Dundrum

ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES ......................6

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

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

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

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

Month XX, 2012

HARPING ON: Local musician plucks a well-deserved gold medal at contest P8

Football: Crokes minors into final after Na Fianna win Page 31

Rugby: Old Wesley come up short against UCC in leaguePage 30

A tea-mendous event: Pouring over a businessPERHAPS inviting passers-by to: “Ah, go on, go on, go on ...” and sample some of Mrs Doyle’s Tea, Elizabeth Burns from Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Enterprise Board gave a warm welcome to visitors to the local county and enterprise board stall at the Enterprise Zone “Showcase” event held at the RDS recently. The event featured 75 small busi-nesses, which showed their wares to buyers from more than 17 countries.

Council diverts €30k to support Gathering

BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

€30,000 of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Coun-cil’s (DLRCC) business grant fund is to go towards supporting and facilitating extra Gathering events in

the county, it was agreed at a council meeting last week.

DLRCC director of envi-ronment, Richard Shake-speare got permission from councillors to transfer the money from the business grant fund for additional

Gathering events through-out 2013.

He said that around 40 of the applications received from organisations and indi-viduals in the county had not met the criteria, but could be funded with an additional

€30,000 from the council’s business grant fund.

All councillors agreed to Councillor John Bailey’s (FG) motion to transfer the funds over for use by the Gathering steering committee.

Full Story on Page 2

Business grants scheme to facilitate up to 40 extra events across the county

January 24, 2013 Find us on

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plAn up to 40 projects to share €30,000

Michael Ring , Minister of State for tourism and Sport, Jim Miley, Gathering Ireland Project Director and Mr. George Jones of IPB

Council business fund to support Gathering events€30,000 from Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council’s business support grant funding is to be given to support extra Gathering projects throughout the county, it was agreed at a council meeting last week.

DLRCC’s Director of Environment, Richard Shakespeare, who is co-ordinating Gathering events in the county, asked councillors for leave to use €30,000 of the €100,000 business support grant funds for additional Gath-ering events throughout 2013.

Mr Shakespeare said

Extra CE places welcomedLOCAL councillors in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown have welcomed the news that the Community Employment pro-gramme is to be extended by an addi-tional 2,000 places.

Fine Gael Councillor Neale Rich-mond said of the additional places: “This will bring the total number of

Community Employment places this year to 25,300 as part of the Govern-ment’s wider efforts to help jobseekers to become employment-ready.”

Priority will be given to groups and individuals involved in childcare, drug rehabilitation schemes, innovation and service to the community.

that the DLR Gathering’s steering committee had now met 15 times, and that progress on events in the county was good.

However, he added that around 40 applications for events had not met the criteria for Government funding and were there-fore outstanding and in need of another source of

funding. The €30,000 he was

asking to be transferred from the Business Grant Fund would meet these outstanding applications.

Councillor Victor Boy-han (Ind) said he had no problem giving the okay to Mr Shakespeare’s plan to use a portion of the business support grant for the Gathering as he con-sidered that the two initia-tives went hand in hand.

All other members in the chamber agreed to Cllr John Bailey’s motion to transfer €30,000 of the grant into the Gather-ing pot and therefore the motion was agreed unani-mously.

€5 million was ini-

tially earmarked by the Government for promo-tional costs to market the Gathering, and a further €2 million for Gather-ing projects was given to local authorities for them to disburse in their areas as they saw fit.

€1 million of the fund-ing was provided by Irish Public Bodies (IPB) Insur-ance and the other half by The Gathering Ireland.

Additional funding was launched last week, where it was announced that a total of 1,322 fund-ed events made up of 82 county flagship events and 1240 local commu-nity events, will be admin-istered by the City and County councils based

on agreed application criteria.

A key factor in the eval-uation process was the event’s capacity to attract overseas visitors.

Minister of State for Tourism and Spor t Michael Ring said: “I’m delighted that we can present such a huge range of flagship events which shows what a great year we have ahead of us.

“There really is some-thing for everyone, wheth-er you live in Ireland or are coming from overseas.

“The IPB Gathering Ireland Fund will have a real impact on 2013 and I commend IPB Insurance for its commitment to this project.”

BaIRBRe NI [email protected]

24 January 2013 DUNDRUM Gazette 3

Marlay Yard to be restoredDUN Laoghaire-Rath-down County Council has put on display new plans for the restoration of the Marlay Craft courtyard in Marlay Park.

The plans take in the restoration of the existing Craft Courtyard building, which is a protected struc-ture.

Plans and particulars of the proposals are avail-able for public inspection up to Friday, March 1, at the Planning Department, County Hall, Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire and at the Council Offic-es, Dundrum Office Park, Dundrum.

Submissions or obser-vations with respect to the proposals, and any ideas dealing with sustainable development of the area, may be made in writing before 5pm on Friday, March 15.

Crafts

they’re grrreat: treble r Macra compete in all-Ireland finalsthe all-iRelaND finals of Macra’s National Dairy Council Indoor Soccer competitions were held on Sunday, January 13 in Gormanston College, Co Meath. Thirty-five teams battled it out for the coveted All-Ireland titles. Pictured at Macra’s NDC Indoor Soccer All-Ireland final are the team from Treble R Macra, Rathfarnham. (Back l-r:) Noel Kenny, Donnchada Corcoran, Daire Corcoran, (front l-r:) Richard Manning, Killian Dirwan and Ian Lavery. Up-to-date health and well-being information is available on the macra.ie website along with details of upcoming events.

Council chasing €29.18m in leviesDUN Laoghaire-Rath-down County Council is owed €29.18m in out-standing development levies and is actively pur-suing their payment, it was revealed at a council meeting this month.

Local politician, Coun-cillor Victor Boyhan (Ind) brought up the issue of development levies at a council meeting on Janu-ary 14 and asked the coun-ty manager to provide a schedule of outstanding development levies due to the council.

In answer, manager Owen Keegan said that council planners carried out in-depth site inspec-tions, visited all major sites under development in the county for the purpose of determining what had

been built on each site and how this tallied with permission attained.

“The results of the analysis of these inspec-tions to date show that based on completed units on site an estimated €29.18m is actually due to the council in respect of development contribu-tions invoiced since 2004,” Keegan stated.

“This €29.18m repre-sents a number of major and smaller develop-ments and the Planning Authority is pursuing these outstanding mon-ies vigorously. However, it should be noted that this sum of €29.18m includes levies associated with firms which are in receiv-ership.”

The manager went on

to say that negotiations were under way with the receivers of these compa-nies to redeem the levies due to the council.

“The council is in detailed discussions with these receivers in rela-tion to payment of the amounts due. Approxi-mately €6m of this amount relates to cases where phasing agree-ments are in place.

“Approximately €5m is being pursued by way of reminders and the balance is with legal services department to commence legal pro-ceedings.”

The manager went on to add that 251 of the outstanding cases are now in the hands of the council’s legal team.

DLrCC: outstanDIng Money froM DeveLopMent Is reveaLeD


baiRbRe Ni bhRaoNaiN

A RALLY is being organised next week by local politicians and residents to protest at the closure of Stepaside Garda Station, which was announced last November by Minister for Justice Alan Shatter.

The closure will mean the

transfer of 34 gardaí to Dun-drum Garda Station.

In November, 2012, Inde-pendent TD Shane Ross organised a meeting to dis-cuss the station closure, which attracted over 300 residents. At the meeting, a committee was set up to campaign for Stepaside sta-

tion to remain open, and this committee met for the first time on January 14.

Local councillor Lettie McCarthy (Lab) who was present at that meeting said: “Concerned residents have expressed their fears. The presence of the permanent presence creates a percep-

tion in the community that affects the residents and also criminal elements. That per-ception will be altered with the closure.

“Have impact studies been carried out to understand how that perception change will affect crime in the area? I’m a huge advocate of tech-

nological advancement, but the station provides some-thing that technology cannot replace, and I’d be the first to highlight that.”

The latest protest is planned for February 3 at 2pm in Stepaside Village. A petition was also organised and has over 3,000 signa-

tures to date.Local community activist

and former Fianna Fail coun-cillor John Byrne said: “We are asking everyone who believes in the importance and need to keep our Garda station and police service in Stepaside to attend this pro-test.”

Garda station closure prompts Stepaside rallyprotest residents and politicians join forces to resist Minister’s move

puppy Love: Luke asks locals to help Guide Dogs this Valentine’siRiSh rugby star Luke Fitzgerald pictured with puppy in train-ing Harp, is asking you to spread some puppy Love this Val-entine’s Day by purchasing cards and gifts for your loved one from Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind have a range of gifts and cards for you to spoil your spe-cial someone. Gift options range from €12 to €50 and include cuddly teddies, gift bags, leads and collar sets and cards. Visit www.guidedogs.ie to make your purchase.

Beacon of good health

AwArD: UpMC LeADs the wAy in CAnCer therApy

SANDYFORD’S Univer-sity of Pittsburgh Medi-cal Centre (UPMC) Bea-con Hospital has won an award for excellence in stereotactic radiosurgery, a specialised form of radiotherapy used in the treatment of cancer.

Minister of State at the Department of Health, Alex White visited the hospital for the presenta-tion of the Radiosurgery Excellence Award 2013 to UPMC Beacon Hospital’s medical director of cancer centres Ireland, Professor John Armstrong.

Welcoming the award, Joel Yuhas, the chief executive of UPMC Bea-con Hospital, said: “Since 2008, over 500 patients have benefited from stere-otactic radiosurgery here at the centre. We are delighted to accept this award and are proud of UPMC’s pioneering posi-tion in this field in Ire-land.

“As the only hospital in Ireland which offers stereotactic radiosurgery treatments, the Univer-sity of Pittsburgh Medical Centre is internationally respected for its role in delivering life-changing medicine through inno-vation, science and tech-nology.”

