dun laoghaire

YOUR COMMUNITY • YOUR PAPER November 17, 2011

Hurling: Kilmacud Crokes stake place in minor finalPage 31

Soccer: Local star is named Player of the YearPage 32

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INSIDE: Community activities at an AIB bank initiative P8

BAKERS’ BLISS: Store of the Year award for The Butler’s Pantry Page 3

Council’s €250,000 bailout for PavilionDLRCC approves repayable funding for local theatre

DAWN LOVE

DUN Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has agreed to bail out the cash-strapped Pavilion Theatre.

An accelerated grant of €250,000 will be allocated to the theatre, and will be repay-able by a deduction from the

Pavilion’s grant of €25,000 per annum, over 10 years.

The popular local theatre has been involved in a period of restructuring after declin-ing audience numbers and revenue sponsorship.

The number of staff at the theatre has been cut to reduce the payroll costs.

Independent councillor Victor Boyhan said he had supported the move, saying: “This money, to me, is not about a bailout – it’s about a strategic investment with a key player in the arts and cul-ture in the county.”

Full Story on Page 6

Woolly helpful:Ladies’ knitting to help childrenONCE again, the charitable ladies of the Glasthule Knitting Group put their considerable skills to good use when they held a knita-thon at Glasthule Parish Centre recently. With the soft sound of busy needles filling the air, the knitters created lots of colourful toys and gifts for a charity appeal, with their lovely creations set to help cheer lots of children in Africa and Eastern Europe, this Christmas.

Picture: Geraldine Woods

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

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

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

ENTERTAINMENT ........ 24

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

2 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 17 November 2011

RETAIL Laser and skin clinic opens in Upper George’s St

Julia McHugh and Olivier Combier

Helping you look great at partiesL

ASER and skin clinic, We Love Laser, has just opened its doors in Upper George’s St, and, say the owners, the outlet is ready to help get Dun

Laoghaire locals hair-free for the party season.The beauty treatment centre’s Julia McHugh says: “We

offer results based on treatments in medical-grade laser hair removal, skin peels, medical microdermabrasion, lesion removal and medical micro-needling, and more.” For further information, call 01 - 214 3635, or see www.welovelaserireland.com.

Smiles from Brenda O’Brien, Helen Gowing and Janet Finlay as they help celebrate the store’s opening day

Vera McHugh, Helen Gowing, Olivier Combier and Lorraine Dunne

Alain Loiseau and Francoise Loehr

Call our SPORTS TEAMon 60 10 240 or email [email protected]

LOCAL TEAM WIN?WE WANT TO KNOW!YOUR LOCAL PAPER,

YOUR LOCAL SPORTS!

Christmas fair at Churchtown

INVITE: STALLS SOUGHT

FESTIVE cheer will come a little early to Churchtown this year when the Glenside Pub will host a Christmas Fair in its car park on Land-scape Road, on Saturday, December 10.

The fair will open at 11am and run through-out the day, and is being held in conjunction with the Churchtown Busi-ness Association.

The fair’s organiser, Paul Mangan, says there is no cost to have a stall

at the Christmas Fair and among the stalls to be included will be those for arts and crafts, Christmas themes, food and all other stall options.

Paul said that the fair is open to everyone. “We are hoping for about 12 stalls, but we can cater for about 30 or 40 of them,” he said.

For further informa-tion, or if you are inter-ested to have a stall at the fair, call Paul at 086 300 6589.

17 November 2011 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 3

Surrounded by some of the delicious fine fare that saw The Butler’s Pantry, Mount Merrion Avenue, claim the Store of the Year award from

Retail Excellence Ireland, Eoin Warner, director of retail, The Butler’s Pantry chain, shows off the prestigious award. Picture: Geraldine Woods

Butler’s cooking is key to award glory

MICHAEL HANNAN

A WELL-known Black-rock deli and restaurant has won the Best Small Store award in the 2011 Retail Excellence Ireland Awards.

The Butler’s Pantry, on Mount Merrion Avenue, scooped the prestigious award last weekend, beat-ing more than 150 other entries, and owner, Jac-qui Marsh, said she was thrilled that the store got the honour.

“We’re delighted to have won for two reasons. Firstly, it’s a great award to have won, and great to get recognition from your peers and, secondly, from

a motivational point of view, it’s great for our staff,” she said.

The Butler’s Pantry was founded in 1987 by Eileen Bergin in response to the changing trends in Irish lifestyles and eating habits.

The first shop, on Mount Merrion Avenue, concentrated on cooking and baking great-tasting breads, meals and des-serts in the morning, and selling the produce to local clientele in the eve-nings.

It quickly gained a rep-utation as a place to go for a tasty “home-cooked” style of food, and now has eight shops in the greater

Dublin area, employing a total of 90 staff, and producing an average of 1,600 meals a day.

Marsh believes that the experience of opening the chain during similarly recessionary times has stood it in good stead.

“This time around, we’ve had to reinvent ourselves. People use us for a number of reasons, and the restaurant aspect is particularly popular.”

Local Independent councillor and customer, Victor Boyhan, was effu-sive in his praise for the store.

“I wish to congratulate Eileen Bergin and all her team at The Butler’s Pan-

try on achieving this pres-tigious award.

“Eileen deserves this national recognition. As a local customer, I know how hard she has worked to expand this wholesome food business to meet the needs of local customers,” he said.

As the business has developed and expanded, it has managed to retain a commitment to premi-um-quality natural food, as all dishes are made using only the freshest ingredients.

Their dishes and reci-pes change with the sea-sons, and use the availa-bility of fresh ingredients to ensure the very best in

taste and flavour.It has been the recipi-

ent of the Bridgestone Award every year since 1995.

In 2003 and 2004, it won the Small Busi-ness award at the Irish Food and Drink Industry Awards.

They were finalists in the Best in Fresh awards in 2007, and at the 2008 Great Taste Award, they won gold in three food categories.

Marsh said that it was a fantastic award, as it acknowledged the chain’s “seven-star service” com-mitment to improving the quality of the customer’s experience.

RETAIL Top national food award for deli and restaurant

A Titanic achievement: Designer’s admiration for design prow-essFORMER Blackrock College student Paul Costelloe was happy to chat with Gemma McCorry as she sailed across the carpet in a stunning Titanic Belfast dress and ensem-ble at the recent CIM Ireland Marketing Excellence Awards in Belfast City Hall.

The Titanic dress, which is based on the iconic outline of the legendary RMS ship, created a surge of interest in the links between fashion and business, with Paul’s business know-how making a splash with guests as he discussed how he adapted his high-end business model to cope with the sinking feeling of the current economy.

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Bernadette Paolozzi, and her model granddaughter, Nadia Forde, highlighting the opening of a new Mobility Care Centre in Dun Laoghaire

Mobilising a health care option for all

DAWN LOVE

[email protected]

TOP model, Nadia Forde, teamed up with her beloved nana, Bernadette Paolozzi, in their first-ever photocall together to highlight the opening of a new Mobility Care Centre in Dun Laoghaire, last week.

The first Mobility Care Centre was opened in Swords two years ago, and both showrooms stock a range of equipment and aids to independent liv-ing for adults, teens and children suffering a tem-porary or permanent dis-ability.

Co-owner, Richard

Ryder, who has been involved in the disabil-ity sector for many years, said: “The Mobility Care Centres allow customers to see and try out aids and equipment for them-selves, rather than having to order from catalogues, which has been the prac-tise for years.”

According to Ryder, due to health cutbacks, local healthcare profes-sionals are not always in a position to provide mobility equipment and patients must now find and pay for any necessary items themselves.

“People coming to us say there’s no HSE fund-ing available to pay for

what they need. “Specific equipment

or aids have usually been recommended but it’s now up to the patient to source it.

“Our Mobility Centres, where a lot of the most common items are already in stock, have become a

lifeline for many people and their families in this situation,” he said.

Preliminary results from the 2011 Census indicates a 14% rise in the number of people aged 60 years and over since the last census, five years ago.

Statistics from the 2006 Census shows that the incidence of people experiencing some form of disability is at its high-est between the ages of 55-64 (figures from the 2011 Census are not avail-able yet).

Ryder also pointed out that being mobile and able to live independently is the number-one con-cern for everyone coming to the centres, regardless of their age.

“Amongst our older customers, the majority are going to use savings or their pension, but oth-ers are relying on their families to cover costs,” he said.

Candle-lit walk of remembranceA CANDLE-LIT walk of remem-brance, in memory of those who lost their lives in the recent floods, organised by members of the Catholic Youth Council, was held at Dun Laoghaire Pier last Sunday.

Monsignor Dan O’Connor, the parish priest of Dun Laoghaire, warmly welcomed everyone to the event, thanking the young people for the act of community remembrance.

The candle-lit precession stopped at five points along the pier, for music and reflection in remembrance of loved ones.

A number of young people led short prayers, remembering loved ones, those lost at sea, and those who had passed from this world early in life.

There were prayers for Garda Ciaran Jones and hospice nurse Celia Ferrer, both lost in the recent floods.

Local Independent coun-cillor, and director of the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company, Victor Boyhan, attended the act of remembrance.

Afterwards, Cllr Boyhan said: “It was a very special event. It was particularly fitting that the event was held on Remem-brance Sunday.

“It’s at times like this that I think of a harbour of tears; the mass exodus of forced emigra-

tion – people forced to run away, because of social ridicule, never to return, and the loss of life at sea.

“This unique harbour has had its fair share of pain in its short history. Tonight’s act of solidarity was an opportunity to remember them.

“It is my hope that this can-dle-lit act of remembrance will become an annual event,” said Cllr Boyhan.

PEOPLE Helping promote a new enterprise

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‘The Mobility Care Centres allow customers to see and try out aids and equipment for themselves, rather than having to order from catalogues, which has been the practise for years’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Richard Ryder, Mobility Care Centre- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

ENTERPRISENEWS

Local Craft & Designers to show at the National Crafts & Design Fair 20118 talented designers – all based in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown – are building on their success at last weekend’s Winter Fair in Dalkey, by having their own stand at the National Craft & Design Fair 2011, which is taking place in the Main Hall of the RDS from November 30th to December 4th next. This is one-stop shopping at its best with thou-sands of unique gifts available at the show which is open to the public.

The county will be represented by Christina Sanne of Red Rufus Sock Dogs (pictured above), Susannagh Grogan of Susannagh Grogan Scarves and members of the County Enterprise Board’s DLR Jewellery Designers network – Lar-agh McMonagle Jewellery, True Colours, Blaze & Sparkle, Vivien Walsh Jewellery, Cadenza Glass Beads and By Aisling. To get a flavour of their work before the show – check out the network’s website: www.dlrjewellerydesigners.ie .

The Enterprise Board is delighted to be sup-porting this group’s presence at this significant national event. It is marvellous that the county is being represented by a group whose work is of outstanding quality and design. We wish all of the designers very well!

Christina Sanne of Red Rufus at Winter Fair 2010


MOTORINGPAGE 19

Getting thebig pictureCormac Curtis test drives the Skoda Yeti

Coors blimey:

.What delight at

winning an ice

holiday prizeTHERE was no denying the delight on their faces when Kris Goodbody, from Blackrock; Thomas Conway, from Rane-lagh and John O’Rourke, from Booterstown won a trip to The Rockies, thanks to Coors Light’s Destination Rocky Mountain competition.

Their team – the Monkies – will join four other winning teams from across Ireland to take the trip of a lifetime to the world-famous Rocky Mountains, Colorado next January, for the snow adventure of a lifetime.

FUNDING amounting to €448,000 has been allocated to Loughlin-stown and St Vincent’s hospitals, this week.

T h e f u n d i n g announcement was wel-comed by Fine Gael TD for Dublin South, Peter Mathews, who said it had been approved by the Special Delivery Unit to reduce wait-ing lists and combat the trolley problem in Loughlinstown and St Vincent’s hospitals in Dublin South.

H e s a i d : “ I a m delighted with today’s announcement by the Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly, that the Special Delivery Unit set up by the Minister earli-er this year has allocated €448,000 in funding to Loughlinstown and St

Vincent’s hospitals.“By prioritising the

treatment of patients, the Minister is now able to open a 40-bed ward in Leopardstown Park Hospital, with eight step-down beds, and to also fund 229 assisted dis-charge packages, at the rate of seven per week, in Loughlinstown and St. Vincent’s hospitals.

“These measures will be in place until the end of the year,” said Deputy Mathews.

“This is very welcome news for the people of Dublin South, who rely on these hospitals for their health care needs.

“Staff at the hospi-tals provide exceptional care, and I believe these extra measures will enable them to provide an even better service to

patients.“I would like to thank

Minister Reilly for his work on this issue, which forms a key part of his reform agenda for our entire health care system,” he said.

