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Revoke Greyhound’s waste licence – SDCCFirm rubbishes council’s ‘political opportunism’

� PAUL HOSFORD

GREYHOUND Recycling has defended itself from what it calls “political oppor-tunism” after South Dublin County Council passed a motion calling for its waste licence to be withdrawn.

The council this week

passed a motion from Council-lor Trevor Gilligan (FF) asking the council, which awarded the contract for waste collec-tion in the county to Grey-hound in April 2011, to write to the Environmental Protec-tion Agency asking it to imme-diately revoke Greyhound’s waste collection permit.

In response, a Greyhound spokesman said: “Greyhound and its employees will not be distracted by political oppor-tunism that bears no relation to reality or to the facts that led to the sale of South Dub-lin County Council’s waste collection business.”

Full Story on Page 3

One small step:Toddlers walk to help othersTHESE toddlers at Happy Tots, Foxborough, were happy to step out on a sponsored walk – the Danone Big Toddle – in aid of the charity, Barnados.

Children from the Happy Bun-nies, Happy Owls and Happy Tig-gers classes raised €620 from their walk around the estate, with every small step helping to make a big difference for the lives of other children. Despite their tender years, these children showed the great charitable spirit of the area. Well done to everyone involved in the worthy venture.

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LUCAN • PALMERSTOWN • CELBRIDGE • LEIXLIP • ADAMSTOWN • DODSBORO • LIFFEY VALLEY • BALLYOWEN

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2 LUCAN GAZETTE 12 July 2012

CEREMONY Big day for local Youthreach participants

‘Congratulations, graduates’DR MARIE Griffen was guest of honour at the recent

graduation ceremony for local Youthreach partici-pants, at which she congratulated the graduates on

their resolve to continue with educational opportunities, and explore learning avenues. She spoke of her admira-tion for the graduates’ drive to keep learning, and wished

them well with future studies and courses.An integral part of the national programme of second-

chance education and training in Ireland, Youthreach is a central part of the Government’s contribution to the achievement of a lifelong learning society, and is direct-ed at unemployed young early school leavers aged 15-20.

� PAUL HOSFORD

[email protected]

SOUTH Dublin County Council (SDCC) is to remove 22 superf lu-ous signs and to repair or replace 24 damaged signs, following an audit of road and council sig-nage in the five areas of architectural conserva-tion in the county.

A further seven private signs are to be examined to ascertain what action can be taken.

The headline results of the audit were presented at Monday’s meeting of SDCC.

At the meeting, the director of services for roads, Teresa Walsh, advised that the council intended that work will start immediately and be scheduled throughout the summer months.

This signage audit came on foot of a con-certed effort by two community groups in Lucan Village – Lucan Tidy Towns and Lucan Planning Council – who, along with Councillor William Lavelle (FG), asked for the audit.

Commenting on the problem of superfluous signage, Cllr Lavelle said that the level of signage had grown.

“Councils are quick to put up new signage, in particular, road signage and normally for a good reason.

“However, councils have been very slow to remove outdated, dam-aged or superfluous sig-nage, which can then accumulate as eyesores.

“In picturesque villag-es such as Lucan, signage can detract significantly from the visual attrac-tiveness of the area,” he said.

“In May, 2010, fol-lowing discussions with members of the Lucan Planning Council, I pro-posed and secured coun-cil agreement for inclu-sion of an objective in the new County Devel-opment Plan requiring an audit of signage and other urban clutter, start-ing in our county’s five architectural conserva-tion areas, including Lucan village.

“In January, I went on a walkabout with mem-bers of the Lucan Village Tidy Towns groups to identify work priorities for 2012.

“The Tidy Towns members highlighted outdated and haphazard signage as a key issue to be addressed.

“On foot of this walk-about, I tabled a motion at the next council meet-ing seeking to action the development plan objec-tive for an audit.

“My mot ion was passed, and council management responded positively,” said Cllr Lav-elle.

AUDIT: AREA’S DAMAGED OUTDATED SIGNAGE IS IDENTIFIED BY SDCC

Council to remove 24 superfluous signs in area

The graduating Class of 2012 gather for their group shot. Pictures: Ian Fleming

Fergal Farrell, director, Lucan Youth Centre

Sean Carpenter and Dr Marie Griffen,

CEO, Dublin VEC Sinead Keegan and Dr Griffen

Leanne Hannahey and Dr Griffen Karen Byrne and Dr Griffen

12 July 2012 LUCAN GAZETTE 3

GREYHOUND Council move dismissed as ‘opportunism’

� PAUL HOSFORD

[email protected]

SOUTH Dublin County Council (SDCC) this week passed a motion calling for waste pro-vider Greyhound to be stripped of its licence to collect waste.

The council unani-mously passed a motion from Councillor Trevor Gilligan (FF) asking the council, who awarded the contract for waste collection in the county to Greyhound in April, 2011, to write to the Envi-ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) asking it to revoke Greyhound’s waste collection permit immediately.

Cllr Gillligan said: “It is now the official posi-tion of SDCC that Grey-hound should no longer have a permit to operate in Dublin.

“It is unacceptable that Greyhound retains its licence for waste collection after being prosecuted for multiple breaches.

“Most recently, in May of this year, the EPA ordered Greyhound to remove almost 3,000 tonnes of its waste that was being illegally stored on a farm in Co Kildare.

“Greyhound currently has lucrative contracts for waste collection in SDCC and Dublin City Council.

“Over the past year, households have faced exorbitant hikes in bin charges, and they have put up with unaccept-able conduct from the company.

“We in SDCC will now write to the EPA asking for the immediate remov-al of Greyhound’s waste collection permit, follow-ing a series of breaches,” said Cllr Gilligan.

In a statement, a Grey-hound spokesman said that the move was “polit-ical opportunism”.

“Greyhound Recy-cling and Recovery notes the motion passed by SDCC.

“The motion singles out Greyhound on the

Councillor Trevor Gilligan (FF) believes that Greyhound should no longer hold the

waste collection contract for Dublin

basis of EPA prosecu-tions, and ignores the fact that other waste operators in Dublin have also been prosecuted for breaches of EPA regula-tions.

“Greyhound therefore questions the basis of the motion, and why local councillors are attempt-ing to undermine, dam-

age and disrupt a com-pany that has created over 100 jobs in the past year, and that currently employs 300 people in the Clondalkin region.

“These same council-lors have conveniently forgotten that SDCC’s waste collection busi-ness was losing money and costing taxpayers

more than €6 million per annum at the time it was offered for sale.

“Greyhound, and its employees, will not be distracted by political opportunism that bears no relation to reality, or to the facts that led to the sale of SDCC’s waste collection business,” said the statement.

WEEE has free eventWEEE Ireland, the Irish compliance scheme for electrical appliances and battery recycling, is hold-ing a free recycling event in Clondalkin this week-end, in association with South Dublin County Council.

The collection will take place on Saturday, July 14, from 10am to 4pm in The Mill Centre, Clondalkin.

This free event allows people to get rid of any household electrical equipment and batteries in a safe and environmen-tally-friendly manner.

Anything in the home with a battery or a plug can be recycled at these collections. Waste col-lection specialists from WEEE Ireland will be present on the day.

For further informa-tion on all future recy-cling events in Dublin, or to find your nearest civic amenity site, see WEEE Ireland’s website at www.recyclefree.ie.

RECYCLING

SDCC votes to revoke firm’s waste licence

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LOCAL company For-est Enterprises Limited (FEL) will open two new offices in the coming months.

It is unknown just how many jobs the move will create, but the company, whose headquarters is in Lucan, were praised for the openings by Minister

of State at the Depart-ment of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with responsibility for Forestry, Shane McEntee, when he announced the opening.

FEL was founded in 1990 and specialises in investment forestry, farm-er forestry and woodland estate management.

The company manages more than 24,000 acres of commercial forests and is involved in all aspects of forestry enterprise throughout Ireland.

Announcing the open-ing of the two company offices in Kanturk, Co Cork, and Ballisodare, Co Sligo, Minister McEntee

welcomed the commit-ment of the company to provide permanent offices in both areas, and its intention to increase staff numbers over the next two years as part of its expansion plans.

Commenting on the importance of the forestry sector generally, he said:

“The Government recog-nises the importance of the forestry sector and the contribution that it makes to our national economy.

“Recent research indi-cates that the overall value of the growing sector within the forest indus-try – that is, excluding the processing sector – to the

Irish economy was €673 million in 2010.

“Forestry also provides a range of other benefits, including rural employ-ment, valuable exports, climate change mitigation, social and recreational benefits and environmen-tal value.

“It is appropriate, there-

fore, that we take the lead in developing the forest industry through the avail-ability of forest grants and premiums to landown-ers, and this was demon-strated by the allocation of almost €112 million to my department’s forestry development programme for 2012.”

Forestry consultant to open offices in Cork, Sligo

Banking on Monet pays off for singer� PAUL HOSFORD

[email protected]

LEIXLIP native Ross Breen can be “huge”, believes Newstalk pre-senter Tom Dunne, whose panel of judges awarded Ross the title of Ireland’s Best Unsigned Singer-Songwriter in a recent competition.

At the final in Dublin’s The Sugar Club, Ross belt-ed out his song, Monet, which comes from his debut album, When I Met The Devil.

It was then, says Dunne, that the judges knew that they had picked the right winner.

“When Ross performed the song, you could hear a pin drop. It has such a gorgeous feel to it and

it really was hair on the back of the neck stuff.

“Ross had been appear-ing on a lot of judges’ sheets and getting votes throughout the competi-tion, but the live perform-ance really cemented it.

“The live performance was important, but we really didn’t want it to become a reality-TV kind of thing. It was really important, though,” says Dunne.

Breen started writing poetry as a child and, when he was given a Christmas gift of an elec-tric guitar at the age of 11, he started putting his poetry to music.

The winning song, Monet, was written after a school trip to the Nation-al Museum.

Having won the com-petition, Ross has bagged a huge opportunity to play at the Indie-pen-dence Music and Arts Festival in Mitchelstown, from August 3 to 5.

There, he will rub shoulders with Feeder, Delorentos, Jape and Royseven. On top of that, he will get a day’s studio time at Ireland’s most renowned recording stu-dio, Windmill Lane, with a producer and all mixing facilities.

However, the biggest prize was recognition from the music industry, with legendary A&R man Thomas Black among the judges.

Dunne says: “My abid-ing memory was Thomas Black’s face. He just had

this smile on his face watching Ross.

“He was looking at him, thinking: ‘I can work with this’, and why not? Ross can sing, he’s not bad-looking and he writes great songs.”

Overall, Dunne was pleased with the compe-tition and the standard of songs. He says: “I don’t know where people are finding people to help them control the quality, but it’s working.”

As for how far the Leix-lip man can go, Dunne says that, “with a bit of luck, he could be huge. It only takes one song”.

To hear samples of Breen’s work, and to order a copy of the album, When I Met The Devil, see www.rossbreen.com.

MUSIC: PRESTIGIOUS CONTEST WIN FOR LOCAL MANNewstalk’s Tom Dunne and Ireland’s Best Unsigned Singer-Songwriter, Leixlip native Ross Breen

EXPANSION Lucan firm’s move, and jobs plan, wins praise from minister

Play Day activities get ‘fantastic’ praiseSOUTH Dublin County Council staff and volunteers have been praised for ensuring last weekend’s Play Day cele-brations in Corkagh Park were a success, despite the poor weather conditions.

Fine Gael councillor Emer Higgins congratulated the “massive efforts” of staff, saying: “Thousands of families descended on Corkagh Park this week-end to avail of the fantastic array of activities and games on offer to children of all ages.

