Dublin Gazette: West Edition by Dublin Gazette

YEARINREVIEW: What a year that YEAR

was – so take a last look back at 2019 with our extended review, inside P6-11

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THE LATEST NEWS & SPORT FROM SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL AREA

Happy New Year! SPORT Join GazetteSport to look back on another memorable year for local sport, from club to county and beyond. SEE P28-31

Coming right after our Christmas wishes, we’d like to again say “Thank you” to all of our loyal readers and advertisers for your support last year! We wish you all the very best for 2020.

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Alleged assault GARDAÍ in Tallaght are appealing for information following the alleged sexual assault of a woman (30s) in Tallaght on Christmas Eve. The incident occurred on the N81, near Jobstown. SEE PAGE 4

Kids net angling prize

YEAR IN REVIEW:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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DublinGazette JANUARY 2-8, 2020

Raid uncovers huge stolen bike stash PADRAIG CONLON A QUARTER of a million-euro worth of suspected stolen bicycles were uncovered in a St Stephen’s Day raid. Gardai from Pearse Street made the startling discovery of 116 bikes when they searched a container at Griffin allotments in Newcastle last Thursday morning.

They had obtained a search warrant following their ongoing investigations into the large-scale theft of bikes in the city centre. Dublin Fire Brigade assisted Gardaí in getting into the 40-foot container where they located pedal cycles of all makes and models. The bikes have been seized pending

further technical exam and Gardai say they’ll try to identify the rightful owners. Bikes that aren’t returned to owners will then be circulated on social media in the next few weeks. The estimated value of the items is approximately €250,000 and as yet no arrests have been made. CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

SEE PAGE 4

2 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 2 January 2020

PICK UP YOUR

FIRE BRIGADE HELPED GET INTO CONTAINER

Gardai seize over EVERY 100 stolen bikes

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Minister musing the role of brown bins

Gardai made the startling discovery of 116 bikes in Newcastle last Thursday

FROM PAGE 1

A Garda spokesperson said investigations are ongoing. “Gardai in Pearse Street conducted a search on Thursday morning, 26th December, 2019 of a container at Allotments in Newcastle, County Dublin and located 116 pedal cycles suspected to be stolen property,” the spokesperson said. “A search warrant was obtained by gardai from Pearse Street following ongoing investigations into the theft of bikes in the city

centre. “All items in the container were seized pending further technical examination. “It is estimated that the value of the items is approximately €250,000 owing to the uniqueness and specialisation of the items. “Gardai from the Street Crime Unit in Pearse Street will endeavour to identify the rightful owners of the pedal cycles in due course and the items that are not returned to owners will be circulated via media in the coming weeks.”

It is believed the bicycles were being stored before they were due to be smuggled to criminal gangs across Europe. According to the most recent figures 3,929 bicycles were reported stolen in Dublin in 2018, and of those only 286 were recovered. It is estimated that over 140,000 bicycles have been stolen nationwide since 2016. 70 per cent of the reported bike thefts in Ireland occur in Dublin, with the average value of a bicycle €510.

‘A big thank-you to everyone who supported GOAL’ RACHEL D’ARCY

THE chief executive of aid agency GOAL, Siobhan Walsh, has thanked the thousands of people from all across Dublin who took time out to take part in a GOAL Mile over Christmas. Hundreds turned out to walk, run or jog a mile this year in an effort to raise funds for GOAL. Amongst well-known Dubliners who did a mile for GOAL were the famous footballing brothers Alan and Bernard Brogan; Minister for Sport Shane Ross (Marley Park); singer Danny O’Reilly, of the Coronas, and his mother, Mary Black; and long distance runner Maria McCambridge and her husband, runner Gary Crossan. Now in its 38th year, the GOAL Mile is one of Ireland’s largest and longest-running annual fundraising events. Last year, GOAL reached more than 5.5 million people in need around the world. Siobhan Walsh said: “A huge thanks to GOAL Mile organisers all over Dublin for their huge support this year. “The indications are that we had record numbers in the

city and country running, walking or jogging a mile for GOAL. “Millions of euro have been raised to support GOAL’s work in the developing world since the first GOAL Mile was staged in 1982. “The widespread support of the people of Dublin, and Ireland, for the GOAL Mile embodies the true spirit of Christmas. “I would like to thank the thousands of people who started their Christmas day taking action to support others.” She added: “The theme of our Christmas campaign was ‘Far From Home’, and I am grateful to all of the dedicated GOAL workers who themselves were far from home this Christmas caring for the families who are displaced from their homes through war, conflict, drought and extreme poverty. “The Christmas GOAL mile is much more than an event. It is a very powerful reminder that the people of Ireland will always go the extra mile and in doing so, help create a better world.”

THE idea of making brown bin collections mandatory could be introduced, after the idea was floated by Minister Richard Bruton as a potential measure to reduce waste produced by Irish households. The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment raised the idea as he announced public consultation on his department’s new strategy. Other measures outlined include a ban on single-use plastics, and a levy on tobacco companies to assist in the cleaning up of cigarette butts. The Government are also said to be considering expanding the range of items allowed in the green bin. The proposed mandatory brown bin collections would aim to reduce the amount of food waste which ends up in landfill – something that contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Contents placed in brown bins are used to produce compost, diverting the contents from landfill. Minister Bruton said in a statement: “We must radically change our wasteful use of precious resources which damages our climate and our environment and compromises our future.”

New Drama school in group’s Rathcoole latest JUST before Christmas, Minister Joe McHugh announced that a new primary school will be established in 2020 in Rathcoole. “Rathcoole is an area of growing demographic demand with additional residential development planned for the coming years,” Minister McHugh said. “It is important that we cater for this increased demand in Dublin West and I am pleased to announce today that an 8-classroom school will open in 2020.” Mothers, fathers and guardians of children in the Newcastle/Rathcoole area who are due to enrol in primary school from 2020-2024 are being invited to complete an online survey to express their preference for the patron of the new school. The survey will be available at https://patronage.education.gov.ie and will remain open until mid-night on the 26th January.

CLONDALKIN Drama Group’s latest original pantomime “Over the Yellow Brick Road” (written and directed by Seán O’Reilly) puts a new spin on the classic story that we all know and love! Follow along the Yellow Brick Road and travel back to a world so familiar that it’s... different? The wonderous land of Oz, with its lions, tigers and bears! Oh my! Follow their unlikely heroes as they attempt to bring order back to Oz, and maybe have a couple giggles along the way. Fun for all the family with laughs to be had by all! Location: Moyle Park College. Dates: 11 Jan (2pm, 7pm), 12 Jan (2pm) 17 Jan (7pm), 18 Jan (2pm, 7pm), 19 Jan (2pm) Tickets: €10 (Adults), €5 (Children), available for purchase at Clondalkin Village Hardware.

2 January 2020 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 3

OPINION: ‘THOSE COMPLAINING ABOUT CELEBRITY INVOLVEMENT MISS THE POINT’ APPEAL

Scrambler crash prompts safety calls THERE have been fresh calls for scramblers to be banned, following a video of a toddler crashing a scrambler bike that went viral over Christmas.

Lest we forget the scenes of late 2016 ... Glen Hansard and Kodaline sing in support from a rooftop, as activists and supporters and citizens gathered outside Apollo House to

Mythomaniacs may mutter, but artists can help society highlight our abysmal response to the housing and homelessness crisis – one of a number of domestic and international causes which celebrities have helped draw attention to

TERRY MCMAHON Irish Filmmaker

THREE years ago, a group of activists and artists took over Apollo House to protect our most vulnerable in society. A government TD (John Paul Phelan, FG) has just dismissed the idea of artists taking action against homelessness, or even talking about it, and he specifically named Cillian Murphy and Glen Hansard as two offenders “banging on about housing and homelessness”. Mythomania is an abnormal psychological condition where a person attempts to make himself appear important by making things up. Despite fundamental ignorance on multiple subjects, the mythomaniac convinces himself that he has insights into others despite them being significantly more accomplished than him. Diagnosed in people with low self-esteem, the mythomaniac desperately seeks attention from others, particularly ‘celebrities’, or famous ‘artists’. Talentless, vacuous, and lacking in any measurable

skills himself, he seeks out the vicarious rush that comes from hearing his name in the same sentence as world-renowned artists. Behind the closed doors of their private fantasies, mythomaniacs often live a harmless life. Occasionally, one will allow his fallacies to spill into reality onto his sticky floor for all to see. Rather than feeling embarrassed, the mythomaniac will revel in his own stench. Slumped in the hot steam of his vomit, he may throw his own filth at the artists, in the feverish hope that some of it will stick. This can even create in the mythomaniac an erotic frisson. Often, it is the only intimacy he has experienced in years. It tortures the mythomaniac that the artists don’t even know he exists. His frenzied yearning to associate himself with greatness causes him to conjure up any form of association, no matter how spurious. He fantasises that when someone inputs an inter-

net search for Glen Hansard or Cillian Murphy, right beside them, frontrow-centre, is his name; the name of the callous fantasist who shamelessly used the iconic names of artists to score cheap political points and elevate, by association, himself. T h e my t h o m a n i a c cares nothing for the selfless reasons behind artists banging on about housing

Three years ago, I met Glen Hansard. We were part of the group formed by B a l l y m u n yo u t h worker, Dean Scurry, that took Apollo House [when activists and homeless people occupied the building, drawing international attention]. The Axis Theatre had facilitated a series of workshops with the artists, John Connors, Damien

and homelessness. Banging on about parents living in poverty. Banging on about children going hungry. Banging on about people dying in despair. These details are sideshows in the larger circus. By accusing artists of “banging on”, the mythomaniac doesn’t just get to suck up to his PT Barnum boss in the national tent – he gets his unheralded name inserted into the same sentence as revered artists.

Dempsey, Maverick Sabre, Lethal Dialect and me, and we realised that we wanted to do something to honour the centenary of the 1916 Rising, and to protect the country’s most vulnerable people. Many other remarkable people became involved, including trade unionists Brendan Ogle and Dave Gibney, and the consequence was the occupation of Apollo House. None of the artists did it for fame, glory, or ‘celebrity’. It terrified us at the

“

The mythomaniac cares nothing for the selfless reasons behind artists banging on about housing and homelessness

time, and did lasting damage to some careers. When the awards are being handed out on the international stage, politicians ride the coattails of the artist, but, if we look at the government-endorsed treatment of our artists on The Abbey’s national stage, the increasingly refined contempt for artists is clear. Several years ago, I did a little work with Cillian Murphy. A warmer, kinder, more agenda-free fellow would be hard to find. Having seen the worst of Glen Hansard and the best of him, the worst of him is the best of the rest of us. A staggeringly generous man, most will never know the pragmatic kindnesses he shows to countless people. The same with Dean Scurry, John Connors, Damien Dempsey, Maverick Sabre, Neili Conroy, Dave Gibney, Mattress Mick, Brendan Ogle, Jim Sheridan and many others who believe the job of the artist is to interrogate truth, and the responsibility of the activist is to protect that truth; despite us all realising that drive

of the mythomaniac is to exploit truth to protect the lie. Perhaps, none of this is true. Perhaps, I’m the liar and the suggestion that this is real is absurd. Surely, not even an Irish politician could be this malicious. This shallow. This stupid. For such a level of psychotic malice to be facilitated on a grand scale, we’d have to believe that our government is mostly made up of opportunistic liars creating myths to divert from the cancerous consequences of their malignant policies. That’s patently ridiculous. Surely, they can’t all be that dangerously deluded, no matter what the facts might prove. Because, as all good fantasists know, there are facts, and there are alternative facts; but, then, there are Irish facts. When parochial liars fumble with pathetic fallacies to score political points by attacking iconic artists fighting for rights, the political class once again reveals Ireland to truly be the Land of Saints and Scholars and Mythomaniacs.

Crashing The short clip shows the toddler, who wasn’t wearing a helmet and had a soother in his mouth, climbing on the bike and attempting to drive it before losing control and crashing into a lamp post. The toddler falls off the bike, which then drove autonomously into the road. It’s unclear where the footage was recorded, but it is believed that the incident took place in Dublin. Criticised M a ny p e o p l e c r i tiqued the video and criticised the parents of the toddler for both purchasing the young boy a scrambler for Christmas, and for allowing him to ride it sans helmet. Currently, there is no legislation on scramblers, making it difficult for gardai to crack down o n t h e u n re g u l a te d vehicles. Chief Superintendent Paul Cleary, of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau, spoke about the dangers of scramblers ahead of Christmas. Devastating He said: “Members of An Garda Siochana do not want to be delivering devastating news to another family, so our message is clear: children and young teenagers should not be driving these vehicles in public, or without the necessary licence, insurance, safety equipment and supervision.”

