wicklowvoice overall business of the year at the bray chamber of Commerce endeavour awards
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wicklowvoice.ie November 29, 2019
wicklowvoice overall business of the year at the bray chamber of Commerce endeavour awards
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Councillors set for 50% pay hike WICKLOW’S county councillors are likely to be given a pay rise of around €8,000 each next year, approximately 50% more than they are currently getting. County councillors are paid €17,060 a year, in addition to unvouched expenses of between €2,286 and €2,667, and vouched expenses up to €5,000. An 18-month Governmentcommissioned report by Senior Counsel Sara Moorhead, due
soon, is expected to recommend an €8,000 increase to the payment of all councillors. If approved it will add more than €256k to the cost of running the council. There are 32 councillors in Wicklow - Bray has eight, while Greystones, Wicklow Town, Arklow and Baltinglass all have six each. Many councillors in Wicklow work full-time as councillors or
combine it with other jobs and on an hourly basis, most would earn less than minimum wage. There are 949 councillors in the county, meaning that the predicted pay rise will cost taxpayers more than €7.5m a year. Ms Moorhead has been working on the report since June 2018 after repeated concerns were raised over pay levels among councillors and whether they should be increased.
The report was initially due in March. However, it had been delayed until the end of the year, due in part to the complicated and delicate public nature of the issue. Government sources said the final report is likely to recommend pay rises for city and county councillors in the region of €8,000 a year. Continued on next page
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Bray and District Chamber of Commerce President Ruth Donnelly and with her son Alfie at the turning on of the Christmas Lights in Bray. Lots more pix inside
04| NEWS news in brief Free parking in Greystones Shoppers will enjoy two hours free Christmas parking in all Pay and Display Parking areas in Greystones on each Saturday for the month of December. Free parking is available in the car parks at South Beach, Trafalgar Road and La Touche Road throughout the year, every Saturday and throughout the town on Sundays. Free parking daily between 9am and 10am and 15 minutes grace period is allowed on commencement of parking. Cashless parking is available in Greystones using Parking Tag which allows motorists to park by phone and extend parking times without returning to the vehicle.
Celtic Routes Businesses in the south east are being encouraged to take part in a new joint venture with counties in Wales to promote tourism in the regions. The Celtic Routes initiative will see Wicklow, Wexford and Waterford join with Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion in Wales. For more info, contact Oonagh.Messette@wexfordcoco.ie or call 053-9196698.
wicklowvoice.ie November 29, 2019
Hero Barry dived into sea to save struggling swimmer Barry with Minister Michael Ring and Martin O’Sullivan of Water Safety Ireland
A brave dad who dived into rough seas in Greystones to save the life of a stranger has won an award for his deeds. Barry Mahoney (40) was walking with his wife and three children - Cattleya, sons Sidney, Victor and daughter Amelie - in October 2018 when they noticed a woman going for a swim in very difficult conditions. A number of strong waves hit the swimmer and she
became disorientated as a result before Barry immediately responded to the unfolding emergency. He discarded his belongings and entered the sea with a lifebuoy and in spite of high waves and strong winds, Barry reached the woman and thankfully pulled her to safety. “When she hopped in the water you could see this big set of waves coming along.” he said.
“I don’t think you would have been able to see it from where she was standing. “It really was the worst timing to hop into the sea. If she had waited for a minute she might have reconsidered and gone home. “You could tell the minute she got in the water she was in trouble. She tried to get out and got caught by a big wave. It smashed into her, and smashed her into the ground.”
Councillors set for 50% pay increase Continued from previous page
Minister of State for Local Government John Paul Phelan has stipulated that councillors’ pay increase calls will have to compete with rival public sector demands. “It is important to bear in mind that the annual expenses allowance is just that – an expense allowance,” Mr Phelan said. “It is payable on the basis that it offsets costs incurred by the individual claiming it. The allowance is not, and should not be considered as, an income.” He told the Oireachtas Committee on Local Government that any increase must first be discussed at wider public sector pay talks and be balanced against competing demands. TDs and Senators on the committee challenged Mr Phelan on whether he would commit to pay increases for councillors. He said that he, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and public expenditure minister Paschal Donohoe “agree that councillors shouldn’t be the worst paid people in the room when it comes to local authority staff.”
