Dublin Gazette: West Edition

DublinGazette JANUARY 16-22, 2020

EDUCATIONFORLIFE: See our supplement for a wide range of great education-related matters and content to consider SEE PAGES 13-19

SPORT ATHLETICS:

Tallaght AC’s sprint queen Rhasidat Adeleke on her next moves after the Leaving Certificate.

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THE LATEST NEWS & SPORT FROM SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL AREA

Anger as cuckoo fund buys 229 local homes PADRAIG CONLON FIRST-time buyers will be denied a chance to buy almost 300 homes at one of the local area’s newest developments.

This is after housebuilder Cairn Homes recently announced the sale of 229 residential units in Shackleton Park, Lucan to a cuckoo fund owned by a Wall Street financial giant.

These so-called cuckoo funds, described as such because they are seen to elbow in

and push first-time buyers out of the market, are Private Rented Sector funds backed by institutional investors.

The homes are being sold for €78.75 million to a special purpose company managed by Carysfort Capital and funded by Angelo Gordon, a US based global alternative investment manager.

The development, which consists of a mixture of apartments, duplexes and houses, is part of one of Cairn’s biggest residential schemes consisting of 1,000 homes.

The practice of selling homes to cuckoo funds, who then rent them out, is becoming more common in this country and this is the latest in several such deals.

The behaviour of cuckoo funds in Ireland has even drawn the ire of the United Nations.

In an accusing letter to the Government last year, the UN special rapporteur on housing Leilani Farha said that “financialisation of housing” here is making Irish housCONTINUES ON PAGE 2 ing unaffordable.

Residents rally to save Clondalkin convent

AN estimated 300 people attended a rally last Sunday afternoon in Clondalkin to protest the construction of a nursing home on the convent site in the village.

The rally was organised by local group Save Clondalkin Convent Campaign, a coalition of residents’ associations and community groups fighting against the plans by developer Bartra to build a four-storey nursing home on the historic site. SEE PAGE 3

2 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 16 January 2020

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ANGER OVER PURCHASE OF LUCAN HOUSES

Cuckoo fund buys 229 Lucan homes FROM PAGE 1

“Almost overnight, multinational private equity and asset management firms like Blackstone have become the biggest landlords in the world, purchasing thousands and thousands of units,” the letter said.

“Pouring unprecedented amounts of capital into housing, they have converted homes into financial instruments and investments.”

Some local representatives have also criticised the decision of Cairn Homes to sell the whole estate in Shackleton Park to a cuckoo fund.

Dublin Mid-West Sinn Fein TD Eoin Ó Broin told Dublin Gazette

he believes a change of approach is needed by Government.

“I share your concern with the purchase of tranches of residential properties by short term investors,” he said.

“There are two key problems here.

“

This move is yet another step in the wrong direction for the housing market

“Firstly the rents they charge are far too high for working families or aspiring first time buyers.

“Secondly the nature of the funds is often not to provide long term affordable rental accommodation but short t erm capital gains increasing the insecurity in the rental market.

“Both I and my colleague Pearse Doherty have been raising these concerns in the Dáil for a number of years and calling on Government to end the tax incentives that facilitate these kings of funds operating in this way.

“We urgently need a change in approach by Government to ensure an adequate supply of affordable purchase and rental properties for working

Sinn Fein TD Eoin Ó Broin

families and aspiring first time buyers.

“We proposed a range of ways of doing this in our Alternative Budget and will be doing so again in the upcoming general election.”

Dublin Mid-West People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny also expressed anger over the purchase of the Lucan homes.

“This move is yet another step in the wrong direction for the housing market in the area,” he told Dublin Gazette.

“The wholesale purchasing of estates by vulture funds is skewing the market against families who are looking to buy a home in the area.

“The rents charged by the fund will more than likely be well above what most families can afford and those moving in will more than likely rely on HAP payments to subsidise the rent. Rents in Lucan are well above the national average and we need the government to provide funding for social housing and real affordable homes.

“What we don’t need is more vulture funds charging extortionate rents and paying pittance in taxes.”

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FASTNews

New Group Editor at Dublin Gazette CÓILÍN Duffy has been appointed as Group Editor of Dublin Gazette.

He replaces Patrick Finnegan, who was appointed in October 2017, and retired at the end of 2019.

Cóilín is originally from Laois and has more than 16 years’ experience across the media industry in a variety of roles in broadcast (radio and TV), online and print media. He has an extensive background in both sports and current affairs media, and has provided con-tent for both Irish and international media outlets and organisations.

A fluent Irish speaker, Cóilín came on board with the newspaper group in 2018 as a freelance sports journalist, and also provided occasional cover as Sports Editor.

He said: “I am excited by the challenge that taking on my new role as Group Editor of Dublin Gazette entails. It’s my aim to continue to help maintain our quality newspaper and digital coverage, while continuing to provide the people of Dublin with the high standard of local content that has placed the Dublin Gazette as a forerunner in local media over the past 16 years.”

Tesco gave €237,000 to help Dublin TESCO has announced the Tesco Community Fund donated a total of €237,000 to local projects across Dublin last year.

Throughout the year, Tesco customers nominated local Dublin projects for inclusion in the programme, with the 2019 Tesco Community Fund supporting 903 worthy Dublin projects and causes including Finglas Suicide Network, Capuchin Day Centre and many more.

Since 2014, through the Community Fund, Tesco has helped more than 15,000 local projects.

The Community Fund has enabled Tesco to donate more than €4.3 million, in total, since 2014. The current cycle of the Tesco Community Fund runs until February 1, with 456 participating local projects across Tesco’s 151 stores in Ireland.

Each local Tesco store has three nominated local projects and customers are encouraged to vote with their blue tokens for their preferred

project. To support a cause or project, Tesco customers can simply fill out a nomination form in store or online at https://food-and-community. tesco.ie/nominations.

€7.75m arrears

SOUTH Dublin County Council has outstanding social housing tenant arrears of over €7 million.

According to figures released by the council, as at December 23, 2019 €7,750,828.86 was owed in respect of housing rents owed by social housing tenants in council owned properties.

The council say they established a Debt Management Unit in mid-September 2019 which: “Provides a focused approach to collection of rent arrears working constructively with tenants to address the arrears through sustainable payment plans while at the same time safeguarding the council’s revenue streams and reducing the value of outstanding rents owed to the council.

“Since the establishment of the Debt Management Unit, rent arrears have reduced by 2.4%,” a spokesperson said.

16 January 2020 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 3

RENT HIKE: HOMELESS CAMPAIGNERS TO SLEEP OUTSIDE COUNCIL’S OFFICES TO PROTEST

‘Increase is cruel and an attack on our most vulnerable’ LOCAL homeless campaigners are set to sleep outside South Dublin County Council’s offices to protest a rent hike for OAPS and council tenants.

Dublin South West Housing Action, a community-based housing group, say they are calling on councillors to reverse the decision for the increase which was made at the annual budget meeting in November.

The budget was proposed by the chief executive and supported by the ruling alliance of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, the Green Party and two Independents. It includes a rent increase of €3 per week for all council tenant households, and the removal of the rent discount of €10 for those in receipt of the state pension in households with any other

income except the state pension.

Dublin South West Housing Action spokesperson Patrick Nelis explained why the group are sleeping out on January 24 from 8pm until 8 am.

“We are doing this because the increase is cruel and it is an attack on our most vulnerable, it will affect those on limited incomes,” he said.

“The council can’t attack the most vulnerable in our society, so we are urging councillors to reverse the decision on raising the rents. We deal with some of these families and individuals that struggle with bills and food and this is going to be another struggle to add to what these families can’t afford.

“There are now over 10,000 on the housing

list in SDCC and based on current trends housing need will continue to rise year on year from now to 2021.”

Nelis says DSWHA have sent a letter to every SDCC councillor calling on them to reverse the increase and also inviting them to join the sleep out.

“We are also urging everyone to support our sleep out on the 24 outside South Dublin County Council for a number of reasons,” he said.

“As well as highlighting the rent increases and the ongoing housing crisis, we also want to draw attention to the shocking lack of urgency from both this Council, and Government, to build 100% social and affordable housing on public land.”

Dublin South West Housing Action members

Residents rally to save Clondalkin convent

PADRAIG CONLON

AN estimated 300 people attended a rally last Sunday afternoon in Clondalkin to protest the construction of a nursing home on the convent site in the village.

The rally was organised by local group Save Clondalkin Convent Campaign, a coalition of residents’ associations and community groups fighting against the plans by developer Bartra to build a four-storey nursing home on the historic site.

Save Clondalkin Convent Campaign say the proposed development will have a very significant negative impact on adjoining schools, residential areas and Clondalkin village traffic should it proceed.

There are also environmental risks to protected species of animals living in the site.

Monica McGill, a spokesperson for the g r o u p, t o l d D u b l i n Gazette she was delighted by the support from the local community shown on Sunday.

“It was amazing to see the Clondalkin community coming together to oppose the Bartra and P re se n ta t i o n S i s te rs nursing home project that will destroy our Convent,” she said.

“It was a great crowd, thank you so much to everyone who came out to show that we are not going to go away.

“We have also launched a GoFundMe because we are going to need to raise money to pay for the legal fight that lies ahead.”

There was one incident on the day however that wasn’t positive.

“People at the rally tied ribbons to the Convent fence to show their opposition to the sale of the convent.

“By 5.30 on Sunday evening all the ribbons had been removed from the fence by someone.

“To the person who did that I’d just like to say that those ribbons represented the opinion of the people who took part in the rally, they don’t agree with the plans of the Presentation Sisters and Bartra.

“People are dismayed someone removed the ribbons so quickly because they showed their intolerance for people’s opinion.

“The ribbons were not offensive, whoever did that has denied people their right to free speech.”

Monica McGill also said she still can’t understand why neither the Presentation Sisters, or the Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin,

An estimated 300 people attended the rally last Sunday afternoon. Inset: People at the rally tied ribbons to the Convent fence to show their opposition to the sale of the convent.

Picture: Save Clondalkin Convent Campaign Facebook page

“

It was amazing to see the Clondalkin community coming together to oppose the Bartra and Presentation Sisters nursing home project that will destroy our Convent

will sit down with Save C l o n d a l k i n Co nve n t Campaign and talk about things.

“At a “Justice Day” event in November 2019 run by the Presentation

Sisters, the Order discussed the exhortation to “spend yourselves for the poor” which are the words of the Presentation Sisters’ foundress, Nano Nagle on her death-

bed to her Sisters in religion in the Presentation Order.

“Yet they wont even talk to us, they won’t engage.

“Our Archbishop, who

grew up just up the road from us in Ballyfermot won’t engage either.

“With the level of support we have in the local community we are going to go away.”

FASTNews Aware seeking volunteers for its support line AWARE, Ireland’s national charity supporting people affected by depression, bipolar disorder and mood-related conditions, has launched a volunteer recruitment campaign for its Support Line.

The Aware Support Line is a national freephone service which operates from 10am to 10pm 365 days a year, located at Aware’s HQ at 9 Upper Leeson Street.

The Line provides telephone support to people concerned about issues relating to their own mood or that of a friend or family member.

It operates against a backdrop of an estimated more than 450,000 people experiencing depression in Ireland at any one time, while there are approximately 45,000 people here diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

People interested in registering their interest to become an Aware Support Line volunteer can email Emma at recruitment@ aware.ie or telephone 01 237 4926.

Training for the next volunteer intake commences on Saturday February 22.

If you are worried about depression or bipolar disorder, please call the Aware Support Line on Freephone 1800 80 48 48.

4 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 16 January 2020

HELLFIRE CLUB: CALL FOR A RIGHT TO REPLY FOR CAMPAIGNERS

FASTNews

Call for reversal of school hosting

South Dublin County Council plans for a visitor centre at the iconic site

‘Residents must be able to have their say’ CONCERNED residents opposing a controversial development at the Hellfire Club must get a chance to have their say.

This is according to local Independent councillor Alan Edge who is calling for a right to reply for the Save the Hellfire campaigners.

The call comes following the council’s confirmation that the additional information sought

by An Bord Pleanala in relation to the proposed Dublin Mountain Visitor Centre had now been received.