4 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 2 January 2020

TALLAGHT: SEAN MCMORROW MEMORIAL FISHING COMPETITION

Kids net angling prize PADRAIG CONLON

A TEAM from Killinarden Angling Initiative were the proud winners of an esteemed fishing tournament. They were among over 30 young people who participated in the annual Sean McMorrow Memorial fishing competition held by Inland Fisheries Ireland’s Dublin Angling Initiative. The Dublin Angling Initiative is an outreach and educational fishing programme which aims to promote and develop angling among young people in the greater Dublin area. The annual competition was held in the ‘Angling for All’ Facility in Aughrim, Co. Wicklow with the boys’ team from Killinarden Angling Initiative, Tallaght winning on the day. Young people from a range of youth groups and services took part in the competition. All the competitors have participated in the Dublin Angling Initiative fishing courses. The courses cover different types of fishing and enable participants to learn fishing skills, many of them for the first time.

The young people who took part in the competition were from Killinarden Angling Initiative in Tallaght, the WAY project in Wicklow, Sphere 17 in Darndale and Priorswood, Whitechurch youth project, Jobstown Action for Youth (JAY project) in Dublin 24, and James St. CBS in Dublin’s South Inner City Dublin 8. Inland Fisheries Ireland runs the annual Sean McMorrow fishing competition as a way for young people to come together and showcase their new skills and compete for fun. The young people were mentored by a team of Inland Fisheries Ireland staff and Dublin Angling Initiative volunteers, who were able to ensure all fish were released back into the water. Speaking about the competition Brian Beckett, Director of the Eastern River Basin District at Inland Fisheries Ireland said: “We run this competition as a highlight for the young people who have taken part in the fishing programme throughout the summer. “It’s something we all look forward to as it’s great fun on the day and everyone enjoys themselves. “The Dublin Angling Initiative gives

The winning team from Killinarden Angling Initiative

participants the chance to take up a fishing rod and experience what fishing is all about and this event really showcases the experience which we want to create.” The Dublin Angling Initiative caters for anyone interested in angling, from the complete novice to the more advanced angler and trains them in different types of fishing.

Young people who take part in the initiative are educated in the different species of fish, their habitats, the importance of catch and release of our fish species and broader conservation. Inland Fisheries Ireland’s Dublin Angling Initiative has seen thousands of young people participate in the programme since it was founded over 20 years ago.

TALLAGHT

Appeal over alleged sexual assault GARDAÍ in Tallaght are appealing for information following the alleged sexual assault of a woman (30s) in Tallaght on Christmas Eve. The incident occurred between 9.00pm and 12 midnight on the N81, Tallaght Bypass near Jobstown. Gardaí are appealing for witnesses and in particular to motorists who were travelling in the area who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) to come forward and make it available to investigators. Anyone with information is asked to contact Tallaght Garda Station on (01) 6666000 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.

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6 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 2 January 2020

YEAR IN REVIEW

A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF 2019’S TOP STORIES

Pic 03 Bobbi Beattie and Kate Bagnall, 2nd year students from Kings Hospital

Pic 01 Bobbi Beattie and Kate Bagnall, 2nd year students from Kings Hospital

A year that saw Dublin players make history, a ‘very violent death’ and Choir members collect the David Wilson Cup

Pic 02 A rarely seen bird of prey obstructed a controversial development at the Hellfi

Palmerstown

January

THE first baby born in Dublin in 2019 was a little girl from Clondalkin. Amelia O’Brien was born in The Coombe at four seconds past midnight on January 1 to proud parents Leanne Farrell and Alan O’Brien. We i g h i n g i n a t 3.175kg (7lbs), Amelia is the Clondalkin couple’s first daughter and third child after older brothers Alfie and Charlie. Little Amelia was the second baby born in the country on New Year’s Day after a girl was born one second before her at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, in Drogheda. It was a very busy start to the year at The Coombe with three babies born before 12.30!

• Tallaght was named as the cleanest town in Dublin and “above and beyond” the rest of the country’s cleanliness standards. This was according to a new litter survey by Irish Business Against Litter which also ranked the town 13th cleanest in Ireland. Ta l l a g h t t ro u n c e d some of its fellow county Dublin areas however as the North Inner City came bottom of the list of 40!

• Three local students proudly brought home p r i z e s f ro m t h e BT Young Scientist Awards in the RDS. Bobbi Beattie and Kate Bagnall, 2nd year students from Kings Hospital Palmerstown, and Niamh Doherty, a 4th year student from St Joseph’s College Lucan, were recognised for their outstanding scientific efforts. Bobbi and Kate won two prizes, overall winner of their category

Social and Behavioural Sciences and the Irish Special Research Award. (Pic 01)

February

A RARELY seen bird of prey obstructed a controversial development at the Hellfire Club. South Dublin County Council want to build a visitor centre at the iconic site which would include a panoramic cafe, exhibition space, a ramblers lounge, toilets, changing facilities, a shop and education centre. Their application to An Bord Pleanála (APB) was met with furious opposition from many local residents, conservationistsand politicians during the oral hearing. Now all plans to build had to be put

back for at least another year after APB wrote to the council informing them their bird survey was inadequate because data on the Merlin, a species of falcon, was limited to the summer months of 2018. (Pic 02) • Figures released this month revealed the local area is the worst in Dublin for illegal dumping. This was according to the number of calls received by the National Environmental Com-

plaints Line which number over 500 in the last three years for the South Dublin County Council area. The volume of calls is the highest of all the Dublin authorities and second highest in the country after neighbouring county Wicklow which received 600 calls. (Pic 03) • Fears of a reduced service at a local mental health organisation for young people have been dismissed as “irresponsible.”

Jigsaw, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health, plans to amalgamate Jigsaw Tallaght with Jigsaw Clondalkin with services being provided from the latter location. With Clondalkin and the surrounding area recording the second highest number of referrals for mental health services in the country, many working in the sector locally voiced concern over the potential detrimental effect any move would have on yo u n g p e o ple’s ability to access help. Mayor Mark Ward said he was “shocked, angered, and dismayed”at the plans. Continued on P8

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8 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 2 January 2020

YEAR IN REVIEW A look back at 2019

A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF 2019’S TOP STORIES 4

This was a blast from our past ...

LAST year, we marked a special birthday for the whole Gazette group, as we looked back at the very first issue that started it all off. A lot has changed since then – although George W Bush still hasn’t visited Lucan, as far as we know – but your Dublin Gazette,, by whatever edition, is still bringing you the very best in local, community news all across the city.

Pic 04 Ciara Byrne won an Obama Award Pic 05: There were renewed calls for the immediate opening of Kishogue

Railway Station

Pic 06 HSE say they would fund the drug Spinraza for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy

Continued from Page 6

March

• ON the 1st of March local residents were shocked after a shooting in broad daylight that killed a 42-year old man outside his parent’s house. The victim, David Lynch (aka David Chen), was found just outside the front gate of 51 Foxdene Avenue. He had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene by local gardai who described his shooting as “cold and callous”. • A decision allowing families use mobile homes as temporary accommodation was described as “another shame on our government.” This was according to Councillor Ruth Nolan whose motion calling for SDCC to grant permission for mobile homes in back

gardens was passed this month. “I think it’s a truly sad ref lection on today’s society, I tabled the motion with a heavy heart,” Cllr Nolan told Dublin Gazette. “I’m not happy with myself for bringing it but the reason I did was because more and more constituents were coming to me with their problems of overcrowding at home.” • LOCAL student musicians did their school proud by winning big at one of Ireland’s biggest music events. King’s Hospital School won a very impressive 11 prizes at the recent Wesley Interschool Music Festival.

The Interschools Music Festival saw over ninety schools compete in this year’s festival on March 1st and 2nd, with in excess of three thousand students taking part.”

April

• THERE were renewed calls for the immediate opening of Kishogue Railway Station a decade on from its construction. The “ghost station” near Lucan, which cost €6.25 million to build back in 2009, has never had passengers pass through it. Its opening has been delayed many times down the years with Irish Rail and the National

Transport Authority (NTA) both claiming that funding was needed to build an access road and car-park at the station. Dublin Mid-West Fianna Fail TD John Curran, who had raised the issue of the “ghost station” said: “I’ve raised this issue time and time again and whenever I’ve asked “when is the station opening?” the answer is always “in the next couple of years”!” (Pic 05) • A PLANNING decision ruling against Weston Airport brought noise relief to Lucan residents. The local airport, which is located in both South Dublin and Kildare County Council areas, had applied to An Bord Pleanála requesting permission to extend their runway. The Airport’s owner, Brian Conneely, told APB in planning filing that he had received offers from “executive jet operators” who wanted to use

2 January 2020 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 9

YEAR IN REVIEW

IN THE WEST DUBLIN AREA 7

A look back at 2019

Remember these pages? Here’s a reminder of our terrific features content

Pic 7 A planning decision ruling against Weston Airport brought noise relief to Lucan residents

Pic 08 King’s Hospital School Chapel Choir

Catherine Hayden with Paula Galvin and winner Geoffrey Keegan at the

members collect the David Wilson Cup

Clondalkin Fairtrade Town Bake Off competition in Aras Chronain

Weston Airport as an alternative to Dublin Airport. Many residents in Weston Park, Cooldrinagh and Kew have complained for years about noise from jets f lying over their homes, so there was relief when An Bord Pleanála ruled against the airport. (Pic 07)

May

• FRIGHTENED residents in Tallaght called for an increased garda presence to deal with rising problems of serious antisocial behaviour. In the previous weeks vicious attacks on buses, taxis and delivery drivers had left the local community outraged and on edge. In the latest shocking incident this month, a taxi driver was injured and robbed in his car during an early morning assault by two passengers in Jobstown.

• A LOCAL woman was selected for a prestigious fellowship founded by former US President Barack Obama. Ciara Byrne, who is originally from Palmerstown, was selected by the Obama Foundation for a garden project she cofounded in Nevada called Green Our Planet. Launched in 2013, Green Our Planet is a non-profit conservation organisation that runs the largest school garden programme in America. (Pic 04) • LOCAL TD John Curran made an impassioned plea for Health Minister Simon Harris to urgently authorise a life changing drug for local children

who badly need it. He made his appeal in the Dail for the drug Spinraza to be provided for treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a muscle-deteriorating disease which affects 26 children in Ireland. Two of those young people, Glen McHugh Farrelly and Sam Bailey, live locally in Clondalkin and Rathcoole. Spinraza is clinically effective and has been proven to work by slowing down the muscle wastage and in many cases allowing muscle strengthening. It is an orphan drug, which means it is commercially underdeveloped and very expensive. The reason the HSE have given for not approving Spinraza, which would

cost in excess of €20 million over five years, is because they do not deem it to be cost effective.

June

• LOCAL parents who never gave up hope on a brighter future for their children received the most wonderful news this month when the HSE said they would fund the drug Spinraza for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy. Two of those young people, Glen McHugh Farrelly and Sam Bailey, live locally in Clondalkin and Rathcoole. Their families, along with the families and friends of other children living with SMA, have campaigned tirelessly for the drug’s approval and this was acknowledged by Minister for Health Simon Harris on Tuesday morning. “I know how long the journey has been for families and I am very glad they will now have access to the drug,” he said. (Pic 06) Continued on Page 10

LAST year, we ran an incredible amount of feature content, covering everything from film to fashion, travel to taxes, music to motors, eating in or going out. We also brought you many great supplements on old favourites, such as weddings and education, while our innovative exclusive content – such as

our multi-part analysis of vulture funds – were also a big hit with readers. Here you can see a reminder of just some of our great pages, features and content from 2019 – and we promise, there’s lots more excellent content coming to you this year, right here in Dublin’s best community paper!

10 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 2 January 2020

YEAR IN REVIEW Continued from Page 9

• “Ana was a dream come true for us and she always will be. She will stay in our hearts, forever loved and forever cherished. “We love you Ana,” the words of Geraldine Kriegel spoken outside the court were simple and dignified. Fo l l ow i n g the announcement of the verdict just after 2pm on Tuesday 18th June, one of the most shocking cases in the history of the state ended with the jury finding both Boy A and Boy B guilty of her 14 year old daughter Ana’s murder with Boy A was also found guilty of aggravated sexual assault. The two boys, who were 13 at the time they carried out the crime, are the youngest people in Irish history to be convicted of murder. Both had pleaded not guilty.

