swords informer nov 11

Swords InformerNovember 2011 • Unit 38, Northwood Court, Santry, Dublin 9 • Tel: 01 813 8786 • Email: [email protected] • Web: www.informer.ie

swords • malahide

20,000 copies delivered monthly28 The Informer

Metro NowhereAFteR months of speculation and counter speculation, the Government has put a halt to the planned construction of Metro North, it was learned as this publication was going to press.

As this story has been followed in these pages over the last several months, the soundings from gov-ernment circles became ever more pessimistic as the months have progressed towards this year’s budget in December. the Minister for transport, leo Varadkar tD had stated previously that the eco-nomic realities of the nation had to be faced up to and within that con-text, the construction of €2 billion project would be unlikely to pro-ceed.

It was, however, the Minister for Public expenditure, Brendan Howlin tD, flanked by taoiseach enda Kenny to deliver the bad news for north Dublin residents that the construction of a valuable piece of infrastructure would be shelved.

Metro North was not the only casualty of the government’s spending cuts with the construction of thornton Hall prison, just out-

side Swords, also postponed under the Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-2016 Plan.

the Government stressed that their priority was job creation with schools and hospitals also taking preference over transport projects, such as Metro North, although the plan to link the two luas lines in the city centre got approval.

Mr Howlin said the construction of the new national children’s hos-pital at the Mater Hospital campus in Dublin would begin in 2013 and

By paul cantwell

the construction period was ‘just over two years’.

Mr Kenny described the plan as ‘realistic’ based on the reality of the economic situation, echoing Minister Varadkar’s statement last month. the taoiseach said he would love to be able to say that all projects the Government would like to proceed would go ahead, but he could not do so.

‘this plan is based on what the country can afford,’ he said. He said some very good projects were being changed or put on hold until the public finances improved. ‘this is about choosing what the country needs most in the next few years and deferring others until resources become available.’

Metro North plan scrapped despite local campaigns

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kathryn thomas interview

page 10

at the fashion frontier

SiSterS are doing it for themselves down at the Grand Canal this Christmas, when the Whoopie Goldberg produced production of Sister Act visits Dublin for the first time.

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sing it to me, sister!

tesco and the death of the irish town

opinion - page 3

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The month in Quotes

I feel a little overwhelmed. It is something I have prepared for. It's something I thought about for a long time.Micheal D Higgins on winning the presidential election

This was a political assassination attempt by Martin McGuinness and Sinn Féin last night. The person in question Hugh Morgan is a convicted criminal and he loaded the gun while Martin McGuinness pulled the trigger. I told the truth on Frontline.Sean Gallagher after revelations about his fundraising for Fianna Fail on RTE's Frontline programme.

Well and truly smashed.Met Eireann on their October rainfall records

The people, properties and businesses of Clontarf are at a high risk of serious flooding from the seaTom Leahy of Dublin City Council on the controversial flood plans for Clontarf

If this plan goes ahead in its current format it will destroy the vicinity and will be a blight on Clontarf forever.Clontarf combined residents' associations don't like the flood defence plans

What did I do to you? Do you know right from wrong?Muammar Gaddafi's last words moments before he was executed by Libyan rebels.

I can't stand him any more, he's a liar.Nicholas Sarkozy in private comments to Barack Obama about Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. You may be sick of him, but me, I have to deal with him every day.Obama in reply.

St. Paul was a tentmaker. If you looked around and you tried to recreate where Jesus would be born - for me, I could imagine Jesus being born in the camp.Giles Fraser, St. Paul's canon chancellor, who announced his resignation over the treatment of protesters outside the famous London landmark

Q

This is the amount of money, roughly, that has been spent on the Metro North project which has been 'deferred' un-til the national finances have

recovered enough to raise money on the markets.

It does look like a lot of wast-ed money to build nothing but presumably we will have paid

for all the planning and design when we get round to building it. But If Irish Rail come up with aviable Dart link to the Airport, it could be dead money.

The Informer

Comment & Debate3

Tesco and the death of the Irish townIn May 2010 I hosted a conference in Kilkenny as the City’s Mayor. The conference ‘Local Economies, Strong Communities’ had a range of international and national speakers on topic such as local curren-cies, sustainable farming, and local economic networks.

One presentation stood out in my mind that day. It was from a norfolk based retailer, nigel Dowdney who along with other retailers fought a long drawn out battle to prevent a massive Tesco store open-ing near their town of Stalham. Similar campaigns are in existence right across the UK and they had the support of a network of cam-paign groups.

I thought to myself, if only I had received such support from the business community in Kilkenny when I objected to planning permis-sion for a Tesco store in Callan, Co Kilkenny, and later on a brown-field site on the edge of Kilkenny City. In fact, my concerns received little public or political support, but Kilkenny to this day remains the only county in Ireland without a presence of the retail giant.

By December 2010 Tesco commanded a 27% share of the retail market in Ireland. This is massive buying power in food alone. However this figure masks Tesco’s broader impact on the High Street and, in particular, on family owned businesses. Tesco mobile, Tesco Bank, Tesco Insurance, motor fuel, CD’s, DVD’s, clothes, and now pharmacies; Tesco is the de facto High Steet of most towns. Everything can be obtained under one roof with acres of free surface car parking. Kilkenny has no Tesco store, yet I see their delivery vans whizzing around estates in the city on a daily basis. So people clearly want it.

Devastating effect on family owned businessYet it is having a devastating effect on family owned business, on

dereliction of properties in city and town centres and in rural Ireland.

Predatory pricing is pushing many farm families towards bankruptcy as evidenced from this year’s potato crop. Policies on below cost sell-ing of alcohol are contributing to a wider social disintegration and isolation. Therefore we are left with dilapidated town centres, with all of the social ills that brings, redundancies across the independent retail sector which combined with loss of farm incomes, easily negate any net job gains brought about by the opening of a Tesco store in an area.

But our planners, local authorities, policymakers and the public at large are blissfully unaware of the devastation being caused to the very fabric of our communities. I’m not being melodramatic when I describe it as the death of the Irish town, for that’s what it is.

Likewise it would be disingenuous of me not to mention the impact of the Lidl’s and Aldi’s on the dynamic of the retail sector. Their impact, while not benign is not as pronounced, given the fact that it is Tesco who set the agenda for others to follow. I would further contend that the lifting of the Groceries Order has led to widespread abuse of below cost selling and predatory pricing.

We can change thisMuch of the economic crisis is beyond our control now. What is in

our control however is the ability of us all to play our part in develop-ing strong resilient communities.

As policymakers we have a role in ensuring that retail strategies and planning policies positively discriminate towards maintaining strong vibrant town centres and our economic policies protect local supply chains.

As conscious consumers we must be mindful that our shopping habits can have a profound effect on local employment, farm incomes and on the very physical environment we live in, our sense of place.

Do we really want a homogenized version of Tesco world imposed on us? I feel there has been very little debate on the wider sociological impact of two decades of reckless and incoherent retail planning policy and this has been to the detriment of indigenous business, food suppliers and ultimately to communities all over this country.

Malcolm Noonan is a Green Party County and Borough Councillor in Kilkenny and has been campaigning for the development of local economic networks, and for sustainable retail planning policies in

Kilkenny. Kilkenny is the only county in the Republic of Ireland without a Tesco presence.

By Malcolm Noonan

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4 The Informer

Should I buy an e-bike?VISIT any northern European city these days and you’ll see a lot of people doing their commuting or shopping on an electric bike.

