Dublin Voice Southside 17-01-2020

dublinvoice January 17-31, 2020 t: 01 901 5565, e: info@dublinvoice.ie

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Former Dubs boss Gavin given the City’s honour EX-Dubs boss Jim Gavin has said his former players deserve the Freedom of the City of Dublin award he was granted recently.

Gavin, who steered Dublin to win five All-Ireland Senior Football Championships in a row, recieved the honour in The Mansion House from Lord Mayor of Dublin, Paul McAuliffe, on January 18.

Gavin led Dublin to six AllIreland victories in seven years

after taking charge in late 2012 .

During his tenure, the team also won five league titles and seven Leinster championship titles before he quit in November.

Gavin won an AllIreland as a player in 1995 as a player with Dublin.

Dublin City Council said the award was in recognition of “his contribution to public life and service to his county and country both on and off

the pitch”. The decision had been ratified by councillors in September before he stepped down from his role as boss.

Gavin, who works for the Irish Aviation Authority, was joined by his family, several current Dublin players and members of his backroom team, players from the 1995 team, and members of the Defence Forces, which he served in as an Air Corps member.

Gavin said receiving the award was “really really humbling”.

“I’m a proud Dub, I love my

city, it’s got a great heritage, a great history in it, a great future, I’m just proud to be part of that,” he said.

“I’m so grateful for the players that I was fortunate enough to be involved with and manage, they’re the reason I’m standing here, I didn’t kick a football, they did all the work.

“One of the ancient traditions is a freeman of the city has to carry a bow and defend the city, some might say I’ve been defending for awhile on the GAA fields,” he said.

Anne Doyle and James Kavanagh who will present the ninth annual GALAS, LGBT+ community awards in the Mansion House on February 8. Pic: Julien Behal. Lots more pix inside

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dublinvoice.ie January 17-31, 2020

newsinbrief 222 homeless die

A total of 222 deaths of homeless people were recorded last year, according to new figures from the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive.

Love Island prank

A married Dublin GAA footballer was shocked to find that a prankster had submitted an application to the iconic television show Love Island on his behalf. Tomás ‘Mossy’ Quinn said on Twitter that his “wife and kids will be delighted” to have him gone for a few weeks following the revelation.

Airport horror

More than 100 Ryanair passengers were left stranded in Poland when their flight to Dublin Airport was delayed for hours before being moved to a different airport and leaving without them. Passengers, including infants, claimed they were left waiting in the freezing cold for a bus that never came.

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Ali, Rubie, Noelle and Jen McElhinney at the Savills Day at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival. Pic: Kieran Harnett

Comic Brendan opens up on pain of losing son

BRENDAN O’Carroll has opened up about the trauma of losing his first child, saying: “It leaves a hole”.

The Mrs Brown’s Boys creator lost his first son Brendan Jnr, who had spina bifida, just days after his birth in 1979.

And he told how the death of his mum was the best thing that happened, forcing him to learn from failure.

The Finglas-born writer and actor went on to have three

more children Fiona, Danny and Eric with his first wife Doreen Dowdall but said they never filled the gap his first son left.

In an emotional interview on RTE’s The Tommy Tiernan Show the 64-yearold said: “I was really young when my son died. He was my first child and like everyone else, I had all these things figured out in my head – the white picket fence, swing in the garden, he’d play football

just like his dad and I’d go to the games with him.

“But it changed overnight.

It leaves a hole.”

The Dubliner, who was the youngest of 11 children also reflected on the death of his mother Maureen and admitted it pushed him to find his real passion in life.

“It’s weird but she died when I was 28 and I started to realise it was only in the losing and in failing that you learn.”

Conor replay could be ‘a biggie’

UFC president Dana White believes a rematch between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov would be “the biggest fight in the sport’s history” after the Irishman’s explosive return to the octagon.

McGregor ended a 15-month hiatus at the weekend by overpowering American veteran Donald Cerrone en route to a ruthless 40-second stoppage in Vegas.

