West

DublinGazette

EE FR

WEST EDITION

WITH THE LATEST NEWS AND SPORT FROM YOUR SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL AREA 

STYLE Fashionably green P24-25

SPORT Lucan the Masters

P36

MARCH 15-21, 2018

HOUSING EMERGENCY RESPONSE BRANDED “PATHETIC”

Department response is ‘an insult to local councillors’  MARK O’BRIEN

THE response by the Department of Housing to South Dublin County Council’s call on the Government to declare a housing emergency has been branded “pathetic”.

The response was sent following a motion passed at South Dublin County Council in December calling on the Minister Eoghan Murphy to immediately declare a housing emergency and provide additional resources over the Christmas period.

Cllr Madeleine Johansson (PBP) criticised the delay and said the response received said the response “makes a mockery out of local politics and is insulting to local councillors”.

See full story on Page 4

Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you

Find us on

2 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 15 January 2018

INITIATIVE | €300K ALLOCATED FOR CLONDALKIN ELECTORAL AREA

Have Your Say budget launched in Clondalkin  MARK O’BRIEN THE latest €300k Have Your Say initiative was launched in Clondalkin last week.

Mayor of South Dublin Paul Gogarty officially launched the initiative for the Clondalkin Electoral Area at The Round Tower visitor centre, Bru Chronain, Clondalkin last Thursday.

This is the second year of the initiative following the pilot launch of the scheme in Lucan last year.

An amount of €300,000 has been allocated for the Clondalkin Electoral Area of Clondalkin, Newcastle and Rathcoole.

Speaking at the launch,

 MARK O’BRIEN

mobrien@dublingazette.com

Mayor Gogarty said: “I am delighted to be able to offer our citizens the opportunity to get involved and have a say in how this extra funding can be used to benefit them and their community across the Clondalkin, Newcastle and Rathcoole areas.”

Residents, through a combination of locally facilitated workshops and an online consultation portal (https://consult.

sdublincoco.ie/) are invited to submit their spending proposals for this extra budget.

Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process that facilitates citizens in a local community to directly decide how to spend a portion of a public budget in their area.

It gives people direct power to determine spending priorities and to improve their community.

Throughout March, workshops will be held Neilstown Community Centre, the Green Isle Hotel, Peamount Football Club and Rathcoole Community Centre.

All members of the community are encour-

Paul Gogarty launching the initiative at the Round Tower visitor centre. Picture: Rob O’Connor

aged to attend as there is no age restriction on submitting ideas and voting, with families encouraged to bring children along and let them experience how a democratic process works.

During April 2018 proposals will be assessed, selected and costed and then put forward for a public vote. Online voting will be available.

A number of voting stations will be set up locally for people to vote in paper format, if they do not have access to a computer.

The locations and the dates to cast votes will be announced closer to the time.

Last year, Lucan and

Palmerstown residents voted for a number of improvements in their area.

These included the building of a playground in Waterstown Park, Palmerstown; Christmas lights for Lucan village; the planting of native apple trees in the Lucan electoral area; access to the church and graveyard at Mill Lane, Palmerstown; free library book banks in the Lucan electoral area; a multi-games wall in Lucan and the restoration of King John’s Bridge in Griffeen Park.

Further information can be found at http:// w w w.southdublin.ie/ HaveYourSay/.

MMA star to meet fans at GameStop MMA star Paddy Holohan will be meeting fans and signing games in GameStop Tallaght on Friday to celebrate the hugely successful game, UFC 3.

Paddy will be on site in the Tallaght GameStop store from 4-6pm to meet with UFC fans as well as sign any memorabilia fans bring with them.

Guests will enjoy light bites and refreshments in the store and don’t have to make a purchase to meet and get a photo with Paddy.

Customers who make any purchase in GameStop at the event, will be entered in to an exciting competition. In order to be eligible for the prize customers will need to be GameStop Loyalty members.

Those who aren’t can easily sign up on the day and purchase any product during the event.

The winner of the competition will receive a 12-month membership at SBG Gym, where Paddy himself is a trainer.

FASTNews New €1.6m fund to back social enterprises A NEW €1.6m fund to support social enterprises in Ireland has been established by Social Innovation Ireland (SIFI), in partnership with South Dublin County Council and all 31 Local Authorities across Ireland.

The Social Enterprise Development Fund will be delivered over the course of two years and up to eight successful applicants per year will each receive a grant of €50,000 to invest in growing their organisation.

In addition to the cash grant, the successful applicants will also receive a place on Social Innovation Fund Ireland’s six-month accelerator programme.

Additional places will be reserved for the most promising social enterprises across all 31 Local Authorities in Ireland.

The programme is designed to help social enterprises develop their business skills and to provide them with ongoing peer support and advice so that they develop sustainable enterprises that have a powerful impact in their community.

The fund is open for applications until March 28 and the winners will be informed in June 2018.

Further details are available on www.socialinnovation.ie.

Residents urged to apply for high-security locks SOUTH Dublin County Council (SDCC) is running their Home Security Lock Scheme again in 2018.

Those who have previously availed of this scheme in 2016 or 2017 may be eligible to have an additional door lock replaced. This scheme is specifically for residents of SDCC aged 55 plus.

It is also available to any residents who may be vulnerable or living alone. The scheme means that the council will replace any suitable external doors locks which has a Euro Profile Cylinder.

The lock will be replaced with a high security cylinder lock free of charge. Not all doors are suitable for replacement locks and Crothers Security has the final say on lock suitability.

Applicants must be living in privately owned accommodation. This scheme is not open to people living in rented accommodation (private or social).

Only one lock will be available per household.

Completed forms can be submitted by email to comdevof@sdublincoco.ie or by post to Community Services Department, South Dublin County Council, County Hall, Tallaght, Dublin 24, D24 YNNS. The closing date for applications is April 30 at 4pm.

WHERE TO PICK UP YOUR DUBLIN WEST GAZETTE: Lucan, Liffey Valley, Leixlip, Palmerstown, Tallaght, Clondalkin, Celbridge, Rathfarnham, Firhouse Look for it every Thursday Dublin Gazette Newspapers, Second Floor, Heritage House, Dundrum Office Park, Dublin 14 Tel: 01 - 6010240. Email: sales@dublingazette.com news@dublingazette.com web: www.dublingazette.com twitter: @DublinGazette Visit us on Facebook at DublinGazetteNewspapers

15 March 2018 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 3

TALLAGHT | FAMILY ENDURES 14-HOUR JOURNEY TO ATTEND A BOOK-SIGNING Name change for Tallaght Hospital TALLAGHT Hospital has announced that it is formally changing its name to Tallaght University Hospital.

The hospital’s board and management say they believe the new name is more reflective of the hospital’s position as one of the country’s leading academic teaching hospitals.

As one of the two main teaching hospitals for Trinity College Dublin, Tallaght Hospital specialises in the training and professional development of staff in areas such as medicine, emergency medicine and surgery, health and social care professionals and nursing.

CEO David Slevin, said: “The evolution to Tallaght University Hospital is a subtle but important change for us and formalises our status as one of the country’s major academic teaching hospitals that continues to be at the forefront of innovative research.

“For example, today we announced that we will take the lead, alongside Trinity College, on the first national research study for patients with antineutrophil cytoplasm vasculitis which effects approximately 1,000 people in Ireland.

“T his is just one example from an array of collaborative research activities that are ongoing between the hospital and Trinity College.

“While we have been one of the two main teaching hospitals for Trinity since our inception, this change in title is also in line with the trend for voluntary and statutory hospitals ensuring that their affiliations with academic teaching partners are appropriately embedded in their identity.”

Dad battles The Beast to make dream come true for daughter  MARK O’BRIEN

A PARENTING blogger from Tallaght managed to overcome the Beast from the East to grant his daughter’s fairytale wish of meeting her favourite authors.

Gavin Leonard caught the imagination of travellers, parents and book lovers across the globe this week when he endured a mammoth 14-hour journey from Dublin to London with his wife, Shannon, and their 21-month-old daughter, Jade, to attend a book-signing by the iconic Rebel Girls.

The family, who live in Rathcoole, were forced to make alternative travel arrangements when Ryanair refused to let them board their flight to London.

Instead they travelled to Holyhead with Irish Ferries and had to make their way to London via car, train and taxi, with Gavin live-tweeting the journey Gavin said: “The Rebel Girls books are so inspiring and teach girls that they can be whatever they want – an ethos which is very close to my heart and the whole reason I started blogging.

Gavin, Shannon and Jade in London

“We read Good Nights Stories for Rebel Girls to Jade all the time and couldn’t pass up an opportunity to meet the authors.”

Gavin received messages from people across Ireland and the UK, and even as far away as America.

His story also caught the eye of Perez Hilton, author Lynne Bradley and The Rebel Girls themselves, Francesca Cavallo and Elena Favilli, who tweeted the Tallaght man encouragement throughout the trek.

Gavin said: “It seemed we were destined to miss the event but the support and encouragement we received on social media really pushed us on.

“It was amazing that they took the time to tweet and us and say they were looking forward to meeting us,” he said.

“When we got there they were fantastic with Jade and it is a trip that none of us will forget – what started out as a nightmare turned into an absolute fairytale.”

Gavin began his blog, Not Just a Princess, to document the time he spends with Jade.

He said the name for the blog came from his desire to teach Jade that she could be anything she wanted to be after many people commented that she could be a baby model or a ballerina.

“No one said she was going to win a Nobel Prize, or invent something amazing, or that she could be the president – and when I said she was going to be a Kung Fu Master or a Ninja, these ideas were dismissed out of hand,” Gavin explains in his blog.

“Although I’m not necessarily against the Princess genre, I do think that the stereotype we are unknowingly projecting onto young girls can be very damaging.

“There might not be hard evidence to back up this feeling but whoever she wants to be, I want my little girl to know I’ve got her back.”

Jade with The Rebel Girls

4 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 15 March 2018

DUBLIN CANVAS PROJECT | BRINGING COLOUR AND CREATIVITY TO EVERYDAY OBJECTS

Call for local artists to help brighten up area  MARK O’BRIEN SOUTH Dublin County Council are calling on local artists to help brighten up the area by creatively decorating traffic light boxes across the county.

The Dublin Canvas project is a public art platform intended to bring flashes of colour and creativity to everyday objects.

With the tag line “Less grey, more play”, the platform takes previously unused public space and transforms it into canvases to help brighten up the area making South Dublin County a more attractive place to live, work and visit.

The project has been successful in the Dublin City Council area, with

233 boxes painted in the past three years.

A total of 48 new boxes – eight within each of SDCC’s six local electoral areas – will be made available for the project.

We l c o m i n g t h e involvement of South Dublin County Council in the Dublin Canvas initiative, Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Cllr Paul Gogarty said: “Across our county we have dozens of grey metal traffic light control boxes. By their very nature, they are located in high profile and highly trafficked areas.

“They often attract graffiti and have a negative impact on the local area.

“The Dublin Canvas

initiative aims to tackle this issue in a creative and imaginative way, offering members of the public an opportunity to exhibit their own artwork, with the assistance of Dublin Canvas.

“I’d encourage interested community groups, artists and individuals to read the guidelines, which can be found on the Dublin canvas website, and apply.

“I look for ward to seeing some interesting and engaging artwork on traffic control boxes across our county by the end of the year.”

Dublin Canvas are now actively seeking submissions of artwork from local artists and community groups offering fantastic opportunity to have one’s art-

City Wildlife by Niamh Ni Bhroin located on Merrion Street, Dublin 2.

work displayed to the public in prime locations.

Completed artwork will brighten up and turn these once dull,

heavily graffiti-tagged boxes into beautiful works of art, transforming this area into a walking gallery of public art.

Artists and commu-

nity groups who wish to participate and paint one of this Summer’s av a i l a b l e b oxe s a r e asked to visit www.dublincanvas.com.

Abberley Court set to be family hub by April  QUINN KANNER

RENOVATIONS finishing the conversion of the Abberley Court Hotel into a family hub are set to be completed by April, according to a report given in a Tallaght Area Committee meeting.

The Tallaght hotel changed ownership in 2016 after being closed unexpectedly by NAMA in May of 2015.

The bar and lounge reopened in March of 2016, and the hotel has been housing homeless families for the past 18 months.

According to the report, the renovations will transform the Abberley Court from a commercial hotel into a family hub that will provide play space, cooking and laundry facilities

and communal recreation space.

Once those renovations are completed, there are plans to refurbish the existing bedrooms on a phased basis, plans that are being undertaken by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive and not funded directly by the council, according to SDCC. The report presented at the Tallaght Area Committee meeting emphasised that the Abberley Court Hotel hub is not a long-term housing solution, and families residing there are being encouraged to find houses and apartments to rent using Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).

The council is still seeking hubs for 96 homeless families living in emergency accommodations like commercial hotels across the region.

FASTNews The Wheel now inviting applications for funding from groups

THE Wheel have announced that applications for the 2018 - 2019 Training Links programme are now open.

The Training Links programme offers funding opportunities to groups of organisations that chose to come together and work collaboratively to address their shared training needs as a Training Network.

For the 2018 2019 programme, it is anticipated that between 10 -15 networks will be chosen and will receive grants of between €5,000 (minimum) and €25,000 (maximum) each.

Training Funding comes from the National Training Fund and is available over the period of the programme to develop and implement strategic, innovative and cost-effective training and development solutions for its members, which they would be not be in a position to undertake as effectively on their own.

Opportunities In addition to the provision of substantial financial subsidies to the Training Networks - directed at training provision - this programme provides much-needed opportunities for sectoral co-operation and shared learning.

Completed application forms must be submitted to applications2018@wheel. ie before 5pm on Tuesday, April 10.

15 March 2018 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 5

SEARCH FOR LEADERS | CALL FOR WOMEN TO STEP UP AND VOLUNTEER

Local Girl Guide leaders in campaign to find recruits  MARK O’BRIEN TWO Lucan Girl Guide leaders are spearheading a nationwide campaign to recruit new leaders to Irish Girl Guides (IGG).

Clare Sheridan, a teacher, and Beth Moody, a student, feature in a #becomeavolunteer video campaign that IGG launched to tie in with International Women’s Day. IGG volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds and have different skills to offer, as can be seen in the video, which also features a Garda, a farmer, a mum and a scientist.

With 3,000 girls waiting to join the organisation, Clare and Beth hope that women throughout Ireland will step forward to volunteer.

Beth, who joined IGG at age five, has gained a great deal from volunteering with IGG since

becoming a leader of Lucan Guides in 2014.

“I have gained skills such as first aid, camping and problemsolving,” she said.

“Guiding has also given me huge opportunities: I have got the opportunity to visit guiding world centres in London, Switzerland and India, as well as to volunteer on a national level, organising conferences and serving on the IGG Communications Committee. I also got the opportunity to work with other leaders from around Europe on communications.”

Beth, who is in her final year of event management studies in DIT, said she would not be the person she is today without her involvement in Guiding.

“It has brought me out of my shell from a shy girl in primary

school to one of the loudest people in the room when I have to be,” she said.

“I now have the confidence to take on most things. I can also now manage my time better than most people my age.

“Guiding has supported me to grow through offering me opportunities to try new things and allowing me develop skills I currently have.”

Clare, who currently serves as a leader with the Crumlin Hospital Guide Unit and who has served as Chair of the Senior Branch (the branch of IGG for 14-30 year olds), said girls get a great deal out of Guiding.

“They have a chance to try new things in a non-competitive environment, enjoy the outdoors, travel, make new friends and have lots of fun,” she said.

Beth Moody

Clare Sheridan

‘Continue with special efforts for homeless’

THE special effort made by charities to provide beds for those living in homelessness during Storm Emma, should be supported by Government to continue.

Local TD John Curran (FF) made the call when he raised the matter with Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy in the Dail.

He said: “At the outset I must acknowledge and commend the exceptional work carried out by volunteer led organisations over the course of the storm.

