malahide

Let’s shake on it: President launches literacy initiative malahide Community School had a very special visit recently from the President of Ireland Michael D Higgins.

The President was on hand to launch the school’s literacy ini-tiative. He spoke to the students

about the importance of being able to read and write.

He also thanked the fourth-year students for a beautiful musical rendition from Les Miserables.See Gallery on Pages 6-7

€918k to improve seaside villages Natalie Burke

Over €900,000 will be spent on improvement works in the Malahide and Howth areas in the next year, according to plans released by Fingal County Council recently.

The total funding of €918,000 has been allocated by the council to go towards the 2013 programme of works. Works to be included in the programme include improvements

to the Holywell Link road, the Car-rickbrack road in Howth, Baskin Lane, Kinsealy, the Coast road, Port-marnock, and improvements to the Yellow Walls road in Malahide. The sea wall at Sutton, the Howth Coastal Walk and the Green in Malahide are also on the list to receive funding. Cllr Anthony Lavin (FG) welcomed the funding saying the projects are “par-ticularly welcome” for the area.

Full Story on Page 3

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

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

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

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

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

Month XX, 2012

PROPERTy TAx: Anger as ghost estates come within levy’s remit See Page 4

Hockey: Fingal retain their Leinster Div 1 status Page 30

Soccer: Malahide United teams in All Ireland actionPage 32

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2 MALAHIDE GAzEttE 28 March 2013

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CounCil repairs in Malahide and Howth

the Green in Malahide will receive works and improvements

seaside towns looking forward to €918k faceliftOver €900,000 will be spent on improvement works in the Malahide and Howth areas in the next year, according to plans released by Fingal County Council in recent weeks.

The total funding of €918,000 has been allo-cated by the council to go towards the 2013 pro-gramme of works, which also includes the €50,000 funding from the Nation-al Transport Author-ity (NTA) allocated for repairing and improving ramps in the area.

A total of €180,000 will go towards the first phase of improvements to be made to Baskin Lane in Kinsealy, while

Father and child rescued from Howth pierA FATHer and daughter are lucky to be alive after the were rescued from a dangerously surg-ing sea in Howth this week.

The Irish Coast Guard has issued a reminder to the public of the danger of walking close to exposed areas like piers and cliffs

during stormy conditions. At 10am on Monday, March

25, both the Coast Guard and Garda operation centres received calls from a father and child who required assistance on the east pier in Howth. They were in an alcove in between breaking

waves. Irish Coast Guard units from

Howth Station (Coastal rescue) and Dublin Airport (Helicopter rescue 116) along with the rNLI lifeboat and gardai from Howth were called on.

Fred Connolly of rNLI said

they were lucky to have taken shelter as they would most defi-nitely have been washed into the sea while trying to make their way back.

There were no serious injuries but they were extremely cold and wet neither needed treatment.

€115,000 will be allo-cated to improving the Coast road in Portmar-nock. Improvements to the Old Yellow Walls road in Malahide will also receive €115,000 in funding.

remaining works to be completed as part of the 2013 programme include maintenance of the Carrickbrack road in Howth (€64,000), the Feltrim road (€63,000)

and the much-needed maintenance of the Holywell Internal Link road (€63,000).

These items listed for improvements and main-tenance will be funded by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. Other works in the programme will be through a combina-tion of funding from the council’s revenue and capital budgets.

Some works that have been ongoing will also receive funding under the programme, including burial ground improve-ment works, which will improve and extend pathways within existing grounds; the sea wall at

Sutton, which will con-tinue works on the wall collapse by erosion; and the refurbishment of the Howth public toilets.

Under the parks sec-tion, those to receive works and improve-ments include the Howth Coastal Walk, the race-course Park in Baldoyle, robswall Park in Mala-hide and the Green in Malahide.

A total of €35,000 will be allocated to pitch draining across the area.

The funding was this week welcomed by Cllr Anthony Lavin (FG) who said a number of the proposed projects are “particularly welcome” for the area.

“Works to the Yellow Wall road in Malahide will be very welcome as it is in pretty bad shape at the moment, but unfor-tunately it won’t be done until the school holidays. The works to the Holy-well Link road are also important from a safety point of view,” he said.

“While the funding going towards works on the Green in Mala-hide is a small amount [€10,000], it’s a very important location. I view it as the window to Malahide so to me, even though it’s a small enough space, the funds would do a fair bit there. That’s one I’m particu-larly happy with.”

NAtALIE [email protected]

r1

28 March 2013 MALAHIDE GAzEttE 3

Charity Smiles all round for happy Faces Day

A MALAHIDE-BASED children’s photography studio will host their annual Happy Faces Day charity event next month.

Giggles and Smiles Photography, which is based on Fisherman’s Green, will host the fund-raiser at Malahide Castle

from 10am to 5pm, on Sunday, April 21. This year will be their eighth year being involved in the fundraiser. This year the event will be held in aid of the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation.

For a €25 donation, participants will receive

an individual portrait mini-session, as well as a desk-size portrait. All donations will be paid directly to the charity.

The local event will be part of a nationwide ini-tiative, organised by the Irish Professional Pho-tographers’ Association

(IPPA). Since its launch in 2006, the IPPA Happy Faces has raised almost €360,000 for its chosen charities.

To book your appoint-ment, contact the studio at 01 806 1582. For more information, see www.happyfacesday.ie.

Say cheese to help raise funds

Derek’s delight at launch of his novel NAtALIE BURKE

AFTEr spending two-and-a-half years writ-ing a novel he felt compelled to complete, Malahide native Derek rose is set to celebrate the launch of his debut novel in Malahide this April.

The Creatures on the Bathroom Ceiling, a fic-tion book “with a touch of fantasy thrown in” - according to its author - will be launched at 7.30pm on Friday, April 12, at Gibney’s of Mala-hide.

“I am really delight-ed to get it finished, it’s something that has

been clinging on to me and now that I’ve let it go, it’s a great feeling,” Derek told the Gazette.

A book for young adults and older, Derek says the book is aimed at “anybody with an imagination”.

“The majority of the story is based on true events taken from dif-ferent relationships.

“The book contains a number of imaginary situations that Francis, the protagonist, has to deal with regarding the borders of love and lust,” Derek explains.

“It was important for me to stress how deep his feelings of friend-

ship were and equally how they could be destroyed.

“The opening follows Francis, who is cel-ebrating his 18th birth-day, and his sister on a journey of discovery to another world.

“ H e b e c o m e s obsessed with a girl and the understanding of love, lust, desire, and sex,” he said.

While Derek knew he wanted to put pen to paper, he says it was a combination of things that finally inspired him to write his story.

“Over the two-and-a-half years there were peri-ods I did nothing, I have a

life but I had to finish it. “I ’d usually do it

when I got home from work but there were times when I’d pull over to the side of the road take out my laptop and write incessantly for 20 minutes.”

Derek self-published his book which will be available for purchase on Amazon and Irish web pages on soft copy and Kindle.

“I spoke to a number of people who had gone down the self-publish-ing route and came to the conclusion that it would be a good thing to just have it ‘out there’ now,” he said.

book: two-anD-a-halF-year journey enDS

¡hola!: Visit to seasidepIctURED ARE tour guide Yamile Mugsi (third from left) with some of the leading Spanish travel agents during their recent visit to Mala-hide. The travel agents were here as guests of Tourism Ireland and the Spanish tour operator Travelplan, to check out some of the activities available in Ireland for Span-ish holidaymakers and the events of The Gathering.


Of the 64 ghost estates and seriously sub-standard developments that were exempt from last year’s

household charge, only one is this year

Ghost estates are now eligible for levy NAtALIE BurkE

Residents in a number of housing estates across dublin north will have to pay the new local property tax (LPt) this year, despite being exempt from last year’s household charge due to their estates being classed as “unfinished”.

Househo lder s in estates such as Belmayne in Clongriffin, drinan in Kinsealy, Knocksedan in swords, Golden Ridge in Rush and Hampton Gardens in Balbriggan learned this week that their estates are no longer defined as “unfinished” and will be liable for the LPt.

Overall, 64 ghost estates and seriously sub-stand-ard developments across dublin city and council were exempt from last year’s household charge.

Just one of these – Priory Hall - will now be exempt from the LPt while the remaining 63 will be eligible.

sena tor darragh O’Brien (FF), based in dublin north, has expressed his shock at the

government’s decision and has demanded an immediate explanation as to why 38 “unfinished” estates across Fingal are now eligible for the tax.

“it was only right that these 38 estates in Fingal were exempt from the household charge last year. in fact there were other unfinished estates, like Waterside in Mala-hide, which should also have been exempt. Many

residents of these estates paid way over the odds for what is now a seriously devalued home and are living in unfinished sur-roundings with no realis-tic commitment to com-pletion in sight,” he said.

“the government has tried to justify this by claiming that many of these unfinished estates here in Fingal and across dublin have miraculous-ly been completed and fixed over the past year.

this will come as news to people living in clearly unfinished estates who feel abandoned by devel-opers and stuck without the amenities and services they paid for.”

senator O’Brien says that questions also remain about homes badly dam-aged from pyrite also being liable for the prop-erty tax.

A spokesperson for the department of envi-

ronment, Community and Local Government said the waiver list was compiled by the depart-ment from information supplied by the local authority itself and resi-dents should contact their local authority to ask why an estate was not exempt.

According to a spokes-person for Fingal County Council: “the Finance (Local Property tax) Act of 2012 sets out criteria

under which properties may claim exemption from the tax.

“in addition to this, the department of envi-ronment established a set of criteria using the updated information from the 2012 national Housing development survey, one of which is the ‘seriously problemat-ic condition’ criterion in determining what estates or part thereof would

qualify for an exemption from the LPt.

“this list was applied by council engineers in assessing previously exempted estates in Fingal, and it was deter-mined that no estate was ‘incomplete to a substantial extent’ and satisfied the ‘seriously problematic condition’, therefore no estate is exempted from the LPt,” the spokesperson con-cluded.

council Property tax waiver list shortened

NAtALIE BurkE

[email protected]

LOCAL gardai in dub-lin north have reported a quiet bank holiday weekend, following the recent st Patrick’s day celebrations.

While the celebra-tions and the swords st Patrick’s day parade were as popular and busy as ever in the dub-lin north area, it was a relatively quiet bank holiday weekend on the public order front.

According to a sen-ior Garda spokesper-son, the weekend was a “great success with very little crime or public orders” taking place.

the spokesperson said the cold weather was just one of the fac-tors contributing to this success.

“i don’t think last year was particularly a great day but the amount of underage drinking and public order issues ema-nating from that last year certainly weren’t replicated this year,” the garda explained.

“so we’re putting it down to a variety of things. it was a small bit to do with the weather but mostly to do with the fact that we had plenty of gardai pres-ence out.

“We also asked for the cooperation of all licen-sees highlighting poten-tial issues that could impact on a peaceful st Patrick’s day. We feel that they acted very responsibly and that certainly contributed to a very peaceful and joy-ful family orientated st Patrick’s day,” he con-cluded.

Gardai: St Patrick’S day

Public order issues down

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‘This will come as news to people living in clearly unfinished estates who feel abandoned by developers and stuck without the amenities, services they paid for’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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Trabolgan Holiday Village, Cork have used the Dublin Gazette Newspapers for the last few years to advertise various aspects of our holiday village including special offers. We have always had an excellent reader response from the advertisements run and have found the area’s covered by all 8 papers of great value to Trabolgan.

The help and guidance we have received from the staff has made it easier for us to communicate our message efficiently and cost effectively ensuring we get the maximum from our budget. We would have no hesitation in recommending the Gazette to any business.


Man charged over two armed raidsA mAn from north Dub-lin has been charged in Dublin District Court in connection with two armed robberies which took place in north Dub-lin in recent weeks.

He was charged with an armed cash-in-transit robbery of €10,000 worth of cash which occurred at Donaghmede Shopping Centre on march 23. He was also charged with a robbery at Clare Hall Shopping Centre, which took place on march 14 and resulted in the rob-bery of sterling notes to the value of approxi-mately €17,614, as well as over €5,000 worth of US dollars.

He was remanded in prison until march 27 when he will appear in

court in Cloverhill.At approximately

9.30am on march 23, it is believed that the man approached and threat-ened security staff as they transferred cash from a fast food outlet at Don-aghmede Shopping Cen-tre before making off with a sum of cash in a silver-coloured car. There were no reported injuries and no shots fired during the incident.

He was later arrested in the Kinsealy area. He was then detained under section 30 of the Offenc-es against the State Act 1939 at Coolock Garda Station.

During his appearance in Dublin District Court on monday, march 25, he was also charged with

a second armed robbery which occurred at Clare Hall Shopping Centre on march 14.

The robbery occurred a t a p p r o x i m a t e l y 10.30am when two males approached and threat-ened an employee to hand over a cash box. One of the two men is believed to have been in possession of a firearm and to have fled the scene in a waiting car.

A cash box and all the cash were recovered. The firearm was also discov-ered close by.

