castleknock

YOUR COMMUNITY • YOUR PAPER September 29, 2011

ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES ......................8MOTORS ........................19BUSINESS .....................21TRAVEL ......................... 22ENTERTAINMENT ......... 24CLASSIFIEDS ............... 26

Football: Castleknock ladies claim Junior B titlePage 32

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INSIDE: First socialgathering for new ITB

students P8 & 9

Loftus selected to contest byelectionLocal councillor’s first run at the Dail since 1989

PAUL HOSFORD

FINE GAEL Cllr Eithne Loftus has been selected to contest the Dublin West byelection this October.

Loftus, a Castleknock ward counci l lor s ince being co-opted in place of

Leo Varadkar in 2007, was selected at the convention in the Castleknock Hotel and Country Club, beating Mul-huddart councillor Kieran Dennison.

The election, to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Brian Lenihan, marks

Loftus’ first run at the Dail since 1989, in an election topped by Lenihan’s father, Brian Senior.

The Mayo-born Loftus has been a long-time party activist, sitting as chair of the Dublin West organisa-tion and as a councillor.

An ace result:Local student scoops awardCASTLEKNOCK College student, Alexander Amini, scooped the top prize at the EU Young Scientist contest with his Tennis Sensor Analysis project recently. The 15-year-old student travelled to Helsinki, Finland, to take part in the European-wide competi-tion. His Tennis Sensor Analysis project caught the attention of judges at the BT Young Scientist competition earlier this year, where he was crowned the over-all winner.

Full Gallery on 0

FREE GAZETTEGAZETTECastleknock

Sports Awards: September nominees are announcedPage 29

ENTERPRISE WEEK: The inaugural Dublin Food Forum See Pages 8 & 9

2 CASTLEKNOCK GAZETTE 29 September 2011

The name change was considered becauseof confusion among tourists and the general public

Phoenix Park train station is renamed

LAURA WEBB

[email protected]

THE Phoenix Park train station has been renamed Navan Road Parkway, putting an end to confusion about its proximity to the nearby national park.

Irish Rail considered changing the name fol-lowing customer feed-back that the name was confusing tourists look-ing to visit the popular park, which is over a kilometre away from the station.

The Phoenix Park

train station is located on the N3 Navan Road, between Castleknock and Ashtown, approxi-mately 1.4km away from the closest entrance to the Phoenix Park - the Ashtown Park Gate.

Built in 2008, the modern station got its name because it was to facilitate the residen-tial development at the

old Phoenix Park race-course.

After weeks of consid-eration, and with help from customer feed-back, the station will now be called Navan Road Parkway.

Welcoming the name change, local TD and Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar, said it was a sensible move.

“This is a sensible move from Irish Rail, which should put an end to a lot of confusion. The Phoe-nix Park Station is situ-ated more than a mile from the actual park itself, yet the title sug-gests it’s far closer.

“As a result, some visiting families, tour-ists and even Dublin-ers, have alighted at the Phoenix Park Station expecting to be able to stroll to the park, or visit the zoo.

“Instead, they faced the prospect of crossing a busy dual carriageway

and a long walk to the park itself.

“I welcome Irish Rail’s decision to rename the station Navan Road Parkway, which should put an end to the confu-sion,” Minister Varadkar said.

Navan Road Park-way train station is on the Maynooth-Dublin commuter line, between Castleknock and Ash-town Stations and is served by 40 trains to and from the city.

The station also has a 100-space park and ride facility.

TRANSPORT Navan Road Parkway new name for station

Road to get major upgrade

PHOENIX PARK: DAMAGE CAUSED BY BAD WINTERS

LAURA WEBB

THE main road through the Phoenix Park is set to receive some much-needed upgrade work this October, ending months of calls for its restoration following damage resulting from a series of extreme weather conditions in recent years.

Chesterfield Road, the main traffic route through the park, was left in bad condition with numerous pot holes following the severe winter weather.

Calls for upgrading works on the road, used by millions of tourists every year, have been made by many local representatives.

UpgradingThis week, it was con-

firmed that works on upgrading the road is expected to proceed in October.

The work will include a new road surface for the larger sections of Chesterfield Avenue, which connects the city centre with Castle-knock.

Dublin West TD and

Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar said: “This is welcome news, as the recent run of very severe winters has left Chesterfield Avenue in a very poor condition, causing problems for all road users.

“I am very glad that work will proceed in October.

“Needless to say, there will be disruption while the job is done. I understand that a traf-fic management plan will be put in place, and I would hope that dis-ruption can be kept to a minimum.

“Nevertheless, it ’s very important to have a strengthened road in place in case there is another freezing cold winter,” Minister Varad-kar said.

The contract has just been placed to repair the most severely dam-aged sections of the road, and the plan is to upgrade the remain-ing sections as funding becomes available in future years.

The traffic manage-ment plan can be viewed online at www.phoenix-park.ie

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‘This is a sensible move from Irish Rail, which should put an end to a lot of confusion’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

29 September 2011 CASTLEKNOCK GAZETTE 3

A REVISED planning application by develop-ers to reduce the number of car parking spaces in a major development planned for Castleknock has been granted by the appeals board, An Bord Pleanala.

Fingal County Coun-cil’s decision to allow for a reduction in parking places at the major devel-opment in Castleknock was appealed to An Bord Pleanala by the Castle-knock Residents Action Group under a number of grounds. The group said the development would “exacerbate the traffic congestion already expe-rienced in the village” and that it was likely that the reduced parking would “give rise to significant queuing on Castleknock Road”.

However, on Septem-ber 15, the appeals board upheld the council’s deci-sion and granted planning permission to allow the reduction in car parking spaces.

In the inspector’s report it stated the proposed development “would not” seriously injure the amen-ities of the area or the property in the vicinity; and would be acceptable in terms of traffic safety and convenience. “The proposed development would be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable develop-ment in the area.”

A journey with the angels continues for Frances Brown

LAURA WEBB

[email protected]

HER journey with angels led her to writing an international best-selling book, and it is this success that has led her to write the second instalment of a book that touched the lives of many, both here and abroad.

The Voices of Angels is the second book from Dublin 15 native, Franc-esca Brown, whose first book, My Whispering Angels, became a best seller.

Just over 10 years ago, Francesca, then known as Penelope Gibbs, was diagnosed with ME and bedridden for almost two years. Living with little faith about her future,

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‘I was delighted that it helped so many people. The feedback we got has just been beautiful’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

LAUNCH: D15 AUTHOR’S SUCCESS LEADS TO SECOND PUBLISHING DEAL

Francesca’s life changed dramatically when an angel appeared to her in 2001 to help heal her and guide her on a journey with angels. Her name was just one part of her life that changed with angels. Her angel, Anne, helped her return to life. From the moment she met her, Francesca has continued to travel a road with angels.

Excited about her new book, launched last week, Francesca is hoping it will be just as well received as her first.

“My Whispering Angel went on to be a big seller and it went on to touch so many different people. The amount of emails I have received, not just from Ireland, but all over the world, telling me how that book has touched

people, and so many of them said they are wait-ing in anticipation for the second book. I hope they like it as much as the first one.

“I was delighted that it has helped so many people. The feedback we got has just been beauti-ful and I am glad it has touched people in their own things and that is what it is all about,” she told the Gazette.

Following the success of the first book, Franc-esca was approached by the publishing company to see if she was inter-ested in writing another book.

“I had a lot of material. I write with the angels, that is a big part of my work, writing with the angels, they challenge a lot of material from me, I work with a lot of that material, personally for myself to see how it works in my own life, before I can share it with anybody else.

“We have loads of stuff, we have poetry, inspi-rational messages, and a workbook, all that we channel from the angels;

its about reaching out to help people in different ways it is very positive information, really posi-tive.”

For the people who are sceptic about Francesca’s work with angels, she says she accepts there reser-vations and would never force her beliefs on to anyone. “I am not push-ing it on anyone, even the work I do, I would never push it. I often say to people if you believe you believe, if you don’t you don’t – that’s fine. We are not here to change any-one’s opinions or say to them, oh god, you must believe – I don’t believe in it. I am here to help people who want the help and sometimes angels guide you to people that they know needs help and that’s what they do.

Francesca will sign copies of her new book The Voices of Angels in Eason’s Blanchards-town Shopping Centre on October 1, at 1pm, and is hosting an Angel Evening at Castleknock Hotel and Country Club on Thursday, October 6, at 7.30pm.

Author, Francesca Brown, has followed up her best-selling book, My Whispering Angel, with a second instalment

Locals lose their appeal

PLANNING


MIMI MURRAY

[email protected]

FINGAL Enterprise Week got off to a flying start this week with the first ever Dublin Food Forum.

Hosted by Country Crest at their headquar-ters in Lusk, 200 guests from the food and agri-food sectors across the capital attended the inaugural meet-ing, organised by the Fingal County Enter-prise Board and the Dublin Food Chain to mark Fingal Enterprise Week.

Michael Hoey, found-er of Country Crest, was one of four key indus-try speakers alongside Conor Hyde, from the Dublin Food Chain, William Linnane, from Tesco and Michael Lauhoff, from Bank of Ireland.

