Malahide

Fun on the run: Racing to help promote the value of older peopleTHE THIRD AGE 5K Malahide Fun Run was a great day out for a great cause recently, at Malahide Castle. The head of news at 98FM, Teena Gates, was among the crowds who took part in the popular run. Family and friends all turned out to walk, run or jog along

the lovely scenic route.Third Age is a community organisa-

tion that promotes the value of older people and provides advocates, tutors, listeners, befrienders, nutritionists and more to older people in needFull Gallery on Pages 8-9

Mental health hospital work set for 2014 � NATALIE BURKE

WORK on the new mental health units due to be placed at Portrane is set to commence in two years’ time, according to Dublin North TD, Brendan Ryan.

The announcement comes after Deputy Ryan tabled a Parliamentary Question to the Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly, requesting a progress report on the proposal to move the Central Mental Hospital to its new location at Portrane.

“It is planned to build the new CMH, the Intellectual Disability and the Child and Adolescent Forensic Men-tal Health Units at Portrane, Co Dublin. The design team has recently been appointed and commenced work on the project.

“Subject to the statutory approvals, it is expected that construction will commence in 2014 and take two years to complete,” said Deputy Ryan.

Full Story on Page 3

ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES ......................8

BUSINESS .....................18

MOTORS ...................... 20

TRAVEL ......................... 22

ENTERTAINMENT ......... 24

CLASSIFIEDS ............... 26

PRIZE PLACE: Cleaning up at Fingal Cleaner Communities Awards Page 4

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SEPTEMBER 27, 2012 Find us on

Hurling: Sylvester’s inter hurlers claim championshipPage 31

Soccer: Malahide United push on in LSL Sunday SeniorPage 30

INSIDE: Getting into rhythm for a new

musical in Malahide P2

2 MALAHIDE GAZETTE 27 September 2012

SHOW It’s the Malahide Musical and Dramatic Society

Claire Fitzgerald, Gerry Lathan and Fiona O’Sullivan

Getting into rhythmfor a new musical

A lotta praise for allotment scheme

GARDENS: FOUR AWARDS FOR LOCAL PROJECT

� NATALIE BURKE

[email protected]

JUST six months after the launch of the Mala-hide Allotments project, the scheme, which rais-es funds for people with epilepsy, struck gold at the recent RDS Allot-ment Awards where it won four national horticultural awards, including an award for “allotment providers and management”, and three individual awards for allotment holders.

The Malahide Allot-ments project is oper-ated by the Epilepsy Care Foundation, pro-viding allotment oppor-tunities for people with epilepsy and associated disorders, and provides rehabilitation and train-ing in horticulture and gardening.

T he p ro j ec t was opened in March 2012 providing 75 allotment sites to people with epi-lepsy and renting 225 sites to local commu-nity members.

Winning the recent awards was a great achievement for the p ro j ec t , accord ing to one of the char-ity’s founding mem-bers, Brian Geraghty, who said the team was delighted to bring home the awards.

“We’re still elated. It’s a great thing to get, considering we are only open since March

and we were up against other allotments from all over the country. We think it’s marve-lous and, obviously, the people that are here are appreciating what we are doing,” he said.

“The awards were based on how we man-aged the allotments, the services we provide and the security on the site. The other factor in it was that not only do we provide a service to the community but also the disabled.”

After just six months in business, Brian says the future is looking bright for the project. “We are full and people are looking for more [allotment space] – we have a waiting list for next year. We’ve just put in a clubhouse and coffee shop which was donated to us, and we’ve had more spon-sors come on board to help with the funding.

“We’ve approximately three acres left that we can turn into allotments, and it’s our intention to do that next year.

“We also plan on sell-ing Christmas trees for the charity and have lots of other developments in the pipeline for the site. We’re very appre-ciative to the sponsors that helped us to get this far,” he concluded.

For more information, visit www.malahideal-lotments.ie.

Claire Fitzgerald, Gerry Lathan and Fiona O’Sullivan Nicola Cronin, Lorraine Brennan and Emma Dowling

Collie O’Halloran, Tony Harnette, Orla Walsh and Martin BrennanLynda O’Neill, Graham Walsh and Sonya Dunne

Bobby McWilliams and Sean Mahon

FOLLOWING their award-winning production of Sweeney Todd last year,

Malahide Musical and Dramatic Society (MMDS) is pleased to announce that the 2013 show will be called Crazy For You. Featuring the wonderful music of George Gershwin and familiar

songs such as I’ve Got Rhythm and Shall we Dance, the society is welcoming back Lynda O’Neill as director, Graham Walsh as musi-cal director, and Sonya Dunne Johnson as choreographer. New members are welcome, and for more information, see Page 4 of this week’s Malahide Gazette.

27 September 2012 MALAHIDE GAZETTE 3

FUNDS Portrane building to replace 1850 facility

Mental health hospital works to begin in 2014� NATALIE BURKE

WORK on the new men-tal health units due to be placed at Portrane will commence in two years time, according to Dub-lin North TD, Brendan Ryan (Lab).

The announcement comes af ter Deputy Ryan placed a parlia-mentary question to the Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly, requesting a progress report on the proposal to move the Central Mental Hospital (CMH)to its new loca-tion at Portrane.

Funding was last year committed to the project in the Government’s capital spending plans

for the next five years. The brand new build-

ing on a green-field site close to where St Ita’s Hospital currently sits, will replace a building dating from 1850 where the Central Mental Hos-pital is currently housed in Dundrum.

Deputy Ryan said: “I was informed by the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Kathleen Lynch, that the Infrastructural and Capital Programme 2012 - 2016 includes capital funding for the reconfiguration of the National Forensic Men-tal Health Services.

“This will include the replacement of the Cen-

tral Mental Hospital, the development of a 10-bed intellectual disability forensic mental health unit, a 10-bed child and adolescent foren-sic mental health unit, as well as four regional intensive care rehabili-tation units (ICRUs).

“It is planned to build the new CMH, the intel-lectual disability and the child and adolescent forensic mental health units at Portrane, Co. Dublin.

“The design team has recently been appointed and commenced work on the project.

“Subject to the statu-tory approvals, it is expected that construc-

St Ita’s Hospital in Portrane, Co Dublin, and inset, Brendan Ryan TD

tion will commence in 2014 and take two years to complete,” he said.

There have been repeated calls over the past number of years from national and inter-national experts for the replacement of the Dun-drum facility in order to provide more care and

treatment in a modern, up-to-date setting.

The project is expect-ed to commence con-struction in 2014 with the project expected to be fully completed and the new facility opera-tional by 2016.

The project is part of an investment of almost

€2bn in capital projects in the health sector committed to between 2012 and 2016.

The design of the new Central Mental Hospi-tal for its new location in Portrane is due to be circulated for public consultation by the end of this year.

Advert to deter dumping CINEMA-GOERS will see a new Fingal County Council advert which aims to raise awareness about illegal waste col-lections.

Broadcast this week in all cinemas across Fin-gal, funding for the advert came from the Anti-Litter and Anti-Graffiti Aware-ness Grant Scheme 2012.

The aim is to make peo-ple aware that if you give your waste to “a man with a van” who subsequently dumps it, you could be prosecuted.

Under the Litter Pollu-tion Acts, the on-the-spot fine for littering is €150. If you are brought to the District Court and found guilty, the maximum fine can be up to €3,000 and you could be given a criminal conviction.

If residents are aware of anyone collecting waste illegally, they are asked to contact 1800 20 10 93 or email [email protected].

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Dublin Gazette Newspapers is Dublin’s fastest growing community weekly regional

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We are currently looking to recruit:

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dept in our Lucan head offi ce on a number of Dublin Gazette titles. Experience in

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� NATALIE BURKE

LOCAL people who fancy a taste of the limelight have the chance to feature in a Mala-hide musical next year.

The Malahide Musical and Dramatic Society are follow-ing their successful staging of Sweeney Todd last year with a production of Crazy For You, set to take to the stage in Feb-ruary 2013.

Public Relations Officer

for the Society, Marissa Mag-ner, said, “We held our annual open night for new members last week, and it was a great success. We were thrilled to see so many old faces return-ing and new members coming to join.

“New members – particu-larly men – are more than welcome to come and join; we’re always actively seeking members.”

Crazy For You is a musical

comedy featuring the music of George and Ira Gershwin and will feature familiar songs such as I’ve Got Rhythm, Someone To Watch Over Me and Shall We Dance. The musical won the 1992 Tony Award for Best New Musical and, according to Marissa, the society is already looking for-ward to preparations for next year’s show.

“We are very excited about this one. It is a lively, colourful

show full of wonderful songs and dance routines. We are delighted to welcome back Lynda O’Neill as director, Graham Walsh as our musi-cal director and Sonya Dunne Johnson as choreographer.”

The society is set to host a number of fundraisers in the run up to their annual pro-duction, with plans for their Christmas show already in place.

“On Sunday, December 2,

we are holding our Christmas Concert in the Grand Hotel and there will be a variety of show tunes, Christmas songs and variety acts,” said Maris-sa.

Excited

“We’re also very excited about our upcoming play, Translations by Brian Friel, which will take place in April 2013. This play is currently on the Leaving Certificate

syllabus, so we would like to extend a warm invitation to any schools interested in com-ing to see it.”

Rehearsals are on Monday evenings at 8pm at Scoil Iosa, Malahide, and on Wednesday evenings at 8pm at St Sylvest-er’s Parish Hall, Malahide.

For anyone interested in joining, email [email protected].

See Gallery on Page 2

Crazy for You set to take the stage in MalahideTHEATRE Open night for new members ‘a great success’

Bin It teaches students about litteringEDUCATING and influ-encing the behaviour of young people regarding littering will be high on the syllabus this week, when an innovative awareness programme gets under way in schools across Fingal.

Organised by the Gum Litter Taskforce, the “Bin It!” campaign began earlier this week and will make its way across Fingal and other areas of the country, vis-iting more than 50 post-primary schools across 23 local authority areas.

Bin It! is a key ele-ment of the renewed Gum Litter Taskforce (GLT) environmental awareness programme and supports the poster, radio and online adver-tising that has been rolled out across the country since May.

Workshop

The free one-hour actor-led workshop explores social respon-sibility with regard to littering and is tailored towards first year stu-dents. It is supported by a website, www.gumlit-tertaskforce.ie, which contains lesson plans, teacher’s notes, post-ers and activity cards to help integrate the issues into the curriculum.

Commenting on the campaign, chairperson of the Gum Litter Taskforce, Paul Kelly, championed the responsible disposal of chewing gum litter.

� NATALIE BURKE

MALAHIDE and its surrounding areas are celebrating their achieve-ments this week after a number of estates, com-munities and individual residents picked up prizes at the recent Fin-gal Cleaner Communities Awards.

The 37th annual awards ceremony was held in County Hall last week to applaud the efforts of those taking part in the community based anti-litter compe-tition.

The Cleaner Com-munities Awards event is primarily aimed at enhancing the appear-ance of residential and

business areas around the county and is open to residents, businesses and community groups.

In attendance on the night was Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Cian O’Callaghan, director of services, PJ Howell, and John Daly, senior engi-neer for Fingal County Council.

Mayor O’Callaghan commented that the Cleaner Communities awards foster great local spirit.

“Householders who may not know each other have turned out to take part in clean-ups in their local areas hav-ing been encouraged or coerced by their local tidy towns communities.

We owe a great deal of gratitude to those peo-ple who encourage the rest of us to take pride in our surroundings,” he said.

“This is a continuing testament to the con-cern and pride Fingal residents and business-es have for the environ-ment in which we work and live.”

A number of local residents and compa-nies were praised for their work, with Breda Howard of Island View, Malahide, picking up the award for the Best Presented Front Garden in the Malahide/Howth area.

Inbhir Ide Esate and the Moorings, Malahide,

were the two local hous-ing estates to pick up the Best Presented Large and Small Estate, while Seabury Tidy Districts Group, Malahide, were awarded Best Example of Special Community Effort.

The Baldoyle Com-munity Garden Project were delighted to pick up their award for Best Example of Commu-nity Environmental Ini-tiative and, according to the Project Coordinator for the Baldoyle Family Resource Centre, Julie Thorne, the group were deserving winners of the title.

“It was fantastic rec-ognition for the group. It’s so new – it was only

set up in March 2011 – and for it to get this recognition after that amount of time is fan-tastic,” said Thorne.

“It’s through the dedi-cation of the volunteers involved, the staff at the family resource centre and all the partnerships we’ve worked with – Fingal County Council, the VEC, Dublin Bus, Pobal, L’arche, An Taisce and the Family Support Agency.

“All those key part-nerships have helped the project grow and for the seven volunteers involved, who have been there week in, week out, it’s a fantastic achieve-ment for them.”

The garden project

has been ongoing since its establishment last year and, according to Julie, the group’s huge involvement in the com-munity led to their suc-cess.

“The reason we put this group and this project forward was because they were so much involved with the community. The project volunteer group were doing the Green Fin-gers community green house and vegetable garden, a project with the local boys school funded under the Fingal Integration Fund and some charity work with the Sunflower Project for the children of Cher-nobyl.