Garda investigations are ongoing and witness-es or anyone with infor-mation on either robber-ies are asked to contact Coolock Garda Station on 01 6664200.

courts: gardai seek witnesses to shopping centre robberies Discuss a

book you just hate!FInGAL Libraries are inviting members to sub-mit “pithy, witty com-ments” for World Book night, which takes place on Tuesday, April 23.

In Room 101 For Books, they are asking members to state what book they consider “an overblown waste of a tree”; what novel has “absolutely no merit”, and what “inter-minable book” have they suffered through.

members can write their choice and reason on paper and drop it into their local Fingal library, or they can post a com-ment on the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fingallibraries.

Those with the best sug-gestions and arguments will be invited to mala-hide Library on World Book night at 7pm.

libraries

on litter watch: warden and dog patrol sea walk to keep area cleanpIcturED ArE Fingal Litter Warden Wendy Byrne with the patrol dog Ella, as they start their patrol along the Sea Walk from malahide to Portmarnock. Together they meet dog own-ers and passers-by to raise awareness of dog fouling prob-lems. The three-year-old golden Labrador Retriever is always a talking point with dog walkers, and helps Wendy to start a conversation about the obligations of dog owners to clean up after their animals. Last year was the first year of their pilot initiative.

6 Malahide gazette 28 March 2013

the President with students Orla Brady, elaine Brennan and Shannon Mcdonald in Junk Kouture fashion. Pictures: Una Williams

the President surveying the students’ fancy footwork

gazettegaLLeRIeS

President Michael d higgins with Paul O’Sullivan, Stephen Clarke, levi Mcgrattan

and lorna Costigan

28 March 2013 Malahide gazette 7

the President with students Orla Brady, elaine Brennan and Shannon Mcdonald in Junk Kouture fashion. Pictures: Una Williams

Singing out for PresidentPRESIDENT of Ireland Michael D Higgins paid a visit to Mala-

hide Community School recently to launch the school’s literacy initiative.

Each second level school sets up a literacy group who attend spe-cial training sessions, and they give presentations to other staff on new methodologies associated with literacy. Malahide Community School named their initiative Literacy in the 21st Century.

The President was entertained by fourth year students, who recently staged their production of Les Miserables, and they per-formed One Day More and Bring Him Home.

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

the President meets student aine duffy

SCHOOL: LITERACY IN 21ST CENTURY

Robbie harold and the President keeping an eye on

things

the President being greeted by the school’s students

Jean Marie Ward, the President, Patricia Mcdonagh and tony O’Rourke

Patricia Mcdonagh

Killian Quinn showing the President an iPad


Owners of Shiels Londis John Shiel and Rufina Shiel Mullen, with founder of Shiel’s Londis Malahide Frank Shiel

Shiel’s Londis toasts national title award NAtALIE buRkE

A LOCAL Malahide retailer has beaten off stiff competition to win a prestigious title at the National Off-Licence Association Awards held recently.

Shiel ’s Londis in Malahide was awarded the much-sought after title of Food Retailer Off-Licence of the Year at the recent awards, mak-ing it the second year for the store to pick up the award. The store previ-ously won the accolade in 2011.

The awards, which have been running for 17 years, recognise and showcase off-licences

around Ireland who offer exceptional service to customers and dem-onstrate excellence in retail standards.

Shiel’s Londis, which is based on the Yellow Walls Road in Malahide, is a long-standing family business which is owned and managed by John and Rufina Shiel, and was founded in 1973 by their parents Frank and Maeve Shiel. The store was commended on its superb product knowl-edge, range and value offering.

John Shiel said he was “delighted” to receive the award and to be recog-nised by his peers in the industry.

“Our team works hard every day to ensure our offering brings choice and competitive value to our customers in Malahide. Our Londis store serves a wide com-munity and our focus is on bringing an offer-ing which caters for all occasions and wallets,” he said.

“On one hand, we are recognised for both our knowledge and range of premium wines and niche brands, yet equally a priority for us is to bring excellent value to our customers, whether it’s a nice bottle of wine for a movie night in or some-thing more exclusive for a bigger occasion.

“We look forward to building on our success today and continuing to serve our loyal custom-ers in the local area,” he added.

Speaking about the accolade, chairperson of the association awards Evelyn Jones said: “The last number of years and particularly 2012 have been very difficult for the off-licence sec-tor. What these awards demonstrate is that even in the toughest operat-ing environments; our members can maintain the highest standards when responsibly retail-ing alcohol and never fail to offer the best service to customers.”

Off-Licence Second win for local retailer

THE long-established Portmar-nock Art Group will soon be hosting an art exhibition.

The group will display various artwork at their exhibition at the Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links on Sunday, April 7 and Monday, April 8.

The group have been in exist-ence for over 30 years, and their exhibition will give the wider

community a chance to view or purchase their work.

The exhibition will open on Sunday, April 7 from 12pm until 8pm, and it will open on Monday, April 8 from 12pm until 5pm.

LaunchThe exhibition will be officially

launched by entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den judge Gavin Duffy

on the Sunday evening from 8pm until 10pm, and all members of the local community are invited to attend.

There are about 40 artists from the Portmarnock and Malahide areas in the art group, who meet on a regular basis and together show a varied range of art work from still life paintings and local scenes to oil on silk.

Putting artistry in the frame


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

FITZPATRICK’S Shoes on Grafton Street recently hosted a special showcase of a celebrity

shoe exhibition in its store. The exhibition marked St

Patrick’s Hospital Foundation’s Walk in My Shoes initiative, which provides mental health services to

vulnerable young adults throughout Ireland.

Celebrity shoes on show included U2’s Adam Clayton, golfers Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington, The Saturday’s Una Healy, signer Nicky Byrne and his wife Georgina, The Late Late Show

host Ryan Tubridy, TV personalities Lorraine Keane and Sybil Mulcahy, and rugby stars Rob Kearney and Brian O’Driscoll.

Guests on the night included model Alison Canvan, Roz Flana-gan, Danielle Meaghar, Joanne Hynes, who all donated shoes.

Walk in my shoes for mental health charity

Model Alison Canavan, who recently attended the Walk In My Shoes charity night at Fitzpatrick’s Shoes on Grafton Street

Roz Flanagan Sandra, Georgina and Darcey Carr Emily MacKeogh Lydia tierney and Amy Nolan

Astrid Brennan and Nicola Meyer

Kate Moran and Rachel Armstrong

28 March 2013 Gazette 11

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

Kilimanjaro: fundraising night at the dogs

Off to the races to benefit Roof Of Africa expedition KilKenny hurling star Brian Hogan was on hand to kick off a fund-raising night at the dogs at Harold’s Cross grey-hound stadium, which will raise money for sick children.

The event will be held from 7.30pm on April 5 in aid of the aptly named Tallamanjaro Ospideal Climb 2013.

The climb will see grey-hound stadium general manager Philip Peake

and volunteers made up of doctors, nurses and Tal-laght iT students head to Kenya on May 18.

There, they will climb the highest peak in Africa as part of an expedition that will last for 10 days.

The money raised will be used to purchase spe-cialised equipment for children going to theatre in the national Children’s Hospital, Tallaght.

Climbing Kilimanjaro for The national Chil-

dren’s Hospital Tallaght was the brainchild of the late climber ian McKeev-er, who was a regular visi-tor to the hospital.

Commenting on the climb eleanor O’leary, head of anaesthetists at the national Children’s Hospital said that the group were anxious to start.

“Fifteen of us depart for Kilimanjaro in May and we are excited about reaching the Roof Of

Africa - the highest free standing mountain in the world.

“Monies raised from this climb will purchase essential equipment for the operating theatre in Tallaght Hospital.”

Mountaineer Mike O’Shea is leading the expedition with Brian and comedian Maeve Higgins, who have come on board as ambassadors.

For more information log on to www.igb.ie

Philip Peake (second from right), greyhound stadium general manager, with

volunteers

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schools P14easter fun P12 asdfsdaf P27business P16

12 Gazette 28 March 2013

President set to attend traditional music finals The finals of the Siansa Gael Linn music competi-tion will be held this April in the National Concert hall. Siansa is a competition in which traditional music groups from around Ireland vie for a prize fund of €4,500.

The eight qualifying groups that have made it to the finals will all perform in front of special guest of honour president Michael D higgins.

Gael Linn is an organisation which promotes the Irish language and Irish heritage in Ireland and is a non-profit body. The concert will be compered by Aine hensey, RTe Raidio na Gaeltachta on Sunday, April 14 in the NCh at 7.30pm. Tickets cost €12 and €6 for students and are available from www.nch.ie.

DIARYdublinlIfeGa

zett

e

Tips for a cracking weekend of Easter fun

holiday: there’s somethinG for everyone in our Guide

Join alice, the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts for a day of easter fun in the

Secret Walled Garden of Malahide Castle

The kids are off school and spring might just finally be in the air.

With that in mind, the Gazette has sourced the best events and camps dotted around the M50 this easter.

In Dublin 15, dublin zoo has a very egg-citing line up for the easter weekend, which includes keeper talks about the bird’s eggs and chicks at the zoo, face painting, arts and crafts and an easter Bunny disco on easter Sunday (only). See www.dublin-zoo.ie for further details.

soccer sisters camps are happening across Dublin including Ongar, Castleknock, Swords and Malahide. This is an FAI programme that aims to encourage more girls to start playing soccer. There are venues nation-wide and it’s for girls aged seven to 12yrs, who can learn to play soccer in a fun, friendly and safe envi-ronment. For further info email [email protected] or phone 01 8999559.

Blanchardstown Centre has a feast of events over the easter holidays. The Woolly Wards Petting Zoo is at the centre from 1-4pm March 28 and 29. The easter Bunny Mad hatter Party takes place on Saturday, March 30 from 1-4pm with live entertainment for all the family including a Mad hatter Magic Show and Disco, Spot Prizes, Arts and Crafts. While on easter Monday, April 1 Jack Flash magic shows, arts and crafts, and face painting will take place between 1-4pm. See www.blanchardstown-

centre.ie.Meanwhile, farmleigh

estate’s food market is back on Sunday, March 31 from 10am until 5.15pm.

newbridge house and farm will be hosting an easter eggcitement event over the easter holidays this year. From March 23 until April 7, from 10am until 5pm, families can take the easter egg and treats hunt tour through-out Newbridge house. Costing just €10 per child (one adult free with each paying child, additional adults €5), the event also includes access to the farm. For more informa-tion, call 01 8436534 or visit www.newbridge-houseandfarm.com.

Put a bounce into your little bunny’s step at the swords Pavilions this east-er with The Mad hatter’s easter egg hunt taking place on Saturday, March 30. Meet The Mad hatter at the information desk at 1pm and help him look for the Swords Pavilions easter egg with lots of fun for all and lots of prizes to be won. The shopping centre will also have arts, crafts and facepainting from 1pm until 3pm.

See www.pavilions.ie for more details.

Join Alice, the Mad hatter and the Queen of hearts for a day of easter fun in the Secret Walled Garden of Mala-hide Castle on Saturday, March 30. The family day out will feature a special easter egg trail, facepaint-ing and cupcake decorat-ing. Tickets are priced at €12 per child and €7 per adult. For more informa-tion, visit www.malahide-

castleandgardens.ie or call 01 8169538. Tickets must be booked in advance.

The ardgillan Castle east-er egg trail will be support-ed by Cadbury this year, one of 20 events across Ireland to be chosen by the famous chocolate brand. The trail will take place on Monday, April 1 at 3pm and is welcoming all families and members of the community to take part. entry fee is €3 per child and all proceeds go towards the upkeep of the Castle see www.ardgillan-castle.ie.

I n L u c a n a n d Clondalkin, there is plen-ty to keep children happy over the easter break.

From Friday, March 29 until Monday, April 1, liffey valley shopping Centre will welcome the Wizard, as they ask shoppers to follow the yellow brick road.

From 12-4pm, Liffey Valley’s own version of Oz will feature fantasy and fairy tales from Dor-othy, the Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow and magi-cal entertainment from the Tin Man. Visitors will

also be able to stir up a whirlwind with the Wick-ed Witch of the West and cast a spell with the Good Witch Glinda.

There will also be plenty of easter camps around the area, with lucan leisure Centre run-ning a kid’s camp for boys and girls aged five to 15. Activities include bas-ketball, football, tennis, arts and crafts, and many more. The camp will run from April 2 to April 5 and the cost is €52 for a first child and €47 for a second child.

All activities are fully insured and there are small numbers in each group. email [email protected] or call 01 6241930.

Clondalkin leisure Cen-tre will also hold easter camps, also spanning the five to 15 age range from April 2 to April 5.

The cost is €52 for one child and €47 for a second child.

Call 01 4523300 for more information.

easter will be choc full of interesting things to do in Dun Laoghaire-Rath-

down this year with a Mad hatter’s Tea Party in deer Park on March 31 from 1pm to 5pm. everyone is welcome to this free event run by Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Coun-cil and all are encouraged to wear their craziest hats to attend.

dundrum town Centre’s Miss Ali Stage School is running an easter Camp for children aged five to seven in hamley’s Toy Store. From April 1 to 5, a host of entertainment will be on offer for creative children to let off some steam during the easter break.

