Moynagh were recognised for their achievements

Trinity College celebrates alumni with a gala dinner

A FILM director and crime writer were

was a Trinity scholar, son of a scholar

among past Trinity College pupils who

and grandson of a scholar, was born in

were presented with Trinity College

Dublin and graduated from Trinity with

Alumni Awards at a special gala dinner

first-class honours.

last week.

known to adult readers as the crea-

crime writer John Connolly and former

tor of detective Charlie Parker, who

judge Catherine McGuinness received

has appeared in 12 novels, beginning

the awards in recognition of achieve-

with Every Dead Thing (1999) and most

ments in their respective fields and the

recently the internationally-bestsell-

contribution they have made in Ireland

ing The Wolf in Winter (2014). He studied

and internationally.

English at Trinity College, Dublin and

Abrahamson BA (1990) directed

will highlight and celebrate Irish designers and retailers.

The fashion show will consist of some of the most talented up-andcoming Irish designers.

It will also showcase key pieces and trends for womenswear and menswear for spring/

LAST week saw Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys officially launch the UCD Decade of Centenaries programme.

The university is planning more than 25 special events to commemorate the decade of centenaries, many of which will draw from UCD’s wealth of national and international archives relating to the period from 1912 to 1923.

At the launch, at UCD Charles

journalism at Dublin City University.

Meanwhile, Catherine McGuin-

Fashion Edit will showcase the talents of

numerous commercials for TV before

Sallynoggin College of Further Education’s

directing for TV and film. Credits

ness BA (1957) is a former judge. Her

fashion industry practice students

include: Adam and Paul, What Rich-

original BA was in Modern Languages

ard Did and Frank, staring Domhnall

(French and Irish). In 2003, she was

Gleeson, Michael Fassbender, and

conferred by Trinity with an honourary

Maggie Gyllenhaal. Abrahamson who

degree of Doctor in Laws.

summer 2015 which will be supplied by Irish owned boutiques such as The Loft, Marion Cuddy Irish Designers Emporium, The Design Centre, Lennon Courtney and Maven.

Former student of Sallynoggin College and renowned fashion stylist,

columnist and TV presenter Courtney Smith is the host for the night.

The Fashion Edit will take place in Film Base located on Curved Street, Temple Bar on April 16 at 4.30pm with a drinks reception at 6pm followed by the show commencing at 7pm.

A Decade of Centenaries launched  BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

John Connolly BA (1992) is best

Film director Lenny Abrahamson,

Institute, which houses the famous Kevin Barry window, Minister Humphreys said: “The scale, ambition, depth and breadth of the UCD commemorations forms a seminal part of the national programme.”

While there, the Minister examined a selection of the unique papers, documents and photographs held by UCD Archives.

One such archive was the diary of civil servant JR Clarke and 450 interviews of people active in Ireland’s revolutionary past from the Rising to the end of the Civil War.

Among the staff of UCD who played a role in events of 100 years ago were Thomas MacDonagh, assistant professor of English, signatory of the Proclamation and commandant of the Dublin Brigade, Eoin MacNeill, professor of Early and Medieval Irish History, and Irish Volunteers chief of staff, Mary Hayden, professor of Modern Irish History and founder of the Irish Catholic Women’s Suffrage Society, and Agnes O’Farrelly, lecturer in Modern Irish and a founder of Cumann na mBan.

GAZETTE

22 GAZETTE 9 April 2015

LEARNINGCURVE

Some useful tips to help you study smarter WITH big exams on the horizon, many

Making sure your desk is tidy and

college students will be starting to

organised is also important as it

worry and panic, but with proper

means you can concentrate on study-

preparation, you can get through it

ing and learning, instead of sifting

all and concentrate on your summer

through a mountain of crumpled

plans.

sheets.

The following is a few handy tips for study and revision.

Having a good study area can make all the difference in the world. If you study in a quiet, well-lit area, away

Also, logging out of your email and Facebook and turning off your phone is a great way to eliminate possible distractions.

Make sure you know all the ins and

from the hustle and bustle of the

outs of each exam. Find out what

house, your capacity for learning and

format the exam will take – whether

remembering vastly increases. If this

it is short answer, multiple choice or

isn’t possible, it might be better to

essay format. Make sure you know

study at the library.

how much of your overall grade each exam is worth and allot study time accordingly.

Mind maps, study plans and to-do lists can be very helpful. Try making a to-do list before each study session. Breaking tasks down into small, manageable pieces will make it less overwhelming.

Spend your time as carefully as possible over your range of subjects, concentrating on those you find more difficult, without neglecting those you excel at.

Mature students bring a lot of experience to any college atmosphere and teach their younger colleagues life skills

OPPORTUNITIES: MATURE STUDENTS

The time is now to go back to college  BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

IF YOU are one of the many people in Ireland who has always harboured a desire to go to college but never got the chance, why not apply as a mature student next year?

For a change, being older is an advantage when it comes to college, as mature students do not have to meet the normal matriculation requirements or compete with Leaving Certificate students in the points race.

Although you must apply through the CAO system, most colleges use an interview process to decide your suitability for all undergraduate courses.

If you show a keen interest and are serious about staying in the course, in all likelihood you will be accepted.

Universities and other colleges welcome mature students and have a spe-

cial mature students’ information page on their websites.

Mature students are seen as reliable and this is based on the fact that the drop-out rate is far lower for mature students.

They also bring a lot of experience to any college atmosphere and teach their younger colleagues life skills. Some 11% of students in Irish universities are mature students, while the figure in institutes of technology is 20%.

