Clondalkin

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

DUBLIN LIFE ...................11

OUT&ABOUT ..................17

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

SPORT ...........................27

Month XX, 2012

SOCIETy: Cllr Gino Kenny moves to give young people a voice with assembly P3

Minister’s praise: Volunteering support for girlsTHE Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald (FG) was happy to wish Danielle McDade and Nadine Brazil well ahead of their upcoming trip to South Africa, in order to carry out volunteering work. The local politician praised the girls, who are involved in a number of local projects, and wished them well with their fundraising for their trip. Both girls are taking part in an on-the-spot cyclethon outside the Woollen Mills, Ormond Quay this Saturday, May 18.

Bonner vows to cut property tax by 15%

paul Hosford

A LOCAL councillor has said that she will push South Dublin County Council to cut the local property tax by 15% in 2015.

Under Property Tax law,

each local authority will have the power to vary the tax in their area by plus or minus 15% from the begin-ning of 2015.

Councillor Breeda Bon-ner (Lab) has this week publicly declared that she

will put pressure on the council to take advantage of that legislation, if re-elected next year.

She said: “I will be push-ing for the rate to be reduced by the full 15% from 2015.

“Many families in the

area are struggling to get by and pay for the basics, and I think it is only right that they be given as much relief as possible, as soon as pos-sible.”

full story on page 4

Labour councillor promises to push council to lower tax in 2015, if re-elected

May 16, 2013 Find us on

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INSIDE: thousands of walkers help turn Darkness Into Light at the

Phoenix Park for Pieta House P8-9

Football: Round Tower lose out to All-Ireland finalistspage 31

Soccer: St Francis set for national double bidpage 32

2 CLONDALKIN GAZETTE 16 May 2013

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INQUIRY No apology offered to Gazette

Deputy Derek Keating (FG) has said he is investigating his parliamentary aide, Tommy Morris’s

(inset) connection to the disappearance of thousands of Gazettes in the Lucan area

Keating remains silent as aide drops poll bidFINE Gael has con-firmed that Tommy Mor-ris, aide to Dublin Mid West TD Derek Keating, will not stand for election in 2014.

Morris, who last week was shown on CCTV removing hundreds of copies of the Lucan Gazette from stores around Lucan, informed Fine Gael headquar-ters of his decision not to stand. Reports in the national media last week stated his decision not to stand was on medical grounds.

The move comes just two weeks after Mor-ris was elected as a Fine Gael area representative at the Ballyfermot branch AGM. Morris is a Bally-fermot native and had planned to represent the party in the local elec-tions in 12 months time.

Morris ran for elec-tion to Dublin County Council in 1985 as a Fine Gael candidate, but was defeated by, amongst others, the deceased and controversial Fianna Fail TD and minister Liam Lawlor.

A Fine Gael spokesper-son said that Morris had made them aware of his decision, but could not confirm a reason.

Morris was caught on CCTV in numerous out-lets across Lucan remov-ing copies of the paper, which carried a front page story in which a

local school principal was critical of his employer, Fine Gael Deputy Derek Keating.

Deputy Keating told The Gazette that he would investigate the incident, but has not com-mented to The Gazette or offered an apology, following a number of attempts by our paper to contact him.

The principal at the centre of that story, Tomas O’Dulaing of Griffeen Valley Educate Together National School, said that he did not wish to add to the story, saying that it “spoke for itself”.

Mr O’Dulaing had sent out an open letter criticis-ing Deputy Keating for claiming to have “initi-ated and led” a campaign to secure an extension at the school.

The Fine Gael TD was

offered a right of reply on the same issue, but asked The Gazette to print a 1,500 word response. Deputy Keating told the paper that the letter must be unedited or not used at all. The Gazette will not allow such terms to be dictated to it.

Morris was subse-quently seen on camera on both Thursday, May 2 and Friday, May 3 remov-ing the papers.

Initially claiming it was an isolated incident and a “rush of blood to the head”, Morris has not commented on the pic-tures which showed that the incidents took place on separate days.

Local Sinn Fein repre-sentative Eoin O’Broin criticised both Mr Morris and Deputy Keating this week.

“The actions of Derek

Keating’s political advi-sor Tommy Morris were not only wrong, but they have put the jobs of those working in the Lucan Gazette at risk. The newspaper relies on commercial advertising for its revenue.

“If, as it has been claimed, Tommy Morris took up to 3,000 papers, then that could have a negative impact on future advertising revenues.

“It is not enough for Deputy Keating to dis-tance himself from the actions of his aide or to discipline Mr Morris for his outrageous behaviour. He must act to rectify the problems caused by his employee.”

The Garda investiga-tion into the removal of thousands of papers from stores in the Lucan area is ongoing.

PAUL [email protected]

16 May 2013 CLONDALKIN GAzette 3

politics Effects of austerity to be meeting focus

Assembly set to give young people a voice pAuL hOsfOrD

PEOPLE Before Profit councillor Gino Kenny is set to host a young people’s assembly in Clondalkin next week.

Cllr Kenny says that the assembly is designed to demonstrate “the effects of austerity and what impact it is having on young people’s lives”.

The event will take place on Wednesday, May 22, in the newly-re-furbished Rowlagh Com-munity Centre.

Speaking about the

upcoming event, Cllr Kenny said that he hoped to bring together youths from the area to discuss the impact of recession on their lives.

He said: “The idea of a young people’s assembly is to bring young people together from the locality to see the effects of aus-terity.

“Young people under the age of 25 have been badly hit by the eco-nomic recession. Youth unemployment and emi-gration have seen record levels over the past five

years.“This assembly hopes

to address some of the issues that young people have to deal with in Ire-land today.

“The assembly will be addressed by young people from the area on issues that matter to them and the issues that affect the community as a whole,” said Cllr Kenny.

A guest speaker at the assembly will be Berna-dette Devlin McAliskey, who was the youngest female MP to be elected to the British parliament

Cllr Gino Kenny (pBp) organised the young people’s assembly, which will also be

addressed by Bernadette Devlin McAliskey

back in 1969 at the age of 21.

McAliskey was at the forefront of the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She is currently a community activist in Tyrone.

Cllr Kenny said that having McAliskey there will act as an inspiration

to the young people of Clondalkin.

He said: “Having Ber-nadette Devlin Mc Alis-key to speak is a great inspiration to all young people in Ireland. Ber-nadette has been to the forefront of social justice and youth empowerment for the past 45 years.”

Vanessa O’Sullivan,

who will be speaking at the assembly, said: “As a young person who is growing up in Neilstown, I can see what austerity is doing to young people of my age.

“Young people need a voice and a place to air their views and [to speak on] what austerity is doing to them.”

Students’ success in SpanishA TEAM of students from The King’s Hospital have won an unusual national competition.

The team of Rachel O’Neill, captain Ross Murphy, Georgy Mamu-lashvili and Beata Carroll came first in an All-Ire-land schools’ Spanish-language debating com-petition.

CompetitionThe Association of

Teachers of Spanish (ATS) Secondary Schools Debating Cup competi-tion is run by the ATS in Ireland, and runs through-out the school year.

The team from The King’s Hospital beat Castleknock College in the final, proposing the motion that “An Garda Siochana should be armed”.

schools

4 CLONDALKIN GAzette 16 May 2013

pAuL hOsfOrD

A LOCAL councillor has said that she will push South Dublin County Council (SDCC) to cut the local property tax by 15% in 2015.

Under the Property Tax law, each county council has the power to vary the tax in their area by plus or minus 15% from the beginning of 2015, and Labour councillor Breda Bonner has publicly declared that she will put pressure on the council

Sculptor shocked at damageTHE Clondalkin sculptor of the iconic statue of Phil Lynott by Grafton Street has said that he was “shocked” that someone would damage it.

Paul Daly sculpted the Harry Street statue of the Thin Lizzy frontman, which was damaged last weekend.

DamageHe said that finding

out that it had been dam-aged was “like hearing a good friend had died”, and added: “I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like the Phil statue, so I can’t understand why anyone would want to damage it.”

Gardai arrested and then released two men without charge. A file has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

phil attacK property charge Fg councillor prepares for 2015

On councils’ power to vary the property tax from 2015, Cllr Breda Bonner (fG) said:

“I will be pushing for the [property tax] rate to be reduced by 15% from 2015”

Bonner vows to push for 15% tax cut

to take advantage of that legislation.

With the local elec-tions still a year away, Cllr Bonner this week told The Gazette that, should she be re-elected, she will ask the council to cut the tax.

Cllr Bonner is deter-mined that “hard-pressed homeowners in [South Dublin] be given relief with a maximum reduc-tion in the property tax”.

She said that although the tax is now a reality, more must be done to protect families who are struggling to pay.

“Nobody likes this tax, but after Fianna Fail signed us up to it in 2010, there was simply no get-ting out of it.

“I am glad that the Government is giving councils the power to vary the property tax rate by 15% from 2015, and I will be pushing for the rate to be reduced by the full 15% from 2015.

“Many families in the area are struggling to get by and pay for the basics, and I think it is only right that they be given as much relief as possible as soon as possible.”

Cllr Bonner said that SDCC could absorb the reduction come 2015 and still remain in the black. A cut of 15% would see the council take in at least €5 million less in the year.

The tax is due to come into effect on July 1, with 80% of the funds raised ring-fenced for local services.

Cllr Bonner said: “80% of the Property Tax will be going straight to the county council, with no middleman.

“From my understand-

ing, the council will be well able to absorb a 15% cut in the tax with-out hitting services, and would most likely still increase its revenue.

“If the council can take a 15% cut and still be in the black, then we should go all out and reduce the Property Tax by 15%.”

Cllr Bonner said that the council should act immediately, when it has the power to do so.

Fine Gael councillor for Lucan, Emer Higgins, said that if the council

could afford to take the cut while protecting serv-ices, it should be done.

She said: “At the moment, the tax is in its early stages, and we need to gather as much information as possible on compliance rates and how the money is being spent.

“If there is any way that we can lower the tax while protecting services, then we should absolute-ly look at that, because I know that there are fami-lies who are struggling to pay the tax.”

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‘Many families in the area are struggling to get by and pay for the basics, and I think it is only right that they be given as much relief as possible as soon as possible’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -cllr Breda Bonner, Fg- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

S e r v I n g 8 t h r I v I n g c o M M u n I t I e S o f S u b u r b a n D u b l I n .f o r u P t o D a t e n e W S f o l l o W u S :@ D u b l I n g a z e t t e


pAuL hOsfOrD

THE workers of Citywest are set take to the roadways of the industrial estate on Friday, May 17, in aid of Barretstown.

Barretstown, the children’s charity, has announced the launch of the second annual Citywest Fun Walk, which takes place this Friday at 1pm, starting at Brown’s Barn.

The charity is hoping to increase the number of par-ticipants this year and needs the help of the public, and are encouraging all staff that work in Citywest and beyond to get out and walk, run or jog the route in aid of the charity.

Stephen Campbell, City-west campus manager, is very excited about the upcoming fundraising event.

He said: “We are delighted to support this Citywest Cam-pus Fun Walk in aid of Bar-retstown. We are looking for-ward to seeing a large amount of the campus community out on the day enjoying a walk around the landscaped areas of Citywest.”

The route will begin at Brown’s Barn before heading over the N7 bridge, through

the campus and along the Luas line, back up the main road before finishing back at Brown’s Barn.

registerTo register to take part

in the walk, see www.city-westfunwalk.org. There is an online €15 registration fee, and all proceeds will go to Barretstown.

Registration commences on the day from 12.30pm, with Radio Nova’s Street Team there to provide entertain-ment and provide fun givea-ways on the day.

Bootcamp Ireland will also be there, providing the warm-up, with McCabe’s Pharmacy giving out rehydrating samples to help participants recover from their exertions.

All participants will get a free t-shirt and a goodie bag on the day.

Barretstown is a Kildare-based camp uniquely designed for children who have been affected by a serious illness – primarily cancer – and their families. It works to assist in the cancer recovery process through activity-based ther-apy.