The easter Camp will have drama, dance and art workshops as well as games and a planned big trip.

In Dun Laoghaire, the national sailing school on the West Pier is holding an easter camp for children interested in all things nautical.

The camp starts on April 2 and runs until April 5 and there will be plenty of expert training given by the sailing school over the four days.


dublinlifeGaze

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schools

erica o’sullivan

Fingal Community College

A NUMBER of fifth year LCVP students at Fingal Community College were treated to several talks recently by employees of Siemens Diagnostics as part of an enterprise edu-cation initiative.

In December, the stu-dents took part in mock interviews in the Sie-mens Diagnostic plant in Swords.

The interviews were organised to give students an insight into the process of applying and interview-ing for a job.

In order to participate in the interview, students

had to have sent a cover letter and CV to Siemens in advance and arrive in full interview attire.

All students were given feedback on how their interview went. Every stu-dent left the room grateful to have taken part.

At the end of February, the students were invited to the Siemens Diagnos-tics plant in Swords as part of Engineer’s Week.

The students were given a tour of the plant and were treated to several talks by different employ-ees of Siemens.

They engaged the fifth years in a very interesting talk on Siemens and the production of high-quali-

A fascinating insighttrip: fifth year students enjoy visit to siemens plant

students gained an understanding of siemens’ diverse

work in swords

schoollife

CALLING all students! Dublin Gazette Newspapers continue to reach out to schools in our catchment areas so that we become a closer part of our community than ever before. Schools are the beating hearts of communi-ties; one of the last places around which a community can gather.

We want all budding writers and photog-raphers from all of our schools to help fill the pages and, in order to encourage the next generation of journalists and snappers to get involved, we are partnering with Harvey Nor-man to present the Dublin Gazette Newspa-pers’ Cub Reporter and Cub Photographer of the Year awards.

For more details, contact [email protected] or telephone Rob Heigh at 01 601 0240.

Get involved with Gazette schools pages and become a real writer or photographer ty and accurate products

for the medical industry. The students were also given advice on creating a CV and interview prepa-ration.

The students were especially impressed by a short film that brought the manufacturing proc-ess to life.

All members of LCVP have gained insight into the enterprise in the Swords area, learning that Siemens employs 300 people in the town.

As a result of their expe-rience, the students decid-ed to make a short film as part of a feedback session to thank Siemens for what they had learned, and the

students hope that they can share what they have learned and help others to prepare for an interview through the film.

The film was planned and created in three weeks and will be presented to

Siemens at a later date.All LCVP students

would like to thank their teachers, Ms Gibson and Ms Hynan, as well as Fed-elma, the schools busi-ness liason [official] with Siemens.


dublinlifeGaze

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business

Q&a

Making positive effects in health and fitness

Dublin business A Plus Skips recently launched its new web-site, www.aplusskips.ie, which it says offers cus-tomers a convenient and easier way to access its services, as it prepares to expand its business further.

This is just the lat-est stage of A Plus Skip Hire’s continued growth and expansion since it was founded in 2004 by brothers Paul and James McCann.

Starting with just two trucks, it now operates a fleet of 17 vehicles and employs over 40 staff in ballycoolin, Dublin 15.

According to managing director Paul McCann, the growth and expan-sion of the business has been overseen by John

McGrane, the financial controller.

“John joined us over four years ago. i felt with my knowledge of the waste industry and his expertise in development we would be able to take the company to the next level.”

John said it was a mat-ter of going back to basics: “Our vision was to offer fair prices to customers, excellent customer serv-ice, and offer an envi-ronmental answer to all waste needs.

“We felt the only way to achieve this goal for our customer was to pur-posely design and build a new facility.”

The next phase of development for the company is to make the recycling facility larger to

Focus on personal finances

COrMAC O’Sullivan is the manager of The Club, at Fitzpatrick’s Castle, Killiney. He has been working in the health and fitness industry here in ireland for over 15 years.

With over 10 years’ experience at management level, with spells work-ing for some of the largest operators in the sector, Cormac has seen firsthand

the effects of the recession on the sec-tor here in ireland.

A qualified yoga teacher, Cormac and the team at Fitzpatrick’s are championing the Exercise More – Stress less message and insist that even small amounts of regular exer-cise can have dramatically positive effects on our lives.

How long have you been in busi-ness?

i have been working in the health and fitness business for over 15 years. i started out as a fitness instructor and worked my way into manage-ment within a few years. i have been managing The Club here at Fitzpat-rick’s Castle for the last year and a half.

What makes your business suc-cessful?

Here at The Club our approach places our current members at the centre of everything we do. So rather than constantly focusing on finding new members, our number one priority is to look after the one’s we already have. This has been our key strategy for the last few years in particular and we are now enjoying the rewards.

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

Our club is one of the longest established health and fitness clubs in ireland, so the atmosphere within it is totally unique. We also provide some additional services that are unique to The Club – in particu-lar our free creche service is very popular amongst our customer base, as it frees up members so they can incorporate exercise into their daily lives.

How has the recession impacted your business?

For sure the recession has had

an impact on the health and fitness industry here in ireland and The Club at Fitzpatrick’s has not been exempt from that. Our strategy to deal with this has centred on mak-ing sure that our memberships offer great value for money with plenty of added services included in the price.

What is your ambition for the busi-ness?

To continue providing a service that allows members to be part of a club where they feel part of some-thing special. These days’ people have lots of options to choose from when it comes to deciding which gym to join, but there is something special about being a part of a club where you can actually make new friends. i am delighted to confirm that this happens regularly here in our club at Fitzpatrick’s.

What is your favourite thing about doing business in your local area?

The people… i find that when i am out promoting The Club people are always interested in hearing what i have to say. They’ll stop and chat with me and many times i’ve ended up having the most remark-able, honest and open conversations with people about why they gave up playing sport or why they stopped exercising and how much they miss it. i love when people are open and upfront like this and i also love that our product can impact positively on people’s wellness if they give it chance.

corMac o’sullivan, Manager oF the club

a Plus Skips launches its convenient new website

John McGrane, financial controller of a Plus Skips

allow the team to install specialised equipment for even more segregation of the waste.

“it is anticipated with successful planning per-mission, that we shall commence the expan-sion of the facility in July 2013 – creating 15 short-term construction jobs and 20 full time jobs,” said John.

A civic amenity cen-

tre is among its plans, which will allow the gen-eral public to dispose and recycle household items at designated collection points.

“i feel very proud of what we have achieved and what the future holds for A Plus Skips,” John added.

For more information, log on to www.aplusskips.or call 1890 401 020.

communication: eaSy way to acceSS ServiceS

Continued from last week

Step six. Shop well no financial ill can befall anyone who shops care-

fully. Value for money means more than just the lowest price but can incorporate convenience, service, quality and speed of delivery. Don’t be afraid to negotiate and rejoice in the fact that the silver lining to our country’s woes is that there are some great deals to be had.

Step seven. Cut the cost of your borrowing There is a simple but effective formula for dealing

with debt. if you can, consolidate all your debt into a single, less expensive loan and then pay it off as quickly as possible. if you can’t, hustle all your lenders until you get a better rate and always pay the most expensive debt off first. The rate of interest makes a huge difference.

Step eight. Aim for high returns and minimal riskThere are plenty of ways to make a high return on

your investments without taking undue risk. The first secret is not to consider what the market is doing and the second is not to chop and change your mind. Over the medium to long-term the stock market has always (and i mean always) produced greater profits than any-thing else. investors who split their money between shares and bonds and achieve average returns do better than almost everyone else. Check out Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) as the low cost way to invest. Don’t, by the way, waste money on unnecessary management fees.

Step nine. Get protected at the right pricereview all your insurance. Have you got the cover you

actually need? Could you switch providers and save? it is possible to make huge savings by reviewing your insurance on a regular basis. Do you realise if you have quit smoking over 12 months, you could be entitled to a 50% reduction in your life cover premiums.

Step ten. Be optimisticThe economy is cyclical. Everyone is talking

gloom, gloom, gloom now but in due course it will become boom, boom, boom again and when it does the canny will make a fortune. if you are entrepre-neurial the recession is your friend. The costs of start-ing and running a business are lower in real terms than they have been for over a decade. Suppliers are offering great deals. rents are down, professional advisers are charging less and – there are plenty of skilled employees looking for work.

contact John with your money questions at jlowe@moneydoc-

tor.ie or visit his website at www.moneydoctor.ie. John Lowe, Fel-

low of the institute of Bankers, is founder and managing director

of money Doctor

28 March 2013 GAZETTE 17

Cabinteely girl set to supportThe Saturdays BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

A CABINTEELY singer has won a competition to support popular girl band The Saturdays at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre this month.

On the Friday before St Patrick’s Day, Sophie Hannah Byrne got the news that she had won the chance to sing at a special charity concert fea-turing The Saturdays in aid of St Vin-cent De Paul.

The nationwide competition was set up by Bord Gais Energy and was open to all entertainment acts aged 16 and over for the chance to support the chart-topping girl band at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre on Thursday, March 28.

Sophie told The Gazette about how she got involved in the competition.

“It was great to hear I won; it was a great start to St Patrick’s weekend. I first found out about the competi-tion from Bord Gais Energy Theatre’s Facebook page, and thought I’d give it a go as I already had a few videos of myself singing on YouTube.

“So I entered, as I thought it would be a good platform for me.

“I’ve been singing since I was three years old, and really want to get my name out there so I sent my version of Rihanna’s We Found Love in, and then forgot all about it.

“I was truly amazed, therefore, when I was shortlisted and then won the competition. My mother, Bernie, and my friends have been great, sharing my videos on Facebook since then.”

As far as performing with The Sat-urdays goes, Sophie is very excited, though also a little apprehensive about performing in front of such a big crowd in the theatre.

“Well, I’m always nervous before any performance, but once I’m onstage, everything is fine and I feel like I was born to do it.”

Sophie intends to create as many opportunities for herself through this performance, and is excited at the pos-sibility that she might sing with The Saturdays, though this has not been confirmed, as yet.

“I’ll be on the look-out for their manager, and I’ll hand out business cards as you never know what might happen, and I want to really use such

Sophie Hannah Byrne: excited to sing at Bord Gais Energy Theatre

OUT&ABOUTMOTORS P22

MUSIC P19

ASDFSDAF P27

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

AZET

TE

PEOPLE: HAPPY TO SING AT CHARITY GIG

TRAVEL P24

PetsCAN YOU GIVE BUDDY-CASPER A NEW HOME?THE Gazette Newspaper has teamed up with Dogs Trust to help find homes for unwanted and abandoned dogs. Our Dog of the Week is Buddy-Casper, a very handsome two-year-old male Staffie cross who celebrated his second birthday a little while ago!

This gorgeous guy was spoilt rotten with kongs and a canine cake to mark this special day, he was a true king and loved every minute of it! He absolutely adores his walkies and little treats.

He is a good humoured fella but can find being alone quite worrying, so he would love a home where he has constant company. He would also be happy to share his new forever home with another canine four- legged friend and big kids 13+. He would love to find dedicated owners who have a real interest in his basic training and socialisation skills, someone who really gets him for the special man that he is.

If you think you could give Buddy-Casper or any of the other wonderful dogs at the centre the loving forever home they deserve, please contact Dogs Trust on 01-8791000. They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50.

a huge platform because these oppor-tunities don’t come along every day.

“I would love a recording contract and to maybe write my own songs some day, though I don’t play an instrument. I’d love to get into a studio with a good producer.

“I love 1960s music, especially soul artists like Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke and Stevie Wonder, and my voice is naturally suited to that kind of music.”

The special concert in aid of the Society of St Vincent de Paul, featur-ing The Saturdays and Sophie Hannah Byrne, is on at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre on Thursday, March 28. Tick-ets are €20 to €35 from Ticketmaster.

gets him for the special man that he is.

Buddy-Casper or any of the other wonderful dogs at the centre the loving forever home they deserve, please contact Dogs Trust on 01-8791000. They are based in Finglas, just off exit 5 on the M50.

Sophie hopes the gig will be useful for her

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

‘I would love a recording contract and to maybe write my own songs some day, though I don’t play an instrument’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

18 GAZETTE 28 March 2013

OUT&ABOUT GAZE

TTE

BEAUTY

LAURA WEBB

[email protected]

SPORT fanatics listen up, while exercise is good for the mind and body, it can be tough on our skin, so for that reason Buff Day Spa have put together an exclusive package for sports people, to help achieve excellence in the skin too.

We would be doing something very wrong if we didn’t sweat just a lit-tle during our workout. But exercise induced sweat can clog the skin with impurities, so for this the team at Buff Spa have a Spa Custom Facial which includes skin analysis , deep cleansing, steaming, exfoliation, extractions, massage and customised face masque. Ridding the skin of impurities, this deep cleanse facial can help restore skin to radiance.