With McGregor so impressive in this welterweight outing, there will be a number of fighters clamouring to face him next.

However, White pointed out a motivated McGregor would be a different prospect to the fighter Nurmagomedov beat in October 2018 to defend his lightweight title, after which the bad blood that had festered between the two camps led to a post-fight melee that saw both combatants fined and suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

Dublin start-up bought for €150m GIANT tech company Google plans to acquire Dublin startup Pointy, which has created a device that automatically lists a bricks-and-mortar store’s inventory online so customers can find local products.

The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but the deal is set to close in the coming weeks and is expected to be in excess of €150m.

Pointy, which is headquartered near Connolly Station, has developed its solution to help local bricks-and-mortar stores with a way to make all of their inventory visible online, to help them compete with ecommerce giants like Amazon.

The company has created a box device that connects to a store’s barcode scanner and automatically lists the products online, optimising them for search engines so that when customers search for products, they find results from local stores.

In a statement, Google said that Pointy had been a key partner for years, making it easier for local retailers to showcase their offerings on Google. The tech giant said that Pointy had “helped thousands of local retailers bring their product inventory online”.

Peter Chane, senior direc-

tor of local SMB products at Google, said: “We’re looking forward to working with Pointy to help even more local retailers bring their product inventory online.”

In a separate statement, Pointy said: “The last six years have been an incredible adventure, and today marks the start of a new chapter.

“From small beginnings, we’re very proud to serve local retailers in almost every city and every town in the US and throughout Ireland.”

In a joint statement, the founders of Pointy, Charles Bibby and Mark Cummins, said: “By joining forces, we will be able to help people discover local stores and products on a much larger scale.

“We think this is the right way to accomplish what we set out to do – to bring the world’s retailers online and give them the tools they need to thrive.

“Today is a big step forward for Pointy, but there is still a very long way to go. We’re as excited about the future as when we first started.”

Pointy has raised $19.2m since it was founded in 2014, from investors including Frontline Ventures, Polaris Partners, Vulcan Capital and Audrey Capital.

Tributes to ‘tax husband’ Matt TRIBUTES have been paid for a popular Dublin character who made news when he married his best friend to avoid a crippling tax bill.

Matt Murphy and Michael O’Sullivan captured the nation’s hearts when they tied the knot in 2017 to avoid a €50,000 inheritance tax bill.

Dad-of-three Michael, 60, moved in with Matt, 85, in Stoneybatter after the rented house he was living in was sold and he became his carer.

Speaking on RTE’s Liveline, Michael said: “He was a wonderful person. An absolutely wonderful person. He loved people. He called himself a hu-

manist and even when he was ill in the house here, I’d always try and get him out of the house.

Michael also shared a story about Matt achieving a long held dream of meeting President Michael D Higgins.

He told host Joe Duffy: “During the Stoneybatter Festival they cleared the streets on a Sunday afternoon and the weather was fantastic.

“We walked up and introduced ourselves and shook hands and had a photograph taken.

“But as the President was walking away one of his aides said to him, ‘They’re the two lads who got married for tax reasons’ and he said ‘What’.”

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Harbour set for €8m water campus

AN €8 million National Watersports Campus is being planned for Dun Laoghaire Harbour following an application by Dun LaoghaireRathdown County Council, Irish Sailing, and the Irish Underwater Council.

The proposed campus will include a centre for watersports activities, a public slipway, and a high-performance coaching centre, afloat.ie reports.

There will also be a space to host international sailing championships, triathlon rowing, swimming, and canoeing.

The Government has also announced a €400,000 feasibility study grant from Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF).

There have also been plans to build accommodation for NGB and campus tenants.

It is hoped the project will improve the harbour’s infrastructure and lead to better access, job creation, aas well as helping to increase tourism potential, in the area, according to a statement from a group of stakeholders of the Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

dublinvoice.ie January 17-31, 2020 Qing Ying Chen (9) at the launch of the Dublin Chinese New Year Festival 2020 which runs January 24-Februay 10 Pic: Julien Behal

puppet, immersing yourself in culture, film and music.