Citywest workers to step out for Barretstowncharity Second annual campus walk to help support sick children, families

Local family to appear in RTE showA CLONDALKIN fam-ily is to feature on a new RTE show, set to air this Monday, May 20 at 7.30pm.

The Family Project is a six-part series that follows families from around Ire-land working together to overcome educational issues that affect their lives.

In episode one, we meet Wes Doyle and Linda Farrell, parents of five children from Clondalkin.

Good exampleWes (36) left school

after finishing his Inter Cert and, lately, has been thinking about returning to education to improve his career prospects and set a good example for his children.

We s i s p a r t o f Clondalkin Equine Club – an organisation set up to manage the welfare of local horses.

He said: “My passion in life is animals, especially horses, so I’d really like to work around horses.”

In the first episode, Wes and his family are supported by champion flat-race jockey Johnny Murtagh.

Johnny, himself a father of five, left school before his Inter Cert and, over the years, has had to deal with his own difficulties with reading and writ-ing.

televiSion

S e r v i n g 8 t h r i v i n g c o m m u n i t i e S o f S u b u r b a n D u b l i n .f o r u P t o D a t e n e W S v i S i t : W W W . f a c e b o o k . c o m /D u b l i n g a z e t t e n e W S P a P e r S


Campaign: Paws for thought ...GRAINNe Seoige joined Bernard Dunne and a furry friend to help start the sixth annual Pedigree Adoption Drive recently. The television presenter and Clondalkin sports-man were happy to help highlight the campaign, which seeks to sup-port dog shelters and charities across the city, with a steady stream of abandoned dogs putting increasing pressure on their services. For further information, see the page at www.facebook.com/PedigreeIreland.

Community Family entertainment to enjoy

STEWART’S Hospital will host an open day on Sunday, May 26.

The day will run from 1 to 6pm and will feature stalls, a wheel of fortune and lots of fun and family entertainment.

The hospital, based in Palmerstown and Balgad-

dy, offers specialist care for people with disabili-ties, and currently helps more than 300 residents and 600 clients through residential and home-care programmes.

Nationwide, Stewart’s offers specialist services, often dealing with pro-

foundly disabled people with whom other services cannot easily cope.

Stewart’s school for pupils with moderate, severe and profound intellectual disabilities was established in 1962, and is part of the range of services at Stewart’s Care,

aimed at providing a life-long service to its clients.

The hospital is also looking for old items to be sold on the day. Anyone with items is requested to bring them to reception, noting that no old clothes, electrical items or furni-ture can be accepted.

Stewart’s open day promises fun for all

A pre-dawn walk to help charity shine LAuRA webb

WAKING up at 2.30am to go for a run was never something I ever thought I would do, but last week-end I joined thousands of others in the black of Saturday night to raise money and awareness for Pieta House.

Darkness Into Light is an annual event run by the Lucan-based charity, which raises awareness about suicide and sym-bolises hope and new beginnings.

An estimated 30,000 people took part in the event across 20 loca-tions across the country – twice as many partici-pants as last year.

Making my way with my friends – Marie Lundy and Nicole Elli-son – we soon arrived at our destination.

The first thing we saw was a sea of yellow in the car-park as people picked up their sun-col-oured t-shirts to wear as they walked, jogged or ran the 5km route.

Men, women, children and even dogs huddled together at 4am, waiting for their cue to go.

Before the whistle blew, Joan Freeman, chief executive of Pieta House, thanked every-one for coming out to support the charity, and said she was amazed to see just how many peo-

ple turned up.Birds began to sing and

the rain held off, making it the perfect environ-ment for the event.

The darkness started to fade and light from the rising sun began to fill the Phoenix Park as we made the last kilo-metre up past St Mary’s Hospital.

We made it to the end, where people had lined up to cheer on remain-ing participants. By this time, the darkness had faded and light filled the papal cross car-park.

Last year, the charity was contacted by 2,726 clients – a 42% increase in the number of people seeking their help for sui-

cidal ideation and self-harming behaviour.

With annual run-ning cost of €2.5 mil-lion, and, with 80% of its income coming from public donations, the success of fundraisers such as the Darkness Into Light event is essen-tial to ensure that Pieta House’s professional counselling service can continue to be available free of charge to those in crisis.

It was an event I will certainly never forget, and I hope to support it again next year.

For further informa-tion, see www.pieta.ie.

See Gallery on Pages 8-9

FundrAiser: suPPorting PietA house’s work


Red Cow to host a boxing nightCLONDALKIN RFC and Round Towers GAA Club are set to host, The Row in the Cow – a white-collar boxing night this Saturday, May 18 at the Red Cow Moran Hotel.

Doors open at 7pm, and tickets cost €20.

For tickets or for further information, see www.roundtower.ie, or www.clondalkinrugby.com.

Diosco na nOg at Aras ChronainARAS Chronain Ionad Cultuir is set to host Dio-sco na nOg this Friday, May 17.

The disco is open to fourth-, fifth- and sixth-class pupils, aged from 10 to 12-years-old, and will take place from 8pm to 9.30pm, with entry priced at €5.

For further informa-tion, see www.araschro-nain.ie.

Jigsaw initiative seeks to piece together a forumJIGSAW, a locally based mental health charity, is planning to set up a forum for young people in Clondalkin in the coming months.

To prepare for this, they are running infor-mation sessions on the forum in Tallaght and Clondalkin in June, and are asking interested parties to call Debbie Scales, Jigsaw project manager, directly at 01 538 0087.

Alternatively, for further information, you can contact Derek McDonnell, the forum facilitator, at 087 660 0872.

All Forum members will be provided with training, so no previous experience is necessary.

To access more infor-mation about Jigsaw and its work, see the site at www.jigsaw.ie.

FastNews

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Judge Mary ellen Ring say that a planned attack

on any person involving a weapon was at the upper end of the scale of assaults

Two jailed for attack on man lured to flatTWO men who attacked a man, leaving him with severe tendon damage to his wrist, have been jailed.

The victim, Luke O’Toole (25), was lured to an apartment in Cherry Orchard after he was told by Robert Ellis (22) via text messages and phone calls that his ex-girlfriend – Ellis’s sister – wanted to meet him there.

When Mr O’Toole arrived, he was met in the car park by Ellis, and the two walked up a narrow stairwell to the apartment. There was no answer to their knocks on the door, and the two men went back downstairs.

Garda Cathal Mid-dleton told Tara Burns BL, prosecuting, that when Mr O’Toole was two steps from the bot-tom, he was attacked by Shane Geoghan (22) and Lee McDonnell (21), who had been crouching by the stairwell.

Mr O’Toole was then taken to the car park, but he managed to escape and was found a short

time later by Gda Mid-dleton. He said the victim was bleeding very heavily from his right wrist.

The men were later arrested following a state-ment from one woman who identified each of them. Forensic evidence concluded that the vic-tim’s blood was on all of their clothing.

Gda Middleton agreed with Caroline Biggs SC, defending Geoghan, that Mr O’Toole had brought a weapon to the apart-ments.

Pleaded guiltyEllis, of Ballyfermot

Parade, Ballyfermot; Geoghan, of Rowlagh Crescent, Clondalkin; and McDonnell of Lough Conn Road, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal to assault causing harm at Cedar-brook Avenue, Cherry Orchard on July 27, 2011.

They each pleaded guilty on the morning of their trial, having previ-ously denied any involve-ment in the assault during Garda interviews.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring imposed a prison sen-tence of three and a half years imprisonment on McDonnell, and one of four years on Eilis. She suspended the last 18 months on both terms.

She adjourned the sen-tencing of Geoghan until October.

McDonnell has 83 previous convictions, which include dangerous driving, endangerment, assault and possession of knives.

Ellis has 31 previous convictions, including one for assault. In 2009, he received a sentence of seven years, with four sus-pended, for distribution of drugs.

Geoghan had 43 previ-ous convictions, including public order and drugs.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring said that the victim was invited to the flat to be assaulted, and that he was set on when he got there.

She said that a planned attack on any person involving a weapon was at the upper end of the scale of assaults.

courTs: clondalkin man seT To be senTenced laTer for his role


Sharing a poignant yet uplifting eventONCE again, the annual Pieta House fundraising Darkness Into Light walk at the Phoenix

Park saw thousands step up to support the Lucan-based suicide and self-harm charity with its work, with an estimated 30,000 people taking part in pre-dawn walks at many points

around the country. People of all ages walked or ran a 5km route to help shine a light on the darkness of suicide, with the key message of hope, and the celebration of life, shining through. With many walkers marking the death of a loved one through suicide, Darkness Into Life was a poignant and thoughtful event for many, yet its upbeat message of hope, support and awareness inspired everyone, too, as the new day dawned.

charity: thOusands walk at darkness intO light

Leigh, Grace and Matthew Coughlin helped bring a light torch to the pre-dawn event

tara Monaghan gives Lucy a closer view at the lights Volunteers provided plenty of information on the day

Lauren tuite and Chantelle O’Neille, walking in memory

of James tuite, who was 20 years old when he died

Spelling out a message of hope and remembrance

Brid Ni Laoire helps check the message of hope is clear. Pictures: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

thousands of participants at the Phoenix Park braved the chilly May weather

gazettegaLLeRIeS


Brid Ni Laoire helps check the message of hope is clear. Pictures: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

thousands of participants at the Phoenix Park braved the chilly May weather

Have you seen yourself in the Gazette? Buy photos online from only €6.99 at www.gazettephotos.com


Have you seen yourself in the Gazette? Buy photos online from only €6.99 at www.gazettephotos.comGazetteGaLLeRY

MANY people flocked to Temple Bar last Sunday, May 5, to join in the celebrations of Latvia Cul-ture Day in Ireland.

There was lively entertainment on the streets of Temple Bar and the outdoor stage on East Essex Street

by 170 folk dancers and choirs, as well as a market, a parade and face painting on the day from 12.30pm to 4pm.

Many of the festival participants also dressed up in traditional Latvian outfits.

A taste of LatviaMany traditional Latvian dancers took to the streets of Dublin to celebrate

Latvian Culture Day. Pictures: Leon Farrell

Anna Cibulska and Laura ziemele

Mareks Freidergs and Beatrise Leikuca

elizabeth Barkus

16 May 2013 Gazette 11

dublinlifelet dublin Gazette newspapers take you on a tour of the news and events taking place across the city and county this week, as well as the latest from our schools

Pedalling: national bike week to take Place

Wheel-good events set to cycle across the countryDUST down that sad-dle and get pedalling for National Bike Week this June.

National Bike Week takes place from Satur-day to Sunday, June 15 to 23. The week will see cycling events organised by local authorities, com-munity groups, charities and cycling groups to cel-ebrate the two-wheeled sport. Events include free bike checks, fun cycles, lunchtime city rides, her-

itage cycles, electric bike races, school cycling events, road races and many, many more.

This is Ireland’s larg-est annual promotion of cycling. It began in 2009 and is coordinated by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

It has been revealed that over half our car journeys are less than five miles so if, like many, traffic is your pet hate, try swapping it for the bike to save time

and money. Earlier this week,

Dun Laoghaire Rath-down County Council announced details of its Fun Family 6km Cycle for National Bike Week 2013, taking place in Deans-grange Linear Park, Kill Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, at 3pm on Sunday, June 16. The event promises relaxing fun for all the family on Father’s Day, including music by DJ Electric Eddie. Pre-reg-

istration is essential with details at www.dlrcoco.ie and www.dlrsportspart-nership.ie

The local council is just one of many councils getting ready to promote cycling as part of bike week.

For further details on National Bike Week such as events or to register an event taking place, log on to www.bikeweek.ie or email: [email protected].

Pupils from Kill O’the Grange National School Katie Bell and Liam McGearailt at

the launch of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council’s Fun Family 6km Cycle for

National Bike Week 2013

fighting litter P15diary P12-13 asdfsdaf P27business P16

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12 Gazette 16 May 2013

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Festival of families to be celebrated at the iveagh GardensBring the whole fam-ily to the beautiful sur-roundings of the iveagh gardens this weekend to celebrate their Family Day, which is becoming more popular every year.

The day-long festival

offers entertainment, fun activities and useful information for all types of families, young and old.