The Minis ter for H e a l t h , D r J a m e s Reilly, gave the open-ing address, with the Minister of State at the Department of Agricul-ture, Food and Marine,

Shane McEntee, giving the closing address.

According to Oisin Geoghegan, CEO of Fingal County Enter-prise Board, the event appealed to both estab-lished and emerging food sector businesses.

“The Dublin Food Forum was the first and largest event of its kind for the food sec-tor in the capital and it was one of the biggest events of Fingal Enter-prise Week.

“It gave start-up com-panies and more estab-lished businesses an ideal platform to share ideas, exchange infor-mation and build con-tacts with each other through networking.”

Country Crest, one of Fingal’s biggest success stories, is a major sup-plier of fresh and chilled foods to supermarket groups.

Hoey, who co-found-ed the company with his brother, Gabriel, high-lighted the importance of the Irish food sector to the overall economy.

“The growing export

Joe Harford, chairperson Fingal County Enterprise Board; PJ Howell, Fingal CoCo; Paddy Lonergan, Bank Of

Ireland; Oisin Geoghegan, CEO, Fingal County Enterprise Board and Paschal McGuire, Enterprise Ireland

Caroline Keeling, Keelings Group managing director; Michael Hoey, Country Crest

and David Keeling

Fingal County Council Lord Mayor, Gerry McGuire

welcomes Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly TD

Fingal Enterprise Week EVENT Two hundred guests from the food and agri-food

market for Irish food demonstrates the cru-cial role that the sector plays in our overall eco-nomic recovery.

“Initiatives such as the Dublin Food Forum supports the develop-ment of the food indus-try, which in turn, will reap rewards for Dublin and Ireland,” he said.

The Dublin Food Chain is run in con-junction with the Irish Exporters Association and is supported by the four County and City Enterprise Boards in Dublin.

Fingal Enterprise Week, which is sup-ported by Fingal Coun-ty Council, Bank of Ireland and Newstalk and organised by Fin-gal County Enterprise Board, continues until Friday, September 30.

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‘The growing export market for Irish food demonstrates the crucial role that the sector plays in our overall economic recovery.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Michael Hoey, founder of Country Crest- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


Michael Hoey, Country Crest; Joe Harford, chairperson Fingal County Enterprise Board; Oisin Geoghegan,

CEO, Fingal County Enterprise Board; William Linnane, Tesco and Gabriel Hoey, Country Crest

Lisa Murphy and Gerald Kean, chairman of Country Crest

Cllr Ken Farrell, Cllr May McKeon, Paddy Mulligan and Deputy Brendan

Ryan

Ross McMahon, food consultant and Yvonne

Neeson, Country Crest Anne Flynn and Colm Flynn, P&C Flynn

Conor Hyde, Bullseye Food Marketing; Ciaran O’Connor,

Bullseye Food Marketing and Bryan Hynes, Irish Farmers

Journal

Ed Spellman, Dunhill Cuisine and

Rena O’Donavan, Cully & Scully

gets off to a flying start sectors attend first ever Dublin Food Forum


LAURA WEBB

[email protected]

HE may be one of the biggest A-list actors to ever come out of Ireland, but Brendan Gleeson still makes time to support local charities, and waved off 130 gardai participat-ing in a charity cycle in aid of St Francis Hospice, a charity very close to his heart.

Brendan cheered on men and women from different garda stations, including Blanchards-town, when they set off last Wednesday, Septem-ber 21, to begin a char-

ity cycle from the new St Francis Hospice in Dub-lin 15 to Kilkenny in one day.

Now in its seventh year, the garda cycle is fundraising for St Fran-cis Hospices, with pro-ceeds going to St Francis Hospice in Raheny and its new complex in Blan-chardstown, beside Con-nolly Hospital.

Speaking to the Gazette this week, Brendan, actor and Malahide resident, talked of his admiration for the work the team in St Francis Hospice have done for many families, including his own, and

the work they continue to do.

Wishing all the cyclists all the best of luck, he said: “Fair play to them, there is 130 of them with wind right in their faces all along the way, it looks gorgeous, but it’s actually kind of blustery out there, so I wish them the best of luck. It is brilliant what they are doing,” the gentle giant said.

Vital

St Francis Hospice is very close to Brendan’s heart, as both Brendan’s father and mother were cared for by the team at

hospice in Raheny. He says he admires the work that is done and believes fundraising, like the cycle to Kilkenny, is vital to help run much needed facili-ties like the hospice.

“It was a transforma-tion for me. I remember saying that it renewed my faith in human kindness, and that is absolutely true, because when my folks were going through it, they completely took the burden and they [the team at St Francis Hospice] are a remarkable group of people, they really are.

“Everything about the whole ethos of the place

is life-affirming, which is kind of odd when they are dealing with death all the time, but it puts out a new context, it is just pure kindness. They are brilliant professionals in terms of the expertise and how to allow people to pass through, it is unbe-lievable. I have nothing but admiration for them,” he said.

Visiting the new state-of-the-art hospice in Blanchardstown, he said he was amazed to see how it looks. “It is phe-nomenal, light, air and space, I was staggered by it. I have been trying to

get out during the sum-mer and I haven’t been able to, but being here today I couldn’t believe it, its phenomenal.

Embracing

“There is brightness, and a homely feel, there is no sense of doom and gloom, it is just embracing life the way it always does and it is making death a part of life instead of the way we kind of remove it at times; the whole build-ing is crying out in that kind of way. When you know the people who are going to be staffing it, it is an absolute jewel,”

he added. Finglas Garda Inspec-

tor Colm Murphy said fundraising for the day-to-day running of the hospices is vital and, over the years, the cycle has raised money for the Raheny hospice and now it is helping the D15 hospice. “It [fundrais-ing] is vital. The facilities are second-to-none and it is nothing more than they deserve to have, but obviously it takes a lot of money to keep it running so this is just, in some way, giving a little back to help with that process.”

Hollywood actor Brendan Gleeson cheered on men and women from different Garda Stations, including Blanchardstown

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‘There is brightness, and a homely feel,

there is no sense of doom and gloom, it is

just embracing life the way it always does

and it is making death a part of life instead

of the way we kind of remove it at times;

the whole building is crying out in that kind

of way. When you know the people who are

going to be staffing it, it is an absolute jewel ’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Brendan Gleeson, actor- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Gleeson cheers on 130 gardai in charity cycle

BEST WISHES Funds raised will go to St Francis Hospice

SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS A D V E R T I S E W I T H T H E G A Z E T T E C A L L 6 0 1 0 24 0

LOCALMATTERS

Brendan Gleeson with Sr Margaret Cashman and

Ethel McKenna CEO, St Francis Hospice


Park plan launched

EVENT Conservation Management Plan updated

The restoration of the Magazine Fort in The Phoenix Park could be a part of the new management plan

AN updated Conserva-tion Management Plan for the Phoenix Park has been launched 25 years after the current manage-ment plan was released.

Last week, the Minis-ter of State at the Depart-ment of Public Expendi-ture and Reform with a special responsibility for the OPW (Office of Pub-lic Works), launched the Phoenix Park Conserva-tion Management Plan.

The new management plan will come into oper-ation next year when the park celebrates 350 years since it was established as a royal deer park. The OPW has managed the park since 1860.

Speaking at the launch in the Phoenix Park Visi-tor Centre at Ashtown Castle last week, Minister Brian Hayes said: “The previous plan has oper-ated for 25 years now and has served the park well. The new plan will see the park well into the 21st century.

“This plan has taken some time to come to fru-ition as not only the best professional advice was sought, but the widest possible public consulta-tion was carried out.

“A lo t has been achieved in the lifetime of the previous plan. Cross-park traffic and accident numbers reduced, 14

kilometres of cycle lanes have been built and a successful cycle hire service introduced and the park is friendlier for walkers and joggers. The Visitor Centre complex, including playground and walled garden now attracts over 400,000 visi-tors annually.

“Pressure on the park is increasing, with 250 major events and 2,000 sporting events annually. Park management must balance organised events with passive recreation.

“The park remains an oasis of calm and an escape from the city. Pressures on the park can only increase but the

new management plan will help guide present and future management. There are huge challeng-es ahead in maintaining a high level of services to visitors but there are also exciting new oppor-tunities, for instance, the restoration of the Maga-zine Fort,” the Minister stated.

Adding: “Our focus will continue to be on con-servation, preservation, protection and manage-ment of the park and we will be able to judge the success of the plan when the plan comes to the end of its life if the Phoe-nix Park is still the park we see today.”

Real-time monitors on the wayCOMMUTERS across Fingal will soon see real-time information on the next scheduled bus with the roll-out of 45 moni-tors in the Fingal area.

That’s according to Green Party byelec-tion candidate Roderic O’Gorman, who says the National Transport Authority has awarded the contract for the erec-tion of real-time bus stop monitors across Fingal.

“I have been in con-tact with the National Transport Authority in recent days regard-ing the roll out of real- time bus stop monitors. They have confirmed to me that they have just awarded the contract for the erection of 45 such monitors across the Fingal area.

“These moni tors , placed at various bus stops, will be comple-

mented by a web, text and smart phone app service.