Dublin Lord Mayor Paul Mc Auliffe said: “Dublin Chinese New Year Festival has been a wonderful addition to Dublin’s cultural calendar since its founding in 2008. This year’s programme is one of the strongest to date, and promises a great event with a jam-packed schedule of exciting events set to take place across the city.”

GOOGLE is seen as as the most inclusive and diverse employer in Ireland, according to research

by Irish engineering students.

The ‘Diversity and Inclusion Index’ comes as part of a strategic partnership between global employer branding company, Universum, and leading Irish online recruitment website, IrishJobs.ie, which was developed to provide advice, auditing and training in employer branding for Irish companies.

The new research, conducted across a sample of 1,969 Irish Engineering/IT students, from a total of 247,000 students worldwide, shows which companies are seen as the most inclusive and diverse in Ireland.

The index examines what students describe as key elements that define diversity and inclusion, and measures how strongly each company is associated with commitment to such diversity and inclusion, support for gender equality and respect towards their employees.

According to the results, the

Top 10 companies which are seen as the most inclusive and diverse amongst Gen Z engineering students in Ireland include: 1 Google 2 Ericsson 3 Facebook 4 Nike 5 Intel 6 Oracle 7 Cisco Systems 8 Microsoft 9 Amazon 10 Accenture The highest scoring Irish companies emerging from the survey were RTÉ (20), Irish Rail (34), Ryanair (35), the Irish Aviation Authority (36), Irish Distillers (37) and Aer Lingus (40).

A total of 93% define diversity and inclusion in the workplace as cultural diversity, above age, ethnicity or gender. Those surveyed, describe cultural diversity as personality traits, followed by socio economic backgrounds, nationality, work experience and education.

REPRESENTATIVES from the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and Children’s Health Ireland have briefed Dublin City Council on aspects of a Community Benefit Programme running in conjunction with the development of the €1.73 billion National Children’s Hospital.

The programme aims to ensure that local people gain employment from the controversial construction project.

The recent report to the council claimed that new entrants in the construction sector have worked a total of 1,830 work weeks over the course of four years with 2,431 work weeks carried out by local people over.

A total of 10 apprenticeships have also been created that have gone to local people with more expected to come on stream in the coming year.

Simon Watson, team development manager with the Jones Engineering Group, which is one of the major contractors on the hospital project, said part of their hospital contract included an obligation to take on local people both as apprentices and in other disciplines.

“From an apprenticeship point of view, we had to take on potentially six apprentices from the Dublin 8 or Dublin 12 areas,” he told TheJournal.ie.

“We’ve actually got seven on the books at the moment.

“We took them on before we get started on site, the idea

being that we didn’t want them all to be brand new when we were hitting the sites.

“So we were kind of phasing them in, getting them experience on other sites.”

Simon Watson said that one of the big advantages to linking up contractors on ongoing projects with local apprentices was that it cut out the problem of commuting for young trainees who might not have the means to get to another part of the city.

Megan Northridge, an apprentice on the project, sayid she was previously working out in Intel in Leixlip and that it took two hours for her to reach the job from Crumlin. She contacted Jones through a DIT programme before taking on the apprenticeship.

Famous market plays host to Chinese New Year fest ONE of Dublin’s most famous markets is set to reopen this month for two days only.

The Victorian fruit ‘n’ veg market will host the Spring Festival Fair on Saturday, January 25th and Sunday 26th as part of the 2020 Dublin Chinese New Year Festival (DCNYF).

The iconic market promises to be choc-a-bloc with workshops, performances, great food stalls, and food demon-

strations, and lots more.

The historic red brick building, owned by Dublin City Council, was closed for redevelopment in August 2019 The Chinese festival will run from January 24th to February 10th with plenty of free events planned.