Stereotactic radiothera-py is effective in the treat-ment of small tumours such as in the brain or lungs without the need for invasive or complicated surgery. It uses precise targeting with fine beams of radiation focused on the affected area.

The main difference between the new radio-surgery and traditional radiotherapy is that radi-osurgery is typically deliv-ered in fewer treatment sessions, while traditional radiotherapy is delivered over multiple treatment sessions which can take several weeks.

Commenting on the award, Rolf Staehelin, international marketing Director of Varian, the creators of the technol-ogy used at the hospital, said: “We are pleased to present this Radiosurgery Excellence Award 2013 to the National Centre at UPMC Beacon.

“We welcome the fact that over 500 patients in Ireland have benefitted from this cutting-edge treatment and we look forward to working with UPMC Beacon to ensure that many more treat-ments will be delivered in the next five years and beyond.”

LocaLMAttersS u p p o r t L o c a L b u S i n e S S

advertiSe with the Gazette caLL 60 10 240

EntErprisEnEws

ARE you thinking of starting a business or are you already in business and looking towards expand-ing?

The County Enterprise Board can help you! Every week we hold Business Advice sessions where you can meet an experienced Business Advi-sor who will be able to give you information about all of the services the Enterprise Board can provide and will be able to point you in the right direction so that you can avail of the supports which are available to you.

The Enterprise Board has four key support areas – Training, Mentoring, Networking and – in quali-fying cases – Funding. These are available to all small businesses in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown area. The Business Advice sessions are the best way to learn about how best you can be helped in your business. The Enterprise Boards are funded by the Dept. of Enterprise, Jobs & Innovation and there is no cost to anyone attending these meetings.

So how to get involved? It’s easy – all you have to do is call us on (01) 494 8400 or email: [email protected] . You can also find out about all of our activities and current courses and network activity on our website – www.dlrceb.ie .

The Enterprise Board has a number of publica-tions which might be helpful to you – Business Start Up, Social Media for Business, Business Marketing, Managing Business Finances and Your Business & the Law. If you would like a copy of all or any of these – free of charge – please contact us on the above phone number or email address.

need advice onhow to get going?

6 dundrum Gazette 24 January 2013

Loadsa money to be won!Johnnie Fox’s Pub in Glencullen was packed to

the rafters recently for a launch night for the Stars of erin GAA club’s annual fundraiser, Who Wants

To Be A Thousandaire? The main aim of the night was to raise enough money

to put in place better toilet facilities at their rural pitch.

Special guests who attended the event were Dublin sen-ior footballer Alan Brogan and Anthony Daly, Dublin senior hurling manager.

RTe’s Pauric Lodge was MC. The event received a great show of support which was much appreciated especially in these tough economic times.

Johnnie fox’s: GAA club lAunches quiz fundrAiserJack Breen with his sister, Hannah, and zara mulhall. Pictures: Geraldine Woods

gazettegaLLeRIeS

Paudge mcHugh, chairman of the Stars of erin

Jack Breen has the answer, with his sister Hannah

Little zara mulhall with her dad

anthony daly and alan Brogan

Paudge mcHugh, alan Brogan and anthony daly

24 January 2013 dundrum Gazette 7

Chris Collins

anthony, alan and tom share a joke

mC Pauric Lodge


FastNewsGather round to celebrate Stillorgan and St Brigid’sA special Gathering event in Stillorgan is set to celebrate St Brigid’s Church’s 300th anni-versary at a special event for all to attend on February 2. The organisers of St Brigid’s 300 are calling on local people to look back on the history of the area, to attend and share their stories of where their ancestors were from, and enjoy a special dinner to celebrate 300 years of Stillorgan life. Tickets for the dinner cost €15 or €10 concessions. For more information on what is sure to be a special evening, log on to www.stbrigids300.com.

Like Shakespeare? Get to The Mill on the double, double...THE Mill Theatre is presenting Macbeth from January 31, with actress Hilda Fay (Fair City’s Tracey) taking on her first Shakespearean role as Lady Macbeth. “I have spent the last 20 years in a track suit and a scrunchie, so I’m really surprised to be playing Lady Macbeth, but I’m not intimi-dated. “It is the first time I’ve been offered a part in a Shakespearean play,” said Hilda. The show runs until February 9 and has daily showings at 10am for schools. Tickets cost €18 or €16, with school groups €14. To book tickets, call 01 296 9340 or go online to www.milltheatre.ie

O’Riada winner Oisin Morrison with his new gold medal, which added another string to his bow

Not to harp on, but Oisin has taken gold BaiRBRe Ni BhRaONaiN

RATHFARNHAM harp-ist Oisin Morrison was one of two winners of the Sean O’Riada Gold Medal for musician-ship at the finale of the national contest in Cork on January 18.

Oisin and the other winner, piper Tiarnan O’Duinnchinneach, were each presented with a gold medal specially designed by Cashel gold-smith Padraig O Mathuna along with a cheque for €1,250 at the event in the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork.

The final was broadcast live on RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta.

Gold-medal winner Oisin has a degree in Irish and music from UCD, is an Ad Astra Performing Arts scholar and is cur-rently studying for a mas-

ters degree in Irish. He has been playing

harp for 10 years and, in 2011, was chosen to rep-resent Ireland, along with fiddler Aidan Connolly, at the Celtic Congress Cen-tenary. Oisin also teaches music in Dublin, and has performed at various fes-tivals.

The Gazette spoke to Oisin about his triumph and what it will mean for his musical career: “I was shocked to win initially, but now I’m really thrilled. The whole competition was of such a high stand-ard, and it was lovely to see all the musicians again, it’s rare that we’re all together in one place.

“Sean O’Riada did a Trojan amount of work for Irish music and to receive an award in his name is a huge honour. Another honour was that the medal was presented to

me by Sean O’Shea, who worked with O’Riada.

“The accomplishment will be a great addition to my CV, of course, but it means even more. I will hang the medal on the wall, it is a lovely thing.”

Oisin is an Irish music enthusiast and, although he collaborates with other genres from time to time, he never strays too far from traditional music.

“I’m mainly traditional and am concentrating on that. I haven’t really approached any other genre but have collabo-rated with musicians of other styles of music. I’m giving composing a go, too. The harp is such a harmonic instru-ment as well as melodic, it doesn’t just produce a single note or chord, so this lends itself to a lot of different sounds being produced.”

O i s i n h a d s o m e advice for up-and-com-ing musicians on how to reach a comparable level of excellence: “I’d say to any young musi-cian – play as much as you can, go to sessions, there are plenty of them around, and immerse yourself completely in the music.”

Fifteen finalists com-peted at the event dur-ing which another local musician, Churchtown piper Fionnan MacGa-bhann, also performed.

This is the third year of the competit ion, organised by Peadar O Riada in tandem with his RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta programme, Cuireadh chun Ceoil.

O’Riada set up the competit ion to cel-ebrate the musicality, spirit and character in traditional music.

Music Local is plucky enough to win

VEOLIA, the transport company that operates the Luas, is calling on Dun-drum residents to help to identify the owner of a mobility scooter which was found abandoned on the Dundrum Luas sta-tion platform in Novem-ber 2012 and has to date not been claimed.

The scooter was found on the platform at Dun-drum on Friday, Novem-ber 30 at about 10.20 am. Some Alstom power grid staff who were working at the Dundrum stop saw a man arrive on the scooter, he then got off it and got onto a tram going inbound to the city. According Veolia staff, witnesses are of the opinion that it was this man’s scooter.

abandonedThe scooter, once

declared as abandoned on the platform, was brought to Sandyford Luas Depot where it is still being kept. Dundrum Garda Sta-tion was notified of the unusual find and, when it had not been claimed by the following week, Veolia began to make its own enquiries. The Irish Wheelchair Association could offer no help.

There was still no response when Veolia made up posters and placed them on the notice board at Dundrum.

The mystery intensified as the transport company contacted the suppliers of the type of vehicle in Ireland, but they have no record of it.

The scooter’s serial number is 0707 009101 0B7 4843 and the model is INVA CARE – AURI-GA.

If you have any infor-mation on who might own the scooter, call Luas on Freephone 1800 300 604.

fiNd: veOLia seek iNfOMystery scooter owner sought


ConstruCtion Complex set to cost €36.6 million

tender sought for Beckett centre project baiRbRe Ni bhRaoiNaiN

THE tender to build the Samuel Beckett Centre and Library in Moran Park has been advertised by Dun Laoghaire-Rath-down County Council, the first phase on the road to creating a €36.6 million library and cul-tural centre.

Phase 1 of the Samuel Beckett Civic Campus, will see the construction of a two-storey build-ing which will house a community centre and a library. There will also

be GAA pitch, soccer pitches, a playground and more facilities created at the location.

Local Labour coun-cillor Lettie McCarthy welcomed the news: “I’m delighted to see that the council is keeping its part of the bargain for the complex and driving the whole thing through from within. The quicker I see yellow helmets working on the site, the better.”

A statement from the council said that the site on which the centre is to be located is an 18-acre

green-field site adjacent to the Luas line in Bal-lyogan.

The building will be a composite timber and concrete frame construc-tion.

The building’s natural ventilation strategy and environmental opera-tion are delivered in part by the performance of a timber window/cladding system.

“The tender process to choose a building con-tractor to carry out the works has begun and the council anticipate com-

Labour Councillor Lettie McCarthy has welcomed the tender advertisement

mencing constuction on site this summer,” said the statement.

“DLR Leisure Sevices will operate the centre when it is completed in late 2014.”

Dundrum councillor, Tom Murphy (FF) said of the announcement: “It’s gone out to tender

now and to be honest, I’m delighted. I think the whole area has been a long time waiting for this to go ahead. So it’s great news.