Clean-up efforts are applauded at Fingal Cleaner Communities Awards

CEREMONY: MALAHIDE AND SURROUNDING AREAS CELEBRATE ACHIEVEMENTS

Winner of Best Presented Front Garden for Malahide and Howth, Breda Howard, Island View, Malahide with Mayor Fingal, Cllr Cian O’Callaghan (Lab) and PJ Howell,

Director of Services, Environment, Business & Enterprise



Drive to get older men socially active � NATALIE BURKE

MALAHIDE Credit Union took part in a com-munity initiative recently, when it helped fund the transport of St Sylvester’s GAA Club’s social outing as part of the GAA Social Initiative scheme.

The project, which was originally estab-lished and implemented by former President Mary McAleese, aims to encourage senior mem-bers of the community to become more active in the locality.

Following a success-ful visit to Croke Park in March 2012, the local GAA club arranged another recent venture and brought guests by

coach to see one of Dub-lin’s most famous plays, The Plough And The Stars, at the Abbey Thea-tre recently.

The play, which is set against the backdrop of the 1916 Rising, was fol-lowed by refreshments served at St Sylvester’s GAA club for their guests, along with an evening of entertainment.

According to Malahide Credit Union manager, Vivienne Keavey, it was a successful day for every-one involved.

“Malahide Credit Union is delighted to support this wonder-ful initiative originally established through the efforts of former Presi-dent Mary McAleese

and her husband, Martin, who noticed in particular an absence of older men at various community events and occasions.

“As a community organisation, we believe it is vital to ensure that these initiatives are bol-stered and promoted in order to provide much-needed outlets and serv-ices to those who may not otherwise have access to them. By all accounts, it was a fantastic day for all concerned.”

Brendan Bannigan of St Sylvester’s said the club were delighted to have the support of the local credit union.

“St Sylvester’s GAA Club is delighted to receive [the credit

union’s] support for our latest venture. This spirit of cross-community sup-port is at the heart of the GAA Social Initiative, and it makes these out-ings more affordable and attracts greater involve-ment,” said Bannigan.

The initiative was set up to encourage more members of the elderly community – and in par-ticular men – to become more involved in local social events.

In March, St Syl-vester’s embarked on its first venture with a visit to Croke Park, where almost 60 people from the area enjoyed a tour of the stadium, lunch in the corporate area and a visit to the GAA museum.

SUPPORT: CREDIT UNION AND GAA CLUB JOIN FORCES

Entertainers at St Sylvester’s GAA Club recently during an outing for senior citizens which was funded by

Malahide Credit Union

Mortgage rate hikes prompt FF outrage LOCAL Fianna Fail Senator Darragh O’Brien has expressed his outrage at the recent increase in interest rates on mortgages at Bank of Ireland calling it a “relentless attack on Dublin home-owners from the Government and the banks”.

According to Senator O’Brien, homeowners in Fingal and across Dub-lin will be affected by Bank of Ireland’s 0.5% increase in its variable interest rate mortgages.

“For an average home in Dublin, taken out with mortgages of around €300,000, this amounts to a monthly increase in mortgage repayments of €100 a month. This is a disgrace and

totally counter-productive. This is only going to push more and more people into mortgage arrears,” he said.

Senator O’Brien said the banks are punishing homeowners because they have “crippled themselves” by the costs being incurred on their tracker mort-gages.

“Homeowners are desperate for some relief from the financial pres-sure. Homeowners have had enough and need to know what the govern-ment is going to do. They may be on variable rates but because of negative equity they can’t switch banks to get a better interest rate – if one was even on offer.”

� NATALIE BURKE

LOCAL Fianna Fail Councillor Darragh But-ler has welcomed the Government’s announce-ment that Ireland has signed an administrative agreement with Vietnam on inter-country adop-tion, describing it as

“great news for a number of Fingal families”.

According to Cllr But-ler, the announcement will be welcome news for couples seeking to adopt children who have been unable to look to Vietnam in the adop-tion process before, and the news is an important

development for inter-country adoption which will be broadly welcomed by those seeking to adopt children from Vietnam in both Fingal and across the country.

“This issue came up quite a lot when I was out canvassing with Michael Kennedy [former TD for

Dublin North] before the last general election, and we are delighted that this issue is now resolved and that Ireland has now signed an administra-tive agreement on inter-country adoption with Vietnam,” he said.

Adoptions from Viet-nam were previously

suspended under the last Government in the inter-ests of the welfare of chil-dren, pending the ratifi-cation of the Hague Con-vention on inter-country adoption by Vietnam.

According to Cllr But-ler, then-Minister Barry Andrews undertook a significant amount of

work with officials in Vietnam and Minister Fitzgerald has continued that engagement, bring-ing the matter to a suc-cessful outcome.

“The adoptions were suspended for good rea-son and, hopefully, it is all in order now,” Cllr Butler continued. “It was

an issue that came up continually at the doors across Fingal and it is a matter that will defi-nitely be welcomed by local families. There are hundreds of families who want to adopt and, hope-fully, now that the frame-work is in there, it will help them,” he said.

Adoption agreement with Vietnam ‘great news’GOVERNMENT Decision is welcomed by local families who are looking to adopt


Be a part of the big paradeFOR anyone who has ever dreamt of marching in one of the biggest St Patrick’s Day parades in the world, The Gathering Ireland 2013 could pro-vide the perfect oppor-tunity.

For the first time ever, the St Patrick’s Festival is inviting up to 8,000 people from around the world to march in the St Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin on March 17, 2013.

As a participant in The People’s Parade, success-ful applicants will march in procession through the streets of Dublin and soak up the vibrant atmosphere and have the chance to wave to the audience along the 2.5km route.

For more information, visit www.thegathering-ireland.com.

PADDY’S DAY

Let our advertisers tell you why:

Why advertise with the Gazette?

“ “

As a community bank, we have a strong focus on local profi ling and brand visibility.

Our partnership with the Dublin Gazette Newspapers delivers on this requirement. Our sponsorship of the Business Page, as well as the editorial content that the paper provides for our local events, results in the Gazette being an essential channel in our local communications strategy.

B E C A U S E L O C A L M A T T E R S

Business bootcamp for entrepreneurs

Michael Comyn from the Fearless Organisation will

be advising on how to take the ‘fear factor’ out of

starting a new business

TOP ADVICE Special Fingal Enterprise Week course

� NATALIE BURKE

POTENTIAL business owners across Fingal are being invited to take part in a special bootcamp next week as part of Fin-gal Enterprise Week.

The local enterprise board will be hosting a full day event on Wednes-day, October 3, taking potential business own-ers through the major steps involved in starting a business in Ireland.

The Business Start-Up Bootcamp is a one-day mentoring course for aspiring Fingal entrepre-neurs who are looking for advice and guidance on how to set up their own business.

Throughout the day, expert trainers and advi-sors will be on hand to talk through issues and challenges around sourc-ing finance, social media, marketing, selling and market research. Inno-vative business concepts from around the world will also be discussed to help generate business ideas.

For anyone starting a new business for the first time, the steps involved can sometimes seem a little daunting, accord-ing to Oisin Geoghegan, Chief Executive of the Fingal County Enterprise Board.

“The one-day boot-camp and mentoring

clinics are designed to guide and advise aspiring entrepreneurs through those important steps, helping them to plan and develop their idea into a new business,” said Geoghegan.

A specialist on how to cope with stressful situ-ations, Michael Comyn from the Fearless Organi-sation, will also be advis-ing participants on how to take the fear factor out of starting a new busi-ness.

Supported by Bank of Ireland, the Business Bootcamp is being held at the Hilton Hotel Dub-lin Airport at Northern Cross, and runs from 9am to 5pm.

Free

The Fingal County Enterprise Board is also hosting a free Business Start Up Evening Clinic on October 3, providing a one-to-one business mentoring service for new businesses.

On the same evening, the Fingal Women in Busi-ness Network is opening up its event to women who have recently set up a business, or who might be considering the move. The network’s Speed Net-working Event, organised by Eve Bulman, is being held at the Roganstown Hotel and Country Club in Swords, from 6pm to 9pm.

The subsidised fees for the Business Start-Up Bootcamp at the Hilton Hotel are €25, which includes all conference materials and lunch. The mentoring clinics and the Speed Networking Event with the Fingal Women in Business event on Octo-

ber 3 are both completely free of charge.

Fingal Enterprise Week, which runs from October 1 to 5, is organised by the Fingal County Enterprise Board and supported by Fingal County Coun-cil, Bank of Ireland and Newstalk.


Aoife Ryan, “Captain” Shane O’Grady and Suzy Griffin

A fun run forsenior serviceA Third Age 5K Malahide Fun Run was a

great day out for a great cause on Satur-day, September 24th, at Malahide Castle.

The head of news at 98FM, Teena Gates, was among the crowds who took part in the popu-lar run. Family, and friends all turned out to walk, run or jog along the lovely scenic route.

Third Age is a community organisation that promotes the value of older people. With over 1,000 volunteers throughout Ireland, the

organisation provides advocates, tutors, listen-ers, befrienders, nutritionists and more to older people in need. Every euro raised in sponsor-ship contributed to their national programme, Senior Helpline. This is a confidential listening service for older people provided by trained volunteers. The help line received over 10,000 calls last year, many from older people leading lives of secret and desperate loneliness. What better cause to raise money for!

And they’re off ... participants in the fun run pace themselves for the 5km race

SPORTS A 5km Malahide event in aid of Third Age, an

Verginia, Brian and Ciara Nitz

Vanessa, Chloe and Warren Flynn

Ed O’Donnell and Ruth Dunne

Teena Gates, head of news at 98FM, enjoying the day. Pictures: Una Williams

Michael D’arcy and Colm Paul


Amy Harrington, Carla Meade and Emma Simmons enjoying the day out

organisation for older people, was a runaway success

Carol-Ann Egan and Peter Leonard

Owen Brady, winner of the men’s

race, looking pleased with himself

Irene Gorman, winner of the ladies race, with Mary Nally


An early Oktober gets a big welcomeS

TEINS were charged and glasses raised recently when the Paulaner Oktoberfest was

launched at the Mansion House in the city centre. Fans were invited to sample real Oktoberfest culture with Paulaner, one of only six beers permitted to

exhibit at Munich’s legendary Okto-berfest, before the festival’s celebra-tion of all things German over four days last week. Oktoberfest fans were able to soak up the traditional Bavarian banter with pretzels and bratwurst aplenty, served by barmaids dressed in tradi-

tional Bavarian dirndls, with music provided by the Bavarian Strollers, a premier German oompah band, entertaining festival-goers. Attendees thrilled to the fun-filled evenings of traditional Bavarian culture with German food and stalls adding to the atmosphere.

Blaithnaid McKenna and James English

Bob Caldwell and Steve McCormack at the Paulaner Oktoberfest. Pictures: Anthony Woods

Yann Dupeux and Jean Cedric

Fabiana Olivier and Colin O’Brien

Mike Sheridan and Alan Metcalfe

Robert Aiken and Paula

Marron

NIGHTLIFE Toasting Oktoberfest 2012 at the Mansion House

Simon Barrow and

Audrey Mills

27 September 2012 GAZETTE 11

� HIROMI MOONEY

DUBLIN Zoo is a hugely popular destination for people of all ages, but have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes once the doors close for the night?

The Gazette was recently given the chance to go on a private after-hours tour of Dublin Zoo, and we were privileged to see how the animals are looked after when the zoo is empty of its many visi-tors.

On arrival, we met one of the three team leaders of Dublin Zoo, Ciaran McMahon. Ciaran has worked in Dublin Zoo since 1994, and has worked in various depart-ments within the zoo.

“My job is so diverse, every day is different,” said Ciaran. In answer to our most obvious question, he said that out of all of the animals he looks after, his favourite are the elephants and the big cats.

So, naturally, our first stop was to visit the Asian lions. There are only 400 of these creatures left in the wild, in Gir Nation-al Park in North West India.

They are sadly an endangered species, as they face competition for space with humans, which is also resulting in scarcity of their prey.

These lions are family-oriented animals, and we met two sister lionesses, Sita and Suri. Named after Hindi goddesses, the pair were born in Mulhouse Zoo in eastern France.

There will be a six-year-old male lion, Kumar, joining them soon from Rotterdam Zoo, and the zoo hopes to hear the pad

Seeing the sea lions is always a delight, as the zoo’s beautiful animals are a joy to watch

A roaring time atDublin Zoo

ANIMAL MAGIC Sea lions and big cats put on a late, late show

12 GAZETTE 27 September 2012

of tiny cub paws by next year.

The keepers demon-strated how they feed the lions, dangling some horse meat from a tree, explaining that they often change where they leave the lions’ food so that they can continue to use their natural predatory senses.

The keepers said that they sometimes hide the food so that the lions can put their sense of smell to the test, and put a lot of effort into recreating the lions’ natural habitat.

WeightNext, we were taken to

see the Californian sea lions. We were greeted with a big “hello” wave from Flo, the three-year-old female.