Visitors can try everything from square dancing, sampling dumplings, a Chinese art, Chinese tea ceremony, to creating your own Chinese

Why Google is seen as the top employer

We want jobs, say Children’s Hospital locals

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opinion&comment

Enjoy the election poetry

U

nless opinion polls have been getting it badly wrong, the result of this General Election is unlikely to be very different from the outcome of the last one.

In 2016, Fine Gael got just over 25% of the first preference vote and Fianna Fáil a little over 24%.

Support for the two big parties has stayed close to those figures ever since, with the variance from poll to poll usually within the margin of error, except for a recent one which had Fianna Fail 12 points ahead.

Fine Gael increased its lead in the first year, dropped back, then went up again when Leo Varadkar became Taoiseach.

It has been slipping in recent months.

Fianna Fáil appeared to be losing ground but has fought back and the last poll published before dissolution of the Dáil showed the parties on 27% each.

Sinn Féin got just under 14%

Michael Wolsey of the vote in 2016. There is a perception that the party has been doing badly of late but that is only because it had been riding high in the polls, breathing down the neck of Fianna Fáil at one stage.

That last pre-campaign poll - a Behaviour and Attitudes survey for the Sunday Times - put Sinn Féin’s support at 20% which, if translated into first preference votes on February 8, would actually be a considerable improvement on 2016.

Even in that there is consistency, for polls published before the 2016 election also showed Sinn Féin with around

Laura Walsh (11); Nicole O’Shea (12) and Maeve Brady (12) of Scoil San Treasa, Mount Merrion with Minister of State Helen McEntee at the BT Young Scientists Exhibition at the RDS. Pic: Julien Behal 20% of the vote. The party invariably underperforms on this side of the border and must fearful of missing its target once again.

But percentage share is not the only factor that decides elections. Transfers and the battles in individual

constituencies are also crucial.

Fine Gael won on both fronts last time out. In effect, it got better value from its votes than FF and so ended up the biggest party in the Dáil.

This time around, Fine Gael has problems in a number of constituencies.

In Waterford, the party has been at war. Its sitting TD, John Deasy, is not seeking re-election and the heir apparent, Senator Paudie Coffey, has decided to quit politics. Controversies around two Murphys - Dara and Verona - will haunt the party in Cork North Central and Wexford.

Verona Murphy is running as an Independent in Wexford and that could well cost her former party a seat.

In Dún Laoghaire, FG may also face an Independent challenge from a former member, TD Maria Bailey.

Even if she does not run, the fallout from swing-gate and bitterness over her de-selection, will harm the party.

Fine Gael has lost strong vote-getters in Enda Kenny and Frances Fitzgerald and, after nine years in office, is not as transfer-friendly as it was in 2016.

Another new factor is the rise of the Greens. I expect them to do well but probably at the expense of Independents and small parties from the Left, so

that would not much alter the basic Dáil arithmetic.

The campaign may throw up surprises but I expect that formation of the next government will again come down to the wheeling and dealing of coalition formation.

And another confidence and supply agreement may well be needed.

If so, I hope whichever is the smaller of the big two parties will oblige. I had serious doubts about whether such an arrangement could last beyond 2016. But it stayed the course and brought a degree of consensus to Irish politics which served us well in the Brexit negotiations and on such issues as abortion and same-sex marriage.

Whatever the outcome, I hope the campaign will be interesting and that voters will turn out in decent numbers. “You campaign in poetry. You govern in prose,” said New York politician Mario Cuomo. That’s always been the way in Ireland. So enjoy the poetry while it lasts. We’ll be back to prose soon enough.

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dublininpictures Advertorial

Elaine Crowley, Mairead Ronan, Michele McGrath and Mary Kennedy at the opening night of The Sound of Music at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre. Pic: Brian McEvoy

Minister of State CiarĂĄn Cannon at the launch of Our World Irish Aid Awards. Pic: Andrew Downes

Audrey Falador at the launch of the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards 2020. Pic: Julien Behal

Leslie Ann Horgan and Cathy Donohue at the preview of the Brown Thomas Spring Summer Collections in Trinity College Dublin.