“This first phase will cost around €15 million which the council col-lected from a lot of levies from development in the

area over the years, so it’s really important that that money goes back into the area so the local people can get the benefit of this facility.

“It will create plenty of jobs from construction to those in the community and be great for children in the area.”

Internal overhaul of councilAN internal overhaul of how Dun Laoghaire-R a t h d ow n C o u n t y Council conducts its business was adopted at a council meeting recently.

According to Labour Counci l lor R ichard Humphreys, the motion to alter many of its inter-nal structures will result in a smoother and more efficient council in the future.

“ T h e n u m b e r o f council rules has been reduced from 143 stand-ing orders down to 38, in a more simplified and streamlined form,” Humphreys said.

The changes also deal with how the council fills vacancies left by councillors not affiliat-ed to any party who die in office or resign early.

review

10 DUNDRUM gazette 24 January 2013

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

Dandelion on Stephen’s Green hosted the offi-cial wrap party for the cast and crew of the hit TV show dublin Wives recently.

The wives, or shall we say wannabe wives, as only one of them is married, lisa Murphy, Virginia Macari, Jo

Jordan, Roz Flanagan and danielle Meagher were all in attendance and looking as glam and sparkly as ever.

The group of five opinionated, ambitious and very glam-orous young women had the nation fascinated with their fluffy antics around ireland and beyond.

That’s a wrap, as TV show ends on a high

Christine Urban and ally Morron. Pictures: Una Williams

Lisa Murphy, Roz Flanagan, Virginia Macari, Jo Jordan and Danielle Meagher Jane Lundon, Deirdre Lundon and Melina Skvortsova

Helen Dwyer and Valerie Roe

emma english and Bernie Cafolla

Patricia Olufemi and Joanne Kimani

elaine O’Brien and Ciara Lambert

24 January 2013 Gazette 11

dublinlifeGa

zett

e

let 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

dance ireland: honourinG european dance

Putting best foot forward to mark coming of ageDance Ireland is cel-ebrating its 21st anniver-sary over the next two months with a series of performances which honour a variety of euro-pean dance traditions to mark Ireland’s eU Presi-dency.

Made In Dublin is the first part of Dance Ire-land 21; a year-long pro-gramme of dance events to celebrate the organisa-tion’s anniversary.

Dance Ireland will

showcase the Irish dance community through-out the year with a pro-gramme including live per formances, f i lm, photography, talks and more.

Made In Dublin is a week long introduction to this year of dance and is a season of perform-ances to be held in the Project arts centre and the abbey Theatre by international and nation-al artists in Dance House

over the last six years.The season kicks off

on January 28 with Body and Forgetting by the Liz Roche company, who are based in Ireland.

Others lined up are Portuguese artist, clau-dia Dias performing her solo show, Vontade de Ter Vontade; a triple bill of Irish dancers Liv O’Donoghue and John Scott Dance and Ital-ian dancer elena Gian-notti; French troupe La

Zampa, austria’s Loose collective and many more triple and double bills featuring dancers from Spain, Ireland and cyprus, all located at the Project arts centre.

Tickets for Made In Dublin performances can be purchased at Project arts centre at www.projectartscentre.ie or by ringing 01 8819613/4 and the full programme of events is available at www.danceireland/21. Dancer Liv O’Donoghue will perform. Pictures: Enrico Fuga

feature p13diary p12 asdfsdaf p27business p16

12 Gazette 24 January 2013

dublinlifeGaze

tte

diary

Sparking enthusiasm for engineeringThis year’s Engineers’ Week, an annual cam-paign to promote engi-neering as a career, is set to take place from Febru-ary 25 until March 3.

This year ’s event, themed Bringing Dreams To Life, and organised by Engineers ireland, is focused on showcasing the possibilities a career in engineering can offer.

John Power, director general of Engineers ire-land, recently called on enterprise and academia for their full support: “Engineers are involved in so many exciting and

essential roles – they build cities, they design medical devices, they create enter-tainment products and much more besides. With-out the input of engineers, many great ideas would remain fixed in the imagi-nation and never become a reality.”

Engineers ireland is asking businesses and colleges to open for pub-lic tours, to run engineer-ing-related workshops or activities or to develop an initiative of their own.

Those who wish to par-ticipate are invited to visit www.engineersweek.ie.

the only Game in towniF you have not gone to see GAME: The Future of Play in the science Gal-lery in Trinity College, you still have a few days to see this fascinating exhibition before it closes this week-end.

The free exhibition features work by world-renowned game designers such as Eric Zimmerman and architect Nathalie Pozzi.

GAME offers you the chance to get directly involved in the future of gaming as many hitherto

unrevealed games are available for the visitor to sample. Not only that, but there is also an opportu-nity for avid gamers to design their own game with John healey and Game Design Lab. Once you realise your own crea-tion, you can then upload it onto the science Gal-lery’s GAME Lab PCs for other visitors to play.

GAME runs until Janu-ary 20 in the science Gal-lery, Trinity College from 12 noon to 8pm on week-days, and from 12 noon to 6pm at the weekend.

boost in toy donationsThE bleak economic outlook did nothing to dampen irish people’s giving spirit over Christ-mas as the 2012 RTE 2fm Toy Appeal for st Vincent de Paul in association with superValu saw some 65,000 toys donated and distributed to families.

The number shows an increase of 9,000 on the 56,000 toys collected dur-ing last year’s appeal and the toys donated have been calculated to have a value of over €1 million.

Led by 2FM presenters, including Ryan Tubridy, hector O hEochagain, Ruth scott, Colm hayes and Larry Gogan, 2FM Toy Appeal’s stated wish for 2012 was “that every child got a toy for Christ-mas”.

Tubridy said: “The fig-ures this year speak vol-umes about the generos-ity of the irish public.

“Even during times as tough as these, peo-ple have dug deep and helped to put smiles on the faces of children who might otherwise have had nothing to wake up to on Christ-mas morning”

ellie mooney (five) and Gavin deRoste (five) launch engineers’ week

24 January 2013 GAZETTE 13

FEATURE

ROB HEIGH

IMITATION is the sin-cerest form of flattery, so Michael Winslow must be the sincerest man on the planet.

The vocal gymnast who leapt to fame in the Police Academy movies in the 1980s is coming back to embark on a two-week tour of Ireland in the next few weeks, including a date with Dublin at Whelan’s on Sunday, February 2.

Currently on the east coast of the US, the Gazette asked Michael how and where he got his start in comedy: “I started by watching every old TV show I could to do with com-edy, and the Saturday

morning cartoons on TV. The voice artistry and sound effects were what appealed to me – they were cool, man. I started adding my own sound effects, putting extra noises to the cartoons, and Charlie Chaplin movies.”

The youngest of six children in a US Air Force family who trav-elled from air base to air base as Michael grew up, the travelling lifestyle was something he was used to from an early age. “It was tough, and we travelled a lot, I had to make new friends all the time – or make up new friends, or dogs, or cats, or trucks, anything that would keep me occupied.“

Eventually, he moved to Los Angeles to pur-sue his career in com-edy, where there were some hard lessons to learn before he reached where he wanted to be.

On stage

“Well, to begin with, I wouldn’t recommend hitch-hiking to Califor-nia, not even to Navy Seals! And I wouldn’t r e c o m m e n d b e i n g homeless, either, which I was for a while. But I knew what I wanted to do, and so I would try to get on stage at every comedy club there was – the Improv, the Comedy Store.

“I was starting at the bottom and working my way up. I was lucky

to get onto [classic US talent show] The Gong Show, with Chuck Bar-ris, and from winning the show, I could afford a car to live in – so I was mobile homeless! That gave me the chance to drive to other clubs and get sets there.”

Michael’s career went from strength to strength, eventually being cast as Larvelle Jones in Police Academy. Since then, he has used his skills in clas-sic movies like Gremlins, Back To The Future, as well as numerous TV shows.

We asked Michael what he would call his brand of comedy – “My wife calls me a voice-trumentalist, so that’s close enough.”

The voice artistry of Winslow back in Ireland

F ina l l y , M icha e l explained what it is that he most likes about coming to Ireland, a regular slot on his

stand-up tours.“What I like most is

that Ireland in terms of comedy is so open-minded, and I get the

chance to work with local musicians. For me, my job is to help every-one forget about the rent for an hour.”

American actor and comedian Michael Winslow at

work (above) and as Larvelle Jones in Police Academy

chance to work with


dublinlifeGaze

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business

PlayFit expansion plan set to create 10 jobs

growth at exercise comPany

Use ‘15 seconds’ to save for your life

finance: each staGe of livinG needs a plan

I’VE been at my wits’ end trying to turn financial-planning theory into something a bit more practical.

What I have come up with is a series of check-lists, each designed to summarise the sort of things one should be thinking about at differ-ent stages of one’s life.

Here is the 15-second version of the 15-minute guide to sorting out your finances:

1. Decide what you want to achieve, and over

what period.2. Work out what

action you need to take to achieve it.

3. Take the required action.

4. Monitor the results and change your tactics if things are not going according to plan.

A big part of this proc-ess is going to involve choosing the right finan-cial products for your needs.

A few words of warn-ing: think carefully before you buy any financial

product because some-one has told you that you should.

A good example of this is the way mortgage bro-kers and lenders push life cover on people without partners and/or depend-ants.

I mean, why worry about paying off your mortgage after you’re dead if there is no one you actually want to ben-efit?

There follows a series of steps to suit whatever stage of life you are in.

Young and freeYoung? No responsi-

bilities? Anyone who tells you to “enjoy it while you can” is not your friend.

I mean, yes, enjoy it – but this shouldn’t pre-clude planning for the future. Here are the key action points you may

want to consider:• Creating an emergen-

cy fund to cover unex-pected expenses.