“Their work highlighted the fact that there are significantly more people who are rough sleepers in Dublin than previously acknowledged.

“The Government must make special provision to ensure that all of the charities that have been working with those on the frontline living in homelessness are provided with the resources required to continue to provide the emergency accommodation and support.

“In light of the new number of people rough sleeping or living in homelessness, I ask that specific programmes and additional funding be made available.”

6 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 15 March 2018

EVENTS Launch event at Greenway Building in Stephen’s Green

Niamh O Connor and Gillian Horan

Daniel Morgan and Olivia Holbrook

Institute of Designers launch online platform

T Niamh O’Donoghue and Jake McCabe. Pictures: Brian McEvoy

HE Institute of Designers Ireland launched the online platform ‘Why Design’ last week at the Greenway Building in Stephen’s Green, Dublin. The initiative highlighted the gender imbalance in the Irish creative sector. Emmy award-winning designer, Chris Do, flew in to speak on the night alongside Oscar-winning designer Annie Akins. Illustrator and Comedian Aoife Dooley of ‘Your one Nikita’ MC’d the event.

Claire Dowling and Danielle Townsend

Agnieszka Swievniak

Andrea Horan

Lorcan Lambe and Kevin McInerney

Eimear Ni Ghriofa and Louise McSharry

15 March 2018 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 7

8 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 15 March 2018

COURTS | FORMER CIVIL SERVANT SAYS LIFE WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN

Man jailed for sexual assault on woman he met on Tinder A MAN has been jailed for five years for a sexual assault on a woman he met on the Internet dating programme Tinder.

Paul Flaherty (30) was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court last December of sexual assaulting a woman at his home on Kiltipper Avenue, Tallaght, on August 31, 2015.

T he incident took place while Flaherty’s parents were in the nextdoor bedroom.

Mr Justice Michael W hite said that Flaherty’s behaviour on the night was “disgusting” and he was satisfied this event had a “very serious impact” on the victim.

The judge noted that the woman had made it clear to Flaherty that she was not interested in sexual contact but he ignored that request.

He said the woman’s integrity for her body was “sacrosanct” and this was a “very serious

sexual assault” which could not be described as minor. T he cour t accepted that the sexual assault was not premeditated.

In her victim impact statement, the former civil servant said her life would never be the same again since Flaherty, a man “twice” her size, sexually assaulted her.

“It shouldn’t matter what clothes I was wearing, how I wore my hair or what I said. On that night, this man abused

my trust, preyed upon my naivety and annihilated my human rights.

“He left bruises on my body, which have long since faded, and he inflicted scars upon my mind that will never heal,” she said.

She said not only had she suffered “physical and mental torture” but she had to “relive the event” during the trial where her life had been “stripped bare” and her character “assassinated”.

“The fact that another human being is capable of inflicting such horror upon another was, and still is, so profoundly shocking to me. I no longer dream of raising children because the

world seems so sinister now”, she said.

The woman said every “unfamiliar man” now had the potential to be a “predator” and she felt forced to give up her civil service job as she could not concentrate on her work.

She feared walking to and from her workplace car park and worried Flaherty would attack her again.

She said there was no manual for “overcoming something so abhorrent” and she “very nearly” lost everything she had worked for because of Flaherty’s actions on that night.

Garda Aisling O’Connor told Kerida

Naidoo SC, prosecuting, that Flaherty and the woman initially made contact through the Tinder dating app before exchanging numbers.

They arranged to meet and spent the day drinking together before returning to his parent’s house in Tallaght.

T hey went to Flaherty’s bedroom where there was consensual kissing before Flaherty went on to assault the woman.

Michael O’Higgins SC, defending, said on behalf of his client he offered an unqualified apology to the woman for his conduct which should not have happened.

FASTNews

Funding appeal congratulated LOCAL TD Frances Fitzgerald has congratulated local Football club Peamount United in their successful appeal application under the Sports Capital Grants.

She said: “I am absolutely delighted to see Peamount receiving this funding after a successful appeals process.

I know it will really make a big difference to the club and players.

“Late last year over €897,000 was granted to sports clubs in Lucan, Rathcoole, Palmerstown and Clondalkin for upgrades to buildings, gym equipment, new all-weather pitches and more.

“Unfortunately at the time Peamount United were one of a small number of clubs in this area who were unsuccessful, and I know how disappointed the club were.

Creche opens at IT Tallaght BARNARDOS CEO Fergus Finlay officially opened the creche at IT Tallaght last week.

The creche is operating under a new childcare provider, Oakview Tallaght.

Clodagh Moynihan, general manager of Oakview Tallaght said: “The aim of our service will be to offer student families and the wider community a holistic approach to their child’s, care, learning and development.”

The Early Years’ service at Oakview Tallaght is not only open to families of students of IT Tallaght, but also to families of the wider South Dublin community. There are some spaces available at present.

Enquiries should be directed to oakviewtallaght@gmail.com / Ph: 014511726

15 March 2018 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 9

COUNCIL | RESPONSE ‘MAKES MOCKERY OF LOCAL POLITICS’

Call to declare housing emergency ‘pathetic’  MARK O’BRIEN

THE response by the Department of Housing to the council’s call on the Government to declare a housing emergency has been branded “pathetic”.

The response was sent following a motion passed at South Dublin County Council in December calling on the Minister Eoghan Murphy to immediately declare a housing emergency and provide additional resources over the Christmas period.

Cllr Madeleine Johansson (PBP) criticised the delay and said the response “makes a mockery out of local politics and is insulting to local councillors”.

She said: “Not only was a reply only received following a second letter from the coun-

Cllr Madeleine Johansson

cil with a delay of almost two months, but the reply is absolutely pathetic.

“The letter from the Department simply re-states their current Rebuilding Ireland programme, with no response to the call for a housing emergency to be declared, nor any reason why the Government refuses to do so.

“The motion also called for additional resources for homeless services over Christmas,

however no comment was made in regards to this in the response.”

The response sent on behalf of Minister Murphy makes reference to the Government’s Rebuilding Ireland plan.

The letter states: “A whole Government approach is being taken to dealing with the issues associated with homelessness etc., and accordingly the implementation of Rebuilding Ireland is being advanced across a number of departments and agencies.”

The letter adds that 47,000 social houses will be provided across the country during the lifetime of the plan.

Separately, the council this week unanimously passed a motion calling for an independent agency for council tenants to deal with grievances they

may have.

The motion was brought before the full council meeting

by Cllr Emma Hendrick.

“At present, council tenants have nowhere to go to complain about their living conditions,” she said.

“Tenants of private landlords can make a complaint to the Residential Tenancies Board.

This is an independent organisation that settles disputes between landlords and tenants.

“Council tenants do not have an equivalent mechanism for settling grievances so the current set-up is discriminatory against those paying rent to the council.

“There should be an independent agency so that the council may be held accountable and their tenants afforded protections.”

Call for investment in neurological services CLONDALKIN councillor Mark Ward (SF) has tabled a motion with the council calling for increased investment in neurological services.

C l l r Wa r d recently went public with his battle with Multiple Sclerosis and his bid to run the Dublin City Marathon to raise awareness about the Cllr Mark Ward condition.

Cllr Ward said: “I am supporting the ‘Invest in Neurology’ campaign which was launched in conjunction with National Brain Awareness Week. The campaign is calling on the Government to tackle unacceptable staffing deficits and invest in neurology centres nationwide and improve access to critical tests such as a MRI.” He added that a 2016 audit of Ireland’s neurology services found that Irish hospitals

are struggling with “chronic underinvestment” in neurology services and are totally underequipped to deal with the current and future demand.

“I have an appointment with a consultant neurologist at the end of this month,” he said.

“This will be my first appointment in over seven years. Ill repeat that, it will be my first appointment in over seven years.

“That is despite letters from my GP and contact from myself looking for an appointment during this time.

“Whilst the physical and psychological effects of MS have abated over the years I have no idea if the disease has progressed in a neurological sense.

I guess I will find out at the end of March if the appointment is not cancelled.”

10 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 15 March 2018

EVENTS No matter what’s happening in your area, Dublin Gazette’s

John Boland and Noreen Daly

Alan, Tom, Charlie and George Gregan. Picture: Simon Peare

Darragh Daly and Jana Milca

Colin Daly and Sinead Moriarty

Maria Murphy, Claire Morrin and Siobhan Talty

Seachtain na Gaeilge

A

S part of Seachtain na Gaeilge Naomh Peregrine CLG held their first Pop up Gaeltacht in the clubhouse.

They were honoured to welcome Michael O’Muircheartaigh as their special guest speaker during the evening.

Lorraine Duffy, Jenny Davis, Ciaran O’Conghaile, John Boland and Annmarie Corcoran

Lorraine Duffy, Janice Enright, Caitlin Dwyer and Lisa O’Rourke

15 March 2018 WEST ď‚ˆď‚ˆ DUBLIN GAZETTE 11

far-ranging photographers have all the events and angles covered 1

Helping to empower young people in west Dublin

S

TUDENTS from Colaiste Bride in Clondalkin, are pictured at a recent educational event called the AbbVie Experience Day. AbbVie, the biopharmaceutical company with sites in Dublin, Cork and Sligo, partners with Young Social Innovators (YSI) to run a series of innovation exchange events, which gave company employees the chance to interact with students from their local community at their offices and manufacturing sites across the country.

1. Barry Peak, Young Social Innovators; Emma-Kate Farrell, Colaiste Bride; Jenny Ekeziem, Colaiste Bride; and Robert Love, director of communications, AbbVie. 2. Emma Kavanagh, Colaiste Bride; Lisa Kelly, Teacher, Colaiste Bride and Lauren Duffy, Colaiste Bride.

3. Robert Love, AbbVie; Emma Kavanagh, Colaiste Bride; Lisa Kelly, Teacher, Colaiste Bride; Lauren Duffy, Colaiste Bride and Barry Peak, Young Social Innovators (YSI). 4 Oumou Barry and Nicole Dempsey, Colaiste Bride.

3

4

2

GAZETTE

12 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15 March 2018

DUBLINBUSINESS

iD Mobile is shutting down from April 6 ID MOBILE has announced that it is going into liquidation and will cease all operations in Ireland from April 6. iD has 40,000 customers in Ireland, and says it will contact them by “text, letter and email” over the coming days.

Call, text and data services will be provided to these customers free of charge for the next month, and anyone on a pre-pay plan can also continue to use their credit until this time.

However, according to the iD website, customers who have an outstanding balance on an equipment contract for a phone or mobile broadband device will need to continue to make payments until this balance is cleared.

Any iD customer who doesn’t switch to a new provider before April 6 will be left without service and risks being unable to keep the same phone number in the future.

Eoin Clarke, managing director of Switcher.ie, said: “iD provided a valuable, low-cost service to its 40,000 customers, and it’s a real shame to see it shutting down operations here and leaving these customers without a provider.

“From commentary online, we know that what iD’s customers loved the most was the value-formoney they got from their plans.

“The good news is that there is so much choice on the mobile market at the moment, with SIM-only plans starting from as low as €10 per month, so there is definitely still value out there.”

Need to create youth opportunities in focus RACHEL Collier, co-founder and chief executive of Young Social Innovators, has highlighted the gap between potential and opportunity faced by many young adults.

Launching YSI’s national Speak Out tour in Dublin, which is set to travel 2,000 kilometres over the next four weeks to hear 7,000 teenagers speak out about issues they are concerned about and innovations they are undertaking to address them, Collier said: “Marketeers, advertisers and insight companies are committing huge resources to analysing the preferences and behavioural patterns of young people so they can plan campaigns for future products and technologies.

“But despite all of the research, there’s a real deficit in opportunities for young people to be truly heard and listened to. Researchers tell us that Generation Z care about the world they live in and want to make a positive contribution.”

AbbVie staff show their delight as the company collects its number-one award at the Great Place to Work Awards recently

AWARD | BIOPHARMA CO IS COUNTRY’S NUMBER-ONE LARGE WORKPLACE

Joy as AbbVie named as number-one workplace ABBVIE has been named as the country’s numberone large workplace.

The global biopharmaceutical company, with a significant presence in Ireland, was presented with the award at the annual Great Place to Work Awards in Dublin recently.

AbbVie is listed among the Best Large Workplaces in Ireland for the fifth successive year and was placed third on the

prestigious list in 2016 and 2017.

AbbVie is spread across five sites in Ireland. Alongside three manufacturing facilities in Sligo and Cork, two offices in Dublin serve the needs of the company’s commercial and operations activities.

AbbVie’s director of HR in Ireland, Caroline McClafferty, said achieving the number-one position represented a signifi-

cant improvement on the company’s 2016 and 2017 rankings.

She said: “This firstplace ranking demonstrates our collective effort to foster an environment where people can thrive and develop.

“It’s a tremendous achievement for the company and a reflection on our employees across our five sites in Ireland who have embraced the AbbVie culture and con-

tinue to remain focused on making AbbVie a truly great place to work.”

The Great Place to Work Institute publishes three different lists annually and presents these at a gala event: the Best Large Workplaces in Ireland (>301 employees), the Best Medium Workplaces in Ireland (101300 employees), and the Best Small Workplaces in Ireland (20-100 employees).

John Ryan, chief executive of Great Place to Work Ireland, paid tribute to all companies which were recognised this year.

He said: “The organisations on this year’s list know that employees want an environment where they feel psychologically safe, encouraged to grow, provided with opportunities to develop, and empowered to do their best work.”

Retail Excellence joins Seanad register RETAIL Excellence have confirmed they have been admitted to the register of nominating bodies for the Seanad Eireann elections.

Retail Excellence can now select a candidate to contest the Seanad elections on the outside panel of the Industrial and Commercial Panel.

Deputy chief executive of Retail Excellence, and former Senator, Lor-

raine Higgins said: “I am delighted to learn that Retail Excellence has been admitted to the register of nominating bodies to Seanad Eireann.

“As the largest retail representative body in Ireland, with almost 2,000 members who operate in excess of 13,000 stores and employ more than 130,000 staff, we are honoured and delighted with this news.

“This is a huge opportunity for our membership and retail in general

and will help put the industry and its challenges on the national political agenda should our candidate be elected.

“We now intend to invite political parties to put forward suitably qualified candidates, which our board will vote on.

“The candidate with the majority of board votes will be deemed our candidate to run in the election,” she said.

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

It’s Alone but fun way to walk THE 13th annual Aware Harbour2Harbour Walk, which takes place on St Patrick’s Day, is set to see more than 2,000 walkers take on the 16.2 mile/26km challenge, with the option of starting from Howth Harbour or Dun Laoghaire Harbour and then walking to ‘the other one’.

Suitable for most fitness levels, the fundraising walk will take participants along the scenic Dublin

Bay route with a ‘Halfway Hooley’ hosted at Dublin Port Company’s newly opened public plaza.

All funds raised will go towards Aware’s nationwide support, education and information services.

Gerry O’Brien, head of fundraising at Aware said: “The Harbour2Harbour Walk offers the perfect excuse to get friends and family together to mark St Patrick’s Day in a fun and healthy way.

“As a result of this and other fundraising efforts, Aware is able to provide support services for individuals and families impacted by depression or bipolar disorder, as well as delivering free mental health education programmes to adults and senior cycle students throughout the country.”

Participants can register at www.aware.ie/events, at a cost of €25 per person.

T h e Aw a r e H a r-

Leah Conway helps launch the Harbour2Harbour walk taking place this St Patrick’s Day. Picture: Shane O’Neill

bour2Harbour Walk 2018 is supported by Dublin

Port Company and Dublin’s 98FM.



