dundrum

YOUR COMMUNITY • YOUR PAPER December 1, 2011

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

MOTORS ........................18

BUSINESS .................... 21

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

ENTERTAINMENT ........ 24

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

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INSIDE: Eye-spy a Science Fair event at

Notre Dame P8-9

TREASURE TROVE: 19th century toys, clothes on display See Pages 2-3

Businessman vows to win back storeTreacy to fight for Churchtown SuperValu outlet

PAUL HOSFORD

SOUTH Dublin businessman, Jim Treacy vowed this week to “get it all back”, following the purchase by Musgraves of his prized asset, SuperValu in Churchtown.

Under his ownership, the store was one of the most suc-

cessful in the country, with profits of nearly €2 million a year, and employing 165.

In the past five years, the local entrepreneur, who is still managing the store, became involved in the development of the five-star Lough Erne Resort in his native Fermanagh.

“Rightly or wrongly, I gave

a cross guarantee from my business here to my busi-ness in the North. Over time, please God, when better days come back, and the banking returns, we can resolve the situation with Musgraves’ help. In the meantime, it’s business as usual,” he said.

Full Story on Page 6

Smile for Santa:Seasonal cheer from two fansTHERE were great smiles from Grace and Katie O’Mahoney when The Gazette called to Dundrum Town Centre recently, where they were waiting with lots of other shoppers, locals and pas-sersby for the arrival of a certain Mr Claus.

Luckily, despite being very busy in the run-up to Christmas Eve, Santa found the time to call to the centre, where he turned on the lovely Christmas lights.

Picture: Geraldine Woods

See Gallery on 0

FREE GAZETTEGAZETTEDundrum

Sailing: Murphy targets Olympic berth at championshipsPage 32

Sports Awards: November winners are announcedPage 29

2 DUNDRUM GAZETTE 1 December 2011

Showcasing works by local artisans

ENTERPRISE: A SPECIAL OUTLET FOR ONE MONTH

A NEW shopping desti-nation for high-quality craft and design will open its doors this weekend in Dun Laoghaire.

Park House, located just opposite the entrance to The People’s Park on George’s Street, is trans-forming into The Design Corner for December only, to feature the work of 22 talented craftspeo-ple and designers from the local region.

Organised by the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board (DLRCEB) to support the local craft and design industry, thousands of shoppers are expected to flock to the new store.

Jewellery from mem-bers of the DLR Jewel-lery Designers Network will be on sale, alongside ceramics, slate home-ware, children’s knitwear, home lighting, limited edition prints, vintage handbags, fashion acces-sories, hand-made Christ-mas decorations, hats and porcelain pieces.

Georgina Sweetnam, assistant CEO of the DLRCEB said: “We’re marking the end of Year of Craft 2011 by show-casing the work of local-ly-based designers and craftspeople, who are all helping to make Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown an important destination nationally for the crea-tive sector.

“The Design Corner offers the work of 22 arti-san producers, all under the same roof,” she said.

Opening from Thurs-day, December 1 to Sat-urday, December 24, The Design Corner will be staffed by the craftspeo-ple and designers them-selves.

It is open from 10am to 6pm, from Mondays to Saturdays, and from 11am to 6pm on Sun-days, up until Saturday, December 24.

For further informa-tion, see www.dlrceb.ie, or see the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thedesigncorner.

HERITAGE Berkeley Costume

Exquisite collection of 18th century toys, dolls, clothes

LOUISE HALL

[email protected]

AN EXHIBITION featuring an exquisite collection of 18th cen-tury toys, dolls and costumes has gone on display at Rathfarnham Castle.

The official opening of the Berkeley Costume and Toy Col-lection took place on Saturday, November 19 in the stunning setting of the castle, which is run by the Office of Public Works (OPW).

The imposing castle, which dates back to the Elizabethan period, is the perfect venue for the delicate collection, which began as a private passion in Co Wexford more than 20 years ago by Irish artist and collector, Countess Ann Griffin Bern-storff.

The exhibition aims to give the public an insight into social history, and the exhibits vary

from delicate artefacts to simple, robust playthings.

Everyday garments once owned by Irish families will also be on display, including some embroidered in silk.

The precious collection, which will be displayed in the elegantly decorated neo-classical rooms, and which gathers together arte-facts spanning many decades from Countess Bernstorff’s own family trunks, and from auc-

tions and donations, will feature in the self-guiding exhibition.

Tours of the fascinating exhi-bition may be arranged by prior appointment, and admission is free.

Countess Bernstorff is also credited with researching and executing 15 paintings, which formed the basis for the famous Ros Tapestry project.

Her daughter, Alexis Bern-storff, is a renowned art histo-rian and professional in the field of fabric restoration.

The collection was for many years on display in Wexford, but it is now set to remain on exhi-bition at Rathfarnham Castle for the next 10 years, becoming an important part of the visitor experience.

The collection has particu-lar resonance for Rathfarnham Castle, because the Loftus fam-ily, who built the castle, had property in Wexford, and it is

from New Ross in Wexford that the Berkeley Costume and Toy Collection has been brought by the OPW to its new home in Dublin.

Complementing the fine rooms of the castle, the exhibi-tion is sure to delight children of all ages, who can also have fun in the adjoining South Dublin County Council playground.

The resident tearooms can also accommodate up to 50 people, and are open through-out the winter months.

The OPW has spent the past few years painstakingly restoring the exquisite rooms of the castle and, now, with the arrival of the Berkeley Costume and Toy Col-lection, Rathfarnham Castle will enjoy opening its doors to the public to display more wealth of Irish heritage.

For further information on opening times at the Castle, see www.heritageireland.ie.

This child is face-to-face with a toy horse that must have delighted other young children, back in the 18th century

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‘The imposing Rathfarnham Castle, which dates back to the Elizabethan period, is the perfect venue for the delicate collection’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

1 December 2011 DUNDRUM GAZETTE 3

and Toy Collection on show at Rathfarnham Castle

All manner of an historic toys and items will feature in the collection’s echibition

TRAVELPAGES 22-23

Towering deals: Irish offers to help celebrate at Christmas

Exquisitely modelled and preserved costumes and toys are just part of the

attraction of the fascinating exhibition


Man’s role leads to prisonA CAR mechanic, who sourced a van for crimi-nals later used in a tiger kidnapping, has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for making false statements to gardai.

A cash-in-transit van driver was on his way to work on January 4, 2010, when two armed men approached and escorted him back to his home. The gang ultimately robbed €134,000 from a Brinks cash-in-transit van.

Damien Cruise (36), of Ballyboden Green, Car-rickmines, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to failing to disclose information that would be of material assistance to the gardai in the case of the false imprisonment of the family on April 27, 2010, and to two charges of making a statement to gardai that was con-sidered time-wasting at Autoworks, Bray, Wick-low, on January 5 and 14, 2010.

COURTS

A Champion prize: Retailer’s award for its Dundrum outlet’s managerMIRIAM O’Callaghan joined Kevin Jephson, chairperson, Retail Excellence Ireland to congratulate Sarah Coffey, Champion Sports, on being one of four retailers from Dundrum Town Centre hon-oured at the recent annual Retail Excellence Ireland awards.

Sarah, manager of Champion Sports at the busy shopping centre, was delighted to collect an award. She was a finalist in the Manager of the Year Award category, and was highly commended by the judges for her work at the store, where she has been manager for three years, managing a staff of 33.

Help celebratein Churchtown

NATALIE BURKE

[email protected]

THE Churchtown Busi-ness Association (CBA) is inviting members of the local community to take part in their Christmas festivities this weekend, and help them turn on their first-ever Christmas lights in the area.

The Christmas lights will be switched on at precisely 4.30pm on Sat-urday, December 3 and, according to Michael McGovern, chairman of the CBA, plans are already in place to have Christmas lights and Christmas trees featured above all the local stores in the area.

He said: “The plan is for the Christmas lights to be above all the local stores on Landscape Road, Braemor Road, Lower Churchtown Road

and Beaumont Avenue.“We will also be turn-

ing on lights on our mas-sive 30-foot-tall Christ-mas tree in the green park area of Churchtown village on the day, and we are inviting all residents in the Churchtown area to come along and join in the Christmas spirit.”

The 30ft Christmas tree, which will feature in the centre of Church-town, was sponsored by the CBA and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, as well as by a number of local businesses in the area.

To continue the Christ-mas celebrations, the

CBA and local Glenside Pub have also organised the first-ever local Christ-mas Market, which will take place in the car park of Glenside Pub next Sat-urday, December 10.

The market will feature three marquees, with 20 different Christmas stalls selling a range of jewel-lery, crafts, Christmas gifts, bric-a-brac and food, and will be open from 12pm until 5pm on the day.

Michael added: “There will be music and food served on the day, and a fabulous Santa’s Cabin inside the pub.

“The Christmas mar-ket is the brainchild of publican, Paul Mangan Junior, and promises to be a great family event, so we hope everyone comes along and joins in the local Churchtown Christ-mas festivities,” he said.

COMMUNITY: INAUGURAL CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TO BE TURNED ON AT WEEKEND

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‘Everyone is invited to see the lights on the 30-ft-tall tree’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

WE HAVE 146,000* READERS EACH WEEK

ADVERTISE YOUR YOUR BUSINESSBUSINESS TO OUR READERSCALL 60 10 240

*based on standard industry measurements


Sandyford’s new SOUL furniture

RETAIL: STORE OPENING

A NEW furniture store opening in the Beacon South Quarter shopping centre, Sandyford, is set to create 10 new retail jobs.

The company will also provide further indirect employment through warehousing and deliv-eries.

The Scandinavian furniture retailer SOUL – the Spirit of Ultimate Lifestyle – has chosen the Beacon South Quar-

ter as the location for its first store in Ireland and Britain.

The new furniture store opened its doors to the public last week and spans over two floors as a result of the invest-ment made by SOUL of €650,000.

The furniture giant has 85 stores located around the world.

For further informa-tion, see www.soullife-style.ie.

Treacy – I will reclaim my SuperValu Churchtown

PAUL HOSFORD

[email protected]

SOUTH Dublin entrepre-neur and businessman, Jim Treacy, has vowed to “get it all back”, follow-ing the purchase by Mus-graves of his prized asset, SuperValu in Church-town.