Over 10,000 students in full-time education are over 30-years-old, according to the Higher Education Authority.

So, if you were anxious about being the odd one out in a sea of freshfaced 19-year-olds, you can rest assured that you will not be alone as there has never been as many mature students in college.

Financially, it can be

a strain to fund yourself through your college course for three or four years. There are resources out there to help, however. Schemes such as the back-to-education allowance and the SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) grants are available to those who fit the criteria.

As well as that, mature students who began a college course but dropped out over five years ago, can restart their course with no sizeable fees applying.

If the idea of jumping straight into a degree course is a bit daunting to you, you can do a preparatory year-long evening access programme first at many colleges for a reasonable fee.

When applying for a course through the CAO, you must submit additional information including a CV, any prior exam results and a personal

statement along with your application.

For information on applying to Trinity College as a mature student, you can contact Trinity Accesss Programmes on 01 896 1386 or email mature.student. officer@tcd.ie To find out about going to University College Dublin as a mature student, you can go to www. ucd.ie/registry/admissions/myapply for more information.

For information on NUI Maynooth’s offers for mature students, you can go online at www. maynoothuniversity.ie/ study-maynooth/maturestudents.

You can contact www. susi.ie for information on susi grants and http:// w w w. we l f a r e . i e / e n / Pages/Back-to-Education-Allowance-Scheme to find out about the back to education allowance criteria.

9 April 2015 GAZETTE 23



Progress to impress with DUBLIN GAZETTE’S education supplement

HOUSING: USI SITE ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO RENT SPARE BEDROOMS

The eternal question of where to live  IAN BEGLEY

AS another year at college nears an end, odds are that you’ll have hundreds of questions running through your mind like where to live next semester?

Some may choose to live at home, but for others college could mean trying to find accommodation for the first time.

With the shor tage of accommodation in Dublin and other built up areas, the Union of Students Ireland (USI) recently set up a site encouraging people with spare bedrooms to rent to students.

This service is deemed

very necessary as the student population in Dublin faces a serious shortage of accommodation, with CAO offers and the subsequent start of the academic year just months away.

USI president Laura Harmon said: “This is an access-to -education issue. The cost of accommodation in and around Dublin has risen enormously, pricing many students out of the accommodation market. Many “buyto-renters” have repurposed accommodation they had previously made available to students for wealthier renters.

“To compound this, the value of the student grant has fallen against inflation over a number of years. The end result will be students unhoused and dropping out. USI is calling for the Government to form a task force on student accommodation – there needs to be a specific strategy on this serious and growing problem.”

As a short-term measure to support the initiative, the Union of Students in Ireland has put together a simple website, allowing home owners to list their spare rooms and their conditions, with the objective of providing students

The Union of Students Ireland (USI) has set up a website to help deal with the shortage of student accommodation in Dublin

with contacts for those willing to help.

The system also allows for landlords and agents to place their available

accommodation online – and it’s free to use.

The website is available at www.homes.usi. ie.

The USI also mentions that there are many useful accommodation hunting websites out there, including Daft.ie

and Property.ie, which make it easy to search through lots of accommodation listings on the internet quickly.

These sites also have maps that point out where the specific accommodation you are looking at is located. Accommodation lists may also be available from your students’ union. It’s recommended that you contact a students’ union rep as it’s the best port of call when hunting for a place to live and if you experience problems during the year.

Visit www.usi.ie for more student accommodation tips.

Gazette

24 Gazette 9 April 2015

OUT&ABOUT

ARTS

god bless the child: production is something of a curate’s egg

Author Michael Murphy

Share some insights of life and love  Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

THE Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire is hosting a unique show by former newscaster Michael Murphy, entitled Stories, Poetry and Dreams, based on three of his books.

Murphy, along with friends and fellow broadcasters Emer O’Kelly, Eamonn Lawlor and Eileen Dunne, will read extracts from At Five in the Afternoon, The House of Pure Being, and The Republic of Love.

The result promises to be an entertaining and intimate experience for audiences as Murphy, who is also a psychoanalyst, recites emotional passages, some of which deal with his experience of cancer.

Murphy and his guests will also share deeply insightful reflections on love and sex, friendship and family. Stories, Poetry and Dreams is a celebration of life and humanity in all its trials and triumphs.

The evening also offers an invitation for the audience to participate and share their own experiences.

Stories, Poetry and Dreams takes place at the Pavilion Theatre on May 2. Tickets cost €20/€17 and are available by contacting 01 231 2929, or by emailing boxoffice@ paviliontheatre.ie.

O’Connor’s short stories lose lustre on the stage

 Bairbre Ni Bhraonain

AS A big fan of short story writer Frank O’Connor, I was tentatively looking forward to seeing God Bless the Child, a play based on O’Connor’s work, at The Gaiety Theatre.

However, I was soon to discover that some things are better left alone and not everything can be successfully adapted for the stage.

In my opinion, Patrick Ta l b o t ’s a d a p t a t i o n – while an enjoyable enough affair with three good actors playing roles as children – falls flat as a theatrical piece.

The three short stories on which the piece is based (My Oedipus Complex, The Genius, and First Confession) were treated in a manner somewhat stilted as each of the three actors took it in turn to assume the voice of the narrator and deliver a soliloquy to the audience.

The effect was tiring and repetitive after a while, and though the performances were very good, the format was a predictable round of 1-2-3.

Howe ve r, j u d g i n g by the audience reac-

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

‘The original stories contain much more than mere comedy and all their poignancy and insight was missed. Perhaps it will act as an appetiser for the audience to go on and read the real thing.’