South Dublin County Council’s plans for the visitor centre at the iconic site include a panoramic cafe, exhibition space, a ramblers lounge, toilets, changing facilities, a shop and education centre.

Their application to An Bord Pleanála has been met with furious opposition from many local residents, conservationists, politicians and the Save The Hellfire group.

Stating his opposition to the project, Cllr Edge questioned the wisdom of proceeding with the development.

“It’s a fallacy to think that you need a €15 million development in order to enjoy the beauty of nature,” he said. “ I m p rove m e n t s i n parking facilities and

other amenities could be made without resorting to such a large-scale development.”

Fo l l ow i n g a n o r a l hearing in 2018, the board found that the assessments carried out on behalf of Coillte and South Dublin County Council were inappropriate in several respects.

S p e c i f i c a l l y, t h ey were tasked to carry out a fuller survey of merlin, a migratory bird; to provide greater detail about the impact of increased visitor numbers on vegetation and habitats and

to prepare more detailed surveys and monitoring of biodiversity in the surrounding area.

The full contents of the new information have not yet been released but Cllr Edge says he welcomes the council’s indication they would be published as soon as An Board Pleanala direct them to do so, which may “hopefully by the end of the week.”

Cllr Edge praised the campaign mounted

by Save the Hellfire, describing it as “born out of love for the land-

scape and its wildlife and expressed the fervent hope that the right to reply would be given to them”.

“They have worked tirelessly and in difficult circumstances which included a gross misuse of the powers of the Standards in Public Office Commission,” he said.

“I support calls from fellow councillors from across the political spectrum for a full discussion of this issue in the Chamber and a rethink of the drastic scale of the proposal.”

STYLE, PAGE 19

Punk Prairie: The high street is taking inspiration from modern Texan chic this Spring season



PADRAIG CONLON pconlon@dublingazette.com

A LOCAL representative says he is astonished at the decision to host a Lucan school in Tallaght.

Griffeen Community College is currently housed in temporary accommodation at Kingswood Community College while they wait for their new school project to be completed.

Local Green Party Councillor Francis Duffy (pictured) has called for an immediate reversal of the decision.

“There is a far more suitable site locally, across the road from Kishoge Community College,” he said.

“Facilities can be located here and this will serve the students of Griffeen Community College better and allow Kingswood Community College to continue operating smoothly and growing in Tallaght.

“I am calling on Minister Joe McHugh to intervene and put a stop to this.”

Tallaght President drops in lit- attends ter survey Nollaig na mBan celebration

THE final litter survey for 2019 from business group Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) has revealed that Tallaght has fallen down the rankings and was rated “moderately littered”.

“After making big strides over the last number of years in the league it was disappointing to see two litter blackspots and one seriously littered site take Tallaght down the rankings,” the report says.

“Pedestrian access to Cheeverstown Road, from Kilmartin Drive has suffered from prolonged and serious abuse and neglect. Courthouse Square Car Park wasn’t just casually littered but a variety of items had been discarded, including pallets and bags of rubbish.

“However, half of the sites surveyed did get the top litter grade - some worth noting were the Tallaght Luas stop, Tallaght Village and Sean Walsh Memorial Park.”

LIFFEY Sound FM hosted local women and friends who gathered to celebrate Nollaig na mBan on Monday evening (6th) in Kennys.

The evening began with all present rising to their feet to welcome honoured guest Uachtaráin na hÉireann Michéal D Higgins (Jack Donnelly Lucan Drama Society), who addressed those present.

Tributes to local women decorated the walls, testimonies were submitted by the organisations the ladies are members of or by their friends or neighbours.

Women, who quietly and selflessly work to improve the lives of others, their community and environment; women who exemplify the true spirit of community.

The Mná na hÁite Tributes will be displayed in Lucan library during January.

16 January 2020 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 5

6 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 16 January 2020

BT YOUNG SCIENTISTS: WEST DUBLIN STUDENTS DO THEIR SCHOOLS PROUD AT THE RDS

Green energy can easily power the whole world CÓILÍN DUFFY

SCOIL TREASA friends Áine and Daisy were some of the many pupils taking part in the Primary Science Fair at the BT Young Scientists exhibition at the RDS last week, with an impressive project on ‘Green Electricity’.

The 5th Class students delivered an eye-catching and topical project relating to the different types of green energy.

“Green electricity is also called renewable energy, because it is energy that is

provided by natural sources, and it can be continuously renewed,” they told Dublin Gazette at the exhibition.

“We found that you can make electricity by using sunlight, heat from under the surface, wind, magnetism, the ocean through hydro power and many other ways.”

The project has been the focus for the Knocklyon duo since their return to school last September.“We took a day off at Christmas,” they said.

“Our generator shows how electricity

can be generated by not using batteries, by use of a turbine.

“At first this wouldn’t work for us, so we had to ensure we could get it working.”

They say that a move to green energy could help ensure a more sustainable planet.

“Green energy isn’t used that much around the world, but if we were to make enough wind turbines and solar panels, the whole world could be powered by green energy because there would be Scoil Treasa Knocklyon students Áine and Daisy at the BT Young Scientist Exhibition. Picture: Cóilín Duffy enough of it.”

Lucan student turns the heat on waste energy use

FASTNews

CÓILÍN DUFFY cduffy@dublingazette.com

LUCAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE student Ronak Pathak has found a way to turn waste energy into a usable heat source.

Ronak’s project ‘Heat Power’ was one of many impressive projects at the BT Young Scientist Exhibition in the RDS last week, and uses energy from electrical devices, and turning it back into useful energy.

“I did it by using thermo energy generators,” he told Dublin Gazette.

“They work by using the C-Beck effect. That is where one side of a generator is heated up, while the other side is cooled down.

“That difference in te m p e ra t u re c re a te s a voltage, where the atoms on the cooler side start to condense and slow down, while the atoms on the hotter side get more excited and move around more.

“That means the cold side will get more negative, and the hot side will get more positive.”

To do his tests, Ronak connected a number of heat generators to his phone using a charger.

He then timed how long it would take his phone to lose 10% power with and without the thermoelectric generator.

(ISTA) Award presented by Aodhagan O Suilleabhain, Chairperson of Irish Teachers Association to Marcin Witkowski & Oscar Gomez Keenan, Kishoge Community College Dublin.

Picture: Chris Bellew/Fennell Photography

West Dublin winners in BT Young Scientists Exhibition

Lucan Community College student Ronak Pathak at the BT Young Scientist Exhibition.

Picture: Fennell Photography

“I found out that after doing the test three times that my phone lasted 33 seconds longer on average with the thermoelectric generator,” he said.

“This is a 2.5% increase in battery life.”

Ronak had a working model at his stand, connecting a large number of generators. He told us about what improve-

ments he would make to his project.

“If I was to do it again, I would make the wires a lot smaller, because I think I am losing a lot of energy as the power t rave l s t h ro u g h t h e wires.”

“I’ve been working on the project for about two or three months now,” the 4th year student said.

“Because I am in Transition Year, I feel I have a lot of time, and I’ve already a big interest in science. I felt this was the perfect opportunity for me to get involved in the Young Scientists Exhibition.

“My teachers Ms. Healy and Ms. Byrne helped me and both provided me with equipment and guided me in what to do.”

Ronak was delighted to get the opportunity to be involved in the event.

“Be ing surrounded by so much science is super,” he said.

“I feel like a bit of a nerd and a geek at times!

I’ve had a walk around to look at the other projects, but you don’t get too much time as you are waiting around your stand for the judges.”

THREE West Dublin schools had cause for celebration on Friday, as the various winners at the BT Young Scientists exhibition were announced Kishoge Community College, Loreto High School and Templeogue College were among the 21 Dublin Schools to pick up awards, out of 89 projects from the capital.

Kishoge Community College students Marcin Witkowski and Oscar Gomez Keenan picked up a Special Award from the Irish Science Teachers Association (ISTA), for their project ‘Creating an intuitive simulation for modelling Laws of Light’.

The project was one of two from the school, with students Madalina Costovici and Nedas Smigelskas project in the Technology section looking at a ‘Algorithimic Mood Detector using facial recognition’.

Loreto High School were also among the winners, with June Polgolla picking up an Intermediate Individual award for her project ‘Investigating the antimicrobial effects of herbal plant and vegetable extracts against a plant pathogen.’

Templeogue College’s Joshua Butler was Highly Commended for the second year running for his project ‘Synthesis’ in which he wrote a computer program which used images from infrared cameras on earth observation satellites to measure rainforest destruction.

16 January 2020 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 7

POLITICS: PARTIES, POLITICIANS HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AHEAD OF GENERAL ELECTION 2020

We’ve waited more than a century for a Saturday general election THE last time a general election took place on a Saturday in Ireland was December 14, 1918.

Held as part of the 1918 United Kingdom General Election, this election was a pivotal moment in the history, and creation, of this state.

Held in the aftermath of World War I, the Easter Rising and the

Conscription Crisis, it was the first general election to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first time women over the age of 30, and all men over the age of 21, could vote.

Previously, all women and most working-class men were excluded from voting.

It took two weeks and a Christmas break for all votes cast to be counted.

When they eventually were, on December 28, the Sinn Fein party – which had never stood in a general election – scored a resounding landslide victory, securing 73 of the 105 seats available for Ireland.

The moderate nationalist Irish

Parliamentary Party, which had been the main party in the country since the 1880s, suffered a crushing defeat.

The unionists won 26 seats, and the nationalists of the Irish Party, which had held 68 seats prior to the election, only won six seats.

Sinn Fein had promised in its elec-

tion manifesto to establish an independent Irish republic.

Following the election, Sinn Fein’s elected members refused to attend the British Parliament in Westminster, and instead formed a parliament in Dublin – the First Dail Eireann, which declared Irish independence in January, 1919.

Some would-be voters could be caught out by a technical ruling over the voter register – so check you’re listed, now RACHEL D’ARCY

THOSE who applied to vote after February 15, 2019 are being encouraged to check the voter register ahead of the upcoming general election, as they may not be eligible to vote.

This is because the Register of Electors is only updated officially once per year, on February 15, meaning those who applied to vote after this date in 2019 may not yet be included on the updated Register of Electors.

This is a date fixed into law under the Electoral Act 1992, Section 1.

With the general election taking place on February 8, it is believed that thousands of people who have registered to vote will have to apply to the Supplemental Register, as Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy confirmed that the 2019-2020 register will be the one applicable to the upcoming election.

The Supplemental Register would be the only way for many voters to guarantee that they would be registered in time for the general election.

This will mean that those that need to apply to be on the Supplemental Register will have to apply for addition before January 22 to ensure their vote.

Minister Murphy said: “It is up to each of us as individuals to ensure we are correctly registered to vote, and the best way to do that is to check directly with the relevant local

authority.

“However, the crucial point is that there is still time to register to vote in this general election.”

People should take the following steps to ensure that they are correctly registered to vote.

Step 1 Check online at checktheregister.ie if your details are included on the 2019-2020 electoral register, or check directly with your local authority.

If your details are included correctly, no further action is necessary.

Step 2 If your details are not included on the 20192020 register, you should contact the relevant local authority and check if your details are included in the Supplemental Register.

If your details are included in the supplement to the register of electors, no further action is required.

Step 3 If your details are not included in either, you should obtain the appropriate application form from your local authority, or download it from checktheregister.ie and complete the relevant form.

Before signing the declaration, bring the form and photo ID to your local garda station and sign it in the presence of a member of An Garda Siochana, who will stamp the form.

Forms must reach the local authority on or before close of business on January 22.

It’ll be a bruising battle for An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar leading Fine Gael, Michael Martin for Fianna Fail, and Mary Lou McDonald for Sinn Fein

It’s Dail to play for as party leaders reflect on upcoming battle GARY IBBOTSON

SPEAKING in front of Government Buildings on Tuesday afternoon, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he “always said the election should happen at the best time for the country – now is that time”.

Among the reasons to hold an early election, the Taoiseach cited Brexit and the negotiations surrounding the Free Trade agreement.