Treacy has run the SuperValu in Church-town for 24 years, build-ing the business after the old H Williams store closed down late in 1987.

He leased the store for four years, before buying

it outright in 1991.The store, and Treacy’s

other businesses, went from strength to strength, leading to the Super-Valu Churchtown store becoming one of the most profitable in the country, with profits reported of nearly €2 million a year, employing 165 people.

In the last five years, the local entrepreneur became involved in the development of the five-star Lough Erne Resort in his native Fermanagh.

However, the exit from the Irish market of Bank

of Scotland (BoS) caused huge problems for the project – and Treacy’s other businesses.

He says: “Rightly or wrongly, I gave a cross-guarantee from my busi-ness here to my business in the North. I was with BoS, as I was for many years.

“At that time, my busi-nesses were worth an awful lot of money, and I had many offers to buy them. But, in 2010, Bank of Scotland decided to leave the country.

“So, we were dealing

Local businessman and entrepreneur, Jim Treacy, at Churchtown SuperValu. Picture: Geraldine Woods

BUSINESS Entrepreneur’s vow to beat the receiver

with the worst recession we’ve seen, a total prop-erty collapse, and a bank that left the country.

“They [BoS] closed the door, and handed their licence back in the North and South, and left a col-lection agency in their place. Hence, my prob-lem began,” he says.

Like companies all across the country, the Churchtown entrepre-neur was unable to secure funding through banking institutions, meaning that the guarantee he had given would see him lose control of his prized asset.

“They [the collection agency] said the quick way to get money back was to appoint a receiver to me in May,” says Trea-cy.

Describing the five-star resort as “just a baby”, Treacy says that the plan for the project was always a long-term one.

“It was up and going, and had won some great awards, so [it was] something that Bank of Scotland was willing to back two and half years previously, [but, now] they were gone from the country.

“There is no credit available in this country;

there’s no such thing as people getting money,” he says.

Last week, a subsidiary of the Musgrave Group bought the SuperValu store, but Treacy plans to work with Musgraves to regain it.

“Over time, please God, when better days come back, and the banking returns, we can resolve the situation with Musgraves’ help. In the meantime, it’s business as usual.”

Clear name“I want to clear my

name and, in order to find a resolution, I’m looking for investors to come on board with Lough Erne and make my peace with my bank,” he says.

The move to bring investors on board for Lough Erne is not an emotional one for him, but he does have a spe-cial word for the people of Churchtown.

“All the staff I’ve had over the years have worked to build up the business, and I couldn’t thank the customers, and the people of Church-town, enough for the way they have continued to shop with us,” says Treacy.

ENTERPRISENEWS

The Design Corner Sets Up Shop for ChristmasFROM December 1st, a new shopping destina-tion for high quality craft and design will open its doors to the public, as plans for THE DESIGN CORNER are unveiled for Dún Laoghaire village. Park House on George’s Street in Dún Laoghaire is transforming into THE DESIGN CORNER for the month of December only, to feature the work of twenty-two talented craftspeople and designers from the local region.

Organised by the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Enterprise Board to support the local craft and design industry, thousands of shoppers are expected to flock to the new store in the run-up to the busy Christmas period.

Jewellery from members of the DLR Jewellery Designers Network will be on sale, alongside ceramics, slate homeware, children’s knitwear, home lighting, limited edition prints, vintage handbags, fashion accessories, hand-made Christ-mas decorations, hats and porcelain pieces.

Opening from December 1st to 24th, THE DESIGN CORNER will be staffed by the craftspeople and designers themselves, offering a unique insight around the pieces that they them-selves have designed and produced.

THE DESIGN CORNER is open from 10am to 6pm from Mondays to Saturdays and from 11am to 6pm on Sundays, up until December 24th. Organisers have set up a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thedesigncorner and further infor-mation is also available at www.dlrceb.ie

R1


EVENT Transition Year students at Notre Dame Secondary

Getting excited about scienceT

HE Transition Year students at Notre Dame Secondary School hosted a Science Fair on November 18,

which was an exciting and interactive experience for all who attended. Visitors had the opportunity to view 15 projects covering topics under the different sci-ence disciplines; physics, chemistry and biology. These included their BT Young

Scientist entry 2011, The Power of Simple Homemade Stain Removers. The interac-tive experiments included giving students the opportunity to participate in a heart dissection, to observe dancing raisins, to fire a balloon rocket, to get swallowed up in a giant bubble, to make their own lava lamp and to put a needle through a bal-loon without bursting it.

Mildred Brannigan, principal Notre Dame junior school; Sarah Disney, Notre Dame, teacher

Therese Byrne and teacher Derek Byrne. Pictures: Paul McGovern

Eleanor O’Riordan and Caoimhe

McCann Sophie Carey and Jemma Beach

Eva Fallon, Emma Kearns, Caoimhe McTigue and Elena Hussey

COMING SOON IN YOUR GAZETTE...

FEATURING EVERYTHING FOR YOUR NEW FAMILY MEMBER...

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I NS IDE YO UR F REE LO CA L G A Z E T T E T H U R S DAY 5 T H JA N


Anika Babel, Eillen Daly, Nicola Riordan and Raneem

Saleh

Eleanor O’Riordan, Juana Morell, Niamh Keogh and

Naoise Ezebuiro

Eillen Daly and Elena Hussey

Nikki McCabe and Katie Gannon

Kate McElearney

Maureen Casey, Mark Crowe, Dmitry Griffen and Sarah Disney

School hosted a Science Fair as part of Science Week


RETAIL Christmas fun with Santa at Dundrum Town Centre




Lighting up happy facesW

ITH the help of a carriage and some fine horses, Santa Claus made the long, arduous trek

through the bitter winter weather, all the way from the Luas stop to Dun-drum Town Centre’s Town Square.

Santa was quick to shrug off the demands of the journey, as he made

his jolly way towards waiting famililes, children and shoppers, all of whom were keen to see him turn on the centre’s superb range of Christmas lights, and bring some extra cheer to the bustling shopping centre, with the help of the Tallaght Youth Band, and RTE’s Cor na nOg.

Come and join Santa in celebrating at Dundrum Town Centre. Pictures: Geraldine Woods

Santa’s fans were eager to see him

The Mahon family were delighted to see Santa’s arrival at the centre Natasha Bailey

The Bugle Girls

A great smile from Sian Lopez

1 December 2011 GAZETTE 11

12 GAZETTE 1 December 2011

A golden opportunity: A chance to win €5k just in time for ChristmasAS PART of Bulmers’ Doing Our Bit campaign, 17 golden apples, each worth €5,000, are being hidden in Christmas promotional packs of Bulmers’ cans and long-necks.

Consumers are being called upon to check packs closely, as each of the 17 lucky golden apple winners will win €2,500 for themselves, in addition to €2,500 for a community project of their choice. Doing Our Bit is a series of initia-tives, some small, some more significant, all intended to make a contribution toward making life in Ireland that little

bit better. Speaking at the launch, Stephen Kent,

director of marketing at Bulmers said: “We appreciate that times are tougher than ever for many people, which is why we want to do our bit by giving some-thing back. The Doing our Bit campaign is central to all Bulmers’ initiatives and, for Christmas, we want to recognise and reward the vital role that local communi-ties play in Irish society.”

Pictured are Bulmers’ orchard workers Liam and Isabelle with Orchard manager, Tom.

THE incredible talent that is Lady Gaga is releasing a new DVD of her Madison Square Garden concert earlier this year, and we have five copies to give away.

Simply answer the following question: What is Lady Gaga’s real name?

Send your answer to [email protected], with the subject line “Gaga”, before Friday, December 2, or log on to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/gazettenews-papers, post your answer, like and share the Gaga post on your wall.

Competition: Win Lady Gaga

Monsters’ Ball concert DVDs


GazetteBEAUTYBEAUTY Edited by Dawn Love

Enjoying the launch ofnew moisturiser rangeT

HOUSANDS of women descend-ed on Dundrum Town Centre last

weekend as beauty fans turned out to celebrate Ireland’s first Vaseline Bottle Amnesty.

The Amnesty invited women to bring along their old empty lotion bottles and in exchange they received a free bot-tle of Vaseline lotion from the new Essential Moisture body lotions range.

The centre was teem-ing with Vaseline fans, all there to recycle their way to softer skin.

Lauren Brooking, from Vaseline Ireland said: “We’re delighted with the success of Ireland’s first ever Vaseline Bottle Amnesty and it demon-strated our confidence in this great new range.”

The new and improved Vaseline Essential Mois-ture body lotions range combines pure natural

extracts and Stratys-3 technology, infusing moisture deep down and absorbing quickly for soft, healthy looking skin.

The range includes Essential Moisture, Aloe Fresh and Cocoa Radi-ant. Aloe Vera fresh, the lightest-feeling body lotion of the three, leaves skin feeling fresh and revitalised.

Essential Moisture, containing nourishing oat extract, leaves skin feeling soft and looking healthy.

Cocoa Radiant has a rich texture and leaves skin with a radiant, luxu-rious glow.

The Vaseline Essen-tial range is available at

Exchanging old empty lotion bottles for one of Vaseline’s new range

Out with the old

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LOCALMATTERS

S U P P O R T L O C A L B U S I N E S S

LYCON, Australia’s premier wax, has increased its collection of skin care products with its new scrubs and lotions collection. Maintain healthy skin and glowing skin, even after your wax, with Lycon deep clean scrub and ultimate moisturing lotion. Using nature for inspiration, the collection is

a sensory, as well as visual, delight. All that and effective too. The collection is available in Bra-

zilia salons as well as leading salons nationwide. Scrubs costs €19.95 and the lotions are €15. From now until Christmas, Brazilia is doing a gift pack of the scrub and lotion for only €30.

Lycon adds to its skin care collection

supermarkets nation-wide. The RRP for the 400ml is €5.34 and €3.91 for the 200ml.