“The festivities were a celebration of National Play Day and, despite the threatening clouds and passing showers, there was a great turn out and everyone seemed to really enjoy the event.

“With everything from face-painting to finger painting, story-telling to bouncy castles, reptiles and sandpits, there cer-tainly was something for every child.

“A huge amount of organisation goes into celebrations like this and I’d like to pay tribute to the council staff who put in such effort to ensure the day was a suc-cess. Volunteers from across the county helped out on the day, and I know a lot of the organisers went above and beyond the call of duty.

“Council staff were setting up the park from 6am, and by 11am, as the crowds started to descend, it was obvious that their efforts had paid off,” said Cllr Hig-gins.

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Local jobless up by 2%UNEMPLOYMENT in Dublin Mid-West has risen by almost 2%, from 9,261 to 9,431 persons signing on.

Councillor Trevor Gil-ligan (FF) said that the figures were worrying.

“The more worrying figure is the number of unemployed females over 25 years old. I’m calling on the Minister for Jobs to establish a task force, including the relevant local bodies.

“Local groups such as the CPLN Area Partner-ship, are facing even more cuts, which will make matters worse. As a volun-tary director of the South Dublin County Enterprise Board, my biggest chal-lenge is job creation.

“I would ask anyone who has an idea to get in contact with the board in order to start a mentor-ing process, with a view to getting a priming grant from the board,” said Cllr Gilligan.

STATISTICS

Funding set to benefit schools LOCAL schools Scoile Mhuire National School, Woodview, and Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada will benefit from the Department of Education’s move to bor-row €100 million from the European Investment Bank.

The schools will benefit from the fund, which will be distributed among 16 schools in Dublin.

The exact figure for allocations is as yet unknown.

Labour deputy Joanna Tuffy this week welcomed the announcement that the Department of Edu-cation is to receive the money, which is intended to help fund the School Building Programme, which was unveiled ear-lier this year.

Under the terms of the ambitious scheme, the Government will spend €1.5 billion on the build-

ings project, which will see the construction of 275 schools built between now and 2016.

The Department of Education has said that this new €100 million loan will provide essen-tial capital to help see this project through.

Deputy Tuffy said: “Crucially, this loan will be used in the construc-tion and upgrading of 35 primary and 12 national schools across the coun-try, including two schools in Lucan – Scoile Mhuire National School, Wood-view, and Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada.

“This is a great vote of confidence in the project, and I congratulate Minis-ter [for Education] Ruairi Quinn for his efforts to secure this funding.

“Obtaining funds of this size in today’s mar-kets is difficult, and the

European Investment Bank’s decision high-lights the good work the Government is doing to restore Ireland’s eco-nomic reputation,” said Deputy Tuffy, who added that the educational sys-tem in the country was of vital importance to eco-nomic recovery.

“When entering gov-ernment, it was clear that Ireland’s education infra-structure needed massive investment.

“Coupled with a surge in demand, the challenge to deliver first-class edu-cation remains unrelent-ing.

“I commend Minis-ter Quinn’s unwavering determination to provide Irish children with the type of schooling that they deserve, and I look forward to the comple-tion of this project,” she said.

1,407 thanks: Nagarhope is presented with funds from boys at St Mary’s BNSTHE pupils in Ms Cronin’s Sixth Class held a fundraiser in St Mary’s BNS in early June, which raised a €1,407 for Nagarphope, the char-ity that is involved in many important projects in Nepal focusing on children in need, and which was founded by local man, Fachtna “Doc” Clandillon.

Niall Moynihan and Kevin Doyle were delighted to present a cheque for the funds to Fachtna’s mother, Niamh Clandillon, who thanked the boys, and their school mates, for their great support for Nagarhope, and she assured them that their contribution would help to make a very real difference to their peers in Nepal.

EDUCATION: DEPARTMENT TO BORROW €100 MILLION FROM EUROPEAN BANK

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Youth body seeks new membersCOMHAIRLE na nOg, a formal gath-ering of young people from 12 to 18 years who meet at county level to dis-cuss the issues that affect their daily lives, is encouraging new members to get involved.

The group, managed by South Dub-lin County Council in partnership with Foroige and Catholic Youth Care, aims to give young people a voice on issues affecting them at a community level.

They currently have 25 members representing the views of young peo-

ple countywide and eight of their members represented South Dublin County Council at Dail na nOg in November 2011.

In May, they hosted a Wellbeing Fes-tival in Chamber Square, Tallaght, with music, workshops, keynote speakers in County Library and a food fair to encourage all young people in the county to look after their wellbeing.

For further information on how to join, contact Niamh Carton at [email protected] or follow South Dublin Comhairle on Facebook.

CHALLENGE Public urged to try new travel options

South Dublin County Council will hold events to encourage residents to use more

sustainable options of travel

Promoting alternative ways to travelSOUTH Dublin County Council, funded by the National Transpor t Authority, is urging people to think about how they travel.

The council, along with the NTA, are set to host a series of events t i t led Travel Smar t Communities over the coming months.

The aim of the pro-gramme is to encour-age residents to think more about their travel options and to encour-age use of more sustain-able travel options, such as walking, cycling, public transport and car sharing.

ChallengeThe Travel Smar t

Communities challenge series will run between July and September 2012 and SDCC is call-ing on locals to chal-lenge themselves to try out sustainable travel options in their area to see how they can be integrated as part of everyday journeys.

The organisers say that Travel Smart Com-munities is about “you having the power to make a real difference to the environment, your health, your pock-

et and your quality of life”.

They also ask people to look at some alterna-tives to the car.

The council will run three sets of Pedometer; Journey Logger; and 10 minute+ Cycle chal-lenges over the summer period.

They have named each monthly challenge by local area to coincide with Smarter Travel ini-tiatives in each area, but residents are urged to take part in any of the monthly challenges.

The Ballyowen chal-lenge runs from July 9 to August 5, the Griffeen challenge goes from August 6 to September 2 and the Bawnogue challenge from Septem-ber 3 to September 30.

The Pedometer chal-lenge is a walking chal-lenge where partici-pants will log their steps over four weeks using a pedometer.

All entries that accrue over 10,000 steps over the four week chal-lenge period will be entered into a draw for a One4All voucher to the value of €150.

In the cycle chal-lenge, participants will be asked to log any

cycle journey of over 10 minutes over a four-week period.

Prize DrawAll entries with eight

or more 10-minute or more cycles over the four-week challenge period will be entered into a prize draw for a bicycle, helmet, lights and puncture repair kit.

In the Journey Logger Challenge, residents will be asked to take part in a sustainable transport challenge.

The challenge will ask residents to log all the car trips they swap for more sustainable modes of transport over four weeks.

All entries with eight or more non-car jour-neys over the four-week challenge period will be entered into a draw for a One4All voucher to the value of €150.

To enter any of the challenges, you will simply have to log your bus, train, cycle or walk-ing journeys via the online survey at sdcc.ie; or post your chal-lenge card back to Trav-el Smart Communities Team, County Hall, Tal-laght, Dublin 24.

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ADAMSTOWN Sharing immigrant experiences

Locals meet on integration strategyMEMBERS of the local community met in Adamstown Castle Edu-cate Together National School last week to help with the development of the strategy being created by The Integration Cen-tre, a non-governmental organisation which is committed to the inte-gration and inclusion of people from immigrant backgrounds in Ireland.

The session provided an opportunity for com-munity members with an immigrant background, or an interest in integra-tion, to share their expe-riences with representa-tives from the Integration Centre and help develop the South Dublin Coun-

ty Integration Strategy: 2013 – 2017.

Last week’s gathering was just one of many of its kind that have taken place throughout South County Dublin in the past two months.

The Integration Centre is currently working with South Dublin County Council, on behalf of the County Development Board, to create an Inte-gration Strategy for the region, complementing the County Development Plan (2010 – 2016).

Aoife Breheny, head of development for The Integration Centre said: “Attendance levels and input from participants have been extremely pos-

itive throughout phase one of the integration planning sessions.

Those who have con-tributed to the develop-ment of actions for the strategy demonstrate a clear commitment to the process of integration and the realisation of actions within their own communities.”

The series of integra-tion planning sessions, which have included serv-ice providers and com-munity organisations as well as community mem-bers, serves to inform the strategy’s development by affording The Integration Centre an on-the-ground understanding of the issues surrounding inclu-

Members of the local community meet in Adamstown Castle Educate Together

National School

sion and integration in a number of key areas of South County Dublin.

This should allow for the development of a number of realistic actions to be developed as part of the strategy to address the issues raised.

The next phase of this process will see a com-prehensive analysis of the data gathered from the sessions, coupled with

continued interviews with key stakeholders and service providers, before all participants are invited back for a final session in September to focus on the actions to be implemented as part of the strategy.

The centre special-ises in planning, moni-toring and advocacy at city, local, national and international levels and

provides regionalised information, advice and training services, and they have more than 250 affiliated organisations as part of their network.

For further information on the Integration Strat-egy, or to keep up-to-date with any developments, contact Aoife Breheny at [email protected] or 01 645 3070.

Care of cemetery defendedSOUTH Dublin County Council has said that the standard of grave mainte-nance in the county has improved, despite criti-cism from locals.

The Gazette recently reported that Esker Cem-etery was severely over-grown, but the council this week responded to a similar question from Cllr Tony Delaney by saying the service has improved.

“The maintenance schedule for burial grounds during the period between May and Septem-ber is based on the timeta-ble for annual masses in each of the cemeteries.

“The sale of the refuse service has meant that the full complement of burial grounds staff can be deployed for burial grounds maintenance where previously staff from this section were used allocated to refuse collection duties when the need arose,” said the council.

COUNCIL


Shoely something not to be missed ...SHOES, glorious shoes were not

quite the sole focus of attention at a recent ladies night at the

Courtyard Hotel, Leixlip, which saw several local ladies, and their gal pals, get dressed up for a luxurious night of pampered pleasure.

In fact, shoe stalls were just part of

the attraction at the event, which also featured hair and make-up profes-sionals, jewellery and handbag stalls, a goodie bag, live entertainment, a two-course meal and, of course, the chance to catch up with friends.

And, with vouchers on sale to carry on the beauty treatments after the

night had ended, there was every rea-son for the ladies at the event to look forward to continuing their well-de-served pampering even after the night had drawn to a close. With so much to enjoy, it was a great event at the Courtyard Hotel, and something that all agreed they’d look out for, again.

Jan Challoner, Debbie O’Boyle, Sarah Morrissey, Dani

Niamh Keogh and Aoife Whelehan. Pictures: Cathy Weatherston

Sisters Evelyn Davitt, Lorraine Ni Bhroin, Siobhan Wilkins and Karen Grimes

Berney Kelly and Denise Cawley

Evelyn Davitt and Fiona ThompsonAmber Finn Sarah Fagan

WOMEN Pampered pleasure at The Courtyard Hotel sees


O’Connor, Sabrina Cassells, Cliodhna Jordon, Kerry Kegan, Gemma Downey and Nicola Colgan

lots of local ladies attend a fun get-together with the girls

Louisa Corr, Edwina Morrissey, Sue Lawless and Jenny Behan Carly Jones and Laura Murphy

Mary Behan, Marion Corr and Jean Mahady Frances Edwards and Laura Boland

Trisha O’ Grady and Helen Ui Chionnaith

Julie PendergastGoodie bags provided some extra treats for those attending the great evening

Karen O’Toole, Delores Gough and Lisa Gough


Birthday bash for the USA ON July 4, US Ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney

and his wife Patricia celebrated American Inde-pendence Day by hosting the Third Irish Ameri-

can Flag Football Classic. Over 2,500 guests were in attendance for the Independence Day celebrations. The football was delivered by professionals who sky dived from a plane overhead.