• Paying off any per-sonal or student loans.

• Short-term saving for cars, holidays and so forth.

• Income protection in case you are unable to work for any reason.

• Starting a pension plan. It is never too early.

• Saving for major purchases, such as the deposit to buy a home.

Next week, I offer financial advice for your other stages in life ...

contact John with your

money questions at jlowe@

moneydoctor.ie or visit his

website at www.moneydoc-

tor.ie. John lowe, fellow of

the institute of Bankers, is

founder and managing direc-

tor of Money doctor

BairBre Ni BhraoNaiN

TEN jobs are set to be created by PlayFit, the children’s exercise company, across greater Dublin as they continue to expand their operations.

The employees will travel to ven-ues including Sandyford, Swords, Dundrum, Stillorgan and Terenure to give multi-sport and activity play classes to children aged three to eight.

The majority of the new PlayFit positions are for exercise physiolo-gists with a third-level education in exercise or teaching, along with playing and coaching experience in activities such as gymnastics, rugby, soccer, GAA, basketball and athlet-ics.

According to a Dublin City Uni-versity report, only 19% of primary school children get the 60 min-utes of daily exercise that is rec-ommended by the Department of Health and Children.

PlayFit was formed in 2012 by Liza Crotty and Mark Sweeney.

Crotty said: “Since we launched in September 2012, the demand for our classes has been phenomenal.

“While this expansion will ini-tially cover the Dublin area, by Sep-tember of this year we plan to move into other parts of the country.

“Interested candidates should visit our website – www.playfit.ie – to apply, as we are recruiting imme-diately for these positions.”

Candidates for the new positions need to have their own transport to get from the PlayFit venue to their

required venue.The 10 new roles are a combina-

tion of full- and part-time positions and would suit gym instructors and personal trainers.

Successful candidates will host PlayFit classes designed to aid the development of children’s funda-mental movement skills (tumbling, running, hopping and leaping) and ball skills (bouncing, kick-ing, throwing and catching), while building self-confidence in a non-competitive, supportive environ-ment.

There will be two sets of classes for two age groups – juniors, which will be for ages three to five, and seniors, aged six to eight.

PlayFit is a joint venture subsidi-ary of ClapHandies, which provides developmental training for babies and toddlers, and Fit For Life, which is a service to keep those in nursing homes fit and healthy.

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‘since we launched, the demand for our classes has been phenomenal. while this expansion will initially cover the dublin area, by september of this year we plan to move into other parts of the country’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -liza crotty, co-founder, playfit- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

the founders of PlayFit, Liz Crotty and Mark Sweeney

24 January 2013 Gazette 15Ga

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Brides-to-be can expe-rience the red carpet treatment at the Bracken Court Hotel in Balbrig-gan later this month, when they hold their Wedding showcase on sunday, February 13.

With the hotel host-ing over 100 weddings in 2012, they are one of dublin’s busiest and most experienced wed-ding venues.

Only one wedding a day is hosted in the Bracken Court, to ensure an exclusive wedding

experience, and com-plete focus on the wed-ding party.

The showcase intends to give newly-engaged couples a chance to view the hotel set up for a wedding, allowing them a unique insight into how the venue will look for their special day. On hand to offer advice and tips will be the hotel’s wedding co-ordinators, who will be available to speak with on the day, while providing a vast experience and knowl-

edge on the hotel and its services.

The hotel will be pre-senting the complete wedding experience, allowing visitors view the hotel’s two suites, which will be dressed in a vari-ety of wedding styles.

Menu selections can be discussed, and advi-sors will be on hand to address all aspects of the special day, from accom-modation and guest services, to the recep-tion, meal, flowers, and entertainment.

The hotel have a number of packages available, including the all inclusive wedding from €2,450 for 100 people, while unique touches can be designed to suit each occasion, from bespoke menus, right down to the com-plimentary chair covers and coordinating bows in the wedding suite.

Admission to the Bracken Court Hotel wedding showcase is free, and complimentary spar-kling wine and canapés

Red carpet treatment at Bracken Court Hotel

the wedding showcase intends to give newly-engaged couples a chance to view the

hotel set up for a wedding

will be served. A select number of exhibitors will also be there, including limousine companies, cake designers, and entertainers, who can

advise and help plan the special day.

For further informa-tion, or to enquire about 2013/2014 wedding pack-age specials, contact the

Bracken Court Hotel’s dedicated team, Jean Bermingham and Helga duffy, on 01-841 3333 or e-mail [email protected]

l w edd ing showcase l

&bride groomD u b l i n ’ s c o m p l e t e g u i D e t o y o u r w e D D i n g


l g low ing sk i n l

Janette Ryan

Pharmacy training manager

It’s your wedding day, all eyes are on you, and every bride wants to look their very best on their big day.

Glowing skin is key to a radiant bride and to achieve this you need to put in the work – prepara-tion is key!

to ensure you wake up with healthy skin that’s glowing with vitality on your big day, invest in a skincare plan as soon as possible. the more effort you put in, the better the results.

skincare expert Janette Ryan, training manager for Vichy and La Roche-

Posay, has put together some top tips for brides:

the lead up

• If you don’t already follow one now is the time to adopt a daily skincare routine. speak to the skincare advisor in your local pharmacy to devel-op a regime specifically

for your skin. • Avoid any drastic diets

for your wedding, as it will show negatively on your skin. Adopt a healthy eat-ing regime, exercise and drink lots of water for a radiant glow.

• Choose a daily mois-turiser that will help with extra radiance.

Skincare tips for brides-to-be

Skincare expert Janette Ryan, training manager for Vichy and La Roche-Posay

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• start using a facial mask once a week; this will give skin a great boost. Choose a product that best suits your skins unique needs – hydrating, radiance or deep pore cleansing.

• Get your skin in peak condition by dry brushing your body with a natural bristle brush once a week. start at your feet and work upwards towards the heart in long, firm strokes. Follow with a moisturising body lotion.

• It’s important to keep your skin hydrated, espe-cially if you work in air-conditioned offices.

the week before

• Avoid deep-cleansing masks which might bring imperfections to the sur-face. Opt for something hydrating and soothing.

• Relax as much as pos-sible – stress can manifest as imperfections on your skin. Have a bath, light a candle, take some time for yourself and forget any wedding anxieties.

• Include a daily gentle exfoliator to your beauty regime, which will really help give your skin a flaw-less look and leave you ready for all those camera lenses!

On the big day

• sleep is the best thing you can do for your skin. Get a really good rest the night before, you will look rested and avoid bags under the eyes.

• Choose a mattifying base product that will ensure you are shine-free all day.

• Have your chief brides-maid keep a mini thermal spa water on hand to keep you cool and hydrated. Relax, laugh and enjoy your special day.

&bride groom

Vichy Idealia Smoothing and Illuminating Cream

refines skin texture and illuminates the skin


Search is over for good fitWedding shoe design-ers Aruna Seth have tapped into the bride’s i n n a t e m a g n e t i s m towards footwear and have made it that little bit easier for brides to get their hands on that per-fect pair of shoes.

earlier this month, the brand launched a new-look website, especially designed to simplify the bridal shoe shopping process and make the experience even more pleasant.

For irish brides hoping to get their hands on these beauties, as well as visiting arunaseth.com, you can also stop by Aruna Seth’s newest stockist, Knights-bridge Boutique in the Powerscourt Centre.

A dedicated team for the perfect dayit’S that time at the turning of the year when thoughts turn to plans for special wedding days, and with that in mind, the Red Cow Moran Hotel is holding their wedding showcase on February 17, from 2 to 6pm.

the Red Cow’s wed-ding packages start from €40pp and include eve-rything every wedding day requires, from drinks receptions in the contem-porary style of the hotel’s four-star surroundings and four-course meal with selected wines for the all-important wedding guests, to the champagne toast, evening reception and bar extension. the welcome extended to

happy couples includes a red-carpet welcome, flo-ral centerpieces for tables and the bridal suite for the bride and groom.

the Red Cow also offer preferable accommoda-tion rates for wedding guests, who can enjoy the best that this renowned dublin landmark has to offer.

the hotel’s dedicated wedding coordinators promise that they will

always go the extra mile to make your big day truly unforgettable, and the showcase is an ideal opportunity to get a taste of what the Red Cow have to offer on wedding day.

For more information, contact Sinead at the Red Cow Moran Hotel on 01 459 3650, via email at [email protected], or log on to www.redcowmoranhotel.com. Showcase: Newgrange Hotel to

hold a wedding open eveningnavan’s newgrange Hotel is holding a wedding open evening on thursday, January 31 from 5 to 9pm where Karine Kavanagh, the hotel’s wedding coordinator, will be helping to showcase the hotel and its wedding facilities. For more information, contact the hotel on 046 90 74100, or log on to www.newgrangehotel.ie.

D u b l i n ’ s c o m p l e t e g u i D e t o y o u r w e D D i n g


l romant i c and a f fordable opt i ons l

BETWEEN paying for the wedding and setting up a new household, many couples find there’s not much money left in their budget for the hon-eymoon.

But who says you have to spend a fortune to enjoy a romantic hon-

eymoon at your dream destination? Here are some simple ideas for a more affordable, yet still romantic, honeymoon.

Gift of a honeymoon

You can spread the cost of your honeymoon, or perhaps even cover the

Honeymoons at the right price

Who says you have to spend a fortune to enjoy your honeymoon?

cost entirely, by listing it on a honeymoon gift reg-istry. A honeymoon regis-try works just like a wed-ding registry, but instead of buying you china, your wedding guests buy you a trip to China (or the hon-eymoon destination of your choice).