The next European Council is in March and he said he wants the new Government formed and prepared for then.

The Taoiseach said:

“It has been a privilege to lead this country as your Taoiseach for the past two and a half years.

Thank you for that honour and your trust in me.

“Our economy has never been stronger.

There are more people at work than ever before, incomes are rising, poverty is falling, and the public finances are in back in order.

“As a nation, we have every reason to be hopeful about the future.

“We’ve modernised our society – marriage equality, women’s rights, real progress in education, welfare and childcare.

“But, it’s not enough.

I know it’s not enough.

People want their government to do much more.

And I want us to do much more.”

Reacting to the calling of the election, Fianna Fail leader Michael Martin said housing and health are two most pertinent issues that need to be addressed going forward.

Deputy Martin said “Fine Gael has failed” to tackle the problems in those sectors, and “it clearly is time for a change of government”.

He added: “For us, and the Irish people in particular, this is a vital election in terms of their future

because we are facing enormous challenges.”

Speaking at Leinster House, Deputy Martin said the campaign will be tight, and rejected the suggestion that his party is currently in the lead.

He said: “I don’t accept anything of the sort. I’m a very humble man, as you know, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s very competitive.

“I think it’s neck-andneck. If I’m honest, and I think there’s a lot of competitive electoral battles in the different constituencies.2 Deputy Martin said he would “love” a TV debate and would “prefer” a one-

on-one debate with the Taoiseach, but is open to other formats as well.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said the party has “listened and learned” from their local election losses, and is optimistic the party can gain back the trust of the public this election.

She said: “We’re setting out to defend the seats that we hold; we’re confident we can do that – we don’t underestimate the challenge, but we’re confident.”

The other party leaders had not publicly commented at the time of writing and going to print.

8 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 16 January 2020

CAMPAIGN: PROTESTS MAY BE RESTRICTED SO WOMEN CAN ACCESS HEALTHCARE

Calls for safe zones around medical centres PADRAIG CONLON

THE Irish Council for Civil Liberties has called o n t h e M i n i s te r fo r Health to immediately establish safe zones around all medical centres that provide abortion services.

The ICCL say they have researched the legality of such zones from a human rights

perspective, and found these zones are necessary to protect women.

The investigation also found protests may be restricted so that women can access healthcare in privacy, safety and dignity.

Their investigation comes a week after a demonstration featuring tiny coffins and white crosses outside the National Maternity

Hospital on January 1, which Simon Harris labelled “sickening”.

In response to the protest, ICCL set up an email-your-TD tool which helps people contact their local politicians to express support for the creation of safe zones.

Since then, 2405 emails have been sent in support of the move.

ICCL’s Senior Research and Policy Officer Doireann Ansbro has been investigating whether safe zones are necessary, and if so, how they can be implemented from a legal and constitutional perspective.

“Everyone is aware of the disturbing demonstration outside the National Maternity Hospital last week, but the same thing is happening far more often than is reported either to the gardai or in the media,” she said.

“Many medical practitioners and the ir patients understandably prefer to protect their privacy instead of going to the press.

“Some also worry that publicising the extent of the demonstrations will deter new practitioners from signing up to the service, and women from accessing it.”

“Everyone has the r i g h t to a c c e s s t h e healthcare they need.

“It’s not acceptable

The National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street

that anyone should feel exposed, or intimidated, or shamed when they access medical care.

“

“We need particular legislation here, in order to deal with a particular issue. We have to stop

the culture of shaming and stigmatising people who require abortion services.”

We have to stop the culture of shaming and stigmatising people who require abortion services

Local TD to support move to stop increase in pension age AN attempt to stop Government proposals to increase the pension age will have the support of a Dublin MidWest TD when it is debated in the Dáil.

Local Sinn Féin TD Mark Ward says the planned increase in the pension age to 67 in January 2021 and to 68 years in 2028 means that workers, and especially those approaching retirement, may not access their State Pension at 66 years, as is now the case.

Deputy Ward says his party’s Bill to stop upcoming pension age increases will be debated in the Dáil in the coming weeks.

“These increases will see Ireland have one of the highest pension ages in the world,” Ward said.

“At the moment those obliged by contract to retire at 65 years are forced on to a jobseekers payment for one year before accessing their State Pension at 66 years. From next year, retirees will be forced on to a jobseekers payment for two years.

“This is a ridiculous and unacceptable situation for people who have worked hard and paid their taxes, in

some cases, for a lifetime.

“This will see Ireland have a pension age that is well ahead of the majority of our EU counterparts.

“Our nearest neighbours England do not plan to move their pension age to 68 years until 2046, eighteen years after Ireland.

“Sinn Féin have consistently called on the Government to suspend these pension age increases.

“They were agreed behind closed doors without any debate or vote and therefore, they should not go ahead.

“Our Bill calling on the Government to establish a Pension Age Task Force would look at pension age and make recommendations based on evidence rather than cost saving measures.

“This Bill will be debated in the Dáil in the coming weeks.

“Nobody due to retire should be forced on to a jobseekers payment. I hope that all parties and none will support this Sinn Féin Bill,” Deputy Ward added.

16 January 2020 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 9

CRISIS: WAIT FOR SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY SERVICES BLASTED

‘The current plan is simply not working’ PADRAIG CONLON

LOCAL children are being deprived of essential supports because the government’s plan is not working.

This is according to Fianna Fáil Dublin Mid-West TD John Curran who was commenting after receiving figures showing additional therapy staff are urgently required locally.

He says a crisis has come about because of a huge demand for Speech and Language Therapy services for children in the HSE’s CHO Area 7.

Deputy Curran was speaking after Fianna Fáil received a parliamentary reply from the HSE on the matter.

“There is currently a crisis in Speech and Language Therapy Services in the Dublin West and

the Dublin Mid-West region with children waiting a ridiculous amount of time to access services,” Deputy Curran said.

“There is an anomaly in CHO Area 7 compared to the national figures with 63% of the children waiting more than 2 years for Speech and Language Therapy in the HSE’s CHO Area 7.

“The fact that 391 children are on a waiting list for more than two years is evidence that there is a serious anomaly in CHO Area 7 compared to the rest of the country with the national figures at 618 children waiting for Speech and Language Services for more than 2 years.

“There are currently 6,000 children waiting for Speech and Language Therapy in the HSE’s CHO Area 7.

“This figure alone deserves

urgent attention from Government to provide the adequate staff to tackle the demand in Speech and Language Services.”

Deputy Curran said he was calling on the Government to act quickly in order to give local children who need these supports the best chance in life.

“What is even most worrying is that the HSE have previously stated to me that currently the team in CHO Area 7 which covers Dublin Mid-West constituency has already reached capacity and that a review of a child’s referral could take approximately 24 months,” he said.

“These numbers show that it is imperative that the HSE’s CHO Area 7 receive more staff to meet the service demands in the area.

“It is not acceptable that chil-

Fianna Fáil Dublin Mid-West TD John Curran

dren are being deprived of these essential supports.

“Early intervention in speech and language therapy is key.

“These long wait times for a first assessment are negatively impacting on children’s development and ability to prosper

through their childhood.

“We need the government to adopt a more strategic plan to address the challenges facing our health service, with a real focus on recruitment and retention.

“The current plan is simply not working.”

CHILDCARE

Alliance to hold protest march THE Early Years Alliance recently announced it will be holding a national protest march involving thousands of educators, providers and parents to “demand a sustainable solution to the worsening childcare crisis in Dublin on February 5.

The Alliance brings together organisations representing Early Years staff, providers and parents.

Federation of Early Childhood Providers chairperson Elaine Dunne, said: “We are calling on all those concerned by the worsening childcare crisis to join us on February 5 to say enough is enough.”

“We are educators and need to be paid accordingly. The reason the insurance hike in the sector has hit us so hard, is because we are paid so little in the first place.

10 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 16 January 2020

GALLERIES OF THE WEEK

Yvonne Hall and Jennifer Souhan

Race director Mairin Oman with the Parkrun volunteers. Pictures: Simon Peare

Lisa Enright and Carolyn Goulden.

Aoife and Mick Hughes

Brian and Niamh McMahon with Niamh Garvey

Run, two, three ... having fun at 2020’s first Parkrun held over at Tymon Park

A

Joanne Smith, Larry Quinn, Val Kearney, Denise Warren and Anita McMahon

Martin and Catherine Kelly.

SEA of colourfully-dressed runners, walkers and supporters gathered in the grounds of Tymon Park recently for the first weekend Parkrun of the new year.

Already established as a hugely popular event, the Parkrun saw hundreds of people of all ages assemble to take part, with many spotting neighbours, friends

and familiar faces in the throng.

The free event proved to be fun and accessible for everyone, with the serious runners taking up prime spots at the front of the crowd, while more casuallyfocused participants assembled towards the back.

However, whether they were giving the 5k their all with an intense run,

or whether they were walking the route with babies, dogs or pals in tow, everyone was able to enjoy the great get-together in one of the area’s most relaxing spots.

There were also plenty of nods to the volunteers and stewards also giving up their time and attention to help make the run so great for everyone.

16 January 2020 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 11

GALLERIES OF THE WEEK

Laura Nolan with Robert Rowinski

Lisa Cannon with Rose and Holly Maguire. Pictures: Andres Poveda

Clementine MacNeice and Jamie Lynch

Laura Woods and Pauline Woods

A purfect premiere

Robert Rowinski, Laura Nolan, Kylee and Stephen Vincent

C

ROWDS gathered in the Stella Theatre in Dublin last week for the first Irish screening of CATS, the musical movie event of the year. Among the audience were

sports broadcaster Marty Morrissey, model Thalia Heffernan, and singer Erica Cody, all in the stylish surroundings of the Stella Theatre in Rathmines.

12 DUBLIN GAZETTE 16 January 2020

DUBLIN GAZETTE NEWSPAPERS I N F O R M AT I O N

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C O N TA C T S Managing Director: Michael McGovern mmcgovern@dublingazette.com Commercial Director: Liz Ferris lferris@dublingazette.com Group Editor: Cóilín Duffy cduffy@dublingazette.com Deputy Group Editor & Travel Editor: Shane Dillon sdillon@dublingazette.com Sports Editor: Stephen Findlater sfindlater@dublingazette.com Production Editor: Jessica Maile jmaile@dublingazette.com Picture Editor: Alison O’Hanlon picturedesk@dublingazette.com Online & Style Editor: Rachel D’Arcy rdarcy@dublingazette.com Advertising Sales:

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FIND US ON

www.dublingazette.com Dublin Gazette Newspapers Ltd. Terms and Conditions for acceptance of advertisements Reserve the right to omit or suspend or alter any advertisement(s) in any of its publications. We also decline any responsibility in the event of one or more of a series of advertisements being omitted for any reason whatever, nor do we accept liability for any loss or damage caused by an error or inaccuracy in the printing of any advertisement. If your advertisement appears incorrectly, contact the Advertising Department immediately, as responsibility cannot be accepted for more than one week’s incorrect insertion. Responsibility cannot be accepted if the complaint is made more than two weeks after insertion. If one places an advertisement for more than one week and then cancels it after the first week, no refund or credit will be given for weeks cancelled. The advertiser undertakes to indemnify the Proprietors against any liability for any civil action arising out of the publication of the advertisement or any other matter printed or published in the City Gazette, Fingal Gazette, South Gazette and West Gazette. The placing of an order or contract will be deemed an acceptance of these conditions.

ROBBIE McCarthy was happy to line up lots of Irish Coffees at The Old Storehouse in Temple Bar, where thoughts were turning to the upcoming International Irish Coffee Day, on January 25. On the day, the bar will see a Guinness World Record attempt at noon for the most Irish coffees being made in under three minutes, with four bartenders going head to head for the challenge. Picture: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Cops rush to rescue Rambo A CONCERNED neighbour in Florida called the police after hearing a woman screaming “Help, let me out” – but things weren’t what they seemed.

Four sheriff’s deputies responded to the call in Lake Worth Beach and found a man working on a car on his driveway.

When the police enquired about who was screaming, the man brought the ‘screaming’ woman out to the waiting police, revealing the

source of the noise to be Rambo – his 40-year-old parrot.