The keepers explained that mature females weigh around 85kg, while the males can weigh as much as 300kg so as to impress potential mates.

They also explained that the five animals are trained for safety reasons instead of stage perform-ance – although they can do both. They dem-onstrated with Flo how they can safely check the sea lions for any obvious

injuries or unusual lumps or bumps with some of their commands, and even check their teeth with their “open mouth” command.

They will roll over, lie on their side and can even close the door of their cage behind them, and are rewarded with mackerel as a reward for each thing they were commanded to do.

The Gazette was still buzzing in “zoo mode” when we received news of the two new meerkat pups.

The pups were born in July, but visitors are now only getting their first glimpse of the young additions to the family of four adult meerkats in the zoo.

Commenting on the births, team leader Eddie O’Brien said that they are “delighted with the arrival of the pups.”

“It has been some time since meerkats were born at the zoo so these are a welcome additions,” he said. “Both pups are doing very well. They are still feeding from their mother and recently they have also started eating solids.”

These meerkat pups are cuddly new stars at the zoo

Hat’s a stunning look: TG4 programme to examine haberdashery in modern IrelandREBECCA Frayne was resplendent in this strikingly designed hat as she helped to pro-mote an upcoming TG4 programme, Hatai, on – what else – hats, and Irish women’s enduring love for haberdashery in the 21st century. Created in association with Red Shoe Productions and RTE, the programme

will see internationally acclaimed Irish hatmaker Philip Treacy examine the role of hats in our changing society, whether adding a dash of mystery to the wearer, or helping to celebrate their beauty. See Hatai on TG4 at 9.30pm on Sunday, September 30, or repeat-ed on Monday, October 1 at 8pm.

DUBLINTALKS.IE has organised a series of free talks aimed at inspiring local people.

Presentations will be made by and about Irish people with big and inter-esting ideas they want to share.

Each of the speakers will have just six minutes to tell the audience what their big idea is without the use of PowerPoint, notes or podiums – chal-lenging even for the most experienced public speakers.

The six speakers on the night will be Prof of computer science at UCD, Barry Smyth; award winning immu-nologist at TCD, Prof Luke O’Neill; Senator John Crown (Ind); Equi-nome’s Emmeline Hill; Prof of Dept of Medicine at UCC, Fergus Shana-han and Clare Wardle, of Storyful.

The event, which takes place on October 15 in The Sugar Club at 6pm, is part of Innovation Dub-lin 2012 and is supported by Dublin City of Sci-ence. Admission is free but booking is essential. For more information, see dublintalks.ie.

Inspired talks at the Sugar Club

INNOVATION: SIX IDEAS IN SIX MINUTESWool you

give your time up?

CHARITY: CALL TO KNIT HATS TO HELP FUNDRAISE

� LAURA WEBB

[email protected]

CALLING all knitters: Innocent Smoothies need your creative talent to help knit little woolly hats for their smoothies, with money from every bottle going towards supporting older people during the cold winter months.

The Innocent Big Knit 2012 will see 25c from every be-hatted bottle sold going straight to Age Action, to help older peo-ple stay well and warm this winter.

Knitters, or those who crochet, across the nation are asked to send their lit-tle knitted hats between now and the deadline. They will then be put onto innocent Smoothie bottles by hand, and sent off to stores.

These special bot-tles are available to buy in shops across Ireland from next January and, for every such bottle sold, 25c will be donated to Age Action.

Since the initiative started in 2008, knitting groups, schools and lots

of knitting enthuasists from all over Ireland have generously knitted for the Big Knit, raising more than €60,000.

For the initiative, peo-ple of all ages are asked to get involved, from nov-ice knitters to champion clickers, and are being asked to spread the word within the local commu-nity.

Anyone who doesn’t fancy knitting can donate wool and needles to Age Action to help them reach their target.

The money raised will help fund Age Action’s work, such as their winter warmth public informa-tion campaign to enable older people remain well and warm in their own homes.

It will also go towards their home visitation and DIY teams, who assist thousands of older peo-ple each year.

You can send your little hats to: The Innocent Big Knit 2012, Fruit Towers, 120/121 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2, or drop them into your local Age Action shop by Friday, November 30.


Youth on the marchHUNDREDS of young-sters, volunteers and youth workers attended the Youth Work Ireland Consensus Conference last Saturday.

Minister for Chil-dren and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald, was in attendance to meet guests at the event at Farmleigh Estate in the

Phoenix Park.The Youth Work Ire-

land Consensus Confer-ence was established to hear from a number of different players in the lives of young Irish peo-ple today.

The Minister met with a range of youth and children’s projects, as well as Irish Paralympic

gold medallist Daragh McDonald and “The Voice of Ireland” Pat Byrne.

The conference her-alds a major milestone in the development of a new Youth Policy Frame-

work by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

Youth Work Ireland works with over 80,000 young people, nearly 1,000 staff and over 7,000 volunteers annu-ally through 450 clubs and projects in all parts of the country with spin off benefits for local com-munities and economies.

Get on your bike for ConsoleCYCLISTS from all across Dublin are being asked to get on their bike along with a host of celebrities in aid of sui-cide prevention charity, Console.

The second Console Grand Canal Cycle takes place on Sunday,

October 7, from 10am. Pat Kenny, Eamonn

Coghlan and Derry C larke a re among those taking part in the 20-mile round trip from the Bord Gais Energy Theatre to the 12th Lock at Lucan, and back again.

Console founder and chief executive, Paul Kelly, said: “Console’s central themes are com-munity and communi-cation, and the Con-sole Cycle is the perfect example of this.”

Sponsorship cards are available, and a registra-tion fee of €20 will apply on the day to anyone who chose not to avail of a sponsorship card.

Anyone intending to take part is asked to reg-ister at www.console.ie, with more information available by calling 01 610 2638.

DIARY

SNAPSHOT Stories of the day from the city


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Tel: 01 6010240 Fax: 01 6010251

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Philip Stewart, Patrick Burke, CEO of YWI, John Gilmore, president of YWI, Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald and Mary Ann Connors

pictured at the Youth Work Ireland Consensus Conference at Farmleigh House last week. Picture: Marc O’Sullivan

ARTS Play will support Down Syndrome Ireland

Kidnapped trio’s tale set to help charity� NATALIE BURKE

WHEN Dublin actors Carl Finnegan and Noel Murphy decided to embark on a new adven-ture, they set out to com-bine their love for acting, playwrights and comedy to produce Dublin’s new-est theatre company, Pack a Punch Theatre.

Founded just four months ago, Pack a Punch Theatre is set to launch its inaugural production this October, when it takes to the stage at the Sean O’Casey Theatre in East Wall, from October 16 to October 20.

The theatre company has chosen, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me,

a play by Frank McGuin-ness, as its first produc-tion.

The play will be per-formed in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland, a cause close to the heart of Carl Finnegan, who hails from Dalkey.

He said: “My aunt has Down Syndrome, and we felt we wanted to make our work as personal as possible. We have had a lot of support from family and friends, and the com-munity as well, to help us get going so we wanted to give back to them as well.

“Setting up our own theatre company was something we wanted to do for ourselves; we really wanted to do challenging

theatre.“Our structure is slight-

ly comedic; we do have a sense of humour, but we also wanted to do drama,” said Carl, who previously ran the Theatre Soci-ety at the Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Dun Laoghaire.

The play will feature some of Dublin’s bright-est new talent and the production promises challenging drama with comedic moments.

It focuses on the tri-als and tribulations of an Irishman, an Englishman and an American who are kidnapped and held hos-tage by unseen Arabs in the Lebanon.

As the three men strive

Carl Finnegan, co-founder of the Pack A Punch theatre company

for survival, they also aim to overcome their per-sonal and cultural differ-ences, whilst at the same time maintaining their sanity.

Carl, who set up the company in May with Swords native, Noel Murphy, added: “I was interested in the idea of extreme cabin fever and how I would feel if I was locked away for a month.

“Aside from that, I love

Frank McGuinness’ work. I like his language and dialogue and I thought it was in keeping with the idea of doing something challenging and interest-ing.”

Carl hopes the compa-ny will continue to grow over the coming months.

“We see the company growing, building a base of people, extending our commitment to our chosen charity and also

working on our next show as well,” he said.

To find out more infor-mation about Pack a Punch Theatre and its inaugural production, see their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PackAPunchTheatre, or contact the Sean O’Casey Theatre by visiting www.seanocaseycommuni-tycentre.ie or by calling 01 850 9000. Tickets are priced at €12.

Inspiring Dublin TalksDublinTalks.ie has organ-ised a series of free talks aimed at inspiring local people.

Presentations will be made by and about Irish people with big and inter-esting ideas they want to share, with subjects rang-ing from genetics and cancer research to marine biology and economics.

Each of the speakers will have just six minutes to tell the audience what their big idea is without the use of PowerPoint, notes or podiums.

The six speakers on the night will be Barry Smyth, Luke O’Neill, John Crown, Emmeline Hill, Fergus Shanahan and Clare Wardle.

The event, which takes place on October 15 in The Sugar Club at 6pm, is part of Innovation Dub-lin 2012.

Admission is free but booking is essential. For more information, see dublintalks.ie.

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GazetteMUSICMUSIC

Saints and Heads in perfect synchronicity

David Byrne and Annie Clark make up the supergroup responsible for Love This Giant

� ROB HEIGH

SUPERGROUPS and col-laborations between your favourite artists seldom end well, unless there is a certain shared wavelength or equal sense of where the project should poten-tially go...

For every Queen and David Bowie, there’s a Lou Reed and Metallica (shudders)... So, when it was announced that Talking Heads frontman David Byrne was set to release an album with St Vincent’s frontwoman Annie Clark, there was a certain shiver borne of equal parts trepidation and thrill...

Fortunately, this is a collaboration that is more Under Pressure than Dancing In The Street, and a metric tonne more fun than it has really any right to be.

Bringing the unique perspectives and musical styles that created More Songs About Buildings And Food and Strange Mercy, and adding a 26-piece brass band, Byrne and Clark are clearly bouncing beach-ball-sized ideas around and making something uniquely fresh and differ-ent.

From a series of meet-ings in New York, the duo collaborated at distance, sending the drum loops and melodies back and forth and moulding at first a set of four tracks, which evolved into eight before emerging as the fully-fledged record that was released last week.

Love The Giant is the fruit of their collaboration, and features 12 songs that feature the quirks and familiar hooks that mark out St Vincent — Clark’s sweet and sharp croon — and David Byrne — his deadpan drawl and shim-

REVIEW: A COMPLEMENTARY COLLABORATION MADE IN HEAVEN

mering acoustic guitar. Layered and blended with these ingredients are an array of brass instrumen-tation and drum patterns, creating something simul-taneously familiar and unique for this project.

Songs like Who and Optimist are perfect encapsulations of the bounce and fun at play — Byrne and Clark are like two sides of the same coin that spins inside the songs, sometimes in uni-son, sometimes apart, but always in pursuit of an oddly funky and comple-mentary whole.

There’s an organic feel to the music and lyrics that brings to mind what Talking Heads were driv-ing for on their last record, Naked, where jungles and shopping malls came together in the lyrics and funk roamed the earth.

Some examples of the kinds of bliss that Byrne and Clark are bringing to the travelling version of Love This Giant can be seen on YouTube, espe-cially the footage captured in Minneapolis recently that shows brassy versions of Heads classic Burning Down The House as well

as St Vincent’s Cruel, the great lead track from their 2011 release, Strange Mercy.

I also need to point anyone with any kind of interest in music to David Byrne’s new book, How Music Works - it’s a fascinating look into the mechanics of how music is shaped by its time and place, and he explains accessibly and clearly how the advent of record-ing technology in the 20th century forever changed our relationship to play-ing, performing, and lis-tening to music.

THE FINAL session of The Song-writer Club for 2012 will take place on Saturday, October 6 from 2pm to 5pm at the Teachers Club, located at 36 Parnell Square West. For the final session, guest speakers includ-ing Noel Taylor of Rockit Music Management and Claire Egan from IMRO will talk to the group. Pic-tured is singer and songwriter Laura Conway performing at the last ses-sion. For more information, see The Songwriter Club on Facebook.

Troubadors: Last gathering of 2012 Songwriter Club


WORKING in a station that plays rock music 24/7 has its benefits. Most of all, the fact that I live in an alternate rock universe where the bands play their own instruments and lyrics actually means something.

One of the cons is when my ears are assault-ed by a Justin Bieber “song” playing in a shop and I hear my mother’s words coming out of my own mouth: “Do people actually call that music?”

Which leads me to wonder if lyrics are going downhill, or am I just spoiled after being immersed in music by Rock and Roll Hall of Famers for too long? Allow me to carry out the following, extremely non-scientific experiment:

Exhibit A: One of the biggest chart hits so far this year is from LMFAO, Sexy and I Know It:

“When I’m at the mall, security just can’t fight ‘em off,

When I’m at the beach, I’m in a speedo try-ing to tan my cheeks,

This is how I roll, come on ladies it’s time to go.”