Yes, your guests could just contribute cash toward your honeymoon, but giving a particular portion of the honey-moon (dinner at a fancy restaurant, or a carriage ride through the historic

district of a far-off city, for example) is somehow more meaningful.

exchange homes

If you prefer to min-gle with the locals rather than other tourists, look into a home exchange for your honeymoon. In a nutshell, you go stay in someone else’s house while they stay in yours.

Sound risky? Maybe, but tens of thousands of people have exchanged homes across the world since the 1950s. For an

annual subscription, home exchange clubs will help you find someone willing to swap homes with you, as well as offering tips to make the exchange go

smoothly. According to exchangehomes.com, a home exchange can cut your travel costs by as much as half.

travel in the

off-season

It may be obvious to seasoned travellers, but those with less experi-ence may not be aware of how affordable it can be to honeymoon in the “off-season” — basically, any time other than when most people travel to your destination.

Certain destinations’ accommodation and airfare prices may be slashed by 30% or more during the off-season, compared to the peak travel season.

Consider airline

alternatives

When booking airfare online, don’t overlook the discount airlines — some are not listed on the big travel portal websites, even though they might have a lower fare to your destination.

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Bloomfield House Hotel in mullinger has announced the return of Red or Black, their wed-ding game show, which offers everyone who enters the opportunity to play for the wedding of their dreams, and every-one who plays the game has an equal chance of winning.

Based on the TV game-show of the same name, the contest will take place at the hotel on Sunday, february 17.

The overall prize includes a huge range of special day prizes,

including personalised handmade wedding sta-tionery by Janice Baker Stationery, and bridal make-up by Bloomfield Spa and bridal hair by the five-star indulgence will complete that glam-orous look for the day.

Chauffeured

The winning couple will be chauffeured in style in a vintage Bent-ley Rolls Royce from Rover Coaches, and on arrival, guests will enjoy treats from mrs maguires Sweet Shop, as well as a sparkling wine and cana-

pes reception. All the happy memo-

ries on the day will be captured by Helena flynn Photo Services, and the wedding cake, a treasured focal point on your spe-cial day, will be provided by Cakes by Una.

The prize also includes a Supreme Wedding Package for 100 persons at the four-star hotel.

“The wedding package itself, the hotel, rooms, food, band, dancers, dJ, cake, florist, car/driver, photographer, videog-rapher, hairdressers, make-up people, were

Wedding game show returns

the Marleys: Last year’s Red Or Black game show winners

all superb,” said Roisin marley, the 2012 Red or Black winner. “Now, after the big day all i can confirm is that all that warmth and willingness to make the day the hap-piest and best of our lives

shone through from eve-rybody.”

With over 33 years’ experience in hosting wedding receptions, the four-star Bloomfield House Hotel is renowned for service, atmosphere

and customer care. for the chance to

win the wedding pack-age, contact Bloomfield House Hotel on 044 9340894 for full details, or log on to www.bloom-fieldhousehotel.ie

if yoU are dreaming of a fairytale wedding day at a historical castle, then the enchanting Trim Cas-tle Hotel, which recently won the 2012 Best Wed-ding Venue in leinster, may be the venue for you.

The hotel is holding its annual wedding fair on Sunday, february 24 from 2 to 5pm, and if you are in search of a unique wed-ding venue, this is a day not to be missed…

Trim Castle Hotel sits with quiet authority over-looking the mystical Trim Castle and the adjoin-ing rolling lawns of St Patrick’s Church.

A spokesperson for the hotel commented: “Trim Castle Hotel is the perfect choice for your reception as it possesses the old world charisma of the historical Anglo- Norman castle, and the contemporary standards of magnificent food and stunning decor.”

The hotel also boasts a rooftop terrace from which guests can admire the impressive castle.

The floor to ceiling win-dows of the Great Hall banqueting suite and pre-function area allow a view of the castle and church lawns. The roof-top gar-den located on the third floor provides an impres-sive backdrop for wedding photography.

An all-inclusive pack-age is available on key dates in 2013, 2014 for only €55pp. There are also excellent packages available for January and february 2015.

for information, con-tact the wedding co-ordi-nators at Trim Castle on 046 948 3000, or email [email protected]. more is available online at www.trimcastle-hotel.com

Fairytale Big Day at Trim Castle

l b loomf i e ld house l

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Successful fair at the Bridge HouseThe Bridge house hotel in Tullamore, Co Offaly, last week cel-ebrated another success-ful wedding fair that saw prospective brides and grooms-to-be gather at the hotel.

The hotel is located less than 90 minutes from Dublin, Galway and Lim-erick, and aims to pro-vide for all their wedding needs, including venues for civil ceremonies, large weddings up to 350 peo-ple and smaller wedding receptions for up to 60 people.

The hotel’s dedicated wedding team carry over 40 years of wedding expe-rience while the stun-ning Secret Garden at the hotel, designed to be a prime spot for the all-important wedding party

pictures, is a little place of mystery where brides and grooms can hide away in a magical place on their special day.

Another key photogra-phy location at the hotel is the staircase, which was designed to exactly replicate the infamous staircase in the film Titanic.

Now with a dedicated wedding website, http://tullamore-weddings.bridgehouse.com/, poten-tial brides and grooms can preview exactly what the Bridge house hotel has to offer and learn more about the hotel’s wedding team.

For further information, visit www.bridgehouse-hoteltullamore.ie or Lo-call 1850 312 312 / 057 9325600

A perfect dress for a special day hiromi mooney

eVeRY woman desires to have the perfect dress for their special day, to walk up the aisle to marry the man of their dreams. So getting the right dress is of utmost importance.

The shape is the key feature to look out for in wedding dresses, accord-ing to owner of bridal wear supplier Darling-Wear, Miriam Dempsey.

“I know brides read it in books, but I really think they need to wear dresses in a shape that actually suits their figure. I think it’s very important to get a neckline that suits the bust line, and I think people can get very lost in – maybe wearing

strapless dresses when they ordinarily wouldn’t wear strapless dresses.

“I always ask a bride if they’re looking at a strap-less dress, would they ever wear a strapless top, and if the answer is no, they probably shouldn’t be looking at strapless brid-al dresses either. There’s a reason that they prob-ably haven’t worn them for the last 10 years,” she advises.

Miriam understands how difficult it can be to choose the right wedding dress, so at DarlingWear she offers customers one-to-one appointments at the showrooms, which are located at The Gables at Kill in Tullow, Co Car-low.

l what to we ar l

the shape is the key feature to look out for in wedding dresses

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24 January 2013 DUNDRUM gazette 23

A perfect dress for a special day

Showcase: Viewing at Thomas Priory HallthoMas pRioR hall, an award-winning wedding venue situated in Ballsbridge in Dublin, is holding a wedding showcase this weekend on Saturday, January 26 and 27. This will be a great opportunity for brides- and grooms-to-be to view the venue as it would appear on their wedding day. For more details, contact wedding co-ordinator Barbara on 01 668 1111, or email [email protected].

l what to we ar l

This exclusive person-al time gives customers a chance to select their dress in a comfortable and private environ-ment. DarlingWear are open on an appointment basis only, seven days a week.

“There’s a lot of flex-ibility on appointments,”

she says. “I have brides and bridesmaids who come for appointments at night because some-times it’s hard to get bridesmaids and brides off from work at the same time. A lot of peo-ple work on Saturdays, so that doesn’t work, so I also do appointments on

Sundays.” DarlingWear have

sourced their products worldwide, and as well as bridal wear and the bridesmaids collection, they also stock a wide range of accessories, footwear, communion wear and evening wear. The bridal collection includes designs from Venus Bridal, D’Zage, Romantica, Mascara and Manon Fashions.

“I’m competitive on pricing, and the big thing is the discount options

and very good value on accessories – I’ve really gone and researched and got some good acces-sories and veils,” says Miriam.

“I give 10% off if people are buying two or more bridesmaid dresses, and then there’s the order and collect service. There’s 20% off where [custom-ers] come and place the order for the dress that they want, they get measured up, and then they collect them when they come in, and they get their alterations done [by] themselves locally.”

DarlingWear source their products worldwide

D u b l i n ’ s c o m p l e t e g u i D e t o y o u r w e D D i n g

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‘i think it’s very important to get a neckline that suits the bust line’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


OUT&ABOUT Gaze

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Motors

The going is great with GTn CoRMaC CURtis

The motor industry never tires of acronyms – ABS, eBD, eSP, CVT, eGR, TC.

There is a dizzying array of abbreviations for all kinds of features and every level of spec, but the one that really reso-nates is GT.

Coming from the Ital-ian, Gran Tourismo, sim-ply put means that the car can go the distance in comfort, and with some serious spring in its step.

I have recently been lucky enough to test three different models all given the GT Line spec, all of which came from the same manufacturer – Renault.

From the punchy little Megane Coupe GT Line to the muscular Megane hatch GT Line and the daddy of the three, the Grand Megane GT Line, this is an impressive line-up of cars.

They may come from the same manufacturer, bear the same family

name and spec, but we are talking about three very different personali-ties here.

The first of the three I drove was the hatch, and what a surprise it had in store.

Packing a 110bhp 1.5-litre diesel engine, but boasting fuel-saving stop-start technology, this model has all the prac-ticality of a five-door car with the thrill of some-thing far more lunatic.

The car combines a sport chassis developed by Renault Sport, for extra driving excitement, with exclusive interior and exterior design ele-ments, rear diffuser, 17” alloy wheels, sport seats and aluminium pedals.

Next in line for me was the Grand Megane GT Line – the model that is begging to be taken for a spin down through France and perhaps to the north Spanish coast?

Yes, this is the kind of trip the Grand Megane was built for.

the Megane family may come from the same manufacturer, but they have three very different personalities

renault meGane: the Gazette tests an impressive line-up of cars

The 1.5-litre diesel engine, this time coupled to an automatic gearbox, was well matched to the weight of the car, giving plenty of power when needed.

