Swords

Young scientist: Renuka steps upto receive well-earned award MAUREEN Walkingshaw, BT’s director of human resources presents the 3rd place junior individual biological and eco-logical sciences category award to a very proud Renuka Chin-tapalli from Loreto Secondary

School in Balbriggan, Dublin, for the project Spice Up Your Diet: An investigation into the use of spices as effective food preserva-tives and in medicinal use.

Full Story on Page 4

Council neglect of town rebuked NATALIE BURKE

COUNCILLORS in Swords have claimed their town is “not being taken seriously” by the Public Realm Strategy which was intro-duced in Fingal recently.

The strategy was launched by Fingal County Council last year, in an effort to develop plans to improve the future prospects of a

number of local towns, including Malahide.

However, local councillors were outraged when they learned that Swords was not on the council’s priority list.

“I can’t understand how manage-ment can sit in the town in the state that it’s in and not be obliged to do something.” said Cllr Anne Devitt.

Full Story on Page 2

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

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

OUT&ABOUT .................26

CLASSIFIEDS ................34

SPORT ...........................35

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finGAl shake up needed – county manager

County manager david o’Connor: we do need a big shake up in swords

Council stand accused of sidelining swords

Get back in shape while helping a local charityWith getting back in shape appearing on a lot of people’s agendas this January, Dublin North is set to see a number of charity workshops taking place across the local area this week-end.

BodyShape Fitness Bootcamp is hosting charity workouts in

Swords, Malahide, Balbriggan and Portmarnock on Saturday, January 19 and the events will be held in an effort to raise much needed funds for Dogs trust.

taking part in the bootcamp costs just €5 per person and both members and non-mem-bers of BodyShape Fitness, a

local indoor fitness class, are welcome to attend.

Bootcamp

the bootcamp will be tak-ing place at four locations and times, with the first taking place at Malahide Rugby Club at 9.30 am, followed by boot-

camps at St George’s National School in Balbriggan at 10am, St Colmcille’s GAA Club in Swords at 11am, and Portmar-nock Community School at 12.30pm.

For more information, visit www.bodyshapefitnessboot-camp.com.

FolloWiNG the intro-duction of the public realm strategy to Mala-hide in recent months, councillors in Swords have raised concerns that their town is “not being taken seriously”.

the strategy was launched by Fingal County Council last year, in an effort to improve the future of Malahide.

the public realm strat-egy will cover all outdoor spaces within the town, including the streets, parks, footpaths, squares, basically any area used by the public.

the initiative will see representatives from the local community joining a steering committee tasked

with developing plans for improving the town.

in the nearby town of Swords, however, local councillors were outraged when they learned that Swords was not on the council’s priority list for similar consideration.

According to Cllr Anne Devitt (ind), Swords’ posi-tion as the county town means that it deserves more attention.

“i am furious about

the state of Swords. the whole purpose of putting the county town where it is was to balance the Pavilions and the old administrative centre of Swords,” she said at a recent council meeting. “this was going to create footfall and we’ve failed miserably.

“the reason why Mala-hide has appeared to have got ahead – and i do believe it has got ahead of Swords from a priority point of view – is because everything we were doing was predicated on this green city that was going to emerge with Metro North. the work on the Metro has been deferred, but i am not prepared to

watch the work on Swords town being deferred, and that is what has hap-pened,” she added.

Cllr Devitt said she was deeply upset that stores are closing in Swords and despite recent meet-ings about improving the town, nothing has been done.

“it is not being taken seriously. i can’t under-stand how management can sit in the town in the state that it is in and not be obliged to do some-thing. i want to see the heart of Swords beating again,” she concluded.

her views were echoed by Cllr Eugene Coppinger (SP), who described Swords as a town “dying

on its feet”. “it’s not that long ago

that we had a post office on Main Street and a supermarket across the road. Something needs to be done and quickly.”

in a report given by the council at the meet-ing held last week, FCC confirmed that the north Dublin towns included in the Development Plan 2005 -2011 included Rush, Skerries, Malahide, Port-marnock, howth, Bald-oyle, lusk and Donabate.

County manager David o’Connor said that while Swords has a lot of posi-tives, the councillors were right. “We do need a big shake up in Swords,” he agreed.

NataLie [email protected]

17 January 2013 swords gazette 3

Erosion prompts surveyFollowing ongoing problems with coastal erosion at the Burrow in Portrane, particularly in the aftermath of fur-ther reported erosion in December 2012, a coast-al erosion risk manage-ment study is set to be undertaken in the area.

This is according to Fingal County Coun-ci l , which recent ly confirmed that given the specialist nature o f coas ta l de fence measures, a tender was recently prepared for consultants to under-take the study.

The study will iden-tify the most appropriate coastal protection meas-ures to be taken at the Burrow. Funding will be sought from the office of Public works (oPw) to carry out the study.

portrane

Plan to promote Swords Castle in the pipeline natalie burke

[email protected]

Plans for the devel-opment of swords Cas-tle as a possible tourist attraction could be on the cards for the local area, according to Fin-gal County Council.

Following the suc-cessful launch of the new Malahide Cas-tle complex last year, which saw avoca open its doors and a newly redeveloped castle and grounds successfully welcome the public and attract tourism to the Malahide area, the council has confirmed that a comprehensive conservation manage-ment plan is currently being prepared for

swords Castle. The news followed

a call by local council-lors, including Fianna Fail councillor Darragh Butler, to make a similar and immediate invest-ment into swords and swords Castle as has been seen in Malahide.

in a response given to councillors at a recent area committee meet-ing , Fingal County Council stated that the conservation man-agement plan will be published during 2013, and will detail possible future uses for the local amenity.

The future uses will not only ensure its future conservation, but will also maximise the economic and tour-

ism potential of swords Castle.

The plan will also outline and prioritise future capital invest-ment in wha t the council described as “this important herit-age property”, to make it accessible for the planned uses.

The council also con-firmed that it is in dis-cussions with Failte ire-land about the best ways to promote and develop Fingal and the herit-age properties within it, which includes swords Castle.

Cllr Butler welcomed the response from the council, and said it was great news for the local community, as well as businesses in the

swords area. “i would like to wel-

come this news and i look forward to this plan being published during 2013,” he said.

“great work has been completed already on swords Castle in recent years and swords resi-dents are eager for this to be completed and to see the Castle finally open to the public and [ i ts] economic and tourism potential [max-imised].

“i would offer my full support to the county manager and Fingal officials in this regard. we are very lucky that Fingal is so rich in her-itage properties such as swords Castle,” said Cllr Butler.

Lucky: Local woman wins €1,000 gift cardpictured are Deirdre King from swords Pavilions presenting local woman Joan nulty with a gift card worth €1,000 for the shopping centre. Joan had recently entered a swords Pavil-ions Facebook competition, and she was overwhelmed when she found out that she was the winner. so now that the Christmas season is over, there’s no doubt Joan will be putting the gift card to good use shopping at the sales.

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Maureen walkingshaw Bt’s director of human resources presents the second place Intermediate group

Biological and ecological sciences Category award to Victoria Fitzsimons, Laura Hennelly McCarthy, from

Loreto secondary school, Balbriggan, for their project: on target: a Bioinformatics Investigation of Potential

drug targets for Cancer. Picture: Fennell Photography

Awards aplenty for smart young scientists nataLIe Burke

[email protected]

There was great suc-cess for Dublin North this year when three local secondary schools picked up a host of awards at this year’s BT Young Scientist and Technology exhibi-tion at the rDS.

The annual exhibition saw the Loreto Second-ary School Balbriggan, Sutton Park School and Skerries Community College pick up a total of 12 awards between them.

Students from Sker-ries Community Col-lege were awarded third place in the Technology Junior Group category, while the school was also awarded the Geological Survey of Ireland award for their project that pre-dicted changing sands on Skerries South Strand.

Meanwhile at Sutton Park School, six students

picked up a total of three gongs for their scientific projects. Anna Colwell and Daisy Barron picked up first prize in the Jun-ior Technology category, while their schoolmates ellen McGrady-hog-an and Carla Mifsud-Naughton came second in the same category. Students rose Ward and Sophie hunter were also awarded third prize in Junior Biology.

According to Cather-ine Tattersall, head of sci-ence at Sutton Park, the school are delighted with their students’ achieve-ments.

“We are thrilled with the results and the stu-dents are on cloud nine. They are great kids and had great projects, but they really delivered it well. One of the groups started a year and three months ago, whi le another group’s project is nearly a year in the

making. It’s great as it encourages other kids to get involved. It’s where the designers, innovators and entrepreneurs of the future are coming from,” she said.

The Loreto Second-ary School in Balbriggan took home seven awards from the exhibition, resulting in all shortlisted students from the school being crowned in the final award ceremony.

renuka Chintapali came in third place for the Junior Individual Biological and eco-logical Sciences, while her schoolmate Lorna McGuinness came highly commended in the same category. Alice O’Neill was awarded third place in the Intermediate Indi-vidual section, while Victoria Fitzsimons and Laura hennelly McCa-rthy came second in the Intermediate Group. roisin Lacey and Megan

Freeman came second in their category while Meaghan Dinsmore came second in the Jun-ior Individual Social and Behavioural category. Finally, Tess O’Neill and Lauren Murphy were awarded second place for their project in the Junior Group category.

All winning students were commended by their mentor and teacher Niamh McNally who said she was delighted each student brought a prize home. “They really had a wonderful time, and there was great excite-ment even before the show. We’ve been doing this quite seriously for quite a few years, so there has been a great buzz. The students put so much work into it; they would work during lunchtime and after school on a Thursday, so it was great they were all recognised for their work,” she said.

SUCCESS Big wins put students on cloud nine

nataLIe Burke

NeWBrIDGe Demesne will play host to this year’s Operation Trans-formation walk in Fingal and is inviting members of all local communities to take part this week-end.

The 3km walk will take place on Saturday, Janu-ary 19 at 11am, as part of the nationwide sport-ing event, organised as part of rTe’s Operation Transformation National Walk.

The rTe reality weight-loss TV show has teamed up with the Irish Sports Council for another year to organise walks for people across the coun-try, with 38 walks taking place in total.

each organised nation-al walk will have a leader who will set the pace and show participants how to get the best value out of their exercise.

The Operation Trans-formation leaders and experts will be out in force to walk with the communities and encourage the whole country to take the first step towards a healthier life.

To take part in the Fingal walk, partici-pants are asked to meet at Newbridge house at 11am.

For details of pub-lic transport access to Newbridge Demesne, Donabate, visit www.irishrail.ie, or visit www.newbridgehouseand-farm.com for directions and car parking details.

For more details on Operation Transforma-tion and the National Walk event, log onto www.rte.ie/ot.

hEAlth: invitE to gEt fit

Local park to host a walk

Plans to use Swords Castle for St Patrick’s Day 2013FINGAL County Council (FCC) have high hopes for St Patrick’s Day this year, with potential plans already in place to use Swords Castle as part of the annual March celebra-tions.

According to FCC, it is hoped that a Celtic re-enactment event will be held at the castle on the evening of St Patrick’s Day on Sunday, March 17.

Plans will be made to include the local landmark in more local events and celebra-tions.

The council’s proposed plans will be sub-ject to a successful application and receipt of Gathering funding, as well as Swords Castle being in a suitable condition to use at the pro-posed time.

FastNews

First birthday for Snowflakes Autism SupportSNOWFLAKeS Autism Support will be celebrating their first birthday with a karaoke night on Friday, January 18.

The free event for members to mark the charity’s milestone will take place at Sportslink in Santry at 8pm.

For more informa-tion about Snow-flakes Autism Sup-port, log on to their website, www.snow-flakes.ie.


Car park bottle bank for revampA deteriorAting site at the local river Val-ley bottle bank in Swords is set to be restored, according to Fingal County Council.

the area surrounding the regularly used bottle bank, which is located within a privately owned car park, has a surface made of gravel which has degraded due to heavy use and weather erosion.

in a recent area com-mittee meeting, local Cllr darragh Butler (FF) asked the council to tarmacad-am the site and to clean

up the area surrounding the bottle banks.

in a response, the coun-cil confirmed that the gravel area in the vicin-ity of the bottle banks was in “worse condition than the other areas of the car park” and agreed to restore the gravel sur-face, with the permission of the landowner.

it was also confirmed that to tarmacadam the site would not be appro-priate due to the bottle banks currently occupy-ing the private area on a temporary licence.

erosion: tarmac plangains state finances continue to stabilise

export firms create 13,600 posts Local td alan Farrell welcomed the results

NataLie Burke

[email protected]

JoBS figures and strong exchequer returns have brought a promising start to 2013 already, accord-ing to results revealed by enterprise ireland last week.

results showed that more than 13,600 jobs were created by irish exporting companies last year, which repre-sents the highest net gain in jobs in six years. the latest exchequer returns also show that the State’s finances are continuing to stabilise.

Local td Alan Far-rell (Fg) welcomed the results, saying the figures show the country is mak-ing consistent progress on the jobs front.

“the end of year excheque r f i gu re s brought further encour-

aging news; they show that tax revenues were ahead of targets last year,” he said.

deputy Farrell con-tinued by saying that the creation of new jobs is essential for tackling unemployment levels, which remained “far too high”.

“the government has been tasked with com-pletely rebuilding the economy from a broken, failed model, to a sustain-able one based on inno-vation and enterprise. As well as implementing changes to support small, local businesses, we are also determined to help as many companies as possible to expand into lucrative export mar-kets.

“the taoiseach recent-ly underlined his deter-mination to keep job creation at the top of the

political agenda. A special Cabinet meeting on jobs will be held this month, with a particular focus on small and medium enter-prises and the domestic economy. the govern-ment will continue to implement a range of measures aimed specifi-cally at job creation, with this year’s Action Plan for Jobs due to be published shortly.”

deputy Farrell believes that irish companies are proving they have the capacity and the ambition to expand into new mar-kets. For every one job created in an enterprise ireland company, an addi-tional job is created in the domestic economy.

“i am confident that the progress shown by irish companies over the last 12 months can be improved in the year ahead,” he concluded.

Time for young artists to brush up on skillsthe search is once again under way to find young artists for this year’s texaco Children’s Art Competition.

Brochures have been sent to dublin schools with entry details for the compe-tition, which closes on Friday, February 22.

Judging will take place throughout the month of March and winners will be announced in mid-April, with prize giv-

ing to follow in mid-May. Annually, some 30,000 students com-

pete for the top prizes that are awarded across seven age categories, including one exclusively devoted to special needs students.

Copies of the brochure are also avail-able through texaco service stations, and full details are available on-line at www.texacochildrensart.com.

6 swords Gazette 17 January 2013

The life scientificLOCAL schools took part in the 49th BT

Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, which was held at the RDS recently.

The students displayed their hard work through their innovative projects and concepts.