“A number of condi-tions are attached to this funding, and it is up to each hospital to ensure they are keeping up with their end of the bargain.

“They must progress the implementation of the HSE’s Acute Medi-cine Programme, and ensure the hospital has seven-day discharge rounds.

“It’s also essential that additional capacity, funded by this initiative, is not offset by reduc-tions as a result of this initiative,” said Deputy Mathews.

HEALTH: BOOST FOR LOCAL SERVICES

€448,000 funding approved for South Dublin hospitals

Fine Gael Deputy Peter Mathews welcomed the news of funding approved for the

Dublin South hospitals


A VIETNAMESE woman has been jailed for three years for assisting in a sophisticated €360,000 “cannabis factory”.

Thi Tran Huyen (35) was caught fleeing from a house that contained 410 cannabis plants and €170,000 in harvested cannabis.

Four of the bedrooms had been converted to grow the drug, and a new electrical system had been installed to han-dle the lighting and heat required.

Huyen, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Crimi-nal Court to possession of cannabis at Mount Anville Wood, Stillorgan, on July 26, 2010. She was living in the downstairs of the house at the time.

Sergeant Brian O’Keefe told prosecuting coun-sel, Mr Sean Guerin BL,

that gardai stopped a car in Dublin, and a search revealed a hold-all con-taining cannabis.

This led them to the Mount Anville Wood address. When they arrived with a search war-rant, Huyen ran out the back door, but was caught as she tried to climb behind a garden shed.

T h e h o u s e w a s described as a “cannabis cultivation factory”, with the upstairs rooms con-verted for growing canna-bis. There was high-densi-ty lighting and reflective foil on the walls, and a new electricity system installed downstairs.

Judge Martin Nolan said that Huyen must have been aware of the opera-tion, but she was making little profit from it for her-self. He sentenced her to three years, backdated to her arrest last year.

COURTS: WOMAN AIDED CANNABIS GROWING

Jail for drug factory role

ARTS Accelerated €250,000 grant passed

Council agrees to bail out Pavilion Theatre

DAWN LOVE

[email protected]

DUN Laoghaire-Rath-down County Council (DLRCC) has agreed to bail out the cash-strapped Pavilion Theatre.

An accelerated grant of €250,000 will now be allocated to the thea-tre, and will be repay-able by a deduction from the Pavilion’s grant of €25,000 per annum over 10 years.

The popular local the-atre has been involved in a period of restructuring, after declining audience numbers and revenue sponsorship. The number of staff at the theatre has been cut to reduce the payroll costs.

At a council meeting on Monday night, local representatives were told that, over the past few years, the theatre had encountered serious financial difficulties.

The Arts Council fund-ing for the theatre had also been cut.

In a report issued to councillors, Richard Shakespeare, director of Environment, Cul-ture and Community at DLRCC, had urged them to support an accelerated

grant for the theatre, say-ing that due to “excep-tional and necessary expenditures, the Pavil-ion Theatre has built up a substantial deficit by way of overdraft, which is likely to reach €250,000 by the end of 2011.

“Interest charges on the overdraft are also compounding the dete-rioration of the Theatre’s financial position,” he said.

Speaking at this week’s council meeting, Coun-cillor Victor Boyhan (Ind) urged the council to support Shakespeare’s proposal to assist the theatre in overcoming its current financial crisis.

A triple blowHe said: “Arts in all its

forms need to be sup-ported. The theatre had been hit by a triple blow, with the recession, the reduction in direct grant aid from the Arts Coun-cil, and the slow-down in sponsorship.

“This money, to me, is not about a bailout – it’s about a strategic invest-ment with a key player in the arts and culture in the county,” he said.

After some debate, the council unanimous-

The council voted unanimously to advance the Pavilion Theatre an accelerated

grant of €250,000

ly decided to support the funding proposal, with regular six-month reviews.

Cllr Boyhan said: “Now that the council has agreed to support the Pavilion Theatre, I hope the board will focus on a new business plan in order to sustain itself.”

Speaking to The Gazette, Cllr Boyhan said that he had written

to the chairman of the Pavilion Theatre, urging the theatre to develop a new business plan, and an audience and market-ing strategy by the New Year.

Cllr Boyhan said there was no doubt in his mind the funding for the Pavil-ion was deserved, and that the council had to “pay a price to retain cultural events in the

town”.“I am reasonably con-

fident a new model for the Pavilion will pro-duce results and attract interest as a commercial venue for a wide variety of events.

“For that reason, I sup-ported the resolution for a grant of €250,000 from the council. This grant will be repaid,” said Cllr Boyhan.

SUPPORT DUN LAOGHAIRE BUSINESS

CALL THE GAZET TE ON 60 10 240

SHOP LOCALLY


MICHAEL HANNAN

[email protected]

A NEW television pro-gramme, following the search to give GAA club members the chance to sing at Croke Park, is hoping to hit all the right notes on screens.

Pitch Perfect is a new series on TG4, from Good Company Produc-tions, which runs at 8pm every Monday.

Officially sanctioned by Croke Park and the GAA, Pitch Perfect selected singers from local GAA clubs and parishes all over Ireland, who were all set to become a choir and realise their dream of performing centre-stage at Croke Park.

The singers performed the songs of the opposing teams for the All Ireland Football Final in Septem-ber, in front of a crowd of more than 82,000 peo-ple.

Two main mentors, international soprano Niamh Murray and com-poser and former musi-cal director with River-dance, Colm O’Foghlu, took a group of 30 altos, sopranos, basses and ten-ors and trained them over an eight-week period.

They were moulded into a choir, representing clubs from all corners of

Ireland, and representing the GAA’s geographical spread with clubs from Strabane to Schull, Kil-timagh to Killester and Gorey to Gort featured in the show.

The filming was done at a range of locations, from Maynooth College to the Gaiety Theatre to the National Concert Hall.

Series guests include such musical luminaries as Anuna, Colm Wilkin-son, Riverdance percus-sionist Ian McTigue, bar-bershop quartet Four In A Bar, rock band Stand, Brian Kennedy, Fiachna O’Braonain and Seo-saimhin Ni Bheaglaoich.

Pitch Perfect also offers an insight into how our top inter-county teams work and train to reach their ultimate footballing stage, Croke Park.

Throughout the series, viewers follow the move-ment of the football championship through-out eight weeks until the Final.

The commentary is provided by the voices of such GAA former playing stalwarts as Dara O’Cinneide of Kerry, Coman Goggins of Dublin, Jarlath Burns of Armagh and Sean O’Domhnaill of Galway, and many more.

TELEVISION: NEW SHOW ON GAA CLUB SINGERS

Following singers to Croke Park

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POLITICS Breakdowns on election spend

DAWN LOVE

[email protected]

NEW figures released by the Standards of Pub-lic Office Commission have revealed details of the expenditure of Dail election candidates in Dun Laoghaire in the lead-up to the 2011 General Election.

According to the fig-ures, former Minister and Green TD, Ciaran Cuffe spent a total of €27,038.49 in the lead-up to the election, with €3,571.07 of that amount met by public funds originally.

Any spending met by public funds was later reimbursed to the exchequer by candi-dates.

Cuffe was followed by Labour’s Ivana Bacik, who spent a total of €24,479, with €925.67 of that amount originally met by public funds.

Meanwhile, newly-elected TD, Richard Boyd Barrett, of Peo-ple Before Profit, spent just €12,811.64, none of which came from public funds.

Other figures show that Fine Gael TD and Ceann Comha i r l e , Sean Barrett’s expenses amounted to €15,791.34, while newly-elected TD Mar y Mitche l l O ’ C o n n o r ’ s e l e c -tion spending totalled €17,392.37.

Fianna Fail’s Barry Andrews’ total expenses incurred amounted to €21,320.21, while Mary Hanafin’s amounted to €17,190.58.

In a report to the Ceann Comhairle, the figures released by the Commission show that election expenses of €9.28 million were dis-closed by candidates and political parties at the General Election – a

decrease of almost 16% on the €11.08 million figure reported for the 2007 General Election, even though there were 100 additional candi-dates in 2011.

The highest expendi-ture was reported on behalf of Fine Gael and its candidates, at €3,120,238.

This was followed

by Fianna Fai l , a t €2,138,793, and the L a b o u r P a r t y , a t €1,956,813.

The figures represent reported expenditure on property, goods or services used for elec-tion purposes during the election period.

The election period began with the dissolu-tion of the Dail on Feb-

ruary 1, 2011, and ended on polling day on Feb-ruary 25.

No candidate was reported to have exceed-ed the statutory expend-iture limits. The limits for the 2011 General Election were €30,150 for a three-seater con-stituency, and €37,650 for a four-seater.

A total of 327 candi-dates qualified for reim-bursement of election expenses, and the total certified for payment, to date, is €2,503,857.

On the issue of report-ed expenditure met from public funds, the Com-mission said it had pre-viously commented (in its 2006 Annual Report, and subsequent reports) that the use of public funds for electoral pur-poses “is a major issue”, which requires to be “re-evaluated in considera-tion of future changes to the electoral law”.

General Election costs hit €9.28m

PBP

Richard

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€12,81

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€24,47

9

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€21,32

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GRN

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€27,038

Figures show the General Election campaign expenditure for candidates, with some drawing from public funds, as fully detailed below

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‘Figures released by the Standards of Public Office Commission revealed the expenditure of Dail election candidates in Dun Laoghaire in the lead-up to the 2011 General Election.

‘The highest expenditure was reported on behalf of Fine Gael and its candidates, at €3,120,238, followed by Fianna Fail, at €2,138,793, and the Labour Party, at €1,956,813.’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


A focus on all of the communityS

INCE the beginning of the year, AIB Cor-nelscourt has been concentrating on help-ing local SMEs, by providing free showcase

retail floor space in their main banking hall. Branch manager, Sandy Doyle, and her staff are very keen to get business and the economy moving again, and the initiative is proving highly successful, with a waiting list of clients hoping to get involved. The Gazette spoke to Sandy about this, and their other endeavours at the branch.

“To date, we have been concentrating on helping our local SMEs. This [showcasing ini-tiative] has been running since the start of 2011, and is our 16th showcase so far, this year.

“We are finding that there are more and more people either setting up, or planning to set up, a new business. Starting a business remains one of the biggest decisions a person will make in their lifetime.

“While it can be a very exciting time, it can also be extremely daunting, having to make lots

of decisions that may have lasting implications for them and their business in the longer term,” said Sandy.

“We are here to help and guide local SMEs from the very first time they set up the business, right through to the day-to-day management of their business. We also pride ourselves in the delivery of a first-class customer service that we provide to our wider community, she said.

“The staff in AIB Cornelscourt are currently helping to raise funds for a five-year-old girl, Niamh Moriarty. Niamh has cerebral palsy, and cannot walk on her own at the moment. She is hoping to go to America for an operation. All of the staff are actively involved in trying to help raise the necessary funds for Niamh’s opera-tion.

“We have just had a Halloween Junior Saver art colouring competition. We had a huge response to this competition, and a very high standard of art are currently on display in our banking hall,” said Sandy.

Thomas Crotty, art competition winner

FINANCE AIB Cornelscourt’s branch manager talks about

Niamh Moriarty with Kerri Nolan, Manager Sandy Doyle, Terri Halpenny, Linda Hill

and James Roulston

Niamh Moriarty with her sisters Fiona and Aoife

Christina Goldston, of ChristinaBelleThe young artists pose together


Linda Priestley with Sandy Doyle, AIB Branch Manager, and Aisling Sheehy. Pictures: Geraldine Woods

Robert Halpenny

Jamie Mullally

Rachel Crotty with her brother, Thomas

how the branch is playing a part in the local community

Sandy Doyle and Terri Halpenny with Christina Goldston


A woolly kind way to support childrenO

NCE again, the ladies of the Glasthule Knitting Group were delighted to use their formidable

skills in aid of a good cause when they took part in a knitathon at Glasthule Parish Centre recently.

Without a cross word, but with some crossed stitches, the expert knitters

created lots of bright, colourful toys and gifts for the Team Hope Christ-mas Shoebox appeal, creating toys to delight children in Africa and Eastern Europe, supporting their Christmas with their generously created and donated gifts from Ireland.

The ladies were keen to say that new

members are always very welcome, and they meet every Tuesday morn-ing from 10am to midday in the new parish centre, with novice knitters just as welcome as experienced hands to share a cuppa, chat, a sense of fun and, as this project showed, a real sense of community spirit and kindness.