Exhibit B: one of Radio Nova’s artists Bob Dylan is the bookies’ second favourite to win this year’s Nobel Prize for literature.

However, it’s believed the singer is unlikely to pick up the accolade with the shortening odds being attributed to fans’ support. If you listen to some of his lyrics, though, it’s not hard to see why Dylan could be called a poet.

His song, Blowin’ in the Wind, includes the words:

“Yes, how many years can a mountain existBefore it’s washed to the sea?Yes, how many years can some people existBefore they’re allowed to be free?Yes, how many times can a man turn his

head,Pretending he just doesn’t see?”

I rest my case. I know there are different horses for different courses, but this filly is sticking with the rock.

FastTunes with Radio Nova’s Dee

Bob Dylan: Possibly better than LMFAO

GazetteBEAUTYBEAUTY Edited by

Laura Webb

ACCORDING to a new, national Vaseline survey, only 28% of us worry about skin dam-age to our hands.

The survey was car-ried out earlier this year using an online survey tool, and sam-pled 200 women aged between 21 and 49.

Vaseline discov-ered that only 28% of women worry about sun damage to their hands, with 72% of those surveyed admit-ting they never con-sider their hands to be at risk from the sun.

Lauren Brooking, brand manager for Vaseline Ireland, said: “We often forget that it is, in fact, our hands that are the most exposed to the sun’s harmful rays.

Moisturise“Our customers

need a hand cream that will moisturise as well as protect and so, our new Vaseline Healthy Hands and UV Protection, with SPF 15, does just that,” she said.

Vaseline Healthy Hands and UV Protec-tion hand cream, with SPF 15 and pure Aloe Vera extract, leaves your hands feeling soft while also providing daily protection from harmful UV rays.

When Irish women were asked which men they most want to get their hands on, it was not surprising that singer/songwriter Bressie (aka Niall Breslin) came out on top, followed by Shame star Michael Fassbender.

Vaseline Healthy Hands and UV Protec-tion cream is avail-able at supermarkets nationwide, with a RRP for 75ml set at €4.39.

For all things Vaseline-related, go to www.facebook.com/Vaseline.

Protect

hands from

sun’s raysBrush up on your nails to see problems varnishA

T TENDING a wedd ing , co l -lege ball or debs? Then don’t forget

to beautify your nails and get manicured with colours of the season that will complete that evening look.

Gazette Beauty is all about hands this week, and the one thing that really accentuates them is nails.

A nailcare regime is a must, and Swiss nailcare specialists Mavala say they have the right prod-uct for nails, whether it’s a colour or a treatment.

Have nails that just won’t grow? Then try nail product Mavader-ma. This is a nutritive protein-enriched mas-sage oil which, when used daily on the nail, activates blood flow to the roots to help stimu-late and speed up the growth of nails.

Fragile tips are some-thing we have all experi-enced, and loathe when we have just painted them. To avoid this, try Mavala Scientifique – a weekly treatment that hardens nails imme-diately and bonds the

three layers together. It helps prevent soft, flak-ing or split nails.

There is nothing worse than having rough and ragged cuticles , so Mavala offer a perfect partnership to stop this problem.

Mavala Cuticle Remov-er is a weekly treatment applied directly onto the cuticles and, in seconds, dead skin is softened and easily removed.

This is a daily treat-ment which softens the skin around the nail, so it can be easily rolled back.

Nibbling nails can be a problem for children and adults alike. Treat this problem with Mav-ala Stop – a safe prod-uct with the appearance of clear enamel, but a strong, bitter taste that acts as a strong deterrent to nail biting.

To treat cuticles dam-aged by biting, use Mav-ala Cuticle Oil which, when used daily, softens the skin around the nail, enabling it to be rolled back gently.

Once nails are treated, they are ready for finish-ing touches. In keeping


with Mavala products, nails can be painted with a great range of Mavala mini nail enamels.

When painting nails,

we want beautiful results that last, as well as pro-viding protection from yellowing, Mavala 002 is a clear base coat that

forms a flexible barrier between nails and nail polish, as well as improv-ing the adherence of polish, so every mani-cure lasts longer.

To top off a pretty nail shade, use Mavala Colourfix, clear top coat reinforced with acryl which dries to a hard flexible glaze, and pro-vides nail colour with extra protective armour against chipping and peeling.

Mavala is nail care with a heritage span-ning more than 50 years. It was created in 1958 by Madelaine Van Lan-deghem and, with the introduction of Scien-tifique Nail Hardener, remains a best-selling product for the com-pany.

Mavala products are available from pharma-

cies nationwide. The RRP for products range from €8.04 for Mava-derma (10ml) to €14.35 for a Mavala duo – Hard Ragged Cuticles.

Of course, Mavala have

lovely varnish shades

A DUBLIN beauty has been crowned Miss Karora Per-fect Pins 2012, giving her the well-deserved title of Ireland’s best legs.

Carla Jackson was chosen from hundreds of leggy beauties to win the Karora Miss Perfect Pins 2012 at the competition.

The finals, held in Bucks Town-house, in Dublin 2, saw 14 ladies strut

their stuff with their lovely legs, facing a panel of VIP judges that included inter-national model and leggy beauty, Alison Canavan; celebrity agent, Tara Sinnott, and Courtney O’Hara, of Assets Model Agency.

CampaignCarla, who

trained as a ballet dancer, will front the next campaign for Irish tanning

brand Karora, which offer women a stylish, skin-caring choice in self-tanning with a range of botanical bronzing products that deliver custom colour with intense skin treatments.

The Skerries native was deemed by the judges to have the perfect poise, legs and personality to walk away with the Miss Perfect Pins title.

Perfect pins: Carla walks off with a well-deserved top title

Perfect pins: Carla Jackson

Swiss nailcare specialists have a wide range of nail care products to restore nails to their best

GazetteBUSINESSBUSINESS

DO I USE OR SAVE A LUMP SUM?

Q – MY MORTGAGE has a balance of €62,000, and we are on a tracker rate of 0.8% over the ECB (total: 1.55%). I will soon have a lump sum of €20,000, which I want to pay off the mortgage. Is it better to make one lump sum, or increase the monthly payment to the equivalent of €20,000 over the next two years? AnneMarie – Baldoyle

A - YOU have everything going for you – a small

mortgage, coupled with a tracker interest rate AND

a lump sum, too!

To answer the specific question, you WOULD be

better off paying the lump sum now rather than

spreading it over the next two years as, by doing it

now, the capital – or what you owe – is immediately

reduced and, therefore, attracts less interest,

because there is less to repay!

But it does not make sense to pay off now unless

you are strapped, income-wise, as you can first of

all earn more on deposit interest than you will pay

on your mortgage interest.

Your Rainy Day Fund (RDF) also needs to be

reviewed – you should have between three and

six months’ NET annual income in an RDF for those

emergencies, sudden loss of income or that invest-

ment opportunity that may come along.

Even if you were to hold off the repayment of the

capital until at least interest rates start to rise, as

inevitably they must (but maybe not for the next

two years), cash is king, and income is your number

one asset.

IS INCOME PROTECTION USEFUL?

Q – WITH no sick pay entitlements in my employ-ment, I was recommended to take out income protection. Is this a good idea, or are they just trying to sell me a product? Patrick – Grey-stones

A - WHEN you are not paying a fee for financial

advice, there certainly has to be an element of

vested interest at play – how else can a meeting be

meaningful if income is dependent on the outcome?

Notwithstanding this, prudence may dictate

that income protection in your case is a necessary

route. Should you not be able to work, employers

may pay your full salary for the first six months,

and then half of it for the next six.

But, after one year, most employers stop the

payments. What then? If you have a family to feed, a

mortgage or other financial commitments to repay,

and day-to-day living costs, you will still need an

income. Income protection, or permanent health

insurance, covers 75% of your annual salary, less

your social welfare entitlement, on a monthly basis

until you can resume work. This cover extends to

any type of incapacitation, once you CANNOT work.

The good news is that you receive tax relief at

your marginal rate on the premiums paid. This is the

only type of insurance outside of unassignable life

cover within pensions that does allow the relief.

Certainly, compared to Serious or Critical Illness

Cover, where 95% of all claims centre on about five

main illnesses – plus there is NO tax relief on the

premiums – income protection can make sense in

the right circumstances.

� Contact John with your money questions at

[email protected] or visit his website at

www.moneydoctor.ie. John Lowe, Fellow of the

Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing

director of Money Doctor

BUSINESS opportunities come in all shapes and sizes and from all different directions, but few put you in the network of international celebrities.

Nicola Crilly, who was a stay-at-home mother of three, became involved last September in Jamie At Home, a party planning business from Jamie Oliver that sells his dining and homeware range.

She said: “After going to a few of these parties as a customer and absolutely loving the prod-ucts, I decided I would give it a go at becoming a consultant.

“This new business venture has given me a new-found confidence that I never had before.

“I am now looking forward to the months ahead. With the festive season not far away, with this comes plenty of parties, and the chance to meet lots of new people along the way.”

Nicola has found that her role comes with a few perks as well.

“In July this year, I was invited across to Jamie Oliver’s home for Pimms and pizza, along with 45 other consultants from Britain and Ireland.

“It was an unbelievable experience, as I have been such a huge fan for so long. He was so down to earth, and very welcoming to all of us.

“I am also able to combine my work with fun-draising for chosen charities, which is an added bonus,” she said.

If you would be interested in finding out more about Jamie At Home, or in becoming a sales consultant, email Nicola at [email protected], or phone 086 827 2654.

Interview: Nicola Crilly, Jamie At Home

Q&A

Feeling right at home with Jamie’s business

Nicola Crilly with celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver

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

Q: What was your first job?A: Weekend work in Roches

Stores, Blackrock

Q: And your first pay cheque?A: £40 for weekend work

Q: Have you ever done a job you loathed?A: I worked as a secretary in an

architect’s office – I was on my

own a lot and hated it; I’m very

much a “people-person”, and I

like to interact

Q: When did you start your present job?A: September 2011

Q: What is the best thing about your job?A: The total flexibility around

my family, and the bit of “me”

time I get

Q: Have you achieved anything that you once thought you could not pull off?A: Being invited over to visit

Jamie Oliver’s home for Pimms

and pizza

Q: What part of your working day do you delegate?A: None

Q: What’s currently on your desk that shouldn’t be?A: Paperwork and crumbs

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

Q: What sport do you follow?A: I really enjoyed the Olym-

pics – I have always loved

gymnastics and track events

Q: What sport can you play?A: Badminton

Q: What habits would you like to lose?A: Worrying about the mess of

my house – the boys are grow-

ing up so fast

Q: At the moment, what are you looking forward to?A: My brother’s wedding next

month

Q: What is your guilty music/

TV or movie pleasure?A: Coldplay, Grey’s Anatomy,

and home improvement pro-

grammes

Q: Who best represents mod-ern Ireland – David Norris or Jedward?A: Neither

Q: What music/pictures/mov-ies do you have on your iPod/iPad?A: Photos of family, which are

very important to me

Q: Who do you follow on Twit-ter/Facebook?A: Jamie At Home, and Jamie

Oliver, of course

Q: What was your last Tweet/status update?A: Promoting our summer

sale – www.jamieathome.me/

nicolacrilly

Q: Describe your dream meal?A: All different types of shell-

fish, new baby potatoes and

fresh salad, all washed down

with a glass of Pinot Griogio

Q: Who would you rather have

dinner with – Enda Kenny or Dame Edna?A: Enda Kenny

Q: Where do you enjoy spend-ing money frivolously?A: I love New York, so it has to

be there

Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?A: Not that many – well, about

15

Q: What was your worst holi-day experience?A: Thankfully – I have nothing

bad to recall

Q: Describe your dream holiday?A: Australia – it’s the one place

I would love to see

Q: What would be your dream job?A: Something that requires a

bit of travelling

Q: What do you plan to do when you retire?A: I’d love to visit Australia

with my husband – hopefully,

Supported by AIB


There’s plenty to do this winter

Spring’s daffodils are a long way off, but these simple

yet attractive blooms are something that children

can help to prepare for now

AS THE days begin to shorten and a bit of a nip creeps into the air, there’s no escaping the fact that the summer’s over and the garden is starting its long slow slide into autumn and winter.

There’s always a bit of a sad feeling about this time of year for any keen gar-dener – but children can feel it worse than most; after all, when you’re not so very old yourself, the six-month wait for spring seems like an eternity.

The good news is, the coming of colder weather doesn’t have to spell the end of fun times in the gar-den – there’s more than enough to do to make time fly by, and B&Q Ire-land have some great tips to have an autumn ball among the leaves …

Preparing for winterTowards the middle of

autumn, there are plenty of jobs to do to prepare the garden for winter and, again, it’s something that children can help with.

Now’s the time to prune, as necessary; clean the tools and store them until spring and gener-ally have a good tidy up – which means lots of leaves to rake up, prun-ings to collect and spent plants to add to the com-post heap for willing little hands!

Bird tables and hibernation houses

Autumn is also a good time to think about wild-life. If you’re planning on feeding the birds through the winter, or giv-ing hedgehogs or toads

a place to hibernate, it’s important to get organ-ised before the worst of the weather, so they can find the facilities you’ve arranged for them and get used to the idea.

