swords gazette

Future looks bright: Health graduates hopeful of jobsPICTURED at the graduation of a healthcare course are student Anne Slattery, tutor Anne Clarke and stu-dent Jade Kenny. Joan Burton, Min-ister for Social Protection, awarded certificates at a healthcare gradua-

tion ceremony in the Bracken Court Hotel, Balbriggan, Co Dublin recently. Through this initiative, 24 jobs have been created and Minister Burton congratulated all involved.Full Gallery on Page 2

Sportsclubs to get newfacility� NATALIE BURKE

TWO local sports clubs, St Finian’s GAA and River Val-ley Rangers FC, are set to benefit from a new dressing room facility at the Ridge-wood estate in Swords in the coming weeks, according to Cllr Darragh Butler (FF).

“With the full-size GAA pitch at this location and two mini-soccer and two mini

GAA pitches, in addition to the two mini Rathingle soccer pitches that opened last year, it is great that these addition-al resources have been made available,” he said.

The council said that minor snagging, water con-nection works and various anti-vandalism protections at the Ridgewood estate, are currently being addressed.

Full story on Page 3

Soccer: Swords Celtic cut a swathe in early fixturesPage 30

Football: Fingallians push on in inter championshipPage 31

GOOD PROSPECTS: Opportunity knocks for business in Dubai Page 8

Get top style

advice from

Laurence

Llewelyn-Bowen

SEE PAGE 14

Month XX, 2012

FREE GAZETTEGAZETTESwords

SWORDS • BALBRIGGAN • APPLEWOOD • BOROIMHE • AIRSIDE • RIVERVALLEY

SEPTEMBER 20, 2012 Find us on

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

ENTERTAINMENT ... 16

TRAVEL ................... 17

BUSINESS ............. 18

CLASSIFIEDS .........28

BRIDE&GROOM: Our guide for planning

your perfect day P19

B

y

2 SWORDS GAZETTE 20 September 2012

HEALTHCARE Minister congratulates new graduates

Maryana Maksimova from Hamilton Park Care Home, Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton, Linda Murphy from All In Care

Ltc, and Brian Gormley, vice-chairperson of Fingal LEADER Partnership Company. Pictures: Keogh Photography

A brighter future beckonsM

INISTER for Social Protection Joan Burton awarded 11 certificates at a healthcare graduation ceremony in the Bracken Court Hotel, Balbriggan

recently. Over 24 jobs have been created through this ini-tiative . The programme was developed by Fingal LEAD-ER Partnership after establishing links with local employ-ers. The Department of Social Protection provided over

€44,000 in funding. Minister Burton said: “This is a wonderful example of collaboration among the agencies involved and employers working together in an effort to support unemployed people back into work. It is a great achievement for all involved. ” The course was a 12-week training programme with All In Care Ltd, Hamilton Park and Beech Tree Residential Care Homes.

Student Anne Slattery, tutor Anne Clarke and student Jade Kenny

Leas Cathaoirleach Peadar O’Kelly and

Brian Gormley

Helen Usiomwonta receiving a

certificate from Minister Burton

Jade Kenny and Minister Burton Deputy Brendan Ryan (Lab)

Sports firm in raceto win

BUSINESS: FOUR VIE FOR TOP SPOT IN FINALS OFENTERPRISE AWARDS

� NATALIE BURKE

A LOCAL Swords com-pany has beaten off stiff competition from compa-nies across the county this year to make it to the final four of the Fingal Enter-prise Awards.

Swords-based Amphib-ia Sport, a sports equip-ment design firm, was established by sole trader Adrian McGreevy in 2010 and has been supported by Fingal County Enter-prise Board ever since.

The local company was recently named as a finalist and is now in with a chance of scooping the much-coveted Fingal Enterprise Award, the winner of which will be announced during Fingal Enterprise Week, which takes place from Mon-day, October 1, to Friday, October 5.

When Amphibia Sport was established in 2010 by McGreevy, the company gained Niall O’Farrell as an investor after appear-ing on Dragons Den.

Since then, Amphibia Sport’s XBag has become the best-selling triathlon bag in Ireland. Its main features include a water-proof pouch and chang-ing mat, which have been incorporated into the new smaller Evo Bag, targeted at more main-

stream sports. Earlier this year, Amphibia Sport also launched the Dry Mat which is a changing mat for indoor and outdoor sports and particularly for wet changing room floors.

The company’s newest product, the Sports Ring, is a silicone ring which protects rings on the finger during sport and secures them in place, is due to be launched before Christmas.

F o u n d e r A d r i a n McGreevy said he was delighted to have been named as a finalist in the awards.

“The Fingal Enterprise Board have been very good to me since I started a couple of years ago. I’ve had a couple of grants from the board, as well as using their mentoring and other services. The fact that I’ve managed to get to the final is amazing and it gives me more confidence to keep going.”

The winner of Fin-gal Enterprise Awards 2012 will go forward to the National Enterprise Awards in November.

Last year’s winner, Fleet Connect, went on to win the Best New Business accolade at the National Enterprise Awards.

Picture Story on Page 4

20 September 2012 SWORDS GAZETTE 3

SPORT Resource expected to open within weeks

Two local clubsget dressing room facility� NATALIE BURKE

TWO local sports clubs, St Finian’s GAA and River Valley Rangers FC, are set to benefit from a brand new dress-ing room facility at the Ridgewood estate in Swords in the coming weeks, according to local Councillor, Dar-ragh Butler (FF).

Delighted“I am delighted that

the new Ridgewood dressing room facil-ity will very shortly be made available to St Finian’s GAA and River Valley Rangers Foot-ball Club, as the two local clubs have served

this community so well since the 1980s,” Cllr Butler said.

“With the full-size GAA pitch at this loca-tion and two mini-soc-cer and two mini GAA pitches, in addition to the two mini Rathin-gle soccer pitches that opened last year, it is great that these addi-tional resources have been made available to meet the requirements of these two great clubs and their members.”

According to Cllr Butler, it is hoped the new dressing rooms will be ready for use by the local clubs within the next couple of weeks.

“I think they will be

[ready] very soon and I’d be hopeful that it will be just a matter of weeks. I’d be surprised if it took longer than that,” he said.

The facility at Ridge-wood, which was hand-ed over to Fingal County Council from the devel-opers in August, has yet to be completed.

PaintingAccording to the coun-cil, minor snagging, painting of anti-graffiti coating, water connec-tion works and various anti-vandalism protec-tions are all currently being addressed.

The council con-firmed that a meet-

Denis O’Keeffe, chairman St Finian’s GAA, Paul Kelly, from River Valley Rangers

FC, Michael Reilly, chairman of River Valley Rangers FC, Brian McKeon of MKN

Developments, Cllr Darragh Butler (FF), Paddy Cole, River Valley Rangers FC, and

Frank Egan, St Finian’s GAA

ing was recently held with representatives of both clubs regarding the allocation process and matters of utility bills, insurance, main-tenance and repairs of the building. From the meeting, it emerged that an agreement between the two clubs and FCC

will be drafted. When the building is complete and the agreement is in place, the facility will be allocated.

While Cllr Butler was “delighted” by the good news, concerns still remain for other clubs in Swords without ade-quate facilities.

“Both clubs are happy with the facilities they have but there are a lot of clubs around Swords, of all sporting codes, looking for additional resources and facilities, and I continue to make this issue one of my top priorities as a council-lor.”

League for young athleteskicks off WHILE the 2012 Olym-pics may have come to an end, the year is only beginning for hundreds of Fingal schoolchildren interested in athletics.

This year, schools from across the area can choose to enter the Fingal Athletics League, organ-ised by Fingal County Council’s Sports Office in partnership with Ath-letics Ireland.

Now in its sixth year, schools can take part in Balheary Park, Swords and Porterstown Park, Dublin 15, entering a maximum of 50 pupils, both boys and girls from third to sixth class, with race distances ranging from 250 to 550 metres.

The finals will take place in Morton Sta-dium, Santry, in May 2013, which will see both leagues coming together.

To register your school, call 01 890 6232.

SCHOOLS


Pupils get a chance to be next Katie Taylor� NATALIE BURKE

CHILDREN in Balbrig-gan and Baldoyle will have the chance to get involved in Fingal Coun-ty Council’s Schools Boxing Programme, after invitations were sent to primary schools across the two areas.

The programme, which is co-ordinated by Fin-gal’s Sports Office and is supported by the Irish Sports Council, is linked

to Bracken and Baldoyle Boxing Clubs. It aims to introduce boys and girls from third to sixth class to the sport through non-contact, skills-based fun activities.

Fully-qualified IABA coaches from both clubs will complete the six- week introduction to the boxing programme in local schools, which will be followed by a presen-tation night in the clubs.

This will give both stu-

dents and their parents a chance to see what goes on inside a boxing club and to meet all the coaches.

This is the third year of the programme, but the first time schools in Baldoyle have been able to avail of the opportu-nity. Over 450 students from Bracken Educate Together, St George’s NS, St Mologa’s SNS and St Teresa’s NS took part in the programme

in 2011, with all schools represented at the pres-entation night.

Senior sports devel-opment officer at Fingal County Council Niall McGuirk said he was delighted to have boxing taking place in primary schools.

“It’s a fantastic oppor-tunity for kids to try out the sport and, for those that are interested in tak-ing it up, there’s a ready made school-club link.

“The programme has been a major factor in the introduction of female boxers to Bracken Box-ing Club for the very first time in their history and, with Katie Taylor win-ning gold and the suc-cess of Irish male boxers in the London Olympics, I can only see numbers increasing,” he said.

For information, phone Niall McGuirk, FCC at 01 8906232 or email [email protected].

� NATALIE BURKE

L O CA L r e s i d e n t s announced they would continue to protest against Fingal County Council (FCC) and the Government after pro-testers opposing the household charge gath-ered outside a recent council meeting.

A group of local home-owners protested outside the council chamber at County Hall, Swords last week, as FCC held its monthly meeting.