Those who run or do other types of car-

dio will notice that the back is prone to excess perspiration, which means the back can get clogged with spots. With this in mind, there is a Dermalogica Beautiful Back that is essentially a Dermalogica facial performed on the back to help keep it looking clean and clear.

This combines a deep cleansing action, deep exfoliation with a 15- minute back massage to relax your muscles and re-energise your body.

Across the ocean, in Brazil, it’s usual for footballers to wax their legs in order to prevent infections while injured, and its spreading to Europe. We all know swimming and triathlon entrants will smooth their skin so they can win medals.

Cyclists also wax their arms and legs because of the frequency of acci-dents during training and competition. Inju-

The sport of keeping your skin in top shape

ries can become infect-ed and inflamed due to road dirt and hair. Removal of hair from arms and legs reduces these risks. A full leg wax costs €45. An underarm wax costs €25.

The full package for a spa custom facial, a Dermalogica beauti-ful back, a full leg wax costs €145 (regular price is €189)

The Buff Day Spa is now also offering sports

massage for only €75 for a session.

The Buff Day Spa, 52 South King Street, Dub-lin 2. For further infor-mation call: 01-677 4624 or see www.thebuffday-spa.com

BEAUTY news

AVON’S SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pencil gets a 2013 make over with new limited edition shades this spring/summer season.

The SuperShock Gel was launched in 2010 and has made a name for itself in the beauty world. This year, Avon has launched four new eye-catching shades to help create dramatic eyes with colour and glam up our make-up look.

It’s supersoft formula lets the SuperShock Gel Eyeliner glide on easily and evenly, leaving an intense colour finish for long last-ing, extreme eye-drama.

Liz Pugh, part of Avon’s profes-sional make-up artist team says, “Statement-making eyes are all over the runways this season and metallics are a big trend. Now you can get the catwalk look with Avon’s new SuperShock Gel.”

The available shades are Aqua Pop, Steel, Khaki Shimmer and Flash and costs €8.

IT can be found in many make-up bags and is well known for its highlight-ing abilities, so to honour the Touche Eclat highlight pen, Yves Saint Laurent is launching a collector’s edition this year.

In 2013, the famous make-up pen has been dressed in shimmering gold.

Every season since 2010, Touche Eclat dons a new golden packaging in tribute to the Saint Laurent house’s most beautiful creations.

The 2013 edition is delicately engraved and embossed with a spar-kling shower of light like an exquisitely embroidered dress and was inspired by the crystal bead-covered Haute Couture “Edition Soir” evening gown designed by Yves Saint Laurent in the 1960s.

Touche Eclat was created in 1992. It enhances facial features and contours, eras-ing all signs of fatigue and dark circles. A few magic strokes and the complexion is beauti-fully illuminated.

The Touche Eclat Collector 2013 is avail-able from mid-April in shades N° 1 and N° 2.

Collector’s edition of Touche Eclat gets the golden touch

enhances facial features

Giorgio Armani Beauty unveils new foundation shadesTHERE could well be a bun-dle of complexions radiating this April when Giorgio Arm-ani Beauty unveils new tones and shades in its Luminous Silk Foundation and Fluid Sheer products.

The make-up giant will launch the two products next week, which claim to match each woman’s “unique complexion shades”.

The foundation and the Fluid Sheer are teamed together to add radiance to the skin tone, as well as sculpt and blend.

Luminous Silk Foundation and Fluid Sheer can be blended or layered

B l e n d L u m i n o u s S i l k a n d Fluid Sheer t o g e t h e r t o c r e a t e your unique shade.

Layer Fluid Sheer over

Luminous Silk Foundation, to direct and tailor the light, as you illuminate and accentuate the details of your face.

Linda Cantello, internation-al make-up artist for Giorgio Armani Beauty, said flawless, professional make-up begins with “a luminous, natural

looking complexion”.“By blending Luminous Silk

and Fluid Sheer, any woman can find her perfect skin tone while adding radiance and correcting any imperfections.

“I like to start by applying Luminous Silk evenly across the face. Then, using the dedi-cated Blender Brush, I can use Fluid Sheer to add definition. Layering the weightless prod-ucts for a customised result,” she said.

Luminous Silk Founda-tion is light-perfecting and weightless. Now available in 24 shades – including seven new tones – to precisely match

every woman’s most radiant skin tone.

Fluid Sheer skin tone embel-lisher is the light-sculpting col-our veil for your most dazzling complexion. The radiance enhancer is available in 12 ver-satile “colored light” shades to highlight and sculpt the face, warming-up the complexion for an instant, healthy glow.

Giorgio Armani Cosmetics are available exclusively at Brown Thomas Dublin and Cork, from April with the fol-lowing recommended retail prices: Luminous Silk Founda-tion – €42.69 and Fluid Sheer – €42.69.

Exercise can be tough on skin and induced sweat can clog it with impurities

Shocking colour with Avon’s eye-catching gel eyeliner

28 March 2013 GAZETTE 19

Q&AOn the last Thursday of each month, Littlewoods Ireland Ambassador Caroline Morahan or their resident stylist Tanya Grimson (left) will answer your fashion queries through great tips and looks from their many collections. So if you are stuck in a fashion rut and need answers, then email [email protected] with your question, name and location. The top questions will be chosen to feature on the page. The reader with the one question deemed the star question of the month will receive a €50 voucher for Littlewoods Ireland.

I fell in love with a bright yellow dress and bought it for my son’s communion in May, but am now stumped for what colour accessories, shoes etc would go best with it? Paula from Leitrim

STAR QUESTION - I am small of stature, what kind of clothes should I wear to make me appear a little taller? Where can I get jeans with short legs as I am forever having to take up the leg length? What type of tops should I wear to flatter my figure?

Sandra from Dublin

Tanya’s Advice: These days most labels will offer a petite range which really helps when it comes to getting trousers that actually fit you, but even better, is that ankle grazing jeans are very much in style at the moment. They sit on the ankle bone and, if you team them with a pair of high heels, it will create the illusion of longer legs. Another great way of attracting attention to your now longer pins is to add an injection of colour and this version from South, Petite Curvalicious Super Slimming Skinny Jeans, €37, are ideal for creating this effect. Wedges are great not only for giving some extra height, but also for their comfort factor, meaning that they can be worn every day. This pair from Kurt Geiger (KG Nickle Stud Wedge Sandal, €194) has the added benefit of being equally dressy and casual and would look great with these ankle grazers. Keep your tops to the waist, don’t go for longer tunic styles as these will shorten your silhouette, and if you want to keep the focus on your face add some print to your top or don a statement necklace.

I have a tummy and need help finding what to wear to hide it? Orlaith from Dublin 6

Tanya’s Advice: If you want to disguise or minimise your tummy, make structure your best friend. Dresses that are fitted around the waistline will create a more natural silhouette and will streamline your midriff. The black version from the naturally curvaceous Holly Willoughby range illustrates my point perfectly (Holly Willoughby Lace Insert Pencil Dress €79). The black is not only slimming but its structured centre creates a more hourglass figure than a rounded one. There is nothing wrong with having curves, it is

just important to know how to embrace and complement them. Avoid fabrics that cling such as jersey and polyester, and opt for more structured fabrics such as tweed and cottons, and if you can, look for dresses that have a lining in them as they will offer more support. Another great way of distracting the eye from a problem area is again through print; all over print will bring the eye in many directions instead of allowing it to focus on one area, so don’t be afraid to give print a try. This printed version from Savoir is ideal, (Confident Curves Mid Length Dress, €40) as it not only has lots of lovely print, but it’s also cut in a wrap style so this will break up the top part of your body even further. I hope this helps and happy shopping!

On the last Thursday of each month, Littlewoods Ireland Ambassador Caroline Morahan or their resident stylist Tanya Grimson (left) will answer your fashion queries through great tips and looks from their many collections. So if you are stuck in a fashion rut and need answers, then email [email protected] with your question, name and location. The top questions will be chosen to feature on the page. The reader with the one question deemed the star question of the month will receive a €50 voucher for Littlewoods Ireland.

Gazette Style and Littlewoods Ireland have teamed up to help readers with some style dilemmas

Style

Star Question!

STYLE

just important to know how to embrace and complement them. Avoid fabrics that cling such as jersey and polyester, and opt for more structured fabrics such as tweed and cottons, and if you can, look for dresses that have a lining in them as they will offer more support. Another great way of distracting the eye from a problem area is again through print; all over print will bring the eye in many directions instead of allowing it to focus on one area, so don’t be afraid to give print a try. This printed version from Savoir is ideal, (Confident Curves Mid Length Dress, €40) as it not only has lots of lovely print, but it’s also cut in a wrap style so this will break up the top part of your body even further. I hope this helps and happy shopping!

Tanya’s Advice: Yellow can often appear more intimidating than it has to, and in fact can look great with a variety of colours. For a more dramatic look, team it with black accessories and ideally a print shoe like this monochrome version from Colleen’s range, they will break up the yellow and give it more of a fashion edge (Coleen Fonda Woven Platform Shoes, €57). Complement this even further by adding a black clutch and a

statement necklace for extra drama. Alternatively if you wish to tone down the yellow, nude and gold accessories create a more subdued ladylike look. These nude and gold tipped shoes from Love Label tick all the right boxes with their extra metallic touch (Love Label Goodwin Slingback Shoes, €32); finish with a nude clutch such as this one from Dune, (Tassel Detail Clutch Bag, €59) and your look will be both elegant and fresh.


OUT&ABOUT Gaze

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TheatretHe pavilioN tHeatRe 01 231 2929tuesdays With MorrieTHIS deeply emotional drama is the autobiographical story of Mitch Albom, an accomplished journalist and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor. Sixteen years after graduation, Mitch reconnects with Morrie after learning that his old professor is battling Lou Gehrig’s Disease. What starts as a simple visit turns into a weekly pilgrimage and a last class in the meaning of life. April 3 and 4, tickets are priced at €18/€16.

DRaiocHt 01 885 2622Swinging in the SixtiesFeeling Groovy? Coolmine Musical Society invites you to step inside and relive the music of the 1960s. From Swinging London to the Summer of Love, it will feature songs that capture the spirit of the golden decade. The show will include hits from Burt Bacharach, The Beatles, The Mamas and Papas and the Kinks. April 5 and 6, tickets are priced at €16/14.

Mill tHeatRe DuNDRuM 01 296 9340Folk the RecessionWITH a wonderful selection of songs by composers such as Marty Robbins, Tom Paxton and Woody Guthrie etc combined with their own arrangements of tunes this is really is a feast of folk music. April 5 tickets are priced at €18/€15.

LIFE after Dunder Mif-flin has been fairly quiet for Steve Carrell.

Since hanging up his paper-selling boots on the hit US TV version of The Office, the former Michael Scott has yet to turn in a truly brilliant comedy.

Maybe he set the bar too high early in his career with Anchor-man and the 40 Year Old Virgin, but Carrell is a supremely talented comedic actor in need of a fitting vehicle.

His first attempt at creating a marquee comedy icon is the

Incredible Burt Won-

derstone, a farcical comedy about magi-cians, their rivalries and their inspirations.

As far as setting goes, it is a novel idea, but hardly relevant.

If you’ve seen any movie from a Saturday Night Live alumnus in the last decade, you

Every little thing

know the drill; ego-maniac lead character starts out horrible, has a few bad things hap-pen to him, maybe a love interest and he reforms.

Simples.But the strength of

this genre is not its inge-nuity, its storytelling or even its overall worth as film.

We watch films like this when we don’t want to tax our brain too much, to take it easy, sit one out.

These films rely on our suspension of dis-belief to be at a point where anything seems remotely plausible, as long as you laugh.

Which is handy for Bur t Wonder s tone because, despite leav-ing a number of narra-tive threads unfulfilled, it will attract numbers through the door based on having quite a few very funny set pieces and characters that are written large enough to leave an indelible mark on viewers’ minds.

Much of the film’s charm comes from Car-rell’s talented but com-placent Wonderstone.

As it becomes clear t h a t J i m C a r r e y ’ s upstart Steve Gray, all urine-holding, hot coal sleeping, is winning the

battle for ticket sales in Las Vegas, Woderstone and his assistant, Anton Marvelton (played with deadpan excellence by Steve Buscemi) must evolve or die.

As the two bicker, the film soars and one attempt by Burt to do their two-man show solo is an absolute high-light.

But the film can’t stay focused long enough to decide what it wants to be, which is highly frus-trating.

John Francis Daley (Dr Sweets in TV’s Bones) and Jonathan M Goldstein wrote 2011’s

Horrible Bosses and, much like that effort, Burt Wonderstone is too scatty to really engage.

As the tone shifts, three narratives vie for screentime and none gets the t ime they deserve.

Alan Arkin , who has made a career out of deadpan comedy, finds himself all at sea, despite his magic leg-end Rance Holloway being a fantastic comic creation.

In the end, what’s left is a bit of a jumble and it is a shame.

