Dun Laoghaire

Foxrock car park hailed as lifelineCouncillors hope new facility will revitalise business

BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

LOCAL politicians have hailed the decision to create a new car parking facility for Foxrock village as a potential economic lifeline for the vil-lage.

The new car park is set to be built on the site of a disused

railway line owned by Horse Racing Ireland and Leopard-stown Racecourse.

Around a quarter of busi-nesses in Foxrock village have closed in recent years a situ-ation that a number of local representatives attribute to the lack of access to parking.

Deputy Peter Mathews

(FG) said: The lack of park-ing spaces in Foxrock village has had a detrimental effect on the life and businesses of the village.

Cllr Barry Saul (FF) said: This is huge progress on an issue that has been crippling Foxrock village for years.

Full Story on Page 3

French success:More than a oui bit deserved ...THE director of Alliance Francaise, Claire Bourgeois, was delighted to present Miriam OConnor with her prizes as the winner of the insti-tutes second photography award. One of four shortlisted finalists, the photographer, who studied at IADT, greatly impressed judges with her playful works, which examined the concept of a misbe-having digital camera, and its drift-ing focus. Miriams prize includes a return flight and two-week stay in Paris, a 500 grant, and French courses prior to her trip.Picture: Margaret Brown

FREE GAZETTEGAZETTELaoghaire

DUN LAOGHAIRE BLACKROCK CORNELSCOURT DEANSGRANGE DALKEY GLASTHULE MONKSTOWN GLENAGEARY

JULY 19, 2012 Find us on

ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES ......................8BUSINESS .....................18MOTORS ....................... 20TRAVEL ......................... 22ENTERTAINMENT ......... 24CLASSIFIEDS ............... 26

Football: Cuala complete incredible AFL2 comebackPage 31

Soccer: Joeys duo get Ireland call for Coca Cola CupPage 30

THANKS, CATHAL: Croagh Patrick climb raises 4,000 for orphans P4

INSIDE: Science schooner gets a warm welcome as it berths at East Pier P8

2 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 19 July 2012

A MAN who was caught trying to flush six bags of heroin down a toilet has been jailed for 16 months.

Kenneth Byrne (28), of Loughlinstown Park, Loughlinstown, told gardai he was bagging up the drugs to give them to someone else.

Byrne pleaded guilty to having drugs for sale or supply at his home on July 26, 2011.

Garda Gary Dunne told prosecuting coun-sel, Caroline Cummins BL, that after securing a search warrant for the house, gardai found Byrne trying to flush six bags of brown powder down the toilet.

T hey a l so found 520-worth of canna-bis, two weighing scales, and plastic bags, which were to be used to bag the drugs.

The estimated mar-

ket value of the heroin found was 6,945.

Ronan Kennedy BL, defending, said his client was a drug addict who was in fear of the people who had supplied him with the drugs.

Dublin Circuit Crimi-nal Court heard that Byrne has three previ-ous convictions, includ-ing one for dealing drugs in 2007.

AddictionJudge Martin Nolan

said this previous charge was a complicating fac-tor, but that Byrne had a serious drug addiction and has gone a long way towards rehabilitating himself.

He imposed a sen-tence of three years, but suspended all but 16 months of this on the condition that Byrne is of good behaviour for two years.

COURTS: DRUG ADDICT TRIED TO FLUSH HAUL DOWN THE TOILET

Man jailed for having 7k heroin

ENTERPRISE Networking breakfast for local companies

Susan Kennedy, Lensmen Photographic Agency; Alan Gallagher,

Connect Ireland and Tom Dalton, Chem Dry

Businessman and Dragons Den figure, Bobby Kerr; Deputy Peter

Mathews (FG) and Donal Fingleton, solicitor and chairman of

Churchtown Business AssociationThe event was very well attended and received

Angela Tynan, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board

Deirdre Cleary, Alan Gallagher of Connect Ireland, Bobby Kerr and Shay Cahill of Venture Business Network

Banking on growing businessesAIB DUNDRUM, in partnership with Venture Business Network, hosted a business networking showcase morning promoting local businesses in and around the Dublin 14 area recently. Deirdre Cleary, manager of AIB Dundrum, and one of the main organis-ers of the event, said she was delighted with the attend-ance at the breakfast meeting. Many local companies showcased their business

and there was an interesting line-up of guest speakers. Dragons Dens Bobby Kerr started the event, followed by a talk from Alan Gallagher, business development manager of Connect Ireland. Declan Coyne, Leadership and Motivation, spoke next, followed by Gerard Tannen, of Islandbridge Brand Development. Each guest speaker presented for 30 minutes, followed by a 30-minute break to allow attendees network and visit the various stands.

John Keogan with the manager of the Dundrum branch of AIB,

Deirdre Cleary. Pictures: Geraldine Woods

19 July 2012 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 3

FOXROCK Parking issue cited for business closures

Car park plan vital for village, business TD BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

[email protected]

A NEW car park pro-posed for Foxrock vil-lage will give the local area a new lease of life, according to Fine Gael TD, Peter Mathews.

According to Deputy Mathews, a quarter of shops in Foxrock village have been forced to shut down due to lack of busi-ness since the economic downturn, and he sees the lack of parking facili-ties as a contributory fac-tor.

He said: The lack of parking spaces in Foxrock village has had a detrimental effect on the life and businesses of the village.

The village has always suffered because of the shortage of car spaces. The added difficulties that have arisen as a result of the recession is forcing businesses to close and jobs to disap-pear.

A number of busi-nesses have closed in the past few years. Five shops out of approximately 20 in Foxrock village have closed. All the shops cited the lack of parking spaces as a major prob-lem, he said.

Councillor Barry Saul (FG) discussed the park-ing problem in Foxrock village with Deputy Mathews upon his elec-tion to the Dail.

Cllr Saul and Deputy

Mathews have had a series of meetings with Leopardstown Race-course officials, who own the site for the proposed car park, and Dun Laoghaire-Rath-down County Council (DLRCC) about re-acti-vating shelved plans for a car park on the waste-land site.

Deputy Mathews said: We are delighted that Horse Racing Ire-land and Leopardstown Racecourse have now generously provided the council with permission to proceed with a plan-ning application for a car park on their land.

Cllr Saul said: This is huge progress on an issue that has been crippling

Deputy Peter Mathews (FG) said: The lack of parking spaces in Foxrock village has

had a detrimental effect on the life and businesses of the village

Foxrock village for years.I am confident that

DLRCC will work to ensure the speedy deliv-ery of this vital car park.

In this current difficult environment, it is vital that both the Govern-ment and local councils work to safeguard exist-ing jobs and help local

traders to create more local jobs.

Commenting on the announcement, Cllr Gerry Horkan (FF) said: Ideally, [the new car park] will supply spaces for employees and, more importantly, customers to access the village.

There are a lot of

businesses there and the parking situation is chronic. Ive been putting proposals about this for years.

Weve had four to five different ministers in between, and its great that this unused space is going to be used for such a cause.

Shankill pub pulls top title BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

[email protected]

BRADYS family-owned pub and restaurant in Shankill has won the title of Local of the Year at the 2012 National Bar Awards, held at the Ber-keley Hotel last week.

Located on Main Street in Shankill, the pub has won the bar equivalent of the Oscars by beating stiff competition from eight other popular locals to win the most coveted honour at the awards.

Speaking after the awards ceremony, Wick-low native and proprietor of Bradys, John Brady, paid tribute to his staff and customers.

This award isnt just for me or the John Brady Group its for all our loyal customers, staff and everyone else who helps to make Bradys of Shankill such a consist-ently enjoyable experi-ence, he said.

AWARD

WANT TO TALK

TO YOUR LOCAL

MARKET

TALK TO US FIRST!

?

Call your local sales person,

Jackie OHanlon

now on

085 8018737johanlon@

gazettegroup.com


Red squirrel set to return to Killiney

COUNCIL: MOVE TO HELP SUPPORT NATIVE SPECIES


[email protected]

LONG tails and twitchy noses will abound again in Killiney after Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) recently launched the Killiney Hill Red Squir-rel Project, in partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Red squirrels are being relocated this August and September from Wexford into Killiney, where num-bers have become danger-ously low, of late.

The spread of the North American grey squirrel, which carries the deadly SQPV virus, has meant that the red squir-rel species is now close to extinction.

Mary Toomey, biodiver-sity officer with DLRCC, said that the wildlife authorities will only relo-cate fit, adult red squirrels into the Killiney habitat, and that the parks depart-ment has already made the way clear for the new arrivals by culling the grey squirrel population in the area.

The red squirrel is pro-tected under the Irish Wildlife Act 1976 and the Irish Wildlife Amend-

ment Act 2000, meaning it is illegal to intention-ally injure, hunt or kill the animal.

The council and wild-life authorities are appeal-ing to the public to help in the conservation of the species at this sensitive time.

The council is calling on residents of Killiney and Dun Laoghaire-Rath-down to report red and grey squirrel sightings, whether in their garden or in local green areas.

Additionally, residents considering planting trees in their gardens or other spaces are asked to consider choosing ones which are beneficial to the red squirrel popula-tion, which prefer dense conifer forests.