This car gives the driv-er a wealth of features to make serious touring a pleasure.

Starting with the heat-ed, split-leather seats, the interior oozes comfort.

The contrast stitching around the gear stick and steering wheel feels reas-suring to the touch, while a host of clever compart-ments offer practical

storage in every corner of the cabin, even in the footwell.

entertainment comes in the form of the Renault R-PLUG&R ADIO+, offering connectiv-ity solutions for all your mobile devices including a jack plug in the front and built-in Bluetooth® technology for mobile phones, with voice rec-ognition and audio-streaming. With the Plug & Music option you can connect your MP3 player to the USB or Jack socket and control the system using the central

control.Navigation is handled

by the Carminat Tom-Tom® LIVe, which is Renault’s new onboard, connected navigation system. Its central con-trol provides intuitive, safe access to the various functions.

So, to the last of the family, the sexy Megane Coupe GT Line.

Keeping in mind this little beauty has the same 1.5-litre diesel engine under the hood, you can imagine the kind of drive you have waiting in store.

every bit the mad yoke you would expect, yet brimming with bags of the aforementioned GT Line spec of its siblings – this was my favourite of the three cars.

Maybe not my very first choice when I put my practical hat on, but the amount of features crammed into this little motor is nothing short of staggering, and man does she move about.

These are cars that Renault should be proud of, and are sure to tempt some new buyers in their direction.

Toyota have announced Cars for Good winnersTOYOTA Ireland have announced that Irish Dogs for the Disabled and St Ultans in Cherry Orchard, Dublin were selected as the recipients of new Toy-ota cars as part of its 2013 Cars for Good programme. To date, Toyota have donated more than €80,000 worth of vehicles to charity since the pro-gramme’s inception in 2012.

As the awarded recipients, both St Ultans and Dogs for the Disabled, which are based in Co. Cork, will receive a donation of one vehicle each from Toyota Ireland, up to the value of €20,000. The organisations can choose to raffle the car to raise funds or register the car for day to day needs.

NOISEroad

24 January 2013 DUNDRUM gazette 25

Travel

Gazette

Relax in style in Dubai’s newest beach front hotel Natalie bURke

Dubai is no stranger to luxury. Whether it’s a private beach, a five-star hotel or designer shop-ping experiences, the Middle-Eastern destina-tion is one that is ever-in-creasing in its popularity.

but for those seeking a more exclusive visit, it will come as good news that Dubai’s recently opened four-star Ocean View Hotel is not only Dubai’s newest hotel, but the only beach-front hotel to grace the shores of Dubai and the only four-star to be situated on The Walk.

Having just opened its newly carved doors to the public, as recent-ly as December 2012, the hotel has already gained a hugely positive response. Perhaps one reason being that it is the latest venture of the prestigious Ja Resorts and Hotels.

its parent company already owns the well-known Dubai resorts –

the Oasis beach Tower and Jebel al i Golf Resort and Spa.

Overlooking the ara-bian Gulf, the Ocean View Hotel celebrates its surroundings by boasting a total of 342 rooms and suites, most of which feature sea views (hence the befit-ting name).

With each room fea-turing all the mod-cons, including a flat-screen television, guests can make the most of the large selection of inter-national satellite chan-nels and avail of free-wifi across the premises.

Shopping

Holding a prominent and fortunate position on The Walk, a 1.7km-long retail and beach-side shopping prom-enade, the hotel is steps away from the public beach it presides over. it also offers a selection of five different restau-rants, meaning there is variety for every guest,

as well as a number of bars, with the inclusion of an executive lounge.

While there is plenty to see and do outside, the hotel hasn’t taken any chances when it comes to four-star facilities and features a temperature-controlled free-form swimming pool with its own sea views, as well as a spa and health club.

With its fortunate location just seconds from the beach, guests can access the public beach or hop onto a complimentary shuttle to the nearby five-star private beach at Jebel ali Golf Resort and Spa. For a day away from the beach, the hotel also offers complimentary shuttle service to all major shopping malls.

“Ocean View Hotel appeals to a range of travellers, whether its families with young children who’ll love the kids club and pool, or couples who prefer the

Getaway: rooms with a view

a spacious Ocean View Hotel bedroom suite

range of different din-ing concepts,” explained William Harley-Fan-ning, the general man-ager of the new hotel.

Five-star service

“Ocean View Hotel has been positioned as a four-star but with five-star service and five-star facilities. We’re located right in the heart of Dubai Marina, so it’s a fantastic base to explore all Dubai’s famous sights and landmarks.”

With fantastic offers set to launch the hotel, William says it has been

a positive start to the year.

“until October 13, we’re offering a free upgrade from bed & breakfast basis to half board to celebrate the opening and the unique range of dining concepts within the grounds. We’re sure that’ll be an influencing factor for a lot of our guests and we hope that they’ll then come back again the following year.”

For more informa-tion, visit www.jaresort-shotels.com.

Dubai is becoming ever more popular as a destination for sun, relaxation and, of course, a bit of luxury

DunDrumCLASSIFIEDS 26 dundrum gazette 24 January 2013

dun Laoghaire rathdown

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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

zett

e

athletics: world body confers silver status on phoenix park event

LUcaN cLUb takes oN aiR coRps : ESKER ABC are running a boxing competi-tion with The Irish Air Corps on Friday, January 25 at 7.30pm in Baldonnel Aero-drome.

With over 10 senior and intermediate bouts on the night, it promises to be a great match up that the two organisation are hoping to turn into an annual match.

It also serves Esker ABC in their prepa-rations to take on a team from The New York State Athletic Club in New York on March 14.

Esker senior coach Martin O’Connell is a serving sergeant with the Defence Forces and has been instru-mental in organising this event alongside Irish senior champion Tommy Sheehan.

britton a marquee name for 2013 Great ireland road raceEUROPEAN cross country champion Fionnuala Britton says she is anxious-ly looking forward to this year’s Spar Great Ireland Run, and “just loves the Phoenix Park”.

She was speaking at the launch of the annual 10km race last week as the Sun-day, April 14 was confirmed as the date for this year, announced at the Radisson Hotel in Stillorgan.

Britton is one of the marquee names to compete in the race and launched the event along with fellow European senior women’s team mates Linda Byrne, Ava

Hutchinson and Lizzie Lee who all won gold in the team event.

Britton committed to lead the wom-en’s field in the run where she finished seventh in 2011. “I just love the Phoenix Park,” she said.

“There is no place better in Europe to run and the buzz around the Spar Great Ireland Run is incredible. Each year it gets bigger and better with more and more kids in their own races; and then runners, joggers and walkers of all abili-ties start in a top class international race to aim for their own personal best.”

This year’s run will be all about enjoy-ing a family running day out. It will begin with a Spar mini-run for five- to eight-year-olds over a lap of a mile and an adult can run or walk alongside each child.

After the mini-run comes the jun-ior run for nine- to 15-year-olds over a longer distance of 2.5km.

The day is topped off by the 10km main event which covers a scenic single lap of the Phoenix Park in its springtime glory.

The International Association of

Athletics Federations has conferred its Silver Road Race label on the Spar Great Ireland Run, in recognition of the event’s high standard of organisation, elite participation and media profile.

This is the only Irish event recognised in this way by the IAAF. Last year’s event was won in a stunning course record time of 27.49 by multiple Olympic gold medallist Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia. The women’s champion was Gemma Steel of Great Britain in 32.06.

The 2013 run will also act as the Irish 10k road championships.

ava Hutchinson, Fionnuala britton, Lizzie Lee and Linda byrne help launch the Great ireland Run 2013 at the Radission Hotel last week. Picture: Geraldine Woods

soccer p28 cricket p28 asdfsdaf p27

Fastsport

c o n ta c t sacting sports

editor: stephen Findlater

[email protected]

For more information or to send in news

and photos: [email protected]

Phone: 01 651 6205

Gaelic Games p29


SPORTGaze

tte

peteR [email protected]

C O O L M I N E m a n Stephen Henderson and Por tmarnock’s Conor Sammon could be in line for a Republic of Ireland debut after he was named in Giovanni Trappatoni’s extended 27-man panel to face Poland in the Three international friendly on February 6 in Aviva Stadium.

The shot-stopper was one of three goalkeep-ers named in the panel along with Kieron West-wood and David Forde as a number of Dublin-

ers received call-ups.Sammon, meanwhile,

gets the nod after a par-ticularly impressive fes-tive period with Derby County, netting four times since the start of December.

Former St Joseph’s Boys players abound-ed as Darren O’Dea, Paul McShane and Andy Keogh have all been included while Clondalkin man Glenn Whelan and Portmar-nock’s Stephen Ward are among the more established names in the panel.

The Republic of Ire-land manager was forced

to cancel his press con-ference in Dublin last Monday after his sister, Romilde Trapattoni, 81, passed away after a long illness in the early hours of this morning.

Speaking about the selection, though, the Trapattoni said: “I have decided to use this friendly game as an opportunity to work with younger players to see their potential.

“As a result, I have given senior players like Robbie Keane and Stephen Kelly a break for this fixture. We saw a number of strong per-formances from our

younger players in the second half of last year .

“We intend to build f rom those s t rong foundations, using this friendly match to intro-duce more new talent like Anthony Pilkington, Jeff Hendrick, Sammon and (Richard) Keogh. I look forward to working with these players, and seeing what they have to offer.”

Elsewhere, former Joey’s player Sam Byrne has been included in Republic of Ireland U19 team manager Paul Doolin for the forth-coming friendly inter-

nationals against the Czech Republic.

The Irish will face the Czechs in Longford on Tuesday, February 5, and again in Athlone on Thursday, February 7, as they build up their preparations for the UEFA Championships elite qualifying round in June.