Then it was time for The Phoenix Park Pirates to take on the Dublin 8’s.

The Dublin 8’s took the title this year winning 44 to 37. Guests of all ages enjoyed hamburgers, hotdogs, red, white and blue cupcakes and other traditional American treats. The Kids Zone was a huge success with face painting, story-telling, science demonstra-tions and the giant inflatable slide.

William Cummins, Eddie Goggins, Ref Tony Rivers, Dan Rooney and Barry Bolton. Pictures: Peter Doyle

Peter and Mary Tiernan

Dublin 8’s Youth with Martin Kane, head coach, and Heather Sanchez, team

manager

The game featured plenty of end-to-end action

Dave Duffy approaches and then lands with

the Steelers’ FlagUncle Sam with Avril and Nathan Byrne

CELEBRATIONS The Phoenix Park Pirates take on the Dublin 8’s

Phoenix Park Pirates Youth with head coach Gerry Bourke and team manager Elizabeth Morrisson

Katrina Morrisson, US Ambassador to

Ireland Dan Rooney, and Aidan Kelly

Jimmy Kloda, Zoe Gibson, Karen Doyle, Alan Munnelly, Justyna Kloda and

David Vincent French

Louise McKiernan, Margaret McKiernan, Mairead Butler, Dylan

Butler and Conor Butler with Snap, Crackle and Pop

Lee Gibson was a favourite with all those red, white and blue cup cakes

Hadar Levy from the Israeli Embassy

enjoying the celebrations

Blaithin Ruadh, Sinead O’Neill and Sarah Daly

Little Caoimhe McDonald,

three months old, on her first

Independence Day

Peter Killalea

Derek Byrne and Andrew Bradford

Zoe Gibson, Karen Doyle and Justyna Kloda

in American football game to mark USA’s birthday 12 July 2012 GAZETTE 11

Letting celebrate � PAUL HOSFORD

OVER 2,000 people gathered at the resi-dence of the American Ambassador to Ireland, Dan Rooney, last week, to celebrate the birth of the USA.

The residence fea-tured a taste of eve-rything American on the day, with hotdogs, burgers and American Football taking centre stage.

The residence, on 62 acres of ground was completed in 1776.

Built by Col John Blaquiere, chief secre-tary of the British gov-ernment and bailiff of the Phoenix Park, it has been the home of the American ambassador to Ireland since 1928.

Extensive renova-tions to the house and property were made by the U.S. Government in 1952.

The property now consists of orchards and gardens on which are located three cot-tages and a gate lodge.

The lower ground floor of the residence has a ballroom, recep-tion and dining room, library, office, kitchen’s pantry, staff room and laundry.

S ix su i te s which each have a bedroom, bathroom and dress-ing room, plus a sitting room are located on the upper floor.

The residence has fur-niture and equipment obtained in Ireland, the United States and many other countries.

This year, the staff of the American embassy in Ballsbridge, their families and assorted guests, American, Irish and otherwise, were in attendance for the American national day.

S i n c e A m b a s s a -dor Rooney owns the most successful team in American Football history, the Pittsburgh

Steelers, it is hardly surpris ing that the showpiece event of the day should be a gridiron game.

The third Irish Amer-ican Flag Football clas-sic was played on a spe-cially constructed pitch in what is, essentially, the ambassadors back yard.

The pitch, complete with American Foot-ball goalposts, two big screens, bleachers and impressive pitch mark-ings that included a 4-metre wide ambassa-dor’s seal at midfield.

Patrick McKenna and Alan Gallagher from Croke Park both put immense work, with their team.

They made sure the pitch was ready and up to the standard a man whose team plays in a $300 million, 65,000 seater stadium would expect.

There was much jok-ing that the Rooneys could pay Croke Park back by securing a Steel-ers game for HQ in the future, as has long been rumoured, but official word on such a move is still not forthcoming.

The game itself is a non-contact version of the gridiron game.

Many players on both the defending Phoenix Park Pirates and chal-lenging Dublin 8’s had never played the game before at all.

Not everyone, how-ever, was a pigskin neo-phyte.

Taking the reins at quarterback for the 8’s was a young man by the name of Dan Rooney.

The ambassador ’s grandson has just fin-ished a stint as the backup quarterback at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and was coached on the 8’s by his uncle, Dan Roon-ey Jr.

Along with some US Marines and other

embassy staff , both teams had a mix of new-comers and vets, with some Irish American Football players thrown into the mix as well.

The game itself start-ed with the arrivals of the teams as announced by Today FM sports reporter Paul Collins.

Then followed armed forces from both Ireland and the US marching the colour (or, on this day, color) before the singing of the national anthems.

T h e n , t h e g a m e ball was delivered by

members of the Irish Parachute Club, who jumped from high over the residence.

A typically low-key arrival for such an event as this, then.

Game onThe game itself was a

thriller, with the young Rooney leading his team into an early lead by finding Joe Grey for an early touchdown, before finding Danny Ferens Jr, whose father is a member of the Steelers’ front office.

The Phoenix Park Pirates, led by Eddie Goggins, were strug-gling to get into the rhythm as they sought to defend the crown which they wrestled

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

‘The relationship between our two countries is stronger than ever...we never stopped imagining a brighter future’------------------------------------------US Ambassdor Dan Rooney- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

US Ambassador Dan Rooney with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Aidan Prendergast of the Mayoman’s Association

(top) and with Social Protection Minister, Joan Burton

INDEPENDENCE DAY Over 2,000 get together to mark July 4 12 GAZETTE 12 July 2012

freedom ring to a special friendship

from the 8’s last year.Just before half time,

Shaun Douglas, a player with Castleknock’s own West Dublin Rhinos, caught a pass before weaving his way through the despairing reaches of the 8’s defence and in for a touchdown.

That left the score at 23-14 at the break.

At half-time, a group of youngsters from both Ireland and America took part in a small-sided game, thrilling the crowd in a 14-7 win for the 8’s.

The Pirates would receive the ball to start the second period and after one play, Douglas had hauled his team back into the game.

election this year, it is unclear if this will be the last year of this event or whether Mr Rooney will be returned to the Chief Secretary’s Lodge by Barack Obama or Mitt Romney.

It is clear, however, that Rooney has the appetite to stay in the Phoenix Park, praising the strong relationship between the country of his birth and the nation of his heritage.

“Our relationship is stronger than ever,” he said before echoing the words of Barack Obama who, during his visit to Ireland last year, spoke of countries that have “never stopped imagin-ing a brighter future”

“I have travelled all over Ireland and visited every county. US confi-dence in Ireland’s econ-omy has never wavered and our investment in Ireland’s future remains strong,” Mr Rooney said.

In the end, all that was left to do was sit back and look at how well put-together the day was.

Embassy staff had worked long and hard at producing a special day and they certainly suc-ceeded.

Many in attendance, particularly those from this side of the pond, remarked at how over the top it all seemed, but were reminded swiftly that over the top is what America does.

The teams would go back and forth before the Pirates would level things with just under two minutes to go.

With consummate c a l m n e s s , R o o n e y

showed why the family business was American Football and led his team into the endzone with just seconds to go.

In the end, joint-Most Valuable Player Ferens

would show why he is being highly touted for some major colleges in the States with a stun-ning interception to end the game.

With a presidential

The victorious Dublin 8’s team

the American way - with football and hotdogs

AN annual motorbike charity run is set to take place later this month, when a group of motor-cyclists will travel from Dublin to Tullamore in order to raise money for a very worthy cause.

After a successful charity event last year, the fundraising motor-cyclists “15 to 1” are set to hit the road again, but this year in aid of spina bifida.

The group is inviting any motorcyclists who wish to take part to come along and donate €20 towards the fund-raiser.

Any motorcyclist who would like to join in the run is asked to meet at the Mansion House in Dublin at 9.30am on Sunday, July 29.

The run will official-ly start at 11am with refreshments available on arrival to Tullamore.

Motor bike run for spina bifida

CHARITY

12 July 2012 GAZETTE 13

14 GAZETTE 12 July 2012

Antibiotic use must be curbed, says study� SUZANNE BYRNE

SCIENTISTS are call-ing on the government to step up their current campaign to curb the use of antibiotics in humans and animal healthcare.

According to an Envi-ronmental Protection Agency (EPA)-funded report detailing new links between water quality and health, the problem of antibiotic resistant bac-teria has become increas-ingly widespread.

The study, Enhancing Human Health through Improved Water Quality, demonstrates the extent to which acquired anti-microbial resistance in E. coli and Enterococci bacteria has spread in Ireland’s water sources.

Lead author of the

study Professor Mar-tin Cormican told the Gazette the health risk lay in the fact that these bacteria, which live in humans and used to be sensitive to antibiotics – had now become resist-ant – primarily due to the overuse of antibiotics.

These bacteria are then spread between humans and animals through contaminated water sources – as well as other inter-animal contact, and can turn up in others that have not been on courses of antibiotics – thus accel-erating their spread.

The study further details the potential role of intensive health care settings, such as hospi-tals as a focus for phar-maceutical and bacterial contaminants.

The hospital super-bug MRSA is a strain of bacteria that has become resistant to conventional antibiotics.

Among the report’s key findings is a connection between heavy rainfall and sudden changes in water quality – as bacte-rial contamination gets washed into groundwater from farm sources and septic tanks.

Researchers have also stressed how poorly-protected wells or water treatment facilities can have an adverse impact on the health of families and business owners.

In light of this, the report recommends the classification of water sources to highlight those at risk.

It further advises the

implementation of a total quality management sys-tems approach to water treatment plants, where operational failure is identified as a major risk.

During the period of the study, some rural populations were exposed to piped water that was substantially contaminated with fae-ces all of the time, with the additional problem of exposure to E. coli that had an array of acquired antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.

It noted in this regard however, that overall improvement in drinking water quality was reported in the recent EPA report The Provision and Qual-ity of Drinking Water in Ireland – a Report for the Year 2010.

Capital comes up roses in garden world

TOP 100 Author updates guide to our horticultural gems

� SUZANNE BYRNE

WICKLOW may be the Garden County – but Dublin’s gardens are still among the best in the country.

That’s according to writer Shirley Lanigan, who’s just published an updated edition of her book, The 100 Best Gar-dens in Ireland.

Airfield Garden in Dundrum, Ardgillan Demesne in Skerries and Dillon Garden in Rane-lagh all make the grade

in her 100 best list, which has now been made available as a pocket guide for wandering gar-den enthusiasts.

The latest edition explores the history of Ireland’s gardens, their design, flora, fauna and

includes interviews with owners, curators and gardeners themselves.

It’s also a great guide to practical information on fees and opening hours and quite simply bursts with information on the cornucopia of horticul-tural gems just waiting to be dug up.

Speak ing to the G a z e t t e , L a n i g a n explained her idea of what made a garden truly great.

“My favourite gardens are big wandering ones

where you can get lost. “Where you actually

have to sort of turn left and right and go down laneways and tunnels. For me, they’re the Mecca of great gardens,” she said.

“There’s an untam-edness about the best of Irish gardens, they always give you the feel-ing it sort of happened by mistake.

“I think it’s because of all the rain our gardens tend to be extremely lush

and it’s easy for an Irish garden to develop a jun-gle-like feel – unlike Brit-ish gardens where they go in for much more for-mality that’s more man-nered and hemmed in. Ireland’s a bit scruffier,” she said.

Explaining how she drew up the list, Lani-gan said she initially made her selection from memory and experi-ence and then revisited the gardens. Some still made the grade – and

Dublin’s gardens are still among the best in the country, according

to writer Shirley Lanigan (left)

some didn’t. “What I like now is the

wall-planting. There’s a lot of good design now, using the walls of a new buildings as a vertical build – it gives you the chance to let plants look as if they have the upper hand.”

