blanch

For the record: Jaker hope to take over music scene in 2011LOCAL band Jaker, featuring Kevin Casey (above), are determined to make 2011 a year to remember by getting their original sound out there for record companies to hear in a bid to get signed. Blanchardstown natives Kevin, and his twin brothers Ian and

Neil, have been rocking the Dublin 15 and city centre scene as Jaker for some time now, and have no interest in stopping anytime soon. For informa-tion on Jaker and their upcoming gigs, log onto www.jakermusic.netFull Story on Page 5

Centre rejects claim on siting of circus

LAURA WEBB

A LOCAL politician has criti-cised a decision by the Blan-chardstown Shopping Centre to provide space to a circus that uses wild animals for “entertainment” in its shows.

Socialist Party councillor Ruth Coppinger said she was shocked that, in 2011, wild animals such as tigers were being used by the circus and described the “confined” con-ditions required for circuses

as completely unsuitable for them.

A c ircus spokesman responded to the councillor’s comments saying: “Our ani-mals are loved and extremely well cared for.”

Meanwhile, the general manager of Blanchardstown Centre Joe Gavin said the circus has received “a posi-tive reaction from the general public”.

Full Story on Page 2

YOUR COMMUNITY • YOUR PAPER May 19, 2011

ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES .........7, 8 & 10

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

PROPERTY ................... 20

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

ENTERTAINMENT ......... 24

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

Football: Brigid’s take place in U-16 Dublin finalPage 31

Soccer: FC Blanch’s anniversary crowned Page 32

RECYCLE THIS COPY. KEEP DUBLIN TIDY.

CHARITY: Local woman hops on her bike for the ISPCC See Page3

FREE GAZETTEGAZETTEBlanch

Time to swap the family for luxury at Carton House

TRAVEL: 24.

INSIDE: Girls’ Night In at the

Crowne Plaza P6

2 BLANCH GAZETTE 19 May 2011

Measures put in place to contain foul odour

LAURA WEBB

IT is hoped that the installation of an elec-tronic odour monitor into a sewer pipe in the Mul-huddart area will help to contain a foul odour that has been released into the air intermittently for some time.

Over the past number of years, residents and local politicians have complained about a problem with foul odours emanating from the mains sewer line, which runs the length of Church Road in Mulhuddart.

The sewer, which serves the Ashbourne area of County Meath, is separate from the Fingal Network and is routinely dosed by Meath County

Council. This dosing, with a deo-

dorising chemical, takes place at Meath County Council’s pumping sta-tion in Kilbride before it is pumped through the Fingal Area. This dosing is normally sufficient to suppress odours.

However, according to an FCC spokesperson, since January there was a “particular odour prob-lem experienced” and Meath County Council were having difficulties with their dosing system.

Since then the two councils have been work-ing together to combat the odour problem and say it is “fair to say that there has been a marked improvement in the situ-ation since January”.

To ensure this smell is contained, FCC has taken a number of measures to help both parties deal with the problem, which includes the installation of an electronic odour monitor to be placed within the sewer.

This can be read remotely, allowing MCC access the monitor so that they can “correlate their dosing regime accord-ingly”.

O t h e r m e a s u r e s included replacing all the manhole covers from the Grotto as far as Mulhud-dart Bridge with sealed covers.

This is so any odour emanating from the sew-age will be contained within the sewer pipe and can only be vented

at the vent pipes, which exist for this purpose within the Park at the top of the Church Road. “The entire sewer line has been jet-cleaned to ensure that it runs freely. A staff member from FCC also visits the location regu-larly (almost every day) to assess whether or not there is an odour prob-lem. MCC do likewise.

“There is also regular contact between staff from both county coun-cils such that, if an odour problem is detected, MCC are immediately made aware so that they can correlate their dosing regime accordingly,” the spokesperson said.

Mulhuddart Coun-cillor Ruth Coppinger agreed that a lot of work

has been done in the last few months but said the key to keeping this odour controlled is by installing this monitor.

“It shouldn’t take a phone call from the coun-cil or resident to tell MCC that this is a problem. We need an odour monitor.

“This has been a very serious issue for residents in Mulhuddart and Tyr-relstown, because the smell goes as far as there, for years.”

Adding installing it should be “high priority” because there is nowhere else in FCC where Fingal residents suffer this prob-lem.

The FCC spokesperson is hopeful that the moni-tor will be in place within the month.

COUNCIL: NEW ELECTRIC MONITOR HOPED TO END SEWER PROBLEM

Clothes call: Buy My DressWOMEN all over the country are being asked to donate their unwanted dresses to Down Syndrome Centre’s annual Buy My Dress campaign, which takes place on Saturday, May 28. The initiative has Irish women all over the country, like Trish Fallon with Paula Finlay from Blanchardstown, throwing open their closets and digging out a once-loved dress, to donate to this fun and stylish campaign. Last year’s event saw 4,000 dresses being sold in the one day in Dublin, Cork and Galway, raising €60,000. All monies raised through Buy My Dress go to fund a Down Syndrome Liaison Nurse.

LAURA WEBB

A LOCAL politician has criticised a decision by the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre to pro-vide space to a circus that uses wild animals for “entertainment” in its shows.

Socialist Party council-lor Ruth Coppinger said she was shocked that, in 2011, wild animals such as tigers were being used by the circus and described the “confined” conditions required for circuses as completely unsuitable for them.

Councillor Coppinger said she believed that tigers and lions were “majestic animals who obviously must suffer greatly in the very con-fined conditions required for circuses. These ani-mals cannot behave or socialise normally. It is also highly dangerous to the public as there are many cases of wild ani-mals attacking trainers and the audience.”

Her comments came as Tom Duffy’s Circus began its 10-day stay at the Blan-chardstown Centre.

Speak ing to the Gazette, a circus spokes-man responded to the

Councillor’s comments saying: “Our animals are loved and extremely well cared for.”

“If are animals lived in fear, or were anything les than happy, it would show; while it’s possible to train an animal it’s impos-sible to make an unhappy animal look happy.

“Last week in Blan-chardstown over 7,000 people came to our show; I don’t believe for a minute that all these peo-ple would come to see our show if they thought our animals were less than happy and content.”

Meanwhile, the Gen-eral Manager of Blan-chardstown Centre Joe Gavin said the circus has received “a positive reaction from the general public”.

“We respect the views of Councillor Coppinger and will consider these views when deciding to host similar events in the future,” he said.

According to Cllr Cop-pinger Fingal County Council has passed motions banning such cir-cuses from using council sites, as have many local authorities and, indeed, countries.

Continued on Page 4

COUNCIL: ANGER OVER CIRCUS SITE DECISION

Centre’s plan for circus is condemned

Socialist Party Cllr Ruth Coppinger has lashed the

Blanchardstown Centre’s decision to provide space

for Duffy’s Circus

19 May 2011 BLANCH GAZETTE 3

CHARITY Support for fundraising cycle event

Local woman hops on her bike for ISPCC

LAURA WEBB

A LOCAL woman hopped on her bike to help launch the 2011 ISPCC Charity Cycle from Bray to Howth and back, and is encouraging D15 to get on board and help raise funds for the worthy cause.

ISPCC volunteer, Patri-cia Carr, from Blanchard-stown, is promoting the charity cycle which takes place this June 19.

The ISPCC cycle, which is supported by Capita, Ireland’s leading outsourcing company, aims to raise €33,000 for the ISPCC’s mentoring services.

The service provides positive role models and support to children and families nationwide.

Increased demands mean this service is cur-rently operating waiting lists in a number of loca-tions.

Money raised from the cycle will allow the ISPCC to train more

volunteers to work with vulnerable children and families nationwide.

Patricia remembers the early days as a volunteer with the ISPCC.

“It was very challeng-ing for me as I hadn’t studied in a long time and most of the people in my class had experi-ence in working with children; some were teachers or people work-ing with children with special needs, but I had no experience at all.

“However, it was, and still is, the most reward-ing and challenging thing I have ever done in my life.

“I am very proud to call myself an ISPCC vol-unteer.”

When asked why she decided to do the cycle she adds: “People think that this organisation gets support from the Gov-ernment and yes, they do – less than 10% of their annual income.

“That is practically nothing compared to

the demand the ISPCC’s services have and the number of volunteers they need to train.

“I would like to invite people to join me for the cycle and help the ISPCC meet the demand for their work.”

The charity cycle is not a race, and is open to people of all levels of fit-ness. Registration is €40 which includes a mini service, a cycle jersey and food stops.

Participants that regis-ter before June 1 go into a draw to win a €500 cycle shop voucher.

The ISPCC receives less than 10% Govern-ment funding for their services.

Participants in the cycle events are also encouraged to raise fur-ther funds through spon-sorship for the ISPCC’s mentoring services.

For more details, and to register to take part, in this event call 1850 50 40 50 or log on to www.ispcc.ie.

Lenihan to return ‘shortly’

LAURA WEBB

Dublin West TD and former Minister and Brian Lenihan is resting at home after spending a few days in hospital, but is expected to return to work “shortly”.

It was reported last week that the Fianna Fail Deputy was in hospital for cancer treatment.

Speaking to the Gazette this week, a Fianna Fail spokesperson said the party will not be com-menting on his health, but understand he is “in good form” and that he will be back to work “very shortly”.

Deputy Lenihan was diagnosed with pancre-atic cancer in late 2009, but has remained positive about his illness and treat-ment.

POLITICS

Blanchardstown’s Patricia Carr will cycle from Bray to Howth and back in support

of the ISPCC

Enterprise Board ‘sharing its secrets’

LAURA WEBB

FINGAL County Enter-prise Board is “sharing the secrets of business success” at its forthcom-ing Business Network meeting to be hosted by Conall O Morain of Today FM.

Sharing the Secrets of Business Success will be held at the Clarion Air-port Hotel on June 1.

The event, hosted by Today FM’s Sunday Busi-ness Show presenter O Morain, will be a dynam-ic business networking opportunity and is free of charge for Fingal-based businesses.

A panel discussion with

successful entrepreneurs will give those attend-ing tips and experiences of how to prosper in the current climate.

The event is aimed at early-stage business own-ers and managers in need of knowledge and exper-tise from the assembled panel.

The panel includes Greg Tobin, founder of Spear Technologies, Ciaran Kennedy, founder and technical director at Critical Data Services, Lisa Whelan, director of Dog Training Ireland, and John Ahern, founder and owner at Golfgraffix.

Commenting at the launch, Paul Murgatroyd,

Fingal Business Network manager, said: “We are delighted to announce the first in a new series of quarterly Fingal Business Network events aimed at helping early stage busi-ness owners with advice and guidance on all areas of their business.”

This networking event takes place on Wednes-day, June 1 at 6.30pm sharp at the Clarion Dublin Airport Hotel in Swords. Attendance is free of charge to Fingal-based small businesses.

For further informa-tion, call Fingal County Enterprise Board on 01 8900 800 or email [email protected]


Continued from Page 2

“Duffy’s circus is using pictures of lions, tigers, zebras and other animals to promote its circus. All animals suffer in the travel, confinement and unpleasant work of per-forming unnatural tricks for entertainment,” she said.

The councillor went on to say that circuses “can and do thrive with-out animals” and that the use of animals in cir-cuses should be “banned outright” with legislation brought before the Dail.

The Tom Duffy spokes-person said, however, that Cllr Coppinger was “out of touch” with her constituents as it’s pro-

jected that 16,000 people “mostly local” from the greater Blanchardstown area will see the show and animals, “double the number of visitors to non animal circuses visiting the local area”.

According to the spokesperson, all the ani-mals are born in captiv-ity at the circus, and the tigers are sixth and eighth generation circus tigers, “they know no other life and could not survive in the wild”.

“Our animals are loved and extremely well cared for, this is seen every-day by the thousands of people who come to visit our circus, something I believe Cllr Coppinger has not.”

CIRCUS: ANIMALS LOVED

Coppinger ‘is out of touch’

FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL

Planning permission is sought for ground floor extension to side of exist-ing house to include a new pedestrian entrance gate along front wall at No. 6, Willans Row, Ongar Green, Dublin 15 For Mr. S. Bishop. 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 plan-ning authority during its public opening hours and a submission or observa-tion may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (20 euros) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the author-ity of this application.

PLANNING NOTICE

12623

An Evening with Angels at the Crowne PlazaANGEL reader and author Francesca Brown hosts an Evening with Angels this June at the Crowne Plaza in Blan-chardstown.

Blanchardstown native Francesca has written a book about her experi-ence with Angels and is bringing her live show to Dublin on June 10.

My Whispering Angels has become a best-seller. The book sees Francesca share the story of how her life changed when she came into contact with her own angel back in 2001. The author and healer’s experience of angels is said to go back to her childhood but only resurfaced when she became ill in 2001.

An Evening with Angels takes place on June 10 from 7pm until 10pm at the Crowne Plaza in Blanchards-town. Early booking is advised and can be booked by phoning 086 1241313.

Funding sought to improve facilitiesFUNDING from the National Transport Authority is being sought to improve pedestrian and cycling facilities in Ongar, including in the vicinity of a school cam-pus in Phibblestown.

In a report, Fingal County Council said it has recently applied to the National Transport Authority for funding to improve pedestrian and cycling facilities in Ongar, which would include the Phibbles-town school campus and former Hansfield Road.

There have been safety concerns over parking and traffic at Phibbles-town school campus, which the council has been discussing with the school construction contractor, the developer owning the access road and the community garda and both school principals in a bid to improve the situation there.

FastNews

New bid to boostjob prospects

INTERNSHIP SCHEME: GAINING WORK EXPERIENCE

A NEW internship scheme aimed at keep-ing unemployed gradu-ates and apprentices get work experience has been launched by the Govern-ment in hope to “bridge

Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton

the gap” from coming out of training and getting a job.

The scheme, which was launched by the Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, last week, will place 5,000 people just out of training trying to access work experience.

According to Minister Burton, the unemploy-ment situation remains “the single biggest worry, not just for the Govern-ment but for every family in the country”.