Finally, interested locals can also join the Killiney Hill Red Squirrel Group.

There will be a public meeting on the reintro-duction of the red squirrel in Killiney in Dalkey Her-itage Centre at 7.30pm on Tuesday, July 24.

For further information, contact Mary Toomey, biodiversity officer at DLRCC at 01 205 4773, or email [email protected] to record your squirrel sightings.

CHARITY Croagh Patrick walker raises 4k

Debbie Deegan, founder, To Russia With Love, congratulates Stillorgan man Cathal Lyons on his fundraising ascent of Croagh Patrick

Stillorgan hero climbs the Reek for orphans BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

[email protected]

A S T I L L O R G A N amputee climbed Croagh Patrick in Mayo last week and, in turn, raised 4,000 for orphans in Russia.

The mountain has been a site of pilgrimage for

hundreds of years. How-ever, this time, a walkers trek was made to benefit neglected children in Rus-sian orphanages.

Cathal Lyons lost half of his foot and his shoul-der in a head-on motor-bike collision in Moscow six years ago.

He was hit by a car which was driving on the wrong side of a motor-way. To date, the incident meant he has undertaken six operations; he is due to have a seventh one soon.

After the accident, Cathal wrote a letter of appeal to the judge trying the case, pleading with him not to send the man responsible for his injuries to jail.

He now lives with ongo-ing chronic pain and had

to abandon his former career as an executive with Ernst and Young.

Cathal now spends his time helping the charity, To Russia With Love, and taking care of his three-year-old daughter, Megan, with whom he still lives in Moscow.

During the climb, Cathal fought through the pain to complete the ascent. However, he is a believer in mind over matter, and he pushed all thoughts of personal pain out of his mind as he made his way to the top.

He said: It was really a tough climb, and I have to say it was a big challenge for me with a prosthetic foot and half a shoulder.

However, every step of the way, I thought about

the orphans who might benefit from me doing this, and it kept me going.

While living in Mos-cow, I became very involved with this Irish-run charity, To Russia With Love.

[The charitys founder] Debbie Deegan and her team are simply amazing people, and the work that they do for the orphaned children in Russia is phe-nomenal.

I will never learn to cope with seeing a child being dropped off at an orphanage by their par-ent.

But, when I see the welcome that they get from the team, it is heart-warming, as it would have been an entirely different story 14 years

ago, said Cathal. To Russia with Love is

a charity that helps Rus-sian orphans in a number of regions across the Rus-sian Federation, includ-ing the Bryansk region in Western Russia.

The charity began in 1998 with Debbie Deegans promise to an orphan that she would come back to hug and kiss them.

It has since grown into a successful charity over the years, and undertakes life-changing work with thousands of orphaned and abandoned children.

Success so far includ-ing rebuilding, develop-ing care and education programmes and hiring specialist staff to look after the children.

www.gazette group.comwww.gazette group.comAll of your latest local news, sport, features and pictures are now just a click away

R1


Tender sought for library art BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

[email protected]

THE soon to be com-missioned artwork for the Moran Park complex will not clash with the relocated Christ the King sculpture, according to Dun Laoghaire-Rath-down County Council arts officer, Kenneth Red-mond.

Christ the King, an 18-foot bronze sculpture of Jesus, was the sub-ject of recent objections when it was moved from its pedestal in Haigh Ter-race for preparatory work to begin on the new Cen-tral Library and Cultural Centre in Moran Park.

The new Moran Park library development is

COUNCIL: MORAN PARK WORK WILL NOT CLASH WITH CHRIST THE KING

now to get a specially-commissioned artwork on the site.

Redmond assured The Gazette that the tenders brief for a newly-commis-sioned artwork on the Moran site contains five possible locations for the new piece.

He said: Three of these are internal, and only one commission will be awarded.

So, we dont know until the commission is selected as to where it will go. It may be indoors and so nowhere near the Christ the King sculpture. The odds are [even] for this likelihood.

Redmond went on to say that the location of the newly-commissioned piece will not be a prob-lem, no matter what.

We have no prefer-ence as to where it will be. If it is outdoors, the artist will consider Christ the King in relation to the new sculpture.

The artist will be expe-rienced at taking into context the entire site,

and will be sympathetic to the environment [when designing the placement of their work].

The commission is open to artists, sculptors, lighting designers and craft designers. Propos-als are invited from artists working either on their own or in collaboration with others.

A number of sites have been identified internally in the building and exter-nally in Moran Park.

Applicants are invited to respond to one or more of the outlined sites, and one commission will be awarded. This is a two-stage competition, and a maximum of three artists will be shortlisted for the second stage.

The commissioners are seeking a permanent artwork and are open to the work being incorpo-rated into the fabric of the building. The total budget for the commis-sion is 54,000.

The deadline for receipt of submissions is Friday, October 5.

Having a blast: French ambassador enjoys cannonfire at Martello towerTHE French ambassador to Ireland, Her Excellency, Mme Emman-uelle dAchon enjoyed a cannonfire salute at the newly-restored Seapoint Martello Tower when she helped to launch The Martello Towers of Dublin book in County Hall, Dun Laoghaire.

A joint publication between Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Fingal County Council, and published with the sup-port of the Heritage Council, the book tells the story of the enig-matic towers that were constructed between Bray and Balbriggan in 1804/05 to stop a threatened French invasion. Mme dAchon joined An Cathaoirleach, Councillor Tom Joyce (FG) at the launch in highly-commending the book, which features a great amount of new material about the towers histories.

Flowers go on showDUN Laoghaire County Hall will be blooming when the 85th annual summer flower show is held next month.

The South Dublin Hor-ticultural Society and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is host-ing the event, which will display a stylish selection of colourful flowers of many varieties to please plant lovers.

If you like the idea of spending a few hours among herbaceous per-ennials, pot plants, Alpine, cacti, succulents and flo-ral art, then you should go along to County Hall on Sunday, August 11.

Doors will open from 2pm until 5.30pm. There will be plants available for sale on the day, and admission is free.

BLOOMFEST

SUPPORT DUN LAOGHAIRE

BUSINESS

SHOP LOCALLY

CALL THE GAZETTE ON

60 10 240


ENTERPRISE Portal could win Net Visionary title

Local debs site shortlisted for top tech award BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

[email protected]

A NEW website set up in the Media Cube at Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technol-ogy (IADT), Debs.ie, has reached the final stages of the Irish Internet Associa-tions (IIA) Net Visionary Award contest.

Debs.ie, which was launched last September, is Irelands only debs dress comparison web-site.

Keelin Harty, manag-ing director of debs.ie, said: We are thrilled to be a finalist of the IIA Net Visionary awards, along-side seven inspirational entrepreneurs, in such a

competitive category Best Rookie.

Being recognised by the IIA gave us even more belief in debs.ie, and pro-vided the much-needed encouragement that all small businesses need when starting out.

The website lists more than 1,000 items from more than 80 brands, including Ted Baker, Coast and Debenhams, and has become the go-to site for all things debs-related.

The site assists custom-ers in finding the most inexpensive dresses, tux-edoes, shoes and acces-sories available in their area.

Harty said: The web-site gives debutantes a

chance to find everything they need easily, and at a fair price.

Once the perfect prod-uct has been located, debutantes simply click through to the brands own website to make the purchase.

The site also has the facility to assist with event planning and ticketing and, since its launch in September, hundreds of debs ball committees have used the site to plan their debs ball.

Harty added: Planning a debs ball should be easy, safe and fair, and debs.ie was built to address the need for a structured and transparent process to organising annual debu-

Screenshot shows part of the debs.ie website, which lists more than 1,000 debs-

related items, and assists customers in browsing a wide range of debs material

tant balls and graduations online.

The founder of Kee Events, the parent compa-ny behind debs.ie, Harty began her career in the marketing department of BMW Group.

Since then, she has pro-vided event management services to individuals, small- to medium-sized-

businesses and the diplo-matic community.

Harty said her dream is: To provide beautiful, intuitive software that helps to make the events more accessible and fun for everyone.

This year, the winner of the IIAs Net Visionary award will be decided for the first time by a com-

bination of votes from the public and those of the associations judges. Nominations from the public are now open, and close on Tuesday, Septem-ber 4.

The award ceremony will take place in the National Gallery of Ire-land on Friday, Septem-ber 28.

Salon to open up nail bar BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

[email protected]

VEDAS Beauty Salon will be celebrating two years in business in Dun Laoghaire with the launch of a new nail bar this Sep-tember.

The nail bar will open in two weeks as the spa perfects the new service ahead of its official launch in September.

In addition to its beauty treatments, the salon has innovated and adapted and now has a relaxation room and infra-red sau-nas.

The salon employs seven people, and manag-ing director, Tonya Costel-lo, feels that people need to relax and de-stress.

Theres a huge inter-est in holistic treatments since the downturn. Peo-ple want treatments that give results, not pamper-ing so much, she said.

For further information, see www.vedasbeauty.ie.

BEAUTY


Taras arrival makes a splash at the harbourAMARINE research schooner, Tara, sailed into Dun Laoghaire harbour recently, where a welcoming committee was on hand to greet the international crew. Taras arrival was arranged as part of the European City of Science 2012 festival, which saw the vessel, which has been navigating around the world for the past 30 months studying plankton in marine ecosystems, and a number of other, lesser-explored ecosystems, making a stopover in Dun Laoghaire.