GAZETTE

15 March 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 13

GENTLE CHAMP IS A REAL WINNER DUBLIN Gazette has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for lost and abandoned dogs. Meet Champ, a seven-year-old greyhound who is currently looking for a retirement home where he can relax and enjoy his life. Champ is happy and excited when meeting new people, has great leash manners, and loves his daily walks. He gets attached to people very easily, and is looking for somebody who is going to spend most of the day with him. Having another dog at home may help with his anxiety and help him to settle at home quicker. If you think that you have room in your heart for Champ, please contact Dogs Trust at 01 879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website www.dogstrust.ie. You can also find them on Facebook www.facebook.com/ dogstrustirelandonline or Twitter @DogsTrust_IE.

GAZETTE

14 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15 March 2018

DUBLINLIFE

DIARY

GREAT IRELAND RUN: GET OFF THE COUCH AND START YOUR TRAINING!

FAMILIES are being encouraged to get off the couch and get active in training for the Garmin Great Ireland Run. With a choice of a 5k or 10k run on the day, the upcoming Garmin Great Ireland Run on April 15 is suitable for all ages, with specific events for children aged three to 15 as well.

The run takes place in the Phoenix Park, with a €30 entry fee for the 10k run, €20 for entry to the 5k, and €10 for the ‘mini’ kids events, which include a 1.5k and 2.9k run.

The Garmin Great Ireland Run is organised by the Great Run company, who are responsible for the world’s largest half marathon, the Great North Run, which has 55,000 participants each year.

The Great Ireland Run was established in 2001, and is now considered one of Ireland’s biggest athletic events.

For further information on the run, see www.greatrun.org/greatireland-run.

Step up to a fun challenge OUR WORLD IRISH AID AWARDS NOW OPEN PRIMARY school pupils across Dublin are being invited to submit projects for the 2018 Our World Irish Aid awards.

This year’s awards revolve around the theme, Transforming Our World, relating to all 17 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, while highlighting the role played by education to make a difference to those both at home and in developing countries.

Students are asked to come up with creative projects about the challenges facing children in developing countries, and the role played by Ireland through Irish Aid and the Government’s programme for overseas development.

Some 60 projects will receive an OurWorld Irish Aid award at a regional award ceremony in May, and the top 12 entries will win a place at the awards ceremony in June.

There will also be additional awards for Teacher of the Year and Best Newcomer School.

More than 1,300 primary schools throughout

Ireland participated in the Our World Irish Aid awards in 2017. The deadline for entries is Friday, March 23.

Bull Music are aiming to keep the fire lit by having an Easter Bank Holiday weekend ‘gaff’ in a secret Dublin location.

Taking place from

OZZIE HUMOUR AT A FUN GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT AUSTRALIAN-British British author Kathy Lette (right) is set to take her new show, Girls’ Night Out, to the Civic Theatre stage on March 26.

Known for her novels, cutting wit and feminist edge, her new show is descriBed as a “psychological strip tease” that will discuss issues from childbirth to toy boys, close encounters with George Clooney and “tongue kissing” Prince William.

Lette’s show is targeted toward women, with men invited to attend at their own risk! Tickets are available now from civictheatre.ie, with prices ranging from €16 to €18.

For more on Kathy, see the feature on Page 23.

PARTY TIME AT RED BULL’S ‘FREE GAFF’ THE “free gaff” is a timehonoured party tradition in Dublin, and Red

Acts set to take to the stage include indie darlings Wyvern Lingo, soulstress Loah, hip-hop artist FYNCH and Cork-based producer Bantam. Organisers warn that space is limited, with tickets available from redbull. ie/freegaff.

JOIN THIS SNAKE HUNT AT MAXI ZOO

March 29 to April 1, Free Gaff promises three nights of the hottest Irish acts across three floors in a Dublin house, with the exact location to be revealed to ticketholders closer to the event.

Starting each night at 7pm, there will be a different line-up each night, as a strictly BYOB affair.

SIX pet stores across Dublin are set to host two family events on St Patrick’s Day and the Easter bank holiday weekend. Maxi Zoo will hold its annual St Patrick’s Day Snake Hunt across their six Dublin stores on March 18, as well as an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 31. Both events take place from 12-4pm.

Children and parents are invited to take part, with goodie-bags up for grabs in the Snake Hunt, and Easter eggs for the win in the Easter egg hunt.

Pet experts from the stores will also be on hand during the day to share their knowledge with families. For further information on the two events, see maxizoo.ie.

15 March 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15

GAZETTE

DUBLINLIFE Doyle’s set for a lick of paint FIREDOOR THEATRE: ICONIC DUBLIN PUB TO STAGE ITS FIRST EVER THEATRE PERFORMANCE

 MARK O’BRIEN

AN ICONIC Dublin pub is to become the city’s latest theatre venue next week when it stages its first ever theatre performance.

Doyle’s on College Street will play host to Firedoor Theatre’s new production Paint from Wednesday, March 21 to Saturday, March 24.

Firedoor were founded in the city centre five years ago and have primarily focussed on producing original work which has been staged in various venues across the city.

Artistic director Shaun Elebert, who also stars in Paint, told Dublin Gazette that encouraging new work is a big part of Firedoor’s ethos.

“As a company what we’re trying to do is promote new work as well as training actors and giving people opportunities to direct as well,” he said.

“So, it’s kind of covering all aspects of theatre, not just the performance end of it. Our writing has been quite progressive.

“This particular play Paint came from one of our Uncuts which we put on once or twice a year, which is showcasing 20-minute pieces by seven or eight members of our group so our own writing is definitely what we’re trying to promote all the time.”

Shaun added that he is very excited about being part of the first ever theatrical performance in Doyle’s.

“The manager Niamh, I was

talking to her about maybe putting on plays in Doyle’s and she was very excited about that, to actually open up Doyle’s as not just a music venue but a theatre venue,” he said.

Paint is a character-driven story about two men who meet up late one night under unusual circumstances.

“One lad is painting a wall at three o’clock in the morning in an industrial estate and he does this quite often because there’s something gone on in his life, something that has happened,” said Shaun.

“His wife has passed away but we don’t know whether it’s connected to his wife or not.

“We assume that it is but he’s out there painting the wall just to gather his thoughts as maybe

redemption or something for something that he’s done already.

“Then this other lad comes, who is meeting another guy at three o’clock in the morning to do a delivery but he never turns up.

“However, the two of them get talking about life and the older lad, which is the character I play, who is the guy painting the wall, he gives advice and give the younger lad advice and shows him what life is all about.”

Firedoor have more exciting productions later in the year, including a show in Smock Alley Theatre.

The group regularly hold auditions for new members.

For more information and for tickets to Paint, please visit www. firedoortheatre.com

16 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15 March 2018

EVENTS No matter what’s happening around the city, The Gazette’s

Catriona Kelly, Leah Kelly and Noel Kelly Catherine Miller and Danika McConnell. Pictures: Brian McEvoy

Star-studded event for a worthy cause T

HERE were some very familiar faces in attendance at Liz & Noel’s Chernobyl Lunch at the Intercontinental Hotel Ballsbridge recently. The star-studded fundraiser was held in aid of Adi Roche’s Chernobyl Children International.

Well known figures from Irish broadcast and entertainment industries came out in force to show their support for the charity’s event.

Helen Faulknan, Ryan Tubridy, Rose of Tralee Jennifer Byrne, Adi Roche and Julie Shynkarenka

15 March 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 17

far-ranging photographers have all the events and angles covered

Ali Hewson with her god daughter Anna Gabriel who, at the age of 4, was rescued by Adi Roche and Ali Hewson and later adopted by the Gabriel family from Bandon

Denise Barry and Moya Murdock

Fiona Heffernan and Roma O’Connor

Rebecca Bagidi and Marcus Brennan

Aoibhinn Murdock

Eimear Murphy, Richard Minchin and Trish Buckley

Lisa Aramony and Kathy Ryan

GAZETTE

18 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15 March 2018

DUBLINLIFE

PUZZLE PAGE

in association with

SUDOKU

CODEWORDS EASY

MODERATE

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTIONS

HOW TO SOLVE

Codewords are like crossword puzzles - but have no clues! Instead, every letter of the alphabet has been replaced by a number, the same number representing the same letter throughout the puzzle. All you have to do is decide which letter is represented by which number! To start you off, we reveal the codes for two or three letters.

As you find letters, enter them in the key and into the grid. Cross off the letters in the A to Z list.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

WORD SEARCH FIND THE FOLLOWING HIDDEN WORDS anti

hound

averse

in defiance of

besiege

opposed

corner

outnumbered

counter

pressed

embattled

resisting

harrangue

surrounded

hostile

versus

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

15 March 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 19

GAZETTE

DUBLINLIFE

ARTS: SOME OF THE CITY AND COUNTRY’S BEST EMERGING WRITERS NOMINATED

Pore over the Hennessy awards  RACHEL D’ARCY

THE best of new Irish literature will be celebrated on March 21 when the 47th annual Hennessy Literary Awards take place.

Being held in the historic setting of the Honourable Society of King’s Inn, the awards will celebrate emerging literary talent from across Ireland.

Poets, short-story tellers and novelists alike will come together to celebrate the written word.

Categories include First Fiction, Emerging Fiction and Emerging Poetry, as well as the coveted overall Hennessy New Irish

Writer prize for 2018.

There are a number of shortlistees for each award, based across the country and in different areas of expertise.

Dublin’s Pat Nolan is nominated in the First Fiction category for Women and Other Anthropoids, while Bray man Samuel McManus is also shortlisted for his piece, The Dog in the Story.

A number of Dublin writers are also shortlisted in the Emerging Fiction category. Out of seven shortlisted candidates, five are Dublin-based.

The shortlisted writers include Manus Boyle Tobin, Niall McArdle,

Picture: Marc O’Sullivan

The literati... Vona Groarke, Una Mannion, Rachel Donohue and Sean Tanner

Ellen Kelly, Angela Finn and Ruth McKee. Poetry is also represented by the awards, with emerging poet Chris Connolly receiving a nod for

two of his poems, Particulars of Bovine Husbandry, and Old-Age Sensibility.

As well as celebrating new writers, the Hennessy Literary Awards also hon-

Your dream home in Spain could be here NOW is the right time date, or if the developer goes From beautiful traditional homes to stunning to invest in your Spanish bankrupt, all money paid is contemporary architecture, you’re sure to dream home. refunded by the bank. find your dream home in sun-kissed Spain Forecasts are that SpanMedland Spain is probably the largest real estate ish house prices will rise for agency on the Costas, spethe fifth consecutive year in cialising in new construc2018 – in the Costa Blanca tion and modern-style and Murcia more than 6% homes. per annum.

Medland Spain cover the Flights remain cheap, Costa Blanca North, around with regular flights from Benidorm, Costa Blanca Dublin to the Costa Blanca South and Murcia regions, and Costa Calida areas. from two offices.

The facts are that Spain To find out more, visit The offers a stable and reliable Spanish Property Expo at the Talopportunity for investors or home- Spanish designs. owners to purchase properties.

Another big change is the rein- bot Stillorgan Hotel on the weekHouses that show consistently forcement of all the regulation of end of March 24-26, from 11am rising prices, persistently low stage payments, including much – 6pm each day. mortgage lending rates (starting stricter financial controls to ensure During the event you will be at 1.7%) and a growing market for the correct fulfilment of Law able to meet qualified property long-term and holiday rental prop- 57/1968, for off-plan properties. and industry professionals, ask erties which promises inflationabout the latest offers, discover the Payments beating returns. best investment opportunities and In simple terms, it means that find out about 3-4-day, sponsored But a lot has changed in recent years, with open plan and con- any staged payments are protected viewing trips. temporary buildings with large by an independent bank guarTo contact Medland Spain, see windows that help the light flood antee so that if the property isn’t www.ie.medlandspain.com, or call in now replacing the traditional delivered on the agreed contract 087 683 2729.

our the achievements of established writers. Since 2003, the awards induct one individual into the Hennessy Literary Awards Hall of Fame.

This year will see novelist Bernard MacLaverty become the 16th figure inducted into it.

MacLaverty received critical acclaim for his 1980 debut novel, Lamb, which went on to become a feature film starring Liam Neeson.

His 1983 novel, Cal, also went on to be made into a film starring Helen Mirren. Last year, he published his latest novel, Midwinter Break, after a 16-year break.

Other literary luminaries who have been inducted into the Hennessy Literary Awards Hall of Fame include Vona Groarke, Joseph O’Connor, Frank

McGuinness, Anne Enright, John Boyne, and Paula Meehan.

The winners of the respective awards are chosen by two esteemed authors, alongside editor of the Irish Times’ New Irish Writing page, Ciaran Carty.

All pieces nominated for an award were published in the monthly New Irish Writing page within the Times.

This year’s judges are Marina Carr, winner of the lucrative 2017 WindhamCampbell prize, and ‘honorary Welshman’ Niall Griffiths, who is likened to a cross between Roddy Doyle and Irvine Welsh.

15 March 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 21

DUBLINLIFE

BORN of summer shenanigans, The Vaccines frontman J u s t i n H a y w a rd Young says the return of the Londoners with fourth album ‘Combat Sports’ is a trek back to their routes, via a half-century of new songs, a touch of nervousness, and occupying the band’s ‘natural space’....

Eight years after forming, and swiftly becoming one of Britain’s most exciting and popular rock bands almost by accident, The Vaccines fourth album ‘Combat Sports’ is, perhaps, a product of a band finally taking some time for reflection.

It’s been a frantic ride, and not one the millionselling rockers exactly planned.

The early days of The Vaccines have acquired almost mythological status.

Taking a break from his more regular role as a folk singer under the guise of Jay Jay Pistolet (a genre Hayward-Young’s confident he’ll return to at some point, though not under the guise of The Vaccines), the Vaccines frontman admits that the myth - though perhaps exaggerated - has elements of truth.

“We were just f*cking around in the summer,” Hayward-Young recalls. “‘Wetsuit’ and ‘Do You Wanna’ were written during a summer holiday, and weren’t supposed to be some kind of mission statement. I was borrowing a friends guitar, and played the songs to a couple of people.

“I was just enjoying it with nothing else to do, really, and made a quick demo from the song I wrote. It got out there and I got an email to go and have coffee with someone in the industry, and that was it. It went from there.”

The road from summer shenanigans has been somewhat jittery, if also ecstatic.

“It was ver y ner ve wracking,” Hay ward-

MUSIC

LET’S GO OUT MUSIC

BEST OF THE REST

 JAMES HENDICOTT

Young recalls.

“We didn’t really know how to deal with the way things were taking off, and with the big crowds to start with. It was really weird and hard.”

Some years later, in 2016, drummer and backing vocalist Pete Robinson departed the band, triggering a period of contemplation, and the rootsy return that is ‘Combat Sports’, arguably the closest The Vaccines have come to those heady early days of messing around in rock.

“Pete never really talked about why he left, and neither did the band. The rest of us mostly just talked about what to do next,” Hayward-Young recalls.

“We did dwell on it a bit, but decided to focus on the future. It didn’t really shock me that he went, we kind of knew it was going to happen, but [new members] Tim and Yoann had been around as part of the touring band for a while. It made sense to bring them in, it wasn’t an overnight thing.

“We wrote 50 songs for this album,” he continues.

“It’s been interesting. Some people think the album is referencing blood and gore, because of the title. It’s not so literal. Internally, the whole thing has been like day and night.

“T here’s always a strange period after the album’s finished when you’re just sitting around.

In an ideal world we’d probably just put it out the next day and be done with it.

“You have to keep pushing yourself, though.

“We did the first show the other day for the new record, and it was really exciting. When you come out and play those kind of shows - this one had six new songs - you have to be careful.

GAZETTE

GAZETTE

20 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15 March 2018

The Vaccines A RETURN TO SIMPLE ROOTS

Picture: Brad Elterman

“If you play the new stuff back to back, people will take it as an excuse to go to the bar. You can lose them. But you have

to keep pushing yourself.

“After the last record, we didn’t really know what we wanted to do, so it took a bit of time.

We wanted to recapture that time back at the start, that creative, free spirit.