“Luckily there is a lot of employment in Blan-chardstown, but none-the-less, we have lost a number of jobs and firms have been downsizing, so, as Minister for Social Protection it is one of my biggest concerns.

“Social Welfare is there to assist people when they lose their jobs, but, to be honest, the focus of the Government is trying to get people back to work and to make Ireland attractive for business,” said Minister Burton.

Last week, the Minister launched an internship scheme for people who are qualified apprentices and graduates and more than three months unem-ployed, to receive between six to nine months work experience with compa-nies in the public, private or voluntary sector.

Speaking before the in te rnsh ip scheme launch, Minister Burton said: “I am really look-ing forward to launching the scheme. We would

hope to start placing people by the end of June. This is a good opportunity for peo-ple who have recently come out of training but haven’t been able to get an actual job, this will be very good for their CV for future employers and bridge that gap between coming out of college with qualifications and actually getting some work experience.

“We are launching 5,000 places; anyone who has spent more than three months on the live regis-ter will be eligible to apply. We have been doing a huge amount of work in setting it up and we hope that the first people will start work at the end of June, July.”


MUSIC Dublin 15 band Jaker out to make their mark

LAURA WEBB

A W E L L - K N OW N local band is determined to make 2011 a year to remember by getting their original sound out there for record compa-nies to hear in a bid to get signed.

B l a n c h a r d s t o w n natives, Kevin Casey (24) and his twin brothers Ian and Neil (20) have been rocking the Dublin 15 and city centre scene as Jaker for some time now, and have no interest in stopping anytime soon.

Together for 11 years, the band was originally known as Emerald, but when they felt a more unique-sounding name was needed, they went for something a little closer to home.

“Our granddad’s nick-name was Jaker, and we thought that was some-thing really unique. We checked to see if anyone else had it but they didn’t.

Group hoping to hit right notes

Blanchardstown band Jaker, featuring Kevin Casey (above), are working hard to

earn themselves a record deal, sending demos off to record companies worldwide

The name is really catchy and short,” Kevin told the Gazette.

Well-known in Dub-lin15 for their great cover shows in local venues, the band has been get-ting great reviews and has a very supportive fol-lowing.

But, according to Kevin, it is time to show their own talent and concentrate on original music before they get too far into the world of cover bands.

“We have been playing cover gigs since we start-ed and we kind of want to get out of it because you can end up getting trapped being a cover band.

“We have started send-ing off demos to record companies in England and America, and we have been sending some to radio stations over here.

“ T h e c o m p a n i e s abroad have got back to us with good comments,

LAURA WEBB

A LOCAL enterprise centre, set up by Fingal County Council to assist local economic and enter-prise development in the greater Blanchardstown area, has seen an increase of its occupancy level over the past six months.

The BASE enterprise centre is currently boast-ing 85% occupancy of its space in Mulhuddart.

The enterprise centre was set up in 1995 and provides both office incu-bator units for start-up enterprises and general enterprise units for start-up and growth-phase businesses.

It currently houses 21 “indigenous companies” who currently employ 58 people between them. An additional six people are employed directly by BASE.

In a report on the operation of the BASE enterprise to councillors recently, a spokesperson for FCC said the reces-sion has had a “detri-mental effect on demand

nationally for both office and industrial space” over the last number of years.

“As with all enterprise centres, BASE has not been immune to this downturn and 2009/2010 were difficult years for the centre.”

However, the last six months tell a different story as the centre has seen “an increase in occu-pancy and it is expected that 2011 will see a signifi-cant improvement in the centre’s fortunes”.

Castleknock councillor Mags Murray (FF) sees this centre as a “jewel in the crown” and wants to know more detail about the centre and its occu-pants.

“I am very happy with it and long may it last; I’m delighted to see 85% occupancy – that’s great.”

Mulhuddart council-lor Kieran Dennison, who requested the report, asked that councillors be given yearly updated reports on the centre, how it is running, who is occu-pying it and is it making any profit.

COUNCIL: BUSINESS

Increase in enterprise centre usage

and have given us some advice,” he said.

This year the band has already secured over 100 gigs in local venues in the Blanchardstown and Castleknock area, as well as Dublin’s city centre, doing cover songs as well as their own.

The world of music is a hard nut to crack and, with Pop and R’N’B tak-ing over the charts, live instrumental bands are working extra hard to get noticed, something Jaker is more than will-ing to do.

“It is very tough at the moment and, especially in this country, it is hard-er. There is nobody going around looking for origi-nal bands at the moment

– unfortunately. “I write the lyrics and,

as a band, we put the music to it.

“We have a great fol-lowing locally and around Dublin, and are really grateful to everyone for their support.

“We have a ton of mate-rial ready to record and we are working hard to get signed,” Kevin said.

Jaker is playing this Saturday af ternoon in Temple Bar public house, Temple Bar, and then later that night they are playing locally at the Greyhound in Blan-chardstown Village.

For fur ther infor-mation on Jaker, or to find out more upcom-ing g igs , log onto

www.jakermusic.net Supporters can also fol-low them on twitter and facebook.

TALK TO YOUR LOCAL MARKET

ADVERTISE WITH YOUR LOCAL BLANCH GAZETTE

Call your local sales person, Geraldine

Murray now on

01 6516209 or 085 8018731


With Jim LaceyPhone: 087-2401308

Email: [email protected]

A NIGHT of singing, storytelling, poetry, music and dance in aid of St Francis Hospice, Dublin 15, is scheduled for Saturday, June 11, in The Bell Public House, Blanchardstown. The event, enti-tled From Claire to Here, commences at 8.30pm.Tickets are only €15 per person and include fin-ger food and a raffle in the price.

There was a similar event held in aid of the hos-pice last year at the same venue and reports back to me at the time said a great night was had by all and they couldn’t wait for another. So, contact Margaret at 087-7588753 for tickets.

‘Ceol Agus Craic’

MASS Rocks are scattered throughout Ireland and were used by Roman Catholic congregations during the Penal Times for the celebration of Mass at a time it was deemed to be an illegal practice by the authorities and punishable by law. There is supposed to be a Mass Rock somewhere along the Strawberry Beds, and there was another near Coolmine House.

As part of the preparation for the forthcom-ing Eucharistic Congress, Catholic Parishes are organising pilgrimages to selected sites where people can connect with the experiences of the Penal Times and learn how people coped.

The parishioners of St Thomas the Apos-tle, Laurel Lodge, will be travelling from Laurel Lodge at 1.30pm by bus to the Mass Rock near Newry, where Mass will be celebrated. Tea and sandwiches will be provided after Mass and the bus will return to Laurel Lodge arriving at 8pm. Cost per adult is €15 per person and children €5 per child.

Enquiries to the Parish Office, Laurel Lodge 01-8208112.

A busy clean-up day in CarpenterstownT

HE Carpenters-town Park Resi-dents’ Association

Clean-Up Day was a great success with residents of all ages from eight to 80 turning out.

The residents gathered at 10am on Saturday, May 7 and set off to various locations in Carpenters-town Park and got busy with spades, brushes, rakes and lawnmowers. Some worked a few hours, some worked all day and those who did not turn out on the day did ‘their bit’ later on in the week.

The results are clearly visible – the whole estate is transformed and there

is hardly a weed or a scrap of litter to be seen.

It was particularly heartening to see how many children turned out to help – a fine exam-ple of civic pride in our youth. Chairperson of the Residents’ Association, Dabney Melia, remarked on the great turnout and said that, quite apart from the work done, it was an entertaining, social, neigh-bourly occasion.

Fingal County Coun-cil’s Parks Section turned out to remove the weeds and litter from the estate. The county council work-ers have been very sup-portive of the Clean-Up

The Carpenterstown Park Residents’ Association Clean-Up Day was a great success

Laurel LodgeCarpenterstown

Day over the years, and the Carpenterstown Park Residents’ Asso-ciation have asked me to acknowledge their con-tribution in this column.

As a matter of interest, I highlighted the Clean-Up Day a couple of weeks ago in the Diary. The follow-ing day, I got a call from a lady living in Laurel Lodge who asked if the Clean-Up Day included her area and if the resi-dents’ association in Lau-rel Lodge was still active. I had to tell her that, as far as I knew, the Laurel Lodge Residents’ Associa-tion was no longer active and that the Clean-Up Day was only operating in Carpenterstown Park.

There was a very active and effective residents’ association in Laurel Lodge, and they organ-ised sports days, parties, and social gatherings. They also negotiated, very effectively, with pub-lic authorities, Govern-ment departments etc, on

behalf of their members. Residents ’ asso -

ciations are great for a neighbourhood. They establish a great sense of community and bring people together and achieve really worth-while results.

This Diary is a com-munity diary and Gazette newspapers, and myself, are happy to facilitate any person or persons form-ing a voluntary group in

the area – be it residents’ association, youth clubs, active retirement groups, sporting organisations etc, in generating public-ity.

Meanwhile, Carpen-terstown Park Residents’ Association is up and running at www.carpet-nerstownparkra.com or you may make contact by e-mail at [email protected]

The whole estate was cleaned up and transformed

Pilgrimage to Mass

Rock in Newry


Mary Fennell celebrated her 100th birthday at Marymount Nursing Home in Westmanstown, looking in the best of

health. The Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, hand-delivered a special letter of congratulations on behalf of

President Mary McAleese to Mary, as well as a congratulatory gift payment. Pictures: Peter Doyle

Residents of the home were delighted to join guests and visitors on

the day to help celebrate Mary’s milestone birthday.

PEOPLE Westmanstown lady celebrates her 100th birthday

It was impossible for Mary (far right) to look around without spotting friendly, happy faces, with so many gathered to help her mark her momentous birthday. Wearing with pride the medals of

her late husband, Joe, many of Mary’s extended family were present, with great excitement about her remarkable age, as Mary spoke about some of the events she witnessed in her long life.

A centenary to celebrateF

AMILY, friends, residents and even a Government Min-ister gathered recently at Marymount Nursing Home in Westmanstown, where Mary Fennell was celebrating

her milestone, remarkable 100th birthday.Born on May 9, 1911, the centenarian has had a long and

memorable life to look back on, living through a century of rapid global and social change, not least in Ireland.

Although Mary’s husband, Joe, and daughter, Ann, have passed away, they were remembered with pride at the event by Mary’s extended family, which includes a great many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Minister Joan Burton presented Mary with a letter of con-gratulations from President McAleese, and a gift payment on her noteworthy age, with everyone excited and happy to wish Mary more years of health and happiness.


The business of pamperingL

OCAL ladies set aside the cut and thrust of the business world for a corporate night with a difference at the Crowne Plaza recently, where the hotel was laying on a Girls’ Night

In networking event, with an emphasis on pampering the participants.

Not only could those attending enjoy the networking oppor-tunities but, with a cocktail reception followed by a buffet dinner, and with a wide range of activities to indulge in, the popular night was definitely a girls’ night in with a difference.

Besides the serious task of swapping tips and opinions on the economic climate with old and new contacts, the ladies also indulged a variety of treats, including a nail bar, massages, tarot readings, personal styling and other, equally fun events.

Gallery continues on Page 10

With everything from goodie bags to pick up, and highly-skilled experts to meet, it’s no wonder that everyone was looking happy at the well-organised events. Pictures: Peter Doyle

The evening was a great networking event for these local ladies, who were

able to indulge in some well-deserved pamperingxxx

BUSINESS Girls’ Night In at the Blanchardstown Crowne Plaza


Taking time out to stay in

All the ladies participating in the Girls’ Night In at the Crowne Plaza looked wonderful, dressing to impress for the useful – yet highly relaxing – business networking and pampering event. Pictures: Peter Doyle

TAKE TWO Another look at the Girls’ Night In network event

19 May 2011 GAZETTE 11

THEATRE Joseph brings his dreamcoat to the Grand Canal

An Elvis-esque pharaoh for Adam Jedwell

LAURA WEBB

THE BIBLICAL story of Joseph is set to paint the Grand Canal Theatre stage with all the colours of the rainbow in the lat-est production of Joseph and the Amazing Techni-color Dreamcoat.

Keith Jack, runner-up of the popular BBC pro-gramme, Any Dream Will Do, is taking over the title role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat to re-tell the story of Joseph, his 11 brothers and a very col-ourful coat.

Playing the Phar-aoh is talented British actor, Adam Jedwell. After going through the

audition process, Adam landed the role as the Pharaoh, where he gets to sing a little bit of Elvis. The former The Tens lead singer’s first love is act-ing, and after taking a step back from the rock-star lifestyle he decided to pursue his first love.

“Being an actor is a strange life. You can spend anything from one week to five years with-out a job. It is very easy to give up, but you just have to keep going. I know it sounds cheesy and moti-vational, but there is a job out there for everyone. If you’re good enough, and if you’re hardworking, you will find a job, it’s just a case of doing the little

bit jobs to get to where you are now. I am lucky enough to be earning regular money for doing something I love.

“I love this musical. It is a great show to be a part of. We have so much fun doing it on stage, and I think that comes across to the audience, and there is always a great reaction in the end, regardless of the numbers in the house. It is a really good show to be a part of,” he told the Gazette.

The show, which, at this stage, could be con-sidered a classic musi-cal, has been shown all over the world with many different productions. According to Adam, this

The lavish stage production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, starring Adam Jedwell

show is making its own mark and has a modern and vibrant feel to it. “It is very energetic. A lot of people who have seen it before have said they have never seen that much energy, and that they have never enjoyed themselves so much. It is a classic story but it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and I think that is what comes across. It has its history and its meaning but there are

a lot of modern bits of comedy that a lot of peo-ple, especially the older members of the audience, can relate to and enjoy.

Character“When I saw the show,

back when I was about 12, I remember telling my Mam that I would like to be in it, but only if I got to play the Elvis character. It’s funny now to think I am playing it.”

Audiences can expect

to have a “really good” time at the show.