With a bit more care in the script, Won-derstone could stand alongside Ron Burgun-dy and Chazz Michael Michaels.

As it is, Carrell and Carrey are on fine form, Arkin is excellent and a decent film comes very close to being a very good film.

ego monster Burt Wonderstone gets ready to embark on his latest trick

RevieW: GooD cHaRacteRS, GReat peRFoRMaNceS, So WHy So aveRaGe?

Paul [email protected]

our VerdICt:IT is good. It is certainly not bad. But it could have been excellent had Scardino and screen writers Jonathan M Goldstein and John Francis Daley decided what the film was actually about. Three potentially excellent storylines - the relationship between Burt and Anton, the reemergence of Rance Holloway and the ascension of Jim Carrey’s delightfully bonkers Steve Gray - all go unfulfilled.

director: don scardinostarring: steve Carrell, steve Buscemi, alan arkin, Jim Carrey, olivia Wilde, James Gandolfini

Film OF ThE WEEk: the incredible Burt Wonderstone h h h (15) 100 mins

AS FAR as comebacks are concerned, this has already been a great year. David Bowie’s The Next Day was a marker, a creative high water-mark in his output since the 80s, and in a similar vein, last week saw the release of Bloodsports, the first album in a dec-ade from Britpop icons Suede.

Suede were one of the acts who first lit the fuse of Britpop that blew away the grunge movement on this side of the pond over a glo-rious three-year period that saw them appear on innumerable maga-zine covers and deliver on the hype of being the best new band in Brit-ain.

Classic singles like

The Drowners, Animal Nitrate and New Gen-eration, and their run of first three albums cemented them as a class act, and ensured a level of fan devotion close to mania.

Bre t t Anderson ’s androgynous, agressive croon was the perfect foil for Bernard But-ler’s (and later, Richard Oakes’) intricate and shining guitar parts, the combination recalling early 70s Bowie, filled with London swag-

ger and pop sensibility that ensured their lon-gevity extended well beyond other acts from the scene who tried to plough the same fur-rows.

For a band who blazed so brightly at their first appearance on the scene, to have gone out with the whimper of A New Morning in 2002 was hugely disap-pointing.

Promis ing at the time of their split the year after A New Morn-ing’s release to come back when the time was artistically right is something that Suede have delivered with Bloodsports.

The record is every-thing that New Morn-ing was not — bright,

confident and full to the brim with great tunes, to the extent that there are songs here, like opener Barriers and lead track It Starts And Ends With You, that have already been added to the ulti-mate Suede playlists of fans worldwide.

Barriers , and the other songs that com-prise the first half of the record, stake Suede’s case for a justi f ied return to the battlefield in the same way as The Next Day does.

Everything you ever loved about Suede is here - the tubthumping drums, the shimmering production and lyrics that invoke glorious vulnerability, postcards from the underside of city life.

Snowblind is a soar-ing stomp, while the most glaringly Suede-esque track, Hit Me, ticks all of the boxes for classic status, a rol-licking opening and chorus that scales the speakers, and one of the more gratuitous uses of “La la la, la la” in rock in recent times.

Taking the pace down for the last four tracks, Suede deliver some of their most affecting songs of their careers, Sometimes I Feel I’ll Float Away and Fault-lines both recalling one of their finest moment, The Wild Ones.

Anyone thinking of making a comeback this year now has another incredibly high bar to clear.

ROB [email protected]

review: a welcome return from britpop legends suede

A fire in the blood...Suede’s wilderness years, like those of David Bowie, appear to be behind them now after a creative and artistic explosion with Bloodsports

28 March 2013 gazette 21

gazette

FASTtunes

with Radio Nova’s Dee Woods

Happy Easter! As the countdown to the choc-fest continues, I know what I’m doing this weekend (think the chocoholic nun from Father Ted...)

And given that the Easter Bank Holiday week-end is upon us, it’s pretty fitting that a resurrec-tion of sorts is happening in the rock world.

Jimi Hendrix is regarded by many as one of the greatest guitarists to ever pick up a Fender.

Despite only enjoying a few years of fame when he was alive, his legacy has stretched the length and breadth of the music world, influenc-ing every artist from Miles Davis to Stevie Ray Vaughan.

A dozen albums have been released since his untimely death in September of 1970 at the age of 27, including this month’s release of People, Hell And Angels, an album made up of 12 previ-ously unreleased tracks which were in the pipe-line for the follow-up to Jimi’s third (and what turned out to be last) album Electric Ladyland, released in 1968.

The release of People, Hell And Love is also poignant when you consider Hendrix would have been 70 this year.

And if you’re wondering where all this mate-rial came from, Hendrix was famous for using studios as rehearsal space meaning although management were forking out heavy fees, the tapes were rolling for much of The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s jam sessions.

However, rumour has it People, Hell And Angels is likely to mark the end of four decades of posthumous album releases, though the gui-tarist’s engineer, Eddie Kramer, has said there is still a load of live footage in the vault, so the next Hendrix release could be in the form of a DVD. And with Hendrix’s live performances as famous as his fingers - it will be guaranteed to be as elec-tric as ever.

Easter gift from the Jimi Hendrix vaults

22 gazette 28 March 2013

OUT&ABOUT Gaze

tte

GAMING

shane [email protected]

Gears of war: judGment still shootinG for the top

The action ticks along

BYTES&PIECES

Previously something of a sidekick in the gears of War universe, sarcastic, quick-witted Baird (right) steps up as lead protaganist in

this exploratory prequel, set shortly after emergence day. Baird’s joined by some familiar, and new, faces on this latest intense romp.

WITH the XBox 360 nearing the end of its life cycle, several games have been rolling out to show that there’s plenty of life in the old gal yet.

And they certainly don’t come much livelier

than entries in the XBox 360-exclusive Gears of

War series, that’s for sure; a series that

has graced this page before.

Still, with the Gears series seem-ingly well and truly wrapped up at the end of the recent-ish third title, where next

for the fran-chise?

Well, step f o r w a r d

g e a r s of

War: Judg-

ment, the prequel!

(Oh, Epic Games, what-ever next? Gears of War: The College Years?)

Okay, so prequels are generally poorly-received by most people – after all, it’s hard to build up any kind of narrative drama when you know that so-and-so will be okay and go on to other adventures.

Still, kudos to GoW:J, wonky name spelling and all, for working out an interesting new angle.

This time round – or, err, before – a previously ancillary character gets top billing as lead prota-ganist, as sarcastic, highly intelligent Damon Baird begins the game in trou-ble with the higher-ups.

He’s on trial with a

number of other COG soldiers (including pere-nially popular Cole Train) of being disobedient sol-diers in the chaos follow-ing Emergence Day – the day when a hostile species, the Locust Horde, sud-denly began pouring into the world from below.

Now, Baird, Cole and the others are forced to explain what really hap-pened to lead them to this point (which is all set sev-eral years or so before the first Gears of War game, don’t forget). Cue the explanatory flashbacks ...

From the get-go, Gears fans will be in instantly familiar territory, as nobody does “destroyed beauty” as well as Epic Games, with one ravaged cityscape or landscape after another to plough through, Lancer (chain-saw-gun) a revvin’.

Reavers, Wretches, Tick-ers, Lambent and more – all the usual Locust horde are here, and some more, and all looking to cause tears before bedtime for Baird and his buddies,

whether in the single player or in the (highly entertaining) online mul-tiplayer modes.

Perhaps the most interesting feature is the ways gamers can under-take optional challenges throughout, all of which help to, firstly, add greater challenge (as though the game was easy to begin with), and, secondly, to flesh out Baird and co as characters.

It’s hard not to feel that GoW:J isn’t more of the same, but that’s not always

a bad thing, as the Gears universe, characters and, well, vision have always been singularly entertain-ing to begin with.

While the big-scale spectacle of previous titles has been stripped back a little here to focus on tighter encounters, the action certainly hasn’t been short-changed, mak-ing it quite a blast. (Sorry, Baird – pun intended.)

Gears of War: Judgment is available for 18+ gam-ers now from a variety of retailers.

as a way to mix up the action, players can choose to

“remember the truth” of what happened at certain

locations, where they spot the gears logo – thus

triggering area-specific challenges to undertake

Get lost on a year walktree-mendous sense of design in a chilly gameI’M a little late to mention this, as it’s been out for a wee while now, but not unlike the starting cabin deep in its forest, Year Walk isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

While there are tons of new IOS games released every day, only a few of them ever get noticed, with Simogo’s title catching plenty of attention upon its pretty recent release on the Apple store.

At its simplest, you could describe Year Walk as a kind of ... forest walk-em-up, starting off at a serenely quiet Swedish cottage as snow drifts down. From there, you flick the screens around, with trees and other objects unfolding into view, depending on where you’re wandering.

However, the paths and trails don’t quite go where you’re expecting, with a disorientating sense of space, and place, adding to the confusion, while you may meet a number of ... forest spirits on your journey, and not all of them creatures you’d wish to meet in a snowy Swedish forest as night falls ...

An interesting mix of Scandanavian design and folklore, married to quaintly charming graphics that makes good use of IOS platforms’ tactile interfaces, Year Walk is an abstract, atmospheric and elegantly presented title that’s well worth taking a stroll with. Just don’t blame me if you get lost within its deceptively simple setting ...

Fan favourite augustus “Cole train” Cole steps up for

duty, with his younger self proving as tough as ever

from free to almost freewhatsapp confirms charge comingTHIS news may not come as a very huge surprise, but the popular free messaging app Whatsapp has confirmed that it’s to start charging an annual (small) subscription cost for its IOS users from some time this year.

One of the must-have apps on many people’s smartphones, WhatsApp has been very successful. Even though it has rivals, it still maintains its very substantial user base for texting and exchanging pictures (without any pesky, annoying ads getting in the way).

While Windows Phone, Android, BlackBerry and Nokia phone users already pay a minimal annual subscription, IOS users can expect to see their free WhatsApp become, well, very almost free, later this year, with chief executive Jan Joum making the sensible decision to apply a charge ...


MOTORING

Gazette

Combining classic cabriolet with the best of a hatchbackn CorMAC CurtIs

It MAY not feel like it, but it will soon be summer, or at least we hope so.

In anticipation of some clear blue skies, Irish motorists can rest assured that Citroen is continuing the DS line story with the launch of a new chapter, the DS3 Cabrio.

Irish motorists will be able to enjoy the slight-est ray of sunlight thanks to the newcomer’s intel-ligent architecture that makes convertible life considerably easier. the DS3 Cabrio is all about pleasure. Non-stop.

the DS3, launched just three years ago, has proved an undeniable success, totalling nearly 180,000 registrations. Boasting enhanced per-sonalisation possibilities with a range of roof col-lections, the DS3 has led the way in boosting DS line awareness and suc-cess.

the DS3 Cabrio is above all a real DS3. It features all the strong points behind the success of its sister model, name-ly bold styling choices, refinement down to the last detail, and instant driving thrills.

Citroen has chosen a modern technical solu-tion for the DS3 Cabrio to underscore the DS3’s unique character and retain all of the original model’s road feel. Con-tributing to the person-alisation effort, three soft-top roofs are available: black, Infinite blue and DS Monogramme. the DS3 Cabrio is also heir to all the sophistication of the DS line, with an inno-vative 3D rear light signa-ture and a highly original

the Ds3 Cabrio features bold styling choices, refinement down to the last detail, and instant driving thrills

review: Citroen launChes a new Chapter ContinuinG the Ds line

tailgate opening motion. the DS3 Cabrio blazes

a trail in the cabriolet seg-ment with a new wave of modernity: electrically manoeuvrable roof up to 120 km/h; the only real 5-seater in the category; the largest boot in the cat-egory; available from just 99 g/km of CO2.

the DS3 Cabrio inher-its the strong personal-ity of the hatchback. At 3.95m long, 1.71m wide and 1.46m high, it retains the original’s compact proportions, denoting agility and energy. All the customary bold styl-ing choices are present, from the “floating” two-tone roof and shark fin that reinvigorates the car’s waist line, to the side recesses that underline the LED daytime running lights and sculpt the car’s “face”.

the architecture of the DS3 Cabrio is fully in DS3 character. the canvas roof becomes a new source of personalisation with a range of original colours and designs that add to the car’s unique person-

ality. the new model also features all-new 3D LED lights at the rear and a chrome-finished handle that elegantly highlights the top of the tailgate.

While most converti-bles weigh in at some 100kg more than the regu-lar model, the DS3 Cabrio is just 25 kg heavier than the DS3 hatchback. the optimised architecture of the cabriolet model retains all of the agility and responsiveness of the original. Citroen engi-neers have managed to give the DS3 Cabrio the rigidity of the hatchback, notably by using the same architecture for the sides and adding structural reinforcements around the boot.

Equipped with the same technical base as the regular DS3 – ie structural components and running gear – the Cabrio keeps all of the eager handling that makes the DS3 such a treat to drive while at the same time offering top-notch control and safety.

the Irish range offers a choice of three engines

and three equipment grades, with a full range of options.