The Tara Oceans Expedition created a special exhibition for the event, with the 1.6km-long length of the East Piere featuring large, bright, colourful shots of some of the many fascinating types of plank-ton observed and studied by the crew on their research travels around the worlds oceans.

Scientifically, such studies of the oceans minute life have often been described as akin to taking the pulse of the planet, as the tiny life-forms have enormous importance to life in the sea, and thus, the entire planet, too.

The expedition crew of the majestic, 36m-long aluminium vessel, Tara, wave to watching landlubbers on the East

Bystanders waved in welcome for the Tara

Vastly-magnified shots of

plankton lined the East Pier

Joe Connor, Paddy Lawless, Sarah Burgess and Willie Morton

Taras captain, Loic Valletta,

Comhairle na nOg members,

Stafford and William Morton

CITY OF SCIENCE International marine research schooner

Deanna Wright and Emmanual Reynaud


Pier as the ship makes its way in. Pictures: Geraldine Woods

The crew tie up the Tara

Guest speaker John Till

makes his point

THE Royal Marine Hotel recently played host to a prestigious confer-ence which examined how the towns of Rhyl, Holyhead, Athy and Dun Laoghaire have worked to engage and re-energise local communities and reposition themselves as positive places to be. The BRAND Projects confer-ence focused on place branding to help strengthen the identity and improve the reputation of these towns. thus providing both a greater sense of identity for residents and establishing a stronger sense of identity with which to attract business, both indigenous and established, as well as the potential for network-ing and growth. Key speakers from each area outlined steps that their town was undertaking to brand, shape and develop their local identity.

David Keegan, of The Pavilion Theatre. Pictures: Margaret Brown

Town delegates meet about brandingCONFERENCE

was also greeted by

Earl Echivarre, Ben

Establishing an identity

Adele Ryan, Michael Tierney and

Caroline HIck

Patricia Berry and Eimear OReilly

sails into Dublin

Richard Shakespeare and Don McManus


DUBLINGAZETTENEWSPAPERS

Dundrum/Dun Laoghaire areaAdvertising Sales Professional

We are seeking an experienced media sales executive to work on our Dundrum and Dun Laoghaire Gazette titles.

Dublin Gazette Newspapers is Dublins

fastest growing community weekly

regional publisher, with 8 titles covering

the M50 from Swords to Dun Laoghaire.

Experience in newspaper advertising sales

is preferable. Full clean driving licence

and own car required; fl uent written and

oral English essential. Excellent package

on offer to suitable candidates.

If you can work on your own initiative

within a team environment, are

motivated, enthusiastic with an excellent

work ethic, please send your cv to:

[email protected]

A feast of fashion at finale of event THE eBay.ie Online Fashion Show took place at the Smock Alley Theatre, as part of the finale of eBay.ie Online Fashion Week.

Over 300 of Irelands top fashioni-stas attended the show.

Presenter and fashion guru Dar-ren Kennedy hosted the show and four stylists were given three themes to style their looks around and a set budget to use on eBay.ie.

Gavin Norton, Leanne Woodfull, Roisin Flanagan and Laura OBrien

were eBay.ies super styling stars and showed their creativity on the catwalk.

The event was Irelands first eBay.ie fashion show and with the great success it enjoyed, it is sure to be back bigger and better in 2013.

Aine OHara and Lisa McKee

Deirdre Wallace and Sinead Durnin

Caitriona Flood

Emily Cramp and Lauren Wilkinson

Cynthia Baloula Leanne WoodfullMelanie McCabe and Aislinn Dunne

SHOW Irelands first eBay.ie fashion show

19 July 2012 GAZETTE 11

We need wonder life I try to bring


[email protected]

KEITH Barry is a busy man these days. Not only has he a new show at the Olympia theatre, he is also writing a book, helping people to over-come their phobias on television, motivating some of the Irish Olym-pic squad and has just finished consultancy work as chief mentalist on the set of a new Hol-lywood film.

Keith returned to the Olympia this month with his new show, 8 Deadly Sins, which goes on throughout July.

The show really makes people laugh. Fifty people end up on the stage by the end of it. I do this lottery thing to highlight greed and various other parts of the act are about the other deadly sins. Its hilarious and different every night.

Damage

I also show how psy-chics do damage and how easy it is to con people. Most people dont realise the dam-age psychics have done throughout history, Hit-ler and Stalin used them and they changed the course of history. Even nowadays, they are used: the Bush administra-tion used psychics, too.

The main thrust of the show, however is to re-introduce a sense of wonder and magic into peoples lives.

We need make-believe and wonder in life, and I try to bring that back for people. My shows allow them to escape from their lives and all their stresses and worries.

Keiths magical jour-ney began in Waterford where he was born and raised, and has been performing magic for around 30 years now.

Id been doing magic

since the age of six and began gigging not long after that at parties.

He moved to Dublin to study chemistry at 18 and met his wife who was reading psychology. Thats where the idea of mixing mesmerism and science took hold. After graduating with distinc-tion, Keith worked as a scientist for a cosmetic company in Dublin for a number of years.

Journey

I was making wom-ens make-up, but I got fed up with science in general after working at it for two-and-a-half years. I wouldnt have changed the journey I went on, though. A lot of young magicians dont go to college or have day jobs, and I think they miss out because of that.

The moniker of chief mentalist is not one most mortals get to enjoy, but Keith had this strange title for his consultancy work on the upcoming heist film, Now You See Me, which comes out in January next year.

The film is about mentalists who use their skills to pull off a huge heist. Its like Oceans 12 but instead of guns, these guys use their minds. It was a great experience. I spent two weeks work-ing with screenwriter Ed Solomon, assisting him as he rewrote the script. We worked for 12 hours a day.

The stars of the film, Woody Harrelson, Mor-gan Freeman, Mark Ruf-falo and Jesse Eisenberg, also availed of Keiths expertise.

I was kept on par-ticularly to help Woody Harrelson. First, we Skyped and then I went to Los Angeles and New Orleans with him and the film crew to help him make his mental-ist character believable. He really learned it

ENTERTAINMENT Busy man Keith Barry 12 GAZETTE 19 July 2012

Keith Barry has returned to the Olympia this month with his new show 8 Deadly

Sins, which continues on throughout July

and makebelieve in that back

well, hes a true method actor.

Keith was rewarded with a cameo in the film as a French tourist, and even had a line of dialogue. Theyll prob-ably dub over me, he laughed.

He is in the prepara-tory stages of writing a book about probing the subconscious mind and restructuring or pro-gramming your mind to achieve anything. I wanted to headline at Vegas and I achieved that ambition through a system I came up with. Its scientific and any-one can use it.

He is looking for a ghost-writer to assist with the book as he admits

hes no writer himself. Yet, he insists that every word in it will come from his mind. It will take a lot of time and energy to create as theres so much information to go into it, so it wont be available too soon.

Healer

More recently, Keith has been appearing as a healer of sorts as he helps people to over-come their phobias and fears on TV3s Ireland AM show. He said this side of his work is not new.

Ive been doing it quietly for years for no charge, just for friends. Nobody knew about it until recently, so it was a

surprise for people. Ive always loved anything to do with psychology and I get great satisfaction from helping people. I do intend to open a consultancy clinic next year, but wont work in it every day as that would be too draining.

Since curing many volunteers phobias on the morning TV show, Keith has been inun-dated with interest from professional psycho-therapists.

Unorthodox

Ive had so many emails about it from hypnotherapists, ask-ing what my methods are. But its a very per-sonal thing and my style

is quite unorthodox. I cant explain it except to say that you need to have serious confidence in your ability to do it. You have to know its going to work, its kind of like a placebo effect.

Keith would like to meet with the profes-sionals and exchange ideas at some stage. I dont even know if there is a hypno-therapy organisa-tion of Ireland but I would be inter-ested in that kind of setting and we could meet.

As Kei th doesnt carry out private con-sultations he will give a short talk from the

on books, Hollywood movies and taking the stage

THE recent violence and tragic deaths ensuing from a concert in the Phoenix Park last week sparked a debate on security for such events in the Dail.

Fine Gael Dublin Mid West representative Derek Keating TD called for airport-style security checks to be introduced at large concerts.

The trouble that broke out at last Saturdays con-cert in the Phoenix Park must never be allowed to happen again. Wide-spread public order, extreme violence and dis-turbing levels of drinking and drug-taking cannot be tolerated, said Deputy Keating.

He went on to suggest that new security meas-ures be compulsory for all high-risk concerts. If, following a risk assess-ment, there are concerns that there may be an increased risk of violence, then airport-style security checks should be manda-tory.

Debate in Dail over concerts

SECURITY


stage at the end of each night at The Olympia. Tickets for 8 Deadly Sins are priced at 29.50 and 30.50 including booking fee.