The residents were highlighting their cam-paign against the pay-ment of the household and water charges, a pay-ment considered “ridicu-lous” by Cllr Eugene Coppinger (SP).

“The additional coun-cil cuts announced recently are being linked to the non-payment of the household charge, and the campaign are saying that’s rubbish,” said Coppinger.

“The council have had cuts since 2008 and 2009. They’ve had a 22% drop in staff numbers, and it’s ridiculous that they’re blaming the non-pay-ment of a €100 charge on the additional cuts.”

Speaking about the protest, Coppinger said: “It was just a small pro-test organised by the local campaign against the charges. It was just to make a bit of noise out-side as there were three motions on the meeting agenda about council cuts. The noise is always noticed, so they will always make an impact.

“I think from the ‘softly softly’ approach taken by the other councillors, there is a realisation that the campaign is winning and that people aren’t going to be able to pay the property tax.”

With the Government planning to introduce a property tax next year on residential homes, and the introduction of water meters as a pilot scheme in Fingal, the Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes is due to hold a public meeting at the Carnegie Court Hotel, Swords, on Thurs-day, September 20, at 8pm.

Both Cllr Coppinger and Clare Daly TD (Unit-ed Left Alliance) are call-ing on people to “stand firm and make a stand” by attending the public meeting.

CAMPAIGN: COUNCILLOR SLAMS ‘RIDICULOUS’ TAX

It’s in the bag: Local sports firm

in finals for enterprise awardsSWORDS-based business Amphibia Sport, designers of innovative and unique sports equipment, are one of four finalists announced for this year’s Fingal Enterprise Awards. Other businesses battling it out for the competition are: Agile Networks from Blanchards-town- a specialist provider of IT networking solutions, Golfgraffix based in Clonshaugh – which allows web users to play well-known golf courses in their own home – and Keogh’s Crisps of Oldtown – a farm-based company that turns its home grown potatoes into crisps at the same location. The winner of the Fingal Enterprise Awards is to be announced in Fingal Enterprise Week, from Mon-day, October 1st, to Friday, October 5th.

Household charge protest to‘hold firm’

Call our NEWS TEAM on 60 10 240 or

email [email protected]

GOT A PICTURE?


� NATALIE BURKE

WITH an international reputation already tight-ly under his belt, noted Malahide artist and sculptor Michael Killen will once again feature his art on international shores when he displays his work at the Irish Embassy in Berlin next year.

Following a successful exhibition of his sculp-tures, watercolours and drawings at the embassy in Berlin earlier this year, the well-known local artist has been invited to leave a number of his works on display in the embassy during the first six months of next year, when Ireland will hold the presidency of the EU.

The original exhibi-tion, which took place in May and June, con-sisted of a number of sculptures in bronze and timber, a selection of large canvasses and a series of drawings and watercolours.

It was mounted with the suppor t of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and opened by the Ambas-sador of Ireland to Ger-many, Dan Mulhall.

“The reaction to the exhibition in May was really good and, follow-ing it, the embassy asked would I leave some of my work there for an exhibition next year,” explained Michael.

“My work isn’t on public display in the embassy at the moment,

due to a large number of delegation visits, but these works will be on view to those delegates and officials visiting and conducting business in the embassy.”

A graduate of the Dun Laoghaire Col-lege of Art and Design, Michael spent a year at the Academy of Fine Art in Florence on an Ital-ian government scholar-ship before returning in the mid-1970s to work full-time in Ireland as a freelance and independ-ent sculptor.

He is known for public commissions through-out the country and has completed a large number of commissions for private individuals, businesses, local author-ities, churches, schools,

hospitals and golf clubs, as well as having com-pleted a large number of private commissions around the world.

Some of Michael’s public commissions have included work for local authorities such as Fingal County Council, while he has also com-pleted commissions for companies and volun-tary societies.

The diversity of his work ranges from an imposing portrait of U2 for Gibney’s pub, Mala-

hide (two members of the band are from the town), to a life-size mother and child for the new Church of St Ber-nard in Glengormley, Northern Ireland.

His work has been widely exhibited and purchased in Ireland, the United States, Ger-many, France, the Unit-ed Kingdom, Italy and Australia and his art can be seen locally in Gib-ney’s Pub, The Church of the Sacred Heart, Seabury, and the Island

Golf Club in Donabate. “Although I grew up in

Malahide, I moved away but came back in 1990. I then established my workshop in Malahide and I’ve been working here ever since. I work mainly in bronze and timber and I do some paint work as well,” he said.

“The exposure [that being exhibited in the embassy brings] is won-derful. I was delighted with the exhibition in May and June of this

year and I thought it would be the end of it, but the exhibition next year is a real boost, I must say.”

“I would l ike to acknowledge my appre-ciation to the Depart-ment of Foreign Affairs and the Irish Embassy in Berlin for making this exhibition possi-ble. I would particularly like to thank Ambas-sador Dan Mulhall for opening the exhibition and First Secretary Sarah McGrath for her ongoing support,” said Michael.

His work is currently on show at The Door-way Gallery in Dublin’s South Frederick street, and other examples can be seen on www.michaelkillen.ie.

International artist and sculptor Michael Killen from Malahide is absorbed in his work. Some of his sculptures include from top right, Final, Island and Greasy Pole

Portrait of an artist

HONOUR Irish Embassy in Berlin invites noted sculptor back

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

‘Although I grew up in Malahide, I moved away but came back in 1990. I then established my workshop [in the village] and I’ve been working here ever since’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Michael Killen- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


Businessseminartargetsover 50sPLANS for Ireland’s first ever National 50+ Enter-prise Day were announced this week.

The event invites any-one over the age of 50 to attend the initiative, which aims to boost the number of “senior entre-preneurs” in Ireland. The event launched by Min-ister for Small Business John Perry and the Fingal County Enterprise Board, is due to be held on Friday, October 5, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchard-stown.

Building on the success of previous workshops, the Enterprise Board will be focusing on sourcing finance, effective manage-ment skills and business exit planning.

Running from 9am to 5pm, entrepreneurs from across Fingal are invited to attend. Bookings can be made through www.fingalceb.ie/50+.

INITIATIVE

Complaint siteup and running� NATALIE BURKE

[email protected]

BROKEN street lights, illegal dumping and dan-gerous potholes could be a thing of the past thanks to the recent launch of the Fix Your Street website.

The site is designed to benefit the community of Fingal, offering local residents a way of report-ing a variety of issues and concerns to their local council and ensuring a fast response.

Developed by Fingal County Council, South Dublin County Council and Dun Laoghaire Rath-down County Council, it was designed to integrate reports made on the web-site by the community with the customer rela-tionship management (CRM) system already used by the councils for internal tracking of

reported issues. With the new online service, members of the public can report problems with street-lighting, graffiti, road or path defects, water leaks and drainage issues, litter and illegal dumping, as well as tree and grass maintenance issues and concerns.

The online form also allows people to attach photographs, which can greatly assist council staff in identifying the specific problem or area.

Dominic Byrne, the assistant head of IT at Fingal County Council, said he is “delighted” that the site is now live.

“We have been work-ing closely with the other local authorities to devel-op a seamless integrated system where problems reported on Fix Your Street are fed directly to our CRM system, and

we’re delighted that this is now live for members of the public to use.”

“We encourage eve-ryone to please add as much information as possible when report-ing an issue, as this helps our staff locate the prob-lem and address it much quicker.

“[The website] is also optimised for smart-phones and tablet com-puters, making it ideal for people who are out and about and spot issues such as illegal dumping or road/path defects to take a photo and report it straight away, without having to wait to get to a PC or laptop.”

Issues raised on Fix Your Street will be responded to within two working days. To raise an issue or for more details, please visit www.fixy-ourstreet.ie.

Nautical mile: Jetting off for aSan Francisco open-water swim THERE was a lot of excitement at Dublin Airport recently as a gang of Dublin swimmers were part of a group from Ireland flying out to to take part in the Tiburon Mile Open Water Swim in San Fran-cisco on Sunday, September 9, to raise funds for Special Olym-pics Eastern Region. Pictured are, back row from left, Sile Leech, Coolock; Mick Feehan, Dublin and Co Offaly; Liz Callery, direc-tor of Special Olympics Eastern Region; Brenda Mahon, Special Olympics Eastern Region; Jenny Hughes, Baldoyle; Claire Coffey, Walkinstown; Front row, from left, are Rosie O’Kennedy, Castle-knock; Eimear Felle, Clonsilla; and Sinead Miller, Ballyfermot, representing Stewarts Hospital, Palmerstown.

COUNCIL: POTHOLES, DUMPING ISSUES CAN BE REPORTED WITH JUST A CLICK


Opportunity knocks for business in Dubai T

HE Radisson Blu hotel at Dublin Airport recently played host to a fascinating business briefing,

which focused on the prospects of doing business in Dubai.

A wide range of businesses, eco-nomic groups and entrepreneurs were at the well-attended meeting,

which had been organised by the Government of Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce. Its focus was Dubai’s continuing appeal for a wide range of international compa-nies and investors.

Dubai’s importance as a key stra-tegic hub for banking, trade, logistics,

aviation and investment, as well as more leisurely pursuits ranging from tourism to shopping, was analysed in depth, to the great interest of the attending parties. The business brief-ing was co-sponsored by Dublin Air-port Authority, Emirates, Aramex and Radisson Blu Hotel Dublin Airport.

Siobhan Moore, Dublin Airport Authority, and David

Donnelly, Bank of Ireland

Fayha Sultan, Dubai Government Department of Tourism and Commerce, and Hal Ledford, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Chamber of Commerce

United by a common interest in business prospects in Dubai were Jorn Jessen,

project consultant; Michael McCabe, Michael McCabe Associates; Francis Whelan,

Broadmeadow Healthcare; Giles Smyth, Baily Homan Smyth McVeigh Solicitors;

Liam Byrne, Broadmeadow Healthcare and Stephen Lam, WCA Architects

Tommy Kelly and Amer Khatib, Aramex

Jeff Kennedy and Emma Jane Finnegan, Grafton

Employment Group

Margaret Shannon,

Emirates

Peter Byrne, South Dublin

Chamber of Commerce

ENTERPRISE Briefing focuses on growing international hub


He’s Rudd-y to serve delicious new pizzasG

UESTS from across the city tucked into a delicious night out in the city centre recently,

as chef Adam Rudd’s new studio in Drury Street hosted a Domino’s Pizza launch.