They were among the thousands of students

who descended on the capital to fight for the top prize of this annual competition.

Among the local entrants were Anna Colwell and Daisy Barron from Sutton Park School, who entered the comptition with a non-elec-trical fridge for Africa.

science: students dispLay their taLentsanna Colwell and daisy Barron from sutton Park school. Pictures: Geraldine Woods

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rose ward and sophie Hunter from sutton Park school

Jack Bracken and Peter Herbert from st Fintan’s High school are in discussions

Hudda ahmad and Lola Hourihane from our Lady’s Grove Girl’s school in

Clonskeagh

daniel Carey-Keating, des Cooke and Luke Breen from skerries Community

College

17 January 2013 swords Gazette 7

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

Karl dooley, Fin daly dolan, Brendan Crean and Ken Barlow

tiernan spain, simone Peat and Nathan reilly

the under seven team. Pictures: Una Williams

MALAHIDE United AFC’s recently hosted their annual Nippers’ cinema trip to the Odeon Cinemas in Coolock. The children from the Nippers Academy enjoyed

watching Wreck it Ralph on the big screen. The film is due to be released in cinemas next month. This day trip to the cin-ema has been a successful event for over 15 years.

On the big screen: big day Out tO the cineMa fOr nippers acadeMy

the annual Bt Young scientist exhibition is hugely popular

eoin timmons sean Cross and sophie Law


natalie burke

Fingal County Council has been congratulated by Minister for Transport, Tour-ism and Sport, leo Varadkar, for the progress they have made in removing litter from the area surrounding Dublin airport.

The clean-up means that visitors now get a much bet-ter first impression of ireland on their arrival into Dublin.

Following the results of the recent irish Business against litter (iBal) survey, both Swords and the Dublin air-port environs were listed in the top cleanest towns in ire-

land. “This area gives many visi-

tors their first impression of ireland and i am pleased that it is now virtually litter free,” Minister Varadkar said.

“i’d like to congratulate Fingal County Council and staff for all their hard work in making sure that our visitors

get a good impression of ire-land when they touch down, particularly in this year of the gathering.”

regime

in a report by the iBal following the survey, it was noted that “clearly a more comprehensive and thorough

cleaning regime is in place”.The report said: “The

overall impression was a far cleaner environment and, what is so encouraging was the sites which had scored very poorly last time and which were clean this time. all of the sites directly relat-ed to Dublin airport were

not just clear of litter but exceptionally well presented and maintained. Well done Fingal.”

Minister Varadkar raised the issue of litter around the airport with Fingal County Council, Dublin airport authority and the national Roads authority last year.

natalie burke

[email protected]

Fingal could see the addition of eight school wardens to help serve new schools in the local area.

Despite an embargo that prevents the council from hiring new school wardens, due to the freeze on recruitment in the public service, Fingal County Council (FCC) have confirmed that they are currently looking at the possibil-ity of providing assisted crossings at schools cur-

rently without wardens in both north Dublin and the rest of Fingal.

The query was origi-nally raised by local councillors last year, following calls from teachers and parents of local schools to see war-dens in place in schools without assisted cross-ings. at the time, how-ever, the council stated that they were not in a position to appoint new school wardens due to restrictions on recruit-ment levels.

in a county council meeting held earlier this

week, FCC revealed that they have recognised the need for extra wardens to be recruited within Fingal and that they are currently preparing an application for the Department of the Envi-ronment, Community and local government for derogation under the recruitment embargo in the public service to allow for the recruit-ment of approximately eight school wardens.

The wardens would be hired to serve the new schools already in operation or due to

come into operation in Fingal over the next three years.

The news was wel-comed by local council-lor Darragh Butler (FF) who said he was happy to see the council has recognised the need for school wardens in the north Dublin area.

“i think the council agreed that with the number of new schools that have opened in the area, that there was a real need for school wardens. So what they decided to do was, rather than go out one or two

at a time, they decided to take the approach that they would put all the schools in one appli-cation,” he said.

“The council are quite confident that they have a good case and are optimistic that they will get approval,” he added.

The appointment of new school wardens will be music to the ears of the teachers and parents of local schools who have been calling out for wardens in recent months.

“There really is a genuine need there and,

hopefully, we will have good news in a month or so. in particular for those attending Holy-well Educate Together. With the completion of the outer-ring road delayed, there is a lot of traffic passing the school and there is a real con-cern there. We hope to see a warden there as soon as possible,” Butler concluded.

Fingal County Coun-cil has stated that it will report to the members of the council as soon as a reply has been received from the Department.

Litter removal efforts around airport commended

Fingal may get eight school wardens despite embargo

council: possibility oF providing assisted crossings For pupils

splash: Freedom is sealed

community varadkar congratulates council and staff for all their hard work

Wedding fair at Bewley’s HotelBEWlEY’s Hotel Dublin airport will be hosting a wedding fair on Sunday, January 20 from 1pm to 5pm.

The fair aims to provide all of the infor-mation that recently engaged couples need to know to get them organised for their big day.

Many local suppli-ers will be exhibiting at the fair, and couples can avail of a €1,000 discount off their wed-ding when they book on the day.

For more informa-tion about the wedding fair, log on to www.bewleyshotels.com.

Parenting course in Balbriggana PaREnTing course for parents of pre-schoolers will be held in February in Balbrig-gan.

The Parent Plus Early Years Programme is a seven-week course, and aims to help par-ents encourage their children to communi-cate and learn through play, creatively help their children to learn, as well as learning how to manage diffi-cult behaviour such as tantrums.

an introduction to the course will be held on Thursday, February 7 at Balbriggan library. Call 01 802 0484 for further details.

FastNews

pictured is Rosie the grey seal, who has been brought back to full health by the staff at Tayto Park. Rosie has been looked after at Tayto Park, following her discovery on a beach in Mayo just before Christmas. She has since been released back to the sea at Howth East Pier. For more information about Tayto Park, log on to www.tay-topark.ie. Picture: Simon McDermott


TalenT The Wright Factor returns for third year

Search is on for Dublin’s next big thing Natalie Burke

[email protected]

FOLLOWING on from the hugely successful The Wright Factor competi-tion last year, the Wright Group are once again opening their doors for the countywide talent competition.

As one of Dublin’s big-gest singing competitions, The Wright Factor 2013 will mark the third year of what has become an annual and much-antici-pated event.

Six of the company’s

pubs will be hosting heats in the run up to the grand final, in search of Dublin’s next big thing.

The heats will begin next week on Wednes-day, January 23, and will build in anticipation of the eagerly-awaited finale that will take place in The Wright Venue at Airside in Swords.

Since winning the com-petition last year, Kiera Dignam has enjoyed great success. Despite the 2012 winner not performing in over eight years before the contest, she quickly

gained the confidence she needed and was awarded the title. Since being crowned last year’s winner, Kiera has opened a successful vocal training school on Mobhi Road with her father, Christy Dignam, of Aslan fame.

Although Kiera failed to win over the judges at the Voice of Ireland this year, past contestant Jennifer Healy, who also made the grand finale of The Wright Factor 2012, was chosen by Westlife’s Kian Egan to join his team for the real-ity TV talent show.

keira dignam was the winner of last year’s the wright Factor competition

A spokesperson for the contest said: “The Wright Factor is a great platform for getting experience on stage and a great way to kick start your musical career. This year’s com-petition will run over a 10-week period starting on January 23, and will run until the main event, which will be held in The

Wright Venue on Friday, April 19.”

Heats will be held in Wrights Cafe Bar in Swords, Gilbert and Wrights in Clontarf, Gil-bert and Wrights in Dun Laoghaire, Gilbert and Wright’s The Living Room in Malahide, Wrights Findlater in Howth, The Bloody Stream in Howth,

and Gilbert and Wrights in Hollybrook, Clontarf.

The winner of the com-petition will take home a cash prize of €5,000 as well as a recording deal.

Applications forms are available from any of the participating venues, online at www.thewright-factor.ie, or by phoning 083 346 6199.

Traffic issue to be addressedISSUES affecting the visibility of vehicles exit-ing Newbridge Demesne in Donabate are set to be addressed by Fingal County Council.

The concerns were raised by local Cllr Dar-ragh Butler (FF) at a recent area committee meeting, who said that vegeta-tion at the main gate to Newbridge Demesne has been restricting cars leav-ing the park from having a full view of oncoming traffic.

In response, the council confirmed that the Parks and Heritage Properties Division would inves-tigate and coordinate with the Traffic Section to review what measures would be necessary to ensure adequate sightline distances for traffic exit-ing the local park.

DonabaTe

DublinGazettenewspapersAdvertising Sales Professionals

Dublin Gazette Newspapers is Dublin’s fastest growing community weekly regional publisher,

with 8 titles covering the M50 from Swords to Dun Laoghaire.

We are currently looking to recruit:

We are now seeking experienced media sales executives to work in

our advertising dept in our Lucan head office on a number of Dublin

Gazette titles. Experience in newspaper advertising sales is preferable.

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10 SWORDS gazette 17 January 2013

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THERE were many innovative projects and concepts on display at the 49th BT Young Scientist and Tech-nology Exhibition at the RDS recently.

The judges had a challenge on their hands, trying to

pick out an overall winner of the competition. Once again, Cork was the tops, however the Dublin

schools were all well represented and gained their fair share of the awards and accolades.

Smart ideas on show at RDS Young Scientist

Laura Meade presents the project she worked on with Ronan Bullock - the Science Museum, It takes guts... Pictures: Geraldine Woods

a judge at the fair

inspects the projects Megan Kelly, Kate Marron and Shona Brady actress astrid Brennan grace O’gorman and Sadhbh Byrne

Shane Curran from terenure College

Many people attended the fair

17 January 2013 Gazette 11

dublinlifeGa

zett

eschools P14diary P12 asdfsdaf P27business P16

film festival: 140 movies to be shown in dublin

deVito lined up for feast of filming in the capitalThe Jameson Dublin International Film Fes-tival gets underway next month and there are sev-eral rare treats in store this year at the festival which will take place between February 14 and 24.

Actor, producer and director Danny DeVito will attend a special trib-ute to his long career, that has spanned the hit TV show Taxi before moving on to star in many films including One Flew Over

the Cuckoo’s Nest and Batman Returns, as well as directing and starring in such movies as The War of the Roses, Throw Momma from the Train and Matilda.

Also lined up for the festival is a tribute to composer Dario Mari-anelli at the National Concert hall which he will attend on February 19. Marianelli has writ-ten scores for such films as Atonement and Pride

and Prejudice. The festival was found-

ed in 2003 and takes place in the capital each year in February for 11 days and nights.

The festival was estab-lished to celebrate the art of film in Ireland and abroad, and most of the films featured will be Irish premieres and screenings will be one-off events.

Over the course of the festival, 140 films will be shown in cinemas all over

Dublin city centre.Season tickets and

vouchers are currently available at www.jdiff.com, and if you would like to experience the best in Irish and international cinema, walk the red car-pet with the stars and attend after-show parties, this is your chance.

The Jameson Dublin International Film Festi-val will be held at various places from February 14 until 24. Danny DeVito will attend a special tribute to his long career

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

12 Gazette 17 January 2013

Sierra Leone’s Refugee all Stars

dublinlifeGaze

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diary

Sierra leone band to raise the raftersThe National Concert hall will play host to Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars this month when they perform their upbeat sound which draws on African high-life and reggae.

The band has come through the experience of civil war and refugee camps in Guinea and triumphed through their uplifting music, enter-taining fellow-camp dwellers before they came to world attention through a 2006 docu-mentary.

Sierra Leone’s Refu-gee All Stars have now recorded three albums, performed on some of the world’s most pres-tigious concert stages and matured into one of Africa’s top touring and recording groups.

The concert will be at the National Concert hall on January 23 at 8pm.

Tickets range from €16 to €34, with a 10%

discount for groups of 10 or more, and are available from the box office on 417 0000.

chanGinG ouR dRinkinG behaviouRDRiNkAwARe.ie and insomnia have joined forces this new year to help people change their drinking behav-iours for 2013.

Unti l January 31, insomnia will be offer-ing half-price coffees after 4pm in all the insomnia outlets to help people pace their drinking for the year ahead.

Minister for Chil-dren and Youth Affairs, Frances F i tzgera ld (FG), welcomed the initiative, saying: “After all the Christmas indul-gence, January is a time to take stock of our eat-ing and drinking habits and some people decide to cut down on their alcohol consumption.

“This promotion is a cheap incentive to pace the amount you drink on a night out,” she said.

Vouchers can be downloaded from face-book.com/insomni-aCoffeeCo, facebook.com/drinkaware.ie or drinkaware.ie, and are valid until January 31.

Vouchers can be used in insomia stores across the country from 4pm every day, as well as Spar branches, and can be redeemed on as many occasions as the holder wishes.

cLonSiLLa StaR SheamuS SiGnS Soap deaLFORMeR Clonsilla res-ident and world wres-tling enter tainment (wwe) star Sheamus has signed a deal to promote irish Spring soap in the US.

The soap, known for its twee representation of irish people in its

adverts, will no doubt be shaken up by the f lame-haired fighter, real name Stephen Far-relly.

wwe has signed a new a promotional deal with Colgate-Palmolive, which manufacture the soap, with Sheamus set to star in TV ads.

Sheamus is the first irish-born wwe cham-pion, having initially claimed the title in 2010 and is currently one of the top superstars in the company, which is by far the biggest in the industry.

he star ted life in irish promotions under the name of Seamus O’Shaughnessy before being signed up to the wwe in 2007, making his on-screen debut in 2009.

Since then, he has won numerous titles and will compete at the Royal Rumble in Ari-zona on Sunday, Janu-ary 27.


bairbre ni bhraonain

IT’S enough to drive you crazy if you let it... or you could just sing along when 9 To 5 arrives on stage at the Bord Gais Theatre later this month.

The show is based on the 1980s film that starred Dolly Parton, and the country star wrote all of the music for the stage show. It stars an array of Brit-ish theatre and TV tal-ent, including Natalie Casey, Bonnie Lang-ford, Amy Lennox, Jackie Clune and Ben Richards.

Out&About spoke to one of the leading ladies, Jackie Clune, ahead of her arrival on these shores.

“I can’t wait to go to Dublin. The last time I played there was when I was touring with Mamma Mia but that was a good few years ago. Last sum-mer, though, I came into the Dublin Docks

on a cruise ship, which is something I never thought I’d do,” she said.

“My family is Irish. My mum is from Sligo and my Dad’s from Tipperary, so this time around I ’m hoping all my aunties come up from Sligo for the show.”

Jackie has had a very hectic and varied career to date. She founded the Red Rag Women’s Theatre company, has been an actress in TV programmes including EastEnders and Smack the Pony, is a singer, has performed in musicals, has been a panellist on shows such as QI, a stand-up comedian and has written for TV, stage as well as publish-ing two books.