T h e s h o w contin-ues on at the Olympia throughout July and you can buy tickets online at www.ticketmaster.ie

ox. Iceptd tonce

o it.its ts bo

o-e

d ould

a cPadsu

MDeforchat

oucemuto spexturanbeKe

thurallIfmeth

stage at the endof each night at The T h e s h o w contin-

14 GAZETTE 19 July 2012

Hollywood starlet Mischa Barton with iconic TV soap star Anne Charleston for the Irish stage version of Steel Magnolias

Mischa takes the stage at the GaietyHOLLYWOOD starlet Mischa Barton is making her Irish stage debut as she joins forc-es with iconic TV soap star Anne Charleston for the Irish stage version of Steel Magnolias.

Anne, who is better known as Madge in Neighbours, was in Dublin with Mischa for the launch of the show in the Gaiety Theatre, which will tour countrywide, from Septem-ber 2012. The show is based on the 1989 film with Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, and Julia Roberts. It tells the story of pretty young Shelby Eatenton, to be played here by Mischa Barton a diabetic, who, following her fairy-tale wedding, risks pregnancy and her life by having a baby.

Twenty-six-year old Mischa who was born in London to an Irish mum, Nuala Quinn, is delighted to be performing on stage in Ireland for the first time in her career.

Tickets are priced from 20 and will be available from Ticketmaster and www.steel-magnolias.ie

A chance to release your inner thespianTHE National Theatre School of Ireland is giving you the chance to release your inner

thespian in the coming weeks then they host a series of film, TV and radio workshops at the Gaiety School of Acting on Essex Street West in the old quarter of Temple Bar.

The school will host a radio presenta-tion workshop on July 21, a TV presentation workshop on July 28 and a casting and audi-tion workshop on August 11.

These courses are to be taught by experts in each relevant field, including well-known TV and radio personalities, Bill Hughes and Chris Donoghue, and renowned cast-ing directors Maureen Hughes and Gillian Reynolds.

These workshops will be specially tailored to people looking to enhance their skills in these specific areas, but beginners are also welcome.

Patrick Sutton, director of the Gaiety School of Acting said: We are delighted to have acquired the amazing talents of Bill, Chris, Gillian and Maureen to help deliver these interesting new workshops.

See www.gaietyschool.com for more infor-mation.

Brussels sprouting green over launchBRUSSELS was sprouting green last week when Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar addressed members of the Irish diaspora at the launch of The Gath-ering.

At the launch, the Minister invited the thousands of Irish people living and work-ing throughout Europe to get involved in The Gathering Ireland 2013, a year-long festival celebrating the Irish diaspora next year.

Get involved

Minister Varadkar called on expatriates to get involved and organise their own Gather-ing events within Ireland next year.

Speaking to the assembled expatriates, he said: Next year, we will celebrate everything that is best about Ireland, right across the country, and we want the world to join in.

I am asking everyone to get involved in The Gathering and do something unique and positive for our country. As well as vis-iting Ireland, I would ask you to plan your own Gatherings of family, friends or col-leagues.

DIARY

SNAPSHOT The local stories of the day

Gazette Group Newspapers Ltd. Terms and Conditions for acceptance of advertisements

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

GazetteContactsBlock 3A, Mill Bank Business Park, Lucan

Tel: 01 6010240 Fax: 01 6010251

Managing Director: Michael McGovernemail:[email protected]

Acting News Editor: Rob Heighemail: [email protected]

Production Editor: Jessica Maileemail: [email protected]

Acting Sports Editor: Stephen Findlateremail: [email protected]

Picture Editor: Paul Hosfordemail: [email protected]

Ad Manager: Louise Fitzgeraldemail: [email protected]

Advertising Production: Anita Ward

email: [email protected]

Financial Controller: Carly Lynchemail: [email protected]

Advertising Sales: 01 6010240email: [email protected]


Get healthy meals right to your door

SERVICE: COST-FRIENDLY MEALS-ON-WHEELS

LAURA WEBB

[email protected]

A SOUTH Dublin-based company is offering the greater Dublin area a high-quality, nutritious and cost-friendly meals-on-wheels service that comes frozen, direct to your door, so clients can eat whenever it suits them.

Chef Direct, the trad-ing name of Health-care Food Solutions, is becoming a household name among residents in need of a meals-on-wheels service. With fully trained chefs among their workforce, the Nutgrove-based company uses the finest ingredients which are quality assured by Bord Bia and the vegeta-bles sourced from Irish farmers.

Quality

The company says the quality of its food makes it different from similar services: Our meals are delivered frozen, which is the safest way. Others deliver tepid food and if you dont answer the door, it could be left out-side.

We have a telesales team in place to ring you if you are not there, we dont deliver until you are. If your daugh-ter, son or carer is there, we can give it to them and it goes straight into your freezer. When you want to eat it, you take it

out of the freezer, pop it into your microwave for 12 minutes the food is safe and tastes good, Chef Direct CEO Paul Kavanagh said.

All our meals carry full nutritional values, calorie counts and pro-tein. We deliver seven days a week, unlike some services who are deliv-ering three, four or five days, he continued.

Standard

According to Paul, there is no standard cost for meal services in hos-pitals, with reports that some pay almost 41 per meal, while others say it is just 2 per meal, which he says needs to change.

There is a huge imbal-ance there. If you have a 2 meal, obviously, there is no nutrition in it, whereas we have full nutritional on all our produce. I am shocked how much it is costing the HSE. The solution is sitting right under their nose we cost 5.50 per meal.

Volume is not a problem. Our plant is 18,000sq ft, so we could look after the whole of Dublin if they asked. We would like to provide the meals-on-wheels service for these people, said Paul.

Contact Chef Direct on 01 491 6262 for fur-ther information, or log on to www.chefdirect.ie.

FAMILY Snowflakes Autism Support launch

Charity targets families hit by autism PAUL HOSFORD

A NEW charity aimed at helping families affected by autism in the Fingal area was launched with great fanfare this week.

Snowflakes Autism Support was officially launched at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry by the Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly, and the new Mayor of Fingal, Cian OCallaghan (Lab).

Popular TV presenter Martin King was named as the groups patron. The TV3 weatherman was in fine form as he announced his support for this worthy cause.

Snowflakes Autism Support was set up in January of this year by a group of parents for fami-lies affected by autism in the north Dublin and Fingal areas.

The group has grown over the months and what started off as just a hand-ful of families, has grown into a support group with over 120 families from all over Dublin.

Their aim is to organ-ise events for children

with Autism Spectrum Disorder, their parents and their siblings. They will also be looking to provide whatever support they can to parents, pre- and post-diagnosis.

The name Snowflakes was chosen for the group because children with autism are like snow-flakes they are beauti-ful, each one is uniquely different and they are liable to meltdown at any time, say the group.

Snow f lakes have attracted approximate-ly 120 members, and the number is growing daily.

One of the key facets of the group is support. From swapping stories and sharing an under-standing of the needs of children with autism, members have gained an abundance of support and comfort from being involved with the organi-sation.

Events enjoyed by the whole family, such as visits to the zoo or to a bowling alley, have also been a huge success. The feedback from parents

Snowflakes Autism Support chairman Robert Brown and Jo Jordan from Dublin

Housewives

from these events has been very positive, and more outings are planned throughout the year.

Snowflakes also run practical workshops for parents to assist them in their childs develop-ment, the first of which was a presentation of the Grace app for Autism by software developer, Lisa Domican.

The Grace App for Autism for iPhone and iPad helps autistic and other special needs chil-dren to communicate effectively, by building semantic sequences from relevant images to form sentences. The app can be easily custom-ised by using picture and photo vocabulary of your choice.

These workshops will continue over the com-ing months.

The launch served as confirmation that, in their short existence, the group has brought much needed hope and positiv-ity into the lives of fami-lies affected by autism.

For more information, visit www.snowflakes.ie or call 01 5241544.

Health Minister Dr James Reilly, Fingal Mayor Cian OCallaghan (Lab), Eithne

Brown and Martin King, TV3 weatherman

GazetteMUSICMUSIC

Dave Grohl was saluted by his hometown

An Ocean apart as Frank plots the future

Frank Oceans first album proper maintains the high standard set by his Nostalgia Ultra mixtape

ROB HEIGH

THERE must be some-thing in the water - does not compute. The sum-mer continues to limp on through the downpour. and, simultaneously, the rain of fantastic new releases continues uba-bated.

The latest, and pos-sibly best and most enduring of the albums that have landed lately, is Frank Oceans Chan-nel Orange, which was released on digital down-load a week ahead of schedule to combat what was expected to be a slew of piracy.

If I were of that per-suasion, I would have my eyepatch on and parrot on my shoulder, as this release from the Odd Future alumni is easily one of the finest R&B releases this century so far.

Ocean, whose name sounds like he should be headlining the Sands with the Rat Pack, has a smooth and silky flow and a lyrical mastery that already has the pedigree of contributing and co-writing two of the stand-out tracks on Watch The Throne, No Church In The Wild and Made In

America.There is a vision

and empathy that goes beyond the usual tired and lame R&B mores, both lyrically and musi-cally, that puts Ocean on a pedestal in a different galaxy to his peers.

Its not every R&B act who paints a picture of decay and sadness asso-ciated with crack addic-tion, while simultane-ously holding a mirror up to his peers who exist as Super Rich Kids, and sees the inherent vacuousness and waste of both exist-ences.