July

• THE life and work of much loved Clondalkin musician Mic Christopher is the subject of an epic new film released this month. “Heyday: The Mic Christopher Story” charts his rise, fall, rebirth, and legacy thanks to contributions from his vast array of friends like Glen Hansard, Sharon Horgan, Mike Scott of The Waterboys, Bronagh Gallagher, Josh Ritter, Lisa Hannigan and Ronan O’Snodaigh. The much-anticipated film had its world premiere at Galway Film Fleadh on Saturday July 13th. Mic was an outstanding musician who had just started out on a solo career when his life was tragically cut short in 2001 at the age of 32. (Pic 10) • A CONCERNED resident living in Adamstown claimed this month that the Road Traffic Act was not being enforced within the SDZ. The resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told Dublin Gazette they were

A LOOK BACK AT SOME OF 2019’S TOP STORIES

speaking out because they were “sick of being fobbed off.” “I have recently been made aware that the Road Traffic Act cannot be enforced on any road within the Adamstown SDZ,” the resident said. “There is potentially 10-15 kilometres of roadway within the SDZ that serious road traffic offences cannot be prosecuted. “The provisions of the Road Traffic Act only apply where the local authority governs the roads.”

According to Superintendent Ian Lackey, an altercation occurred in the pub which then moved to the street outside. Following this, Vincent Parsons then left on foot at around 11pm and was followed by two men who caught up with him outside Killinarden post office and attacked him. He was discovered with head injuries by passers-by in Killinarden Estate and was taken to Tallaght Hospital in a critical condition. 48 hours later he was pronounced dead.

August

September

• A local group this month vowed to fight controversial plans to build on an historic Clondalkin site. The Save Clondalkin Convent campaign was launched on Convent Road, outside the Presentation Convent. The campaign is a broad coalition of residents’ associations and community groups, with cross party political support, campaigning to save the historic Clondalkin Convent from a current development proposal from Bartra Property and the Presentation Sisters. In May, the Council had given Bartra the go-ahead to build a four storey 155 bed nursing home on the grounds of the Convent. (Pic 13) • TALLAGHT gardai investigating the murder of Vincent Parsons in Killinarden believe he met a “very violent death”. The 34 year old married father of two from Clondalkin, who had no involvement in crime, was out socialising with friends on Saturday night 17th August in Killinarden House. (Pic 12)

• THE manager of a local GAA club, whose players recently suffered serious helmet related injuries, blasted the company who make them this month. On August 24, Lucan Sarsfields played Commericals in an Under 16 Div 1 Championship match. During the game, a member of the Sarsfields team received a serious injury when the helmet guard from one of his opponents pierced his skin and lodged in his left hand. The injury resulted in a crew from Dublin Fire Brigade having to remove the helmet before the young player could be brought to the emergency department in Tallaght Hospital. Luckily the Sars U-16 player was ok but his manager, Cillian Canavan, was not impressed with the company who manufactured the helmet. (Pic 11) • LOCAL hero Jim Gavin made history this month by leading the Dublin Senior Men’s football team to a never done before 5 in a row All Ireland win with victory over Kerry in a replay. The Round Tower Clon-

Pic 10 Clondalkin musician Mic Christopher

Pic 12: Vincent Parsons

dalkin GAA club member also won the All Ireland as player with the Dubs in 1995..” (Pic 16) • SOUTH Dublin County Council were accused of a “cop out of the highest order” with their response to the destruction of a wetland area in Tallaght this month. In a statement the council said they would immediately review how they dispose of silt drained from lakes, after wetlands in Sean Walsh Park were destroyed. It was feared the destruction of the area could potentially lead to the deaths thousands of animals, including rare eels and amphibians.

related injuries

Pic 13: Members of the Save Clondalkin Convent Campaign

tion Sisters, in the hope of stopping the construction of a nursing home on lands owned by the religious congregation. On Monday 14th campaign supporters gathered at the Civic Offices in Clondalkin village at 10.00 am before they departed for the Presentation Sisters’ North-East headquarters at Blackpitts and the Archbishop’s Palace. (Pic 13) • A DEVASTATED father from Tallaght blasted the garda investigation into the murder of his son. Gerry Daly, originally from Knockmore Grove, told Dublin Gazette that

October

• LOCAL group Save Clondalkin Convent Campaign this month delivered a petition with over 3,000 signatures to the Presenta-

Pic 11 Lucan Sarsfields players suffered serious helmet

five years after

his son Gerry Junior’s body was discovered in a bog in Meath, he is still looking for answers. Gerry Jr disappeared from his home in Cavan in 2011 before being found by a farmer in Oristown Bog in Kells in 2014. An inquest last year found that he was unlawfully killed, with the cause of death blunt force trauma to the head. Despite the results of the inquest, Gerry was extremely angry with the garda investigation, and says he believes the whole truth about his son’s murder is not being told.

November

• Gardai who investigated the shocking murder of Ana Kriegel described the case as “unprecedented.” Speaking at a press briefing following the sentencing of Boy A and Boy B on Tuesday 5th, Superintendent John Gordon was direct and to the point. “None of us have seen anything of this nature in our time and hopefully will never see anything of its nature again,” he said. The two teenage boys had earlier been sentenced for Ana’s murder last year. Now aged 15, they were convicted in June of murdering Ana, thus becoming the youngest murderers in the history of the State. Boy A was sentenced to life in detention, with his sentence to be reviewed in 12 years. Boy B was sentenced to 15 years for his role

2 January 2020 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 11

YEAR IN REVIEW

IN THE WEST DUBLIN AREA 15

A look back at 2019

Last but not least – some of our favourite front covers from last year ...

Pic 14 Teenage boys sentenced for murder of

Byrne’s funeral

Pic 16 Local hero Jim Gavin made history

in the murder, with his sentence to be reviewed after eight years. The boys were aged 13 when they killed Ana in a derelict house in Lucan. (Pic 14) • The man whose body was discovered in a burning car in Lucan on Monday 18th was named as 42-year-old Wayne Whelan. He was last seen on Monday afternoon, just hours before the brutal suspected gangland murder at Mount Andrew Rise. Whelan, of Griffeen Glen Park, was discovered dead after his car was found on fire by Dublin Fire Brigade. His body was discovered in the passenger seat of the car after the fire brigade extinguished the blaze at 8.15pm on Monday night. Gardai believe the deceased had been meeting with someone he trusted

Pic 15 Renowned uilleann piper Eamonn Walsh performs at Gay

Pic 17 Outrage as wetlands area in Tallaght is destroyed

when he was killed. Whelan had survived an attempted hit on his life in September when 10 bullets were fired through his windscreen, hitting him in the chest, arms in Griffeen Glen Park.

December

• An Bord Pleanala approved plans this month to build over 1,000 homes on 29 acres of council lands in Clondalkin. SDCC’s joint venture development of 1,034 homes in Kilcarbery is expected to take four years to complete. The mixed tenure development will include 310 social housing units (30%

of development) which SDCC say is “the first of its kind” as part of the major urban sites initiative under Rebuilding Ireland. The plan was approved by SDCC in October 2018 after councillors voted by 20 votes to 16, despite opposition from Sinn Fein, People Before Profit and Solidarity. • A renowned uilleann piper from Tallaght spoke of his pride at performing at Gay Byrne’s funeral. Piper and postman Eamonn Walsh from St Maelruan’s Park, a world champion and master musician, answered the call to provide the music at the legendary broadcast-

er’s funeral last month. Eamonn, who is a member of “Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann”, played as the cortege arrived at the gates of St Fintan’s Cemetery in Sutton and again at the graveside. (Pic 15) • A local representative proposed a new approach to eradicate the scourge of bicycle theft in Dublin. In the middle of the month two Dublin cyclists, Yaman Umuroglu and Liam Molloy, shared their horrific stories of how they were attacked on the Grand Canal cycle path in separate incidents by teenagers with metal bars. This led Fianna Fail Dublin South West TD and party spokesperson on Dublin, John Lahart, to write to Minister Shane Ross calling for the immediate establishment of a new national bike register allowing cyclists register their bike with an Garda Siochana.

IT’S been the best of times, the worst of times ... a year of highs and lows – and your West Dublin Gazette has brought you all the stories that matter about communities all across Dublin city. Whether celebrating or mourning, laughing or helping, or simply bringing you the news that matters, our front cov-

ers are a window into the life of the city. West Dublin Gazette has been a hit with readers (and advertisers), and we can’t wait to keep telling you all about life in the city as 2020 unfolds. For now, last but definitely not least, here’s a look back at some of our own favourite front covers from last year ...

12 DUBLIN GAZETTE 2 January 2020

MOTORS: ROLLING INTO THE NEW YEAR : THIS new year is set

TRAVEL TRENDS FOR 2020

IT’S A NEW YEAR: Check out what’s in store as many travel-

MAGAZINE lers and tourists increasingly making eco-conscious choices, as well as Undertourism, Philantourism and Friendmoons. P16-17

DUBLIN



CINEMA: 2020’S GOODBYES P21

to bring a wide variety of new models across the board, as manufacturers reveal brandnew lines or the latest iterations on classic ranges, as well as adapting to emerging trends. See what’s in store with our overview of what’s going to hit the roads in 2020.

PAGE 22

LET DUBLIN GAZETTE NEWSPAPERS TAKE YOU ON A TOUR OF THE NEWS AND EVENTS ACROSS THE CITY AND COUNTY

LIVE TOUR | A NEW HOST

It’s Dooley noted that Strictly Come Dancing will take over Dublin CLEAR THE floor and whip out your score cards, because the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour is coming to Dublin at the end of the month. Fans will be delighted to hear that Strictly favourite and 2018 TV show winner Stacey Dooley is returning to host the tour for the first time. Showcasing all the amazing choreography and live music that Strictly is known for, audiences will get to experience a host of breath taking dance routines. Preparing to slip out of her dancing shoes and into the role of host, Stacey Dooley couldn’t be more excited. “I can’t quite believe I’m going to be hosting the 2020 tour,” she says as she gets ready to follow in the footsteps of 2019 tour presenter Ore Oduba. “Ore was amazing so he’s a tough act to follow. “But it’ll just be lovely to get back with the dancers and to throw myself back into the world of Strictly. “I’m so, so looking forward to it. I really can’t wait.” The 2020 roadshow is set to be even bigger than in previous years, taking in

33 shows across nine venues. Fans will again be treated to spectacular production numbers and the audience also gets to decide who walks away with the coveted Glitterball Trophy at the end of each show. With Strictly currently in its 17th season on television and the live tour gearing up for its 13th outing, Stacey sees the arena show as a post-Christmas jamboree that keeps the party going. “There’s a certain element of responsibility but I just want to make sure everyone has the most incredible time. “People love Strictly and I want it to feel like a huge celebration. “I just want it to feel like a real fun party. I want everyone to be on great form, I want them to be up dancing, I don’t want it to be reserved or straight or serious.” “The audience are the best bit. “They all love Strictly. “That’s why they’re there and they get behind everyone.” Strictly Come Dancing - The Live Tour, 3Arena Dublin, Tuesday 28th January

Stacey Dooley returns to Strictly Come Dancing as its host on the live tour

2 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 13

PURPLE HOUSE LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME

IN 2020, Purple House Cancer Support Centre will be 30 years old and to help make their need for a permanent centre a reality, they are asking the public to #takethechallenge of running, walking or cycling 30km in January. A l te r n a t ive l y, t h e organisation is asking people to organise a fundraiser around the number 30 – a great way to get fit after Christmas. Earlier this year, Purple House received potentially disastrous news: the home they have had for years was no longer fit for purpose and they needed to move out. They had also outgrown the space. It was time to find somewhere new. “We need your support to help make our vision of the creation of a permanent Community Based Cancer Support Centre of Excellence, a reality,” said a spokesperson. “Somewhere for children to play with other k i d s w h o h ave l o s t

mammy or daddy, granny or grandad, or who are living with cancer in their family. “Somewhere for parents, children and loved ones to attend counselling sessions, sit in a beautiful

your community.”

garden with new friends, enjoy the relaxing therapy of a massage, or simply have a private room where they can grieve in peace. Luckily, we have found somewhere new to live. “We can’t share the details just yet as it’s going through the sale process, but it’s bigger, and it will mean we can help more people. Best of all, it means we have a permanent space in the heart of

and recreational area • A dedicated children’s cancer therapeutic and family support area • Dedicated rooms for cancer survivorship and education programmes • A much bigger drop-in space, offering cancer support and information at a time that suits families • A garden where families can spend precious time together making memories