The brightly bedecked ladies of the Glasthule Knitting Group show their colourful selection of wonderful woollen gifts. Pictures: Geraldine Woods

Mary Pat Shaw, with Sylvia Fry of the Hope Christmas Shoebox Appeal Jayne Doran and Marion McGettrickKitty Transon, Betty Clarke and Betty O’Reilly

CHARITY Glasthule Knitting Group creates gifts for appeal

Expert knitters, Margaret Byrne and Patricia Swords

Betty Clarke knits another dainty piece

AWARDS Accepting their Oscar Wilde Gold Medals

Dublin students Roslyn Steer, Katie Hill, Laura Sinnott, Deasun O’Riain and Joan Redmond display their Oscar Wilde Gold Medals

Five Dubliners top the class

STAFF REPORTER

FIVE Dublin students have each been named among the 23 winners of the Undergraduate Awards, an awards pro-gramme open to under-graduate students on the island of Ireland and, recently, the USA.

They were each award-ed the Oscar Wilde Gold Medal for academic excel-lence by the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, at the Undergraduate Awards Ceremony held at Dublin Castle on Fri-day, October 28.

Trinity College Dublin graduate, Joan Redmond of Castleknock, Co Dub-lin, won the Historical Studies category for her essay, Religious Violence and the 1641 Rebellion:

Divided Communities in Seventeenth-Century Cavan.

Originally from Kil-liney Co. Dublin, Univer-sity College Cork gradu-ate, Roslyn Steer, won the Modern Cultural Studies category for her essay, The Influence of Music on Modernist Literature.

University College Dublin graduate, Deasun O Riain, was the winner of the Celtic Studies &

Irish category for his essay, “An Dirbheathais-neis sa Ghaeilge: Mo Bhealach Fein.

Laura Sinnott, from Swords, Co Dublin, also a Trinity College Dublin graduate, won the Lan-guages & Linguistics category for her essay, The audio-visual juxta-position of Günter Grass’ Die Blechtrommel.

Katie Hill, from Monk-stown, Dublin, won the Nursing & Midwifery category for her essay, Paediatric Palliative Care in Ireland. Katie is currently in her final year at Trinity College Dublin.

There were 2,381 sub-missions to the 2011 Undergraduate Awards programme of which 23 winners were selected.

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

They were each awarded the Oscar Wilde Gold Medal for Academic Excellence- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

17 November 2011 GAZETTE 11

SEE TRAVELPAGES 22-23

It’s all about Belfast: For history buffs and all music lovers

12 GAZETTE 17 November 2011

Take care of your mindFORMER Dublin captain Paul Griffin will be at the Hilton Dub-lin Airport, Northern Cross, on November 22 and the Radisson Blue St Helen’s in Stillorgan on Wednesday, November 23, to promote positive mental health.

He will be discussing the role that mind management can have in enhancing performance and overcoming adversity. Paul will speak about the important role positive thinking played as he suffered setbacks in his playing career with serious injuries over the past two seasons.

With an estimated 400,000 people in Ireland experiencing depression at any one time, the Lean on Me campaign, sup-ported by Lundbeck Ireland and Aware, was developed to encourage better understand-ing of the condition, encourage friends and family to provide support to those affected, and encourage them to seek treat-ment if necessary.

Paul will be joined by Caroline Currid, a performance coach and sports psychologist. She

will discuss some practical tools and techniques for managing a healthy mind, many of which are regularly used by profes-sional sports people on and off the pitch.

“There are simple techniques that sports stars use which can be adopted by men and women of all ages to help them man-age their thoughts and main-tain a healthy, positive mind. Alan Quinlan might look big and tough, but he has to work just as hard as everyone else to maintain a positive outlook,” she

said.The events are free of charge

but pre-registration is required. Log on to www.leanonme.net for more information.

Beer matching at Siam ThaiSIAM Thai, in Dundrum Town Centre, was the setting for an exciting evening of food, laugh-ter and beers.

Heineken Ireland is bringing beer and food together in some

top restaurants in Dublin this November in an effort to show people the wonderful marriage that these two make.

With the global trend of beer and food matching arriving in restaurants across Ireland, beer is fast becoming a drink of choice when it comes to eating out.

Beer, with its natural ingredi-ents of hops, barley and water is the perfect accompaniment to food, both savoury and sweet. From banoffee pie with Paulan-er to Thai Pork Curry with Birra Moretti and Affligem with crème brulee, beer and food really com-plement each other.

We sampled massaman curry with Sol and Sweet and Sour chicken with Zywiec. The event was hosted by a lovely lady who knew lots in the way of beer and food matching and taught all guests how to sample beer, much in the same way as wine.

Log on to thisisbeer.ie for beer and food matching opportuni-ties at home and for details of the next beer and food matching event.

DIARY Stories from around the capitalGazette ContactsBlock 3A, Mill Bank Business Park, Lucan

Tel: 01 6010240 Fax: 01 6010251

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Financial Controller: Carly Lynchemail: [email protected]

Advertising Production: Anita Wardemail: [email protected]

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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

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Rugby star Alan Quinlan and sports psychologist Caroline Currid

launch the Lean on Me campaign


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GazetteBEAUTYBEAUTYTaking good care of your

Ziaja’s natural olive formulations soften and hydrate dehydrated skin

IT’S pretty much incon-ceivable to cook without olive oil in today’s world and, for thousands of years, olives have been used in skin care because of their incredible abil-ity to increase moisture levels and improve skin elasticity.

Just as our Mediter-ranean counterparts have used olives in their cooking for cen-turies, so too have they in their skincare, using this luscious oi l to form the basis of many of their hair and skin-care beauty rituals.

Ziaja’s natural olive formulations are a gen-tle and effective way to soften and hydrate dehydrated skin, even in the delicate eye and lip areas. This natural-based face and body range is suitable for all skin types,

and won’t harm or dam-age even the most irrita-ble skin.

Olive oil is rich in vita-min E, which nourishes and softens the skin and stimulates skin microcir-culation.

Olive oil also pro-motes the elimination of toxins and protects the skin against free radicals. Ziaja’s natural formulas have been designed to be slowly absorbed into the skin, offering long-lasting moisturising action, and can be used by the whole family and by infants from the first month onwards.

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It can be used as a

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Edited by Dawn Love

COWSHED’S Udderly Gorgeous Maternity range

and Baby Cow Organics range are now avail-

able on the Irish market. Since its launch in 1998,

Cowshed’s philosophy has been to create a

complete range of honest, natural and thera-

peutic products, using the best organic and wild

crafted plants.

The Udderly Gorgeous range is 100% natural

and made from wild-crafted Sea Buckthorn Oil

and rich in vitamins, carotenes, minerals and

fatty acids, to provide your skin with all the

nourishment it needs.

The Baby Cow Organics range is made from

Meadowfoam Oil and is specially formulated to

pamper, protect and soothe baby’s delicate skin.

The Udderly Gorgeous Maternity Range

includes products such as Udderly Gorgeous

Stretch-mark Oil €19.95 (a must for any mum-

to-be), Udderly Gorgeous Bath and Shower Gel

€15.95, Udderly Gorgeous Stretch-mark Balm

€23.95 and Udderly

Gorgeous Cooling

Leg and Foot Treat-

ment €17.95 (this is

simply great for any

fluid retention you

might develop during

pregnancy).

Cowshed’s new ranges for mother and baby skin … even when shaving

due to its high vitamin E content and antioxidant action. Use on the whole body, including elbows, knees and other areas that require intensive regeneration.

The total shave

Everyone loves stock-ing fillers, particularly thoughtful, useful pres-sies.

So, if you are on the look-out for something different to finish off dad’s, or your other half’s stocking, then check out Total Shaving Solution. This cult shaving oil is Irish and 100% natu-ral, and will radically enhance his daily shav-ing experience.

With Total Shaving Solution, he can say goodbye to painful nicks, cuts, razor rash and even in-grown hairs. This one-

step shaving oil preps skin before shaving and also provides a highly protective and lubricat-ing barrier during shav-ing, enabling the closest shave possible without cutting the skin, leaving skin supple, moisturised and soothed.

Total Shaving Solu-tion combines a careful blend of natural essen-tial oils chosen for their therapeutic and anti-inflammatory properties, including sesame seed, soya bean, grape seed, clove bud, lavender and menthol.

Founded by Tom Mur-phy in 1994 after he was made redundant, the County Mayo native, who enjoyed a success-ful 20-year career in the pharmaceutical indus-try, decided to take the plunge and set up a new

business.Like millions of men,

Tom loathed shaving and the inevitable daily nicks, cuts and razor rashes.

He wanted to create a breakthrough shaving solution that put an end to the chores and sores of having to shave each day.

The result was Total Shaving Solution – a 100% natural and break-through shaving oil, which dramatically pre-vents dry skin, rashes, nicks, cuts and ingrown hairs.

Total Shaving Solution is priced €5.39 for 10ml and 10.99 for €25 ml and is available from phar-macies and groceries nationwide and is also available to purchase online too. Visit www.totalshave.com

Total Shaving Solution shaving oil is 100% natural and

preps skin before shaving

ROB HEIGH

THERE comes a moment in every band’s career when it is right to let go of the reins and call time on what has been a good run.

REM announced last month that the time has come to close the book on what has been an epic, three-decade career.

Having been there for a good part of that journey, listening to the full-stop that is Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage, a 40-track compilation of the band’s greatest hits from their 15 studio albums, is a roll-ercoaster ride of memo-ries of the good times, and the less-good times, spent with a band who redefined American indie

music, inspired a whole generation, and deserved-ly sold millions of records around the world.

The two-disc set is a fascinating ride down memory lane, as well as an insight into REM’s progression as a band. From the Byrds-ian, Glen Campbell-esque open-ing run of Gardening At Night to Life And How To Live It, to the point where they hit their stride in the feedback-driven intro to Begin The Begin, through the bubblegum pop of Shiny Happy People and Man On The Moon, the record chimes and chimes again what a great band REM were in their prime.

Aguably, they were never the same after the departure of founder member, Bill Berry, in

1997, but among what were sometimes patchy, sometimes inspired, albums that came after their best, New Adven-tures In Hi-Fi, are some pretty incredible songs.

Their decision to quit is undeniably sad, but this collection shows their ability to turn their hands to a variety of styles, and one of the joys is reading the liner notes, as each band member recalls the times, circumstances and inspirations that led to such an impressive oevre.

Their ability to merge the influences of their Southern youth with the inflections of the great guitar bands of the late Sixties and early Seven-ties, and their understand-ing of what makes a time-less pop song will be their

legacy, something other acts should aspire to.

A 40-track run through of 15 albums will inevita-bly miss some of their fin-est moments, so I heartily recommend catching up with the extended edi-

tions of the IRS releases, Out Of Time, the afore-mentioned Adventures, and their swansong, Col-lapse Into Now, which meant that REM will exit the stage on a deserved high.

GazetteMUSICMUSIC16 GAZETTE 17 November 2011

REM call time on 31 years with compilation album

ANOTHER 20-year anniversary comes this month with the celebration of U2’s reinvention and opening of the second age of their career with the release in 1991 of Achtung Baby, and we have five copies to give away.

Simply answer the following question: What was the name of the studio in Berlin where the album was recorded?

Send your answer to [email protected], with the subject line “Achtung”, before Friday, November 25, or log on to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/gazettenews, and like and share the U2 post on your wall.

Competition: U2 can win Achtung Baby special edition End of the world arrives

REVIEW: FIRST WHOLE-CAREER COMPILATION FOR REM

GazettePETSPETSBrought to you by Miriam Kerins of

the DSPCA

THE FACTS: IT’S IMPORTANT TO KEEP OUR FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS PROTECTED

Keeping pets safe during extreme coldIT’S winter time folks, oh yes, the frigid air is barrel-ing towards us and we’re busily raiding the garden sheds for shovels and salt in preparation for winter; so, in the spirit of Jack Frost, let me ask you a few questions.

Do you don your win-ter woollies, break out the old Ugg boots and add a trendy scarf to your daily wardrobe? Yes!

Ooh, then you’re prob-ably like me and love the unique seasonal quality that comes with the fact you can layer up and no longer feel the need to wax your legs. Bliss.

However, let’s hope you also paws, (sorry) to take precautions when it comes to your pet’s seasonal requirements because it’s important

to keep our four-legged friends warm and protect-ed during the cold snap.

Below are some of my top tips. Read them, you never know, they may come in handy.

Dog and cats• Make sure your pet

has access to fresh drink-ing water and food.

• If walking your dog, wear warm, reflective clothing and get Fido a reflective collar and lead also.

• Watch for dogs’ and cats’ paws becoming impacted with snow – this can cause discomfort.

• Make sure your cat wears a reflective, safety collar.

• Make sure your pet sleeps indoors, especially during extreme tempera-

Make sure your dogs paws don’t become impacted

with snow

tures and raise their bed-ding off the ground so they don’t catch a chill from the cold, damp floor.