Footage was captured on the unnamed man’s video doorbell, showing the bird greeting the officers, who are shown to be sharing a laugh before leaving the premises.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office posted about the event on Facebook, saying that “hilarity ensued” after they made the call.

Woman rescued from a bin

A WOMAN in New Jer-

sey has been freed from a clothing recycling bin after three days, when a passer-by heard her screaming for help.

Po l i ce i n Pa te rso n responded to a call from a concerned citizen reporting that the woman was trapped inside.

When police arrived and the woman was freed, the 38-year-old told police that she was reaching inside the bin when somebody pushed her inside and closed the door, causing her to become trapped.

With temperatures in New Jersey dipping as low as 0C when she was trapped inside, the woman was found to be

suffering from frostbite and taken to a local hospital for treatment.

‘Wrong trousers’ halt sport

AN ICE hockey game in the UK had to be delayed last week, after one of the referees forgot to bring his trousers to work.

Ice h o c key re fe re e Richard Belfitt left his officiating trousers at home, meaning that the imminent game between the Peterborough Phantoms and the Telford Tigers had to be delayed while he found appropri-

ate trousers.

Ice hockey officials need special black trousers with padding, due to the speed of the puck.

The game began 15 minutes behind schedule after Belfitt found some official trousers to wear, but not before a gentle ribbing from the crowd and on social media.

Speaking to BBC sport, Peterborough Phantoms player Tom Norton said everyone “saw the lighter side of it”.

He added: “As annoying as it was for us, having done our warm-up and been ready to go, these things happen and it’s a bit of comedy, really.”

DOG OF THE WEEK DUBLIN Gazette Newspapers has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for lost and abandoned dogs.

This week’s dog of the week is Sonny, an older dog (9) but don’t be fooled – this handsome dog has bundles of energy. He loves to play with his toys but also loves a good cuddle; he’s super friendly both with dogs and people, so it’s important that Sonny lives with another dog.

Sonny’s ideal home would be with a family with another dog for him to play with and cuddle up to; he also loves children but, given his exuberance, there is a potential for him to bowl

smaller children over.

As Sonny loves attention so much, he would struggle being left been alone for long periods, so he is looking for a home where this won’t happen If you have room in your heart and home for Sonny then 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. (Remember: Always have your dog on a lead when in public.)

sonny

16 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 13

STUDY EXPENSES P18

GREAT ADVICE P19

EDUCATION FOR LIFE Whether you’re a first-time student or want to boost your existing qualifications, there’s a lot to learn about college life – luckily, Dublin Gazette has everything you need to know



GAZETTE

YOGA THERAPY P14 ACCESSIBLE OPTIONS P16

We must embrace lifelong learning for everyone MINISTER OF STATE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION MARY MITCHELL O’CONNOR

LAST year the Sloan School at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) took part in a major conference at Dublin Castle on the Future of Work and how education providers, business and government can prepare our graduates for these challenges.

At that conference, we heard how nearly every conversation about the future of work and the modern economy is dominated about the everlooming influence of robotics and intelligent machines.

Studies forecast that up to half the jobs we know today will disappear over the next two decades.

During 2019, I launched four new Masters’ programmes, two in Dublin City University – one in Artificial Intelligence, the other in the Internet of Things.

A further two in NUI Galway – Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence.

These programmes are highly innovative in terms of their content.

There is a clear need for education to enhance the skillset of graduates facing into a more futuristic workplace.

There are currently around 100,000 tech professionals working in Ireland, with another 60,000 projected job opening over the next four years.

Greater learning in the In-

formation and Communications Technology (ICT) sector is the future of our jobs.

Ireland’s third ICT Action Plan 2019 to 2022 tells us of the demand for professionals with high-level ICT skills. That means the delivery of 5,000 graduates in this area by 2022 to keep up with growth in the sector.

That is why facilitating our education system with myriad courses in ICT will not only prepare and train for the technological changes that lie ahead but establish Ireland as a forward-thinking nation and one that is prepared for the incredible changes that lie ahead.

And what will a futuristic jobs market look like?

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report gives us a taster.

Calling our times “the Fourth Industrial Revolution” it talks about how the skillsets required in both old and new occupations will change in most industries and transform how and where people work.

It says: “Of the children entering primary school today, 65% will end up working in job categories that do not yet exist”. It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, “when I go grow up, I want to be…”

In March 2019 , the government published details of Future Jobs Ireland, which aims to prepare people and companies for coming technological changes.

It takes account of the challenges facing us, then translates these into a small number of impactful and deliverable actions. An immediate aim is to double the “lifelong learning” rate to 18% in six years times.

There are plans for a new female entrepreneurship strategy – I have already begun to right the wrongs of gender imbalance at the top level in our higher education institutes.

So reader this is why we must embrace lifelong learning for everyone.

The future of jobs hangs on an ability to think ahead and allow our imaginations to run.

In doing so, we can we prepare for the daunting and unforeseen challenges ahead.

Our young students need to be adaptable and flexible, creative and resourceful. They need to be problem-solvers.

They need to be researchers in their own right. They need to be innovators.

The world is changing so fast that no longer will young people enter a job in their early twenties and exit forty years later with a pension.

Our graduates will probably have several careers in their lifetime. The transferable skill that will allow them to navigate this terrain is a passion for life-long learning.

As the American philosopher John Dewey observed ‘Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.’

GAZETTE

14 DUBLIN GAZETTE 16 January 2020

EDUCATION FOR LIFE

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Join Yoga Therapy Ireland as it celebrates 20 years YOGA Therapy Ireland (YT) marks 20 years as a leader in the yoga training sector on Saturday

February 1, with celebrations taking place at Marino Institute of Education.

Events include yoga, chanting and yoga dance with music by Jack Harrison.

Lectures by: • Heather Mason, Minded Institute UK: Yoga and Mental Health • Trinity Researcher Michael Melynchuk: The Yogi Masters were right; breathing exercises can

sharpen your mind • Dr Raj Kaur: The Yoga/Ayurveda Connection Special Guests include, Mrs Sabina Higgins, YTI Patron and Mr Sandeep Kumar, Indian Ambassador to Ireland.

YTI are passionate advocates of yoga and its benefit for physical,

mental and emotional wellbeing for all.

The organisation holds teacher trainings, specialist trainings in pregnancy, sport and children.

They also host guest trainers in areas such as cancer care, osteoporosis and autism.

For experienced teachers, advanced yoga therapy courses are provided with a strong emphasis on the anatomy and body mechanics.

Relevant YTI is taking the centuries old practice of yoga and applying it to the modern day world; making it relevant for daily life, health concerns and chronic conditions.

Yoga Therapy Ireland was founded by five passionate women with a mission to bring yoga to all – in particular those less able bodied and those with impaired health; YTI looks forward to continuing its mission over the next 20 years and its 2020 Vision is to have yoga included in mainstream healthcare and education.

16 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15

GAZETTE

16 DUBLIN GAZETTE 16 January 2020

EDUCATION FOR LIFE

Trust Sallynoggin CoFE for a great education experience WHY choose Sallynoggin College of Further Education?

Aside from our long history of excellence in the provision of PLC and further education courses, and our track record for student progression to employment or higher education, SCFE

Third level studies are increasingly accessible to everyone, with financial supports and a welcoming attitude towards mature students making your potential area of interest ever more within your reach

is renowned for providing a positive student experience by supporting a holistic approach to education.

Our students become involved in many learning experiences above and beyond the curricular requirements.

Whether it’s a relaxation session in meditation, yoga or Indian head massage, an activity supporting positive mental health and resilience-building, a fashion show or theatre production, there is always a buzz being created around the college by our students.

The buzz doesn’t stop when you finish your course – former students of SCFE are making waves in all corners of the world.

One notable former student achiever is Harry Austin, who was awarded The Times Higher Education award for best STEM project, relating to research carried out as part of his PHD study on Characterisation and engineering of a plastic-degrading aromatic polyesterase.

Another former student making waves is designer Sarah Murphy, whose custom-designed dress was worn by fashionista and advocate Sinead Burke when she appeared on The Late Late Show in November.

To find out more about student life in SCFE, see our Facebook page, and Instagram, at www.scfe.ie. Applications are now open for September – apply online at www.scfe.ie

Third level study becoming increasingly accessible THIRD LEVEL education is becoming increasingly accessible to adults on

both a full-time and a part-time basis.

Many colleges and universities hold information events for people who want to study as mature students. The Qualifax website has a calendar of career events that run throughout the year.

Third-level colleges reserve a small number of places specifically for mature students who want to participate in full-time day programmes.

If you are over 23* you can apply for one of these places. This means that you will compete for your place on a different basis to those who are just leaving school.

The number of places reserved for mature students are limited, however, so it is likely that you will still have to compete with your peers. ( * G e n e r a l l y, y o u are considered to be a mature student if you are at least 23 years of age on January 1 of the year you enter your course.)

If you are interested in a particular college you should check how it defines a mature student.

If you opt for a fulltime course in this way,

you will be expected to attend classes or lectures every day and you will be assessed in the same way as the other students on your course.

However, if the fulltime model does not suit you, there are other options available, including part-time courses, modular programmes and distance learning.

If you choose to study on a part-time or modular basis, you can spread your studies over a number of years.

This gives you the opportunity to organise your time and to study in bursts when it is most convenient for you.

It has the obvious drawback that it will take longer to complete than a full-time course, but it also has the advantage that it allows you to work at your own pace, gradually building credits towards your qualification.

A modular programme is made up of separate modules, which are selfcontained units within a course.

You can study and complete each module separately at different stages during that course.

Modular programmes

can take place in regular classroom settings or can be part of a distance learning programme.

Modular courses are available at degree level in some universities.

The term distance learning covers a wide range of learning programmes that take place away from the physical presence of the classroom and the tutor.

If you participate in a distance learning programme, it is likely that you will use a wide range of packaged materials and media throughout your course.

Some courses organise periodic classes where students come together for a day, a weekend or a week at a time, in order to study intensively.

University access programmes aim to increase the partic ipation of under-represented groups at third-level.

They do this by supporting young adults and mature students to study at third-level colleges.

Students attending access or foundation courses that are on the Department of Education’s approved list of post-leaving certificate courses may be eligible for funding under the

Student Grant Scheme.

However, students attending a foundation or access course in any other college or university will not be eligible for funding.

An access or foundation course is considered to be a second-level course for the Back to Education Allowance.

You should check your options around access programmes with the university of your choice or local Education and Training Board.

Generally, you will need to have completed your Leaving Certificate. However, if you are applying for a place as a mature student, you will not be asked to meet the usual entry requirements.

Different courses operate different entry procedures, but, in general, the colleges will take into account your educational background, work history, community involvement and other achievements and interests.

This system is known as the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning or Recognition of Prior Learning.

In some cases, you may be asked to take an entrance exam.

16 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 17

TOP 10 TIPS FOR CAO APPLICANTS 1. Save money: apply before january 20 for a reduced application fee.

2. Check to ensure that your name on the CAO application is the same as on your birth certificate and/or passport.

3. The CAO will email you a verification code to complete your application. if you don’t seem to have received this, check your email’s spam folder.

4. Enter the correct years of school attendance – you’d be surprised how many students can’t remember the year in which they started!

5. When creating a password, create one which is just for your cao application; a nice idea is to think about your future course and create a password based on your goal. keep this password in a safe place.

6. You don’t need to f i na l ise you r cou rse choices until july 1st, 2020. However, you can add some course choices when making your initia l application. have those codes to hand when applying; if you get distracted while looking up course codes, your online application may time out and you’ll have to start over. add now, tweak later!

7. if you want to apply for a grant, don’t forget to tick your maintenance fee grant application status on your cao application form.

8.if you have an exemption from irish or a third language, you must modify your nui exemption status on your form.

9. if you are applying for hear or dare, you need to tick the appropriate box on your cao application. for more information on hear and dare schemes, see: www.accesscollege.ie 10. Don’t panic! the application process may seem daunting but, it’s not complicated.