I’ve thought about getting one on and off for the last few years but in their early days the batteries were heavy, expensive and short lived so I put it on the long finger. But why get one at all? Why not just stick to the push bike? Well, in my case because I’m not as fit as I used to be and because there are steep hills between me and the shops. Oh, and the push bike died of old age and, I’m sorry to say, inadequate maintenance.

now speaking personally, I wouldn’t think of getting an e-bike if I just wanted to use it for a fairly short, fairly level com-mute where I wasn’t going to work up a sweat to get into the office. Much better and cheaper to pedal all the way and stay a bit fitter.

But with €1,000 available under the 'cycle to work' scheme, many of us can afford to buy a more expensive bike than we would otherwise consider, and if you have a longer commute and it’s a bit hilly you can use an e-bike to help you over the hilly bits, or even for the full distance, and get to the office just as ready to get started on the day’s work as if you’d come in on the DART.

In fact, you’ll be in better shape than you would be if you’d been standing on a crowded train. So how will an e-bike perform? On a single charge, which takes three to five hours, it will take you at 15-20 km per hour up hill and down dale for 50-90 km, depending on how much work you are willing to do yourself. You can even use it as a touring bike but you’ll need to do a lot more pedal-

ing, and you’ll need to pedal harder because the battery adds considerably to the weight.

These days you can get them in most styles – and if you don’t see what you want you can customize. Prices vary enormously – if you shop around they start from around €600 and go up to about €3,500 but an unsur-prisingly large number seem to come in just under that magic cycle to work scheme figure – just far enough under for you to get the safety gear as well.

How do you choose? Some companies will now rent you one to try before you buy, always a good idea. And unless you are a good mechanic make sure you buy your bike from a local shop that actually knows how to repair them – there are a few stories of poor after sales support going the rounds. Essential to my mind are a brushless motor, a lithium battery and good suspension.

If you don’t have secure bike parking then get a fold-ing model - but remember that even the lightest e-bike weighs the best part of 20kg so you don’t want to have to carry them far. And if it is going to be a family bike get a step-through.

Am I going to get one? I’m not sure. But if I had a daily city commute I’d be in the shop now.

Climate Change Bill shows up cracks in the GovernmentFInE Gael gave way to the same pressure from badly informed business and farming interests when Environment Minister Phil Hogan’s own personal 'Galway Tent' – the private meeting with business inter-ests on climate change we mentioned last month – resulted in a decision to do a U-turn and shelve climate legislation, despite evidence from both our own EPA and the European Commission that Ireland will not meet its Kyoto commitments unless drastic action is taken.

It would appear that he did not consult either the other party in the coalition or the Cabinet Committee on

Climate Change before making the announcement. And he doesn’t seem to have

consulted with the voters either. Within hours of his statement over a thousand emails had landed on his desk from individuals who think it's time that legislation was in place, many of them members of the busi-ness community who see the eco-nomic benefits of working within a stricter regulatory system. In fact he got so many emails he’s having a rethink – although he seems a little con-fused about what form that rethink will take.

now the Oireachtas Environment Committee has asked the Minister come and explain his position to them and Labour TDs and senators are pointing out that the Programme for Government commits them to speedy implementation of the legislation.

Recent work by the OECD suggests that the sooner Climate Change legislation is introduced and acted on the higher will be the long term economic benefits and the more effective it will be environmentally. The con-versation has gone on long enough – time to take action.

Is the green Party Dead?WELL, not if you believe the figures from the recent Dublin West by election where the Green Party returned their highest ever vote in that constituency.

Mary Minihan, in her new book A Deal With the Devil, a fascinating analysis of the Greens in govern-ment, quotes Ciaran Cuffe as talking about military par-allels – not Waterloo, which was the end of napoleon, but Dunkirk, the beginning of a fight back.

If you want to find out how the Green Party is thinking these days, they will be launching their new strategic plan at their 30th birthday party on Sunday, December 11th followed by a special anniversary concert including

Dónal Lunny, who will have a rare musical reunion with Maighréad and Tríona ní Dhomhnaill. Also taking to the stage are Eleanor McEvoy, and Steve Wickham of The Waterboys and no Crows. Other artists performing on the night include Ciaran Tourish (Altan), nick Kelly and Martin Hayes. The Vicar Street event will be chaired by guest MC Eamon Keane.

Tickets for 'Tríocha Bliain Ag Fás – A Musical Celebration' are on sale for €28 (plus booking fee) from Ticketmaster.

trophy transport cancelledSO it’s official. Metro north is dead and there won’t be a tunnel under Trinity. The Luas BXD line, which will take the Luas down Dawson Street, round the front of Trinity, up O’Connell Street and out to Broombridge is going ahead.

not good news for DIT or the new national C h i l d r e n ’ s Hospital, though it won’t be a long walk from the Parnell Square stop to the latter. Let’s hope this will be enough to take a significant chunk of traffic out of the capital. The rail line to navan is also a casualty of the cuts, which is very bad news indeed for those who presently spend half their day on that particular com-mute.

Does it matter that Dublin will continue to be one of the few capital cities without a rail link to its airport? Well it might, if we had good train services to the rest of the country. As it is, buses head into the city pretty regu-larly and efficiently – it might make sense to just buy a few more of those.

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6 The Informer

CLOnTARF is a coastal town, three miles north of the city, situated in the barony of Coolock. The name Clontarf in Irish is Cluain Tarbh - Meadow of the Bulls, so called because the pounding of the sea resembled the bellowing of bulls. Since the construction of the north and South Walls this noise has disappeared. In the mid sixth century Saint Comgall from Bangor established the first church in Clontarf. He became the patron saint of Clontarf.

In early times Clontarf Island slightly off the coast was a prominent landmark in Dublin Bay.

The coastline from Fairview to Sutton is one of the most popular routes for walkers, joggers and cyclists. The curved path affords spectacular views of Dublin Bay and the Wicklow Mountains.

From the early 1600s the focal point of Clontarf centred around an area known as The Sheds on the seashore. The district had derived this name from the erection of sheds for the drying, curing and processing of fish as well as for storing oysters from the oyster beds in the local-ity.

In the Cromwellian plantation many of Sir Charles Coote's associates were rewarded with land in the area. Originally the bulk of the area was granted to John Blackwell in 1650. He in turn passed much of the property to John Vernon, Quartermaster General in Cromwell's

army. The Vernons were to remain the most powerful landlords in Clontarf until the early twentieth century. Simultaneously the poor of the district lived in miserable conditions in unsanitary hovels.

In later years, the area linking Clontarf Island to the mainland was reclaimed in a major engineering operation. The project took several years to complete and became known as the north Lotts.

From the eighteenth century, Clontarf became a popular seaside resort with bathing, fishing and boating centred around the Sheds on Vernon Avenue. Fishing was an important industry in the vicinity.

Farming was active in the district and seaweed was used to fertilise the land.

The majority of people in the locality were Protestants who lived in humble mud cabins and were employed as labour-ers and fishermen.

Businessman Charles Weekes was responsible for developing the coastal area. One of his enterprises was the con-struction of a wharf and a reservoir. The wharf that extended into the sea became kknown as Weekes' Wharf and became a favourite place for Dubliners to walk and enjoy the sea air.

An excerpt from 'Dublin North Coast: Drumcondra - Clontarf - Howth - Malahide,' with paintings by Margaret Field and text by Arthur Flynn. It is pub-lished by Cottage Publications and is priced around e22.

This feature was researched with the help of

Lesser known Dubs...A Place in the CityMrs. S. C. Hall Clontarf Road

ANNA Maria Fielding, born in Dublin on January 6 1800, was an Irish nov-elist who was better known under her married name, Mrs. S. C. Hall.

On the death of her father the family moved to Wexford and, in 1815, to London.