We even thought about whether we actually need-

ed a drummer for a little while before we settled on adding the new guys.

Going back to our core just kind of naturally happened.”

“We learnt so much and grew up a lot writing the last record. It wasn’t an error, as such, but it did feel more like a fifth record than a third record. It was just eleven songs we love, rather than something more coherent. Like a chocolate box of songs.”

Combat Sports, then, is urgent rock and roll from NME’s former ‘Best New Band’. It’s a return to the buzz of ‘What Did You Expect From The

Vaccines?’, but with eight years worth of touring and life experience piled on top, and a light step away from the sex and shenanigans themes that sat right at the very heart of the debut.

It’s well represented in the video for ‘I Can’t Quit’, in fact, footage that has all the chaos, sexuality and straightforwardness that has come to represent the Londoners. They’re ready, heart linked loosely to their sleeves, to rip a heap of memorable riffs through your summer.

The Vaccines fourth album ‘Combat Sports’ is out on March 30 on Columbia Records.

MARCH 15 (Thursday) Erasure @ Olympia Theatre, (rescheduled date) Jonathan Wilson @ Whelan’s, €18.50 Old Hannah @ The Grand Social, €10 Sepultura @ Tivoli Theatre, €30 Brazilian thrash metal legends drop in on the Tivoli to make some serious noise.

Expect clashing chords, moshing, and damage to the floorboards.

Bitch Falcon + WOLFF + Ape Rising @ The Bowery, €15 One of Ireland’s best up-and-coming acts Bitch Falcon bring their abrasive brand of lairy rock to Rathmines in a show sure to shake your body with bass.

Rita Braga + Yawning Chasm @ Jigsaw, €10 Bicurious @ Whelan’s (Upstairs), €7 MARCH 16 (Friday) Stereophonics @ 3Arena, €46 Legendar y Welsh act (and former Glastonbury headliners) run through the classics at 3Arena, in a show sure to show off Kelly Jones’ gravelly vocals, and the band’s penchant for pop-rocky drama.

The Stunning @ Olympia Theatre, €29 Ghost Accuser @ Thomas House, €5

PICKOF THE WEEK MARCH 21 (Wednesday) Joan Baez @ Bord Gais Energy Theatre. Legendary artist and activist Joan Baez will play the Bord Gais Energy Theatre Dublin, as part of an extensive 2018 tour in conjunction with the release of a new studio album, her first since 2008’s Day After Tomorrow. Tickets: €58

MARCH 17 (Saturday) Daithi @ Baggot’s House, €12 Donal Dineen @ Hang Dai MARCH 18 (Sunday) Aslan @ Olympia Theatre, €33 Kormac @ Vicar Street, €25 AILIE @ Whelan’s, €12 Native Oak @ Whelan’s (Upstairs), €10 MARCH 19 (Monday) Steven Wilson @ Olympia Theatre, €33 MARCH 20 (Tuesday) Vance Joy @ Olympia Theatre, €21 The Ruby Sessions @ Doyle’s, €6 Hippie Sabotage @ The Workmans’ Club, €5 Cannibal Corpse @ Tivoli Theatre, €28 MARCH 21 (Wednesday) Feeder @ Olympia Theatre, €28 Joan Baez @ Bord Gais Energy Theatre, €58 Bell X1 @ Vicar Street, €37

22 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15 March 2018

GAZETTE

DUBLINFITNESS The 80% nutrition and 20% training rule myth CHECK OUT

www.kickstartfitness.ie

NOWADAYS I see a lot of nutrition based companies using this pitch, that your results on fat loss depends on 80% of your nutrition and just 20% on your training programme.

From the beginning let’s just blow this up and say it’s not true, simply because it depends on which approach you take and what works for you.

Firstly, truth be told you don’t necessarily need exercise to lose fat. All you need is a to be in a calorie deficit and you can do this by just eating less calories over a day or a week and you’ll start to lose fat pretty fast.

Therefore if you were to use this approach your fat loss journey would actually be 100% nutrition and 0% training and you’d still get results.

So why use exercise if your only goal is to lose fat?

Well here’s why, we know fat loss comes down to the amount of calories we put into our bodies vs the amount of calories we burn through daily activity and exercise.

So the more exercise we do the more calories we burn.

If you don’t decrease the amount of calories you’re taking into your body then this means exercise and activity are your tool to increase the amount of calories going out of the body still putting yourself in a calorie deficit and losing fat.

If you were to use this approach then your fat loss plan would be 100% exercise and 0% nutrition and you will still get results.

So I think that simply clears up the 80/20 rule

Gareth Francis is a qualified personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach with over eight years experience in the fitness industry.

He now works as head coach in Kickstart Fitness. to be a myth and we really know it depends on which approach you take.

But what’s the best approach then?

My advice is find out what works for you. A lot of us fail with our fat loss goals because we make our plan just too hard to stick to and fall off the wagon before we start to see results.

For example when decreasing your calo-

 GARETH FRANCIS info@dublingazette.com

Here’s a beginners guide to fat loss.

There are no tricks, no magic pills or diet drinks just some simple steps that anyone can apply straight away.

Step 1: Find out how many calories you’re taking in daily by tracking them using a fitness app or googling the types of foods and drinks you’re consuming. Find your daily average, now take

All you need is to be in a calorie deficit situation to lose weight

ries keep your deficit realistic so that you can stick to it long enough to get real results. I recommend reducing your daily calories no more than 25%.

The same moto goes for exercise too, telling yourself your going to push yourself to the max everyday in the gym isn’t realistic especially if you’re new to exercise.

Remember it’s about sustainability, you need a plan that you can stick to until you reach your goal.

some calories away start with a low number 200-500 being sure the amount you do choose you can stick by it.

Step 2: Add in some exercise or activity. The more exercise and activity we do the bigger our deficit is going be and the more fat we are going to lose.

Step 3: Stick to it! Fat loss sounds really easy when you’re looking at the science of it but it’s actually sticking by it that’s the hard part.

15 March 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 23

GAZETTE

FEATURE ENTERTAINMENT: OZZIE AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST KATHY LETTE BRINGING HER ONE-WOMAN SHOW TO DUBLIN

All welcome at this fun Girl’s Night Out – even men!

Kathy relaxing in style – and right, with her son, Jules Robertson

 MARK O’BRIEN DUBLIN Gazette may have gotten Billy Connolly in trouble.

The last time the Australian author, screenwriter and journalist Kathy Lette visited Dublin, she was here with her great friend, Billy, who was teaching her some local phrases.

She says: “Can you imagine being in Dublin with Billy Connolly? The fun we had!

“The craic was 90 – see, I’m basically speaking your language. What’s the other thing he taught me?

‘Tiocfaidh Ar La’?”

It is our unfortunate duty to inform Kathy that the last phrase does not, in fact, mean ‘Everything is okay’, and that Billy may have been trying to get her into trouble.

“He probably bloody was, you know!” she laughs down the phone.

A chat with Kathy gener-

ally involves a whole lot of laughter.

Kathy first achieved success as a teenager with the novel, Puberty Blues, which was made into a major film and a TV miniseries.

After several years as a newspaper columnist and TV sitcom writer in America and Australia, she’s written 12 international bestsellers in her characteristically witty voice, including Mad Cows (which was made into a film starring Joanna Lumley and Anna Friel), How to Kill Your Husband (and Other Handy Household Hints), The Boy Who Fell to Earth, Courting Trouble, and Best Laid Plans – soon to be an eight-hour TV series.

Last year, she took to the road with her first one-woman show, Girls’ Night Out. She says: “It’s great, because when you’re a writer, you’re very iso-

lated and when I’m on book tours I always get to meet my readers and I’ve always loved it so much.

“It’s such a compliment because they’re so witty and wild and wicked and wonderful and warm.

“So, I thought I might as well just do a little show on the road where I get to talk to them and it’s just been so great.”

Men welcome The show is very much a girls’ night out, but men are always welcome to come too, even if many tend not to tag along.

“It’s all women who come,” says Kathy. “It’s 99% women. They come in gangs – grandmas, mums, daughters or sisters or best friends.

“I always say that women are each other’s human wonderbras – uplifting, supportive and making each other look bigger and better.

“We have a handful,

maybe five brave males that come along [per show]. I always say to them they’re going to be ovulating by the end of the show!

“But they love the girl talk. I think they’re surprised to know how candid women are with no men around.”

Girls’ Night Out draws on Kathy’s vast and varied life experience, which ranges from tales of love, lust, men, marriage, pregnancy, childbirth, mastitis, sexist bosses, teenagedaughter-wrangling, ageing, toy boys.

The second half is more poignant and deals with raising a child on the autistic spectrum, Jules Robertson, through to his success playing Jason on Holby City.

“The first half is funny, it’s a bit of a laugh and a good rollick and all that, and then in the second act, it gets a bit more serious and I talk about how

women care,” Kathy says, “as in how we care for our ageing parents and our friends and our sick siblings and our kids.

“That bit is my favourite bit, because we turn the lights up a bit and then women share their stories.

“On a girls’ night out, what normally happens is we laugh and laugh and laugh and then suddenly we’ll be crying and hugging.”

Honest Kathy attributes her success down to the fact that she is honest and has never tried to be something she’s not, which strikes a chord with other women.

“Unfortunately, there’re still a lot of women who still pretend to have perfect marriages,” she says.

“I always say a perfect

marriage is like an orgasm – many of them are faked.

“I hate women in the public eye who try and pretend their lives are perfect so other women feel inadequate and jealous.

I don’t do that, it’s flaws and all – pelvic flaws and all.”

A staunch feminist, Kathy says that while progress has been made in achieving equality between the sexes, there is some way to go before it is achieved. However, she thinks women can use humour to challenge sexist behaviour.

She says: “Whenever I give talks in schools to young women I always say to them, yes, men are

physically stronger, but women are more verbally dexterous.

“We use on average about 500 more words in our daily vocabulary than the average male.

“I call it developing the black belt in ‘Tongue-Fu’, if you can fire off a witty one-liner and give a man a bit of quip-lash.

“Like, if a man is bullying you in a group, if you can fire off a one-liner and the other people laugh at him, you completely take away his power.”

Girls’ Night Out comes to the Civic Theatre in Tallaght on Monday, March 26. Tickets are available now from www.civitheatre.ie.

24 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15 March 2018

River Isla

nd Green

chunky knit

roll neck ju m

per €55

DUBLINLIFE

NYX Professional Makeup Prismatic Shadow €7

This dress from River Island will help you look cool and collected, while also repping our country’s signature colour.

Weir & Son Chopard 18k Rose Gold Happy Hearts Bangle with Agate Heart €2,595

Fresh skin and rosy cheeks for St Patrick’s Day We all want to look our best, and Uriage HYSEAC Purifying Cleansing Gel is just the answer to giving you clearer, fresher and healthier skin. Suitable for use on face, chest and back, the flip cap bottle makes this the perfect shower buddy! RRP €25

15 March 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 25

GAZETTE

STYLE

BeautyBITS

River Island Green bardot culotte jumpsuit €87

River Island Dark green frill sleeve tie back playsuit €61

Penneys are launching their Korean Beauty range this month Weir Both & Son er w S atch watch N ot A €65

Feed your k-beauty cutesy curiosity with Penney’s KPOPRange

IT’S EASY BEING FASHIONABLY

GREEN  Jessica Maile, Style Editor

WHAT other day of the year can you get away with proudly wearing our country’s colours from head to toe? St Patrick’s Day is a day for going all out, but that doesn’t mean we need to sacrifice fashion either.

From a shimmering glittery eyeshadow right to intricate emerald and gold detailed jewellery, there’s a number of ways to display your love for the emerald isle from a subtle accessory to a more-obvious gorgeously green outfit.

CALLING all beauty fanatics – Penneys are set to launch their own Korean beauty range, with products from liquid lipstick to bunny-eared mirrors.

Taking influence from the current k-pop and k-beauty

trends

sweeping social media, Penneys’

KPOP range

has something for everyone. From liquid highlighters and ‘jelly’ lipsticks to cream blush, KPOP can satisfy your k-beauty curiosity without breaking the bank.

Penneys have been upping their beauty game lately, releasing cult-like foundations and highlighters that are gaining admiration across social media.

Penneys’ beauty products are being compared to high-end names, with budget friendly prices, meaning their KPOP range is likely to fly off the shelves. It launches in store on March 19.

NYX Professional Makeup jumbo eye pencil in Rocky Mountain Green €4.99

• Sugar Blu sh Palette €6

elly k J €2 Pin • stick lip

in eam ter • B hligh 0 Hig 3.5 €

River Island Green chain side mini slouch bag €45

• Heart contour brush €4

 Rachel D’Arcy

River Island Green stripe jaccquard knot side top €35

• Cushion Bubble Blush €5

GAZETTE

26 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15 March 2018

DUBLINLIFE

FASTNews

Volvo XC40 is named 2018 Car of the Year

THE new Volvo XC40 small SUV was named the 2018 European Car of the Year ahead of the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland.

It is the first win of this prestigious award for Volvo Cars, the premium car maker and it topped the shortlist which included the Mazda CX-5 and the Range Rover Velar.

The XC40 win means that the complete line-up of

Volkswagen rocs compact SUV market

The compact SUV market is booming across Europe as drivers aim to downsize for greater economy and lower CO2 emissions. Volkswagen has joined this segment of the market with a new T-Roc model that’s attractive to drive.

MICHAEL MORONEY found that it comes with style and features to make it an enviable choice.

new global Volvo SUVs have each been named Car of the Year in either Europe or North America. Both the large XC90 and mid-size XC60 were awarded the North American Truck/Utility of the Year title in the past two years.

Volvo believes that the XC40 sets a new standard in its segment in terms of design, connectivity and safety technology. Early orders in excess of 20,000 cars across Europe and the US indicate that this is an appealing combination for customers.

The XC40 roll-out will soon extend to China, now the world’s biggest car market, where Volvo is expecting similar strong interest.

The XC40 is the first model on Volvo Cars’ new compact modular vehicle architecture (CMA), which will underpin all upcoming cars in the 40 series, including fully electrified vehicles. Co-developed together with Geely, CMA provides the company with the necessary economies of scale for this segment.

Toyota to move out of diesel engines this year TOYOTA took the opportunity of the Geneva Motor Show to announce that it will phase out diesel engines in all of its passenger cars at the end of this year. This follows the strong demand for the hybrid systems that Toyota is now offering The company said that the new generation Auris models will come with three power options, including 2 Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) versions. Similar to the decision taken in 2016, to introduce Toyota C-HR without a diesel version, the new generation Auris will only be offered with petrol and HEV engines.

Toyota said that HEV powered cars represented 41% of their total sales, rising +38% year-on-year to 406,000 units. In contrast, Toyota’s diesel mix on passenger cars was less than 10% in 2017. Toyota will continue to offer diesel engines in commercial vehicles such as the Hilux, Proace and Land Cruiser to meet customer needs.

Toyota Ireland’s diesel car sales are now at only 20% of its overall mix, compared to 60% just two short years ago. In contrast, hybrid electric cars now represent almost 50% of Toyota Ireland’s car sales mix.

VOLKSWAGEN has a third SUV for the Irish market with the recent arrival of the T-Roc, the new compact SUV in the range.

This new Volkswagen T-Roc is the new entry level SUV for the Volkswagen range, coming is below the popularTiguan.

The entry-level T-Roc specification comes with Volkswagen’s well regarded 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine that’s rated at 115bhp, while the test car that I had on the road was fitted with the larger 1.5 litre TSI engine that comes with a 150bhp rating.

The TSI code means that the car is petrol powered and has a neat turbocharger fitted for that extra power boost.

Volkswagen has been best known for its diesel heritage, which was severely tarnished with the diesel-gate scandals.

That’s probably why it came as no surprise when Volkswagen Ireland offered me the opportunity to test drive the new T-Roc, with a petrol fuelled engine.