The aim of family day festival is to celebrate all types of family – one-

parent families, step families, the traditional two-parent married family, adoptive and fos-ter families, blended and extended families, those with opposite and same sex parents.

Magic is in the air as Family Day is launched as magician Brian Daly makes balloon animals for (l to r) Holly Smith and Maia

O’Regan in the Iveagh Gardens

The first Family Day in the iveagh gardens was in 2011 and last year it more than doubled in size, attracting over 5,000 people.

Entry and all activities are free of charge. Bring your own picnic or check out the various food ven-dors on site to purchase food or drinks.

Family Day at the iveagh gardens is hap-pening this Sunday, May 19 from 11am until 5pm.

LyOnS tea aRe HeLpInG LOveD OneS aBROaD tO cOMe HOMeLyonS Tea are encour-aging people across Dublin to take part in their new Bring The Talk Home competition, where tea-drinkers can win the chance to bring loved ones home from abroad over the next year.

Launching the cam-paign last week, Lyons Tea unveiled their recent research into the tastes and trends of the irish abroad, revealing that 69% of irish people abroad say they miss enjoying a good auld cup of tea more than having a pint in the local pub.

To take part in the Lyons Tea Bring The Talk Home campaign, con-sumers can simply pick up a special promotional Lyons Tea pack and enter the Bring The Talk Home competition via Lyons’ Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/lyons.ireland) or by post.

Lyons Tea will give eight people a month the chance to fly a friend or

family member home. They will be giving away flights every month for the next year. For more information, see www.lyonstea.ie.

cLIMB ULSteR’S HIGHeSt MOUn-taIn In aID OF cOnceRnrEacH new heights for a good cause by climbing Ulster’s highest moun-tain in aid of concern.

The climb 4 concern campaign is looking for participants to climb 850 metres up Slieve

Donard later this month. The climb was initially planned for last month, but was cancelled due to bad weather.

The rescheduled date is Saturday, May 25 and the climb is open to people of all fitness levels.

registration fee is €25, and climbers are asked to raise €50 for con-cern, the international humanitarian organisa-tion dedicated to tack-ling poverty and suffer-ing in the world’s poorest countries.

if you are interested, contact Tim Hanley at 01 417 8043, or email [email protected].

For more informa-tion, check out www.Showyourconcern.net online or write to, Zoe Holyoak, concern, 52 – 55 Lower camden Street, Dublin 2.

SaIL HOMe tO yOUR ROOtS cOMeS tO DUBLIn DOckSSaiLS will be raised in Dublin this weekend when The gathering


Magic is in the air as Family Day is launched as magician Brian Daly makes balloon animals for (l to r) Holly Smith and Maia

O’Regan in the Iveagh Gardens

event, Sail Home To Your Roots, takes place at the Dublin Docks in the North Wall.

The event will be held from Friday, May 17 to Sunday, May 19.

This is part of a series of voyages on Tall Ships this year, organised by the registered charity Sail Training Ireland.

As many Irish people have emigrated by ships, Sail Training Ireland is sailing some of the Irish diaspora in Liv-erpool across the Irish Sea and back to Ireland

through this project for the weekend.

The fleet arrived in Drogheda on Friday, May 3, and departed on Monday, May 6, and they attracted over 30,000 people. They will visit Dublin, Belfast and Cobh amongst other ports.

There will be plenty of entertainment, gene-alogy and sport taking place while the ships are berthed.

For more information, log on to www.sailing.ie or www.thegatheringire-land.com.

Reward your best teacher NatalIe BuRke

S C Ho oL S a c r o s s Dublin are officially on wind-down before the summer, and what better way to celebrate than thanking your teachers for all their hard work throughout the school year?

Do you think you have the best Maths teacher, or does your history teacher go out of their way to make sure their class is your favourite?

Parents and students

from across Dublin are being asked to nomi-nate their favourite teacher as part of the Best Teacher in Lein-ster aspect of the annu-al one4all Thank You Teacher competition.

In an effort to cel-ebrate the end of the school year, students in schools across Dublin can nominate any one of their teachers who will then be in with a chance of winning the title of Best Teacher in Leinster, along with a €200 one4all gift card.

The one4all Thank You Teacher competi-tion will not only recog-nise and reward teach-ers across Ireland, but the crowned winner will receive a €200 one4all gift card and the nomi-nator – or student who puts the teacher for-ward – will receive a €50 one4all gift card for their own use.

A winning teacher will be chosen from each province in Ireland.

At the launch of the campaign, marketing manager for one4all,

Aoife Davey, said the competition continues to grow on an annual basis.

“our one4all Thank You Teacher competi-tion gets more popular every year. We thought, why not ce lebra te teachers by asking par-ents and students to tell us how amazing they are? We are really look-ing forward to seeing the entries and hearing about the best teachers in Ireland,” she said.

If you think you know a teacher worthy of the

title and wish to nomi-nate them for the prize, simply visit the one4all Facebook page and say within 50 to 100 words why your teacher is the greatest.

The closing date for the Thank You Teacher competition is 12pm on Monday, May 20, 2013. The competition is open to students aged 13 years or older.

For fur ther infor-mation or to put your nomination forward, visit www.facebook.com/one4all

feature

Gazette


dublinlifeGaze

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irish and its importance Dorothy LanDers

Malahide CoMMunity SChool

In my Transition Year English class we were asked to write a plead/opinion regarding subjects being taught in school. Our teacher began asking the students which sub-jects they would change or eradicate completely.

I was shocked that quite a majority of the students in my class thought Irish should not be taught ever or only taught in our Junior Cycle year. One girl said “no one speaks it any-more, what’s the point?” and I felt like shouting “Because it’s what makes Ireland Irish!”

If I were to change any-thing in primary and sec-ondary schools, it would

Learning the Irish language made the list of subjects that some students at

Malahide Community school would change or eradicate completely

be the way we are taught Irish. Many students are introduced to it in a very minimal connection with Irish culture. There is no history regarding tradi-tions or folklore that may only be touched upon in our history classes.

We are taught it in quite a mechanical way in my opinion; read something printed out for us and being told to learn it off by heart. What some don’t realise is that many students are not acknowledging what they are writing but instead just putting words and phrases on paper in some cases. That is loosely what one student in my class admitted.

I was on a history trip once and we visited Trin-ity College and saw the Book of Kells, that alone was a great delight to see because it showed us the ancient western

calligraphy. When in the Gaeltacht, children and teens dramati-cally improve their Irish skills because they are immersed in it where as in classrooms it’s English and Irish.

I would ask the Board of Education to re-organ-ise the teaching of Irish

nationwide so that chil-dren and teens learn their country’s true heritage and not its stereotypical image.

Irish students say drop Irish in school after the Junior Cert, but it breaks my heart to hear this because no proud Irish citizen would reject their

country’s language. Irish is unique and was around as far back as the 4th Cen-tury. It is also considered one of the most ancient languages spoken so I would hope people will understand the impor-tance of learning Irish and keeping it alive for years to come.

schools Got a story?Call our news team on 60 10 240 and seLeCt oPtIon 2 email [email protected]

We have 142,000* readerS in dublineaCh Week

advertiSe your buSineSS to our readerSCall 60 10 240

*based on tGi-roi 2012

r1


Fight goes on to bin gum litter problemThe second year of a three-year programme to put a stop to gum littering was launched last week in Blanchardstown Shop-ping Centre by Mayor of Fingal County Council, Cllr Cian O’Callaghan (Lab).

The Gum Litter Task-force (GLT) campaign has been successful in cleaning up the country of gum littering, reducing its incidence by 28% last year.

In a nationwide survey to gauge attitudes and awareness after the first year of the campaign, there was a significant improvement in public

perception about how gum was disposed of and how unsightly it was on the streets.

The campaign also aims to reduce gum lit-ter by alerting the public to the fact that dropping gum on the ground con-stitutes littering and car-ries a €150 fine.

Speaking at the launch in Blanchardstown, Cllr O’Callaghan said: “It is heartening to see local authorities, industry and the general public work-ing together to make a tangible difference to Fingal’s streets and other towns and cities nation-wide.

“For this year’s launch we will have the GLT eco Cabs and GLT Ad-Tower present to promote the campaign’s messages. We also have Fingal litter war-dens, members of Fingal’s environmental Aware-ness Team and transi-tion-year students from Blakestown Community School handing out gum wraps to visitors to the centre to raise awareness of the campaign.”

At the national launch of this year’s campaign, Minister for the environ-ment Phil hogan said: “Last year, I stated that the only long-term sus-tainable way to deal with

the littering issue is to create a culture where littering of all forms is simply unacceptable. The positive results of the GLT campaign demonstrate that we are making good progress towards that goal.”

The theme of the three-year advertising cam-paign is Bin It Your Way, and the campaign also includes a schools educa-tion programme aimed at first- and second-year post-primary pupils.

This will be delivered in the form of actor-led workshops in schools this autumn, and will provide materials and tools for

the Gum Litter taskforce campaign was launched last week in Blanchardstown

Shopping Centre by Mayor of Fingal County Council, Cllr Cian O’Callaghan (Lab)

teachers to download in the form of lesson plans.

Local authorities will also play a huge part in the campaign by moni-toring gum litter in their areas and assessing its reduction on the streets as a result of the campaign.

GLT chairman Paul Kelly welcomed the sig-nificant increase in the

numbers of local authori-ties getting involved this year.

“Loca l author i ty involvement is absolutely critical to the success of the campaign, so I’m delighted we have reached 30 this year, including both new and returning councils.

“I look forward to

working closely with them to make the cam-paign a success.

“We were delighted with the results of the 2012 GLT campaign as it achieved its main goals of reducing the overall level of gum litter on our streets and promoting a change in the culture and attitude towards gum litter.”

Gazettefeature


dublinlifeGaze

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business

Q&a

From a garden nursery to a style destinationGerry Dooley was born in Ballyma-hon, County Longford, to a farming family where his love for horticulture was developed.

He went on to study horticulture and graduated from the Botanic Gar-dens. His first job was with the Dub-lin County Parks department where he worked for 10 years developing parklands. In 1983, he bought The Orchard and it officially opened in

1987 as a garden nursery business.The Orchard evolved into a Five-

Star Gold home and garden lifestyle destination comprising the garden centre, home interior department, outdoor living, 200-seat cafe and pet department.

This year, The Orchard won the ultimate award Garden Centre of the year 2013 at Bord Bia Quality Awards.

How long have you been in busi-ness?

We have just celebrated our 25th year in business

What makes your business suc-cessful?

The Orchard has evolved from being just a garden centre to what it is now – a home and garden life-style destination. Its unique setting within a five-acre Victorian walled garden and the 220-seat cafe have both contributed to its success. Our well- informed staff and loyal customers continue driving us to success.

What do you offer your clients that differs from your competitors?

We differ through our diversity and uniqueness of product. Buy-ers at The Orchard travel across europe searching for new products, concepts and ideas. recently, we introduced our Journey Man collec-tion, created from recycled wooden elements into new formed furniture pieces.The collection accurately rep-resents our desire for bringing back to The Orchard one-of-a-kind finds.

How has the recession impacted your business?

The recession has definitely affected our business, but not in the way we expected, as our footfall has increased year on year. The reces-sion has focused customers on quality and quality is at the heart of The Orchard.

What have you changed about your business to combat the effects of the recession? ?

We were very conscious of how hard it is for people with less disposable income. The Orchard buying team have worked hard with suppliers and manufacturers to get better prices but not reneged on quality. What a great reaction we have received from our customers! Furthermore we have reduced our overheads and operations to run more effectively and economically. At The Orchard we believe that a happy informed team is crucial, our staff is our biggest asset we are con-stantly training and mentoring them.

How do you use social media (Facebook,twitter,Linkedin,etc) to help your business?

We believe that social media is just as important as any other aspect of the business. We have a very active Facebook, Twitter and Pinter-est pages that all help the business in providing customers with up-to-date and ever-changing material, be it offers, new arrivals or Orchard news

What is your future ambition for the business? ?