“I was never one to wait for the phone to ring,” said Jackie.

“At the start of my career, there was a lot of work going that I really didn’t want to do. I was interested in political

stuff, that’s why I set up the theatre company. Then I did radio and diversified quickly into more and more things, because employment was low at the time. But I’ve always been like that anyway, I’ve a lot of energy and a great interest in the world.”

MusicalsNowadays, Jackie

concentrates on musi-cal theatre and has no plans to return to TV work in the near future. “I love musicals the most. The other things I do can be very solitary, like writing and radio work but in musicals there is a great group working with you and you have great craic.”

Jackie is also very passionate about play-ing her current charac-ter, Violet, and can cer-tainly identify with her fictional problems.

“The story is set in 1979 when women had no chance of breaking through the ranks of

Jackie Clune is one of the leading ladies in 9 to 5, the musical

Nothing like the 9 to 5

ThE Irish Cancer Society is encouraging Dublin-ers to be aware of the signs and symptoms of lung cancer when they announced January as Lung Cancer Awareness Month.

Ireland has the sixth-highest incidence rate of lung cancer amongst women and the 32nd highest amongst men of 41 countries in Europe.

According to the most recent data from 2010, there were 2,227 new cases of lung cancer in Ire-land that year, making it the fourth most common cancer after breast, prostate and bowel cancer. however, lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer in Ireland, with 1,708 people dying in 2010.

however, with early detection, chances of effec-tive treatment and potential cure increase.

Aoife McNamara, Irish Cancer Society lung cancer specialist nurse said: “The key to improving survival for lung cancer patients is early detection. This begins with people being aware of the signs and symptoms of lung cancer, going to see their GP if they are concerned and being referred on to a rapid access clinic for diagnosis and treatment.

“Awareness campaigns like this are vital as they are the first step in the chain. If people know the signs to look out for, they are more likely to go see their GP and get referred to a specialist.”

The signs and symptoms of lung cancer include: a cough that doesn’t go away or a change in a long-term cough, feeling short of breath or wheez-ing, repeated chest infections that won’t go away even after antibiotics, coughing up blood-stained phlegm, pains in your chest, especially when you cough or breathe in, feeling more tired than usual and/or unexplained weight loss, hoarse voice, prob-lems swallowing or swelling in the face or neck.

Anyone concerned about lung cancer can call Irish Cancer Society’s National Cancer helpline on Freefone 1800 200 700, or visit their local GP.

campaign

Boost to cancer awareness

corporate life. In the end of 9 to 5 they do break through so it’s a very uplifting piece. By the end, the women in the audience are all cheering for the women on stage. It’s a politi-cal piece and I do think it’s still relevant today as women find it hard to thrive in business.

The female audiences are very heartened by what they see because the women on stage are empowered at last.”

9 to 5 runs at The Bord Gais Energy The-atre from January 21 until 26. Tickets cost €20 and are available through Ticketmaster at 0818 719 377.

feature


dublinlifeGaze

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Monika Mykolaityte

Sixth-year student

St tiernan’S Got talent 2012 was the name of our school’s first ever talent com-petition and i was hon-oured to be the MC for the night.

Quite unnerved, i was looking forward to meeting rte business reporter, emma Mcna-mara, who was present at the show, along with two other judges, a pro-fessor from Maynooth University, Dr Martin O’Leary, and author and journalist Martina Devlin.

af ter the exciting show, i met emma and got wonderful advice from her about univer-sity and a future career in journalism.

a few days later, dur-ing our school’s open evening, i was informed that emma had invited

me to spend the day in rte during the mid-term. this was amazing news and i looked for-ward to the experience.

as emma and i arrived at rte in Don-nybrook, i was intro-duced to Micheal Mac Suibhne, a cameraman for rte and Conor Mcnally, a reporter for news2Day.

t h e p a i r w e r e assigned to go to DCU where they were going to be filming and inter-viewing participants in the Foroige Youth Citi-zenship awards.

afterwards, Conor and i returned to rte where i reunited with emma and went for a small tour around some of rte’s most famous studios.

She showed me the Six One tV news room, where i took a few pic-tures to keep as a fond memory of the visit.

emma then took me to see the Late Late Show studio, which i viewed from a balcony-like walkway. it was quite amazing to see

how small the audience booth was.

to be honest, there were more lights than there were seats for the people! i then saw a place of interest – the main rte radio studio, where shows like Morn-ing ireland are broad-cast every morning.

it was quite the small room but the process described by emma sounded quite compli-cated yet interesting.

i then watched the Drivetime show from a room outside the stu-dio – again called the gallery - which was pre-sented by Mary Wilson.

She had numerous guests coming into her studio, talking about cur-rent affairs, news analysis, sport and business.

Later i was accom-panied by Conor Bro-phy back into the news building of rte.

the atmosphere in the Six One tV news gallery was quite dif-ferent in comparison to the one outside Driv-etime.

it was much busier

and far more people sat in front of the many screens in the room.

Five minutes prior to airing, people were talk-ing loudly, checking if all cameras and screens were on and if everyone could hear all.

Finally, it all settled down once the news began. Commands were given throughout the broadcast to the pre-senter and to the various people in the gallery. everything was done to exact precision.

the experience as a whole was truly amaz-ing. i met many people who described their jobs and gave me great advice for the future.

i will always remain g ra t e fu l t o emma Mcnamara for invit-ing me over to rte and my teacher, Catherine Martin, for making my meeting with emma possible.

Great news for MonikaSt tiernan’S: Student invited to rte StudioSHaving a sit in the big chair in the Six one tV news room

MeGan Spence

Third-year student,

Blakestown Community School

DeCeMBer was a particularly busy and productive month for Blakestown Commu-nity School with lots of events taking place.

the month began with an anti-bullying week which was organ-ised by Ms Dineen, stu-dent council and Bro-snan class.

Surveys were sent around the school to help understand stu-dents’ feelings on bul-lying and if they felt enough was in place to help with bullying. an art, poetry and media competition was organ-ised which helped raise awareness throughout the school with all year groups getting involved.

the second week in December saw the annu-al academic awards being held where we had past and present students being awarded for their achievements in both Junior and Leav-ing Cert.

there were 75 awards in total given out on the day and principal Ms O’Connor said: “it was an absolutely wonder-ful afternoon, with stu-dents providing music and readings and staff, students and parents together celebrating student success.”

it’s not just fun and games here at Blakes-town as there was also a lot of generosity during the month of Decem-ber.

One of the Junior Cert classes raised over €1,000 for St Francis Hospice through a CSPe action Project which involved a spon-sored silence and bake sale. it was a wonderful local cause and apollo class were very proud of their achievement.

Brosnan class and art teacher Ms Quinn raised money for the Make a Wish founda-tion through the crea-tion of cards, wine and gift bags with illustra-tions from the students for Christmas sales.

Ms Monaghan organ-ised the giving tree for St Vincent’s De Paul which saw lots of donations of wonderful toys.

Finally finishing up the term with a bang we had the annual vari-ety show which was organised by Ms ryan, Ms Guckian and Ms Brophy and also dance teacher Sandra Moran.

the final day of term saw us say our goodbyes in style with a beauti-ful performance from the sixth-year students organised by Ms Mona-ghan, Ms Keyes and Ms Brophy and Mr Maguire and Brendan Kennedy doing music.

Students and staff enjoy a busy end to 2012

the annual variety show was a big hit

schools

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The experience as a whole was truly amazing. i met many people who described their jobs and gave me great advice for the future- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


features

Gazette

Chinese New Year is snaking into view paul hosford

[email protected]

THE hugely-popular Chi-nese New Year Festival is set to return to Dublin this year, ushering in the Year of the Snake on Feb-ruary 10.

Established in 2008, the Dublin Chinese New Year Festival (DCNYF) show-cases the best of Sino-Irish Culture in Ireland and 2013 will mark the sixth year of the festival.

As Dublin is twinned with Chinese capital Bei-jing, the festival aims to deliver a high profile cul-tural programme, which includes the third Chinese

Film Festival at the Light-house Cinema in Smith-field, as well as a special spring festival partner-ship with the Council of Europe Intercultural Cities Conference, which forms part of Ireland hosting of the European Presidency.

for all ages

As well as these spe-cial events, there will be traditional dragon and lion dances, a Sino-Irish business seminar, the DCNYF lecture series, a programme specially tai-lored to children, an arts and music programme, a special project linked to

The Gathering 2013, mar-tial arts, sports and much more for all ages.

The highlight of the festival will, no doubt, be the traditional New Year’s Day parade, which will once more thrill the masses in Dublin City Centre, where thousands turned out last year to ring in the Year of the Dragon.

The Year of the Snake occurs every 12 years, and people born in 1941, 53, 65, 77, 89 and 2001 are considered under this sign.

They are considered to have a good temper, good communication but a

quiet nature, as well as a great wisdom.

DCNYF also contin-ues to explore Sino-Irish connections in the past, to forge new expressions of culture with national insti-tutions, to engage with emerging new media and to explore the intricate rich connections between our nations especially building on the twinning agreement between Dub-lin and Beijing.

Chinese New Year this year is on February 10 and the festival will run from February 8 to 18.

For more information on what is coming up, log on to www.cny.ie

the Chinese New Year festival is set to return to dublin this year, ushering in the

Year of the snake on february 10

schools

16 GAZETTE 17 January 2013

DUBLINLIFEGAZE

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BUSINESS

Q&A

Fighting the recession

SMALL businesses are set to flock to the RDS this month in a bid to impress international buyers, with a record number of micro-enterprises planning to make a big impact at the Showcase 2013 event.

Some 75 small busi-nesses, more than double the amount that attended in 2010, will take centre stage at the Enterprise Zone at showcase, which takes place at the RDS from Sunday, January 20 to Wednesday, January 23.

Showcase is organised by the Crafts Council of Ireland every year, and is seen by industry experts as one of the most impor-tant trade events for Ire-land’s craft sector. These businesses are being

supported by their local county and city enterprise boards at the special area, which is dedicated to help them break into new Irish and export markets dur-ing 2013.

Exhibiting under the Enterprise Zone brand name along the balcony area of the RDS, the small businesses are hoping to impress thousands of retail buyers, who are expected to attend from over 17 countries.

The craft companies, many of whom are first-time exhibitors, cover sectors such as textiles, cosmetics, fashion, gift-ware, candles, ceramics, homeware, accessories and jewellery, represent-ing 19 different counties.

In 2010, the County and

It’s tough, but keep a routine

KINGSBURY Furniture are a com-pany bucking the trend in a very com-petitive market.

As many quality furniture shops have shut their doors in recent years, Kingsbury are heading into their 21st year and have fought their way through two major recessions.

Paul Nugent opened Kingsbury Furniture in 1992 with his brother David in a small unit in Tallaght. They relocated to their state-of-the art unit at Tallaght retail centre in 2006 and

now employ 10 staff. “The range available in Kingsbury

has an emphasis on Irish made and Irish sourced furniture is hugely exten-sive. But what really stand out are the prices. There just seems to be out-standing value for money compared to their competitors,” said Paul.

“This changed us from a small local business to a business supplying fur-niture to virtually every county in Ire-land and even, on the odd occasion, to other countries.”

What do you offer your customer that differs from your competi-tors?

It comes down to two things. 1. Product: We try to get an eclectic

mix of furniture and accessories and will always have something unusual and different for your home.

2. Service: Allied with trade-ins, we assemble furniture on delivery, remove and dispose of all wrapping and even take away your old bed and mattress for a small charge. Then there are many goodwill gestures that crop up from time to time that our customers really appreciate.

What have you changed about your business to combat the effects of the recession?

It is a myriad things. Affordable pricing - we went to our suppliers and demanded better service and value if they wanted to keep our business. We got the staff to take on extra roles like social media, website updates, email marketing etc. This also gave the staff more input into the business and they also enjoyed the new challenges, allied with an ever increasing focus on customer service.

What law or regulation would you change overnight to help your busi-ness?

Rates with both our showroom and warehouse in retail and business park respectively. We have to pay through service charges for street lighting, resurfacing and mainte-

nance of roads, all waste disposals etc, then pay rates on top of this. Also upward-only rent reviews.

How do you use social media to help your business?

We have made huge strides in 2012 in this area thanks to our dedicated staff. We now interact with our cus-tomers in many different ways.

What is your ambition for the busi-ness?

We are currently considering opening a second store in 2013, and continue striving to make Kingsbury one of the best brands in Ireland.

What is the best piece of business advice you ever received?

Keep your customer happy and the business will do well.

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

Tallaght a few years ago had a bad reputation but has developed into a small city with all the facilities you could ask for.

I was born and raised in Tallaght village and the population was about 400, so it has changed a bit since then.

Even though it has grown so much, there still seems to be a great com-munity and charitable spirit in the area. We as a business get unbeliev-able support from the local people. We seem to have three generations in some families still buying from us.

KINGSBURY FURNITURE

Record numbers are set to attend Showcase 13

Showcase 2013 takes place at the RDS

City Enterprise Boards supported 35 small businesses at showcase through subsidised stands. This number rose to 50 in 2011, before reaching 57 last year.

Michael Hanley from the county and city enter-prise boards said: “There has been an unprec-edented level of demand for places at this year’s Enterprise Zone in show-

case, reaching record numbers this year. With the support of the county and city enterprise boards, this new generation of craft and design compa-nies can potentially break into new markets, secure valuable export orders and create additional jobs locally.”

For more details, visit www.showcaseireland.com.

RDS: ‘VERY IMPORTANT’ EVENT FOR CRAFT SECTOR

Supported by AIB

SO, THE dust has settled after Christmas and it’s back to work. Or maybe not.

If you’ve been made redundant, have had to close your business or are moving into the long-term unemployed category, you may not be wel-coming 2013 with open arms. Yes, it’s tough out there, yes there are fewer jobs and more compe-tition; but there are jobs and people are getting them. So where to begin?

As basic as it may seem, you have to begin where you are and that means with yourself and your outlook. As Elvis Presley said: “When things go wrong, don’t go with them”. Things are as they are; it’s how we choose to react to them that matters. You may feel like a victim of circumstance, that’s allowed. But sooner or later, you have to start mov-ing forward, and the best way to do this is to make a conscious daily choice to adopt a positive frame of mind. Believe that the right job is out there for you, and your job at the moment is to commit to finding it.

Having a routine helps immensely. Without one, you are in serious danger of wasting time or lapsing into apathy. Your routine doesn’t have to be rig-orously structured, but it does need a framework. Every weekend make a list of tasks that you want to accomplish the following week, for example sched-uling meetings with “positive” individuals who are

willing to discuss job possibilities, contacts and alternatives with you; research job and training opportunities; update your CV etc.