REVIEW: AN ALBUM THAT SINGLEHANDEDLY REINVENTS SOUL

Ocean has been fight-ing a legal battle with The Eagles after co-opting some aspects - well, actu-ally, the entire melody - of Hotel California on his highly acclaimed mixtape earlier in 2011, Nostalgia Ultra, but here, his plun-dering of pop culture for the foundations of his sound and style are more subtle, and their integra-tion into the musical tap-estry of this record show an innate understanding of everything that makes the genre influential and important.

The Stevie Wonder

rolling, stoned melodies of Sweet Life, the nod to Elton John on the aforementioned Super Rich Kids, and the multi-faceted Prince homage in Pyramids - flipping through a suite of styles, from pre-Purple Rain era electro-funk all the way to an expressive guitar solo - show Oceans knowledge and assimilation of the best aspects of the cul-tures touchstones.

But in the lyrical con-tent, Ocean draws on Marvin Gayes finest moments, showing him to be a young artist able to

look into the milieu and skewer the issues of the day with his own unique vision and wordplay.

There is such a level of imagination, as well as the integration of so many genres and ideas in the 50 minutes Channel Ultra takes to play out, it may be that Frank Ocean will be responsible for the reinvention of soul music for the 21st century.

There is set to be an unholy battle for the top five releases of the year. Part of that future will undoubtedly be Oceans Orange.

BLANCHARDSTOWN three-piece, HyperGiants, whose first single Lost Souls soared to the top of the iTunes rock charts, release their much-anticipated follow-up, Halogen, in The Grand Social on July 20.

The band, Laura Walsh, John Lynch and Jonathon Savino, have been hard at work on their debut album and the performance of Lost Souls has whet the appetite of the public for this exciting band.

Light it up: Local band HyperGiants release new single


DAVE Grohls CV just keeps getting longer. Hes the drummer who kept Nirvanas beat for four years, and following Kurt Cobains passing in 1994, he didnt let the rock die, founding the Foo Fighters that same year.

The Foos have gone on to record seven hit albums and win numerous awards, includ-ing five Grammys this year alone. Their latest album, Wasting Light, earned them Album of the Year and Best Rock Album at the iconic American industry awards last February.

Well-deserved when you consider the album was recorded in Grohls garage on real analog tapes because he feels music is meant to be made by musicians, not computers. And if you think shunning computers to get work done wouldnt take up enough time, Grohls also been involved in other rock groups like Them Crooked Vultures and Queens of the Stone Age, as well as cropping up as a session musician on albums by the likes of Slash, Tom Petty and Nine Inch Nails. Does this guy sleep?

NME called him a god-like genius but he comes across as the salt of the earth in inter-views and a guy who really is just all about the music.

Last year he stopped a Foos concert in London, mid-song, to kick out a fan who was causing trouble in the crowd, telling him you dont come to my show and fight you come to my show and...dance!.

Little wonder really that theyre queuing up to honour Dave Grohl. And he can now add giant artwork and a street named in his honour to his list of accolades.

His hometown of Warren, Ohio will soon be home to a 400kg sculpture of two massive drumsticks on Dave Grohl Alley. You know youve made it when youve inspired a giant piece of artwork in your home town.

Im expecting a giant sofa in Portmarnock any day now...

FastTunes with Radio Novas Dee Woods

GazetteBEAUTYBEAUTY Edited by Laura WebbA little bit of pampering

Getting organic with natural cosmetics from Dr Haushka THE brand is known for its amazing skin care range but now Dr Hauschka has launched its latest line of organic and natural cosmetics.

Foundations, lipsticks, powders, eyeliners and eye shadows are some of the new range available by the skin care experts.

For anyone used to using the skin care range, you will be happy to know the cosmetic range has that great scent of its skin care range.

The make-up range is made from mineral pigments and organic extracts that help to pro-vide long-lasting colour and deliver a healthy-

looking radiant glow. These mineral cosmet-

ics are suitable for sensi-tive eyes and contact lens wearers.

Foundations, tint-ed moisturisers and bronzers help create a flawless complexion.

Beneficial

The organic lipsticks, lip glosses and lip liners are lead-free, petroleum-free and are made only with natural ingredients containing beneficial plant nutrients that help soften and hydrate lips while adding great col-our.

International make-up artist for Dr Hauschka

Skin Care, Karim Sattar said the great make-up range is entirely based on natural formulations and is incredibly easy to apply.

They literally become like a soft veil, or better, a second skin and blend fantastically into ones skin tone and texture. Dr Hauschka is also a natural step in both my professional and per-sonal development. I am delighted that the com-pany wants to have me on board and I hope to contribute my expertise in many different ways, he said.

Karim recently joined Dr Hauschkas crea-

tive team of decorative cosmetics experts. He is involved in developing new decorative looks for the natural and organic cosmetics brand, and is set to hold make-up training sessions world-wide.

Dr Hauschkas cosmet-ic range has gained seri-ous attention from make-

up artists and Holly-woods blockbusters and TV shows. The products have been used on the set of Twilights Breaking Dawn, Black Swan, Wall Street 2, Something Bor-rowed, The Devil Wears Prada and The Women and shows such as Gos-sip Girl, Greys Anatomy, Sex and the City and

Desperate Housewives.Dr Hauschka Decora-

tive Range is priced at 15-35 and is stocked in selected health stores pharmacies, all Life Pharmacies, McCabes@Clerys Avoca and Har-vey Nichols.For details of a nearest stock-ist, log onto: www.drhauschkaireland.ie

Inner Glow - Limited Edition Lipstick (top), Eyeshadow Palette Stone Colour (left)

Collection and Eyeshadow Solo 02 from Dr Haushka


PAMPER yourself or someone else this summer with Carton Houses summer spa day specials. The luxury resort in May-nooth launched their Summer Spa Day Specials this week, which has some great packages for two sum-mer treatments for just 100, Monday to Friday. Here are just two of the many spe-cial offer treatments available: Caribbean Body Scrub one hour normal price 90 which includes a foot massage, body scrub and body massage. Elemental Custom-ised Facial one hour normal price 90. For more informa-tion, email at [email protected] or phone 01-6517744.


GazetteBUSINESSBUSINESS

JOHN Clifton is general manager of Ballsbridge Hotel (formerly Jurys Hotel) in Dublin 4. Ballsbridge Hotel has 392 guest rooms and is located next to Aviva Stadium and the RDS, making it a popular accom-modation choice for sporting events and concerts. John says its the hotels close proximity to the city centre, O2 arena and Bord Gais Energy Theatre that also con-tributes to its popularity.

Our location really is the key to our suc-cess. Were close to everything, yet removed enough to give guests peace and quiet when they want it. Ballsbridge is also a very pretty area and very safe.

John has been working in the hotel industry for over 30 years with 20 years experience in general manager positions. A native of Blackrock, John attended Willow Park School and Blackrock College before training in hotel management at the Doyle Burlington Hotel and went on to study in Lucerne Hotel School, Switzerland.

Ballsbridge Hotel is now operating as part of the Dalata Hotel Group and John says the hotel is continuing its refurbish-ment plans after revamping the lobby and conference centre earlier this year.

Interview: John Clifton, general manager, Ballsbridge Hotel

Q&A

Location is key at Ballsbridge Hotel

John Clifton, general manager of the Ballsbridge Hotel in Dublin 4

Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be?A: A pilot.

Q: What was your first job?A: Trainee hotel manager.

Q: And your first pay cheque?A: 5 a week.

Q: Have you ever done a job you loathed?A: Gardening bob a job

Q: When did you start your present job?A: I started the beginning of this year.

Q: What is the best thing about your job?A: Interacting with people.

Q: What part of your working day do you delegate?A: All of it!

Q: Have you achieved any-thing that you once thought you could not pull off?A: I worked on a charity building project in South

Africa.

Q: Whats currently on your desk that shouldnt be?A: Paper!

Q: Is there anything about yourself that you would like to set the record straight on?A: No comment.

Q: What habits would you like to lose?A: Eating too many biscuits!

Q: What sport do you follow?A: I am interested in all sports really depending on time

of year Rugby, tennis, golf,

GAA.

Q: What sport can you play?A: I love fly-fishing, skiing, motorbike touring, walking,

swimming and rowing.

Q: What is your guilty music/TV or movie pleasure?A: I sometimes listen to my teenage daughter Ellas music

collection!

Q: Who best represents mod-ern Ireland David Norris or Jedward?A: David Norris.

Q: What music/pictures/movies do you have on your iPod/iPad?A: Pictures of an Antarctica trip I did two years ago, stun-

ning place.

Q: Who do you follow on Twit-ter/Facebook?A: Im one of the few not on social media.

Q: At the moment, what are you looking forward to?A: My next holiday!

Q: Describe your dream meal?A: Grilled collar bacon, creamed potatoes and peas.

Q: Who would you rather have dinner with Enda Kenny or Dame Edna?A: Enda Kenny would be interesting.

Q: Where do you enjoy spend-ing money frivolously?A: Travel If I could spend it frivolously!

Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?A: Five to six pairs.

Q: What was your worst holiday experience?A: I lost my passport in Canada and missed my flight.