“It’s really fun for all ages, we see so many peo-ple. We see toddlers, we see students, we see par-ents and grandparents, it’s great that way. It has gone through so many different generations now. It is always getting refreshed and revitalised, and I think a lot of inter-est was brought back when the BBC did the Any Dream Will Do pro-

gramme, which is where our Joseph, Keith Black, came runner-up, and he is doing a great job. He is a great lad,” Adam said.

Joseph and the Amaz-ing Technicolor Dream Coat takes centre stage at the Grand Canal Theatre from May 31 until June 11. Tickets are priced from €20 and are on sale now through Ticketmas-ter. Visit www.grand-canaltheatre.ie for more information.

12 GAZETTE 19 May 2011

Love, loss and YouTube MIMI MURRAY

JILLIAN Godsil became an overnight sensation when she decided to sell her stunning Georgian home in Shillelagh, County Wicklow, in a very unconventional manner.

She made a YouTube video of the property she lovingly restored with her husband, but then tells the sorry tale of how she got divorced and lost it all.

Godsil, who owns her own PR company, Practice PR, says the experience has been tough going, but she has also learned a lot in the last four years.

She spoke to the Gazette about going from rags to rich-es and back to rags again. She does see riches in her future again, but riches of a different

kind this time around.“I married my ex-husband,

who is from the UK, and we travelled and lived abroad. We moved home and my husband was so tired working in the city, so we thought, lets open a guest house.

“We started looking for a house and found Raheen-graney House. We fell in love with it, but it was badly in need of repair. It was just a house in a field, a bit like Father Ted. It had lots of the original fea-tures, but there was a hole in the roof and my mum nearly fell through the floorboards.

“We moved in with mum and dad for a while and, a year later, we had our beau-tiful house. We had family and friends down to stay but, as you often find out with a

dream, it doesn’t really pay. Plus, my business was starting to pay a wage and I was work-ing all week and was tired at weekends.

“Fast forward 10 years and, unfortunately, the marriage started to fall apart. Four years ago, we decided to sepa-rate. It was too expensive to keep the house for three of us, me and the two kids, so we decided to sell. It was just on the cusp of everything crash-ing. We got it valued at €1.6m and we thought great, we can pay off the mortgage and will be left with a little bit over. We got an offer of €1.1m and we decided to take that, but the lady couldn’t go through in the end.

“My ex moved back to the UK and I moved out of the

house and got a little cottage. I started renting the house, but then lost the tenants. At that stage I thought, I am going to PR my own house and we made the YouTube video. It just started to grow legs and

then it had 11,000 views. I think the reason it was a media sensation is down to a combination of factors.

“A video is a better way to

sell a house, I think, but it is also the story. As a nation, I think we are very secretive and hold things close to our chests. I don’t think there is any shame in what happened and there are a whole bunch

of people in the same circum-stances. I am not in a good position financially, but I can choose to be grumpy or not.

“The situation has been very

tough but the positive aspect from the video is that old cli-ents are coming back when they see what I have done with the PR on the house. Howev-er, do I want riches again, well money is nice but I was never very materialistic. You find out that bricks and mortar are so unimportant and, maybe, it is better to spend your money on things like holidays or a trip to the theatre.”

Since splitting with her husband and moving out of the house, she has written a novel and is now writing her second.

Other plans include work-ing on a new property sales project along the lines of the sale of her own house. Any-thing that will start property moving again is worth a look.

PROPERTY Putting matters of home and heart on video

Jillian Godsil became an overnight sensation when she decided to sell her Georgian home in Shillelagh, County Wicklow, on YouTube

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

‘I am going to PR my own house and we made the YouTube video. It just started to grow legs and then it had 11,000 views. I think the reason it was a media sensation is down to a combination of factors’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Jillian Godsil, Practice PR- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

19 May 2011 GAZETTE 13COMMERCIAL FEATURE

For more information on everything Donegal has to offer for your perfect holiday destination, as well as finding out some information on Donegal Live, simply check out www.donegallive.ie and www.discoverireland.ie/donegal

Donegal Live brings the best of Donegal to Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens from 12.00pm – 6.00pm on the 22nd May, inviting members of the public to come and join the celebrations for a FREE day of fun and frolics…and all things Donegal!

With a host of attractions from food and music to crafts and activities, local talent performing on the day will include Mickey Joe Harte, the High Kings, the Donegal Tenors and Moya Brennan. Polish off your dancing shoes with Céili Dancing, The Perfect Mix and the Ragus Dancers, tantalise your taste buds with the best of Donegal cuisine, marvel in the skill of balloon modellers on the day or sit back and enjoy the ceoil with performances by Kintra, Pat Gallagher and Band or Johny Gallagher and the Boxtie Band.

As well as getting to grips with the local talent, find out all there is to know about Donegal, by visiting over 20 interactive stands. Learn the best way to make your way to Donegal, where to tee-off when you get there, key spots for angling, surfing, hill walking and horse riding, as well as the essentials on where to stay, where to eat and where to shop.

WIN WITH THE GAZETTE & DONEGAL LIVE To celebrate this fantastic fun filled and FREE day out The Gazette Group and Donegal Live are offering one lucky reader the chance to win two return flights to Donegal with Aer Arann/Donegal Airport (who fly direct from Dublin to Donegal twice daily in 40 minutes) as well as two nights Bed and Breakfast, one dinner and a surf lesson for two people at the 4* Sandhouse Hotel and Marine Spa, Rossnowlagh.

This fantastic trip will also include a trip on the Donegal Bay Waterbus where you can enjoy the beauty of Donegal Bay, the islands and seal colony just one of the many attractions in the Donegal Bay area.

To win just answer this question: Where is the Donegal Live event taking place on May 22nd? Send you answer along with your name, address and contact details to [email protected] by 26th May, 2011.

The Sandhouse

Glenveagh National Park

Surfing


GazetteBEAUTYBEAUTY Edited by Dawn Love

THE ‘glowing’ example of the Middletons at the Royal Wedding has sent sales of fake tan soaring into outer orbit with Irish women aiming to look just as bronzed during this year’s wedding season. That’s according to the Debenhams’ Beauty Hall where sales of fake tan are up 219%, compared to the same time last year.

On the afternoon of the Royal Wedding Day, the company says that literally reams of fake tan started to fly off the shelves with sales. The following day was almost as suc-cessful as shoppers, inspired by the wed-ding highlights on TV, boosted sales by 200%.

“You simply can’t underestimate the impact that Kate and Pippa will have on the beauty industry,” says Karen Nason at Debenhams.

“Already streams of wannabe princesses have been flooding into our stores look-ing to achieve their healthy, groomed look. In particular, Kate’s more subtle shade of tan is perfect for big occasions such as wed-dings.”

Getting the Middleton’s royal glow

Protecting summer skin without the pasty mess

Protect your children: La Roche-Posay Anthelios Dermo Kids range is specifically formulated for children to

be especially water and perspiration resistant

IN the past, sun creams may have left you looking a pasty mess rather than the glamorous beach babe you are meant to be. But never fear, new light-weight formulas launched by French skincare and make-up brands, such as La Roche Posay and Vichy, mean your skin can be protected, but still have a fresh and velvet finish.

Vichy Capital Soleil

Face and Body Milk

New this summer from Vichy is their Capi-tal Soleil Face & Body Milk SPF30/SPF50+ 300ml RRP €19, which offers high protection in a light, milky texture. It offers maximum protec-tion in maximum format in a 300ml tube.

Unlike traditional body milks, this is a uniquely designed oil-in-water emulsion to help provide

a fresh feel on the skin and to protect the skin from UVA and UVB rays at the same time.

This opaque milk has been enriched in silica to give the skin a never-before-seen powdery touch. It has a bare skin effect, as it lets the skin breathe under the sun and has UVA/UVB deep cellular protection. It’s also non-perfumed, paraben-free, water resistant and hypoaller-genic.

Vichy Capital Soleil Dry

Touch

Initially developed for Vichy’s Brazilian market, Capital Soleil Dry Touch SPF30 50ml RRP €14.50 offers unique anti-shine sun protection. The Dry Touch SPF 30 face care emulsion is suitable for combination to oily skin.

I t i s now be ing launched worldwide as the best solution for anti-shine protection.

Whether you have

oily skin, are looking for relief from excess sebum caused by the sun or a good make-up base, Vichy says its Capital Soleil Dry Touch SPF 30 face care is the perfect solution. Concentrated in starch (amidon), this very soft powder leaves a truly unique dry touch

feel on the skin with a velvety matte finish.

La Roche-Posay Anthe-

lios XL

The hugely popular La Roche-Posay sun protec-tion range, Anthelios XL is the brand of choice of 25,000 dermatologists worldwide.

The skincare company says its combination of patented filters enables the Anthelios filtering system to ensure efficient protection against the entire spectrum of UVB and UVA rays – whatever their intensity.

La Roche-

Posay Anthe-

lios Dermo

Kids Lotion

New from La Roche-Posay is their Anthelios Dermo K ids Lotion SPF 50+ and Anthelios Dermo K ids Aerosol SPF50+, which now offer the highest broad-spectrum UVA ultra protection on the market specifically formulated and suitable for children to be espe-cially water and perspi-

ration resistant. The Ultra-high UVA

PPD39, is available in a lotion with a child- friendly texture or a

mult i -posi t ion aerosol making application eas-

ier, quicker and more controlled as it pro-vides a fine continuous mist which works from any angle.

The new Anthel ios D e r m o K i d s i s reinforced with anti-

migration efficacy to offer anti- eye-itch benefits, thanks to a new exclusive, patented formula base to provide highly secure protec-tion.

GazetteGAMINGGAMINGWIN a Kinect sensor for XboxO

VER the next four weeks, the Gazette will be giving away a Kinect Sensor and two Kinect games, Kinect Sports and Kinect

Adventures, to one lucky winner selected at random, each week.

Kinect for Xbox 360 brings games and entertainment to life in extraordinary new ways, without using a controller

With Kinect, technology evaporates, let-ting the natural magic in all of us shine. Controller-free gaming means full-body play.

Kinect responds to how you move. So, if you have to kick, then kick. If you have to jump, then jump. You already know how to play.

All you have to do is get off the couch, “plug in” to your Xbox 360 console, and jump in to experience game play.

Kinect Sports allows you to say goodbye to the buttons and controllers, and play six full sports games just as you always have, using your entire body.

Become the heavyweight champ of the living room with boxing, or take to the sand with some high-flying beach volley-

ball action.With soccer, field and track events, and

even bowling, Kinect Sports has something for everyone.

Meanwhile, Kinect Adventures will have you jumping, dodging, and kicking your way through 20 pulse-pounding adven-tures, set in exotic locations around the worlds.

Kinect Adventures gets you to work with your friends and navigate through roaring rapids, challenge obstacle courses, and even save a leaky underwater laboratory.

The spirit of adventure awaits!


WIN A KINECT SENSORAND TWO KINECT GAMES

To be in with a chance to win a Kinect Sensor and two Kinect games, to use with your XBox 360 console, just answer the following draw question.

How many full sports games can you play in Kinect Sports?

Post your answer to Kinect Competition, Gazette Group Newspapers, Block 3A, Mill Bank Business Park, Lucan, Co Dublin. Alternatively, you can email [email protected]. All draw entries must be received before Wednesday, May 25. The Kinect Sensor for the XBox 360 console makes gaming even easier and more family-friendly than

ever before, as it uses your body’s movements to control games, characters and actions, on screen

A colourful launch of the Bloom festival that takes place this June bank holiday weekend in the Phoenix Park

A blooming good weekend in JuneLAST week, we brought you news of this year’s Bloom event, Bord Bia’s gardening, food and fam-ily festival.

This week, we have even more Bloom details to help you plan your June bank holiday weekend.

At the heart of Bloom are 27 stunning show-gardens, which will be judged by independent judging panels.

Dublin will be well represented at the event, which takes place between Thursday, June 2 and Monday, June 6, with a number of top design-ers creating some of the stunning show gardens.

Amongst those taking

part will be John Sweeney, from Lusk, and Rachel Freeman, from the Blan-chardstown Institute of Technology.

Meanwhi le , f rom Dalkey, Sheena Vernon will also be taking part, as will Brian Cleary, from Dundrum, and award-winning gardeners, Liat and Oiver Schurman, from the renowned Mount Venus Nursery.

The event will also showcase the best of Ire-land’s food industry with the new Bord Bia Food Village.

DIARY

SNAPSHOT The stories of the day

GAZETTE COMMENT

GazetteContactsBlock 3A, Mill Bank Business Park, Lucan Tel: 01 6010240 Fax: 01 6010251

Managing Director: Liam Hollandemail: [email protected]

Editor: Cormac Curtisemail: [email protected]

News Editor: Dawn Loveemail: [email protected]

Financial Controller: Carly Lynchemail: [email protected]

General Manager: Michael McGovernemail: [email protected]

Production Editor: Jessica Maileemail: [email protected]

Sports Editor: Rob Heighemail: [email protected]

Advertising Production: Anita Wardemail: [email protected]

Gazette Group Newspapers Ltd.

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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

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Visitors to the Bord Bia Food Village can purchase and enjoy the best of Irish food and a wide range of delicious wholesale local produce from almost 50 Irish artisan producers and a selection of artisan caterers. The food offer-ing will be complemented by a range of local arti-san beers, whiskeys and spirits available at the Bloom Inn. Love Irish Food returns to Bloom as an event partner, and will host a large number of its member brands in the Love Irish Food pavilion.

At the centre of the new Food Village is the Chef’s Summer Kitchen, which will present a daily pro-gramme of cookery dem-onstrations by a number of Ireland’s well-known celebrity chefs, including Catherine Fulvio, Neven Maguire, Donal Skehan and Jenny Bristow. RTE presenter and foodie, Ella McSweeney, will host the Chef’s Summer Kitchen and will interview chefs and food producers throughout the event.

An ideal family day out, children under 16 go free! There is a range of family activities, including enter-

tainment on the outdoor stage, which will feature the Café Orchestra, Nigel Mooney Quartet, Mooge 69 and the Mellochords; craft demonstrations and workshops from the Crafts Council of Ireland; Outdoor catering and Bistro Bloom featuring a café, restaurant and sea-food bar.