Planting bulbsPlanting bulbs is one

of the traditional autumn jobs and it’s something that the whole family can have lots of fun doing together.

Planning for next year

Autumn/winter is a great opportunity to think back over the past year and remember what worked and what didn’t, and then decide what you’d like to do in the months to come.

Are you planning a new

GARDENS: B&Q IRELAND TIPS, PRODUCTS TO CARE FOR YOUR PLANTS UNTIL SPRING

GazetteHOMESHOMES27 September 2012 GAZETTE 19

garden feature? Will you pick some different vari-eties of plants, or go with something that’s proven itself successful?

These are the sorts of questions that any avid

young gardener will want to talk about – and, of course, nothing will make a child feel more part of the whole thing than being able to say: “I did that.”

Bird box €8.62 Watering can €7.70

Rake €6.15 Bird table €30.80

New Fluence – An electric car that has the right look� CORMAC CURTIS

EVER since I had a power point installed at the front of my house to charge electric vehicles, doorstep conversations inevitably end up being about plug-in cars.

This is not surprising, as the whole world of electric vehicles (EVs) is one that is largely unex-plored by the vast major-ity of the general public.

One universally appeal-ing aspect of battery-powered cars is the cost of fuelling.

Even with the increase in domestic electric-ity charges that is set to descend upon us later this year, a full top-up will still only cost €3 to €4.

Putting the low-cost appeal to one side, and even the sticker price and the monthly lease of the battery (I’ll get to that later), the big question that people have is, are electric vehicles desirable as cars? And the answer is a definite, yes.

Kind of.I say “kind of” because

there are a few ways of looking at this. Firstly, there are a number of different types of electric vehicles available to the public, so, like any petrol or diesel car, you must consider which will suit your needs best.

A few months back I reviewed the Renault

Kangoo ZE – and I loved it. It costs peanuts to run, it has bags of space for people and stuff, the driving cockpit is roomy in the extreme and you have an amazing view of the road.

But it’s a van… and not everyone likes driving vans as much as I do.

So, as an alternative, Renault also offers the rather pleasant Flu-ence ZE with an electric motor.

And what an attractive alternative this is.

Modern

The Fluence ZE boasts a modern exterior with a comfortable and stylish interior; the only givea-way that it’s electric is the ZE logo on the back – unless of course you’re driving a press car, in which case it has all sorts of graphics emblazoned along the side to let eve-ryone know you’re sitting on a bank of batteries!

To be honest, I liked the fact that people knew I was driving an elec-

tric car – it meant they approached me to dis-cuss it, and it gave me an opportunity to find out what people thought.

And I was surprised with the reaction.

Now, either the reces-sion is receding (?) or I only met fairly well-to-do folks while testing the Fluence.

You would think that the over-riding attrac-tion of an electric car is the low cost of fuel – but it would appear that the look of the motor is even more critical.

I realise this is just anecdotal evidence, but every person I spoke with was amazed that a regular, full-sized saloon could be powered by an electric motor and offer all the looks and luxury of its petrol or diesel sta-ble-mates.

Without exception – those I spoke to were more likely to buy an electric car if it looked the part, a concern that trumped even the car’s driving range on a fully charged battery.

Apparently, the per-ception of EVs is that they are all either small commercial vehicles or golf buggies.

So, it turns out in this particular straw poll, image came in ahead of low running costs.

When I raised the issue of carry space, which is a

little limited In the Flu-ence ZE because of the room in the boot taken up by the batteries, those I spoke to would be happy enough with the trade off, as they saw it as a city-driving, family car, not something to go holi-daying in.

Fair enough, says I, because with a range of roughly 120kms on a full charge, a driving holiday in the Fluence ZE would need to be very carefully planned.

Funnily enough, the subject of performance hardly even came up.

As it happens, this was one of the big surprises with the Fluence.

Power

Once you get used to the silent running of the engine, it becomes very clear that this car has plenty under the hood, or wherever the power plant is kept!

I would liken the driv-ing performance to a modern saloon with a 1.6-litre diesel engine.

It has plenty of torque at the ready, and it cruis-es at a very comfortable 120km/h on the motor-way.

It is hard to say, how-ever, if the cabin noise is any louder than a petrol or diesel model. Because there is no sound from the engine whatsoever, you can find yourself

noticing the cabin noise that little bit more.

Speaking of noise, I would say that it is impor-tant for electric cars to come with a second, qui-eter horn.

I was genuinely sur-prised how often I found myself slowly driving behind people walking on the road or in car parks, etc, because they couldn’t hear me coming. Some-thing to gently alert them to my presence would have been nice.

So, in short, the idea of a handsome, modern saloon charging up each night in the driveway seemed a very attractive proposition to a great deal of people. Compro-mised boot space and limited range are traded off with good looks and comfort.

The last hurdle for people to get their heads around is the lease on the car’s battery – this really

The Renault Fluence ZE

NEW FORD ECOSPORT TO GO ON SALE SOON: FORD have announced that the much-anticipated, all-new EcoSport, a compact, rugged and fuel efficient sports utility will go on sale in Europe within the next 18 months as Ford expands its line-up in the grow-ing European SUV market.

EcoSport is based on Ford’s global B-segment platform and combines small car practicality with the flexibility, spa-ciousness, agility and style of a SUV.

“Ford EcoSport will deliver great value, quality and fuel economy,” said Nick Collins, B-car vehicle line director, Ford of Europe. “It will also present custom-ers with a fantastic small car choice that will also include the B-MAX compact multi-activity vehicle as well as the new Fiesta.”

EcoSport is the first Ford global

model to be devel-oped entirely in South America. Introduced in 2003, Ford created the segment in Brazil and has since sold more than 700,000 units in the region. New EcoSport will meet the increasing demand for small SUVs in Europe, which Ford expects to double over the next five years.

“The new EcoSport has under-gone millions of miles of testing, on the most rigorous terrains, in the most demanding climates across the globe,” Collins said.

EcoSport will offer a comprehensive package of driver assistance technolo-gies including anti-lock brake system, Electronic Stability Program, and Hill Launch Assist.

The all-new Ford EcoSport will go on sale across Europe within the next 18 months, while Ford’s SUV range is soon to be supplemented by an all-new Kuga.

RoadRoadSignsSignsAudi Ireland family day at ImaginosityPICTURED at the recent Audi Ireland family day at Imaginosity, Dublin Children’s Museum. is celebrity chef and Audi brand ambassador Rachel Allen. On the day, the mum and TV chef was joined by little helpers Georgia Doyle, eight, and Sophie Doyle, six, as well as Audi’s Andrew Doyle at the Audi Family Day in Imaginosity.

GazetteMOTORSMOTORS

� 0 – 100km/hr: 13.4 sec

� Engine: Elec 2.4

� Maximum Power -

70hp DIN (kw ISO)

� Maximum Torque –

226 Nm ISO (mkg DIN)

� Price: €26,610 (model

driven)

SPECS: RENAULT

FLUENCE ZE


is where people will suck air between their teeth in the showroom.

In order to keep these cars future-proof, Renault, along with most other car companies, have opted for a lease arrangement with the battery so the owner can

get a more improved unit as they become available, hopefully providing the cars with better range as the battery technology develops.

The idea is a good one, but at roughly €80 per month, it will be a bitter enough pill for many to

swallow.Personally, I’m a huge

fan of electric motoring. For the very same rea-sons, I heard back from members of the general public, and I overlook the downsides in just the same way.

If I ’m completely

honest, the fact that the Government gets only a fraction of the money they would if I were driving a regular car, makes the Fluence even more attractive. I also get a kick out of the idea that the car’s range may improve with

age as the batteries get better.

The Fluence ZE is available from €26,610, considering how little the running costs are, I reck-on this is a good deal.

This car impressed me, and if the range was bet-ter, I’d be all over it.

boasts a modern exterior, plenty of torque and has a range of approximately 120kms on a full charge

Edited by

Cormac Curtis

RoadRoadSignsSigns

Toyota Ireland supplies

Motability Ireland with

new Verso-S vehicleTOYOTA Ireland has supplied Motability Ireland with a new Verso-S demonstration vehicle as part of its ongoing commitment to the mobility market.

The vehicle will be equipped with swivel seat, wheelchair boot hoist, state-of-the-art hand controls, steering aids and left foot accelerator. It will be available for demonstration through Motability Ireland and the Toyota dealer net-work.

Commenting on the collaboration, Cathal Ryan, fleet sales manager, Toyota Ireland, said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to work with Motability Ireland. Like Toyota, Motability Ireland manufacture vehicles with a renowned reputation for quality and reliability backed up by industry leading customer service. They are at the forefront of the mobility indus-try. At Toyota, we realise the importance of the mobility market to our brand’s success in Ire-land, and we intend to build upon this relation-ship in the future”

Jonathan Moore, marketing manager, Motabil-ity Ireland said: “We look forward to working with Toyota. Their products represent the very best in design and reliability and this reflects Motability Ireland`s core values. The Verso-S is a fantastic new vehicle, with a higher seating position, good accessibility and fully automatic transmission. I’m confident it will be successful in the mobility market.”

Cathal Ryan, fleet sales manager, Toyota

Ireland and Jonathan Moore, marketing

manager, Motability Ireland. Picture: Tommy

McDermott

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Old-world charms inthe city of the Tribes� NATALIE BURKE

IT CAN be hard to tick all the boxes when it comes to taking a weekend away in Ireland. One thing is for sure; the weather can be unpredictable, wher-ever you go.

But, when it comes to the other boxes – four-star accommodation full of old-fashioned Irish charm, a city full of cul-ture on the doorstep, being just minutes away from beaches, shops and lively bars, and facing just a short drive to some of the scenery this country is most famously praised for, it seems that Galway City exceeds expectations.

Having only had the pleasure of being to Gal-way City once before – on an occasion not done in too much style – it came as no surprise that, when the opportunity arose, I jumped at the chance to stay at the renowned Hotel Meyrick.

The oldest hotel in Galway city, it lived up the expectation I had set for its combination of old-world glamour, sophisti-cation and contemporary style.

Once known as “the Railway Hotel”, the Hotel Meyrick is one hotel that has its history inter-twined with that of the city it resides in. Located quite literally in the very heart of Galway City, the

hotel stands elegantly overlooking Eyre Square, just a stone’s throw away from the city’s highlights and public transport sys-tems – Galway Railway Station is located right on Eyre Square.

First opened in 1852, the Hotel Meyrick earned its current name only a few years ago, when it was named after Eyre Square’s former title, Meyrick Place.

Arriving by car at Hotel Meyrick, its central loca-tion makes it a busy des-

tination, traffic-wise but, if you’re lucky enough to find a spot to pull in first time round, the hotel’s friendly valets quickly take it off your hands.

The hotel’s exterior is impressive in itself, the five-floored building tak-ing precedence on its corner of Eyre Square but, if that doesn’t take you aback, the Meyrick’s impressive lobby will.

Grand, spacious and inviting, the lobby boasts high ceilings, a number of old fashioned couches and warm lighting to set

the scene.We checked into a

junior suite; a fifth-floor room overlooking the 400-year-old square, its windows offering possi-bly the best view of Gal-way city.

The king-size bed, spacious bathroom and modern flatscreen TV take nothing away from the old-world charm of the luxurious suite.

In the warmer months, you might miss the full blast of air-conditioning (the fact that the building

is listed means there are restrictions – an element that is intriguing in itself) but, even after throwing the wide windows open to let fresh air through, the sounds of the Galway streets remind you of the bustling liveliness of a modern city that rarely sleeps.

The menus at the Oys-ter Grill Restaurant reflect its fortunate proximity to the west coast, the variety complemented by Beara Island mussels, Atlantic crab claws and seasonal oysters.

The popular restau-rant offers an a-la-carte option, a table d’hote menu, as well as Sunday lunch, with its doors open to both guests and locals seven days a week.

After choosing the chicken liver and herb pate, followed by a sirloin steak with Guinness and mushroom jus – which comes highly recom-mended – we chose to finish our evening with a nightcap at the laidback Oyster Bar.

Breakfast is served in the same restaurant and is a generous spread of fresh fruit, cereals and mini-pastries, as well as a buffet-style option for a full Irish breakfast.

Following breakfast, I couldn’t help but be tempted by the rumours I heard about the Square Spa and Health Club, located on the fifth floor of the Meyrick.

Good rumours, of course, that encouraged me to bypass the state-of-the-art gym and indulge instead in a morning of relaxation.

What the spa lacks in size, it makes up for in privacy and quality.

The spa overlooks the cityscape of Galway and, while I had to avoid climbing into the roman-tic Canadian hot tub over-looking the city (which was already occupied by two people enjoying a

glass of bubbly), I opted instead for a signature Dermalogica facial.

Outside the little world created by the Meyrick lies cobbled streets, col-ourful shops and a busy café bar culture spreading right across the city.