Sean Fitz applies to build house in Burnaby
Ex-Anglo Irish Bank chairman Sean FitzPatrick has applied for planning permission for a new house to the rear of his Burnaby home. According to Wicklow County Council’s online planning section, Mr FitzPatrick and his wife Catriona want to demolish a single-storey, firedamaged dwelling known as Meadow Garden and replace it with a two-storey, four-bedroom house with a new entrance at Farm Lane at the back of their existing home. The FitzPatricks want to build external terraces at ground and first-floor levels along with a garden. They are looking to include parking spaces for two vehicles next to the property. The couple retained their home, Camaderry, next to Greystones Golf Club on Whitshed Road de spite Mr FitzPatrick being declared a bankrupt in 2010 with debts of €147m and assets of just €47m in the wake of the collapse of Anglo Irish Bank. A decision is due on January 21. Meadow Gardens was valued at €550,000 by Mr FitzPatrick when he filed for bankruptcy in 2010, according to his statement of affairs outlining his assets and liabilities. Court records showed that Ms FitzPatrick was entitled to a
share of the cash held in bank accounts jointly held with her husband. Her share amounted to more than €1.1m in June 2010. Official assignees, the courtappointed officials who manage a bankruptcy estate, can sell the bankrupt’s interest in their home to their spouse if they are not using funds belonging to the bankrupt. Property Registration Authority records show that Ms FitzPatrick bought her husband’s share in their jointly owned home from Mr FitzPatrick’s official assignee Chris Lehane for €430,000 in May. The property along with Meadow Garden was transferred from Mr Lehane to Ms FitzPatrick the same month, according to Registry of Deeds records filed the following month. The transfer took place after Ms FitzPatrick settled her legal action against the official assignee claiming that she was entitled to €6m of her husband’s assets. In May 2017 Mr FitzPatrick was acquitted on criminal counts of allegedly misleading Anglo’s auditors about tens of millions of euro in loans concealed from the public between 2002 and 2007.
Council seizes 138 horses THOUSANDS of stray or abandoned horses have been seized by councils in Ireland since 2015, according to the latest official figures. Across County Wicklow 138 have been seized since 2015. Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed told the Dáil the number being seized by county and city authorities is dropping. But the figures reveal big variations in the numbers seized from county to county. In Wicklow 17 horses had been
seized by the end of September, compared to 57 for the whole of last year. Mr Creed said the Control of Horses Act 1996, provides the necessary powers to local authorities to deal with stray and abandoned horses. He said the Act contains provisions for the licencing and identification of horses and was introduced to address the issues caused by stray and wandering horses due to public safety concerns.
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06 | news in brief Pupils benefit from poetry scheme Wicklow schoolchildren are benefitting from a new writer being added to the Poetry Ireland Writers in Schools scheme, thanks to funding provided by Wicklow Arts Office. Poetry Ireland delivers the scheme on behalf of both Arts Councils on the island of Ireland. The increased funding from Wicklow Arts Office has enabled them to bring Bray children’s writer Sadhbh Devlin onto Writers in Schools where she will have the opportunity to work with hundreds of schoolchildren in the future. More than 1,300 schoolchildren across Wicklow have enjoyed workshops with some of Ireland’s leading writers – including Marita Conlon McKenna and Alan Early – as part of Writers in Schools this year.
Costa Coffee apology In a recent edition of Wicklow Voice. We included a Costa Coffee Voucher in error: “Treat a friend to a free coffee”. This should not have been in the paper at all and we apologise for our error and any inconvenience this has caused.
wicklowvoice.ie November 29, 2019
Locals asked to dig deep as Alzheimer day washed out
The generous people of Wicklow are being asked to dig deep after the Alzheimer Society of Ireland’s (ASI) annual flag day collection was washed out due to recent heavy rain. ASI has reported that collections were down 50% in some areas due to the deluge which soaked the country during the week. Although teams of volunteers still hit the streets to
sell Memory Ribbons for €3, the poor weather conditions meant that fewer people left their homes. November 21, should have been ASI’s biggest fundraising day and the shortfall could affect services for the 55,000 people living with dementia in the country. Members of the public are now being asked to use the Text to Donate facility instead by texting Memory to 50300 to donate €4, buy a Memory
Bray’s Pearl named carer of the year
Ribbon for €3 from the online shop, or make a donation at alzheimer.ie “Dementia has a devastating impact on families,” ASI’s CEO Pat McLoughlin said. “Services like home care, day care and support groups help thousands of people to cope. The ASI only receives 58% funding from the HSE and needs to fundraise €3.3m every year just to keep services going.