Time dedicated to these tasks should form a large part of your daily routine. Each night, review your list and plan your tasks for the next day. Working through your list adds structure to your days, gives you a sense of progress and makes you accountable to yourself.

When trying to stay positive, watch your alcohol intake and your diet. Bad choices in either area negatively affect your mood and reduce your abil-ity to cope. Similarly, if you feel stuck, frustrated or unmotivated, change your environment and dis-tract your brain - walk to the shop, go to the library, or go to the park. Just move.

It may sound easier said than done, but when you commit on a daily basis to moving forward with a positive outlook, it becomes a habit. Opportuni-ties become more apparent and you are in a better frame of mind to take advantage of them.

Contact Rachael at [email protected] or visit www.

thecareerhub.ie. Rachael Kilgallon is a FETAC qualified

Career Coach and founder of The Career Hub.


e x p l o r i n g t h i r d - l eve l e d u c at i o n

CollegeoptionsFinding the financial support to help fund your educationStudentS getting ready to take the next step into third-level education, or those going back to education, can find an abundance of information on the types of financial support available to them at studentfinance.ie.

this convenient and user-friendly source goes through all the different financial assistance schemes that are available in Ireland.

Although there has been criticism over the delay in the student grant run by SuSI (Student universal Support

Ireland), this is the main source of financial assistance for anyone looking to embark on further study. Hopefully, by the time the next col-lege year begins, delays will be sorted and applications processed more quickly, but it is worth checking your eli-gibility now.

Sources

the website also explains other sources of assistance for students including the Fund for Students with dis-abilities, the Back to educa-

tion Allowance and the Stu-dent Assistance Fund.

the Student Assistance Fund provides financial assistance for full-time high-er education students who are experiencing financial difficulties whilst attending college. Students can apply for student assistance to help them with either temporary or ongoing financial difficul-ties.

the fund provides a further source of funding for higher education students in addi-tion to the student grant. the

Student Assistance Fund is not available in further edu-cation/PLC colleges.

the Back to education Allowance allows qualify-ing persons to return to full-time education in approved courses while continuing to get income support such as social welfare payments whilst in an approved full-time courses in further and higher education.

For full details on eligibil-ity and application forms, check out www.studentfi-nance.ie

Studentfinance.ie offers an abundance of information on the

types of financial support available for those stepping into

third-level education

| student resourCes |


Collegeoptions e x p l o r i n g t h i r d - l eve l e d u c at i o n

Lr Rathmines Road: Rathmines College will hold an open day on January 24

COLLEGE life is a lot of fun, but the key to a suc-cessful college experience is matching students’ skills with employer needs.

That is what Rath-mines College set out to do, and they are calling on prospective students to attend their open day, which takes place on

Rathmines College focus on work skills

| finding the key to suCCess|

Thursday, January 24 from 2 to 6 pm.

Staff and students will be on hand to answer questions and help in find-ing an educational match for all who are interested in further study.

A spokesperson for the college said: “Today, employers want highly skilled and trained grad-uates and, because of this, Rathmines College is dedicated to offering a range of one, two and three year study options in the key skill areas such as accounting, business, marketing and media and many more.

“From a student per-spective because Rath-mines College offers a full range of recognised, repu-table and relevant courses our students are also con-fident that they will meet the needs of employers in many sectors.”

While the courses in the college can equip learners to go straight into the workplace they also provide opportunities to

progress on to institutes of technology or univer-sities, in many cases with exemptions. This means students who success-fully complete relevant awards can gain access to year two or three of many degree programmes.

“The college is a stu-dent-centred, dynamic provider constantly developing and adapting courses to suit learner and employer needs. The importance of practi-cal experience in a skills area is often highlighted by employer groups and reflecting this Rathmines College includes a work experience element on most courses.”

As a College of Further Education, the courses are all state-funded and so minimum charges apply.

For more details on the open day and cours-es available, contact Rathmines College on 01-4975334 or click on www.rathminescollege.ie.

new frontiers programme returnsTHERE is great news on the horizon at the New Frontiers programme, an Enterprise Ireland-funded entrepreneur development scheme at The Learning and Inno-vation Centre (LINC) in IT Blanchardstown and the Synergy Centre at IT Tallaght.

Together, the two col-leges will continue to pro-vide the programme in 2013, with the first phase of the scheme, which runs for six weeks, set to com-mence in February. Phase two, which runs over six months, will commence in May 2013.

Both The LINC and

Synergy centres have sig-nificant track records of successfully providing a business incubation envi-ronment that nourishes business skills and com-pany growth.

T he pa r tne r sh ip between the two incu-bation centres provides a support platform for wider regional business development.

Phase one brings new entrepreneurs through a six-week part-time evening programme to help them test their busi-ness concepts and ideas, and enable them to pro-duce a clear analysis of the commercial opportu-

nity within their business idea. The new frontiers programme phase two is a six month full-time pro-gramme to help entrepre-neurs plan the business, which will start recruit-ment during April 2013. Both phases will have ses-sions and modules deliv-ered at both The LINC and the Synergy Cen-tre. Both phases require strong commitment on the part of the prospective entrepreneur.

For more details, con-tact Colm O Maolmhu-ire, Enterprise Manager at The LINC on 01 885 1119 or email [email protected]




Essential reading for Leaving Cert

studentsCollegeoptions e x p l o r i n g t h i r d - l eve l e d u c at i o n

IF YOU are over 23, thinking about going to college, and want the opportunity to find out if it is for you, the Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT), Dodder Valley Partnership and County

itt prep course for older students

Itt are offering a free 10-week part-time preparatory course for mature students

| free Course gives insight |

Dublin VEC are set to offer their preparatory course for study at third-level again this year.

This a free 10-week, part-time course, espe-cially tailored for those who are thinking about extending their knowl-edge and skills, and who may be unsure whether

college is for them, which subjects to study, or how to go about it, and there is an opportunity to find out more when there is an information night in ITT Dublin on January 24 at 7pm.

This opportunity will be of particular value both to those who are thinking about doing a third-level course but unsure what course to choose, and those who have already applied to

encyclopaedia Britannica is about to come on lineAT a time when students are looking for every kind of advantage they can find, the National Parents Council Primary (NPCP) has welcomed the announcement by Min-ister for Education Ruari Quinn that all school chil-dren will have free home access to the online edi-tion of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the NPCP said: “Research strongly indicates that the most effective forms of parental involvement are those which engage par-ents in working directly with their children on learning activities in the home.

“Learning in the home

can take on many differ-ent forms and there are many activities that do not rely on technology. However, using technol-ogy can also offer stimu-lating and fun ways of learning which parents can share with their chil-dren.

“Trustworthy online educational resources suitable for children of primary school chil-dren can be difficult and sometimes expensive for parents to obtain. This announcement will pro-vide a significant amount of children and families with a valuable and trust-worthy resource which will also support parents in their vital role in their children’s education.”

the CAO for 2013. In addition to taster

courses in business, accounting, engineer-ing, computing, social care practice or Euro-pean studies, there will be a broad range of workshops including back to education and finance for mature stu-dents, study and pres-entation skills, using the library research databases, group work, academic English and many more.

The preparatory course lecturers have extensive experience with mature students, and are sensi-tive to the fears and anxi-eties that many feel when re-entering the education system after a gap of sev-eral years.

Many of last year’s pre-paratory course students are now approaching the end of their first year, and there is an overwhelm-ingly positive reaction to the experience, includ-ing statements such as “I wholeheartedly recom-mend this course to all mature students” and “I am genuinely apprecia-tive of the opportunity I’ve been given to be on this course”.

For more information, email the course co-ordinator John Keogh at [email protected], or log on to the college website www.ittdublin.ie.


studentsCOLLEGEOPTIONS E x p l o r i n g t h i r d - l eve l e d u c at i o n

17 January 2013 GAZETTE 21

Research and apply before CAO deadlineTHIS is one of the most important times of the year for the more than 50,000 Leaving Certificate students nationwide considering their career and college options.

Faced with the CAO deadline of February 1, there is a daunting task ahead, with the appli-cation form to be filled out that will determine their college options and potential career directions, as well as an important step towards securing their college and course of choice.

But help is at hand, and Griffith College schools liaison offic-er R ichard Murphy explained recently that there is no need for stu-dents or parents to be fazed by the CAO form.

Tips• Re sea r ch you r

cour se cho ice s in advance. Sites such as www.cao.ie and www.qualifax.ie are very use-ful to assist students with their decision.

• Check the basic entry requirements for each of the courses you

are interested in. Some courses will have lan-guage requirements or may require a certain grade in maths.

• Apply online, as opposed to the paper format. The online form is significantly cheaper and it does not allow applicants to make mistakes by entering a course code that does not exist.

• Don’t leave it to the very last minute even with the online form, as computers can crash!

• Do fill in all 20 spac-es provided for the 10

Level 8 choices and the 10 Level 6 and 7 choices to give yourself as much choice as possible.

• Do put course choices in order of pref-erence with what you really want to do first. Don’t try to second-guess what the points will be in August.

• Don’t forget the change of mind facil-ity that is available after May 1 until July 1.

Richard also says: “W hi l e ded i ca t ing time to school work and study is of utmost importance to secure

More than 50,000 Leaving Certificate students nationwide are considering their

career and college options

the best results in the Leaving Cert, it is also essential that due time is given to researching what course and col-lege will be the right fit

for you. “College is an impor-

tant time in any stu-dents’ development and picking the right course will ultimately secure

the career you are work-ing towards.”

For more informa-tion, log on to the Grif-fith College website at www.gcd.ie.

| COURSE CHOICES |

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22 Gazette 17January 2013

Collegeoptions e x p l o r i n g t h i r d - l eve l e d u c at i o n

Huge support for Aware’s Beat the BluesMore than 18,500 sen-ior-cycle students in sec-ondary schools in every county in Ireland have taken part in Aware’s positive mental health programme Beat The Blues in the past four months.

Devised by Aware, the national organisation providing support, infor-mation and education around depression, under the guidance and direc-tion of the organisation’s clinical director, Dr Claire Hayes, and funded by the Tesco Charity of the Year scheme, the programme focuses on positive men-tal health and how to deal with challenges in life. It also helps build strength

and resilience for the future, which is especially important given the dif-ficult situations which many young people in Ireland now face.

“educating young peo-ple at this age about men-tal health is so vital, and we know that the more coping tools a person has, the better their outcome in times of stress,” said Dr Hayes.

“Beat The Blues is a proactive programme and helps young people develop the resources to deal with any issues they face now or in the future. The key message of the programme is that there are always helpful actions that young people can

choose, no matter how unhappy, distressed or worried they may feel.

“Beat the Blues teaches young people to acknowl-edge their feelings, iden-tify their thoughts as ‘helpful’ or ‘unhelpful’ and most importantly, focus on helpful actions they can take: this is a message which is so fun-damentally important for our young people to hear. We are delighted with the feedback we have had from more than 18,500 students who have par-ticipated so far and we look forward to bringing it to many more schools before the summer holi-days.”

Beat the Blues is availa-

Pictured at the launch

of aware’s new-look

secondary schools

programme, Beat the

Blues, funded by the

tesco Charity of the

Year partnership, is

Ray D’arcy, Dr Claire

Hayes, aware (centre)

and Leanne Delaney,

tesco Ireland, with Rte’s

Louise Heraghty (left of

pic), actress tara Lee

(from RaW, right of pic)

and students from St

Kevin’s College, Dublin

ble free of charge to every secondary school in Ire-land, thanks to the fund-raising efforts of Tesco staff members nationwide and its customers as part of the Tesco Charity of the

Year programme. Michelle Mahon, cor-

porate responsibility man-ager for Tesco Ireland, says the company is delighted to support this important programme: “our staff

and customers in com-munities across Ireland have been raising funds specifically for Aware’s schools programme since April, and we are thrilled to have collected over

| over 18,500 students support seCondary sChool programme |

€700,000 to date to fund the roll out of Beat the Blues.”

More information on Beat the Blues, as well as booking, is available on www.aware.ie

support

LocALBusIness

shop loCally

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studentsCollegeoptions e x p l o r i n g t h i r d - l eve l e d u c at i o n

Fun activities at RosemontROSEMONT School, a secondary school for girls in Sandyford, is opening a unique after school for local pupils from third class and up, located in its newly-built modern campus.

The a f ter school intends to take the stress away from parents of school pickups, home-work and meals. Stu-dents at the after school will benefit from enrich-ment activities, includ-ing cooking in Spanish and sports in Irish, as well as outdoor activi-ties. Attendees also get

to sample the nutritious and healthy menu on offer.

Rosemont after school will have fully trained, highly experienced and qualified staff to work with young students who attend.

Parents will not have the hassle of collect-ing their children from school to bring them to the after school, as there will be a bus collect-ing students from local schools to the Rosemont Campus.

Jennifer McPhail, co-ordinator manager of the

after school said: “After careful planning and perfecting, we are really excited to open our after school. This is fantastic for working parents as we will have enrichment activities including Span-ish, Irish and science and maths for fun. For chil-dren who love sport we have tennis, basketball, uni-hock, orienteering, nature walks and self-defence.”

For more informa-tion, contact Jennifer on 01 207 8007 or email [email protected]. the children can have fun at Rosemont’s School’s new after school service for primary school children

| after sChool |

XX Month 2013 GAZETTE 25


studentsCOLLEGEOPTIONS E x p l o r i n g t h i r d - l eve l e d u c at i o n

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

CHEFDIRECT.IE are pairing up with Dublin City University Students’ Union to launch Ireland’s very first ready prepared meal service for students who are living away from home.

Currently delivering to the elderly at home in the greater Dublin area, chef-direct.ie has seen the need in students for fast, qual-ity, hearty Irish meals.

Paul Doherty, President of DCU Students’ Union (DCUSU), says: “This is a great value, healthy option for students.

“We want to promote healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle for all our students, and we think this is a big step in the right direction.”

“Students want some-thing fast, tasty and value for money and this ticks all the boxes,” says Aaron Clogher, Education Offic-er, DCUSU.

The ChefDirect.ie team

have designed a whole-some range of 12 carvery meals that are 100% Irish.

Once fully cooked, all meals are freshly frozen and are ready for you to enjoy in less than 10 minutes from your micro-wave, or under 35 minutes from your oven.

Costing only €5.50 per meal, which is just €22 for a delivery of four meals for the four nights which the students live on cam-pus, this delivery service is light on the pocket.

Neil Collins, Welfare Officer in the SU, adds: “The majority of students will spend a lot of money on takeaways.

“This is a much more affordable option as well as being a lot healthier, it’s just like having a home-cooked meal.”

ChefDirect.ie only use 100% Irish ingredients in their meals, their meats are quality assured by

Bord Bia and their vege-tables are purchased from Irish farmers.