Find out more about Vaseline products at www.facebook.com/Vaseline


EVENT Week-long campaign focusing on proper parking

2011 National Accessibility Week launchedL O C A L A u t h o r -ity National Accessibility Week 2011 was launched this week and the week- long campaign will coin-cide with International Day of Disabled Persons, which is taking place on December 3, 2011.

National Accessibility Week is a continuation of the 2010 campaign, which was designed with a particular focus on illegal and inconsider-ate parking, poor park-ing behaviour and the difficulties and access issues that are caused by parking on footpaths, blocking entrances, etc. The campaign aims to create general awareness of these issues on both a

national and local level. National Accessibility

Week is being supported and promoted by APCOA Parking, who provide a parking management service on behalf of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, South Dublin County Coun-cil and Fingal County Council.

Delighted

Commenting on the launch of National Accessibi l i ty Week, APCOA managing direc-tor, Neil Cunningham, said: “We are delighted to be involved with the three Dublin County Councils in highlight-ing poor parking behav-

iours which impact on disabled people. APCOA traffic wardens can be approached at any time for advice or information on accessible parking.”

The week is being co-ordinated and supported by the Local Authority Access Officer Network and the LGMSB Nation-al Disability Steering Committee.

There will be a display on Planning and Accessi-bility available through-out the week in the South Dublin County Hall Con-course. This will include information on the Dis-ability Access Certifica-tion process.

On Thursday, Decem-ber 1, from 10am to 4pm,

National Accessibility Week is being supportedby APCOA Parking, who provide a parking management service

on behalf of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, South Dublin County Council and Fingal County Council

South Dublin County Council and the National Mobility Centre will have an adapted car on display at County Hall, Tallaght. There will be an informa-tion stand and a driving

instructor on hand to answer queries.

From Monday, Decem-ber 5, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Coun-cil is hosting the Let’s Get Arty exhibition in

the concourse of County Hall. The exhibition will feature works from disa-bled artists who live in the Dun Laoghaire Rath-down area. The council, together with Dundrum

Shopping Centre, will be promoting the business argument for making your business accessible.

A full list of activi-ties can be found on the councils’ websites.




GazetteMUSICMUSIC

Corgan’s smashing rock revolutions

The first two albums from Smasing Pumpkins are a reminder of their power

ROB HEIGH

It seems that we live in a year when the anni-versaries of events and releases genuinely rep-resent the advent of new watermarks in music, and deserve the acclaim they have received over the years. It’s fascinating to note how many are 20th anniversaries: Never-mind, Achtung Baby, Out Of Time, Screamadelica, Loveless, Ten, The Black Album, Original Gangsta, the first Lollapalooza, to name just a few... wow, 1991 was an amazing year for music.

One of the sometimes

overlooked gems from that era and its successor are getting a well-deserved remastered re-release this month. Smashing Pump-kins’ debut release, Gish, and their sophomore release, Siamese Dream, are returning to remind us about what a fantasti-cally exciting and innova-tive band they were at the time, and how their influ-ence is as important and prevasive as those other records that defined the year.

Gish slipped out quietly in the May of that year, the band having sneaked out of the suburbs of Chicago to record with

Nirvana producer Butch Vig, a process that saw lead Pumpkin Billy Cor-gan push the envelope for recording a record in the grunge genre. Whereas most bands would turn up and crank out their songs onto tape in a matter of days, Corgan wanted the space and time to work on the dynamics, tex-tures and harmonies that immediately marked the band out as more inno-vative and creative than most of their contempo-raries.

Leading off with Jimmy Chamberlain’s drum pat-tern and Darcy’s bass lick, before exploding into a

frenetic guitar fireball, this is, and was, something special and unique from the outset. Admittedly using the quiet-loud-quiet format throughout, there was more intelligence at play here than most, and a meshing of unique influ-ences - Queen, ELO, 60s’ psych-rock, psychedelia and flat-out hard rock all came together to create an unique and brave debut.

Siamese Dream also leads off on a circus-like Chamberlain fill, but what follows was more expan-sive and ambitious than Gish, if that were possible. Corgan’s imagination ran wild and Vig ran with him,

RERELEASES: ANNIVERSARY BRINGS REWARDS

allowing him to record multiple overdubs of gui-tar parts that makes the album sound like noth-ing else, but which also saw other members of the band removed from the recording process.

Nursery rhymes and nine-minute wig-outs are peppered throughout Siamese Dream, and it’s a dramatic and important record.

Both albums deserve their place in the collec-tions of anyone who loves music - they are both packed with more ideas and energy seldom found these days - and also try to seek out the recent BBC Radio 1 Masterpiec-es documentary about the making of Siamese Dream, where Billy Cor-gan gives a fascinating insight into the proc-

ess that gave birth to the record and saw the end of the band as a group entity. They also come with the benefit of accompanying discs of bonus recordings that are in some cases as good as what appeared on their parent releases.

Neither record sounds remotely dated, and both deserve their place among the list of great releases from their time.





GazettePETSPETSBrought to you by Miriam Kerins of

the DSPCA


THE FACTS: FAILING TO KEEP YOUR PET UNDER CONTROL COULD SEE YOU GET A FINE

The best leads for your dogT

HIS week, I’m going to give you a lead (pun abso-lutely intended)

on, er, leads; doggy ones that is.

You see, like ladies’ shoes and handbags, dogs’ leads are available in many designs, col-ours and styles, from the useful to the absolutely ridiculous, and I have seen them all.

Dog leads are also a very necessary acces-sory and should be used to allow your dog the comfort to have some personal space when he wants to roam a lit-tle, sniff and make new friends, as well as, and most importantly, to control and keep your dog safe.

At this stage, I must point out that under the Control of Dogs Act 1986, as amended by the Control of Dogs Act 1992, local authorities have the power to introduce bye-laws relating to dog control. However, here’s a general guideline.

A dog owner who does not keep their dog under effective control can receive an on-the-spot fine of €30 payable to the local authority, and fail-ure to pay this may lead to prosecution in the Dis-trict Court with a maxi-mum fine of €1,904.61 and/or three months imprisonment.

As I said, this is just a guideline and penalties in your area may differ and may even be higher.

Leads are vital to keep your dog safe

Ok, I’ve done the civic duty bit and informed you of the legal requirements, now let’s get down to the important business of accessorising a gal’s best friend.

The Basic LeadThis i s normal ly

around six feet long and, in my opinion, is the best type of lead to have. I’ve a brood of doggies, all

robust, all lead pullers and I find the basic lead best for walking and in an emergency, for use as a muzzle; although I have never faced an emergen-cy with any of my dogs… yet.

The Retractable LeadI use these when walk-

ing my dogs in the woods. I always like to be in com-plete control of them.

However, I absolutely hate this type of lead for its drawbacks.

It consists of a thin cord that’s wound onto a spring loaded device inside the handle and, as your dog walks in front of you, the cord unwinds and retracts, depending on which way your dog walks.

There’s a flip button on the handle to allow you control how much exten-sion you wish to give your dog.

So, why do I hate them?

If you’re inexperi-enced or have multiple dogs, your pet may still be able to get far enough away from you and run into oncoming traffic; the cord can break if your

dog takes off at speed or she can become entan-gled in the lead resulting in cuts to both of you.

As these handles are bulky, your dog can eas-ily pull the lead out of your hand. I have small hands and have to keep an extra firm grip when using retractable leads, especially if I have to wear gloves during cold weather.

Long LeadsThis is a very long lead,

usually made of nylon or leather, and can vary in length from 10 to 60 feet.

They’re normally used for dog training in order for you to keep control of your dog while maintain-ing a distance.

Always limit the use of

this type of lead to dog training or in safe areas like fields and away from busy roads.

HarnessFor the heavy duty

dog, i.e. the puller, get a harness. This provides security, giving your dog no chance of pulling out of his collar, leaving you standing with an empty lead in your hand.

I would recommend the one called “gentle dog”. Pet parents who own Pat-terdale Terriers will know what I mean. They’re a cheeky breed with oodles of personality but can be very domineering.

For more information, log onto www.dspca.ie or email [email protected]

GazetteMOTORSMOTORS

THE Kia Rio has been voted Conti-nental Irish Car of the Year 2012 by the Irish Motoring Writers’ Associa-tion (IMWA). The announcement was made at an awards ceremony held recently in the Convention Cen-tre Dublin and attended by leading figures from the motor industry.

It marks the first time that a Kore-an car brand has taken the title in the 35-year history of the awards.

The Irish Motoring Writers Asso-ciation judges awarded points on the basis of criteria ranging from inno-vation and safety to space, comfort, build quality, driving quality and value for money.

Presenting the award to James Brooks, managing director of Kia Ire-land, Paddy Murphy of sponsor, Con-tinental Tyres Ireland, commented: “From a great crop of entrants for this year’s award, the Irish motoring writ-ers have selected an exciting model

to carry the 2012 title and no doubt the Continental Irish Car of the Year accolade will provide a great badge of honour for the Kia Rio to help it in the competitive Irish market next year. The Rio’s victory is a measure of the progress which Korean manufac-turers have made on the car market in a very short time.”

Awards were made in five catego-ries, reflecting the diversified nature of today’s car market in Ireland.

RESULTS:Small Car of the Year:

Kia RioCompact Family Car of the Year:

Ford FocusFamily Car of the Year:

Peugeot 508Executive / Luxury Car of the Year:

Range Rover EvoquePerformance Car of the Year:

Mercedes-Benz SLK

IMWA announce the cars of 2012

Model Hannah Devane and James Brooks, managing director of Kia Ireland. The

Kia Rio was voted the Continental Irish Car of the Year 2012


9th generation of the CivicTHE much-anticipated ninth generation Clean Dynamic Honda Civic will arrive in Honda deal-er showrooms around Ireland in time for the January 2012 market.

The new Civic builds on the successes of the previous model, while addressing the criticisms, and will continue Hon-da’s progression towards modern premium.

The result is an evolu-tion in the car’s modern styling, excellent per-formance and advanced technologies that makes it eco-friendly and even more cost-efficient to run.

Developed over four years, nearly all com-ponents are new to the Civic. It’s available as a five-door model only and there are currently 11 models from which to

choose between petrol and diesel; four different grades and three different engines.