In the Children’s Zone, Dale Treadwell will host Gondwanaland – a haven for dinosaur enthusiasts and an Australian Bush feature. The Children’s Stage will feature a host of activities, including storytelling from Dublin City of Literature Readers and a Creative Kids Café will also run, encourag-ing children to use their imaginations, discover and investigate.

A host of wildlife fea-tures will include activi-ties from Birdwatch Ire-land, the Irish Wildlife Trust and the Beekeepers’ Association who are Cel-ebrating the Year of the Honeybee.

Bloom is open daily from 10am-6pm. Advance tick-ets are on sale now from €15 – kids go free! www.bloominthepark.com.

Moving forward to a new beginning

THIS was a busy week for Dublin, as the first, and arguably the most historic, of a number of

high-profile State visits took place.At noon on Tuesday, Her Royal

Highness, Queen Elizabeth II, and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, touched down at the Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnel and were greeted by the Tanaiste, Eamon Gilmore.

There is no doubt, that even those with no interest in the Royal family could not help but be caught up in this moment.

In the last two decades, there have been significant events in Anglo-Irish relations.

In June of 1997, Prime Minister Tony Blair issued a statement on the Irish potato famine that amounted to the first apology expressed by the British authorities.

In a speech to the House of Com-mons in June of last year, after the findings of the Saville inquiry into the atrocities of Bloody Sunday were published, Prime Minister David Cameron said: “The conclusions of this report are absolutely clear. There is no doubt, there is nothing equivocal, there are no ambiguities. What happened on Bloody Sunday was both unjustified and unjustifi-able. It was wrong.”

These events, coupled with the efforts of both Governments in negotiating the Good Friday Agree-

ment in 1998, represent giant steps forward in recognising the difficult history shared by our countries.

In order to move this process for-ward, another significant step was required.

After a while, statements from Downing Street would begin to lose their impact.

The Irish rugby team playing England in Croke Park was sym-bolic, but it is arguable how signifi-cant it was.

A visit by Queen Elizabeth II to the Republic of Ireland, followed by a reception at Aras and Uachtarain, and then the laying of a wreath at the Garden of Rememberence where the Queen paid her respects to those who fought for Irish freedom... there are few who could argue that this was not a significant step forward.

Is there a place for those who disagree with this visit?

Of course there is.Would it have been a more inclu-

sive affair if the Queen could have walked a line and met some of the Irish public?

Of course it would have been. But for this Royal visit, nothing

could be left to chance, such is its significance.

Culturally, our two countries share more than anyone cares to admit. Our shared history is not a pleasant one, but our shared future depends on moving forward, and that process was enhanced this week.

GazettePETSPETSBrought to you by Miriam Kerins of

the DSPCA

THE FACTS: WHY SOME DOG BREEDS GET OVERLOOKED AT ANIMAL SHELTERS

Furry, friendly and so full of loveT

HEY’RE friendly, fluffy, fabulous and full of love, so why is it that some dogs

– very often large, dark coloured ones or certain breeds – waiting in animal shelters continuously get overlooked in favour of their more colourful, or lighter-coated, friends?

• Is it because they don’t photograph as well as lighter or more varied coloured animals?

• Is it because dark- coated pooches are seen as scarier by prospective pet parents?

• Is it because some breeds aren’t as fashion-able as others?

• Is it because some dogs’ features don’t stand out as well as the golden faced Labrador, for exam-ple?

• Is it because large, dark-haired dogs are por-trayed as dangerous or vil-lainous in movies? (The Rottweiler in The Omen movies versus the Golden Lab in Marley and Me.)

Honestly, all of the above are ridiculous and unfair, and are various reasons proffered by peo-ple as to why they over-look some dogs.

Look, it’s perspective rather than fact and, the facts are, dark-coated dogs and large dogs are just as, if not more, eye-catching than other dogs.

Now I’m not trying to paw-suade you (I make no apology, that was intend-ed), but two of my dogs are black from head to toe, with the most intense, melt-your-heart, black eyes you’ve ever seen and

18-month-old Bubblegum, a dark brindle Staffie, and

Sammy, a three-year-old Collie


they are also the most adorable, lovable, loyal, trustworthy, best friends I’ve ever had in my life!

Then we have the mis-conception surrounding certain breeds that makes some people nervous. For example, dogs who make

perfectly wonderful family pets but, because certain owners don’t understand particular breeds or strains and then through their failure to provide these animals with the proper care/facilities, spread nasty rumours that these

dogs are “unsuitable”as family pets – making adopters overlook them in favour of smaller, and what they perceive to be, more ‘friendly’ dogs.

Believe me, when I’m on duty at the Dublin SPCA Mobile Clinic, I’ve been bitten by more Chi-huahuas, Yorkshire Ter-riers and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels than Staffies, German Shep-herds or Rotties!

I’m not for one minute saying these small dog breeds, or similar breeds, are less friendly, I am simply making the point that any dog, irrespective of colour, breed or size, is a potentially dangerous dog if it’s in the hands of an irresponsible owner.

That said, I’d like to introduce you to some of

our overlooked, adorable, desperate-for-a-new-for-ever-home cuties waiting at our shelter.

Sammy – a three-year-old male collie, black with white markings. Sammy gets on famously with other dogs, he’s so affec-tionate, a real gent, (when Buttercup, one of his friends tripped in the run and cut her nose Sammy immediately ran over and licked the blood from her face - honestly it tears me up he’s still not found a forever home). He’s fab on the lead, but needs to wear a harness due to his weak trachea. So, ladie,s if you want a BBD (no, not an LBD), a BBD – beau-tiful big dog, visit Sammy and check him out. He’s a keeper!

Bubblegum – an 18-

month-old female, who’s a dark brindle Staffie, is the ultimate sweetheart. She loves going for walk-ies, is very keen for cud-dles, is overjoyed when an attentive human, especially a male, makes a fuss over her, (I know how she feels) and is always first out the door into the run for fun and games. If you want to find out more about this won-derful girl, come up and see her – she’s waiting for you at our shelter.

For more informa-tion/advice on these or any of our wonderful dogs, contact one of our adoption consultants at The Dublin SPCA at 01-4994726/4727/4729 or log onto www.dspca.ie or email me at [email protected]

ROAD DEATHS HAVE HALVED: RESEARCH revealed by the Road Safety Authority and An Garda S iochana show that road deaths dropped by 48% over the past decade.

T h e r e s e a r c h announcement was made at the global launch of the UN Dec-ade of Action for Road Safety, 2011-2020.

The research, which analyses road deaths and serious injuries during the ten-year, period 2001 to 2010, also revealed a drop of 58% in the number of serious injuries sus-tained on Irish roads.

EUROPEAN CAR SALES DROP: CAR sales in western Europe fell by 3.6% year-on-year in April, according to JD Power Automotive Forecast-ing, reflecting the fact that, compared with 2010, a number of Government scrap-

page schemes were no longer running.

While the markets of Italy, Spain and Britain continued to struggle, France was also down. Germany’s growth is quickly losing momen-tum, with car sales in Germany up by just 2.6% on last year.

BMW OVERTAKEN BY TOYOTA: DESPITE its massive recall campaign over the past 18 months, Toyota has regained its position as the world’s most valuable car brand.

Research by market research company, Mil lward Brown, shows that, across the world, Toyota’s brand value jumped 11% to $24.2 billion in the BrandZ Top 100 annual ranking of the world’s most valu-able brands, overtak-ing BMW, which was number one last year in the automotive cat-egory.

RoadRoadSignsSignsOne-in-three may see repair bills soonONE-in-three motorists will have an unwanted repair bill this year, with some facing bills into thousands of euro, according to new data by by Warranty Direct, Britain’s largest direct consumer warranty provider.

Their research shows that a third of cars in the three- to10-year-old group will suffer some degree of mechanical failure over the next 12 months. Big bills are not limited to prestige or expensive cars, the study of more than 50,000 car warranty policies suggested. However, the figure varies dramatically, depending on the make and model, with some models more prone than others.

The next 12 months may see a surge in repair bills

The new Volkswagen Jetta is a more compact car than the Passat, with good boot space and better economy, delivered with a starting

price of €21,875 for the entry-level model, rising to €23,725 for the 1.6-litre diesel entry model

Volkswagen Jetta to return its loyalty

FIAT has options to increase its stake in Chrysler to more than 70%, as the US government seeks to exit its investments in the car industry.

Fiat has yet to announce if it

will buy the US government’s remaining stake in the 12 months after it repays debts to the government.

Chrysler said it would issue new debt to repay the govern-

ment loans, allowing Fiat to exercise an option to increase its stake to 46% from 30%. This would give the US government an easy exit from Chrysler.

In taking over Chrysler, Fiat

set a goal of producing a car that achieves 40mpg in the US market.

That’s well within Fiat’s abili-ty, based on European-designed models.

Fiat may increase its stake to more the 70% of Chrysler

FOR Irish motorists, the Volkswagen Jetta is one of the great motoring icons. The new, sixth-generation Volkswagen Jetta is now here, with smart and modern styl-ing. The new front grille design is similar to that of the new Passat, with clear lines across its full width.

Styling changes con-tinue inside the cabin. The new interior design is in line with the Golf, with a new centre con-sole, entertainment and climate control systems, and steering-wheel design among the updates.

This new Jetta has new safety features, and a fuel economy abil-ity that would have been dreamed about when the first Jetta was launched here in 1980. The car that I had on test was the top-of-the-range model, with a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel

engine. This is a new, higher-power engine for the range; the 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine model will be the most popular, by far.

The 2.0-litre TDI model has the same engine as fitted to the bigger Passat. This engine in the Jetta gives slightly better accel-eration, and much better economy than even the Blue Motion version of the equivalent power Pas-sat. Those features, along with a price difference of almost €2,000, makes

the Jetta an option worth considering.

For me, the 1-6-litre TDI Jetta is the best option of all, even though this was not the car that I drove. This engine has improved from the past, with better economy. Compared with the bigger engine Jetta, the new 1.6-litre TDI version has at least 10% better economy, with only a marginal drop in acceleration perform-ance. The big difference is the price – you can save on two counts; about €5,000, in terms of cost, and a lower annual road tax rate of just €104.

In acceleration terms, the 2.0-litre TDI Jetta is marginally faster than the equivalent Pas-sat. Opt for the 1.6-litre model and, naturally, it will be slower. The small-er engine version uses a five-speed gearbox versus

a six-speed gearbox for the 2.0-litre model.

That might help with the smoothness and acceleration, but makes not a dint in the economy figures.

This is a car that has changed in performance and ability. For farming families, the new Jetta confirms its towing abil-ity. The top-of-the-range car can pull up to 1.5 tonnes in a braked trail-er, putting it ahead of the competition.

There’s a new, bigger feel to the 2011 Jetta. The car is longer than ever, by 90mm. That gives more leg-room for the three rear passengers, com-pared with the outgoing model.

There’s more comfort and improved road-holding, too, thanks to a longer wheelbase and improved suspension.

The car comes with a full range of standard safety features, includ-ing six airbags, ABS and Electronic Stabilisa-tion Programme (ESP). Despite this, it does not come with a Euro NCAP rating, while most other cars in the Volkswagen range do.

And, most of all, the new Jetta retains a large, 510-litre boot capacity. That large capacity exceeds the outgoing model. The new Jetta combines the big boot with the practicality of being able to seat five adults.

There remains a solid feel to the Jetta that’s per-haps due to the size of the car, as much as to the build quality, that’s based around a simple design. This is a car that’s easy to get comfortable in, with the controls easy to use and very functional.

GazetteMOTORSMOTORS18 GAZETTE 19 May 2011

Top speed: 210 km/hr 0 – 100km/hr: 9.5 sec Economy: 20.8 km/litre

(4.8 l/100km) CO2 emissions: 126g/km Road Tax Band: B (€156) Scrappage Eligible: Yes Warranty: 2 years Entry Price: €21,875

SPECS: JETTA

2.0 TDI 140BHP

SAVILLS are bringing No 161 Wainsfort Road, Templeogue, Dublin 6, a four-bedroom semi-detached family home, to the market for an ask-ing price of €395,000.

Built circa 1960, this house has been well cared for but is now in need of modernisation. Conveniently located at the intersection of Wainsfort Road and Templeville Road, the property benefits from off-street parking to the front and an 80ft long rear garden.

The accommodation comprises porch with hardwood windows and wooden panelling on walls, entrance hall with fitted carpets and

Fixer-upper on Wainsfort RoadTEMPLEOGUE: FOUR-BEDROOM SEMI IN DUBLIN 6 FOR €395,000

under-stairs storage, and a guest wc.

The sitting room fea-tures an open fireplace with wooden and tiled surround, and a large south facing window overlooking the front garden. There are dou-

ble doors into the din-ing room, which also has an open fireplace, as well as double-glazed patio doors leading into rear garden, and a door leading into kitchen.

The kitchen is in a single-storey flat-roofed

161, Wainsfort Road, Templeogue

GazettePROPERTYPROPERTY

kitchen extension, and has a selection of wall and floor cabinets, as well as a large window overlooking the rear garden.

There is a utility room and converted garage plumbed for a washing machine.

The four bedrooms, two of which are to the front of the house and two to the rear, feature fitted wardrobes. The bathroom is fully tiled.

The attic, which is f loored, is accessed from the landing.

The property has gas-fired central heating and has recently had a new boiler installed.

There is also poten-tial to extend, subject to

planning permission.161, Wainsfort Road

of fers an excel lent opportunity to create a fine family home in a superb location. Every possible amenity is within easy access and commuting to the city centre or M50 is hassle-free.

There are excellent primary and second-ary schools to choose from and a wealth of sporting facilities serve this much-sought-after South Dublin neigh-bourhood.

Viewing is by appoint-ment, which can be arranged by contacting Savills, City on 01 663 4300, or e-mail [email protected]

Never tire of a place in Ballintyre Square

Number 76, Ballintyre Square, Ballinteer

Number 76, Ballin-tyre Square, Ballinteer, Dublin 16, a bright and spacious first-floor two-bedroom apartment with a south facing bal-cony, has been brought to market by Savills, with an asking price of €290,000.