“This will mean that passengers at any bus stop across the city will be able to get informa-tion on the next bus, simply using the number on that bus stop.

“Two of the real-time monitors will be located in Blanchardstown Vil-lage. This is particularly welcome as when the

Network Direct project redesigned routes in the Dublin 15 area, Blan-chardstown Village lost a number of services. The payback for this was a guarantee that the new bus routes would be more reliable.

“The addition of real-time monitors in the vil-lage will allow people plan their journeys more effectively,” O’Gorman said.

Schoolof beauty opensCASTLEKNOCK’S first school of beauty has opened for business and is offering top-class training in areas of beauty therapy, massage, aromatherapy, waxing and tanning.

The Castleknock Beau-ty Academy is the brain-child of Lavender Lane owner Patricia Sheridan, who has been running the popular beauty and health salon in Castlecourt Cen-tre since 2000.

Accredited by VTCT in association with skin spe-cialists Dermalogica, the academy is offering full-time, part-time and week-end courses to students of all ages.

Conveniently located in Lavender Lane in Castle-court Centre, Castleknock School of Beauty is one of only seven beauty centres accredited with the world recognised VTCT qualifi-cations. For further infor-mation call 01-820 6554 or log onto www.castle-knockbeautyacademy.ie

TRAINING


Enjoying a welcome barbecueINSTITUTE of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB)

first-year students came together to attend its first social gathering of their academic year at the annual

ITB Welcome Barbecue. ITB welcomed 900 full-time, first- year students, which includes four students from India’s ITM University who are doing a semester abroad at ITB. Students were welcomed by the Stu-dents Union along with its president, Darragh McGill and faculty where the students had the opportunity to tour the college and meet with their fellow classmates and find out more about what to expect in their first year. The new college year will see a total of more than 3,000 students attending ITB.

International students, Vauvrely Loic, Diallo Jules, Arnaud Rodolphe, Chardon Maitthieu, Bellebo Anthony, Allaert Romain, from

France

Tara Foy, from Blanchardstown and Shannon Clarke, from

Duleek Co Meath

Satyam Dhingra, Lovish Jain, Chander Khanega and Aakash Bhardwaj, from India Danny Roe from Dunboyne

EVENT First-year students enjoy first social gathering of


International students, Marine Forestier, Lysiane Lafargue and Charlotte Via, from France

Aoife McKeown from Templeogue, Niamh Glynn from Lucan and Aaran

Hand also from Templeogue

Aoife McKeown, from Templeogue, and Niamh Glynn,

from Lucan

Aaron Hand, from Templeogue, and Michelle O’Connor, from

Knocklyon Eve Lynch, from Portmarnock, with Jerome Schetter, from Germany

Rachel O’Donnell, Joey Byrne, both from

Lucan, and Becky Hogarty, from Maynooth

Ralph Pfister, Fabian Felix (both from

Switzerland and Malek Chaoufi from Spain

their new academic year at the annual barbecue


SCHOOLS Local student’s tennis program victory

Castleknock College student, Alexander Amini

Castleknock scientist Alex takes home a top EU title

LAURA WEBB

[email protected]

IT’S GAME, set and match for a young Castle-knock student who scooped the top prize at the EU Young Scientist contest with his Tennis Sensor Analysis project.

Castleknock College student, Alexander Amini, was awarded a top award at this year’s contest for young scientists.

The 15-year-old stu-dent traveled to Helsinki, Finland to take part in the European-wide competi-tion. His Tennis Sensor Analysis project caught the attention of judges at the BT Young Scien-tist competition earlier this year, where he was crowned the overall win-ner in January.

Following the win, he went on to represent Ireland in the European Young Scientist Contest and, on Tuesday, he suc-ceeded in winning a top prize again, taking home first prize in comput-ing for his Tennis Sensor Analysis project.

Delighted for the young student, Oliver Murphy, headmaster at Castle-knock College, spoke to The Gazette from Hel-sinki.

“We are ecstatic for him. He was up against 87 contestants from all over Europe, and some entrants from America and Canada.”

When asked how Alex-ander was feeling, Mur-phy said: “He is ecstatic. Alexander is the coolest customer you could meet on the whole planet! He is so cool. He is just thrilled. We are all ecstatic.”

There were always high hopes for the stu-dent to go far, but no one

imagined just how well he would do on an interna-tional level.

“We were confident; [his project] is just a stunning piece of work. It analyses instant data coming in as you are playing tennis.

“As soon as you put the racket down, it will tell you with greater accu-racy and greater width of description than any other program in the world about your tennis, and your style. It is just sensational,” said Mur-phy.

It is now hoped that Alexander’s program will be used in the pro-fessional world of tennis and, according to Oliver Murphy, it may be used in other areas.

“It has many applica-tions. It won’t be just for tennis – for example, you could use this to meas-

ure people recovering from injuries, or, after operations, you could use it to measure if they have increased mobility, because it mathematical-ly analyses movement.

“We are all so proud of him. Alexander’s science teacher, Mr Gallagher, mentored him through it, and he is so proud of him, but Alexander is such an extraordinary guy.

“When we announced it in the school, the whole school erupted. It’s a great achievement,” added Murphy.

The prize-winning project is entitled, An Automated System for Macro Motion Refine-ment. In his study, Alex-ander collected and ana-lysed gigabytes of tennis sensor data.

He discovered a tech-nique for automatically distinguishing between 13 different tennis stroke types (such as distinguish-ing a forehand flat versus forehand top spin) using only inertial data, with accuracy averaging more than 96%, and imple-mented his technique as computer software.

Previously published research was limited to classes of motion (such as forehand, backhand, serve).

Martin with his peers at the awards in Helsinki

TRAVELPAGES 22-23

Laois luxury:

‘The Heritage

Golf and Spa

Resort is a

pure delight’

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‘It is now hoped that Alexander’s program will be used in the professional world of tennis playing’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

29 September 2011 GAZETTE 11

Low-calorie diets (LCD) encourage you to eat less and to starve yourself, which

has some major drawbacks

Eating right food helps weight lossTHERE are approximate-ly 3,500 calories in one pound of fat. Taking this into account the Nation-al Institute of Health has recommended that to

lose one to two pounds per week, a weight loss programme should create a deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories per day.

Traditionally, we are

12 GAZETTE 29 September 2011

taught that, if you take in fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight, and while this can be true, often there is little consideration given to the nutritional value of those foods.

Low-calorie diets (LCD) encourage you to eat less and to starve yourself – this has some major drawbacks. It often encourages the body to store extra fat and break down muscle tissue; also the body quickly adapts slowing the metabolism to match your caloric intake.

Effective

These diets often focus on low-fat foods, but the truth is that it is not the fat in your diet that is making you fat! In fact, you need fats for a number of meta-bolic processes, including fat-burning.

The good news is you can actually turn your body into a more effec-tive fat-burning machine without the need to go hungry by simply eating the right foods in the right quantities.

When participating in a LCD, people are often advised to eat more carbohydrates (carbs), which are low in calo-ries. A lot of carbs are termed high Glycaemic Index (GI). Eating high GI carbs causes a spike in your blood sugar lev-els and, when your blood sugar rises, this causes the pancreas to respond by secreting insulin.

Insulin is the sugar-regulating hormone that works to store sugar in cells as fat. When insulin does its job well, sugars are quickly stored as fat, causing your blood sugar levels to plummet and leaving you hungry and tired. Ingested fats and proteins, however, do not

cause this same insulin response and so are more likely to keep your blood sugar levels balanced.

On a LCD, people will often tend to avoid proteins because of their higher calorie content. This means overlooking the fact that, to digest and absorb protein, your body has to use 25% more energy to break it down than it does for simple carbs.

This is known as the thermo-genic effect. Protein is also vital for building muscle and, if you want to stay lean and fat-free, then you want to keep the body “anabolic” or building muscle.

Your body is naturally designed to be lean – it’s not designed to be overweight, sick and unhealthy and, if you eat the right foods, your body will tell you when you are full so you won’t have to go hungry.

Optimum

Your diet should con-stitute a reasonable mix of proteins, fats and low GI carbs. Real foods that will keep your blood sugars in balance, and provide you with optimum nutrition, are those foods that can be found in nature. They can be either picked, gathered, milked, hunted or caught from the sea. In short, if it doesn’t run in a field, swim in water, fly in the sky or grow in nature then you probably shouldn’t be eating it!

Derry Temple is a qualified nutritionist and provides free nutritional guidance to his fitness cli-ents. This month, Derry is offering readers of The Gazette the opportunity to Bring a Friend along for Free to any of the DT Fitness Bootcamp cours-es. Visit www.dtfitness.ie for more info.

GazetteFITNESSFITNESS Brought to you by Derry Temple

personal trainer and pilates instructor

NUTRITION: LOW-CALORIE DIETS


GazetteMUSICMUSICVeneration is due for Clark’s third album

St Vincent’s Annie Clark on stage earlier this year

ROB HEIGH

It’s not often that you come across an act on the basis of a cover ver-sion. But when that act is brave enough to cover one of the most abra-sive and angular songs from one of the most abrasive and influential underground acts of the last 30 years and nail it, you know there is some-thing special about them, especially when that act is St Vincent.