GAZETTE

EDUCATION FORFOR LIFE EDUCATION

Develop your knowledge and skills at Inchicore College THINKING about college? Choose Inchicore College and discover The TEN BEST reasons why you should study with us.....

1. What we’re about – our friendly and welcoming atmosphere where students are central to our purpose.

2. What you can study – our exciting range of innovative courses will meet your interests and needs.

3. How you learn – our class sizes allow for greater individual participation and you can learn in ways that suit you.

4. What we provide – our excellent track record in providing quality-assured full and parttime courses for more than 30 years.

5. What you pay – our lower fees – our courses cost an average of €500 which usually covers all your college requirements for the year.

6. Who we are – our highly qualified staff have vast experience in your chosen area of study and are committed to you and your success.

7. Where you go – the opportunity to work and study in Europe on an Erasmus + programme

in countries such as Sweden, The Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Finland, Slovenia, Italy and France.

8. How you work – our highly regarded work placement programmes enable you to develop your knowledge and skills in your field of study.

9. Where you go next – our graduates go places – we have an outstanding track record for student progression to employment and higher education.

10. How to get here – we are easy to get to by bus, Luas and train.

GAZETTE

18 DUBLIN GAZETTE 16 January 2020

EDUCATION FOR LIFE

Uversity’s scholarships help unlock adult learners’ potential

Unlocking their potential with adult education – scholars Adina Bocotan, Karina Grustane, Helen Noble (TCD) and Lukasz Olszewski (UCD)

WANT to start college in 2020 but not sure how to fund it! Uversity’s Higher Education Scholarships for Adult Learners might be your answer.

Since 2018, Uversity has awarded 49 scholarships to mature students to pursue Bachelor’s Degrees for the first time.

Uversity’s scholarships provide support throughout the course of the degree and are tailored to Scholars’ circumstances.

Eligible applicants must be 23 years and older, a citizen of an EEA member state or

Switzerland and resident in Ireland for 3 years or more by 1st January 2020.

They should be returning to higher education after a break from education of 3 years or more or have recently completed a progression / preparation course.

Apply They need to apply to a Bachelor’s Programme for 2020/21 or have deferred a place from 2019/20.

Successful candidates must be able to demonstrate academic preparation and potential, a

clear motivation and ambition for their education / future, a drive to succeed and strong work ethic. What distinguishes Uversity’s Scholars is their commitment to being transformed and transforming others.

Applications for the 2020/21 academic year must be submitted by March 1, 2020 via www. uversity.org.

All applications will be reviewed for eligibility and may be shortlisted for interview. See w w w.uversity.org or contact apply@uversity. org for further information.

Get saving now: forward planning by parents pays off for expense of college ACCORDING to financial advisors HerMoney, the average cost of educating a child from primary school to college is estimated to be over €60,000.

Furthermore, by far the biggest portion of the expense is incurred during a child’s time in third level education.

This is indicated in research done by Technological University (TU) Dublin, which shows that the average cost of going to college for students living away from home is €12,171 for the year.

That figure is roughly halved at €6,771 students who continue to live at home.

Karen Goodlife, director of HerMoney has advice for parents who are thinking about saving for their child’s future in third level education.

She said: “The most important word when it comes to saving for your child’s education is ‘start’. The earlier you start, the easier it is to manage your finances.

“For example, if your child is starting college in 16 years’ time, and living away from home, you would now need to save €250 per month in order to accumulate €48,000 by 2035.

“Whereas, if your child is starting college in four years’ time, in 2023, you would now need to start saving €1,000

per month,” she said.

HerMoney recommends that if your child is starting college within five years time; your best bet is to start a bank or credit union deposit account.

The financial advisor says that this is because there is not enough time to look at investment options and you are foregoing growth for safety – HerMoney says to save as much as you can afford and shop around the various institutions to try an achieve the highest interest rate possible.

In regards to long-term plans, HerMoney says: “There are a number of investment vehicles available at all levels of investment risk.

“Our most popular options available are investment and savings policies through the various life companies.

“These policies enable you to invest in a range of funds, from low to medium to high risk and will accept lump sums of money as well as regular monthly savings from as little as €75 per month.

“Many of our clients opt to invest in multi-asset funds within these policies which spread their money across a number of different asset types, such as shares, property, bonds and commodities.”

Be aware - interning isn’t always a positive route EXPERIENCE can be the key to gaining employment.

But when you’re a college student who has yet to join the workforce, experience is often the one piece of the puzzle that is missing.

It is for this reason that one of Ireland’s leading recruitment agencies, Matrix Recruitment, is keen to highlight the benefits of doing an internship before starting out on the career ladder.

“While the jobs market in Ireland is buoyant right now, we are finding that college leavers can really struggle to get a foot in the door.

“Experience is something that we see our clients looking for more and more as they search for the right candidate and it can really help applicants stand out from the crowd.

“An internship is a great way for those starting out to gain experience, but unfortunately internship programmes are not as plentiful as one might think,” Breda Dooley of Matrix Recruitment said.

Warning Not all internships are cut from the same cloth, Dooley warns. Some companies take advantage of people who are eager to get worthwhile experience on their CV. Be wary of companies that advertise six-monthlong unpaid internships or seem to have a steady flow of interns entering and exiting the business.

Do the maths before you apply for an internship.

Check how much it will cost you to travel to and from work experience, will you be using your own phone as part of your work?

How will you pay rent and bills If you are interning for free? Are there other expenses to consider, such as paying back a loan?

16 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 19

GAZETTE

EDUCATION FOR LIFE

A wealth of options open to Leaving Cert students BEATRICE DOOLEY, PRESIDENT OF THE INSTITUTE OF GUIDANCE COUNSELLORS, HAS SOME EXCELLENT ADVICE FOR STUDENTS

P O S T- L e av i n g C e r t (PLC) courses, apprenticeships and traineeships are attractive pathways after the Leaving Certificate.

Their graduates are rated highly by Irish employers as graduates from third-level colleges.

PLCs offer practical/ academic work and work experience in areas such as business studies, childcare, computing and more. Log onto fetchcourses. ie, a useful link to research and apply to a variety of courses. Application closing dates vary, applications are accepted until all places are filled.

With a strong emphasis on practical skills and hands on learning, apprenticeships lead to careers,

where you can “earn while they learn”. A formal contract usually spans 2–4 years, with a minimum 50 percent on-the-job learning, you’re also paid by your employer. Qualifications vary from Level 5 to 10 in NVQ’s.

Apprenticeship.ie is the main website with links to specific programmes in different sec-

tors, there is no central application system. Many have deadlines for applications from March/May. Research your eligibility for each programme and how to apply.

T h e r e ’s c u r r e n t l y over 52 apprenticeships available in areas like accounting, insurance, engineering, logistics, construction, electrical, engineering, ICT, hospitality, motor with more in development.

Traineeships combine learning in education and workplace settings and are delivered by Education & Training Boards (ETBs,) with employers. Traineeships exist in areas identified to have skills shortages, such as business, construction, finance and beauty and offer high employability.

Beatrice Dooley

They are ideal for learners not yet ready to commit to a lengthy course or job.

Is Studying abroad popular?

Eunicas.ie is an independent application support service which offers advice on the application process for programmes in Europe.

Germany, France, the Nordic countries and more offer free university degrees through the English language. Deadlines for applying vary from country to country, and many programmes are still open for entry in 2019.

Entry requirements are generally lower than the equivalent courses in Ireland, yet nine Dutch universities are higherranked than Trinity College, Dublin. They just don’t use points! A group of Dutch universities are returning to Dublin on October 23 to meet prospective students. Booking is free, at Eventbrite.

If you are looking to study in the UK, UCAS application deadlines

Committed to providing education and training of the highest quality THE programmes we offer are

welcome all ages from school

learner-centred and provided in

leavers to Mature students.

a friendly, inclusive and support-

We are situated 5 minutes from

ive environment. In fact we won

Killester Dart Station which is two

an Award for Excellence through

stops from Connolly Station.

Accessibility in 2011.

PLC Grants; Back to Education

All our courses range from

Allowances; Vocational Training

QQI(FETAC) levels 4, to levels 5

and Opportunities scheme (VTOS)

and 6. They are accredited by

are available.

Quality and Qualifications Ireland

If you are an early school leav-

(QQI) They are qualifications in

er, unemployed, wanting to upskill,

themselves but can also be used

seeking to go on to Third level-we

to progress onto Third Level. We

offer you a platform.

were January 15, but now a second opportunity to apply occurs during Clearing.

Research the UCAS website, but first talk to your parents/guardians about the feasibility of funding this option.

While the impact of Brexit is unclear, www. ucas.com/brexit provides information on tuition fees and student finance support for EU nationals hoping to start a course in the 2019/20 academic year. Work experience is an excellent way for students to discover what

they are good at and enjoy doing.

Building up work experience, gaining transversal skills, independence and developing as a person are all very valuable outcomes of employment.

The follow-on chances of gaining employment are high, unemployment levels are low right now at 4.5%.

Organisations offering volunteer programmes should be carefully researched as the quality and safety of such programmes can vary significantly.

The Value of Repeating the Leaving Certificate The decision to repeat is not to be taken lightly; it requires ref lection and professional advice, preferably from a qualified guidance counsellor.

Any student considering repeating a year should ask themselves, what will I do differently next year to guarantee different results?

You can only use Leaving Certificate results from one sitting for points purposes, but you can repeat one subject to satisfy minimum entry requirements.

20 DUBLIN GAZETTE 16 January 2020

DUBLIN STYLE

RIDE ‘EM, COWGIRL!

BeautyBITS

Jo Malone launch new spring fragrance JO MALONE have added a new scent to their Cologne Intense collection, designed to warm the soul with it’s scent through these colder months.

The new addition is Vetiver & Golden Vanilla, a combination of Madagascar’s two prized ingredients.

The sensual scent opens with a dash of cardamom teamed with the freshness of grapefruit tea, ushering in the earthy depths of native vetiver. Precious Vanilla Bourbon warms and envelops, hand-picked from the jungles of Madagascar.

Celine Roux, Global Head of Fragrance at Jo Malone, said: “Through Cologne Intense we want to whisk you away on a journey using ingredients that have a true, strong story.

“We consciously magnified the name of the new fragrance with ‘Golden’ to call to mind the warmth of the scent. It’s glowing and bountiful – like the island of Madagascar itself.”

The new scent is available now, priced at €135 for 100ml, or €90 for 50ml.

Punk Prairie

 Rachel D’Arcy

AS WE COME into the

slightly warmer time of the year - meaning a degree or

two higher than freezing - our minds have turned to what lies ahead for Summer.

This year, so-called ‘texan chic’ is playing a part in trends in a big way. From faux leather to

New massage therapy ideal for chronic pain A WOMAN has said her backpain has been greatly helped by the introduction of CBD oil into her daily routine, as well as CBD massages.

Eileen Fleming was speaking about the new CBD massage on offer from the CBD Spa, saying massage therapy had been brought to a new level for her.

“CBD oil was recommended to me by a trusted friend in March 2019 and not only has it helped my overall mental health and wellbeing, I can hand on heart say it has helped reduce the consistent back pain I suffer from as well as help me get a better nights sleep,” Eileen said.

“I’ve had two CBD full body massages now and they both have brought massage therapy to a whole new level for me.

The targeted techniques used are ideal for a person like me who suffers from chronic back and nerve pain.”

The CBD Spa are offering their massage services now at The Buff Day Spa on South King Street.

For more information on CBD massages on offer, see cbdspa.ie.

tassles to prairie style dresses, looking like you’re on your way to a punk concert in the deep south is what’s in this season, for the most part. Whilst most of the high street will be taking a turn at this trend, River Island have launched a range of the styles that will suit all body shapes and all tastes.

From tassled statement dresses to ruffled, delicate two-pieces, there’s a garment to suit everyone on offer this Spring and Suffer. All of these styles are available now from River Island.

16 January 2019 DUBLIN GAZETTE 21

WHAT’S NEW IN THE WORLD OF TRANSPORT

DUBLIN MOTORS An appreciation of a true motoring legend

The all-new Renault Clio is ‘a driver’s car’ offers power, style, safety and terrific value DECLAN GLYNN

THE hotly-anticipated all-new Renault Clio has been launched in Ireland, to much acclaim.