From safety to comfort to communication and entertainment, the Cit-roen DS3 Cabrio DSIGN has every angle covered. High specification fea-tures include cruise con-trol with speed limiter, 3D LED rear lights, rear park-ing sensors and sports suspension as standard. the new highly-efficient petrol Vti engine is avail-able on DSIGN level with CO2 of 112g and com-bined fuel economy of 4.9 l/100km.

the step up to level two DStYLE adds interior mood lighting, signature daytime-running LEDs, air conditioning and 16” Ashers alloy wheels. At

DStYLE level the e-HDi 90 EGS6 offers the low-est CO2 at just 99g and delivers fuel economy of 3.8l/100km.

the range topping DSPORt equipment level adds connecting box, digital air-condi-tioning, 17” Black Bel-lone alloy wheels and a double chrome exhaust pipe. With a step up of just €1,500 the DSPORt grade comes with the sporty petrol tHP 155 engine with CO2 of 137g or €280 annual road tax.

the DS3 Cabrio was designed to bring occu-pants pleasure with no compromises. It com-bines the advantages of a classic cabriolet with the strong points of a hatch-back.

Skoda Ireland steps up as Tour de Conamara sponsorFIVE-tIME tour de France winner Bernard Hina-ult and rugby legend Keith Wood are among the international sports stars lining up for the 2013 Skoda tour de Conamara (www.tourdeconamara.com).

the event on May 25 is part of a weekend of cycling activity that will see the Connemara area host Ireland’s first sportive team time trial in Carna. Speaking at the launch of the event Raymond Leddy, head of marketing, Skoda Ireland said: “Skoda is delighted to become the official sponsor to the tour de Conamara. We have a rich tradition in cycling and are the official partner of the tour de France. to be able to get behind a local event such as this was an easy decision to make and we wish all the participants well.

“Monaghan & Sons, our local Skoda dealership in Galway, will be offering participants the option to get pre tour VIP treatment with further details to be announced closer to the event.

“the event has already attracted considerable international interest with registrations already received from cyclists in Britain, France and the USA,” according to event organiser Padraic Quinn.

He explained: “We are hoping to build on the success of last year’s cycle and have made a number of changes to provide a weekend of activity for visi-tors to the area. the Saturday cycle in Clifden offers 140km and 80km routes. the option to take part in the Sunday team trial event in Carna is something that is already attracting a lot of attention from cycling clubs and corporate teams.”

the weekend is rounded off with a Family Funathlon in Carna that will include cycling, walk-ing and family entertainment. the Newstalk team time trial event and Family Funathlon are fund-raiser events for Cancer Care West.

Speaking about the return of Bernard Hinault to Connemara, Padraic Quinn revealed the French cycling legend expressed an immediate interest in returning in the aftermath of the 2012 event.

Quinn noted: “Bernard was very taken with the event atmosphere, scenery and the reaction of Irish cyclists to him. this year marks the 100th anniver-sary of the tour de France so it is a real honour to have one of the sport’s true legends join us in Con-nemara for the event.”

NOISEroad

rugby legend Keith Wood, event organiser Padraic

Quinn and raymond Leddy, skoda Ireland

24 MALAHIDE GAZETTE 28 March 2013

OUT&ABOUT GAZE

TTE

HoneymoonsOFFERS: FINDING THE PERFECT, ROMANTIC TRIP OF A LIFETIME

ADVICE : TOPFLIGHT

FOR those loved-up couples in search of some-thing fit for a king and gueen (or a new husband and wife), one way to celebrate your marriage is with a stay at the Residence in Dubai, the luxuri-ous beachfront villa situated within the five-star JA Palm Tree Court.

Located in its own exclusive bay, with 800m of private beach, the hotel offers newlyweds the chance to relax in the epitome of luxury.

Guests can take advantage of a pre-stay planner and start customising their stay in the run up to departure, ensuring the booking of a de-stress spa treatment or a romantic meal on the beach.

On landing, the complimentary Marhaba wel-come service at the airport will ensure a relaxed VIP arrival at the resort.

Prices range from €300 a night based on two people sharing a garden view junior suite, or €723 for a bedroom suite at The Residence. For more information, visit www.jaresortshotels.com.

TRAVEL NEWSfast

Options are endless for newlywed getawaysWHEN it comes to choosing a honeymoon, the options are endless. So, whether you’re a sand-dweller or a home bird, travel expert Hotels.com has compiled a list of popular honeymoon destinations to inspire everyone’s preferences.

Mexico

In Costa Careyes, Mex-ico, prices start from just €174 per room per night on Hotels.com.

Stay at the El Careyes Beach Resort in Jalisco, Mexico, a firm favourite with celebrity honey-mooners and a perfect choice for couples look-ing to escape after their big day.

Surrounded by sub-tropical rainforest and nestled in a secluded cove on the Pacific Ocean, this resort exudes elegance and tranquility.

Bora Bora

Stay at the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort and Spa in Bora Bora, French Polynesia, with prices starting from €503 per room per night on Hotels.com.

With celebrity fans including Nicole Kid-man and Keith Urban, newlyweds can enjoy the island paradise with spectacular views of the Otemanu Volcano from the sea shore.

Arizona

If you’re not looking to follow the classic honey-moon recipe that requires an exotic beach, you can enjoy the exclusive serv-ice of the Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa in Ari-zona, USA. A boutique hotel located on Camel-back Mountain with a splendid view of Paradise

Valley, even celebrity couple Beyonce and Jay Z are rumoured to have honeymooned here.

Prices start from €357 per room per night.

Donegal

Or to stay a little closer to home, why not enjoy

your post-wedding moon at Lough Eske Castle in Co Donegal? Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker chose Donegal for her honeymoon and with prices starting from €166 per night, you too could enjoy a very fashionable holiday in the weeks after

your big day. A stunning five-star,

Lough Eske is set within 43 acres of forest wood-land the perfect location for that honeymoon clos-er to home.

For further information visit www.Hotels.com.

Fit for a king and queen!

SETTING your sights on the States for that much-longed for honeymoon offers couples a range of holidays to suit every type of romantic getaway.

With fun activities such as safari cruises, water-sports and evening entertainment, as well as the much-needed sunshine and, of course, Disney World, a vacation in Clearwater Beach or St Petersburg in Florida has everything you need for a fun-filled honeymoon.

American Holidays, the Florida experts, have just released these great all-American sun pack-ages, giving you even more reason to head to the Sunshine State this year.

Travel on June 6 and spend five nights at the three-star Rosen Inn Pointe Orlando and five nights at the three-star Sirata Beach Resort from only €639pp. Price includes return flights from Dublin, 10 nights’ accommodation as stated, taxes and charges. Plus, you can add on car hire from only €20 per day.

Spend seven nights at the three-star Barefoot Beach Resort on a self-catering basis from only €629 per person when you travel on June 5, or spend seven nights at the four-star Hilton Clear-water Beach from only €1,109 per person when traveling on May 12. Prices include return flights from Dublin, accommodation as stated, taxes and charges. For more information visit www.ameri-canholidays.com or call 01 6733804.

Set your sights on all the States has to offer

Get tropical in Bora Bora,

French Polynesia or stay close

to home and enjoy Donegal

When it comes to planning your honeymoon, there’s the added pressure of ensuring this once-in-a-lifetime trip is just

that – a romantic trip of a lifetime and one giant excuse to really spoil yourself and your new partner in life. Whether

you’re planning an alternative honeymoon at home, or bending the budget to jet off into the sunset, there are plenty of

options out there for newlyweds to find their post-wedded bliss in some of the world’s most far-flung retreats. And to

help make those all-important plans a cinch, we’ve managed to pull some of the best choices together just for you!

your post-wedding moon your big day.

The Residence in Dubai

28 March 2013 MALAHIDE gAzEttE 25

TRAVEL

Gazette

the white sand beaches and turquoise waters of thailand make for an ideal romantic getaway

Whether you are planning a romantic beach holiday or a whirlwind city break, your first trip as a married couple should be full of excitement and romance and an excuse to wine and dine. But being swept away in the run up to the much-anticipated nuptials can sometimes mean overlooking some of the vital details.

Dr Graham Fry, director of the tropical Medical Bureau, knows all about the prob-lems faced by newlyweds and says that a small forgotten detail when planning your all-important honeymoon can shatter your dream holiday.

to help your honeymoon run as smoothly as possible, Dr Fry offers a number of essen-tial tips.

1. Ask someone responsible to send your marriage registration form to the general

registration office when you’re away – the form must go in within one month of the ceremony.

2. A meal at a top restaurant might be romantic, but steer clear of the shellfish when abroad to avoid honeymooners’ most common malady.

3. Don’t forget the suncream! Looking like a lobster won’t turn anybody on, even if they have sworn in sickness and in health.

4. If possible, have a day at home after the wedding before the honeymoon. this will hopefully prevent the “I forgot the tickets” scenario.

5. Don’t use your married name on the tickets unless your passport reflects the change – you might not be allowed on the plane.

For more tips, visit www.tmb.ie .

Essential tips for the ultimate stress-free post-nuptial holiday

In the mood for travelWhether you are looking to explore the wonders of the Unit-ed Arab emirates or the beauty of thailand, travelmood have something to suit all needs and tastes to make that special occa-sion one to remember.

Maldives

travel to the Maldives on May 12, 2013, and spend nine nights in the four-star Bandos Island on a B&B basis from only €1,299 per person. the price includes return flights from Dublin, accommodation

as stated, speedboat transfers and all taxes and charges.

thailand

travel to thailand on May 22, 2013, and spend three nights at the four-star rembrandt hotel in Bangkok on a room-only basis, before enjoying seven nights at the five-star Indigo Pearl hotel in the Premium Pearl Bed Suite in Phuket, on a B&B basis from just €1,429 per person.

Price includes return flights from Dublin, 10 nights’ accom-

modation, internal flights and all taxes and charges.

Mexico

Spend three nights in the five-star Dreams riviera Can-cun resort & Spa in a Premium Deluxe tropical & Garden View room in Mexico, on an all-in-clusive basis from only €1,398 per person for couples travel-ling on June 10, 2013. Price also includes return flights from Dub-lin, accommodation as stated, internal flights and all taxes and charges.

Dubai

Or finally, spend five nights at the five-star hotel Ibn Bat-tuta Gate in Dubai on a B&B basis, before spending seven nights at the four-star Avani Kalutara resort in Sri Lanka, in a superior lagoon view room from just €1,564 per person. Prices include return flights, 12 nights’ accommodation, inter-nal flights, taxes and charges when travelling on May 11.

For further details or further dates available, visit www.trav elmood.ie or call 01 4331063.

advIce : topflIGhtLOnG-hAUL destinations combine brand new experiences with relaxed, home-from-home accommodation, so going the extra mile could make the world of difference to your holiday retreat and thomas Cook are offering a range of idyllic destinations this honeymoon season.

Spend 14 nights at the luxurious five-star Moon Palace Golf and Spa resort in Cancun, Mexico, offering honeymooners a secluded white-sanded beach setting. A 14-night package on an all-inclusive basis is available from €2,178 pps on September 22, 2013.

Or stay 14 nights at the romantic four-star Sirenis Suites in Punta Canta, Dominican repub-lic, on an all-inclusive basis from €1,210 pps. the hotel is set in a tropical haven, nestled between a coconut grove and a spectacular beachfront. Price is based on a departure date of October 1, 2013.

Both prices include direct flights from Gatwick, however flights can be arranged from Dublin to Gatwick at an additional cost.

to book call thomas Cook Ireland in Dublin on 01 514 0316.

TRAVEL NEWSfast

Go the extra mile to Cancun or Dominican Republic

there is so much to see in Italy, from the capti-vating city of rome, to the sandy beaches in Sicily. If Italy is your dream honeymoon destination, you are in luck – Citalia can send you there for incred-ibly low rates.

travel to Bologna for four nights at the Metro-politan hotel, on a B&B basis, for just €459 when you travel on April 23.

Or spend a holiday in Verona for two nights at the Mastino hotel, and Lake Garda for five nights at the Parcha Del Garda hotel, also on a B&B basis from only €649, travelling on May 9.

Or perhaps you will be tempted to relax by the turquoise waters of Capri for seven nights in the Syrene hotel, also on a B&B basis from €969, travelling on May 17, 2013.

All prices are based on two people sharing and include return flights, taxes and charges. For more information, visit www.travelmood.ie

Get romantic and see the sights of Rome and Sicily

Over 100 engaged or recently married

respondents completed the survey which

was conducted by Hotels.com through

Confetti.ie, the online home of Irish bridal

title, Confetti Magazine. While results

showed that one-in-four Irish couples

spend on average between €5,000 and

€10,000 on their dream holiday, it seems

that is not all!

Despite the recession, 99% of newly-

weds plan to take a honeymoon

While traditionally it was the groom’s

job to book the honeymoon, it seems the

modern bride is leaving nothing to chance

with 69% of people polled saying that

researching and booking the honeymoon

is a joint decision.