Margaret (Pearl) Pryor from Bray has been named the Wicklow Netwatch Carer of the Year. Pearl cares for her daughter who has an Acquired Brain Injury for the past nine years. “She provides this care with compassion and love, she also promotes and encourages independence and helps her daughter to live as ‘normal’ a life as possible,” organisers said. “Pearl is a brilliant advocate for her vulnerable daughter and will keep fighting for her, she cares and loves every member of her family equally and has never made anyone feel left out or forgotten. “She is a very loving and caring person and really deserves this award.” Broadcasters and patrons of Family Carers Ireland Marty Whelan and Mary Kennedy presented Pearl with her award. The 2019 Netwatch National Carer of the Year and four regional Young Carers of the Year for 2019 were announced at a
gala awards ceremony held in the Westin Hotel, Dublin on November 22. Marcin Filak fromMeath was named the overall Netwatch Carer of the Year. Marcin cares for his wife Ola, who suffers from locked-in syndrome, and their two children, the eldest of whom Piotr (13) has autism. Now in their 13th year, the Netwatch Carer of the Year awards seek to recognise, celebrate and shine a light on the remarkable contribution of Ireland’s 355,000 family carers – almost two thirds of whom provide over 100 hours of care per week.
Selfies and the sharing of smartphone screens are being blamed for an increase in nits and head lice among schoolchildren in Wicklow and across the country. Head lice needs head-to-head contact to spread and experts say this is happening more regularly as young people spend more time looking into screens together. Pharmacist Caitriona O’Riordan of the Irish Pharmacy Union executive said head lice used to be an issue confined to pre-schools and primary schools, But it is now are becoming a growing problem in our secondary schools. “Normally teenagers wouldn’t be [in] as close proximity to each other as primary school children, but selfies and smartphones have changed that,” she said.
The Irish Pharmacy Union estimates around 10% of children will have head lice between the ages of four and 16. A 2017 UK study involving 200 children found 62% who had a tablet or smartphone had picked up head lice in the past five years, compared with 29% without. The study also highlighted how the incidence of head lice was increasing, with 45% of participants having had head lice at some point in the previous five years, compared with the 8% prevalence rates in the past. The HSE has said that while there have been theories that the
use of technology has increased the transmission of head lice, this had never been proven. She said the UK statistics were based on a small study in a specific population, and more research in this area was needed. Head lice are grey or brown insects that live close to the scalp. Nits are empty eggs left behind when lice hatch and can be white, yellow or brown. Official advice to parents from the HSE is to check children’s hair every week with a “detection comb” and to use a medication lotion for treatment.
Selfies blamed for headlice rise in Wicklow
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opinion&comment
My Christmas SOS: Save Our Shops
T
he Christmas shopping splurge marks a new round of hostilities in a war that has been raging for a decade or more over the future of the retail industry. It has been a pretty one-sided affair, with store after store waving the white flag while online traders occupy their territory. Well, not literally. For online traders do not have a territory, just an office somewhere and warehouses sited near motorways. So, as the big stores retreat from what the British call the high street, they are replaced by bargain-basement shops, fast food outlets, vaping shops and hairdressers. Often they aren’t replaced at all. In Britain, the number of empty shops is at a record high. In the past year, big chains such as Toys R Us, Maplin and Poundworld closed their doors. The womenswear chain, Bonmarché, has recently gone into administration and Mothercare is shutting its shops in Britain. Monsoon, Topshop,
Michael Wolsey
and Debenhams are fighting for survival. The trend has been better documented in the UK than in Ireland but the impact is much the same. Many of these British retailers have shops here and our native stores are suffering from the same pressures. We really don’t need statistics to prove the point. Just take a walk through any provincial town and you will see empty shops, even in the main streets. And it is not just our stores that are vanishing. The work of travel agents, insurance brokers, record shops and even bookmakers, is being conducted
Rachel Kelly from The Donaghies Community School, Grange, at the We Are All Scientists pop-up exhibition at the CHQ Building for Science Week. Pic: Julien Behal Lots more pics inside online and they no longer need downtown premises. The bulk of domestic banking can now be conducted from a computer or a phone, and banks are abandoning their buildings. They are being replaced by nail bars and noodle shops, if they
are replaced at all, and their staff are working from remote locations. There is nothing wrong with nail bars and noodle shops, or the coffee shops that have opened on every corner. But they rely for their existence on
office staff and the passing trade of shoppers. Take away the offices and the shoppers and our town centres will die. The first pressure on downtown stores came from out-of-town shopping centres but they too are now in trouble. According to Forbes magazine: “Nearly 15% (of UK shopping centres) are 10 to 40% vacant ... and 3.4% are more than 40% empty, a threshold that signals the beginning of the death spiral.” Again, you can verify this trend in Ireland just by walking around a few centres. You will see vacant premises and space that was once occupied by high-end retailers now filled by charity shops and seasonal popups. The retail business has always been subject to the whims of the consumer. But the present trend is different because it threatens to change not just the nature of our shopping but the nature of our towns. We may end up with soulless town centres ringed by halfempty shopping malls. Is that what you want? No?