Pic: Kieran Harnett

Eimear Hegarty and Orla McMahon, and right Romy Carroll, at the special preview screening of Just Mercy at the Lighthouse Cinema. Pic Brian McEvoy

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10 | WILDLIFE

with Justin Ivory

Go wild in 2020 – Part 2

dublinvoice.ie January 17-31, 2020

topten book of the week

HOROSCOPES

tv show of the week

film of the week

Welcome to part 2 of our Go Wild in 2020 series, listing simple actions you can take to make your garden a wilder and more environmentally friendly place in 2020.

4.

Take Up Boxing No we’re not talking about becoming the next Katie Taylor!

Putting up bird boxes, bat boxes and providing hedgehog homes is a great way of adding artificial shelters to your garden.

Bird boxes and bat boxes give wildlife places to shelter and breed (Photo Justin Ivory) 5. Don’t forget the mammals Hedgehogs, foxes and badgers can all be garden visitors and will benefit from the correct food being left out for them.

Foods such as dog or cat food, mealworms, peanuts, raw or cooked meats, crushed dog biscuits are all good.

Please do not put out milk for hedgehogs as they are lactose intolerant. Also, in general, feeding bread to wildlife is not a good idea. It is too loaded in salt and sugar. It bloats the animal making it feel full but at the same time offering very little of value to sustain the animal or meet its energy needs.

by Neal Shusterman

the toll

White House Farm Monday 20 January, Virgin Media 1 @ 10pm

Little Women Released 2nd January 2020

The explosive conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Arc of a Scythe series.

Shusterman paints a world where death has been vanquished, nanotechnolgy means nobody has to feel pain and every perons’s needs are met by the controlling artificial intelligence known as The Thunderhead. But there’s a catch. To ensure the world doesn’t return to overpopulation, official executioenrs know as ‘scythes’ must kill a certain number of people every month. In this pulse-pounding finale to Neal Shusterman’s internationally bestselling trilogy, constitutions are tested and old friends are brought back from the dead.

Episode 2: Stan and his number two Mick Clark speak to Jeremy and relatives of the murdered family, but their picture of what really happened at White House Farm remains inconclusive. The twins’ father Colin Caffell is devastated by his loss, and is initially comforted by Jeremy, while post-mortem examinations reveal nothing to contradict the murder-suicide theory. Meanwhile, relative Ann Eaton cannot believe Sheila was responsible, and discusses her growing suspicions with her brother David Boutflour.

Catch up on player.

Writer-director Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) has crafted a Little Women that draws on both the classic novel and the writings of Louisa May Alcott, and unfolds as the author’s alter ego, Jo March, reflects back and forth on her fictional life. In Gerwig’s take, the beloved story of the March sisters – four young women each determined to live life on her own terms -- is both timeless and timely. Portraying Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth March, the film stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, with Timothée Chalamet as their neighbor Laurie, Laura Dern as Marmee, and Meryl Streep as Aunt March.

gig of the week

Slugs sheltering in an upturned dish in the garden (Photo Justin Ivory)

show of the week

TaurusNews requires an adjustment to plans. Organize and strategize. Keep or change your word. Meditate for peace of mind.

GeminiBusiness could interfere with pleasure. Stay in communication with unexpected delays or misunderstandings.

CancerSupport a community effort.

Misunderstandings come easily. Postpone financial discussions for better conditions.

LeoFind ways to expand boundaries without risk or expense. Don’t push yourself beyond your limits.

Wait for developments.

jonas bros Friday 31st January, 6.30pm €59.50 3Arena N Wall Quay, Northside, Dublin 1

THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE Gaiety Theatre, Monday 27th January Saturday 14th March 2.30pm | 7.30pm

DIRTBIRDS Vicar Street, Friday 24th January - Thursday 6th February 8.30pm. Price:€28

Jonas Brothers – Happiness Begins Tour. Their first European Headline Tour in nearly a decade!