Already located at the heart of where it all hap-pens, why not take a stroll on the beach at Salthill, stop off for a well-earned pint of Guinness at one of the city’s many old Irish pubs, or take a drive to see the unspoilt beauty of the famous Connemara coast?

The Relax & Unwind package offers two nights’ bed and full Irish break-fast, with one evening dinner at the Oyster Grill Restaurant, and a choice of a relaxing Indian Head Massage or a Mini Facial from €184 per room.

For further packages and information, see www.hotelmeyrick.ie.

As you would expect from

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

‘The hotel’s exterior is impressive in itself, the building taking precedence on its corner of Eyre Square but, if that doesn’t take you aback, the Meyrick’s impressive lobby will’---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Set sail for a great car-cation with Stena Line and the National TrustPEOPLE looking for an action-packed autumn car-cation should look no further than Stena Line, as Ireland’s leading ferry company has teamed up with Britain’s National Trust to offer families and groups 20% off accommodation and activities at the Stackpole Outdoor Learning Centre, Pembrokeshire, during September and October.

Travel from Rosslare to Fishguard and enjoy the action at the centre, which is based at the heart of the 2000-acre National Trust Stackpole Estate.

Visitors have the opportunity to kayak, explore more than 30km of woodland paths and lakes, or to take part in Atlantic surf scrambling and coas-teering.

Travel from €89 single for a car and driver, with additional adults from €30 (single) and children from €17 (single), as well as 20% off accommo-dation and activities at the Stackpole Outdoor Centre.

For further information or to make a booking, see www.stenaline.ie or call 01 204 7777.

Brush up on your art skills with a three-day painting retreat by the lovely waters of Lough CorribFOR any budding artist looking for an opportuni-ty to relax at an exclusive and luxurious painting retreat, Lisloughrey Lodge is offering a three-day retreat filled with art, exploration, dining and meeting new people.

Overlooking beautiful Lough Corrib, Lislough-rey Lodge is a four-star boutique hotel located on the Mayo/Galway border, and is the perfect suggestion for artists looking to develop their practice.

On Tuesday, October 9, guests will check in for a three-night stay at one of the lodge’s deluxe courtyard rooms, before enjoying a welcome lunch in the Quay Bar and an introduction to locally-based artist, teacher and gallery owner, John Dinan, who will offer tuition each day.

The first ever luxury artists’ retreat takes place from October 9 to October 12. Costing €495, the package includes three nights B&B, a welcome lunch, a final group dinner and three days’ tuition.

Early booking is advisable. For further informa-tion, contact Lisloughrey Lodge at 094 954 5400.

FastTravel

GazetteTTRAVELRAVEL22 GAZETTE 27 September 2012

such an impressive exterior, the Meyrick also has impressive bedrooms and facilities, making it a perfect, welcoming base for visitors

Let Wings Abroad fly you away to the sun at a Turkish holiday resortIF THE lack of sun this summer has left you feeling down, perhaps an autumn sunshine break could be just what you need?

Get away from the Irish weather this October with Wings Abroad, the Turkish holiday spe-cialists, from just €369 per person.

The four-star Golden Day Wings Hotel in Kusadasi, a firm favourite with Irish holiday makers, are offering a seven-night stay from just €369, and a 14-night stay from just €429.

Enjoy friendly service, reliable weather and the exhilarating views of the Kusadasi coastline from your balcony at the four-star hotel, set in a unique location within easy walking distance of the marina and Kusadasi town centre.

Prices are based on two persons sharing a twin room on a B&B basis, and are for selected dates in October.

For further information or to make a book-ing, see www.wingsabroad.ie, or call 01 871 9444. Prices are subject to availability, and terms and conditions apply.

TravelBriefs

Edited by

Natalie Burke


First opened in 1852, the Hotel Meyrick has a perfect location on Eyre Square, with a range of suites offering the best of old-world charms,

while its spa and health club offers contemporary pampering for guests to really spoil themselves


Not totally Dredd-fulAs an autonomous and totalitarian lawmaker, Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) doesn’t need to do much more than grunt “I am derrr lawww!” at

bad guys – and then shoot them – in the latest film that attempts to bring the iconic comic character to life

GoingOUT

GazetteENTERTAINMENTENTERTAINMENT

It’s hard to do very much with a character that just likes being sour and shooting things, but this film’s on target ...

�

� KATE CROWLEY

DARLINGS! I’m back! Well, “back”, as in “back doing a couple of fill-in reviews for a temporary week or two, as I slunk off from The Gazette Group some time ago”-back.

So, it’s my great pleas-ure to say hi to all of my old fans – yes, yes, I missed you both, too – and to say hi to all the rest of you and, more importantly, to give you a review of a film for your consideration.

While we’re in the mood of being all happy and welcoming, and news editors not paying very careful attention to temporary film review-ers’ expenses claims, may I say that it’s been simply dreadful for me, wonder-ing how on earth readers would cope without my on-the-nose reviews?

But nothing, perhaps, as Dredd-ful as this week’s review, Dredd 3D. (See what I did there?)

Taking the long-run-

ning comic book charac-ter (Judge Dredd) and his setting, we’ve got a noisy action film that tries to do him justice.

(All right, all right – whoever started shout-ing from the back about Sly Stallone’s misguided version ages ago can sit down again.)

As a set-up, in the near future, most of the world is a nuclear wasteland, with the remains of humanity packed into vast, teem-ing and totalitarian meg-acities – with none more sardine-packed than Mega City One (formerly known as separate places called New York, Chica-

go, Washington, etc).Unfortunately, even by

chaotic Mega City One standards, life’s more hellish than usual, thanks to the effects of a drug, Slo-Mo, on the people and gangs. Oh, you know, crime and drugs aren’t ever going to lead to a happy story, right?

With Slow-Mo causing warfare across the city, it’s time to send in The Law – with none more lawful than Judge Dredd, not just one of the city’s tough-nut cops but, also, a one-man judge, jury and executioner. Literally.

Given Dredd’s habit of dispensing instant capital

punishment for virtually every misdemeanour (TV licence inspectors may take note), he’s the right man to send into one part of the city to tackle the Slo-Mo problem there.

Dredd (a grunt-tas-tic Karl Urban playing Dredd appropriately, as half-scowl, half-helmet) and his rookie sidekick, slightly-psychic Judge Anderson (Olivia Thirlby) find themselves in a typi-cal, 1km-tall tower block, home to thousands of residents ...

Except that, wouldn’t you know it, it’s not just a base for Slo-Mo, it’s THE base for Slo-Mo. Of all the tower blocks in all Mega City One, Dredd walks into that one. (I’d ask that man to start buy-ing your Lotto tickets, if I were you.)

Crimelord Ma-Ma (Lena Headey) immedi-ately orders a block lock-down, with a bounty on Dredd and Andersons’ heads, leaving two judges

to face off against lots and lots of trigger-happy min-ions …

To say any more would put me back in “…and then the Titanic hit an iceberg” territory.

Suffice it to say that, yes, it’s got all of the gunfire and gunplay that you’d expect from such a film, but it’s elevated – slightly – from the usual stand-ards of such films by the interesting crew behind the camera, leading to some arresting sights, and some admittedly stylish cinematography.

Given the subject mat-ter, it’s certainly a Dredd-ful film, but, thankfully, not quite a dreadful one. There are certainly worse films to spend your money one. Hmmm. That indirectly reminds me of a joke about an old cin-ema nemesis of mine.

“What’s the only thing worse than a new Clive Owen film? Two new Clive Owen films!” That’s all, folks!

FILM OF THE WEEK: Dredd 3D�� (18) 96 mins

OUR VERDICT:WITH some decent names behind the camera, from scripting to cinematography, the director hasn’t made a Travis-ty of bringing Dredd back to the big screen. True, the ultimate law enforcer still doesn’t need to do much more than scowl underneath a big helmet – and then shoot stuff – but, as far as big, dumb action B-movies go, this decent enough film lays down the law in some style.

Director: Pete TravisStarring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey, Jason Cope, Domhnall Gleeson, thousands of thugs, Mega City One

THE PAVILION THEATRE 01 231 2929The 39 Steps

THE dangerous world of spying in the 1930s is brought to life in a great performance of the classic comic play, still best-known to many audiences for the Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name. In 1935, Richard Hannay is thrown into the mysterious world of spying, in a bid to keep his country safe – but nothing is what it seems, as his life is turned upside down by danger – and comedy! With many light-hearted touches, this is a show that’s sure to entertain. Step lively to catch the show at 8pm on Friday, September 28 or Saturday, September 29, with tickets priced at €15.

MILL THEATRE 01 296 9340 Karl Spain and Bernard O’Shea

ALTERNATIVELY this weekend, in a break from espionage antics, why not spy on two of Ireland’s funniest men? TV funnyman Karl Spain has abandoned his well-known search for a woman to return to his stand-up roots. Bernard O’Shea is a freewheeling comic, familiar to many as the roving reporter on The Republic of Telly, not to mention his prestigious representation of Ireland in the Montreal Just For Laughs festival. Already individually impressive, the two comics have an evening not to be missed this weekend. Catch the show at 8.15pm on Friday, September 28 or Saturday, September 29, with tickets priced at €12/€14.

CIVIC THEATRE 01 462 7477Misery

THE popular tale of a fan’s obsessive love, Misery is set to chill with an upcoming production at the Civic Theatre. Joe Meagher and Denise Camp will thrill audiences with their roles, ready to show how novelist Paul Sheldon’s rescuer from a car crash, Annie Wilkes is anything but his saviour. Recuperating in her house, cut off from the world, and facing her increasingly erratic attention, Sheldon faces devising the greatest plot of his life – how to escape ... Misery will be staged nightly at 8pm from Tuesday, October 9 to Saturday, October 13, with tickets priced at €16/€20.

DRAIOCHT 01 885 2622The Music Makers

THIS fascinating celebration of the interaction between instruments and musicians will delight any music fan. Live music by outstanding traditional musicians will be accompanied by film showing the workings of instrument makers’ workshops, presenting an insightful evening of delightful music. Catch the performance at 8.15pm on Friday, September 28, with tickets priced at €14/€16.

from The Gazettsome time ago”-b

So, it’s my greure to say hi to aold fans – yes, yes,you both, too – anhi to all the resand, more imporgive you a reviewfor your consider

Whil ’

gazette group

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.com

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

� SHANE DILLON

I’M SO old, I can remem-ber when Sega was pri-marily known for its con-soles, rather than being “just” a developer.

This being so, many an aging gamer will join me in wiping away tears of nostalgia over Sega’s missed Dreamcast con-sole – the cube-shaped bundle of joy that passed away before its time, given its underwhelming sup-port by developers and publishers.

One of the DC’s most notable and lauded titles was Jet Set Radio; a fun and funky cel-shaded title that (local councillors and Tidy Towns groups

may wish to look away now) saw players racing around a busy cityscape, tagging areas with their graffiti to mark their turf over rival gangs’, while avoiding the police who’d eventually show up.

Having travelled the world and seen such things everywhere, I’ve seen how there’s an enor-mous difference between graffiti (the blight of a thousand estates around Dublin, and the world) and street art (mocking society, making political jokes, and so on) – but, here, it’s pretty much just graffiti played for laughs, as an attempt to inject some fun and colour back into an increasingly dull

cityscape.As another in the cool

trend of digital remakes, Jet Set Radio HD sees the old title picked up, dusted off, and available for digital download for both XBox 360 and Play-Station 3 (prices vary) , giv-ing modern gamers the chance to play a stylish gaming classic.

Players choose from a number of characters, with many more avail-able throughout the game, to skate around a n u m b e r of colourful

GazetteGAMINGGAMINGBytesandpieces


Second Life dev looks at PatternsREMEMBER Second Life? Anyone? Surely you all remember the seemingly endless hype from about seven years ago about Linden Labs’ vast, online world where anyone could be anything, and where banks and high-street retailers would build “clicks-and-morter” virtual outlets for people to do all their online shopping at?

(I remember Second Life very well – as being the world’s biggest ghost town; a virtual, sprawling ver-sion of I Am Legend, but with extra Nike stores and a few brave, if dejected, souls wandering around.)

Now, Linden Labs have released information and a trailer for Patterns; its next world title, which follows the current vogue for user-created world-building and reshaping titles. (Think: “Minecraft with triangles”, and you’re pretty much there.) Let’s hope that Linden Labs gets a second wind for its next potentially major venture ...

Saying Halo to a special previewLASTLY, look out for a special report on Halo 4 in the near future, as I’m off to Madrid (yes, that Madrid) to take a closer, hands-on preview look at what’s sure to be a smash-hit crowdpleaser later this year. So, stay tuned for that upcoming Halo 4 report – and, possibly, a special giveaway, too ...

Taking place in a cel-shaded version of some of Tokyo’s most iconic districts, Jet Set Radio doesn’t have quite the visual “wow” factor today

that it did upon its release on the Dreamcast in 2000, but, thankfully, its fun gameplay is just as capable of drawing you in

Can easily draw you in

THE Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, revealed an amusing way with words last week as he, too, joined in the fuss over Apple’s new Maps app, bundled as part of the latest update to its gadgets’ operating sys-tem, IOS 6.