Q: Describe your dream holiday?A: Skiing in Canada or motor biking across France, Spain

and Portugal.

Q: What would be your dream job?A: Flying a sea plane in Alaska.

Q: What do you plan to do when you retire?A: Live near the sea and watch the sun go down with

my wife and daughter.

SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS A D V E R T I S E W I T H T H E G A Z E T T E C A L L 6 0 1 0 24 0

LOCALMATTERS

Supported by AIB

BACK TO SCHOOL

Q I dread the start of the school year and find it increasingly difficult to cope financially. The books get more expensive each year, plus there is the uni-form, sports gear and the rest. Could I be entitled to any government subsidies ? Patricia Rathmines

A - I really empathise with you and the thousands of families similarly affected. Families are spending on aver-age 400 per child for returning to school, according to research carried out by the Irish League of Credit Unions last summer. The average cost for secondary school children was found to be 470, with primary school costs coming in at 320.

The report also showed that uniforms were the most expensive items, coming in at 229, followed by books at 182. The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BTSCFA) helps meet the cost of uniforms and footwear for children going to school for those eligible to claim.

2012 SCHEMEIn 2012, the Department of Social Protection will pay the allowance automatically to a large number of qualified people. This means that many families do not have to apply for the payment. If you received this payment last year and your circumstances have not changed, you should have received a letter by June 20, 2012 stating when and how your allowance will be paid. If you havent received a notification letter by June 20 and are eligible for the allow-ance, you should make an application. Application forms are available in all social welfare offices or online at www.welfare.ie . You can also request a form by texting FORM BTSCFA followed by your address to 51909 (normal sms rates apply). If you do not receive an automatic payment, you must apply for the allowance. Applications must be received before the end of September.

You may qualify for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance if you are: Getting a social welfare payment (including Family Income Supplement) or a Health Service Executive pay-ment, or Taking part in an approved employment scheme (back to work scheme) including JobBridge, or Taking part in a recognised education or training course, or Involved in an Area Partnership Scheme, or Attending a Fs, Failte Ireland or LES training scheme

You may also qualify for the BTSCFA if you are: Getting a social welfare payment (including Family Income Supplement) or a Health Service Executive pay-ment, or Taking part in an approved employment scheme (back to work scheme) including JobBridge, or Taking part in a recognised education or training course, or Involved in an Area Partnership Scheme, or Attending a FS, Filte Ireland or LES training scheme

Your child must be aged between four to 22 on or before September 30. If they are aged between 18 to 22, they must be in full-time education in a recognised school or college.

Subject to means testing :- The allowance paid for each eligible child aged four to 11 on or before September 30, 2012 is 150. - The allowance paid for each eligible child aged 12 to 22 on or before 30 September 2012 is 250.Best of luck next September

Contact John with your money questions at [email protected] or visit his website at www.mon-eydoctor.ie. John Lowe, Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing director of Money Doctor


Love me tender to keep on top of costs

Making your house a home with renovations needs close management

IF YOU are planning a new build or a renova-tion, you need to get to grips with the ins and outs of the tendering process if you want to make sure you are on top of your costings.

The tendering process or a Request for Tender (RFT) is a structured invitation where you, the home owner, invite building companies to give you a detailed quotation or cost esti-mate for a building job based on your plans and requirements which you have previously drawn up.

It is imperative that before you enter into the RFT process that you are decided and happy with your plans as all cost-ings will be based on your plans and design requirements. The plan is the crucial part and it is vitally important that your budget is defined up front and that you match your design to your budget. Bearing this in mind, there are three key steps to a suc-cessful plan.

Design the area Know your access

points, be aware of

where you may need to relocate services and plumbing as that will have an impact on cost.

PlanningGet plan drawn up

by a professional. This should be well drafted, legible and logical, real-istic in its design and matching your budget.

SpecificsYour plan needs to be

specified; the required materials from glazing, to kitchen cabinets, to light switches and sock-ets need to be defined up front and in detail.

Once your specifi-cations are complete, you will send it out to the builders you have selected, who will then price as per your speci-fications.

You will be getting quotations from several sources so its important that all involved have the same information. Quality specification is crucial if you want an accurate tender.

Make sure you are 100% satisfied that what you need is on the cost-ings the builders bring you back and that it

NEW BUILD AND RENOVATIONS: MANAGE EXPENSE FROM THE OUTSET

GazettePROPERTYPROPERTY

matches your specifica-tions. If the documen-tation doesnt match, you may find yourself in a situation where an element of the build may be removed from the project (as it wasnt on the list the builder brought back) or, it could be added in later at an extra cost.

Once prices come in, you must then meet your builder. You could be entering into a three-

of four-month project and the building team will be onsite daily. You must be able to commu-nicate with them.

Once you are close to making a decision, you need to go and look at prior work and talk to old customers. But dont let positive feedback sway you into making a decision. The quality of previous work will hope-fully speak for itself.

When you come to the

contracts stage (dont attempt any work with-out contracts) ensure the fees for the Certifi-cate of Compliance are included as part of the costings, as you will need this to sign off the completed build.

To get in touch with HSLC visit us online at www.hslc.ie or call Gerhard on Ph: 087 7749470 email: [email protected]

THE SUN may not be shining but thats no reason not to put a splash of colour into your life as B&Q invite you to live life in multicol-our, where there is a rainbow to drive the clouds away.

The variety of vivid items on offer include the Sunlounger (24.85) and the Janeiro Armchair (31.00), pictured here, as well as a glorious green Bucket Charcoal Barbecue (12.40) and multicol-our raphia lanterns for 14.25.

For more, see www.diy.com.

Its a rainbow: B&Q brighten up summer gardens

gazette group

ww

w.

.com

All of your latest local news, sport, features and pictures are now just a click away


GazetteMOTORSMOTORS

Dublin comes sixth in congested list MOBILE navigation giants TomTom have launched the first quarterly congestion index that accurately identifies and analyses traffic congestion in major cities across Europe.

The report, initially covering 31 cities, finds Warsaw to be the most congested city in Europe with a 42% congestion level. Our own fair city of Dublin was found to be sixth.

On average, journey times in Dublin are 30% longer than when traffic in the city is flowing freely and 70% longer during morning rush hour. This is a significant rise in traffic congestion in Dublin from last year when Dublin was the 24th most congested city with a 24.2% congestion level. The TomTom Congestion Index, including individual city reports, can be found at www.tomtom.com/congestionindex.

The TomTom Congestion Index is the worlds most accurate barometer of congestion in urban areas. The index is uniquely based on real travel time data captured by vehicles driving the entire road network. TomToms traffic database contains over five trillion data measurements and is growing by five billion measurements every day. The overall congestion level for all the cities analysed in Europe is 24% - meaning journey times take 24% longer than when traffic is flowing freely.

The top 10 most congested cities, ranked by overall congestion level, between January and March 2012 were: 1. Warsaw, 42% congestion level. 2. Marseille, 41%. 3. Rome, 34%. 4. Brussels, 34%. 5. Paris, 32%. 6. Dublin, 30%.7. Bradford Leeds, 28%. 8. London, 27%.9. Stockholm, 27%. 10. Hamburg, 27%.

The offer for Citigo includes three years of servicing

Skoda enters small car market with flair THE increasingly popular car manufacturer, Skoda, has launched a brand new entrant to the small car market.

Retailing from just 9,995, the Citigo is avail-able for test drive at Skoda dealerships nationwide.

Having attended the official European launch earlier this year, the Gazette will be featuring a full Irish road test in the coming weeks.

The Citigo is available in three and five-door alternatives with two petrol engine options including 1.0-litre 60bhp and 75bhp power units with fuel economy from 4.5l/100km.

VRT and road tax falls into Band-A thanks to emissions of just 105g/km.

With ESP (electronic stability program) and side head thorax airbags fitted as standard the new Citigo is one of the safest cars in its class achieving a five-star rating from the EuroNCAP.

Marking Skodas entry into the small car market, Skoda Ireland has cre-ated an attractive finance option for Citigo called PCP Solutions.

This package provides customers with an attrac-tive 1.99% APR over three years which also includes three years servicing, war-ranty and roadside assist from 99 per month.

Manual transmissions are the norm in this seg-ment. However Skoda are confident they can grow sales with their new auto-matic transmission.

For just 750, custom-ers can avail of their new ASG five-speed automatic transmission that also has the benefit of sequential gear changing.

Satellite navigation is also rare in this segment but all Citigo models come equipped with a mobile-sat-nav docking station as standard to which Skodas optional mobile navigation system (349) can connect.

This system also pro-

vides BlueTooth hands free and mp3 play back functionality for increased safety and comfort.

Commenting on the launch, Raymond Leddy, head of marketing, Skoda Ireland, said: The Citigo has already won several motoring awards across Europe and is really going to shake up the small car market here in Ireland.

From a financial per-spective the Citigo ticks all the boxes. Customers can avail of our PCP Solu-tions plan with an incred-ibly low APR combined with monthly repayments of 99 inclusive of servic-ing over three years. For

further peace of mind we have three years warranty and roadside assist.