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

tion, my opinion was in the minority. People all around me audibly expressed their huge enjoyment of the show, with constant laughter running throughout.

Actors Ciaran Bermingham, Shane Casey and Gary Murphy wore schoolboy uniforms and two of them sat on classroom benches like subs at a football match, waiting for their turn while the third actor performed to the audience.

Comic effect All three performances were very good, but Bermingham stood out the most. The actors’ Cork accents were pretty flawless, if a touch florid for comic effect.

The piece really played to the comedy in the short stories and the audience happily lapped

it up.

However, the original stories contain much more than mere comedy and all their poignancy and insight were missed.

This does O’Connor’s work a disservice for those who have never read anything by the Cork writer will presume that he has less depth than is the case.

On the other hand, because the audience seemed to love the show, perhaps it will act as an appetiser for them to go on and read the real thing.

The featured short stories related pivotal episodes from the narrator’s childhood and include paternal jealousy, bullying, being misunderstood and the fear of making a “bad confession” and therefore burning in hell.

There were plenty of

Shane Casey as Michael in the God Bless the Child segment of the production

genuinely funny quotes in the show, such as when Gary Murphy’s character, Larry, said of a lame teacher he admired: “I was so impressed, I decided to have a lame leg myself.”

In First Confession, O’Connor is hard-hitting against the Catholic Church and this was properly adhered to in the play.

The play was peppered with recitals of decades of the rosary by the three characters as they took to their knees before the Virgin Mary and the Sacred Heart.

Jackie’s (Ciaran Bermingham) terror of eternal damnation, which has been drilled into

Shane Casey, Gary Murphy and Ciaran Bermingham are very good in their roles

him by a menacing nun, depicts a shameful period in Irish history.

When God Bless The Child played to packed houses last year at Everyman, Cork it received a hugely positive response, and that seems to be the case with Dublin audiences too.

T he show, though

undramatic, delivers an entertaining evening with a great deal of mirth and solid acting performances.

God Bless the Child runs at The Gaiety Theatre until April 11. Tickets, costing from €19.65, are available from The Gaiety Theatre Box Office at 0818 719 388.

9 April 2015 Gazette 25

Gazette

CINEMA

ReelReviews

spongebob movie A sponge out of water

SPONGEBOB’s appeal is much like the tide – it seems to rise and fall at regular intervals, with our favourite silly sponge never too far from our screens.

He’s rounded up all his pals for Spongebob: Sponge out of Water (Cert G, 92 mins) which is as brilliant/brutal as ever, depending on whether you’re a fan. Chief villain Antonio Banderas gamely tries to out-act the singing sponge.

cinderella

A timeless tale ... again

The Rock and Jason Statham mix it up in Fast & Furious 7, which is more or less business as usual for the popular series

Fast & Furious 7: franchise returns even brasher and dumber than ever

Take another Furious spin

 daniel smith

OVER the top, ridiculous and brilliant; words which perfectly describe the seventh instalment of the Fast and the Furious saga, Fast & Furious 7.

An element of emotion is added as the film is used as a swansong to the late Paul Walker who died in a car accident in November 2013 while the movie was being made.

This meant a major rethink about what to do with Walker’s character, Brian O’Conner, which director James Wan took on the chin brilliantly.

The film starts off where Fast & Furious 6 left off when, after the end credits, Deckard Shaw (portrayed

by Cockney cult hardman Jason Statham) avenges his younger brother Owen’s death by crashing into Tokyobased Han, a member of Dominic Toretto’s (Vin Diesel) crew, killing Han in the process.

“You don’t know me – you’re about to,” says Shaw at the very end of Six, which ties in with Seven as a parcel from Tokyo turns out to be a bomb.

This explodes seconds after Shaw hangs up a call to the Toretto family home that has been the epicentre of the Fast & Furious franchise.

The explosion, along with the death of a crew member, sets Dominic on a mission to find Shaw.

Along with the usual

crew of Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Ludacris) and partner Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), he also gets military help from “Mr Nobody” (Kurt Russell).

Their first mission is to seek out a hacker working under the alias “Ramsey”, who turns out to be a woman (Nathalie Emmanuel), whose sophisticated hacking device is what the crew need to track down Shaw.

Machine gun fire, a cat fight between Rodriguez and UFC fighter Ronda Rousey, and a multi-million dollar hypercar flying through three buildings later, the device is obtained and used to track down Statham.

They return to LA and are confronted by Shaw

and his allies. Having been out of action courtesy of Shaw, Hobbs (played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) links up with Toretto’s crew to hunt down Shaw and his militant buddies.

The bald testosteronefest concludes with a car park brawl between Shaw and Toretto, but in typical Fast & Furious style, even after the six-storey car park is destroyed, they both miraculously survive.

The film then wraps up with O’Conner retiring from the day job to a family life with his son and Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster), who is expecting a baby girl, ending rumours that Walker’s character would simply be killed off.

W hat follows is a

touching tribute to Walker over the course of all seven movies.

O’Conner, in a Toyota Supra, cruises alongside Toretto’s Dodge Charger in a scene reminiscent of the climactic race in the first movie.

Using younger brothers Caleb and Cody Walker as stand-ins, and using CGI to project Walker ’s face, they pulled off what would be his final film in a proper manner.

To the keen movie critic, Fast & Furious 7 could be considered awful, thanks to unnecessary explosions, cheesy scripting, and poor attempts at humour courtesy of the supporting cast.

But from someone who has watched the

series since the very start, it was fantastic.