With Adam overseeing the flavour-ful fun, a range of pizzas, sides and

desserts were enjoyed by all, with wine from Wine Friendly proving a perfect complement to the fare.

Television personality Leanne Moore joined “Gossip Girl” Siob-han O’Connor to have a go at pizza making, but their game attempts were surpassed by the new Domino’s range.

The new gourmet range has been designed to provide a “lighter” pizza with distinctive flavour, with tempt-ing ingredients in the range including roast chicken breast, baby spinach, Greek feta cheese, Peruvian roquito peppers and more, providing some-thing for everyone to tuck into.

Siobhan O’Connor and Leanne Moore

Chef Andrew Rudd gets some help from the Wine Friendly crew at the evening’s launch

Tracey and Michelle Dolan

Sinead O’Connor and Rebecca O’Neill

Charlotte and John McLoughlinJennifer Maguire Allanna Hennessy

LAUNCH Domino’s roll out a new range of gourmet food

Lynsey Murtagh and Gill Verrecchia

THEATRE Ballymun stages festival for eighth year

The world premieres of four Samuel Beckett plays which have been translated

into Irish will take place in the Axis Theatre in Ballymun this October

Axis premieres Beckett in Irish� BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

[email protected]

THE world premieres of four Samuel Beckett plays which have been translated into Irish by Gabriel Rosenstock will take place in the Axis Theatre in Ballymun this October.

As part of the Borradh Buan Irish Language Festival, which runs from October 15 to 27, the Mouth on Fire Thea-tre Company will stage Blogh, which is the Irish translation of Beckett’s Rough for Theatre 1 and Rocabai, the Irish ver-sion of Rokaby.

The newly translated works will be performed by an ensemble under the title Ag Taibhreamh ar … nGra (Dreaming of … Love). There will

also be a performance of a selection of Beckett’s poems which have been translated.

Mother, father and son acting team Geral-dine Plunkett, Peadar Lamb and Marcus Lamb will share the stage with actors Melissa Nolan and Jennifer Laverty. The Beckett poems will be read by Gabriel Rosen-stock and Nick Devlin.

Festival

These productions, which have received backing from Dublin City Council and Foras na Gaeilge, are part of Borradh Buan 2012, which is Ireland’s only festival of its kind and is in its eighth year.

Announcing details of the production, Cathal Quinn, artistic director

of Mouth on Fire, said the theatre company was extremely honoured to be staging new interpre-tations of Beckett’s work and has even received touring requests from Britain, Japan and Can-ada.

“The Beckett estate is known for the scrupulous care it takes to safeguard the integrity of Beckett’s writing – and rightly so,” said Quinn. “So we were thrilled to be granted the rights to translate some of his short plays into Irish, and to stage these in Irish for the very first time.”

The world premiere of Blogh and Rocabai are on Friday, October 26, in the Axis in Ballymun, tickets cost from €8 to €12, and are available by calling 01 883 2100.

BRIDE&GROOMPAGES 19-27

�

Top Wedding

Tips: Our

complete guide

for planning

your perfect

day

20 September 2012 GAZETTE 11

12 GAZETTE 20 September 2012

Westlife singer Nicky Byrne with fifth class students from St Peter and Paul’s National Boys’ School, Baldoyle, to launch the 2012 Cheerios

Childline Breakfast Together Week3

Byrne helps to raise funds for Childline

WESTLIFE singer Nicky Byrne dropped in to see the fifth class students from St Peter and Paul’s National Boys’ School, Baldoyle, to launch the 2012 Cheerios Child-line Breakfast Together Week.

Byrne, a former pupil of the school, was there in his capacity as an ambassador for the ISPCC.

The children’s charity are asking as many peo-ple as possible – schools, creches, companies,

coffee shops, friends and families – to come together, hold a break-fast event and raise much-needed funds for Childline.

Childline is entirely funded by the Irish pub-lic, so their support is vital.

Funds raised will help Childline volunteers to answer more calls from vulnerable children and

young people in Ireland who have nowhere else to turn.

The Cheerios Child-line Breakfast Together Week will take place from October 8 to 14. To register, log on to www.childlinebreakfast.ie, or call 1850 50 40 50.

Meeting Packie BonnerSTAFF from the Beacon

DIARY

SNAPSHOT The local stories of the day

Gazette Group Newspapers Ltd.

Terms and Conditions for acceptance of advertisements

Reserve the right to omit or suspend or alter any advertisement(s) in any

of its publications. We also decline any responsibility in the event of one or

more of a series of advertisements being omitted for any reason whatever,

nor do we accept liability for any loss or damage caused by an error or

inaccuracy in the printing of any advertisement. If your advertisement

appears incorrectly, contact the Advertising Department immediately,

as responsibility cannot be accepted for more than one week’s incorrect

insertion. Responsibility cannot be accepted if the complaint is made more

than two weeks after insertion. If one places an advertisement for more

than one week and then cancels it after the fi rst week, no refund or credit

will be given for weeks cancelled. The advertiser undertakes to indemnify

the Proprietors against any liability for any civil action arising out of the

publication of the advertisement or any other matter printed or published

in the Blanchardstown Gazette, Castleknock Gazette, Clondalkin Gazette,

Dundrum Gazette, Dun Laoghaire Gazette, Lucan Gazette, Malahide Gazette

and Swords Gazette. The placing of an order or contract will be deemed an

acceptance of these conditions.

GazetteContactsBlock 3A, Mill Bank Business Park, Lucan

Tel: 01 6010240 Fax: 01 6010251

Managing Director: Michael McGovernemail:[email protected]

Acting News Editor: Rob Heighemail: [email protected]

Production Editor: Jessica Maileemail: [email protected]

Acting Sports Editor: Stephen Findlateremail: [email protected]

Picture Editor: Paul Hosfordemail: [email protected]

Ad Manager: Louise Fitzgeraldemail: [email protected]

Advertising Production: Anita Ward

email: [email protected]

Financial Controller: Carly Lynchemail: [email protected]

Advertising Sales: 01 6010240email: [email protected]

Hospital in Sandyford, and former Irish goal-keeping legend Packie Bonner are heading to the National Ploughing Championships on Sep-tember 26 to play an out-door exhibition match in the Health and Wellness section of the trade show, from 12 noon to 2pm.

People who come to visit the UPMC Beacon stand will get the chance to meet the sporting hero afterwards.

Chartered physiothera-pists will be on hand at the stand over the three days of the ploughing championships, advising on injury prevention and management.

Free analysis

They will also offer simple fitness tests for the more than 189,000 expected visitors to the three-day exhibition, and will offer free gait analysis for visitors.

A hotel stay worth €500 will also be won by one lucky visitor to the Bea-con stand.

The Ploughing Cham-pionships will take place between Tuesday and Thursday, September 25 to 27 in New Ross, Co Wexford.


Road dogs: A charity cruise across the USARADIO PRESENTER Baz Ashwamy, actor George McMa-hon, former boxing champion Bernard Dunne, singer Ryan Sheridan, will hit the open road on Harley Dav-idson motorcycles as part of the Delta Horizon Tour across the US in aid of Irish Dogs for the Disabled in September/October 2013.

Irish Dogs for the Disabled train assistance dogs to assist physically disabled children and adults. These dogs carry out a range of practical tasks in order to allow disabled people greater independence.

Every dog is trained to help with simple everyday tasks such as opening and closing doors, picking up dropped items, emptying the washing machine, send-ing for help or even helping a child with severe walk-

ing difficulties to walk with greater ease and balance.Each dog is trained to cater for the needs of the

specific client to enable them to live life with greater independence. This all costs money, of course, and in order to raise funds for this very worthy charity, the charity is undertaking the motorcyle trip of a lifetime from Chicago to New Orleans next year.

Irish Guide Dogs for the Disabled is now offering volunteers the chance to literally sample history on a two week, 3,000km guided motorcycle tour that will go from Chicago, Illinois, to the magical streets of New Orleans.

For further info check out www.deltahorizontour.com

Jobs Expo returns to Croke Park

EVENT: CHANCE TO MEET POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS

� HIROMI MOONEY

JOBS Expo 2012 will return to Croke Park next Friday and Saturday, Sep-tember 28 and 29, follow-ing its successful event held earlier this year.

The employment and recruitment fair promises to offer plenty of infor-mation and opportuni-ties both at home and abroad.

The free event will offer advice and career opportunities from vari-ous companies. One such company is the Brit-ish Columbia Construc-tion Association, whose members are looking to fill positions in the Canadian province for carpenters, welders, iron workers, plumbers, pipe layers, mechanics, crane operators and sheet metal workers.

The Jobs Expo event coordinator, Vicky Kelly, said that following the success of the last expo event, which had around 9,000 attendees, they are expecting to exceed that figure this time.

“I think it’s very impor-tant [to host an expo like this] because it’s an ideal opportunity for employ-

ers to showcase the posi-tions that they have, and also for the public so that they feel more involved in the recruitment process as well.

“They can actually come along and present themselves in person rather than being a piece of paper with a CV being emailed in to an organisa-tion,” she said.

“It’s a great chance to actually come and speak to employers directly and to apply face-to-face for a role that you may be suit-able for.”

The exhibition will be divided into five different areas, which are Irish Job Opportunities, Working Abroad, Education Vil-lage, Career Clinic and Starting Your Own Busi-ness.

The event is run by Learning Ireland, the publisher of leading web-sites Nightcourses.com, Gotocollege.ie, Postgrad.ie, Corporatetraining.ie and Learning.ie.

The expo will take place from 11am to 5pm both days in The Hogan Suite in Croke Park.

For more information, visit http://www.jobsex-po.ie/.

THE Waltons Music for Schools Competi-tion is looking for the country’s most musical school.