After building overwhelming anticipation, GRAMMY® nominated multiplatinum powerhouse trio Jonas Brothers announce the details for their 2020 15-city Happiness Begins Tour across Europe including an Irish date in Dublin’s 3Arena. The announcement comes off the excitement of blowing out their first round of North America dates and launching their biggest tour ever, totaling 67 shows across Canada, Mexico, and the US.

On a lonely road on the island of Inishmore, someone killed Mad Padraic’s cat. He’ll want to know who did it when he gets back from a stint of torture and chip-shop bombing in Northern Ireland. He loves his cat more than life itself, and someone is going to pay. Set in the 1990s, The Lieutenant of Inishmore is a clever satire on terrorism, the beautification of violence in contemporary culture and a hilarious farce in true McDonagh fashion. Oscar Award-winning director and playwright Martin McDonagh’s work is known and loved by both theatre and film audiences alike.

If making the school lunches, doing the Jaysus homework and dodging the guards because your NCT is out by two years is sending you over the edge, you are not alone. Come and join the DirtBirds as they navigate the stresses and strains of modern life in their brand new comedy show, DirtBirds’ Self-Help Tour. This rip roaring two hours of comedy gold is a unique blend of hilarious sketch comedy and stand up. Brand new characters take to the stage along with some of the well-known favourites. Don’t miss this side-splitting show from the queens of sketch comedy.

podcast of the week

festival of the week

event of the week

Urban fox (Photo Justin Ivory) 6.

Save the Slugs Don’t use slug pellets to kill snails and slugs. This introduces harmful toxins into the food chain which has devastating consequences on other creatures that feed on slugs and snails such as birds and mammals. Slugs and snails are an important food source for many animals as well as having other important roles to play in the ecosystem. So, leave them be. If you really can’t tolerate them, then pick them up at night, put them in a bucket and transfer them to the nearest hedgerow.

play of the week

AriesStay focused. A hidden danger could arise. If a proposal goes against your grain, turn it down. Avoid controversy or rumors.

VirgoHandle financial matters without fuss or controversy.

Keep cash flowing in a positive direction. Avoid miscommunications.

LibraTake extra care with your partner today. Don’t blurt out anything you’d later regret. Prioritize family and nurture someone through a change. Lay low.

ScorpioDon’t try to force anything, especially physically, or risk accidents. Slow down to avoid misunderstandings, delays and breakdowns. Get extra rest.

Sagittarius-

Relax and take it easy.

Avoid controversy, expense or misunderstandings. Enjoy peaceful hobbies, books and connections.

news burp live!

The Workman’s Club, Sunday 26th JanuaryTime:7.30pm - 10.30pmPrice:€16.34

Focusing on weird news from around the internet, news from the past, a sprinkling of Florida Man this promises to be a fantastic night of laughs, middle aged white men trying to be woke and production values that will make Fair City look like a Wes Anderson movie.

News Burp presenters Matt and Adam will captain two teams, with comedians Gary Lynch and Gerry McBride and special guest host Gordon Rochford (Those Conspiracy Guys) will attempt to keep everything in order.

SILK ROAD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Various Locations, Tuesday 21st January - Saturday 25th January

chinese new year Various locations, Friday 24th January - Monday 10th February

Screening an exclusive array of world cinema showcasing a rich diversity of features, documentaries, shorts, music videos & student films. SRIFF provides a framework on how intercultural understanding & collaboration can be forged even outside the realm of cinema. SRIFF aims to narrow distances between people & cultures, to break boundaries & foster cross-cultural collaboration & social change. SRIFF is also a place to learn.

Join the Rat Pack! Dublin Chinese New Year Festival returns welcoming the Year of the Rat with a two week programme of events.