Doolin is pleased to have a number of play-ers back at his disposal after injuries curtailed their involvement in the first phase in Lux-embourg last October when the Irish finished joint top of their group with Germany.

Dublin duo eye Republic debut

socceR: laRGe local continGent in inteRnational squaDFastsport

A NEWLY formed sponsorship arrangement between Cricket Ireland and RSA has seen a vast amount of cricket sets distributed to schools around the Leinster area.

Karl Lynch, a teacher at Tyrrelstown Edu-cate Together NS in west Dublin, was delighted to receive the new RSA-sponsored equipment and has seen first-hand the progress cricket has made since it started within the school.

Lynch, from Ballygawley in Co Tyrone and a playing member of the well-known Aireagal Chiarain GAA club has witnessed the game’s rise within the school of late.

“Last year, through the help of Cricket Ire-land and Fingal County Council, we started a cricket coaching programme with a small number of the fourth and fifth class children.

“The sessions proved a great success and from the teacher’s point of view it was most enjoyable as the children were so involved that behaviour was not a problem.

“It is a great game for both boys and girls to compete in evenly. The children learned some great skills relating to teamwork and more importantly communication’.

“Since then, they have been nagging me to start up a school team and to partake in the various competitions that run during the final school term. Give us another year and we will look to enter the Leprechaun Cup.”

Tyrrelstown school enjoy cricket explosion

clondalkin man Glenn Whelan is among the more established names in Giovanni trappatoni’s panel to meet poland


DUBLIN boss Anthony Daly says the addi-tion of Cuala duo Cian O’Callaghan and Colm Cronin along with Lucan Sarsfields’ Sean McClel-land has added an extra pep to the step of the county’s senior hurling panel ahead of the new season.

All three were part of the Dublin minor side that reached the All-Ire-land final last September but have been making an impact at training ahead of the side’s 2013 opener in the Walsh Cup this weekend.

To date, Daly has been working off an extended panel of 37 players as she tests his deck before trim-ming the squad for the national league.

Long-term injuries to Maurice O’Brien, Martin

Quilty, Stephen Hiney and Ryan O’Dwyer have limited his options some-what but those that have stepped into the breach have impressed.

Speaking at the launch of Stars of Erin’s Who Wants to be a Thou-sandaire? Fundraiser – which takes place on March 16 in Stillorgan Park Hotel – Daly told GazetteSport, the young-sters are making quite an impact at training.

“There’s a lot of young lads who have brought in a great old energy.

Those three off last year’s minor team, they’ll knock you good and hard and they’re still only repeat-ing or doing their Leaving Certs!

“All the older lads have commented how the younger lads being around has given a fresh impetus. Hopefully that will rub off.”

It’s a fresh outlook that Daly hopes permeates the squad. The two steps forward of a superb 2011, winning the National League and reaching the All-Ireland semi-final, were followed by three steps back in a low key 2012 in which only a Leinster championship win over Laois interrupt-ed their losing streak.

Last January, Daly said he did not mind too much losing in the first round of

the Walsh Cup but, with the benefit of hindsight, he does see a value in get-ting back into a winning mode.

“Being relegated dent-ed confidence so we’d be mad keen to get back and getting results flow-ing even though all the

psychologists will tell you now, it’s not about results but performances.

“Looking back to last year on the Walsh Cup, Laois beat us and we saw what we could do to Laois in the championship.

“Driving home that day, I probably thought we were just as well off out of it as we can focus on the league but maybe it was the thin end of the wedge and allowed standards to slip early on.

“We certainly would be focused on trying to get out of the blocks. It does give us a chance to try out a few lads. The Walsh Cup is not the be all and end all but at the same time, we want to get a couple of good games out of it.

“If we can win the quarter-final, we are likely to have Galway in Parnell and that would be a great

Fresh faces driving hope for New YearAnthony DAly is hoping that his side can make use of this year’s Walsh Cup campaign to get 2013 off to an upbeat start after a chastening 2012 season for the Dublin hurlers

Dublin senior hurling boss anthony Daly at the launch of the Stars of erin Who Wants

to be a thousandaire? fundraiser in Johnnie Fox’s last week Picture: Geraldine Woods

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

‘Those lads off the minors; they’ll knock you good and hard and they’re still only repeating or doing their Leaving Cert’ - Anthony Daly- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

GRANGE golf club enjoyed a proud week as one of their own, Paul McGinley, became the first Irishman to be appointed captain of the European Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles in 2014.

Speaking about the appointment, the Rath-farnham man said: “I am a very proud Grange man to be appointed the first Irish Captain of the Ryder Cup team.

“I have been a member of Grange for 30 years, and little did I think as a young lad, practising on the new lands that I would assume this high office. I have met many Grange members on my travels around the fairways of the world and I always get a very warm feeling when I see the famous black sweater in the gallery. I look forward to the challenge and to the club’s con-tinued support.”

At the announcement of his appointment, McGinley also paid tribute to his days at Bal-lyboden St Enda’s, something that engendered the team ethic that he has exhibited in the Ryder Cup in the past few years.

Famously, his 10-foot putt at the Belfry in 2002 won the Cup for Europe while he also played his part in the 2004 and 2006 teams and was an assistant captain at the past two events under Colin Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal.

Speaking about the appointment, he added: “I can’t wait to get into the role of being the captain and I’m relishing the thought of taking on one of my great heroes, Tom Watson.

“He’s not only a wonderful person about a great ambassador for the game of golf. I’ve never had an opportunity to go up against him in a playing sense. To go up against him in a captain-cy sense will be a real thrill for me.”

McGinley brings captaincy experience from his time as Britain and Ireland captain against Continental Europe in the Seve Trophy in 2009.

He also received high level backing with world number one Rory McIlroy saying: “He has been a great player and a great personality for the European Tour over the years. I also played under him at the Seve Trophy in 2009 and I thought he did a great job.

“From all the captains I’ve played under, I think he was the best.”

Grange man McGinley the first Irish Ryder captain

one to see more of the lads in.”

From an upbeat base, he is hopeful this can permeate the rest of 2013 in spite of Tomas Brady, Ciaran Kilkenny, Eric Lowndes and Cormac Costello opting to play with the footballers.

To that end, he says that while he would like to have an enlarged squad, the door is only open for them to return to hurl-ing in the right circum-stances

“I have great respect for my own panel and you take every case on its merits and if it will upset your own panel, maybe its not right.

“We’re happy with our squad, we have a few injuries coming right and hopefully the four long-term players out will come back about March or April.

“We’ll have a good strong squad, one that got to a league title and an All-Ireland semi-final. If we get a few more per-cent onto 2011, we’ll be a match for everyone and that’s what we have to focus on.”

StepheN [email protected]

Fastsport

Gazette

Ubl division 2AOld Wesley 17

UCC 31

[email protected]

THE resumption of the All-Ireland League saw Old Wesley host the current league leaders UCC. It also saw the return of club captain Richie Morrow to league duty on a pitch in good condition despite the recent rainfall.

It was evenly con-tested throughout even though the score at times did not reflect this. UCC took the lead after eight minutes with a penalty for not releas-

ing. This was to be a cru-cial area as Old Wesley conceded a number of penalties in this man-ner.

Barry McLoughlin responded by kick-ing a penalty but, from the restart, Old Wesley infringed again to leave the score 3–6 in UCC’s favour.

The home team then went on the attack and a great break by Alan Large almost led to a try but the UCC proved to have a very strong defence. Indeed, Wesley had most of the posses-sion in the first half but the students held firm.

In response, UCC increased their lead with a penalty and then a breakaway try after 36 minutes.

The second half saw strong Wesley pressure and some good rugby but another penalty increased the UCC lead. Just when Old Wesley looked like they were going to score their first try they received a killer blow.

A pass was intercept-ed in the UCC 22 and the opposition player sprinted the length of the pitch for their sec-ond try. To make mat-ters worse another try,

this time from a counter attack brought the UCC tally to 31points.

Old Wesley made a number of substitu-tions and Colin Wallace had a number of good attacking runs. Stephen Harvey got over the try-line under the posts but the referee adjudged a knock-on to increase frustrations.

Eventually, follow-ing some solid forward play Thomas Ratahi got in under the posts. Old Wesley were starting to dominate but they were running out of time and the opposition defence stood firm. As the final

whistle approached McLoughlin showed his pace down the wing to round his opposite number and score under the posts.

Despite the defeat this was a very encour-aging display against a strong UCC side, show-ing great team commit-ment to keep attacking to the final whistle.

The result leaves Wes-ley in sixth place after eight rounds of matches but with eight points to make up on the top four in Ulster Bank division 2A as UCC continue to top the table, just ahead of Terenure.

UCC too strong for Wesley

rUgby: tOp table stUdents have sharper CUtting edge

sPoRTgaze

tte


Fastsport

PeteR Blakeney, pictured, fired home a last-gasp winner for Three Rock Rovers hockey club to help them see off Glena-nne and advance to the semi-finals of the Leinster senior Mills Cup last Sunday in Grange Road.The recently retired Irish international

striker netted three times in a 4-3 win over the Glens, the third of which came with just 12 seconds left on the clock. Shane Madeley scored the other, setting up a semi-final date with YMCA.

Free scoring blakeney powers three rock

rOvers intO semis

THE Kieran Burke Perpetual Trophy will take place on Sunday, January 27 at De La Salle Palmerston in Kirwan Park.

The event was set up in honour of one of the club’s youngest and most enthusiastic players – who also was a Leinster mascot – Kieran Burke, who died of leukaemia in January 2004, aged six.

The tournament was devised by De La Salle Palmerston and in conjunction with the Burke family, with the inaugural tournament being held in January 2005.

Since then, it has grown into the largest U-7 sporting event in the country, with last year’s tournament having over 1,000 children attending.