• Cats prefer to be snug-gled up indoors and a comfortable chair or bas-ket can make the perfect bed for your feline friend.

• Watch out for hypo-thermia or a body temper-ature that falls below nor-

mal for your pet. Cats in particular are at risk here, especially if they already suffer with poor circula-tion or are exposed to cold conditions. If Kitty shows signs of depression, weak-ness, lethargy, begins to shiver and stops respond-ing to you, wrap her up, keep her warm and ring your vet immediately.

• Keep a close eye on pets sleeping by the fire; they could burn if they get too close.

Pet birds• Birds should be placed

in a draught-free spot and well away from a heater.

• Make sure your bird has access to fresh drink-ing water.

Outdoor pets If you have a rabbit or

guinea pig it’s important you move the hutch to a sheltered area like a shed or garage. Better still, move to a downstairs loo or cloak room.

• Make sure they have plenty of warm, fresh bedding to snuggle down in and change it regu-larly. Do not, under any circumstances, use cut

grass as a form of bed-ding as moulds and fungi can build up and create a toxic atmosphere that can prove fatal for your pet.

• Rabbits and guinea pigs will naturally eat more in the winter so they have extra fat to help them stay warm; make sure you give them plenty of food, fresh vegetables and fresh water. Make sure the water doesn’t freeze in the water bottle.

Feeding birdsIn sub-zero tempera-

tures, wild birds have dif-ficulty finding food. An extra bit of care from you will see them through the winter. Wild bird seed, peanuts and suet slabs are widely available in shops and garden centres.

Frozen Ponds If you have a pond in

your garden, check it each day for ice. Toxic gases can build up in the water when it’s fro-zen. This may kill fish or frogs hibernating at the bottom of it.

• Dog owners must keep pets well away from ponds and lakes that have frozen over. Thin ice may break under your dog’s weight. If you must allow your dog near open water, then stay with him at all times.

For more information, check out www.dspca.ie or email me at [email protected]

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



RoadRoadSignsSignsINTEREST-FREE OPTION ON OPEL PASSENGER CARS OPEL Ireland has announced a very attractive finance offer for all new Opel pas-senger cars.

Financed through Credit Opel and underwritten by per-manent tsb Finance Ltd., Opel’s 0% Flex-ible Finance offer gives customers the chance to buy a car without paying one cent of interest.

Customers choose the Opel car they want, and then select their deposit range from between 30 – 50%, with the term ranging from 12–48 months.

New Opel custom-ers will also reap the benefits of Opel’s new four-year/100,000km Full Warranty plan.

Customers can choose their new Opel Astra, Corsa, Insignia or Meriva in tax band A (in diesel and/or petrol models); with annual road tax of just €104.

The practical, yet charming, Skoda Yeti brought out the inner boy racer in CORMAC CURTIS, who got more drive than he was expecting

GazetteMOTORSMOTORS

WHEN it comes to cars that are designed to carry a combination of people, luggage,

cargo and/or recreational equipment – it rarely transpires that the result is something that is a heap of fun to drive and has a boot-load of character in the looks department!

But, I must admit, the latest 4x4 incarnation of the Skoda Yeti comes dangerously close to achieving both.

I recently had a long week-end to put the Yeti 4x4 Ambi-tion through its paces in the not-too-extreme environment of Dublin City. But, let’s face it, most people who buy any kind of SUV will only need to test its off-road mettle when they get dangerously lost at the Plough-ing Championships, or spend too long at the beach to find the tide getting perilously close

where they parked.Anyway, let’s talk first

impressions.The Yeti is a really attractive,

but not a stunning-looking car. In the same way the Suzuki Swift stole envious glances from MINI owners when it first hit the streets, the Yeti has its own charm. So much so, in fact, that my six-year old asked me: “Is he a happy car? ‘Cos I think he’s smiling!”

You can’t really argue with that kind of affection, can you?

The model I tested was the 2.0TDI 170bhp six-speed man-ual version – I can’t tell you if the car was happy or not, but I certainly was.

This car has a throaty exhaust note that just begs your inner boy racer to come out for a joyride.

Some clever guy in some secret research laboratory somewhere in car-making land has clearly figured out a way to make modern diesel engines sound like a cross between a Porsche and a Harley-Dav-idson. That, coupled with the fact that the engine produces 170bhp, means you get a level of fun behind the wheel that you just don’t expect from an SUV such as this.

Moving on to more practical

matters – after all, this car has an awful lot to offer in practi-cal terms – the cabin is a very comfortable affair indeed.

The front passengers enjoy plenty of room, with seats that are incredibly supportive, with-out being completely rigid.

There was enough space in the back for my two kids in their child seats, but I wouldn’t be too keen on a long journey back there myself.

Having said that, the three rear seats, using Skoda’s VARI-OFlex Seating Solution, can be rearranged in an almost end-less set of configurations to allow for any combination of passengers and luggage – they can even be removed com-pletely.

Returning to the front, some might consider the dashboard in the Yeti bland, but I found it simple, uncluttered and I liked

the matt finish and brushed aluminium-style accents.

The console boasts an impres-sive touch-screen interface that controls everything from the Bluetooth connectivity of your mobile phone, to the impressive Columbus satellite navigation that is fitted as standard on all Yeti 4x4 vehicles from 2012.

There are some little let-downs in the Yeti. Anyone shorter than about 5’ 10” will find the visors completely use-less when the sun is low in the sky - as my wife was at pains to point out.

And, if I was to really start splitting hairs, I would ask why the ‘ticking’ sound of the indica-tor is so quiet!

In short, this is a great car from a company that is mak-ing huge strides in build-quality, design and value. The model I drove costs €29,545.

SUZUKI Ireland has announced the appointment of Paschal Kennedy Motors Ltd in Dun Laoghaire as a new Suzuki dealership.

The appointment increases the number of Suzuki dealerships in Ireland to 19.

Commenting on the appoint-ment, Wayne Doolan, general man-ager of Suzuki Ireland said: “We are very happy to be associated with Paschal Kennedy Motors. They have been successfully serving cus-tomers in the Dun Laoghaire area

since 1969 and have gone from strength to strength.”

Dealer Principal, David Kennedy, is pleased about this latest develop-ment within his business. “This third-generation family business was originally established in the 1920s by my grandfather. Due to fuel shortages, the business was sold during WWII, and was bought back again in 1969. At that time, we concentrated on service and repairs before moving into the sales area,” he said.

“Business grew beyond our expectations, leading to expansion in 1995 in both our site size along with our sales and after-sales facil-ity.”

Paschal will be stocking the complete range of Suzuki vehicles, which includes the Alto, the Splash, the Swift, the SX4 Crossover Range and the Grand Vitara.

Paschal Kennedy Motors is situated on Library Road in Dun Laoghaire – see www.kennedymo-tors.ie for more details.

New dealer in Dublin for Suzuki

Top speed: 201km/hr

0 – 100km/hr: 8.4 secs

Economy: 5.9l/100km

CO2 emissions: 155g/km

Annual Road Tax: €302

Price: €29,545

SPECS: SKODA YETI 4X4

AMBITION, 2.0 TDI

David Kennedy and Paschal Kennedy, of Paschal

Kennedy Motors, with Michael McBarron (standing)

and Wayne Doolan of Suzuki Ireland

The best Skoda Yeti?

Four-bedroom peace in the Glade

Number 14, Castleknock Glade, is on the market for €290,000

SHERRY Fitzgerald, Castleknock, are bring-ing No. 14, Castleknock Glade , a four-bed semi-detached home that benefits from an upgraded kitchen, bath-room and double glazed windows, to the market for the asking price of €290,000.

The property also features a 88ft-long rear garden that offers wonderful potential to extend.

The accommodation comprises entrance hall with glazed ceramic floor tiles, a guest WC comprising WHB and WC with a ceramic, tiled floor.

The living room ben-efits from excellent pro-portions and a tiled fire-place with a back boiler, and it leads into the dining room, an open plan space with the liv-ing room, with access to

the kitchen, with views from a picture window overlooking the long rear garden.

The kitchen features an upgraded so l id wood-fitted Shaker-style kitchen, which is plumbed for a washing machine. The ceramic floor tiling has a feature centre piece, and there is a door to the rear gar-den.

The master bedroom is a double room to the front of the house and has built-in wardrobes and dressing table, which, along with the other three bedrooms, is well-sized and features built-in wardrobes.

The main bathroom was recently reappoint-ed to comprise a wc, a bath with a shower screen and an electric shower. A wash-hand basin sits above a con-temporary style storage

DUBLIN 15: RECENTLY UPGRADED PROPERTY FOR €290,000

SHERRY FitzGerald, Castleknock, are also bringing No. 23, Bromp-ton Lawn, Castleknock, Dublin 15, a four-bed-room semi detatched property, to the market, with an asking price of €375,000.

This family home in exceptional condition, having clearly been well maintained by its owners. Situated at the end of a cul-de-sac, this immacu-lately presented home benefits from a large back garden and ample off-street parking to the front.

The property benefits from well-proportioned accommodation which is designed with com-fortable living in mind.

Secluded living at Brompton Lawn CASTLEKNOCK: FOUR-BEDROOM SEMI-DETACHED FOR €375,000

It comprises a large wel-coming entrance hall-way, an open-plan liv-ing/dining room, study, a bright modern open plan kitchen/breakfast room, which features Ital-ian black granite floor tiles. The kitchen is fitted

with an excellent range of white high-gloss units, integrated oven, hob, hob, dishwasher and washing machine. Double doors from the breakfast area lead to the garden and a guest WC.

Upstairs, there are four

Number 23, Brompton Lawn, Castleknock, is on the market for €375,000

GazettePROPERTYPROPERTY

bedrooms and a family bathroom.

The back garden meas-ures 65ft (approx), it offers a high degree of privacy and is filled with an array of trees, bushes and flow-ers. There is also a large brick shed. The front

driveway provides excel-lent off-street parking.

Local facilities are in abundance and include a variety of shops, res-taurants, pubs, schools and leisure amenities. It is ideally located within minute’s walk of Rosel-awn Shopping Centre, Coolmine Train Station and numerous bus routes. Castleknock, Blanchard-stown Village and Town Centre, the Phoenix Park, various golf courses and, most importantly, the M3 and M50 are all in close proximity. There is also an good choice of national and secondary schools locally.

For information, con-tact Carol Anne Galvin on 01 8201800.

unit. To the front , the

driveway is bordered to one side by a neat lawn and it is fully walled. Side access leads to the phenomenal 88-ft long rear garden laid in lawn. This garden affords obvious poten-tial to extend subject to

planning permission.The property is locat-

ed within a five-minute walk of Castleknock Train Station. Castle-knock Glade is just a short stroll from Scoil Thomas Primary School and a good selection of local shops.

Castleknock Com-

munity College, Mount Sackville girls’ school and Castleknock Col-lege boys’ school are all within close proximity of the property.

To arrange a viewing, contact Michelle Curra-na at Sherry FitzGerald, Ashleigh Retail Centre on 01 820 1800.

Delectable decorationsBELLEEK Living have designed an exclusive Christmas Collection, full of unique gift ideas. Whether it is surprising that special someone or adding a contemporary touch to your home, the Christmas Collection holds the perfect solution.

Among their special range of decorations, they have a variety of styles, both contempo-rary and classic, including a Contemporary Nativity Set for €45, a Classic Three Kings Set for €45, and a selection of snowman and snow-flake ornaments.

For more information, see www.belleek.ie

INTERIORS: CHRISTMAS TIME IS A-COMING

A mix of classic and contemporary decorations


SUSAN joined Make-A-Wish in October 2006 as development and fundraising manager, and was appointed chief executive in 2009. Since then, she has worked tirelessly with the Foundation in Ireland, helping grant wishes to children across the country.

Make-A-Wish Ireland grants wishes to children between the ages of three and 18 years living with life-threatening medical conditions. Make-A-Wish receives no Government funding, so totally relies on the generosity of the general public, cor-porates, groups and associations.

Every wish granted is unique and extremely special to the family involved, allowing them to forget hospitals, treatments, injections and even the illness itself, ensuring that the family creates fantastic memories that will last a lifetime.

Wishes fall into four categories: I wish to have, I wish to go, I wish to meet and I wish to be, with wishes only being limited by the child’s imagina-tion. A wish brings a smile to a child’s face and gives them something to look forward to.

Look out for all of their great Christmas gift ideas this year, which will all be helping to raise money for Make-A-Wish Ireland, from limited edition scarves at Pamela Scott and Candles from the Disney store to music downloads from some of our Celebrity Ambassadors and great Make-A-Wish Merchandise... there is something for everyone.