It’s the unnecessary explosions and cheesy scripting that make the movie unique; these have been a staple of all seven Fast and Furious films, and without them, these would make no sense.

Thanks to the RouseyRodriguez scrap, a $3.4m Lykan HyperSport car being hurled through three Abu Dhabi skyscrapers, and the seemingly impossibility of Toretto being killed despite what the film throws at him, it’s a memorable movie and will keep the cult fan base of the series very happy, along with the great tribute to the late Paul Walker.

Verdict: 8/10

KENNETH Branagh delivers his version of the timeless fairytale as Cinderella (Cert G, 113 mins) delivers a strictly by-the-book film.

The film ticks virtually every box on the Cinderella story list, bringing nothing new.

Still, at least it’s not as awful as Into The Woods’s botched fairytale, and it looks terrific, with a classy cast – including Cate Blanchett and Derek Jacobi – adding a dash of gravitas.

while we’re young Facing a fear of aging

BEN Stiller and Naomi Watts face into mid-life uncertainty in While We’re Young (Cert 15A, 97 mins), which sees them questioning what they’ve done with their lives and where they’re going, thanks to (perhaps unwisely) comparing themselves to some younger, and seemingly much cooler new friends. A nicely made film, it’s an interesting tale for the millennial generation.

26 swords gazette 9 April 2015

SWORDSCLASSIFIEDS

DOORS

fencing

interiors

ALL BUDGET DRIVEWAYS

BRICK BLOCK AND STONE

• Driveways • Patios • Concrete Imprint • Decoration Walling • Fencing Natural & Coloured Stone

▪ Garden Walls ▪ Brick piers ▪ Arches ▪ sheds ▪ Patios & paving ▪ Driveways & paths ▪ Concrete ▪ Repair to damaged masonry ▪ Stone walling & paving Call Dave 0872917647

PH: 0873900300 / 01 6971796 www.allbudgetdriveways.com allbudgetdriveways@yahoo.com Malahide Rd & Kimmage Rd

UP TO 45% OFF

DVD TRANSFERS

interiors

Video & Camera Tapes CineFilms Photos & Slides converted to DVD Music & Titles added Tel: 01-2807838 / 087 9132265 alleventsvideo@eircom.net

COMMERCIAL

landscapING

landscapING

SELECT PAVING & LANDSCAPING

FOR ALL YOUR PAVING & LANDSCAPING SOLUTIONS Serving The Greater Dublin Area

UP TO

45% OFF Full range of services - Cobblelock, Driveways, Patios, Slabbing & gravelling.

Imprint concrete, decorative walling and fencing.

Fully registered and insured company STAR DISCOUNTS for this month All work guaranteed No 2 Fairview Strand, Dublin 3 www.selectpaving.ie Call today for a free E: selectpaving@hotmail.com no obligation quotation 0858335596 / 01 685 6262 garden

LEGAL & PLANNING APPLICATION

ANNOUNCEMENT

We can now officially accept planning & legal notices from all four County Councils in greater Dublin region

· Standard rate €75 + VAT · Payment in advance

Ph.01 601 0255

NEW SEASON PACKAGE Plant & Tree Pruning Plant & Lawn Fertilization Lawn Aeration & Power Raking from only €99.99 Debris pick-up & removal Web: www.hdlandscaping.ie Email: contact@hdlandscaping.ie GIVE US A CALL 01 687 50 46 TO BOOK THIS OFFER!

Local

Matters S u p p or t local b u si n ess Advertise with the Gazette call 60 10 240

9 April 2015 SWORDS GAZETTE 27

SWORDSCLASSIFIEDS ROOFING

Registered & Insured Roofing Contractor Flat Roofing Specialists Industrial, Residential & Commercial • Felt work • Slating & Tiling • Organic Seedom • Guttering Fascia & Sofits STUART MASTERSON P:01 4439398 M: M:087 - 7712463, 086 - 2006217 E:mastersonroofing@gmail.com stuartjmasterson@hotmail.com W:www.mastersonroofing.ie

SHOWROOMS

. All areas covered/no call-out charge . Repair work/replacement glass . Safety features . Unique design service . Low maintenance . Energy efficient/noise reduction

An instant facelift to your home! Added security for peace of mind...

TAX RELIEF AVAILABLE (Home renovation incentive scheme HRI) WE WILL REGISTER FOR YOU AND you can claim your tax back

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

OUR NEW PREMISES OPENING SOON

@ unit 2b Greenhills Business Park, Tallaght, Dublin 24.

Office number: 01 4516447 Lucan number: 01 6213597 Website: www.lucanwindowsanddoors.ie Email: Info@lucanwindowsanddoors.ie sales@lucanwindowsanddoors.ie

ABC CERTIFIED 51,340 COPIES EACH WEEK (ABC: Group MFD, July–Dec 2014)

CALL 01 60 10 240

FOLLOW US TODAY ON OUR SOCIAL NETWORK

Gazette

28 Gazette 9 April 2015

SPORT

FastSport doolin pleased with Under19 euro point: PAUL Doolin’s Republic of Ireland side came back from 2-0 down at the break to clinch a point in their last UEFA U-19 Championships Elite Phase with a 2-2 draw with Slovakia in Mannheim thanks to second half goals from a Ryan Manning penalty and Joel Coustrain.

The Slovaks ended the game with three players dismissed while the Irish also had Kevin Toner ordered off for two bookable offences.

“We were hoping to get something from it.

We looked to finish off on a decent performance. They were a very good side and scored a couple of goals in the first half but we deserved something,” said Doolin.