Thailand is the most popular honey-

moon spot (19%) followed by Italy (11%)

and Australia (9%)

7% of couple say they plan to honey-

moon at home

Honeymoon Lowdown!

Sirenis Suites in Punta Canta

MALAHIDECLASSIFIEDS 26 MALAHIDE GAZETTE 28 March 2013

PLANNING NOTICEFINGAL

COUNTY COUNCILI Mary Sweeney Intend to apply for Planning Permission at “Somer-ton” The Rise Malahide Co Dublin The develop-ment consists of new front and rear single sto-rey extension including all associated site works.The planning applica-tion may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority during its public opening hours, and a sub-mission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the Planning Authority on payment of the prescribed fee (€20.00) within the period of 5 weeks begin-ning on the date of receipt by the Planning Author-ity of the application.

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FURRY GOOD WALK: Families walk their dogs for charity See Page 2

Council forced to cut budget by €2m Household tax shortfall citedfor reduction

� NATALIE BURKE

FINGAL County Council will be forced to make over €2m in cuts to local services this year, as a result of a short-fall in household charge pay-ments.

Local authority managers were notified of the decision

earlier this week, when Envi-ronment Minster Phil Hogan issued a circular on suggested cuts to all county councils.

The cuts to FCC will reduce the original allowance allo-cation of €20.4 million by €2,181,140.

While the county manager described this as “extremely

bad news”, local Cllr Gerry McGuire (Lab) feared the remainder of the summer budget could be hit: “We’re just at the close of the sum-mer period, so I imagine that the beaches could be affect-ed. It’s very hard to pinpoint where the cuts will be.”

Full Story on Page 3

Big day, big win:Local coupletake top prizeELAINE McNally and Paul Web-ster had every reason to celebrate recently when they discovered that they had won a €10,000 wedding prize giveaway. The lucky couple had entered the competition on Facebook and were drawn with 50 other couples who gathered at The Stillorgan Park Hotel for the big draw. When the pair’s names were drawn they were over the moon and can now look forward to a great wedding. Pictured handing over the prize is Daragh O’Neill, general manager of the hotel.

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Irish Olympian discusses basketball way back when

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INSIDE: Novelist has last word on The

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

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paralympics: investment for the future will assist host of local stars

O’COnnOr OpEns EDMOnstOwn: IrIsh golfing legend Christy O’Connor Junior was on hand last weekend to offi-cially open the new professional facilities at Edmondstown Golf Club in Dundrum.

The club has invested over €400,000 in its new pro facilities, which includes a 2,000 square feet pro shop and a state-of-the-art swing room.

The opening includ-ed a tournament spon-sored by Bill sheehan and sons and Mitsubi-shi Motors.

O’Connor was gener-ous with his time and coached several of the student members of the Edmonstown club on their technique.funding boost for inspiring

athletes on the road to rio FOllOwInG the success of Team Ireland at last year’s london Paralym-pic Games, where the country’s com-petitors secured 16 medals, the Min-ister for Tourism and sport, Michael ring, has announced an investment of €910,000 to Paralympics Ireland for 2013, marking a significant stepping stone for the Paralympic movement in Ireland on their road to rio in 2016.

The announcement was part of a package of support to Irish high-per-formance sport of €8.6 million, which also included direct financial support

to 25 Paralympic athletes totalling €604,000 under the Irish sports Coun-cil’s international carding scheme.

The funding represents the first time that Paralympics Ireland has not seen a cut in their funding in the first year of the four year Olympic cycle after previ-ous Games.

liam harbison, chief executive of Paralympics Ireland, said: “This investment package is very significant for Paralympics Ireland and sets us on a sound path to further sustained progress on the road to rio 2016.

“The improved resource allows us to sustain the huge progress made in securing 16 medals in london and ensuring we deliver top class services to Paralympic athletes,” said harbi-son.

Commenting on the investment in the performance programme, nancy Chillingworth, Paralympic perform-ance director said: “The four year performance plan for rio can now be implemented in full with increased support to sports, sports science and medical provision and improved levels

of professional technical expertise to assist athletes. The plan sets us on a path to sustained success commenc-ing with major Championships in each sport over the coming six months with athletes already targeting qualification slots for the Games.

“Continued investment through-out the next four years is essential for Paralympic sport to continue the huge strides made in london.”

Preparations for rio 2016 have begun in earnest with the first inspec-tion visit completed this month.

the Ireland team brought home an impressive 16 medals from the 2012 paralympic Games in London

ruGby p28sport awards p29 asdfsdaf p27

Fastsport

c o n ta c t ssports Editor:

rob [email protected]

For more information or to send in news

and photos: [email protected]

Phone: 01 651 6205

Gaelic Games p31


HSTARof the

MONTHsiofra clerigh-buttnercolaiste iosagain’s siofra cleirigh buttner continued her incredible schools record with an emphatic vic-tory in the senior girls 2,500m race at the irish schools’ cross country championships in the university of ulster, Jordanstown this month.

HTEAMof the

MONTH

2013 dublin sports awards march nominees

barry cahillthe st brigid’s star and former dublin captain called time on his inter-county career, having won eight leinster titles, an all-ireland and an all star during his 11 years repre-senting dublin, avowing his belief in the next generation of players.

fiona coghlanlucan teacher coghlan has been the leader of the pack with ireland’s women’s rugby team, captaining the national team to their historic set of achievements in the 2013 6 nations championship run, only the third cap-tain ever to claim the grand slam.

WILL it ever end? Not the terrible weather, but the amazing achievements of Dublin’s sporting men, women and children which is making our job in choosing the nominees for the Dublin Sport Awards such a difficult job. This month is no different, but there were some stand-out performances that deserved extra attention. Siofra Clerigh-Buttner has been making waves in athletics for years and continues to hit the heights nationally, while Barry Cahill called time on an inspiring inter-county career. Fiona Coghlan and the Irish women’s rugby team impressed on every level, making history on the way to the 6 Nations Grand Slam. Monkstown managed to claim the Irish Senior Cup title this year before a centenary of missing out on the title came to pass, and Clondalkin RFC achieved their third promotion in five years to reach the Leinster League Division 1A.

ireland women’s rugbya historic season for ireland’s senior women’s rugby team saw an incred-ible 6 nations campaign crowned with an array of firsts - the first win over england in the competition, first triple crown, first championship title, and the holy grail, the grand slam.

monkstown hcmonkstown hockey club ended their 99-year wait for irish senior cup glory, finally breaking their hoodoo in the competition in the most thrilling of finals as andy ewington, for the second time in a week, netted a silver goal winner.

clondalkin rfcclondalkin rugby club will celebrate their 40th year in the giddy heights of leinster league division 1a, the high-est level of competition they have ever contested, following a superb 27-6 win over cill dara last saturday that saw them earn promotion.

dublinGazettenewspapers

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D u BL I N G a z e t t e Newspapers is delight-ed to announce that we have teamed up again this year with the SPAR Great Ireland Run to recognise runners in each of our papers’ local areas.

The Gazette will rec-ognise the fastest man and woman from each paper’s circulation area with a specially designed plaque as well as prizes

of sports gear. After the run, we will also be pub-lishing a results list of the top local male and female finishers.

The SPAR Great Ire-land Run 2013 will take place in the Phoenix Park on Sunday, April 14, at 1pm.

This year’s run will more than ever be about enjoying a full family running day as a mini run for five- to eight-year-olds over a one mile lap has been added to

the programme along-side a junior run for nine- to 15-year-olds over 2.5km. The Mini Run and Junior Run will precede the main event and an adult can run or walk alongside each child in the mini-run.

up to 12,000 entries are expected and every adult entrant will receive an exclusive technical T shirt as well as a medal and a generous goody bag after completing the run.

Participants are being encouraged to raise funds for good causes and the event’s nomi-nated charities are the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation and SPAR’s charity partner, the 3Ts – Turn The Tide of Suicide. The Baby Max Wings of Love Fund is the nominated charity for the junior run and mini run.

Entries can be made online at www.greatire-landrun.org.

Get set with Gazette Sport for Great Ireland Run

Athletic stars Ava Hutchinson, Fionnuala Britton, Lizzie Lee and Linda Byrne with

Willie O’Byrne from SPAR at the launch of this year’s Great Ireland Run


BRINGING attention through success to your chosen sport is something that every competitior aspires to achieve, espe-cially when it has existed in the shadow of a more high-profile version of the game.

So when Ireland’s women’s rugby team claimed the holy grail of the sport in the North-ern Hemisphere, the 6 Nations Grand Slam, the attention of the nation turned to recognise what they had achieved.

It should be noted that achievements of this kind are few and far between – Ireland’s captain, Fiona Coghlan, became only the third player to lead Ireland to Grand Slam success after Karl Mul-len and Brian O’Driscoll. The women also recorded their first ever win over

England, as well as their first Triple Crown and first 6 Nations title.

Speaking to Gazette Sport last week, Coghlan admitted she hadn’t had time for the enormity of the team’s achievement to sink in.

“I don’t think it has hit me yet, it has been so manic since we got back. I really haven’t had time to sit down and think about it. I haven’t even had the chance to watch the match back, which I would normally do in the day after or night after the game.”

Speaking about the deciding match, in which they faced Italy in a wet and wind-blown Rome, Fiona says though it was tough, it was not the hard-est match of the cam-paign.

“The weather condi-tions didn’t allow us to play the kind of rugby we like to play. In that sense it was tough, but it wasn’t the most physical game, the French game was more physical. It’s when things aren’t going your way that you have to knuckle down and try to hold the lead, which we did.”

Fiona has a long career in rugby, but it didn’t start from an early age.

“I was sport mad as a teenager and played eve-rything, but it wasn’t until I went to college in Lim-erick that I got into rugby. I signed up for everything in fresher’s week and that was the thing that grabbed my attention most. At the start I was kind of bored at training as it was so technical, but once I played my first game, I was hooked.”

At college, Fiona won intervarsity competitions and college leagues, and went on to win the All- Ireland league with UL Bohs. Her first interna-tional cap came against Spain in Madrid in 2003.

“The experience was brilliant. Someone got injured and I went on as hooker. The level was a step up to what I was used to, and it was a shock to the system. So many of my teammates from the club were on the team

at the time, which made things a little easier.”

Fiona is hoping that the team’s achievements can raise the profile of women’s rugby in Ireland to a higher level, and get more people involved in the sport.

“I would hope that people continue to take women’s rugby seriously. Before, I don’t think peo-ple even knew that there was such a thing as inter-national women’s rugby, or the standard that we were at. Now they’ve been exposed to it, I would hope that it would encourage them to keep supporting it and get involved.

“Everything has been so positive in the last cou-ple of weeks, we’ve never received so much expo-sure. Before, when we played in Twickenham in 2005 when he had to leave without seeing the men’s match, or when our travel plans have gone haywire, that has made the head-lines. But to be getting exposure for the way we play and people looking at the game rather than everything surrounding it, is fantastic for us.

“If we can get more numbers involved, it will be more positive.”

Fiona has already seen first hand the kind of impact that international success can have on inter-est in a sport through her day job, teaching at Lucan Community College.

“Everyone at the school is really excited, and I brought the 6 Nations trophy to the school the other day. On Tuesday, I had a parent-teacher

Grand Slam glory for Ireland’s captain CoghlanFiona Coghlan led Ireland in their historic 2013 6 Nations campaign, and spoke about the journey from college fields to the top of women’s rugby

Ireland’s Fiona Coghlan leads out the team

meeting, and a number were really positive about getting their daughters involved in rugby, which is the first time that has ever happened.

“I hope that can

increase, and in other schools across the coun-try, and I’m sure that the supports will continue to be put in place by the development officers and the branches locally.” rob HEIGH

[email protected]

Gazette

AnvILLE tHIrD In kILkEnny: MOUNT Anville fin-ished third in the Kate Russell All-Ireland schoolgirl’s hockey championship last Friday in Kilkenny in dramatic fashion as they got the better of Crescent Comprehen-sive.

The Leinster cham-pions fought back with two goals in the last ten minutes to win 4-3 to beat the Limerick side, finishing third overall behind Lurgan and Kilkenny College.

FastSport

30 malahide Gazette 28 march 2013

u-19C sChools finalSt Aidan’s CC 41

Portmarnock CS 40

[email protected]

Portmarnock com-munity School, who had been solid throughout the competition, fell in the last minute of the final hurdle when cork’s St aidan’s community college performed a six-point turnaround to claim the Under-19c Girls’ all Ireland Schools League title at the national Basketball arena.

St aidan’s Leanne o’Sullivan drove to the basket with only sec-onds remaining and

her team trailing by two points. o’Sullivan managed to score while being fouled, tying the game and sending her to the free throw line with only 1.6 seconds left on the clock.

H e r s u b s e q u e n t successful free throw attempt was met with scenes of unbridled joy by the large travelling St aidan’s support who watched as Portmar-nock failed to get a final shot off as the buzzer sounded.

the tense end was somewhat fitting as the game had started very evenly, with the scores tied at the end of the

first quarter. In the second quarter,

alex Daly and niamh Stanley spearheaded Portmarnock’s response with outside shots to bring the scores back to 8-a-piece.