The accommodation, which extends to 829 sq ft (77 sq m) is situated as part of the Ballintyre development, which was awarded the Develop-ment of the Year award in 2005.

There is a sunny balcony off the living room that overlooks the private gardens. The apartment also benefits from one designated underground parking space and an invaluable underground storage room.

The property com-prises entrance hallway with light oak wooden

flooring and a built-in hot press and storage unit, a living-cum-din-ing room which also has oak flooring, wall mounted coal-effect electric fireplace, large south-facing window, and a door leading onto the balcony.

The kitchen has fit-ted units in walnut and cream, charcoal grey counter tops, stainless steel extractor hood and splash back. Mosaic til-ing between counter top and wall units. Appli-ances included in sale comprise fully integrat-ed fridge freezer, wash-er/dryer, electric oven, four-ring gas hob and fully integrated slim-line dishwasher.

The bedrooms feature fitted wardrobes and the master is en suite, which is fully tiled, as is the main bathroom.

76, Ballintyre Square

BALLINTEER: TWO-BEDROOM APARTMENT IN D16 FOR €290,000

enjoys an excellent location adjacent to the Ballinteer Shop-ping Centre and is a short walk from Dun-drum and the LUAS. Access to the M50 is only two minutes drive away. There are a host of amenities serving this location including schools, sports clubs

and the extensive park-lands of Marley Park.

Six years on from being awarded the Development of the Year prize, the develop-ment is maturing nicely, and the immaculately kept grounds and attrac-tive mix of buildings ensure that Ballintyre a pleasant environment

to live.The apar tment is

managed by O’Dwyer Property Management, and is subject to a man-agement fee of €1,600 per annum.

Viewing is by appoint-ment, arranged by con-tacting Savills, City on 01 663 4300, or e-mail [email protected]

Chalfont of all comfort in MalahidePROPERTY Team Noel Kelly Auctioneers are bringing No 67, Chalfont Avenue, Mala-hide, Co Dublin, a four-bed semi-detached house extending to 132 sq m to the market for €570,000.

This generously proportioned home with garage will appeal to those seeking a spacious property in one of Malahide’s most convenient and prestigious residential addresses.

This home is the perfect buy for a growing family. The property comprises porch with tiled floor, entrance hall with a timber floor, liv-ing room with a feature marble fireplace. The kitchen and dining room features fitted units and a breakfast bar. The ground floor also fea-tures a guest bathroom.

Upstairs, there are four well-proportioned bedrooms, the master featuring fitted ward-robes, and the bathroom has a timber floor and a Triton electric shower installed.

All carpets, curtains and blinds are included in the sale, and the home is heated by oil-fired central heating.

The property has a side entrance, to the com-fortable rear garden, and the garage could be converted or used for extra storage space.

This home will appeal to the gardening enthusiast, but children will undoubtedly enjoy the privacy.

It is situated in a prime location within min-utes walk of Malahide Estuary, and Malahide village with its smart marina, shops and numer-ous gourmet-quality restaurants serving food from around the world.

Viewing is by appointment only and can be arranged by contacting Noel Kelly on 01 846 2752.

MALAHIDE: FOUR-BED SEMI FOR €570,000

Number 67, Chalfont Avenue, Malahide


FORMALLY working within the travel industry with Thomas Cook - Direct Holidays for a number of years, Eddie Clerkin is married with two children, and has lived in the north side of Dublin his whole life.

He recently started working with Fonebank, which is one of Europe’s leading mobile phone recy-cling companies. This is their first operation in Ire-land, with an office in Airside retail park in Swords. Fonebank caters for all businesses and charities, along with the public needs in recycling mobile phones for cash.

Fonebank offers excellent service from an Irish-run business, with a fast and speedy cheque within 48 hours of receipt of mobile phones.

They hope to help charities who would like to use their services, as they can provide them with cash for their phones that are collected. Then they can use the money for whatever need they see fit. Businesses can also avail of their services. To see what Fonebank has to offer, check out www.fonebank.ie.

Interview: Eddie Clerkin, Fonebank

Q&A

Life in a top phone recycling company

Eddie Clerkin, of Fonebank

Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be?A: That’s easy, a soldier

Q: What was your first job?A: Lounge boy at Hollybrook Hotel in

Clontarf

Q: And your first pay cheque?A: Memory loss

Q: When did you start your present job?A: August 2010

Q: What is the best thing about your job?A: Sending cheques to charities as they do

so much to help people in need

Q: What part of your working day do you ‘delegate’?A: None at the moment, but that’s soon to

change

Q: What sport do you follow?A: Football, Nottingham Forest FC

Q: What sport can you play?A: I’m an all-rounder

Q: What is your guilty music/TV or movie pleasure?A: History Channel and Sky Sports

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

Q: What music/pictures/movies do you have on your iPod/iPad?A: Don’t have either

Q: Who do you follow on Twitter/Face-book?A: All Forest fans

Q: What was your last Tweet/status update?A: Up the football league we go

Q: Describe your dream meal?A: A good steak and chips meal followed

by a FEW pints of Carlsberg

Q: Who would you rather have dinner with – Enda Kenny or Dame Edna?A: Enda Kenny as he makes me laugh

Q: Where do you enjoy spending money frivolously?A: I don’t do that, my wife does

Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?A: Three pairs, I think

Q: What was your worst holiday experi-ence?A: Rather not say

Q: Describe your dream holiday?A: I’m not fussy as long as there is sun,

beer and football

Q: What would be your dream job?A: Professional footballer in the Premier

League

Q: What do you plan to do when you retire?A: Just to enjoy life with my family

BANK OVERDRAFTSQ – My bank have stopped my overdraft facil-

ity. It was only € 3,000 and I only exceeded it

recently. Can they do this ? I have been out on

short time by my company and my wife lost

her part-time job. They have told me they are

switching this to a term loan over three years.

Do I have to accept? Barry – Walkinstown

Dublin 12

A - It seems your bank think the writing is on the

wall. In some respects they are doing you a favour

– overdrafts are very expensive and are meant to

be in credit at least 30 days of the year. Overdraft

interest rates are 13% +, exceeding your overdraft

without permission is an additional 7% to 12%,

while there are referral fees (most banks - € 4.44

per day for checking your account to ensure you

haven’t gone AWOL) and unpaid fees (this can be

as much as € 12.70 per item sent back). Exceeding

your overdraft is a little like walking into your local

supermarket, grabbing a tin of beans, walking out

and telling no one. Except in the bank’s case, they

allow you BUT charge you plenty! You will find the

term loan has a cheaper rate but over three years,

because you are also repaying capital, the repay-

ments will hurt.

You must do a budget and plan your finances. I

empathise with your situation – if your expendi-

ture exceeds income, which it is doing, then your

two choices are earn more or cut costs. Perhaps

your wife will find new part-time employment and

you could find a second job. Whatever happens, you

must consider your financial situation and work

your way through it. Be positive – even as regards

payment of bills, you could use An Post’s billpay

service where you can pay over 120 bills in any of

the 1,250 post offices, six days a week and longer

hours than your bank – all for free !

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

ANSWERS TO YOUR PERSONAL FINANCE QUESTIONS

GazetteBUSINESSBUSINESS Supported by AIB


Good news as long-awaited Development Act is in operation NOREEN MAGUIRE

Maguire Muldoon Solicitors

THERE is good news for apartment/property owners within managed estates, the long-awaited Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011 came fully into operation on April 1, 2011.

Over the years Maguire Muldoon Solicitors, Clonskeagh, have built up a large portfolio of property management company clients and also advise a number of agents deal-ing with management companies.

It has been a continuous com-plaint that developers are slow and in some instances refuse, to trans-fer the common areas. This renders the management company power-less and can be a huge source of frustration to the property owner. In the last 20 years, there has been an explosion in these type of devel-opments and clearly some form of legal protection is essential.

In summary the main features of the Act deal with the following:

1. Ownership of the common

areas will be transferred to the management company before any property is sold. This is specifically introduced to tackle the problem of developers holding on to units in order to keep control of the man-agement company.

2. The management company must now be called an owners’ management company.

3. The owners’ management company must maintain a sink-ing fund for repairs and an annual minimum contribution of €200 per

unit will apply4. There is a provision in the Act

whereby mediation should be used to resolve any dispute over service charges or other costs prior to any court proceedings. The emphasis will be on resolution of disputes by mediation. However, the court will be empowered to make appropriate orders if mediation attempts fail.

5. One vote shall attach to each unit owner in a development and, more importantly, each vote shall be of equal value.

6. House rules should be pro-vided for an effective running of the development. Where an apart-ment is let, for example, a copy of the rules must be included in the letting agreement and will be bind-ing on the tenants.

This Act will assist anyone living in residential complexes or intent on buying into one. It will impose legal obligations on developers and the new regulations will improve the governance of management companies.

Carton House is historic and stunning – honest!

CORMAC CURTIS

I HAVE to admit it, more often than not, the opin-ions I commit to paper about Irish hotels and holidays are, at best, less than honest, and, at worst, a downright fabrication.

Now, before anyone starts to tweet the good fellows of the Press Coun-cil of Ireland, or worse still, Liveline, let me state for the record that I have never reported inaccu-rately.

My obser vat ions , reports, descriptions and accounts have always been beyond reproach.

Confused? You should be – that’s how I’ve been getting away with this for so long!

The truth is, my moti-vations behind a great deal of my travel pieces have, quite simply, been lies.

Surely you have read the type of article I am talking about? The kind that starts off with: “For those wanting a truly relaxing weekend away with the kids…”

Yeah, you know, the family-friendly, dripping-ly sincere account of the getaway that turned out to be the best ever, “even though I had to spend three days with the kids, all under five, as my wife had last-minute work to take care of!”

Well, I’m sorry, but

a truly enjoyable fam-ily getaway is the kind where you actually get away from the family, or, more accurately (I’m always accurate, OK Joe Duffy?) away from the kids.

Yes, my two angels, four and five years old, are pretty much the cen-tre of my universe, and I would move mountains just to see them smile. But, give me the chance of a night or two at a good hotel for a little time with the luckiest woman in

Ireland (my wife, Susan) and you simply wouldn’t see me for dust.

Nor, might I add, would Susan be seen for said dust.

Take it from me, for this kind of break, it’s best to stick close to home, so, if absolutely necessary, you can get back to the kids quickly.

So, by now you’re hop-ing I’ll get around to giv-ing some advice and rec-ommend a good hotel for this kind of break – and I will.

Enter Carton House

– just past Maynooth, and, providing there’s no royal entourage causing traffic mayhem on the N4, it’s about a 20-minute drive from the city centre.

Break out your check-list:Stunning setting: CheckAward-winning golf course: CheckLuxury spa: CheckGreat food: CheckOn-site activites: CheckReally, what more do you need?

My good lady wife,

was lucky enough to get to the hotel early on the Friday that we were due to arrive.

An appointment with the spa awaited her, con-sisting of a mini-facial and neck and shoulder massage.

All I can say is that, after a few very stress-ful months of business for her, I was greeted by a well-and-truly rejuve-nated wife.

The spa did the trick, and I was happy just to be able to put my feet up and browse the newspa-

pers before dinner.The design and style of

Carton House is, I must admit, right up my street.

A stunning, historic mansion that has been given a thoughtful and loving makeover, Carton House brings contempo-rary style and chic to an atmosphere of old-world charm and elegance.

For a pre-dinner drink, the foyer presents a bright, modern and relax-ing environment, offer-ing comfortable couches set against pale, marble walls and modern, sub-dued lighting, along with a stunning feature fire-place.

We did a little people-watching before we took our table at the hotel’s Linden Tree restaurant.

A good meal, the kind where you’re not asked to cut up chicken nuggets and fetch more tomato sauce, is always a delight-ful experience – more so

when the setting and food is up to the standard of Carton House.

After pondering the menu, we ordered, and got stuck in.

For me, I couldn’t look past the confit duck leg on spiced red cabbage and greens; it was elegant, set on a big plate, and cooked perfectly, wonderful.

My good lady wife went for one of her favourites, a seared scallop, this time with cauliflower purée – seasoned to perfection, gorgeous.

I often go straight for the fish course when din-ing out, but tonight we swapped roles as Susan ordered beaut i ful ly cooked hake with cour-gette, beetroot and greens in a simple but perfect white wine sauce.

Admire

For a change, I went with a duo of pork fil-let and belly, served with

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‘A good meal, the kind where you’re not asked to cut up chicken nuggets and fetch more tomato sauce, is always a delightful experience’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Joe Walsh Tours group offering range of special 30th anniversary packages to visit MedjugorjeESTABLISHED in 1961, the Joe Walsh Tours group is the longest-established tour operator in Ireland and, this summer, the company is marking the 30th anniversary of Medjugorje apparitions with some special celebratory tours.

June 25 marks 30 years since the first apparition in Medjugorje, and Joe Walsh Tours are delighted to join in on the festivities with a special pilgrim-age to this unique and peaceful destination.

Bookings to Medjugorje have increased by near-ly 50%, compared to this period last year.

As a result, this year, Joe Walsh Tours are offer-ing lower prices and more availability, with weekly departures from Dublin and, on selected dates, from Cork, Shannon, Knock and Belfast.

Joe Walsh Tours offered their first Medjugorje programme in 2003 and, since then, have contin-ued to offer expert advice to ensure that pilgrims enjoy their experience.

The travel experts offer accommodation in purpose-built guesthouses, which are exclusively located close to St James’s Church, making them the best-located accommodation options in town.

Senior representative, Philip Ryan, who has been living in Medjugorje for more than 20 years, is always on hand with his team to offer guidance and tips to pilgrims.

For those who would like to spend a few relaxing days on the beautiful Croatian coast, why not com-bine the pilgrimage with a relaxing sun holiday?

Joe Walsh Tours offer two centre holiday options of three or four nights in Medjugorje, combined with three or four nights in beautiful Dubrovnik.