Then think carefully before your next bout of online shopping. If we don’t use our real shops we will lose them. For me, it is no contest. I like shops where you can see the product, feel the material, try on the clothes. Support for this view has come from an unlikely source ParcelHero, a British company that delivers a lot of the products bought online. “Retailers with a portfolio of stores should seek to make the most of these great assets,” said its Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks . He is encouraging customers to buy online and then go to their local stores to pick up items or return them. He calls it BOPUS – Buy Online, Pick Up in Store – and hopes it “will result in increased sales for many of our still muchloved town centre stores”. I can’t see what advantage this would have for Mr Jinks’s courier service but I hope he is predicting a trend. The alternative is empty main streets and, ultimately, no main streets at all.
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wicklowvoice.ie November 29, 2019
christmasiNbray Harbour’s picture perfect The historic Harbour Bar in Bray will form part of a series immortalising the country’s vintage pubs which will feature at Gifted – The Contemporary Craft and Design Fair in the RDS, from December 4-8. Roger O’Reilly is intent on
capturing the atmosphere of some of Ireland’s oldest and most iconic pubs before they call time for good. “Pubs are an important part of our built heritage but some are in real danger of disappearing off the scene,” said Roger.
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wicklowvoice.ie November 29, 2019
christmasiNBray
Thousands turn out for lights switch on
It CERTAINLY wasn’t a silent night in Bray last Saturday as the community gathered to ring in the festive season as the Christmas lights were lit. Hundreds of people gathered at the Civic Plaza to witness Santa Claus make a smashing entrance. Santa arrived by firetruck to the council building as the children waved and cheered. The crowd were treated to an afternoon of festive fun as the r ain thankfully held off. St Cronan’s Boys Choir filled the air with song, treating people to some Christmas carols. M eanwhile, Bray Chamber, Bray.ie and Wicklow County Council are once again encouraging everyone to shop locally and support the wide range of businesses in the town this festive season. People can pick up a gift or simply enjoy some festive cheer at one of the many pubs, clubs and restaurants throughout the town and with free car
Evelyn Brown, Rosamund and Adelina Dorsch at the turning on of the the light in the Civic Plaza; above right, Rhys and Aria Messitt Butler parking in Wicklow County Council carparks at weekends throughout December, it makes Bray the perfect place to soak up the Christmas spirit. Cllr Steven Matthews,
Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District, said: “Remember for all your shopping needs, places to eat, drink and be merry you can’t afford to miss Christmas in Bray.”
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wicklowvoice.ie November 29, 2019
shoplocalinwicklow
Green is the new black!
Advertorial
Say goodbye to Black Friday and hello to Green Friday by buying Irish brands and
products on November 29, urges a leading Irish retailer. Green Friday is an initiative led by Marian O’Gorman of Kilkenny to champion a
movement to support Irish brands and businesses. Kilkenny, and bodies like the Design and Crafts Council, Retail Excellence, SFA, Enterprise Ireland and the Chambers of Commerce and others will lead a powerful and passionate drive to reawaken people to the significance of buying Irish, s h o p p i n g local, and t h e wealth of talent and enterprise behind our Irish craft and design businesses. A national campaign is to be rolled out in the coming weeks, encouraging people in Ireland to drive our economy, support jobs and nurture our creative community in these uncertain times by purchasing Irish goods
on one of the busiest shopping days of the year - the last Friday in November. Previously, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have been enthusiastically embraced by Irish consumers, with more than €50 million spent over the course of the weekend in 2018. Speaking of the campaign, Marian O’Gorman issued a passionate call to action to shoppers; “Our survey of consumers shows that 84% prefer to buy from Irish suppliers.** “This does not surprise me as Irish
brands and products are second to none and, as a nation, we have many that are leaders on a world stage. We, as consumers, need to appreciate the fundamental
fact that by keeping money in circulation in our own communities, we are protecting jobs and public services,” added Marian.
