Swords

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Gazette SWORDS

INSIDE: Peter Andre doesn’t dance around when praising a certain Donegal crooner See Page 20

Star Wars: The Force Awakens delivers an explosive but expertly handled addition to the series Page 23

Gallery: Wine buffs give three cheers for Yellow Tail launch of new range Page 12

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2015 Review: Highlights of an epic year of achievement Page 32

Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you

Work on ghost estates pays off  keith bellew

THE number of unfinished housing developments, or “ghost estates” in the Fingal County Council region, has fallen by 92% since 2010, according to figures revealed by Junior Environment Minister Paudie Coffey. The figures released as part of the fourth annual progress report on tackling unfinished housing developments show a decrease from 149 to 12 such estates in Fingal. Nationally, there has been a 76% decrease. Deputy Alan Farrell (FG) welcomed the drop, saying ghost estates were the most visible scars of the economic crash.

Figures show a huge drop since 2010 in unfinished developments “Now, as the recovery takes hold, these scars are being removed,” he said, adding that Minister Coffey had given a commitment to focusing on the remaining unfinished estates that currently have people living in them. Full Story on Page 2

DEC 27, 2015 - JAN 6, 2016

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red-dy to help temple street hospital party LEAH Forde from Swords was at the Christmas Light-up at Temple Street Children’s Hospital recently, happy to welcome Santa when he arrived by sleigh for a party. Temple Street ambassador Jamie Heaslip switched on the lights, which will add some magic to the hospital for those children who

can’t get home this Christmas. Many elves from Tesco Ireland were involved in making the ground floor feel festive, much to the delight of patients and their families. Funds raised by Tesco workers and customers were used to invest in new state-of-the-art equipment for the hospital. Picture: Andres Poveda

2 SWORDS Gazette 27 DEC 2015 – 6 JAN 2016

report | fingal figures report huge decrease

Ghost estates fade by 92% since 2010

Junior Environment Minister Paudie Coffey and Deputy Alan Farrell (FG) visiting a Fingal estate earlier this year

THE number of unfinished housing development or “ghost estates” in the Fingal County Council region has fallen by 92% since 2010, according to figures revealed by Junior Environment Minister Paudie Coffey. The figures, released as part of the fourth annual progress report on tackling unfinished housing developments, show a decrease from 149 to 12 such estates in Fingal. Nationally, the figure shows a 76% decrease. Deputy Alan Farrell (FG) welcomed the drop, saying ghost estates were the most visible scars of the economic crash. He said: “Now, as the recovery takes hold, these scars are being removed. “Of the 668 unfinished developments identified in the 2015 survey, Minister Coffey indicated that his objective is to resolve as many more developments as possible, with a particular focus on the 492 of these developments with residents [living there]. “Minister Coffey also intends to engage with the relevant local authorities to explore options on the future viability of unoccupied unfinished developments.” Minister for Children Dr James Reilly echoed Deputy Farrell’s sentiments, adding that he believed these figures “show Fine Gael’s commitment to increasing the supply of housing, both in Fingal and across the country”. Cllr Justin Sinnott (Ind)

 keith bellew

kbellew@dublingazette.com

said the turnaround of unfinished housing developments was being driven partly by the shortage of housing supply, which is providing an economic incentive. He welcomed the fact that these ghost estates were being turned around, but said significant legacy issues remained in many places. “For example, the handing over of common areas or green spaces – you have that now in Meakstown in Dublin 11. That won’t be reported in those figures “It is good news that we’re actually seeing ghost estates reducing and unfinished estates are being finished, but there are still legacy issues,” said Cllr Sinnott. He also said there were a number of other issues with the construction industry in general. He said there were some in the construction industry who were very focused on lobbying the Government to let them build houses and were more concerned about reducing costs for themselves than in building sustainable communities. “We’re still picking up the tab for a lot of mistakes made during the last boom,” said Cllr Sinnott.

FastNews

Members of Malahide Musical and Dramatic Society in an earlier production, Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite

Like to make your mark in an Arthur Miller production? MALAHIDE Musical and Dramatic Society will be producing Arthur Miller’s masterpiece, All My Sons, in April, and are seeking people interested in filling a number of remaining roles. Following the first round of auditions, the society is still looking to cast people aged about 26 to 32 in the parts of characters Ann, Frank and George. A spokesperson for the society said: “If you’d like a chance to audition for us, we’d love to hear from you. “Or, indeed, if you have a friend who would like to join us, we are open to new members. We hope to have auditions in the New Year.” For further information, email malahidemusicalsociety@gmail.com.

New airport market and bar congratulated by delegation A DELEGATION including representatives from Fingal Dublin Chamber, Fingal County Council and the Dublin Airport Authority recently visited Marqette, the recently opened food market and bar in Terminal 1, Dublin Airport, to congratulate the company on its success. Since it opened in September, Marqette has welcomed more than 200,000 customers. Mayor of Fingal David O’Connor ( (Ind) said: “It is companies like Marqette that are leading the charge in Ireland’s recovery. Creating jobs at home promotes business confidence within the Fingal region.”

No funding for safe pedestrian crossing at Pinnock Hill – council A SAFE pedestrian crossing will not be provided at the Pinnock Hill roundabout in Swords until the Metro North project commences in 2021. A spokesperson for Fingal County Council said the council’s traffic section recognises that improved pedestrian crossing facilities are necessary in the vicinity of the Pinnock Hill roundabout. However, they added: “The medium- to long-term plans for the R132 [transport plan, including Metro North] provide for a significant reconfiguration of

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this roundabout, including improved pedestrian facilities. “The provision of additional pedestrian crossing facilities at this location in advance would involve major investment, for which there is no funding available.”

27 DEC 2015 – 6 JAN 2016 swords gazette 3

council | flooding victims report delays in out-of-hours phoneline

policing

M1 checks lead to arrests

Emergency service is under microscope  keith bellew

FINGAL County Council is examining its out-ofhours phone service system to see what improvements – if any – can be made. This follows a hectic weekend recently when, according to Cllr Duncan Smith (Lab), the operations and water services departments were “out in force” dealing with spot flooding and blocked drains. Some areas of Fingal which are prone to flooding experienced light floods, but there were no reports of damage. Cllr Smith commended the work of the council’s operations and water services departments, but called for Fingal County

Council’s out-of-hours service to be staffed adequately during bad weather. He said: “I did raise a concern that the outof-hours phone line was constantly engaged on Saturday 12, at the height of the rain in Fingal. “I asked the chief executive to examine, when possible and forewarned by weather forecasters, to ensure the service is adequately staffed in times of bad weather.” He added that the workers were on the ground, but the residents of Fingal were unable to contact the council in a timely manner. “This led to much frustration and concern and I was contacted by residents seeking assistance

in getting sandbags to their homes. This is resolvable, and the chief executive committed to me that he will examine resources in this regard for the future,” said Cllr Smith. A spokesperson for the council said the out-ofhours telephone service was provided for Fingal County Council by an external contractor. They added: “On the Saturday in question, a high volume of calls was recorded by the service. It is very much regretted by the council that some callers experienced delays in having their calls answered, and in this regard the council is examining the system in an attempt to identify what, if any, improvements can be made.”

all fired up to get gold

CONOR Nolan, from Portmarnock, is pictured at Dublin Castle celebrating achieving his Gaisce gold, the President’s Award. As a student at Portmarnock Community School, Conor completed both the bronze and silver Gaisce awards. He decided to go for gold after finishing school, keen to complete the set of awards. A highlight of his Gaisce challenge was a trip with his scout group to Marseille in France to volunteer with a local organisation for an area that had been devastated by forest fires. Conor kept watch for any forest fires, or any potential causes for forest fires. Picture: Maxwells

GA R DA I i n F i n g a l arrested seven people for drink driving on Monday, December 20 as part of Operation Thor. A number of checkpoints were set up on the M1 near Junction 6 and in the Balbriggan area between 2am and 12 noon. The checkpoints were aimed at targeting criminals using the motorway network and the sale of stolen goods at markets, and were conducted by the divisional crime task force and detective units from Santry, along with the assistance of traffic units from Dublin Castle and DMR North. The operation resulted in the seizure of 14 cars for breaches of the Road Traffic Act and 10 arrests, seven of which were for drink driving.