Interview: Susan O’Dwyer – Chief executive, Make-A-Wish Ireland

Q&A

Making a differenceis dream job for Susan

Susan O’Dwyer

Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be?A: Believe it or not, I wanted

to be a Montessori teacher,

and now I am the chief execu-

tive of a children’s charity

Q: What was your first job?A: My very first job was a hol-

iday job working behind the

counter in the local delicates-

sen. My first full-time job was

working as a secretary for a

small firm of accountants

Q: And your first pay cheque?A: Too long ago to remember

Q: When did you start your present job?A: I have been working with

Make-A-Wish Ireland since

2006 where I started as fund-

raising manager and in 2009 I

was appointed chief executive

Q: What is the best thing about your job?A: Knowing that we are mak-

ing a difference to very spe-

cial sick children nationwide

is what keeps us motivated.

When you receive a letter

from a wish parent expressing

their thanks, you cannot help

but be passionate for what we

do and want to do more

Q: What part of your working day do you ‘delegate’?A: I am lucky to work with a

great team at Make-A-Wish

and we all work together very

closely on a day-to-day basis

to ensure we grant as many

wishes as possible

Q: What sport can you play?A: I love playing tennis, for

me it’s a complete switch-off

and a fabulous way to reduce

stress. Pilates is my new focus

and I try not to miss a class, I

also enjoy walking with fam-

ily, friends and my dogs

Q: What is your guilty music/TV or movie pleasure?A: I have a few guilty pleas-

ures: (1) curling up on the

couch with a mug of tea, bar

of chocolate and an old-

fashioned movie such as an

Audrey Hepburn film and

(2) at Christmas time sitting

down for hours at a time do-

ing a Wasjig jigsaw

Q: Who do you follow on Twit-ter/Facebook?A: I am an avid follower of @

MakeAWish_ie and Make A

Wish Ireland on facebook; I

also follow numerous other

Irish charities and all of our

Make-A-Wish Ambassadors

to follow what they are up to

Q: Where do you enjoy spend-ing money frivolously?A: I am a cautious spender,

but when I shop some of my

favourite haunts are Ashanti

Gold in Greystones, Peter

O’Brien’s collections in

Arnotts, Carl Scarpa, Cinders

and Dundrum Shopping

Centre

Q: Describe your dream holiday?A: As long as there is sun-

shine and I am relaxing with

my family and friends, any-

where would be good

Q: What would be your dream job?A: I am lucky to be working

in my dream job. Making a

difference in the lives of sick

children and their families

makes my work so reward-

ing and is a huge motivator,

especially as I am a mother

myself.

If I had to choose something

else as a dream job, maybe to

own my own greeting card

shop or run my own Montes-

sori School

Q: Any advice for budding business women out there?A: Ensure that you have a

balanced lifestyle, a good

support system and, where

possible, someone that you

can trust as a mentor.

Staying close to family and

friends is imperative as you

need time out to keep your

focus. Keep positive, and

learn to juggle.

GazetteBUSINESSBUSINESS Supported by AIB

THE BEST BANK TO HAVE ACURRENT ACCOUNT Q – I have just opened a Bank of Ireland current

account and received a 24-page booklet on fees

and charges. You would nearly need a degree in

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Where is the best bank to have a current

account and how do you minimise the exorbi-

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A - Welcome to the real world!

Current accounts are really loss leaders to the

banks that operate them but it is a way of reeling

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services can be offered to you.

Even though it is a loss leader, the charges can

still be costly – 28c for every transaction or € 11.40

per quarter up to 90 transactions thereafter 28c

per transaction.

These costs are outside other charges once

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(€4.44 per day) or unpaids (€ 12.70 for each item sent

back) come into the reckoning.

Avoid overdrafts at all costs – they are just not

worth it. As regards free banking though, Bank of

Ireland DOES offer free banking if

- You lodge over € 3,000 per quarter over that

three-month period

- You MUST make 9 debit payments from the

account using Banking 365 and/or go online

OR

- Maintain € 3,000 in the current account at all times

during the quarter

AIB Bank at €4.50 per quarter, plus 20c for most

other transactions bar cheque and branch trans-

actions (which cost 30c each – they would prefer

you using their online facilities) while Permanent

TSB require lodgements of € 3,000 plus 18 card

purchases and 1 online transaction to qualify for

the free banking.

Ulster Bank probably have the best deal cur-

rently and you can check for comparisons through

the Financial Regulator’s web site - http://www.

itsyourmoney.ie/costcomparisons/cs_tab_per-

sonal_current_account.htm

Don’t forget if you have an aversion to current

accounts, you can always pay your bills for free

through An Post’s BillPay service – 120 different bills

and payable on the drip if necessary in any of the

1,250 post offices ( e.g. pay your € 200 two-monthly

ESB bill over 8 weeks at € 25 per week ) Finally, sur-

plus funds should not be left in a current account –

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Belfast bliss for history buffs and all music lovers

MICHAEL HANNAN

AS A regular visitor to Bel-fast, I thought I had seen much of what the city had to offer, but a stay there during its Music Week, with the MTV Awards in town, gave me a com-pletely new perspective.

After checking in at the luxurious Europa Hotel, and lunch at the nearby Made in Belfast restau-rant, our group gathered at the famous Ulster Hall in Bedford Street to begin the Oh Yeah music tour.

The tour is run by the Oh Yeah Music Centre, which was set up in 2005 to help promote talented musicians and rock bands from Northern Ireland. The Ulster Hall is where, in 1971, Led Zeppelin gave Stairway to Heaven its world premiere.

Our tour took us past the street where Ruby Murray lived. While most people, sadly, only think of her name as the cockney rhyming slang for curry, the 1950s’ singer was the only entertainer to have five singles in British Top-20 charts simultaneously.

We went past the Mari-time Hotel where, in 1964, a 19-year-old Van Morri-son and his band, Them, brought the house down with their classic, Gloria.

We saw his humble ori-gins as we drove past 125 Hynford Street, where he grew up.

A trip past the famous Limel ight Bar was next, where, in 1994, Oasis played a gig and, when told their Defi-nitely Maybe album had reached No 1, famously threw off their guitars and, in the guide’s words, “got a wee bit drunk”.

After a visit to the Oh Yeah Music Centre itself, we quenched our thirst at the elegant Duke of York pub, where Gerry Adams previously worked as a

barman, and stopped to admire the mural in an alleyway across the road depicting many famous Northern Irish personali-ties.

The mural was a cross-community effort, between Danny Devenny, an ex- member of the IRA and Maze prisoner, and Mark Ervine, son of the late Progressive Union-ist Party leader, David Ervine.

Dinner at The Bar and Grill at James Street South proved to be a great choice, with both the sea-food and steaks ordered by our group cooked to

perfection.Back at the Ulster Hall

later that evening for the Benefit Gig for the Alzhe-imer’s Society, we were treated to more than three hours of timeless punk and rock classics by Divine Comedy, Ash and The Undertones.

Two highlights were the double rendition of The Undertones’ classic, Teen-age Kicks, which the late DJ, John Peel, famously played twice in succes-

sion on BBC Radio 1. As if to mirror this, at

the end of the concert, all three bands came onstage again to perform the song together. The sight of men in their 50s pogoing wildly to this punk anthem was as memorable as it was humorous.

No trip to Belfast can be complete without tak-ing part in the Titanic Walking Tour.

This takes in the famous Thompson dry-dock and pump house, as well as the berth where the ship had its final fit-out before being launched.

The tour guide was witty,

engaging and full of “use-less” information that a history anorak like myself thrives on. For example, the docking berth where the ship would be brought in for repairs would have contained 21 million gal-lons of water (85 million litres).

This took about 100 minutes to pump out, or the equivalent of two Olympic-sized swimming pools every 60 seconds. Not bad, for 1912!

After a browse around the St George’s Markets, lunch in the Galley at Belfast Barge was excel-lent, with my companions’ risotto earning particular plaudits.

A hugely entertaining alternative walking tour of the city, by Terri Hooley, the godfather of the Bel-fast punk scene, rounded off my trip.

Hooley is a peace cam-paigner, band promoter and opened the Good Vibrations record shop in 1978, launching such bands as The Undertones, Rudi, and The Outcasts.

He recounted the famous story of when The Clash came to Belfast to perform a gig at the Ulster Hall, only to be told at the last hour that it couldn’t go ahead due to concerns over the insurance costs.

The cancel la t ion sparked a riot by punks of mixed religion waiting outside, who, disgruntled

at the eleventh-hour can-cellation, attempted to rip off the doors to get inside.

As Hooley puts it: “It didn’t matter if you were Protestant or Catholic, as long as you were a punk. It was a strangely unifying experience.”

Speaking of experi-ences, there are plenty of great ones to be had in the Northern capital, ranging from culinary, musical, cultural and historical, and if it all seems like too much effort, there are no shortage of cosy pubs to rest awhile.

To find out more infor-mation on Northern Ire-land’s tours and events, or for further information on places to stay, and things to see and do in Northern Ireland, callsave 1850 230 230; visit the Northern Ireland Tourist Board’s tourist information centre in Suffolk Street, Dublin 2, or see www.discover-northernireland.com.

With so much to enjoy on

in Belfast recently, where

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The Titanic Walking Tour guide was witty, engaging and full of ‘useless’ information [about the ship and its building] that a history anorak like myself thrives on- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Leave the winter woes at home with a great Algarve holiday, with a range of options to choose fromA FAVOURITE spot for Irish people, the Algarve is the ideal year-round sun destination.

Concorde Travel feature packages to the idyl-lic resorts of Albufeira, Alvor, Carvoeiro, Lagos, Portimao/Praia da Rocha, Vale do Lobo/Quinta do Lago and Vilamoura.

Whatever your budget, Concorde Travel has a range of two-star to five-star hotel and apart-ment options to suit you. With flexible departure dates and holiday durations, as well as departures from Dublin, Cork and Knock to Faro, Concorde Travel now make it even easier to travel to this beautiful holiday hotspot.

The three-star Hotel Praia Sol (Vilamoura), on a bed and breakfast basis, costs from €299, whilst the four-star Vila Gale Ampalius (Vilamoura) costs from €419.

The five-star Hilton Vilamoura, As Cascatas Golf Resort and Spa (Vilamoura) on a bed and breakfast basis, costs from €519.

Prices are per person, based on two sharing, and include flights from Dublin, transfers, seven-night’s accommodation, airport tax and baggage.

Visit www.concordetravel.ie, or telephone 01 775 9300 to find out more.

Norway’s the way to go and see what’s described as the greatest Northern Lights show in 50 yearsPREPARE for the most spectacular show on earth this winter with a trip to Norway to see the North-ern Lights.

With NASA predicting the brightest and most active Northern Lights display for 50 years, now is the time to book this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Four nights in a three-star hotel costs €689, or €759 for four-star accommodation.

The package includes return flights from Dub-lin to Tromso via Oslo, four nights’ accommoda-tion in a three- or four-star hotel on a bed and breakfast basis, and airline taxes.

Travel between Thursday, December 1 and Thursday, February 28, using the reference: H014-3396.

For further information, or to book this trip, see www.gohop.ie/3396/Cheap-Holidays/Norway-Northern-Lights-/holiday.html.

FastTravel

GazetteTTRAVELRAVEL22 GAZETTE 17 November 2011

any trip to Belfast, hundreds of media staff from all around the world were delighted to attend a day of music- and culture-driven events

the fine setting of the Titanic Drawing Offices helped to engage the Belfast guests with local craic agus ceol

Enjoy shopping and pampering in Carlow at a comfortable priceCARLOW has never been more affordable for a pre-Christmas shopping break and, with the four-star Talbot Hotel located just a short stroll from all the attractive shopping areas, it is convenient, too.

The Talbot Value Shopping Package includes attractive discounts for the best boutiques in Car-low, which includes an exclusive guide to the best shops in Carlow town.

After the day’s shopping, attentive staff will bring your shopping bags to your room, while you relax and enjoy a sumptuous meal in the cosy fourth-floor Liberty Tree restaurant. Pampering is also important, and the hotel is offering 50% off a facial or massage in its Pure Beauty spa.

Stay at the hotel mid-week for €149 for two nights’ bed and full Irish breakfast, and a four-course meal each evening. Winter weekend pack-ages are available from €99 PPS.

For further information, see www.talbotcarlow.ie, or telephone 059 915 3000.

TravelBriefs

Edited by Mimi Murray


The iconic Titanic Signature Building’s exterior is another sign of the modern face of Belfast’s contemporary cityscape


The Mess-keteersYou can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it think that Cinema really needs this version of the timeless, and seemingly endlessly-

reheated and reserved, tale, with this latest reimagining being a little too bodacious rather than gracious with the source material...