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wicklowvoice.ie November 29, 2019
shoplocalinkilcoole
Whitmore: Parents being kept the in dark Parents of schoolchildren in Greystones and Kilcoole are being left in the dark regarding the patronage of the proposed secondary school, Cllr Jennifer Whitrmore has claimed. The secondary school, due to open in September 2020, is planned to be located in the Charlesland area of the town. “I am being contacted on a daily basis by parents concerned at the delay in deciding a patron for the new school and the lack of information being given out,” Ms Whitmore of the Social Democrats said. “It is now nearly eight weeks since the patronage competition for the school closed. Until that decision is made, there can be no progress towards hiring the Principal, establishing a Board of Management or locating accommodation for the school. There is a considerable volume of work that needs to be undertaken before the school
can open in September.” “This delay in progressing the school is placing a considerable amount of stress on parents and children. In particular, parents of children with any special educational requirements don’t know if the new school will be able to meet their needs. I have written to the Minister for Education to ask that he speed up this process and to outline the impact it was having parents and children. I know many parents have also done similar. Unfortunately, I have only received the standard departmental response so far. Whitmore concluded “Ultimately, transitioning to secondary school is a big milestone for children and should be an exciting time for them. Instead, we have a large number of students in our locality who do not know what school they will be going to next year.”
Mairead Davis with her three girls and Santa, at the Switching on of the Christmas lights in Greystones
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shoplocalinkilcoole Lucy Creamer (4) of Major Minors Junior Orchestra pictured with the winner’s trophy at the Kilcoole Music festival. Bray’s Major Minors Junior Orchestra ran out winners at this year’s festival which took place last weekend at Colaiste Chraobh Abhann. The Festival, which is celebrating its 64th year is one of the oldest and most renowned Music Festivals in the country and its aim is to provide a platform for children and adults to perform in public. The Major Minors orchestra, which caters for musicians of primary school age competed in a festival for the very first time. The orchestra rehearse on Thursdays at 4.30pm in Bray School Project. For information contact Aoife on 086 384 8526 or Lisa on 087 919 4991.
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wicklowvoice.ie November 29, 2019
WILDLIFE
ninenottomiss
Mesmerising Murmurations
book of the week
with Justin Ivory
tv show of the week
film of the week
HOROSCOPES
Starling Murmuration (Photo Wikicommons William Baxter) Picture the scene. It is dusk on a winters’ evening. As the last light begins to fade in an otherwise featureless and lifeless skyline a strange phenomenon starts to unfold. Wave upon wave of black shapes arrive from all directions to coalesce into one huge, living, breathing entity. And so one of the most breath taking and awe inspiring performances you are ever likely to witness begins. The gigantic shadow creature begins an aerial, shape-shifting ballet. Constantly twisting and turning, ebbing and flowing so the dance continues. But look closer and you will see that the creature is not a single entity but consists of thousands, even millions of black specks moving in unison, for all the world like iron filings on a sheet of paper being controlled from beneath by a magnet. Suddenly as if a switch has been flicked, they drop from the sky and the performance is over for another day.
Juvenile Starling (Photo Justin Ivory) What you have just witnessed is a flock of starlings, or a murmuration, arriving at their evening, winter communal roost. The Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is a highly sociable bird and they roost communally throughout the year. During the breeding season these roosts are relatively small and mainly consist of non-breeding birds. It is in late autumn and winter that these roosts can reach an incredible size, some in excess of a million individuals. Typically, the roosts are in small woods, reed beds or suitable man-made structures, although in recent years urban roosts have been in decline. While a murmuration is the collective noun for a group/flock of starlings it is particularly associated with the large winter groups and their pre-roost aerial stunts and acrobatics.
by Joseph O’Connor
shadowplay
Sunday Best: 40 Years of The Sunday Game Wednesday 4 December, 9.35pm RTE1
Last christmas Released 22 November 2019
Three extraordinary people begin their life together, a life that will be full of drama, transformation, passionate and painful devotion to art and to one another. Henry Irving, is the volcanic leading man and impresario; Ellen Terry is the most lauded and desired actress of her generation; and following along behind them in the shadows is the unremarkable theatre manager, Bram Stoker. Fresh from life in Dublin as a clerk, Bram is wrestling with dark demons in a new city and with his own literary aspirations. As he walks the London streets at night, streets haunted by the Ripper, he finds new inspiration.