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promoting business

Fingal’s youth strive for success FINGAL’S youngest entrepreneurs have spent the past fewweeks cornering the Christmas market, trading services and products, with the guidance of business mentors. Having carried out extensive research and resourcing, the students set up businesses as part of the National Student Enterprise Awards programme. There are 35 local enterprise offices (LEOs) nationwide and Fingal LEO co-ordinates and presents the largest number of participants every year. Now in its 15th year, a record number of 2,600 students from 24 secondary schools and eight primary schools in Fingal are competing for a place in the county finals in March. The Christmas period is

a key opportunity for the young entrepreneurs to drive sales and grow their businesses. Oisin Geoghegan, head of enterprise, Fingal County Council, said that hosting the largest programme in the country saw many successes for Fingal entrepreneurs in the national finals. He said: “We have seen phenomenal growth and this year we are delighted with the record numbers of students, from primary and secondary schools across the region setting up and running their own businesses. “The schools, our mentors, local businesses and the sponsors are more than encouraging and every year we can see that students continue on their entrepreneurial journey and, indeed, set up successful enterprises.”

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard how a Swords man sold a stolen Toyota Vitz to a woman for cash. After the sale, she found the documents did not match, and contacted gardai after trying unsuccessfully to contact the car’s seller.

courts | vehicle scam netted €4,300

Car seller took buyer for a ride A WOMAN was conned into buying a stolen car for €4,300 cash after she saw it advertised on Done Deal, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard. Gardai managed to track down the seller, Stewart Crosbie (45), of St Cronan’s Grove, Swords, from a smartphone photo of him taken by the woman’s suspicious friend. Garda Martina Drew said Crosbie later admitted he had passed the money to a third party, to whom he owed a drug debt. Crosbie pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing a stolen Toyota Vitz at Grange Road, Clonsilla on January

24, 2015. He has 25 previous convictions and is serving a partially suspended three-year sentence for a similar offence committed in November, 2014. Gda Drew revealed that the smartphone photo was the only thing connecting Crosbie to the Toyota Vitz crime, as forensic tests on other documents were unsuccessful.

Sentence Judge Martin Nolan imposed an eightmonth sentence to run consecutive to the time he is serving, as he was on bail when he carried out this offence. Gda Drew told Karl Finnegan BL, prosecut-

ing, that the woman and her friend had agreed to meet the person advertising the Toyota on donedeal.ie. They were met in a car park by Crosbie, who claimed his name was Noel and that he was the brother of the seller. Crosbie handed the woman the car’s NCT and registration certificates and allowed her to go for a test drive. He agreed to let her take it home for €4,300 cash instead of €4,500 as advertised, because he had only one key for the car. Gda Drew said the woman discovered she had been conned when she got home and noticed the vehicle’s registration did

not match those on the documents. She tried unsuccessfully to call Crosbie, and then went to gardai. Gda Drew told Mr Finnegan that Crosbie made admissions after arrest and said he had got involved because he owed money for a drug debt. Gda Drew agreed with Luigi Rea BL , defending, that Crosbie has no other cases pending against him. Mr Rea submitted to Judge Nolan that his client was now alcohol and drug free and had been working in the prison shop. Judge Nolan commented that the offence was “an underhand crime and real people have sustained a loss”.

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don’s dublin Watercolourist Turner lights up January at the National Gallery January is often viewed as a comedown after the excitement of Christmas has finally died away, but not for those who are fans of the watercolours of JMW Turner. The annual display of his work lasts for the month of January, and it is one of the National Gallery of Ireland’s (NGI) most popular attractions. In 1900, the National Gallery was bequeathed 31 watercolours by Henry Vaughan, with a stipulation that they should only be displayed in January when the light was weak. This was to protect the delicate drawings, and although modern measures can adequately do the job the National Gallery adheres to Vaughan’s request. This adds to the display and allows the viewer to see Turner’s magical work as Vaughan or the artist would have enjoyed them. Henry Vaughan was born in Southwark, south

The Catholic chapel at St Ita’s Hospital, Portrane. The first phase of construction of the new National Forensic Mental Health Services

London, in April 1809 and his father, George,

Hospital begins on January 4.

owned a very successful hat-making business.

St Ita’s | fears expressed over construction traffic

In 1829 when his father died, Henry inherited the business and was an extremely wealthy young man. He had been privately educated and his wealth allowed him to travel widely in Europe and begin his collection. This included many works and sketches by Michelangelo and Rembrandt and paintings by Reynolds, Flaxman and Constable. In fact, he presented Constable’s famous work the Hay Wain to the National Gallery (London) in 1886. By then he had become a friend of Turner’s and bought a considerable number of his works that would constitute a large part of the Vaughan Bequest. The works that the NGI acquired have

Groundwork for forensic facility gets under way  Keith Bellew

since been added to and now there are 36 watercolours to enjoy. They show Turner’s mastery of light, and his skill in catching the fleeting moment that so impressed generations of aspiring artists. Two hundred years later they still have the power to move the viewer. It will be a great way to start the new year - check it out.

Don Cameron

www.donsdublin.wordpress.com

JMW Turner (self portrait) whose mastery of light can still move viewers 200 years later

The first phase of the constr uction on the new National Forensic Mental Health Services ( N F M H S ) Ho s p i t a l begins January 4, with the setting up of the site and signage along with clearance and landscaping work. These tasks will help to prepare the site for fur ther constr uction work. The main construction of the forensic mental health facility is subject to a separate commencement notice. All works will be carried out in accordance with conditions agreed by the council. The hospital will comprise a 120-bed national forensic hospital, a 10-bed child and adolescent mental health

unit; a 10-bed forensic mental health intellectual disability unit; and a 30-bed intensive care rehabilitation unit on a 13-hectare site on Portrane’s St Ita’s Hospital campus. Once the hospital has been built, the current residents of the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum will be moved to the north County Dublin complex. The Portrane site was selected in preference to Dundrum in order not to disrupt patients while construction is under way. The local community welcomed the facility but nevertheless raised concerns about the HSE’s plan to bring constr uction traffic through Portrane and Donabate villages. They feared congestion and the damage that heavy

constr uction traffic could cause the village streets, as was the case during construction of the Donabate/Portrane sewage plant, which was completed in 2012. Numerous submissions were made to the planning board by residents, community groups and politicians imploring it to require the HSE to construct an alternative route, but permission was granted without this stipulation. An HSE spokesperson said traffic studies carried out by the design team identified capacity within the existing road n e t wo r k t o a c c o m modate the traffic that would be created during construction. H o w e v e r, F i n g a l County Council has announced it will build a distributor road

through Donabate to Portrane to alleviate existing traffic problems. It is not intended to commence this road until towards the end of 2016, however. Larry Carolan, Donabate/Portrane community council s pokes pers on, s aid: “A BP ’s d e c i s i o n t o grant permission for the National Forensic Mental Health Services Hospital before any alternative road was built now seems premature. “It has always been our position that this distributor road should be built before any work commences on this project which would take all construction traffic away from the already congested road into and out of Donabate and away from the area around

the four schools which can be very busy during school pick up and drop off times.” Cllr Paul Mulville (Ind), who was involved in the local opposition to the construction traffic coming through the village, said he would like to see construction delayed until the new road is constructed. “All the construction traffic coming through the village with this development and the various developments with the local area plan is going to put a lot of strain on the village centre because it’s a very sensitive area for traffic,” he said. “A traffic management plan will be implemented for the duration of the constr uction activity of the proposed development,” a HSE spokesperson said.

27 DEC 2015 – 6 JAN 2016 SWORDS Gazette 7

people | cancer survivor turns to writing children’s books

Swapping office life for a dream

 keith bellew

A MALAHIDE woman has bounced back after a battle with a terminal illness and is now chasing her dream of being a children’s author. C a t hy K i l g a n n o n recently published her first book, Is Christmas Cancelled?, which has been very well received by her young audience. The book chronicles the adventures of Kitty K, who is essentially Cathy as a child, and the prose takes the form of rhyme, which children have really warmed to. She said she has been w riting for the past eight years, compos-

ing poems for friends’ weddings and such, but only began to give any thought to attempting a bigger project 18 months ago on the advice of her brother. K ilgannon said: “I wrote a poem for my little nieces who believe in a fairy that lives in my father’s garden, and one of my brothers, who teaches English, got a look at it and he encouraged me and said: ‘You need to do much more of this’. “I started writing, but I was working full time and didn’t really push forward with it. Then, earlier this year, I was diagnosed with cancer

and I had surgery. When I went back to work I just didn’t feel happy in work at all, so I came out of work and decided to chase the dream.” Over the past few months she has been working on Is Christmas Cancelled?, which she published herself and has since been promoting tirelessly in Ireland and the UK.