Leddy expanded: The Citigo will appeal to a wide range of motorists from the family looking for a viable second car to the more mature motorist seeking a small car with comfort and efficiency to the first-time buyer who is looking for new car technology at an afford-able price. We are also forecasting demand with Irelands lowest priced automatic car - the Citigo 1.0MPI 60bhp ASG from just 10,745.

The offer for Citigo includes three years serv-

icing in the 99 monthly cost. Based on Citigo 1.0MPI Active model RRP including delivery is 10,595. The cus-tomer pays deposit/part exchange of 3,245,23, followed by 36 month-ly instalments of 99 (88.01 Solutions PCP payment and 10.99 for the interest free provision of three years servicing), an optional final payment (GMFV) of 4,197.90 is at the end of the con-tract and may be dealt with using one of the three options below. The minimum deposit / part exchange for Citigo PCP Solutions is 10%.

VW offers 500 to new customersVOLKSWAGEN Ireland cannot guarantee sunshine this summer, but it can guarantee savings, providing every new Volkswagen customer with a welcome cheque for 500.

This could be described as the perfect antidote to the poor Irish summer weather, customers who purchase a new Volkswagen will not only receive 500, they will also get free car insurance and road tax for 12 months.

With Volkswagens innovative financial packages provided by Volkswagen Bank, customers can avail of some of the cheapest ways into a new car in the Irish market. Examples of this include the ever-popular Polo for just 149 per month, the Golf or Jetta from just 199 per month and the Passat from just 299 per month.

So dont hang about! Get down to your local Volkswagen retailer, log on to www.volkswagen.ie or check out our Facebook page on www.facebook.com/VolkswagenIRL.

RoadRoadSignsSigns


OPEL ASTRA GTC GETS A RED DOT: A FEW months back, the Gazette fell head over heels in love with the sexy new Opel Astra GTC, a car that was a lot closer to the concept drawings than most.

It would seem were not alone in our affec-tions for this classy motor, as the car has been given the pres-tigious red dot design award by a panel of international judges in this years product design category.

The compact coupe is widely recognised for being sporty, effi-cient and packed full of innovative technol-ogies with captivating design.

The 30 judges on the red dot award

panel praised the Astra GTC for scor-ing points with its striking and sporty design.

The judges also remarked that the panoramic wind-screen that stretches all the way to the middle of the roof without a transverse spar ensures that all passengers benefit from maximum driv-ing fun.

According to Mark Adams, vice president of Opel/Vauxhall Design: We are very proud to have won this award. This is fur-ther proof that our Opel design philoso-phy of sculptural artistry meets Ger-man precision has enormous potential.

RoadRoadSignsSignsFiat 500 wake up and smell the coffeeAFTER five years and 800,000 sales, the FIAT 500 has welcomed a new sibling: The FIAT 500L! Combining the iconic style of the FIAT 500 with the functionality of an MPV, the new FIAT 500L occupies its own unique niche combining the best attributes of the B and C segments in a funky and innovative package.

Yes, this car has bucket loads of useful space; yes, this car has more gadgets than a PC World catalogue; yes, this car has a bewildering level of safety equipment and choice of engines, but what really sets it apart is the coffee machine!

You heard me right. The new Fiat 500L boasts an exclusive collaboration with legendary coffee machine producers Lavazza that will make it the first production car in the world to offer a fully-integrated espresso machine.

Make sure to spring for a leather interior, those coffee stains can be murder to get out of fabric!

The new Fiat 500L is loaded with gadgets

The car clearly follows Kias latest design direction, but it stands out with a bold, athletic and sporty appeal

Kia hits the spot with sporty Optima CORMAC CURTIS

KIA motors certainly enjoyed a good start to 2012 when the Kia Rio scooped the Irish Con-tinental Car of the Year award, as voted by the Irish Motoring Writers Association.

The company are cer-tainly not resting on their laurels, as the new Opti-ma has been launched to the Irish market in recent weeks, and it is already grabbing attention.

The design team, head-ed up by Kias chief design officer, Peter Schreyer, have clearly been given a clear vision, and some artistic latitude, to come up with this new look.

The car clearly follows Kias latest design direc-tion, but it stands out with a bold, athletic and sporty appeal. Kia claim to have been striving for a unique exterior with a driver-ori-ented interior, and, from my point of view, they have hit the nail firmly on the head.

The Optima is longer, lower and wider with an extended wheelbase com-

pared to previous D-seg-ment offerings from Kia, all of which contribute to its sporty appeal.

From the front, the swept-back approach to the design of the lighting clusters and grille give the car that desirable mov-ing while standing still appearance - it really does stand out.

The new model is avail-able with a 1.7-litre turbo diesel, which is expected to account for the major-ity of sales in Europe. The other option is a 2.0-litre 170 ps petrol engine.

The diesel unit offered is a new 1.7-litre ver-sion of Kias popular U2 engine. It produces 136 ps and 325 Nm of torque

at 2,000 rpm for excellent driveability, and delivers best-in-class perform-ance for an engine of its displacement.

A number of measures designed to enhance engine efficiency, includ-ing fitting an overrunning alternator decoupler and an innovative battery management system, also mean that Kia Optima will have low tailpipe emissions producing just 133 g/km CO2.

Drivers keen to reduce the environmental impact of their car even further can select Kias optional EcoDynamics pack, with an ISG start/stop sys-tem that automatically switches off and restarts the engine in heavy traffic conditions.

Fitted with EcoDynam-ics, Kia Optima is able to deliver a remarkable CO2 output of just 128 g/km, placing it among the lower vehicle tax bands in most European countries.

The 2.0-litre petrol engine is an all-new unit. Called Nu, the 1,999 cc all-aluminium lightweight engine will also offer best-

in-class performance and competitive fuel economy. The Kia Optima will be offered to buyers with a choice of six-speed man-ual or six-speed automatic transmissions whatever the engine customers specify providing greater refinement and efficiency while cruising at higher speeds.

The automatic model I tested was a joy, I cant recommend automatic transmissions highly enough, even for fans of sporty driving, dont be put off.

One of my favourite features of the car was the reversing camera.

In the Optima, the reverse view appears in the rear-view mirror when the reverse gear is select-ed, leaving the dashboard and centre console free of any large screens a big plus in my opinion.

The Kia Optima is fit-ted with generous levels of specification as stand-ard, and buyers will also be offered a number of optional high-tech fea-tures typically found on vehicles from more

expensive premium brands, including LED daytime running lights and dual-zone automatic climate control air-condi-tioning.

Standard on middle-grade trim models are heated front seats, with cooling (air ventilation) for the drivers seat.

The new Optima fea-tures an all-new body shell incorporating a large percentage of ultra high-tensile steel and advanced structural engi-neering techniques that have proven their safety performance in numer-ous Kia models ena-bling them to achieve a five-star safety rating in Euro NCAP crash tests.

Every Optima comes with a four-wheel disc braking system sup-ported by ABS (anti-lock braking), ESC (electronic stability control) and VSM (vehicle stability management) systems as standard.

This senses when the driver is making an emer-gency stop and flashes with brake lights to warn following drivers.

MOTORS

Type speed: DOHC, four-cylinder in line, 16-valve with single VGT Capacity: 1.7-litres, 1,685 cc Max power: 136 ps (100 kW) @ 4,000 rpm PMax torque: 325 Nm (33.1 kg.m) @ 2,000 rpm

SPECS: KIA OPTIMA 1.7-LITRE / 136 PS DIESEL

Edited by Cormac Curtis

Copenhagen delighted us with its truly great Danes SHANE DILLON

JOINING some friends for a weekend break, I set off for Copenhagen recently with Scandina-vian Airlines (SAS, www.flysas.ie) the perfect choice to head not just to Denmark, but Scandina-via, and beyond.

Settling into my busi-ness-class seat, and under the attentive care of the crew, I noted that the perfectly smooth flight to Copenhagen was a snip at under two hours Copenhagen is a lot closer than Id thought.

Once there, a refresh-ing stop at the SAS lounge was a great way to momentarily adjust, count the kroner in our pockets, and set off for the hotel via the quick, driverless metro.

A short walk from the city centre station, the historic Admiral Hotel (www.admiralhotel.dk) is ideally located by the water, with Tall Ships bobbing about below the rear rooms balconies.

A vast structure with plenty of history, the Admiral was full of hall-ways, wood, marble and Armani models mas-querading as helpful receptionists, making it a pleasant and comfort-able base within strolling distance of the citys key tourist spots.

From there, a canal

cruise (www.canaltours.com) proved a leisurely way to see several key parts of the city centre, helped by our friendly guide who pointed out one fascinating structure after another in several striking neighbourhoods.

That evening, exqui-site dining awaited in the trendy meatpacking dis-trict, with starters at strik-ing Fiskebaren (www.fiskebaren.dk), followed by a main course across

the plaza at Nose2Tail (http://nose2tail.dk), fol-lowed by nipping back to Fiskebaren for dessert.

Whether dining below mesmerising luminous jellyfish swirling around a glass pillar before us at Fiskebaren, or listening to a meat-loving chefs phi-losophy by candlelight at Nose2Tail, we loved the restaurants unpreten-tious staff and owners and, of course their deli-cious food and wine.