With the previous generation Clio proving itself to be a huge sales success for the French manufacturer, the new model could not afford to be anything but perfect.

Thankfully, the allnew Clio is the most advanced, most driverfocused, safest, and most comfortable model in the Clio’s illustrious 30-year history.

There are four trim levels to choose from in the new Renault Clio – Expression, Dynamique, Iconic, and range-topping RS Line.

The new Clio is better equipped than ever before, with even the entry-level Expression model benefiting from full LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, body-coloured door handles and mirrors, and traffic sign recognition.

Further features include cruise control

with speed limiter, and heated front seats, along with a suite of active safety systems, including lane-keep assist and automatic emergency braking.

Presently, there are four engines to choose from – three petrols, and one diesel.

The range starts with the SCe 75, a naturally aspirated 1.0-litre threecylinder unit with 71bhp

that’s only available with a five-speed gearbox.

A more sophisticated, turbocharged version of this engine is offered in the TCe 100, producing 99bhp and offered with a five-speed manual, or optional continuously variable transmission (CVT).

A four-cylinder petrol engine is offered in the form of the TCe GPF, a 1.3-litre unit that’s

already been used in some much larger Renault cars, including the Megane and Kadjar.

It produces 128bhp and only comes in combination with a sevenspeed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

The single diesel engine option is a 1.5litre four-cylinder unit (Blue dCi 85), with 84bhp and a healthy 220Nm of torque.

My review car was a Renault Clio RS Line TCe 100, which looked amazing in Iron Blue metallic paint.

On the road, the new Clio proved itself to be a fun, proficient car to drive, with excellent driving dynamics for an overall terrific driving experience.

Well-weighted steering and solid brakes ensure that the new Clio is a true driver’s car, while excellent levels of damping allows the car to handle road imperfections with ease.

Pricing for the new Clio starts at just €17,195 and represents terrific

THE late, great, Henry Ford (right) was ahead of his time in more ways than one.

He is best remembered for pioneering assembly-line low-cost car manufacturing, his Model T, and his famous slogan: “You can have any colour, as long as it is black”.

Henry Ford launched his Ford Motor Company in 1913, and it has grown in to a global vehicle manufacturing giant.

He was known to be in favour of ‘lightweight’ engineering, believing that the most beautiful things in the world are those from which all excess weight has been eliminated.

Ford was also to the forefront of cutting prices to boost sales.

Parallel to his simple design philosophy was

his belief that sales would go up, not so much by improving the product, but by lowering the price.

He also rightly believed that building a car and just selling it was not enough.

He once said that a car was 75% complete when it left the factory, and the other 25% was done by the dealers.

Ford would be proud of the blue oval firm he founded back in 1913.

What the world needs now are more people like good ol’ Uncle Henry.

22 DUBLIN GAZETTE 16 January 2020

DUBLIN SENIORS

This week, we look at some of the common challenges for CHALLENGE YOUR BRAIN...JUST FOR FUN!your money people in retirement, and managing

Tips for managing your money in retirement Common challenges for people in retirement THE three main challenges that people are faced with in retirement are identity, routine and relationships.

Identity Identity can be a challenge because for many people, they describe themselves by what they do rather than by whom they are. This change may also impact the spouse/ partner whose own identity may be categorised to that of their partner.

Routine For a very long time, there has been a definite rhythm to life (alarm, commute, work, commute, non-work activities) five days a week, every week.

When the world of work is no more, they get 50 hours per week back every week for the rest of their life.

What new routine will the retiree establish?

Every day is a weekend. For many, the real issue is what to do with their time, not finances at all!

Relationships The Retirement Planning Council of Ireland suggests relationship dynamics face a challenge.

Partners may now be spending more time in each other’s company than they have for years.

Beware of doing everything together as the conversation may dry up. Plan for separate as well as joint activities and conversation will thrive.

Thinking, communicating and planning are key fundamentals in helping to deal with these challenges.

Think about what a typical week or month would look like. Do not plan every minute of every hour, but rather plan for chunks of time.

Discussing your ideas with spouse/ partner/ family and friends is important – don’t assume they will fit in with you (the retiree)! Be flexible, but it is important to learn to say “no” as others may assume that you (the retiree) have nothing else to do and may try to organise things. You may begin to resent them if you don’t have time to do the things you want to do.

Planning to include a purpose or a reason to get out of bed. Start with a mental challenge such as volunteering, return to education, working on, hobbies, sport, etc. Maintaining/ developing a social network of real people is king.

Remember many of your friends will still be working and so will not be available to socialise with you during the daytime. Did you know 80% of our contacts are through work, only 20% are family and friends. Developing new friends has proven to be vital in living a long, healthy and happy retirement.

THE Retirement Planning Council of Ireland (RPCI) is advising retirees to get organised and start thinking about their finances this January.

By establishing new saving and spending habits, retirees can avoid falling victim to common financial mistakes in 2020.

Make a plan The average worker gets back 50 hours per week in retirement and according to the RPCI, it is easier to spend money when you are not working.

Establishing a plan will allow retirees to closely monitor income and outgoings to ensure they have a grasp of their financial position.

Co u rs e L e a d e r fo r the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland and former Pensions Ombudsman Paul Kenny said: “It is useful to know what’s coming in, and when, what the likely expenditure is, and when it is likely to arise.

“That way, you can anticipate large outgoings (such as a tank of heating oil) and put some money aside regularly for those.

“New retirees should budget for miscellaneous spending each month, including coffees, lunches, books and clothes. It is also

a good idea to use cash during the first weeks of retirement – as it feels like real spending – instead of tapping a bank card, where the charge might not be taken from your account for 2-3 working days. This is recommended to measure and control spending.”

File a tax return According to Paul, one of the first steps to take is to file a tax return. PAYE tax payers, should make sure they complete a tax return to ensure they are getting the allowances and credits they are entitled to.

“First off – and this doesn’t just apply to retirees – make a tax return.

People on PAYE often don’t feel the need to make regular returns, but it is a useful way of ensuring that you get all your entitlements, such as age allowance. Revenue can also look back over four years, to see if there are things you missed out on previously.”

Spread out payments The not-for-profit organisation is also advising retirees to look at spreading out payments over a period rather than being

met with lump sum payments.

“Many companies, such as motor and home insurers, will allow payments to be spread over most of the year, in some cases without any extra charge.”

Shop around The RPCI also notes the importance of shopping around with different service providers to get the best deals.

“Retirees should look to shop around and be open to switching service providers in order to save money. Bonkers.ie is a free and impartial service,

where you can compare charges for gas and electricity, broadband, phone and TV providers, banking services and insurances such as life, health and serious illness cover.

Ask for discounts “Older people should also be aware of discounts that are available in retirement.

“Many retailers offer discounts to older people, usually on specified days of the week. Some gyms offer reduced membership prices for daytime hours, when other members are at work.”

Key features of the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act THE Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act applies to everyone and has relevance for all health and social care services.

The Key features of the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act are: • It applies to everyone and to all health and social care settings.

• It provides for the individual’s right of autonomy and self-determination to be respected through an Enduring Power of Attorney and an Advance Healthcare Directive – made when a person has capacity to come into effect when they may lack decision-making capacity.

• It provides for legally recognised decision-makers to support a person maximise their decision-making powers.

• It places a legal requirement on service providers to comprehensively enable a person make a decision through the provision of a range of supports and information appropriate to their condition.

• It abolishes the Wards of Court system.

• It provides for a review of all existing wards to either discharge them fully or to transition those who still need assistance to the new structure.

• It repeals the Lunacy regulations gov-

erning the Ward of Court system.

• It establishes a Decision Support Service with clearly defined functions which will include the promotion of public awareness relating to the exercise of capacity by persons who may require assistance in exercising their capacity.

• The Director of the Decision Support Service will have the power to investigate complaints in relation to any action by a decision-maker in relation to their functions as such decision-maker.

For further information see Citizens Information - Incapacity or get legal advice.

16 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23

CHALLENGE YOUR BRAIN...JUST FOR FUN!

CODEWORDS

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All you have to do is decide which letter is represented by which number!

To start you off, we reveal the codes for two or three letters.

As you find letters, enter them in the key and into the grid.

Cross off the letters in the A to Z list.

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16 January 2020 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 27

SOCCER P29

THE BEST IN DUBLIN

SPORT

SPEED DEMON ATHLETICS: RHASIDAT Adeleke isn’t

going to rush a decision on her future as she weighs up college opportunities in the US and closer to home in the coming months.

The Tallaght sprinter is one of the most sought-after underage runners in world athletics right now after blitzing the field at the European Youth Olympics in Baku, Azerbaijan



GAZETTE

HURLING P30

PAGE 28

LET DUBLIN GAZETTE NEWSPAPERS INFORM YOU OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AND SCORES OF YOUR FAVOURITE TEAMS RUGBY | LEINSTER CONTINUE PERFECT RUN ON ALL FRONTS

RDS beckons for quarters  sport@dublingazette.com

LEINSTER all but secured a home Champions Cup quarter-final with a six-try, 42-14 victory over French side Lyon at the RDS on Sunday afternoon.

The Blues’ ninth successive Champions Cup win – a first in the club’s history – ensured a draw away to bottom-placed Treviso on Saturday will guarantee home advantage in the last eight.

A brace from wing Dave Kearney and further tries from Josh van der Flier, Max Deegan, Sean Cronin and Andrew Porter saw Leinster bring up a fourth try bonus point of the pool stages.

Leinster dominated territory in the first half but, despite scoring three tries, held a slender seven-point advantage at the break as Lyon made good use of their meagre possession.

Tries from Virgil Bruni and, three minutes before half time, Hendrick Roadt kept Leo Cullen’s side honest but they added three unanswered scores in the second half to put gloss on the scoreline.

Leinster hit the front after nine minutes as quick thinking from Ross Byrne, taking a quick penalty to pick out James Lowe with a crossfield pass, and he batted the ball inside for Kearney to crash over.

Byrne added the extras on a day when he would land a flawless five kicks from five, and a lovely offload from scrum-half Luke McGrath sent van der Flier through for the second four minutes later.

Lyon weren’t prepared to lie down as they battled to maintain their slim hopes of qualification, and number eight Bruni picked off a loose pass from Garry Ringrose to stride home under the posts.

Byrne and Lowe linked up once more on the half-hour as the New Zealand-born wing once again provided the skilful offload for Kearney to dot down, his ninth try in as many games.

Once again, Lyon fought back and Roadt was the beneficiary as a series of pick-and-goes on the Leinster line ended with the South African lock burrowing over the line.

Leinster upped the tempo in the

Leo Cullen was pleased with how his side’s accuracy improved in the second half against Lyon. Picture: Martin Doherty

second half and, after Felix Lambey was yellow-carded for cynical play, Deegan brought up the bonus point with a well-taken try under the sticks.

Replacement hooker Cronin added the fifth try off the back of a maul following Xavier Mignot’s sin-binning before another sub in Porter forced home a sixth late on.

“There were a lot of stoppages in the game and we never got any real rhythm,” said Cullen.

“We looked a little bit edgy in the dressing room at half-time. In the second half the players applied themselves well, put more pressure on Lyon and were a bit more accurate in what they were doing.”

SPORT CONTACT INFO SPORTS EDITOR: Stephen Findlater sfindlater@dublingazette.com

For more information or to send in news and photos: sport@dublingazette.com Phone: 01 601 0240

28 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 16 January 2020

CLUB NOTES

ROUND

2 1

ATHLETICS: TALLAGHT SPRINTER IN SIGHTS OF US COLLEGES

LUCAN SARSFIELDS CONGRATULATIONS WELL done to the Junior to Paul A laand Chris Crummy, both with the Dublin Senior Hurlers, who defeated Laois in Parnell Park on Thursday evening. Our U15s were in attendance and met with the brothers after the match. Unfortunately, the Dubs lost to Galway by a point in the semi-final on Sunday, Chris getting on the scoreboard again. Meanwhile in Belfield, Paul captained the UCD hurlers to a win over IT Carlow in the Fitzgibbon Cup. On Saturday 11 January, Lucan Sarsfields footballers, CJ Smith, Emmet O’Conghaile and Sean Cleary, all played for Dublin in the one point defeat away to Longford at Pearse Park in the O’Byrne Cup Semi Final. For trivia fans out there - CJ Smith secured the first score for Dublin under new manager, Dessie Farrell.