Immerse yourself in the festivities as Dublin City celebrates Chinese culture with a uniquely Irish perspective! This is the 13th edition of the festival, which began in 2008, so this year we begin a brand new zodiac cycle, welcoming the Year of the Rat. Includes talks, visual arts, performance, film, music and family-friendly events, inviting all ages to be part of this cultural celebration.

CapricornFocus on home and family.

Nurture your crew. Wait for better conditions to sign agreements. Postpone large expenses or decisions. Share treats and rest.

AquariusYou may have a million questions and no answers.

Withhold harsh words and consider what’s best longterm. Consider the big picture.

PiscesFocus on taking care of business. Avoid risk or expense. Wait on large purchases for better terms and conditions.

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dublinvoice.ie January 17-31, 2020

education2020

Dunboyne College open night

Advertorial

Dunboyne College had a successful Open Night on Thursday, 16th of January 2020 when they opened their new kitchen facilities and launched new courses.

The new kitchen in Dunboyne College opens up new opportunities in the culinary area. Lecturer from DIT, Tony Campbell, spoke on the night about links with TU Dublin into degree courses.

The kitchen offers students the opportunity to train in a fit-for-purpose fully equipped professional cookery facility.

The current culinary students showed off their skills by providing tasty food on the night. Also new to the college is an excellent hair dressing facility and a science lab.

TD Helen McEntee attended the night to officially open Dunboyne College’s new stateof-the-art training kitchen.

Ms McEntee congratulated the college on their massive achievements to date and pledged her continuing support in the college’s need

for a new building. Principal Denis Leonard launched 12 new courses for the coming academic year 2020/21, including: Journalism, Digital Media and Public Relations, Forensic Science, Business and Accounting, Youth and Community Work, Office, Accounts, Administration and Information Processing, Architectural Technology and Design, Physiotherapy Studies, Art Portfolio with Fine Art and Design 2D Options, PreParamedic Fire and Ambulance, Criminology and Psychology, Environmental Science and Animation.

Open Night was attended by up to 600 people interested in learning about the college’s many and varied courses.

Visitors attended talks about the college, chatted with staff, toured the campus and had access to career guidance on the night.

There are now a whole range of places available to Dunboyne College graduates in certificate and degree courses in Maynooth University, DCU, DIT, IT Blanchardstown, DKIT, UCD,

TCD, and with many other institutions around the country through the QQI Links Scheme.

This year 350 of our students received offers to colleges all

around the country, almost 300 of them at level 8. Many of the offers were to colleges in this region including 90 offers to Maynooth University, 29 to

DCU, 15 to UCD, 116 to ITB, 97 to DIT, and 21 to Dundalk IT among others. In fact, that is 223 offers at levels 7 and 8 to the new Technical University 4 Dublin which has combined DIT, IT Blanchardstown and IT Tallaght. Dunboyne College continues to run a whole range of level 6 second year programmes in childcare, healthcare, animal science, equine business, multimedia, hairdressing, cookery and beauty therapy.

Dunboyne College of Further Education will be expanding into many new areas of educational opportunity in the coming years and anyone wishing to obtain further information on these opportunities will find an online prospectus at www.dunboynecollege.ie or on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. There is an online enrolment on-going, with interviews taking place on the 27th January, 13th March 29th April, 27th May and late June 2020. Late applications will be taken until late September depending on availability on courses.

Flexible Education with The Open College

Ireland’s largest online provider of QQI Awards, The Open College offers more than 90 QQI Levels 5 & 6 component Certificates and Major award programmes in a variety of subjects delivered over a flexible mix of Distance Learning, eLearning and Part-Time attendance.

Those looking to take the next step in gaining new qualifications in Healthcare, Childcare, Business, Management, Law, Creative Writing, Special Needs, Montessori, Psychology, Digital Media and many more besides will be delighted by the choice on offer.

The Learning Centre, Leopardstown Business Centre, Ballyogan Road, Dublin 18. Tel: 01 206 1828 or 01 206 1829. theopencollege. com

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