Prices s tar t f rom €20,995 for the i .4 SE petrol and from €23,995 for the SE die-sel models.

The main emphasis was on suspension develop-ments of the new Civic to improve ride and handling over the diverse demands of European roads.

The designers also focused on maintaining the class-leading interior space of the eighth-gener-ation Civic, while improv-ing the overall packaging, quality of the interior and space efficiency. This led to a new exterior design, improved aerodynamic performance and a reduc-tion in weight to raise the car’s overall perform-ance.

The new Honda Civic range is due to arrive in Irish dealerships in January of 2012

The new Civic is lower, wider and longer than its predecessor, with a styling that further highlights the sporty and futuristic ele-gance of the new Civic.

According to Frank Kennedy, sales and mar-keting director, Univer-sal Honda Limited: “We

have sold over 42,000 Civics since the launch of Honda in Ireland in 1985, and yet I cannot remember a more antic-ipated launch than the revolutionary ninth-generation which goes on sale in January next year. The new Civic

was exclusively devel-oped for the demand-ing European motoring environment.

“We are certainly pleased with a range of Tax A band diesel options, which are such an impor-tant market in the Irish market,” he said.

AN EXCITING RETURN TO FAMILIAR TERRITORY FOR TOM O’CONNOR: MOTOR Distributors Limited has announced the appointment of Mr. Tom O’Connor to the position of dealer development specialist for Mercedes-Benz.

In his new role, Mr. O’Connor will have responsibility for dealer development matters for Mercedes-Benz passen-ger cars and commercial vehicles.

A well-known and experienced figure in the Irish motor industry, Mr O’Connor was for many years a member of Motor Distributors staff, where he held the position of sales manager for Volkswa-gen cars.

Welcoming him back to the company, Mer-cedes-Benz chief executive Stephen Byrne said that Mr. O’Connor returns to Motor Distributors in what is a challenging new role in which he will be able to draw upon his very considerable experience in the motor industry and develop the Mercedes-Benz dealer network.


RoadRoadSignsSigns


Veritable paradise on O’Connell Avenue

Number 3, O’Connell Avenue is on the market for €395,000

MCGUIRK Beggan Prop-erty present 3, O’Connell Avenue, Phibsboro, Dub-lin 7, a charming yet styl-ish three-bedroom split level Victorian double fronted villa, to the mar-ket for the asking price of €395,000.

This one-of-a-kind property which extends to 1,200 sq ft, is in a highly desirable location and with an impressive interior, and is ready for immediate occupation.

Transformed through-out to the highest speci-fication by its owner, this home has been skilfully paired back, refurbished and upgraded from top to toe with great sensi-tivity, flair and imagina-tion.

It has been finished to exacting standards and combines the best of contemporary design and high-quality finish, whilst still retaining and sympathetically restor-ing some of its period

features, most notably its two stunning origi-nal cast-iron open fire-places.

The accommoda-tion comprises spacious entrance hall with high ceilings and walnut wood floors. From there, there is direct access to the formal living room and to the third bedroom. Steps from the hall lead down into the casual liv-ing room.

The living room fea-tures a restored cast-iron original open fireplace and walnut floors. The room is further enhanced by the high ceiling.

There is a smaller double bedroom, or per-fect study/home office, which also features wal-nut floor.

On the lower ground floor is a bright living space with restored cast-iron open fireplace, stylish Egyptian marble tiles and down lighting. There is also a TV point

PHIBSBORO: THREE-BEDROOM STYLISH VILLA FOR €395,000

SHERRY Fitzgerald in Castleknock are bring-ing No. 17, Station Court Hall, Clonsilla, Dub-lin 15, a spacious and immaculately presented two-bedroom own-door first-floor duplex apart-ment, to the market for an asking price of €139,000.

Concealed behind a large private entrance, Station Court is a small, tranquil development of apartments and duplex apartments set amidst a variety of plantlife and shrubbery maintained to the highest standards, coupled with extensive parking.

The accommodation,

Tranquillity at Station CourtCLONSILLA: TWO-BED DUPLEX APARTMENT FOR €139,000

which extends to 54 sq m, comprises entrance hallway with semi-solid maple flooring, an open-plan living and dining room, which also fea-tures semi-solid wooden flooring, and steps lead-

ing to large private bal-cony.

The kitchen has fit-ted wall-to-floor birch kitchen units, granite-effect worktops, a fitted Whirlpool oven and hob, a fitted chrome extractor

hood, and partially tiled walls.

Both bedrooms feature fitted wardrobes, while the master is en suite, featuring an WC, WHB and shower, as well as having tiled flooring and

Number 17, Station Court in Clonsilla is on the market for €139,950

GazettePROPERTYPROPERTY

partially-tiled walls. The master bathroom also features a WC, WHB and shower.

The apartment has a service charge of €785 per annum.

The property offers a south-facing balcony, which has extensive views of the surround-ing countryside and stunning grounds crea-tively manicured and maintained to the high-est standards.

V i ew ing can be arranged by contact-ing Michelle Curran at Sherry Fitzgerald on 01 8201800, or via email at [email protected]

and access through to the kitchen, downstairs bathroom and to the rear garden.

The kitchen features an extensive array of white, modern fitted eye- and f loor-level units, integrated oven, hob, fridge/freezer and dishwasher. It also fea-tures Egyptian marble tile flooring, tile splash back and down lighting,

and ample room for din-ing.

The downstairs bath-room comprises bath, WC, WHB, marble tiled f loor and part tiled walls.

The first floor contains two carpeted double bedrooms, which have direct access to a shared en suite.

The rear garden is fully walled with pedestrian

access to a private lane-way. It features a paved patio area, railway sleep-ers bordering the raised lawn.

The property is avail-able for viewing, which can be arranged through S inead Beggan a t McGuirk Beggan Prop-erty on 01 419 0600.

For more information, see www.mcguirkbeg-gan.ie.

Christmas Dealz on decorationsDealz stores in Blanchardstown are offering a new line in budget Christmas decorations that will add a touch of style to your festive scene this year.

Whatever colour theme you are going for this year, you will no doubt want to make the house look magical and impress your guests, and Dealz has the answer.

Dealz is a new shopping experience where shoppers are guaranteed to find quality, with over 17 shopping categories, 3,000 products including over 1,000 top brands, all high-quality products retailing for €1.49.

You can visit their website at www.dealz.ie, or on Facebook at DealzIreland, or their Twitter page, @DealzIreland

DECORATION: NEW OFFERS FOR SEASON

NIALL Ryan started working in Ryan’s Garage Ltd, a family-run business in 1996.

The garage was established in Novem-ber 1963 by Tim Ryan, Niall’s father, at its present location on Main Street, Blanchard-stown. Over the years they have built up a superb reputation for quality of service and customer care.

“We are Dublin 15’s longest-established garage. If you are looking for a garage you can trust this alone should give you peace of mind,” Niall says.

Niall invites customers to visit the garage and see the full range of Seat vehicles on offer and to experience their excellent after-sales facilities.

Remembering last winter, Niall advises drivers to make sure that they “don’t get stuck this winter”.

“Right now, we’re running a special offer to have a free ‘Winter Health Check’ car-ried out on your vehicle (all makes). We also now have a full range of ‘all-weather tyres’ in stock for all makes of car.

“All-weather tyres are specifically designed to create more traction and makes it safer to

Interview: Niall Ryan, Ryan’s Garage in Blanchardstown

Q&A

Keeping the family business running

Niall Ryan, of Ryan’s Garage in Blanchardstown

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

Q: What was your first job?A: Serving petrol here at Ryans

Garage

Q: And your first pay cheque?A: Very small!

Q: Have you ever done a job you loathed?A: Not yet

Q: When did you start your present job?A: 1996

Q: What is the best thing about your job?A: Meeting lots of different

people every day

Q: Have you achieved anything that you once thought you could not pull off?A: Still trying

Q: What part of your working

day do you ‘delegate’?Q: What’s currently on your

desk that shouldn’t be?

A: Lots

Q: Is there anything about yourself that you would like to set the record straight on?A: Don’t think so

Q: What sport do you follow?A: GAA, rugby and golf

Q: What sport can you play?A: Gaelic football and golf

Q: What habits would you like to lose?A: Slow morning starts

Q: At the moment, what are you looking forward to?A: Christmas

Q: What is your guilty music/TV or movie pleasure?A: ABBA

Q: Who best represents mod-ern Ireland – David Norris or

Jedward?A: Neither I hope

Q: What music/pictures/mov-ies do you have on your iPod/iPad?A: U2 more U2 and some fam-

ily photos

Q: Who do you follow on Twit-ter/Facebook?A: Not a big user of either I’m

afraid

Q: What was your last tweet/status update?A: See above

Q: Describe your dream meal?A: Hard to beat a nice steak

Q: Who would you rather have dinner with – Enda Kenny or Dame Edna?A: I think I’m busy that day!

Q: Where do you enjoy spend-ing money frivolously?A: Locally (not too frivolously

though)

Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?A: Nowhere near as many as

the other people in my house!

Q: What was your worst holi-day experience?A: A rainy week in the West of

Ireland when I was very young.

I remember we gave up after

3-4 days and came home.

Q: Describe your dream holiday?A: In the sun by the sea with

family/friends and a nice cold

beer in my hand.

Q: What would be your dream job?A: Probably designing cars for

Ferrari

Q: What do you plan to do when you retire?A: Travel would be very high

on the agenda

brake in wet, snow and icy conditions below 7°C. They have many more delicate cuts in the tread which are designed to absorb snow, allowing the tyres to maintain their grip when driving over snow-covered roads.

“Other great offers include our Bronze, Silver or Gold service packages, where you can have your car serviced and given a free ‘Health Check’ from as little as €95, includ-

ing oil change and filter replacement, fluid checks and a 10-point safety check,” Niall said.

Niall says that your first step for safe winter driving should be to get your vehicle serviced to ensure it is fit and safe. Secondly, you should carry out regular checks on the vehicle.