“We were outstanding in the second half.

Our attacking after the break was excellent.

Slovakia had a couple of chances too. It was probably just as well it ended what it did as the discipline seemed to have gone from the game.”

rugby: heaslip proud of blues but says toulon will be huge test

Leinster need big step up  sport@dublingazette.com

JAMIE Heaslip said that Leinster need to step up another gear following their narrow 18-15 win over Bath in the European Champions Cup

Quarter-Final at Aviva Stadium last Saturday.

Speaking after the tie, the skipper said it was hugely important that the province improved ahead of the semi-final against Toulon and the

crucial run of games coming up for the province.

Six Ian Madigan penalties sealed the win for Leinster, and a place in the Champions Cup Semi-Finals for the first

Leinster mascots Jill O’Brien, from Donnybrook, and Nathan Levy-Valensi with Leinster captain Jamie Heaslip and Bath captain Stuart Hooper. Picture: Brendan Moran

Leinster supporter Eoin O’Driscoll from Goatstown. Picture: Stephen McCarthy

time since 2012, at the Aviva on Saturday.

Speaking after the game, the Leinster captain reflected on the important role the experience within the squad played in seeing out the game.

“We can take a lot of positives out of it.

They’re on our line, they’re 25m out in that last minute and a half, two minutes of the game.

“Someone asked me was that the experience part; a little bit of experience and a little bit of the lads showing their character. I couldn’t be prouder of them.

“But at the next level, no matter who it is, Wasps or Toulon, we have a massive chal-

lenge and we’ve got to improve on today.

“If you make any kind of individual or system errors, [Bath] are going to punish you. And that happened twice.

“There were probably a couple of other times where they really did stress us and make line breaks, or half line breaks.”

With a semi-final place secured, and a tie with Toulon or Wasps to look forward to, Heaslip emphasised the importance of upcoming games in the Guinness PRO12, starting with the game away to Dragons next Sunday.

“It’s another massive game. It’s great at this time of year; it’s just big game after big game.

We’re chasing that top four pretty hard, so the Dragons games is huge.

“And the game following, that’s going to be massive as well, in terms of the club and the group that we have.”

With an eight-day turnaround between the Bath and Dragons games, the squad have time to rest and recuperate before another crucial fixture.

“We’re just going to rest up now. A lot of us were saying that’s probably one of the fastest, toughest games we’ve played, including internationals. That’s right up there.”

Leinster face Newport Dragons next Sunday at Rodney Parade in their next league game.

UCD produce best Champions Cup run in 20 years  sport@dublingazette.com

UCD captain Katie Mullan attempts to tackle Rot Weiss Koln’s Lena Vonhoegen. Picture: Ady Kerry

UCD ladies finished in Ireland’s best position in the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup since Randalstown in 1995 as they ended in sixth place in the competition, hockey’s equivalent of the Champions League.

That is because of a spectacular 3-2 win over Canterbury, complete with two South African, three English and a Scottish international in their line-up.

The result in Bilthoven, the Netherlands, saw UCD advance to the fifth place playoff, guar-

anteeing Ireland retain a place in the top tier of European club hockey for another season.

They had fallen behind just eight minutes in to Nikki Triggs’ field goal but Chloe Watkins levelled from close range before Emily Beatty’s cracking shot and a third from Deirdre Duke swapped things around to 3-1 at half-time.

Jen Wilson got one back for the English club but UCD held on for a famous win in what is hockey’s equilvalent of soccer’s Champions League, one later described as the biggest result in

the club’s history.

Speaking about the victory, coach Jonathan Harte praised the ability of his side to dig in to get the result, particularly Sarah Robinson at the back.

“We had to guts it out in terms of defending in numbers, being under pressure as the opposition pressed us to get back to 3-3 in the last 10 minutes.

“It is great for UCD and great for Irish hockey and hopefully all of Irish hockey can keep pushing on.”

They ultimately fell to English champions Surbiton as two final

quarter goals saw UCD fall out of touch, meaning they finished sixth overall.

Harte’s side trailed 1-0 at the break and 2-0 early in the second half but a sharp volley from Katie Mullan reduced the arears with 17 minutes to go.

Nikki Evans was proving a handful in the forward line while, defensively, Leah Ewart and Mullan were in strong form.

But the loss of Anna O’Flanagan to injury was keenly felt and the students ran out of steam in the closing phases with Julie King and Jo Hunter punishing them.

9 April 2015 Gazette 29

Gazette

Home comforts for Smith’s Eastern side

FastSport

Gerry Smith tells Nathan Kelly how how he is looking forward to his fifth campaign at the head of the Eastern Region side that will represent the country at the Regions Cup in Dublin THE DRAW has been made, the stadiums have been chosen and the dates have been set.

Safe to say the wheels are definitely in motion for this summer’s UEFA Regions’ Cup, being hosted here in Dublin.

It is the first time Ireland will host the competition in what will be its ninth edition and Gerr y Smith’s Eastern Region side have been drawn in Group A alongside Ankara (Turkey), South Moravia (Czech Republic), and Tuzla Canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

The Eastern Region side qualified for the finals after three wins from three in their Intermediary group back in October, but Smith still seemed on a high from just making the finals when asked his reaction

to the draw.

“We’re just delighted to be in the finals first and foremost,” he said.

“The fact that we’re here is great and we’re really looking forward to it.

“When we went to Hungary last October, if you had said to me that we’d have qualified and the finals would be in Ireland, I’d have chopped both your hands of and taken it to be honest.

“It’s great that we get to play here but the most important thing is to be in the finals.