ChefDirect.ie are very proactive in Irish employ-ment, with their produce being manufactured here in Ireland.

Hearty Irish mealsPaul Kavanagh, Chief

Executive, ChefDirect.ie says: “We only produce hearty Irish meals, such as our tender cooked bacon, roasted Irish beef, tender cooked turkey ham with handmade stuffing, all served with at least three vegetables or maybe tradi-tional Irish beef and stout stew, to mention just a few.”

The service is very simple really. All that the student or parent of the student has to do is visit www.chefdirect.ie, register as a new cus-tomer, then go onto their brand-new webshop page and buy four meals for

that week, which will be delivered every Monday afternoon direct to the DCU campus, or contact them on 01 491 6262 to make your order over the phone.

With the brand-new ecommerce website going live in February, the serv-ice enables students and family to buy online from a distance.

ChefDirect.ie’s deliv-ery service has proven to be hugely convenient for their customers and gratefully received in the Irish market.

ChefDirect.ie direc-tors Paul Kavanagh and Keith McGovern say that they are really looking forward to working with Dublin City University Students’ Union, and say that the team in the Stu-dents Union have come up with a very pioneer-ing and healthy solution for the students living on campus.

DCU Students’ Union dish up a treat for 2013

DCU Students’ Union’s Aaron Clogher, Education Officer; Paul Doherty, President and Neil Collins, Welfare Officer

praised the ChefDirect.ie initiative (inset)

DUN LAOGHAIRE College of Further Education (DCFE) is ringing the changes in the New Year in a number of ways.

Most significantly, the col-lege has rebranded to become Dun Laoghaire Further Edu-cation Institute (DFEi).

A spokesperson for the col-

lege said: “For over 35 years, DFEi has been central to the provision of high quality day and evening courses within Dun Laoghaire. Our facilities have been upgraded in order to enhance and develop our courses in line with current trends in FE both nationally and internationally.

“Our new brochure and website, www.dfei.ie, con-tains detailed information on how to apply, what services and assistance is available to learners and details of life and activities at DFEi.”

People interested in taking part in the array of courses available at the college, which

include instruction in Craft, design and construction; arts, business and humanities; health and sport; informa-tion technology and media, radio and sound, should avail of the opportunity to tour the campus and talk to staff and students at the information day that the college are run-

ning on Wednesday, January 23 from 10am to 4pm.

Visitors will be able to find information and advice on courses, opportunities out-with the CAO points system, and obtain advice and guid-ance on learner supports at the college.

Applications for day cours-

es for the academic year 2013/2014 will open for both online or manual applications on January 30.

Learners of all ages and backgrounds are welcome in DFEi, and for more informa-tion, contact the college on 01 280 9676 or email [email protected].

New year brings changes to Dun Laoghaire College of Further Education

AS students now focus on exams, study and career choices, the Irish online study resource Mocks.ie has introduced a range of psychometric tests and career guidance tools on their website to assist in determining possible col-lege and job options.

The new career guid-ance tests will comple-ment the resources cur-rently available to stu-dents, which have been limited following cuts to guidance counsellors in Irish schools and col-leges.

Cuts in the education budget mean schools no longer receive a specific allocation for guidance counsellors, a move which could see a reduction in the personal, educational, and career supports avail-able to students.

The Mocks.ie assess-ments, however, provide a useful new tool for stu-dents, parents and coun-sellors, to inform and assist in career decision making. The Mocks.ie programme, which gaug-es occupational interests and personality type, is combined with input from qualified guidance coun-

Mocks.ie an aid to informed career moves

Mocks.ie has introduced psychometric tests and

career guidance tools to assist in determining

possible college and job options

| ONLINE GUIDANCE |

sellors, to point students in the direction of careers they would be suited to. Students take online tests of their general ability and assessments of their own thinking on a career choice.

Associated psychomet-ric tests on Mocks.ie also help identify their val-ues, and how they inter-act, absorb information, think, make decisions, communicate, and learn; all of which can pinpoint a career or work environ-ment to which they would be suited.

“Students are faced with class-work, study, and exams, so the task of properly reviewing their interests and aptitude, in order to decide on a future

career or course of study, tends to get neglected”, said Ailish Ryan, one of Mocks.ie’s founders.

“These online assess-ments not only help stu-dents make an informed choice on their career, but are also invaluable in helping the students and parents understand the child’s learning style and motivation,” she adds.

Full detail on all Mocks.ie career guidance sup-ports is on the website, www.mocks.ie, alongside sample questions and sample reports outlining the kind of information the candidates receive.

Personal career guid-ance consultations are provided by a qualified guidance counsellor.


Laura Webb

The January blues have definitely kicked in and what’s going to bring us further into the slump is seeing those dreaded bills, so to cheer our readers up this week, we have decided to showcase all things dis-counted - let the sales begin.

No matter what high street you end up on or what shopping centre you will visit there will be one thing that you will want to see - and really you won’t be able to avoid it - and that’s the bright red signs that read SaLe NOW ON. When you are looking through the rails for a great bargain, maybe think about what you might need over the com-ing months - a dress for an occasion? a bag for a weekend away? Or a

Get your SALE ON this monthlittle t-shirt to get you through casual Friday?

Whatever the reason make sure you have one, otherwise you could be left with unwanted items and that only adds to that clut-tered wardrobe. Is there a friend or family member’s birthday coming up? Then now is the opportunity to find something of good quality but for half the price. The January sales are always the best as the range is so vast. So if you have a few quid to spend, take in some of the fashion sights and give your self a little pick-me up. Main pic left, Cardigan from South was €89 NOW €33.82, Main pic right Shirt

from Fred Perry was €91 NOW €48.26 - both available at Littlewoods.

26 GazeTTe 17 January 2013

Gaze

tte

Miss Selfridge Faux Fur €110 NOW €85

Miss Selfridge Zip Detail Embellished Dress €85 NOW €32

Littlewoods South PU Leather Skinny Jeans €39 NOW €8.36

OUT&ABOUT

Accessorize Leather Driving Gloves €34 NOW €16.90

Accessorize Egyptian Stud Belt €23.50 NOW €10.90

Littlewoods Love Label Platform Ankle Boots, €67 NOW €35.72

Accessorize Moustache Laminate Satchel €34.90 NOW €19.50

Laura Webb

The January blues have definitely kicked in and what’s going to bring us further into the slump is seeing those dreaded bills, so to cheer our readers up this week, we have decided to showcase all things dis-counted - let the sales begin.

No matter what high street you end up on or what shopping centre you will visit there will be one thing that you will want to see - and really you won’t be able to avoid it - and that’s the bright red signs that read SaLe NOW ON. When you are looking through the rails for a great bargain, maybe think about what you might need over the com-ing months - a dress for an occasion? a bag for a weekend away? Or a

Get your SALE ON this monthlittle t-shirt to get you through casual Friday?

Whatever the reason make sure you have one, otherwise you could be left with unwanted items and that only adds to that clut-tered wardrobe. Is there a friend or family member’s birthday coming up? Then now is the opportunity to find something of good quality but for half the price. The January sales are always the best as the range is so vast. So if you have a few quid to spend, take in some of the fashion sights and give your self a little pick-me up. Main pic left, Cardigan from South was €89 NOW €33.82, Main pic right Shirt

from Fred Perry was €91 NOW €48.26 - both available at Littlewoods.

17 January 2013 GazeTTe 27

GazetteSTYLE

Burtons Jeans €32 NOW €13

Littlewoods Lacoste Tipped Polo Shirt €115 now €67.64

Littlewoods Fred Perry Tennis Shoes €74 NOW €33.44

Burtons Rust Square Textured Scarf €20 NOW €5

Topman Top €24 NOW €7

Burtons Boots €64 NOW €56


OUT&ABOUT Gaze

tte

CINEMA

TheatretHe pavilioN tHeatRe 01 231 2929Snow WhiteFOR their 10th annual panto at Pavilion Theatre, Arclight bring you their twist on the classic tale of Snow White. The wicked Queen is jealous of Snow White’s beauty and sends her off to be murdered by the Horrible Hairy Huntsmen. January 22-26, tickets are priced at €16/€12.

DRaiocHt 01 885 2622aladdinIN the town of Soo Chow lives Widow Twanky, a washerwoman, and her sons Aladdin and Wishee Washee. January 4-6, 10-13 and 17-20, tickets are priced at €20/€16.

civic tHeatRe 01 462 7477tenderfootIn September 2012, 42 transition year students from eight schools in South County Dublin signed on for their first day of Tenderfoot, the Civic Theatre’s apprentice theatre programme. Transition year is all about new experiences and new ways of learning. Tenderfoot is funded by The Civic Theatre, South Dublin County Arts Office and The Arts Council’s Young Ensemble Scheme. Running for two shows on Thursday, January 24, and Friday, January 25, tickets are priced at €10 with €5 concessions.

IT seems odd that it has taken eight years for a major film to come along about the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

It was touched upon in the 2010 Clint East-wood film Hereafter, but given that 250,000 people lost their lives in the sixth-deadliest natu-ral disaster of all time, it has been largely ignored by Hollywood.

It seems too far away a place and subject to really interest Western audiences and even the

Impossible, which stars Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts, is a Span-ish funded production that changes the ethnic-ity of the protagonist family from Spanish to British.

Very, very British.Whether or not this

deters you from seeing, or enjoying The Impos-sible is entirely up to you, but in the rush to condemn the film mak-

ers and posit on the homogeny of Holly-wood, remember that the film comes with the blessing of the Spanish family, the Belons.

It is their story that is told, but really it is a universal story; one of family, survival and adversity.

As the tsunami struck on St Stephen’s Day 2004, paradise was turned into hell for hol-iday-makers and locals alike.

Part of the reluctance to film the event may have been the trouble with capturing the sheer scale of the disaster.

On a physical film-

making level it is an onerous task and one which could not be achieved by half-meas-ures.

Spanish wunderkind JA Bayona showed in 2007’s horror The Orphanage that he more than has the chops for such a task and his 10-minute take on the moments the water hit land is nothing short of spectacular.

As characters are flung around underwa-ter, tossed among debris and detritus, the shud-dering camera work

Impossibly good

and thunderous sound design make the wave as scary as it is spectacu-lar.

Bayona ’s t echn i -cal expertise belies a director with an ability to capture real human drama.

Here, the wave does not form a large por-tion of the running time and is instead the set up for a harrowing family drama.

Eldest son Lucas (Tom Holland) and mother Maria (Naomi Watts) are separated from the rest of their family.

From there, the spec-tacle is dropped down a notch as the focus becomes survival.

If there were any grumbles about the changing of ethnicity of the main characters, there can be no com-plaint about the actors drafted in to play the English family.

In Naomi Watts, the family finds a fitting matriarch; strong-willed, selfless and vulnerable, her performance is one that could easily go over the top, but in the hands of as skilled an actress as Watts, it never does.

L i k e w i s e E w a n McGregor, who never lets his performance stray in melodrama.

But the highlight of the film is a breakout performance from Tom Holland.

Playing stroppy eldest boy Lucas, the 16-year-old delivers one of the best film debuts ever.

Newcomer tom Holland stares down a tsunami

RevieW: eWaN mcGReGoR aND Naomi WattS StaR iN tHiS epic

OUR VeRDICt:IT is not a popcorn movie nor is it one to take in if you’re already feeling any way emotional, but it is a very good film. Under all of the drama and emotional turmoil is a very real, very raw story of a family put into a chaotic situation. While the changing of the family from Spanish to white British will irk some, it says more about Hollywood, and audiences, than it does about this film itself, which is excellent.

Director: J.a BayonaStarring: ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Prendergast

FIlm OF The Week: the impossibleh h h h (12) 107 mins

PaUl [email protected]


CINEMA

GOSH. You wait a few weeks for some interest-ing games-related news, or a great new game to review to come along … and then it doesn’t. Which is why I’m once again taking a look at some technology news, as new games are still thin on the ground.

First up, at the time of writing, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has just wrapped up in Las Vegas. Still very important to, well, pretty much any and all elec-tronics firms – including IT developers – CES is always where you see the technology of tomorrow, today.

In theory, terrific tech-nologies and exciting new gadgets, and goods, go on show each year – all of which their makers hope will go on to sit in homes, offices and firms around the world.

However, this year’s CES seems to have been pretty underwhelming, best summed up as “more of the same”, with the likes of bigger televisions, bendable OLED screens, and larger phones on show, leaving those in search of “the next big thing” a little under-whelmed.

While, of course, new

technologies and itera-tions of existing products were on show, it doesn’t look like we’ll all be get-ting hover cars or robot monkey butlers any time soon. Pity.

In fact, something that was conspicuous by its noticeable absence was 3D. Previously touted as the future of television, 3D TVs have by and large stalled at retail.

Given 3D’s generally lukewarm attraction at cinemas, it’s possible that 3D televisions are trotting towards extinction, but time will tell.

WirelessSpeaking of time, some-

thing that attracted a sur-prising amount of media and business coverage at CES 2013 was the Pebble – a digital watch that also uses wireless technology.

Interestingly, it was something that was fund-ed through Kickstarter – the online facility that sees budding entrepre-neurs, inventors, and

For many, Eric Migicovsky

(right) was the star of

Consumer Electronics

Show 2013 in Las Vegas,

where his Pebble digital

watch stirred up great

interest. At first sight

just a digital watch, the

Pebble utilises wireless

technology to give it

several uses beyond being

“just” a watch.

anyone with a product or service ask anyone using the site to fund their project to fruition, in return for agreed returns in the product’s success.

Using this “crowdfund-ing” method, the Pebble’s developer, Eric Migicov-sky, shot far beyond the $100,000 he was look-ing for to create the Peb-ble, reaching just over $10 million in backing, becoming Kickstarter’s most successful project by far, and making business watchers and tech heads sit up and take notice.

Now, the Pebble is out, and caused a stir at CES 2013. Basically a “smart” watch, it runs a number of simple apps, and uses Bluetooth connectivity to pass on text messages and email from a paired smartphone, as well as controlling music on a paired player. Oh, and it’s waterproof, too, in addi-

tion to a number of other features.

It’s of note that such a small product could go on to create such a big fuss, given the much more technologically advanced (not to mention, larger) products on show at CES 2013.

MessengerMoving on, and since

I was talking about the Pebble watch above, we’ll stick with the changing times theme – and Micro-soft has announced that time’s up for its popular Windows Messenger facility, which is being shut down in the mid-dle of March (except for mainland China).

Once by far the world’s leading messenger service – you couldn’t walk into a cyber cafe without seeing Messenger open on vir-tually every screen – the service has been declin-

ing for some time, given the shift in consumer patterns online and the inexorable rise of social media.