Volkswagen is offering a single diesel engine alternative for the T-Roc, that’s the 2.0-litre version also rated at 150bhp. This is the only version that offers Volkswagen’s 4Motion four-wheel-drive system.

VW T-Roc Sport 1.5 TSI EVO Engine Engine power 0 – 100km/hr Economy Fuel Tank Capacity CO2 emissions Road Tax Band Main Service Euro NCAP Rating Warranty Entry Price This diesel engine option delivers significantly more torque than its petrol alternative, but there are no obvious fuel economy differences to report.

That’s why the 1.5-litre TSI engine is now a realistic option for the T-Roc. The Volkswagen heritage is very clearly obvious.

You can feel it throughout

1.5 litre 150 bhp 8.4 seconds 19km/litre (5.3/100km or 53.3mpg) 50 litres 121g/km B1 €270 20,000km/12 months 5 star (2017) 3 years €29,225 every aspect of the car, with a Golf-like driving experience on a raised structure to give marginally better road visibility with all of the well-manner handling of the Volkswagen Golf range.

Out on the road, it is an easy drive. The car’s engine management system allows the engine to

automatically shut down two of its four cylinders for fuel economy reasons, if not needed.

This adds to the thrifty performance and the beauty of it is that you don’t even notice the difference, other than a small message appearing on the dash.

The petrol engine performance means that on longer runs it cruises with ease.

While this engine revs higher than its diesel equivalent with judicious driving you can almost achieve the rated economy figure of 19km/litre (5.3/100km or 53.3mpg).

This means that on motorway drives you cruise at 120km/hr with the engine at 2500rpm, just marginally over the best economy sweet spot, without too much suffer-

The dash layout is very much to the new generation Volkswagen design

ing in terms of fuel economy.

With the engine performance so good, it’s easy to get comfortable with the other features.

The dash layout is typically Volkswagen with a slightly more robust feel to it. The speedo layout and clarity, introduced in the Golf over a year ago, is very easy to use with lots of easy to set options, all electronically driven.

The central infotainment screen is very large and clear to use with finger touch control.

I found that I quickly got used to its features and setting up the Bluetooth phone connection was logical and easy.

The T-Roc is designed as a five seat car, and to be more compact that the Tiguan. Five adults might find it a squeeze.

All Volkswagen T-Roc models come with Volkswagen’s high-tech safety systems.

Entry prices start at €29,225 for the 1.5-litre versions, while the smaller 1.0-litre petrol engine version is even more competitive at €25,525.

15 March 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 27

GAZETTE

MOTORING

Jaguar unveils electric I-Pace JAGUAR has unveiled the all-electric I-PACE at last week’s Geneva Motor Show.

This new car has a state-of-theart 90kWh Lithium-ion battery and offers sports car performance of 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds alongside the practicality of a 480km range (WLTP cycle) and 0-80 per cent charging time of 40 minutes (100kW DC).

Along with its concept car looks

UK, and will be built in Plant Graz,

and next-generation artificial intel-

Austria, as part of Jaguar Land

ligence, it is set to be the perfect

Rover’s manufacturing partner-

everyday EV consumers have been

ship with Magna Steyr. It joins

waiting for.

Jaguar’s growing family of SUVs,

The new electric I-Pace as designed and engineered in the

alongside the recently introduced new E-PACE and the F-PACE.

Ireland’s first driving school for kids opens at Tayto Park The T-Roc is a very attractive looking compact SUV with hints of the Golf design on a raised structure.

TAYTO Park and Nissan have joined forces to open Ireland’s first ever driving school for kids. The Nissan Driving School at Tayto Park gives kids the chance to learn the rules of the road and to test their driving skills on a purpose built, road marked traffic course before leaving with their own child’s driving licence.

The new track is currently under construction

AN international line-up of experts from the automotive and technology industries will gather in Killarney, Ireland, this May for Electronomous, the annual forum for topics including electric vehicles, connected car technology, autonomous vehicles, cyber security and more.

Electronomous 2018 takes place at the INEC, Killarney, Kerry, on May 2-3, 2018.

The conference, organised by vehicle history and data expert Cartell.ie, will discuss how technology is changing all aspects of the automotive world including the rapid development of mobility solutions, as well as other key industry processes such as insurance, finance and sales.

The main attraction of Electronomous is a panel of globallyrenowned speakers, including Marcus Rothoff, Head of Volvo’s Autonomous Driving programme; Uwe Puetzschler, Head of Car2X at Nokia; Barry Napier, CEO of Cubic Telecom; and Gareth Dunsmore, Electric Vehicle Director with Nissan Europe, to name just a few.

The event will be hosted by Quentin Wilson, former Top Gear presenter and award-winning motoring journalist.

Some of the confirmed attendees for Electronomous 2018 include Volkswagen, IBM, Toyota, BMW, Honda, Applegreen, Valeo, TomTom, Audatex, the European Council for Automotive R&D

at Tayto Park in Ashbourne, Meath and will

Former Top Gear presenter and award-winning motoring journalist Quentin Wilson is hosting the event

be completed and open to the public on Saturday 24 March. The easy drive track will accommodate 20 miniature battery operated Nissan cars at one time with the new attraction set to give young drivers a real experience of what it is like to take to the road.

All drivers arriving at the Nissan Driving School at Tayto Park will enjoy a short video demonstration at the new attraction’s Learning Theatre, where they will learn the rules of the road before negotiating the traffic course. Young drivers who complete the course and prove to their parents that they have what it takes to make the move from the back seat to the front seat can pick up their driving licence.

Used tyre dangers in focus PART worn tyres may appear to be the cheaper option but motorists need

All car technology roads lead to Killarney (EUCAR) and the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The event will begin with a highprofile ‘Electric Drive’ from Dublin to Killarney on the afternoon of May 2, with TV & Motoring broadcaster Kirsteen O’Sullivan leading a fleet of electric vehicles on a 300km road trip in the company of motoring journalists and special

guests. The drive will give members of the public a chance to see the range and capabilities of EVs for themselves.

For a limited time only, Electronomous 2018 tickets are available for €300 + VAT per person at www. electronomous.com (to include access to the 1.5 day event and all other associated events).

to take note of the numerous studies and investigations that have highlighted significant concerns as to their roadworthiness. In the UK some 93% of part worn tyres inspected were sold illegally with more than half having safety-critical faults.

Many car owners are seeking the cheapest means to maintain their cars, part worn tyres, often advertised with low price tags, may seem appealing. The false economy of buying part worns in addition to the uncertainty over their safety is further highlighted by the poor quality of service and expertise of those fitting the tyres.

Buying part worn tyres is false economy.

Your tyres will have to be replaced much sooner and at a similar price to the ones previously fitted so you won’t benefit in the long term. Part worn tyres can be sold with 2mm tread depth, which leaves just 0.4mm – half the thickness of a bank card – before they reach the minimum legal limit of 1.6mm.

GAZETTE

28 DUBLIN GAZETTE 15 March 2018

DUBLINLIFE

FOOD&DRINK

Siucra and Catherine Fulvio team up to dish out a deliciously easy to make salad for four SIUCRA and Catherine Fulvio have teamed up to create a mouth-watering salad for you to enjoy at any time of the day.

The combination of sweet and juicy pears, crispy pancetta and creamy goat’s cheese make for the perfect salad to rustle up in the kitchen, with this dish serving four.

Ingredients Salad l 3 to 4 pears, peeled, cored, sliced into wedges l 80g Siucra Light Golden Brown Sugar l 30g butter l 1 tsp chopped thyme l 100g pancetta l 50g rocket leaves l 30g salad leaves l 2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts l 50g soft goats cheese l Garden herbs such as fennel fronds and edible flowers, optional Dressing l 1 lemon, zest and juice l 50ml rapeseed oil l 1 tsp Siucra Caster Sugar l 1 tbsp chopped parsley or chives l Salt and freshly ground black pepper Preparation l To make the dressing, combine Siucra Caster Sugar with all the other ingredients. Check the seasoning, adding a little extra sugar, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. l To prepare the pears, heat a large frying pan over a medium to low heat with butter and Siucra Light Golden Brown Sugar and add the pear wedges. l Add the thyme and saute until softened and golden. l Heat another frying pan and add the pancetta, saute until crispy and cooked. l Place the rocket leaves and salad leaves on a large serving platter. l Arrange the pears and pancetta on the top. l Spoon over some of the salad dressing and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top. Crumble the goat’s cheese on top before serving. Add herbs and edible flowers to garnish (optional).

The Irish Teeling Whiskey-inspired foodfest at the Conrad Hong Kong was a delicious way to showcase a range of foodstuffs

SHOWCASE: CONRAD HONG KONG SERVES UP DELICIOUS IRISH FARE

Feast in the Far East dishes up Dub grub IN CELEBRATION of the newly-renovated Conrad Dublin, its sister property – Conrad Hong Kong – held an Irish Teeling Whiskey-inspired tasting and cheese pairing experience last week, giving the Far East attendees a taste of some of the best of the west.

T he night brought g u e s t s a n e xcl u s i ve opportunity to experi-

ence Dublin fare firsthand, courtesy of traditional Irish bites and beverages offered at Conrad Dublin that were on offer at the Hong Kong bash.

Referring to the recently announced availability of direct flights between Dublin and Hong Kong scheduled to begin later this year, Thomas Hoeborn, general manager of Conrad Hong Kong,

said: “With the highlyanticipated new route between the two cities, we are delighted to introduce Conrad Dublin and be one of the first few to bring the city closer to our guests by showcasing the genuine taste of Irish presented by our seasoned culinary team.”

The night featured the likes of Irish beer cheese soup, black pudding

scotch eggs, and whiskey smoked salmon lollipops.

Along with the canapes, several ‘live stations’ and a chef’s showcase trolley were also available at the venue, with options including Irish farm cheese, salmon, beef and oysters.

Tim Loughman, vice president, luxury and lifestyle brands, Hilton said: “We are thrilled to have

two properties collaborate and inspire attendees to explore two of our iconic destinations, Dublin and Hong Kong.

“Conrad Hotels & Resorts prioritises introducing travellers to local cultures and we are so pleased that we were able to highlight the connectivity and service that is synonymous with the Conrad brand.”

15 March 2018 DUBLIN GAZETTE 29

ReelNews

A PANTHERRIFIC HIT

GAZETTE

CINEMA

ANNIHILATION: NEW SCI-FI IS BRILLIANT IN PARTS, BUT ALSO VERY INTELLECTUAL

Id’s a little bit baffling

Film passes big milestone HOLLYWOOD has been forced to sit up and take notice by Black Panther, which has quietly become a bona-fide juggernaut success in smashing a rare milestone last weekend.

Despite not getting anywhere near the level of hype or support doled out to pretty much any other superhero film (cough Avengers cough), BP has now smashed the Dr Evilish figure of One Beelyunn Dollars at the box office, surprising industry watchers with its startling success despite a relatively short run.

Garnering international critical acclaim (and, just as importantly, bums on seats), BP has done much more than ‘just’ generating shedloads of money – it’s shown that there’s a very real audience and hunger for major all-black blockbusters, putting paid to the traditional view that audiences largely warm to all-white casts.

Conventional BP’s runaway success at the box office has put paid to this tired, dated outlook – and quite right, too, as there’s been a growing sense for a while that audiences are getting tired of conventional allwhite hero films (or all-white blockbusters) with other ethnicities shoehorned into minor, supporting roles.

It’s true that we’ve seen any number of films trying to pander for Asian – read: Chinese – markets in recent years, with superfluous film sections set in Hong Kong or Beijing, or big-name Chinese or Korean stars given supporting roles in Hollywood triple-A films.

However, major bigbudget Western films that focus on other ethnicities have been rare – as rare as panthers’ teeth, in fact.

Here’s hoping that BP’s well-deserved success leads to some long overdue inclusivity at the cinema.

Described by many as ‘the most thoughtful sci-fi film since Arrival’, there’s no doubting that Annihilation explores some pretty interesting, intellectual themes. When a small team of soldiers and scientists go into The Shimmer – an expanding, otherworldly zone on America’s coast – its raw beauty and menace soon tests them...

FOLLOWING Ex Machina (2014) – a film which delved into the idea of consciousness and identity, filtered through the prism of machine intelligence – there were high hopes for director Alex Garland’s latest, Annihilation.

Ditching robotics and artificial intelligence this time round, Garland takes viewers on a different journey as he again explores the id itself – the core elements of what drives and defines humanity, and whether it can be replicated or corrupted by an external, truly other force.

However, what worked so well as a driving plot force in Ex Machina just isn’t as successful in Garland’s treatment of the ‘unfilmable’ novel by Jeff VanderMeer – perhaps that’s why most of the planet will be watching this on Netflix, rather than at cinemas.

As I recently wrote, Garland is reportedly none too happy that Annihilation got sold by Paramount Pictures to Netflix

 SHANE DILLON

sdillon@dublingazette.com

(bar a cinema release in America and Canada), when it had been made for a standard cinema release.

Media mutterings suggest that Paramount, spooked by the film’s intellectual themes and hardcore sci-fi elements, were happy to sell it to Netflix, which is conspicuously trying to up its game and land bigger cinematic fish to fry (despite similarly landing a recent stinker, The Cloverfield Paradox).

It’s a shame in a way, because Annihilation’s dreamy, occasionally beautiful visuals will certainly lose an awful lot of impact on small screens – and will have none at all if you’re one of those people who watches on a phone: a platform which will absolutely annihilate Annihilation’s impact.

Here, Natalie Portman

leads as an ex-soldier who’s one of a small team of scientists entering The Shimmer – a mysterious, slowly expanding zone that’s sprung up somewhere on the American coast, defined by what looks like an oil bubblelike forcefield at its edge, and mutating the flora and fauna within its lush, sun-dappled and rainbowhued interior.

The team – also including Jennifer Jason Leigh as its enigmatic head – are just the latest batch of people trying to solve The Shimmer’s purpose.

Mysterious However, although plenty of others have been sent into the mysterious miasma, nobody ever comes back – nobody, that is, except for Portman’s violently ill soldier husband (Oscar Isaac), giving her a personal quest to help solve the mystery of The Shimmer.

To say much more about what happens within the zone would be unhelpful, as there’s little that actually hap-

pens, with the film largely focusing on fostering an intensely brooding tone and atmosphere rather than providing traditional story beats.

There are some moments of startling beauty (with special praise for its dreamy cinematography and lighting), as well as some unsettling gore and one particularly disturbing beast, but for the most part there’s something that seems a little too ‘low energy’ about Annihilation, despite a few all-guns-blazing moments.

Portman and Jason Leigh are giving it their brooding best, but the end result is very much the sum of its parts.

Personally, as gorgeous – and occasionally ghastly – as its wonderfully executed visuals are, it was hard not to think of similar scenes from other sources.

Many of Annihilation’s locations bring to mind visuals from some brilliant video games and franchises (The Last of Us, Uncharted, Final Fantasy, Bloodborne), with echoes of the quiet

environmentalism behind much of Japanese anime and manga master Hayao Miyazaki’s work (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind) also drifting past.

The intense inner intellectualism driving the characters along – and the possible impact on the world around them – also brings to mind Andrei Tarkovsky’s seminal Solaris (1972), which saw an alien water planet reacting to/ manipulating the astronauts trying to study it.

That’s a hell of a lot of stuff to think about when considering what’s basically just a sci-fi film about a mysterious zone that’s full of some creepy/cool stuff.

Global release Although I was personally underwhelmed by Annihilation, it’s been a critical hit, with plenty of rave reviews, although it’s too early to say just yet what the long-term audience reaction will be, as it was just globally released on Monday.

While I found the film to be a curate’s egg unin-

tentionally stuffed full of overly familiar parts, most of its audience will see this with much fresher eyes.

Even at its worst, there are some very interesting, thoughtful ideas at the heart of Garland’s latest, providing a refreshing alternative to the utterly dumbed down sci fi that we’re mostly treated to.