The special 30th Anniversary Medjugorje Pil-grimage package departs from June 19 costing €604, inclusive, for seven nights.

For full information on pilgrimages to Med-jugorje, and these, and other holiday offers and packages, call Joe Walsh Tours on 01 241 0800, or see www.joewalshtours.ie.

FastTravel

GazetteTTRAVELRAVEL22 GAZETTE 19 May 2011

XTREME.IEXtreme.ie’s themed zone at Carton

House is the first of its kind in Ireland.

The unique combination of onsite, state-

of-the-art team building facilities and

meeting rooms will make your day at

Carton House truly unforgettable. A

small sample of our exclusive onsite

activities include Altitude: Ireland’s

newest High and Low ropes course,

Survivor Challenge: A fun, high energy

event suitable for all levels of fitness,

Duke of Leinster Challenge: Themed Irish

Games, Xtreme 4x4 driving and archery

turnip, potato gratin with a white wine foam – an ideal combination of fla-vours as you admire the countryside view through the stunning floor-to-ceiling picture windows.

Desserts of a divine fruit crumble and a truly modern chocolate pyra-mid topped off what can only be described as an indulgent experience.

After an incredibly comfortable night’s sleep

– and a terrific breakfast, we got to get up close and personal with the grounds of Carton House, cour-tesy of Ireland Extreme, Ireland’s premier team-building and corporate events company.

Our instructor led us through an off-road trail in a 4x4 jeep, along a myriad of obstacles as we were put through our paces in a very different kind of driving experi-

ence.This is no speed-fest,

but a nerve-jangling chal-lenge of skill and patience that brings in some of the more remote parts of the Carton House estate.

I really can’t recom-mend this experience highly enough.

For a more predictable afternoon, Susan took a run in to Liffey Valley (I told you, convenient isn’t it?), while I took a golf les-

son at the award-winning Carton House Golf Club.

The on-site Golfing Union of Ireland Nation-al Academy offers indoor driving bays, grassed tee areas and an extensive short game practise area with three USGA-spec greens and a large bunker complex.

But, for me, I was thrilled with a one-on-one lesson with the resi-dent golf pro, Bernard.

Apart from the ghastly experience of seeing myself on screen trying to hit a golf ball, this was another gem of an expe-rience that genuinely improved my swing.

Carton House has so much to offer, is right on Dublin’s doorstep, is a great place to get away from it all, but close enough to home just in case – and this is definite-ly worth a visit.

Carton House brings contemporary style and chic to an atmosphere of old-world charm and elegance

TravelBriefs

SPECIAL MID-WEEK COACH-HOUSE PACKAGEFROM €80 per person, based on two sharing, Carton

House is the perfect place to relax and kick back, so

why not treat yourself to a one-night stay on a bed-

and-breakfast basis, including a two-course meal.

The relaxed atmosphere and service make for a

well-earned break from the hustle and bustle of eve-

ryday life.

Guests can also enjoy access to the leisure facili-

ties, including and 18-metre swimming pool, sauna

and steam room, for more details see www.carton-

house.com


Baking bread at Ballymaloe HouseTHE art of baking bread is enjoying a big revival at the moment, and, with this in mind, Ballymaloe House is running a Bake Your Own Bread two-night special, this summer.

Guests will learn the secrets of Ballymaloe bread-baking, from only €290 per person, with two nights’ bed and breakfast included, along with a five-course dinner one evening.

Meanwhile, the Ballymaloe House package also runs all summer, and includes bed and break-fast in Ballymaloe Country House, along with an afternoon cookery demonstration at Ballymaloe Cookery School, with the package costing €145 per person sharing.

For full details of these tempting offers, email [email protected], or call 021 465 2531.

A delicious week in the Big AppleFROM pretzels and pizza to “posh nosh”, New York is famous for its food, and is a great city to visit for fine dining – especially between July 11 and 24, when NYC Restaurant Week takes place, with this year’s 20th anniversary Week actually running to two weeks, instead of one.

Throughout the Big Apple, participating restau-rants will be offering three-course meals at $24 for lunch, and $35 for dinner (excluding beverages, taxes and gratuities).

The Hotel at Times Square, located in the heart of mid-town Manhattan, is a great, budget-friend-ly hotel that will leave guests with enough dispos-able income to spend on their dining experience, with July prices starting from just $199.99 per room per night. For further details, see applecore-hotels.com/the-hotel-at-times-square.

Hop away on a European holidayGOHOP.IE are offering some terrific value geta-ways to some of Europe’s top destinations, giving you the perfect city break for culture, shopping or a splash of sun this summer, or beyond.

For example, you could enjoy three nights in a three-star Holiday Inn Express in Brussels, from €184, departing on May 26.

For some much-needed winter sun, why not visit Barcelona, from €215? This includes four nights in three-star Hesperia Sant Joan Suites, departing on November 4.

A little closer, you could visit lovely Lisbon from €279, with five nights in three-star Residencial Estoril Lisboa, departing on June 6.

All offers include return flights, and are subject to availability; prices do not include airline bag-gage fees, and are subject to change.

To book your city break with Gohop, call 01 241 2303, or see www.GoHop.ie.

Edited by Mimi Murray


Pirates paddle alongAs the latest Pirates film sails onto our screens, Kate wonders if it’ll make quite the splash some may expect

KATE CROWLEY

READERS, this will be the quickest review my old Remington has ever seen bashed out, clickety-quick, as a press gang, of sorts, comprising Gazet-teers, is ready to make me walk the plank if I give nothing less than six stars to this week’s film, which lends some haste to my typing in the attic at Gazette Towers.

Fortunately, I’m per-fectly proficient in the Anchor Stroke, so their mutinous threats wash right over my head, arrr.

And now I’ll head, arrr, right on over to the review, while keeping one ear cocked for the News Desk’s cries of “Tharr she blows, maties!” on the winding stairs outside.

Pirates of the Carib-bean: On Stranger Tides (or, POTC4, which is quicker for hurrying hacks hiding from a mot-ley crew to type) sees the somewhat inevitable

FILM OF THE WEEK: Pirates of the Caribbean:

On Stranger Tides (12A) 136 mins

OUR VERDICT:ENTERTAINING, but predictable, POTC4 is more of the same... That’s not such a bad thing, of course, but it’s hard not to feel that it’s just milking the formula, extending the franchise, and possibly jumping the shark. It’s a decent film, but not the pinnacle of the Pirates franchise. Still, there are worse crews to ship yourself off to the cinema with, and it sails along okay ...

Director: Rob MarshallStarring: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Pirates, Mermaids, but not Orlando Bloom again.

return of everybody’s favourite pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), back once again to take to the high seas, sands, jungles, cities and other, unlikely spots in another slapdash, and slightly supernatural, adventure.

This time round, as per usual in the franchise, Jack’s off after another legendary destination in POTC4 – in this case, the fabled Fountain of Youth, which ye olde map can lead him to.

Jack is joined by a number of familiar faces here and there, including

long-standing frienemy, Captain Barbossa (Geof-frey Rush), who’s now gained a peg leg, and a mercenary’s allegiance to King George II (Richard Griffiths, hammily play-ing a piggy monarch).

However, they aren’t the stars of the film – enter the mysterious Angelica (Penelope Cruz). She’s just the lass to cross cutlasses, paths, and words with Jack. (You don’t suppose they have a mysterious con-nection, do you?)

Someone else who’s rather eye-catching is her boss, the fearsome pirate

(and scenery-chewing) Captain Blackbeard (Ian McShane), who’s set up as the baddest of the bad, in pirate terms (yet not quite in the same league as Bill Nighy’s astound-ingly cruel, squidfaced character, Davy Jones).

With Jack aboard his fearsome ship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, Black-beard is determined to beat King George II/Barbarossa, and some Spaniards, to the foun-tain, with or without Jack’s help.

But, of course, the jour-ney isn’t an easy one, with one set-piece after anoth-er for the pirates – and the viewers – to get through, with a litany of fights, bat-tles, chases, zombies and mermaids to get through and around, as everyone dashes off after maps and fountains and lost lands of terror ...

What else is there in POTC4 to note, for those seeking more than show-stopping spectacle to

shoehorn into the vid-eogame spin-offs?

Well, Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightley have jumped overboard – I know, I know, Yay to that, too – only to be replaced by Lite versions of the actors, in the shape of a clergyman and a mermaid. (Their damp relationship will never work out, trust me.)

Meanwhile, Cruz game-ly does her best, doused in makeup that’s almost as thick as her accent, yet still rather less than McShane’s permatanned, permascowling face.

But, while Depp turns in a role that he could, by now, perform in his sleep, it’s hard not to ditch the sinking feeling that, as with the recent fourth Indiana Jones film, it’s a film that was made because they could, rath-er than they should.

As such, it’s a film that may leave some feeling shiver me timbers, rather than stirred ...

“I think Kate’s gone. We can come out, now ...” Captain Jack (Johnny Depp) and Angelica (Penelope Cruz) face Blackbeard’s wrath,

zombies, hungry mermaids and tough-talking film critics on their quest to find the Fountain of Youth.

GazetteENTERTAINMENTENTERTAINMENTGoingOUTGoingOUT

THE HELIX 01 700 7000KIdkast Showcase 2011

ONCE again, Kidkast are returning to The Helix for their annual showcase. With students aged from four to 18-years-old, and attending from Kidkast’s four centres in Swords, Hartstown, Castleknock and Drogheda, the Kidkast crew cover a wide range of activities, with the showcase promising to have everything from high-energy dance routines to some exciting drama pieces.

With tickets priced at €15, the showcase will be held at 2pm and 7pm on Sunday, May 22.

MILL THEATRE 01 296 9340 The Shaughraun

TIME is running out to catch Taney Drama Society’s production of The Shaughraun, by Dion Boucicault, which is often described as a touchstone Irish play.

The players bring the tale of Conn, a wily Sligo poacher, to vivid life, thanks to a large ensemble, a great set and period-appropriate costumes, with Victorian melodrama, romantic comedy and more in the mix. The Shaughraun runs nightly at 8pm at the Mill Theatre until Saturday, May 21, with admission priced €18/€15.

DRAIOCHT 01 885 2622Simple Sculpture

FOR a family event with a difference, why not make one yourself – literally. This fun event invites families to come along and, using everything from plasticine to lolly pop sticks, participants can create some wonderful and wacky sculptures. Ideal for children aged from five to 10-years-old, the event should also entertain younger and older siblings, too. This free event for parents and children runs from 12 to 3pm in the ground floor gallery.

PAVILION THEATRE 01 231 2929Sallynoggin College showcase

THE popular college will be showcasing its students’ skills in a number of areas, with two fascinating events to see.

Firstly, Dance Debut 2011 will show some of the dance skills of the college’s dance students, with Dance Debut 2011 showing both what the dance students have learned, to date, as well as being a graduation show for second-year students. The two-hour show starts at 8pm, on Tuesday, May 24, with admission priced €10.

Secondly, Fashion Graduate Show 2011 will feature collections by the graduating students, with a number of pieces by first-year students also on show. This stylish event should show some true up-and-coming, and emerging, talents from the renowned fashion course. The two-hour show starts at 8pm, on Wednesday, May 25, with admission again priced at €10.

CIVIC THEATRE 01 4627477 Grumpy Old Women

THESE ladies are not to be messed with, as they tread the (creaking) boards to bring some middle-aged mayhem to life and settle some scores they have with aging, men, the way things work and much more, in bad-tempered, contrary and hilarious ways.

They won’t come much grumpier than Adele King, Flo McSweeney and Una Crawford O’Brien, who will present the hit West End show with a distinctly Irish version.

Grumpy Old Women runs from Tuesday, May 24 until Saturday, May 28, with tickets priced from

€25 to €30.


ADAM MAGUIRE

GEEKS have been talk-ing about multi-function-alism for some time now, and recent trends in the industry suggest it is final-ly becoming a reality.

The Flip camera – the portable camcorder that, along with YouTube, opened digital video to the masses – is dead. That is to say, Cisco, which bought the company for $590 million just two years ago, is discontinu-ing the brand.

The reason for its end is simple – nobody needs to buy a portable digital cam-corder any more, because they have a phone in their pocket that does the job just as well.

In fact, there are a lot of single-purpose devices that people no longer need to buy, purely because of

what their phone has to offer.

What the market is now seeing is the rise of “mul-ti-functionality”; a buz-zword that has bounced around for some time, but is finally coming true.

According to analysts, the same thing is going to happen to eBook-readers too – a device that has barely just found its feet in recent years.

The rise of the iPad, and similar tablets, which allow you to read books, amongst many other things, does away with the need for one device that does just one thing.

This is despite the fact that eBook-readers are specially designed to be easy on the eye and the battery. In short, it seems that people are happy to sacrifice some degree of quality in order to gain on convenience.

This is sure to be a wor-rying trend for many other single-use devices.

For many years now, people have predicted that the MP3 player would soon suffer as a result of music being easily trans-ported via the likes of the phone.

To date, iPod sales have managed to hold up, though there is little doubt that this will change in the near future. In fact, it is likely that this risk was at least part of the reason for Apple’s entry into the smartphone market four years ago.

They surely figured it was better to have iPod sales turn into iPhone sales, rather than see that money go to other com-panies altogether.

So, are there any devic-es that are safe from this slow creep of multi-func-tionality?

Despite the presence of a photo lens on every phone made today, the camera is the most likely to do okay ... for now.

While a quality photo can be taken using some-thing like an iPhone, they still, and arguably always will, pale in comparison to dedicated cameras.

That is not to mention the fact that core features like an optical zoom are still a long way away from being a feature in a phone.

In fact, given the space a zoom lens requires to

work properly, it is ques-tionable if they will ever become common on a phone at all.

However, beyond cam-eras, it’s fair to say that no-one is safe in the single-function sector.

Samsung PL120 camera

The latest version of Samsung’s dual-screen cameras, the PL120 is a quality device with a novel, if somewhat gim-micky, feature.

It is hardly something that has kept people up at night, but the self-shot – where a user takes a pic-ture of themselves with a camera – can be tricky.