“

The new permanent Centre will provide: • More private rooms for counselling and therapies • A specially-designed cancer rehabilitation gym

We need your support to help make our vision of the creation of a permanent Community Based Cancer Support Centre of Excellence, a reality

John O’Sullivan presents cheque of €3,742 to Veronica O’Leary, founder and Director of Services at Purple House Cancer Support, after running the Chicago Marathon

SEE ENTERTAIMENT PAGE 20

SIX OF THE BEST: These are the acts and gigs to look out for in 2020



Cancer centre urges you to get fit in aid of fundraiser

FEATURE

14 DUBLIN GAZETTE 2 January 2020

DUBLIN GAZETTE NEWSPAPERS I N F O R M AT I O N Heritage House, Dundrum, Dublin 14 Tel: 01 - 6010240 Dublin Gazette Newspapers publishes four weekly quality free titles, covering the latest news, sport, entertainment and lifestyle from the four local authority areas of Dublin

C O N TA C T S Managing Director: Michael McGovern mmcgovern@dublingazette.com

BITS & BOBS

The oddest world news stories of the year… The quirkiest, funniest, or just downright bizarre stories from the world in 2019

Commercial Director: Liz Ferris lferris@dublingazette.com

2019 just wasn’t to be Carlton’s year

IN FEBRUARY, the actor behind the legendary Carlton Dance from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air was told that he can’t copyright the slick moves. Actor Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Carlton Banks, attempted to sue two computer game makers over the dance routine from the 90’s TV show but was been told by the US Copyright Office that the dance routine cannot be copyrighted. The Copyright Office said that the moves

Group Editor: Patrick Finnegan pfinnegan@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

American girl’s message hits Irish shores

Online & Style Editor: Rachel D’Arcy rdarcy@dublingazette.com Advertising Sales:

01 - 6010240 sales@dublingazette.com

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.

– a swinging of the arms and hips – were simply a dance routine, rather than choreography that can be copyrighted. The dance was made popular in the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, which starred Will Smith back in the 90’s. Ribeiro was suing the makers of the basketball game NBA 2K16, and cult war game Fortnite, which allow players to do a ‘victory dance’, similar to the legendary Carlton moves.

Woman claims a 300 year-old pirate ghost possessed her THE SUMMER months also sprung a surprise when in June a woman who claims she married the 300-year-old ghost of a pirate told how he nearly killed her after she broke off the relationship. Amanda Teague was forced to undergo an exorcism after she says her former soulmate turned nasty and possessed her. In 2016, she claimed to have married a Haitian pirate called Jack who died in the 1700s after being executed for thieving on the high seas. But she says her union left her hospitalised after claiming she discovered that her husband was not all he made himself out to be The 47-year-old – who previously worked as a Captain Jack Sparrow impersonator– is now warning people about casually dabbling in spirituality.

I N M A RC H , i t w a s announced that a young American girl’s message in a bottle that travelled 3,500 miles was found by a grandmother walking on an Irish beach. In October 2017 nineyear old Laura Terry and her science class at Summit School in Winston-Salem in North Carolina sealed mes-

sages inside wine bottles to be released into the ocean for a lesson about ocean currents. On January 14th this year Irish woman Bridie Patten was walking on Doohoma Beach in Mayo when she came across Laura’s bottle. Patten sent a letter to Summit School saying she had found the bottle, which

contained a drawing by Laura and a note explaining the project. “I kind of thought it would sink,” said Terry. “I didn’t know if it was going to be gone or if someone would find it,” she told her local paper The Winston-Salem Journal. “I was so happy, like is this really true?”

Police recruit found to be a serial rapist AND IN September, police in the American state of Georgia announced they spent years on the hunt for a serial rapist – without realising they had recruited him as one of their force. Kenneth Thomas Bowen III was connected to seven rapes and one sexual battery through DNA over the course of more than four years. He was previously a Clayton County Police Academy Recruit in June, 2018 but was ultimately fired from the force last September for repeatedly showing up late to training, and

lying about where he was. “Upon arriving, he gave multiple statements that differed as to where he was and who he was with. And I found that to be untruthful and a reason to remove him from our academy,” Clayton County Police Department Chief Kevin Roberts said last Wednesday. “In actuality, had he not attempted to join the ranks of the Clayton County Police Department, it’s questionable as to when we would have apprehended him.”

2 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15

Digestive Delights COMMERCIAL FEATURE

We overeat this time of year and that’s not something to worry about too much. Your body will notice the change though, and it is important to assist it in any way we can as we load up on creamy delights and sugary snacks. WE RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING TO EASE THE PRESSURE ON YOUR SYSTEM:

YOU WILL NEED: 2 x slices of wholegrain brown bread. Skip the sliced pan and grab a hearty loaf from your nearest bakery. The more nuts & seeds the better. 1 x can of butter beans (drained) 1 x can of chopped tomatoes ½ grated red onion ½ clove of garlic 1 x red pepper, chopped finely 1 x handful of parsley, chopped 1 x squeeze of lemon 1 x tsp of smoked paprika 1 x sprinkle of chilli flakes 1 x tsp of coconut oil 1 tsp of agave syrup Sea Salt & pepper to taste

2. JUST BEFORE YOU EAT: Udo’s Choice Digestive Enzymes is a unique blend of 7 plant based digestive enzymes to assist in the breakdown of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and fibre. 3. IN BETWEEN MEALS: We tend to eat less wholegrains this time of year with pastries and cakes all around us. Try to ensure you get enough fibre. Homemade fresh smoothies are ideal to up your fruit and veg intake. Another option is Solgar® Psyllium Husks Fibre. This will help maintain regularity. Take with lots of water.

WHAT TO DO: 1. Heat the oil in a small pan, add the onion, pepper and paprika, and fry gently until soft, about 10-15 mins. 2. Add the lemon along with the tomatoes, beans, agave syrup, chilli and some seasoning. 3. Stir & bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 mins or until slightly reduced and thickened. 4. Serve on top of your brown bread with your parsley – toasted is best.

4. AFTER DINNER: Made with organic aniseed, cardamom, chicory, fennel, ginger and licorice Pukka After Dinner Tea is a wonderfully soothing tea which will aid digestion after your meal.

STORE LOCATIONS

3 2

Fibre-powered breakfast This recipe is full of good fibre to set you up for a good day of digestion!

1. START OFF YOUR DAY WITH: Symprove is a unique bacteria water-based supplement to help support the gut microbiome. Best taken on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.

RECIPE CORNER

ARKLOW Bridgewater Shopping Centre North Quay, Arklow, Co.Wicklow 0402 24893 BLACKROCK Frascati Shopping Centre Blackrock Co. Dublin 01 2788855

BLANCHARDSTOWN Blanchardstown Centre Blanchardstown Dublin 15 01 822 2036 BRAY The Boulevard Quinsboro Road Co Dublin 01 286 1973

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DUNDRUM Dundrum Town Centre Dublin 16 Dublin 01 205 1420

HENRY STREET 21 Henry Street Dublin 1 Dublin 01 685 9431 LIFFEY VALLEY Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, Dublin 22 01 675 4450 NEWBRIDGE Whitewater Shopping Centre Co. Kildare 045 434 250 STILLORGAN Stillorgan Village Co Dublin 01 210 8608 SWORDS Pavilions Shopping Centre Co Dublin 01 840 4438 TALLAGHT The Square Town Centre Dublin 24 01 4521181

16 DUBLIN GAZETTE 2 January 2020

2 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 17

latitude&longitude

TAKE A BREAK, AT HOME OR AWAY

TRAVEL

Could 2020 usher in the era of the train again, for tourism? While some countries – such as Switzerland – have excelled at making trains a key part of their overall tourism experience, the rest of us are still making tracks to try and catch up with a more diverse, and environmentally-friendly add-on or alternative for travel and tourism plans ...

Stylish Rosanna Davison will be on the look out for the Best Dressed Lady

Race on over to Naas for a staycation day out with a difference to welcome in 2020 NOW that the New Year is here, race fans are invited to take a staycation day out at Naas Racecourse this Sunday, January 5. Model and author Rosanna Davison (above) will be the celebrity judge for the Best Dressed Lady competition on the day, which will be sure to have some superb prizes for the winner and the runners-up. The overall winner’s prizes include a luxurious suite stay at

Westbury on Conde Nast’s new Gold List THE Westbury Hotel had cause to celebrate with the news that it was one of only two hotels in Ireland to make it onto Conde Nast’s Gold List 2020. Joining Adare Manor in Limerick, the Dublin hotel joined the award-winning editorial teams’ list of alltime favourites. To be listed is a highly-prestigious achievement in itself, with the Conde Nast team’s international reputation for the best of the best putting the two Irish hotels in with very fine company. For full information on all the hotels included on the Conde Nast Gold List 2020, see traveller.uk/goldlist, or pick up the Conde Nast Traveller January/February 2020 issue, out now.

Lawlor’s of Naas Town Centre Hotel, €1,500worth of hairdressing and accessories from Alan Keville for Hair, and a €1,500 voucher from Residence Day Spa in Naas. However, the main focus of the day is, of course, lots of exciting racing, with the day offering an early look at names to watch in 2020. The Grade One Lawlor’s of Naas Novice Hurdle is the first major race of 2020 and

will have a total prize fund of €90,000, presenting a great indicator of what horses are set to make waves on the racing scene over the remainder of the season. There are seven races on the card on the day, with the first race going to post at 12:50pm. Admission is €15 for adults, and children under 18 go free. For further information, see www.naasracecourse.com.

Gran Canaria

A dream early 2020 sun holiday in either Dubai (top) or Miami (above) could be much cheaper than you think

A late deal offer could give you an early dream holiday

Some top travel trends to see in 2020 SHANE DILLON

Travel Editor

Jet off to the New Year sun without breaking the bank GRAB your suitcase and get ready to jet off to Gran Canaria (above) with a last-minute deal from TUI Holidays. The travel experts have a range of budget-friendly breaks on offer this month (correct at the time of writing) for anyone looking to get into 2020 with a bit of sun. For example, you could head to Gran Canaria, Mirador Maspalomas By Dunas, Maspalomas, for a 3-star, all-inclusive, seven-night from just €559pps, deparing on January 16. Alternatively, depart on January 17 from Dublin to Tenerife, Hotel Catalonia Las Vegas, Puerto de la Cruz, 3-star-plus, half board, seven nights from €539pps. You could also depart January 20, Dublin to Lanzarote, Lanzarote Paradise Club, Costa Tequise, 2-star-plus, self-catering, seven nights from €429pps. For information on these and other deals, call 1850 45 35 45 or see www.tuiholidays.ie.

IT’S a new year – which means a new list of top travel trends to look out for as 2020 gets under way. We’ve already seen a number of new trends making their presence felt in the travel sector in recent years, with many travellers and tourists increasingly making ecoconscious choices, as well as beginning to avoid politically-sensitive destinations, to name but two. Here, then, are some new and developing travel trends to look out for in 2020 – how many of these do you think will be affecting your travel choices? In no particular order ... Undertourism MASS tourism was once seen as a blessing and a boon, but recent years has brought a greater awareness of the problems and issues that can

also arise – even prompting local protests against too many tourists, or even against any tourism at all. In 2020, Undertourism – promoting sustainable tourism that truly supports, not overwhelms, cities and communities – is expected to become much more widespread. Fo r e x a m p l e, t h e ancient, beautiful city of Vienna is developing a vision for the future that, rather than simply trying to increase visitor numbers, is putting sustainable growth first to focus on balancing the needs of visitors and residents alike in its Visitor Economy Strategy 2025 With most Viennese supporting tourism, the strategic planning of better marrying tourism with local development is expected not just to add value to the city, but to help guide similar strategies for other cities and destinations seeking to more sustainably remodel their approach to tourism.

Tagskryt (train-bragging) P RO N O U N C E D ‘ t a g sturt’, Tagskryt is a Scandinavian term for ‘trainbragging’, marking the new trend for those who are looking to reduce their carbon footprint and cut down on air travel, yet still see the world – cue the rise of the humble train ticket. Travelling by train is becoming increasingly popular each year throughout Europe; while you might be affected by a country’s limited rail lines (I’m sure we can all think of one small, wet country that’s applicable here), you’ll find that many countries have excellent rail links to all corners. Wherever you roam by rail, you’ll be sure to find rail deals geared for train tourists, while many cities have rail-and-stay deals offers, or have destinations within a stone’s throw of a chain such as the EU-wide Generator hostels.