The competition will award a total of €10,000 worth of vouchers for

musical instruments, accessor ies , books , music technology or PA equipment from Wal-tons Music.

Awards will be divided among six winning pri-mary and post-primary

schools, including two first prizes of €3,000 vouchers, and music groups from 12 finalist schools will have the fantastic opportunity to perform in the National Concert Hall.

Entry forms are avail-able to download from www.waltons.ie, www.newschool.ie, www.rte.ie/lyricfm and www.nch.ie, and you can email your entry form, along with all addi-

tional information and materials, to [email protected]

Entries must arrive by 5 pm on Friday, Febru-ary 1, 2013. Late entries will not be accepted.

Search for the country’s most musical schoolCOMPETITION €10,000 worth of vouchers to be won


‘Be subversive, be posh – ditch beige’� LAURA WEBB

FORGET about living in a beige box – instead, be playful with colours and designs throughout the house.

That’s just a little of the advice that inte-rior designer, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, best-known for his appear-ances on TV’s Changing Rooms, brought to town on a recent visit to launch his exclusive collection for online department store, Littlewoods Ireland.

The Gazette caught up with the designer at a hotel suite that had been transformed into a shrine to his new collection.

Sitting on a couch he had designed himself, Laurence looked ever the suave gentleman, and was only too delighted to talk about his new collection.

“It’s the first time ever, that I feel I have created an entire, almost couture attitude collection – some-thing that encompasses furniture as well as bed linen, soft furniture, bed-ding, lighting and things – it has been tremendously liberating,” he said.

“I have been design-ing for years and years. I launched wallpaper 14 years ago – a really long time – but when you design an element like a roll of wallpaper or china or table-linen, or what-ever, you have got to use that one small thing to tell a big story.

“But, when you are cre-ating an entire collection, you can be so much more emphatic, so much more punky and subversive – you don’t need to be so bloody tasteful!

“The look I wanted to

sell, because it is my look, is all about indulgence, voluptuousness and eve-ry-day luxury and theatri-cality, opera – but it also has to be funny.

“There has to be some-thing about it that is witty and grown-up, and so much interior design isn’t. So much is so appallingly straight, and unbelievably serious! Sod that – we are fabulously diverse.

“I want to make peo-ple’s lives sexier, more playful, more indulgent – to me, those are the things that make you feel as if you are worth it,” said Laurence.

Asked about the use of colour on walls, Laurence believes the bolder, the better.

“If we all woke up in a beige box, we would all be very dull people! We want to make these

places, places that we can escape to.

“It is all about being able to be ourselves and not conform to this rigid, pre-prescribed sense of what is ‘good taste’ and what is ‘bad taste’.”

According to Laurence, his collection offers luxu-ry furnishings at afford-able prices.

“People look at it and say, ‘That’s posh’. But ‘posh’ doesn’t mean any-thing, posh doesn’t mean class, it doesn’t mean money, it doesn’t mean status – it is just posh – and that is what I want it to be.

“Posh for as little money is absolutely per-fect, because it is totally subversive,” he said.

The Laurence Llewe-lyn-Bowen collection is available now on www.littlewoodsireland.ie.

STYLE Advice from Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen

Interior design guru, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, pictured in Dublin launching his exclusive online collection of

furniture and furnishings for Littlewoods Ireland

EPA’s initiative tohelp firms go greenTHE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a one-stop shop for businesses in Dublin to help them save money while preventing waste, con-serving water and reducing their energy costs.

The EPA developed the resources for businesses facing increasing energy costs and waste and water charges which are looking to reduce their overheads by adopting greener ways of doing business. BeGreen provides access to a range of business programmes including Green-

Business and GreenHospitality. GreenBusiness is a free business advi-

sory service that represents an innova-tive approach to waste prevention and resource efficiency in Ireland. BeGreen’s expert environmental advisors will visit organisations and generate a tailored environmental efficiency action plan free of charge.

GreenHospitality has been a hugely successful BeGreen programme for the hospitality industry. For more informa-tion, visit BeGreen www.begreen.ie

BUSINESS: CUTTING COSTS


Start-up business will win €25,000THE Learning and Inno-vation Centre (LINC) last week launched its annual entrepreneurial competition, which offers the winner an impressive prize worth €25,000 for a start-up business.

This is the third year of the LINC’s Jump-Start competition at the Insti-tute of Technology Blan-chardstown (ITB)

The competition is open to entrepreneurs who would like to base their business in an inno-vative and supportive environment.

The value of the award is €25,000, and includes €5,000 in cash for the winning company, plus the cost of the incubation space for 12 months, with varied mentoring support available to the company from industry experts, and a range of useful busi-ness start-up packages, including design, media,

technology equipment, print, call-answering and much more.

Last week saw the offi-cial launch of the compe-tition, which took place at the Dylan Hotel.

One of Ireland’s best-known entrepreneurs, and Dragon’s Den star, Bobby Kerr, was on hand to officially launch the competition.

DelightedHe said: “I am delight-

ed to be involved with the Jump-Start competition again.

“I see the competition as a great way for entre-preneurs to present to their peers and have the opportunity of winning an amazing prize that any start-up would love to receive, especially in the current climate.”

Shortlisted entrants will get a unique oppor-tunity to present their

ideas to a very experi-enced panel, including Kerr; Judith Troy, AIB regional manager; Oisin Geoghegan, chief execu-tive of Fingal County Enterprise Board, and George Kiely, regional director of Enterprise Ireland.

The judging panel will be chaired by Assumpta Harvey, manager of the LINC at ITB.

Application forms can be downloaded from www.thelinc.ie/jump-start, with the closing date for applications set for 4pm on Friday, Octo-ber 19, with the short-list to be announced on November 2.

All applicants must submit a fully completed application form.

The winner of the award will be announced on the evening of the final judging, on Novem-ber 15.

ENTERPRISE: CALL FOR ENTRIES FOR ANNUAL ENTREPRENEURIAL CONTEST Camera

club set to exhibit� NATALIE BURKE

BALDOYLE Library will play host to the “Expres-sive Black and White” exhibition later this month – a photography event featuring the best work of Sutton Camera Club.

The photography exhi-bition will be held from Monday, September 24 until Friday, Septem-ber 28, with the official launch taking place on Tuesday, September 25 at 6.30pm.

With members of the photography club hailing from Baldoyle, Swords, Howth, Clongriff in, Portmarnock and Don-aghmede, the free exhibi-tion features work from a number of different com-munities.

Sutton Camera Club currently meet every sec-ond Tuesday night in the Baldoyle Forum Centre. For further information, see www.suttoncamera-club.com.

LIBRARY

Gimme Moore: Street’s traders help to celebrate orchestra’s concertsSWAPPING her fruit and veg for cymbals, Moore Street trader Marie Cullen showed Sinead Farrell what a dab hand she is when it comes to making music. The pair were having some fun on the famous street, as mem-

bers from the RTE National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) were visiting the street to help publicise the upcoming NSO 2012-2013 season, which is now under way at the National Concert Hall.


GazetteENTERTAINMENTENTERTAINMENT

� SHANE DILLON

IT’S been a while since I was last at the cinema, so I don’t have any particu-lar expectations of what most films for kids should be like, today.

I mean – and this is probably showing my age here – the last time I went to see a kid’s film, I think a young Jodie Foster was running around in it, looking for some place called Witch Mountain

(circa 1873)?There was definitely

an intermission in the middle of the film when the red curtains closed, I remember that much. 3D? It was all barely 2D, back then, mate!

All of this makes me sound less like a grown-up, and more like a dino-saur. Could an old fogey like me truly get to grips with something that’s, y’know, for kids?

Well, ParaNorman

(deservedly a Cert PG; 92 mins; starring, oh, John Goodman is just about the biggest name there) is a stop-motion animated film about Norman; an average kid in his sleepy home town.

Average, that is, except for the fact that he sees dead people everywhere, and wearily blathers away with amiable ghosts that only he can see, includ-ing Uncle Prenderghast (Goodman).

Personally, I’d be using my invisible buddies to ace every test in school, but, alas, Norman’s a nicer kid than me – err, so to speak – as he doesn’t treat his deadly pals with any disrespect.

Norman’s pretty nor-mal, otherwise, given his slightly annoying family; the fact that he’s getting bullied a bit at school, and the fact that his town keeps celebrating a witch that it, um, dealt with, 300 years earlier.

Now, you don’t sup-pose that a 300-year-dead witch and a boy who chats away to spirits from

Spot the odd one out ... Yes, that’s right – it’s Norman, who alone can see dead people

everywhere. A handy gift, it turns out, given a town curse that’s about to unfold ...

Boys and ghouls may like this film

the afterlife could possi-bly cross paths, thus ful-filling an ancient curse set upon the town, do you? (Or, in my best ghost-ese: dooooo youuuuu?)

It’s not long before dead ol’ witchipoo is back – back, and deader than ever – ready to make up for 300 years of other people partying and cel-ebrating her unfortunate

end, with a load of creepy minions and zombies.

(From this point onwards, the film ramps up its intensity a bit, as it gallops headlessly over heels towards that PG rating, making it worth pointing out that you bet-ter be sure your little boys and ghouls can handle the film’s grave humour.)

It’s down to Norman, his misfit friends, some clueless grown-ups and, of course, his spectral sidekicks – some of whom are dead willing to help – to save the day.

Not that it’s going to be that easy, of course ...

Actually, the film was fairly entertaining enough, with nothing too awful, so long as you’re clear that your little dar-

lings are going to see a PG film with ghosts, zom-bies and stuff.

(I had to grow up with endless cartoons starring sickly goodie-goodie, Casper The Friendly Ghost, so today’s kids have better luck than me with their entertainment choices.)

While stop-motion is something of a dying art, it’s beautifully done, here, crafting a lovely film to look at that, sure, is very much like a Tim Burton story in some parts, yet also has some heart and brains (or, in my zombie-ese, braiiiinnnnnssss).

So, for something a lit-tle spooky, and ahead of Halloween’s overkill, I’d say it’s worth an “okay” three stars out of five ...