GoingOUT

GazetteENTERTAINMENTENTERTAINMENT

It’s one for all, and all for one – edging towards the exit, that is, with an uninspired rehash of a timeless tale ...

KATE CROWLEY

EVEN unf lappable, battle-hardened cinema reviewers could be for-given for shrieking and eeking when faced with the sight of not one, not three, but two Nicolas Cage films opening at the same time. Two!

Why, the very thought of cuddling up with Nic for his latest offerings, Trespass, and Justice, is almost – almost – enough to send yours truly barrel-ling through the doors to see the latest Twilight film (as Twilight The Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 opens this week).

I say “almost”, as even my darling, Emo-friendly daughter, Crowleyetta, knows that there’s only one way I’ll go to see, and review, another Twilight film – at gunpoint.

And so, shrieking and eeking away from angst-driven vampires (oooh, the angst, the angst!), and eeking equally loudly

away from Mr Cage, my dainty feet take me (and thee) directly to ...

Actually, I’m just pop-ping on my time travel beret, and stepping back in time to the period com-monly known as Approxi-mately Three Weeks Ago, and the release of a film which I didn’t review at the time, but will do just fine, today.

After all, I can’t stand angst-driven vampires and werewolves, but I don’t mind a shaggy tale of musketeers, and one of cinema’s most revisited inspirations has been, errr, revisited, in this lat-

est version of Dumas’ The Three Musketeers.

Actually, there’s not much more that I need to say to explain the film, folks, as I doubt very much that very many of you aren’t fully aware of the timeless tale of derring-do and French heroics, with this version pretty much following the standard template, on which, more anon.

For now, it’s a “Non!” to following Dumas’ tale too closely from the very start, as director, Anderson, introduces the musket-eers undergoing a heist, of sorts, before the ever-

treacherous Milady de Winter (Jovovich) does a runner with the goods.

Okay... so, they’re the three musketeers of the title – so, where’s the fourth guy, who everyone expects? Enter surfer-dude-esque D’Artagnan (Lerman), who soon annoys, impresses and joins the Three (Mac-fayden, Stevenson and Evans), just in time to be caught up in a plot by Car-dinal Richelieu (Waltz).

The holy man has a wholly cunning plan to control Le King (Fox), with a nice little war with England being his grand plot, just grand, merci.

With Richelieu and Winter playing an icily cold game of politics, and wishing to rule the regal roost behind the scenes, The Thre- sorry, Fou- sorry, The Guys must thwart their cunning plans, and prevent war with England.

For zee King! For zee honour of France! For zee

probable sequel!However, mein Gott!

The Three Musketeers veers wildly into French farce throughout, but never in the best way.

The characters are too ... modern; a tricky thing to pull off, and, frankly, Anderson fails.

I can’t quite knock the director with that too-easy gibe of his being “best known as a video-game film maker”, as not every film made about a computer game is always awful. (I quite enjoyed the somewhat incoher-ent Silent Hill film-of-the-same-game, for example.)

Still, Anderson, prob-ably best-known for his interminably awful Resident Evil films (also starring his wife, Jovov-ich, in equally intermi-nably awful roles), has done it again – using his reverse Midas touch (the Sadim?), he’s turned lit-erary gold into cinematic straw. More musketeers? Zut alors, non!

FILM OF THE WEEK:The Three Musketeers (12A) 110 mins

OUR VERDICT:MANY cinemagoers will have had more Three Musketeer films that they’ve had hot dinners, with it being a timeless – but, perhaps, a little over-familiar – tale that needs something special, or different, to really stand out. Although the director, and cast, gamely have a go at modernising some aspects of Dumas’ tale, their efforts simply sit uncomfortably with the source material ...

Director: Paul S AndersonStarring: Logan Lerman, Matthew MacFayden, Ray Stevenson, Orlando Bloom, Milla Jovovich, unlikely shenanigans

PAVILION 01 231 2929Same Old Moon

DALKEY-based St Patrick’s Dramatic Society are staging their latest memorable production, following the fortunes and family life of Brenda Barnes. Brenda’s life is anything but straightforward, as we see on her funny and sometimes dramatic journey from childhood to her 40s, thanks to her eccentric and sometimes fiery family. See the society’s production nightly at 8pm until Saturday, November 19, with admission costing €18/€15.

MILL THEATRE 01 296 9340 A Skull in Connemara

THE Mill presents the second play in the Leenane trilogy, by playwright Martin McDonagh. In a rural Connemara town, a gravedigger prepares for his annual autumnal task of disinterring old, forgotten bones in the graveyard to make room for new arrivals. However, with his late wife’s remains due to be moved, rumours about her sudden death begin to surface ... This play runs nightly at 8pm until Saturday, November 19, with admission costing €10.

DRAIOCHT 01 885 2622Sweet Charity

READY for another hit show from Coolmine Musical Society? Then come along to Draiocht, where the highly-skilled players are marking their 30th year in show-stopping style, thanks to their production of Sweet Charity. New York in the 1960s will blaze into life on stage, with such memorable songs as Hey Big Spender, If My Friends Could See Me Now, and Rhythm of Life to enjoy, all in the name of following the ups and downs of lovelorn dancehall hostess, Charity Hope Valentine. Coolmine MS’s production runs nightly at 8pm until Saturday, November 19, with admission costing €20/€17.


SHANE DILLON

THESE are dark days for Nintendo. Once an unas-sailable giant in gaming, the company recently posted its first publicly-reported loss in decades.

Actually, although it reported a huge loss – almost mirroring the healthy profit it posted in the previous year – some industry analysts were expecting an even larger loss, with wild talk of 100-billion yen on the cards, for a while.

What on earth has taken Nintendo to this sorry state of affairs?

Well, the reasons have been many, and complex, all combining to hack away at the company’s economic fortunes.

For starters, an obvious problem has been its 3DS console, which has bled away profits on hardware and software losses.

Despite being a tech-nological marvel – with nothing comparable to it on the market, or on the way – and despite impressing most, but not all, of those who’ve used it, sales have been much slower than expected.

This doesn’t come as a total surprise – Hol-lywood has noticed that 3D films at cinemas have significantly plateaued, while 3D-enabled televi-sions are virtually glued to the shelves, stubbornly

refusing to sell.The “obvious next step

forward in visual enter-tainment” seems to have been embraced instead as “an interesting, but pass-ing fad” by consumers, as well as gamers.

In the face of it, despite the impressive hardware, but battling consumer interest, perhaps that’s why the 3DS hasn’t caught on, impacting on Nintendo’s fortunes with the losses that it incurs on hardware sales.

Despite being able to magic up such innovative tech and hardware, Nin-tendo’s also facing a per-ception that its hardware platforms are approach-ing the end of their life cycle, with the end of the Wii in sight, while its suc-cessor is in development.

This further weakens titles available for it, cre-ating a dragging anchor effect on companies will-ing to develop for it.

This isn’t an entirely fair summary, as there’s still plenty of life in the “aging” console, but, with much of the world’s media focused on the cool new kid in class – Apple’s various IOS-driven gadg-ets – while the other gam-ing heavyweights – Sony and Microsoft – are much more publicly slugging it out between them on the main street, Nintendo’s been left to sink into the background.

GazetteGAMINGGAMING

As if these weren’t dif-ficult enough problems, currency issues have also proven to be major thorns in the company’s side, with the dollar-to-yen rates across the past year, having a particularly painful effect on Ninten-do’s finances.

With such negative external factors for any company to deal with, it’s no wonder that the Kyo-to-based company has revealed just how much its sales, and profits, have plunged.

It’s quite a turnaround from the previous fiscal year for Nintendo, when it posted its usual healthy profits, despite the chal-lenges facing gaming’s

drift at physical makets at present. After all, for every Gears of War 3 (XBox 360), Uncharted 3 (PlayStation 3) or, even, Angry Birds (iPhone) success story, a hundred other titles on all plat-forms sink without trace.

That’s the bad news. But, of course, Nintendo’s far from finished, just yet.

True, the 3DS has not taken off as expected, but the regular DS handheld is still doing okay, and, if sales of the Wii have also significiantly slowed down – with the nega-tive impact of not hav-ing the same software range and products as its rivals – Nintendo still has key gaming aces up

its sleeve.One of these is the

forthcoming next install-ment in the long-running Zelda series, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword; a title that’s a cornerstone product for Nintendo to remind rivals, and gamers, that it still has some outstand-ing cards in its hand.

Now 25-years-old, the Zelda series has a longev-ity, and pedigree, that few games can lay claim to, with the Wii Motion Plus proving an entirely natu-ral fit for the protaganist, Link, and his adventures.

With this forthcoming title (and the help of a certain super plumber’s new release), Nintendo can remind gamers, and the wider industry, that it can deliver the goods when it needs to.

And Nintendo needs to. Now, more than ever, the gaming giant needs to start landing some well-aimed blows on its rivals, before it goes down for the count ...

The forthcoming Nintendo Wii title, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, can be expected

to generate healthy revenues for the company, as the games company faces into an

unwelcome battle to reverse the shift in its fortunes

Have a yen for original gameplay?JAPANESE developer, Kairosoft, have enjoyed enormous success with their resolutely old-school, pixel-led titles, with each of their “sim-ple” games consuming days of gamers’ lives.

That sounds extreme, but, after all, behind the cutesy graphics in their games (whether running your own high school or managing a Formula One team) lies very compulsive gameplay, as the intricacies of managing financial systems, organis-ing and planning layouts and so on make the time fly by – as I’ve found, by missing bus stops while engrossed in perfecting my shopping centre’s layout. Oops.

As such, for something a little different, why not consider Oh! Edo Towns for your IOS-driven gadget? Available for €2.99 on iTunes, this is the chance to design and maximise your very own Feudal Japan town. That probably sounds about as enticing as an omnibus edition of Eastenders on TV, but this very Eastern title, complete with addictive, good-humoured pick-up-and-play fun, is another absolute gem from Kairosoft.

Bytesandpieces

d i

Games giant has to fight its corner

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‘Currency issues have also proven to be major thorns in the company’s side, with the dollar-to-yen rates across the past year having a particularly painful effect on Nintendo’s finances’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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LITERATURE

DUN LAOGHAIRE/RATHDOWN

COUNTY COUNCIL Permission sought for the demolition of 2 no. existing sheds to the rear of the existing dwelling and the construction of a single storey extension to the side, 2 storey extension to the rear linked to the existing dwelling via a glazed area/conservatory, porch area to the front of the existing dwell-ing, upgrade of existing septic tank to an EPS Bison ASP Waste Water Treatment Unit & all Associated Site Works at 2 Kellystown Road, Sandy-ford, Dublin 18 for Mr. & Mrs. T. Kelly. This application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reason-able cost of making a copy at the offices of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, County Hall, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin during open-ing hours from 10am - 4 pm Monday to Friday excluding Bank Holidays. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the pre-scribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt of the applica-tion by the Planning Authority.

PLANNING NOTICE

14102


COUNTY COUNCIL Planning permission is sought for the demolition of existing sheds to side (approx. area 6m2) and the construction of a new single storey exten-sion to side (approx. 50m2) and all associated site works including replacing existing guarding on front elevation at first floor level for Darren Clarke and Maria Costello at 1 Friarsland Avenue, Goat-stown, Dublin 14. Proposed extension will accomodate a “Granny Flat” (approx. 14m2 of proposed extension, approx. 28m2 in total) and additional Living area for main house (approx. 36m2). The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reason-able cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority, County Hall, Dún Laoghaire during its public opening hours. A submission/observation may be made on payment of €20 within a peri-od of 5 weeks from the date the application is received by the planning authority.

PLANNING NOTICE

14104


COUNTY COUNCIL I, Ann Foley intend to apply for Permission for Retention for; 1) detached habitable Room, 2) garden shed, 3) 4.4m wide vehicular entrance and increased heights of boundary walls, 4) All ancil-lary site development works. The house site is located north west and adjacent to, No. 2 Clonard Park, Sandy-ford, Dublin 16. The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offic-es of the Planning Authority, County Hall, Dún Laoghaire during its public opening hours. A submission / obser-vation may be made on pay-ment of €20 within a period of 5 weeks from the date the application is received by the planning authority. Signed, Cathal Boylan, Chartered Engineer, BOYLAN ENGI-NEERING, (Eng. and Envi-ronmental Consultancy) Main St., Mullagh, Kells Co. Meath. 046-928 6000 / 087-820 5470, www.boylanengineering.ie.