Steve Albini’s Big Black were a corner-

stone of industrial hard-core before it became fashionable in the early Eighties, setting off an incendiary device built on melody, grinding rhythms and ferocious attitude. Their stand-out track from 1986’s Atomizer was Kero-sene, with its uncom-promising subject mat-ter and interpretation, was underpinned with a propulsive beat and guitars like a chandelier shattering on marble. For anyone to attempt to cover it is brave

enough, but to capture its essence of ennui and fury is hugely impres-sive.

Played out live in New York in may, Kero-sene in Annie Clark’s hands was as direct and bludgeoning as it was in Albini’s, and it pro-vided an insight into the direction her music was going.

Clark has been a member of the euphor-ic psychedelic rockers, Polyphonic Spree, as well as being a tour-ing par t of Sur f jan

REVIEW: A DYNAMIC AND INVENTIVE BREAKOUT ALBUM FROM NEW YORK-BASED SINGER

Stephen’s band. Emo types will have heard her work with Bon Iver on a track that appeared on the recent Twilight soundtrack, but don’t let that put you off (the Twilight connection, of course, not Bon Iver, who is responsible for easily the best record of the year so far).

St Vincent are Clark’s individual presence on record, and Strange Mercy is as individual and unique a record as you are likely to find.

Previous records , Marry Me and Actor, have illustrated Clark’s talent as a multi-instru-mental i s t , br inging woodwind and baroque

arrangements to the playing field, but her new record, Strange Mercy, meshes all the best elements of her pre-vious work while simul-taneously peeling the wallpaper with squalling guitar and synth figures that utterly surprise and delight.

There is a beauty in

the arrangements and a sometimes symphon-ic pop sensibility that is shifted sideways by the uncompromising accompaniments and production.

There is so much going on in every track that you are always on your toes while listen-ing, waiting for the next twist, and it’s an immense pleasure to say that of any release, especially faced with a selection of cookie-cutter one-note acts one has the pleasure of reviewing in any given week.

This is work of some immense imag ina -tion and skill, easily the best of St Vincent’s three records to date, and should give Clark some breakout suc-cess, especially if you go and buy Strange Mercy now, which you really should.

GazettePETSPETS Brought to you by Miriam Kerins of

the DSPCA

THE FACTS: TEACHING ANIMAL WELFARE IN SCHOOLS

Is having a classroom pet a good idea?WE’RE only a couple of weeks back into the new school term, and I’m inundated with calls from teachers asking my opin-ion on classroom pets.

And, while it’s to their eternal credit that these lovely educators are interested in ensuring their students see them as a model of responsible pet care and are willing to ask advice – my opinion is, and always will remain, the same when it comes to this subject: I strongly discourage classroom pets for many reasons.

And here is why:Classrooms can be

noisy and frightening places for animals and it’s difficult to look after any pet’s needs in this type of environment. This applies to all animals, including goldfish.

While pets are an excel-lent way to add enrich-

ment to a young child/teen’s education and development, I believe responsible pet care and animal welfare can be taught in schools without keeping animals captive.

Studying an animal in its natural environment should aim to cause mini-mal disturbance whilst maximising educational opportunity. So, why not set up bird houses and feeding stations around the school yard, but please continue the feeding pro-gramme throughout the year.

In my humble opin-ion, there needs to be an explicit animal welfare education rationale for using animals in educa-tion – and legislation relating to animals must be considered in the development of all pro-grammes of study.

Where animals are kept

in schools, proper provi-sion should be made for their physical and mental wellbeing.

I would strongly disa-gree with any school or college that may decide to use a classroom pet to increase their attendance figures with the under-standing that, if students don’t attend, the animal will not be fed or taken care of.

And yes, this scenario is hard to believe, but a teacher did suggest this to me as a way of bumping up attendance. I abso-lutely believe this to be an inappropriate approach because it gives a nega-tive impression of how the school/college views its responsibility for the welfare of animals within its care, which may have a detrimental effect on the students’ attitudes toward their duties in later life.

Schools have a duty of care to ensure proper provision is made for the welfare needs of any ani-mals for which they are responsible. This applies not only during school term, but also during the holidays.

However, I will say that, when giving an edu-cation talk or workshop, I often bring along my experienced and trained dog Belle, but only when she is completely happy to accompany me and when the situation/envi-ronment permits it.

I do this because, as an animal welfare officer, I’m trained in observing a dog’s behaviour and rec-ognising its specific needs and requirements. I also always adhere to an ani-mal’s five freedoms at all times. If I feel one, any or all of these five freedoms are in danger of being

Classrooms can be noisy and frightening places for any animal


compromised/breached, I do not allow Belle, or any animal, accompany me on an education talk.

Considering a class-room pet? Ask yourself these questions:

• Why do I want a class-room pet?

• Can I meet my educa-tional objectives without using a live animal in my classroom?

• Am I willing and able to take this pet home? (It’s important to under-

stand that your responsi-bility does not end when the school day ends. You must continue to take care of the animal outside of school hours, including weekends and holidays).

• Are my students mature enough to safely and humanely handle this animal?

• Does anyone have allergies that may become aggravated by the pres-ence of this pet?

• What will I do if

health concerns arise in the future?

• Am I willing to pro-vide routine/emergency veterinary care?

• Am I prepared to deal with students’ questions should this animal die?

• Does my classroom provide adequate space for housing this pet?

• If there’s an accident involving this pet will my school accept liability?

• In the event of a school evacuation/emer-

gency, am I prepared to rescue this pet?

So, if your school thinks a classroom pet is still a great idea, then staff need to know their personal responsibility exists, irre-spective of whether the animal was purchased by the school or is owned by one of the pupils, teachers or parents.

If an animal’s needs are not being met whilst at school and beyond, crimi-nal prosecutions could, in theory, be brought against all persons over the age of 16 who had responsibility for that animal(s), includ-ing school staff.

My advice would be to contact the Dublin SPCA and check out our free humane education programmes and find out how you can help your students support us in our battle to save animals’ lives. The operation of the country’s oldest and larg-est animal rescue shelter requires lots of help and, if you feel you can offer it, please email me at [email protected]

For more info log onto www.dspca.ie or email me at [email protected]

REVIEW Bord Gais Energy Book Club and Other People’s Money

BANKERS behaving badly is a sore subject in the current economic climate, but it’s one that is only beginning to attract the literary atten-tions of novelists. One of the best such novels has just been published by the prize-winning, London-based South African writer, Justin Cartwright.

O t h e r P e o p l e ’ s Money tells the story of an upper-crust, fam-ily-owned private bank, Tubal & Co, which gets into trouble when it

deviates from its age-old mission of looking after the toff’s money and diversifies into the murkier world of invest-ment banking. Family patriarch, Sir Harry, has suffered a stroke and is recovering in his villa in Antibes. This leaves his son and new chairman, Julian Trevelyan-Tubal, free to take the sort of liberties Sir Harry would never have coun-tenanced.

Julian has lost the bank a packet on a dodgy hedge fund and now, in

an effort to sell the bank behind Sir Harry’s back, he needs to pad the balance sheet, moving money around to make it look more saleable to the Americans poised to purchase the house of Tubal. Sound familiar?

Things begin to go awry when a regular endowment to Artair MacLeod, the first hus-band of Sir Harry’s wife, Fleur, becomes one of the first casualties in the makeover of the bank’s finances. A local paper takes up the story

and attracts the atten-tion of a whistle-blower eager to dish the dirt on Julian and his nefarious scheming.

With Sir Harry near death, the urgency to sell the bank and resolve the succession brings out the worst in a memorable cast of characters, which includes the trophy wife, the black sheep, the scorned but faith-ful secretary and the memorable Artair who, however buffoonish, represents the enduring

v a l u e s of art while the bar-barians are at the gate. There’s also an intrigu-ing Irish theme involv-

ing Flann O’Brien and Daniel Day-Lewis.

This is a cracking satire on a topical sub-ject and it’s beautifully observed. Enjoy!

For lots more book reviews and to keep up-to-date with the latest literary news, become a member of the Bord Gais Energy online book club, bordgaisen-ergybookclub.ie where you’ll find great recom-mendations for hours of entertainment in a good book!

Bad bank yarn a familiar tale in these times



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GazetteBEAUTYBEAUTYEssential make-up I

T’S a magic ingredient that can lift a com-plexion, leaving you with healthy, flushed

cheeks and, this autumn, there is an array of beau-tiful blushers out their to suit every skin type.

One of the prettiest is by Lancôme’s Global Make-up Director, Aaron de Mey, who says that, when he set about creat-ing the classic skincare company’s new autumn essential make-up col-lection, he wanted it to represent the staples of a chic, sophisticated wom-en’s make-up arsenal – red lips; brown-lined sculptures, defined eyes, groomed brows and fluffy lashes, neutral-coloured

make-up with metallic hints layered over matt sculpting, defining pow-ders. A return to simplic-ity and sophistication ...

“It allows me to show a glamorous, graphic, sophisticated make-up style: Brown-lined eyes with shades of taupe, red-painted lips and red or sparkly, black nails... very femme fatale,” says de May.

The collection’s blush-er Maison Lancôme is so pretty, you will almost be afraid to use it.