Reinvented destinations “ONCE bitten, twice shy” very much applies to tourism, with many tourists forever put off revisiting a ‘bad’ city or place – and then telling others not to visit. Many destinations have started to tackle unwanted, and often unfair, impressions that they may have acquired, with a serious effort to reinvent their reputation and educate their visitors about what else they have on offer. For example, as a popular backpacker stop, Vang Vieng in Laos used to only be partying; however, the area has slowly been reinventing itself and in 2020 is encouraging travellers to rediscover the destination. Vang Vieng has grown into a hub for nature lovers and those seeking adventure and a holiday off the beaten track, with the launch of a first international hotel, Amari Vang Vieng, now

giving travellers the perfect base from which to explore. This shift in focus – away from what may have made an area wellknown, to a newfound fame and reputation – is something we can expect to see more and more destinations embracing.

by reclaiming Puerto Rico’s agricultural and culinary independence. Every visitor to the likes of Puerto Rico counts, and will be actively helping to rebuild and support the island, and local livelihoods, as well as offering a still stunning destination to visit.

Philantourism BEST described as the act of choosing a holiday or experience in order to support a destination, ‘Philantourism’ invites visitors to eat locally, shop locally and tour locally so that their money is going into local pockets. For example, a trip to Puerto Rico also offers visitors unique opportunities to support local communities in 2020, as the island seeks to continue rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. The mobilisation of a network of cooks, farmers and restaurateurs is helping to rebuild the island

Friendmoons DESCRIBED as holidays that are taken with close friends to celebrate milestones such as weddings, ‘ f r i e n d ive rs a r i e s ’ o r any other big life event, ‘Friendmoons’ is basically a holiday with emotional, meaningful depth attached. For example, many newlyweds are beginning to invite their closest friends to join them on their honeymoons to celebrate their next chapter together – a break with your ‘Besties’ could be a great getaway for all involved, adding some more precious memories to the mix. Despite the clunky

name, Friendmooning offers a whole new sector for travel trends, and is definitely one to watch develop through 2020.

Micro-cations WHY go away on ‘the big trip’ when you can take Micro-cations instead? These are shorter, more frequent trips that can be taken throughout the year, as opposed to one big annual trip. They require less preparation, therefore alleviating the stress that goes hand in hand with handovers, booking time off and planning one long trip. Micro-cations can help those who need recharging but without the stress of planning longer leave. I r i s h to u r i s t s a re already old hands at the micro-cation trend, with shopping trips to New York, or London weekend getaways, perfect examples of the trend for brief but busy holidays. With a dizzying range of hotel, city and flight offers already aimed at

what we can now call ‘micro-cationers’, this is one travel trend that’s set to run and run.

Edventure EDUCATIONAL adventure, or ‘Edventure’, is designed for those looking for travel experiences that enriches them on numerous levels, combining travel and adventure with education. 2020 will host a remarkable array of Edventures across the globe, offering holidays where travellers can immerse themselves in their destination and learn all about it, and the local culture and people. By combining your holiday with an educational aspect, you’ll undoubtedly connect with your destination in a deeper way than if you just fly through in a week or a weekend. Responsible tourism IN ADDITION to more environmentally-friendly tourism, the desire to live and travel in a way that is

more sustainable will be to the fore for many. In addition to seeing cities and countries tackling their waste and use of plastics in a more targeted, focused manner, tourist planners are expected to continue pushing for Greener holidays, reducing the carbon footprint for tourists as well as reducing the impact on local environments. Single-use plastics, as but one example, are increasingly being banned by companies and countries alike, with cities that are taking the lead on rebranding over their Green credentials – such as Santa Monica, in America – expected to capitalise on eco-tourism interests. As pa r t of such a focus, we can expect to see more and more cities and countries promoting public and Greener transport, rather than pushing the private hire model of old, such as hire cars and the like.

IF YOU’RE looking to clear your head after a busy Christmas, why not do so with a blast of clear sea air? You’ll certainly refresh your mind for the year ahead with a seabound journey, with a range of late offers all set to whisk any would-be travellers off around the world. Planetcruise.com have put together a number of cruise holidays that are sure to make a splash with anyone looking for a dream holiday to usher in 2020 in style. For example, why not set sail on January 29 for exotic Dubai, Oman and Abu Dhabi? You could enjoy a 10-night cruise and stay onboard Costa Cruises Costa Diadema, from €1,499pp (full board on cruise), flying from Dublin on January 29. The cruise includes return flights, a two-night pre-cruise 5-star hotel stay in Dubai, an overnight onboard in Abu Dhabi, and stops offs in Khor Al Fakkan and Doha. You’ll be treated to all the comforts of home –and much more – aboard the stylish Costa Diadema, while bustling Dubai is a wonderfully modern contrast with Khor Al Fakkan and Doha. Alternatively, steer your holiday in the other direction and head west, with a memorable Miami South Beach stay, with Western Caribbean stopovers. Setting off on January 17, enjoy a 10-night fly/ cruise onboard MSC Cruises MSC Meraviglia from just €1,549pp (full board on cruise), flying from Dublin on January 17. The trip includes return flights, a two-night pre-cruise stay in Miami, and stop-offs in Costa Maya, Belize City, Roatan Island and Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. Vibrant, sun-kissed Miami needs no introduction to Irish holidaymakers, while the Western Caribbean destinations are a delight in themselves – assuming you can tear yourself away from the MSC Meraviglia. For full details on these and other great cruise offers (available at the time of going to press), see www.planetcruise.com/ie, or call 01 485 4535.

18 DUBLIN GAZETTE 2 January 2020

TECH

HOW MANY OF THESE STORIES DO YOU RECALL?

When is an orange smudge (main) not just an orange smudge? When it’s Mankind’s first photo of a black hole, some 55 million light years away in the M87 galaxy – making this swirling blob one of the most important images, to date, in Man’s history. Above: Samsung made headlines with its new Fold phone’s unexpected problems in April. Right: this video about eyelash curling made global headlines in November – but why?

How black holes and TV streaming wars made tech headlines in 2019 SHANE DILLON

Tech Editor WHAT A year that was for tech news! As with most years, some of the most entertaining tech stories from 2019 involved some of the worst news. As such, here are just some of the highlights – or lowlights – from 2019 … SAMSUNG was left redfaced in April when its revolutionary Galaxy Fold made headlines for all the wrong reasons all over the world. The concept sounds cool: fold out or unfold your phone, revealing a much larger screen to use. Unfortunately, the hardware itself couldn’t quite live up to the concept, with the central fold often developing a bulge, or other issues effectively making the Fold unusable. Va r i o u s rev i ewe rs reported problems within days, and some within hours, sending Samsung back to the drawing board to tinker with the design. HUAWEI, the Chinese tech titan that nobody

much in the West had heard of even a year or two ago, was plunged into crisis in May as Sino-US relations soured. The years 2018 and 2019 saw Huawei leap into Western consumer minds with decent phones, while it also maintained serious tech credentials of interest to corporations, state bodies and governments, but 2019 must have left Huawei wishing it could phone a friend. At this juncture, as the international political spat continues, Huawei has found itself caught in the crossfire, continuing to promote its pretty decent consumer phone business, but stymied in various business quarters by the continuing trade war and related ‘security concerns’.

FACEBOOK found some spare change down the back of its corporate sofa in July – some $5bn, to you and me – when it was fined by America’s FTC over how it handled user data, as highlighted by the fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

The hefty sum reflected more than just a record fine by the FTC, as it was just part of a suite of penalties dished out. Facebook was also mandated with scrutinising a wide range of related security issues, such as third-party apps, how passwords are encrypted, and other such matters. The fine was just one of a number of critical stories that Facebook found itself making headlines with this year, with the stark issue of what Facebook moderators see, and the support and training they get, also reoccurring throughout the year alongside a raft of ongoing privacy concerns. THE ‘Dark Web’ – the underbelly of the internet that most users will never directly access – was briefly dragged into the light in August when a notorious message board, 8chan, was shut down. Repeatedly linked to a number of mass shootings this year, with mass murderers posting manifestos and threats there, 8chan was seen as just too

lawless for even the Dark Web, and effectively shut down for a while. It’s since bounced back under a new name, but the background battle to keep 8chan shut (or open) provides a sober reminder that, for millions of people, online data and communication is about more than sharing Baby Yoda memes or what’s ‘trending’ that day.

TIKTOK, the viral video creation/sharing platform that hit the popularity stratosphere with youthful users in 2019, drew a little too much attention in November because of a make-up video posted by an American teen. As far as I know, there’s not usually very much that’s controversial about information on how to curl your eyelashes. Unless, of course, you simultaneously use your video to criticise the Chinese government over its treatment of Muslims, which drew great global attention – and criticism – in 2019. The teen’s subsequent account suspension drew

a global outcry and media headlines, leading TikTok to apologise and reinstatement her account. If nothing else, the affair shed light on how even minor social media ‘infractions’ can have some serious consequences and spark global interest.

NETFLIX’S once iron grasp on viewing habits began to loosen further in November with the launch of rival major streaming platforms, such as Disney Plus, and Apple TV plus, ready to also join the likes of Hulu and Amazon. While Netflix’s magic bottomless sack of money is unlikely to run out any time soon, the arrival of two further serious streaming players left many analysts wailing that the ‘golden age of streaming’ is either over, or evolving, depending on your point of view. The departure of all kinds of stalwart content over to the new rivals was a blow to Netflix, with 2020 set to see the streaming wars increase.

Meanwhile, the spectre of an Irish broadcasting charge/tax for every household, in lieu of ye olde TV Licence, was also briefly raised in 2019, particularly with RTE’s wellpublicised balance sheet struggles making domestic headlines. However, the Government kicked that potentially nasty can down the road, leaving what would arguably amount to an Internet tax for another year. ALSO in November – what a month that was – Google perplexed gamers the world over with the launch of its Stadia games console. It’s not a console, per se, but relies on the power of super-duper Google servers to run the game for you, then transmit it to your place for you to play. Which would be lovely if you happen to have super fast, reliable internet access ... which thus rules out a hell of a lot of Planet Earth from being able to use Stadia properly. There’s an interesting idea there, but Stadia may

just be tech that’s years ahead of mass appeal or adoption. Time will tell whether Stadia takes off, or disappears into the black hole of oblivion. Speaking of which... FINALLY, one of the world’s most important photos came and went with relatively little fanfare in April, as we were treated to the very first photo of a black hole, courtesy of NASA boffins. Some imagination was possibly required when regarding the not exactly earth-and-spaceshattering blurry digital image of an orange blob, but the fact such a shot exists was one for the history books, and quietly marked another milestone for Man contemplating his place in the universe. If you happen to be visiting the centre of the M87 galaxy (about 55 million light years away) any time soon and can take a clearer shot of the black hole there, don’t forget to send it in to us. You just might win our Photo of the Week title.

2 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 19

GALLERIES OF THE WEEK

Kids of all ages have loved seeing how everything from classic nursery rhymes to Irish legends have been brought to life. Pictures: Shane Dillon

Makes light work of any post-Christmas boredom N

OW that the new year has dawned, time’s almost up for children of all ages to romp on over to Dublin Zoo, where Wild Lights has wowed many thousands since its November opening. The colourful night-time transformation of the zoo – which draws to a close on Sunday, January 12 – has

From wild plants to truly wild beasts, the lights cover a wide range of things in vibrant style, bursting with colour and sheer imagination

lived up to the high standard set by 2018’s impressive outing, with this year’s experience – Wild Lights – going a step further. Featuring everything from titans of Irish legend and mythology to more internationally recognised figures drawn from the likes of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Peter

Pan, the Jungle Book and other classic tales, Wild Lights has upped the ante in night-time entertainment for families, with the dead of Winter nights proving the perfect setting to appreciate the starkly striking vibrant colours. With illuminations dancing all around, Wild Lights has definitely made light work of enthralling Dubliners.

At every turn, from large sights to walk through, to more intimately scaled exhibits to admire, there’s something to wow and impress

20 DUBLIN GAZETTE 2 January 2020

Six of the best acts and gigs to look out for in 2020 IN THE ever-changing environs of Dublin’s lively music scene, it can be hard to stop and take stock of what’s coming up on the outside, especially amid the broader trends of venue difficulties, an increasingly outstanding Rock scene, and the growth in domestic Hip-Hop. At the risk of playing Nostradamus, we thought we’d have a go at earmarking what are likely to be the highest ebbs in another  JAMES HENDICOTT year of aural culture. Here are our six ‘best bets’...