In 1824 she married author and editor Samuel Carter Hall. The couple undertook five tours of Ireland between 1825 and 1840 - the journeys pro-viding the inspiration for her best remembered titles, Sketches of Irish Character (1829), Lights and Shadows of Irish Character (1838), Marian (1839), and The White Boy (1845).

Mr. Hall wrote: "Her books were never popular in Ireland, though very popular in every other country. She tried... to blend the orange and the green. She saw in each

all about Dublin 1 edited by Zoz

party much to praise and much to blame; but what one party approved the other condemned."

Her emphasis on moral

'lessons' may also limit her appeal to modern readers.

Between them they wrote, edited and pub-lished 500 books.

Mrs. Hall started the fund to honour Florence Nightingale and raised £45,000; supported a hospital for consump-tives, and was a strong advocate of temperance. On their 50th wedding anniversary a subscription fund of £1,500 was pre-sented to them and an album of 500 testimoni-als.

Anna Maria Hall died at East Moulsey on 30 January 1881.

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8 The Informer

FIrST HAnD HISTorY Going to Donnybrook Fair"On Sunday evening, at about five o'clock, in a large, roomy, comfortable arm-chair, for nearly an hour I sat at an open window of the Hibernian United Service Club, on the north side of St. Stephen's Green, watching car-loads of happy people going to and returning from Donnybrook Fair.

"Every car in Dublin is employed in this annual national service, and from three or four of the driv-ers I learnt that they had propelled the same horse to the fair and back five-and-twenty times, not for one day, but for several consecutive days!

"The distance from Dublin is about a mile and a half, but the crowd at the entrance of the fair is so great, that the cars are usually stopped by the police at a quarter, and towards evening at half a mile from the scene of bliss.

"The tide of cars that continued unceasingly ebbing and flowing before my eyes was, really, not only astonishing, but it was amusing to observe the infinite variety of ways in which those three simple items, a man, a woman, and a child, can be made to appear.

"The process of the driver was, the instant he arrived from the fair to return to it, and vice versa. The charge for the conveyance of each person is twopence.

"By the time it trotted through St. Stephen's Green every car was full. In one were boys; in another girls; in others boys and girls, in every possible joyous variety of arrangement. There

were old men, old women, gaudy soldiers, flashy-looking women, children of every age, all grinning - all going to or coming from Donnybrook Fair.

"In one car sat four scarlet dragoons with glitter-ing brass helmets, a fat gentleman with a large stomach comfortably resting on a pair of very short knees, a woman with a sky-blue bonnet on her head, and a child in her lap; lastly, a man sit-ting, as happy as a grig, without a hat.

"There were ladies with parasols, and long, large, fashionable, windy gowns -gentlemen in wide-awake hats - young tradesmen wearing flashy waistcoats and smart neckcloths - infants,

with their dear little eyes staring and almost start-ing out of their heads - children with bare legs, like wooden ones, sticking out - men with pipes in their mouths - a little girl blowing a penny trumpet - a little boy trying, with a twopenny whip, to flog a grey horse sixteen hands high - all going to or coming from Donnybrook Fair!

"On each side of the road - on the iron chains that bounded it - on the kerb-stones of the pave-ment - on the steps of doors - there sedately sat, in happy groups, crowds of people, placidly partici-pating with me in the delight, joy, and fun that beam in the countenances of every man, woman, and child going to or coming from Donnybrook Fair.

"The poor horses nobody seemed to pity; indeed, as in an Irish car nobody can conveniently look at the animal that is drawing him, the neglected crea-ture trots on, just as if the parties behind his tail, tired of quarrelling about him, had ended their dispute by amicably agreeing together that he belonged to none of them. When a car is crowded, a man well jammed in on the right side is com-pletely separated from one seated on the left. They look, in diametrically opposite directions, at dif-ferent objects - in fact, they have nothing whatever to do with each other."

An excerpt from 'A Fortnight in Ireland,' by Sir Francis B. Head, published in London in 1852. Donnybrook Fair, which dated back to 1204, was finally banned in 1855.

all about Dublin 2 edited by Zoz

n 'Donnybrook Fair', an oil on canvas, by Charles Hunt, 1896

Dublin was a lady"IN days of Paganism there was a Druidical temple on the spot where Dublin Castle now stands. Eogan the great (King of Munster) had a favourite daughter called Dublana, who accompanied him, AD 167, from his court at Ferns for 'Bally leann-chiall', or the town on the ford of Hurdles, the ancient Dublin, in his expe-dition against the monarch Con. While he was encamped here, his daughter was drowned in the Liffey, which catastrophe filled his heart with affliction. To commemorate her memory he built the city and gave it the name of Dublana, in honour of his daughter. Thus it will be seen that cities, like great states, owe their origin to small beginnings.

"When Eogan came to Dublin he found it a town of fishermen's huts, composed of clay and hurdles. The city was called by Ptolemy Eblana, or the passage of the Black Ford. Bede in his ecclesiastical history, denominated it Dubhline; and Holinshed, in his Chronicle, characterises it a "citie that is not in antiquitie inferior to any citie except London, so in pleas-ant situation, in gorgeous buildings, in the multitude of people, in martial chivalrie, in the abundance of wealth, in largeness of hospitals, in manners and civilitie, it is superior to all other cities and towns in that realme and there it is commonly called the Irish, or young London."

An excerpt from The Irish Shield or Monthly Milesian, edited by George Pepper, published in New York in 1829.

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8 The Informer

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Informer Interview10 The Informer

Where did you grow up?Carlow.

Where are you living now?Dublin.

Most memorable childhood memory?Summers on the beach in Wexford.

What kind of child they you (shy, out-going, troubling, etc.)Outgoing and full of trouble.

Married / Single?Single

How would you describe yourself in three words?I'm a good listener, I'm a fast learner and I'm fun.

What else would you be if you weren't a TV presenter?I always wanted to be an actress but I'd probably be in TV production.

What are your favourite colours?Black, navy and dusk pink.

What is your favourite piece of cloth-ing?Hello Skinny jeans.

Describe what you like to wear for casual nights out?Black jeans, black tank top and 5 inch heels.

Where do you normally shop for clothes?River Island, Top Shop, Ted Baker, Camille Boutique in Malahide.

Do you to accessorise with jewellery and bling?In the jewellery stakes I’m usually 'less is more'. I love bold and chunky as opposed to sparkly.

Favourite fashion designers/labels, describe?I do love the Daisy collection, their stack rings are amazing.

How do you plan your outfits for TV appearances?I work with a great stylist called Claire Breen in RTE. She knows and under-stands my look and gets it right every time.

Have you ever had a wardrobe mal-functions on stage?Yes, quite similar to what happened when I was dancing on a bar in Greece once. Let’s just say, the zip at the back came under too much pressure!

Having one of the best jobs on TV, where she gets to visit some of the coolest holiday

destinations around the world as presenter of No Frontiers,

to co-presenting Saturday night’s Winning Streak with Mary Whelan, the beautiful Kathryn Thomas takes time out of her busy schedule to

chat to Kevin O’Brien of the Dublin Informer and

Fashion.ie about how fashion plays fits

into her day to day life.

What do you look for when trying on clothes?A great fit that flatters my shape. Something a little edgy and different

Best fashion advice ever been given? Emphasize your waist.

Is there one fashion accessory that you simply can't live without?Heels.

Denim or leather?Denim jeans but leather jackets.

Do you own many pairs of shoes, favourite pair?Yes. My favourite are a pair of vintage 1950s silver and black shoes I got in new York.

Describe a typical working day for you?I can’t because they are so varied depending on what I’m doing but usually frantic, chasing my tail and doing 30 things at once.