PLANNING NOTICE

14109


COUNTY COUNCIL Bernard & Joan Strahan seek permission for a 63sqm ground floor extension to the side and rear of an existing 3-bed dor-mer bungalow at 29 Hillside Drive, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. Also, part of the main roof is to be raised by c1.3m to a max ridge height of c7.2m to house c22sqm of additional accom-modation at first floor level. Total floor area is to be 274sqm and total extension 85sqm. Proposals include the demo-lition of a garage, provision of rooflights, re-grading driveway & front garden levels, new roof to bay window and new first floor window to front eleva-tion, new side passage gate, new chimney and all associ-ated site works on a 0.1 hectare site. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the rea-sonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority, County Hall, Dun Laoghaire during its public opening hours. A submission/observation may be made on payment of €20 within a period of 5 weeks from the date the application is received by the Planning Authority.

PLANNING NOTICE

14112

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[email protected]

FOR the first time, one of the leading F1 teams in the world will take to the streets of Dublin next year when Jensen Button will bring his Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes F1 car to the Bavaria City Racing Dublin event on June 3, 2012.

Former World Cham-pion Button will treat race spectators to a Formula 1 masterclass on a specially designed track that starts

at the Convention Centre, continues along Custom House Quay before cross-ing Butt Bridge, chicanes at D’Olier Street, zips past College Green and the Central Bank on Dame Street before reaching the chequered flag on O’Connell Bridge.

Bavaria City Racing’s Dublin ambassador, Eddie Jordan, said: “I’m hugely excited about Bavaria City Racing Dublin; this is something spectacular, something

you’ve never witnessed before and I, for one, can’t wait.”

The City Racing extrav-aganza is a free public event, and over 150,000 people are expected to line the streets of the cap-ital to enjoy the best the world of motor sport has to offer.

Gavin Collins, of Bavaria City Racing, said: “We are delighted that the Vodafone-McLaren F1 team is coming to Dub-lin. They are a premier F1

MOTOR RACING: FORMER WORLD CHAMPION TO RACE ON SPECIALLY-CREATED TRACK

Keith O’Haire, from Gleeson, and Robert Hyland, of Vodafone Ireland, at the launch of this unique F1 event

Button presses Dublin into F1 action in summer

team and Jenson is one of the leading drivers in world motorsport.”

Robert Hyland, Spon-sorship Manager at Voda-fone Ireland, said: “We are truly excited at the prospect of bringing the

Formula 1 experience to Dublin. Jenson is one of the sport’s great ambassa-dors, and we are delighted to be able to help show-case what he and the cars can do.

“It will be a massive

event for the city that will be remembered for years to come.”

For those who want to get closer to the action, there are three ticketed premium performance zones on the track at

Customs House Quay, O’Connell Bridge and at the Main F1 Paddock on North Wall Quay.

Tickets for these areas are priced from €75.90 and are available from Ticketmaster.

GazetteSPORT17 November 2011 DUN LAOGHAIRE GAZETTE 27

NO BOUNDARIES: NO BOUNDARIES: Claire Shillington on Claire Shillington on her Ireland cricket her Ireland cricket journey so far journey so far Page 29Page 29

GazetteSportSport


Avoca move ahead of the pack in Division 2AVOCA moved a massive eight points clear of the top of the Leinster division two table with a sixth successive victory when they claimed a 4-0 victory over Mullingar in Newpark last Saturday.With other results working in their favour, it boosted their chances yet further of making it back into division one despite the season being just one-third of the way in.

Martin Naughton netted his sixth goal of the campaign to open proceedings, pulling the ball onto his reverse-side and shooting home. Sean Walsh continued his flying start to life in Dublin from close range, before Peter Haughton made it 3-0 at the break, when a quick free on the five-metre dash was one-two’d back to Haughton to slot home on his reverse. Walsh completed the win in the second half.

Near neighbours Monkstown’s bid for a fourth Irish Senior Cup final appearance in five years, however, came to an end on Saturday when they were undone by 2008 final nemesis, Pembroke.

They nabbed the win on penalty strokes despite never having led the game in normal time. Richard Sykes’ drag-flick had given Town the lead against an under-strength Pembroke who were without Adam Pritchard due to a bro-ken nose sustained in the past week while South African Matt Brown is back in his homeland fol-lowing the end of his three-month visa.

They battled back to level, with Alan Sothern credited with getting on the end of a good team move but Frank Ryan put the hosts back in front. Tim Hill sent it to extra time with his second goal of the campaign, rounding off a full pitch move with a diving touch to Gordon Elliott’s cracked cross.

[email protected]

DEIRDRE Ryan was named as the Athlete of the Year at the National Athletics Awards, in asso-ciation with Woodie’s DIY and Tipperary Crystal, last Saturday in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry.

The award came off the back of her stunning qualification for the Lon-don Olympics, with her sixth-place finish at the recent World Champion-ships. This was the year when the DSDAC high jumper made the great leap forward to medal contender in one of the most technically and mentally demanding of field events.

Her finish at the World Championships was the stand-out performance by an Irish athlete at any major championships this season, clearing a season’s

best of 1.95m to set a new Irish record, and also securing the A qualifica-tion standard for London 2012.

Given an injury-free build-up and another fractional improvement on her current best, Ryan, who also won the Track and Field Athlete of the Year, should be one of our leading hopefuls for Lon-don 2012.

Ryan’s club, Dundrum South Dublin (DSD) were also the worthy recipients of the Club of the Year Award. DSD is one of the powerhouses of Irish athletics and the Dublin 14 club enjoyed an exceptional run of success in cross-country, road-running and track competition over the past year, including winning all four team titles at the National Inter-County Cross-Country Champi-

onships, and their wom-ens’ team winning the Woodie’s DIY National League title for the first time since 1987.

Other awardsThe U-23 Athlete of the

Year was named as Brian Gregan, of Clonliffe Har-riers, who are based in Morton Satdium, Santry. The Tallaght man ran the race of his life at the U-23 European Champion-

ships in Ostrava, running a personal best of 46.12, to split two sub-46 second British athletes. A month later, the DCU student went below 46 seconds for the first time when running 45.96 to finish fifth in the World Student Games in China.

The Outstanding Offi-cial Award was presented to Aine Pobjoy, from Mid Sutton AC, who embodies the ethos of volunteerism,

giving unselfishly of her time and energy for the benefit of others. Aine is a permanent fixture at local and national competi-tions and has also helped develop the Annual Juve-nile Star Awards.

The Dublin woman has also been involved in the management of many successful Celtic Games competitions and Euro-pean Youth Olympics teams.

Ryan’s rich reward

ATHLETICS: DSDAC GET RECOGNITION FOR ACHIEVEMENTS

High jumper Deirdre Ryan claimed her Athlete of the Year award in recognition of her achievements in 2011

Deirdre Ryan receiving the Athlete of the Year award from Minister Leo Varadkar,

Ray Colman of Woodies, and President of Athletics Ireland Liam Hennessey

FastSport

in association with


THE influx of youth is such that Clare Shil-lington made her inter-national cricket debut the same year one of her team-mates was born.

Far from veteran status, it is more a statement on the prodigious talent that Ireland has to pick from, as the country’s women aim to make similar waves to those stirred up by the Irish men in the past four years.

They are bidding to qualify for the World Cup this week in Bangladesh, needing to upset the world rankings and win against Pakistan or West Indies – as well as the hosts and Japan – in the

initial group phase to take a direct route to the finals in India. Finish lower than the top two, and they go into the murky waters of a repechage round.

Taking on the chal-

lenge, Irish cricket sought a special dispensation to allow two of their number to make the trip, 15-year-old Kim Garth and, most notably, Elena Tice, who

turns 14 during the tour-nament.

Tice became the sec-ond youngest women’s international earlier this year and has since taken eight wickets in just four

international games, cata-pulting her into the team.

She was born in 1997, the year Malahide cricket club member Shillington made her Irish debut. She was a precocious teenage batting talent at the time but told the Gazette just prior to flying out to the competition that selec-tion runs along Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenet that if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.

Asked how she feels about possibly having made her debut before Tice was born, Shilling-ton laughs.

“We haven’t talked about it but that is an interesting one! That makes me feel very old. Just hearing their date of births... It’s fantastic that Elena is able to do it phys-ically at that age; her and Kim Garth.

“As a dynamic in the team, it’s incredible. I’m a good bit older but we do come together and age doesn’t really mat-

ter when you’re playing cricket.

“Everyone does look out for each other but I hope I can pass on some of the experience that I have built up over 14 years as a cricketer and the standards you should have. I’m highly competi-tive so I do my best to pass that on to anyone coming onto the squad.”

From a preparation per-spective, the side has trav-elled in confident mood, with both Shillington and captain Isobel Joyce – sis-ter of Irish men’s star Ed – labelling the group the best prepared side ever put together.

The squad signed up to a mantra of “unpaid pro-fessionalism”, replicating full-time training around their working or student lives with regular 6.30am fitness calls, similar to those employed by Dub-lin’s senior footballers last January prior to their All-Ireland victory.

It is a necessary effort to be competitive against countries that have gone the full-time route in recent years. Shillington played against a touring Pakistan side in the early part of this decade, a side that were comfortably beaten by Ireland in what was their first season of the professional era.

Since then, they have risen to a place above Ire-land in the rankings and won a Champion’s Chal-lenge tie last summer in South Africa with plenty

No boundaries for ShillingtonMalahide’s Clare Shillington has travelled to Bangladesh to try to help Ireland’s women cricketers to a World Cup in India next year

Clare Shillington in Ireland action

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‘It is a huge commitment, but I wouldn’t still be playing if I didn’t love it and think we have a realistic chance of qualifying for the World Cup’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

FastSport

Ireland trio make the team of World Cup ’11LEINSTER ‘S Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara and Paul O’Connell were the Ireland players who made the official Rugby World Cup dream team, voted for by international fans of the New Zealand celebration of the sport’s Facebook page.

Ireland captain O’Driscoll took nearly 50% of the votes to make the Dream Team. A

consistent performer for Ireland, O’Driscoll added to his impressive tally of international tries with a well-taken try in the pool match against Italy.

Based on suggestions from the online community, a shortlist of names per position was created each day and put to the vote, with over 160,000 votes being cast along the way.

The other players in the XV were made up of players from the semi-finalists, Wales, New Zealand and France.

THE national governing body for Gymnastics in Ireland re-launched their brand last week with the help of Olympic and World medallist gym-nast, Louis Smith, last week.

Gymnastics Ireland’s brand transformation includes the launch of a new website (www.gymnasticsireland.com), Facebook Page (Gym-nastics Ireland) and Twitter account (@Gymnas-ticsire).

Smith was joined by leading female gymnast, Emma Lunn and Irish Rhythmic athlete, Aisling McGovern, both from Maynooth. The 2008 Bei-jing Olympic Bronze medallist also coached a group of young Irish 2016 Olympic hopefuls on the morning of the launch.

Ciaran Gallagher, Gymnastics Ireland chief executive officer, said: “We are delighted that Louis could be here to help us launch the new Gymnastics Ireland brand. He is not only one of the best gymnasts in the world, but he is also a great personality and really conveys what Gym-nastics Ireland is now all about.”

World and Olympic champ helps Gymnastics launchto spare.

Speaking about play-ing full-time athletes, Shillington takes a prag-matic approach: “It’s a killer, but you have to play with what you’ve got. We all understand that money makes the world go round; cricket in Pakistan is part of their culture and everyday life, while it’s down the peck-ing order in Ireland.

“If we were profession-als and it was our job, I’ve no doubt we’d pass the likes of Pakistan, the West Indies and higher because there is the tal-ent there.

“Sometimes it is soul-destroying to see how quickly a team like that can jump up, but we deal with what we can and made a commitment to be unpaid professionals.

“It is a huge commit-ment but I wouldn’t still be doing it if I didn’t love it and think we have a real-istic chance of winning. At this stage, I definitely think we can qualify. I started my international career in India and would like to finish it there in a World Cup.

“It’s been quite a long preparation. I’ve been involved in quite a lot of these trips and it’s defi-nitely the most prepared we’ve been from the amount of work, time and effort we have put in. I’m glad to be getting out of an indoor training hall and getting on a cricket pitch.”


GazetteSportSport

Local stars: DIT awards their scholarshipsRENOWNED local footballers, Ciara Murphy, Sinead McGoldrick and Amy Ring, were among the 54 new student athletes who were presented with their sports scholarships at DIT last week. The players, pictured here with college president, Professor Brian Norton, Dr Mike Murphy and Sinead McNulty, Head of Sport, are among the students who represent a wide range of sports - from Gaelic games, rugby and soccer to boxing, equestrian and tenpin bowling.

[email protected]

OUR Lady’s Grove’s Emma Byrne and Alex-andra College’s Sophie Gleeson played their part in helping Leinster claim second place in the U-15 schoolgirls’ interprovin-cial competition held in Tullamore last weekend.