“On the draw itself, we’ve played the three teams before. The first time we qualified we played the Czech Republic, going back a long time ago, and they beat us 3-0, that team actually went on to play professional football

Eastern Region manager Gerry Smith

afterwards.

“We were probably lucky to get nil in that one if I’m honest. In that same group we had Bosnia and they beat us 3-0 too, and we were even luckier to get nil because they were a fantastic side.”

Ireland have certainly improved since first qualifying for the competition in 2001, going on to feature four times before this year, and reaching the final in 2011, but ultimately losing to hosts Portugal in the decider of the world’s top amateur competition.

“The Eastern Region recently played a couple of friendly fixtures against Dolnoslaski from Poland, who are in the other group in this summer’s competition and have won the Regions’

Cup in the past.

“A 1-1 draw and 1-0 defeat to the Poles further displays the progress made under Smith’s guidance through the years. “ We ’ ve d e f i n i t e l y come on from where we were,” he told GazetteSport.

be played in Tallaght.

When asked if he felt there was a massive advantage to a self-hosted tournament, Smith, perhaps surprisingly, played down the fact the competition is being played on home soil.

He said: “I don’t think it makes too much dif-

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

‘Playing in Portugal in 35 degree heat can knock the living daylights out of you’ - Gerry Smith

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

“This is our fifth time to be in the finals so we’re looking forward to it. As I said we’ve played all three teams, we played Turkey in Portugal in 2011. They’re a very good team, a very strong team and country in relation to soccer and we drew 0-0, so there’ll be nothing in it really.

There are eight really good teams in the finals, unfortunately only one team can win it, and I’m sure we all feel we have a chance.”

The tournament itself will run from June 26 to July 4, and matches across the two groups will be played at Tallaght Stadium, the UCD Bowl, Richmond Park, Home Farm, Tolka Park and the Carlisle Grounds.

The winners from both groups will go on to contest the final which will

ference really. What it does from our point of view is, it can be a tall order to be cooked up in a hotel for 10 or 12 days, it can get a bit monotonous so, in that respect, it’s nice that the lads will be able to nip home for an hour or two for whatever reason.

“But in relation to on the pitch, I don’t think it has a bearing on anything to be honest.

“That said, when we played in Portugal, we played in 35 degree heat on two of the days which can knock the living daylights out of our players.

“But other than that, I don’t think it makes that much difference.”

Ireland’s first game of the Regions’ Cup will be played against Ankara on Friday June 26, at Tallaght Stadium at 7pm.

Soccer Sisters takes over Fingal for Easter FINGAL was a flourish with young girls playing the beautiful game over the Easter break as the FAI’s Soccer Sister Easter Camps were held in 12 different venues across the county.

There was no area left uncovered as camps were runs from Blanchardstown to Baldoyle to Swords to Balbriggan and allowed girls from the ages of seven to 12 to get as much top quality football education in while the schools were shut.

Speaking on the camps and their success over Easter, Paul Keogh, FAI/Fingal County development officer said: “The number of camps and numbers on the camps continue to rise. With the Stephanie Roche exposure and also the great work of the grassroots clubs it is becoming more and more accessible for girls to play on a team amongst friends. In Fingal alone, there are 12 venues for the girls to choose from with the biggest FAI Soccer Sister Easter camp in the country taking place in Gormanston, Balbriggan, with 92 girls attending.”

With a number of local clubs participating in the organisation and co-ordination of the camps in the area, they are viewed as an excellent chance for young girls to take their first steps into football.

Marion Brown, Fingal County Council principal sports officer added: “Fingal are delighted as always with the continued growth in girls’ sport. Through our sports development officers and our sports plan for the area the focus given to increasing women in sport is a top priority. More and more clubs are facilitating the growth of the girls’ game which is very important. And also, without the long hours of dedication of the volunteers it would not happen.”

Gazette

30 SWORDS gazette 9 April 2015

SPORT

ken’sDiary

Puncture cannot stop Kenneth hitting 130km Olympic silver medallist and Irish boxing legend Ken Egan is to take part in this year’s Laurels Charity Crew Cycle from Galway to Dublin on April 19. In the run-up to the event, Egan has partnered with Gazette Sport to document his preparation for the big day, and here is his latest report from the road.

LAST Saturday morning, there was the biggest number yet, 43, taking part. The hardship and the weather was mighty with our aim of 130km today.

We reached our target but the drama that was to unfold was crazy; we set a steady pace and motorists didn’t like our presence this morning.

Some suggested we broke up into two smaller groups but we stuck together and soldiered on, heading for Lucan and then on to Edenderry where we stopped for tea and scones.

We had picked up eight punctures on our travels and I was cursing some of the gang for having bad tyres. Lo and behold, I got one of those punctures and had to bum a tube as I arrived with the bare essentials: a bike and a bottle of water; such a novice!

In any case, we carried on and made it to the finish line, completing the route.

My final preparations, though, see me heading off to cheer on my good friend Andy Lee in Brooklyn this weekend in his world title defence so I’ll miss the last cycle before the big one.

Peace out and see you on the other side.

For more information about the event, log on to www.facebook.com/laurelscharitycrew, and come back next week for the latest instalment of Ken’s cycling diary. The group has raised €520,000 for Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin through their efforts in recent years.

soccer: swords starlet to captain under-17 panel

Swords’ Jamie Finn, wearing number four, is set to captain the Republic of Ireland Under-17s

Finn ready for Elite phase  sport@dublingazette.com

SWORDS starlet Jamie Finn will look to add to her rising stock as she looks set to captain the Republic of Ireland Under-17’s women’s side through the UEFA European Championship’s Elite Round in the next week.