At The Orchard, we have a five- year master plan for the site, focusing on maximising its potential. I believe that to drive any business, you need to be fresh while constantly evolv-ing new ideas and concepts. Next month our new website will go live, which will provide online shopping.

gerry dooley, owner oF the orchard KeeLINGS, Ireland’s leading producer and sup-plier of fresh produce, has announced the launch of their Love To Grow gar-den at this years’ Bloom In The Park.

The Swords-based company sponsored land-scape architect and five-time gold medal winner at Bloom, Jane McCorkell to design this year’s entry.

Bloom 2013 will take place in the Phoenix Park Dublin over the June bank holiday.

This is the fourth year that Keelings have spon-sored a garden at Bloom and Jane has begun work-ing closely with the com-pany to ensure the garden design fits into the Love To Grow theme.

Keelings’ “Love To Grow” garden is 10 x 10 metres with a paved path-way running along the perimeter, which provides a convenient walkway to enjoy the space from all angles. Large raised beds line the path within which fresh signature Keelings’ produce such as raspberries, blueber-ries strawberries, goose-berries, redcurrants and lilies are grown.

The raised planters are made using willow and crafted by an Irish artist. The various plants and trees have all been sourced from Irish nurs-eries and suppliers.

Speaking about the concept for Keelings’ garden this year, David Keeling commented: “At Keelings our passion is for growing fresh produce to the highest level of best quality, taste and appear-ance.

“We wanted to share this passion by creating a garden that proves just how easy it is to incor-porate some element of growing fruit and veg-etables at home without compromising on design. We are really pleased with Jane’s interpretation of the brief and hope the garden will inspire visitors to grow their own fruit and vegetables at home.”

Stressing the impor-tance of listening to the client and delivering on the brief, Jane McCor-kell added: “In the case of Keelings, the brief was to design a family friendly garden that combines tra-ditional growing methods with modern design.”

Keelings to sponsor garden at Bloom 2013

Garden designer Jane McCorkell with Jake Church

from Malahide at the launch of Keelings’ garden

festival: love to Grow


The magnificent Martinez rob heiGh

Francesca Martinez is an acclaimed comedian, actress, writer and activist. she also happens to have cerebral palsy, a condition she has re-christened ‘wob-bly’.

That kind of undercutting of people’s perceptions of her disability and her ability to be incredibly funny into the bargain has made her a sought-after per-former internationally, and has seen her acclaimed at the edinburgh, Montreal and Melbourne comedy festivals.

she is currently on a 50-plus date tour, and Francesca is coming to Dublin on June 7, bringing her What The **** Is normal? show to Whelans, something she is very much looking forward to.

“The first time I came over to Ireland

was in 2001. When I was there, I met a lady called caroline casey, who runs a charity in Dublin (www.facebook.com/Kanchi.org). she’s an amazing woman, who set up the ability awards, and she works to encourage businesses to employ disabled people. she booked me for their annual gig, and we have been good friends ever since.”

Francesca is constantly busy, as our path to getting a few minutes of her time to talk proved, and looking at her career, she has always been working. Perform-ing to an audience was something that started at a young age.

“I was one of those kids who always wanted to act. I was always putting on plays for my parents and their friends, which I’m sure were awful, but I just loved acting.

“When I was about 13 years old, I heard about this part going in Grange Hill, and I managed to get an audition. Getting the part was a complete dream come true. It cemented my love of per-forming, though I had never considered doing comedy.”

Francesca’s path to becoming a stand-up came by an unusual route, which has its roots in her family, whom she regular-ly cites as being an inspiration and huge support in her career.

“at the time when Grange Hill was coming to an end, my dad, who is a great writer, said to me, why don’t I write you a film script? He wrote me this amaz-ing script, and he made my character a comedian. I remember reading it and saying to him, I love this, but I can never be a comedian, it’s so scary. He said to

me, no, I think you’d be really good at it. This company picked up the script and were keen on casting me, and I got really scared. I thought that if I was going to be playing a comedian, I thought I had better research it.

“I joined a comedy workshop in London, and I never said a word for six weeks, which was very unlike me. I had done five years of acting, but the stand-up was terrifying and there was nothing to hide behind. On the seventh week, I was able to get up and perform some-thing I thought was really bad, but eve-ryone laughed. It was kind of a magical moment. I realised there was this amaz-ing power in the connection you can have with strangers in a room, and the ability to be able to say what you want.”

Continued on Page 23

Francesca Martinez : “Comedy is a great way to challenge an audience, because it’s so enjoyable. it’s that kind of potential that keeps me going.”

OUT&ABOUTMOTORS P22STyle P19 aSdfSdaf P27

Never be out of the loop on what’s happening in Dublin! Let Out&About be your guide to all that is stylish, cultural and essential across the city and beyond this weekG

azeT

Te

cOMedy: fRanceSca bRinGS acclaiMed ShOw TO dublin

TRaVel P24feSTiVal: lOVe TO GROw

can yOu GiVe ROxy a new hOMe?The Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our Dog of the Week is Roxy, a two-year-old female Labrador cross. This little beauty is looking for a quiet, loving home where she can have good experiences and realise that the world really isn’t such a scary place.

This pooch is a real lady who lacked socialisation and habituation as a puppy and as a result finds it difficult to be confident. Roxy struggles to cope in kennels and desperately wants a home she can call her own and a special owner who can take her under their wing to help her grow and learn. She would need to go to a family with no other dogs and would prefer to keep the company of adults rather than kids.

If you think you are that special owner, then please contact Dogs Trust on 01-879 1000. They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50. Map and directions can be found on their website www.dogstrust.ie. You can also find them on Facebook www.facebook.com/dogstrustireland or Twitter @DogsTrust_Ie.

Pets


OUT&ABOUT Gaze

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Striking, bold and value for money, is how we would describe the spring colours of M&S’s signature make-up range, Autograph.

the 12-colour eyeshadow palette offers hues of pink, bold violets and sparkling gold, all in a convenient and

compact box. One thing that should be in

every make-up bag during the spring months is, of

course, a bronzing powder. the

Autograph pure Luxe Powder Bronzer will

lift dull skin, giving a great sun-kissed look. this beautiful bronzing powder also has a highlighter effect and is designed with a 3D linked metallic chain effect.

Lips are rose, while nails are a shade of nude. Make-up brushes can be expensive to purchase

and most of the time they don’t fit in your travel make-up bag, so to help with this dilemma, Autograph have a limited edition mini make-up brush set. these hot pink brushes bring will bring out the make-up artist in you and can be used with the limited edition heart blusher in a pink mix.

All beauty items are available from M&S stores or online at www.marksandspencer.ie

Be bold and beautiful

Autograph Pure Luxe Powder Bronzer €19

Limited Collection Powder Brush €10

Limited Collection Heart Blusher in Rose €8

Autograph Eyeshadow Palette in Multi €16

Limited Collection Mini Brush Set €8


STYLE

Familyof fashion and valueFollowing the recent good news that irish family-owned Pamela Scott stores are out of examinership and that their doors will remain open, gazette Style has decided to take a look at what’s trending in-store and online at www.pamelascott.ie

A visit to Pamela Scott this sea-son will have you ticking all the right fashion boxes. They have rails aplenty of monochrome dresses, floral patterned slimming jeans, tailored boucle jackets, faux leath-

ers and pastel peplum dresses. A spokeswoman for the store,

said: “now, more than ever, the buyers and designers at Pamela Scott understand that value is crucial and this season, as always, deliver on that front.

“Jersey monochrome elegant dresses from €60, tailored bou-cle jackets with gold detail from €60 and a range of pastel pep-lum dresses from €70 means that dressing up is an everyday luxury one can afford.

“Pamela Scott prides itself on being a one-stop-shop for three generations of women and this season is no different. Favourite brands among their more estab-lished customers like olsen, Twist, Joseph Ribkoff and gerry weber make a welcome return alongside new more younger-focused collec-tions like Sophie B, Zapara and laura Jo,” she added.

Many of the labels go from a size 8 to a size 18 and some up to a 22.

Monochrome jersey dress €59.95, Zapara, and handbag €95.95

Black, white and floral print jersey dress €245.95, Joseph Ribkoff

Black and nude lace dress €89.95, Sangria, and lace clutch bag €69.95, Olga Berg

Mint jersey peplum dress €69.95, Zapara and silver embellished shoes €65.95

Jade faux leather biker jacket €69.95, Laura Jo, white long- sleeved T €39.95, Sophie B, monochrome floral print jeans, NYDJ, and gold pumps €29.95


OUT&ABOUT Gaze

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CINEMA

TheatretHe pavilioN tHeatRe 01 231 2929albert lee and Hogan’s HeroesALBERT Lee, by common consent one of the world’s finest guitar-players, needs no introduction to Country Music & Rock fans. He has worked with some of the world’s top artists, from Emmylou Harris to the Everly Brothers, Dolly Parton to Eric Clapton.May 21, tickets €25.

DRaiocHt 01 885 2622Neil DelamereIN his eagerly awaited new show, Neil Delamere, the star of RTE’s The 2nd Republic, BBC’s The Blame Game and Fighting Talk, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow and Channel 4’s Stand Up for the Week, comes to the realisation that he has now lived in Dublin as long as he has lived in his family home in Offaly. May 23, tickets €20/€17.

Mill tHeatRe DuNDRuM 01 296 9340the odd coupleClassic comedy opens as a group of guys assemble for cards in the apartment of Oscar Madison. If the mess is any indication, it is no wonder his wife left him. Late to arrive is Felix Ungar, fastidious, depressed and none too tense. Another Taney Drama Society production very deftly directed by Niall Jordan. From May 22-25 tickets €15/€12.

A FEW years ago, it seemed that Matthew McConnaughey had been sacrificed at the altar of so-so romantic comedies.

Another great actor, confined to the bargain bin at Xtra-Vision, to be picked up whenever there is literally nothing left.

Then, without warn-ing, he got his act together and started making excellent films.

In fact, and I will say this on record again, he was robbed at this year’s Oscars, his performance in Magic Mike bizarrely snubbed.

With Mud, he con-tinues that run of form, turning in possibly the best performance of his career.

Teaming up with Jeff Nichols, the director of 2011’s Take Shelter, McConnaughey takes on the eponymous role of Mud, a fugitive

A dirty business

stranded on an island in the Mississippi Delta.

When two 14-year-old boys, Ell is and Neckbone, take off on an adventure down the river, they end up swept ashore on Mud’s private island and the three strike up an unlikely alliance.

The two boys, Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland are excellent, meaning, that this isn’t just a film about a pow-erhouse performance from a resurgent star.

Sheridan pins down Ellis’ fierce idealism, putting his trust in the obvious nogoodnik Mud, while Lof land paints Neckbone with

a more cautious pubes-cent- jadedness that comes from a tough life at home

That said, the Texan charmer’s Mud exudes an intense , deeply affecting charisma that touches every scene that he is in.

Key to his motiva-tion is getting home to his girlfriend Juniper (a small, but effective role for Reese Wither-spoon) while evading the authorities.

Using the boys, for fair means or foul, Mud is as reckless, charming and likeable as a McCo-nnaughey character

ought to be, but this is all part of something bigger.

Mud is an almost ethereal figure, a super-natural Tom Sawyer, described as having “no daddy, no mommy nei-ther” by Sam Shepard’s character.

The air hangs thick and Mud can almost vanish into it, making the film feel both reality and fantasy.

There are notes of Twain, of Stand By Me, of Whistle Down The Wind and even of last year’s Beasts of the Southern Wild, but truly this is original film

making by a truly gifted writer and director.

Nichols has openly acknowledged the effect that Mark Twain has had on his style, but the voice and visual style that Nichols is develop-ing has nothing to do with Huck, Tom or Jim.

It is completely new and is a joy to watch.

Even when it is just wide shots of Arkan-sas riverbeds and flood plains, Nichols makes these scenes feel like something more than normal.

It is a fine effort from a film maker of some promise.

If the ending feels a little sentimental, that will be forgiven because the performances and characters on show are truly breathtaking and the film looks absolute-ly glorious.

As well as that, it is great to have McCon-naughey on top form.