(That said, I’m looking forward to Pacific Rim 2, because watching giant robots wrestling with kaiju and trashing cities is difficult to make boring.)

While it may seem a little too long, too intellectual or too esoteric for many, Annihilation is a very pretty and occasionally creepy way to kill a couple of hours.

It’s also an interesting benchmark to note as Netflix begins to flex its muscles in a bid to, perhaps, challenge cinema’s dominance for most big budget or critically acclaimed releases.

Ultimately, that may prove to be even more interesting to consider than The Shimmer itself...

Verdict: 6/10

30 DUBLIN GAZETTE  CITY 15 March 2018

DUBLINGAZETTECLASSIFIEDS  CITY DVD TRANSFERS

ROOFING

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

RECRUITMENT

INSURANCE CLAIMS STAIRLIFTS

LOCALMATTERS SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS

ADVERTISE WITH THE GAZETTE CALL 60 10 240

30 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 15 March 2018

DUBLINGAZETTECLASSIFIEDS  WEST DVD TRANSFERS

ROOFING

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

STAIRLIFTS

INSURANCE CLAIMS

FOLLOW US TODAY ON OUR SOCIAL NETWORK Visit: Facebook: www.facebook.com/DublinGazetteNewspapers Twitter: @DublinGazette

GOT A STORY? Call our NEWS TEAM on 60 10 240

WINDOWS

15 March 2018 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 31

WEST  DUBLINGAZETTE

PLANNING

WINDOWS

FOLLOW US TODAY ON OUR SOCIAL NETWORK

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ DublinGazetteNewspapers Twitter: @DublinGazette

GOT A STORY? Call our NEWS TEAM on 60 10 240

GOT A STORY? Call our NEWS TEAM on 60 10 240

GAZETTE

32 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 15 March 2018

DUBLINLIFE Revellers enjoying a silent disco

Silent disco has all the very best tunes (and not much of the noise) for a fun night  JORDAN UPSHAW LOOKING for some weeknight fun? Then check out Dublin’s only Silent Disco, at Whelan’s on Wexford Street.

W helan’s hosts a Silent Disco ever y Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night yearround. What is a Silent Disco, you may ask?

Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like – a dance party without the noise complaints.

Par ticipants wear wireless headphones, drink and dance while a DJ takes care of the rest.

A silent disco eliminates the need for speakers and worrying about complying with noise ordinances.

The idea is that only the people wearing the headphones can hear the music. Everyone else remains undisturbed by the festivities.

Notably, Whelan’s features two DJs playing two different types of music. You can choose your favourite or switch between them as many times as you want.

According to the Whelans website: “If you don’t like what one DJ is playing, just flick a switch on your

headphones and listen to the other ,and if you don’t like that then just switch back again because you’ve probably already forgotten what was on the other channel.

“Pick up your headphones on the way in and switch between the two DJs to see who is playing the songs you most want to dance to. If you need a break, take the headphones off and marvel at the bizarre spectacle of a room full of people dancing and singing different songs, even though no music is to be heard.”

Musical genres vary by night. In the past they have included 80s vs 90s, noughties vs now, hip hop vs prog rock, indie vs electro, and many other genres.

The Whelan’s Silent Disco Ciunas takes place upstairs with regular pub merriment continuing uninterrupted downstairs. If you need a breather from dancing, you can go downstairs for a pint and then return to the disco upstairs when you’re ready.

Entr y is free all night, and so is the use of the wireless headphones. Discos start at 11pm and end around 3am.

FEATURES

FAMILIES | TAYTO ADDS A DRIVING SCHOOL TO POPULAR THEME PARK

Pick up a crisp new kiddy driving licence A NEED for speed is essential for those visiting Tayto Park in the coming months, as they have teamed up with Nissan to launch Ireland’s first driving school for kids.

The Nissan Driving School at Tayto Park is giving kids the chance to learn the rules of the road, giving them the ability to test out their driving skills on a dedicated road-marked course, tailored for smaller drivers.

The course will be the first ever of its kind for children in Ireland.

Any child that takes part in the training will leave with their very own ‘driver’s licence’, meaning they’ll be able to become real backseat drivers.

Currently under construction at Tayto Park, the new track is set to be open and ready for racing on Saturday, March 24.

The new attraction will give kids the chance to experience life in the driver’s seat, with the easy-drive track able to accommodate 20 miniature battery operated Nissan cars at one time.

Every child that participates will enjoy a short video

demonstration at the Learning Theatre, learning the rules of the road, before they embark on the drive of their lifetime on the purpose-built course.

Nissan are sponsors of the new attraction, as part of a new deal with the theme park.

The battery-operated cars on the course are representative of Nissan’s move to introduce more electric vehicles to their fleet, such as the Nissan LEAF.

Raymond Coyle, the founder of Tayto Park, said the new driving school is just one of the ways that the theme park aims to stay “innovative and creative”, keeping the park exciting for families across Ireland to visit.

He said: “Here at T a y t o Park we’re always l o o king for innovative and cre-

ative ways to enhance the experience for families at our theme park and zoo.

“The Nissan Driving School at Tayto Park will be the first of its kind in Ireland, of which I’m sure will be very popular among our younger visitors this season.

“I’m delighted to welcome Nissan to Tayto Park as this marks a milestone as the first sponsored attraction at the park.”

James McCarthy, chief executive of Nissan Ireland, said the car company is “delighted” to bring the driving school to Ireland.

Of the new attraction, he said: “Innovation and excitement for everyone is at the heart of what we do at Nissan.

“The thousands of children who will enjoy this new family attraction are the electric vehicle drivers of tomorrow.”

There’s plenty of vroom for driving fans twins Conor and Tara Ocks to get to grips with the new attraction at Tayto Park. Picture: Leon Farrell

A noteworthy way to help mark a century of Suffrage  JORDAN UPSHAW

THIS year marks the 100 year anniversary of Irish women getting the vote, with the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) ‘Saluting the Feminists’ with a free all-day event on March 28 from 10am to 5pm.

The event will celebrate the work of women composers, performers, pedagogues and women who have made important

musical contributions through other roles.

The main attraction will be the performance of an opera written by a female composer – Judith Weir’s Scipio’s Dream.

Weir is an awardwinning composer and currently holds the title of Master of the Queen’s Music. She wrote Scipio’s Dream in 1991.

Set in modern times, it follows office worker Scipio, whose boring day

quickly becomes interesting when two of his coworkers are transformed into the goddesses Fortune and Constancy.

The goddesses demand Scipio choose between the two and the gifts they offer him. Fortune tempts him with excitement, chance, and inclination.

Constancy transports him to heaven to meet his heroic ancestors and emphasises the importance of duty. Will he

make the right choice?

In addition to the opera, the Academy will also present an assortment of other events including concerts, talks and panel discussions designed to emphasise the significant contributions women have made to Irish music both in the past and in the present.

Saluting the Feminists is an event hosted by RIAM annually, but the centennial of Irish wom-

en’s suffrage makes the occasion unique this year.

According to RIAM, the event at RIAM, located at 38 Westland Row, “affords the Academy an opportunity to highlight the legacy of some of its key female pedagogues and salute a strong army of female composers and performers”.

Get your free tickets by registering at www.eventbrite.ie. Space is limited so book now.

15 March 2018 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 33

ULTRA-SONIC P35

ASDFSDAF P27 GAELIC GAMES P38-39

DUBLINSPORT

Let the Gazette keep you up to date with all the best local sporting action from around the city as we cover all the stories that matter to you and your community



GAZETTE

RUGBY P34

FASTSport

Gillick hails trailblazing Irish women’s athletes The scene for the PE Xpo at DCU last week. Picture: Kyran O’Brien

PEXPO: DUBLIN SCHOOLS SHINE AT ENGAGING EXHIBITION

Students provide sporting food for thought at PE Xpo  sport@dublingazette.com

FOR a second year, Colaiste Mhuire Cobh won the top prize at PExpo ‘18, the exhibition that encourages second level students to demonstrate their knowledge of sport, hosted for the first time this year by DCU. T i t l e d “ P r o -Te e n s ”, t h e Colaiste Mhuire project was inspired by the number of heavily marketed protein drinks and bars now targeting sports people.

The team of Cian Lynch, Diarmuid Kearney, Lauren Breen, Holly Morgan and Stewart Lynch first examined the intake of protein by young people both through their diet and though

protein shakes and bars.

To see whether the average diet could provide enough protein and whether those heavily involved sport needed more protein than the less active, they conducted a week-long experiment with each member of the team following a different diet after running a kilometre on the first and final days of the experiment. The results were inconclusive and they hope to continue exploring the topic on the Proteen website.

Top junior project (1st,2nd,3rd year students) was Jaia Kavanagh from Loreto Balbriggan with a project in the sports psychology section called “Does reinforce-

ment help sports teams win?”.

Kavanagh’s project also took the junior peer-judged award, voted on by fellow exhibitors.

Trinity Comprehensive, hosts of PExpo for the past three years, had 14 projects entered and took two awards.

Keith Enright and Brandon Kenna took the junior award in the ICT and Sports photography, for their project on the use of video techniques to teach sporting skills, while Arinna Gallagher’s study of “Sport and the LGBTG Community” won the top prize in the senior Power of Sport category.

For the first time, there was a special award for the best pro-

ject “as Gaeilge” and this went to Gaelcholaiste Cheatherlach for their project on concussion called “Ag chuir comhtol gadh chun cinn (concussion)”.

In the Well-Being, physical, Mental and Social category, both awards went to Leinster schools, with St Joseph’s Rush winning the junior prize for a study of “social jetlag” and obesity, and St Dominic’s Cabra best of the senior projects with a project simply name “Get Active Ireland!”.

With almost 200 entries, PExpo’18 proved a resounding success. PExpo will return to DCU on Wednesday, March 6, 2019.

IRISH Olympian David Gillick paid tribute to the female atheltes who blazed a trail in Irish sport during his formative years ahead of this year’s VHI Women’s Mini Marathon.

The Ballinteer native -pictured above at the event launch with Amanda Byram - saw Sonia O’Sullivan dominate European distance athletics during his formative years as he harboured ambitions of following suit as a young sprinter. And he watched his teammate Derval O’Rourke break records in short-distance hurdling, which inspired him to back himself to success in his own career.

“The likes of Sonia O’Sullivan for me, when I was growing up, was pushing the boundaries of athletics,” Gillick told the Dublin Gazette.

“She was winning medals, and from an Irish point of view in athletics, there hasn’t been that many global medal winners who were dominant, and Sonia was one of them.

“Even for myself, in my career, the likes of Derval O’Rourke is someone I know well and respect, and I’ve competed on teams with her.

“Someone like that going away and winning World Indoors in Moscow, that would have inspired me because I’m thinking, ‘if they can do it, I can do it.’ They give you that belief you can have a crack.”

O’Sullivan holds the record time in the 10k race, which takes place on the June Bank Holiday weekend every year.

The event aims to promote activity and a healthy lifestyle for runners and non-runners alike, and will this year start in Fitzwilliam Square and end on Baggot Street.

GAZETTE

34 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 15 March 2018

SPORT

FastSport HAND LINES UP THREE HARD HITTING DATES: CRUMLIN teenager Muay Thai fighter Liam Hand is set for a busy spell as he heads to England on March 24 in Lincoln at The Takeover event.

It will have professional fighters in action with a fourman winnner-takeall event running alongside a VIP/ black-tie evening with Frank Bruno and rapper Tinchy Stryder set to be in attendance On April 7, Hand will fight at local GAA club Good Counsel in what will most likely be the only time he will be in action in Dublin this year, giving his growing fanbase at home.

On April 21, he has the latest defence of his double Mayhem Belt in the 5* Everglades hotel in Derry.

Hand started up in the sport just two years ago at Hori’s Muay Thai Gym but has been making waves ever since with his dedication and results.

RUGBY: D’ARCY PULLS THE STRINGS IN COMFORTABLE AWAY DAY SUCCESS

Powerful Tarf sink Pirates to move into UBL 1A top four

UBL DIVISION 1A Buccaneers Clontarf  sport@dublingazette.com

7 33

CLONTARF moved into the top four of the UBL Division 1a with a powerful away win in Dubarry Park under lights, getting the best of Buccaneers in a tie postponed from a week earlier due to the snow.

A cold, wet and windy night meant conditions were testing for player and spectator alike with the elements better suited to the physically stronger visitors whose bonus point victory, allied to Garryowen’s home defeat, saw them leap frog a pair of Limerick clubs.

Although playing against the breeze, Tarf made the early running and Callum Boland had to put in a try-saving tackle on Adrian Feeney after 11 minutes. Ben Carty then had to be strong to shunt Royce Burke-Flynn into touch.

Eventually, a clever diagonal kick by Conor O’Brien to his brother Sean on the left flank exposed the Pirates defence and he got the grounding for a 21st minute lead.

Clontarf’s Conor O’Brien

Further pressure by Tarf yielded a 32nd minute Jack Power try converted by David Joyce for a 12-0 lead. Three minutes later, Buccs lock Daniel Law was sin-binned for illegal use of the boot.

Clontarf then applied a series of pick and goes until Matt D’Arcy punched a hole in the home cover for a well taken 37th minute try with

Joyce adding the conversion and a 19-0 half-time lead.

Clontarf promptly secured their bonus point try following the change of ends. Anthony Ryan made a telling break to get deep into home territory and the superior power of Tarf’s pack led to Dylan Donnellan driving over for 42nd minute try duly converted by Joyce.

Buccs responded to earn a penalty in front of the posts that was tapped quickly but the pass that sent Rory O’Connor over the line was ruled forward.

As the game entered the final quarter, Michael Noone stretched over the home line for a 63rd minute try and Joyce landed his fourth successful conversion to push his side’s

advantage to 33-0.

To their credit, Buccaneers battled gamely to the bitter end and were decidedly unlucky when Darragh Corbett was stopped by a seemingly high tackle just short of the visitors’ line five minutes from time.

Then, a brilliant break by Paul Boyle warranted a try that appeared to be prevented by a knock-on.

However, the midlanders gained some reward for their unstinting efforts and Boyle was their scorer when he powered through for a final move try which Luke Carty converted to take the bare look off the 33-7 scoreline.

Terenure College, meanwhile, won 29-13 at Garryowen to bolster Clontarf’s chances of a top four finish.

Tries from James O’Donoghue, Marc Hiney, Robbie Carroll and Jake Swaine did the damage for the Dubliners as they pulled away in the second half at Dooradoyle after the first half had ended 15-6.

That win has Nure in second place with three games remaining.

Life is Greener for Loreto with second All-Ireland win  sport@dublingazette.com

Loreto Stephen’s Green celebrate their victory on Monday.

LORETO Stephen’s Green (Dublin) have more silverware to add to their collection as they scooped the Under-19 B Girls All-Ireland Schools League basketball title as they overcame Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal Blarney with a 43-33 win at the National Basketball Arena.

Monday’s win completes a superb double for the school, who were crowned Subway Schools Cup champions back in January, and it was captain fantastic and MVP of the game, Lauren Devitt

who was the driving force behind the victory once more.

It was a slow start for both teams early on as they both took time to settle. Blarney’s Aoife Mc Sweeny opened the scoring with 5.58 to go in Q1, and a Simone O’Shea inspired five minutes saw them hold a 16-12 lead at the end of the first.

The second quarter was a much tighter affair, with Lauren Devitt beginning to fire on all cylinders for Loreto, and super scoring from Laura Furlong and Clodagh Cullen put momentum with Loreto and an outside shot

from Furlong brought the sides level with two minutes to go until half time.

Lovely link-up play between Julie Donnelly and Devitt saw Loreto take their first lead of the game, finishing out the quarter 29-24 ahead.

A third quarter switch up on defence from Loreto head coach Sarah Woods saw them put a box and one on Blarney threat, Simone O’Shea to make it extremely difficult for the Cork team to execute their scores.