They were involved in the province’s panel that recorded victories over Connacht and Ulster, but the tournament hinged on the very first game, in which Munster nabbed the early initiative with a 2-0 victory.

The tournament itself doubles as an introduc-

tion to the selection proc-ess for the Bob Docherty tournament, which gets underway in April for the Irish schools’ Under-15 squad.

Leinster were undone by Megan Connolly and Sarah McKevitt strikes on the first day of com-petition at Leah Victoria Park, and were playing catch-up from there on in.

Ousting Connacht 3-0 was a good start, when Megan Lynch got the blues off to a fine start with St Joseph’s, Lucan student Eleanor Ryan Doyle and Kirsty Maher adding to the win.

With the westerners having already beaten reigning champions Ulster on day one, it was an impressive comeback.

With Munster winning 4-0 against Ulster, though, it meant Leinster had to rely on outside results if they were going to win the title.

They fulfilled their side of the bargain when Lynch again was on the mark, while Shianne Swarres, Jenny Clifford, Courtney Higgins and another from Ryan Doyle notched a 5-1 success over the northern province.

It meant that any Con-nacht win in the tourna-

ment’s final game could have handed Leinster the title ahead of Munster. But the southern side took the title with a gritty 0-0 draw in Athlone.

In the coming weeks, trialists will emerge from this competition with a mind on the Docherty international tournament, that will see the Republic take on near-neighbours Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the first major international underage competition for girls.

Elsewhere, Wayside Celtic continued their recent revival with a pair of wins in the past week

to advance to the second round of the Leinster Senior Cup before pick-ing up a big away win over Mount Merrion in the Sunday Senior.

Goals from Ray Whele-han from the penalty spot and another from Darren Lacey saw Wayside home ahead of Bluebell United 2-0 in midweek.

Sunday’s success over Merrion lifted the Jackson Park club to eighth and away from any immedi-ate danger at the bottom of the division.

For Merrion, they are stuck in second bottom but with games in hand on all their rivals.

Locals shine for Leinster

SOCCER: LOCAL PLAYERS HAVE EYE ON INTERNATIONAL PLACES

Leinster Under-15 schoolgirls managed to secure second-place in the interprovincial tournament held in Tullamore last weekend

FastSport

METEORS advanced to the next round of the Women’s Superleague Cup with a 62-44 victory over Oblate Dynamo’s last Friday night.

Rebecca Nagle and Rachel Fitzgerald starred for Hugh Kilbride’s side, who have shown a vast improvement this season after what was a frus-trating campaign last time out.

Kilbride was delighted by his side’s efforts. “We knew it would be a difficult game, but our defensive performance was what won us the game. We have been working harder on defence this season and I think that has a lot to do with why we have improved this year. It’s certainly a big improvement on last year and we still have some important players to come back. We are looking forward to having a crack at Glanmire next. They will be a step up but we will be up for the challenge.” Kilbride said.

Meteors blast way into Cup’s next round

Bowtell bows out in semis at LoughboroughAMY Bowtell endured semi-final heartbreak in both the singles and dou-bles as last week’s ITF women’s event in Loughborough last weekend after productive competi-tions.The 18-year-old made it through three rounds of the $10,000 event in England before fall-ing to number two seed Tara Moore 6-1, 6-2.Nonetheless, the St Andrew’s student did enough to reach a personal record high in the world rankings of 586.She reached a simi-lar position on the doubles tour of 684

with her semi-final run in the same week.

Rock and roll for local rugby teams in cupBLACKROCK Col-lege booked a place in the Leinster Sen-ior League Cup com-petition last Saturday when the Stradbrook side edged home 25-22 against St Mary’s College.

It sets up a final date with Old Belve-dere on December 17.

For Seapoint, however, their Sen-ior League Shield campaign came to an end when they fell to Greystones 18-11 in Kilbogget Park to miss out on a decider date with Old Wes-ley.


in association with

a CLUB NOTICEBOARD

STARS OF ERINMASSIVE congratulations to the Stars

of Erin Under-11 hurlers who won a

play-off for runners-up position in

the league against St Maur’s on Sat-

urday morning in Glencullen.

Its been an exceptional year for this

bunch of talented players who also

finished runners-up in the football

league.

The management team of Mick

McDonnell and Barry Heeney deserve

a special mention.

The Under-8s and Under-9s hurlers

took on St Mark’s in Glencullen on Sat-

urday morning in a challenge game. St

Mark’s brought a very talented bunch

of juveniles up the mountain and real-

ly made Stars work. Thanks to Mark’s

for making the trip up.

Sunday saw the pitch in Glencullen

host the Murphy Cup final, where St

John’s, Ballinteer, and Ranelagh Gaels

battled to take home the trophy. A

very close game saw Ranelagh Gaels

win out by a single point deep into

injury time.

Congratulations to Ranelagh Gaels

and commiserations to St John’s.

Sunday, November 20, sees the final

of the Paddy Mulligan Cup which will

see Stars of Erin take on Ballinteer St

John’s.

There was one lucky winner of the

Stars’ weekly lotto. Congratulations

to Carmel Shelley.

The numbers drawn were 11, 14 and

23. Jackpot starts again on Sunday,

November 20, at €200.

The Stars’ annual Christmas raffle

tickets are now on sale. This is a lim-

ited draw so please purchase your

tickets early to avoid disappoint-

ment.

Tickets available from all Stars

committee members. Tickets priced

at €10.

CUALAOUR heroic U-16 boys continued their

great run by adding the Division One

title to their roll of honour on Satur-

day at Shankill. It was a nail-biting

final against the Na Fianna side who

had beaten them in the champion-

ship back in May, but the Cuala lads

edged it by two points in the end on a

score of 1-09 to 0-10.

This same group of lads and men-

tors won the U-16 Division One title

and A championship in hurling, fol-

lowing on from an A championship

cross-code double last year at U-15

as well. They now step into the minor

ranks, where the whole club wishes

them the best of luck in 2012.

The juvenile boys’ AGM takes place

on Thursday, November 17, at 8.30pm

in the club.

The club AGM takes place on

Wednesday, December 8. Details are

available on the website and will have

been sent out to the postal address

on record of all paid up members.

Members are asked to check their

email and telephone contact details

as being up to date.

The minor section is holding a table

quiz to raise funds for fielding five

teams across football and hurling in

2012. The quiz takes place on Friday,

November 25, and teams of four are

invited to enter at a cost of €40.

Academy training for the older

of the little ones will be moving to

the IADT pitch from this Saturday.

Please check times with each group.

Coaches, helpers, parents and kids

going onto the pitch must wear non-

metal studded boots on the pitch

and also make sure to adhere to the

sometimes strenuously enforced pay

and display parking regulations.

MINOR A HURLING S/FKilmacud Crokes 2-13

Castleknock 0-4

STEPHEN FINDLATER

[email protected]

ALEX Pilkington’s inci-sive first-half burst saw Kilmacud Crokes ease into the final of the Minor A hurling championship last weekend, earning some modicum of revenge for Castleknock’s victory in the football equivalent a week earlier.

It was a tie transformed in the four minutes lead-ing up to half-time, when a tight, physical battle with chances at a pre-mium turned into a pro-cession, as Crokes hit 2-2 without reply.

Castleknock never truly recovered, having to endure a 37-minute spell without scoring as Kilma-cud stifled the threat of Ciaran Kilkenny, part of a two-man full forward line who were swallowed up by the southside team’s extra man in defence.

It took Kilmacud 13

minutes to get off the mark, Ken Kelly’s free cancelling out an early Castleknock effort, while Conal O’Neill helped make it 0-3 to 0-2 by the 18th minute.

From then on, though, it was an exhibition in the art of defending as John Huban and Rob-ert Murphy snuffed out scoring chances, forcing Castleknock wide to the corners, leaving Paddy Tighe with a minimum to cover.

The half-back line of Jamie Clinton, Emmet Doherty and James Mur-phy were similarly force-ful, coming away with the breaks, and their work rate was a thing to behold with Conor Devins and Matthew Geraghty also to the fore.

And the key scores followed as Pilkington got a slightly fortuitous first goal in the 28th minute, when his smack from a narrow angle was only half-stopped by the ’Knock keeper and drib-

bled over the line at the near post.

Caolan Conway added a point before Pilkington calmly clipped home his second major as good hassling around the 40 turned over possession and set up the chance as he reeled away to the left of goal.

Pilkington added a point for good measure to add to three frees from Kelly to make it 2-6 to 0-2 at the interval.

Castleknock required a big start to the second half but it scarcely mate-

rialized as two more Kelly frees and a 65, capped by a sweet score on the turn from Oisin O’Rourke, saw the lead built to 14 points.

It took until the 52nd minute for Castleknock to get the scoreboard mov-ing once more while Kil-kenny cleared the bar for the first time in the 56th minute but it was too little to upset the applecart.

Kilmacud now face Ballyboden St Enda’s in the decider following their 2-12 to 1-11 win over Lucan Sarsfields.

HURLING: KILMACUD EASE PAST CASTLEKNOCK

Kilmacud Crokes restricted Castleknock’s minors to a scoreless 37-minute period at Parnell Park

Crokes cruise to place in the final

END-of-season party and dinner

dance will be held on Saturday,

November 26 at 8pm in the Merry

Ploughboy. Tickets €40, includes

dinner, l ive entertainment and

medals and awards presentations.

Contact any committee member

for further details and tickets.

Adult mens’ junior As and Bs

should contact their managers

regarding training plans for next

season.

Under-15 boys training is on Tues-

day nights at 7.30pm and Under-15

girls training on Wednesdays at

6.30pm at Frank Kelly Park.

All new players welcome. For more

information contact Niall on 086 885

7303.

Ladies’ training is on Mondays

and Wednesdays at 7.30pm. Con-

tact Darren on 087 664 7205.

There was no winner of this week’s

Lotto. Numbers drawn were 4, 6

and 24; €25 goes to Eddie Downey,

Monica Byrne, Ann Kearns and John

Willoughby. Jackpot next week is

€700.

Wanderers’ club car stickers

available to purchase this week,

contact any committee member

for details, €3 each.

The new club website is now live at

www.wanderersgaa.ie.

WANDERERS

ALL OF YOUR DUN LAOGHAIRE SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 27-31 NOVEMBER 17, 2011

Ga

zetteSPORTFINAL COUNTDOWN: Kilmacud’s minors reach the championship decider P31

Eamon Zayed is presented with the Tissot PFAI Premier division Player of the Year award by Republic of Ireland goalkeeping coach, Alan Kelly

Zayed on top of the Zayed on top of the world after award world after award Local player claims the big prize as he is named Player Of The Year at the Airtricity League ceremony

STEPHEN FINDLATER

[email protected]

ST JOSEPH’S Boys graduate Eamon Zayed took the top award tonight at the PFAI Awards last weekend with the Libyan international named Airitricity League Premier Division player of the year by his fellow professionals.

Moving from the now defunct Sporting Fingal in the close season, Zayed scored a massive 22 goals this year, helping Derry City to a third-placed finish in their first season back in the top flight.

It was quite the performance, and he was delighted to accept the honour, which he placed up there as one of his “proudest moments in football”.

While he was proud to take the individual honour, he was quick to pay tribute to his team-mates who laid on the majority of chances for

him.“It was unbelievable to be nominated but

to win it is unexpected, to be honest, but I’m chuffed, really delighted.

“As the season started, I saw some of the play-ers like Gar McGlynn and James McLean and Daniel Lafferty – the guys who were going to supply my chances and they have had superb seasons and created a lot for me, and it was just a matter of getting on the end of them. I’m delighted with the return but this trophy is as much about my team mates as it is me.”

UpheavalThe end of last season saw a lot of upheaval,

mainly precipitated by Sporting Fingal’s crash, but Zayed’s move to Derry helped the striker link up with Stephen Kenny, a manager who, he says, played a large part in his massive goal outlay.

“I worked with Liam Buckley at Sporting Fin-

gal and under Paul Doolin at Drogheda United – two very good managers in their own right – but there’s just something about Stephen, who seems to get the very best out of his players. He gave me freedom this year and put his trust in me playing up top as an out-and-out striker, say-ing just get in the box and on the end of chances. He’s been really good to me, and so I have to thank him.

“We didn’t set out any targets at the start of the year. We just said we’ll see how it goes. As we passed the half-way stage, and we’d played everyone, we knew we’d be in there at the end and were good enough to compete. Third was a fair reflection.

“One of our main aims was to get to Europe and we managed that. Hopefully, next year, we can make a better challenge, Stephen can keep the side together and possibly add to it and, who knows, next year?”

NO BOUNDARIESShillington on World Cup strike P29

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