What is one thing you must do before you leave the house?Kiss my dogs and tell them not to eat any more of the furniture.

If you knew were going to be put on a desert island for a month, name three things you would bring with you and why?

Sun cream for the obvious reason. A sup-ply of books as I love reading and a large supply of alcohol, again for obvious reasons. Sounds like BLISS. When am I going??

Who inspires you?People who are selfless.

What would be the first thing you would do if today was your last day?Gather my family and friends and have a proper feast.

How do you spend your free time?Doing interviews like this one!. I also seem to constantly have to tidy the house whenever I have free time.

You have travelled the world as pre-senter of 'no Frontiers', what is the best country you have visited and not forgetting the worst? I love traveling in Africa. Ethiopia, Uganda, namibia, Mali, Senegal. It’s such a beautiful continent and every time I visit, I long to go back. Worst country? I don't really have one. I got Asian flu when I was in Japan so Tokyo was a bit of a blur. Would like to go back not feeling like crap.

What type of music do you listen to on your iPod?I’m a rock chick at heart. Love ACDC, Guns 'n Roses, Fleetwood Mac. Also love folk music too. Alison Krauss is on at the momentWhat TV shows do you like to watch?Just got addicted to Downton Abbey which has replaced my addiction for Mad Men. I love Chatty Man with Alan Carr. He makes me laugh so much.

If you could have lunch with three people (past or present) who would you choose and why?Will Ferrell because he is one of the fun-niest people on the planet. Tom Crean for his stories about the world’s most unbelievable adventure to the South Pole and, finally, Adolf Hitler to try and get an insight into the mind of a psychopath who changed the course of history. Also I think Will Ferrell could do a brilliant impression of him.

Where do you see yourself in three years?Happy and healthy and still giving out about my mortgage.

See the interview in full with Kathryn Thomas on Ireland’s leading website www.fashion.ie and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

At the fashion frontier

CONTRIBUTOR WRITERS REQUIRED

Ireland’s largest Fashion website www.fashion.ie are now looking for part-time fashion writers

to contribute regular fashion related articles for our new website

Do you have a keen interest in fashion and have good writing skills?

If so we want to hear from you

Email: [email protected]

Garden Growing12 The Informer

Gerry Norton, Living Landescapes, 97 Church Avenue,

Drumcondra, Dublin 9Tel: 087-2462724

or [email protected]

Finally folks, if you need any information on gardening or if you have any tips or suggestions which I can pass on, please send them to me at [email protected].

I would be delighted to quote for any/all of your garden require-ments from set-up organic vege-table plots to restoration of neglected gardens, design, plant-ing and maintenance. no charge for initial visit and I will travel within reason.

nOW that the clock has gone back, winter has started. There is a difference of opinion every year wither winter starts in november or December and fol-lowing on from that when do spring and summer begin.

For me, the first of november is the start of winter, why else would the clocks be altered? Therefore the 1st. of February is the start of spring and May the 1st is the first day of spring. If readers have a better explanation please let me know.

Grow It Yourself groupI was delighted last month to

be invited to speak at a meeting of the ‘Grow It Yourself’ group which was held in Raheny library.

Winter tasks, with spring in mind

weeds away and also helps to raise the temperature of the ground once frost and snow have gone. Apart from all that, let’s face it, its not much fun tending to veg at this time of year.

Lift the leavesElsewhere in the garden keep

removing leaves from the lawn to avoid damage. Any leaves that

land in borders should be left as they will break down quickly to provide nutrients.

If you haven’t removed the pump from your pond it should be done now otherwise the frost will damage it. Don’t feed your fish as often as usual as they are starting to slow down and need less food.

With Gerry Norton

Still time to plantIt’s still time to plant bulbs,

especially tulips. Fruit trees and bushes should also be planted this month to allow them to establish over the winter. If your garden lacks colour at this time of the year think about planting shrubs or small trees which will add some winter interest. Sorbus or Rowan is a good example for its lovely berries as is Skimmia.

Crab apple ’Malus’ is a beauti-ful small tree with either red or yellow fruits which can be con-tainer grown as space is limited. Chinese lanterns ‘Physalis’ is wonderful at this time of the year and will look good for months ahead. If you have space ‘Rhus’ or stags horn sumach has gor-geous foliage but they can be a bit invasive. Another great shrub for foliage is Cotinus or Chilean smoke bush. The purple leaves look great near any green leaf shrub.

n If your garden lacks colour at this time of the year think about planting shrubs or small trees like rowan

The main purpose of my talk was to give advice to growers on how to grow winter vegetables. As I said on the night I don’t grow winter veg for a number of rea-sons.

I’m not fond of the usual win-ter veg such as cabbage, sprouts etc. and more importantly I really believe that your veg plot should not be over worked no matter how good the soil is, it needs a rest and shouldn’t be expected to produce food for 12 months of the year.

It’s best in my humble opinion to leave it be for the winter months and then come February, the process starts all over again.

What I do every year is lightly dig in leaves which were gath-ered 12 months ago and also dig in some seaweed. Don’t forget to wash the salt off the sea weed first by leaving it on the patio for a few weeks to let the rain wash the salt away.

In a few weeks time I will then cover my plot with plastic for the winter months. This will keep all

tIP oF tHe MontHThe lawn still needs mow-ing but be very careful as the wheels of your mower can do damage at this time of year as the ground is soft.

Read your local Informer edition onlineThe paper opens online the same way it does in your hand

www.informer.ie

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14 The Informer

with Miriam Kerins, DSPCAAnimal Tracks

I HATE to be the bearer of bad news, but with more rain on the way – well it is Ireland and it is winter – it’s best to be prepared for the worst. Hopefully no more families will need to be evacuated but we must be ready for the possibility of continuous downpours, strong winds and, dare I say it, power outages.

Below are some tips for keeping your pets safe:• Make sure yourpetsaremicro chipped. In

the event of a storm/flash flood, pets may panic and run away, become disoriented and get lost. A micro chipped pet has the best possible chance of being returned to its owner.

• Makesureallvaccinationsareuptodate.

• Makesureyouranimalhasadequateshelter.All animals should be kept indoors during severe weather conditions, especially during heavy rain/flooding.

• If you’reallowing yourpetoutside topee/poo, put them on a lead and walk out with them. Only allow them limited access to relieve themselves and take them back into the house as soon as possible.

• Ifyouhavepets living inyourgarden,e.g.rabbits, please make sure hutches are brought indoors or are placed safely into a

sturdy garden shed/garage. Don’t leave rab-bit hutches around or near a fence/tree that may collapse onto it during a high wind.

• Ifyourhomeislocatedinafloodarea,makesure that, in the event you are required to evacuate, all pet carriers are kept by the door in preparation for such an emergency and you’ve stocked up on plenty of suste-nance for your animals; including bedding. Hotels, guest houses or shelters will not always provide food and water for your animals.

• Ifyouownexoticpets,makesureyouhaveextension leads so that you can plug in heat lamps and if you have an aquarium, invest in a back up air filter.

• For farm animals; fence off a pasture areaon high ground. Cows and horses are exam-ples of farm animals that can be caught off guard during flooding and will require a safe pasture before water rises in order to secure their best chances of survival.

For more information log onto www.dspca.ie or email me at [email protected]© Miriam Kerins, Education Officer, Dublin SPCA.

Winter worries for pets Watch a real star!When we think of stargazing, we think of standing out in the cold at night. But not all astronomy is done at night. In fact, there is a very prominent star visible every day: the Sun! That's right, our Sun is a star just like many of the others we see during the night.