The recently crowned FAI Under-16 International Player of the Year has also broken into the Raheny United first-team following her move from Shelbourne, and scored her first goal for the club in a 3-2 defeat to Wexford Youths two weeks ago.

The Elite Round group stage will take place in Cork, with Ireland hosting a group that also includes England, Hungary and the Netherlands.

Thursday will see the group begin with the Netherlands facing Hungary at St Colman’s Park in Cobh in the afternoon before the international derby of Ireland vs England takes place at Turner’s Cross at 8pm.

Speaking after his squad had been announced, Connell said: “Everybody was available and we’ve made three changes to the group of players that got us through the qualifying

late drama Barrable agonisingly close to Rally victory Swords man Robert Barrable, pictured in his car, just missed out to Craig Breen last weekend at the Circuit of Ireland Rally after 18 gruelling stages.

The pair were involved in an epic tussle with Barrable just a second behind after day one. The pair subsequently traded seconds all weekend until Barrable, who held a slender 1.1 second advantage, slipped off the road and out of the rally while trying to defend his lead.

round in September.”

The manager, who also looks after Ireland’s U-19 squad, is under no illusions of the difficult group Ireland have been placed in. “It is a very difficult group we’ve drawn again,” he said. “We seem to be prone to getting hard groups but we’ve done it before in difficult groups.

We’re confident but we know it won’t be easy and we’ll give it a go.”

Despite the tough draw, the Irish squad will at least take comfort from the fact that they will be playing in front of their own fans, and the boss is hopeful of some big crowds down

in the Rebel County. “My assistant Dave Bell has promoted the tournament well down in Cork while the local league too has shown great support so we’re expecting big crowds,” he said.

Ireland made it to the Elite Round after an unbeaten qualifying campaign in Group 4, with wins over Lithuania and Romania followed by a draw with Serbia which meant they topped their group.

In preparation for the Elite Round, Connell’s side played Iceland, who will host the finals from June 22 to July 4, in a cou-

ple of friendly fixtures at the AUL complex at the end of March. Ireland won both games, with a 2-1 win in the opener being followed by a 1-0 victory two days later.

Finn captained the side in both games as she did for much of qualifying.

On their next fixture, against our old foes, Connell said: “We have England first and that’s a tough opener but we’d prefer to play them first.

We’ve seen them play and we know a lot about them and we’ll be well prepared.

It’s a special game and we’re very much looking forward to it.”

9 April 2015 SWORDS gazette 31

Gazette

skills competition

Skerries’ Coleman wins third in Feile showdown

Club Noticeboard fingallians

seventy girls competed in the annual

Feile Under-14 skills competition in Silver Park last weekend in glorious sunshine.

Skerries Harps’ Hannah Coleman, pictured on the left, with Raheny’s Lauren Robertson, ended up in a share of third prize with Round Tower, Clondalkin’s Hannah Clarke the overall winner.

A BIG thank you, to all the participants

contains St Anne’s, Na Fianna, Cuala

in our most successful Easter Camp to

and Synge Street.

date with over 250 kids taking part.

for the next three years, please com-

our expert crew, headed by Nicola, on

plete the following survey: https://

their toes for the week. Further infor-

www.surveymonkey.com/s/FINS_

mation on the summer camp program

STRATEGY_2015.

will follow at the end of the month.

football: mearnog’s and syl’s men to the fore

Please help with the strategic plan

Weather and pitch limitations had

The opening golf society outing of

The strategic committee are hold-

the year will take place this Friday,

ing a workshop on Monday, April 27

April 10 in Swords Open. We have the

from 7–10pm in the club hall and are

tee booked from 2pm and to book in

inviting all members to come along

please put your name on the timesheet

and to participate. The results of the

in the club bar or go online. New golfing

survey and the output from the work-

members are most welcome.

shop will form the building blocks of

The Irish Blood Transfusion Service

the club strategic plan for the next

Board’s mobile unit team will be at our

three years.

club on Thursday, April 9 from 3-5pm

The football Feile will take place on

and 7-9pm.

May 18 in St Brigid’s. We are in a group

Our lotto jackpot this week is €5,755.

with the hosts, Round Tower, Lusk and

There was no winner last week. Num-

Raheny. The other side of our group

bers drawn were 7, 11, 22, 23 and 35.

st finian’s THE club lotto jackpot was €2,500 this

The U-13 boys’ team’s parents will

week and the numbers drawn were

be running a quiz night in Peacock’s

5, 10, 1 and, 19. There was no jackpot

on Friday, 10 April. Doors open at 8pm

winner.

with the quiz starting at 8.30pm; €10 at

The €25 lucky dip prize winners were:

The club is holding a cake sale on

Whelan and Kay Tobin. Next week’s

Saturday, April 18 and request par-

jackpot will be €2,600.

ents/members who can provide

The St Finian’s golf classic is coming up on May 8 in Forrest Little GC. Please

Local trio aid Dubs’ victory in Leinster

contact Tony McDonagh on 086 852

leinster u-21 final

Naomh Mearnog’s Shane Carthy was once again one of the Dublin Under-21 star men

Dublin 3-10 Kildare 1-12  sport@dublingazette.com

A TRIO of local footballers were present as Dublin lifted the EirGrid Under21 Leinster Championship at Pairc Tailteann last Thursday.