Of the Dublin gardens on her list, she said the Dillon garden was a par-ticular wonder.

“It’s one woman and her husband’s garden. There’s this most extraor-

dinarily beautiful garden behind their home. She really is an amazing woman with plants.”

As for the ideal recipi-ent of the book, Lanigan said: “Anyone who likes to go out for a drive. Very often, you’ll pick one or two things. Though you’d be hard pressed to repro-duce them.

“But we can all dream,” she said.

The 100 Best Gardens in Ireland is published by Liberties Press.


CHAMPIONSHIPS 350 sailors set compass for title success

Sailing elite to drop anchor in Dun Laoghaire� SUZANNE BYRNE

THE cream of the world’s young sailors are set to drop anchor in Dun Laoghaire this week as the borough plays host to the International Sail-ing Federation’s (ISAF) World Youth Sailing Championships.

Dubbed the Youth Olympics of Sailing, the event is taking place in Ireland for the first time in its 42-year history at locations across Dun Laoghaire Harbour and Dublin Bay between July 13 and 20.

The 350 budding sea-farers, all aged between 16 and 19, are represent-ing 63 flags from across

six continents.Accompanied by 120

coaches, they will sail 250 boats across five classes in their race for the eight available world titles.

Brian Craig, who’s chairing the event, told the Gazette the organ-ising committee first made its application to host the championships back in 2008 and faced stiff competition from six other countries.

The key factor in their successful bid, he believes, was that Dun Laoghaire “had it all”: “A marina, plenty of hotels, a yacht club – all within short walking distance – while other venues may have had two of these,

but not a third.”Organisers hope the

championships wil l bring €5 million into the local economy with 100,000 visitors expected to attend over the dura-tion.

Along with the com-petitive events, the week-long championships, sponsored by Four Star Pizza, will double up as a music and cultural fes-tival, offering visitors the chance to peruse market stalls, enjoy street music and take in the bracing sea air on a trip around Dublin Bay.

The opening ceremo-ny takes place on July 13 at 7.30pm and will be addressed by Tanaiste

The cream of the world’s young sailors are set to drop anchor in Dun Laoghaire for the International Sailing

Federation’s (ISAF) World Youth Sailing Championships

and local TD Eamon Gilmore (Lab), Cathao-irleach Cllr Tom Joyce (FG) and ISAF President Goran Petersson at the Harbour.Plaza.

The welcoming of the teams will be followed by the ceremonial raising of the championships flag and the mixing of the waters brought from the homelands of the 63

competing nations.The ISAF World Sail-

ing Championships have long provided the world with its first glimpse of future sailing stars and Olympians – with 15 of the competitors who won medals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games past medallists at the youth champion-ships.

Expected to top the medal table this year are the French, New Zealanders, Americans, English and Spanish – although local girl Sophie Murphy from the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire is thought to be in the running in her category, the Laser Radial Girls.

The week’s events will

conclude with a fire-works display which will crown the closing cer-emony.

After the medals are awarded, the official flag will be lowered in readi-ness to be handed over to Cyprus who host the event next year.

For further information on the events logon to http://www.dlrcoco.ie/

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GazetteBEAUTYBEAUTY Edited by Laura Webb

GETTING the perfect smile could take just one day, thanks to a revolutionary treatment by a Blackrock clinic.

Seapoint Clinic launched a brand new product that will revo-lutionise treatment for denture wearers or those with broken or missing teeth.

Teeth in a Day is a clinically proven prod-uct that allows patients to have their smile transformed in one day.

This clinic is the only clinic in Ireland offering this treatment, which is proving quite popular in the UK and USA.

Typically, when a patient decides to have implants to replace missing or decayed teeth they could be waiting six months, and have to wear temporary dentures in the interim, causing discomfort and unease. This new procedure means that appointments which normally take place over a six month period are condensed into one visit.

For further infor-mation and prices at Seapoint Clinic check out on www.seapoint-clinic.ie or phone 1800 92 7770.

Getting the perfect smile in just a day

Fashion week celebrates four unknown stylists

Trendsetters Gavin Norton, Leanne Woodfull, Laura O’Brien and Roisin Flanagan (top) and their creations

THE finale of eBay Online Fashion Week ended on a high thanks to

four unknown stylists who were chosen to style the end of week catwalk show, Ireland’s first eBay fashion show at Smock Alley Theatre.

Leanne Woodfull , Gavin Norton, Laura O’Brien and Roisin Flan-agan were handpicked by TV personality fashion guru Darren Kennedy, founder of helpmystyle.ie.

The four young stylists were given the chance to showcase their style ideas by creating three of this summer’s hottest trends for the catwalk show.

The trends included sport luxe, printastic and tea party. Each stylist used clothes from eBay’s fashion gallery.

Gavin Norton’s take on preppy chic for men combined varsity jackets with bow-tie suits and mixed a patterned slim fitting trouser (€31) with a cardigan (€22) – add-ing a leather varsity jack-et to prep up this look (€46).

Laura O’Brien nailed the tea party look keep-

ing it feminine and sweet. One of her looks show-cased a cute yet styl-ish peter pan-collared, orange polka dot dress (€22) teamed perfectly with a flower headband (€7) to give it that sum-mer chic feel.

A printastic themed look by Leanne Woodfull stuck to the brief by high-lighting a Versace print shirt (€42). She themed the amazing summer printed shirt with retro denim shorts (€12) and a simple black belt (€65). The printed scarf used as a headband, added to the look giving it a real 80s feel.

Roisin Flanagan made sports clothes look luxu-rious. One of her looks teamed a baseball vest (€31) with a black leather skirt (€22), turning a top usually associated with lounging around into a sport luxe statement piece.

Over 300 fashionista’s took to their seats at the finale show recently including make-up artist Joanne Larby and Kellie Dalton of Burberry.

Not only did the show delight the Irish audi-ence, but it was viewed


by thousands who watched through a live stream online from areas like Singapore, USA and Italy.

Commenting on the event, eBay’s Laura Wilkinson said “eBay.

ie’s Online Fashion Week celebrated every-thing about Irish fashion and enabled everyone to be involved. The fashion talks engaged the live and online audience with over 500 Twitter interac-

tions and questions post-ed to the industry insid-ers. Showcasing emerg-ing talent of Ireland’s upcoming stylists was a great end to the week.”

The upcoming styl-ists were applauded for

their work and looked like they were having the time of their life.

To watch any of the talks or the fashion show go to: http://www.you tube . com/use r /eBayIEofficial

Always be ‘photo ready’ with Revlon’s affordable foundationBE photo ready with Revlon’s afford-able foundation that is light enough, yet tough enough, to stay intact all day and night.

Whether you plan to stay in, or enjoy a night out on the town, Revlon’s PhotoReady make-up (€19.40) will stay on skin through even the hottest summer days and nights.

Tested under the harshest lights and high-definition camera lenses, the make-up provides poreless, air-brushed skin in any light. Accord-ing to its makers, the PhotoReady foundation contains “photochro-matic pigments that bend and reflect light to help erase any flaw”.

It also contains SPF 20, protecting the skin from sun damage.

This product is also extremely easy to apply, so anyone who doesn’t have a foundation brush will love this foundation. Just press the pump to disperse formula – two to three times is enough – then apply with fingertips. Start at the center of the face and blend out-wards. Once applied, users imme-diately notice the soft luminous finish. It’s fragrance and oil free. This product is available in four colours – Shell, Nude, Natural Beige and Cool Beige.

For anyone who might need a little help with a more even and

smooth complexion, then try Rev-lon’s PhotoReady primers. The Per-fecting Primer (€19) is for anyone who thinks pores and fine lines are an issue. It can be used alone for a more even and smooth complex-ion or as a great surface area for make-up application under Rev-lon’s PhotoReady foundation.

Anyone who wants to reduce the appearance of lines and creases on lids and under eyes should try the Revlon PhotoReady Eye Primer and Brightener (€14.80). It brightens the entire eye area and ensures eye shad-ows and concealers stay in place.

Meanwhile, Revlon are giving lips a burst of colour with their lip

butter. The ColourBurst lip butter (€11.25) softens and hydrates lips, which is a much needed ingredi-ent during warm weather and cold weather periods. This lip butter glides on easily and leaves lips with the great long-lasting colour. There are seven shades available includ-ing: Peach Parfait, Cotton Candy, Candy Apple, Tutti Frutti, Lollipop, Strawberry Shortcake and Sweet Tart. Test out the whole range and find the perfect colour to make the perfect pout. For the month of July, this product is reduced to €7 at participating stores.

Revlon products are available at pharmacies nationwide.

ColorBurst Lip Butter in Lollipop

PhotoReady Makeup in Shell

PhotoReady Eye Primer and Brightener

Tall Ships are coming

Lord Mayor of Dublin Naoise O Muiri (FG), Minister for Transport, Tourism and

Sport, Leo Varadkar, and ‘First Mate’ Keith Duffy at Grand Canal Square in Dublin

as they announce details of the The Tall Ships Races 2012

TO mark the first day of the International Tall Ships Races, “First Mate” Keith Duffy was joined recently at Grand Canal Square by Minister for Tourism Leo Varadkar and Dublin’s newly elect-ed Lord Mayor Naoise O Muiri (FG).

The Bugle Babes, a 1940s-style vocal trio, provided the music as details were announced of the line-up for the cap-ital’s free four-day festival this August 23-26.

The fleet of 50 ships, which sets sail from St Malo, France, for the first race in the series, arrives into Dublin – final host port in the race – for what promises to be this summer’s biggest float-ing festival.

One of the most antic-ipated nautical events of the year, the Tall Ships Races 2012, which is supported by the Polish city of Szczecin and organised by Sail Train-

ing International, docks in Dublin on Thursday, August 23, when the city is expected to come alive with a festival atmos-phere both on and off the water.

Local organisers , Dublin City Council and Dublin Port Com-pany, are delighted that Dublin was chosen as the final host port for this year’s race and have programmed an impressive entertain-ment line-up to cater for all tastes.

Minister Leo Varadkar commented: “It’s great to see the Tall Ships Races back in Ireland again, following a highly successful visit last year. This fantastic event is set to attract thousands of people into the capital.

“It’s a rare opportunity to see so many of these great ships against Dub-lin’s striking city skyline. Events like this are very important for tourism

companies and I’d like to congratulate every-one involved in bringing it to Dublin. It’s fun, it’s free of charge and open to everyone.”

Over the week, there

will be music with Ash and the Undertones set to perform on the Bul-mers Music Stage along with other high-profile music acts as part of the spectacular free four-day

line-up. The Bulmer’s Music Stage will host a jam-packed line-up of performances from some of Ireland’s hottest upcoming acts to musi-cal stalwarts.


SNAPSHOT The local stories of the day

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

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

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GazetteBUSINESSBUSINESS

THE COMPLEX WORLD OF INVESTMENT: PART 2

Continued from last week’s Gazette Business

Keeping it simple therefore, uncluttered and easy

to understand is the key for the average investor.

What is also key is that changing nature of invest-

ment. Currently government bonds have been the

star performers over the last few volatile years.

However, they cannot continue to perform as they

have and therefore having the flexibility to be able

to swap into a different investment vehicle without

cost and without fuss is essential.

First things first – work out what is your attitude

to risk. On a scale of one to five, where one is lower

risk and five is higher risk, where are you ?

Once you have established this risk attitude,

then the choices become a little clearer. One option

launched recently is Standard Life’s MyFolio funds

where you simply choose between one of the five

funds that match five risk levels. Each fund is

designed to maximise potential returns within the

investor’s chosen risk level and is then monitored,

reviewed and actively managed by the investment

team in Standard Life.