Book signing She recently had a very successful book recital and signing event at St Sylvester’s Pastoral Centre on Saturday, December 12. Kilgannon has brought her book

straight to her audience, visiting a number of schools in Fingal, including St Oliver Plunkett’s, and Pope John Paul’s in Malahide. She has also had a recital at the Christmas Kingdom in Malahide. “I have an image of the little character Kitty K – she is like I was as a little girl, [with] curly red hair and [is] a lovely little cartoon image. “I present her to the children in a Powerpoint presentation, introducing all my characters and what I’m hoping to achieve with them.” Kilgannon said she uses each character to promote a positive

Malahide author Cathy Kilgannon

message – for example, a tortoise who travels the world to encourage children to read about other countries and cultures. Another aspect of her presentation is to encourage children to use their imagina-

tion and take up writing themselves. She hopes to make this a full-time job. “After being so terribly ill earlier in the year, my heart’s desire is not to go into another office but to chase this dream,”

said Kilgannon, adding that looking at the faces of children all day is far preferable to staring at traffic and computer screens. For fur ther information, see: www.kittykrhymes.com/.

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swordsGazettegallery | the spirit of christmas is celebrated

Santa Claus with Derek George and Rev Norman Gamble

Andrea Thompson and Daryl Hyland

Cecil Barron

Happy to share seasonal joys Stephanie Hogan with Graeme, Sinead, Emilia and Ana Tarbox, as Lucy and Alex Butcher squeeze in to the right

T

HE spirit of Christmas was in full flow at St Andrew’s parish centre recently, where a great market had been arranged with everything people could want to help celebrate the season of good will. While many children were excited about Santa Claus, there were lots of other features to focus on at the market, as a wide range of stalls provided plenty to browse. From cakes to Christmas gifts, bric a brac to toys – and some delicious cakes, mince pies and mulled wine to enjoy – visitors to the festive market had plenty to focus on. It was a great way to help draw the community together, with Malahide locals and visitors happy to browse the diverse wares, meet friends and neighbours, and share their Christmas plans.

Iain Heath, Sharon Williams, Cliona Worrell, Norma Williams and Ruth Don and Shelagh O’Donnell

Linda Barry and Anne Synnott

Guerin

27 DEC 2015 – 6 JAN 2016 swords gazette 11

with a busy and diverse festive market held at st andrew’s parish centre

Chris, Beth and Stuart Beacon with Harry Bryan

Santa with Noah, Ava and Lucy Sugden and Evelyn Heffelfinger

Peter and Anton Scihoff

Tom Healy and Emer Bryan. Pictures: Stephen Fleming Photography

12 Gazette 27 DEC 2015 – 6 JAN 2016

city Gazettegallery | a splash of colour across the capital

Olwyn and Sarah McIntyre

Jill Mayberry and Kiri Fisher

Celebrate the season in style

Sarah Drew and Grace Larkin. Pictures: Brian McEvoy

A

Hannah Popham and Lisa McLoughlin

Natalie O’Brien and Claire Moore

Melissa Dooley

ustralian wine Yellow Tail teamed up with the nail experts at Tropical Popical to unleash a splash of colour across the capital recently. Kicking off the Christmas season in style, guests enjoyed an evening of pampering, received a complimentary funky manicure, delicious canapes and a selection of Yellow Tail wines.

Hannah Popham and Jess Worsdale

Sandra and Linda Newman

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the big interview P20

asdfsdaf P27 cinema P23

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

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style P18

Pets beautiful belle needs a new home

Eoghan McDermott, Aine Stapleton, Chris Donoghue and Camille Ross will be well known faces at the First Fortnight festival. Picture: Conor McCabe

festival: banish the blues with first fortnight’s range of activities

Raise your new year spirit FIRST Fortnight – a festival aimed at promoting positive mental health in that gloomy, post-Christmas season when people are most susceptible to mental health difficulties – takes place in Dublin during the first two weeks of January. Now in its seventh year, First Fortnight 2016 involves live music, film, theatre, discussion and arts events staged to create open discussion and understanding of mental health problems, and challenge prejudice and discrimination. The events taking place across Dublin and selected venues nationwide include Proclamation – a unique evening of talk and music on New Year’s Day at Christ Church Cathedral, in partnership with Mental Health Ireland. The evening will feature a number

of well-known Irish faces, including Diarmuid Gavin, Mary McEvoy, Chris Donoghue and Eoghan McDermott. It is being staged in association with New Year’s Festival Dublin. If Elected – a discussion on what the political parties will do for mental health in this coming election year – will take place in Dublin on January 13, in partnership with Mental Health Reform. The debate will involve representatives from all the major political parties going head-to-head in a public debate chaired by RTE broadcaster John Bowman. Love and Mercy – the acclaimed biopic of Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson – will be screened in the Pavilion theatre, Dun Laoghaire and UCD Student Cinema on January 11, in asso-

ciation with See Change, the National Mental Health Stigma Reduction Partnership. This year, First Fortnight will once again return to St Patrick’s Hospital for a series of unique events, in association with St Patrick’s Mental Health Services. This will include It Made You – a live performance featuring songwriters of the St Pat’s services and Sean Miller, Gavin Glass, and Kevin Nolan on Saturday, January 9. Other musicians who will feature throughout the festival include Jennifer Evans, We Cut Corners, Saint Sister, State Lights, and the Focus Ireland High Hopes Choir. First Fortnight co-founder and project manager JP Swaine said the festival had become synonymous with fresh, creative and innovative ways to

spark the national conversation on mental health. He said: “Each festival that passes seems to encourage a new crop of artists to work creatively in response to mental health as an issue in Irish society, and it has been hugely encouraging to meet artists who have been developing their work with the express purpose of contributing to First Fortnight.” He said changing attitudes to mental health in Ireland had grown into a movement. “First Fortnight and its mental health partners proclaim that considerable work remains to be done to make Ireland a more tolerant, compassionate and empathic place for those living with the experience of mental ill health.” For further information, see www. firstfortnight.ie.

Dublin Gazette Newspapers has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for lost and abandoned dogs. Belle is a five-year old female pit-bull cross who arrived to Dogs Trust heavily pregnant. She was a fantastic mum to her seven puppies who have all been adopted and now it is Belle’s turn. She is a very friendly girl who adores attention, gives buckets of affection and is a firm favourite among all of the staff. She will make a very lucky adopter a really amazing addition to their home. If you think you can offer Belle a loving home, please contact Dogs Trust on 01 879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website www. dogstrust.ie. You can also find them on Facebook www.facebook.com/ dogstrustirelandonline or Twitter @DogsTrust_IE. Dogs Trust are asking members of the public to visit www.puppypromise. com and make the puppy promise.

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OUT&ABOUT

It’s true – we’re the givers who keep on giving EBay Ireland has released the findings of a global survey showing that Irish people are the most generous gift givers in Europe at Christmas time. T he average Irish person will buy 14 gifts this Christmas with the European average at just 11. Meanwhile, the British will spend on average €289 this year coming in at a close second to Irish shoppers who will spend an average of €296 for Christmas 2015. According to 73% of Irish people, passing off an unwanted gift to someone else is a complete no-no; however, women are more likely to cheekily do this. Irish people have r e n ow n e d m a n n e r s meaning that 83% of those of us who receive an unwanted gift will grin and bear it, so as not to hurt the feelings of the gift giver.

look out for each other in new year, says pieta house Suicide and self-harm charity Pieta House is calling on people to look out for each other after Christmas as we make the sometimes difficult transition from Christmas into January and the New Year. This comes as the charity reports a massive increase in calls for its services in January every year. “Christmas is a very happy time for most when friends and fami-

lies get together and people are in good form,” said Cindy O’Connor, chief clinical officer of Pieta House. “At this time of year people make that extra effort to be kinder to each other and we receive fewer calls for our services during this period. “However, once January arrives and Christmas is over we see a dramatic increase in calls and people looking for support. “This year, we’re asking people to continue to be mindful of one another and to reach out to those who may be struggling.” Pieta House has helped over 5,000 people this year in its nine locations across Ireland and close to 18,000 people since it first opened its doors in 2006.