The 2019 U16 Camogie and Ladies Football teams, held their ‘end-of-juvenile’ celebration in the club on Saturday evening. A great time was had by all, many thanks to the organisers, Karen, Angela and Diarmuid, the Bar Staff and especially to the wonderful DJ who kept the girls singing and dancing!!

Membership for 2020 is open now. Go Online to the club website, www.lucansarsfields.ie or download the new Clubforce Mobile App by going to the appropriate app store. This GDPR compliant app allows you to renew your membership, including spreading the payment over six months. You can also use the app to purchase entries to the club lotto and tickets for other events that the Club may run.

Adult football and hurling re-grading for championship games only is open until 31st January, after which applications will not be accepted. Please complete the correct official form available from team management, sign it and ensure it is also signed by the club secretary before submission.

Our condolences to John and Colette Condon and family on the loss of Johns sister, Noreen Our condolences to the Maguire family on the loss of Thomas, father of Glen (Ladies Football Mentor) and Grandfather of Caitlin (Ladies Football) Our condolences to the Russell and Mulqueen families ondefeat the loss FOLLOWING to of John Russell, father of Maggie Naomh OMulqueen and father in law, to club Treasurer Jim Mulqueen and Grandfather to Tony (Minor Football), Charlie and David (U16 Hurling and Football).

It is with sadness that we have learned of the recent death of Breda Delaney, wife of former Lucan Sarsfields Player and Hurling Manager Pat Delaney. Our condolences to the family, May she rest in peace.

Our condolences to the Carroll family on the loss of Catherine (Kitty, née O’Rourke), mother of former Lucan player Pádraig. May she rest in peace.

We are delighted to announce the new Joint Directors of Hurling, Paul Stapleton and Vincent O’Connor, We wish both every success and would like to express our gratitude to Joe Whyte who stood down from the role last month.

We are also delighted to announce that Tom Birch takes over from Stiofan O’Conghaile as Director of Juvenile Ladies Football this month.

We wish Tom every success and again our gratitude to Stiofan.

ROUND TOWER, CLONDALKIN

Spar Daily Mile ambassador Rhasidat Adeleke is encouraging primary school children to run or jog for 15 minutes each day. Picture: Eóin Noonan/ Sportsfile

Speedster Adeleke in no rush to confirm next step  DAVE DONNELLY

sport@dublingazette.com

RHASIDAT Adeleke isn’t going to rush a decision on her future as she weighs up college opportunities in the US and closer to home in the coming months.

The Tallaght sprinter is one of the most soughtafter underage runners in world athletics right now after blitzing the

field at the European Youth Olympics in Baku, Azerbaijan in July.

Adeleke, who recently turned 17, had only planned to compete in the 200m but wound up taking home gold in both her preferred event and the 100m – a first for an Irish athlete.

She could conce ivably have her pick of the world’s premier university athletics programmes

but, for the time being, her main focus is her Leaving Cert come May. Athletics takes a very close second place in her thinking but she tries to split her time and focus as evenly as possible between her academic studies and her track career.

The balance has certainly worked for the Presentation College Terenure student who

Adeleke en route to a personal best last weekend. Picture: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

has taken international gold a remarkable six times since deciding to concentrate on athletics as a 13-year-old.

“It’s probably like 51/49 [in favour of academics],” Adeleke told Dublin Gazette.

“I try to give each an equal chance and equal time. I’m always focused on one or other and I always try to give it my all. It would be a waste of time otherwise.”

2020 began with an unexpected milestone – a personal best time of 7.40 in the indoor 60m in Abbottstown – and she’s determined to take that success to the Olympic Games in Tokyo in June.

The Irish 4x100m relay team is the best the country has ever produced but they’ve yet to qualify for the Games, though there will be ample opportunity in the coming months.

A t s i x f o o t- p l u s , Adeleke feels more comfortable at 200m, where she can use her long stride to her advantage, but her prowess over shorter distances has forced her to broaden her

scope.

She’s confident the Irish team, who took silver at the world under20s in 2018, will make the Olympics, whether by posting a good enough time or by featuring in the top 16 rankings.

Her immediate focus is this year’s World Championships – her times at 100 and 200m last year would have been good enough to qualify, but she’ll have to do it again in 2020 to be sure of competing.

If there’s pressure on her shoulders, be it in school or athletics, it doesn’t show as she tries to take the challenges as they come and keep her feet firmly on the ground (at least off the track).

“I try not to get too bogged down or nervous about it, because at the end of the day, this is what your career as an athlete is going to be.

“I want to make more memories like the ones I got last year and the year before, so I just try to get back in the zone and hopefully I can repeat the success this year.”

16 January 2020 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 29

SOCCER: FORMER PROFESSIONALS BACK AT THEIR ROOTS IN BID FOR ANOTHER PROMOTION

Kilnamanagh land big names as Kenna and Harding return LSL SUNDAY SENIOR 1  DAVE DONNELLY

sport@dublingazette.com

KILNAMANAGH have made two eye-catching signings in the winter transfer window as they look to make it three successive promotions to reach the top tier of the Leinster Senior League.

Former League of Ireland-winning defender Conor Kenna and the well-travelled midfielder Liam Harding have returned to their former schoolboy club as they sit fourth in the Sunday Senior 1 table.

35-year-old Kenna arrives after wrapping up a 17-year League of Ireland career by helping Longford Town to the First Division promotion play-offs.

The defender, who captained St Patrick’s Athletic to the Premier Division title in 2013 and also lined out for Shamrock Rovers, took over as the club’s directory of coaching 12 months ago.

Harding spent several years playing at semi-pro level in Australia with Ballarat City before finishing

up with Caroline Springs George Cross last year.

They join a number of former pros in the squad including Harding’s brother Sean, defender Gavin Kavanagh and playmaker Gary McCabe, older brother of Ireland captain Katie.

“I was chasing Conor from when he announced his retirement from League of Ireland,” Kilnamanagh boss Keith Foy tells Dublin Gazette.

“It was always in the pipeline, but it was about giving him a few weeks and letting him have a chat with his family and decide what the best thing was for him to do.

“We came to an agreement that he would like to sign for the rest of the season and see if he enjoys it, and hopefully he will.

“Liam’s international clearance is just after getting in there over Christmas. He’s a brother of Sean and has played with Kilnamanagh in the past. He was playing at semipro level in Australia.”

Keith Foy’s side returned to winning ways on Sunday afternoon with a 3-2 victory at home to

Swords Celtic – their first league win in five games and more than two months.

A goal early in each half for Anthony Haveny, either side of Daniel Cibotar’s equaliser, saw Kilnamanagh lead going into the final minutes.

An own goal, brought about by good pressure from Luke Halpin, made it 3-1 two minutes from the end before Barry Caulfield netted an injury-time consolation for the visitors.

It was a much-needed return to form for the Tallaght side ahead of the weekend’s trip to face a Cockhill side who have won the Ulster Senior League in each of the past seven seasons.

“On a coach it’s a good four-anda-half-hour journey up, so we have decided to travel up on the Saturday afternoon.

“We’ll stay over at a hotel to make sure we’re preparing properly and give ourselves the best opportunity. It’s not ideal being on a coach for so long and then trying to play a match.”

Coyne’s analytical approach SWIMMING  BRADLEY WEST

sport@dublingazette.com

RISING Tallaght swimming star Niamh Coyne has her sights set on Tokyo as she continues to catch the eye and improve in the pool.

The 18-year-old from Dublin burst onto world the scene at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018 where she won silver in the 100m breaststroke, a performance which saw her nominated for RTE Young Sportsperson of the Year.

And her development continued apace last year when she made her World Aquatics Championships debut in the 50m breaststroke in South Korea in the summer.

She puts part of her rapid rise down to a focus on the role data analytics is playing in her training now.

Coyne has enjoyed a detailed look at her own performances thanks to work with her coaches at the Sport Ireland Institute who have partnered up with SAS whose data will be deployed to hopefully shave off those vital seconds.

“I use data analytics to see where I’ve gone wrong in my races in the past,” she said.

“If I need to work on my dive or my turn, I can see what I need to do to improve it.”

Coyne has benefitted as part of a multi-year partnership between SAS and the Sport Ireland Institute which runs through to March 2021.

The partnership sees SAS provide software and consultancy services to help the Sport Ireland Institute be more datadriven and, crucially, drive improved training and

Tallaght Swimming Club’s Niamh Coyne

performance in order to enhance the success of Irish athletes ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For now, swimming and boxing is the focus of the work, but it could be expanded in the future and the young swimmer is taking great joy out of seeing statistical proof of her own improvements.

“I look at my numbers and take pride in seeing them increase. When you see your numbers getting faster and faster you know

what you’re doing is working.

“If you’re working on a new dive or a new turn you know that it’s working well for you.

“I’ve focused on my technique and my turns and my underwater more.

As your racing your technique starts to slip so I’m focusing on that, and my underwater is all about getting faster with them.” **SAS is the Official Analytics Partner of the Sport Ireland Institute

Kilnamanagh AFC celebrate an Anthony Hanevy goal in their 3-2 win over Swords Celtic last weekend

30 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 16 January 2020

ROUND

CLUB NOTES

2

ROUND TOWER, CLONDALKIN THANK you to all Members our attended our AGM hosted Saturday evening.

Round Tower Executive for 2020 is listed on our website.

The Tommy Curran Memorial Cup will be played Saturday 18th January in Monastery Road at 3pm. Hurlers of all ability are welcome to tog out. Then join us in the club for live music from 9pm and the player of the year presentations.

All welcome!

Support our Senior Footballers & learn video skills! We are looking for volunteers with an interest in camera work and photography. The Senior footballers are planning to use video analysis for games this season. We have cameras and experts ready to guide and train you. If you are interested, contact Barry by email at barraocaonleain@yahoo.ie or by phone at 0872745985.

Visit our website to see the allocation of supervised sessions in our High Performance Unit for the January – February period. We kindly ask Members keep these sessions in mind.

Have you cans or bottles left over following the festive celebrations? Pop them up to our collection point in Monastery Road (back) dressing room and in doing so help us raise valuable funds for the club.

Round Tower Lotto 6th January 2020. Jackpot: €10,000. Numbers drawn: 2,4,19,27 bonus ball 17. No overall winner and no bonus ball winner.

ST PATRICK’S, PALMERSTOWN A big show for Operation Transformation (pictured) in Glenaulin Park last week.

Our thanks to the Palmerstown House for their support. We go again this Thursday 16 January, from the Clubhouse at 7.30 pm. This is a community event, open to everyone. All are welcome.

Membership for 2020 is now due. The easiest way is to pay on on-line at www.stpatricksgaa.ie New members are very welcome to join and participate in club activities.

GAA National Draw tickets are still on sale and available from team mentors.

Tickets available from Eileen Maguire 087 7814852 for the Palmerstown House 40th Birthday Casino night on Friday 24th January. Further information on our Facebook page.

Training for all teams is now resuming.

All teams are looking for new players –

adult and juvenile. Contact information available on our website.

Congratulations to Sadhbh Duffy who has been selected for the Dublin intermediate camogie team.

The numbers in the Lotto draw this week were 5, 10, 12 and 27.

There was no jackpot winner. We had four match 3 winners – Dan O’Sullivan, Ciara Agar, the Kennedy clan and Catriona Ryan who won €50 each.

The jackpot next week will be €9,000.

The draw takes place on Sunday night in the Palmerstown House at 10pm.

Tickets available online, and from SuperValu, Palmerstown House, and Manor Hair Studios.

Many thanks to all our ticket sellers and supporters. This is an important fundraiser and your support is appreciated.