Great displays from O’Shea, Sinead Singleton, Eve Mullins

and Emma Murphy just weren’t rewarded though, while at the other end, Loreto’s Furlong and Devitt put on a shooting display and stretched their lead over Blarney to nine points at the end of the third.

The final quarter saw Loreto maintain the same tempo and tenacity as the third, with Furlong and Devitt continuing to cause problems for the Blarney defence and as the clocked ticked down, the gap was just too much for Blarney to close and Loreto ran out 43-33 winners.

15 March 2018 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 35

GAZETTE

FASTSport

MSB’s Shay Healy. Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Olympian Healy a star turn

Ultra architects ready to paint Croke Park red The Colaiste Eoin students behind the rise of the GAA’s most famous fan movement talk about the genesis of the Ultras and how they are looking forward to another All-Ireland decider  PADRAIC MACLOCHLAINN sport@dublingazette.com

OLYMPIAN Shane Healy (Metro St Brigid’s) was a highlight of many wonderful performances at the Irish Life Health Masters Indoor Championships in Athlone last Saturday.

Healy was an Olympic 1,500m semi-finalist in Atlanta in 1996 and he won the M45 800m in 2.03.73 from Ken Archbold (St Laurence O’Toole’s) in 2.04.02.

It was among a series of superb performances from Dublin athletes in a high quality weekend.

Snezana Bechtina (Clonliffe Harriers) won the F35 400m in 59.52 and leapt to victory with 4.81m in the long jump.

Avril Dillon (Dundrum South Dublin A.C.) had a championship best performance in the F35 60m hurdles in 9.69 seconds.

Elsewhere on the weekend, Michael Cornyn (Dunboyne) won his first ever national title in the M55 800m in 2:20.93.

Joe Gough (West Waterford) won the M65 200m in 28.18, a new national record, the 400m in 61.38 and the 800m in 2:23.52.

Kelly Neely (City of Lisburn AC) won, as expected, the F35 1500m and 3,000m double in 4:53.12 and 9:38.02 respectively.

Anne Gilshinan (Slaney Olympic A.C.) won on the double also in the F50 800m and 1500m in 2:44.05 and 5:06.21 respectively. Niamh Fitzgerald (Lucan Harriers A.C.) was also twice on top of the podium winning the F40 400m in 64.03 and 800m in 2:21.08, Mary Barrett (Loughrea AC) won multiple golds in the F55 section including 10.27m in the shot put. Geraldine Finegan (North East Runners AC) won the F50 400m in 68.48.

ONE of the revelations of Cuala’s run to their second successive AllIreland club hurling final has been their ubiquitous supporters group, the Cuala Ultras.

While David Treacy and chief marksman Con O’Callaghan has lit up the field of play, the support of their legion of young fans have stolen the show wherever they have gone, providing colour and great vocal support for the team in moments of need.

This group of young fans was particularly prominent in the semifinal victory over Liam Mellows of Galway, travelling en masse to Semple Stadium by bus and by train.

Chants have been a cru-

cial role, something rarely heard in GAA stands, with the Ultras drawing inspiration from diverse sources, from Celtic Park to schools matches, particularly from Colaiste Eoin games where many of the team had their formative years.

The team are certainly relish the Ultras’ support.

After the Leinster final last year, midfielder Jake Malone said: “the support this year has been second to none … when times got tough, the drove us on. They dug us out of the holes when we needed it”.

And so the Cuala train rolls on; for the supporters there are more train tickets to Croker to be booked as another AllIreland final awaits on St Patrick’s day.

The Dublin Gazette spoke to a few members

of the “ultras” this week to get their thoughts on the campaign so far and next Saturday’s match against Na Piarsaigh.

Ultras members Cormac Mahon, Luke Twomey, Darach ó Giollán and Conall ó Tuathail spoke to us this week about this season and the teams performances and how the club is feeling ahead of another all Ireland.

Luke: “The ultras were started by a group of about 10 people in the Cuala board room who sat together at matches and they started singing and chanting at matches.”

Cormac: “All the juvenile players in the club started sitting together at matches and we brought the megaphone in a while later and that added another level to it all

Clonliffe Harriers’ Snezana Bechtina. Picture: Sportsfile Cuala’s Ultras have created a n incredible fan movement for the Dalkey club

together.

Darach: “I feel as though the players get the sense they are playing for a community instead of just playing for each other.

The atmosphere created by the ultras really gives the team a lift.”

Cormac: “It’s not only the ultras who sing the songs all the fans do and the whole club is behind the team.”

Luke: “What this team has done is unbelievable for a small club from Dalkey to achieve this is unbelievable.”

Looking ahead to the final, the young fans reckon neutralising the Na Piarsaigh full-forward line will be a key area but confidence is high they can match last year’s performance against Ballyea.

Indeed, they have a large

bank of experience to draw from.

Cormac: Against Ballyea last year, everyone was talking about the damage Tony Kelly was going to do, but John Sheanon did an excellent job marking him and we’re hopeful he can do a similar job against Shane Dowling.

Conall: “I think it’s going to be a much closer game than last year.

“We’ve heard a lot about Na Piarsaigh and that they are preparing well and playing practice matches against intercounty opposition.

Luke: “The game last year in the Dublin final against Crokes when we were three points down and coming back to win by three was an important moment. I think it showed the guts and mental strength that this team has.

Conall: “Mattie Kenny is a very direct manager, he says it as it is. He’s been very direct with the team about the areas they need to improve.

“If the players have played well, he’ll let them know and if they have played poorly he’ll let them know as well.

“He’s worked on the team and he’s emphasised a high tackle rate. If you watch Cuala play, you’ll see them get right up in the opponents face and make it difficult for them.

Finally do you think your team will get the job done on Paddy’s day?

Luke (laughing): “Of course.”

GAZETTE

36 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 15 March 2018

SPORT

MEN’SHockey

ATHLETICS: XXXX

UCD, Corinthian and YMCA go down to final day wire UCD fought back from 2-1 down to beat Corinthian 3-2, a result that looks set to send men’s Leinster League Division One to the last day with three sides in the mix on goal difference.

Jazze Henry’s thunderous reverse with seven minutes to go settled a toughly-fought but even battle, following up an initially blocked shot to shoot home past Ross Murray.

Early on, the Whitechurch club put on a good press on in midfield and it led to plenty of turnovers from that area. The reds duly took advantage from one such situation, quickly working the ball to Jonny Bruton to score from play.

Andrew Meates equalised from a penalty corner deflection but the Whitechurch club went back in front early in the second half via a great individual goal, finished by the prolific Ian Stewart as he rounded Ben Bradley.

UCD had a couple of one-on-one chances denied by the impressive Murray before Andrew Fogarty – one of UCD’s star men along with Henry and Andrew Tutty – finished ot make it 2-2. Corinthian nearly took the lead again when a shot was saved off the line by Calum Morrow but they coughed up possession allowing UCD burst forward again for the killer goal.

UCD move top as a result with a goal in hand on goal difference over Ballinteer-based YMCA on 38 points – assuming that there is no further change to the reversal of their result against Dublin University from January.

The Y produced a first half blitz to move 5-0 up against Kilkenny before losing the second half 4-3, leaving an overall tally of a gung-ho 8-4.

Ben Campbell got a hat trick for YM but they may regret not making better use of the strong position at half-time to build their goal difference further but they could cut loose against Weston next time out.

UCD have Dublin University and Dublin North on their list. Corinthian can get back level with them if they win their game in hand but have 10 goals to make up on the differential.

Their schedule includes Dublin North, Clontarf and Dublin University.

Elsewhere, Blackrock’s Avoca held on to fourth with a 7-0 win over Weston; Clontarf are next thanks to a 3-0 win over Dublin North and Rathgar won a thriller 3-2 against Dublin University.

Lucan Harriers’s Hugh Walsh (in red, left) and Niamh Fitzgerald produced superb results at the Irish Masters in Athlone. Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Harriers prosper far and wide sport@dublingazette.com

LUCAN Harriers had a great week with strong performances in National Indoor Masters Championships, National Duathlon Championships, Meath Spring 10k and Half Marathon, Wine on the Line 10k and parkrun.

At the masters in Athlone IT on Saturday, on foot of their results, Annette Durkan and Carol Kearney will now represent Ireland at the European Indoor Masters Cha mpionships which will be held in Madrid.

Durkan will compete in the 60m, Kearney in the 400m and both of them in the 200m relays.

Their races star t on March 19 and continue to Saturday, March 24.

Durkan won the bronze medal in the W40 60m in a time of 8.72 seconds while Kearney won bronze in the W50 200m in a time of 30.53.

Niamh Fitzgerald added to her huge medal haul golds in the W40 400m in a time of 1.04.03 and then again in the 800m in a time of 2.21.28.

On the men’s side, Hugh Walsh performed strongly to finish sixth

PEAS IN A POD Greenogue club with three FAI nominations PEAMOUNT United’s Heather Payne (pictured), Niamh Farrelly and Lucy McCartan have all been nominated on the shortlist for a potential FAI International award.

Payne has been named on the Under-17 player of the year shortlist alongside Tiegan Ruddy and Sadhbh Doyle while Farrelly and McCartan make up two thirds of the Under19 list along with Alex Kavanagh.

The awards night will take place in RTE Studios on Sunday, March 18.

in the M50 60m in a time of 8.23 seconds.

He also finished sixth in the 200m. Derek Lynch ended eighth in the M40 800m final, Colin O’Gara was seventh in the M50 800m while Eoin Fitzgerald was the bronze in the M45 in a time of 4.36.21.

Lucan’s Will Byrne headed to Letterkenny, County Donegal for the National Duathlon Championships. This consists of a 10k Run, 40k Cycle and finishes with a 5k Run. He finished 20th overall and won the National 045 title.

In the Meath Spring Half Marathon and 10k

on Sunday, hosted by Bohermeen AC, Kathleen Trunk took part in the 10k and finished 53rd overall out of 410 entries in a time of 46.29.

In the Half Marathon, David Trunk was first Lucan Harrier home in a time of 1.37.16. Next in was Helen McGinnity in 2.00.38 followed by Jill Meredith in 2.20.04, Siobhan Casey in 2.21.22 and Aileen Walsh in 2.34.36.

Two Lucan Harriers headed to Kildare for the Wine on the Line 10k. Not sure if it was the fabulous medal or the wine at the finish

line but they both put in good performances with Susan McDonald running the course in 1.07.11 and Laura McCabe in 1.08.16.

Harriers were represented at six parkruns including Edinburgh and the inaugural Portumna parkrun in Co Galway.

At Griffeen parkrun, Alex O’Brien led the field home in a time of 19.09 and Breda Smyth was second lady home in 21.36.

At Corkagh parkrun, PJ Hyland was third home in 19.55 with Lorraine Heffernan first lady home in 22.05.

15 March 2018 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 37

GAZETTE

SOCCER: BUCKLEY CONTENT WITH SECOND VICTORY

Bohemians’ Eoghan Stokes and St Pat’s Simon Madden battle for the ball . Picture: Martin Doherty

Dean cramps Bohs’ style at Dalymount LOI PREMIER DIVISION Bohemians St Patrick’s Athletic  DAVE DONNELLY

0 1

sport@dublingazette.com

ST PATRICK’S Athletic earned their second win of the season thanks to a hard-fought 1-0 win over Bohemians at Dalymount Park on Friday night.

The Saints suffered a disappointing 2-0 reverse in Waterford 11 days previously and their efforts to bounce back were thwarted by the bad weather that saw last week’s game postponed.

But Dean Clarke’s first goal in Saints colours saw the Inchicore side leapfrog their Dublin rivals in the table to leave manager Liam Buckley reasonably

satisfied with six points from their opening 12.

Bohs attacked from the off and manufactured a chance within the first minute only for Keith Buckley to trip himself up trying to gather the ball from under his feet.

Five minutes later when they won a penalty when Oscar Brennan was fouled in the box, but Keith Ward’s tame effort from 12 yards hit the post and Barry Murphy easily gathered the rebound.

Bohs dominated possession but Pats looked consistently dangerous on the break down the right, and they took the lead after 14 minutes when Clarke fired into an empty net.

Good interplay between Conan Byrne and Simon

Madden saw recent recruit from Shamrock Rovers Madden tee up Clarke for a simple finish.

Conan Byrne and Ryan Brennan shanked further opportunities during a first half where the visitors showed greater quality on a heavy and difficult surface.

Kevin Toner and substitute Darragh Markey had headed efforts cleared from the line by Paddy Kavanagh and Shane Supple respectively as they upped the ante in the final quarter.

And the visitors were full value for their victory in the end, though former Irish international Buckley felt they were fortunate to grind their way to the three points.

“The quality was a little bit... whatever,” a relieved Buckley told the Dublin Gazette.

“A draw probably would have been a fair result.

Both teams did reasonably OK – I thought we did reasonably OK given the condition of the pitch.

“I don’t think the weather would have helped it over the last couple of weeks with the snow and that.

“We had quite a few lads with cramp, which is related to the pitch as distinct from fitness.

“We’re just delighted to pick up three points, which is important. As I said to them, while we’re getting the team performance better, we have to pick up points.”

FASTSoccer

Bus drive on into FAI Inter semis CIARAN Bissett’s 85th minute winning goal saw Dublin Bus earn their place in the final four of the FAI Intermediate Cup with a 1-0 win over a fancied Avondale in Cork.

After a 0-0 draw in Coldcut in the initial tie, Bus had to do it the hard way on the road but it proved a similarly tight-knit affair.

The game began at a high tempo with both sides creating a few half chances. A Conor Little save and good defending denied Avondale taking the lead.

Ten minutes into the second half, things got even harder when Bus were down to 10 men after Ciaran Quinn received a straight red card for a tussle with an Avondale defender.

The Cork side dominated possession with the extra man and began to mount pressure. But, against the run of play, the winning goal came from some good work down the left hand side from Colm Dunne, beating the Avondale centre half and setting Dylan Byrne whose shot was blocked.

The ball fell to Ciaran Bissett on the edge of the box and he struck it sweetly and it nestled into the top corner of the Avondale net.

Rovers unable to break up Cork City momentum SHAMROCK Rovers could not put the brakes on the Cork City juggernaut as they made it four wins out of five at the beginning of the new SSE Airtricity League Premier Division season at Turner’s Cross on Monday night.

After a quiet opening period, the game sparked into life in the 38th minute as the Champions were awarded a penalty.

Graham Cummins reacted quick-

ly to the rebound after his header from Kieran Sadlier’s cross struck the post and he was subsequently upended by Rovers keeper Kevin Horgan.

Sadlier strode forward and calmly tucked his penalty straight down the centre of the goal to edge City in front. Rovers, who scored 12 goals in their last two games, piled players forward in the second half and they went close to snatching a point late on but Luke Byrne’s header from Graham Burke’s corner crashed against the bar before being hacked clear.

GAZETTE

38 DUBLIN GAZETTE  WEST 15 March 2018

SPORT

HURLING: TWO WINS FROM TWO FOR JOE FORTUNE’S SIDE TO HEAD

FASTGAA

Ballyboden prove far too strong AHL DIVISION ONE Ballyboden St Enda’s O’Toole’s  sport@dublingazette.com

Lucan boys run up series of footballing victories LUCAN Sarsfields’ boys footballers did manage to beat the inclement conditions to play a series of games last weekend.

At Under-14 Division 1 level, they saw off Na Fianna 6-11 to 2-8 despite the concession of an early penalty. They replied almost instantly, racing up the field from the kick out and to score a goal of their own, taking the lead which they never gave up.

The Under-14 Division 7 side lost 5-5 to 4-4 to Fingallians but there was more success at Under15 Division 3 level with a 2-13 to 1-9 win over Naomh Barrog while the Under-15 Division 6 side beat St Sylvester’s.