While it still has a sub-stantial user base, Mes-senger is, however, racing towards obsolescence in a world where people communicate through Facebook, Skype, Twitter, WhatsApp, and a dozen other leading facilities in the increasingly frag-mented social media/communication world.

With a 14-year run, Messenger had more than a good innings, and its retirement shows that even the biggest compa-nies in the world have to adapt and change.

No doubt Microsoft – which now owns Skype, don’t forget – has plans for how to dominate the instant messaging service once more, but, again, time will tell …

TECH: TIMELESS ITEM GETS A SECOND WIND WITH AN UP-TO-DATE DESIGN

Time will tell if the Pebble watch makes quite a splash

WANT TO PAY TO CONTACT A VIP ONLINE?Facebook continues trials on a new revenue stream“BUDDY, can you spare a hundred dollars to speak to Mark Zuckerberg?” With the news that Facebook has confirmed that it’s experimenting with a system to charge interested users to message “VIPs” – including its founder, above – it’s interesting to note the way that the company is continuing to attempt to monetise its services.

It’s a bold experiment, and one that could reap plenty of financial rewards in the short term, depending on who – and how many – well-known people might agree to commit to such a service, thus prompting user take-up.

Personally, I can’t help but wish Facebook offered a “Pay us for no advertising” option, which seems like a no-brainer as a means to generate hefty revenues from the hundreds of millions of users – like me – who have never, and will never, click on a single one of the ads on Facebook, and would rather see none.

Perhaps after rolling out its “Pay us to talk to them” scheme (if it indeed proceeds, after these trials and their feedback), Facebook can then roll out a “Pay us not to talk to you” one, too. Here’s hoping …

BYTES&PIECES

SHANE [email protected]

GAZETTEGAMING


OUT&ABOUT Gaze

tte

music

David Bowie, at 66, still has the power to shake the very foundations of music and create a level of excitement other acts never will

RoB HeiGH

2013 is barely two weeks old and it already seems that this is going to be the year of the comeback.

Starting out with a whimper — hold onto your hats for the return of Atomic Kitten, people — and ending with a tumult of acclaim and delight with the emergence from the wilderness of a cer-tain Thin White Duke, there have been some incredible events before the New Year’s hangover has barely passed into the realms of never again.

Destiny’s Child, Justin Timberlake, Outkast... just three of the returning acts so far this year, but, really, there is only one that matters.

The amazing birth-day gift to the world of

David Bowie’s return to the game was a stunning piece of theatre worthy of the onstage retirement of Ziggy Stardust or the Top Of The Pops performance of Starman.

What was so amazing was its subtlety and the sense of utter surprise felt around the world. In a world of spoilers and leaks, where instanta-neous news is fed to us constantly and we crave the next thing immedi-ately before moving onto the next with barely an impression being left on

us in the process. No fanfare, no tweets,

no status update, just a ripple that turned into a tsunami of chatter, hope and expectation by the following morning as peo-ple woke up to the news that Bowie was back.

The track, Where Are We Now?, is an exercise in restraint and mel-ancholy, reflective and heartfelt about a time when Bowie was under-going another fundamen-tal change as an artist when he came to Berlin, recording seminal albums like Heroes that defined more markers in the uninterrupted succession of epochal records that ran from Hunky Dory to Let’s Dance.

It’s on the basis of the legacy of that period that the current shock and

awe is earned, alongside the presumption that Bowie had left the build-ing. Following his last outings on record and on stage that included a pair of simply astonishing appearances at The Point that will linger to the dying day of anyone who was privileged to be there, there was little heard since 2006. Health issues, and the ongoing radio silence from New York made the presumption of retirement a more likely reality. But without offi-cial confirmation, there was always the possibilty of a comeback. And so it comes to pass...

The news that Tony Visconti, Bowie’s long time producer is on the boards, that the record has taken two years to craft, and features both

classic Bowie and experi-mental Bowie is fantastic. Hopes will remain high and hopefully internet hype and expectation will not crush the project when it finally appears. But given the theatre and subtlety of the initial announcement, it makes sense that the arrival of the album in March will have the same impact.

Bowie is not one of the legends of music for no reason. He remains able to create an enormous effect with four minutes of song in the same way he shook and changed a generation with an unim-peachable back catalogue and seismic cultural impact nearly 40 years ago. To say we should be looking forward to the album is a massive under-statement.

Singer songwriter Corrina Jaye entertains her

peers at a meeting of the Songwriter’s Club

FAsTtunes

THe Songwriter Club has proved itself to be a positive social network for aspiring musi-cians in 2012, and is looking to keep up its momentum throughout 2013.

The Songwriter Club returns later this month with Dundalk singer/songwriter Sinead McNally and community radio pre-senter and music manager Keith McLoughlin hosting the gathering on Saturday, January 26 from 2 to 5pm at The Teachers Club on 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1. There is a €2 donation per person for the use of the venue.

Guest speakers on the day will include Mark Crossingham, the managing director of Universal Music Ireland and Tamala Clark from Music Medium Live.

Singer/songwriters who attend have the opportunity to perform a song to their peers.

Speaking about the club and its goals for the coming year, Keith said: “The purpose of The Songwriter Club is to form a new music community whereby songwriters, performers and independent professionals connected to the music industry can meet regularly to discuss issues of importance, share experi-ences and information and become a voice for ‘independents’ in the industry.

“The club started in late 2011 when Sinead and I spoke about trying to set up a meet-up group for musicians. The club has met a number of times during 2012 and is set to carry on doing so in 2013. The club has had many guest speakers, from music managers, producers, CD printing companies, organisa-tions such as IMRO and RAAP plus many more.”

The Songwriter Club is a non-profitable organisation and contributors operate on a voluntary basis. The meeting will have a number of special guests who wish to share their advice, their experience or their business ideas.

Anyone involved in music is welcome to take part and you can find more information on The Songwriter Club page on Facebook.

LeGends: a GracefuL return to the scene by david bowie

Where we are now RoB [email protected]

Songwriter Club back for 2013 gatherings


Octavia proves to be a whole lot of car

n CormaC Curtis

In my opinion, Skoda make some of the best cars on the market today.

At each level and in every one of their models, the attention to detail is never anything less than precise.

And somewhere in amongst all that preci-sion and VW know-how, the brand has devel-oped a character that is completely on my wave-length.

In every one of the cars in the Skoda range, you feel like you are getting more for your money.

A few weeks ago, my wife and I did something we haven’t had a chance to do in quite some time, we dined (just the two of us) at a real, honest-to-goodness grown-ups’ res-taurant in the city centre.

What the hell! It was the night of the Christ-

mas party so we decided to treat ourselves.

The prices were a lot steamier than we would usually cough up, but we were having a wonderful evening so we didn’t care one jot. But what really topped off the evening was the bill.

Somebody had defi-nitely hit the wrong but-ton on the till so we were undercharged consider-ably.

What a great feeling.And it’s that feeling I

get in Skodas, and the Octavia in particular.

This is a car that is sup-posed to be functional above all else.

It’s not the prettiest car on the road, but it holds its own, from the front at least.

It’s not a car you aspire to owning – nobody wins the lottery and buys an Octavia, unless they’re giving it to their uncle the

taxi driver, he would think all his birthdays had come at once.

But sitting into the car is at complete odds with the somewhat dull repu-tation the car has.

It feels so solid and shares an awful lot of kit with its far loftier stable mate, the Superb.

The build quality is bul-let proof, which is why it feels like so much more of a car.

The upholstery is qual-ity, giving the car the feel of a premium saloon, and the interior space is doing everything it can to mimic the Superb in terms of generous space.

For storage – I don’t remember the last time I was quite so impressed by a boot, the thing is huge.

Considering there is an all-new Octavia hitting our shores in early March, it may seem a little redun-dant to talk about this

particular model so close to its retirement, but there are some very attractive options that are certain to appeal to potential owners.

Skoda are currently offering the Octavia Exclusive 1.6TDI for €22,995.

The Exclusive model comes in just behind Skoda’s premium Laurin & Klement specification, giving owners all the spec of the Active and Ambi-tion models, along with a wealth of extra features.

On the outside, the car sits on a set of attractive 16” alloy wheels of the Crateris variety.

The inside of the car is treated to the Interior DUO spec, which features half leather upholstery. The dash comes in Onyx-Onyx style and the overall decor is of the Elegance Design spec.

For safety, functional-

ity and comfort, the front passenger glove compart-ment is illuminated and cooled via the air-condi-tioning system.

navigation comes in the form of the Amund-sen+ sat nav system, and the climate is control-led by the Climatronic – Dual-zone air condition-ing with electronic regu-lation and combifilter.

This Octavia boasts the very attractive Maxi DOT large dashboard informa-tion display, but before you even get in to the car, illumination is provided via boarding spots that are integrated in to the door mirrors.

So, all-in-all, there is an awful lot to enjoy in this bastion of practicality, a whole lot of car in a very subtle body. If you’re sit-ting on the fence when it comes to the Octavia, I think you know which way to jump.

skoda are currently offering the octavia exclusive 1.6tdi for €22,995

€500 free fuel with every new CitroenDUrIng the Citroen 10-Day Free Fuel givea-way, from January 17 to 27, every customer who orders a new Citroen can drive away with €500 of free fuel, and look forward to free trips to the fuel pump.

retail customers who take advantage of this high value offer across the Citroen passenger range will receive, on collection of their new Cit-roen, a pre-loaded Topaz gift Card to cover the cost of €500 fuel. This equates to over 9,000km of free driving in Citroen’s most fuel efficient engines.

Citroen now offer an ever cleaner, greener and more efficient range, so even after all the free fuel has been used, future petrol or diesel costs can be kept to a minimum.

Models such as the stylish C3 and new C4 already deliver impressive fuel economy of up to 3.4L/100km (83 mpg) and 3.8L/100km (74 mpg) respectively.

What’s more, those who take a test drive dur-ing the giveaway can avail of a free winter vehi-cle health check in any participating authorised dealership.

Frederic Soulier, managing director of Citroen Motors Ireland, said: “We are committed to giv-ing our customers more for their money with our incredible €500 free fuel giveaway, and with a wide range of quality passenger cars to choose from our customers can be confident that it is a great time to buy a new Citroen.”

For more information or details of the nearest participating Citroen dealer, visit www.citroen.ie

skoda: a host of attractive options bound to appeal

NOISEroad

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Where we are now


OUT&ABOUT Gaze

tte

Brighten January with a trip up NorthJANUARY is often dis-carded on the travel calendar. Its unfortu-nate proximity to post-Christmas blues and the lack of funds for many people ensure that it remains a quiet month.

But for those who do fancy hopping in the car and doing something a little different, North-ern Ireland has a lot to offer. So without having to break the bank, take a look at some of the top things to do this month in Northern Ireland.

Countryside walksCastlewellan, Co Down, Until January 23.

Join one of the many walks taking place until January 23. Walks are generally five to six miles and are open to everyone above 16 years of age.

Family Favourites Cookery CourseBelle Isle Estate, Lis-bellaw, Co Fermanagh, January 18.

Be inspired with sim-ple, cost effective dishes

that can be prepared in advance and that every-one will love. The cook-ery course sees recipes that are easy to dress up or down with ideas for breads, one pot dishes and puddings.

arenacrossOdyssey Arena, Belfast, January 19.

Arenacross is the crazy indoor off-spring of motocross racing. The racing is short and sharp with huge triple jumps, killer mogul sec-

derry-Londonderry has plenty of activities on offer to new visitors

Cheap Sunday rate at Everglades HotelFOR those planning on visiting the 2013 City of Culture Derry-Londonderry, the Everglades Hotel is offering guests a brand new Sunday night special with prices from just €60 per room.

The four-star Everglades Hotel overlooks the River Foyle as well as the rugged hills of County Donegal, and is situated just five minutes from Derry city centre. It is a great place for guests to relax in comfortable surroundings, enjoy some good home-cooked food, and relax having a pint by the roaring fire.

To book or for further information, log on to www.hastingshotels.com/everglades-hotel or call 048 7132 1066.

the Lisbon coast is popular among the Irish

event calendar: beat christmas blues with a cheap road trip TRAVEL NEWS

fast

tions and fast, banked corners, all designed to provide high-octane sensory fun.

sons and daughtersEbrington, Co Derry, January 20.

The opening event of Derry’s City of Culture year will be the mas-sive Sons and Daugh-ters opening concert. The event will feature all the city’s top names from stage and screen including Phil Coulter, Fergal Sharkey, The Undertones, Dana and Paul Brady.

dominic Kirwan in ConcertMarket Place Theatre, Armagh, January 25.

Dominic Kirwan has built up a very loyal following in Ireland and the UK as a conse-quence of his dynamic stage shows. This con-cer t features songs from his many albums and features everything

from country to pop.

an evening with Brendan shine Ardhowen Theatre , Enniskillen, Co Fer-managh, January 26.

Sit back and enjoy an evening with one of Ire-land’s top TV, radio and recording stars, with Sean Wallace as com-pere and special guests Rod, Tracey and The Barroom Buddies.

titanic: window on emigrationUlster American Folk P a r k , O m a g h , C o Tyrone, until January 26.

Set in the context of European emigration, this exhibition lets visi-tors explore the stories of the Irish emigrants and why they left for the New World. Explore a third class cabin on the Titanic, listen to the voices of those involved and bring to life the sto-ries of the people who Fireworks in derry City

Lap up the sun at Lisbon’s beachesTHE Lisbon coast is a popular holiday spot amongst the Irish, famed for its golden beaches, stunning architecture and chic resorts like Estoril and Cascais.

Gohop.ie, Ireland’s leading online travel company, have some great offers for 2013 to let you experience the Portuguese hot spot for yourself.

Visit Estoril in March for four nights from just €198 per person, or in April for four nights from only €204 per person. Or visit Cascais in March for four nights from €210 per person, or in April for five nights from only €234 per person.

Prices are based on two adults sharing and include return flights from Dublin Airport, accommodation as stated as well as all taxes and charges. Prices are subject to availability.

For further details or to book, log on to www.gohop.ie.


Travel

THE Portuguese Island of Madeira is aptly known as The Island of Eternal Spring because of its mild climate. The temperatures rarely fall below 17C or rise above 24C, giving it the kind of weather most Irish tourists would give their left arm for.

The capital Funchal is a bustling seaside town, offering plenty of amenities and services for the holidaymaker. The island is the perfect destination for families, couples or indeed, any tourist looking for quality hotel accommoda-tion at reasonable and affordable prices.

Madeira is praised for the friendliness of its people, its unique atmosphere and is ideal for anyone who loves outdoor activities or simply relaxing by one of the many hotel swimming pools.