St Sylvester’s Stephen Cunningham, Naomh Mearnog’s Shane Carthy and Eoin Fletcher from St Maur’s all played their part as Dublin ran out as 3-10 to 1-12 winners against Kildare in the provincial decider.

Cunningham and Carthy both started the

game as Dublin’s midfield partnership, while Fletcher entered the field after 32 minutes, coming on for Conor Mullaly at centre half-back.

The Dubs did not seem to miss injured talisman Killian O’Gara as Cormac Costello stepped up to fire two goals and two points for Boys in Blue.

Colm Basquel was key for the capital too, firing over five points during the contest.

The game started off as a close encounter, with the side’s level on 0-3 each in the opening quarter before Costello teed up Basquel for the open-

ing goal after 20 minutes.

Minutes later, the provider turned scorer as Costello shook the net following quality play from Conor McHugh.

Kildare hit back however thanks to some quality kicking from Neil Flynn and a goal by Mark Sherry which reduced the deficit to two points going into half-time. Indeed it was Kildare who began the second half better, hitting four points without reply before Costello struck again for the Dubs, firing in another goal.

The Dubs managed to maintain their lead going into the closing stages

despite a spirited performance from Kildare and Flynn in particular.

Before the referee ended proceedings Costello was brought down and was awarded a penalty, which McHugh stroked over to confirm a four-point win.

It was a four-point win which continued Dublin’s dominance in the province at this level, this marking their sixth Leinster win in just eight years.

Dessie Farrell’s side now have an All-Ireland semifinal to look forward to against either Cork orTipperary depending on how the Munster final plays out.

the door. All welcome.

Declan Brennan, Adam Hender, Irene

7529 to book a slot on the time sheet.

cakes to contact Caroline Savage on 087 2388098 Please get all outstanding membership fees paid this week.

fingal ravens OUR senior team were beaten by Lucan

see the club Facebook page for further

Sarsfields in the cup last Wednesday.

information.

Our ladies team played their first

The club are running a Predict the

cup game of the season against St

2015 Provincial Football Champion-

Pat’s of Donabate last Wednesday

ship competition; entry forms were

losing out by five points after a strong

distributed to all teams over the last

second half performance by St Pat’s.

two weeks. Closing date for receipt of

The deadline for memberships for

all entries is April 30.

2015 has now passed. Any player who

There was no winner of this week’s

has not paid membership will be una-

lotto. Numbers drawn were 2, 3, 9 and

ble to train or play games until mem-

36; €20 to Pat McDonagh, Gemma Grif-

bership has been received.

fin and Ann Fox. Next week’s jackpot is

If anyone has any queries, please

worth €13,923.

contact Lisa on 085 7300934. Please

The senior team play Ballymun Kick-

note that membership can be paid

hams at home in the league on Satur-

online via myclubfinances.com; please

day, April 11. Throw in is 6pm.

st margaret’s HOPE everyone had a fantastic Easter

enna. Thank you to all who supported

weekend. Our Easter raffle was a

the draw.

great success.

Congratulations to our winners: first prize - Catherine Rooney; second

There was no lotto this weekend. It will return this weekend in the Brock Inn at 8pm.

prize - Charlie and Shane Madigan;

The club were awarded host status

third prize - Neil McGuirk; fourth prize

for this year’s Feile competition which

- Stephen Reilly; fifth prize - Mick McK-

takes place on May 16.

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

Flying finn: Swords starlet set to lead Ireland in elite phase of European qualifying campaign P30

april 9-15, 2015

smith’s eastern promise: Republic of Ireland amateur boss’s Regions Cups bid P29

O’Connor calls time on glittering career  nathan kelly

sport@dublingazette.com

ALL-Ireland winning goalkeeper Cliodhna O’Connor announced her retirement from club and inter-county football last week after a hugely successful playing career.

Indeed, the Naomh Mearnog woman featured for the Dubs in no fewer than five finals, eventually winning one at the fourth attempt.

Nine Leinster titles, two All-Stars and a place in the TG4 Team of the Decade from 2000-2010 make up the rest of the accolades in the former shot-stopper’s cabinet.

She has not been involved in any of the Dub’s National League campaign this year, which ends on Sunday unless they can qualify for the semi-finals.

It is in that time off that it seems her decision was made and led her to informing county boss Gregory McGonigle of the decision.

“I don’t miss it,” she said of her announcement. “I took a break at the start of last year for most of the league and I was humming and hawing a bit about coming back.

But a lot of my crew and my batch of friends were giving it one last shot.

“I’d taken a break so it was a shorter season. I was back for the

league final [against Cork], and with Hannah Tyrrell, who had been number one, going to rugby, Gregory was even more open to me coming back. Last year was one last crack at it.”

That one last crack came desperately close to making O’Connor a two-time All-Ireland winner, but for a one point defeat to Cork in last September’s final in Croke Park, in what was the fourth national championship final defeat she was involved in: Galway in 2003, Mayo in 2004 and Cork in 2009 were the others before she finally landed All-Ireland glory in 2010 with a win over Tyrone.

Work and personal commit-

ments have been the reasons behind the Portmarnock native’s decision.

Having taken up rowing at novice level, along with her work at the National Athlete Development Agency (NADA), the Dublin legend looks set to continue an active lifestyle despite the gloves being hung up for the final time.

In her absence, Dublin have had mixed fortunes in the league so far ahead of its conclusion of regular fixtures this weekend. At the moment, McGonigle’s side sit one place outside the semi-final spot, and will need a win over league leaders Cork on Sunday to have a chance of making the last four.

Naomh Mearnog’s Cliodhna O’Connor announced her retirement this week