4-19 0-15

BALLYBODEN St Enda’s made it two wins from two as Pairc ui Murchu beat the weather conditions and the team got the better of O’Tooles in the second round of AHL Division 1.

Indeed, they will also be pleased to have gotten the game played against the background of the recent snow drifts with many of the club pitches around the county not holding up.

The contest was largely decided by the break when Boden led by 3-10 to 0-8. The goals were well spread over the 30 minutes but perhaps the most significant aspect of the play was the endeavour among the Boden forwards to find the men in the best positions to complete the

attacks.

This brought many of them into the scoring frame, and none was more prolific than Conor Dooley. Often times a goalkeeper, he operated at the point of the attack, sometimes taking his own score, and other times laying off the pass to complete the score.

David O’Connor was first up to profit, but he had serious work to do, breaking a few strong challenges before firing over from close in. Others to impress during this half were Simon Lambert, showing all of his experience, and Niall McMorrow, looking as lively as ever.

The early goals came from Lambert, Dooley and Paul Doherty. The best of the points came from Dooley, and Stephen O’Connor after a series of

good passes put him into clear scoring space.

The second half lacked the level of Boden’s performance of the first half, but that was largely due to the improved efforts of the

O’Toole’s players. Michael Carton, operating on the 40, kept probing for scores, and performed well up to his usual high standard.

However the half was barely five minutes old

when Conor McCormack flashed his shot to the net from 30 yards.

Boden manager Joe Fortune freshened things up with some replacements like Collie O’Neill, Eoghan

Simon Lambert clears. Picture: Eamon O’Sullivan

CLUB NOTICEBOARD BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S

CONGRATULATIONS to the Dublin senior footballers, Dublin hurlers and Dublin camogie team on their wins over the weekend and the Ballyboden St Enda’s representatives on the teams.

Congratulations to our senior A hurlers on their win over O’Toole’s with a scoreline of 4-18 to 0-15 and our division 3 and 6 hurlers on their wins.

Our minor footballers were also victorious over Ballinteer St Johns with a scoreline of 4-11 to 3-13.

A great night was had in the club on Friday as the club signature fundraising event for 2018, Broadway Challenge, was launched. All captains with strong representation from their team were in attendance getting to know everyone and eyeing up the competition.

There are a few places left so if you are interested, please contact Ken Giles on 085 1743466 or Grainne Nolan on 087 9473625. Events kick off on Sunday, April 8 April so there is still time! Best of luck to our current captains.

The Boden Theatre Group will perform ‘It’s The Real McCoy’ for four nights from March 21-24, 2018. Tommy Marren’s hugely successful comedy is set in the west of Ireland in the 1960s.

It is the story of 68 year old Madge Molloy who has lived over four decades of her life wondering why her husband of only four months vanished without reason. Tickets are €10 and can be reserved by calling Carol: 086 4070015 or Ger 086 8516387.

LUCAN SARSFIELDS WE GOT back up and running quickly after the snow following a massive effort from the volunteers clearing the snow off the astro so a big thanks to all who helped over the two nights.

After Storm Emma halted all action last week, we did get back up and running this weekend, although not all games made it as pitches were still carrying the effects.

Good wins across the boys’ football with wins for the U-15A and Bs. The U-14As also had a big win over Na Fianna and made it three from three in the league.

The U-14Bs lost out narrowly.

The U-13Bs had a convincing win.

In camogie, U-15A had a great two point win away vs Castleknock, the U-13A drew and U-13B had a narrow one-point win over Ballyboden.

In ladies football, a super two points win for the U-16A team away from home vs Ballyboden and U-14B team had a convincing win as well.

The minor footballers drew vs Na Fianna; playing after our senior hurlers, who back in Division 1 lost to Na Fianna. Our third hurling team also lost away from home to Parnells.

The junior A game was postponed due to pitch conditions.

The dates for the Easter camp (age five to U-12) and School of Excellence (open to U-13 to U-15) have been decided. They will run for four days, March 27-30, and from 10am to 2.30pm each day.

The four days will include football and camogie/hurling and will be €50 for the School of Excellence and €45 for the Easter camp. Registration can be done through a link on club website: http://www.lucansarsfields.ie/ news_detail/10035835/.

Coming soon: A new coffee shop: We have out grown the Hut and so with everything things move on and we are always looking forward and development; we have a new exciting coffee shop on the horizon.

As with everything in the club, we will need volunteers to assist with more opening hours for when people will want to frequent it.

Anyone willing to get involved in either set-up or manning, please make contact with Jackie Foley on 086 677 6122.

The golfing season starts in a few weeks on Saturday, April 21.

Captain for 2018 is Seamus Fagan. If you would like to play in any of the outings or know someone would then contact Seamus at 086 8168984. New members are always very welcome.

Good Friday - Annual Maintenance Day: We are looking for people to give a hand for an hour or two on Good Friday particularly those who have relevant skills – electricians, carpenters, painters etc.

The club shop is scheduled to open on Thursdays from 7.308.30pm and Saturdays from 10.30am to 1pm.

25 Card Drive continues every Friday at 9pm. Caters for all levels, beginners welcome.

The Cúpla Focal club is on Mondays from 7.30pm to 9pm.

Bingo is on Wednesdays at 8.30pm.

Lucan District Credit Union Academy is on Saturdays, 9.30am for girls and 10am for boys (5+).

Last week, there was no winner of the €20,000 lotto where the numbers were 3, 10, 13 and 28.

This week’s draw will be managed

by Josephine Donohue and is sponsored by Newcastle Golf Centre.

Tickets can be purchased online, at the club, in Carey’s Newsagents, in Vesey Arms or Kenny’s Bar.

ROUND TOWER, CLONDALKIN

OUR senior hurlers defeated Fingallians in the league and our minor B footballers defeated Lucan.

St Patrick’s Day in Round Tower, we will be showing all the sporting action, including the All-Ireland club finals and Ireland v England in the rugby.

Then at 8pm, we’ve live music with Jack and the lads. No admission charge and all welcome.

We ask children are supervised and they must be off the premises by 7pm.

Round Tower Easter Camp will take place Monday, March 26 to Thursday, March 29, running 10am to 2pm every day at Monastery Road.

Children aged four to 12 years of age welcome to join in the fun Gaelic Games; €45 for the camp, €40 if paid before it starts. Contact Catherine on 086 8303207 or Shane on 086 1600042 for further details.

Our senior footballers host a golf classic Saturday, May 5 at Citywest; €200 for a team of four and €100 for tee box sponsorship.

Contact Mick on 087 0518217, Niall on 086 0444356 or Eoghan on 083 3551830.

Bingo continues every Tuesday in the club with first call at 8.30pm and a jackpot of €1,000 on offer if

checked within 45 numbers. All welcome.

Round Tower lotto (March 5): jackpot - €2,400. Numbers drawn were 15, 17, 21 and 27, bonus ball was 24. No overall winner and no bonus ball winner. Three €100 winners: Donegal John, Orla, J & M Cullen.

Thanks to all who continue to support our lotto.

ST MARK’S

WE WOULD like to thank Jason Mulhall and CoolServe for their generous sponsorship for the 2018 Feile Team.

Congratulations to all our teams last weekend, great performances and some great wins.

Ladies football: The ladies minor footballers are recruiting players – new and past players all welcome training Monday nights from 7-8pm. Anyone interested can contact Pauline Russell on 087 4127889.

All juvenile section training has returned to date, contact the relevant mentors for info.

The adult section has returned to training on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Music every Saturday in the club.

Music on St Patrick’s weekend to be confirmed. Live sport every weekend. Bar opening hours at 8pm all week, 5pm Friday and 2pm on Saturday and 12.30pm on

15 March 2018 WEST  DUBLIN GAZETTE 39

GAZETTE

EARLY LEAGUE STANDINGS

FANTASTIC FEILE XXX

for O’Toole’s

O’Neill, Cian Mellett and Cillian Byrne. This kept the pressure on O’Tooles, who kept pushing forward looking for the goals that might bring them back into contention.

Sitting back and thwarting many of these attacks was Conor Robinson, showing his clever control and distribution.

T he game petered out with Lambert being brought to the free shot line for a number of added points. The visitors tried hard, but there was no denying the overall superiority of the Boden boys.

Elsewhere, Lucan Sarsfields fell to a 2-15 to 0-10 defeat to Na Fianna in their first league game of the year. Na Fianna were already up and running off the back of a February win over O’Toole’s and excellent defensive showings by Sean Burke and

Conor Kelly largely kept the Lucan attack at bay in St Mobhi Road.

They were equally adept at the opposite end of the field, where Gavin King finished with 0-7 to his name. Four points from Sean Currie helped the home team to keep the scoreboard ticking over, and general accuracy in front of the posts was the key to a successful outing for the northside club.

Eoghan McHugh and Sean Murphy also contributed goals in either half, giving Na Fianna an 11-point buffer at the end of the hour.

The Glasnevin side have the same scoring average as ‘Boden after two games (+21), with the defending champions just ahead of them at because of the 5-34 they have accumulated to date (in contrast to 3-30 for Na Fianna).

Picture: Cody Glenn/Sportsfile

John West hand over jersey design JOHN West, in conjunction with O’Neills, are handing over the design of this year’s official 2018 Feile jersey. Anyone wishing to enter the competition can visit O’Neills website and search for John West then let their creative juice flow. Once logged in, applicants can download the templated John West blank jersey and begin designing.

The best design winner will also win a weekend trip to Killary Adventure Centre for all the family.

Niall McMorrow. Picture: Cliona Mellett

CLUB NOTICEBOARD Sunday.

Set dancing classes on Mondays at 8pm. St Patrick’s Day Ceili on March 17 at 8pm till late, music by Matt Cunningham. Bingo Thursday night, starts at 8.45pm, open to everyone.

Slimming World every Tuesday at 5pm and 7pm and Wednesday morning at 9am in the main lounge.

Please continue to support the club lotto.

Tickets €2 each or three for €5, jackpot of €5,500, not won.

Numbers drawn were 7, 14, 20 and 24; €50 winners - 1. Kevin Laide c/o Club 2. Billy Gore 3.

Tony Keegan 4. Emma Furey c/o Bingo 5. Ann Kearns c/o P. Kearns 6. Mags c/o Willie Condron.

ST MARY’S

WELL done to our ladies U-14 team , one of the few matches to go ahead this weekend in beating Trinity Gaels.

The annual 4 Districts St Patrick’s Day Parade takes place Saturday commencing at 1pm from Rathlawns ending at St Mary’s GFC. Our Grand Marshall is Sean Keane from The Chieftains. We are joined

by St Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band and Colour Party from Roger Casement Aerodrome ONE. Theme this year is “Animal Antics”. We are asking the local businesses to take an active role in the parade this year. There will be prizes for the best float/entry. After the parade in St Mary’s clubhouse, the upstairs and downstairs bars are open from 1pm and we have a children’s disco and live entertainment, arts and crafts and face-painting.

Check our Facebook page 4Districts St Patricks Day Parade for updates and further information or call Sharon Redmond on 087 2304248 Membership for 2018 is now due. Rates are Adult Player €130, 3rd Level Student Player/Non-Playing/ Associate €70, Juvenile €50, Senior Citizen €20, Family Membership €175.

Membership can be paid on-line by clicking on the Blue “Shop Now” button on the Facebook Page or contact Siobhan Moran in the clubhouse beat every Monday evening 7-8pm.

A reminder from Eileen Coyne about Club Shop

Opening Hours, Wednesdays/ Thursdays 730pm to 8pm, Saturdays 1030am to 1130am or contact Eileen on 0861684766.

Lotto numbers for March 1 postponed draw were 3, 8, 13 and 22. No jackpot winner; three Match 3 winners of €35 each, Jack C/O Donovans Butchers, Rathcoole, Colm McGrath C/O Jacobs, Eamon Walsh, Rathcoole.

Lotto numbers for March 8 were 1, 7, 13 and 18. There was no winner so next week’s jackpot remains capped at €8,000 with a €2,400 Rollover.

There were no Match 3 winners so Thursday’s Match 3 will be worth €200 win/ share.

You can now follow the LocalLotto link on our Facebook page and website to play Lotto online.

ST PAT’S PALMERSTOWN

PLENTY of action on the playing fields this weekend.

Well done to all our teams, particularly the U-11 hurlers and U-15 footballers who put in very strong performances.

Hard luck to our senior

hurlers who went down to Naomh Mearnog on Sunday morning. However, our junior hurlers had a great six point win over Wild Geese.

A final reminder that membership for 2018 was due to be paid by the end of February. The easiest way is to pay online at https://www. stpatricksgaa.ie/onlinememberships. We would ask anyone who has not renewed yet to please do so now.

The Easter Camps will be on Tuesday, April 3 to Friday, April 6. Further details are available on our website: www.stpatricksgaa.ie where application can be made on-line.

Peil Óg for girls aged eight to 13 is on again on Monday evening in The Kings Hospital at 6.30pm. All welcome.

A special mention for Sarah Browne who is retiring from playing after many years dedicated service. We wish her well.

We would ask mentors who have not yet done so to complete and return their vetting forms as quickly as possible. Foundation and Code of Ethics courses will be available in the coming weeks.

GAZETTESPORT

ALL OF YOUR WEST DUBLIN SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 34-39

PERFECT START: Ballyboden St Enda’s get the best of the weather as well as O’Toole’s in the league P38-39

MARCH 15-21, 2018

HARRIERS WIN FAR AND WIDE: Lucan club travel around the country to land medals P36

Celtics breakthrough The Liffey Celtics side that won the women’s SuperLeague last weekend

First ever Super League crown for the Leixlip side as they build on last year’s playoffs victory with manager Mark Byrne hailing commitment

 JAMES HENDICOTT

sport@dublingazette.com

LIFFEY CELTICS’ basketball side have taken their first ever women’s Irish Super League title, defeating Carlow IT over the weekend to add topspot in the regular season to their play-off victory – which followed a second place league finish – last time around.

The side have shown steady improvement in recent years and, in defeating Carlow, continued a run of only two league defeats all year prior to their regular-season finale against playoff chasing Killester on Wednesday night.

The comfortable 71-48 victory over Carlow was particularly sweet as the opposition were one of those two sides to have previously defeated the

Celtics in the league this season.

Boss Mark Byrne, who came on-board at the start of last season, has praised his team’s ability to learn and commitment to the cause as being at the heart of his side’s success.

“The commitment to improving was there from the moment I came through the door in pre-season before we got started in 2017,” Byrne told the Dublin Gazette.

“We lost the cup final to Glanmire last year, and we really learnt from that. Sometimes the defeats are as valuable as the victories. Basketball is a game of fine margins and very fast-paced, so sometimes it takes experience to learn to win.

We’ve learnt to close out games, and that’s really helped us this year, as a lot can change in the final two minutes.”

Killester, Liffey’s final-game opponents, currently sit fourth in the table, and are not yet guaranteed a playoff place.

That gives added weight to the contest, especially as there’s a possibility the two sides could play each other again at the weekend for a place in the season finale.

Alongside Carlow IT, the north-Dublin club are the only other side to have beaten the Celtics over the course of the year. DCU Mercy, Glanmire and Singleton are the other contenders for playoff places.

“We’ll definitely go out to win, rather than think about the consequences, as that’s the only way we know how to play,” Byrne said. “The two teams know each other well, so I don’t think they’ll be too many surprises, and we’ll worry about who

ends up in fourth and who we have to take on next after the game.”

The first playoff game will not be scheduled until after the mid-week round of matches, but is most likely to take place on Sunday, following on from the men’s finale on St Patrick’s Day. As for the weight put on that long-awaited table-topping league season?

“It probably means as much as a play-off victory, as coming out on top over the course of the season is a real statement, and has to be respected,” Byrne told us.

“You can’t get lucky and win a league title. Of course we’d love to win both this season, but this is the first one.

“It’s a big thing for the club and a great sign of where we are as a team.”