You should: • Check for wear and tear on

wiper blades and replace them as soon as they start to smear rather than clean win-dows• Keep tyre pressure at the manufacturer’s recommended level and check you have at least 3 millimetres of tread depth • Make sure all vehicle lights are working and clean and • Top up with anti-freeze and screen wash

GazetteBUSINESSBUSINESS Supported by AIB

FastBiz

Rock solid Christmas gifts from Hennessy & Byrne at National Crafts & Design FairEVERY savvy Christmas shopper knows that the National Crafts & Design Fair at the RDS until December 4 is the first port of call in the quest for the perfect Christmas gift. And for those looking for unique Christmas offerings that have been imagined, designed, and hand-crafted in Ireland, they need look no further than the Hennessy & Byrne range of giftware on display at this year’s show.

Based in Dunboyne, Co. Meath, Hennessy & Byrne uniquely specialise in handcrafting gift items and tableware from Connemara Marble, Kilkenny Limestone and Wicklow Granite. Their range of napkin holders, candlesticks, tea lights, Cheeseboards, salt & pepper sets, and clocks were first unveiled last Decem-ber at Ireland’s leading Christmas Craft and Design event and were an instant success. One year on, and Hennessy & Byrne have marked their first anniversary in business at this years’ National Craft and Design Fair by unveil-ing a selection of new Christmas gift ideas as well as a sneak preview of some their new products to be officially launched in 2012. New products to watch out for at the fair include elegant cheese slicers, stylish salad spoons and cake knives with handcrafted stone handles, some smaller Christmas ornaments, as well as exciting additions to the Hennessy & Byrne tableware range.

“It has been an amazing year for our new start-up business. We were a bit nervous launching our products onto the Irish market in December 2010, especially in the economic times we are living in; however, the public really seemed to identify with our designs and with the story of behind our range,” says Eric Byrne, a second-generation stonemason and designer/maker of the Hennessy & Byrne range. Visit them at Stand B60 at the National Craft & Design Fair until December 4, visit www.hennessyandbyrne.com, or email [email protected].


Celebrate Christmas

MIMI MURRAY

I HAVE always wanted to visit JFK country – not Hyannis Port or Martha’s Vineyard, although that would be nice, too, but the old homestead in County Wex-ford.

On a chilly November day, my husband and I decided to make the vigil to New Ross to see the birthplace of Patrick Kennedy, John’s great, great-grandfather. Jack Kennedy also made that same journey in 1963, and spent time there as a young man.

We stayed in the delectable Dunbrody House, which is close by, and can be tricky to get to, especially after dark, so make sure you have good direc-tions or a reliable GPS.

The house, which dates back to the 1830s, is set on 300 acres of garden and estate. We arrived in the early evening and were welcomed with some freshly-brewed tea, served in pretty

bone china – very civilised.Our room was straight out

of Downton Abbey, and I gave a wry smile as my husband, Brian, pointed out that we had been placed in Her Ladyship’s Suite. “How apt,” my husband laughed!

There was some lovely clas-sical music playing in the back-ground, and a long hot bath was most definitely required after the three-hour drive.

We dressed for dinner and went to seek out the beautifully restored Champagne Seafood Bar for an aperitif.

We were greeted by one half

of the celebrity couple who own Dunbrody, Catherine Dundon. She dashed about, chatting to guests, giving that little bit of personal care to everyone.

The Harvest Room restau-rant, which is a vast drawing room, has high ceilings and a beautiful open fire, with turf crackling away. The menu fea-tures some firm favourites.

We started with an amuse-bouche of potato and lemon soup, which was delicate and creamy, and perfect on a wet November night.

My starter of scallops were so fresh you could taste the

sea, and were perfectly cooked, whilst Brian’s pork belly was melt-in-the-mouth, with deli-cious crackling.

For our main, we settled on the rib of beef, which is cooked for two. It came with a bear-naise sauce, as well as a beef cheek sauce served in a sepa-rate saucepan.

It was delicious; perfectly cooked and, as my husband

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‘The house, which dates back to the 1830s, is set on 300 acres of garden and estate. We were welcomed with some freshly-brewed tea, served in pretty bone china. Our room was straight out of Downton Abbey.’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A delightfully relaxing way to enjoy A Most Peculiar Afternoon Tea at The Westin DublinFOR something that little bit different – if not verging on the absolutely eccentric – why not try A Most Peculiar Afternoon Tea at The Westin Dublin?

Taking advantage of its team of award-win-ning mixologists, The Westin Dublin has cre-ated a quirky afternoon tea, in partnership with Hendrick’s Gin, serving a classic high-tea menu, alongside an innovative cocktail “tea” to com-plement the distinctive cucumber and rose petal essences of Hendrick’s Gin.

The pot of Hendrick’s G and Tea also provides a perfect foil for delicate sandwiches – cucumber with cream cheese and chive, watercress and egg, and oak-smoked Irish salmon with spinach – as well as freshly-baked fruit scones, banana bread and signature chocolate brownies, all served with fresh cream and jam.

Delightful sweetsDelightful sweets include luxury lemon tartlet,

white chocolate and strawberry tartlets, and chocolate truffles.

However, if this G and Tea is a bit too “out there” for your taste, try the classic tea, with a glass of Taittinger Brut nv Champagne.

Served in the airy but intimate surroundings of the Atrium at The Westin, where the pretty surroundings perfectly complement this elegant tea, A Most Peculiar Afternoon Tea is available from 2.30pm until 6pm daily, at €24 per person.

To book a table, call 01 645 1000, or, for further information, see www.thewestindublin.com.

GazetteTTRAVELRAVEL

Dunbrody House served up a treat in ‘JFK country’

Rugged Donegal could hold the key to a super

Solis Lough Eske Castle is set in a wonderful location by Lough Eske, with Donegal’s ruggedly beautiful landscape adding to its great appeal

Dunbrody House, which is close


The airy, comfortable Atrium at The Westin is

a perfect place to enjoy a special G and Tea

on Irish shoresEdited by

Mimi Murray

pointed out, you could dine out on the beef cheek alone.

We apologised to Cather-ine for not being able to finish, as the portions were rather hearty.

We retired to the bar for after-dinner drinks, and got sucked in to a small wedding that was taking place in the house. Kevin Dundon, the other half of the proprietor couple, was also

at the bar with celebrity chef, Richard Corrigan.

I’m a fan of both, and had to tell Richard how much I loved his appearance on the Great British Food Revival series on BBC2 recently. Apparently, the price of mackeral has sky rock-eted since his appearance.

I told him I wasn’t a fan of the fish, but, being a persuasive man, I have promised to give

it another try, if only for the Omega 3.

Next morning, we dined on a scrumptious breakfast before setting off in search of the hum-ble beginnings of one of the most historical families in the United States.

We took the tiny roads that lead to the old Kennedy com-pound – a far cry from Hyannis Port, and the myth of Camelot

surrounding the Kennedy clan. It was hard to believe what a

momentous day that must have been for the people of New Ross, to have that handsome young man, who was also presi-dent of the United States, step onto his home turf and take a cup of tea with the locals.

For more details on Dunbro-dy, go to www.dunbrodyhouse.com, or call 051 389600.

FOR A festive season to remember book into Solis Lough Eske Castle this Christmas, and enjoy a magical Irish holiday in Donegal.

To start things off, guests can celebrate the onset of the Christmas season with the Annual Switching-On Ceremony on Sunday, December 4, where the festive lights will be officially switched on to launch the holiday season.

Not only does this

event mark the begin-ning of the hotel’s Christ-mas celebrations, but it also launches the hotel’s charity drive to assist disadvantaged children and families in Donegal, by collecting food items, so that they can have a happy Christmas, too.

To add to the festivi-ties, guests can enjoy a delightful seasonal twist on the traditional after-noon tea, on December 4, and again on Decem-ber 11 and 18, with a

special Teddy Bear’s Tea Party, where children have a chance to get a photograph with Santa Claus, while enjoying fin-ger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, and a range of festive pastries, including mince pies and Christmas cake, all washed down with your choice of a cup of tea or a glass of champagne.

For those in need of more than the pre-Christ-mas build-up, and the chance to totally escape

the stresses and strains of the festive period, why not experience the Lough Eske Castle Christmas Festive Package from December 24 to 27?

With daily cooked or buffet breakfast; two, three-course table d’hote dinners, and a delicious, traditional Christmas day lunch – complete with all the trimmings – you defi-nitely won’t go hungry.

In addition to the copi-ous amounts of food, fun outdoor activities on St

Stephen’s Day for all ages and nightly festive enter-tainment and more, will ensure that boredom is not an option.

The Christmas Fes-tive Package is avail-able for guests staying from December 24 to December 27: Court-yard Guestroom, from €635 per person sharing; Deluxe Guestroom, from €670 per person sharing.

For further information visit www.solislougheske-castle.ie

Christmas break in stunning Solis Lough Eske

to New Ross, is a perfect venue with delicious food, creating a perfect spot from which to explore the historic region


Splash out on a lovely break with the tranquil surrounds of Lough Erne Resort in Co FermanaghLOUGH Erne Resort is a beautifully tranquil setting at any time of the year, but it is particu-larly gorgeous at Christmas.

Two- and three-night Christmas packages combine all the finest elements of a stay at Lough Erne Resort, with many extra treats.

On arrival, a seasonal fruit basket awaits you in your room. Enjoy mulled wine and mince pies by the open fire after a wonderfully brisk walk on The Collop Walk, within the grounds of the hotel, and offering stunning views over the Fermanagh Lakelands and Lough Erne Resort’s championship 18-hole golf course, The Faldo Course.

With carol singers providing pre-dinner sea-sonal music on Christmas Eve, there will also be charming music from the resident harpist and resident pianist during some meals and in the evenings.

Of course, children will not be forgotten – they, too, will have some very special treats to look forward to, including gifts from Santa Claus.

A two-night festive stay at Lough Erne Resort, including full Irish Breakfast each morning, mulled wine and minced pies on arrival, Christ-mas Eve dinner, transfers to local church serv-ices, Christmas Day lunch and Christmas Day evening buffet, costs from £170 per person per night, based on two people sharing.

The three-night Christmas packages rates start from £150 per person per night, based on two persons sharing.