ISPCC keeps eye on 1,500 children without homes The ISPCC has launched a new Childline service to provide emotional support to more than 1,500 homeless children in Ireland who are worried that Santa won’t be able to find them this Christmas. The text support service, in association with Focus Ireland, and DePaul, is also for children who are worried about homelessness and aims to alleviate some of the stress and anxiety that homelessness can cause for children. The free of charge service which was launched

by Lord Mayor Criona Ni Dhalaigh (SF), will provide non-directive listening to complement child and family support services provided by other agencies and is not an alternative to one-toone support, which will remain a key requirement for families living in temporary accommodation. Text Home to 50101 from 10am to 4am.

get with the programme and recycle batteries WEEE Ireland are asking people to be mindful of their waste batteries during the festive season. New figures released by WEEE Ireland have revealed that over 20 million waste AA batteries are expected to be found lying around Irish homes on Christmas Day. Members of the public will now be able to obtain their own My Battery Box from their local Aldi store in a bid to make battery recycling more achievable. Each battery collected will go towards a monetary donation to LauraLynn Children’s Hospice. Special ambassador Bosco said: “I am delighted to leave my box once again this Christmas to get on the road to spread the importance of recycling batteries, not just for our environment but for the children in LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice. “All the children there are my friends and I really hope Ireland can pull together over Christmas

and collect waste batteries in the new blue battery boxes.” To find out more, visit www.weeeireland.ie

27 DEC 2015 – 6 JAN 2016 Gazette 15

DIARY feature

Elsa Uibh Eachach is pictured with Bosco at Aldi in Terenue for the launch of WEEE Ireland’s My Battery Box campaign. Picture: Shane O’Neill Photography

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STYLE

River Island Bandeau prom dress €87

OUT&ABOUT

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Look from River Is

A sparkling New Year  mimi murray

The biggest party night of the year is almost upon us and what better time to glitz it up, sartorial wise, than New Year’s Eve. Sparkles, crystals and sequins are the order of the day and here at Gazette Style we are big fans of a bit of shimmer and shine, for the party season anyway. Here we have picked some winning looks that won’t break the bank and some colours that you really won’t get away with at any other time of the year. So pop on those diamante earrings, a glimmering heel and a sparkly frock, and get ready for the ball to drop!

River Is bodyco land open b n €55 ack

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OUT&ABOUT

the big interview

Peter andre: strictly insightful insights

Taking all the right steps for a great family Christmas  emma nolan

FOLLOWING a successful stint on Strictly Come Dancing, singer and reality star Peter Andre talked to The Gazette about dancing, Daniel O’Donnell, his upcoming tour and spending Christmas with

his family. The father of three has had a whirlwind of a year following his wedding to Emily MacDonagh in July and, with the birth of his daughter, Amelia, in January 2014, and a new TV show in the works, it’s all go for the Mysterious Girl singer.

“I’m doing so much at the moment – TV, endorsements – and I’ve got the tour next year.” His Come Swing With Me tour starts at the end of February next year, and he is currently acting as promotional ambassador for food retailer Iceland.

As for including an Irish date in the tour, he said: “You never know – me and Daniel [O’Donnell] might be doing something together!” He joked about Irish country singer and fellow Strictly Come Dancing contestant, O’Donnell, who he became great friends with after appearing on the show together. “I love Daniel – he’s a gent and a kind man. I noticed a big gap in the show when he left.”

Nerves Speaking of his experience on the show, Andre said he was very happy to have been a part of it, despite his nerves: “The nerves killed me on that show.” Andre and O’Donnell helped each other with the pressure. “He said something to me that really resonated with me – he said in all the years he’s been performing, he never felt as nervous as he did on the show, and I understand – I was the same.” After making it through 10 weeks on the show, he said that he felt “absolutely no shame” when he was eventually eliminated and was delighted to reach a few milestones, including getting to Blackpool which was “just incredible”, he said. “I had the first 10 [score] of the series, the first 10 from [head judge]

Peter Andre speaks warmly of time spent with Donegal crooner Daniel O’Donnell on Strictly Come Dancing, saying: “I noticed a big gap in the show when he left.”

Len Goodman and he gave me a standing ovation – they’re moments I will always remember.” Andre said the dancing skills he learned on the show with dance partner Janette Manrara were invaluable for his tour.

Tradition As for Christmas, he’s spending it in the West Country with Emily’s family, which has been their tradition for the past few years. “Her mum is an incredible cook,” he said, “We end up being like a scene out of Home Alone – it’s just madness! I’m going to have the kids with me;

it’s going to be wonderful.” As it’s his youngest daughter, Amelia’s, second Christmas, he said she’s getting excited by all the lights but doesn’t know what’s going on just yet, but his older children, Junior (10), and Princess (8), are very excited, and looking forward to it “big time”. Andre told The Gazette that he and Emily are excited to have more children in the future. He joked: “Every time I ask her, she nods her head in agreement.” He added: “I’m from a big family. There are six of us; my dad was one of

12; we’re both from big families and I like big families – we live for our kids.” This Christmas, Andre is determined that he and the family will put down their phones while enjoying their quality time together. As food retailer Iceland ambassador, he is in full agreement of its campaign urging people to put the phones down this Christmas to maximise family time. He said: “I know that’s a hard thing for us to do, but with everyone’s head stuck in their phones, it would be really nice this Christmas for us to just put them away.”

27 DEC 2015 – 6 JAN 2016 Gazette 21

Gazette

22 Gazette 27 DEC 2015 – 6 JAN 2016

OUT&ABOUT

fast

TRAVEL NEWS

Lake Como is famous for its wonderful gardens and dramatic scenery

A wealth of magical gardens to enjoy If you’re already dreaming of sunshine and gardens in full bloom, then Travel Department’s range of overseas garden tours are a great antidote to the winter blues. These garden tours takes in visits to some of the most well-known and iconic gardens in the world, as well as private gardens that can often be inaccessible when travelling independently. For five nights you can visit the gardens of Lake Como in Milan at the four-star Grand Hotel Cadenabbia with flights departing on May 11 for €979pp. Lake Como is famous for its wonderful gardens and dramatic scenery with the lake as the beautiful focal point. From your relaxing lakeside base, you will explore the lake’s enchanting gardens and picturesque villages. Bask in the beauty of Villa Balbianello and Villa Carlotta, where the gardens attached to both of these magnificent villas date back to the 16th century, showcasing geometrical sche-

ma, stairs and terraces, statues and fountains. If you want a garden holiday that will surely surpass all of your expectations then why not take a journey to Japan and explore its magnificent and tranquil nature sights. Departing in November 2016, Frances MacDonald, a qualified and experienced gardener and guide, will escort you from the ancient city of Kyoto with its superb gardens and temples, then on the renewed city of Hiroshima with its iconic reminder of the atomic bomb now surrounded by a beautiful peace park for a total of 13 nights. You will then journey though wonderful mountain scenery for an overnight stay near Mount Fuji, before moving on to the seaside town of Kamakura to view gardens and the Great Buddha before visiting the bustling high rise metropolis of Tokyo with its secret gardens, parks and temples. To see a full list of garden holiday on offer, visit www.traveldepartment.ie

TRAVEL

america: New York is a perfect sequel to a stay in las vegas

Celebrate the New Year in cities that never sleep

 Ian Begley

ers.

If you fancy rolling into the New Year with style, then Las Vegas is the city for you. Famous around the globe for its world-class entertainment and casinos, there’s a lot more to this vibrant city than meets the eye. American Holidays has compiled a list of the most exciting activities and excursions to ensure you have an amazing trip.

The Mob Museum Find out all there is to know about America’s most famous criminals, such as Al Capone, and learn about the origins of the FBI at the interactive Mob Museum. The museum provides a world-class, interactive journey through true stories. From the birth of the mob, to today’s headlines. Whether you like it or not, this is American history.

Bellagio Fountains Water shoots 460ft into the air, perfectly choreographed to the tunes of Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly. The fountains are destined to romance your senses. Take in a complimentary Las Vegas show of water, music and light thoughtfully interwoven to mesmerise its admir-

The Grand Canyon Be wowed by the breathtaking canyon which stretches as far as the eye can see. Enjoy the scenery of all the rims of the canyon where you can see the Colorado river, lush forests of the Grand Canyon National Park, as well as the high deserts of the West Rim.

The Hoover Dam This tour offers a unique way to see, learn and appreciate what Hoover Dam is all about. Built in 1931, the excursion offers guided exploration into lesser known parts of the dam. Cirque du Soleil Former Olympic gymnasts throw themselves around the stage purely for your entertainment. Cirque du Soleil is a Quebec-based company recognised all over the world for high-quality, artistic entertainment. Since its dawn in 1984, it has constantly sought to evoke the imagination, invoke the senses and provoke the emotions of people around the world. Adventuredome A m e r i c a ’s l a r g e s t indoor theme park. You’ll be left gasping for breath

after the thrilling Canyon Blaster and El Loco rides. The colossal carnival-like atmosphere is more than five acres of thrills, chills and a crazy amount of fun for everyone.