GazetteTTRAVELRAVEL Edited by

Natalie Burke

A delightful tribute to Beckett in Enniskillen� BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

TRAVELLING to Fer-managh, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the very first Happy Days International Beckett Fes-tival, celebrating the work and legacy of Irish writer and playwright, Samuel Beckett, but I was excited at the prospect of seeing some of my favourite old Beckett plays performed in stimulating new ways – and I was certainly not disappointed.

Enniskillen was the location of the inaugural festival. Upon arriving at the gorgeous Manor House Hotel in Killadeas, I was struck by the period residence’s faultless resto-ration to its original glory on grounds overlooking Lough Erne, dating back to the 17th century.

Dinner was delicious, and the portions gener-ous, with wild salmon and fresh pasta served by a staff of very attentive wait-ers. During dinner, our party were introduced to the Happy Days festival, where its founder, Sean Doran, told us how it all began.

The seed for the idea was planted in his head to hold the festival in Enni-skillen before he was even aware of the connection between the influential writer and the town.

He said: “I didn’t know he went to Portora [Royal School] here, but I want-ed the festival to be here. When I found out, it was happy days!”

Unlike other purely literary festivals, Sean wanted Happy Days to be more eclectic, and full of the spirit of Beckett’s influence, rather than just a few days of seeing his plays performed.

With that in mind, he decided to mix in ele-ments which resonated with Beckett’s legacy.

Sean introduced sport-ing events, music and comedy into the pro-gramme; debates and talks by contemporary Irish and international writers, as well as Beckett pieces performed by small theatre companies and renowned actors.

HomageThe great melting pot of

acts and performers at the five-day festival was a col-lective homage to Beck-ett’s work and influence in all artistic forms.

The whole town of Enniskillen got into the spirit of the festival, with barber shops offering Beckett haircuts and deli-catessens selling ham and clove sandwiches.

However, the undisput-ed highlight of the whole festival was Robert Wil-son’s premiere of, Krapp’s Last Tape.

On entering the lovely Ardhowen Theatre, I knew I was in for some-thing mighty, judging by the calibre of punter around me.

From the moment the curtain came up, Ameri-can avant-garde theatre-maker Robert Wilson,

white-faced and utterly unique, mesmerised the audience.

His portrayal intro-duced effective and sym-bolic elements, bringing the play to life with a strange bolt of electricity.

The first thing Wil-son did was to sit, as the sound effect of teeming rain flooded the theatre. He sat for so long, he pushed the boundaries of audience expectation to the outer limits.

Then, he ate two bananas in a very stylised and ritualistic way, whilst looking at the audience with a world of conflicting

emotions on his face.The whole perform-

ance was a joy to witness, and I felt blessed to have been there.

Everything Wilson does is his own, and heavy with meaning and symbolism; he is a born artist of the highest rate, and I know I’ll never see anything like him again.

Not only was he a consummate performer on stage, but he used his primitive nature to great effect too.

Now and then, as he lis-tened to the tapes, a great primal noise would ema-nate from his distended

clown-like mouth as he reacted in horror.

Yet, the sound echoed that of the stop button on the tape recorder. This marriage of the sublime and the ridiculous was astonishingly original.

People left the show wearing blank, dazed expressions, and it was patently clear that Wilson had done the real job of a theatre maker – he had put us all through some-thing amazing.

For further informa-tion on the Manor House Hotel, Killadeas, Enni-skillen, see www.manor-housecountryhotel.com.

Celebrating 20 years

of Disneyland ParisTHIS year, for its 20th anniversary, there is more magic in the air than ever at Disneyland Paris, which has been transformed through an amazing explosion of lights and colours.

Abbey Travel is offering family stopover pack-ages for two adults and two children, starting from €479 per family, based on selected dates from November to March.

The package includes accommodation and breakfast in a Disney Hotel, tickets for both Dis-ney Parks for each day, free Fastpass to reduce queuing times at the most popular attractions, and extra Magic Hours – access to Disneyland Park up to two hours before its regular opening time.

For full details of the offer, and related terms and conditions, or to make a booking, tele-phone Abbey Travel at 01 804 7160, or see www.abbeytravel.ie.

TravelBriefs

The parties will be even bigger than usual this

year at the world-famous resort

Part of the striking front of the truly beautiful Manor House Hotel in Killadeas

Enniskillen gets into the spirit of the

festival, with many home-made signs

Writer Samuel Beckett would have approved of the

Muckball Cup, commissioned in his honour

Irish poet Paul Muldoon, heavily

influenced by Beckett, also appeared at

the festival

GazetteBUSINESSBUSINESS

ROBERT Prestage has more than 25 years’ experience in the plumbing and construc-tion industry, running his own company in South Africa’s Cape Town before moving to Dublin 12 years ago.

Initially coming for a holiday, professional curiosity got the bet-ter of him and, before the holiday was finished, he found himself working for a couple in Shankill, Co Dublin and, through referrals, he has never looked back.

Establishing Prestage Plumb-ers and Renovators soon after-wards, the business has gone from strength to strength; culmi-nating in his latest business ven-ture, the Bathroom Boutique.

The showroom, based in Churchtown, specialises in retail and offers full installation service and maintenance service by its sister company, Prestage Plumb-ers and Renovators.

The showroom is influenced by styles and concepts from Europe’s leading brands, offering a wide range of products from contemporary to traditional and everything in between.

Customers can find a wide range of baths, wet-room show-ers, shower enclosures, washba-sins, toilets, furniture and a large selection of tiles.

Robert says that Bathroom Boutique’s ethos is based on

Interview: Robert Prestage, owner, the Bathroom Boutique, Churchtown

Q&A

Bathroom designs to make a splash

Robert Prestage, owner, Bathroom Boutique, Churchtown, with some of the outlet’s wares

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

Q: What was your first job?A: Worked in a hardware store

in Cape Town

Q: And your first pay cheque?A: 250 rands per month –

about €25

Q: Have you ever done a job you loathed?A: Yes – a part-time mechanic

Q: When did you start your present job?A: 1981; I’ve been a plumber

ever since

Q: What is the best thing about your job?A: Customer satisfaction

Q: Have you ever achieved any-

thing that you once thought you could not pull off?A: No

Q: What part of your working day do you delegate?A: All day

Q: What’s currently on your desk that shouldn’t be?A: Mail

Q: What sport do you follow?A: Rugby and horseracing

Q: What sport can you play?A: Golf and archery

Q: What habits would you like to lose?A: Smoking

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

Q: What is your guilty music/

TV or movie pleasure?A: Farming and fishing pro-

grammes

Q: Who best represents modern Ireland – Michael D or Jedward?A: Jedward

Q: What music/pictures/movies do you have on your iPod/iPad?A: Netflix app

Q: Who do you follow on Twit-ter/Facebook?A: Family

Q: Describe your dream meal?A: Steak, chips and mushroom

sauce, and apple pie

Q: Who would you rather have dinner with – Enda Kenny or Dame Edna?A: Neither

Q: Where do you enjoy spend-ing money frivolously?A: Donedeal.ie

Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?A: Four

Q: What was your worst holi-day experience?A: Barbados

Q: Describe your dream holiday?A: It would have to be sitting

in the sun in a quiet place

drinking a glass of rose

Q: What would be your dream job?A: A farmer

Q: What do you plan to do when you retire?A: Maybe I will become a

farmer then

Supported by AIB

MY FINANCEE’S DEBTS ...

Q – MY FIANCEE and I are getting married in six months, but she is paying credit card debt and bank loans through MABS [the Money Advice and Budgeting Service].

So, when we get married, can they take my wages into account, and make me liable for her debts, too? Gerry – Clondalkin

A - SHE must be a wonderful girl to marry her with

all this debt. I suppose the phrase: “For richer, or

poorer” comes to mind!

By going to MABS, it means that perhaps some of

her debts require professional management and

strategy.

This time of your life is certainly a time when all

the cards should very definitely be on the table – no

secrets, especially financial ones.

You would want to ensure there are no other

skeletons in her cupboard.

The first thing I would do is for both of you to set

out a monthly income and expenditure budget – you

HAVE to know how much is coming in and, impor-

tantly, how much is going out.

You will also need to tell each other EXACTLY what

liabilities and assets you have.

You may decide to escalate the debt repayment

prior to marriage, so it doesn’t act like a millstone

around your necks.

As regards your liability for her debts after

marriage, the answer is no – her debts remain her

debts, even if she cannot afford to repay them.

However, if her credit history is affected (judg-

ments stay on your credit history for life), then that

will affect your application for joint loans, such as a

mortgage.

Even if she has a sound job with a healthy income,

she will be precluded from being approved because

of her past record.

Guard your good name, but talk openly NOW

about it.

Anti-money laundering rules stipulate: “Know

your customer”, but in your case, it is more like:

“Know your wife”!

But may I wish you many happy years together.

All the best.

� Contact John with your money questions at [email protected] or visit his website at www.moneydoctor.ie. John Lowe, Fellow of the Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing director of Money Doctor


delivering superior quality and outstanding service, and prod-ucts are sourced through Irish companies – mindful of his belief in keeping business local.

He adds that Tony and Tracey, the showroom staff, have more

than 30 years’ experience between them in the bathroom retail industry, with experience working with all the world’s lead-ing brands and designer ranges.

They look forward to meeting and advising customers through

the various stages of designing, choosing and installation of their dream bathroom.

For testimonials of finished projects, see www.thebathroom-boutique.ie, and www.prestagep-lumbers.ie.

WE HAVE 135,000*

READERS EACH WEEK

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESSYOUR BUSINESS

TO OUR READERS

CALL 60 10 240

*based on standard industry measurements


TOP WEDDING TIPS P24TOP WEDDING TIPS P24ROYAL TREATMENT P21ROYAL TREATMENT P21 HONEYMOONS P26HONEYMOONS P26

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

WELCOME to the Gazette’s Bride and Groom supplement, your complete guide to creating the perfect wedding day.

Inside this month’s fantastic supplement, we focus on one of the most important factors in your big day — venue, venue, venue!