This saw Apple ditch its previous use of Goog-le Maps for its own ver-sion instead, which is a

fair enough move ...Unfortunately, how-

ever, the internet imme-diately saw a flood of complaints from irate people, from individuals to companies, all com-plaining about Apple’s version of Maps, versus Google’s.

Missing cities, incom-plete entries, incorrectly branded places – the list of user complaints

goes on. Having looked through this new Maps a bit, myself, I can see why.

Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised to see “Here Be Dragons” and pictures of mermaids on some of the particularly blank areas that I looked at, such is its relative paucity of content compared to the more detailed Google version.

As for Minister Shatter,

while he’s unlikely to be starring at the Laughter Lounge any time soon, he had a tongue-in-cheek response to the revala-tion that Airfield House, in Dundrum, has now been branded as, well, an air field (complete with airport symbol), courtesy of Apple.

He said: “In the con-text of Airfield there are a variety of possible alter-

native images that could be utilised, such as a cow, a goat, a sheep, a flower or indeed any other type of plant, as Airfield oper-ates a nursery.

“An aircraft is an entirely inappropriate flight of imagination.”

While he was prob-ably winging it a bit with his comments, there’s no doubt that it’s an interest-ing stumble by Apple.

Minister Shatter wings it with a tongue-in-cheek response to Apple’s map mistake

Tokyo districts, with each character having their own strengths and weak-nesses.

In each open area, the player has to tag their mark over rival gangs’, collecting spray cans and avoiding the interests of the police, while trying

to add to their score by grinding and per-

forming tricks on the many convenient-

ly-placed railings, steps, bars and other such grind-friendly surfaces.

And tha t ’s pretty much it – there’s noth-

ing about avenging family wrongs, saving the world or murky cover-ups, here – just fun gameplay, rac-ing around, spraying tags, completing challenges and collecting charac-ters.

Of course, I hate seeing graffiti in real life – mean-ingless scrawls are ugly to see, in any city of the world – but, here, there’s a lot of fun in adding some slapdash colour to Tokyo, with the slightly anarchic gameplay just as engaging as ever.

Here’s hoping that the remake of Dreamcast classics continues (Skies of Arcadia next, please).

Beat, Jet Set Radio’s iconic lead character

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ALL good things must come to an end, and that is what will hap-pen to Dublin Commu-nity Games in 2013 as a number of long-standing members retire at this year’s annual general meeting.

Some of the existing committee are stepping down after many years of dedicated involvement with the role of secretary and games director open-ing up.

As such, Dublin Com-munity Games are seek-ing new volunteers to join the county committee to help run the extensive programme of competi-tions.

Speaking about the 2012 Games programme, Brian MacManus, chair-person, said: “2012 has been a successful, yet challenging year for us, as we struggled to stage our full programme of events.

“It is always sad to see volunteers, colleagues

and, more importantly friends retire, but none of us is around forever, and we need new volun-teers now more than ever before.

“With the retirement of many of our long-standing volunteers, we will not be able to stage the full, new 2013 pro-gramme without the help of new volunteers.”

Catering for young people aged six to 16 years-old in a pro-gramme with a strong emphasis firmly placed

COMMUNITY GAMES: DUBLIN COMMITTEE SEEKS NEW MEMBERS FOR 2013 SEASON

Marley Grange participants enjoy the 2012 Community Games relays at Santry Stadium

McManus hails role of Community Games volunteers

on fun, participation and creating community spirit, Dublin Communi-ty Games provides over 55 sporting and cultural activities.

These range from athletics to art, choir to chess, soccer to swim-ming, judo to gymnastics, and volleyball to variety,

with debating, duathlon, hybrid rugby and spike ball all being added to the programme next year.

All these activities are run in local communi-ties around Dublin, and provide opportunities for young people to develop in a healthy and safe environment while expe-

riencing a wide range of activities.

There is also a youth programme on offer where you can help at local and county events, mentor teams, develop new skills while encour-aging youth participation in the community.

The annual meeting

takes place on Tuesday, October 2 at 7.30pm in Carmichael House, Dub-lin 7. All are welcome.

For more information on how to get involved, contact Dublin Secre-tary, Maureen Quinlan on 01 872 8203 or check out www.dublincommu-nitygames.ie

GazetteSPORTLIFFEY DESCENT:LIFFEY DESCENT:Czech team in Czech team in town for annual town for annual canoe marathon: canoe marathon: Page 28Page 28



GazetteSportSport

FastSport

Ireland Warriors win

Euro Cup in fine styleTHE IRELAND Warriors Aussie Rules team won their second Euro Cup in Edinburgh last weekend with a stunning come-from-behind one-point win over Denmark Vikings in Edinburgh last Saturday.

It was described as the “best game of Aus-sie Rules I’ve seen played in Europe” by tournament organiser AFL Europe general manager Ben MacCormack as the Irish side, featuring a number of players from the South Dublin Swans, came from 11 points behind in the final minute.

They blast home two quick goals just sec-onds from the final siren and win 5.0 (30) to 4.5 (29) with Ireland’s Muiris Bartley kicking the vital goal.

The competition saw 16 teams compete at Peffermill over a series of 24-minute games played in a nine-a-side format.

Speaking about the ever-growing size of the competition, McCormack added: “It just shows just how much the game is developing in Europe across both genders.”

A bagpipe player, dressed in a kilt, provid-ed background noise during the exhibition women’s match, in which the Irish Banshees – which features players from Lucan and Malahide – crushed the European Crusaders 13.14 (92) to 8.8 (56).

Aimee-Louise Hazley took a break from her club Gaelic football season with St Syl-vester’s – who are into the Leinster interme-diate championship quarter-final – to take part in the contest.

Not much separated the teams at the last change before the Irish experience got them across the line in the last term.

� PETER CARROLL

[email protected]

IN ITS first year since its inclusion in the World River Marathon Series, the Liffey Descent is back on Sunday Sep-tember 29, with over 800 canoeists ready to attack the white water rapids of the renowned river Liffey route.

The usual crew mak-ing up the Irish contin-gent will be ready to fly the flag – Thomastown Paddlers of Kilkenny, Wild Water Kayak Club of Chapelizod, Salmon Leap Canoe Club of Leixlip and Celbridge Paddlers – but this year they will be joined by the Czech National team who have been attract-ed to the event after it received its world mara-thon recognition

The Czechs, who are due to compete in the

C1 class, will be afforded the opportunity of gain-ing ranking points if they are successful around the course, as will those tak-ing part in the K1 class, something that Irish com-petitor Keith McGuirk believes can only bring more international inter-est to the tournament.

“It’s huge to have the Czech team coming over,” said the C1 athlete. “I think a lot of other teams might take an interest in the marathon because of its new classification.

“If the Czech team have a good experience, they’ll be spreading the word about the event and hopefully that will lead to more and more interna-tional teams coming over in the future.

“The fact that Antonin Hales is competing is very big as far as the mar-athon is concerned. He’s a huge name in world

white water rafting and he was part of the team that won bronze at the world championships,” said McGuirk.

The Liffey Descent is one of the biggest events of its kind in the world and is not for the faint-hearted. The 28km course combines long flat water sections, swift currents, 10 weirs and numerous rapids, a heav-ily wooded section and a long portage around Leixlip dam.

Competitors need to be of level three kayak standard and the reasons for such a big turnout, from the casual athletes to the championship level, is the fact that the ESB guarantee the white water element of the event.

The ESB will release 30 tonnes of water from the Poulaphouca Reservoir to coincide with the race.

This brings the river up to flood level and trans-forms small rapids and gentle weirs into foaming white water, which gives the marathon its unique drawing point, making it one of the most unique and challenging courses of its kind, according to McGuirk.

“The fact that the race is guaranteed white water because of the role of the ESB it makes it a very interesting course for a lot of reasons.

“It’s a long course at 18 miles, and the fact that the competitors are working

against white water while still trying to conserve energy to endure the full length of the marathon makes it a fantastic chal-lenge and a great test for all levels of competitor,” said McGuirk

The event began back in 1959 as an inter club event for the national scene, but has gone on to grow every year. McGuirk believes that Olympic competitors like Eoin Rheinisch and Hannah Craig have injected a lot of interest in the event on the back of their showings at the Olympic Games.

Descent hits heights

CANOEING: 800 TO TAKE IN ANNUAL LIFFEY DESCENT MARATHON

World bronze medallist Antonin Hales has been added to the field for the annual Liffey Descent as the event gains world recognition


�STARof the

MONTHERIC LOWNDES

AT THE fourth attempt, the

St Peregrine’s man finally

tastes All-Ireland minor

final success and could help

Dublin to a famous double

CATHERINE WALSH

SWORDS woman Catherine

Walsh claimed medals on

both the track and the

road to mark an epic

Paralmypic Games

DAVID BYRNE

NAOMH Olaf’s full-back was

the beating heart of the

Dublin minor All-Ireland

success, leading the side

with some superb showings

�TEAMof the

MONTH

2012 DUBLIN SPORTS AWARDS - SEPTEMBER NOMINEES

ST SYLVESTER’S

JUST two years since

attaining inter status for

the first time, Syl’s hurlers

powered their way to the

senior ranks in jig-time

CASTLE GOLF CLUB

CASTLE GC ended a long

99-year wait but finally

won back amateur golf’s

biggest team prize, the

Irish Senior Cup

NAOMH OLAF

FIELDING 17 players who

discovered ladies football

through the Gaelic for

Mothers programme, they

rose to win a JFC title

FastSport

LOCAL hockey clubs came away with a series of nominations on the shortlist for the Irish Hockey Association annual awards last Thurs-day following an extensive public vote that saw over 5,000 people offer their views.

Beaufort club Loreto are up for two major gongs as they were included in the lists for Club of the Year and Youth Club of the Year following a sterling 2011/12 season.

In the former category, Loreto earned their stripes by reaching the final of the Irish Hockey League while also making it through to the finals weekend of the Irish Senior Cup, the two top competitions for women’s hockey in Ireland.

On top of that, they picked up a number of Leinster league titles with their junior teams while they started to build their first clubhouse, too. They are up against south Dublin rivals Railway Union and Blackrock side Avoca.

The latter club is another to have set in motion plans to improve their facilities in New-park with a new Portakabin built and in opera-tion for the new season.

Their men’s first team returned to division one for the first time in seven seasons as their development plan came into full effect.

Elsewhere, Monkstown’s David Cole is up for the U-18 player of the year having made his debut for the Irish senior national team during his Leaving Certificate year, lining out in green against world number five side Spain earlier in 2012. He also captained his school side St Andrew’s to the Leinster senior cup.

There were plenty of nominations for Alex-andra College following their run to the All-Ireland girl’s Kate Russell Cup glory. They are up for the hockey school of the year while their coach Miles Warren is in the final four for the U-18 coach of the year having also been at the helm for the Irish U-16 boys as they finished fifth in the European championships in the summer.

Loreto and Rathdown head coach Graham Shaw is one of four in the running for the coach of the year title while Olympic umpire Carol Metchette is one of the favourites for the top whistle-blower gong.

South Dublin clubs in running for awards

Camogie make-a-wish:

National association

links up with charityMAKE-A-WISH Ireland are set to partner with the Camogie Association for the next three years. The Camogie Association will help promote, support and fundraise for the char-ity which is celebrating 20 years in Ireland this year.The partnership was announced at the All-

Ireland camogie championship final last week in Croke Park. Susan O’Dwyer, Make-A-Wish Ireland said: “We look forward to working with the association and developing exciting fund-raising events and activities which will help us to continue to grant wishes for children living with life-threatening medical conditions.”For more information log onto www.

makeawish.ie and www.camogie.ie.

DublinGazetteNewspapers


Sylvester’s into AFL1 semi for fifth year

GazetteSportSportFastSport


MALAHIDE United’s Sunday Seniors seemed to have found their feet in their new league after last year’s promotion, but manager Vinnie Perth still believes that the side can be a lot better after they work on some things on the training ground.

“This is definitely a better squad than we had last year,” said the League of Ireland vet-eran.

“We just haven’t been able to turn them into a better team than we had last year, we’ve been inconsistent but we have

the potential to turn it around.

“It’s been a busy few weeks where we’ve been playing two games a week so we haven’t able to spend a lot of time on the training ground, but next week we’re back to one game a week, so we hope to improve.”

Last week, Malahide put in a performance that Perth claimed was their “most complete” of the season to date as they saw off Bangor Celtic 4-1 away from home. Mark Higgins opened up the scoring early on in the first half before Alan Corcoran put in a second at the

beginning of the follow-ing 45.

Dominant

Celtic got what turned out to be a consolation just after Corcoran’s goal via a penalty, but the Malahide men ral-lied again and goals from Mark Cashen and Gareth Logan rounded off a dominant display.

Last Thursday, Mala-hide added to that vic-tory when they faced off against Arklow Town, this time at Gannon Park.

Perth was disappoint-ed with conceding two goals on the day, but the four goals they scored

bode well for future ties, with Glen Crowe, Alan Corcoran and Barry Slattery bagging a brace making the difference on the day.