Stratosphere Tower Enjoy panoramic views of the Las Vegas valley from the Stratosphere Tower which stands at 1,149ft and is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States. A unique fixture in the Vegas skyline, the tower is one of the most exciting attractions among Las Vegas resorts. With the vast quantity of things to do in Las Vegas, you can spend five nights in the Excalibur Hotel and Casino from €769pp in February. For those who want two holidays in one, what about spending your four

nights in the Excalibur Hotel in Las Vegas and another three nights in the Hotel Edison in New York this January/February from €835pp? New York is a place that can be something different to every individual visitor. If culture and art are your thing then the Museum of Natural History, the Met and the Guggemheim are just three museums in a city stuffed with them. If entertainment is more your bag then take a trip down Broadway or visit Times Square. There is also the architecture, parks, music and people, the nightlife and daytime hustle and bustle, the subway and a yellow cab ride through skyscraper-created canyons. For more information on these deals, visit www. americanholidays.com.

Experience the iconic vistas of the Grand Canyon and explore the Hoover Dam before letting the Statue of Liberty welcome you to a city like no other, New York

27 DEC 2015 – 6 JAN 2016 Gazette 23

Gazette

CINEMA ReelReviews

Man versus enraged super beast ... Ship: 0, Whale: 1, in this latest retelling of the Moby Dick tale

in the heart of the sea: maritime disaster

Barely keeps its head above the water  Dave phillips

After the underwhelming prequels from some years ago, disgruntled Star Wars fans had been waiting – and waiting, and waiting – for films worthy of the excitement, spirit and energy of the original trilogy. Thankfully, The Force Awakens delivers a terrific, invigorating sequel.

star wars: the force is very strong in this one

The next generation  Shannon Maile

So unless you’ve removed yourself to a remote island off the coast of Finland you’ll know that the world is currently undergoing a severe bout of Star Wars hysteria. It’s taken the human population by force (ha, get it?), and whether you’re a die-hard fan or completely oblivious to any of the previous Star Wars franchise, nobody can escape from it simply because it’s all over your Facebook feed. So why the big fuss? It’s been 10 years since the last instalment of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith so it was no doubt that we were all somewhat excited to have a new addition to the collection, but the question on our lips is, was it worth the wait? This time around we

have a brand new director by the name of JJ Abrams who expertly takes the reins from George Lucas and a shiny new set of characters for us to explore which gives the film a bit of a boost and a softer approach for new coming fans. The “good guys” are none other than Rey, our heroine of the film but previously a female scavenger living on a dismal desert planet, Fin, who was a Stormtrooper for the vicious First Order but now wants an escape from his past, and of course a brand new droid called BB-8 for us to go “aww” at. Oh but that’s not all, BB-8, like all sneaky droids, has crucial information on the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker for the Resistance, which leads our heroes into a spot of bother with the new and improved Sith

order which is controlled by a villainous blackmasked fiend, does that ring a bell for anyone? Without giving too much of the plot away, the film itself wonderfully caters for all ages and interests. F o r those

who live on the nostalgic side of life, we have the rebirth of some of our most beloved and notorious characters such as Han Solo and Chewbacca (who are still, unsurprisingly, up to no good) and

Princess Leia. Without completely copying the plot for A New Hope, we do have a similar structure in place, Step 1: Kill Sith lord of your choice; Step 2: Blow up the new Death Star. It also wouldn’t be complete without some father-son issues in homage to Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker and of course for the more sof t-hear ted viewers out there we have a bit of romance to spice things up every now and again but we also have enough action and spaceship chases and/or fights to entertain the most manliest of men who dare not stray from their action-loving ways. This film could have easily died a painfully embarrassing death if left in the wrong hands but luckily it has outdone itself and will live another

day. With the prospect of more Star Wars films in the pipeline it’s safe to say that the excitement will never cease but it may not reach the same heights as this production. If I had to pinpoint any disappointing aspects of the film, it would be the slight lack of originality with the plot but nevertheless it’s still a gem. Prepare yourselves for a lot of shocks, a few laughs, and if you’re anything like my mother who still lives in her 1970s childhood nostalgia, there will be a lot of tear-jerking moments also. All in all it’s a brilliant piece of film history which is already being proved by its success in the box office and a mustsee for everyone regardless of whether you’re a sci-fi diehard or not.

Verdict: 9/10

A staple in the literary canon, Herman Melville’s 1851 novel Moby-Dick tells the story of Captain Ahab’s fatally obsessive crusade to hunt the titular white whale. Subsequent decades have seen Melville’s tale of power, revenge, and glory rise to become the preeminent representation of the American ideal. In The Heart of the Sea sees veteran director Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon) trace these core themes to the gruesome incident that inspired Melville – the sinking of the Essex, a Nantucket whaling ship that was wrecked by its quarry in the South Pacific in 1820. It’s a story within a story, as a young Melville (Ben Whishaw) implores one of the sole survivors of the wreck, Tom Nickerson (Brendan Gleeson) to drunkenly recount the disaster some decades later. Bearing the bulk of the narrative, Nickerson’s account revolves around two men – the officious

and green around the gills Captain Pollard (Benjamin Walker) and the sea-savvy superhero Owen Chase (Chris Hemsworth). Cue the inevitable mano-el-mano posturing as we sink into that age-old dynamic of rank versus experience. Despite a rollicking trailer, In The Heart of The Sea plays out slowly, with a handful of big action sequences keeping things afloat. The level of talent is saturating – Cillian Murphy also appears alongside Tom Holland and Michelle Fairly – and one wonders whether Howard had the space in two hours to contain the enormity of the tale he tries so earnestly to tell. There are solid performances, some beautiful shots and CG work and equally well-constructed and tangible sets that all cry out for recognition. But the story sacrifices character development in pursuit of a heavy-handed attempt to make its themes relevant (ah, they did it all for oil!). We never get to the heart of the sea, we only skim the surface.

Chris Hemsworth as sea-savvy Owen Chase

Gazette

24 Gazette 27 DEC 2015 – 6 JAN 2016

OUT&ABOUT

GAMING

WEEBYTES 5 The late Satoru Iwata,

1

Nintendo chief executive

Some of the gaming lows from 2015 DESPITE the release of many great games and cool tech developments, 2015 also saw more than its fair share of bad news, too. As the lowest point of the year, gamers and the industry alike were shocked in July when Nintendo’s chief executive, 55-year-old Satoru Iwata, suddenly passed away. As a key driver of Nintendo’s successes, and as a widely respected and liked figure in the business, Iwata’s unexpected death marked the lowest point in a year that also saw a lot of job losses, studio closures, and troubled titles getting canned. There was no shortage of business fallings out and controversies, this year, with the international gaming media – and, increasingly, the mainstream business press – seemingly unable to turn around without bumping into another gaming-related argument, spat or bad-news story from one month to the next. However, looking ahead to 2016, we can still expect the sector to log some record financial figures, the delivery of a number of long-awaited flagship titles, and the continuing growth, diversity and maturity of the industry as a whole.