They have to guess the angle and direction, and the first take never comes out right. Enter the PL120, one of three new Samsung cameras

that feature a front-facing LCD screen right next to the lens, making it easier for users to take those vanity shots to adorn their Facebook pages.

Thankfully, the camera has more than that gim-mick to attract the user, boasting a 14.2MP lens, a 5x optical zoom, and a decent 3” screen on the back, for all those regular shots they might take.

There is also HD-standard video recording, and some nice software features, including face detection and tracking.

Despite all of this, the price is surprisingly low, with an RRP of just €170.

The chances are you could find a regular cam-era with the same feature set for slightly less, but for something that is a bit different, this fits the bill perfectly.

The Samsung PL120 can be bought in most technology retailers for around €170.

Visit teic.ie for the lat-est tech news, reviews and views.

Oh, Flip – single-use tech is dead

ENTERTAINMENT

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PET MINDERSSafe, Cosy, Pet Boarding. 5 minutes from Castleknock,Blanchardstown, Lucan.Call now for early booking.Call 086 8126387/01 8223690. Reasonable rates.

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Planning Permission sought by Gerard and Karen Brady for the construction of a single storey extension to front, side and rear of exist-ing dwelling to consist ofExtended living room/porch/garage to front, garage to side and bathroom/living area to rear including all necessary drainage and site works all at 1 Huntstown Avenue, Clonsi l la , Dubl in 15.The Planning Application may be inspected or pur-chased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of mak-ing a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority during the public opening hours of 9:30-15:30, Monday - Friday at Fingal County Council, Grove Road, Blanchard-stown, Fingal, Dublin 15.A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the Plan-ning Authority on payment of a fee of €20 within the period of 5 weeks, beginning on the date of receipt by Fingal County Council of the application.

PLANNING NOTICE

12531

COOLMINE COMMUNITY SCHOOL

PART REFURBISH-MENT OF THE

HEATING SYSTEM Applications are invited from Mechanical Con-tractors who wish to be included on the

approved tender list for the above project.

The closing date for receipt of completed

applications is 12 noon on 27th of May, 2011. Pre-Qualification cri-teria is available upon

request from the school- Coolmine Community

School,Clonsilla, Dublin

NOTICE

12604

COOLMINE COMMUNITY SCHOOL

PART REFURBISH-MENT OF THE

HEATING SYSTEM

Applications are invited from Suitable Qualified Professional Mechanical Consultants who wish to express an interest in tendering for the above

project.

The closing date for receipt of completed

tender applications is 12 noon on 27th of May,

2011. Form of tenders are available upon request from the school- The

Principal,Coolmine Com-munity School,Clonsilla,

Dublin

NOTICE

12603

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Planning permission sought for the change of use of ground and first floors from light indus-trial to use as a Creche facility at Unit 6, 42 Rosemont Park Drive, Rosemont Business Park, Ballycoolin, Dublin 15. For Regina McGovern. This 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 plan-ning authority during its public opening hours and a submission or observa-tion may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (20 Euros) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the author-ity of this application.

PLANNING NOTICE

12620


Permission sought for par-tial demolition of single storey dwelling and con-struction of a two storey extension to the side, new porch extension to the front, new disabled access ramp to ground floor level and associated elevational changes/ site works at: Hillcrest, Knockmaroon Hill, Chapelizod, Dublin 15. For Paul Sheeran.This planning application 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 submission or obser-vation may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (20 Euros) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the author-ity of this application.

PLANNING NOTICE

12619


Permission sought for the change of use of the first floor from office use to use as a doctor’s surgery/ medical and related uses at St. Brigid’s Cottages Shopping Centre, Main Street, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. For Patrick Molloy. This planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of mak-ing a copy at the offices of the planning authority during its public open-ing hours and a submis-sion or observation may be made to the author-ity in writing on pay-ment of the prescribed fee (20 Euros) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the author-ity of this application.

PLANNING NOTICE

12618


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THE FOURTH biennial Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta (VDLR), organ-ised by the four water-front yacht clubs in the area, will take place from July 7 to 10 in Dublin Bay.

The regatta, which is now established as the biggest sailing event in Ireland, will attract approximately 500 boats across 25 classes, and will comprise 1,000 races over

the four days. The boats competing

will be crewed by 3,000 sailors from yacht clubs across Ireland, with added participation from English, Welsh, Scottish, French, Spanish and Danish yacht clubs.

Announcing the 2011 VDLR, Adam Winkel-mann, chairperson of the organising committee said: “After the city mar-athons, the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is the biggest participant sport-

ing event in the country. “One of the core rea-

sons as to why it is suc-cessful in attracting so many entrants is that it is one of the least expensive sailing events in Europe, providing great value for money.

“In addition to deliv-ering quality racing, the regatta now prides itself in delivering a won-derful festive atmos-phere across the Dun Laoghaire waterfront so, overall, the event prom-

REGATTA: 500 BOATS AND 3,000 COMPETITORS WILL TAKE PART IN THIS YEAR’S EVENT

Yachts from across the country and from abroad will take part in the Dun Laoghaire Regatta

Dun Laoghaire set to sail for the 2011 regatta

ises an important boost to the local economy of Dun Laoghaire town in the midst of the summer tourist season and reces-sion.”

For those who prefer to keep their feet dry and

enjoy the superb sailing action in Dublin Bay from afar, there will be an array of family-orientated activities that have been set up on shore by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.

There will be a farm-ers’ market, street enter-tainment, a carnival, numerous ladies’ fash-ion events, live music from jazz to traditional Irish to marching bands, local area restaurant and

pub events, an evening of Irish culture, music, food and dancing, and a scheduled RNLI Air-Sea Rescue demonstration.

For more information on the VDLR 2011, go to www.dlregatta.org.

GazetteSPORTA FRESH CANVAS: A FRESH CANVAS: Painting guru Frank Painting guru Frank Clarke on opening Clarke on opening new golf centre: new golf centre: Page 29Page 29

GazetteSportSport


American FootballAmerican Football

IAFL ROUND 5 Dublin Rhinos 0

Belfast Trojans 10

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THE Dublin Rhinos hosted the Belfast Tro-jans in Castleknock on Sunday on what was a windy and blustery day that did not suit the playing style of either team.

As has been typical of the Rhinos recently, the game was a tight affair, with a minimal number of scores separating the teams come the final whistle.

A f ter the Rhinos’ opening drive of the game stalled, the ball was punted to the Tro-jans kick-returner, who picked up a number of blocks until he was dragged down from

behind just five yards from the Rhinos’ end zone.

With a short field to defend, the Rhinos’ defence attempted to keep the Trojans out of the end zone, but were unable to stop the visitors registering their first touchdown.

A successful point-after kick made the score 7-0 to the visiting Trojans before the game was barely halfway through the first half.

The remainder of the first half was a cagey, defensive affair.

Both teams had trou-ble moving the ball with any consistency, the windy conditions made passing difficult and both defences were stopping opposing run-ning attacks with some

impressive perform-ances in both sets of packs.

At half-time, the Rhi-nos of Castleknock were down 7-0, and were looking to rebound after a stern half-time team talk.

The second half con-tinued as the first had ended, with both teams’ defences keeping their counterparts out of the end zone and, more importantly, off the score board.

The Rhinos turned the ball over with a fumble and intercep-tion in the second half, but also recovered two Trojans’ fumbles and had an interception of their own by corner-back Adam Skelly, who claimed two turnovers on the day to keep the

game level.It was their special

teams and turnovers that won the game for the Trojans in the end, and they took full advantage of a big punt return in the first quar-ter.

After an intercep-tion was returned into Rhinos’ territory, the Trojans managed to sneak a further three points onto the score board with an impres-sive 40-yard field goal in windy conditions, leaving the scoreline at 10-0 to the Trojans.

The Rhinos’ defense gave their offense every opportunity to claw some points back by stopping the Trojans offense every time they got the ball, however the Rhinos could not capi-

talise on these chances. Quarterback Stephen

Macken connected with tight end Ross Carrick a number of times, mov-ing the ball and gaining first downs, but the end zone was too elusive on the day for the Rhinos, and they were unable to put up any points on the visiting team.

Standing at 1-4 for the season so far, the Rhinos need to win all their remaining games in order to make the play-offs for a chance to play in the Shamrock Bowl in Tallaght Stadi-um on August 6.

The Rhinos travel to cross-town rivals and re igning Shamrock Bowl champions, the Dublin Rebels on June 5, playing in Sportslink, Santry at 2pm.

Rhinos’ trojan efforts

IAF LEAGUE: DUBLIN RHINOS NEED TO BOUNCE BACK FROM LOSING STREAK

Dublin Rhinos were unable to break down the Belfast Trojans’ defence in their meeting at Castleknock

Rhinos need to win their remaining matches

Half-back Sean Power attempts to clearbefore being sacked

in association with


THERE has been an inevitable upsurge in the interest in golf in recent years among what would normally be referred to as grass-roots players; young people who have tasted the enjoyment of playing a fine shot on a golf course and who have seen the kinds of success of young Irish golfers on the Euro-pean and World stages, such as Rory McIlroy and the Maguire twins.

Golf has, for the long-est time, been seen as the preserve of the privileged and time-rich, but recent-ly, there have been initia-tives to open up the doors to everyone. In particu-lar, recognition has been given to developing play-ers from an early age.

One man who is try-ing to forge a new ethos in the sport is an unlikely ambassador for golf, tele-vision’s painting emissary, Frank Clarke.

Frank, from Rathfarn-

ham, is more readily rec-ognised as the man who brought painting to the masses through his acces-sible and easy-to-follow programmes on the craft.

However, Frank has

also had a parallel inter-est in golf, and his interest led to the building of one of the first par 3 courses in Ireland in 1962. He has been involved as a partici-pant and as a builder and

designer of courses.Now, Frank is hoping

to bring the same enthusi-asm and belief as he dem-onstrates in his artistic endeavours to the world of golf. He has recently been

involved in the extension and re-development of the par three and pitch and putt courses at the Liffey Valley Par 3 facility, and in the course of doing that, made some interest-ing observations.

“We looked over the facility, and golfing as a whole, and realised there were very few facilities for young people.

“Children under 12 were being turned away because of ages-old poli-cies, and a lot of clubs would not allow kids to play until they are 14 or 15.

“Kids just can’t get into golf clubs, it’s not that easy. Very seldom will clubs or parents allow children to play on courses when they are under the age of 11, and the costs are also prohibitive.”

Frank saw parallels with his own experience of learning to paint, in that he had no grounding in the craft, so was behind the curve when it came to learning it.

“The ideal situation is that, ideally, the future of the game lies with the children, and they will keep it going. The idea of par 3 in the beginning is that it is the school or the grounding for players of the future.

“The idea behind the initiative at Liffey Valley is to create golfers for life. We want to teach them the skills and the etiquette of golf as well. It’s giving kids a hobby, which I wish

Painting a wide canvas for golfROB HEIGH talks to painting guru, Frank Clarke, whose long association with golf in Dublin has led to his latest venture to bring children to the game

Frank Clarke is bringing his inclusive spirit to the world of golf

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‘We have some of the best players in the world in this country. We want all children with an interest in golf to have that opportunity’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

FastSport

Paralympics ticketing sign-up begins PARALYMPICS Ireland is calling on all sports fans to support the Irish team by buying tickets for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

Over 4,000 athletes are set to compete in the Games from 170 countries around the world, and approximately two million tickets will go on sale for the Paralympic Games from September 9.

Liam Harbison, CEO of Paralympics Ireland, said: “The start of the tickets going on sale is a very exciting moment for everyone involved in Paralympic sport. I really encourage all Irish sports fans to seize the opportunity

of witnessing the range of spectacular sports that the Paralympic Games has to offer, and to get behind the Irish team in London.”

Those interested can sign up now at www.tickets.london2012.com

Wood latest addition to Clontarf pack ANDY Wood has been appointed as Head Coach of Clontarf. Wood has returned to Clontarf, where three seasons ago he led the 1st XV to the Division 1 All- Ireland final.

Wood played in De La Salle RFC before joining Clontarf and played first team rugby for a number of seasons before joining the coaching team led by Phil Werahiko.

GAZETTESport star Sanita Puspure has been included in the Irish team to represent the country at the Munich World Cup due to take place this year from May 27 to 29.

Kinsealy resident Puspure will partner Lisa Dilleen in the double scull, the women’s heavy-weight boat in which Ireland are anticipated to bid for Olympic qualification at the World Championships in Bled in September.

Ireland will send six crews to the first World Cup regatta of the year, in Munich; four in com-binations targeted at gaining Olympic qualifica-tion this year.

Puspure, a Latvian athlete, is still awaiting Irish citizenship, but she is allowed to compete in the World Cup series.

Puspure added to Irish squad for World Cup 2011

I had had when I was a child. We have some of the best players in the world in this country who have come through from the junior sections, and they have benefited from getting into the game at a young age. We want all children to have that opportunity.”

As a result, Liffey Valley now offers free pitch and putt play to children under the age of 10, as long as they are accompanied by an adult, and at ages of 10 or 11, will be able to play at a special rate on the par 3 course.

“We will be running fun competitions on a weekly basis for the children, and trying to attract as many children as possible, through local schools and other initiatives, including a playing academy.

“We are also looking to get a professional along to give a bit of coaching to the children, as well as the adults who come along and play, too.”

With plans afoot to bring female golfers into the club as well, Frank has cast the net widely and inclusively to create golf-ers of the future.

The club plans to have an offical launch day shortly, with profession-als and celebrities coming along to christen the evo-lution of the club.

For more information, contact Liffey Valley Par 3 Club on 01 6219514, or see online at liffeyvalleypar3.ie.

GazetteSportSport

FastSport

AN POST Sean Kelly team manager Kurt Bogaerts admitted it was a tough decision to leave Coolmine man Phil Lavery out of the team for the An Post Ras which gets underway next week.