Based on the same scale of one to five, each

MyFolio of multi-asset funds is risk based. Originally

launched in Britain over 20 months ago, the fund

has so far attracted over €1b with 40% invested in

the MyFolio 3 (the balanced choice) and c. 20% each

in the MyFolio 2 (lower to medium risk) and MyFo-

lio 4 (medium to higher risk). Annual management

charges range from 1.15% for model 1 to 1.35% for

model 5 and for those wanting to see precisely the

make up of every investment in these models, you

can access the factsheets on www.standardlife.ie or

email me for the factsheets.

This type of investment is not suitable for those

investors who do not wish to take any risk on their

money.

� Contact John with your money questions at

[email protected] or visit his website at

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

Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing

director of Money Doctor

DAVID “Warren” Venter has been in love with hairdressing since 1985, and says that the one thing he loves the best is the ever-changing trends and interesting people he meets.

He says: “It never gets boring. Over the years, I have worked on photo shoots, fashion shows and TV productions. I have worked for a leading hair care company as an educator.

“If I had to sum up all my experience in one word, it would be the word that I start all my training with, and that word is: Lis-ten.”

David adds: “When you listen to the wants and needs of the client – and I mean really listen – the client will tell you all you need to know to meet all of her or his requirements.”

On building up an extremely successful business and name, he says: “I have been in Ireland for 11 years now, and I have embraced this opportunity [to establish my business] with both hands.

“[For our clients], a good experience and advice is what I base my career on.

“As well as good hairdressing, I will be offering a range of beauty services.”

Interview: David ‘Warren’ Venter, owner, David Warren Hair And Beauty, Kinsealy

Q&A

Listening to what the client wants

Known as ‘Warren’, South African David Venter has established himself as a leading name in

hairdressing and is also diversifying into beauty services too

Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be?A: A postman, because post-

men could ride on the bus for

free

Q: What was your first job?A: After two years in the South

African army I started hair-

dressing

Q: And your first pay cheque?A: Although it’s all relative,

my first pay cheque was €6 a

month

Q: Have you ever done a job you loathed?A: No.

Q: When did you start your present job?A: I started hairdressing in

1985

Q: What is the best thing about your job?A: Making a client feel and

look good

Q: What part of your working day do you delegate?A: Where possible, answering

the phone

Q: What sport do you follow?A: What’s that?

Q: What sport can you play?A: As a challenge, I was told

to bounce a golf ball off a tree

on the other side of the field,

which I did on the first swing.

I think I am a natural.

Q: What is your guilty music/TV or movie pleasure?A: Classical music, and horror

movies, all the way

Q: Who best represents mod-ern Ireland – David Norris or Jedward?A: David Norris, of course

Q: What music/pictures/mov-

ies do you have on your iPod/iPad?A: A serious mixture of music

for me: Rory Gallagher, Lady

Gaga, Madonna, Tony Bennett

– you name it, I’ve got it

Q: Who do you follow on Twit-ter/Facebook?A: Lady Gaga. I love the looks.

Proof that changing the way

you look and dress changes the

way people see you.

Q: What was your last Tweet/status update?A: Sanctuary Hair and Beauty

all the way

Q: Describe your dream meal?A: Pasta all the way

Q: Who would you rather have dinner with – Enda Kenny or Dame Edna?A: Dame Edna – because she

is real

Q: Where do you enjoy spend-ing money frivolously?A: Shoe and stationery shops

Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?A: Last count, including slip-

pers – about 106. (I have a

thing...)

Q: What was your worst holi-day experience?A: None at all. I try to make

the best of every situation.

Q: Describe your dream holiday?A: Going to South Africa to see

my family, who I haven’t seen

for about eight years

Q: What would be your dream job?A: I have my dream job

Q: What do you plan to do when you retire?A: Look for a job ...

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

LOCALMATTERS

Q: And your firsA: Although it’s

my first pay ch

month

Q: Have you evyou loathed?A: No.

Q: When did yopresent job?A: I started hair

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SUMMERSUMMERHOME & ABROAD.....FOR ALL THE FAMILY

Summer sale offers even more reasons for a car-cationKIDS will go half-price this summer with Stena Line, which have launched a summer sale offer-ing families even more reasons to enjoy a car-cation this summer.

This latest offer is available on all crossings with Ireland’s leading ferry company, from both Dublin Port to Holyhead and Rosslare to Fish-guard, with children travelling from only €8.50 for a single fare. Children apply to 15 years and younger, while infants travel for free.

This offer is available on travel up until August 31 when booked by July 12, and fares are subject to availability. For further information on the lat-est sale offers, click on www.stenaline.ie, call 01 204 7777, or visit your local travel agent.

Enjoy a weekend of wellbeing and escape to County CarlowIF THERE has ever been an excuse to escape the daily duties of everyday life, it appears Sand-brook House in Co Carlow may be just that.

The period country home has come up with the ideal break away with a weekend of well-be-ing this August, where you are invited to stretch, strengthen and meditate your way to pure relax-ation with sessions of yoga, pilates and medita-tion in the stunning Carlow setting.

From August 17 to 19, Sandbrook House are hosting a Wellness Retreat in the tranquil and picturesque surroundings. Set on 25 acres of mature parkland, it is the ideal place to forget the stresses of daily life.

As well as classes given by talented instruc-tor Rachel Gaffey, founder of MyWellbeing.ie, guests will also enjoy breakfast, lunch and evening meals packed with home-cooked, local, organic vegetarian food and a cookery demon-stration full of delicious recipes that will help you to maintain your healthy lifestyle at home.

To take a proper weekend break and retreat to Sandbrook House, call Rachel Gaffey on 086 845 3864 or visit www.sandbrook.ie

FastTravel

SPAIN: THE DELIGHTFUL COSTA DAURADA IS A FAMILY FAVOURITE

HOLIDAYMAKERS have been flocking to Spain from Dublin, and the island of Ireland, for many years now, with a holiday in Spain still delighting families and holidaymakers of all ages.

With so many sun-drenched beaches, his-toric cities, cultural sites and remarkable scenery to take in, some holi-daymakers might almost fear they have too much choice when trying to find a great holiday in Spain.

However, one thing is for certain – with so many

wonderful resorts and regions to visit, you’re vir-tually guaranteed of hav-ing a wonderful holiday, whatever part of Spain you visit.

Catalonia remains one of Spain’s most popular regions for Irish holiday-makers – and with good reason, given the area’s mixture of sights and resorts.

Catalonia’s Costa Dau-rada (literally,“the golden coast”) is a particularly family-friendly destina-tion that has become increasingly popular with Irish holidaymakers, with families comprising 60%

of visitors to the region.Hotels there are par-

ticularly in tune with family needs, with hotels and restaurants offering high chairs and nappy-changing tables.

The area’s leisure options are endless, and include a wide range of facilities to help visitors enjoy the perfect day at the beach, from children’s play areas to the sand itself, with such delights as outdoor libraries to relax with a good book, or shops renting equip-ment for water sports.

The Costa Daurada’s natural resources mean

visitors can go for relax-ing strolls or bring the kids for one of the area’s many exciting excur-sions.

There are also a wide range of activities and adventure sports for young people, helping to cement the area’s appeal for visitors of all ages.

A l l s e r v i ce s a re designed with families in mind, meaning that the resulting accommoda-tion venues, restaurants, infrastructure and theme parks will guarantee that a family stay in Costa Daurada is set to be the most pleasurable family

experience of the year.So, for golden memo-

ries, and for a wonderful holiday in Spain, whether for a first-time or experi-enced visitor alike, the Costa Daurada promises you a wonderful holiday.

For further information on the Costa Daurada, and on one of Spain’s most enchanting regions, as well as information on hotels and activities, see www.costadaurada.info, www.costadauradae-vents.com or www.ter-resdelebre.travel (select-ing the English language site versions, where nec-essary).

Make golden memories

Whether travelling alone or with your loved ones, the Costa Daurada – “the golden coast” – is an increasingly popular Spanish treasure

Tipp has it all for a top trip away from the city� DAVE PHILLIPS

THERE seems to be a predisposition towards heading for the sea when

GLEN OF AHERLOW: ENJOY THE FRIENDLY AND INVITING ATMOSPHERE

Enjoy a couple’s break away in magnificent Cavan

GETAWAYS! Enjoy a couple’s break

SUMMERSUMMER

Tipperary’s Glen of Aherlow offers stunning views and fantastic walking trails and the Aherlow House Hotel (right)


ENJOY a child free zone with a Couple’s Retreat at Radisson Blu Farnham Estate, Cavan, this sum-mer. Located in the heart of a magnificent estate just 3km from Cavan town, the Radisson Blu Farnham Estate is a contemporary and stylish hotel, full of country charm and character, surrounded by natu-ral beauty among acres of rolling countryside.

To enjoy a break away this summer, the Radis-son Blu is offering the Ultimate Couple’s Package with spa treatments and lunch as well as one night’s accommodation. Start the experience with a gom-mage marine scrub on the hamman table before a relaxing hydrotherapy bath to leave you refreshed and relaxed. Next, you will both enjoy the serial mud chamber, where you are covered in mud as the chamber gradually warms.

As the mud dries, it removes toxins from the skin. Steam then gently fills the chamber to soften the mud, before a warm shower is dispensed from the ceiling to wash away the mud, leaving your skin feeling luxuriously soft and smooth. Complete this wonderful experience with a massage each side by side. The Couple’s Retreat includes overnight luxury accommodation and super buffet breakfast from €210 per person sharing midweek/€235.00 per person sharing at weekends. For more informa-tion or to book, visit www.farnhamestate.ie or call 049 4377700.

looking for an escape from the city.

Perhaps the attrac-tion is part and parcel of being an island nation; or maybe it is down to the fact that for many people, the quaint coastal towns and villages of the West offer the kind of low-key, slow-living comforts that can’t be found in the city.

Until recently, I was part of the drove that left the inland counties largely unexplored in my quest for a country break, but after stumbling upon Tipperary’s Glen of Aher-low, I’m a card-carrying convert.

Set between the Galtee Mountains and Slievena-much in South Tipper-ary, the Glen of Aherlow is just a short trip off the M8, making it a relatively painless journey from Dublin.

We’d arranged to stay at the Aherlow House Hotel, which with its ivy-laden exterior and overflowing flower bas-

kets, comfortably melds into the lush green sur-rounds. As well as a large restaurant and bar, the hotel offers self-catering options in purpose-built lodges, making it a popu-lar wedding venue.

Located on the cusp of the Glen of Aherlow Nat-ural Park, it’s also a top spot for walkers, acting as a great base for the more challenging peaks of the Galtees, as well as for the multitude of gentler loop walks.

If putting your feet up is more appealing than putting them into boots, you won’t be disappoint-ed. The hotel is charming and the abundant little touches – freshly baked cakes along with the newspapers in the room – go to show that real effort has been made to facilitate a relaxing expe-rience.

Gastronomically, Aher-low House Hotel is spe-cial. The recently recruit-ed head chef, Jose Vega,

has brought culinary flair honed in his native France to locally pro-cured produce. The result is an amazing menu that is simultaneously elegant and earthy. Particularly tasty was the braised fil-let of Aherlow river trout, served with vegetables in a Sancerre butter sauce; and a wonderfully ten-der fillet of beef from the nearby Lewis farm.

After dinner we traded the mountain views of the Treetop Restaurant for the open fire and cosy confines of the Hunting Lodge Bar, which serves as a watering spot for both guests and the surround-ing community. As it was a Friday night, some of the locals were set up next to us for a small seisun. The relaxed atmosphere (and a Bulmers or two) had us pitching in on a few songs, after which we got talking to Michael Moroney, the Glen’s resident walking guide.