3 6

2

4

7

Many of this year’s best games delivered particularly creative, beautiful or complex settings. Flowing from the top left, and in no particular order: 1) Her Story, 2) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, 3) Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, 4) Batman: Arkham Knight, 5) Xenoblade Chronicles X, 6) Splatoon, 7) Bloodborne, 8) Metal Gear Solid V (inset below).

best of 2015: A round-up of several of the year’s greatest games

Some beauties to behold

A NERVOUS young woman walks into a police station to report her husband missing. So began one of the best games of the year – a title that’s as good as any to start this best-of-2015 list. Starting off – and in no particular order – and critics loved the narrative-driven Her Story (1, IOS; for mature gamers). Presented as hopelessly mixed-up video snippets of a few police interviews recorded and then jumbled up in the mid 1990s, players used a police computer to review up to five snippets of clips at a time, based on any common keyword they entered. After that, it was up to them to work out what part of the story to unlock next, based on their keywords, with the missing person report soon turning into a complex tale.

 shane dillon sdillon@dublingazette.com

Moving on, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2, PC, PS4, XBO; Cert 18) was undoubtedly the game of the year for many critics and gamers alike. Set in a truly vast open world dotted with villages, towns, ruins and a seemingly endless amount of quests – not to mention a lot of Northern Irishvoiced characters – its chief protagonist could explore a massive game world that was rich with detail and very, very pretty vistas – as well as occasional lashings of uber-violence and ear-blistering profanities across its darkly beautiful world. Indeed, with the newer,

powerful consoles hitting their stride, many of 2015’s game worlds were particularly wondrous to behold, as developers began to get to grips with their power. Whether exploring a quintessentially English village immediately after the apocalypse has wiped away everybody, everywhere in Everybody’s

Gone to The Rapture ( 3 , PS4; Cert 16), or

swooping through the definitive version of a rain-and neon-soaked Gotham city in Batman: Arhkam Knight (4, PC, PS4, XBO; Cert

18), 2015’s game worlds enticed, entertained and unnerved players with particular skill. Indeed, several of these best-of titles had mature themes running throughout, and often subtly so – themes of love, loss and philosophical points about the meaning of self

and identity lay as rich seams beneath the pretty surface in a number of these engaging titles. However, older consoles still had the power to surprise in 2015, with the aging Wii U packing quite a punch with Xenoblade Chronicles X (5, Cert 12) – as vast, engaging and beautiful a world as anything the newer consoles could muster. In common with other large open worlds to explore, Chronicles featured a complex story laden with a huge amount of side quests and diversions – but not so with another critically-lauded Wii U title, Splatoon (6, Cert 7+) – a fun and fastpaced shooter game that charmed many. Its bright and simple graphics masked a fastmoving title that was fun to play, but had much more depth than its cheerful graphics sug-

gested, proving yet again that Nintendo’s consoles often have the most directly fun games. Critics also lauded c r e e py B l o o d b o r n e (7, PS4; Cert 18); a toughas-nails action game soaked in Gothic, Lovecraftian imagery and lore, and bristling with just-one-more-go appeal for those who like a challenge (to put it mildly).

8

And, lastly – and almost certainly very finally – the long-awaited Metal Gear Solid V (8, PS3, PS4, XB360, XBO, PC; Cert 18) made quite an impact with its open world setting, dense plot, and a seemingly final adventure for an iconic games character (see inset), with everything from child soldiers in Africa to psychic pyromaniacs to contend with, all in the name of an antiwar message. Ultimately, 2015 delivered more of the same, with few truly new experiences or genres making their impact felt. However, there were subtle iterations to established genres, and despite the usual raft of studio closures and industrywide issues, 2015 saw several outstanding games live up to their promise. 2016 has quite a challenge to live up to ...

27 DEC 2015 – 6 JAN 2016 Gazette 25

R1

Gazette

HEALTH advice: get focused and put seasonal excesses behind you

Five steps to beat ‘Christmas bloat’ Christmas has come and gone, and you’re left to deal with the aftermath of all that less-thanhealthy eating. Your body is puffy and bloated. Your joints are achy. Your clothes feel tight. Maybe you are feeling this way right now? Below are the five steps you’ll need to quickly and seamlessly get back on the fitness fast track ... Step one: Get focused. The holidays happened. You ate things from your “never eat these” list; you drank more than you should have – but now it’s over. Draw a line in the sand. The bad eating stops here. Don’t beat yourself up for falling off the fitness

wagon this time; simply get back up, dust yourself off and get re-focused. Leave the past – and your slip-ups – in the past. Step Two: Get hydrated. While bad eating can take on many forms, the end result is most often dehydration and water retention. The only way to restore balance is to get hydrated. Your first priority in getting back on track is to drink plenty of water throughout your day. Start with a tall glass of water in the morning, and carry a water bottle with you. Don’t add artificial sweeteners or any cordial to your water – these will work against your hydration efforts.

Stay focused throughout Christmas and you will be ready for the New Year

To add flavour, slice fresh fruit such as lime or lemon, herbs like mint, or vegetables such as cucumber to place in your water, just like at the spa. Step three: Get picky. For the next few days you

need to be extra picky about what you eat. Stick with only whole, real foods like fruits, vegetables and some lean meat. Whole, real foods will quickly help to restore balance. Don’t eat pack-

aged foods for the next few days – this means saying no to snack foods, processed meat slices, dairy, baked goods and alcohol. Step four: Get juicing. Making your own juice

can be beneficial when recovering from a weekend of bad eating. The key is to use ingredients that will hydrate and nourish your body, and to avoid ingredients that are high in sugar. These ingredients create a fantastic recovery juice: fresh ginger, spinach, cucumber, kale, green apple, lemon and celery. The following ingredients should be used sparingly, due to high sugar content: carrots, oranges, red apples, melons or pineapple. Step five: Get moving. So you’ve put an end to the eating madness, you’ve hydrated, you’ve eaten only whole foods and you’ve enjoyed a

recovery juice – now it’s time to sweat it out. Lace up your runners and put on your favourite gym clothes. When you start your workout, ease in slowly. Take the time to warm up and stretch your muscles before powering up to a solid 30-minute exercise routine. Start with a fast-paced walk each morning before your breakfast and do this every day for seven days. You’ll feel amazing and you’ll get control back over your body.  Greg Marsh Fat loss expert, personal trainer and owner of Synergise Personal Training in Stepaside. For further information, see www.synergise.ie.

26 swords gazette 27 DEC 2015 – 6 JAN, 2016

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28 Gazette 27 DEC 2015 – 6 JAN 2016

SPORT2015

review of the year

looking back: january to june

Dublin toast New Year with a host of epic wins

January

“SURE, what better way to start a New Year than a game of hurling?” Ger Cunningham enjoyed his first taste of life as the new Dublin senior hurling boss at the annual Dubs Stars on New Year’s Day. He was one of a series of people making their first tentative steps into the new season in new roles. Castleknock appointed Antoin O’Cleirigh to take over the reins as the club’s hurling manager to take on AHL Division 2 for the very first time. Skerries Harps Lyndsey Davey was announced as the captain of the Dublin senior football team, instantly saying the focus for 2015 was very clearly on making amends for last year’s All-Ireland championship final defeat to Cork. Clondalkin rugby’s second team made up for the cancellation of their firsts’ Hosie Cup final, with a convincing defeat of the Athy outfit in the Lalor Cup final on home soil over the winter break.

February SHANE

Jennings

announced he would call time on a glittering career with Leinster and professional rugby at the end of the 2014-15 season, one that saw him land three Heineken Cups, three Celtic Leagues and an Amlin Cup. In the wake of the announcement, he duly went on to captain Leinster on the occasion of his 204th Leinster cap to a bonus point win over Zebre in front of his home crowd at the RDS. Arcane/Adamstown Cycling Team’s Darragh Zaidan began his year in style with two major achievements, landing an impressive solo win at the Trader’s Cup in Dundalk a week before riding in his first professional road race in Morocco. After three years of frustration, sports clubs and schools in the Donabate– Portrane area were given a huge boost with the news that the Donabate all-weather pitch is due to reopen in just three weeks’ time. The facility, which was closed before a ball was kicked or struck in late November 2011 due to flooding, forced local sports clubs to travel across Dublin to hold

training sessions and host matches. Lucan United added another marquee name to their LSL Sunday Senior 1B panel with the signing of former Republic of Ireland international Mark Kinsella. Manager John Doyle says he “twisted his arm”to line out in their 6-0 win over Rathcoole Boys, a result which lifted them to the top of their division. Clonliffe Harriers’ Brian Gregan and Declan Murray produced superb runs as part of Ireland’s distance medley relay at the Armory Invitational meet as the team went under world record time. They were denied the overall title by a dominant USA team who ran a superb 9.19.93 with Ireland finishing in 9.25.37, what now stands as the second best time ever, The relay sees teams of four compete over mixed distances over 1,200m, 400m, 800m and 1,500m.

March THERE was a wealth of local winners at the annual FAI awards event. Swords’ Jamie Finn took home the Under-16 Wom-

Dublin footballer Rory O’Carroll with Scoil Aine’s Ellie McGrath, Roisin Mythen and Lucy Harrington. Picture: Ramsey Cardy

Clondalkin claimed the Lalor Cup in a succesful start to their 2015. Picture:

Feile gold for Plunkett’s. Picture: Peter Hockey/

Sharon Flanagan

GAAPics.com

The DDSL celebrate

Robbie Keane brought his LA Galaxy team to Gannon Park for a training session with

Tough going at the

the Irish Special Olympics side. Picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

ships in Swords last

en’s International Player of the Year prize. Former Lakelands schoolboy Danny Kane was named FAI Under17 International Player of the Year while Liverpool hot prospect and former Lucan United star Conor Masterson picked up the FAI Under-16 International Player of the Year award last weekend. On the hockey front, Aisling Naughton’s thirdminute goal saw Hermes claim the second leg of a potential quadruple as they won their ninth Jacqui Potter Leinster Senior Cup hockey title at Grange Road on St

Patrick’s Day. She got on the end of Sarah Patton’s superb run and cross to snatch her 23rd goal of the season, helping the Booterstown club add this title to the Leinster league they won a fortnight earlier. Castleknock GA A took another big step forward with club members approving plans to start work on a new clubhouse during the summer. Old Wesley RFC, meanwhile, achieved promotion despite losing their perfect record in the league against Naas at Forenaught. The losing bonus point proved

enough to assure them a move up to Division 1B.