Speaking about the team for the race, which gets underway in nearby Dunboyne, he said:

“It was an especially tough decision to leave Philip Lavery out, but at the moment I feel I have picked the strongest five for this race. Bennett and Cassidy are both previous stage winners of the race, while Ronan (McLaughlin) has been one of our strongest riders recently.

“It was hard to pick the squad for the Ras, but it is a good problem for me to have.”

Lavery disappointed as Ras place goes by


D15 teams take NDSL titlesDUBLIN 15 sides enjoyed a fruitful weekend at the second weekend of NDSL finals as Corduff and Hartstown took home cups from the Oscar Traynor centre.

Corduff’s excellent U-12 side cruised to the Kevin Moran Cup with a 8-0 win over Navan Road United, adding to a fine season which saw them go deep in their All-Ire-land competition.

They led 4-0 at the interval before Yasine En-Neyah completed his hat-trick and John-nie Poame bagged a brace for an 8-0 final score.

Their U-10s added the Atlantic Homecare Cup to their collection with a 3-1 win over Rush Athletic.

Hartstown, mean-

while, picked off a thrilling 2-1 success after extra-time against Castleknock Celtic in the U-16 Ken McKay Cup.

Mo Mahdy put ’Knock ahead in the first half before Aaron Quinn levelled the tie from the penalty spot.

And Robbie Mer-riman proved the hero when he shot home from close range for a 2-1 success.

Coghlan takes Morton 1,500mMETRO St Brigid’s John Coghlan came from off the pace on the last lap to win the 1,500m in 3:48.16 at the Wood-ie’s DIY AAI Games, Morton Stadium in Santry.

Sarah Hawkshaw, meanwhile, came seventh in the wom-en’s 800 metre race.

LSL SENIOR 1B Dunboyne FC 4

St Francis 1

[email protected]

In their final league game of the season, Dunboyne AFC’s senior squad clinched promotion to the Senior 1A Division of the Leinster Senior League for the first time in the club’s 40-year his-tory.

There were scenes of great jubilation at the Summerhill Road venue last Sunday after a grip-ping encounter with St Francis, who had just been crowned league champions the previous week.

Played in front of a

sizable crowd, on a blus-tery morning, the teams got down to business straight away and played some very neat one-touch football as they looked to get a hold on the game.

Conscious that they needed all three points to prevent rivals, Tymon Celtic, from claiming the second promotion spot, Dunboyne were keen in pursuit of their objec-tive.

They harried their opponents at every opportunity and, as the first half wore on, were having the better of the exchanges.

Having gone close on a number of occasions,

the home side finally broke the deadlock in the 26th minute when captain Andy Farrell vol-leyed home.

Shortly afterwards, Farrell hit the upright with an audacious shot from 30 yards, with the Francis goalkeeper stranded.

With the score at 1-0 to Dunboyne at the break, the home fans were biting their nails.

On the resumption, the game continued in the same vein, maintain-ing the high standards of the first period, as St Francis came forward in search of an equaliser.

Stout defending from Brendan Lee and Chris

Sylvester at the heart of the Dunboyne defence was required, and the guile of Danny O’Reilly and Ciaran Carr in the central midfield roles kept Dunboyne in the match.

Lee Ferrand was with-drawn having run him-self to a standstill, and super-sub David Clarke lived up to the tag when he drilled in a second goal for the home side with just less than 15 minutes to go.

Dunboyne missed a number of opportuni-ties to add to their total before the final whistle, which heralded celebra-tions down Dunboyne way.

Manage r Vernon McAllorum said: “It has been a fantastic season for us as a group, having also reached the Gilligan Cup semi-finals, and we are now looking forward to the challanges in the coming season in LSL Division 1A. Our pre-season training starts on July 7, with a trip planned for early August.”

D U N BOY N E A F C : Pa u l

O’Reilly, Terry McAuley, Chris

Sylvester, Brendan Lee, Sean

Roarty, Lee Ferrand, Danny

O’Reilly, Ciaran Carr, Andy

Farrell (capt), Colin Rich-

ardson and John Byrne. Res:

David Clarke, Niall Connellan,

Ban Kelly, Ronan Roarty, Jeff

Deehan

Dunboyne are promoted

LSL SENIOR 1B: WIN OVER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS SENDS SIDE UP

Dunboyne FC were promoted to LSL DIvision 1A after their 2-0 win over St Francis

Barry meets heroes: Blanch man greets Liverpool’s starsBARRY Leahy from Blanchardstown was in Red heaven last week when he met his soccer heroes, Liverpool’s Dirk Kuyt, Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard when the Premier League trio were in town to launch the new Liverpool away kit.

The adidas ‘home away from home’ Liverpool FC away kit event was held in Lifestyle Sports, Mary Street, and attracted huge numbers of the Anfield faithful.

in association with

CLUB NOTICEBOARD

CONGRATULATIONS to both our Feile

hurlers and camogie teams who

won their grades, hurlers beating St

Mark’s and camogie beating White-

hall.

U-16 footballers progressed to the A

Shield final, beating Castleknock. They

face St Sylvester’s this Saturday at

3.30pm in the final in Russell Park.

Congratulations to Aisling King, Oliv-

ia Smartt, Deirdre Murphy, Shauna

Hinkson and the Dublin ladies’ minor

footballers on their Leinster truimph

over Meath. Well done to Ken and Judy

Murphy, part of the management

team.

Best of luck to Aodhan Mc, Cian

O’Mahony, Mick Cussen, Wille Bourke

and Fingal this Saturday vs London.

Senior hurlers were edged out by

Vincent’s. Senior camogie opened

their league account, beating Erin’s

Isle.

Senior ladies’ footballers beat Fin-

gallians. Junior ladies also beat Scoil

Ui Chonail in league.

Senior footballers are at home to

Crokes on Saturday at 6.30pm. Plenty

more fixtures on website.

Junior B footballers’ fundraising

quiz will take place on Thursday, May

26, in Russell Park. Junior hurlers

fundraising Trad/Ballad Night is on

May 20 with Celtic Wings. Tickets are

€10 from Tim O’Leary or from any of

the junior hurlers. Annual fundraising

club golf classic takes place on Friday,

May 27 in Royal Tara.

ST PEREGRINE’S

ERIN GO BRAGH

ST BRIGID’S

VOTE for our very own unsung hero

Albert ‘Albie’ Pierson. As we all know,

Albert is a hero among the club and

needs our votes.

Please long onto www.unsunghero.

com/ourheroes.

Good week for our senior hurlers in

the championship actionwith a win

and a draw, that sets them up nicely

for the rest of the championship.

Junior hurlers were narrowly beat-

en in their championship games.

Football week this week; please see

club noticeboard for details.

Best of luck to ladies’ footballers in

second round of championship.

Club lotto was not won; numbers

drawn were 6, 20, 21 and 28. Next

week’s jackpot is €3,800.

Any member not buying lotto tick-

ets, visit cnp.ie and support your

club for only €2 a week. Lotto is also

available to play online using the link

on the club website.

Entertainment in clubhouse this

Saturday in club from Desire.

Club shop is open on Mondays,

Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 to

7pm, and on Saturdays from 10am to

12pm.

Bingo is on Wednesday nights at

8.30pm.

If anybody in the club would like to

make a difference and join a com-

mittee, please see club website for

details and contacts.

ALL members are asked to support

our fundraising table quiz on Fri-

day, May 27 in the Vineyard, Blan-

chardstown village. Please contact

Cecil Stephens for more info on 086

259 7789.

Congratulations to those U-9s

who made their first Holy Commun-

ion last Saturday.

Annual club dinner dance is tak-

ing place on Saturday, November 5

in Park Plaza, Tyrrelstown. Tickets

are €60 per person (strictly over-

18s). Five-course meal, band, DJ,

bar extension until 2am. Deposit

of €20 required and people can pay

in instalments over the coming

months. Contact Natasha on 087

959 50 48, Maria on 087 238 0741 or

Carol - Ann on 087 629 20 24.

A big well-done and hard luck to

the first-year boys and girls’ Gaelic

football teams of Setanta who took

part in the Sports Against Racism

Ireland (SARI) Gaelic Games Inter-

cultural Youth Tournament.

SARI is a non-profit organisa-

tion which supports and promotes

social inclusion and positive inte-

gration through sport. Both teams

reached the final of the boys’ and

girls’ tournament, losing out to

Hartstown Community School in

both finals. In particular well done

to Conor Redmond, Harmony Mayi-

tonda, Daniel Cullen, Gavin Keyes,

Aoife Padden, Alannah Kenny, Lisa

Forbes, Sally O’Brien, Fortess Mayi-

tonda, Sophie King. Also well done to

JB Hlathswayo who was part of the

Hartstown Community School Team

who won the tournament.


DUBLIN U-16 C’SHIPSt Brigid’s 2-14

Castleknock 1-4

[email protected]

ST BRIGID’S emerged victorious from a local derby with more than just pride at stake in Somerton Park last Saturday when they were victorious in their Under-16 champion-ship tie against Castle-knock.

The Russell Park side dealt better with the adverse conditions to win a hard-fought and tense championship shield semi-final.

The visitors started brightly in dull and blustery conditions, and hit a goal and a point without response early on.

Colin Lynch then o p e n e d ’ K n o c k ’ s account with a well-s t r uck e f f o r t , bu t near-rivals St Brigid’s response was instant.

Again, the visiting side hit the back of the net, registering a three-point effort that proved

vital come full-time.A point from Ciaran

Millwall and a Lynch goal meant the hosts only went in trailing 2-03 to 1-04 at half time.

With the breeze now in Castleknock’s favour, it was the hosts’ turn to make a positive start to a half, and Liam Quinn reduced the arrears to the minimum.

However, it was a case of anything you can do we can do bet-ter, as Brigid’s cancelled Quinn’s ef for t and another Lynch point to maintain their lead.

The vis i tors then belied the conditions and the wind disadvan-tage to finish strongly, securing a final berth at their local rival’s expense.

St Brigid’s will now face St Sylvester’s in the final, which takes place this Saturday at Russell Park at 3.30pm.

Feile successesMeanwhi le , bo th

sides enjoyed Parnell

Park final success in their respective hurling feiles over the course of the weekend.

Brigid’s came out on top of a low-scoring but highly-entertaining tussle with Tallaght side, St Mark’s to claim their trophy, whilst Castleknock’s rising stars won the Division 3 final of Feile na nGael via a 1-4 to 1-2 win over Clontarf.

St Brigid’s final was particularly entertain-ing, as the match, taking place in bllustery con-ditions, saw a breeze-enhanced Mark’s take a 0-3 to 0-1 lead into the break.

The young Brigid’s side showed brilliant resolve, however, as Mark’s continued to push on, and finally levelled the score mid-way through the second half.

A brilliant double- save from net-minder Rodgers prevented the Tallaght Saints from snatching a lead, and the Russell Park side

finished the stronger to take the title and even-tually climb the famous Parnell Park steps to lift the prestigious trophy for the Feile winners.

There was no such joy for Brigid’s senior hurlers, however, when they lost their see-saw-Dublin Senior Hurl-ing Championship A Group 1 encounter with St Vincent’s at Russell Park last week.

A seven-point haul from David Plunkett wasn’t enough for a side that led by a point at half time, and Vin-cent’s ran out 0-15 to 2-13 victors at the final buzzer.

Last-quarter goals f rom former Dub-l i n h u r l e r, To m a s McGrane, and Keith Connolly proved vital and secured victory for the visitors.

To add insul t to injury, Brigid’s Dublin senior hurling repre-sentative, Ruairi Train-or, was taken off with a suspected dislocated ankle.

Brigid’s take title from Castleknock

UNDER-16 C’SHIP: ST BRIGID’S WIN LOCAL DERBY

St Brigid’s Under-16 footballers took the Under-16 final berth to face St Sylvester’s this weekend

ALL OF YOUR BLANCHARDSTOWN SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 27-31 MAY 19, 2011

BRIGID’S REACH FINAL: Under-16s claim bragging rights in derby semi-final P31 G

azetteSPORT

STEPHEN FINDLATER

[email protected]

FC BLANCH secured their second league title in a row this week with an 0-0 away draw with Dunsink last Thursday night.

That success has added to a famous year for the club, as the newcomers to the AUL celebrated their 10th anniversary in style, reaching the last 32 of the FAI Junior Cup before wrapping up the league with three games to go.

It made for quite a season following their switch from AFL football, where they claimed a league and cup double in the 2009/10 season.

They did not have it all their own way, though, against their near rivals, Dunsink, but they did apply plenty of pressure early on, with Stuey Beat-tie and Colly McNamara having great success down the left flank and terrorising the defenders.

It showed an intent that the side were gunning for all of the three points to make certain of the Sunday Senior title ahead of CIE Ranch, some-

thing that FC Blanch manager, Dave Meehan, was keen to impress on his players as the ultimate goal.

“We came to win the game and played some good football, as we do, but we just didn’t find the net.

“I don’t think the back four looked under pres-sure at any stage, and then David McDonagh had one shot cleared off the line in the final minutes of the game.

Delighted“This was our third game in the space of a week,

and obviously some of the lads are tired, so I’m delighted we got the point that we needed to secure the league, and now we are champions again.

“I’m also grateful of all the support we had tonight and have had on the line throughout the season.”

The FC Blanch manager added: “It’s nice to wrap it up early as we can give a few of the lads a rest now as I’m sure it seems a long way since the

start of the pre-season programme back in July. “But, fair play. The whole squad played their part

and now we are looking forward to our presenta-tion and anniversary night in Dunboyne Castle Hotel on June 25.”

They followed up with a 3-3 away draw at Mark’s Celtic – their third away day in seven days – to add further emphasis to their league success, and now have two more league ties to play out before they can look forward to next season when they make the leap into AUL Premier C.

FC Blanch take the FC Blanch take the league title againleague title againDublin 15 side claim back-to-back league victories in the AFL and AUL in their tenth anniversary year

FC Blanch were celebrating as they claimed the AUL league title in Dunsink last week, their second consecutive league win

BROAD PALETTE: Frank Clarke’s golfi ng initiative P29

blanch

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