With a focus on elegance and quality, we feature some of the best wedding venues in the province and beyond, while we also take the time with the help of a wedding planner to go through a checklist of all the vital things to think about when making the all-important decision about where your wedding will happen.

We also highlight another crucial venue — where you are going to have your honeymoon, and look at what is on offer in Malta at the fabu-lous Fortina resort.

As well as all of these great features, we are giving readers the chance to pick up a pair of tickets for the upcoming Wedding Journal Show which takes place on September 29 and 30 at the Citywest Complex. So make sure and enter, and if you don’t win, head along regardless — there’s a fabulous €25,000 wedding to be won at the event for everyone who attends.

So read on for some fantastic advice and tips on how to throw the ultimate wedding bash.

SEPTEMBER 2012&Bride Bride groom


l B E AUT Y I N BA L LSBR IDGE l

THE bride-to-be isn’t the only one to change their name when it comes to wedding days.

The Clyde Court Hotel in Ballsbridge, one of the most popular and romantic weddings venues in Dublin – and which features several elegant suites to choose from, with a selection of bespoke menus – recently changed its name from the Berkeley Court Hotel.

Its unique marriage of luxury and leg-end lends itself to big days.

The Grosvenor Suite is a regal ball-room with high ceilings, ornate mirrors, chandeliers and its own private bar, and is the perfect choice for larger wed-dings.

For more intimate celebrations, the Herbert Suite, or Clyde Room, both offer stylish surroundings and bespoke pack-ages to suit every taste and budget.

Clyde Court Hotel’s wedding pack-ages start at just €55 per person, and they host civil ceremonies and wedding

Elegant charm at the Clyde Court

&BRIDE GROOMD u b l i n ’ s c o m p l e t e g u i d e t o y o u r w e d d i n g

Sister hotels with first-class choice: Navan’s

Newgrange and Ardboyne excel with weddingsSISTER properties in Navan, the Newgrange and Ardboyne Hotels are offering prospec-tive brides and grooms a very different but equally royal wedding experience in the heart of Meath.

Both hotels have equally high standards and reputation, with the lively Newgrange Hotel inspired by the rich, ancient history of the area, while the Ardboyne Hotel providing a relaxed and luxurious setting for weddings.

Both hotels’ long years of experience in

organising and staging weddings of all sizes means they have the ability to assist every happy couple interested in holding their spe-cial day at the venues, and using their array of suites to provide an appropriate and tailor-able experience for all budgets and sizes.

For further information, contact the Newgrange Hotel at 046 907 4100 or see its website at www. newgrangehotel.ie; contact the Ardboyne Hotel at 046 902 3119, or see its website at www.ardboynehotel.com.

blessings, too.For further information, contact

personal wedding coordinator Leanne Regan at 01 238 2700, email [email protected], or find them online at www.clydecourthotel.com.

The beautiful Grovesnor Suite ballroom


l H I STOR I C S I GHTS FROM A CONTEMPOR ARY S ET T I NG l

EVERY woman dreams of a fairytale wedding day, in a luxurious and stylish venue.

There is an element of magic to all weddings, but having an historic castle on your doorstep is a great addition to the wonder of the day.

Trim Castle Hotel, which recently won the 2012 Best Wedding Venue in Leinster Wed-dings Online award, are set to open the doors to couples from around the province and beyond at their Wedding Fair, which will take place on Sunday, October 7.

The fair will showcase the hotel as a wedding venue and all it has to offer to prospective brides and grooms.

The hotel offers sea-sonal and mid-week

wedding packages, which include complimentary consultancy and plan-ning with their wedding coordinators, a red carpet and champagne recep-tion for the bridal party on arrival, and a compli-mentary stay for the bride and groom in one of their deluxe rooms, among other offerings.

Trim Castle Hotel is offering an all-inclusive wedding guest package on dates in 2013 and 2014 for only €55 per person.

The hotel itself over-looks Trim Castle and the adjoining rolling lawns of St Patrick’s Church, and also boasts a rooftop ter-race from which guests can admire the impres-sive castle.

At Trim Castle Hotel, the team aspire to make your wedding day the

Get royal treatment at Trim Castle Hotel

Trim Castle Hotel’s rooftop terrace affords beautiful views of Trim Castle and lawns

most memorable and enjoyable day of your life. To achieve this, their wedding team assures personal and professional attention in the planning and preparation of each couple’s special celebra-tion.

A spokesperson for the hotel said: “Modern

couples simply do not go for just any venue. Trim Castle Hotel is the perfect choice for their reception, as it possesses the old-world charisma of the historical Anglo- Norman castle, and the contemporary standards of magnificent food and stunning decor.

“Looking onto the cas-tle, lit in romantic colour against the evening sky, is a breathtaking scene. This place has it all, and, if you host your wedding there, know that your guests will be talking about it for a long time to come,” said the spokesperson.

For further informa-

tion, you are very wel-come to attend the Wed-ding Fair on October 7.

Alternatively, contact the hotel’s wedding co-

ordinators at 046 948 3000, email [email protected], or see www.trimcastlehotel.com.

Wedding parties are assured of comfort and attention

to detail at wonderfully-presented receptions


l YOUR CHANCE FOR FRE E ENTRY TO AN UNM ISSABL E C I T Y WEST E V ENT l

DUBLIN Gazette Bride and Groom is delighted to offer our readers the chance to win a pair of tickets to the 2012 Wedding Journal Show, which takes place next week-end, September 29 and 30 at the Citywest Complex.

The Wedding Journal Show 2012 will feature more than 350 exhibitors and provide brides and grooms alike with a one-stop-wedding shop, together with all the inspira-

tion they need to plan their big day.

From venues and flowers to dresses and cars, the show has it all, and all under one roof.

Dream gownCelebrating all that’s Irish,

there will be an Irish Bridal Designers Area to help you find that dream gown, as well as Wedding Journal’s inter-national catwalk show, with

fully choreographed dance routines, which takes place three times daily.

The exclusive event pro-vides a rare opportunity to see a selection of designer wedding gowns, and many superb styles for bridesmaids, mothers of the bride, and groomswear, some of which have never been seen in Ire-land before.

Another huge attraction will be the opportunity for all

attendees to be entered into a prize draw to win a fabu-lous wedding package, worth €25,000.

The package will include a wedding reception at the Bal-lymagarvey Village; a dream honeymoon to St Nicolas Bay, Crete (a member of the Great Hotels of the World group); a wedding dress from Patrick Casey; room dress-ing from Frog Prince; wed-ding photographs by Laura

Faherty Photography; and wedding rings from McDow-ell’s Jewellers.

Competition questionTo win a pair of tickets,

answer this simple question:Which Ireland AM star will

be the host of the 98FM Style Stage at The Wedding Journal Show?

Send your answers (includ-ing your full name, address, and a contact number) by

email, with the subject line: Bride & Groom, to [email protected] by Tuesday, September 27.

The Wedding Journal Show 2012 will run from 12 noon to 6pm on both days, with the international catwalk show times at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm.

Tickets at the door cost €13, or are priced €10 when pre-booked online, with VIP tickets available for €20 from ww.ticketmaster.ie.

Win tickets to 2012 Wedding Journal Show


LOCALMATTERS

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

ADVERTISE WITH

THE GAZETTE CALL

60 10 240

l LOTS TO CONS ID ER FOR YOUR A L L- IMPORTANT PART Y l

FIRSTLY, you have to consider the date. Before you make any selection on venue, it is very important to know the time of year that you want to get married.

The time of year can dictate cost, so do not restrict yourself to one date, but have a few in mind.

You also have to con-sider the actual venue, as these come in all shapes and sizes. There are castles, contemporary hotels, rural wedding

venues, marquee venues – the list goes on ...

I look after a contem-porary, elegant wedding venue that is adaptable for every season.

Topics to considerWhen it comes to ven-

ues, you always have to ask about topics such as what are the minimum numbers, maximum and minimum capac-ity, accessibility, does it have civil ceremony or blessing facilities, guest accommodation, late bar,

bridal suite, car parking, where can you get pho-tographs taken (if not at the venue, where is close by?)

Next, the type of venue that you pick will more than likely dictate the decor.

If you want to add special touches, or if the motto “less is more” is for you, your best bet is to go with a venue with neu-tral decor – the Baskin Suite uses ivory and gold tones.

This allows you to

match your colour theme or keep as is. Fairy light backdrops are also very popular.

For costing, meet with the wedding coordinator, get the full cost, and see if there is room to nego-tiate.

PackageThe Baskin Suite has

recently launched an all-inclusive package that includes everything that you will need on your day – flowers, car, enter-tainment, cake and all

Great advice to



Top tips from CAROLINE MILLER, wedding coordinator at the Baskin Suite in Bewley’s Hotel, Dublin Airport


help pick the perfect venueother venue items.

The great thing about the all-inclusive package is that it saves on time and cost.

Also ask if there are any hidden costs!

Your wedding coordi-nator is very important, as he or she plays a huge role in your wedding experience, as the more experienced, profession-al and approachable the wedding coordinator is, the better you will feel throughout the whole experience.

When it comes to food, make sure to select something that appeals to the majority of your guests.

Also check that the venue can cater for veg-etarians, children and all dietary requirements.

Don’t forget that, for beverages, if you decide to have wine during your meal – try and taste it, first!

Have a think about your choice of toast drink; you can let each guest choose their own

drink, or do a set drink, such as champagne or sparkling wine.

For entertainment, when you are selecting a band or DJ, I always recommend going and viewing them.

Make contact with them, and get a list of their upcoming gigs, before the big day.

Don’t forget to check for restrictions at the venue, such as: Is there a late bar? Are children allowed.

Lastly, consider your deposit and contract, noting that most depos-its are non-refundable. For anything that you have agreed – get it in writing!

Other than that, enjoy every minute of your wedding planning! Caroline Miller: “When it comes to deposits and contracts, for anything that you have agreed – get it in writing!”