Portmarnock mixed up their defence forcing several turnovers for the girls from cork. megan connolly converted these opportunities and ended up with 6 for the quarter.

St aidan’s got them-selves back to within four points going into half time and within the first few minutes of the third quarter, they had levelled the scores.

the pressure was on in the beginning of the final period as both teams missed easy shots under the basket. at this stage, Portmarnock were only 4 points ahead.

Portmarnock con-tinued to pass the ball around looking for the right shot and connolly picked up several points from the foul line. Port-marnock were still up by 5 points with just over 1 minute in the game.

It was the final 40 sec-onds of the game where it was all to take place.

St aidan’s clawed their way back into the game with aisling o’connor scoring from

close range. a series of fouls sent both teams to the foul line.

tough defence from Portmarnock kept St aidan’s out of the paint until murphy was fouled and sent to the line with 9 seconds on the clock. She nailed one of the two.

at the other end con-nolly was also fouled and managed to score one of her two foul shots putting Portmarnock back in the lead by two.

With only seconds to go in the game, o’Sullivan put St aid-an’s up by one point and in the lead for the first time in the game.

U-19s pipped to All-Ireland

bASketbAll: lASt-mInUte drAmA AS Cork SIde revIve

sPoRTGAze

tte

the Portmarnock Community School team put on a remarkable display but were pipped to the title at the last moment

Fastsport

FInGaL retained their place in the Leinster men’s Division one as they saw off a depleted clontarf 4-1 in a promotion/relegation tussle at Grange road, rathfarnham last Saturday.

Fingal were the beneficiaries of their oppo-sition being short five regulars, and had some-thing to spare at Grange road, with ciaran mcnamara, andrew Poynter, John Lennon, robert Forrest and andrew Butler all absent from the clontarf set up.

Fingal made their Division one quality show in an assured performance.

It took less than a minute to hit the front when chris neville pulled back for Paddy Gahan, pictured, to finish off.

on the quarter-hour, Eamonn Bane got on the end of a broken-down penalty corner as Fingal enjoyed plenty of possession.

But the Bulls fought back to get one on the board before half-time from a penalty corner second phase, when John mullins netted.

Indeed, a half filled with corners ended with both sides earning four set pieces and scoring from one.

neville made the game a little less nervy when he made it 3-1 and former clontarf man Luke Hayden neatly deflected in a corner to close out the win in comfortable style.

For clontarf, after demotion 12 months ago, coach Gareth Borland is hopeful the base can be set for a bigger push for promo-tion next term.

For David Bane’s Fingal side, it was a tough campaign as their small squad struggled with a compacted season with a series of double weekends.

on their day, though, they could compete with most sides, the highlight being their mills cup victory over Leinster league champions Pembroke while there was also notable last season wins over corinthian and Glenanne to assure they avoided the bottom rung of the division and automatic demotion.

fingal secure place in Division 1 in play-off

dUBliN community Games U-16 chess champions, malahide, which includes killian Burke, alessio roselli, David kearney, David Deneher, aaron cole-man and Jacob Flynn, continued on their winning streak recently, defeating the Wicklow champions, Brittas Bay, in the quarter-final of the Leinster community Games.

In the campaign to date, none of the malahide players has lost a game.

malahide aim for title in fine leinster run

toP CheCkmAteS

28 March 2013 Malahide Gazette 31

Club NotiCeboard

Gazette

Andrew richardson captained the

Fingal hurlers on to Croke Park last

Saturday with another five of his

St Sylvester’s teammates lined up

behind him and four in the starting

line-up.

Six inter-county hurlers includ-

ing the captain is a truly remark-

able contribution from St Sylvest-

er’s and a tribute to the fantastic

development of hurling in the club

over many years. Hilary played in

goal and Andrew in midfield, and we

had the two sets of brothers, Alan

and Graham Morris and Cillian and

Kevin O’Flynn.

The result was a victory over

Fermanagh and the prospect of a

league final place if they win or draw

against donegal next week.

Vincent de Paul Cup: Ballymun

Kickhams 0-11, St Sylvester’s 1-12.

The senior football team had a

very good win over high flying Bal-

lymun. Many of our younger players

got their opportunity to tackle the

All-Ireland finalists and acquitted

themselves with distinction.

The more seasoned players also

made valuable contributions with

excellent scores by eoin Fanning,

Michael McCarthy and John Cough-

lan.

Championship football for the

senior team starts on wednesday,

April 10 against Clontarf in drum-

nigh wood, and the intermediate

team play erin’s Isle in Cloghran on

Saturday, April 13.

The AGM takes place on wednes-

day, April 3, at 8.30 pm. Please make

the effort to attend.

Naomh mearNoG

fiNGalliaNs

st sylvester’s

well done to Kevin and Shane who

both performed well for the dubs in

their victory over down.

Congratulations also to denise

and Cliodhna who were in flying form

for the Jackie’s in their victory over

Tyrone.

The weather disrupted most

of the club activity again but two

camogie games did survive on our

all-weather pitch.

The Under-14 team put on an

impressive displa y against St

Jude’s, winning in the end by five

points. This team is managed by

Brenda Bradley and Colm delaney

and they will contest the Feile div 1

competition later in the year.

Our hardy Under-8 girls braved

the elements and won all three

matches in their Blitz. The team

mentor here is the dedicated Siob-

han Crean lynch.

Happy easter to all.

wITH club fixtures on hold due to the

bad weather, only the inter-county

fixtures went ahead. dublin football-

ers and hurlers both had comfortable

wins, but performance of the week

went to the Fingal hurlers in Croke

Park with a two-point win over Fer-

managh, with six Fingallians hurlers

playing.

On the camogie front, during March

and following on from the U-9s blitz

wins at home against naomh Mear-

nog and naomh Maur on March 10,

the U-10s continued the winning ways

beating naomh Brigid’s and naomh

Uinsionn at home. The U-8s braved

the cold in Portmarnock on Sunday

with one win, two draws and one loss.

well done to all.

There will be no nursery this Satur-

day, March 30. The club shop will also

be closed.

Congratulations to our senior play-

ers Aoife reilly and Fiona Hudson who

were pivotal in Maynooth College win-

ning the Giles Gup last week.

Camogie Feile Fundraiser: we are

looking for some brave and hardy

individuals to volunteer to abseil down

one of the Ballymun Towers on April 11

and raise some money to suport our

camogie teams. we need 30 volun-

teers, and full training will be given to

all taking part. Please contact Sheena

McCabe or Yvonne Campbell or email

[email protected].

details are currently being final-

ised for the Fingallians Strictly

Come dancing, and the date will be

announced shortly. Currently, around

the end of May is favoured and almost

certain. In the meantime, we would

still love some more dancers, par-

ticularly of the male persuasion.

And you may have heard rumours

about infighting in the men’s adults

teams over who and how many should

represent them on the night; they are

very true, and there is major compe-

tition amongst the Fingallians male

players for the remaining few places

in the show.

[email protected]

ST SYLVESTER’S Hilary Murray-Hession, Andrew Richardson and Alan Morris were joined in the Fingal line-up last Satur-day night by club mates and debutants Kevin and Cillian O’Flynn.

They all played their part in a 1-16 to 2-10 win over Fermanagh in Croke

Park to keep their promo-tion hopes alive in the Allianz HL Division 3A.

J o h n M a t t h e w Sheridan shot 0-6 in the first half and it was a point effort from him that led to David Smyth’s seventh minute goal.

Fermanagh were creat-ing chances, though, and Brendan McGarry, John Duffy and Sean Cor-

rigan scores kept them in touch, before Corri-gan flicked a sideline to the net to put the Erne County 1-3 to 1-2 up on 19 minutes.

Then Sheridan caught fire and over the follow-ing 15 minutes hit five points but Fermanagh went in just three behind at the break.

Fingal looked like pull-

ing away after the break but Porteous bundled in a 46th-minute goal to make it 1-10 to 2-6.

The final quarter was nip and tuck as a Corri-gan free levelled it on the hour but the pacy Dean Flood and Peter Daly pushed Fingal ahead late on, before Sheridan and then Smyth had the final say.

Locals feature as Fingal press for promotion

Keeping pace: St Sylvester’s braved the elements and claimed victory over Ballymun Kickhams

vincent de paul cupballymun Kickhams 0-11

st sylvester’s 1-12

[email protected]

S T S Y LV E S T E R ’ S extended their run to four wins from four in this year’s Vincent De Paul Cup after they got the better of Ballymun Kickhams for the second time in 2013.

It was one of the few club games that survived the recent weather con-ditions, the county board calling a blanket cancel-lation to all the hurling fixtures, as the Malahide club travelled to Pairc Ciceam to play in Arctic

conditions on the all-weather pitch.

Nonetheless, Gabriel Bannigan’s side start-ed well with the wind against them, building a 1-4 to 0-2 lead in the first half while the opening stanza finished level as Mun closed it out with a strong run of scores.

But Syl’s were able to use the biting breeze to great effect with Eoin Fanning, John Coughlan and Michael McCarthy hitting some booming points in the second half to give Syl’s the win.

The defence held very tight all through the game while a large

number of younger play-ers were given a run out including Eoin Boyne, Mark Hazley and Conor Meaney among a number of others.

Ciaran McArdle came on with brother Gavin while the club are hope-ful Niall McArdle could also feature at some stage during the year.

Bal lymun, mean-while, were at close to full strength, only miss-ing Dublin players Philly McMahon and James McCarthy along with the influential Karl Con-nolly.

Sylvester’s had beaten Kickhams already in the

same competition’s final earlier this year, winning the 2012 title in the run-up to Ballymun’s club All-Ireland pursuit.

The result leaves them four points clear at the top of Group Two follow-ing wins over St Vincent’s, St Maur’s and Raheny with just a date against Parnells – who have lost three out of three in the competition – remain-ing.

With St Vincent’s beat-ing Maur’s 2-12 to 2-9, it means Syl’s are assured of a top two place with only Ballymun able to top them in the group phase.

viNCeNt de paul Cup: four from four for saiNts

sylvester’s strike in vdp cup encounter

all of your MalaHIDE sports covEragE froM pagE 27-31 MarcH 28, 2013

close to perfection: Portmarnock CS pipped to All-Ireland schools title in dramatic f inal p30

GazetteSPORT

Malahide united and republic of Ireland under-15 star JJ lunney will be one of the players looking to succeed on the national stage with his club side

stEpHEn fInDlatEr

[email protected]

MALAHIDE United are once again flying high on the SFAI All-Ireland stage as both their DDSL Premier U-15 and U-12 sides progressed to the final four of their respective competitions with wins over Arklow Town and Carrigaline United respectively last weekend.

It sees them follow in the trail blazed by last season’s U-15 vintage who claimed the national title in breathtaking fashion, the first schoolboy team from the club to claim such an honour.

For this year’s U-15s, it was an epic perform-ance as they ran up a 6-0 win, playing some top quality football in the second half despite the

nasty weather conditions in north Dublin.“The weather was very bad on the day and the

wind in particular ruined the game in the first half,” explained Malahide’s Ken Maguire, who runs the side with Ronnie Feeney.

“We were 2-0 up at half-time with the wind despite not playing particularly well. But, in the second half, playing against the wind, we were able to get the ball down on the ground and play our game.

“We changed another couple of things at half-time and it went a lot better so it was a good result against a tough side. We’ve played Arklow a couple of times in friendlies over the years and there hasn’t been an awful lot in it so it was nice to get the result.

“It was a good solid squad performance. We brought on subs who made an impact and did a great job.”

Next on the agenda for Malahide is an away date with a fancied Lucan United side who fea-ture three international underage players in their ranks. Maguire’s side beat Lucan 1-0 in Gannon Park in the league earlier this term but he knows they will have their work cut out for them against a side with just one loss in 14 games.

“We were lucky enough at home to get away with the result. We know them very well from over the years and are one of the top sides in the country. They have Conor Masterson who signed for Liverpool at 15 and Brandon Payne who signed for Celtic. They are a top side and

we’re playing away so it will be tough for us.”At U-12 level, Malahide were 4-1 winners in

front of a crowd that featured FAI chief execu-tive John Delaney as three early goals put them en route to success.

Jack Moylan netted twice while Josh Bannon also got in on the act before Sean Guiden com-pleted the scoring.

The vast majority have risen through the ranks at Malahide with Maguire paying tribute to the work done at the club to promote high quality skills to achieve these results.

“There’s a new director of coaching, Kevin Craven, but previous to him was Pat Cleary for about five years and a lot of good work was done and it’s coming to fruition now.”

United win on the doubleMalahide’s DDSL Under-15 and Under-12 sides reach last four of their respective cup competitions as both sides chase All Ireland glory

CAPTAIn fAnTASTIC: fiona Coghlan on Ireland’s glorious Grand Slam p29

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