It’s the theme tune... the first three of four bars of James Last’s Jagerlatein is usually enough to conjure up images of memorable hurling, football and camogie moments. Since 1979, the Sunday Game has been bringing Gaelic Games to audiences; stirring debate and provoking countless Monday morning arguments along the way. Driven by fascinating behind the scenes footage of live broadcasts in studios and stadia during the 2019 championship, this documentary features contributations from a starry list of producers, presenters, pundits and players.
Kate (Emilia Clarke) harumphs around London, a bundle of bad decisions accompanied by the jingle of bells on her shoes, another irritating consequence from her job as an elf in a yearround Christmas shop. Tom (Henry Golding) seems too good to be true when he walks into her life and starts to see through so many of Kate’s barriers. As London transforms into the most wonderful time of the year, nothing should work for these two. But sometimes, you gotta let the snowfall where it may, you gotta listen to your heart ... and you gotta have faith. Featuring the music of George Michael, including the classic of the film’s title.
play of the week
class of the week
gig of the week
AriesAdvance to the next level with a partner. A test or challenge is resolved, with satisfying results. Celebrate with a favorite treat. TaurusEnergize your work with love and passion. Put heart into your performance and it soars. Physical action produces results. GeminiImagine a dream realized, especially with love and romance. Play and have fun with someone attractive. Get creative. CancerEnergize a homeimprovement project. Decisions made now can have long-lasting impact ... consider color, lighting and mood. LeoStudy options and possibilities. Opportunities could hide behind more obvious changes. Consider messaging and responses.
ham sandwich Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, Saturday December 7th 8.30pm Tickets €28/26
crowman 30th November 2019 @ 8:30 pm €18/€16 Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely
WICKLOW UKULELE PLAYERS The Brass Fox, Leitrim Place, Wicklow town Monday Nights session €5
One of Ireland’s most enthralling live acts in recent times, HamsandwicH are well known for their incendiary live performances which has established them as one of the top touring acts in the country. Featuring Niamh Farrell’s powerful yet sweet vocal, Podge McNamee’s juxtaposing baritone, and Darcy’s soaring guitar riffs, if ever there was a band to feed off their audience it is HamsandwicH. Having sold out Dublin’s prestigious Olympia Theatre three times, supported Arcade Fire and The Pixies, played on the main stages at the Electric Picnic, Longitude Festival, and IndiePendence Festival, and Slane Castle with Bon Jovi.
“Crowman” by Katie Holly is Dan Lonergan’s account of the hilarious characters that inhabit his life s and a love story that never was. By turns poignant and comic Kenny carries the audience on a roller-coaster ride from this childhood to middle-age, from the hurling pitch to the pub and from one uproariously funny character to the other. It is about lost love and the sense of belong and not belongin to a smally community. Most of all it is about the humanity and decency of the local characters found in every rural village and town in Ireland.
Learn to Play the Ukelele with the Famous Wicklow Ukelele Players. Ronan McCauley and his gruop of players welcome learners of all levels to join in the fun of a session at the Brass Fox pub on Monday nights to warm the heart-strings and bend the Ukelele strings at the same time. Instruments are provided as well as song sheets. Beginners session starts at 6.15 p.m main session at 7.30p.m.
kids event of the week
workshop of the week
event of the week
VirgoThings could get lucrative. Harvest a windfall. Keep things simple and save extra nuts for winter. Don’t take risks or gamble. LibraAdvance toward a personal goal. Let others know what you’re up to and gain valuable support. Dress for the part you want. ScorpioCreativity and imagination thrive with peaceful conditions. Careful planning now saves money and time later. Sagittarius-
Team efforts can surge ahead. Speculate, collaborate and coordinate. Share resources, ideas and possibilities.