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Fontaines DC (Pic A) Already one of Dublin’s most-hyped bands for quite some time, Liberties act Fontaines DC are fresh from two absolutely pulsating shows at Vicar Street, both of which had ‘gold dust’ level ticket issues.So much so that next summer’s Iveagh Gardens show is sold out already, too. They just get better: fronted by the enigmatic Grian Chattan, the next album is alleged to have unlikely influences from the Beach Boys. Given their previous, largely quite abrasive style, that seems unlikely. Whatever they do, though, it is likely to evoke modern-day Dublin in spades, and we can’t get enough of it. Joy Crookes (Pic B) Another rising star of the increasingly compelling Irish modern Soul scene, Joy Crookes was recently listed on YouTube’s prestigious ‘ones to watch’ UK and Ireland for next year. She’s already worked with classy rapper Jafaris and released three introductory EPs, sneaking into young consciousness in spreading her sparkling sounds via her various heavily-followed social media accounts. Check out Don’t Let Me Down in particular – we’re expecting big things.

Longitude (Pic C) Sure, this festival in Marlay Park has been going a while now, and is very far from universally popular locally. That said, it is the main offering, bringing worldclass Hip-Hop into Ireland at a time when the genre is the most prominent it has ever been in terms of its overall musical footprint on this side of the pond. This year’s line-up is particularly strong, with superstar headliners in the poignantly political Kendrick Lamar and snappy, bitter Tyler, The Creator (shown). By the time you read this, the festival will already be on sale. Sunstroke (Pic D) The return of a festival that spent a few all-tooshort years in Dalymount and the RDS a quarter of a century ago is a big one for Irish rock fans, who are poorly catered for on the modern-day Irish festival scene, especially those with heavier leanings. The festival’s return lands in mid-June in Punchestown, and features the likes of Faith No More (shown), Killing Joke, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Deftones, and some of the very best on the modernday Irish guitar scene. For Indie fans, the new Irish version of legendary Brighton festival The

Great Escape looks pretty hot, too. Sia Babez (Pic E) Wa t c h t h i s f u t u r e megastar fly. Sia Babez (or Seorsia Leagh, to her family) has stuck her head above the parapet this year and the Portlaoisebased fusion artist – who explores Pop with a blend of Soul and R&B on the side – looks all set to make a big impact with tracks such as recent single Hit My Line. She recently grabbed Simon Cowell’s attention on X-Factor: The Band, appearing with Little Mix, but – forgive us, X Factor fans – has far more depth to her enticing music than such an association would suggest. David Keenan (Pic F) Dundalk man David Keenan has made an impressive impact for a man yet to release a record, a journey that includes headlining The Olympia recently. He’s quite the poet, a subtle, delicate songwriter whose melodies are absolutely loaded with a young life daringly lived, including running away from home to search out the frontman of The Las, and busking for a living in Liverpool as a teenager. His debut album comes out in January, and is expected to see him fly.

2 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 21

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS WORTH NOTING

ENTERTAINMENT

OBITUARIES | SOME OF THE GREATEST NAMES ON OR OFF THE SILVER SCREEN WHO PASSED AWAY

Those Cinema lost in 2019

LAST year saw some very notable Cinema legends pass away, but 2019 kept pace with even 2018’s sharp losses. Women fared noticeably  SHANE DILLON better than men in 2019, with leading female actors, writers, directors and instrumental figures outliving their male counterparts in a year that was markedly skewed more than usual towards male deaths. However, all these men and women made their mark in Cinema alongside their peers; some as leading stars, others as cult figures, and others more indirectly. Without further ado, here are some of the sad Cinema losses for 2019, presented in no particular order. Despite their very different roles and careers, they all deserve to be remembered, and will certainly be missed in the years to come ... 1) BRUNO GANZ Actor March 22, 1931 – February 16, 2019 IF NOTHING else, Ganz was prolific, with the Swiss actor long associated with German films, but also finding a string of international directors who could find any human experience effortlessly portrayed by the complex, brilliant actor. As such, international directors also regularly called on him to play startling characters, with Ganz a true everyman actor. Whether playing the best or worst of humanity with equal passion, Ganz moved people with such roles as a contemplative angel in Wings of Desire, unnerved with an eerie turn as Adolf Hitler in Downfall, and otherwise made unforgettable roles of even forgettable parts. 2) DORIS DAY Actress April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019 FETED as the leading lady of the 1950s, and one of the most recognisable stars in the world for many years, Day would turn out to be perhaps her own harshest critic, retiring prematurely from acting. Blessed with a honeyed voice that was as good as her acting, Day was one

of the last true stars at the end of Hollywood’s golden era, as hit after hit after hit rolled out – On Moonlight Bay, Pillow Talk, Calamity Jane, and many more. With the darker mood of the 1960s, Day felt that her sweetheart roles were out of step with changing appetites, and effectively retired, with occasional studio albums following. Today, a new appreciation of her acting, and singing skills, has seen her once again regarded very warmly as a classic, inimitable Hollywood star. 3) ALBERT FINNEY Actor May 9, 1936 – Feb 7 A ONE-MAN powerhouse, Finney dominated English theatre and television for many years. With a veritable who’swho of leading co-stars working alongside him, Finney was often at the centre of legendary productions, and while he could chew the scenery in the likes of Annie, more nuanced turns, as seen in Erin Brockovich, earned awards and nominations. Despite his often leading roles as powerful figures, Finney often delighted in playing ‘ordinary’ roles, giving voice and power to working class heroes just as much as the larger-thanlife roles he also excelled in.

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4) TONI MORRISON Novelist Feb 18, 1931 – Aug 5 ALTHOUGH she was primarily known as an acclaimed novelist, essayist and professor, among many talents, Morrison also made her mark in Cinema – just one more cultural field that mourned her loss. As the subject of endless films and documentaries, Morrison’s direct cinematic legacy was 1998’s Beloved, which performed poorly at the box office yet had a cross-cultural interest for blending political and social realism with more fantastical elements. Morrison’s works were also cited by many actors and directors as being an influence on their work. 5) NIALL TOIBIN Actor Nov 21, 1929 – Nov 13 THANKS to his wide-ranging roles, Toibin was able to pull off everything from the very definition of the

archetypal ‘cute hoor’ to cold authority figures, and everything in between. The Corkonian was able to delight audiences with his wit and comedy as much as his impressive acting prowess, proving a natural for all kinds of light-hearted comic roles, and also proving a natural at roles which required a much colder, harder edge. A staple of Irish television and theatre for many years, his many film roles included the likes of Ryan’s Daughter, The Ballroom of Romance, Eat the Peach and Far and Away. 6) PETER FONDA Actor Feb 23, 1940 – Aug 16 FEW rode the cultural zeitgeist like Peter Fonda, who found fame at the helm of the counterculture wave of the mid to late 1960s, most famously with Easy Rider. For many, Fonda became the face of resistance to the conventional order of

things, seeing him take on roles that often saw him playing against authority. The 1980s saw him drift with many of his peers into ‘zany’ star vehicles like The Cannonball Run, leading to increasingly unworthy film roles. Still, few actors could claim to be the face of a counterculture, with Fonda cementing an acting clan that still holds power in Hollywood today. 7) RIP TORN Actor Feb 6, 1931 – July 9 THERE are hellraisers – and then there’s Rip Torn, a one-man force of nature who was as famous for hindering his own career as he was for being stubbornly admired, despite his rowdy nature. Famously volatile, Torn was attached to all kinds of leading roles and projects which made A-list stars of others, yet which he either passed on – or got kicked off – earning notoriety.

Still, he retained a lot of respect in Hollywood, with his gravelly voice, bulldog face and brusque persona making him an inimitable comic foil in later years, seeing him taking on scene-stealing roles in everything from Men in Black to Dodgeball. 8) PETER MAYHEW Actor May 19, 1944 – Apr 30 WITH only one role of note – that of Chewbacca, the Wookie, in the Star Wars franchise – Mayhew’s Cinema legacy was slight, yet far-reaching. Hundreds of millions of people around the world, across some decades, saw the 7’2” actor lumber about in the films, grunting his way through one Star Wars film and setpiece after another. Significant later health issues greatly affected him, yet Mayhew still toured conventions and met as many fans as possible, proving to be a decent,

caring individual behind the Wookie mask. 9) RUTGER HAUER Actor Jan 23, 1944 – July 19 FAMILIAR to many Irish viewers as the face of Guinness in a popular series of ads, Dutch actor Hauer would prove to be one of Cinema’s most charismatic actors. Blessed with piercing eyes and raw charisma, Hauer often made brilliant parts out of bad roles in terrible films. He earned his place in Cinema history with his role as a replicant in Blade Runner, delivering a part-improvised soliloquy now regarded as one of Cinema’s most famous speeches. It was a singular role, with Hauer never scaling such impressive heights again as he slipped through successive years in lesser films. Still, even at his worst, Hauer was a mesmerising presence.

22 DUBLIN GAZETTE 2 January 2020

MOTORS

NEW VEHICLES AND LINES ON THE WAY THIS YEAR

Roll along with our preview of new motors on the way in 2020 DECLAN GLYNN

THIS new year is set to bring a wide variety of new models across the board, as manufacturers reveal brand-new lines or the latest iterations on classic ranges, as well as adapting to emerging trends. We’re sure to see a number of feature ALFA ROMEO Regarded as being one of the most important cars from the Italian car manufacturer, the Tonale will joins its Stelvio big brother in Alfa Romeo’s SUV lineup. AUDI Having had a busy 2019 in terms of new car launches, the German premium car manufacturer is set for yet another busy year in 2020. The new A4 Saloon and Avant (estate) are on sale now, as is the sleek new Q3 Sportback (coupeSUV), with Q5, Q7, A7 and A8 plug-in hybrids on the way. A refreshed A5 Sportback and A5 Coupe will be available in early 2020, while a subtle redesign for the Q7 will keep this large & luxurious SUV fresh in the face of some talented competitors. BMW New models from BMW include a new X6, a secondgeneration X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrid, a new 2-Series Gran Coupe, an all-electric X3, and an X3 xDrive30e plug-in hybrid too. CITROEN On the way from Citroen for 2020 is their first plug-

sets continuing to make their mark, with the sure and certain rise of EVs (electric vehicles), and increasing efforts to be more environmentally-friendly, just two of the trends to continue watching. Here, however, are what some of the main manufacturers are bringing us in 2020, in alphabetical order ...

in hybrid. The C5 Aircross PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) will use an 80kWh petrol engine paired to an electric motor and a 13.2kW lithium-ion battery. DACIA Known for their no-nonsense approach to affordability, the spacious Duster SUV will benefit from a new, more fuel-efficient TCe100 petrol engine. FIAT Following a relatively serene year in 2019 for the Italian manufacturing giant, the big news for 2020 will be the launch of a fully-electric version of the iconic FIAT 500. FORD New models due from Ford for 2020 include the all-new Puma mild-hybrid compact SUV, a new Kuga petrol plug-in hybrid, and an all-electric performance SUV, which will be marketed as a Mustang Mach E. HONDA Due to launch this Spring is a hybrid-only Jazz supermini, while an all-new, all-electric Honda-e will follow later in the year. HYUNDAI New launches from the

Korean motor manufacturing giant include a new hybrid version of the wonderful Kona, a refreshed all-electric Ioniq, and a new i10 compact city car, which promises to be more stylish on the outside, and smarter on the inside. JAGUAR The only announcement for the iconic British sports car manufacturer for 2020 is the launch of a heavily-revised F-Type in the spring. KIA New launches from KIA include a PHEV version of the recently-launched XCeed, a facelifted version of the all-electric e-Niro SUV, and a Sportage 1.6D with mild-hybrid technology. LEXUS The Lexus RX large SUV will benefit from a new front design and interior when it is launched in early 2020. MAZDA New for 2020 comes Mazda’s third model in their impressive SUV line-up, the all-new CX-30. A new Mazda 2 launched in January, and a new CX-5 is expected in the middle of the year.