Having taken in an

early morning walk, we discovered the hotel can arrange plenty more activities, including fish-ing, golf trips, equestrian outings, heritage tours, or a trip to Mandy Parslow, the local potter. Aherlow House Hotel is full of character and characters.

Outdoor enthusi-asts will be in their ele-ment; food-lovers will be intensely satisfied; history and heritage buffs will enjoy its close proximity to Cashel and Cahir cas-tle, as well as the multi-tude of smaller glimpses of history that can be gleaned from the area.

Maybe it’s down to the stunning location, or perhaps it’s that sense of community pride seeping into everything that hap-pens at Aherlow House Hotel – whatever the cause, you’re bound to enjoy the honest, friendly and inviting atmosphere.

For rates and specials see: www.aherlowhouse.ie

Get more from your pilgrimage � NATALIE BURKE

FOR anyone interested in adding a little extra to the run-of-the-mill pil-grimage, Joe Walsh Tours Pilgrimage and Sun Holi-days are offering you the chance to not only soak up the unique atmos-phere and spirituality found in the ever popular shrines of Italy’s San Gio-vanni Rotondo and Ben-evento, Portugal’s Fatima or Medjugorje in Bosnia Herzegovina, but also to embrace the sunshine and

� NATALIE BURKE

FROM the tropical sands of Thailand to exclusive shopping in Dubai, Trav-elmood are giving you the chance to explore some of the world’s most beautiful locations this summer while staying in top class resorts around the globe.

Stay in the three-star Golden Sands Apart-ments in Dubai for five nights from only €693 per person.

Placed at the heart of fashionable Bur Dubai, visit the exclusive shop-ping malls, the Dubai Museum, the fashion-able night spots and the new Metro Junction.

Departing from Dub-lin on September 7, the price includes return f l ights , f ive nights ’ accommodation on a B&B basis, taxes and charges.

Visit the four-star Viva Wyndham Maya resort in Mexico for seven nights on an all

inclusive basis from just €935 per person.

Be immersed in pris-tine beaches and coral reefs while being just five minutes from bars, restaurants and the shops of Playa del Car-men.

Departing from Dub-lin on December 6, prices include return f lights, seven nights’ accommodation, taxes and charges.

Relax at the five-star Anantara Resort and Spa in Thailand for seven nights on a B&B basis, followed by the four-star Bel-Aire Prin-cess for three nights on a B&B basis from only €999 per person.

The luxurious seclu-sion of the Anantara Hua Hin Resort is rem-iniscent of an ancient Thai village, surrounded by tropical gardens and private beaches as well as being just a short dis-tance from Hua Hin’s best golf courses and the lively town centre.

Top class destinationsTRAVELMOOD: BEAUTIFUL LOCATIONS WORLDWIDE

Departing from Dub-lin on September 6, pric-es include return flights, 10 nights’ accommoda-tion, taxes and charges.

The final offer invites you to stay at the four-star Cape Town Ritz Hotel for seven nights B&B for just €999 per person.

T h e p r i c e a l s o includes return flights, taxes and charges and departs from Dublin on November 2.

Stay at the modern Ritz resort, just 300m from the beach.

Dine at The Top of the Ritz, Cape Town’s only revolving restaurant and consider the option of adding a unique Safari experience to your trip.

For more information on these offers or to book, visit www.travel-mood.ie, call their team on 01 4331020 or visit the Travelmood store in Duke Street, Dublin 2.

Antara Resort and Spa

Kevin’s class gets him to top: New head chef at Herbert Park HotelKEVIN Ramen, has been recently promoted to head chef at the four-star Herbert Park Hotel, Ballsbridge. Kevin is originally from Mauritius and has worked at Herbert Park Hotel since 2006. He had previously worked in various hotels in Mauritius before moving to Ireland.

local cultures in the idyl-lic coastal settings of Alba Adriatica, Sorrento, Lis-bon Coast or Dubrovnik.

The unique combina-tion of a religious and sun holiday allows you to spend three or four days

on a peaceful pilgrimage before moving on to a calming holiday by sandy, sun soaked beaches.

Departures from Dub-lin this summer include a four-night pilgrimage in Fatima, followed by three nights in Estoril at €649 per person, leaving Dublin on July 26, August 23 or August 30 for seven nights. The pilgrimage from Dublin departing on August 31 includes a one night stay at Benevento, three nights in San Gio-vanni Rotondo and three

GETAWAYS! SUMMERSUMMER22 GAZETTE 12 July 2012

St James’s Church,

Medjugorje

nights in Sorrento, priced at €824 per person plus tax, while the pilgrimage departing on September 17 will take you to Alba Adriatica for four nights and to San Giovanni Rotondo for three nights. The seven night trip is €784 per person plus tax.

All prices include direct flights with Aer Lingus from Dublin, one stand-ard piece of check-in lug-gage subject to airline’s conditions, all transfers and tours by luxury air-conditioned coach, a full religious programme and services of a Joe Walsh Tours representative throughout the tour.

For further information, visit www.joewalshtours.ie or call 01 241 0800.

12 July 2012 LUCAN GAZETTE 23Commercial Feature

Summer Family Holidays at The 5*Heritage Golf & Spa ResortLOTS of FREE 5* Fam-ily Fun. Pack your bags & head to The Heritage Resort for your family Staycation Vacation!

Book your August 3 night Family break with The Resort by July 20th and stay a 4th night for FREE and also receive a complimentary fam-ily pass to The National Stud & Gardens. (T&C apply).

The resort offers a pic-turesque setting, comfort-able surroundings and spacious family & inter-connecting guestrooms, self catering apartments, Kids Club Fun Club, health club with leisure

pool, a choice of restau-rants, championship golf course, world class spa and an abundance of on-site & nearby activities.

With a variety of Sum-mer Breaks to choose from your will be sure to find what you are looking for.

A three night stay with breakfast in a family gue-

stroom with family din-ner in the Arlington res-taurants on one evening starts from only €290per adult sharing (based on two adults & 2 children sharing).

A two night self catering break in a two-bedroom penthouse apartment overlooking the champi-onship golf course with

access to all resort facili-ties start from €540 per apartment per stay (maxi-mum 2 adults & 3 chil-dren per apartment).

Your family will be spoilt for choice with the selection of on site activities. The popular Kids Club Fun Club runs each week (Mon to Sat) up to the 28th August 2012 where the little ones can enjoy Arts & Crafts Classes, Fun Fit, Giant Games, Basketball, Table Tennis, Bouncy Castle & Hip Hop Dance. Tennis Court, Family Movies, Fishing, wii room, walking track & much more!

Just a short drive from

the Resort, families can explore a range of fun-filled days out including; the National Stud & Japanese Gardens, Outlet Shopping at Kildare Vil-lage, Lullymore Heritage Park, Emo Court, Pet Farm along with explor-ing the wild & wonderful Laois Countryside and nearby horse-riding.

Nestled in the beauti-ful countryside of Co. Laois, the Resort is only an hours drive from Dub-lin City and 45 minutes from the M50 making it’s a hassle free staycation! To book & enquire please call 057 8645500, www.theheritage.com


Sisters are doing itJack (Mark Duplass) learns a harsh lesson when the two ladies say that they are “fine”.

GoingOUT

GazetteENTERTAINMENTENTERTAINMENT

Carefully constructed, tenderly performed and well-written, Your Sister’s Sister just never catches fire

�

� PAUL HOSFORD

YOU don’t get a lot for $120,000 these days.

The moderate sum is barely enough to fund a purchase at a distress auction, never mind a film that would cap-ture the imagination the week that Spider-Man swings back into action.

That is the challenge set for Your Sister’s Sister, the follow-up to Lynn Shelton’s Hump-day, which was one of the finest comedy dra-mas of recent years.

In that f i lm, two men drunkenly agree to make an adult film together and are faced with the prospect of going through with it because of their male pride.

In this film, Shelton has brought Humpday star Mark Duplass back, but left the naughtiness behind.

She instead has made

a very similar film, but for women.

Instead of pornog-raphy, male pride and machismo, the issues of sibling relationships, love and who can or cannot make a good parent.

All in all, it is refresh-ing film-making in that it’s made for very little, but still manages to be engaging in a way that many big-budget films are not.

But, coming af ter such a film as Hump-day, it almost feels like a let-down.

Although Humpday was not Shelton’s debut,

this film feels like the quintessential “difficult second album” in that it tries to hit the same notes as its predeces-sor when a unique take would be more wel-come.

This is less Neon Bible than it is whatever The Darkness’ second album was called.

Actually, compar-ing the film with The Darkness is unfair as it is credible, likeable and put together by extreme-ly talented people who all seem lovely.

Loveliest of them all is Emily Blunt, current-ly stretching her main-

stream legs in The Five Year Engagement.

Here, Blunt plays Iris, who in an effort to help her best friend Jack out of mourning for his brother, suggests he take a trip to her par-ents’ secluded cabin.

There, he stumbles across Iris’s lesbian sister Hannah. A night of drunken passion between the two trig-gers an unexpected entanglement of rela-tionships when Iris suddenly arrives at the cabin the next day.

From there, the film becomes an interesting and somewhat caus-tic look at what makes relationships tick and, honestly, whether men and women can ever be truly just friends.

Although the cast is experienced and likea-ble, the film just fails to fire. Whereas Humpday felt like its 90 minutes sped through, there is the sense that every

sinew is being strained to haul Your Sister’s Sis-ter to the finish line.

When it is good, how-ever, it is very good, and when Shelton is on form, there aren’t many directors who capture the human condition as readily.

At the heart of it all, comes Shelton’s seem-ingly unshakable faith in people. She genu-inely seems to like her characters, f laws and all.

Shelton gives Duplass, star of the criminally overlooked The League, the best lines and he seems as close to a muse as the director has, but DeWitt and Blunt carry a neat three-hander to its inevitable, and well-telegraphed conclu-sion.

It won’t change lives, but this is neatly posi-tioned counter-pro-gramming to the span-dex, swinging and web-shooting.

FILM OF THE WEEK: Your Sister’s Sister�� (15) 90 mins

OUR VERDICT:IT’S a good film. There is no doubt about that. But, and it’s hard to put my finger on why, it just doesn’t feel complete. It’s a well-told, interesting story and a neat look at a very complex set of relationships and some deeply flawed people. Shelton deserves credit for her writing, but the third act lets the film down.

Director: Lynn Shelton Starring: Emily Blunt, Mark Duplass, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mark Birbiglia

THE PAVILION THEATRE 01 231 2929Singing NinaSINGING Nina is the fabulous new show brought to you by the Chicago Jazz Queen, Karen Underwood and her band. Karen brings to you in narration and song the engrossing life story of the great legend Nina Simone, from her struggle against racism and exile from her homeland to her flamboyant and troubled relationships and her poignant life. Karen sings all the classic Nina songs, Mississippi Goddamn, Sinnerman and My Baby supported by a live band. For one show only, July 13 at 8pm, tickets are priced at €18/16.

MILL THEATRE 01 296 9340 Somewhere under the RainbowTHIS award winning, one woman, musical theatre extravaganza has captured audiences around the country. Now, in preparation for the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Biscuits for Breakfast are delighted to bring “Liza” to the Mill Theatre for one more performance before she leaves these shores. Sharon Sexton’s Liza recounts stories, memories and secrets that make up a fascinating career and an even more intriguing personal life. As she belts her way through Minnelli’s infamous song book, the audience are invited beyond the footlights. July 14 at 8pm. Admission: €20.