In a boat high up in a tree, Mud, ellis and Neckbone plot their escape

Review: MattHew MccoNauGHey tuRNs iN a caReeR best peRfoRMaNce

Paul [email protected]

our VerdICt:AN ODD, brilliant little film. While Kirk and Spock are taking all of the plaudits (with cause, Star Trek is awesome) this is brilliant counter-programming for those not into phasers, fist-fights and frantic action. There are shades of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, with a dash of Stand By Me thrown in. All in all, it’s excellent.

director: Jeff Nicholsstarring: Matthew McConaughey, tye sheridan, Jacob lofland, sam shepard, reese Witherspoon, Michael shannon

Film OF The Week: Mud h h h h (12a) 130 mins


CINEMA

GazetteGAMING

the first-person shooter (FPS) genre remains one of gaming’s most popular sections – and the easiest for non-gamers to take critical potshots at (pun intended) – with many additions seeming to be just more of the same.

Gamers know the over-familiar drill by now: typi-cally, some angry, scruffy guy (often a Cockney) will tell you to go somewhere, shoot other angry, scruffy guys (often Middle east-ern/Russian), and thus save the world, America, capitalism, the president, the queen, a kitten – what-ever. Bang. Bang. Yawn.

So, given the legions of near-identical shoot-ers popping up lately, it’s increasingly hard for a FPS to really hit the mark, and stand out.

Step forward Metro:

Last Light (M:LL), the multi-platform sequel, out this Friday, to 2010’s Metro 2033; a generally

well-received game that had numerous bugs and flaws, as well as broken AI in parts, yet which was liked for the strength of its characters and story.

Long story short: in M:LL, it’s the near future, a generation after World War III broke out, raining nuclear death down upon the whole world.

In the radioactive ruins of Moscow, her survivors eke out a living in the vast, labyrinthine remains of the city’s world-famous Metro system, with its dif-ferent stops now acting as independent communities – as well as representing a wide range of political outlooks, from Nazism

review: an uncompromisinG vision in metro: last liGht

You’ll be Russian over to this one

Moscow may be a radioactive, mutant-filled necropolis (above), but stoic survivors

still drink in bars far under the surface (below) in the metro’s ruined system

BYTES&PIECES

shane [email protected]

to Fascism, Capitalism to, naturally, Communism, and more.

Given the scarcity of dwindling resources, and the wildly different politi-cal ideologies at the stops – not to mention the also present threat from dan-gerous mutants above and below the surface, caused by decades of radiation – conflict is inevitable, with civil war at hand.

however, there’s more than just the issue of hard-pressed survivors looking to outgun each other to deal with as, of course, there’s a much bigger problem for you to deal with, thanks to a pow-erful doomsday device

that’s at stake. I guess one Doomsday already wasn’t enough for some of the Muscovites ...

What makes M:LL stand out is its pretty sin-gular vision, and strength of storyline (see panel, left). While apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic games are two-a-penny, few titles manage to cre-ate a memorable setting, or to make gamers think beyond the game.

this is a particular problem for FPS titles – sure, the Call of Duty series, for just one exam-ple, get acres of press cov-erage and sell shedloads of copies, but nobody really notices their stories, or recalls their individual-ity, after the bombastic set pieces have passed.

however, M:LL builds upon the strengths of the first title to create a strik-

ing world, whether from the claustrophobic world below ground, full of men and politics, or the storm-lashed world above, full of ruined landmarks and dangerous mutants.

thankfully, the lamen-table AI of the first title has been beefed up, with the hardware providing a sat-isfying challenge for FPS fans, while the story, too, will appeal to a wide range of gamers.

Definitely an adult title for mature gam-ers, given its content and some provoca-tive scenes, M:KK’s Ukranian develop-er 4A Games has produced a high-ly-accomplished title that deserves a shot at the top of the charts.

father of simcity makes a sharp pointoriginal creator of hit franchise on current titleFROM a ruined city (see lead story) to simCity, which has featured here a couple of times following its recent launch. As a quick recap, the bungled launch of the online-only PC game saw legions of angry would-be city planners – and, yes, those words seem strange to me, too – set fire to the internet, being what you would call “damn angry” over endless server issues, game crashes, vanloads of bugs, and so on and on ...

Now, the one and only Will Wright (above), games designer and creator of the SimCity franchise, and a little game may have heard of – The Sims – has also added a brickbat or two to the debacle, further cementing the bad press that’s been built around the city-management sim.

Speaking to GamesIndustry International, some choice words from Mr Sim about such matters of the server issues that plagued the game’s initial launch period included the likes of: “That was basically inexcusable, that you charge somebody $60 for a game and they can’t play it ... I can understand the outrage. If I was a consumer buying the game and that happened to me, I’d feel the same.” Ouch.

To be fair, SimCity’s developer, Maxis, have been busy rolling out updates to resolve some of the game’s many bugs, particularly regarding the frequently bizarre traffic pathfinding problems and random pollution issues, while publisher, Electronic Arts, also appear to have the server connection issues fixed.

Still, when the original creator of a hit franchise weighs in to echo the highly voctal criticisms of many fans, that’s never going to be a good situation. For now, the biggest issue for gamers remains whether or not their biggest (and most vociferous) complaint – that SimCity requires an always-online connection to play – will be fixed with an offline patch. Perhaps gamers will need the Wright kind of high-profile industry figures on their side to make that point, too ...

financial results to chew overlurching results see capcom profits fall 56%

ONCE absolutely theee definitive name for imaginative action titles, Capcom’s fortunes have been decidedly mixed, of late. Speaking of fortunes, the company’s

annual financial results have staggered into view, with Capcom – particularly famous for its formerly zombie-riffic (but

latterly lamentable) Resident Evil franchise – leaving plenty to moan and groan over,

with profits down 56% year on year.This won’t come as a surprise to investors,

who had been warned recently of the expected results. Still, it wasn’t all bad news – while Resi

6 staggered about at retail, other titles (such as Dragon’s Dogma, left) did better than expected.

notaBle Quality of Game’s storysequel draws upon the strong themes found in russian author’s acclaimed novelAUTHOR Dmitry Glukhovsky provided the basis for Metro 2033, with the first game largely following key aspects of his highly-popular book, which draws on a wide range of life in modern Russia. The phrase “political scientist” has been used about his work, which often examines political aspects of life in Russia. A widely-travelled journalist, the multilingual Glukhovsky has also written for several international publications. Given the strength of his storyline in Metro 2033, there was plenty of source material for the makers of Metro: Last Light to draw upon, building on the foundations of the first game to flesh out life in Moscow’s ruins in the near future, and successfully mixing politics, philosophy and even the paranormal for the keenly-anticipated sequel. Not bad going for “just” a shooter ...

THEWRITESTUFF

22 GAZETTE 16 May 2013

OUT&ABOUT GAZE

TTE

MOTORS

Stylish and spacious, the new Renault CapturCAPTUR, the new urban crossover from Renault, will hit Irish roads this July bringing a welcome splash of colour and glam-our to the B segment.

A unique blend of MPV, SUV and family hatch-back, Captur will appeal to a particularly broad spectrum of customer tastes.

Though compact, it is very roomy thanks to a key feature, a sliding rear seat which has fore-and-aft travel of 160mm and provides up to 215mm of knee room for rear pas-sengers.

Here’s what to expect when Captur hits Irish roads this summer: • Two trim levels for Renault’s first supermini crossover: Life and Intense.

• Two engines available

in Ireland - 100% turbo - including the Energy TCe 90 S&S (three cylinders and 898cc) and the Ener-gy dCi 90 S&S engine which uses just 78.4mpg and emits just 95g of CO2 per km. These two engines will be available on both trim levels from launch with a dCi 90 EDC engine following in 2014.

• MediaNav will be available as standard on Intense trim, with R-Link available as an option.

• Impressive core specification: 16” alloy wheels, 60/40 split and sliding rear seat bench, body coloured bumpers, cruise control, ABS with Emergency Brake Assist, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), front and rear electric windows, HSA (Hill Start Assist), speed

limiter, Bluetooth® con-nectivity, trip computer, hands-free key card, auto-matic climate control and leather steering wheel.

• Intense trim comes with MediaNav as stand-ard in addition to: 17” alloy wheels, foglights with corner lighting, chromed design features and removable uphol-stery.

• Clever touches include zipped removable, wipe-able and washable seat covers, dual height boot f loor with reversible cover and sliding rear seat bench (boot space from 377 to 455 litres, up to 1,235 when folded)

Captur, the French marque’s new entrant, will be looking to emulate the impressive start for New Clio, with which it shares

its underpinnings and much of its style. With keen pricing and a series of life-simplifing features up its sleeve, it will also be looking to make seri-ous inroads in the boom-ing B-segment crossover class.

Powering Renault’s lat-est creation are two 100% turbo engines, including the TCe 90 and 1.5 dCi 90. An EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) version of the dCi 90 will follow later in 2014.

Improving fuel econo-my and helping to drive down emissions still fur-ther, Stop&Start is stand-ard on every manual ver-sion.

Renault’s new entrant combines the best of three worlds: the style and driving position of an

SUV, the cabin space and versatility of an MPV and the driving experience of a compact hatchback.

With the rear seat bench slid forward, and including the storage area under its dual height boot floor, its 377-litre boot increases to a sizeable 455 litres.

With the rear seats folded it will swallow up to 1,235 litres. The boot floor not only allows val-uables to be hidden away from prying eyes, it’s also reversible, carpeted on one side, with rubber on the other.

At launch, the Renault Captur is offered in a choice of two trim levels: Life and Intense. Further details of theses trims specs and pricing will be announced at launch.

The Renault Captur will hit Irish roads this July

SUMMER LAUNCH: BLENDING OF MPV, SUV AND FAMILY HATCHBACK

FORD WINS AWARD DOUBLE : FORD has won two awards for vehicle dynamics at the 2013 Vehicle Dynamics International (VDI) Awards: the Dynamics Team of the Year and Dynamicist of the Year.

The Ford vehicle dynamics department won for the develop-ment of Ford vehicles including the new B-MAX, all-new Kuga, Focus ST and new Fiesta ST.

Ford Team RS vehi-cle dynamics specialist David Put – the star of The Ford Fiesta ST Versus Legendary Lommel Track 7 Video – won for his work on the Focus ST and new Fiesta ST.

The jury of automo-tive journalists from around the world hailed the team’s

work “stand-out in all segments”, with vehi-cles that are “subtle, responsive, and an absolute pleasure to drive”, and Put’s con-tribution as offering “signature steering feel and precision”.

The awards recog-nise the best ideas, technology innovation and achievements in vehicle dynamics development.

Readers of Vehicle Dynamic International and the publication’s editorial team pro-vided the nominations in advance of final judging.

“Our jury now includes journalists from 19 countries; their votes prove Ford is reaping the benefit of this approach in mar-kets right around the world,” said Graham Heeps, editor, VDI.

Superb award for the Skoda combiTHE Skoda Superb Combi was recently announced as Fleet Car Estate of the Year at the presentation of the second annual Motorcheck.ie Fleet Car Awards 2013.

Over two days, 27 shortlisted cars from seven categories were assessed by an expert adjudication panel. Marks were awarded for the car’s styling, quality, engine and driving performance, equipment levels, safety, residuals and running costs. Skoda aims to sell 5,000 cars in 2013 with the Superb model range expected to account for 19% of this.

NOISEroad

Pictured with the award is Robert Guy,Head of Sales, Skoda

16 May 2013 CLONDALKIN gAzette 23

MOTORS

Gazette

FASTtunes

with Radio Nova’s Dee Woods

A new era is opening for Doors’ fans, and the good news is, it’s accessible to everyone. The Doors app has just been launched on the digital market and if you worship the Lizard King, this is a must.

This monstrous load of information on The Doors’ lifespan is a result of a year and half’s work by its creator, elektra Records founder Jac Holzman, who marries music, text, audio and photographs together with tons of extras. As you’d expect, the app contains a complete histo-ry of the band alongside song lyrics, photos and memorabilia. what you might not have realised is that it gets right into the heart of Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Robby Krieger and Ray Man-zarek’s life and work, with content only the most die-hard fans will appreciate. It includes photos of all equipment used in the recording of each of their albums from The Doors to An American Prayer.