April THIS month marked 25 years of Esker Celtic providing football in Hermitage Park. The club celebrated the milestone with a massive gala event in the Clarion Hotel, Liffey Valley with FAI chief executive John Delaney in attendance. A penalty corner brace from Richard Sykes saw Monkstown win their third successive Irish Hockey League title, inflicting Banbridge’s first defeat in all competitions

over the season at Grange Road. Having had one hand on the AUL Sunday Senior Division title for almost the entire season, Rivervalley Rangers senior footballers finally got two hands on it in April in Ridgewood Park. The league was captured in fine style too, with an 8-0 win over the helpless McKelvey Celtic leaving the Valley on 42 points, with 14 wins from 14 games. Dublin retained the EirGrid Leinster Under-21 Leinster Football Championship at Pairc Tailteann in sterling fashion.

27 DEC 2015 – 6 JAN 2016 Gazette 29

Gazette

‘‘

QUOTABLE

QUOTES

“My Mam still worries about me. I have to remind her: ‘I have just run around the world’ ”

Castleknock freestyle kayaker Tom Dunphy creating

“It takes getting used to. You have to learn to relish the contact and learn to love it to be successful.”

with the FAI Umbro Youth Inter League Cup after a final win over the NDSL. Picture: Pat Murphy/Sportsfile

Eye for the camera: Clontarf in action in the UBL Division 1A against Terenure. Picture: Deryck Vincent

Irish National Cyclocross champion-

High School ecstatic after their first Leinster hockey Senior Premier

January. Picture: Sean Rowe

League success. Picture: Adrian Boehm

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 five finals, eventually winning one at the fourth attempt.

May TROPHIES abounded on the soccer front with Lucan United adding the Gilligan Cup to promotion to the LSL Senior 1A Division. What looked a certain-

ty for so long became reality for St Mochta’s who beat local rivals Verona 5-2 midweek to build an unassailable lead at the top of the LSL Sunday Senior 1. It ensures their entry top tier football in the LSL for the very first time as comprehensive league champions, getting over the line with four games remaining and the minimum of fuss. On one epic weekend, St Joseph’s Boys won a stunning four trophies. Those included a rare double All-Ireland, with the wins coming at Under15 and Under-13 level.

Twenty-year-old Gavin Moynihan led through all but one round of the 2015 Irish Amateur Golf Championship, to take his second title in comprehensive fashion. The Island GC man’s stunning third round 65 proved the difference, meaning 2012’s unlikely winner went into the final round level with young club mate Kevin LeBlanc before emerging with the title. Salmon Leap canoe club’s Jenny Egan became the first Irish athlete to win a Senior European Sprint Championship canoe medal last weekend

- Ultra-runner Tony Mangan in the wake of his epic 55,000km run over four years

a splash in Canada

in Racice, Czech Republic. Egan’s bronze medal came in the Senior Women’s K1 5,000m event. Colaiste Iosagain’s Ruth Iuallain and Kim NiFhearain

June

celebrate All-Ireland junior glory. Picture: Oliver McVeigh

CASTLEKNOCK Celtic ended its season with an impressive seven league titles with a number of runners-up positions with the DDSL Under-14 Major side making it an incredible four promotions in succession. Bluebell United finally secured a long-awaited Leinster Senior League title, their first since 1987, having led the Sunday Senior’s top tier of Lein-

ster intermediate football almost from start to finish. The free scoring Leinster Senior Division side hit 51 goals in 24 league games this season, and wrapped up the trophy to end their 28-year wait for this success. Another to end a long wait was Maria McCambridge who finally broke her women’s VHI minimarathon duck as she

claimed the title in a time of 34 minutes and three seconds. She led home a field of over 37,000 entrants for the annual event, the largest female-only event of its kind in the world. Ireland’s first ever all artificial clay tennis club was opened last Saturday as De Vesci Lawn Tennis Club, Monkstown, unveiled their switch from hard-court to clay.

- Irish rugby star Hannah Tyrrell on her successful transition from Gaelic football

“Living in the jungle with all the monkeys in the trees; it’s only place in the world you can train without having to worry about money.” - Castleknock man Tom Dunphy on why he moved to a camp site in the African jungle to pursue his dreams as a freestyle kayaker.

Gazette

30 Gazette 27 DEC 2015 – 6 JAN 2016

SPORT2015

review of the year

look back: july to december

Chasing the national and international sports dream July FINGALLIANS opened their long-awaited new all-weather pitch with GAA president Aogan O’Fearghail doing the honours at Lawless Park. The pitch will go a long way to improving the facilities for the sizeable and fast-growing Swords club, which hosts a substantial 67 teams vying for time across the facilities. Club PRO Paul Gormley said: “The new turf, with the requisite lining and new posts, will provide a superb facility for the club’s ever-growing reach while also providing a facility for the several national schools in the area.” Hermitage GC’s Rowan Lester helped Leinster produce a phenomenal display on the final day at Rosapenna GC, Donegal, to reclaim t h e I n t e r p r ov i n c i a l Championship for the first time in seven years. Portmarnock Swim Club member Fiona Doyle booked her ticket to the 2016 Rio Olympics, won a bronze medal, and smashed a self-held Irish record within the space of two days at the World University Games in Gwangiu, South Korea.

T h e Vo l v o D u n Laoghaire Regatta, meanwhile, produced four days of enthralling racing in Dublin Bay with over 400 boats and almost 3,000 sailors competing. The biennial regatta was hailed an enormous success, both afloat and ashore, for a combined fleet of 415 boats, the biggest on the Irish Sea. Over 250 races on five different courses were staged in a range of light to very heavy conditions.

August FOXROCK Cabinteely hammered St Brigid’s 3-10 to 2-1 in the final in Parnell Park to claim the Dublin ladies football senior championship title. “We’re particularly proud of how we won the game. It was probably our best performance of the year,” said manager Pat Rice. Former Republic of Ireland international, St Patrick’s Athletic legend Keith Fahey announced his retirement from the professional game due to a long-standing knee and hip injuries. But, while one former ROI international hung up his Rovers jersey for

good, another started a new life for the Hoops as Damien Duff made his debut for Fenlon’s side as a late substitute in their 3-0 win over Cork City in Tallaght. The LSL Sunday Senior season got under way with newcomers Glenville and St Mochta’s winning their first ever game at this level on the first day of the season.

Salmon Leap’s Jenny Egan added to a superb year with success at the annual Liffey Descent

Conor McGregor became the UFC Leinster rugby star Kevin McLaughlin

featherweight champion in brilliant

at a summer camp; he was forced to

fashion in Las Vegas with a 13-second win

retire in September. Picture: Daire Brennan

over Jose Aldo. Picture: Ramsey Cardy

The Dublin senior football

September AFTER guiding Dublin to a third All-Ireland title in five years and his second as Dublin manager, Jim Gavin heaped praise on the structure of Gaelic Games in the capital. The Round Tower’s man led Dublin to a 0-12 to 0-9 over reigning champions Kerry in the final and he mentioned those involved in the sport at every level the morning after the win. “The fabric of the team is made up of all parts of the county,” Gavin said in the aftermath. “As intercounty manager, I’m just privileged to work with players who have come from great clubs. In Dublin we have a great Cumann na mBunscol structure, we’ve a great coaching system, we’ve got some great teachers

The Irish women’s cross-country Fingallians at the Gaelic4Mothers and Others blitz with huge

team who won gold at the Europeans in

numbers participating. Picture: GAAPics.com

France.

doing some great work in the primary schools, some great coaches in the clubs.” The Dublin ladies footballers, however, were undone in their final by a hugely impressive Cork side. Both Fingallians and Round Tower, Lusk were contesting the junior B and A finals and both left Parnell Park with titles as Fingallians beat Bank of Ireland 2-17 to 3-8 and Round Tower ran out 4-10 to 1-12 winners against Raheny. St Brigid’s junior hurlers savoured the sweet taste of championship glory after a pulsating junior B final against

O’Toole’s 1-13 to 0-15. The South Dublin Swans, based in Bushy Park in Terenure, won the 2015 Australian Rules Football League of Ireland (ARFLI) Grand Final after a nail-biting final against last year’s champions, the Belfast Redbacks, in Belfast. MU Barnhall began the Ulster Bank League Division 2B’s at Parsonstown with a number of major changes to their set-up both on the field and off it. Maynooth University, the college which the Blue Bulls have a strategic alliance with, have rebranded from NUIM to MU which meant the

club changed along with it.