Designed like a vin-tage postcard, the very essence of Paris has been captured in this season’s blush palette. The silhouette of the Eif-

fel Tower, the typically Parisian Art Nouveau streetlamp lighting, the cobbled pavement out-side the historical House of Lancôme at 29, rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, make this palette a true work of art.

Aaron’s top tip: “Use as an overall cheek blush with a large, soft, fluffy brush, keeping it high and central on the cheek-bones. It adds soft, sheer colour and definition to the face by illuminating the cheekbones.”

Maison Lancôme Blush €45.00

Meanwhile, from Yves Saint Laurent, their Blush Radiance will leave you with a half-matte, half- Lancôme’s Maison Lancôme blusher (top left) and Yves Saint Laurent’s Blush Radiance

satin blush that captures the light and transforms it into colour.

There are six delicious shades to choose from including Impetuous Beige, Celestial Mauve, Brazen Plum, Incandes-cent Orange, Mysterious Red and Spellbinding Violet.

All about Blunt

She almost stole the show in The Devil Wears Prada and now British actress, Emily Blunt, has been announced as the new face and ambas-sadress of Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium fra-grance.

Blunt has become one of the most popular and respected young actress-es working today. From the unforgettable, career-minded secretary in the award-winning comedy, The Devil Wears Prada, to her dramatic portray-al of the young queen in the biopic, The Young Victoria, it’s easy to see why her performances have earned her a ream of fans throughout the globe. Both perform-


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ances earned her Gold-en Globe and BAFTA nominations. TV gave her one of her finest roles, playing Natasha in Gideon’s Daughter, for which she won a Golden Globe award for

best supporting actress.Blunt has starred

alongside such pres-tigious actors as Meryl Streep, Benicio del Toro, Matt Damon, Tom Hanks, Julia Rob-erts and Anthony Hop-

kins. And, in the next 12 months, she will be seen alongside Ewan McGregor in Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, opposite Joseph Gor-don-Levitt and Bruce Willis, in Looper, and

British actress, Emily Blunt, has been announced as the new face and ambassadress

of Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium fragrance

with Jason Segel in Five Year Engagement.

Speaking about her new role with Yves Saint Laurent she said: “I am very honoured to have been chosen to be the face of Opium by Yves Saint Laurent.

“I have huge admira-tion for the House of Yves Saint Laurent and feel that this House has always truly understood the expression of ele-gance – its mystique and its indescribable power.

“It is a really excit-i ng expe r i ence t o embody this legendary fragrance, which has stood the test of time without its allure ever being diminished. Being a part of this new cam-paign and being able to tell the story of this very evocative fragrance is a real thrill.”

Mary to ‘campaign with passion’THIS is my first week as a for-mal candidate for the Presidency, thanks to the support of a range

of councils across the country. The fact that this endorsement came from a huge cross-section of society, including councillors of almost all parties and none, was deeply gratifying. Anyone aspiring to the Office of President must be a unifying force.

Deciding to run for President is a major decision for any citizen to take. Deciding to seek that job in succession to one of the most admired and respected holders of the office, President Mary McAleese, was an even tougher one.

As someone who has served since 2004 on President McAleese’s Council of State, I have seen up close the passion, energy and conviction she has brought to the office. She has set the bar high for her successor. She has shown how the Presidency can reflect and embody all that is good and noble about our people.

Over the past months I have been develop-ing my vision of how my Presidency could work to rebuilding pride at home and restor-ing respect for Ireland internationally.

It reinforces the reality that I come to this campaign as a truly independent candidate: an independent candidate with no party political affiliations or political baggage.

I have no political background or celebrity status.

Instead, I come to this campaign with a

strong record of getting things done and working with ministers and public repre-sentatives from all parties and none – not only here at home, but also across the EU. My career as an advocate for those who have been excluded and marginalised has been about quietly and effectively build-ing coalitions and alliances to achieve our goals.

Now, that I have secured that place on the Presidential ballot paper, I will spend the next six weeks campaigning with passion and vigour to bring my message to every vil-lage, townland and community across this land, from Aughrim Street to Ahascragh and from Malin Head to Mahon.

We have had something of a phony cam-paign over recent months, focusing more on celebrity and the fortunes of political parties than on the role of the Office of the Presi-dent. The Presidency is much more impor-tant than that.

Now that the closing date for nominations has passed and the choices we have to make emerge, I believe the time has arrived for the real debate to begin.

That debate should be about the type of Presidency our people need today. It should be about the values we wish to see reflected in Áras an Uachtaráin, and about the way in which the Presidency can work to repair Ireland’s reputation on the international stage.

The message I take into this debate is clear and straightforward – as President I will take a role in restoring pride in our country at home whilst rebuilding respect for Ireland on the world stage.

Mary DavisPresidential Candidate

OPINION Candidate’s Presidential visionGazetteContacts

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Mary Davis


GazetteMOTORSMOTORS

THERE is new com-petition for the D segment of the car market, with the

arrival in recent weeks of the high-specification and keenly priced Hyundai i40. Given the specifica-tion and the performance of the car, it’s sure to be a real challenger for the cur-rent segment market lead-er, the Toyota Avensis.

The specification of the new i40 is impressive. There are some useful features on board, all at a much more affordable price that should put the entry 115bhp model on the road for a competitive €24,950, before delivery

charges.I drove an early edition

of the new Hyundai i40 at a dealer launch last May. Recently, I’ve had time to give the new i40 a longer test drive and get a feel for the car’s features, econo-my and performance.

There are two engine options for the new i40, both of which are based on the 1.7-litre turbo-diesel engine. There’s a choice of 115bhp or 136bhp and they each give reasonable driving power. I had the more powerful 136bhp version on the road in the higher priced Executive specifi-cation. That meant that I had the full specification package, with little left from the option sheet.

The higher-power car delivers more in terms of acceleration pace, but there is as always a com-promise in fuel economy and CO2 rating. The

entry model has a more sluggish pace with a 0 to 100km/hr rating of 12.9 seconds. The more powerful 136bhp version shaves about two seconds from this while only mar-ginally affecting the fuel economy figures.

Hyundai claims that this car’s value is hugely about running costs. The rated economy figure is 18.1km/litre (5.5l/100km) for this higher-power car. That should mean getting over 1,250km from a full 70- litre tank of diesel.

I didn’t achieve that level of economy, but was close to 1,100 km. That’s

still a good performance for a lively and comfort-able big car that weighs in almost as heavy as a Ford Mondeo estate.

Irrespective of engine choice, the cars have a low CO2 rating, 115gr (€104 annual tax) for the lower-power version and 135gr (€302 annual tax) for the more powerful car. Add that to the economy performance and run-ning costs will be low.

The interior of the new i40 is modern, while remaining functional and easy to use. Setting radio stations and the car’s Bluetooth mobile phone system is easy – I like that

ease of use feature. The car looks and

drives very well. It’s easy to drive and get comfort-able, with good seating and easy adjustment.

The entry price for the Hyundai i40 at €24,995 is very keen. That gives you good value, with modern styling and a five-year unlimited mileage war-ranty that alone is worth a lot. Moving up to the Executive option adds just €1,500 to the price. You get more features and more power, while the economy difference is minimal, and that’s why I believe this will be the most popular model.

Hyundai’s new gem in i40

NEW ELEC-TRIC VEHICLE AMBASSADOR: FOLLOWING a nationwide recruit-ment campaign in July to find a number of electric vehicle ambassadors, Renault has announced seven new recruits, including Ciaran O’Mahony, who will be based at Bill Cul-len Motor Group Airside.

Ciaran will be dedi-cated to the Renault range of electric vehicles and will help to build awareness and assist customers in making informed choices.

While the seven new EV Ambassadors will be experts in their field, the entire Renault network will be fully trained to sell electric vehicles.

Based in key dealerships around the country, these ambassadors will play a crucial part in the launch of Renault electric range of vehicles, which will see the Kangoo ZE arriving in November, followed by Fluence ZE in early 2012. Also in 2012, Renault will launch the Twizy, an urban two-seater quadricycle and the ZOE, a stylish com-pact hatch.

“Interest in the roles was very high and a huge number of applications were received,” said Sandra Rea, Electric Vehicle Project Manager at Renault Ireland. “These new recruits will be responsible for a number of tasks in the electric vehicle area.”

RoadRoadSignsSigns

AT THE Opel Ampera’s international media presentation in The Hague, Netherlands, last month, more than 1,000 journalists had an opportunity to assess the vehicle prior to its launch at the end of the year. One of the tests in the event’s Eco Drive Contest involved optimising the Ampera’s driving range in pure battery-powered mode by using an energy-efficient driving style.

According to the car’s technical specifications, it is possible to cover a distance of up to 80 kilometres in pure

electric drive mode on a single charge of the 16 kWh lithium ion battery. The results achieved in normal road traffic conditions were extremely convincing. Journalists who tackled the Eco Drive challenge successfully completed the 73 km test route on battery power and nearly a quarter had sufficient power left to cover at least a further 10 kilo-metres, according to the vehicle’s range indicator.

The most efficient driver could have driven a total distance of 95.3 kilome-

tres on battery power alone – roughly 15 kilometres more than the Ampera’s stat-ed maximum battery-powered range.