First of all, never ever look at the Sun with the naked eye, or through sunglasses. Don't even look at a reflection of the Sun. The only way way to safely look at the Sun is by using a special filters used by astronomers to block out almost all of the Sun's blinding light.

Astronomy Ireland holds a weekly Sun Watch on Saturdays at its premises in Airside enterprise Centre in Swords, using specially protected telescopes. At these Watches you will get to see the Sun in a way you never imagined. When you first see the Sun close up, you will see giant dark regions called sunspots; these are cooler regions of the Sun that are bigger than earth itself. The Sun will become more active over the next few years, creating more and more sunspots.

Through h-alpha telescopes you can see the Sun's atmosphere, and the vast eruptions of gas from the

sunspots, known as coronal mass ejections and solar flares. If these flares reach earth, they cause the famous northern Lights (also known as aurorae). I think these are the most impres-sive sights of the Sun, as over the space of a couple of hours you can see how these gigan-tic outbursts move and curl out into space!

Remember, never look at the Sun without the guidance of an astronomer and the spe-cialised equipment: doing otherwise can and will cause instant blindness. Instead, check out www.astronomy.ie or call (01) 890 11 11 for details on the organisation's upcoming Sun Watch this weekend!

The sky over Dublinwith Conor Farrell, Astronomy Ireland

n Our Sun showing sunspots and solar flares, using a special H-alpha telescope

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18 The Informer

Health & BeautyInJECTABLE treatments for cosmetic purposes are very pop-ular and have gained interna-tional recognition for their effec-tiveness over the years.

These aesthetic techniques are used for the treatment of facial lines, folds and contouring of the skin with good results and high

degrees of patient satisfaction. Wrinkle relaxing injections

and dermal fillers are the main-stay of medicines used in facial cosmetic treatments. These drugs can be used individually or in a combined way depending on the cause of the wrinkles and the outcome required.

It is important that a facial assessment and a medical history are performed by a qualified medical practitioner before any treatments in order to determine the cause of the wrinkles and give appropriate advice.

Causes of wrinkles:• Naturalageingprocess• Sunexposure• Smoking• Genetics• Repetitiveuseofthefacial

muscles responsible for expressions

Visible signs:• Horizontallines(forehead)• Frownlines(verticallines

between the eyebrows)• Crowsfeet(linesaroundthe

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How can treatments help?Wrinkle relaxing injections are

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Wrinkle relaxing injections act mainly used on the hyperactive/overactive muscles responsible

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TIME to shimmer and smoulder! This winter The Body Shop steps out with the new Limited Edition Smoke & Sparkle range, a glam make-up collection in the hottest colours of the season and made with Community Fair Trade ingredients.

With two gorgeous eye pal-ettes in Silver Black and Golden Brown, it has never been easier to perfect those on-trend looks whatever your skin tone or mood. Whether your style is subtly sparkly or out-and-out glitz and glamour simply follow the application instructions for a dramatic yet wearable look.

What’s more, last year’s sensational sell-out The Sparkler in Boudoir Pink returns, this time with a brand new Enchanting Gold shimmer shade. High-shine mini lip glosses complete the range. Recreating the catwalk becomes effortless – so fashionistas, snap up this range while it’s available and switch on the sparkle.

The Body Shop spokesperson Chase Aston says: “Winter 2011 is all about smoky eyes, glossy lips and sparkle! The limited edition Smoke & Sparkle collection makes it fabulously easy to achieve the runway look at home - perfect for all those festive parties.”

THE SPARKLER x 2 (RRP: €19.95)

ADD a sprinkling of glamour! Elegant and beautiful, The Sparkler is a must-have for any beauty addict’s vanity table. This season’s limited-edition lust-have, the limited edition Sparkler is a gorgeous boudoir-style bottle full of iridescent sparkle-dust.

Its elegant atomizer ingeniously delivers a completely even veil of sparkle to the skin, whilst the clever combination of different sized pearls and glitters creates a sophisticated multi-dimensional shimmer. Simply point the nozzle anywhere on the face or body to release a burst of pearls and glitter so you can sparkle from head to toe.

These cute accessories in either new for this season colour Enchanting Gold, or classic favourite Boudoir Pink, are guaranteed to delight your favourite fashionista throughout the party season.

Beauty Noteswith Kathleen Rowley

Smoke & sparkle... Injectable treatments for cosmetic purposes

for expressions. A number of small injections are made into the targeted muscles where the drug works by temporarily paralysing them. By preventing muscle con-traction eventually they will weaken and relax.

The treatment soften and elimi-nate the wrinkles for approxi-mately 3-4 months. Usually visu-al signs of improvement will take approximately 5-7 days and pos-sibly up to two weeks to have maximum desired effect.

Treatment is performed usually with minimal discomfort and side-effects. A detailed discus-sion will take place so you are fully informed. The Anti-Wrinkle Treatments used are temporary and to maintain results you will need repeated treatments.

Linda, Senior Therapist,Rathgar Laser & Beauty Clinic

To be in with a chance to win just answer this question.What famous actress is the producer of Sister Act?

Answers by e-mail only to [email protected] Please include your contact number

Closing date for entries 3rd December 2011.

TICKETS TO WIN!!THE HABIT HITS

THE ROAD!FIRST EVER UK AND IRELAND

TOUR OF HIT WEST END & BROADWAY MUSICAL SISTER ACT

**NOMINATED FOR 5 TONY AWARDS 2011**

Starring Denise Black and Michael Starke

& introducing Cynthia ERIVO AS DELORIS

Producers Whoopi Goldberg and Stage Entertainment are delighted to announce full details and casting for the first ever UK & Ireland tour of the hit musical comedy SISTER ACT, which will see Deloris and her heavenly sequined sisters descend on Grand Canal Theatre this Christmas for 3 weeks only from

December 20th 2011 to January 7th 2012.

The show played to over a million people at the London Palladium during its West End run and is currently a huge hit on Broadway.

Tickets for Dec 21st Show

Law matterswith Noreen Maguire

ReDunDAnCy normally happens when an employer needs to restructure the work place, and usually its a cost cutting exercise. The employer must use fair pro-cedure when selecting an employee for redundancy.

In general, a genuine redundancy situa-tion arises where an employee's job no longer exists and he/she is not replaced.

The employee may be entitled to a statutory payment because of the length of service and the employer in some cir-cumstances, may offer a Termination Payment also. This is a payment beyond the minimum statutory redundancy lump sum. The employer is not legally bound to make this payment under the Redundancy Payments Acts

employees qualify for statutory pay-ments if they are employed under a con-tract of employment and have at least two years service and meet other criteria. The employee's employment must have been terminated and should not have ended by reason of the employee's resig-nation.

If the employer's procedures during the selection process are flawed the unfair Dismissals Act may apply.

The Act provides that the dismissal of

an employee shall be deemed to be an unfair dismissal “unless, having regard to all the circumstances, there were substan-tial grounds justifying the dismissal”.

Certain reasons for the dismissal are deemed to be unfair by Sections 5 and 6 of the Act and they include “unfair selec-tion for redundancy”.

In summary, the courts have determined that an employer must prior to any type of dismissal, including redundancy, act fairly and have full and proper regard to the Rules of natural and Constitutional Justice. Accordingly the employer needs to get advice where possible, to ensure their methods are beyond reproach. Similarly if an employee feels their selec-tion was unjust they need to seek further advices.

For information on how to calculate entitlements see the Department of enterprise Trade and employment web-site.