Despite being new to the league, Perth believes his side can and will do better after their opening seven fixtures.

Adamant that he has not set a real target for the team as far as the league is concerned, he does have a general idea of where he would like to finish and he believes a few drills on the training ground could make all the difference to his side as they advance through their campaign.

“It’s very hard to give a team a target for a league when they are playing their first season amongst new competition, but, to be honest, I won’t be happy if we finish outside of the top six.

“We need to use our time on the training ground over the next few weeks, just go over some basic things from top to bottom. We’ve got a lot of new faces in the team who might not be used to some of things that we do on the pitch.

“We have about eight new lads and once we’re all used to the way we operate, the results will come,” said Perth.

Training key for UnitedAlan Corcoran, centre, netted twice in as many games in the last week as Malahide United picked up a pair of LSL victories

SOCCER: PERTH’S MALAHIDE PICK UP PAIR OF LSL WINS

Pride of Malahide: Syl’s and rugby club box off at WrightsMALAHIDE RFC took on village neigh-bours St Sylvester’s GAA at the Wright Venue last Saturday evening with local pride on the line in an innovative fund-raiser.Thirty club members boxed off in three

round contests in front of a packed house in order to lay claim to bragging rights around the village. All were given six weeks full training before taking on the challenge with all funds raised going to support the respective clubs.

ST SYLVESTER’S dug deep to reach the AFL1 playoffs for the fifth successive year as they dug deep last Saturday to record a hard earned one-point win over Ballyboden St Enda’s before a large attendance in Broomfield.

The 2-10 to 3-6 win qualifies Syl’s flagship team for the semi-finals as current senior manag-er Gabriel Bannigan makes it a fourth run to the latter stages, following on the work of predeces-sors John Sexton and David Ryan, keeping their fantastic level of consistency.

Having won the Div 1 title in 2010 for the first time, Syl’s are looking forward to again contest-ing the AFL1 semi final later in 2012.

Ballymun Kickhams await in that semi, the same opposition they meet on Saturday next as the pair do battle in the Vincent de Paul cup final at 5.15pm, again in Broomfield. After that, Syl’s move on to Parnell Park on October 6 to take on St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh in the fourth round of the senior football championship.

The Ballyboden win was a case of mission accomplished as Syl’s should have won by more but poor option-taking up front and some defen-sive lapses meant it was a battle to the end.

Those battling qualities are one of a number of positives management will take from the match as young Eoghan Boyne, Gavin McArdle, John Coughlan and Eoin Fanning all got starts.

Darren Clarke and Aidan Relihan both got valuable game time under their belts while Ross Hazley had a superb game in midfield on Dubs star Michael Darragh Macauley and young Alan Foy again had immediate impact from the bench.

Fanning marked his return with a well-taken goal to get Syls going, Miceal McCarthy scored 0-3, Nigel Dunne and Conor Daly added points.

Boden replied with a goal right on half-time to leave Syl’s 1-5 to 1-3 in front at half-time.

McCarthy set up Mark Brennan for an excel-lent goal on the restart but Syl’s could only add one point in the next 15 minutes - a peach from Brennan, while Boden struck for 2-2.

It left Syl’s two points adrift but they domi-nated the last quarter with another gem from Brennan, one from Brian Sexton, and superbly struck frees from Alan Foy and Clarke saw them over the line.


CLUB NOTICEBOARD

ST FINIAN’SOUR adult hurling team had a great

win on Saturday night over Fingal-

lians, putting in a really strong sec-

ond half performance to win the local

derby by four points.

The result keeps the lads in the hunt

for top spot in the league. The last

league match takes place next Sat-

urday at 5.15pm in Ridgewood, please

come out to support the team.

Our Under-15 footballers had a

great championship quarter-final

win, by the narrowest of margins, on

Sunday morning.

We had a great turnout for the mini

All-Ireland league during the week

with Tipperary taking the title on

Friday night. Many thanks to all the

team mentors and players.

Congratulations go to the Dublin

minors and Donegal seniors after

winning their All-Ireland champion-

ships.

The club extends deepest sym-

pathies to Niamh and Aoife Higgins

and all their family on the loss of

their mother Sindy. May she rest in

peace.

We also extend sympathies to the

O’Neill family for their recent loss.

Particular credit must be given to

Brian O’Neill who played an out-

standing match for the adult hurl-

ers on Saturday evening, having had

his grandfather’s funeral earlier the

same day.

FINGALLIANSDUBLIN 0-14 MEATH 1-5: The famine

is over. Well done to the young Dubs

in claiming the Tom Markham Cup as

All-Ireland minor football champions

in Croke Park on Sunday for the first

time since 1984 and also to the Donegal

footballers on their senior success.

There will be a celebration party to

honour Catherine Walsh’s two-medal

haul at the Paralympic Games last

month. The club will open its doors to

everyone in Fingal next Saturday night

from 8pm (September 29). The club will

mark the occasion with a presentation

at 8.30pm sharp. Catherine will have

the medals for all to see with plenty

of photo opportunities. On Saturday

morning, she will make an appearance

at the nursery at 11.30am.

The quarter-final of the intermedi-

ate football championship will be held

on Wednesday, October 3 in Newcastle

at 7.30pm - Fingallians v Good Council.

After a big win against Naomh Bar-

rog, our U-15A footballers are now

safely into the championship semi-

final. Our U-12 girls likewise are also

through to their championship semi-

final (details to follow on both semi

dates).

The All Ireland 7’s competition for

senior ladies will now take place in

Portmarnock on October 7. In prepa-

ration, the ladies will play a friendly

this Tuesday against St Sylvester’s.

Congratulations to the U-12 girls who

represented the Dubs on Saturday in a

Leinster Blitz in Carlow: Laura Demp-

sey, Hannah Cronin, Labhaoise Brady

and Niamh McKittrick. They were man-

aged by the club’s Fintan Keeling.

Poker is back next Friday (the last

Friday of every month) in the club bar

from 8.30pm. Texas hold’em at a cost

of €10 per player.

White Collar Boxing Fundraiser-

Fingallians v Naomh Barrog - Wright

Venue, Saturday, November 3. The

Battle of Fingal sees Fingallians’ box-

ers against Naomh Barrog over three

rounds in what promises to be an

amazing night’s entertainment. Tick-

ets priced at €20 and €30 (premium)

are available from all the boxers.

HURLING: MALAHIDE CLUB CLAIM IHC TITLE

St Sylvester’s celebrate their intermediate hurling championship success in Parnell Park last Saturday

Super Syl’s stunt Tower’s fightback

DUBLIN intermediate hurling cham-

pions 2012: it was a four point vic-

tory at the end of a pulsating match

that released a dam burst of relief

and absolute joy.

Tommy wove his magic and the

players did the business on a great

day, especially for the experienced

stalwarts.

Stephen Cunningham performed

brill iantly for the Dublin minor

football team in their victory over

Meath in the All-Ireland Final. Con-

gratulations to Stephen and Conor

Ryan who are now proud owners of

All-Ireland winning medals.

The senior football team defeat-

ed Ballyboden by a single point to

qualify for the league playoffs.

They play the Vincent De Paul Cup

final next week and championship

against St Oliver Plunkett’s on

October 7.

The junior 9 football team won,

scoring 3-11 to 0-8 for Realt Dearg

in the league. The junior 7 team play

the Parson Cup final against Robert

Emmett’s next Sunday, September

30.

The ladies minor football team

put up a very impressive score in

defeating Raheny and getting to the

championship final.

Well done to all our brave boxers

who came away with the spoils in

the white collar boxing fundraiser

and raised much needed funds for

the club. It was a very busy week.

ST SYLVESTER’S

IHC FINALSt Sylvester’s 2-10

Round Tower 1-11

� STEPHEN FINDLATER

[email protected]

ST SYLVESTER’S rode a second half Round Tower storm to claim their first ever Dublin intermediate hurling championship in Parnell Park last Saturday, leaving the Clondalkin club frustrated at the final hurdle for the second time in four years.

Substitute Gareth McGrath’s scrappy goal six minutes from time ulti-mately proved the differ-ence, ending an incredible fightback that saw Syl’s almost scupper an eight-point half-time lead.

That was built on Mar-tin Ormonde’s unerring accuracy from the placed ball as he clipped over six frees from six attempts from his personal tally of eight points. Daire O’Flaherty’s fortuitous goal in the 19th minute, his lengthy free deceiving Brian McLaughlin to slip into the net, further bol-

stered that advantage as Tower’s failed to gain any sort of momentum.

The Malahide side’s defence was feverish with Ian McCafferty putting in a string of strong blocks while the ageless Hilary Murray-Hession – 20 years since making his adult debut – picked off a string of dropping balls with effortless compo-sure.

Alex Darbey did clip over a stunning point in response, plucking from the air with a giant leap before clearing the bar from all of 65 yards, but it was not enough to gal-vanise the Hoops before the break as they trailed 1-7 to 0-2.

Russell Cleere was cleaning up plenty of possession around mid-field along with Andrew Richardson and it neces-sitated a string of changes from Tower’s to gain a foothold.

They did this by mov-ing Dublin minor Gary Quinlivan into the half-forwards while the tow-

ering Fergal McDonagh became a huge presence around the break. Eric Finn and Eoghan Young found their range with a couple of frees to start the comeback before Eoin Ryan’s brilliant individual goal reeled the gap in to just four points.

He barrelled through three defenders before, using just his out-stretched right hand, clip-ping into the goal. It was a contentious effort in that the referee appeared to blow for a penalty as the ball crossed but the effort stood.

Tower’s duly added four successive points in just three minutes to tie the game up at 1-9 each

with a full 14 minutes to go as Jack Whelan was getting free run of the centre channel by virtue of McDonagh’s catches and he put his side in front soon after.

The momentum looked all one way but Syl’s sum-moned a long ball into the square and it was not dealt with after three swishes, allowing McGrath the chance to wriggle free and sweep in the vital major.

Ormonde added two insurance points and while Tower’s nabbed another point they were unable to respond, hand-ing Sylvester’s their first intermediate crown in just their second year at this level.

Ga

zetteSPORT


THE masterful midfield duo of St Sylvester’s Stephen Cunningham and Naomh Mearnog’s Shane Carthy, along with Syl’s Conor Ryan, became All Ireland champions last Sunday, claiming Dublin’s first minor football champi-onship since 1984.

In a dramatic showdown at Croke Park on Sunday, the minors faced their fiercest inter-county rivals, Meath, who they had already beaten in the final of the Leinster championship, by a whopping twelve point deficit.

However, the All-Ireland final proved to be a tighter affair, with a penalty giving Meath an edge before Dublin tagged on more points to break the spirit of the Royals, who couldn’t match the Boys in Blue in the scoring charts, eventually winning the final 0-14 to 1-5.

Carthy was in immense form on the day and his free kick technique was admired by the mass-es as he put two over to help his side to Tom Markham glory. He put another one over from

open play and his tally of 0-13 from the champi-onship has been a big help in the side’s journey.

Stephen Cunningham operated in a more defensive position than his Sylvester’s partner, but he was just as important breaking down opposition play and distributing diligently to the forward lines throughout the championship campaign.

It added to what is becoming an amazing 2012 for St Sylvester’s as their hurlers claimed sen-ior status for the first time, adding the Dublin championship title to their list of plaudits with a 2-10 to 1-11 win over Round Tower, Clondalkin in Parnell Park last Saturday.

At the helm was former Dublin boss Tommy Naughton and he told GazetteSport it was no more than the club deserved as they carried the momentum through from their Leinster junior title win of two years ago.

He said of the win: “The lads deserved it con-sidering the effort they put in. They’ve really been fantastic. They kept going and showed unbelievable courage and will to win.

“The club can certainly support a senior team with all the underage players coming through and the support they have here. It’s fantastic.

“I’m not surprised they have moved up so quickly. It would be different if they didn’t have the hurlers but they are up there because they have them and they’ll stay up there [in senior] because of that and the young lads coming up.”

The title was won ahead of a Tower’s side managed by one of Naughton’s former Dublin players – Emmett Carroll – in his first year of management.

He paid tribute to what he has achieved: “Emmett’s done a fantastic job and it’s now up to both clubs to make what they can of it. The whole thing now is to get out of division three of the league but that’s another day’s work. We’re up playing senior now and that’s where we want to be.”

It is another piece of silverware for the club following the ladies’ IFC success while the sen-ior footballers are still in the mix for AFL1 and senior championship glory.

Local trio claim Local trio claim All-Ireland titleAll-Ireland titleAnother amazing week for St Sylvester’s as Conor Ryan and Stephen

Cunningham claim All-Ireland titles and their hurlers also triumphed

St Sylvester’s Stephen Cunningham celebrates with the Tom Markham Cup last Sunday in Croke Park; Conor Ryan and Cunningham, right

ALL OF YOUR MALAHIDE SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 27-31 SEPTEMBER 27, 2012

TRAINING DAY: Malahide United LSL

boss lauds benefits of team sessions P30

LIFFEY DESCENT:Famous race earns world recognition P28

Malahide

Documents

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