You can also literally follow The Doors’ progress around LA with a map flagging the prime locations in the band’s history with stories to boot. And speaking of stories, you’ll also get the dirt on the antics that put the band in the papers, like ‘the Miami incident’ – where Jim Morrison allegedly got a little saucy on stage at the Dinner Key Auditorium in 1969. Despite being the era of so-called ‘free love’, the incident saw Jim Morrison arrested and almost broke up the band. not even the mind of Morrison could have contemplated that 40 or so years on, that incident, and everything else The Doors ever did would be part of a history available to fans at the touch of a virtual button. You’ll see the app on iTunes for €4.49. If it could speak, it’d probably say “Touch Me”.

Dee Woods presents Nova Nights on Radio Nova Mon-Fri 7pm-12am & Sundays 12-2pm. Follow her on Twitter @radeeoh

SHOWBIZ

New app opens ‘Doors’ to history behind the band

Continued from Page 17

not only did her first comedy experience give her the confidence to get up on stage and be funny, Francesca realised that doing so changed peo-ple’s perceptions of her.

“It was very powerful for me, as it was the first time for me that I had got up in public and acknowl-edged that I was wobbly. I had been through that typical teenage phase of being embarassed and self-conscious, and I thought if you ignored who you were and didn’t talk about it, it would be invisible.

“But this new thing allowed me to actually talk about being wob-bly, and rather than peo-ple being focussed on it more, people just relaxed and accepted me. It

taught me a huge lesson, which was that people take the lead from how you see yourself.

“Once they saw that I was cool and happy being me, and happy to talk about it, it wasn’t an issue any more. I remem-ber coming home that night, and saying to my dad, forget the research, this is amazing, I want to do this comedy thing.”

‘This comedy thing’ was immediately clearly something Francesca was massively talented at doing, and after a year of doing open mic spots around Britain, she was in edinburgh, winning an award as the best new comic in Britain in 2000. “when I got the award, my dad said, I told you! so it’s really down to him.”

Something Francesca does to great effect in

her stand-up, and in all of her public appear-ances, is challenging people’s perceptions of disability, something she thinks that comedy has an unique power to be able to achieve.

“I think comedy is a great way to challenge an audience, because it’s so enjoyable. It’s not preachy or boring or wor-thy, often I think comedy allows people to open up in a way that allows comedians to commu-nicate something else to them. Half the time, the audience maybe don’t realise they have been challenged, and they leave thinking, I haven’t thought about that sub-ject that way before.”

Francesca’s pres-ence in the media and on shows like Jonathan Ross and Ricky Gervais’

extras, where many peo-ple will remember her from, is a head-on con-frontation with percep-tions of disability, some-thing Francesca has lived with her whole life, and something that resonates with other people with disabilities who come to her shows.

“It’s great when I see other wobbly people in the audience, and I think it matters to them to be able to be able to relate to a comedian out there. I have had really sup-portive reactions.

“when you’re born so-called ‘disabled’, the perception is that there is something wrong with you, and I struggled with that for a long time. But I met someone who said to me, that’s just a word that doctors have made up. You are perfectly you,

and it changed my whole life. I suddenly realised, I am not ‘wrong’, I’m Francesca, and I’m the way I meant to be.

“everyone on earth has a disabilty, things that we struggle with. I don’t see a difference in that sense. The only thing is that people can see what I struggle with, but it doesn’t make me different.

“My so-called suffering has not come from being wobbly, but from other people. Instead of being obsessed with the eradi-cation of conditions, we should eradicate the fear of difference.”

For more information on Francesca’s show at Whelans, log on to www.whelanslive.com. For more about Franc-esca herself, see www.francescamartinez.com

interview: positively chanGinG people’s perceptions

Making a difference‘Wobbly’ comedian Francesca on stage - “I think part of changing people’s mindsets is changing the labels on things.”

24 CLONDALKIN gAzette 16 May 2013

Dive into a beautiful blue world on a diving holiday NAtALIe burKe

WHILE most of our favourite summer destina-tions are famed for their sun-kissed beaches, clear seas, dining hotspots and great nightlife, you might be surprised to learn that, deep down, a whole new world quite literally awaits.

For some people, what lies beneath the surface is far more important than what is actually above it.

So, if you’re searching for a holiday with a bit more adventure this sum-mer, perhaps a scuba div-ing based holiday in Bod-rum, Turkey, could be just what you’re looking for.

WingsAbroad are offer-ing some great diving courses in the beautiful turquoise waters of Bod-rum.

The Bodrum Peninsula is home to the ancient port city of Bodrum, and is famed for its diving locations where you can discover the wonders of the Aegean Sea by swim-ming right in it.

This is an ideal point for both experts and begin-ners and provides amaz-ing diving opportunities. Divers have the chance to see schools of colour-

ful tropical fish, murray eels, octopuses, groupers and much more on every dive.

You can also visit some amazing wreck remains that line the seabed. And, with the water tempera-ture staying around 20-26 degrees Celsius, it makes for very comfortable div-ing.

WingsAbroad have fantastic package holiday deals departing in May, with many further options for June, July and later in the summer.

Travel on May 19 and stay at the Kaseria Hotel, Gumbet on a B&B basis from only €326 per per-son, or stay in the Baba Beach Hotel, Gumbet, also on a B&B basis, from just €346 per person.

Alternatively, stay in the Summer Gardens Apart-

ments, Bitez on a self-catering basis from only €399 per person.

The price includes return flights from Dublin, seven nights’ accommoda-tion as stated, return air-port to accommodation transfers and charges.

There are plenty of choices when it comes to choosing what diving course you want to take part in, with a one-day discovery scuba diving course starting from €49, which is aimed at the absolute beginner.

A two-day beginners’ course is also available, from €165, which is an entry-level certification course that can be com-pleted in just two days, enabling you to dive with a professional to 12 metres.

A four-day beginners course is available from €305.

For divers who already hold a PADI Open Water diving certificate or an equivalent, a two-day PADI-advanced open water course is priced from €230, to further enhance your diving skills.

Rescue courses and a master course are also available, as well as daily

An underwater world awaits in bodrum, turkey with a range of packages and

classes to suit divers of all abilities, or none, with the area’s lovely waters offering

much to see and enjoy

turkey: beginners and experienced divers alike welcome for journey

In egypt, Sharm el Sheikh’s famous clear waters will

certainly make a splash with divers

OUT&ABOUT gaze

tte

TRAVEL

TRAVELfast

‘Cover up’, to prepare for any bad outcomes NAtALIe burKe

CHILL Insurance are ensuring happy holi-days this summer by advising holiday makers to cover up in advance of their upcoming geta-ways.

According to a recent analysis carried out by the insurance compa-ny, emergency medical expenses abroad – such as a doctor’s visit, or treatment in an A&E – is the most common claim on travel insur-ance made by Irish holiday-makers.

Trip cancellations due to personal injury, serious illness, or the death of one of the insured party or a fam-ily member, is the next most frequent pay-out.

Highlighting the range and type of travel policies now avail-able, Chill Insurance is promoting single-trip cover, from €20, and multi-trip travel poli-cies, from €60, in good time for the start of the main Irish holiday sea-son.

Stolen baggage or personal effects, as well as delayed baggage due to multiple travel con-nections, also feature high in holiday prob-lems identified.

For further informa-tion, see www.chill.ie.

dive tours and five-day packages.

Even non-divers are welcome on the diving trip, as, for as little as €21, they can climb aboard the boat and enjoy the stun-ning blue waters on a day trip, which also includes lunch.

For further informa-tion on WingsAbroad, see www.wingsabroad.ie, call 01 871 9444, or contact your local travel agent.

For another under-sea option, many diving enthusiasts choose Egypt as their scuba-diving des-tination – one of the most famed locations for the sport in the world.

Direct Holidays are offering seven nights at the five-star Baron Palms in Sharm el Sheikh from €829 per person on an all-inclusive basis, departing Dublin on May 29. Later dates are also available.

Set in tropical gardens

with access to a private, sandy beach the hotel offers bright and mod-ern accommodation and a wealth of activities, including a health club.

The hotel can organise diving excursions with the PADI-approved Camel Dive Club, with prices starting from €95 for a half-day PADI Discover Scuba Diving excursion.

Note that Direct Holi-days are not responsible

for any excursions booked through a third party dur-ing your holiday.

Price includes flights, accommodation and transfers. Direct Holidays have also increased their baggage allowance to 20kg, to allow passengers to bring diving gear.

To book, call Direct Holidays at 01 514 0341, see www.directholidays.ie, or visit your local travel agent.

ensure you’re insured

before holidaying

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

‘Even non-divers are welcome, as they can climb aboard the boat and enjoy the stunning waters on a day trip’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

clondalkinclaSSiFiEdS16 May 2013 clondalkin gazette 25

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

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e

ruGby: annual awards dished out to local clubs and volunteers

IreLAND CALLs fOr CAMpION AND HINKsON: LORETO’S Aisling Campion and Old Alex’s Erika Hinkson have both been called into the Irish senior women’s hockey panel for the first time for a 43-player training camp to take place on May 25 and 26.

The pair are among a group of eight uncapped players including former Loreto Dalkey stu-dents Kate Dillon and Kate Lloyd who both play with Railway Union.

After the training weekend, Irish head coach Smith will reduce the squad fur-ther to select a squad to train toward the European Champion-ships and in to the latter part of 2013 as part of ongoing prepa-rations for the 2016 Olympic Games.

blackrock college school and club land leinster honoursLOCAL rugby clubs were celebrating last week at the Leinster Rugby Awards Ball with Blackrock College winning big at the event.

Out-half Ian Madigan received the coveted Players Player of the Year award, following in the footsteps of recent winners Gordon D’Arcy, Felipe Contepomi, Rocky Elsom, Isa Nacewa and Rob Kearney.

The academy graduate has played an influential role for the province in 28 appearances to date this season, scoring 226 points including eight

tries, and also made his Ireland debut against France during this year’s Six Nations.

Meanwhile, another Blackrock man, Spanish born Leinster Academy back-row forward Jordi Murphy was voted the Powerade Young Player of the Year. He has been in consistent form for the senior side and though sidelined recently with a broken hand, he fea-tured in 17 games so far this season.

In what was another remarkable year for Leinster Schools rugby, Black-rock College have been awarded the

Powerade School of the Year for win-ning both the Senior and Junior Cup competitions.

Their SCT triumph demonstrated great determination and self-belief in their late victories over Cistercian Col-lege Roscrea in the semi-final and St. Michael’s College in the final.

The JCT win was extremely impres-sive, playing entertaining and skilful rugby throughout their cup campaign.

Eugene Noble from Clondalkin RFC has been awarded this season’s Lein-ster Women’s Rugby Club Person of

the Year, sponsored by Cityjet. Eugene has put in a huge amount of hard work and effort into the promotion of wom-en’s rugby within both his own club as well as working on the Women’s Com-petitions Committee in Leinster.

Railway Union’s Kirstin Smith, a Malahide native, set the benchmark this year by consistently promoting her club in a variety of media with fresh, innovative and interesting content and her voluntary efforts were rewarded with the Public Relations Officer of the Year.

Malahide native Kirstin smith receives the Leinster rugby prO of the Year award from Geoff Lyons for her work with railway Union rfC

cyclinG P29soccer P28 asdfsdaf P27

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DUBLIN and St Oliver Plun-kett’s star Bernard Brogan was on hand last week to help launch the Red Bull Cul 5, a competition that will offer aspir-ing young footballers the oppor-tunity to take part in a unique 5-a-side Gaelic football event on Saturday, May 25 in Dublin Port.

The Red Bull Cul 5 will see 32 teams compete in a purpose-built arena with goals the only form of scoring, and five-a-side players competing over five-

minute halves to progress in the competition.

Brogan is looking forward to some high-energy action: “Red Bull Cul 5 will be a fantastic competition.

“We’ve worked hard to cre-ate a challenging format. The ball will always be in play and players will need to be at their sharpest. I’m looking forward to seeing some top young players compete in this fresh and excit-ing event.”