October R ATHFARNHAM WSAF’s Sean Hehir was the first Irish man home in the Dublin City Marathon, claiming the national title in 2.17.48. Clontarf cruised into the last four of the Dublin senior football championship thanks to a convincing 0-19 to 0-7 win over St Anne’s, the first time they had reached that stage since 1991. Handball hero Eoin Kennedy landed his fifth All-Ireland doubles title to add to his absolute mountain of medals and

titles over the years. The St Brigid’s man paired up with Carl Browne for the first time in a doubles final and the Dublin duo beat Kilkenny duo Ciaran Neary and Michael “Ducksy” Walsh after a dramatic three games in the 60x30 softball final Abbeylara. A 1-1 draw in Tallaght Stadium against Shamrock Rovers was enough for Dundalk FC to retain their SSE Airtricity Premier Division crown and it was no surprise that a Richie Towell goal clinched the title. As well as Towell, the Dundalk squad was packed with players who learned their trade in west

27 DEC 2015 – 6 JAN 2016 Gazette 31

Gazette

‘‘

QUOTES OF

THE YEAR “Precision beats power and timing beats speed and that is what you saw there.”

- Mixed Martial Irish Senior women’s close cup winner Gertie McMullen (The Island) receives a kiss from husband and caddy Frazer after victory at Castletroy. Picture: Pat Cashman

Arts hero CONOR McGREGOR in the aftermath of his incredible UFC title-fight victory over Jose Aldo

“My sport is a little insane and athletes competing need to have a certain personality type. You have to be a little bit crazy!”

side celebrate winning their third All-Ireland title in the past five years in Croke Park. Picture: Stephen McCarthy

- Skeleton Olympic

NAC’s James Scully before

Pearl Slattery leads out Shelbourne for the women’s

Phoenix Park was thronged for the national triathlon championships in August.

competing in the IPC World

FAI Senior Cup final against Wexford. They ultimately

Picture: David Maher/Sportsfile

Championships.

were denied the title on penalties. Picture: David Maher

round of action, drawing a rousing reception from the home supporters. St Peregrine’s Under-14 camogie stars wrapped up a remarkable treble winning season by clinching their league title. A 4-9 to 1-4 win over St Pat’s meant Peregrine’s added the Division 3 title to their championship and Feile crowns from earlier this year.

K insella has been involved in the sport for 25 years, and represented Ireland at the world and European championships before moving into coaching, founding the Monkstown Boxing Club from scratch 12 year ago. Ballyboden St Enda’s manager Andy McEntee said: “it mightn’t have been pretty” but his club was unlikely to care too much as they won their first ever Leinster title in O’Connor Park. The Firhouse Road outfit defeated Portlaoise in a thrilling AIB Leinster SFC Club final by a single point and McEntee. Lucan Sarsfields’ senior footballers return

Dublin. Palmerstown local Andy Boyle grew up playing alongside Towell in a prominent Crumlin schoolboy team. Chris Shields was on the books of Clondalkin club St Francis for a number of years while Meenan (St Joseph’s), Sean Gannon (St Kevin’s), and Kurtis Byrne (Cherry Orchard) also got a footballing education in the city, along with several other members of the Lilywhites squad. The Irish men’s hockey team, featuring several players from Dublin clubs like Monkstown, Pembroke and Three Rock Rovers moved a step clos-

er to the Olympic dream as the national team had their place confirmed for Rio 2016.

November LINDSAY PEAT - an All-Ireland winning footballer and former cocaptain of the Irish international basketball team - added international rugby to her considerable sporting CV. Peat was called up to the Ireland Women’s squad to face England at Harlequin’s London ground, The Stoop, coming off the bench as the women played their first autumn international. The good times kept on

rolling for Cuala’s senior hurlers as they booked their place in the Leinster SHC final, adding to the Dublin title, with superb 3-12 to 0-17 win over Clara of Kilkenny. They would eventually come a cropper to Wexford side Oulart-the-Ballagh. NAC-based diver Oliver Dingley won his first event as an Irish competitor when beating multiple world champion Tom Daley at the Irish Open in the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin. He won the 1m men’s final in dramatic fashion, seeing off the sport’s most famous face by 1.05 points with final forward 2½ somersaults in the last

December MONKSTOWN Boxing Club head coach Paul Kinsella was awarded the highest honour of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association: a lifetime achievement award.

to the big time of AFL1 was a feat well and truly deserved after two years of serious graft on and off the field, according to selector Ed O’Brien. Colaiste Phadraig’s Lucan Under-16 basketball team won the school’s fourth major basketball trophy in the past three years with a 52-41 victory over Malahide CS in the Eastern League A final held in the Oblate Hall in Inchicore. Corduff FC’s Francky Haba who was named best player on the park for the NDSL Academy Under-15s beat the Republic of Ireland Under-15s in a charity challenge game last Sunday.

hopeful BRENDAN DOYLE explains one of the components it takes to succeed in his chosen discipline

“It would be amazing to go from watching the Europa League to actually playing in it.”

- Shamrock Rovers man MARTY WATER reflects on his pair of goals against Norway’s Odds Ballklub as they moved within touching distance of the competition’s group stage. Waters watched on in 2011 as a fan.

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

year in review: All the thrills and spills from an epic year for local sport in Dublin in 2015 P28-29

Dec 24, 2015 - Jan 6, 2016

glittering reflection: National glory and world UFC title belts shine bright P30-31

Swords Thunder’s Isaac Westbrooks will be a key player in the National Cup semi-final in January. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Thunder strike for semi GCD Swords outfit continue their superb start to life as a national club with second successive run to the final four of the cup with UCD win  nathan kelly

sport@dublingazette.com

GCD Swords Thunder stormed into the Hula Hoops National Cup semi-finals for the second time in as many years with an 80-70 win over UCD Marian last Friday night at the ALSAA. The 10-point win sees Marian crash out of the competition a stage earlier than they knocked out the Thunder last season. Last year’s beaten finalists led for the very first time early in the final quarter but the north Dublin side showed the ice in their veins by making nine of their last 10 free-throw attempts. The hosts started this one well and were 41-34 ahead at the break. Alex Dolenko, Mike

Garrow and Sergi Guardia were putting points on the board and it the Thunder’s dominance remained up until the 28th minute when they lost their lead for the first time. It was at that point that Dan James levelled things at 48-48 for Marian. The college were then leading with seven minutes on the clock thanks largely to Dustin Moreria, Conor Meany and Dan James. But Dave Baker’s side showed cool heads to force a number of opportunities late on. Whilst under pressure, Marian racked up the fouls and with clock ticking, Swords’ accuracy shone and they booked their place in the semi-finals. Swords will now take on the holders, UCC Demons on a massive night for the club in Cork

in January. Speaking to GazetteSport after the win, Baker was delighted to progress in a competition which means so much to the club. “It’s absolutely fantastic for this team to reach the national semi-final,” he said. “The National Cup is a competition that I believe is very special to every team in the country. It’s the only competition clubs can earn money from and, even more for the players, the finals are televised live which is brilliant. “In our only second year in the Premier League and just the third competing at a high level, it’s a great achievement,” he added. “Swords would be the only fully amateur club in our league, where no players or coaches are

paid and everything is done voluntarily so it’s a credit to all involved in the club and the area.” The semi-final against reigning champions Demons will take place in the Cork side’s own arena next month, but Baker insists his side will go there without fear. “They’re an excellent side who were unbeaten last season and have started this one well,” he said. “Even though it’s down as neutral we’re playing them on their court, but we’ll have everyone ready, we go to Kerry over the Christmas for a tournament to keep sharp and we’ll arrive in Cork ready to give them a game. “Anytime they’ve lost in recent years it’s when their game plan has been upset early on so that’s what we’ll be looking to do.”

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