None of the participants risked run-ning out of battery power en route because the Ampera’s range-extender, a 1.4-litre gasoline engine, is used to generate power for the 111 kW/150 hp main electric motor if the battery becomes depleted. In this way, the four-passenger vehicle is the first electric car from a European manufacturer that is entirely suitable for everyday use due to

a total driving range of more than 500 kilometres.

Over 1,000 journalists gather to assess new Opel Ampera

Top speed: 180 km/hr

0 – 100km/hr: 12.9 sec

Economy: 23.2 km/litre

(4.3l/100km)

CO2 emissions: 113g/km

Road Tax Band: A (€104)

Warranty: 5 years

Entry Price: €24,995

SPECS: HYUNDAI I40 1.7D


The Opel Ampera. © GM Corp

The i40 combines stunning good looks with impressive economy, as MICHAEL MORONEY found out when he took it for a recent test drive

The new Hyundai i40 has a good size and solid feel to it, with the benefit of a full-size spare wheel and a high specification on the entry model at a competitive price

GazettePROPERTYPROPERTY20 GAZETTE 29 September 2011

Local amenities on their doorstep include Rathcoole Park, and there are primary and secondary schools with-in walking distance.

Some of the excel-lent Peyton house fea-tures include B1 energy ratings, no manage-

ment fees, a choice of Nolan fitted kitchens with granite worktops, and central vacuum systems. There are 9ft ceilings in living areas and kitchen appliances are included if the sale closes on time.

Viewing is recom-

mended and the show houses are open on Saturdays and Sundays from 2.30 to 5pm.

For further details, contact Glenn Burrell in Finnegan Menton, on (01) 614 7900 or Redmond Auctioneers at (01) 4589833.

Rose Cottage, Porterstown is on the market for the asking price of €395,000

A Rose Cottage by any other name

The fine interior design at Peyton is reflected across the range of house types

THE Peyton develop-ment in Rathcoole village is presenting to the market a new set of large three- and four-bedroom semi-d e t a c h e d h o u s e s , available from only €255,000.

There is a range of house layouts and sizes from 128 to 190 sq m, suitable for first-time buyers, trading up or down, and large family homes.

C o n s t r u c t e d b y Blackchurch Homes, these exclusive houses have a top-quality fin-ish at a very affordable price in a convenient village location.

All of the houses have large bedrooms, spacious living rooms, generous bathrooms and en-suites, decent sized gardens, and pri-vate driveways for two cars.

RATHCOOLE: SEMI-DETACHED LIVING IN VILLAGE

SHERRY Fitzgerald, Castleknock, are bring-ing Rose Cottage, Por-terstown, Dublin 15, a four-bedroom detatched bungalow, to the market for the asking price of €395,000.

L o c a t e d o f f t h e Por ters town Road , this bungalow, which extends to 1,700 sq ft, lies on .33 acre and offers enormous poten-tial to extend further, subject to planning per-mission.

Al though requ i r-ing modernisation, the accommodation is both bright and spacious.

The accommodation comprises an entrance hall with a wooden floor, alarm panel and

large storage cupboard, a living room, which overlooks the front of the property, and which has a cast-iron fireplace, a kitchen with fitted wooden units, a dining room with a patio door to the garden and an utility room with a tiled floor, and is plumbed for washing machine and dryer.

The bedrooms in the property are all double rooms, and the master bedroom has a walk-in closet, with feature cast-iron fireplace and wooden floors, as well as an en suite that con-tains a shower unit, whb and wc.

The bathroom suite comprises a free-stand-

ing bath, whb and wc.

Exterior appealOutside, The gardens

are well maintained and benefit from a westerly orientation, and it also

Peyton is still the place to be in Rathcoole

CASTLEKNOCK: A FOUR-BEDROOM DETACHED BUNGALOW FOR €395,000 IN D15

offers a high degree of privacy. There is a dual access driveway to the front, which provides ample off-street park-ing.

The property has an

alarm and oil-fired cen-tral heating.

Rose Cottage’s loca-tion is convenient to local schools, shops and restaurants in Clonsilla and Castleknock villag-

es. It is within a short distance of Castleknock Golf Club and the Phoe-nix Park.

Viewing is recom-mended and can be arranged by contacting

Carol Anne Galvin of Sherry FitzGerald, in Ashleigh Retail Centre, Main Street, Castle-knock, on 01 820 1800, or via e-mail on [email protected]


Unlock positive energy with bio-energy healing

Peter Woods, former Minister for Health, Dr Michael Woods, and Paddy Dalton at the launch

ENERGY BILLSQ – I am thinking of revamping my home to avail of some

of the energy grants available. My energy bills are huge

and upgrading now can save me money, both in the

short-term through these grants and the long-term

from the savings on monthly energy costs. Can you let

me know what grants precisely are available and how

do I go about applying for them ? Paul - Wicklow

A - “Better Energy Options” is the new recently launched

revamped energy grant scheme and replaced three differ-

ent grant schemes – Home Energy Savings Scheme, Warmer

Home schemes and the Greener Homes scheme. Here are

some of the grants available.

• Solar panel water heating system - € 800

• Heating control upgrades - €400

• Upgrading to a high-efficiency boiler – € 560

• Cavity wall insulation - € 320

• Building Energy Rating (BER) grant - €80 ( you must get

a BER rating as part of the application )

You apply to the Department of Energy via the Sustainable

Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) who administer the grant

schemes. You must also use a registered SEAI contractor

to do the work and complete a declaration of works, while

all payments are paid after completion of the works not

before. Contact details are [email protected] or www.seai.ie/

betterenergyhomes or Lo-call 1850 927 000

SUB PRIME LOANSQ – I have a € 240,000 loan with a sub-prime lender

taken out six years ago. At that time, I had missed a

couple of repayments on my car loan and my adviser

said the mainstream lenders would not consider me

for a loan. I did not really understand the consequenc-

es – all I wanted was a home for my family. I have main-

tained the repayments every month but am now begin-

ning to feel the pinch – my interest rate is 7.5% and I am

paying €1,678 per month at the moment. I could save

over € 600 a month by moving to a high street lender.

What are my chances ? David - Clontarf

A - The Irish Credit Bureau (ICB) in Clonskeagh Dublin 14 is

a lender’s first port of call to check your credit history.

Missed payments stay on record for 5 years but if you have

kept the nose clean these past five years, then you may

have a case to swap back to a normal lender. The whole idea

of sub-prime was a kind of purgatory – you did your pen-

ance but after a while, you were allowed to come back into

the fold.

Here is your checklist to see if you qualify with a high street

lender :

1. Check with the ICB to see if your credit record is now clear

2. Ensure the loan-to-value is less than 80% - so the valua-

tion of your home should be in excess of € 300,000 based on

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ANSWERS TO YOUR PERSONAL FINANCE QUESTIONS

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ON Thursday, September 22, bio-energy experts, Celtic Healing, opened their Dublin treatment centre at the Sands Hotel in Portmarnock.

The centre will now be open every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8am until late.

Bio-energy healers have been unlocking positive ener-gy and clearing energy sys-tems for scores of celebrities and sports people all over the world. Firm devotees include Kylie Minogue, Liz Hurley, Donna Karan, the Duchess of York and her daughters and, of course, Michael Flatley is Ire-land’s best known bio-energy success story.

After being plagued by a mystery virus for two years, Irish dancing supremo, Michael Flatley, was com-pletely cured. Not because of a good dose of vitamin C, yoga or osteopathy, but, intriguingly, thanks to a bio-energy healer. Bio-energy healing has also been winning a big following among sports people plagued by injuries.

“Having seen the wide variety of ailments that have been healed with Bio-energy

therapy, I am delighted to be opening this healing centre in Dublin.

“Healing without drugs, sur-gery or painful manipulation is something that most people want,” said Peter Woods of Celtic Healing.

Bio-energy healing is an effective, holistic technique for the treatment of physical ill-ness, emotional blocks, mental obstacles and spiritual issues. It is based on the understanding that each of us is a complex, interactive energy system.

Historical records document energy healing over 3,500 years ago and Bio-energy is what the life force in humans is referred to as. When we get a blockage in our energy system, the ener-gy stagnates and this leads to illness and/or discomfort.

Guests at the launch includ-ed former Minister for Health Dr Michael Woods, acclaimed author Bernadette Bohan, Today FM DJ Tony Fenton, personal trainer to the stars Paul Byrne and wife Siobhan, beauty guru Triona McCarthy and Miss North County Dub-lin, Rebecca Maher.

A standard course of treat-

ments with Celtic Healing is five sessions and this is effec-tive for 95% of clients. Treat-ment takes place in a relaxed environment, on a one-to-one basis, with each session lasting approximately 30 minutes. A client record is taken, includ-ing medical history.

Treatment is non-invasive, with minimal physical contact. Clients remain fully clothed, except for their shoes. The therapist may give advice on energy balancing techniques, diet and exercise. Bio-energy can help with all ailments - arthritis, asthma, ADHD, migraine, insomnia, back pain, stress, ME, eczema, psoriasis, acne, IBS and bowel prob-lems, acid reflux and digestive problems.