THOMAS DAVIS LOTTO numbers 2,6, 10 & 24 . Not won. Next Week’s jackpot €1,725. Tickets are now available for the Double Up Draw. Tickets €20 each available from Kevin Lydon 087 633 8227 or all Team Mentors. Tickets also available at the Club Bar. Members are asked to support this important Fund Raising Venture. Draw will take place on Friday 17th January 2020.

All Members are reminded that Membership Fees are now due and should be paid to Dan Walsh without delay.

Academy will resume on Saturday 25th January 2020.

Operation Transformation 2020.It will be similar enough to last year but new coaches and special guest speakers for 2020. All will be finalized over the coming days, we hope to have the new schedule finalized this week.Weekly weigh in are optional for all followers but included in the package. €70 for 8 weeks. Weekly passes will be available also for €10. OPEN TO ALL THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. Many thanks to Ronan Driver Cronkeerin Construction for once again kindly sponsoring this years Operation Transformation.

Congratulations to Davy Keogh and the Dublin Senior Hurling Team who defeated Laois in the Walsh Cup but suffered a narrow defeat by Galway in the Semi Final.

Well done to Kevin Mullarkey who has been selected for the Dublin Minor football panel for 2020. Best of luck to Kevin and all the team and management for the year ahead. Congratulations to Kerri Owens on being selected for the Leinster schools inter-provincial panel .

HURLING: TOWERS’ ALEX O’NEILL MAKES DEBUT

Kenny tests his pack WALSH CUP SEMI-FINAL Galway 0-19 Dublin 0-18  CÓILÍN DUFFY sport@dublingazette.com

FOR the second time in as many days, a Dublin team were pipped by the minimum, and lost out on a final berth as Dublin’s senior hurlers were denied a Walsh Cup final spot by Galway at Parnell Park on Sunday.

Playing their third game in a week, following wins over Carlow and Laois, Mattie Kenny’s charges pushed the Tribesmen all the way, but in the end the visitors held out for a hard earned victory.

Kenny wasn’t overly disappointed with the display by his side.

“After every game, I always say that it’s about getting something out of these Walsh Cup games, so we are not overly disappointed,” he said.

“It was a competitive game. There was very little between the sides all the way through. It was a good work-out for both teams.

“There was a couple of positives today. Danny Sutcliffe was out with an injury for the last while, so he got 15 minutes into his legs towards the finish up. Sean Moran was away for a while, so he was back today and he got some time.

“We had a number of

Round Tower, Clondalkin’s Alex O’Neill with young club mates following his first Dublin senior appearance

Under-20 guys there today.

“Alex O’Neill and Andy Dunphy, I thought played well today. Andy played well at corner back.

“He has played all of the Walsh Cup games, and has been very impressive.

Those two young guys have been a big plus for us over the last couple of weeks.

“A number of guys have stepped up there, and it’s very, very positive.

With 14 players Fitzgibbon Cup tied, the Dublin management made a number of changes, with five

NATIONAL CUPS Templeogue bow out in Cork TEMPLEOGUE’S Under-20s bowed out of their national basketball cup competitions at the semi-final stage in Cork last weekend.

The women fell 77-65 to UU Tigers on Saturday afternoon despite building a 20-16 lead in the first quarter. They fell behind in the second quarter and could not get back on terms.

The club’s men’s U-20 side lost to Moycullen 88-75.

Picture: sam barnes/ SPORTSFILE

different players named to start, from the side which accounted for Laois at the same venue on the previous Thursday.

Sean Brennan, Alex O’Neill, Chris Crummey, Lorcan McMullan and Cian Derwin were all handed starting berths.

Dublin began brightly to take a four-point lead, however, Shane O’Neill’s new charges turned the tables to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish by the interval.

Scores from John Hetherton, Oisin O’Rorke,

Eamonn Dillion and Chris Crummey helped the hosts to a 0-7 to 0-3 lead after 11 minutes.

The lead was again at four points in the final stages of the half, with Hetherton and O’Rorke continuing to impress, but Galway finished strong to take a 0-12 to 0-11 advantage at the half-time whistle.

On the restart Dublin battled hard to try and take the lead, but too no avail, despite the best efforts of Marc Howard, Sutcliffe and O’Rorke.

16 January 2020 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 31

FOOTBALL: FARRELL’S REIGN STARTS WITH DEFEAT BUT BIG GUNS TO RETURN FOOTBALL

U-20s caught by late Kildare surge

Longford’s Iarla O’Sullivan and Dublin’s Niall Walsh contest possession.

Picture: Bernie Farrell

Dessie’s experimental Dubs lose to Longford O’BYRNE CUP SEMI-FINAL Longford 1-13 Dublin 3-6  CÓILÍN DUFFY sport@dublingazette.com

DESSIE FARRELL may have got off to a losing start as Dublin senior football manager but there were plenty of positives to take from this O’Byrne Cup semi-final at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Saturday.

The visitors made full use of the rolling substitutes rule, and gave game-time to 26 players with many of Dublin’s established senior stars still away on holidays.

Cuala’s Niall O’Callaghan netted twice with Templeogue Synge Street’s Killian O’Gara getting the other in what was a potential trial for many of the faces to be part of the Allianz League squad which begins against Kerry on January 25 at Croke Park.

“The objective today was to give fellas a run out,” Farrell said after the game.

“Obviously we want to identify a couple of players that we can bring forward into the official squad.

“It was good to get back out on the pitch after the last couple of weeks. It’s all about the football at the end of the day, and it was great to kick off today.

“The players come back from their holidays over the next couple of days, and

back to training next week and focus on the opener.”

Stephen Cluxton was among those in the large travelling crowd that watched an experimental Metropolitan outfit come acropper to Longford, just as they did at the same stage in the same venue back in 2016.

In a tight and keenly contested encounter, little separated the sides throughout but it was Longford who made the more impressive start.

The hosts led by 0-4 to 0-1 at the end of the first quarter, with Rian Brady and Darren Gallagher among their early scorers, and Lucan Sarsfields clubman CJ Smith keeping Dublin in touch.

Dublin made the first of 23 substitutions over the contest with Ross McGowan replacing Cian Murphy, before the only goal of the tie.

O’Gara found the net for the visitors opening goal soonafter, before being substituted - a fate that also befell O’Callaghan after he bagged his second goal 20 minutes from time.

O’Gara’s effort levelled the tie in the 19th minute before a raft of Dublin subs, with the Templeogue Synge Street clubman replaced by Scott Fulham.

Longford regained the lead through a point from play by Rian Brady, but this was cancelled out by Diarmuid McLoughlin, who landed a fine score off his left

boot.

Ballyboughal’s Gerry Seaver put the visitors ahead but an Oran Kenny score ensured the sides were tied 1-3 to 0-6 at the break.

O’Callaghan, brother of senior star Con, found the net for the first time inside the opening minute of the second half, but Longford fought back with 1-2 unanswered, including a 45th minute Kevin Diffley goal.

Dublin offered the perfect response four minutes later, when O’Callaghan netted for a second time to push his side into a two-point lead.

Longford battled hard in a keenly contested final quarter, with Dublin leading 3-6 to 1-10 in the 64th minute, before the hosts grabbed three unanswered points, including scores from Darren Gallagher and Darragh Doherty on the way to a onepoint win.

The midfield battle in Pearse Park. Picture: Bernie Farrell

A LATE scoring surge saw Kildare secure a draw with Dublin in Saturday’s John Kerins U20 Football Development League at Manguard Plus Hawkfield.

Dublin led by four points as the game moved into added time before a Findlay Nairn goal and Shane O’Sullivan free saw Kildare draw level before the full-time whistle.

The Dubs face Laois in their concluding game this Saturday following their narrow lose to Meath and draw with Kildare.

Dublin face Wicklow in the Leinster Under20 football championship first round on Saturday, February 8.

Luke Swan kicked three early points for the Dubs with Ciarán Archer converting a free to give the Dubs a 0-4 to 0-0 lead.

Kildare responded before points from Mark Lavin and Seán Lowry settled Dublin again.

The Lilywhites, however, took the lead courtesy of four frees from Shane O’Sullivan before scores from Mark Lavin and Lorcan O’Dell helped Dublin to a 0-9 to 0-7 interval lead. Dublin scored four of the opening six points of the second half with Pádraig Purcell doing well and with 15 minutes remaining Tom Gray’s side were six points clear.

Darragh Kirwan’s goal from the Lilywhites brought them back into contention but still Dublin led by four points late on before Kildare snatched a draw with Findlay Nairn’s goal and Shane O’Sullivan’s equalising free.

GazetteSPORT JANUARY 16-22, 2020

ALL OF YOUR WEST DUBLIN SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 27-31 33-39

RHASIDAT’S STUDY GOALS ATHLETICS:

Tallaght AC’s golden girl on juggling elite sprinting and her Leaving Certificate studies.

SEE P28

SEMI-FINAL SHUT-OUTS

GAELIC GAMES:

Dublin senior footballers and hurlers both rung the changes for O’Byrne and Walsh Cup semifinals.

SEE P30-31

KILNAMANAGH STRENGTHEN SOCCER: Dublin

24 club bolster their ranks and immediately get on the winning trail as they seek to get in promotion race. SEE P29

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Eanna and Templeogue’s huge derby showdown BASKETBALL  STEPHEN FINDLATER

sport@dublingazette.com

DBS EANNA and Templeogue only have a short hop to make across the M50 to the National Basketball Arena in a few weeks’ time, setting up a huge royal rumble for the men’s Hula Hoops Pat Duffy National Cup title.

For Eanna, they are continuing to live the dream in their first year back at Super League level as they booked their place in their first ever men’s cup final with a 78-63 point win over Garvey’s Tralee Warriors.

“We played their game, and we beat them at,” said head coach Darren McGovern afterwards.

“This is my first time ever here – I’d only been to watch one National Cup semi-final before in my life and now I’m here as a head coach, and I swear I’m a bundle of nerves and wrecked.

“I don’t know what to say, I’m so happy and so proud. The performance levels from what we did in Tralee last week compared to today was totally different – a rebounding team, a fighting team.

It is just one of those moments you have to enjoy.

“We are there now and just have to see what happens.”

An extremely close first quarter saw nothing between the sides as they slowly began to work each other out. Defensive pressure was to the fore as despite good scoring

Joshua Wilson and his Eanna team take in the applause from the crowd at the Neptune Stadium. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

“The performance levels from what we did in Tralee last week compared to today was totally different – a rebounding team, a fighting team.“ from Josh Wilson and Stefan Zecevic for Éanna and good work at the other end from Paul Dick and Eoin Quigley saw the game tied at 14 points apiece.

The low-scoring continued into the second quarter, with Zecevic and Wilson again leading the charge for Eanna, with Mark Reynolds adding a good score. With scores at a premium at either end, it was again Paul Dick and Quigley lead-

ing the charge, while monster work under the boards from Andre Berry saw Tralee edge a slender 24-26 half time lead.

The third quarter continued in the same vein, but this time Wilson managed to work himself some great space, and begin to hit Warriors where it hurt, clocking up 11 points in the period.

Zecevic was key inside for Éanna adding to his tally well, while at the other end, Quigley was the

main offensive threat for Tralee. Daniel Jokubaitis hit five points for the Warriors in the quarter but it was Éanna who led going into the last, 47-41.

A huge start from Éanna in the fourth kept momentum firmly in their favour, with Zecevic, Hillary Netsiyanwa and Wilson in superb fo r m to ke e p t h e m ahead. Warriors replied with superb work from Jokubaitis and Quigley, but a big press on defense

from Éanna kept Warriors fighting for every single board and ultimately, it was free throws down the stretch that widened the margin at full time, as Éanna knocked down 10 free throws in the closing stages to win out 78-63 and book themselves a place in Tallaght.

Templeogue, meanwhile, shaded Coughlan C&S Neptune 78-75.

Speaking afterwards, head coach Mark Keenan stated: “I’ve mixed emo-

tions. I don’t think we played very well, but it’ll sink in soon that we actually won.

“Semi-finals can be games like that, you still have to try and win them, we found a way in the fourth quarter to get in front. Neil [Randolph] hit a massive three to put us in the lead and we got a lot of energy from that. I am delighted, I’m thrilled we got through, but we will need to play a lot better than that.”