CIVIC THEATRE 01 462 7477Johnnie’s BritchesBEEZNEEZ, the popular company that brought you Tuesdays with Morrie and Don’t Dress for Dinner return to the Civic with a lovely old Irish comedy, Johnnie’s Britches. A runaway, nationwide hit when first produced in the 1940s, Beezneez bring their distinctive production values to this gentle comedy of another time. Anxious to be rid of their accident prone servant girl, Ned and Bridget are willing to allow her to be married to almost anybody, including Johnnie. July 13 and 14 at 8pm. Admission: €20/16.

DRAIOCHT 01 885 2622The Connect Club 2012THIS July, Draíocht is delighted to be back, once again, working with the Daughters of Charity’s Summer Camp The Connect Club in Laurel Lodge. The summer camp is filled with social and recreational activities catering for young people with varying degrees of intellectual disability, with the aim of providing an outlet that is fun and focused on the individual’s likes and interests.

GazetteGAMINGGAMING

� SHANE DILLON

I NOTICED this week that one of gaming’s Grand Old Men – in the grizzled, scarred, battle-weary and cynical form of Solid Snake, chief protagonist of the end-lessly-reinventing, multi-platform and cross-genre Metal Gear series – is now 25 years old.

Well, I mean, the series is now that old, but Snake himself is much older, as befitting someone who’s been around the block in his day.

That “day” has jumped around, with Snake’s adventures playing out in eras ranging from the 1960s to the present day, through contemporary settings with wildly dif-ferent global politics at play to slightly-futuristic places with impossible tech and gadgets.

A true cross-platform character, Snake’s been caught up in the coldest of Cold War realpolitik scenarios; fought fringe terrorist groups that were backed covertly by global superpowers;

tackled paranoia and rogue international agen-cies attempting to sub-vert political processes; uncovered – and buried – bizarre secrets at one hid-den base or secret loca-tion after another; saved the world, lost allies and fought former comrades – you name it, Snake has wiggled his way through one high-stakes drama after another.

Although largely pre-sented as a curious blend of James Bond, Snake Plissken, Robert Fisk and a masterless samurai,

Although Solid Snake’s adventures in the Metal Gear series have taken him around the world and through

several decades, Snake – and his younger self (inset) – has always been wearily fighting what amounts to

the same battle, as he has fought against Man’s casual willingness to corrupt, rule and destroy others ...

Bytesandpieces

Snake keeps growing

LEST readers think that picking up any of the Metal Gear games is about as light-hearted as a three-hour lecture on Middle-East politics, the series has always had a dash of pure slapstick, such as in its brilliantly daft idea for camouflage – the cardboard box.

Yes indeed, when patrolling a top-secret military base full of guards on high alert, mere hours before an illic-it nuclear launch is due against the world’s main cities, every self-respect-ing master infiltrator needs the perfect fools-everybody disguise: an ordinary cardboard box to hide under.

Simply by slipping a cardboard box over his head, and then inching/dart-ing around playing the old “Huh? Did something just move?” game with con-fused nearby guards, Snake is gener-ally able to sneak on by.

True, my attempts to sneak around, and then out of The Gazette an hour or two early in this fashion haven’t quite worked out as well, but it remains a fondly-remembered gaming sight to see, regardless.

Boxing clever with a brilliantly daft camouflage idea


A spacewalk could be a cake walkHERE’S one of those “Ronseal” IOS games – you know, they do exactly what it says on the tin or, more exactly, what the title says – in the form of Astronaut Spacewalk.

Here, a deep-sea diver has 24 hours to uncover a global conspiracy involving cats, a secret Soviet undersea base, a rusty codex from 1640 and a deadly female French assassin who –

Nah, only kidding – it really is just what the title suggests, as you take an astronaut on a spacewalk through a variety of orbital missions.

It’s a pretty simple idea, yet executed with style and, um, precision. Precision? Yes, indeed, as pre-cision is key to the title, as you guide an astronaut on their spacewalk by tapping to release just the right amounts of gas, while considering your direc-tion and inertia, as well as suit power reserves.

After all, one wrong tap in the wrong direction could send you drifting serenely towards, say, Madagascar on the planet below – and your cer-tain death, helplessly following a trajectory away from the space shuttle docking bay.

A neat little title executed with flair, Astronaut Spacewalk is available on iTunes.

Snake has remained one of gaming’s most com-plex, yet popular, char-acters.

This, despite the Metal Gear games’ tendencies to practically slap play-ers about the head with political commentary as the game plays out.

For example, one moment could find Snake creeping through the engine room of a hijacked container ship carrying biological bombs deep into the heart of a bustling city – the next, a 20-minute cut-scene could play out, as Snake, and others, discuss over his radio link European foreign policies in the 1970s, and the complex ties between the military, commercial and political wings of, say, China.

At least you c a n a l w ay s count on regu-lar breaks to go and make a cuppa, then.

It’s all pretty far-out, head-s c r a t ch -

ingly complex (and, quite simply, frequently daft) stuff, and can feel more like an abstract com-mentary on global poli-tics, and The Way Things Work, than being just, you know, a game.

All of this heavy-hitting wackiness has largely been down to the leg-endary figure of Hideo Kojima, the singularly-fo-cused figure who’s driven Snake, and sidekicks, on across the years, with each new adventure becoming increasingly out-there.

Still, Snake’s adven-tures have remained high-ly popular, as Kojima-san has always driven the games along with plenty of conventional gaming tropes, from stealth sec-tions to all-out blazing action set-pieces.

While occasionally irritatingly dense to wade through, as well as cover-ing stuff that even a con-spiracy theorist would roll his eyes at, here’s hoping that Snake’s maverick adventures in the Metal Gear universe keep grow-ing for many more years.

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DONABATE’S Pa t Doran played superbly but was just pipped at the semi-final stage of the ILGU Irish Senior women’s close cham-pionship at Bunclody Golf and Fishing Club last week.

P lay ing even tua l winner Helen Jones, from Strabane, she was undone on the 21st hole of her final four tie last Thursday to agonisingly miss out.

Jones had earlier pro-duced a stunning come-back. She was dormie two down against Doran but showed her true fighting spirit to win both the 17th and 18th with pars and bring the match down tie holes where she eventually won out on the 21st.

A round ear l i e r, Doran had knocked out defending champions Sheena McElroy, from Grange, who had put up a gallant defence of her title and a three in a

row record.Doran has been

knocking at the door in recent years and she maintained her compo-sure in an edgy match to win with a par on the 18th while McElroy found the water left of the home green.

McElroy had earlier dismissed Killarney’s Mary Geaney on an emphatic 6&5 scoreline to show she was in rude form.

The Island’s Gertie McMullen was another

GOLF: DORAN BRINGS MCELROY’S IRISH SENIOR CLOSE REIGN TO AN END IN BUNCLODY

Donabate’s Pat Doran reached the semi-final of this year’s Irish Seniors’ Close championship

Donabate woman reaches Senior Close final four

local golfer to traverse the competition in dra-matic fashion as she reached the quarter-fi-nals, too. There, she was one up against Portum-na’s Suzanne Corcoran playing the 18th but a

par from the Galway woman was enough to take the final hole and she birdied the first tie hole to win a semi-final berth.

Earlier in the com-peti t ion, McMullen

had beaten Headfort’s Pauline Walsh 4&3 and Adrienne Crowley, from Woodbrook, one up.

D u n L a o g h a i r e duo Marie Igoe and Niamh Giblin were also involved in the competi-

tion and made it safely through the first round.

Igoe bowed out to Jones in round two while Doran dismissed Giblin 4&3 in the third round of the competi-tion.

GazetteSPORTFEILE FEVER:FEILE FEVER:Dublin plays host toDublin plays host toannual U-14 festival annual U-14 festival of hurling of hurling Page 28 and 29Page 28 and 29



GazetteSportSportFeile fever descends on DublinTHE annual Feile na nGael made its way to

Dublin for the first time in over 30 years as over 3,000 hurlers, camogie players and hand-

ballers from around the country came to the capi-tal for one of the highlights of the GAA calendar. They competed in three days of competition at clubs around the city before taking part in social activities including a parade from Croke Park to O’Connell Street while Saturday saw the finals take place across the divisions in Croke Park and Par-nell Park.

Members of St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh were among huge crowds to gather in O’Connell St to support the Feile na nGael

The referee inspects the Newport team’s hurleys

Ballinteer St John’s camogie team enjoy the Bus Eireann Feile na nGael Parade from Croke Park through Dublin CityKilmacud Crokes in action against Buncrana in Silver Park


parade. Pics: Martina McGilloway/ilivephotos.com

Ballyboden St Enda’s Eoin Featherstone and De La Salle’s Lee Wall in the division one hurling competition

The St Brigid’s handball team enjoy the parade

Lucan Sarsfields’ Emily McIntyre and Newport’s Ciara Floyd

The Clondalkin Youth Band lead teams down O’Connell Street

Handballers Hannah Dagg, Fiona Tully and Anna Ni Odhrain Ni Mhurchu Kilcormack/Killoughey in action

Stephen Smith and Thomas Donohoe

Dublin hurlers Peter Kelly and Johnny McCaffrey with Peter Flannery


GazetteSportSportFastSport

SOCCER: CIARAN’S GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH IN LFL


ST CIARAN’S foot-ball club, based in St Catherine’s Park, have gone from strength to strength in their soph-more season as a club, with John Hoare’s men finishing second in their league and runner up in the Watkins Cup after a hard fought battle with Cabra Celtic.

The s ide showed themselves to be a strong resilient group in their first outing as a club, and despite a six-month bar-ren period in the league, they pulled themselves out of the lull in the 2010/2011 season to fin-

ish mid table. John Hoare says that

a big difference came in the shape of Jason McMahon, team cap-tain, who brought with him a hard work ethic when it came to training the side: “Jay came in and he really impressed me with his self motiva-tion and attitude when it came to training.

“He came up and was just going about his foot-ball, but now he’s taking the training sessions and he’s really keeping the players enthusiastic in the winter months, when a lot of teams find it hard to keep their players fit.”

Dynamo Dublin were

hot favourites to win the O’Neill’s Leinster Foot-ball League Sunday divi-sion and they lived up to the hype, unbeaten for seven months until they met St Ciaran’s, who proved they were every bit their match on any day.

Ciaran’s themselves only lost one game before Christmas and even went on to knock Dynamo out during their siege on the Wat-kins Cup, but finished six points behind their rivals while gaining pro-motion.

“It was obvious to a lot of teams after the first few months that

we would be battling for second place and I’m very proud that the lads took that spot and gained promotion,” said Hoare.

The Lucan based side also revealed a streak of vengeance after their 1-0 loss to Cabra Celtic in the Cup final when they met the side again to finish out their league campaign.

The first half finished 7-0 in St Catherine’s Park before play resumed, and five minutes into the second period Ciaran’s took a lead of 9-0, to which the Cabra side refused to continue play and instead opted for the

match to be abandoned. “It’s a common cliché

but football really is a funny game. I was very proud of the lads on the day because a lot of peo-ple were letting the Cup final loss get to them.

“We showed a lot of spirit out there and we’ll be looking to the same next season, we’ve got some new faces and that always adds the element of competition for places and that’s served us well so far,” said Hoare.

Anyone interested in playing for St Ciaran’s can email [email protected] or call Jason McMahon on 087 914 4369.

Cracking Ciaran’s seasonThe St Ciaran’s side is looking forward to life in the Leinster Football League Major Sunday in the 2012/13 season

Lucan’s Vitti looking to become ‘Supa’ starFABIO “Supa” Vitti is in preparation for his first stab at the ISKA strap, after the flyweight impressed in his first K-1 bout under the MMA Lucan banner, where he outclassed a Euro-pean Champion and raised the eyebrows of K-1 promoters nationwide.