A nightcap was called for even though, in Copenhagen, night doesnt truly fall as it does

at home, with a pale hori-zon even at 3am and we retired to Ruby (http://rby.dk/#/0), an upmarket yet welcoming cocktail bar, and which really was a gem of a place ...

Next morning , a hearty hotel breakfast was followed by my very first kayaking excursion (www.kajakole.dk).

Displaying the patience of Job, our good-natured instructor guided us on what turned out to be a

lengthy trip down several canals, bays, and water-ways, giving us a different perspective yet again of the lovely city.

A traditional Danish lunch followed at Peder Oxe (www.pederoxe.dk), which saw local speciali-ties presented in a novel multi-sandwich process, and served, yet again, by one of Copenhagens notably friendly wait-resses.

Walking off my deli-cious dessert, I strolled up The Round Tower (www.rundetaarn.dk) an observatory tower in

the city centre built for, I heard, a fat king who didnt want to take any any stairs on his way to look at the stars.

Its fine city views took in Stroget, Europes long-est pedestrian street, which celebrates its 50th birthday this year, and which is full of leading Danish and international stores including, I noted, brands that even London doesnt have making it a shoppers delight.

The world-famous Tivoli Gardens awaited (www.tivoli.dk), with its vast, sprawling mix of restaurants, bars, thea-tres, fairground rides, per-formance spaces and so much more no wonder thousands of Danes, and tourists, filled its welcom-ing grounds, even late at night.

The lights, sights and sounds of the truly enchanting gardens were set aside briefly for some six-star dining at NIMB Terasse (www.nimb.dk).

As the sun set, the immaculate staff whirled like clockwork around us, while the food, and pres-entation, was as sumptu-ous as one could hope for.

The Tivoli Gardens transform once dark-ness falls, as thousands of lights convert the park into a night-time won-derland no wonder the

A lovely city-centre view

city thats full of history,

Hop on over to Malta or Tenerife with websites great family dealsIF YOURE still undecided about your plans for getting away with your family this summer, GoHop.ie is fast becoming one of Irelands lead-ing online travel companies, and is the ideal site for some last-minute summer holiday shopping.

Travel to Malta on Thursday, July 26, and stay at the three-star Hotel Euro Club for seven nights from 2,052.

Prices are based on two adults and two chil-dren on a B&B basis, and includes return flights from Dublin, taxes and charges.

Alternatively, you could travel to Tenerife on Thursday, August 16, and stay at the three-star Vime Callao Garden on a self-catering basis for seven nights, from 1,464.

The price is also based on two adults and two children, and includes flights from Shannon Airport, taxes and charges.

GoHop.ie offer some of the lowest fares on all airlines out of Ireland. For further information on these and other holidays, or to make a book-ing, see vwww.gohop.ie.

Thomas Cook invites you to stay at an award-winning three-star hotel in sun-kissed LanzarotePUERTO del Carmen has long been a hot spot for sun-seekers venturing from Ireland to Lan-zarote, with the Montana Club a mainstay for visitors returning to the sun-kissed island.

With the three-star hotel recently picking up a prestigious award from TripAdvisor, based on a host of positive feedback from guests, Thomas Cook Ireland is celebrating by offering some special summer packages departing from both Dublin and Shannon.

Situated in well-kept grounds in a quiet street away from, but within easy reach of, the hustle and bustle of the resort town centre, the Mon-tana Club was awarded the TripAdvisor Certifi-cate of Excellence for 2012.

Thomas Cook Ireland is offering seven nights self-catering from 505 per person based on two adults sharing, with flights from Dublin or Shan-non departing on Saturday, August 25.

For further information, call the Thomas Cook Ireland team at 01 514 0328, visit your local travel agent, or see www.thomascook.ie.

FastTravel

GazetteTTRAVELRAVEL22 GAZETTE 19 July 2012

gardens stayed so full of families, even as midnight approached.

Our relaxed mood lin-gered a feeling which lasted all the way back to the hotel, where stars twinkled down at one tired but happy tourist at the end of his days busy kayaking, dining, sight-seeing, shopping and singing adventures ...

Next morning, we assembled for a bike tour (www.copenhagentours.dk) and, despite it being my first time on a bike in almost 20 years, it proved as easy as, well, riding a bike!

So it was that, after fly-ing in, sailing along, walk-ing around and splashing by, my party and I were completing our explora-tion of Copenhagen on two wheels, past impres-sive castles and court-yards, through sleepy laneways and across bustling bridges, through

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The world-famous Tivoli Gardens awaited, with its mix of restaurants, bars, theatres, fairground rides and so much more no wonder thousands filled its welcoming grounds- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

GoHop.ie has some terrific summer deals, with

Malta proving popular for a great getaway

from The Round Tower, taking in some of the centres key spires and turrets, in a

yet also has exemplary contemporary architecture and design throughout

Concorde Travel Lisbon invites you to step over to Lisbons soft beaches and relaxing resortsWHETHER it is pure leisure, business, golf, sun, sea or water sports that youre seeking this sum-mer, the sandy beaches and trendy resorts of the lovely Lisbon coast have it all.

Just a step away from the beautiful cosmopoli-tan city of Lisbon, the popular resorts of Estoril and Cascais enjoy the generous privileges of both the sun-kissed Riviera and the nearby white, soft, sandy beaches.

Estorils history features World War II memo-ries of international spies, royal exiles and celeb-rities of all kinds, while Cascais, the trendier of the two resorts, boasts an active cultural scene.

To help get you there this summer, Concorde Travel are offering some great deals on holidays to Lisbon, starting at 549 per person (PP).

Departing on July 26, spend seven nights on a B&B basis at the three-star SANA Estoril for 599 PP; the four-star Vila Gale, in Estoril, for 599PP; the four-star Vila Gale, in Cascais, for 649PP; the four-star Pestana, in Cascais, for 699PP; the five-star Quinta Da Marinha Hotel, in Cascais, for 799PP or the five-star Palacio, in Estoril, for 899PP.

Departing on August 14, spend seven nights on a B&B basis at the three-star SANA Estoril for 549 PP; the four-star Vila Gale, in Estoril, for 649PP; the four-star Vila Gale, in Cascais, for 699PP; the five-star Quinta Da Marinha Hotel, in Cascais, for 749PP, or the five-star Palacio, in Estoril, for 899 PP.

Prices include direct flights from Dublin to Lisbon, return airport transfers, luggage allow-ance, the assistance of a local representative, seven nights accommodation at your chosen hotel on a B&B basis, and all taxes and charges.

To book your holiday at Lisbons coast, or for further information, see www.concordetravel.ie; email [email protected], or telephone 01 775 9300 to speak with one of Concorde Travels representatives.

TravelBriefs

Edited by Natalie Burke


a mud-splattered hippy kingdom dont ask and on to the smart, upmarket Torvehallerne Food Market (www.tor-vehallernekbh.dk), pro-viding the highest quality fare from a wide range of produce providers.

With that, we set off, back to the busy airport, back to another very welcome respite in the comfortable SAS lounge, and another wonderfully smooth, relaxing flight back to Dublin with SAS.

Ultimately, how can I sum up Copenhagen? Id heard of great Danes before yet how inad-equate that term is, when I think of that marvellous city and her wonderful people.

Now that I know first-

hand how truly charming Copenhagen is, how gen-uinely friendly and warm her people are, and how easily accessible Copen-hagen is with SAS (not to mention affordable, with all-in SAS economy return flights from Dublin

being surprisingly cheap), I will definitely return to that elegant, welcoming city and soon, I hope.

For further information on Copenhagens many attractions, as well as on Denmark, see www.visit-denmark.com.

Experienced and novice kayakers alike can enjoy an

easygoing waterline view of Copenhagen

Cocktails at Ruby are a great way to round off a day,

in a city full of welcoming bars with terrific service

With waterways greatly defining Copenhagens

character and layout, a canal cruise is a perfect way

to take in the wonderful city. Pictures: Shane Dillon

Part of the lovely waterside view from the

perfectly-located Admiral Hotel

A delicious Danish dessert, courtesy of

NIMB Terasse one of a number of exquisite

Copenhagen restaurants

Already spectacular by day, the historic

Tivoli Gardens transform at night into a

luxurious wonderland for all ages to enjoy

Lisbons beaches are just a step away from the

city, and offer both beautiful sands and luxurious

hotels, such as the five-star Palacio, in Estoril


How to make friendsWhile Jason (Adam Scott) and Julie (Jennifer Westfeldt) glide through parenthood, Leslie (Maya Rudolph) and Alex (Chris ODowd) struggle.

GoingOUT

GazetteENTERTAINMENTENTERTAINMENT

Good looking, rich people have problems too, you know. Theyre just a little different from yours or mine...

PAUL HOSFORD

PARENTHOOD is a tricky subject to broach in film these days.

W h a t w i t h t h e experts, the breastfeed-ing debates and the dif-ficulty pitching a film about kids to people with kids, it can be a minefield.

Think back over the last decade and the standout movie in the genre is Knocked Up, which focused more on the journey to having a kid than the effects of the birth.

Step forward Friends With Kids,

Dun Laoghaire

Documents

foxrock village

foxrock car park

lack of park

loughlinstown park

kenneth byrne

new facility

new car parking facility

bags of heroin