A WILDE CHRISTMAS Russborough House & Parklands, Blessington 30th Nov @ 11am – 22nd Dec @ 4:30 pm
SANTA’S CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND 5th December 2019 all-day COST:€18 Bel-Air Hotel Cronroe Co. Wicklow
WILD CHRISTMAS WREATH MAKING Russborough House & Parklands, Blessington 6th December 2019 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Family Friendly Wilde Christmas House Tour - Russborough is transformed this Christmas into a Winter Wonderland. This year’s decor is inspired by Oscar Wilde’s Stories for Children. The Happy Prince, The Selfish Giant and The Nightingale and the Rose all feature in the seasonal displays. Guides will lead you on a festive adventure through Russborough’s elegant interiors, specially tailored for our youngest yuletide visitors. Tickets €3.50-€12.00 available from eventbrite.ie
Santa’s Christmas Wonderland is in a beautiful woodland setting with traditional old timber buildings nestled under the forest canopy. There are dozens of great photo opportunities so be sure to bring your camera. OPEN 29th NOV UP TO AND INCLUDING 23rd DEC. PLEASE NOTE: Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays are reserved for Corporate and school groups. However, we will try our best to accommodate you if these are the only days that suit you. Please e mail us: santaschristmaswonderland@ gmail.com Family run event,
Design and create your very own custom wreath with the Royal Horticultural Society of Ireland. This is an informal session with Royal Horticultural Society member and AOIFA Chair Karen Robinson and the wreath is yours to take home at the end of the day. A great way to get you in the festive mood! Learn to design and create your very own custom wreath with advice on sourcing wild material and expert tuition. The two hour workshop costs €45 pp and includes all materials. Combine with a House Tour for just €55.
CapricornCareer opportunities have your attention. Accept an inviting challenge. You can figure out this puzzle. Keep your objective in mind. AquariusFair winds and smooth sailing grace your journey. Explore, investigate and discover. Learn from respected elders and teachers. PiscesTackle detailed tasks to manage financial, legal or insurance matters. Bolster your shared investments through careful monitoring.
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wicklowvoice.ie November 29, 2019
insideback
Fionnuala and Una head for Lisbon
T
he winter just keeps on getting better for Fionnuala McCormack. Having recently achieved the qualifying mark for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo – by running 2:26:47 in the Chicago marathon on Sunday 13 October – Fionnuala won the National Women’s Senior Cross Country title (her ninth!) on Sunday 24 November. Fionnuala led the event from gun to tape and clocked 28.41 for the 8km course – a fast time any day, but all the more impressive given the amount of mud that the course had to offer. Victory then turned to family celebration as her sister Una Britton finished third to join Fionnuala on the podium. This was the first time in the history of the event that two sisters have stood on the podium together (Mary Mulhare of Portlaoise finished second) and the sisters – who run for Kilcoole AC – will now both travel to Lisbon for the Europeans on December 8. Going back to the Chicago marathon, Fionnuala’s time was a significant improvement
Santa’s little helpers at the Switching on of the Christmas lights in Greystones
on the 2:31 she ran for the 26mile distance in both the 2014 European Championships and the 2016 Olympics.
Considering that Fionnuala will only by just turning 36 by the time Tokyo comes around, which isn’t old for a marathon
runner, there is every hope that she can secure a high placing. Coming from the same part of the country as Fionnuala I have
followed her athletics career for nearly two decades. She first ran as a junior international in 2001 and made
her debut in the World Cross Country Championships in 2003. Since then she has been to IAAF World Championships, Olympics, European Athletics Championships and many more high-profile events. For many years Fionnuala divided her time between running the 3,000m steeplechase on the track and cross-country running. She won individual gold at the 2011 and 2012 European Cross Country Championships – the 2012 victory saw her become the first woman to defend the title, and she was part of the Ireland team that won a team gold that year. Tokyo will be her fifth Olympics, a tally only one other Irish track athlete has achieved (race walker Rob Heffernan) and something that has only been achieved by less than 100 track athletes worldwide since the Olympics began. Tokyo, of course, is still a long way away. Lisbon on 08 December is much nearer on the radar and this will be the immediate focus for Fionnuala and Una. We wish them the best of luck! - Brian Quigley
wicklowvoice.ie November 29, 2019
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