Bio-energy has also been very effective as a comple-mentary therapy for people suffering from cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. An ailment is a symptom. The energy blockage is the root of the problem. The therapist will clear the blockage and the body will start to heal itself.

Bio-energy is a comple-mentary therapy and works

in conjunction with conven-tional medicine but it can speed up healing time on all injuries, sports, accidents, minor and major.

It is especially effective after operations and proce-dures in hospital and can help lessen pain and dis-comfort pre- and post-med-ical intervention.

“The body has very power-ful healing abilities. The doctor puts a cast on a broken limb but the body heals the bone. A cut scabs up and heals of its own accord.

“These are just a couple of obvious examples of the body’s own ability to heal itself but by clearing blockages from the energy system, it allows the body to begin the healing process,” said Paddy Dalton of Celtic Healing about his bio-energy technique.

Celtic Healing Clinics are now taking place at the Sands Hotel in Portmarnock, Co Dublin on Tuesday, Wednes-day and Thursdays from 8am until late.

Call 01 8390344 for appoint-ments or see www.celticheal-ing.ie.

HEALTH: CELTIC HEALING OPEN DUBLIN TREATMENT CENTRE

A perfect setting for family fun at Heritage

DAWN LOVE

THERE were two main highlights for me when it came to the five star Her-itage Golf and Spa Resort in Laois. Set amidst roll-ing countryside and a spectacular golf course, it’s easy to see why it has become a huge hit with families.

Quite simply, there is plenty to do and some-thing for every member of the family to enjoy. Firstly, for the golfing enthusiasts, there is a spectacular Steve Balles-tero’s golf course.

And, if teeing off isn’t your cup of tea, then the 5km private walking track, which encircles the championship course, is ideal for everything from a fast-paced run, to a gen-tle stroll after dinner.

The accommodation

(we stayed in a family suite) was also spacious and comfortable, while the health club comes with a 15m leisure pool (a little on the cool side for my taste) and fully- equipped fitness studio.

But for me, the ultimate treat was the Heritage’s stunning and award-win-ning spa. Using products from the luxurious and organic Pevonia Botani-ca range, loved by Holly-wood big names such as Sharon Stone and Susan Sarandon, there is a mul-titude of treatments to choose from.

My therapist was Grace, and I’d highly rec-ommend asking for her if you do happen to visit the spa. After chatting to me and taking a good look at my skin (which is combination, to be exact), Grace decided on

a Pevonia Prescription Facial (€85) which lasts for one hour. This can be tailor-made to suit your skin type and, to be frank, it was divine. Along with using products that were tailored to suit my com-plexion, she also concen-trated on stimulating my lymph system.

After this, I enjoyed a total Back Ritual (€85), which also lasts for one hour. Essentially this is a specialised back ‘facial’, which cleanses, polishes and thoroughly massages the back muscles.

Floated

I literally floated back up to our room after-wards and, I must admit, I have become a firm fan of the Pevonia range, in particular its De-Aging Saltimousse Papaya-Pineapple scrub and the

De-Aging Body Balm-Papaya Pineapple, since our break at the Herit-age.

But, as I said, there were two main highlights for me when it came to our stay and, after a thorough-ly relaxing spell in the spa, dinner at Sol Oriens Ital-ian Restaurant & Steak-house was next up.

I’d heard about Sol Oriens before went down to the Heritage for our stay. Friends had said it was perfect for dining out with a toddler in tow and, indeed, it is the ideal venue for more relaxed dining, with its open kitchen and classical Italian theme.

My husband and I are big fans of Bruchetta Al Pomodoro (€6.25) so we both opted for this as a starter. It came on crispy, sourdough bread and was topped with delicious, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, red onion and extra virgin oil.

Next up, Dylan chose the Grilled Sea Bass Fil-let served with Beurre Blanc (€22). This com-prised a fillet of sea bass, topped with fresh toma-toes, red onion, coriander and extra-virgin olive oil served on a bed of mashed potato, and he loved it.

I chose the Filleto Manzo (€26) – a 10oz Irish fillet steak grilled and served with sautéed mushrooms and onions, all of which also came

with creamy mashed potato.

For dessert, we both had Panna Cotta, the classic Italian desert that completed a perfect evening.

Breakfast was also deli-cious. We had just walked the 5km track around the golf course and were more than ready for a hearty feed. I opted for a croissant and porridge, while Dylan had a full Irish. Our toddler, Harry, had a mixture of both and was clearly in his ele-ment as the restaurant staff fussed over him.

All in all, it was a relax-ing family stay with the advantage of just being within an hour of Dublin city centre.

For further details on special offers and prices at The Heritage Golf and Spa Resort, Killenard, County Laois, you can call 057 864 5500 or visit www.theheritage.com

With a setting in the rolling

Virginia Pumpkin Festival to attract festival fans from all over Ireland over the Bank HolidayTAKING place over the October Bank Holiday Weekend, October 28 to 31, the fifth-annual Vir-ginia Pumpkin Festival is Ireland’s most unique and quirkiest event, attracting festival fans and pumpkin growers from Ireland and overseas to celebrate pumpkin season.

Visitors will be kept entertained by the Pump-kin Weigh-in Competition, Ireland’s largest fancy dress party, a sensational samba band, artisan arts and crafts, and music from headline act, The Waterboys, on Saturday night.

Hotels.com has some great deals on offer in and around Virginia, so get pumped and make sure not to miss out the festivities.

WHERE TO STAY

Lakeside Manor Hotel (three-star) – Virginia

Prices start from €100 per room per night from October 28 – 31 on hotels.com

Situated on the shores of Lough Ramor, the Lakeside Manor Hotel is the perfect haven for a relaxing family break. If you have time to spare after the festival, you can go horseback riding, catch a play at the local theatre or relax in the walled garden hotel bar.

Headfort Arms (three-star) - Kells

Prices start from €120 per room per night, from October 28 – 31 on hotels.com

Located just a short drive from Virginia, this hotel is complete with a spa and golf course. A family run property, the Headfort Arms is an intimate property perfect for a relaxing weekend away.

Cabra Castle Hotel (four-star) - Kingscourt

Prices start from €110 per room per night, from October 28 – 31 on hotels.com

This beautiful four-star manor property is com-plete with a golf course, tennis courts, spa, restau-rant and lounge. A babysitting service is available on request and guests can avail of complimentary breakfast every morning.

All prices are subject to availability at the time of booking.

FastTravel

GazetteTTRAVELRAVEL22 GAZETTE 29 September 2011

One of the large, sumptuous suites

countryside and views of the spectacular golf course, the five-star Heritage Golf and Spa Resort in Laois is a huge hit with families

Relax and unwind the night before your flight from Dublin Airport at the Hilton at Clare Hall

MIMI MURRAY

ON a recent trip abroad we decided to be ultra- indulgent, or very sensible, whichever way you choose to look at it, and spend the night before our flight in an airport hotel.

The Hilton is situated just minutes away from Dublin Airport in Clare Hall. The hotel has underground parking, so we decided to leave our car there for the duration of our trip at a reasonable rate.

The hotel is really comfortable and boasts a bar and restaurant, which seems to be filled with locals, as well as transient guests.

Our bedroom was really comfortable and quite spacious with a very comfy bed.

We dined in the hotel and were very pleas-antly surprised to see that the menu was quite adventurous and to our liking.

After a smoked salmon starter and lots of delicious homemade breads, we chose from the grill – a fillet steak with bearnaise for me and a striploin for my husband. Both were very well cooked and came with loads of delicious extras. The wine list was very good with plenty of choice and we retired to the bar for an after dinner drink. Staff were ultra-attentive and really pleasant. The manageress said they are very much like a big family, and that includes a lot of the regular business guests who spend weeks at a time at the hotel.

After a very restful night, we had a scrummy breakfast with loads of delicious breads, pastries, fruit and coffee on offer, as well as a decent selection of cooked breakfast. We checked out and waited for our minibus, which had us at the airport terminal within minutes.

After a fun-filled four days in Spain, we returned home and our minibus was waiting for us at the designated spot. It was just a case of hopping in our car and making the journey home, relaxed and far less exasperated than normal.

TravelBriefs

Edited by

Mimi Murray


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The pool area

The spa experience

Junior Suite living area Afternoon Tea by the fireplace


GazetteENTERTAINMENTENTERTAINMENT

An impishly creepy taleThere’s not much light relief in this tale of basement-dwelling creatures trying to get a child to let them out to play with her

KATE CROWLEY

WHERE is it? It’s around here somewhere, I just know it ... Readers! (Yes, both of you.) Have either of you seen my Gone Fishin’ sign?

Frankly, despite the soft, gentle arctic winds of autumn gusting across Dublin at the moment, I’ve never felt more like hangin’ my Gone Fishin’ sign on the back of my Gazette Towers’ throne, grabbing a jar of wigg-lin’ earthworms and sit-tin’ down at the banks of the Liffey, thanks to the decidedly poor offer-ings marchin’ up to our screens, this week.

Faced with the likes of Cane Toads: The Con-quest, and Shark Night 3D – not to mention the return of Katie Holmes – this has never seemed like a better week for me to master my Sudoku skills.