The bout had been made by MMA Lucan head coach, Tony Carrick, who thought it bet-ter not to let Vitti know about his opponent’s trophy cabinet beforehand.

“We didn’t let Fabio know that he was fac-ing a European champ, we didn’t want any-thing to shake his mind set, and with the way he performed on the night, I stand by my deci-sion,” said Carrick.

Vitti put on a clinic, with perfect timing he found his range and outclassed his opponent in the K-1 (full contact kickboxing) contest, despite training primarily in the MMA aspect of combat sports.

The explosive flyweight will look to anoth-er winning performance when he faces off against Irish muay thai champion, Alan O’Callaghan of Cork, when they square off at Primal Fighting Championship on the July 28 at the Mansion house.

Also fighting on the night will be his middle-weight team mate, Henry “Herculeez” Fadipe who has been making a name for himself on the back of some powerful striking perform-ances.

The two fighters will avail of MMA Lucan’s new premises which encompasses a training area for casual trainers, and a state-of-the-art professional room which boasts a sauna, an MMA cage and various other high spec train-ing utilities.

“I really can’t wait to get down to business on July 28, I’m feeling fit and ready to execute my game plan.

“I really hope to claim another title for my team on the night,” said Vitti in relation to the three titles already grabbed this year by the Lucan club with victories from Blaine O’Driscoll, Henry Fadipe and Asian Bisayev.

For information on training and tickets for upcoming events contact Tony Carrick on 087 771 2112.

Esker celebrate Football For All launch� [email protected]

FOOTBALL For All arrives in Lucan this September as Esker Celtic will play host to an initiative from the FAI to ensure every child in the country is able to play and enjoy soccer.

The programme has been designed for children aged six-14 with all types of dis-abilities that may prevent them playing for a main-stream team.

The ethos of Football For All is inclusion of young peo-

ple who love soccer, and to keep the game as enjoyable and as fun as possible. It is a safe and friendly environ-ment where young people are free to express them-selves through sport.

Esker Celtic now has a large team of fully trained FAI Disability Awareness coaches ready to kick off this September.

It will run every Saturday from 1.30pm for one hour in Hermitage Park, beside the clubhouse.

It pus Esker among a select

group who are now one of the very few clubs in the country to offer this service and will team up with other Football For All clubs to pro-vide a strong network where young people can play with their peers all over Ireland and beyond.

Places are limited so if you are interested in involv-ing your child in this new venture, check out www.eskerceltic.ie or you can contact our Football For All co-ordinator, Colm Young on 087 2503456.


CLUB NOTICEBOARD

CONGRATULATIONS To Seanie McClel-

land and Eoghan O Conghaile and

the Dublin minor hurlers on being

crowned Leinster Champions 2012.

Feile na nGael was a great suc-

cess in the club with Easkey and

Ballinainch, who we hosted, winning

their finals and our own hurlers

losing in the semi finals to eventual

division two winners Portlaoise.

Congratulations to Fachtna and

Divya Clandillon on the birth of their

daughter Aine in Nepal on Wednes-

day last.

Thanks to Cavan Developments for

the use of their teleporter to fix the

ball stop nets on our juvenile pitch

and to Jack O’Neill for his driving

skills and all the work he put into our

Barndance.

The Junior A hurlers had a good

1-15 to 0-14 win over St Finian’s,

Swords in the fifth and final cham-

pionship round-robin game in the

Lock on Tuesday last. We have now

qualified for the quarter finals, the

opposition will be confirmed when

unplayed games in group two are

completed. This was a great team

effort where everyone gave it their

all until the final whistle.

There were particularly strong

performances from J Twomey, B

Graydon, T Clandillon (1-1), J Byrne

(0-1), B Desmond, A Duff (0.2) and K

Brennan (0-6 frees). Other scorers

were B Fagan (0-1), D Needham (0-2),

A Glover (0-1), P Ward (0-1). Speedy

recovery to O McCabe and A Duff.

The presentation of the 2011 AHL

Division 5 league winners cup and

medals will take place in the club-

house this Saturday, July 14 at 9pm.

All mentors and players involved

with senior, intermediate and jun-

ior teams over the last number of

years are welcome to attend along

with those involved in the present

three teams. This promises to be a

very special occasion as a member

of the Lanigan family will attend to

present the Division 5 AHL league

cup which now bears the name of

fondly remembered Martin Lanigan

who contributed so much to Sars-

fields and especially to hurling over

the last 40 years.

Our annual Family Funday has been

set for Saturday, September 15. We

are now looking for donations of

bottles, bags, DVDs etc for the stalls.

All can be left behind the bar.

This year’s golf classic will be

held on Friday, July 20 at Lucan Golf

Club.

Our summer camps have now

started and you can register for

the remaining camps on our website

www.lucansarsfields.ie. The cost

this year is €55.

Any queries can be directed to

Lisa Tuite 086-3774887 or Catherine

Hayes 087-6409701. Summer opening

times for our club shop are Tues-

days, 7.30pm to 8.30pm and Satur-

day mornings (except bank holiday

weekends) at 10.30 to 11.30am.

There will be no Thursday night

openings for the months of June,

July and August.

This week’s lotto numbers are 4, 13,

17 and 25. There was no winner. Next

week’s jackpot will be €10,000. Shay

Hurson’s team will be in charge next

Sunday night when our sponsor will

be Newcastle Golf Centre.

A full list of next weekend’s fix-

tures are now on our website www.

lucansarsfields.ie.

Finally, best of luck to Joe Whyte as

he enters uncharted territory with

Kilkenny.

LUCAN SARSFIELDS

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ST PAT’S PALMERSTOWN


LUCAN Sarsfields were handed one of the tough-est draws on offer as they were paired with 2010 finalists St Jude’s in the third round of the Dublin senior football champion-ship following Monday night’s draw.

It is a repeat of the 2011 second round, losers’ sec-tion tussle, in which the 12th Lock side eventu-ally prevailed courtesy of five points from Tommy Brennan and a goal from Brendan Gallagher to run out 1-10 to 0-11 winners.

That came during Lucan’s run to the semi-finals of the competition, only coming unstuck at the semi-final stages by a star-spangled St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh side for whom Bernard Brogan cracked 1-7.

But it was still very much a tie they would have liked to have left to a later date with plenty of AFL2 and AFL3 opposi-tion floating around in

this section of the draw.Indeed, Jude’s showed

their ability when they put St Anne’s to the sword in round two, not needing to call on the services of Kevin McManamon as Declan Gallagher ran amok on a grim night in Kiltipper.

Lucan’s route has been more circumspect, pushed all the way by a youthful Ballinteer St John’s who had former Dublin minor Glenn Whelan in punish-ing from.

Former Dublin senior Stephen O’Shaughnessy was the one to eventually pull the game out of the fire with a winning point in extra time.

It set up a second round date with reigning champions St Brigid’s who raced into a huge first half lead courtesy of a couple of Philly Ryan goals and while Brian Collopy nabbed one back in the second half, it was never enough to reel in the result.

The pairing of Lucan

with St Jude’s, though, is very much the tie of a third round selection which has often seen the major contenders for the title emerge.

Indeed, six of eight of the sides to make it through the “back door” system in 2011 ended up making it into the quarter-finals. When the next round takes place, though, remains to be seen as the Dublin senior footballers face at least two and potentially four more games before the club championship kicks back into gear.

St Pat’s, Palmerstown, meanwhile, have a tough task in the offing as they

were paired against Blaine Kelly-inspired St Mary’s, the diminutive forward with ten points to his name from his side’s two outings in the com-petition to date.

They have pride to restore after a horrible 3-11 to 0-1 loss in round two to contenders Bal-lymun Kickhams having opened the competition brightly with a thumping win over St Mark’s.

Elsewhere, St Sylvest-er’s date with Raheny looks to be another eye-catching one, the top tier challengers facing Ciaran Whelan’s side who have been making serious waves in division two.

FOOTBALL: BIG THIRD ROUND TEST FOR LUCAN

The Lucan senior footballers are hoping to go one step further this year after they reached the 2011 DFC semi-final

Lucan handed hugeJude’s SFC rematch

CONGRATLUATIONS to our senior

hurlers this week on their victory

against Na Fianna. The club would

also like to congratulate St Bridg-

id’s on winning the division one

hurling Feile.

Hard luck to the Dublin senior

hurlers and congratulations to the

Dublin minor hurlers on their Lein-

ster championship win.

Reminder to all to order Leinster

minor and senior inter-county foot-

ball championship tickets by 10am

Friday, July 13 on the ticket hotline:

086 7255586. The first summer hurl-

ing camp started this week for kids

aged four to 12 and will run until July

13.

Lotto number and results: the

first draw winning numbers were 8,

13, 14 and 16.

There was no winner. The second

draw winning numbers were 3, 13,

26 and 28; there was no winner. Any

three numbers winners: Eddie Dia-

mond, Jessie O’Brien, Robbie Carson

and Alan Keaney.

Next Sunday, July 15, the first

draw jackpot is €10,000; the second

draw jackpot is €3,400.

ALL OF YOUR LUCAN SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 27-31 JULY 12, 2012

CRACKING CIARAN’S: Local soccer side celebrate their season’s success P30 GazetteSPORTGazetteSPORT

� PETER CARROLL

[email protected]

FRANK Fleming, men-tor of Lucan Sarsfields minor hurlers, has con-gratulated the club’s “fan-tastic ambassadors”, Sean McClelland and Eoghan O’Conghaile, on their per-formances which helped Dublin capture the Lein-ster Minor championship title last weekend.

“It’s a great achieve-ment for the lads. They’ve worked hard and played magnificently to see them-selves on to the panel and we’re all delighted at the club that they’ve brought home the title.

“They’ve continued the rich tradition that Sars-fields have in representa-tion on the Dublin panels. We had four lads in the side last year, so we were

delighted to be represent-ed in the minors again this year.

“They’ve been fantastic ambassadors for the club in their approach to the game, their performances and the way they carry themselves as individuals,” said Fleming.

However, the passion-ate Sarsfields’ mentor highlighted how a call up for the Dubs can be a dou-ble-edged sword when it comes to league perform-ances for the club side.

“Of course, we are delighted that the lads got the call up, but with play-ers of Sean and Eoghan’s ability missing from cru-cial league ties, the other members of the team have to step up.

“They’re already train-ing two or three times a week with the Dubs and

it’s a lot to ask of young men like them to come up and get another session in with the club.

“However, they’ll be back to us for when the championship kicks in again, and I’m sure they’ll be able to help us to some great performances in our pursuit of the title.”

The new Leinster cham-pions have also helped out during the summer camps that are well under way at the 12th Lock, proving to be a big hit amongst the local children who look up to the young inter-county stars.

“The kids come down to the summer camps, and Sean and Eoghan were showing up to help. They see how far they’ve come in the game and it gives them someone local to look up to,” said Fleming.

“The club and the broader Lucan commu-nity are very proud of the lads and we are sure that we will have more repre-sentatives in the future.”

The Dublin minor hurl-ers played out a tough game with Wexford in the Leinster final. With the teams deadlocked at 1-8 at half-time, they went on to pull ahead in the last 15 minutes after trading points for much of the sec-ond half the scores finish-ing up at 2-15 to 1-14.

M c C l e l l a n d a n d O’Conghaile helped the Dublin minors to their first back-to-back titles since the 1950s, and they will now have to wait patiently for the quarter-finals of the tournament to unfold before they know who they will face in the All-Ireland semi-finals.

Lucan’s Sean McLelland in action for Dublin minor hurlers

last month. Picture: Chris Lynam

Lucan pair the pride of Dublin

DUBLIN’S FEILE FEVER:The capital welcomes the country’s U-14 hurlers P28-29

lucan

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