For further information on this lovely break, call Lough Erne Resort on +44 (0)28 6632 3230, or see www.lougherneresort.com


Some Thing weirdHaving a Ripley moment ... When faced with a cunning, murderous, shapeshifting alien that’s stalking the remote Antarctica base she’s

trapped on, plucky scientist, Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) does what any sensible person would do – reach for a flamethrower ...

GoingOUT

GazetteENTERTAINMENTENTERTAINMENT

Who ya gonna call? Gho-Oh, wait, the scientists in this film have to face an otherworldly horror by themselves

KATE CROWLEY

WELL folks, here we are again – December, AKA the month that I can reliably expect Mr Crow-ley to start humming “Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat” whenever I get dolled up for a night out.

Still, knowing perfectly well what a (Christmas) cracker Mr Crowley pulled on his trip down the aisle, I ignore any such gibes on his not-exactly-slim-himself-either part, as we in the Crowley household all look forward to some annual festive cheer.

Speaking of goose – or geese? – it brings to mind someone whose goose is in danger of being well and truly cooked in this week’s film, with another plucky protaganist who seems to have curiously lemming-like instincts for survival once things start going bump in the night.

Or, rather, once some ... Thing starts messily

bumping her colleagues off in the night, in the day, in the snow, in the base she’s trapped on ...

This may almost sound like a jolly update of Clue-do, but, to give you a bet-ter clue about what this film is about, I’ll nod (like the filmmakers) towards The Thing.

You remember it, right? That old 1980s film star-ring Kurt Russell, which was itself a remake of the classic 1951 film, starring Nobody Who Anyone Remembers Now?

Well, sorry folks, it ain’t that Thing, but this The Thing is kind of almost

a remake of the former Thing, not the latter Thing.

I Thing we’re all getting confused now, so let’s get on with the Thing to hand – The Thing – and its con-nection to cooked geese. (Bear with me, folks.)

It’s Tuesday, 1982, and brainy science lady Kate (Winstead) is called upon to head off to a remote base in Antarctica, where a team of Norwegian and American scientists have discovered something, or some... Thing.

Actually, it’s a space-ship, which has a frozen extraterrestial, or ET, in it.

(Sadly, it’s not the kind that likes telephones and messing about on bikes during moonlit flits, but the human-slaughtering sort instead.)

Kate, and pals, haul the ET back to base, where, after retrieving a tissue sample, there’s much cel-ebration at their discovery – at least until the ET, or The Thing, as we’ll call it from now, defrosts, wakes up, and sets about assimi-lating the scientists and then, presumably, con-quering the world.

Followed by, presum-ably, messing about on moonlit flits on bicycles.

However, quicker than you can say “Science will save us now!”, Kate and pals realise that The Thing is trying to pick them all off, one by one; that the parasitic entity has the ability to absorb and then perfectly mimic any life-form, be it animal or man; that at least one of the people on the base is now, in fact, a murder-

ously cunning alien bent on killing (and copying) them all, and that there’s some Thing very fishy going on.

“Science! Science will... err... not maybe work as well as a nice flamethrow-er,” Thing the scientists.

Cue paranoia, panic, mistrust and rampant fear, as through various attacks by The Thing, and by the dwindling survi-vors upon each other, every Thing just goes from bad to worse, leading to their geese being well and truly cooked.

Trapped and isolated in a place where anyone and everyone around you could be some Thing you really don’t want to be stuck with, Kate’s forced into an increasingly night-marish situation – yet one that turns out to be lead-ing directly to the events seen in the 1982 film, and that film’s load of disgust-ingly gory special effects.

Hurrah! So, it’s not all bad news, then.

FILM OF THE WEEK:The Thing (16) 102 mins

OUR VERDICT:NOT, perhaps, what many would see as a traditional Christmas film for the season, this gory horror film is an interesting feel-bad film. It rachets up feelings of tension, stress, fear and panic on a remote Antarctica base, where there’s snow escape for a group of scientists – AKA “dinner” – as a shapeshifting alien hides among the group. But who (and how many) among them is now The Thing?

Director: Matthijs van Heijningen JrStarring: Joel Edgerton, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ulrich Thomsen, beardy scientists in grave peril

PAVILION 01 231 2929John Spillane

WITH Christmas fast approaching, The Pavilion is showing no signs in letting up on its roster of outstanding musicians, with award-winning John Spillane coming to the Dun Laoghaire venue. Well-known for his engaging performances, and, of course, his superb music, the Irish singer-songwriter will be supported by Lisa O’Neill, another fine singer from Cavan’s heartlands. Catch the show at 8pm on Friday, December 2, with admission costing €19.

MILL THEATRE 01 296 9340 The Spirit of Christmas

PRESENTED by the perenially popular Drawing Room Opera Company, The Spirit of Christmas will celebrate the season in superb musical style on Sunday, December 4, with a number of festive favourites and operatic pieces creating an event to savour. As if that wasn’t a tempting enough treat, a special meal deal with Roly Saul’s restaurant sees a two-course meal for two, bottle of wine or complimentary third course, and two tickets for the show on offer, all for just €110. Non-dining tickets cost €27.

DRAIOCHT 01 885 2622CREATEability

AS PART of its engagement with all of the community, and families, Draiocht’s CREATEability event should be one not to miss. This unique family day for children with special needs, between the ages of 8 to 13, will see Draiocht’s artists joining families to work together and create art in a hands-on way, exploring different themes and various artworks in the galleries. For further information, contact Sarah at 01 809 8029. This free event runs at Draiocht on Friday, December 2, from 1.30pm to 2.30pm.


SHANE DILLON

BENDING the rules of this page just a little – and because I’m also very interested in tech news and kit, and sometimes cover such content – I thought I’d take a look at a serious contender for the near-ubiquitous iPhone – and what better than the HTC Radar, running Windows’ Mango OS?

In urgent need to replace my ever-faithful, but quite basic (and by now, geriatric) Nokia 6300, I was considering a number of smartphones, before the HTC Radar, well, crossed my radar.

There have already been a number of Win-dows Phones, with each iteration of the OS driving it – in this case, Windows Phone Operating System 7.5, or Mango, to use its user-friendly title – evolv-ing to keep up with user trends and espectations.

Given Apple’s near dominance of media headlines, with Android phones also slugging

it out for market share, Microsoft really needed to up its game in offering an OS that could com-pete.

Thankfully, Mango, coupled with HTC’s hard-ware, seems like a very natural fit, and fit for the challenge.

Firstly, speaking of a natural fit, the phone itself has a lovely build; ergonomically, it feels extremely comfortable to hold and use, and, as smartphones go, I imag-ine this will fit most users’ hands somewhat better than similar phone.

Compactness is, for

many, a negative point in phones, rather than a positive.

Personally, I prefer a bit of heft in a handset, rather than jabbing at something that’s seemingly designed for pixie hands, yet the Radar also slips perfectly comfortably into my pocket. So far, so good.

However, the Radar’s real selling point is, of course, the Windows’ OS that drives it, as phones stand or fail on their soft-ware.

I know that Microsoft have been keen to point out hundreds of addi-tions and improvements to its latest OS over pre-vious versions – however, I just wanted to see what Mango does, rather than know what it was.

And what it does well, it excels at, and its OS really made me regret not upgrading my phone sooner.

Taking a different stance to the “apps” functions of other phones, Mango’s (user-customisable) Tile-based interface cleanly

shows whatever informa-tion you’re looking for – I quickly and easily pulled apart the default layout to push “my” content to the fore, chief among that being social content.

After all, its People Hub pulls together all the infor-mation on my friends and contacts that I’m interest-ed in, giving me updates on what’s going on, while letting me filter out other content.

It’s pretty neat, seeing content from, say, Twit-ter, Facebook and MSN neatly integrated into one space, rather than spread over disconnected apps.

Of course, being a Microsoft OS, it also neatly pulls in what’s con-nected to my XBox Live gaming account, with a Marketplace section connected to the phone, while, perhaps more seri-ously, there’s also a dedi-cated Office Hub.

That’s likely to be a key selling point for, say, many students and busi-ness users, as the office software, and its integra-

tion with other platforms, would be very important for many users.

Coupled with the Cloud-related SkyDrive storage, which provides a lot of gigabytes of storage, and that’s an awful lot of brain- and storage-power to slip into your pocket, which would also link very well to its compre-hensive calendar func-tions.

Something that I liked a lot is the “threads” func-tion, as messages remain grouped together, leaving naturally flowing conver-sations – complete with nicely integrated picture messages, where relevant – all of which is quite a change from my faithful old phone (now retired to a bedroom drawer)!

Coupled with all of the bells and whistles you’d expect both HTC and Microsoft to cram into a handset (which includes a pretty decent camera), and the HTC Radar, run-ning Windows’ Mango, seems like a pretty tasty smartphone to pick up.

GazetteGAMINGGAMINGTiles of style in this new Windows phone

The HTC Radar, running Windows’ Mango OS, is

available from a number of outlets in classic grey

(above, or white, depending on availability). It comes

with 8GB of internal storage, and has a wide range

of features, ranging from 3G connectivity to a 5MP

camera and flash, ZUNE player and HTC Watch.

AS MENTIONED last week, I’m taking a look at Halo: Anniversary, which should interest gamers allied to pretty much any console.

Available exclusively on the XBox 360, the title marks the ten-year anniversary of an icon-ic gaming title, and series, and also marks an almost unheard of event in gaming – reheating and reserving an old title for modern tastes.

However, the game hasn’t been simply dusted off and shoved out into the shops again, as the (re)developers have taken the original game, slapped a HD and re-modelled gloss over it to compete with modern titles, and then brought it to market.

The interesting thing is that, at any point during the gameplay, the player can press a button and swap back and forth at will to see what the level/game looked like in the original engine.

It’s quite a shock, seeing today how ... simple the orginal title looked, especially when the more intricate modern version looks so much prettier.

Still, the original Halo, as now with its “reheated” version, still holds up very well, with some excellent AI, imaginative locales, challenging environments, and quite simply, lots of fun.

I’ve had quite a blast – liter-ally – by running around as the title’s hero, jumping around glossy alien landscapes and

spaceship interiors, and then swapping back and forth to see their practically prehistoric equivalents in the ten-year-old original engine, all the while fac-ing the exact same enemy AI.