This February, Concorde Travel are offer-ing springtime escapes to Madeira from Dub-lin from just €479 per person (pp). Leave on February 3, and stay at the three-star Dorisol Hotel on a B&B basis from €479pp, or at the four-star Madeira Panoramico on a B&B basis from €659pp. Or treat yourself to a stay at the four-star Four Views Baia, also on a B&B basis from €699pp, or at the five-star Vidamar Resort – in a sea view room – from just €729pp. Guests can enjoy more five-star luxury at the five-star Melia Madeira Mare from €799pp including B&B, or at the five-star Pestana Casino Park, also on a B&B basis and priced at €799pp.

Packages from Concorde Travel include direct return flights from Dublin to Funchal, 20kg luggage allowance, return airport trans-fers, all taxes and charges, rep assistance and seven nights accommodation as specified. Optional trips are also available.

To book your Madeira break, visit www.con-cordetravel.ie, email [email protected] or phone (01) 775 9300 to speak with one of Concorde Travel’s representatives.

derry-Londonderry has plenty of activities on offer to new visitors

journeyed to a new life.

Megaliths of North-ern Ireland exhibi-tionMid-Antrim Museum, The Braid, Ballymena, Co Antrim, until Febru-ary 23.

This exhibition gives an insight into what life was like here 6,000 years ago during the Neolithic age. Visi-tors will discover more about the Neolithic people, how they lived and farmed, as well as the different myths and legends surrounding the standing stone struc-tures that are scattered throughout the region.

For more details on these and other events, Callsave 1850 230 230, visit Northern Ireland Tourist Board’s Infor-mation Office at Suf-folk Street in Dublin 2, or log on to www.dis-covernorthernireland.com/events.

Gazette

TRAVEL NEWSfast

Escape to Madeira this February with Concorde Travel

Jet away to Bodrum Peninsula with WingsAbroad this yearFOLLOWING the success of the new route in 2012, the Turk-ish holiday specialists WingsAbroad have extended their Shan-non to Bodrum route for the upcoming sum-mer of 2013.

In order to ensure that more people can experience what has

become the extremely popular Bodrum Penin-sula, WingsAbroad have added extra dates to their holiday pro-gramme this summer.

The first flight from Shannon will take-off on June 2 with the final flight of the season on September 1.

Travel on June 9 and

stay at the three-star Summer Garden, Bitez, in a self-catering studio from only €429 per person. Or stay at the three-star Sami Beach Hotel, Gumbet, on a B&B basis from only €479 per person.

Price includes return flights from Shannon, seven nights accom-

modation as stated, return airport transfers and charges. Prices are based on two adults sharing.

For more informa-tion or for bookings, log on to their website, www.wingsabroad.ie, or call 01 871 9444, or contact your local trav-el agent.

SWORDSCLASSIFIEDS 34 SWORDS GAZETTE 17 January 2013

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

17 January 2013 SWORDS Gazette 35

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

zett

e

soccer: national association’s event to coincide with vital austria clash

haRRieRS On fORm in tymOn: THE first BHAA race of 2013 took place last week in Tymon Park, Temple-ogue, with conditions ideal for the cross country race.

The ladies event was a two-mile race, and Bernie Stapleton was the first woman home for Lucan Harriers, in a time of 14.42.

Stapleton was also second in her category. Next home for Lucan was Eileen O’Brien in a time of 16.43 and was the first home in her cat-egory.

The men’s race was over four miles, and Lucan was represent-ed by five men, first home being Gareth Faraday in a superb time of 24.45, he was quickly followed by Gerry Byrne Snr in 29.33.

Fai ready to host supporters conference for the GatheringTHE Football Association of Ireland is looking to invite representatives of Republic of Ireland supporters clubs around the world to attend a support-ers’ conference in Dublin on March 26.

As part of the FAI’s involvement in The Gathering 2013, the association is reaching out to all supporter clubs to come together at an event in the Ballsbridge Inn on Tuesday, March 26 – the day of Ireland’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Austria at Aviva Stadium.

This event will see representatives of the official Republic of Ireland Sup-porter Clubs join with newly formed supporters clubs to discuss matters of mutual interest which the FAI hopes will help those clubs grow in the years to come.

FAI regional manager Gerry Reardon has been delighted with the response so far. “We’ve already had representatives confirmed as attending from support-ers clubs including London, Midlands UK, Huddersfield, Dublin, Derry, West of Ireland, Edinburgh, Vancouver, ‘You

Boys in Green’ and the ‘FAI Inclusive Supporters Club’,” he explained.

“We are also looking to engage with the established clubs and will be seek-ing interest from new groups of sup-porters from around the globe.

“With the growth of the diaspora worldwide in recent years there are still a number of clubs out there who are off the radar or a number of loose affiliates that haven’t organised themselves yet which we may be able to assist.

“It’ll be a get-together first and foremost where clubs can share their

knowledge then we can explore ideas around good practice to hopefully improve and develop further partner-ship work between fans and the asso-ciation.

“We will also explore the possibil-ity of a worldwide Republic of Ireland supporters’ club confederation.”

If you are a member of a supporters club that has yet to be contacted or are in process of forming a club and would like to do so or would simply like to register your interest in the congress, contact: [email protected].

Republic of ireland supporters from Dublin and beyond will join together as part of the fai’s the Gathering initiative

ruGby P36GolF P37 asdFsdaF P27

Fastsport

c o n ta c t sacting Sports

editor: Stephen findlater

[email protected]

for more information or to send in news

and photos: [email protected]

Phone: 01 651 6205

Gaelic Games P39

36 SWORDS Gazette 17 January 2013

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[email protected]

AS PART of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Sports Partnerships’ aim to encourage everyone in the county to get active, a free walking event, the Operation Transformation public walk, will be held at 11am on January 19 in Marlay Park.

This event is being held in conjunction with the Irish Sports Council and RTE’s Operation Transformation programme. On the day, every county in Ireland will have a similar walking event to cater for all levels of fitness,

but in particular those looking to start exercising again.

Meeting at 10.45am beside the new playground at the College Road entrance to Marlay Park, the 4km route will be around the picturesque park, based on pathways and suitable for all lev-els of walker. Supported by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, this event will provide the perfect chance to put those New Year’s resolutions into action.

Speaking in advance of the event, Shane McArdle, coordi-nator with the sports partner-

ship, said: “Getting active makes such a big difference to your health, helping to reduce stress, ease back pain and reduce the risk of heart disease.

“For heart health, adults need at least 30 minutes of physical activity, such as brisk walking, five days a week.

“By taking part in these types of local events, people can become more aware of the excellent parks available in the county and how walking can be made social and fun.”

Trained walking leaders will be present on the day for a help-

ing hand and information on the history of the park. All are very welcome and encouraged to attend.

For further information on this event and to register your interest please contact Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Sports Partnership at 01-2719502 or [email protected].

Over 900 people of all ages and fitness levels took part in the event last year, leading to a fantastic spectacle with a trail of people nearly 1km long stretched out along the pathway.

Operation Transformation returns to Marlay

Last year’s Marlay Park walk attracted over 900 people

[email protected]

A LARGE number of local women have been includ-ed in the Irish women’s rugby panel as they com-mence their preparations for this year’s RBS Wom-en’s Six Championship with a training camp this weekend for the extended panel.

Ireland Women’s head coach Philip Doyle has had some tough decisions to make in selecting the 34-player extended squad for this year’s campaign.

One thing that stands out is the increase in the number of Exile players coming into the squad, which is a testament to the work being done by Mark Blair and his team in the UK.

The Exiles played

two very competitive matches again Leinster and Munster before the IRFU Women’s Interpro-vincial Championship in December and there were a number of new players who put their hands up for selection.

Swords woman Lynne Cantwell is included among this number while Blackrock RFC provides Shannon Houston to the mix, Sharon Lynch is Garda’s representative while St Mary’s Paula Fit-zpatrick is also in the run-ning for a berth.

The remainder of the Leinster representative players involved come from Old Belvedere with Jenny Murphy, Nora Sta-pleton, Ailis Egan and Marie-Louise Kelly

There are a number of

new faces coming into the squad this year and this, coupled with seasoned internationals and excit-ing younger players com-ing through, will certainly make training particularly competitive.

Speaking ahead of the training camp, Doyle said: “This year was definitely one of the toughest selec-tion processes to date for myself and the coaching staff.

“The difficult part of my role is not including play-ers who may have been with the squad before. However, it is a credit to the players who have been working extremely hard to make our jobs so difficult in the selection process.

“Following on from the campaign last year which

Leinster lionesses in line up

ruGby: severaL LocaL pLayers in the extended irish women’s paneL

DubLineRS tO the fORe in cRicket SiDeS: A LARGE number of local cricketers have been named in the Ireland underage training programmes ahead of the 2013 season.

The Anders of Phoenix are well represented with Thomas included in Ryan Eagleson’s U-19 selection while Rory is in the U-15 selection and Ian is included at U-13 level. In the elder team, Malahide’s Peter Chase is joined by St Andrew’s student Lee Cole and St Colum-ba’s Patrick Tice.

Jack Balbirnie, another Andrew’s student, is in the U-17 side along with Lorcan Tucker from Colaiste Eoin. He is included along with his younger brother Fiachra in the U-15s.

There, Phoenix have three players involved with Rory Anders joined by Sim Singh and Marc Gibson-McKenna. Malahide’s Cameron Shoebridge gets the nod for this panel, too while Gonzaga’s Rory McGovern is in the U-13s.

FastSport

was our best to date, it is hard to be anything but excited for the season ahead.

“There is a lot of hard work and training ahead of us but I am confident in the ability of the play-ers to deliver on the field this year.”

There is a significant importance to the 2013 Six Nations - not only because it is the premier tournament for women’s rugby in Europe, but

qualification for the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup in France is depend-ent on the results from the 2012 and 2013 tour-naments.

There are six automatic qualifiers for next year’s World Cup - reigning world champions New Zealand, 2010 runners-up England, 2010 bronze medallists Australia, 2014 hosts France and USA and Canada by virtue of their top six placing at the

2010 tournament.After England and

France, the two highest-placed teams in the Six Nations on aggregate over two years - 2012 and 2013 - will secure places at France 2014.

The remaining two other teams from the Six Nations, plus the highest-ranked teams in Europe, will be joined by a team from Oceania in a quali-fication tournament in 2013.

the extended irish women’s panel was named this week for the Six nations

17 January 2013 SWORDS Gazette 37

PASCHAL Taggart admits he enjoyed “a dream” year as the 99th club captain of Castle golf club as the Rathfarnham outfit final-ly ended their long wait to win the Irish Senior Cup, the pinnacle in the club game in the country.

It was the icing atop an incredible year as they landed the Bloom Cup while their Fred Daly Cup team – the equivalent of their All-Ireland champi-onship – claimed Leinster glory.

Reflecting on those suc-cesses, Taggart said: “As a sporting fanatic who is pretty useless at all sports, I have to admit that 2012 was one of the great years in my life”

Specifically, he first looked back at the Bloom Cup win, a competition for South Dublin clubs for players with handicaps over 14.

“You would think it

was the Ryder Cup such is their planning, enthu-siasm and commitment, not to mention their cel-ebrations.

“It was only after com-ing from a long way behind that they man-aged to defeat a very tal-ented Elm Park and beat our old rivals, Newlands in the final.”

The Fred Daly team of Alex Gleeson, Peter McK-eever, Jack Walsh, Ross McKeever, Ross Mur-ray, Rob Browne, Conor Harte, Barry Fitzpatrick and James Pender were similarly successful.

“Starting out the year, I had great expectations for our team,

“Over the past decade, many dedicated club members, along with our much admired profes-sional David Kinsella have put enormous time and effort in developing our juveniles.”

They squeaked through an initial 16-team quali-fier in Lucan golf club, qualifying on countback before progressing past Carton House – the reign-ing European champions – in the Leinster final.

Connacht champs Rosses Point, though, proved a hurdle too far in the All-Ireland semi-final.

Nonetheless, it set the stage for the senior men’s team, amazing run, becoming the first south Dublin club to win the national title since 1926.

The team had impres-sive pedigree in the man-agement team of Harry Gleeson and Jim Pender.

“Intelligent, very good and experienced golfers, tough but always fair and dedicated to the Castle; incidentally both of their fathers were captains of the Castle in the 1980s.

“They left no stone

unturned in the quest of the Holy Grail, with trainers, psychologists, bonding trips in Rosslare, female masseur and numerous practice days.

“All this counted for zilch without a bunch of

really talented and dedi-cated team members.

“Their handicaps ranged from two to Conor Deegan at plus five, an absolutely amazing handi-cap for a 42- year-old who had won two All-Ireland football medals for Down in 1991 and 1994.”

They edged past Kil-leen in the first round, young Peter McKeever holding his nerve at the 18th to win at the last.

A succession of good clubs were also ousted to reach the Leinster final where they met reigning champions Portmarnock in Hermitage.

“ You would not want to have a bad heart watching these matches. At the end, Daniel Holland played four superb shots to win on the 17th and the Castle were Leinster champions for the first time.”

It meant the club were bound for the All-Ireland finals in September on the old course at Kinsale.

“I lost count of the number of Castle mem-

Club captain relives Castle’s dream yearAfter a groundbreaking 2012, club captain Paschal Taggart looks back with fondness on the Rathfarnham outfit’s success, most notably in the Irish Senior Cup

Castle Golf Club celebrate their first ever Irish Senior Cup team

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‘You would not want a bad heart watching these Irish Senior Cup matches’ – Paschal Taggart- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

THE Dublin Ladies Gaelic Football Associa-tion this week installed an executive committee at a special general meeting after almost six weeks with positions vacant.

Dublin had been without a committee since December 1 following the resignation of the previous regime as former chairperson, Mau-reen King, and her fellow officers were unable to get the majority backing of Dublin clubs when they sought the re-appointment of former senior manager Peter Clarke. Clarke has since been installed as Mayo manager

Raheny man Paul McLoughlin was elected as Dublin chairperson unopposed and now has the task of securing Dublin a new senior man-ager along with regrouping a panel of players in time for the visit of Leinster rivals Meath to the capital for the first NFL fixture of the 2013 which is pencilled in for Sunday, February 3.

McLoughlin has been quick to act, having already received the backing of clubs to appoint an interim senior management team who pre-sided over a training session of an assembled squad last weekend.

Along with the senior post, Dublin LGFA has also advertised for candidates for the unoc-cupied positions of U-21 and U-14 manager, on the association’s website.

McLoughlin will be joined on the committee by a number of experienced and well known administrators. Long time serving executive member Kathleen Colreavy (Naomh Mearnog) was re-elected as assistant county secretary along with former chairperson Camillus Kil-patrick, from Naomh Olaf, who will take on the role of county registrar.

Additional committee members elected were Joe Keane of Clann Mhuire (vice-chairperson), Mary O’Connor of St Brigid’s (secretary), Siobhan Walsh of Naomh Mearnog (treasurer), Bernice Jones Moore of Man O War (children’s officer), Amy Branigan of Clan Na Gael Fon-tenoy (development officer).