MERCEDES-BENZ Following on from a very busy 2019, the German premium car manufacturer is set for another busy year in 2020. Models due include a new GLS (SUV), GLB (SUV), GLE Coupe, GLA (Compact SUV), and a new S-Class. MINI Due in March is an all-electric MINI to commemorate the brand’s 60th anniversary. MITSUBISHI Early 2020 will see the launch of a new Space Star, with a new Eclipse Cross PHEV due in October. NISSAN The big news from Nissan for 2020 is the launch of the much-anticipated second-generation Juke Crossover/SUV which is available to order now. OPEL An important arrival from Opel for 2020 is their new Corsa (internal combustion engines, and an electric e-Corsa too), while a hybrid Grandland X will join Opel’s passenger car range in the spring. An all-new Mokka X will launch later in the year, along with an electric version of Opel’s big-selling Vivaro van. PEUGEOT Straight off the blocks in January is the all-new 208 (petrol and diesel powered), and an all-electric e-208, along with plug-in

From top: New Opel Corsa; Subaru Forester and XV e-Boxer; new Peugeot 2018

hybrid editions of the 508 Fastback and SW. Also due in 2020 are the 2008 and 3008 Hybrid4 models. RENAULT Quoted as being one of the world’s most successful cars, the Clio MK4 has been replaced by a new fifth-generation model, which is lighter, more spacious and more efficient than ever before. Also due is a revised Captur, extended range ZOE R (52kWh battery), and a revised Koleos. SEAT The Spanish manufacturer’s first all-electric model, the el-Born, is due in 2020, alongside a new-genera-

tion Leon (petrol, diesel & plug-in hybrid), and a plugin hybrid Tarraco too. SKODA The recently launched Kamiq (small SUV) is based on its SEAT Arona, and VW T-Cross cousins, and is available in petrol and diesel engine guises. Also due is a plug-in hybrid version of the superspacious Superb, and a fourth-generation of the big-selling Octavia. SUBARU New technology from the iconic Japanese brand will be a mild-hybrid petrol-electic system called e-Boxer, which will feature in their XV Crossover, and the all-new Forester SUV.

TOYOTA The ultra-popular C-HR crossover benefits from styling revisions along with a new 2.0-litre hybrid powertrain in quarter one of 2020. VOLVO L a s t a l p h a b e t i c a l l y, but by no means least, the Swedish brand will launch their XC40 plugin hybrid in March, while plug-in hybrid versions of the S60 & V60 are also expected in 2020. March will also see the release of a V60 Cross Country D4 AWD Auto with 190bhp (priced from €52,500), while a new V40, and an all-electric XC40 are coming down the line too.

2 January 2020 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23

CHALLENGE YOUR BRAIN...JUST FOR FUN!

CODEWORDS

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26 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 2 January 2020

THE BEST IN DUBLIN

SPORT

REVIEW OF THE YEAR: LOOKING BACK: GAZETTESPORT looks back on an another incredible year for local sport stars from county glory to Olympic qualification and club success across the sporting spectrum. It culminated in one spectacular weekend in September with the All-Ireland football double painting the capital blue.

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GAZETTE

2 January 2020 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 27

PAGE 28-31

LET DUBLIN GAZETTE NEWSPAPERS INFORM YOU OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AND SCORES OF YOUR FAVOURITE TEAMS HOCKEY| FIRST EVER SENIOR CUP TITLE FOR NORTHSIDERS

Tarf trio come back to haunt Three Rock  sport@dublingazette.com

CLONTARF’S former Three Rock contingent served up the northside club’s first ever senior title as they ended Rovers’ reign as Neville Cup champions at Grange Road on St Stephen’s Day. At 2-2 with seven minutes to go, the tie was well poised but the Bulls gorged on the Rovers’ carcass with three late goals seeing them exit the arena victorious, making for a day to savour for the north Dublin club. Player-assistant coach Gareth Borland had been Rovers’ sideline coach for the last two finals before returning to his roots along with the Mullins brothers John and Kevin during the summer. “Of the 17 in our squad, including our coach Dave Bane, 15 have been involved with Mount Temple and the club for the thousands of sessions we have done over the years,” Borland surmised.

“For every one of those guys, the club is part of their identity which is unique in Leinster circles. To see all the people from the different generations, from the first team back in 1981 there on the sideline, it was a special day.” He joked about having a “little local knowledge” when it came to corner time as Tarf nailed three from their four set pieces with Rovers netting one from six. Kevin Mullins netted in the tenth minute when he took on corner duties in the absence of Davyn Keuter for 1-0. Rovers equalised from a well measured move, James Walker cutting in from the left and slipping to Mick Maguire. His first time cross left Luke Adams with an open goal which he coolly flicked into for 1-1 at half-time. Dylan Shirley ripped one off the inside of the post from turnover – while Blakeney was on a yellow – as things got fractious and a few physical tackles reduced both sides’ numbers. Lawless also parried Luke McSharry’s

Clontarf celebrate their first ever senior hockey title. Picture: Deryck Vincent

drive as it remained tight at 1-1 into the final quarter. John Mullins put Tarf back in front with 13 minutes to go only for Peter Blakeney to tie things up. But Tarf kept coming and Borland was the man pulling the strings at the head of the D for their killer third goal. He slipped under his arm into the path

of John’s slide – attempting a carbon copy of his Irish Senior Cup final goal from May – but a defensive touch got there first for 3-2. Kevin Mullins then whipped home the killer fourth goal with three minutes left and he completed his hat trick with the last play to, personally, win his 10th trophy in three seasons.

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

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GAZETTE

SPORT2019 Roaring start to a special year in local sport

REVIEW OF THE YEAR

LOOKING BACK: JANUARY TO JUNE

January DUBLIN Lions’ first national cup final saw them come unstuck at the hands of an outstanding Neptune side in the men’s Under-20 decider at the National Basketball Arena. Nonetheless, it was a groundbreaking season for the Clondalkin club with coach Rob White calling it their “best group ever”. Goal-hungry Our Lady’s Terenure beat Castleknock Community College 5-5 to 3-10 in camogie’s Division A schools shield final in Blakestown with Emma Ryan proving the match winner in the final reckoning with a brilliant display of nerve under pressure. Lucan Harriers longrunning issues with their new track were coming to an end, with the tarmac laid and the successful athletics club closing in on getting access to their new facility after a string of delays. “It’s fantastic news,” Collins told the Dublin Gazette. “We have a waiting list of around 60 kids who’d like to come and run with us.”

Ballyboden St Enda’s duo Shane Durkin and Gary Maguire announced they were to step away from the Dublin senior hurling panel following nearly 30 years of combined service to the county. Killinarden’s Vinny Perth was confirmed as the successor to Stephen Kenny as head coach of League of Ireland champions Dundalk. The 42-year-old succeeded Kenny as head honcho at Oriel Park after his fellow Tallaght man left to take over Ireland Under-21s with a view to becoming senior coach in 2020.

February COURT YARD Liffey Celtics pulled off a dramatic comeback to beat UC C G l a n m i r e a n d secure the women’s basketball Super League title with three games to spare. The Leixlip side trailed by 17 at the break but a remarkable surge in the third and fourth quarters saw them run out handsome 84-74 winners at the Leixlip Amenities Gym. Mark By rne’s side added the league title to their first-ever National

Cup crown, ensuring this will be their most successful season ever regardless of the outcome of the play-offs. The Spawell Golf Centre and Driving Range in Templeogue reopened under the new management of former tour professional, Peter Lawrie. The four-time winner on the European Tour took over the facility under a lease from Dublin GAA, owners of the 35-acre Spawell site. Lawrie and long time European Tour colleague and now Ryder Cup captain, Padraig Harrington was on hand to cut the ribbon on the new venture. The most eye-catching transfer of an eventful League of Ireland off-season saw midfielder Aaron Bolger from Shamrock Rovers to Premier League Cardiff City. Thomas Davis’s ladies footballers stormed to the final of the Paidi O’Se tournament in Dingle as the annual festival celebrated its 30th anniversary in style following big wins over Mayo’s Louisburgh and Newbridge Sarsfields. They fell to Mullahoran from Cavan in the final.

Robbie Keane lines out for both Ireland and Liverpool in a Legends match at the Aviva Stadium. Picture: Ben Ryan

Tallaght AC’s Joseph Olalekan Ojemumi Liffey Celtics celebrate

on his way to winning the national indoor Under-23 Men 60m gold. Picture: Sam Barnes/

Youngsters from Elite Karate

Sportsfile

Academy put on a super show in May

Richie Sadlier with niece Clondalkin’s Sarah Phelan scores a try in the Paul Flood Cup final. Picture: Piaras Ó

won the Corn Uí Phuirseil.

Mídheach/Sportsfile

March MU Barnhall confirmed AIL Division 2A rugby as they blitzed 2B, making it 16 wins from 16 as they stormed Strandhill to beat Sligo. It put them out of reach of the chasers with two matches to go and the Blue Bulls’ Peter Black told the Dublin Gazette it has been a special season for the club. “Promotion was the aim from the start of the season,” Black said. “The emergence of the scholarship programme with Maynooth University has

helped us bring in a lot of highly talented senior schools players from around the country to play for the Under-20s and then get their chance in AIL.” Salmon Leap’s Liam Jegou proved the class of the field at the Irish Open Slalom Canoeing Championships held at the Sluice weir slalom course on the river Liffey in Lucan. Jegou was a clear winner of the C1 class with a clean first run in 81.76 seconds. Finishing second with a clean second run was Robert Hendrick

in 82.97 seconds. Clondalkin native Chris Shields collected the SSE Airtricity League player of the year gong at the FAI Awards. Shields fought off competition from his Dundalk teammates Michael Duffy and Patrick Hoban, the league’s top scorer, to lift the award at the annual gala at RTÉ Studios in Montrose. Former King’s Hospital student Natalya Coyle produced a stunning start to the UIPM Pentathlon World Cup by landing a silver medal in Cairo, Egypt. The Olympian put in

an epic laser run to break into the medals, picking off two of her main rivals to land the medal and set herself up for the year ahead. Clondalkin RFC celebrated a unique double as their J1 and J2 sides sealed their respective Leinster League Division 2A titles.

April COLLINSTOWN added another chapter to their growing reputation as cup giantkillers as they saw of St Mochta’s away from home to reach the first round of the FAI Cup for

2 January 2020 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 29

GAZETTE

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QUOTABLE

QUOTES

Peamount United hitting the high notes against Limerick in the WNL. Picture: Martin Doherty

“I’ve paid the entry, paid for flights and accommodation. If we can’t compete, I guess I’ll just take a Sound of Music tour or something.” - Caradh O’Donovan on her Olympic hopes being in limbo.

their Under-18 women’s National Cup Final win at the National Basketball Arena . Picture: Eoin Noonan/Sportsfile

Robert Hendrick attacks the course at the Irish Open Slalom Championships in Lucan. Picture: Lindie Naughton

Jessica Hughes after she

Palmerstown Wildcats’ Oisin Gilmartin greeted home from the World Summer

Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach

Games in Dubai by Willie O’Dea. Picture: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

the first time ever. The Neilstown club – who only formed 12 years ago – already have high-profile cup wins over Shamrock Rovers and Bray Wanderers in their short histories. It proved to be third time lucky for Templeogue as they got their hands on the Champions Trophy for the first time at DCU Sport. The Dubliners had lost this final on three of the last four occasions and they were determined not to do so again and duly beat Belfast Star in the final 77-62. Templeogue’s Ellen Walshe was one of the big stars of the Irish Open

Swimming Championships as she posted four lifetime bests, landing her fourth national title into the bargain. She secured the 50m butterfly crown for the first time with a strong personal best and then added the 400 IM, the 200m butterfly and 100m butterfly crowns. Hockey World Cup silver medalist Nicci Daly assembled an all-star cast of Irish sportswomen to take on the Formula Female One Lap Challenge in Mondello Park. Working with Ireland’s top female racing driver Nicole Drought, Daly – a

former Dublin footballer during her time with Ballyboden Wanderers – challenged 14 celebrities from across the sporting spectrum to get behind the wheel of a BMW M2 in a Top Gear-style and record their fastest lap.

May SALMON Leap canoeist Jenny Egan landed silver in the 5,000m race at sprint World Cup in Poznan, Poland. Egan finished just over half a second behind Inna Hryshcun of the Ukraine in the sprint for the line. The pair had broken

away from the pack about halfway through the race after the second portage and battled it out to the finish. Two second-half goals from Molly Clifford paved the way for a hard earned St Anne’s victory in the AIG Dublin Ladies Football Feile Division 9 decider at Blakestown. Lucan United sealed the LSL Sunday Senior 1A title with a convincing 2-0 victory over promotionchasing Kilnamanagh.