Cul 5 will also feature a number o f r u le changes , designed to promote a fast-

paced and exciting tournament, including unlimited substitutes, the ball being allowed to be picked off the ground, and the ball always in play.

The arena will feature a spe-cially laid grass pitch (50 x 30m), which will be enclosed by storage containers from Dublin Port.

The competition is open to all players eligible to play minor football in 2013, with squads of seven being called upon to reg-ister their interest to take part via the entry form available via www.redbull.ie.

Brogan calls on clubs to bring their A-game to Dublin Bay

Bernard Brogan at the launch of the Red Bull Cul 5 at Dublin Bay last week

SPORT

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PeaMOUNT’S grounds in Newcastle last week hosted the inaugu-ral Dublin Gathering international CP soccer tournament, with teams of competitors from

Republic of Ireland, USa, Scotland and the Netherlands battling for top honours.

The event saw (Ire-land) emerge as overall winners, with victory over the Nethelands in the final on penalties

after normal time had ended 2-2.

The competitors rep-resented some of the highest ranked teams from CP football in europe and beyond, with the Netherlands ranked fifth, the USa

Gathered in name of sport

soccer: cerebral palsy tournament at peamount a biG success

IReLAND’s u-16s CLAIM thIRD IN tOuRNAMeNt: The RePUBLIC of Ireland finished their UeFa Women’s Under-16 develop-ment tournament with a well-deserved win over Wales, a result which saw them claim third place in a toughly contested competition.

The Ireland panel had performed well in their two other match-es in the competition, but unfortunately lost out in both of their other games in penalty shoot-outs against the Czech Republic, with whom they drew 3-3 in normal time, and to Belgium after a goal-less second match.

Roma McLaughlin scored the vital goal against Wales in the 12th minute, heading the ball into the Welsh net after a corner from Megan Connolly to give Ireland a 0-1 lead which they held to the end.

Ireland finished in third place with Belgium the overall winners after beating the Czech Republic 2-1 on penalties after a 0-0 finish in home Farm FC.

FastSport

currently ranked ninth and Scotland sixth in the world.

Ireland are no stran-gers to hosting interna-tional CP tournaments having organised the CPISR a european Championsh ip s in UCD in 2006 and the St Patrick’s Day Cup inter-national tournament in 2011, which was hosted by this year’s venue at Peamount United FC.

Both the Netherlands and Scotland returned two years after the St Patrick’s Cup hoping to reverse results against their hosts in this year’s competition.

Oisin Jordan, nation-al co-ordinator for the FaI’s Football for all programme said: “This event has been be a

spectacular exhibition of the very high stand-ard of football in inter-national CP soccer, but more importantly in line with 2011, the tournament will put CP football on the map in the Irish football com-munity.

“hopefully, this expo-sure might unearth a number of new players who in the coming years might represent their country at the Paralym-pics in Brazil 2016.

“I am really looking forward to the final match and would like to thank our colleagues from the three other countries to Ireland and hope they enjoyed their time in South Dublin.”

Brenda O’Donnell, director of sport for

Cerebral Palsy Sport Ireland said: “This event sees a very welcome return to the calendar following a succesful St Patrick’s Day Cup two years ago. The compe-tition provided a huge opportunity for our own players to demonstrate their skills and talents against the top teams in the world.

“Undoubtedly, there will be plenty of oppor-tunities for new play-ers to experience the atmosphere of CP foot-ball.

“On behalf of CPSI, I thoroughly enjoyed the competition and was delighted to welcome the USa, Scotland and Netherlands to Dublin and hope they enjoyed their time here.”

Ireland celebrate a goal against the Netherlands in the final

the teams gathered at Peamount for the Gathering-supported tournament


ROB HeIGH

[email protected]

THE launch of the An Post Garda Cycling Club team was a cause for cel-ebration in Swords last week when members of the five-man team gath-ered at Richies Bike Shop before their epic ride across Ireland begins this weekend.

The 2013 Ras will see riders from all over the world converge to take part in the annual, eight-day, stage race that begins on May 19.

The epic race began in 1953 and has been held every year since, its world-wide reputation of being a gruelling challenge in the elite international calen-dar long established.

The open racing style allows amateur county and club riders to join the mix of professional cyclists, and the Garda Cycling Club are no exception. This year’s vin-tage, supported by Rich-

ies Bikestore, Ethos Engi-neering, Lillis O’Donnell Ford, Copper Face Jacks, RA Burke Shipping and Outdoor Trek, is made up of five riders who have made great sacrifices over the last eight months to prepare for the ride of their lives.

The club also have a tradition in the Ras, with two former members of the club having been Ras winners: Ben McKenna in 1959 and Brian Con-naughton in 1969.

Gazette Sport spoke to both club PRO, David O’Connell and competi-tor Stephen Enright about what the Ras means to them and the Garda Cycling Club.

“The club have a long and distinguished his-tory with the Ras, but haven’t entered a team since 2000, so we are very proud and excited to be involved this year,” explained O’Connell.

“With the boom in interest in cycling in Ire-

land in recent years, the club has attracted a lot of interest, and we are back with a bang.

“The Ras is the pin-nacle of Irish racing, the race that any club in Ire-land with desire wants to to ride in. It is a UCI 2.2 level race, which means it attracts a lot of inter-national attention, and national squads from New Zealand, Canada, and pro teams all across Europe coming to participate. It’s a chance for amateur riders to mix it with the big boys, and that’s why we are reentering: It’s the race to be in.”

The club has existed in its current form since 1977. It counts about 95 members in 2013, and is open to civilian members, not only members of the Gardai.

The club were celebrat-ing last year with the bronze medal success of Caroline Ryan in the 2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in

the Hisense Arena in Mel-bourne.

“It’s fantastic having someone like that in the club and showing what we can achieve,” said O’Connell, who is looking forward to the challenge of the Ras.

“The five lads taking part - Stephen Enright,

Neill O’Leary, Dave Dukes, Damien O’Farrell and Michael Doyle - have put in massive training over the last six months.”

In spite of having rid-den the Ras in the past, and having finished fourth in the B category, Stephen Enright is tak-ing no chances this time around.

“Every stage is being coached, and I am work-

Gard-ing the future of cycling traditionThe 2013 Garda Cycling Club gathered in Swords last week to launch their bid to race the Ras this year, though they are looking to learn from the experience and their heritage

At the launch of the Ras team for 2013 at Richies Bike Shop in Swords were Brendan tracy of sponsor Lillis

O’Donnell Ford, Stephen enright, Neil O’Leary, Damien O’Farrell and David Dukes of Garda CC

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

‘The Ras is the pinnacle of Irish racing, the race every club in Ireland with desire wants to be in’ - David O’Connell- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

ing with Scott MacDon-ald from Winning Solu-tions, a guy from Dun Laoghaire who rode pro-fessionally in the early 90s in France. He has been creating programmes for me on a six-weekly basis since September. Things are coming around nicely, and just at the right time.”

Speaking at the end of a training session, Enright explained that the Ras is something he and his teammates have commit-ted to, although they do not expect to be on the podium this time around

“The Ras is a massive target for us this year. We are looking at ourselves, we know our limits and we know who we are competing against. There are over 100 professional riders, and young riders who have the potential to do well.

“The target for the five of us is basically to finish the Ras. That might not seem like a lot, but we are a young team, This year is mostly about gaining experience, finishing the Ras and finishing it well and comfortably. We want to progress into next year. We will take this as a learning experience and look then at next year,”

GAZETTESPORT has teamed up with Crick-et Ireland to offer two free tickets for both days of the RSA Insurance ODI Series which sees Ireland play Pakistan at Clontarf Cricket Club on Thursday, May 23 and Sunday, May 26 in two One-Day Internationals.

The grounds are pushing towards a sell-out but there are still tickets available to purchase in advance – for more details visit www.crick-etireland.ie.

To enter, simply answer this easy question: Who did Kevin O’Brien, pictured above, score his record-breaking century against in the Cricket World Cup in March 2011?

Email your answer to [email protected] with the subject line “Cricket Tickets” along with your phone number and home address by Monday, May 20.

Win tickets to Ireland vs Pakistan cricket match

Fastsport

Gazette

[email protected]

DUBLIN and St Oliver Plun-kett’s star Bernard Brogan was on hand last week to help launch the Red Bull Cul 5, a competition that will offer aspir-ing young footballers the oppor-tunity to take part in a unique 5-a-side Gaelic football event on Saturday, May 25 in Dublin Port.

The Red Bull Cul 5 will see 32 teams compete in a purpose-built arena with goals the only form of scoring, and five-a-side players competing over five-

minute halves to progress in the competition.

Brogan is looking forward to some high-energy action: “Red Bull Cul 5 will be a fantastic competition.

“We’ve worked hard to cre-ate a challenging format. The ball will always be in play and players will need to be at their sharpest. I’m looking forward to seeing some top young players compete in this fresh and excit-ing event.”

Cul 5 will also feature a number o f r u le changes , designed to promote a fast-

paced and exciting tournament, including unlimited substitutes, the ball being allowed to be picked off the ground, and the ball always in play.

The arena will feature a spe-cially laid grass pitch (50 x 30m), which will be enclosed by storage containers from Dublin Port.

The competition is open to all players eligible to play minor football in 2013, with squads of seven being called upon to reg-ister their interest to take part via the entry form available via www.redbull.ie.

Puspure looking forward to European bidKINSEALY resident Sanita Puspure has been selected in the women’s single scull to take part in the Irish team for the European rowing championships in four weeks time in Seville.

She is part of the team that departed for Copenhagen last Wednesday to take part in a training camp along with Claire Lambe in the lightweight single and Niall Kenny and Justin Ryan in a lightweight double.

John Keohane was also included after

the Lee Valley man was the fastest man home in the Irish tri-als last week.

Paul O’Donovan, an under-23 light-weight, was only 0.09 seconds behind Keohane in the time trial on Saturday. He recorded 94.8 per cent of projected world best time for the lightweight sin-gle, though there was a strong tailwind. Fionnan McQuillan-Tolan and Seán O’Connor were the fastest pair.

Ireland perform-ance director Morten Espersen, mean-while, said he will have “a very strong team” for the upcom-ing World Under-23 Championships in July.

FAI Inter cup FInAlBluebell United 1

Avondale United 4

carl [email protected]

BLUEBELL United fell just short of the finish line against Avondale United as they went down 4-1 in the FAI Intermediate Cup Final on Sunday after-noon at Richmond Park.

Despite the score, Bluebell were still in the tie until the last five min-utes when an Ian Staple-ton penalty and Kevin Mulcahy’s injury time strike somewhat inflated the scoreline for the Cork outfit.

Both sides produced an impressive display in their respective semi final clashes to prove beyond doubt that they are two of the best intermedi-ate football teams in the country.

Avondale went into the final as favourites, on the back of their unbeaten run in eight competitions this season as they chased their third Intermediate Cup win in a row.

However, Bluebell have been equally impres-sive this year and did not read the script when they opened the score with just 22 seconds played. Rob-ert Douglas latched onto

Tony Griffith’s flick on, to produce an excellent fin-ish through the legs of the keeper Dan Leary to give them a dream start.

The Cork side were clearly stunned, Bluebell the first side they have conceded a goal to in this season’s cup run and nearly found themselves 2-0 a minute later, Trevor Molloy turning Roy Long and producing a pin-point pass in the run of Glen Madden, whose first time shot sailed just wide.

The Dale bounced back against the run of play on seven minutes, Stapleton cross towards the back

post was converted by Long who jumped high-est to bring his side back into the tie.

Avondale found them-selves in front minutes later, Long again the goal scorer, a carbon copy of his first but this time the pass being supplied by Mark Sullivan.

Despite their good start, the Bell found themselves a goal down and they fought valiantly for the reminder of the half.

Molloy’s half volley on the edge of the box, looked goal bound but was cleared off the line to ensure all was left to play for in the second half.

The Dubliners contin-ued to dominate proce-dures in the second but were unable to test Leary in goal, their best chance falling to Ian Cleary whose header was com-fortably saved.

With tiredness showing in the legs of the Bluebell players, Avondale broke late on to score a penalty and also through Mulc-ahy’s long range effort deep in injury time.