Of course, the Anniversary title comes with some cool attractions in the package,

such as some great multiplayer maps, and a number of other “upgrades” to look out for.

For my money, the orginal Halo was the best in the series, and this finely executed tribute is both a fitting testament to the game it honours, as well as a great game in its own right.

Halo: Anniversary is a great tribute to a ten-year-old title

Saying Halo to a fondly-remembered classic

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

‘What it does well, it excels at, and the Windows OS really made me regret not upgrading my phone sooner’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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GazetteSportSport


Celtic AwardsKerr salutes Leicester’s successesF

ORMER Republic of Ireland manager, Brian Kerr, and Barry Murphy, the former Leicester Celtic player and current Bohe-

mians’ goalkeeper, joined a packed house in Taylor’s Three Rock Hotel for the club’s annual trophy presentation. Brian entertained the gathered club members with his tales as an international manager, and encouraged the kids to keep practising their skills. The awards presentation was an occasion to present the winning team and Player of the Year trophies to the deserving recipients, while viewing memorable moments from the previ-ous year’s season. The club also launched both their 2012 calen-dar and their new website, www.leicesterceltic.ie. The club have also renewed their agreement with Swansea City, whereby they benefit from their Premier League professional coaching expertise on several occasions each year. In addition, Celtic’s teams will have the opportu-nity to visit Swansea and enjoy their facilities for coaching sessions and matches.

Bohemians’ goalkeeper and former Leicester player, Barry

Murphy, presents the U-11 goalkeeper award to Kevin O’Reilly

Declan Ellison is presented with the LSL Fair Play

Award 2010 by Brian Kerr

Jack Funge, a DDSL league winner at U-8 and Brian Kerr

The Player of the Year award is presented to Henrjj Kallins by his

manager, Sue Peacock

Paul Miley, DDSL chairman Tommy Heffernan and Billy Freeland

The Saturday Morning Leicester/Swansea Swans Academy: Check leicesterceltic.ie for details.

in association with


Rally Director, Bobby Willis at the announcement of the Circuit of Ireland rally

Challenge in place for 2012 rally race

[email protected]

NORTH county rally star Robert Barrable is set to return to the roads of Ireland next year when he takes part in the famous Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally which will be part of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) series.

The 13-round IRC series will travel Europe with the Circuit of Ire-land being the only Brit-ish or Irish round on the calendar, which will be hosted in its traditional Easter slot of April 6 and 7.

Broadcas t across

Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas by Eurosport, the IRC series last year boasted a global viewing audience of 79 million and affirms the Circuit of Ireland’s arrival once again on a worldwide sporting stage.

Irish drivers have com-peted well on the IRC series in recent years, which was won by Dun-gannon’s Kris Meeke in 2009 and last year fea-tured Irish drivers, Jonny Greer (Carryduff), Craig Breen (Water ford) , Robert Barrable (Dub-lin) and Alastair Fisher (Trillick).

Bobby Willis, event

director of the Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally said: “The country can look forward to host-ing a truly world-class sporting event in 2012, a rally that will captivate the fans and the general public alike as we bring the rally to the people.”

Dungannon driver, Kris Meeke, who won the IRC series in 2009 said: “Hosting such a high-profile event here is unbelievable and is fantastic news for rally fans in Ireland.

“As anyone who watched the series over recent years will testify, it’s highly competitive and makes compulsive

viewing.“I’m certain the reign-

ing IRC champion, Nor-way’s Andreas Mikkelsen and all the competitors and teams will receive a warm welcome here next Easter from the thou-sands that will attend.”

Precise details sur-rounding the rally will be launched in the next few weeks, but Willis has promised another super special stage in a new host city which is sure to showcase the skills of the IRC and Circuit of Ireland competitors.

For more information go to www.ircseries.com or www.circuitofireland.net

RALLY: INTERNATIONAL SERIES RETURNS TO IRELAND

STARof theMONTHGARY THOMPSON

THE North Dublin star of the

track has been marked as a

possible F1 star of the future,

and continues to impress with

his progress on the Asian cir-

cuit, shining on the Japanese

F3 championship over the last

two years, with his appear-

ance behind the wheel in end-

of-season trials in Formula

Nippon another affirmation of

his potential.

NOVEMBER is just gone and still it’s like the middle of autumn — but that hasn’t stopped some excep-tional Dublin sports stars emerging to take their honours.

Gary Thompson is slowly but surely building a significant career in motor racing, and his appearance behind the wheel in Formula Nip-pon in Japan puts him in the foot-steps of Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine. It is only a matter of time before we see Gary moving into the realms of world championship racing.

The Lucan Sarsfields’ camogie section have achieved a massive and

historic success this year, winning all of the juvenile age-level titles in Dublin. With hurling at the club a huge success, it was inevitable that the camogie section would follow.

Let us know!Let us know about your achieve-

ments in sport, so that the Gazette can tell the rest of Dublin — and give you, or your team, a chance of being one of our monthly stars.

Contact us on 01 601 0240 or [email protected] to tell us all about your successes, and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/gazettesportII.

LUCAN SARSFIELDS

THE 12th Lock side

made Dublin history

this month when they

claimed the last of an

impressive run of cam-

ogie titles at Parnell

Park; the club’s ladies

now own the Under-13

to minors’ crowns in the

county. With the small-

ball code in the ascendancy at the club, their achievement is a

tribute to the youth section at the club and the young players.

TEAMof theMONTH

2011 DUBLIN SPORTS AWARDS NOVEMBER WINNERS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

U C D A F C h a v e announced recently that they will host two friend-ly matches at the Belfield Bowl against Scotland’s St Johnstone FC on July 10, and Spain’s Villarreal CF on July 16.

St Johnstone finished eighth in the SLP last season, and have a long tradition in Scottish football. Former players include Sir Alex Ferguson and Ally McCoist.

Villarreal finished fourth in last seasons La Liga and so are qualifiers for next season’s Cham-pions League. As well as this, they have a wide range of talented foot-ballers at their disposal with Barcelona target and former Manchester United player, Giuseppe Rossi, on the top of the list.

GazetteSport and UCD are giving lucky

readers the chance to win pairs of tickets to these matches.

Simply answer the fol-lowing question:

Where was Villarreal striker Guiseppe Rossi born?

Send your answer, together with your name, address and mobile phone number, to [email protected], with “UCD Friendlies” in the subject line of the mail.

Win tickets to see UCD in friendlies

UCD’s Robbie Benson

Leo’s launch: Leinster star releases bookLEINSTER captain, former Blackrock College player, and proud holder of the Heineken Cup, Leo Cullen, was pictured last week , at the D4 Berkeley Hotel, with his family at the launch of A Captain’s Story, his diary of the epic 2010/11 season that led to another historic success in Ireland and Europe. Picture: inpho.com


GazetteSportSport

ULSTER BANK DIVISION 2AOld Wesley 48

Clonakilty 10

[email protected]

OLD Wesley ran up their fourth try-bonus point result of the sea-son to bound up to sec-ond in the Ulster Bank Division 2A as they put basement side Clonak-ilty to the sword with a comprehensive win at Donnybrook last Sat-urday.

As such, despite hav-ing won two less games than their closest rivals DLSP and Dublin Uni-versity, they are just two points off top spot.

And their ability to

cross the whitewash was shown inside eight minutes as a scrum saw ball fed inside by out-half Dan van Zyl to Richie Murphy who took it forward before feeding Ian McGann who dotted down the opener.

With Barry McLaugh-lin converting, it set the tempo. Visiting number ten Matt Kirby respond-ed with a three-pointer from his second penalty shot but Wesley were back on the try trail when a loose ball inside their own half was gath-ered by Izak Muller.

The scrum-half made a diagonal break and

fed the ball to van Zyl who out sprinted the cover defence to score near the touchline with McLaughlin adding the extras from a difficult angle.

This was however the last action by the veteran van Zyl who went off with a muscle injury. A penalty on half-time was kicked by McLaughlin for a 17-3 lead for a comfortable margin.

Wi th Clonaki l i t y needing to get back in the game and Wesley seeking a bonus point, both sides were attempt-ing to open up the game and a kick ahead by the

visitors was collected by Ian Cassidy on his 22.

He quickly saw an opening down the left and as he was tackled passed to Ross Barbour on the wing and with the Clonakilty defence closing he found John Carroll steaming up on his inside for the big forward to score Wes-ley’s third try.

The bonus point was secured in the 55th minute off the back of line-out ball with Tris-tan Goodbody scoring of the ensuing maul, bringing the lead to 27-3.

Clonakilty respond-ed when replacement

out-half Mark Purcell caught the defence nap-ping with a quick tap penalty to score under the posts.

But it was brief respite as Wesley produced the best move of the match when Wes l ey won clean ball off the top at a lineout on the half way line and was fed quickly to the backline. Good ground made by Stephen Harvey and Goodbody before feed-ing Matt Crocket to score Wesley’s fifth try.

Stephen Harvey and McLaughlin – bringing his tally to 16 points – added late tries to com-plete the rout.

Wonderful Wesley walk-over

RUGBY: DONNYBROOK SIDE NOW WITHIN TWO POINTS OF LEAD

Old Wesley recorded an impressive win in Division 2A to come within two points of the lead in the league table

Bank on Boden Club get AIB recognitionBALLYBODEN St Enda’s Mick Fletcher was at Capel Street recently with AIB branch manager John Cotter, who presented the GAA club’s representative with training equipment in recognition of their achievements in the 2011 Dublin hurling and football championships.

Picture credit: Barry Cregg / Sportsfile

FastSport

DSDAC’s Joe Sweeney became the first man to retain the senior Woodies DIY Inter-County Cross-Country Championships in eight years at Sligo Racecourse last weekend.

A fluid 32.07 minute time for the ten kilometre course assured his unbeaten record continued as he had 46 seconds to spare over 2009 champi-ons Andrew Ledwith.

Speaking after the race, Sweeney said the con-ditions were tough after a shower just before the start of the race.