Noreen Maguire is a solicitor with Maguire Muldoon Solicitors,

34 Gledswood Park, Clonskeagh, D14.Tel (01) 296 4266

E-mail: [email protected]: www.maguiremuldoon.ie

Fair procedures in redundancy

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Family Focus20 The Informer

Kids getting crafty How to cope with colicCOLIC, or prolonged crying, can affect babies from as young as two weeks, before stopping after about four months. What causes colic is unknown.

Dr Alf nicholson is consultant paediatrician with the Children’s University Hospital, Temple Street in Dublin. He is Professor of Paediatrics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Medical School and has written a book called When Your Child is Sick, what you can do to help (with Grainne O’Malley, published by Gill and Macmillan). He says that small babies commu-nicate by crying which is perfectly normal.

“Your colic baby will cry more intensely and at a higher pitch than ‘normal’ crying and sound as if she is in pain. She may also cry for longer – up to an hour at a time – and resist most of your efforts to soothe her, including feeding. Her tiny fists may clench, legs may stiffen and she may grimace. If it is bad, she may arch her back.”

Unfortunately, there is no known ‘cure’ for colic other than time, but there are a number of things you can do to help your baby.

The following tips for coping with colic come from When Your Child is Sick:•Ifyouarebreastfeeding,trytoavoideating

any foods that may produce wind or an aller-gic reaction in your baby.

•Ifyouarebottlefeeding,tryusingacurved

bottle to limit the amount of air he is swal-lowing when feeding and feed him upright.

•Makesureyouspendenoughtimeburpingyour baby after a feed.

•Ruleoutotherreasonsforthecrying–hun-ger, exhaustion or boredom. Then rule out a more serious cause – see your GP.

•Keepacryingdiary–sothatyoucanshowyour doctor when it starts, stops and if any-thing you do reduces it.

•Findaroutine–forhandlingcolicboutsandstick to it. It will help to relax you and baby.

•Sticktotherecommendedfeedingroutines–don’t feed her as soon as she cries. Some babies will suck on a dummy or sip boiled and cooled water from a bottle.

•Don’tcutdownonbabyformulamilk–andnever change her formula without consulting your doctor.

•Ifbreastfeedingandtakingmedication,thiscould be causing the colic-like symptoms – talk to your doctor.

•Forgetallanti-colicremedies–investinanhour’s babysitting instead.

•Easeyourstresswhereyoucan.•Swaddlebabyinalightblanketandholdher

close.•Sootheherwithabodymassageorabath.•Takeherforaneveningwalk.•Tryanythingthatmakes‘whitenoise’likea

hairdryer or heartbeat tape.Use the traditional ‘colic carry’. Lie her face

down, over your lap on your forearm, to increase pressure on her stomach. Over-stimulation can make it all worse, so less is probably best.

Don’t expect a miracle cure but find your own routine and a lot of patience. It will get better.

Top ten toys for ChristmasAccording to the ToyShow Experience which took place in The Convention Centre Dublin in early November these are the top 10 toys for Christmas 2011:1. Fijit Friends (Mattel)2. Transformers Optimus Prime (Hasbro)3. Lego Police Station (Lego)4. Monster High Dolls (Mattel)5. Sylvanian Families (Flair)6. Let's Rock Elmo (Hasbro)7. Baby Annabell (Zapf)8. Kidizoom Twist (Vtech)9. Bop- IT XT (Hasbro)10. MONOPOLY Electronic Banking: Irish Edition (Hasbro)

WE love a new book for kids aged 7-11 called My First Craft Book. With everything from paper crafts to fancy dress out-fits, home-made cards to bak-ing, it has tons of activities to keep kids busy during winter.

This yo-yo necklace is made using scraps of colourful fabric and buttons. Published by Cico Kidz.

No more nicks or scratches with ChipsAway

IF you’ve ever wondered if there was a way to repair those small nicks and scratches without an expensive trip to the body shop then the service of ChipsAway could be just what you are looking for.

The team decided to take a look at the service up close to see just how effective it is. Finding a volunteer really wasn’t that dif-ficult. In the Dublin traffic and car park road wars there is no shortage of driv-ers who seem to manage their way around the mean streets by “touch”.

"We found a Hyundai with a nasty scuff to the offside rear bumper, all the more noticeable because the car is finished in Electric Red."

A phone call to ChipsAway brought the fully equipped mobile repair cen-tre to the door at the appointed time. The first thing we noticed was how well-equipped the van was.

It looked as if the man from ChipsAway could undertake any repair without difficulty. What followed was like watching a skilled surgeon at work.

After a brief spell preparing the damage our man disappeared into the magic van to match the paint col-our.

No problem. Within minutes the exact colour match was made and the finishing touches were being put to an expert job.

Even at close inspection it was hard

to see where the repair had been, such was the attention to detail in preparing the sur-face and matching the paint colour.

Our verdict on ChipsAway is that for any motorist who would prefer to save money and have that minor repair done in the con-venience of their own home - a call to 086-8802776 or 085-1912678 is essential.

To be in with a chance to win just answer this question.What year did the original movie White Christmas debut?

Answers by e-mail only to [email protected] Please include your contact number

Closing date for entries 25th November 2011.

WIN tickets to see

The spectacular stage musical based on the classic 1954 movie White Christmas, makes its Irish debut at the Grand Canal Theatre, for a strictly limited period for December 2011.

With an ensemble of over thirty and a dynamic 17 piece orchestra, this dazzling musical is full of tap dancing, laughter and some of the greatest songs ever written, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas The Musical promises to be a merry and bright theatrical experience for the whole family.

Brimming with classic Irving Berlin hits like Blue Skies, How Deep is the Ocean, Happy Holiday, Sisters and of course the unforgettable title song White Christmas, it tells the story of two buddies putting on a show in a magical Vermont inn, and

finding their perfect mates in the process.

This is a delightful musical that is as fresh and rare as newly fallen snow.

A multi-million pound production which has won national and international acclaim.

Dates: Thursday 1st – Saturday 17th December 2011

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Tintin and the Secret of the Unicorn HHHHHDirected by Steven SpielbergStarring Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis and Daniel Craig

TINTIN, the intrepid reporter stumbles across a model ship, The Unicorn, which several shadowy characters are willing to kill for. With his trusted dog, Snowy, in tow, Tintin sets off to discover the truth of The Unicorn, allying himself to a drunken seaman, Captain Haddock, who seems to hold the key to the mystery.

Over the course of 80 years, generations of people have grown up with Tintin and it was only a matter of time before someone would make a big budget film version. Herge, the Belgian artist responsible for Tintin, once claimed that Spielberg was the only director capable of making a Tintin film and how right he was. Tintin is old school fun but unfortunately it lacks a sense of danger that motion capture, the latest digital technology, cannot seem to create. It is incredibly faithful to the comic and cartoon series but doesn’t fit together snugly as you can tell it has been assembled using elements taken from several different Herge stories.

Tintin is great fun but unfortunately it may not be enough to encourage a new generation of viewers.

Advice: Fans will love it.

The Ides of March HHHHHDirected by George Clooney. Starring Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour hoffman, Paul Giamatti, evan Rachel Wood and George Clooney

STEPHEN is an idealistic young man working on the frontline of Governor Mike Morris’s Presidential bid. At a key point in the campaign his head is turned by the opposition and Stephen learns first hand how dirty politics can get.

Based on the stage play “Farraguth North”, The Ides of March is the type of political film that the 1970’s was famous for. It is lean, taut and very clever. Not that you have to wear yourself out trying to understand it, not at all in fact and this is it’s greatest achievement. It is a powerful and intelligent film that is not hard to digest. George Clooney has made another gem, signalling himself to be a crafter of fine and satisfying films. Ryan Gosling turns in another pitch perfect performance with Hoffman and Giamatti both scathingly brilliant as the opposing campaign managers, playing a delicate and sinister game that Stephen gets drawn in to. This film is as close to intelligent cinema perfection as you can get and deserves to be seen by a wide audience.