June STEPHEN Cluxton lifted the Leinster senior foot-

“We’ve always looked for the players to express themselves and be the best versions of themselves, both on and off the field of play.” - Jim Gavin on Dublin’s five in a row character

Eleanor Metcalfe with Hermitage Golf Club’s Maefil McDermot following the former’s Scratch Cup win. Picture: Pat Cashman

ball championship title once again as Dublin cruised to the title with a 1-17 to 0-4 win over Meath in the final. It continued the county’s dominance in the competition, going unbeaten since 2010. Stephen Ormond has announced his retirement following defeat at the hands of Craig Evans, missing out on the WBO European Lightweight

title at the Vale Sports Arena in Cardiff by unanimous decision. He had previously won the same title back in 2013 with a win over Marcos Jimenez and held it for 18 months. This latest bout was a very close contest against a home favourite and saw ‘The Rock’ announce afterwards his decision to step back from the pro game at the age of 36.

“We said we wouldn’t go there again, we wouldn’t do it to ourselves but we did it and got through it.” - Hockey star Anna O’Flanagan on enduring a shoot-out to decide her Olympic fate

GAZETTE

30 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 2 January 2020

SPORT2019

REVIEW OF THE YEAR

LOOKING BACK: JULY TO DECEMBER

Rovers and the Dubs in the promised land of glory July TALLAGHT AC’s Rhasidat Adeleke was a hugely deserving Irish flagbearer at the closing ceremony of the European Youth Olympic Festival as she won the 100m and 200m sprint double in Azerbaijan. She stormed home in first place in the 100m in Baku, crossing the line comfortably in a time of 11.70 ahead of Johanna Klymanen (Finland) and Cheyenne Kuhn (Germany). A couple of days later, she added the 200m in a time of 23.92, going faster than the 24.36 she posted in the qualifying round and beating Hungary’s Mira Koszegi into silver, Serena Kouassi (France) rounded off the podium with bronze. There was both agony and elation at the World Swimming Championships in Gwangju, South Korea with Tallaght’s Brendan Hyland making his mark. Another big barrier was broken as Hyland smashed through the 1:57 mark in the 200m Butterfly to finish sixth in his semi-final and 11th overall. T h e 2 4 - y e a r- o l d clocked 1:56.55, an Irish record, but agonisingly

short of the Olympic qualification time of 1:56.48.

August IRELAND’S growth as a major rowing nation continued as west Dublin-based Claire Feerick and Eimear Lambe were part of the four to win a silver medal at the under-23s World Championships in Florida. The Irish quartet, also comprising Cork’s Emily Hegarty and Tara Hanlon, were narrowly beaten to the gold medal by Great Britain in a neck and-neck race in Sarasota-Bradenton on Sunday. Ireland lost out by just a secondand-a-half to the British team, while hosts the United States were three seconds further back to take the bronze.

September EOIN Murchan’s goal provided the springboard as Dublin’s men’s footballers delivered an historic fifth All-Ireland Senior Championship title in-a-row, at the second attempt, in Saturday’s final replay at a packed Croke Park. The Na Fianna clubman produced a crack-

ing individual goal that will live long in the memory, as Dublin went from being dead-locked at 0-10 apiece at the break, to claiming a three-point advantage just nine seconds after the restart – placing them into a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. T he Dublin ladies footballers delivered their third TG4 AllIreland Senior Championship title in tough weather conditions a day later in front of a record breaking 56,114 crowd at Croke Park. Wet conditions certainly made it tough for both sides, in what was the lowest combined score in a decider since 2003, Dublin prevailed 2-3 to 0-4 against Galway. On a glorious autumn day, Jenny Egan and her brother Peter made it a family double at the 60th Liffey Descent canoe marathon while former European junior champion Ronan Foley made a winning debut in his first senior race. Tallaght’s WSKF Ireland’s Chief Instructor Mark Sheridan led the Irish delegation who competed against representations from 31 other countries at the 14th World Shotokan

Shamrock Rovers celebrate their FAI Cup final win

Stephen Cluxton lifts the

Templeogue’s bronze medalist Molly Mayne at the European Youth

Ballyboden St Enda’s celebrate their

Olympic Festival in Azerbaijan. Picture: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Leinster hurling championship success.

Karate-do Federation World Championships in Budokan stadium in Tokyo. It was a proud time for Lucan United as Mark Tr ave r s b e c a m e t h e club’s first senior men’s international while Conor Masterson helped the Irish Under-21s to a big win in Sweden. Bournemouth goalkeeper Travers was handed his first international cap against Bulgaria, while Shamrock Rovers midfielder Jack Byrne made a telling cameo from the bench in a 3-1 win. Danielle Valentine struck deep into secondhalf stoppage-time at

Blunden Drive to give Wanderers a dramatic triumph in the Dublin Junior ‘E’ Ladies Football Championship final. Their opponents, Templeogue Synge Street, looked set to prevail when Lucy O’Donovan’s 1-1 salvo helped them establish a two-point buffer (2-7 to 1-8) in the dying moments. It was a stunning late riposte for the Ballyboden club who had lost their group stage meeting in May against the same opposition.

October THE family and friends of Detective Jerome Twomey

were in attendance in Westmanstown to witness the renaming of the Garda GAA club grounds in honour of its long-time caretaker. Twomey, a Garda of 32 years before taking up a full-time role maintaining the club’s extensive grounds, tragically passed away in December of 2018. Sons Jerome and Mark and daughter Elaine were among the esteemed guests at the Garda club to witness the renaming of the grounds in honour of their late father. Crumlin native, Roberto Lopes expressed his immense pride on making his debut for Cape Verde in their International friendly

with Togo in Marseilles. The Shamrock Rovers defender, whose father was born in the African country, played 90 minutes as the island nation ran out 2-1 winners.

November AFTER 120 minutes of crippling tension, there was eerie calm in the air as Gary O’Neill made the long walk forward from the centre circle to the penalty spot. Moments earlier, the heart of every Shamrock Rovers fan was well and truly in mouth when Jordan Flores’ spot-kick squirmed through the hands of Hoops keeper

2 January 2020 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 31

GAZETTE

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QUOTES OF

THE YEAR

Rhasidat Adeleke celebrates her gold medal at the European Youth Olympic Festival. Picture: Eóin Noonan

“I got a message and I didn’t really read it, because it was in Portuguese – I thought it was a welcome message or spam, so I took no notice of it!” - Shamrock

Rovers Roberto Lopes on his call-up to the Cape Verde international side.

Sam Maguire trophy for the fifth successive season. Picture: James Crombie/Inpho

“It’s unreal. It was amazing to be able to see them live and capture their emotions after the race after they travelled so far to see me race” - Tallaght

xxx. Picture: xxx

Peamount captain Áine O’Gorman celebrates winning

The Dublin ladies footballers’ homecoming on Merrion Square. Picture: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

the Só Hotels WNL. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Alan Mannus. The Belfast man, as he had with Daniel Cleary’s previous kick, went the right way but couldn’t keep hold on the slick surface so it fell to O’Neill to seal a record 25th FAI Cup title. The last penalty the midfielder took was for UCD back in April when he was brought down in injury time against Cork City, and duly hit the net to seal a remarkable comeback win, ending a 32-year wait for the crown. Lucan Sarsfields blocked Na Fianna’s four-in-a-row Dublin Under 21 A hurling championship ambitions, after

Dessie Farrell was appointed his replacement. Ballyboden St Enda’s battled until the end, to deliver their second ever AIB Leinster Senior Club Football title, and made it a 50th anniversary to remember, thanks to a twopoint win over Éire Óg, Carlow at MW Hire O’Moore Park, Portlaoise. In the end, three unanswered points in the dying minutes sealed the deal for Ballyboden, in a game where scores weren’t hugely plentiful, but nonetheless an entertaining contest was produced – where extra-

an impressive final win at Russell Park’s all-weather pitch on a 4-10 to 1-9 scoreline. Thomas Davis celebrated on the double as the Dublin ladies footballers Siobhán McGrath and Olwen Carey picked up awards at the TG4 Ladies Football All-Stars, not too far from home at the Citywest Hotel in Saggart. It was an extra-special night for McGrath who also claimed the ‘Senior Players’ Player of the Year’ award. Shamrock Rovers ace Jack Byrne was named PFAI player of the year, voted by his fellow players, following an out-

standing first year in the League of Ireland. T h e 2 3 - y e a r- o l d Byrne was called up to the senior international squad by Mick McCarthy on the back of his domestic form and he made his debut in the September friendly with Bulgaria. Killinarden’s Vinny Perth was named PFAI manager of the year by his peers after guiding Dundalk to a league and EA Sports Cup double in his first year as manager.

December TRIBUTES poured in for Jim Gavin, after he called time on his involvement as Dublin

senior football manager, following a meeting with Dublin GAA CEO John Costello. In a statement on the shock move, Dublin GA A Chairman Sean Shanley paid tribute to the “five-in-a-row” AllIreland winning manager. “Dublin GAA will be forever grateful to Jim Gavin for his dedication, commitment and contribution as a player and, since 2003, leading the next generation of players at Under-21 and Senior level,” Shanley said. “I regret his departure but appreciate the huge sacrifices he has made over this period.”

time looked likely until Ballyboden’s late flourish, winning 0-8 to 0-6. Shamrock Rovers were named the biggest club in the League of Ireland according to the attendance figures for the 2019 season. The Tallaght side have overtaken Cork City as the best-supported team in the country, registering an average attendance of 3,445 – the only club to break the 3,000 mark. That represents an increase of 588 on 2018 – or a percentage uplift of almost 23% year-onyear – and a total attendance of 62,005 across 18 league games.

AC’s Rhasidat Adeleke on seeing her friends and family in Baku

“Our long term secretary of the club passed away the other day, so that’s for the O’Donnell family and everything they have done for Tallaght” Thomas Davis manager Paul Kelly on reaching their first SFC semifinal since 1992

GazetteSPORT JANUARY 2-8, 2020

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

Clayton hoping to cut Kilcoo’s journey short  CÓILÍN DUFFY

sport@dublingazette.com

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BALLYBODEN St Enda’s defender Shane Clayton says there are exciting times ahead as his side get ready to face Down side Kilcoo in the AIB All-Ireland semi-final on Saturday in Kingspan Breffni in Cavan Town. The Firhouse Road side picked up the ir second Leinster title, thanks to a two-point win over Carlow’s Éire Óg in the final in Portlaoise last month. A huge amount of effort has gone into the campaign so far according to Clayton. “We’ve been putting in a lot of work over the last few weeks to see if we could win Leinster,” he told Dublin Gazette. “Thankfully we did that in tough conditions in a lot of the games, and against tough teams. “ O n a ny d ay, a ny club team can beat one another, which is great and it’s different to the inter-county setup. “ We k n e w t h a t going into every game; although we might be tagged as favourites, we know the stiff competition that we are up against.” Kilcoo claimed their f i rs t U l s te r t i t l e i n December, but were well used to featuring in provincial action. Clayton says his side will have to have their homework done on the Down men. “ We ’ l l b e wo r k i n g on their strengths and

Ballyboden St Enda’s Shane Clayton is looking forward to feeling the electricity at the All-Ireland club SFC semi-final on January 4. Picture: Sam Barnes/ Sportsfile

“When things aren’t going our way, as they

normally never do, it’s all about the heart and desire that you show on the pitch.“ weaknesses to see what we can do to get over the line,” he said. “Winning your first provincial title is huge! It’s a first time for everything, but we know that they will be chomping at the bit to ensure that this run doesn’t end for them. “We’ll be the same trying everything to keep the run going.” Clayton says his side’s

inability to score for long periods, isn’t a cause of concern. Anthony Rainbow’s charges have had bad patches in the scoring stakes in their campaign to date, but Clayton isn’t too worried so long as they keep recording wins. “I wouldn’t say it is a concern, but it’s something we keep an eye on, that we want to be hit-

ting our targets in every game,” he said. “That is one thing. If we don’t hit our targets, we more than likely aren’t going to win. “You could see it in the league final. Comparing that to the Leinster final, it was tough conditions, and it was tough to pass to each other, never mind try to score! “I thought we dealt with the conditions very

well. When things aren’t going our way, as they normally never do, it’s all about the heart and desire that you show on the pitch.” As Ballyboden’s 50th Anniversary celebrations come to a close, it would be certainly special to kick-start the next half-century by claiming a place in an AIB All-Ireland Senior Club Football Final.

They may be the biggest club in the country with 3,000 members, but there’s a strong community feel, and Clayton has praised everyone for their support to date. “I know the whole club has the backing of us, and we always get great support from them which is brilliant. “Hopefully we can give them another day out!”