Also elected to serve as central and Lein-ster council delegates were John Sheridan, Yvonne Burke both Kilmacud Crokes, Finbarr O’Driscoll (Naomh Olaf) and David McCabe (Round Tower, Clondalkin).

Dublin ladies football puts committee in place at SGM

bers who made the trip, but we certainly outnum-bered our opposition by four to one.

“Our semi-final oppo-nents were former win-ners, Rosses Point.

“It was fitting that

16-year-old Jack Walsh of the defeated Fred Daly team, rolled in a putt on the 18th to clinch our place in the final.

“The final was against previous winners from Ulster, Warrenpoint Golf Club who were beaten by Portmarnock in the previ-ous year’s final.

“Once again, Holland held his nerve to win the deciding match on the last green. He played all nine matches and was unbeaten in all. Not bad for a young golfer that has not won a major competi-tion.

“Indeed, an amazing fact about all the eight members of the Cas-tle team is that not one of them has ever won a major singles competition and yet they were playing against an ex-Walker cup players and many who have won majors.

“It was especially fitting for Jim Mulready to even-tually win an All-Ireland medal having soldiered for the Castle for 18 years.”

Fastsport

Gazette

Aul u-19 leAgueSwords Celtic 4

Castleknock Celtic 3

[email protected]

SWORDS Celtic’s AUL U-19 side started off 2013 with a spectacular goal glut against Castle-knock, beating their opposition 4-3 with super sub Paul Kenny bagging a brace from the bench to clinch the vic-tory for the north county side.

Kenny struck first hav-ing been on the pitch for just 10 minutes, round-ing off a good passing move with a real poach-er’s effort to put Celtic

ahead on 65 minutes 3-2.

Castleknock came right back at the Swords men and equalised 10 minutes later when their left winger sent a won-derful cross into the box which bypassed the Swords defence leaving the striker the simple task of just making con-tact to regain parity at 3-3.

Swords needed to bank the three points on the day to keep them-selves in the race for the title and after a big spell of pressure that Castle-knock looked confident of absorbing, the ball

fell to the determined Kenny who smashed the ball home from the edge of the area.

Castleknock opened the scoring in the 20th minute after a cross form their left winger forced an error out of Swords’ s topper Gareth McGrath, leav-ing the goal open for an unmarked striker to fin-ish to give the away team a 1-0 lead.

Swords winger Jamie Hore levelled the score when he cut in from the left hand side, taking the wind out of the Castle-knock sails into the sec-ond stanza.

Swords took the lead 10 minutes into the second half when Eoin James was clearly tripped as he advanced on the Castleknock goal.

The referee pointed to the spot and Gary Bohan placed the ball in the back of the net to make it 2-1, followed by a quick fire equaliser that saw Castleknock pounce on a sleeping backline.

“We want to finish in the top three, it’s an incredibly competitive group of teams,” said manager Paul Darcy with regard to the inau-gural AUL U-19 league.

“The standard is very high and there are some seriously talented squads.

“This the lads’ last year together as in the schoolboy ranks and with some of them look-ing for scholarships in the states and others considering senior, they want to take something from the year.

“We’re still involved in the two cups and if we get wins against sides like Leicester Celtic and Crumlin we’ll be there or thereabouts and I’m very confident that the lads can compete with them.”

Kenny Swords’ super sub

SoCCer: Seven goal thriller SwingS home Side’S way

SPORTgaze

tte

38 SWORDS gazette 17 January 2013

Fastsport

membeRS of St Margaret’s GAA juvenile club held a sponsored dip on New Year’s Day at Portmarnock strand to raise funds for Youth Sui-cide Prevention Ireland. A large number of brave souls

decided to take the plunge and were well supported by club members who came out to cheer them on a brisk January 1, braving the elements of the Irish Sea.

margaret’s members brave the elements

taKing the plunge

RETURNING Swords cycling club member, Dave O’Neill put in his performance of the season to take seventh place at the cross-country nationals in a tough race in Dundalk on Sunday.

The club’s John Rowan competed in his first ever elite race whilst Michael Donoghue and Conor McGrane showed colours for the support race.

In the main event, O’Neill showed how important a good start is on such a narrow and twisty course.

Starting on the second row he jumped to sixth place but a tumble saw him drop out of the top 10. He steadily worked his way back up to seventh battling against some strong riders to stay there.

With the course cutting up, bike changes were the order of the day and with no hoses available to clean off the mud, the pit crew were the busiest that they have ever been this season.

O’Neill repaid their efforts with his fantas-tic ride, the last of the riders not to be lapped by a hugely impressive pairing at the front.

Banbridge’s Roger Aiken was first overall in a time of 1.01.50 with Olympian Robin Seymour second just 11 seconds back with the battle for supremacy and the value of an Irish title was laid bare.

“I feel brilliant, I’m really delighted to have won it for a third time, I’ve been doing cyclocross for 13 years now,” the winner said immediately after his victory.

“It was neck and neck until one-and-a-half laps to go. We were swapping bikes every two laps and I just got a bit of a gap on Robin with one-and-a-half laps to go.”

However, Aiken said it was not a case of knowing he had the victory in the bag at that stage.

“No, I kept the pressure on. I didn’t want it to end up a tactical race so I kept the pres-sure on, kept trying hard. Then the elastic just broke or he might have made a slight mistake and I got the gap.”

O’Neill comes back in style in Dundalk race

Swords Celtic celebrate one of their goals in a 4-3 win over Castleknock Celtic in the aUL U-19 league

Club NotiCeboard

Gazette 17 January 2013 SWORDS gazette 39

MEMBERSHIP is now due for all mem-

bers before the end of the month.

Applications are available on www.

fingallians.com or at the club bar.

A double for the club at the Fingal

Independent Awards over the week-

end. Anne Marie Torsney won the

junior athletic award and Catherine

Walsh collected the senior award.

Well done to our U-16s who will now

play in the division one and U-15s

who will play in division two for 2013

in football.

The lotto can now be done online via

www.fingallians.com. Last week’s

jackpot winner picked his numbers

online - please spread the word.

The first coaching forum of 2013

will take place in the club on Friday,

January 25 from 9 - 10.30pm.

The second and third football

teams are back training every

Tuesday and Thursday at 7.30pm.

Both squads are looking to recruit

additional players. Please contact

[email protected] or

Gary on 086 3867036 if interested.

The club nursery (four- to seven-

year-olds) will start back on Satur-

day, January 19 from 10am. Further

details from nicola.fitzgerald.gpo.

[email protected] or simon.lambert.

[email protected].

The club shop will be open and

mouthguards are available.

Social football takes place in the

club every Friday evening at 8pm.

The numbers have increased dra-

matically but there are still places

available for new members. For

further information, please con-

tact mark at, ecotaxisdublin@gmail.

com

Athletic club membership is now

also due €20 for juvenile and juniors

and €25 for adults.

Texas Hold’em poker scheduled

for Friday, January 25 will now take

place on February 1.

Fingallians extends deepest sym-

pathy to the Howard family. Ar dheis

De go raibh a anam dilis.

st fiNiaN’s

fiNGal raveNs

fiNGalliaNs

MEMBERSHIP fees are now due and

can be paid by downloading the mem-

bership form from the download sec-

tion of the club website, www.stfin-

ians.com, and then returning it to the

club office.

Tickets for the Mock Wedding are

available from Warren Hanley, Maree

McDonagh or any committee mem-

ber. Deposits are required in order

to reserve your ticket and weekly

instalments can also be made.

Our ladies football team are looking

for some additional players for the

coming year. Please contact Brian

Fetherston (086 6041200) if you know

anybody interested in joining the

team.

Operation Transformation kicked

off last week and evening walks are

organised each night, Monday to Fri-

day, at 8.15pm from outside the Club-

house.

Morning walks will start at 9am

from the clubhouse. If you have any

queries or want to get involved please

give Jenny Foster a call on 087 755

9499.

WE ARE holding a meeting for all man-

agers, mentors and selectors of all

teams, adult and juvenile, this Fri-

day, January 18 at 7.30pm in the Arkle

suite of Kettle’s Hotel; it is vital that

all managers, mentors and selectors

attend this important meeting. At the

very least, one representative from

the management team of each of our

club teams (adult and juvenile) should

attend.

Congratulations to our U-14s who

won the final on the Olaf’s tournament

on Saturday.

2013 membership is now due, mem-

bership forms are available on our

website www.fingalravens.com or at

the clubhouse. As agreed at the AGM

all members must have their mem-

bership paid in full by March 31. If any

member would like to pay by instal-

ments, they must have their last

instalment paid by March 31. Only fully

paid up members can travel to Ventry

in February for the Paidi O’Se tourna-

ment.

Instead of holding a formal dinner

dance, we are having a club social

night with a BBQ on Friday, February

1 in Kettle’s Country House hotel. We

will have our player of the year pres-

entations, minor league winners pres-

entations and a presentation to Mick

Deegan, we encourage all members to

come along.

Lotto numbers were 4, 32, 34 and 35;

there was no jackpot winner, €20 to

Kenny McDonagh, Declan O’Brien and

Tom McGrath. Next weeks jackpot is

now worth €5,154.

football: dubs throuGh despite wiCklow loss

Dublin manager Jim gavin, pictured left in conversation with ger Brennan

Gavin continues to test dublin options

[email protected]

CASTLEKNOCK man Niall O’Callaghan pro-duced the star turn for Dublin North as they got the better of the Westmeath schools 4-16 to 1-8 last Saturday in DCU in the Leinster colleges senior hurling championship group A playoff.

He struck 2-3 while Sean Gray weighed in with 0-6 as the Dub-lin selection ran riot, building a huge 3-10 to 1-1 lead as they made great use of the wind in the first half of the tie. Westmeath’s only scores came from the Doyle twins from placed balls – Killian (a goal) and Ciaran (a

point).St Oliver Plunkett’s/

Eoghan Ruadh club man C ian Bo land scored one of the other goals while Lucan man E o i n O ’ C o n g h a i l e continued his family’s excellent week as he chipped in with 1-3.

His was the fourth goal, a superb individu-al effort with seven min-

utes left on the clock. It came in a week when Emmet O’Conghaile made his Dublin senior football debut.

Amid the goal rush, Dublin Nor th were never in danger of defeat and their mentors took the opportunity to test their squad, making a series of changes in the second half.

Dublin North dismiss Westmeath schools

[email protected]

DESPITE a loss last Sunday to Wicklow, Jim Gavin was not overly perturbed by his first defeat as Dublin senior football manager.

Indeed his side had booked their place in the semi-final of the O’Byrne Cup with victo-ry over DCU three days earlier as he continues to experiment with his line-up.

Speaking after the Wicklow loss, he said there was no need for drastic measures: “We’re not going to use the guil-lotine based on one par-

ticular performance,” he said. “Most of the guys have got opportunities in the last few games, and again we’ll use a blended approach in the next game.

“But it’s the O’Byrne Cup. We’re talking about the third week in Janu-ary, so there’s a long way to go till the end of the season, and it’s a chance for me to see players, and for players to show their potential.”

In the DCU game, Diarmuid Connolly led the scoring for the boys in blue with 1-3 when they breezed past DCU in a one-sided 3-16 to

1-11 win. Fingal Ravens man

Darren Daly continued his role in defence try-ing at intervals to keep tabs on Fingallians’ man Paul Flynn who will more than likely be one of Gavin’s key men this summer.

He was in DCU col-ours this time around, though, and kicked a point.

An injury to Cian O’Sullivan just shy of the 20-minute mark is sure to leave a sour taste in Dublin mouths after a tweaked hamstring forced the defender off.

Peregrine’s man Rob-

bie McCarthy kicked two frees on the night and took another when a more youthful Dubs side lined out against Wicklow, with the Dubs coming up short 1-11 to 0-10.

That was in a side which saw Eric Lowndes return, joining Byrne, Emmet O’Conghaile and Gary Sweeney, who suffered a broken leg in league action for Syl’s last year, in the 15.

Although the victory didn’t come, Gavin’s men were a l r eady through to the semi final where they will face Louth next Sunday.

all of your swords sports coverage from page 35-39 JaNuary 17, 2013

Super SwordS: Balheary club on fire as they see off Castleknock Celtic in the AUL U-19 division p38

GazetteSPORT

James cluskey won an Itf futures title in his first outing of 2013, not dropping a set en route to the sudwestbank grand prix doubles event

peter carroll

[email protected]

JAMES Cluskey started 2013 with a bang, banking the Sudwestbank Tennis Grand Prix doubles title on the ITF Futures circuit as the Swords man teamed up with German player Alexander Satschko to great effect.

Cluskey and Satschko went through the field without any real challenge on the way to vic-tory, seeing off the Italian and German duo of Eros Siringo and Yannick Zuern in the first round in what would prove to be their biggest test of the competition, in straight sets 6-2, 7-6.

The partnership went on to the quarter final opposition consisting of Germany’s Moritz

Baumann and Switzerland’s Sandro Ehrat who they went through with relative ease again in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5.

They subsequently made short work of Croatia’s Marin Draganja and Germany’s Kevin Kraweitz who suffered a similar fate to Cluskey and Satschko’s previous opponents, going out in straight sets, 6-4 and 6-3.

Leaving the biggest landslide victory for the final, the Swords man and his team mate com-pletely outclassed their opposition, the German duo of Dominique Denis Maden and Yannick Maden, with the victory coming in straight sets, 6-0 and 6-1.

“It was a great week and I’m very happy with the result considering that I’ve never played

with Alexander before,” said Cluskey. “He gave me a call and told me his usual

partner was injured and I was delighted to step in.

“I had a really good pre-season in India playing with some world class players and I felt it really helped my game when I got out on court.

“There is one more tournament in Germany which I’ll be playing with Alexander again and I think it’s fantastic preparation for the Davis Cup, because we have got a very important first round match with Estonia.

“To be winning at this stage in the year is con-sidered very good because there are not a lot of tournaments available to play in at this time so

I’m taking a lot of confidence from that and hopefully I can perform well come February.

“This will be Ireland’s first tournament with-out Conor Niland and his absence will definite-ly be felt throughout the team, but considering he is now one of the coaches he can still have a big impact on the way we play.

“The Estonians have some great players but Jurgen Zoop, their number one, has been suffer-ing with a back injury and he could be a mas-sive loss to them.

“They have a good number two as well who is ranked at 400 so they have a good team, but every match is very challenging in the Davis Cup and we’ll have to play well to get through,” he finished.

Cluskey wins in GermanySwords tennis star sweeps to doubles glory at the Sudwestbank Grand Prix to start Davis Cup preparations in confident fashion

Six nATiOnS CALL-UPS: Leinster players abound in irish women’s squad p36

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