Oscar nominations are guaranteed for his film in February

Advice: A great way to spend two hours.

Graham Connor's Movie Advice

22 The Informer

Arts AngleTWo weeks ago, I was on o’Connell Street when I happened to see a display case and pondered over its content.

Inside the display case positioned meters north of the Spire of Dublin, there was this artefact selected by artist Sean Lynch that evokes a variety of the city's artistic and social histories. This presentation consisted of a fragment of a tail light from a BMW car, found in a scrapyard in Clondalkin, west Dublin, earlier this year.

At first, I was puzzled then annoyed: 'how is this art with a big A?' I thought.

Then this morning I was looking for an art exhibition to cover and I came across this BMW 3 Series exhibition again. yet it had little detail.

This exhibition seemed to me as enlightening as the object itself (as use-ful as a tail light without a car) so I did some research. The artist’s website pro-vided a little more information.

This piece was the remaining of a scrapped car, not any car, a BMW for-merly belonging to disgraced banker Seán Fitzpatrick. yes. okay. And the plan

was not to sell the car itself, but to sell the right to press the button to crush it, like he crushed the Anglo Irish Bank.

Again I get it. But what was the artist’s exact message on this? Did he agree with the idea? Disagree? And why did he choose a tail light? Why not the BMW insignia? Was it to show that the good times are gone and all you can see now are the rear lights of the getaway car that the thieves used?

To me, it seemed quite wrong to assume people will get the message as the message is far from being clear. But then again that’s just me.

BMW 3 Series, Registration 92D38478, Tail light (section). Public artwork, com-missioned by Dublin City Council.

Enlightenment on a light tail

With LA

Speedwing

LA Speedwing pens a weekly blog about writing, arts and other randomness at laspeedwing.blogspot.com

Tintin and the Secret of the Unicorn HHHHHDirected by Steven SpielbergStarring Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis and Daniel Craig

TINTIN, the intrepid reporter stumbles across a model ship, The Unicorn, which several shadowy characters are willing to kill for. With his trusted dog, Snowy, in tow, Tintin sets off to discover the truth of The Unicorn, allying himself to a drunken seaman, Captain Haddock, who seems to hold the key to the mystery.

Over the course of 80 years, generations of people have grown up with Tintin and it was only a matter of time before someone would make a big budget film version. Herge, the Belgian artist responsible for Tintin, once claimed that Spielberg was the only director capable of making a Tintin film and how right he was. Tintin is old school fun but unfortunately it lacks a sense of danger that motion capture, the latest digital technology, cannot seem to create. It is incredibly faithful to the comic and cartoon series but doesn’t fit together snugly as you can tell it has been assembled using elements taken from several different Herge stories.

Tintin is great fun but unfortunately it may not be enough to encourage a new generation of viewers.

Advice: Fans will love it.

The Ides of March HHHHHDirected by George Clooney. Starring Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour hoffman, Paul Giamatti, evan Rachel Wood and George Clooney

STEPHEN is an idealistic young man working on the frontline of Governor Mike Morris’s Presidential bid. At a key point in the campaign his head is turned by the opposition and Stephen learns first hand how dirty politics can get.

Based on the stage play “Farraguth North”, The Ides of March is the type of political film that the 1970’s was famous for. It is lean, taut and very clever. Not that you have to wear yourself out trying to understand it, not at all in fact and this is it’s greatest achievement. It is a powerful and intelligent film that is not hard to digest. George Clooney has made another gem, signalling himself to be a crafter of fine and satisfying films. Ryan Gosling turns in another pitch perfect performance with Hoffman and Giamatti both scathingly brilliant as the opposing campaign managers, playing a delicate and sinister game that Stephen gets drawn in to. This film is as close to intelligent cinema perfection as you can get and deserves to be seen by a wide audience.

Oscar nominations are guaranteed for his film in February

Advice: A great way to spend two hours.

Graham Connor's Movie AdviceCOME VISIT OUR

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23The Informer

Dublin Advice

THROUGHOUT our history, human beings have used movement and dance to celebrate, to pray, to connect with and to heal themselves. The language of the body is movement. It is our first language, our most honest expression and the closest to the truth of who we are, and how we relate to ourselves, and the world around us.

Using Movement TherapeuticallyMovement therapy listens to this language of the body and its mes-

sages. Because we have a mind and we live in a body, we can access a fuller picture when we listen to what both have to say about an issue or situation. The body speaks through sensation, the physical energy of our emotions and the way we move. In my work as a counsellor, I find that including the voice of the body along with thoughts and emo-tions in a safe therapeutic space can bring about growth and healing on a deep level.

The Body/Mind SplitIn our culture we are used to thinking and trying to understand with

our minds; we are taught to calculate, to assess and to reason, which are all necessary skills, but we are not practiced in listening to the body, trusting its wisdom or drawing upon its innate ability to heal and bring us into balance. It is often only when we experience pain or ill-ness (the fastest way our body can get our attention) that we slow down and listen to what is happening within us.

There are many reasons why we split away from our bodies and come to live in our thinking minds and all of them stem from some form of pain; family trauma, shame, substance abuse, emotional repression, violence, a culture that idolizes rich and thin people, failed relationships, a gradual erosion of our self worth and more.

We all have an inner critic, a tendency to be hard on ourselves, and our body takes a lot of the fallout from that pattern: not good enough, not pretty enough, not strong enough, not the right size or shape, too big, too skinny, too hairy, the list is endless. All of this contributes to the breakdown of our direct connection to the body and without this connection we are on a fundamental level lost, homeless and missing a powerful ally.

Rediscovering Body WisdomMovement Therapy assists people to connect with their physical

experience through gentle body awareness practice, to track what is happening in their bodies and to explore the emerging themes. Because physical expression is often much clearer than words, move-ment offers another path into ourselves by allowing the body to lead and by supporting us to let go and release. The body shows us where we need to soften and relax, when to use our strength and stay steady, and how to soothe and look after ourselves. The beauty of working in this way is that the mind/body connection is strengthened and our choices become more effective as we reach a deeper acceptance of

The healing power of movement in therapy

ourselves on all levels.Movement therapy is used successfully in medical settings, in nurs-

ing homes and rehabilitation centres and can be applied to a wide range of emotional, physical and mental health difficulties such as anxiety, depression and stress.

I also hold a weekly Dance & Movement Meditation class called ‘Moving Ground’. The focus is on encouraging each person to move at their own pace and to trust their natural, individual expression. It is a dynamic meditation that uses music to help us to release stress, relax our minds and open to joy in our lives. All are very welcome and no experience is required.

Carol McInerney works as a professional Counsellor and Movement

Therapist at Appletree Health and Wellness Centre in Ranelagh.

More information about therapy and classes can be found on her website www.crimsoncounselling.com or by calling 086 1956331.

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26 The Informer

Outside of the boot

with Mick Hanley

GAA Sportsdesk on

103.2 Dublin City fM

Wednesdays @ 7pm

Dublin gaa FOLLOWING the busy schedule of the

Dublin inter county teams up to September, it was back to club cham-pionship action for the players over the last number of weeks.

In hurling the round robin champi-onship was replaced by a straight knock out competition in order to finish the championship on time. There were a few surprises on the way with St. Brigids taking the scalps of first Croabh Ciaran and then St.Vincents before losing out to O’Tooles in the semi-final. On the other side of the draw Ballyboden St.Endas looking to create history by winning five championships in a row progressed at ease into the final with victories over Ballinteer St.Johns and Lucan Sarsfield.