Despite the score, they can take positives from the game, testing one of the best amateur teams in the country for the full 90 minutes — something to into next season.

Bluebell’s heroic run ended

soccer: AvondAle mAke it three FAi titles in sUccession

SpOrtGAze

tte

30 clONdalKIN gazette 16 May 2013

Fastsport

leINster and Ireland legend Malcolm O’Kelly was on hand to present the end of season awards to Clondalkin rugby club’s young charges, presenting them with their certificates and medals.

The U-13s, pictured, were honoured for their sterling season along with the U-12 and U-11 groups while next weekend, the club are holding a mini-sports day when the rest of the presentations will take place.

Big mal presents medals to club’s young stars

clondAlkin rUGBy

CLONDALKIN clubs won big at last week-end’s DDSL and the MGL underage cup finals over the weekend as Booth Road Celtic, Collinstown and Peamount United claimed silverware.

At the AUL Complex, Booth Road, pic-tured above in action against Wayside Celtic, held their nerve in a penalty shoot-out in the Lee Kavanagh U-11 cup final to take the laurels.

Normal time and extra time ended score-less leading to the shoot-out in which Booth Road eventually prevailed.

Collinstown struck three times to claim the Paisley Deering U-14 cup title with goals coming from David Brown, Craig Brogan and Jamie Donnelly as they got the better of west Dublin rivals Manortown United.

Peamount United, meanwhile, landed the U-16 MGL Irish Rail Cup with plenty to spare as they saw off St Joseph’s girls 5-1. Danielle Murray, Alice Linehan, Chloe Mur-phy all scored in the first half while Eleanor Ryan Doyle netted twice in the second half to extend the lead to five before Joeys got one back.

In the women’s national league, Peamount missed out on retaining the league title by a single point to Raheny United despite their 2-1 win over Cork in Turner’s Cross.

Raheny comfortably won their final game of the campaign 3-0 to put the title bid out of the hands of Eileen Gleeson’s side, leaving them stranded on 44 points, one off the pace.

Booth road, peamount and collinstown win big

liffey Valley seek new playersLIFFEY Valley Rang-ers Over-35s are now looking for new players to boost their squad for next season.

Specifically, they are looking for a centre-forward, goalkeeper and possibly a winger.

Skill and fitness would be a bonus

but just turning up regularly and playing for enjoyment are the most important things as the side is prima-rily a social one, more interested in staying healthy.

Games are on Sat-urdays, usually at 2pm or 3pm. The club pitch is near Liffey Valley shopping centre. Call or text Ron on 087 9748263.

Peter darcy, Bluebell united, shows his disappointment after his side fell 4-1 to avondale in the faI Intermediate cup final

Club NotiCeboard

Gazette 16 May 2013 CLONDALKIN gAzette 31

THE senior footballers were defeated

by Ballymun Kickhams in the champi-

onship. The junior footballers defeated

Na Fianna in the league.

Membership is now overdue. Renew-

al forms are available on the club web-

site or in reception in the clubrooms.

Any adult players that have failed to

pay are not covered by the insurance

scheme and should not train or play

until membership has been paid.

The Row in the Cow white collar box-

ing exhibition between Round Tower’s

and Clondalkin rugby club takes place

in the Red Cow on Saturday, May 18.

Doors open 7pm.

Tickets are €20 and can be pur-

chased from Niall Connaughton on 087

629 0870, Damien Murray on 086 884

5676 and Matt McCormack on 087 683

6737. All members are asked to sup-

port.

The club nursery is open for four-to

to seven-year-olds every Saturday

morning in Monastery Road from 10am

to 11.30am and is delivered in a fun

environment to allow children learn

the skills of football and hurling. Please

contact Catherine Moran on 087 8303

207 for more information.

Lotto results, May 6: numbers were

15, 18, 22 and 30; the bonus ball was 4.

There was no winner of the jackpot

of €10,000. Congratulations to Dean

Alford; Christy, Noel and Sean; and

Luke and Aoife Curtis were the three

€100 winners. Match three and the

bonus ball winner was Sarah Heffern-

an. This week’s jackpot is €10,000.

Pick your lotto team leader and help

them become the top Friday night

seller. One hour once every seven

weeks is all it takes. If you are able to

help please contact Matt McCormack

on 087 683 6737 or email info@round-

tower.ie.

Entry is open for the Flora Women’s

Mini Marathon on Monday, June 3. Any-

one interested please contact Jessica

O’Malley at 087 280 6273.

The clubrooms are available for

rental for parties, anniversaries, etc.

Please contact Jimmy behind the bar

or on 01 459 2960.

The club shop is open every Monday

night from 7.30-8.30pm. Please call

Betty Ward or Catherine Moran if you

have any enquiries on 087 675 2238 or

086 830 3207 respectively.

Bingo is on every Tuesday night,

first call 8.30pm.

Members are asked to save the date

of Saturday June 29, when past and

present mentors, members and sup-

porters will assemble for Round Tower

GAA Club’s The Gathering 2013. Anyone

with pictures or footage of days past

to coincide with the event is asked to

contact Cathal O’Donoghue at 087

2834150 or Sharon Jordan 087 7678687

of Round Tower GAA Club’s Social Com-

mittee.

rouNd tower, CloNdalkiN

sfC: task too far aGaiNst all-irelaNd fiNalists

Round tower were unable to match the fitness and intensity of Ballymun Kickhams in their SFC encounter

tower’s tumble to dominant kickhamsSFC round 1ballymun kickhams 1-19

round tower 1-3

[email protected]

Ballymun Kickhams’ clinical second half per-formance proved too much for Round Tower to handle, as the side eased their way into the second round of the Dublin Sen-ior Football Champion-ship last week.

Tower’s were well aware of the size of the chal-lenge they faced in this match, their opponents having reached the all-Ireland Senior Club final in march.

Kickhams looked hun-

gry from the off, and Tow-er’s found it tough to stick tight to their opposition in the opening ten minutes, resulting in Kickhams opening up a four point lead.

It took until the 18th minute for Tower’s to reg-ister their first score of the game, Stephen Halpin playing a crossfield ball to half-back James Kelly, who scored off the right-hand side.

Six minutes later, Conor l’Estrange converted a free and straight after the next kick-out, Barry Gal-lagher collected a pass, turned inside and set l’Estrange clean through.

The corner forward held his nerve to slide the ball into the top-corner.

at 1-2 to 0-4, it was to be the only time in the match when Tower’s held the lead. Kickhams responded well, as Davey Byrne set up Derek Byrne for the equaliser. Kick-hams claimed two more points and had a three-point advantage at half-time, 0-7 to 1-2.

Tower’s were still in with a real chance as the second half got under way, but three quick points within the opening five minutes put Ballymun in the driving seat, with Rock taking their tenth score of

the match from a free. Cathal Carty, back from

injury, was brought on for Eoin moran but it was the sheer difference in fit-ness levels that set Kick-hams apart in the closing quarter. James mcCarthy was instrumental in mid-field, with Tower’s facing attacks down both wings.

Tower’s only point of the second half was a 45 from the boot of Tom lyons.

Davey Byrne grabbed two points in the final minutes, with Philly mcmahon combining with Furman to register Kickhams’ final point of the encounter.

ROuND tOweR’S amy Conroy, pictured, was among the stand-out players who helped secure Dublin’s third leinster under-16 title in a row last weekend in a tight and well-contested match against Kildare in athy. Two late goals settled a nervy match, and Dublin now progress to face the ulster champions in august’s all-Ireland semi-final. Picture: GAApics.com

tower’s player shines as Jackies annex leinster

amaziNG amy

BEST of luck to both our U-14 hurl-

ing teams taking part in Feile this

Saturday.

The senior hurlers play Craobh

Chiarain in a do-or-die champion-

ship match this Thursday in Parnell

Park at 6.45pm. All support wel-

come.

Well done to our senior camogie

team who reached this year’s Lein-

ster senior A club final. They will

play Camross, Laois in the final.

Our second golf outing to Tul-

farris takes place next Saturday.

To book a slot call Gerry at 086

0560111 immediately. Plans are at

an advanced stage for our club

classic on Friday, June 21 at Lucan

Golf Club. This year we have some

exceptional prizes.

The first person lucky enough to

ace the par three seventh hole will

receive a magnificent Toyota Yaris

car from McCoy Motors, Lucan.

The other hole-in-one prizes are:

16th hole - a three night golf holiday

at the Mariott Praia del Rey, Portu-

gal; 11th hole - a two-night golf trip

for four players to Marriott For-

est of Arden; fourth hole - a set of

Callaway Razor irons. The cost for

a team of 3 is €180 from 8.30am to

10.20am, €210 from 10.30am to 1pm

and €250 for the afternoon.

To book a slot call Michael at 087

2331983.

Best of luck to all of our U-8s and

U-9s who make their first holy com-

munion this Saturday.

This year’s Street Leagues will

take place on Tuesday, May 28 and

Friday, May 31 in the 12th Lock. The

street leagues are open to boys and

girls born in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Registration forms are now avail-

able from mentors, the clubouse

and our website. You can now reg-

ister online for our summer camps

at www.lucansarsfields.ie.

The closing date for entry to our

All-Ireland forecast competition is

Friday May 17. Tickets are available

from the bar. First prize €400, Sec-

ond prize €100, third prize €50.

luCaN sarsfields

all of your clondalkin sports coverage from page 27-31 may 16, 2013

blues for bells: Bluebell hopes of FAI Inter title dashed against treble-winning Avondale in final P30

GazetteSPORTRIdIng The RAS: Members of garda Club take national challenge P29

st francis under-13 team claimed the dB sports tours under-13 cup title in January, and are looking to add to their all-ireland titles with victory this weekend

stephen findlater

[email protected]

ST FRANCIS U-13s are hoping to complete a unique double on Saturday when they meet St Joseph’s Boys in the All-Ireland SFAI Troy Cup final in Whitehall (11am).

Mark Connolly’s side were the inaugural win-ners of the DB Sports Tours Under-13 Cup in January, a competition which pits the best of the Republic of Ireland’s underage sides against their counterparts from Northern Ireland.

In the decider, they saw off Belfast side St Oliver Plunkett’s to claim the first edition of the competition, and the St Francis manager is hopeful his side can be in a position to retain the

title after this weekend’s exploits.Speaking to Gazettesport, he said the January

event was a huge spur to the Clondalkin club’s season: “Hopefully, we can go back up to Dun-dalk next season if we win this cup on Saturday and then try and retain that title. To win the two of them would be brilliant.

“Everybody is sharp as a tack at the moment. They’re all available for Saturday so the problem is to try and pick the eleven for the game and who are the four guys on the line, trying to get the right team and keep everyone as happy as possible, and give them as much time as possible on the pitch.”

It has been a spectacular run to date in the Troy Cup, a cup that saw 309 sides enter the

preliminary rounds. The Saints saw off Bohemi-ans, Joeys’ B team and Malahide United in the regional rounds before seeing off Salthill Devon and North End United to reach the quarter-finals.

A tricky quarter-final date in Limerick against Herbertstown was made to look easy, running out 6-2 winners before St Kevin’s Boys were dis-missed in the final four 1-0.

Jake Walker got the only goal of the game with a spectacular effort from a very evenly matched tie.

But St Joseph’s premier team have already proven a forceful foe, knocking St Francis out of the league cup before drawing 0-0 in Baldon-nell in the league.

Connolly though says that the side have a particular togetherness forged from the spine of the side playing with each other for a number of years with six of the 15-player panel around since academy days.

This has been bolstered by a five-day tour of England, beating Chester City’s U-14 side 2-1 while also seeing off both the Blackburn acad-emy and Manchester City’s shadow U-13 side.

“That was a good team bonding exercise and the morale boost of being away. It’s been a long, old road to get to where we are but fingers crossed for the lads, hopefully they get that win.

“It should be a bounce of a ball on the day between us and maybe just a little bit of luck goes our way.”

francis on the doubleUnder-13 side set up chance of All-Ireland and all-island cup titles as they prepare to face St Joseph’s Boys in Troy Cup final at Whitehall

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