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

‘The Baskin Suite has recently launched an all-inclusive package that includes everything that you will need on your day’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


l WHY NOT MARRY I N A J EWEL O F THE MED I T ERR ANE AN? l

EVERY wedding day should be glorious but, sadly, the Irish weather isn’t always what you’d hope it will be. Long-haul destinations usually offer guaranteed sunshine, but you have to factor in the jet lag and expense.

However, with Malta just a three-hour flight away from Dublin, you can find a sun-soaked spot rich in history, beauty and culture, that is often called “an open-air museum”.

The breadth of choice is astonishing, but what may intrigue you more is the exceptional value for money that getting mar-ried in Malta can offer.

The island is generally far more reasonable than many other Mediterra-nean islands.

The combination of Malta’s climate, and its

selection of inspiring wedding venues, could offer the idyllic location for the best day of your life.

One such venue is the Fortina Spa Resort, located in the heart of Sliema on the north-east coast of Malta.

The resort overlooks Valletta, the island’s capi-tal, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

LuxuryWhether you want to

relax in the spa facilities at the hotel for a few days before the event, or have the ceremony first and holiday later, the Fortina provides the ideal base for a luxurious wedding and honeymoon.

Imagine exchanging vows on a gloriously sunny day, cooled by the scented breeze drift-

ing off the Mediterra-nean, then whisking your guests off in a yacht to enjoy a reception in the grounds of a castle, fol-lowed by dancing under the stars ...

Alternatively, why not think about getting mar-ried in a country chapel, art gallery or on the beach?

To make sure every-thing goes like clock-work, it helps to have local experts to organise and advise you on your wedding.

The staff at the Fortina Spa Resort are experi-enced wedding organ-isers, and can source photographers, make-up artists, hairdressers, flo-rists and even send your invitations for you – in short, everything you need to ensure the day goes smoothly.

They can also accom-modate you for a beau-tiful ceremony, to your exact specifications, in the grounds of the resort.

The resort is also acclaimed for its interna-tionally-inspired cuisine, so, if you’re tying the knot on the pool deck against breathtaking views of Valletta harbour, you can take advantage of an extensive repertoire that includes French, Thai, Indian or Italian fare, or local flavours.

You can also take the expertise of the For-tina’s award-winning chefs with you, should you decide to hold your reception elsewhere on the island.

For further informa-tion, call 0800 917 3001, or email [email protected].

Marvellous Malta will make your day


With a wealth of options to consider, Malta has a great range of venues and locations to add a dash of classic

style and beauty to your big day. The Fortina Spa Resort, located in the heart of Sliema on the island’s north-

east coast, is perfectly located to help make the most of your venue.

www.gazette group.comwww.gazette group.com

All of your latest local news, sport, features and pictures are now just a click away


WE HAVE

135,000*

READERS

EACH

WEEK

ADVERTISE

YOUR YOUR

BUSINESSBUSINESS

TO OUR

READERS

CALL

60 10 240

*based on

standard industry

measurements

l BR I DGE HOUSE HOTE L , TU L L AMORE l

THE Bridge House Hotel in Tullamore is getting ready to host its Wed-ding Expo on Sunday, September 30, which will see the four-star venue showing all that it can offer in creating a truly special day for its customers, and welcome brides- and grooms-to-be.

On the day, the hotel will be set up to dem-onstrate all the Bridge House can do for wed-ding parties.

There will be the opportunity to meet the hotel’s wedding team, and a host of wedding suppliers, including vid-eographers, stationery suppliers, bakers, pho-

A wedding expo for the big day of your dreams

Head to the Headfort Arms: You won’t want to miss its special fair

tographers, bands and musicians, florists, hair-dressers, specialist jew-ellers, expert health and lifestyle consultants and, of course, bridal wear and menswear – all on hand to give all the wedding tips you could need.

The Wedding Expo at the Bridge House Hotel

will also include a bridal gown display, auction and a range of incentives for anyone who books their wedding on the day.

Now, the hotel’s dedi-cated wedding website – http://tullamore-wed-dings.bridgehouse.com – lets potential brides and

A lovely feature at The Bridge House Hotel is its “secret

garden” – an oasis of peace for the happy couple

grooms preview exactly what the Bridge House Hotel has to offer, as well as view special offers and learn more about the hotel’s wedding team.

Located less than 90 minutes from Dublin, Galway and Limerick, the Bridge House Hotel has more than 40 years of experience and a longstanding reputation as one of the Midland’s most popular hotels for wedding receptions and civil ceremonies.

For further informa-tion, contact the Bridge House Hotel at 057 932 5600; or see the hotel’s website, www.bridge-house.com, or its dedi-cated wedding website.

THE Headfort Arms Hotel in Kells is rolling out the red carpet to couples in October when they host their Autumn Wedding Show on Sunday, October 7.

Hotel owners, the Duff family, are celebrating 40 years in busi-ness this year, and have looked after generations of weddings with a personal family touch.

Every need in organising your

nuptials will be covered on the day, with suppliers from every domain available to discuss pro-spective clients’ every require-ment for their perfect wedding, from entertainers to hat design-ers, jewellers to honeymoon experts.

For further information, call 046 924 0063, or see www.head-fortarms.ie online.

SWORDSclassifiedsGAZE

TTE

GAZE

TTE

To advertise, call us now on 01 60 10 240

WANT TO

TALK TO

YOUR LOCAL

MARKET?

TALK TO US

FIRST!

BATHROOMS

DVD SERVICES

...€300* FOR 12 WEEKS!

YOUR LOCAL GAZETTE FOR THE

BEST LOW COST ADVERTISING

CALL US NOW ON 01 60 10 240

*Excluding VAT. Subject to pre-payment

YOU CAN HAVE THIS ADFOR AS LITTLE AS... !


BUILDING

Call your local sales person,

Imelda

Armstrongnow on

01 [email protected]

WE HAVE

135,000*

READERS

EACH

WEEK

ADVERTISE

YOUR YOUR

BUSINESSBUSINESS

TO OUR

READERS

CALL

60 10 240

*based on

standard industry

measurements

SHOWERS

GARDENING

PLUMBING

CARPENTRY

RECRUITMENT


Fingal Sports office to

run athletics league

� [email protected]

SWORDS Celtic’s sen-iors are laying down a fantastic foundation to a season as they extended their streak to five victo-ries in five games in the Leinster Senior League’s Sunday Major division.

Manager Larry Clare spoke to GazetteSport at the beginning of the season saying: “realisti-cally, we want to get at least promotion out of this campaign, we are definitely capable of winning the league.”

And they have start-ed that push in decent fashion with their lat-est victory coming over

Tullamore Town who they saw off 4-1, with new striker Robbie Far-rell, who Clare previ-ously declared would be a standout, bagging a brace with Shane Byrne and Barry Caulfield tak-ing the other two.

With their closest rivals, Enniskerry Youth Club, trailing Celtic by one point after playing two games more than the league’s front run-ners, Clare’s side look on good terms to lift the league title at the end of the year.

With a lot of talent in the youth ranks, Celtic boast five teams that are playing premier football

this year, with some still to find their feet in the higher divisions.

The U-11 side will take the positives of scoring a lot of goals from their encounter with Corduff last weekend, but unfor-tunately for the side they were out-gunned 6-5 in a thrilling affair which marked their sec-ond defeat of the league campaign.

Playing at home, the U-12 side took their sec-ond draw of the season in a very close affair with Balbriggan, who fought their corner for the duration of proceedings with the game finishing up at 3-3.

The U-13 premiers went out with a point to prove after falling to Woodlawn in their first outing of the league campaign losing by one goal.

The team showed their finishing prowess against Kildare’s May-nooth, who they played out a 4-4 draw with, showing a vast improve-ment from their first defeat.

Perhaps grabbing some vengeance for the U-11s close fought defeat to Blanchards-town’s Corduff, Celtic’s U-14 premiers took a great result over the Dublin 15 side when

they saw them off 4-1, bouncing back from a first day defeat to St Kevin’s.

The U-15 As returned to NDSL action this weekend, and they kicked off their cam-paign in style as they saw off Ashbourne 2-1.

The senior Major 1 C side grabbed a win over Rathcoole in a convinc-ing 4-1 result this week-end too, and they were not to be outdone by the Saturday Division 3 out-fit that sit on top of their league as well, main-taining their unbeaten run in their campaign while seeing off Spartak Dynamo 3-1.

Swords cutting loose in LSLThe Swords Celtic U-12 Premier side claimed a 3-3 draw last weekend as the club continues to enjoy its 50th anniversary season

GazetteSportSportSOCCER: CELTIC PUSHING FORTH IN LSL SUNDAY MAJORFastSport

Double date for

Fingal hockeyFINGAL hockey club begin their Lein-ster men’s division one league campaign with a double-week-end.

They meet reign-ing Mills Cup cham-pions Pembroke on Saturday afternoon in ALSAA where they will hope the return of Chris Neville from Portrane and Alan Davis from Suttoni-ans will help them pick off a surprise result against one of

the fancied sides for the division.

On Sunday, they meet Avoca in what looks a much more m a n a g e a b l e t i e against the side pro-moted to the top tier this year.

But the Blackrock club have lost four players to retirement since moving up while their three Australian imports will not arrive until the following weekend, leaving them short on expe-rience at this level of competition and are touted as favourites for the drop.

THE Fingal County Council’s Sports Office, in partnership with Athletics Ireland, is look-ing forward to welcoming over 33 schools and approximately 1,200 students to take part in the Fingal Athletics League.

Schools from all over Fingal can choose to enter one of two leagues in Porterstown Park, Dublin 15 or Balheary Park, Swords. Schools can enter a maximum of 50 pupils, both boys and girls – who will race separately – from third to sixth class with race distances ranging from approximately 250m to 550m depending on the age group.

There will be three race meets in the respec-tive venue before the finals day in May 2013 in Morton Stadium, Santry, which sees both leagues coming together to race at Ireland’s pre-mier athletics facility.

Niall Mc Guirk, senior sports development officer for FCC said: “This league is aimed at creating a fun environment for children to become physically active, to develop an interest in the sport and to hopefully get involved with their local athletics club.”