Unfortunately the final was one way traffic too after Emmet Carroll scored the opening goal of the game. O’Tooles who were contesting their first final since 2002 just could not match the power of ‘Boden and when Paul Ryan goaled from a 20 metre free just before half time, climbing Everest to win would have been easier. ‘Boden join Commercials and Garda as the clubs winning five in a row hurling titles.

They now travel to take on their manager Liam Hogan’s club Coolderry, Offaly in the Leinster semi final.

On the football front the celebra-tions of the Dublin footballers on winning the Sam Maguire were cur-

tailed as the championship reached the last sixteen. St.Brigids were impressive in dismissing last year’s champions Kilmacud Crokes and it was no surprise to see them lift the title with victory over St. Oliver Plunketts/ Eoghan Ruadh in the final.

While there were an abundance of inter county players on both sides in the final it was Brigids' substitute Lorcan McCarthy who stole the head-lines. Coming on in the second half his first kick was to knock over a free from 47 metres out. He repeated a similar feat minutes later and also scored a point from play to help the Blancharstown side to a 0-10 to 0-8 victory in a dour encounter.

Plunketts could have secured victo-ry in this low scoring encounter but Alan Brogan’s shot with minutes remaining was well blocked by Gavin Kane. Sean Murray was impressive in curtailing Bernard Brogan while Barry Cahill controlled matters at midfield.

It was another disappointment for Plunketts as they are still looking to win their first championship. Brigids now go on to meet Meath champions Summerhill in the Leinster campaign.

Not to be outdone by their male counterparts Dublin ladies champions Na Fianna have progressed to All-Ireland club final after beating Donoughmore from Cork in their semi final clash. They will now meet Mayo’s Carnacon in the final on Sunday, November 27.

‘Boden and Brigids take Dublin Hurling and Football Crowns

Golf tipswith Aideen Rogers

www.aideenrogers.com • Mobile 087-9906738

AS we often take a look at other golfers on the course and notice the things they do to slow down play, so should we take a look at our-selves. When we do take an honest look at ourselves, we often discover we’re doing some of the same things to slow down play that we’re complaining about others doing.”

Here are 9 tips on how to speed up your play!

1. As you approach the green bring your trolley around to the nearest exit side for the next tee box, mark your card at the next tee box not beside the green (otherwise this will hold up the players behind you and slow down play)

2. Be mindful of the group behind you. If you keep in mind the group behind you, you will automatically pick up your speed. Also if the green of the next hole is empty, you must be playing very slow. Always work to keep up with the group in front

3. While walking to your ball, use the travel time to begin thinking over your next shot – the yardage, which club you’ll use, and so on. Begin preparing before you get to your ball.

4. Carry a few extra tees, ball marks and a spare ball in your pockets so you don’t have to return to your golf bag to retrieve them, should you find yourself in need of one.

5. Begin reading the green and lining up putts

as soon as you reach the green. Don’t wait until it’s your turn to putt to start the process of reading the green. Do it as soon as you reach the green so that when it’s your turn you can step right up and putt.

6. Never delay making a stroke because you’re having a conversation with a playing partner. Put the conversation on hold; make your stroke, then pick up the conversation again.

7. Don’t spend a lot of time looking for your ball in the trees or tall grass. The official rule is you only get 5 minutes to look for your ball.

8. If you are unsure whether your ball has come to rest out of bounds, or may be lost, immedi-ately hit a provisional ball so that you won’t have to return to the spot to replay the shot.

9. On the tee, pay attention to your partners’ drives. If they lose sight of their ball, you can help direct them to it and avoid any searching. When waiting on the tee for the group in front to clear the fairway, don’t be so strict about order of play. Let the short hitter – who can’t reach the group ahead anyway – go ahead and hit.

“Remember golf is there to have fun but keeping up the pace of play makes your game so much more enjoyable.”

Happy Golfing.

9 Quick tips tips on how to speed up play

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28 The Informer

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swords in Brief...

with Paul Cantwell

Swords mother recalls ordeal on the ‘Late Late’A SWORDS woman who risked her life to rescue her kidnapped daughter from war-torn Syria has told how people-smugglers helped the pair escape to freedom over mountains in the lebanon.

louise Monaghan (36) dramatically rescued her six-year-old daugh-ter May Assad Monaghan in Syria after she was snatched by her father.

the brave mother appeared on 'the late late Show' in October to speak of their epic journey as they escaped across the Syrian border into safety in lebanon .

Monaghan met her ex-husband Mostafa Assad in Cyprus, where she was living at the time. the pair had a daughter but eventually split up. On September 7, May went for a walk with her father and didn't return.

She was taken to Syria, to the family home of Mr Assad, who then contacted his ex-wife and told her to sell her belongings in Cyprus and move to Syria to live the life of a Muslim woman. louise made her way to Syria in an attempt to rescue her daughter.

Held captive in Mr Assad’s home until one day louise found herself in a taxi with May and took action to escape. She paid €350 for another taxi to take them on the journey to Damascus.

there, after every legal route available to them failed, the pair paid people-smugglers to take them across sheer mountain faces to lebanon.

"It was pitch dark," louise said. "We climbed over mountains for hours. I don't understand how we made did it. We literally climbed up sheer mountain faces and back down inclines."

Although cut and bruised, the brave pair made it safely to the other side in lebanon. Now May is home louise said she was ‘elated’.

She did however say that little May was ‘traumatised’ after her ordeal and long-term, to ensure her safety, she is considering a witness protection programme.

Fingal-based company scoops business awardA COMPANy set up by Malahide woman, Sheila Byrne, has scooped a prestigious award in the 13th annual Institute of Designers in Ireland Awards recently.

the product ‘Read Assist’, which is designed to help people with dyslexia and reading difficulties to become more confident readers, was awarded the Grand Prix at the recent function.

Sheila, whose daughter Jenny suffers from a form of dyslexia, was determined to solve the problem which her daughter was facing and set about designing a solution, which would ultimately become ‘Read Assist’. She built a prototype using a cereal box, advanced the idea with the help of Spear technologies(now Spear Product Design), and culminated into the success story whichaccording to the Dyslexia Association of Ireland, between 2-10% of the population suffers.

Ryan dismisses sewage plan as ‘unacceptable’lABOuR Party tD, Brendan Ryan has dismissed the idea that Fingal should treat the sewage for the entire Dublin region as well as Kildare and Meath is 'unacceptable'.

Deputy Ryan promised to put pressure on the Government to aban-don the project in favour of the more palatable option of a network of smaller local plants. the labour tD spoke out against the proposal for a giant sewage plant in Fingal at a packed public meeting in Rush.

Deputy Ryan said: 'I am fundamentally opposed to plan for one big wastewater treatment plant. I believe there should be a series of smaller plants so that all areas take their share.’

'I have already written to Minister for the environment Phil Hogan seeking the potential for revisiting the need for a monster wastewater treatment plant. 'I will be pressuring the Government on this matter over the coming weeks and months in order to achieve an outcome in the interests of north Dublin,’ concluded the labour tD.

Kidnapping case trial involving Swords man beginstWO men have gone on trial accused of robbing more than €2.2m in a tiger kidnapping in which the family of a cash-in-transit van driver was held hostage by armed men.

David Byrne (39) and Niall Byrne (29) have both pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to falsely imprisoning the Richardson family at Ashcroft, Raheny, north Dublin, on March 13 and 14, 2005 and one count of robbery.

the trial is expected to last up to the new year.

kathryn thomas interview

page 10

at the fashion frontier

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