2013 will be the tournament’s ninth year and the huge interest in applications to date indicate that interest from confirmed teams will ensure over 800 U-7 boys and girls will play on the day.

This year also sees Karl Burke, Kieran’s father, being president of De La Salle Palm-erston FC and he will take great pride in wel-coming all the participants to the club

The huge success of the tournament and its invaluable contribution to the develop-ment of rugby at such a young age in Leinster has seen the Leinster Branch incorporating it into their calendar and also providing their full support and services to the tournament.

A non-profit event, its concept is to enable this age group to compete in a safe event and in a sporting environment suitable for their stage of development.

Excess proceeds and donations given on the day go to the Children’s Cancer Fund at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin.

The event attracts a very large crowd of players, coaches and support for the teams from the parents.

On Sunday January 27th, the club will exclusively reserve, the use of their 16-acre site and facilities for what has become one of the most important events on their club calendar.

The organisers expect the tournament to run at maximum capacity in 2013 with 29 clubs already registered to participate. The tournament starts at 10am.

Kieran burke Perpetual Trophy returns to dlsP

Old Wesley remain in sixth place in Ulster Bank League division 2a after they fell to UCC

Club NotiCeboard

Gazette 24 January 2013 DUNDRUM gazette 31

FRIDAY saw our annual adult awards

take place where the player of the

year of 2012 was awarded. It saw the

club acknowledge the ladies team who

won the junior F championship, as well

as the reunion of the junior B champi-

onship winning team of 2002.

A great night was had by all and we

would like to congratulate all those

players who got an award and hope

that 2013 is another successful year.

Club membership is due for the com-

ing month. You can now pay for your

membership online through a link on

the website just go to naomholaf.ie

and click the link for myclubfinance.

com and follow the simple steps. Pay

before the end of January and receive

a 5% discount.

There was no winner of the jokers

wild competition which was for €1100.

Declan O’Dwyer’s name was drawn

and failed to turn over the joker so

next week’s jokers wild is worth

€1,200.

There were two winners of the

jackpot this week they each receive

€700 each: Jennifer Murray c/o Leah

Murray and Dave Keenan c/o Brian

Keenan.

The numbers drawn were: 3, 9 and

16. Next week’s lotto is for €1,000.

ballybodeN st eNda’s

foxroCk CabiNteely

Naomh olaf

LOTTO - there was no jackpot win-

ner of last week’s lotto draw. Next

week’s draw will be for €9,000. Tick-

ets are available in the clubhouse

or on www.bodengaa.ie.

John Small, Woodstown Road,

Knocklyon, Michael Gillen, Moy-

ville, Dublin 16 and Eamonn Phillips,

Woodfield, Knocklyon all matched

the first three numbers while Sheila

Byrne, Glenbrook Park, Rathfarn-

ham was drawn in the subscribers’

draw.

Next Sunday, January 27 sees the

final of the 2012 Minor Hurling Final.

BBSE play Na Fianna in Chanel at

11am. We need you there.

Noel Browne will present a caba-

ret show on Saturday, January 26

in the members’ lounge - everyone

welcome.

There will be a box office operat-

ing in the club on Thursday evenings

from 8-9pm for the sale of Battle of

The Boden tickets. It will run up to

the event which takes place on Fri-

day, February 22.

For any Ballyboden news or infor-

mation check out www.bodengaa.

ie. Follow us on twitter @bodengaa

or on Facebook by searching Bod-

enGAA.

THE annual medal presentation cer-

emony is on Sunday, January 27 at

1.45pm in Johnstown School.

Presentation of medals will be for all

teams from U-12 up to senior who won

or were runners-up in the league or

championship.

Help will be needed to ensure that

the event runs smoothly. Please con-

tact Denise Connor to volunteer your

support.

Next Saturday, January 26 is Club

Fork day. Our new juvenile pitch at Kil-

bogget needs to be “forked” in order

for it to improve.

We need as many players or parents

with their garden forks on Saturday

at 11am.

We need at least 25 people to volun-

teer for approximately one hour.

football: Crokes’ miNors see off Na fiaNNa

the Kilmacud Crokes’ minor footballers are through to the final of the a championship

kilmacud set up final date with sylvester’smafc semi-finalkilmacud Crokes 0-13

Na fianna 0-9

[email protected]

KILMACUD Crokes booked their place in the minor football championship with a win over a valiant Na Fianna who chased them close right up until the final whistle, with a late goal bringing them to within a point of their southside opposition, 0-13 to 0-9, at the final whistle.

Crokes now move on to face Malahide’s St Sylvester’s in the final of the championship,

and despite the fantastic work rate, performances and history of success, manager Michael McNi-cholas believes that “no team has a right to win a championship” and that anything can happen on the day.

“It was a close game against Na Fianna, they are a fantastic side and they always give us a game,” he said.

“We always seemed to get three or four points ahead, but they showed immense char-acter and never gave up, constantly pinning back the score.

“They got the late goal

and our lads showed great confidence, com-posure and maturity to hold onto the ball and let the clock tick down.”

Now with the final looming against Syl’s, McNicholas does not believe that the prior successes of his team, including the 2008 All Ireland Feile, will give them any edge on the day and insists that Syl-vester’s pose very sig-nificant threats.

“It will be a complete-ly different game. Na Fianna play a very open style of football that allows them to attack

more frequently, while Syl’s have a very good backline and a very measured approach in the attacking.

“I’m not taking any-thing away from our group – they are a fan-tastic bunch of players who train hard, stay committed and always give 100%. They’ve had their success in the past but history counts for nothing in a champion-ship final.

“It’s a new game, it’s all about that 60 min-utes on Sunday and who is willing to put everything on the line, who wants it the most.”

[email protected]

RANGERS AFC are holding a 50th anniver-sary dinner dance in the Maldron Hotel, Tallaght on Saturday, February 9 and are anxious to hear from any former players who they may not have been in contact with.

The Terenure-based club, who play their

home games in Bushy Park, currently field 20 teams from U-18 to U-8 level and also have a beginners’ academy which is run every Sat-urday by ex-Coventry City and Shelbourne legend Tony Sheridan.

The club have pro-duced many school-boys internationals during this time and

some went on to win full international caps including Don Givens, Kevin Moran, Gerry Ryan. Indeed, Byrne, Moran and Ryan were teammates at Rangers before playing against each other in the 1983 FA Cup Final between Manchester United and Brighton which United won 4-0 on a replay.

The club have won all the major honours in schoolboys football including SFAI Cups, Leinster Youths and FAI youths cups.

For information, con-tact Mark Milligan (086 8668098), Eugene Skel-ly (087 2618255) or Reg Norman (085 7319549) for more details or go to www.rangersafc.ie.

Rangers set to celebrate 50th anniversary

waNderersNEW 400-member quarterly draw

tickets with great prizes now on

sale. Contact any committee mem-

ber for more information.

Adult men’s football training

has resumed and is taking place

throughout the week. All new play-

ers welcome at any time.

For the first team, please contact

John for details on 086 8118372 and

for the second team, contact Mark

on 087 6732628 or Damian on 086

8632565.

Training is on Mondays at 8pm in

Firhouse Community College gym;

Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.15pm

in Frank Kelly Park and Sundays at

10.30am in Knocklyon Community

School.

The juvenile U-11 and U-13 teams

are looking for new players and all

newcomers are welcome. Contact

Gabby on 087 2444444.

A unique fundraising players’

calendar is now available: contact

[email protected] for more

details or Mark on 087 6732628.

New club gear is now available,

namely polos, hoodies, jackets etc.

Contact Niall on 086 8857303.

all of your dundrum sports coverage from page 27-31 january 24, 2013GazetteSPORT

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a local meeting to reform shankill gaa is hoped to be the first step in bringing gaelic games back to the area and aid the county’s success

peter carroll

[email protected]

AFTER nearly 20 years of inactivity, Shankill GAA club are priming themselves for a comeback with a meeting to gauge the interest in the community taking place on Thursday, February 21, in the resource cen-tre of St Anne’s church.

One of the key figures in the re-emergence of the club is former coach and player Mick Killeen who claims that the idea really gained momentum after the publication of the GAA’s Blue Wave, which indicated that Shankill was a location that needed a club.

“The club was quite successful,” Killeen

told GazetteSport earlier this week. “We just didn’t have the resources to keep

it going. It’s quite hard to isolate one rea-son but this time we won’t make the same mistake.

“We have a group of people that are dedi-cated to getting the club back up and run-ning and with the help of the community, we can make it happen.

“When the Blue Wave report came out, we knew that we had to do something. The report pointed out the need for a club in the area and that gave us an added incentive.”

Killeen remembers the days of successful juvenile teams in the Shankill area and is adamant that the club’s focus should be in

that area but is open to suggestions of junior football for adults if there is an interest.

“It used to be two clubs, the camogie and then the football and hurling.

“The camogie U-14 side went to the coun-ty final and our junior hurlers got to two B finals but came up short on both occa-sions.

“We had another group of minor football-ers that went to the semi final of the champi-onship, it was just a great community club.

“We have three schools in the area with over 1,500 kids that could be interested in the Gaelic Games.

“Of course there are some fantastic clubs around the area but, really, parents can’t

keep making treks to the likes of Cuala and Kilmacud just to get their children some training.

“If we all come together as a community, this can be a great outlet for all of the chil-dren and adults in the community.

“We are not ruling out anything at this early stage and if we get 20 lads or ladies that want to play junior football, hurling or camogie – we’d be behind them 100%.

“I cannot stress the importance of peo-ple showing up on Thursday, February 21 as the number of people that turn out will act as a measure of interest for the people who are trying to get the wheels turning on the project,” he finished.

shankill set for returnLocal residents keen to resurrect GAA club after nearly 20 years as Blue Wave report highlights south east Dublin as ripe for growth

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