“It was tough because Andrew’s amazing in mud and the only place I could get going was the drier bits, but I got into my stride and learnt to deal with the course and running that should stand to me at Europeans,” Sweeney said.

Heavy rainfall made conditions underfoot very heavy but the races themselves were held in bright sunshine and saw the senior men’s race break up early on as a group of four took on the pace halfway around the first of five laps.

Sweeney led the charge and before long Andrew Ledwith from Meath was his only company. Sweeney got stronger as the race pro-gressed and was a decisive winner to repeat his win in Derry last year.

Ledwith was second with Paul Pollock from Antrim third, Michael Mulhare from Laois was fourth and Mark Hanrahan from Cork fifth. Dublin won the team contest with 103 points ahead of Antrim with 109 and Cork with 182.

On the women’s side, there was a close tussle between Sara Louise Treacy and DSD’s Aoife Culhane. A tumble on the last lap cost Culhane when she lost contact with Treacy who made the best of her way home to win her first senior title.

Cork’s Claire McCarthy finished like a train and overtook Culhane in the closing stages for her best ever finishing place after previously finishing fourth. Kelly Harty from Down was fourth and Eilish Kelly from Roscommon fifth. Cork won the inter county title with 35 points from Dublin on 50 and Meath on 119.

Rising star Siofra Cleirigh-Buttner continuned her unbeaten record by adding the inter-county junior title to her inter-club victory earlier this year. She finished nine seconds ahead of school-mate Clare McCarthy – also from Colaiste Iosa-gain – who raced past Waterford’s Kate Veale in the closing stages.

Sweeney’s first in a good weekend for DSD


in association with

a CLUB NOTICEBOARD

WANDERERS

BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’SHARD luck to the minor hurling team

and management on their champi-

onship loss.

Many thanks to Mary Kennedy,

RTE, Deputy Mayor of South Dub-

lin Pamela Kearns and Fidelma

Casey, and all who supported the

Art Altruism Exhibition in aid of

AWARE.

Well done to Declan O’Brien and his

crew on the Boden Theatre Group

on four fantastic nights of Laugh-

ter in the Lounge.

Congrats to Noel Browne on a

great Cabaret night.

Under-21 hurlers had a good win

over Ballinteer to reach their semi-

final.

Sections General Meetings: Cam-

ogie, December 8; Football, Decem-

ber 12; Hurling, December 15.

Further details are available on

the club’s website.

This year’s Players, Mentors and

Supporters night will be held in the

lounge on Saturday, December 10.

Lotto: The Jackpot of €7,500 was

not won. Next week’s jackpot will

be €8,000. There were eight Match

First Three winners.

Follow GazetteSport on Facebook and Twitter and at www.gazettegroup.com

THANKS to all who attended and

organised the end-of-season party

last week.

Congratulations to the mens’

junior A and B footballers who col-

lected silverware on the night.

Congratulations also to Ladies’

Player of the Year, Danielle Valen-

tine, Ladies Most Improved Player,

Sinead O’Connor, Men’s Junior B

Player of the year, David Carrigan

and Men’s Junior A Player of the

year, Eoin Lynagh.

The club AGM will take place

on Thursday, December 8 at 8pm

sharp in the clubhouse. Motions to

Secretary Gary Keogh no later than

December 5.

Adult mens’ junior As and Bs

should contact their managers

regarding training plans for next

season.

Under-15 boys’ training is on Tues-

day nights at 7.30pm and Under-15

girls’ training on Wednesdays at

6.30pm at Frank Kelly Park.

All new players welcome. For more

information contact Niall on 086 885

7303.

Ladies’ training is on Mondays

and Wednesdays at 7.30pm. Con-

tact Darren on 087 664 7205.

There was no winner of this week’s

Lotto jackpot.

Numbers drawn were 11, 21 and 30;

€25 goes to Bess and girls, Deirdre

Hughes, Alice Corry, Pat Tierney.

Jackpot next week is €900.

Wanderers’ club car stickers

available to purchase this week,

contact any committee member

for details, €3 each.

The new club website is now live at

www.wanderersgaa.ie.

All content, feedback or sugges-

tions should be emailed to pro@

wanderersgaa.ie.

If you would like a notice men-

tioned in the club notes please

contact Stephen on 0879789843

or [email protected] no later

than 10am Monday morning each

week.

www.wanderersgaa.ie

BALLINTEER ST JOHN’STHERE was no winner of last week’s

Lotto draw. Numbers drawn were 4,

7, 12, 14. Next week’s draw will be for

€4,200. Tickets are available online

at www.ballinteerstjohns.com or

from the usual outlets.

The AGM is set for the December 2

in the clubhouse.

The Parish Cup is being organised

for December 17. Strict residence

rules will apply.

Bingo continues every Monday in

the clubhouse at 8pm. All members,

friends, family and neighbours wel-

come.

The function room is free on

December 10. Contact Dermot for

bookings.

Well done to the Under-21 hurlers

on good performance against Bal-

lyboden in the championship, just

coming up short in the end.

Good luck to Under-21 football-

ers next Saturday against Thomas

Davis in the second round of the

championship.

MINOR A HURLING FINALBallyboden St Enda’s 2-6

Kilmacud Crokes 4-5

[email protected]

A QUICK-fire trio of goals in the lead-up to half-time saw Kilma-cud Crokes transform a nightmare start into a winning position when they got the better of old rivals Ballyboden St Enda’s at Parnell Park last Sunday.

Three goals in a ten minute spell from Barry Horan, Ken Kelly and semi-final hero Alex Pilkington aided the comeback from a six-point deficit to a four- point half-time lead in jig-time.

It was the vital inter-vention on a bright but cold morning with a stiff breeze aiding Kilma-cud’s first-half efforts.

Nonetheless, their Firhouse Road oppo-nents produced a bril-liant early show, with Gavin Corrigan net-ting after an early free

while Eoghan O’Neill and Donal Butler were dominant to make it 1-3 to no score.

But Matthew Ger-aghty started the come-back whi le Kel ly ’s 65 upped the ante. Horan whipped home with a one-handed swing to a loose ball after John Huban and Ross McGowan had dropped the ball into an advanced area and it was well and truly game on.

James Roche respond-ed for Boden but Kelly put Crokes in front for the first time with a fine effort, racing onto James Murphy’s delivery to fire home on the run.

The ensuing puck-out saw Emmet Doherty pick up an injury, add-ing to the absentees created by Caolan Con-way’s broken thumb picked up in a midweek school’s game.

But Kilmacud were unperturbed and moved further ahead when

Kelly notched another free following a foul on Fionan Motherway and they had a 3-3 to 1-5 lead – Alan Cleary pointing for Boden – courtesy of Pilkington’s goal.

Cian McGabhann was the instigator, play-ing the sliotar in low for the full-forward to net.

With the breeze now in their favour, Boden enjoyed more of the pressure but their accu-racy let them down as a couple of wides meant it was not until the 36th minute until Corrigan reduced the deficit.

C o n o r R o b i n s o n and Niall Keegan were

clearing good ball and the blocking of Naoise Green and Ben McEn-tee in the middle of the field kept the game in the balance as scores proved hard to come by.

And when Jamie Des-mond’s free floated all the way into the goal, Boden were within one point.

But Crokes contin-ued to win breaking ball and, when a long deliv-ery from Justin Cassidy was struck to the net by Conor O’Dwyer – in tandem with Pilking-ton’s earlier point – it effectively finished the contest.

HURLING: PRE-BREAK BLITZ SEES KILMACUD WIN

Kilmacud Crokes powered their way back from the brink before half-time to claim the minor honour

Treble strike sees Crokes to the title

ALL OF YOUR DUNDRUM SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 28-31 DECEMBER 1, 2011

CROKES CRACK IT: Kilmacud claim the championship title against Ballyboden P31 G

azetteSPORT

Murphy sailing for Murphy sailing for London place in Oz London place in Oz Rathfarnham sailor aiming for Olympic place as she tacks out in Perth in ISAF World Championships

Annalise Murphy will be aiming to claim her berth at the Olympic regatta with a string of top results in the World Championships in Australia

STEPHEN FINDLATER

[email protected]

ANNALISE Murphy will set sail in Perth, Aus-tralia, at the start of her bid for a place at the Lon-don Olympics when the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships gets underway this weekend.

The current world number six in the laser radial class will be among over 1,100 sailors from 78 nations who will compete in the ten Olympic events as they seek World Championship glory and qualify their nations for the 2012 Olympic sailing competition.

Outside of the boxing arena, the Rathfarnham woman is among Ireland’s leading medal pros-pects, having impressed already this year at test events in Weymouth – the venue for next year’s Olympic regatta.

Her event gets underway on Monday, with races each day until the final medal race on Sun-

day, December 11.Over 100 entries have been posted for the event,

though, making it a competitive field with just 20 nations able to achieve a place at the Olympics from this qualifying event.

That would be the first step for Murphy who would then need to be confirmed as Ireland’s representative. In previous Olympic years, this has been a contentious issue but would seem a formality in Murphy’s case as the stand-out Irish sailor in this class.

Her big rivals in Perth are likely to be Holland’s Marit Bouwmeester and Belgium’s Evi Van Acker who have dominated the class in recent months, with the former comprehensively sealing gold at the Weymouth and Portland International Regat-ta and moving to the world number one spot.

China’s Lijia Xu took the first ISAF Sailing World Cup Regatta at Sail Melbourne in her preparations for Perth.

The Chinese sailor, currently 60th in the world, finished ahead of an experienced field that fea-tured top ten sailors Krystal Weir (Australia), Belarussian Tatiana Drozdovskaya and Murphy, showing the large volume of contenders.

But an eighth-place finish in 2009 at the age of just 19 sign-posted the National Yacht Club member’s potential, finishing in the top ten a year later in the Skandia Sail for Gold regatta and win-ning a first Irish national title.

But, overall, medals will be placed slightly on the back-burner as Murphy will aim to finish inside the list of top 20 nations in the competi-tion.

Along with Peter O’Leary with David Burrows in the Star class, Murphy carries the highest Irish hopes of success at an event that will be cov-ered by more than 25 international and national broadcasters who have signed up to take the tel-evision coverage of Perth 2011.

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