To register your school or for more informa-tion contact Niall Mc Guirk at [email protected] or 01-890 6232 or check out the Fingal Athletics League Video on their YouTube channel (FingalSportsOffice).

Cricketing kings:

Malahide U-13s win

three team bowl-outMALAHIDE cricket club’s U-13 side won a three-team bowl-out at the recent Fingal six-a-side tournament, held over two days at North County.Three sides finished level on points

after the initial group phases, leading to the bowl-out to decide the eventual winner.At U-15 level , North County, The Hills,

Malahide and Balbriggan competed with the host club coming out at the eventual winners.


CLUB NOTICEBOARD

THE annual colours night will take

place this Saturday in the club bar.

The invite goes out to all members and

friend with a dress code of a county/

club jersey or polo top.

Two All-Ireland football stand tickets

will be on auction with many more spot

prizes on the night.

Our footballers progressed to the

intermediate championship quarter-

final with a win on Friday evening. Our

U-15A footballers beat Ballyboden A in

the first round of their championship.

To celebrate Catherine Walsh’s

achievement in bringing two Olympic

medals home, the club are presently

organising a celebration night on Sat-

urday, September 29. Further details

to follow.

The club will be hosting hurling, foot-

ball, ladies’ football and camogie mini

All-Ireland’s starting on Monday, Sep-

tember 24 with hurling. All matches

will be on the main pitch and the cost

per child is €5. Please contact Nicola/

Simon or see promotional posters in

the club for more information.

A reminder that our nursery

resumed on Saturday with record

numbers. There are still places avail-

able. if interested, please come along

to the club next Saturday morning

from 10am or contact nicola.fitgerald.

[email protected].

Our Coiste Cultúrtha intend to have

a Fingallians team in this year’s Scór

na nÓg. This is the GAA’s cultural talent

competition for Under-17s which will

be held in November. Further details

on the competition are available at the

Cúinne na Gaeilge section of our web-

site www.fingallians.com. Anybody

interested in helping or organising

our team should contact Liam at 086

3814422.

The golf society held their annual

captain’s day in Beaverstown last

Friday. The overall winner was Eoin

Cullen, golfer of the year went to Paul

O’Neill and visitor went to Rory Robin-

son. Well done captain Shay and presi-

dent Jonathan Jennings.

The bloodbank would like to thank all

of Fingal who made blood donations

last week. They will be returning in

mid-December.

FINGAL RAVENSTHE minor team play Craobh Chiarain

in the league final on Sunday, Septem-

ber 23 at 10.30am in Rolestown; best of

luck to the lads, please come out and

support them.

We are running a table quiz on Friday,

October 5 at 8pm in Kettles. Each team

in the club are requested to enter at

least two tables, €7.50 per person (€30

per table).

As well as overall winning tables,

we will award additional fun prizes to

the leading table/team in the differ-

ent groups (juvenile boys and girls,

seniors, etc). For more information,

contact your team manager/mentor

or Nick Halligan at 087 2214992.

Well done to the U-13s on a good win

over Naomh Mearnog in the league on

Saturday.

Well done to the Fingal Ravens team

who beat Fingallians on Saturday to

be the first winners of the Alan Leetch

Memorial Cup.

Family tickets for the hurling replay:

regrettably there will be no family

tickets available for sale through the

club as the Dublin county board has

received a very small number of these

tickets.

We would like to send our sympathies

to Brian Honan and his family on the

death of his father.

We would also like to send our con-

dolences to Terry McGeough and

his family on the tragic death of his

cousin, Fermanagh footballer Brian

Og Maguire.

FINGALLIANS

FOOTBALL: SWORDS MEN THROUGH TO QUARTERS

Fingallians got the better of Clann Mhuire last weekend to give them a major boost for the league run-in

Flying Flynn back in the mix for Fins� PETER CARROLL

[email protected]

FINGALLIANS have booked their place in the quarter-finals of the intermediate football championship after see-ing off Clann Mhuire 1-14 to 1-5 in Garristown last Friday, giving the team a new lease of life after a league campaign that has them eyeing a relegation playoff.

A year ago, Fingallians were in the league final of the AFL2, a stark contrast to the situation they find themselves in this year.

But clubman Daniel Davern believes it is par for the course in “the most competitive league in Dublin.”

“It really just goes to show you how tight things are in the league,” said Davern.

“Last year, we were a kick of a ball away from the first division and now we’re battling to stay in the second.

“The games we won last

year by a point or two, we are losing this year by a point or two. It’s a game of such small margins,” he told GazetteSport.

The Swords side made the intermediate cham-pionship their goal at the start of the year, but have reassessed the situation with a view to staying in the AFL2 now.

However, Fingallians’ man Davern believes a lot of positives have come from their first campaign in the intermediate cham-pionship and from the league, despite the side not being in the position they would like to be.

“We’ve brought young lads into the fold this year that have been abso-lutely brilliant and they’ve nailed down places for themselves in the start-ing 15.

“They’ve learned with every kick of the ball and every game they’ve played, and maybe it’s the cuteness that some of the lads are missing, the expe-rience of knowing how to

win a game in senior foot-ball, because it’s a huge step up.

“I believe if we stay in the league, we will finish a lot better next season, because this has been a huge learning curve for some of the young lads, but a valuable one too,” said Davern.

Dublin star Paul Flynn marked his return to the Fingallians set-up with a decisive goal that saw his team take a convincing lead going into the sec-ond half, which proved a bridge too far for Clann Mhuire.

Davern believes the

2011 All Star’s return to the squad will be crucial to Fingallians’ chances of staying in the AFL2 and also to the development of the younger players.

“Obviously, a player of Paul’s calibre is a huge boost to the squad, he showed that in the Clan Mhuire game and his influence will be huge in the remaining fixtures.

“It gives the whole squad a boost and the younger players especially, who have a huge respect for him even though they tackle him as hard as any-one else in training,” joked Davern.

WE HAD huge disappointment this

weekend with our footballers losing

their intermediate championship tie

to an excellent Good Counsel on Sat-

urday evening. The lads from Good

Counsel put in an outstanding second

half to come from four points behind

at the break.

Our junior footballers put in an excel-

lent performance on Sunday morning,

beating Kilmacud Crokes by 1-12 to

0-10. The result leaves the lads with

one league fixture and will see them

ending up in mid-table with plenty to

look forward to in the next campaign.

We also had great wins for our Under-

14 and Under-15 footballers in their

championship fixtures. The U-14s beat

Geraldine Moran’s by a score of 9-18 to

7-9 and the U-15s beat St Peregrine’s

by 6-13 to 2-6. Still plenty of excite-

ment to come this season.

We have the mini All-Ireland leagues

being played each evening from Tues-

day to Friday this week. The leagues

are open to boys and girls aged six to

12. Registration forms available from

www.stfinians.com.

The inter-county table quiz is being

held on Thursday, September 20 at

8.30pm in Peacocks.

Please wear your county colours,

particularly if you are a Mayo or Don-

egal supporter.

ST FINIAN’S

ALL OF YOUR SWORDS SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 30-31 SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

SUPER CELTS: Swords continue fine early

season form with a series of big wins P30 Ga

zetteSPORT

� [email protected]

FINGALLIANS inter footballers were paired against Good Counsel in the quarter-finals of the championships following their impressive victory over Clann Mhuire in the last 16 of the competition this week.

It means the Swords’ men – who were bol-stered by the return of the talismanic Paul Flynn last time around – will hope to make their AFL2 experience tell over the Drimnagh side who currently ply their trade in the lower reaches of AFL3.

Fins will not have far to go should they want to embark on a scouting mission as they are the last of the Swords’ sides left standing in the com-petition.

St Finian’s, off the back of their recent pro-motion back up to senior league football, were unable to carry the momentum into the competi-tion, falling at the hands of Counsel.

Fingallians’ date in that quarter-final is set for either October 3 or 4.

Elsewhere, the good times keep on rolling for St Sylvester’s as their senior, inter and ladies footballers progressed in their respective coun-ty championships and the hurlers have a final showdown with Round Tower on Saturday after-noon.

It keeps alive the prospect of yet more silver-ware to go with the ladies’ incredible Dublin intermediate football success of last month. They marched into the quarter-finals with a breathtak-ing 5-18 to 0-3 win over St Kevin’s of Louth last weekend to set up a date with Laois side Cret-tyard in the Leinster quarter-final.

Dublin senior Niamh McEvoy was in immacu-late form while Sinead Aherne up front showed her killer instinct as the Broomfield club racked up a huge win.

In similar fashion, the men’s senior team stormed to a 5-12 to 0-5 victory over a Raheny side that were fancied to cause Gabriel Banni-gan’s side plenty of problems.

But after a tight first half, ending 1-4 to 0-4, Syl’s powered home with Nigel Dunne scoring

a hat-trick of goals while Michael McCarthy was also in prolific form.

They did, however, get handed a really tough draw in the last 16 phase of the county’s premier competition as they were paired against St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh in Tuesday evening’s draw.

The club is home of back-to-back players of the year Bernard and Alan Brogan as well as former Dublin star Jason Sherlock, Meath midfielder Anthony Moyles, the prolific Cavan sharp-shooter Gareth “Nesty” Smith and Ross McConnell.

Perennial challengers, Plunkett’s were undone in last year’s final by Navan Road neighbours St Brigid’s but, of late, have always been included in the list of any potential winners of the title.

They have the form edge over Syl’s, too, in this competition, Smith’s injury time point did the damage in the second round of the competition back in 2010 in a single-point game. Similarly, in 2009’s fourth round, there was little to separate the sides but Plunkett’s won out by three points.

Fingallians to play Fingallians to play Good Counsel in IFCGood Counsel in IFCFollowing victory over Clann Mhuire, the Lawless Park club will hope to succeed where St Finian’s missed out

Paul Flynn, in possession, has been a huge boost for Fingallians as they progressed to the quarter-final of the intermediate football championship

GAA MATTERS:All the best local Gaelic Games coverage P31

swords gazette

Documents