Still, for the purpose of this week’s review, there’s no place like Holmes, so

let’s take a look at her lat-est film, Don’t be Afraid of the Dark.

Here, presented under the guiding hands of pro-ducer, Guillermo del Toro – the filmmakers have turned in a creepy hor-ror. (Personally, I tend to think that most films with Ms Holmes turn out to be a horror, but I digress.)

Following a gruesome, scene-setting intro, we flash forward to the present day, where a down-on-his luck archi-tect, Alex (Pearce) moves into a creaking, crum-bling, gothic pile with his girlfriend Kim (Holmes)

and his daughter, Sally (a terrific performance by Madison).

In time-honoured fash-ion, the long abandoned house has a gruesome, if forgotten past – remem-ber the intro, folks? – but all Alex can see is the chance to do a nice refurb job on the house, and get back on his feet, while at the same time the gals can bond.

Because, of course, where better to hole up with a withdrawn child and a new girlfriend for some quality family time together than in a creepy old house?

It’s not long before curious Sally discovers that the house is full with the kind of mysteries that you tend not to see listed on property websites – including a secret, sealed-up basement, and a mys-terious fireplace that Sally seems to think has some... things... living in it being chief among such points.

Of course, if a bright kid tells you that there are tiny, creepy monsters living in the fireplace she found in a secret base-ment, all set in the kind of house that Norman Bates would pass by to stay in a motel instead, you should probably believe them.

Also, of course, Alex doesn’t believe Sally, who can not only hear the mysterious, tiny creatures in the fireplace endlessly whispering and calling to her to let them out and “play”, but can glimpse them, and see their mali-cious handiwork, which they revel in – as long as there’s plenty of darkness

around to hide in.It’s not long before the

creatures have escaped and are loose around in the house, where – cru-cially – it’s perfectly clear that, yes, the creatures are very real, and dangerous, and that a crunchy, deli-cioussss child would be jusssst lovely, thank you.

Oh, if only the family had listened to the griz-zled groundskeeper, who warned them about the house!

With Kim gradually coming around to believ-ing Sally, yet Alex dismiss-ing their fears, the scene is set for a showdown: house versus humans. The only problem is, they should all be very afraid of the dark ...

Sure, we’ve all seen house-of-horror shows before – I used to have to review Changing Rooms, after all – but this is a creepily enjoyable addi-tion to the genre. Maybe next week I’ll be Gone Fishin’ instead.

Sally (Bailee Madison) has just what every child needs – a creepy old house, malignant imps living in its secret basement, and a camera to

help prove they’re real (with a flash that might keep the light-senstive creatures at bay) in this interesting new horror

GoingOUTGoingOUTMILL THEATRE 01 296 9340 Ger Carey LiveTHE workings of the teenage brain are a mystery – unless you’re Ger Carey, whose comic show proves that he knows what it’s like to be a teenager. Aimed at young people between the ages of 15 and 18, his one-man show is set to help teenagers laugh at themselves and the complexities of their lives. Ger also says that grown-ups are welcome. Catch Ger’s show at 11.20am on Thursday, September 29, with admission costing €10 (teachers free).

DRAIOCHT 01 885 2622Brian KennedyFOR Brian’s many fans of his singular voice and singing style, this is a show not to be missed, as he can be relied on to croon through some of his many hits. Well-known as a leading singer, he is, perhaps, lesser-known as an author, proving that he’s a man of many talents – however, his singing skills will be to the fore at 8pm on Thursday, September 29 in Driaocht’s Main Auditorium, with tickets priced at €22/€18 conc.

PAVILION THEATRE 01 231 2929Faith HealerBRIAN Friel’s striking play, Faith Healer, takes to the Pavilion stage, ready to bring the audience on a journey across Scotland and Wales with a faith healer and his companions, as he meets the sick by forests and mountains. But are Frank’s miraculous cures real, and what is the price the afflicted must pay? See this dramatic production of Faith Healer on Friday, September 30 or Saturday, October 1, at 8pm, with tickets priced at €21/€19.

FILM OF THE WEEK: Don’t be Afraid of the Dark (16) 97 mins

OUR VERDICT:WHO would have thought that a long-abandoned house could be full of creepy secrets? With famed intellectual-horror director, Guillermo del Toto, having a helping hand in the film, this feels more like a scaled-down Pan’s Basement rather than Pan’s Labyrinth, but that’s no bad thing. We’ve all seen this kind of film before, and yet, it’s an enjoyable enough creepy tale to follow.

Director: Troy NixeyStarring: Guy Pearce, Katie Holmes, Bailee Madison, a grizzled groundskeeper, a creepy house, and murderous goblin things


SHANE DILLON

I HOPE that the zombies found at the top of the charts recently enjoyed their brief time in the sun, because one thing’s for sure – once Gears of War 3 was released on XBox 360, Dead Island (see panel, right) had about as much chance of staying in place as a Locust footsoldier facing Marcus Fenix.

For those who don’t know what either a Locust footsoldier (or a Marcus Fenix) is, the Gears of War (GoW) series follows a dwindling band of des-perate human survivors on Sera, a world that’s quite similar to our own.

It’s similar, except for the fact that humanity’s facing extinction, with a mass horde of Locusts (a subterranean race of

murderous creatures) having overrun most of the planet, leaving behind ruined cities, utter devas-tation – and millions of happy gamers, all follow-ing a supersoldier, Mar-cus, in his footsteps, band of brothers in tow.

An XBox-exclusive title, Gears has established itself as a key franchise for Microsoft’s gaming fans, and this latest addi-tion, while not exactly a revolution, certainly builds upon many of the already highly-polished strengths that fans relish in the series.

A day before it hit the shelves on its world-wide launch date, I called in to the GoW3 launch party in the centre of Dublin, where hordes of Gears fans were entranced by the hordes of Locusts filling the screens, with

Gears guns for the topGazetteGAMINGGAMING

single-player and multi-player missions playing out across the venue.

GoW3 certainly looked terrific (which gameplay videos on social plat-forms are already ably proving), while, away from the busy single-player storyline screens, the multiplayer rounds

were providing plenty of concentration amongst Gears fans – and occa-sional laughter, too.

This, claimed as the third and final part in the Gears trilogy, has been hailed as an emotional way to end the series, packed with punchy set-pieces, spectacular vis-

tas, intense action and, as always, Gears’ strik-ing world of “destroyed beauty”, as ravaged cit-ies and foul landscapes are traversed. So far, so Gears, so great.

I’ll be returning to Gears soon, with a more detailed look at its single and multiplayer modes.

Tipperary Hurler, Padraic Maher, and Leinster and Irish Rugby Player, Shane Horgan,

fight their way past merchandising to be among the first to play Gears of War 3

Market needs

more Vita-lityWITH Sony’s hand-held gaming division now firmly locked in a pincer movement with Nintendo on one side, and Apple on the other, the stakes have never been higher for its revamped PSP – the Vita – to kickstart its handheld fortunes.

Despite the PSP having decent power, my own experience has been that they’re rarer than hen’s teeth around Dublin, and, indeed, with it proving tough to find an okay range of PSP games in most Dublin stores, it remains to be seen how well Sony can hit back with the Vita.

With even Ninten-do’s recently launched 3DS slumping in the markets, Sony isn’t the only player praying for some Vita-lity to return to the struggling hand-held console sector.

Another weebyte

Dead Island is found to be a hitSEEING as I briefly mentioned it recently, there’s no harm in adding that Techland’s multi-platform title, Dead Island, promptly shuffled its way to the top of games’ charts in many markets, mark-ing, perhaps, an unexpectedly strong success for the adult title.

Its flaws are many, including being a game that very much merits its Cert 18 rating; some quite unsa-voury character designs and scripting; a particularly badly developed and executed plot; simply dread-ful voice-over work; some teeth-grindingly infuriat-ing control issues and broken game logic, and –

Well, despite all of the many things wrong with the title, it also seems to get a lot of things right, with its gory graphics, frequently frenetic action, and occasionally very pretty scene setting (with beautiful beaches and jungles that surpass both of the Far Cry and Crysis series) proving a hit with gamers, hungry for something a little different.

Certainly not a title for children, its open-world setting and multi-mission, RPG-like tactics show that there’s still plenty of life in the zombie genre ...

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GazetteSPORT29 September 2011 CASTLEKNOCK GAZETTE 27

sport@gazettegroup.

com

UP to 1,000 canoeists from Ireland and abroad will take part in the Great Outdoors Liffey Descent on Saturday, October 8.

Originally due to take place in mid-September, the event was postponed due to low water levels.

The Great Outdoors Liffey Descent is one of the biggest events of its kind in the world and is

not for the faint-hearted. The 28km course com-bines long, flat water sections, swift currents, 10 weirs and numerous rapids, a heavily wooded section and a long por-tage around Leixlip dam. Paddlers will need skill, stamina and courage to complete the race.

The ESB will release 30 tonnes of water from the Poulaphouca Res-ervoir to coincide with the race. This brings the river up to flood level

and transforms small rapids and gentle weirs into foaming white water.

Started back in 1960 as an inter-club event, the illustrious Great Outdoors Liffey Descent kayaking race now attracts paddlers from many parts of the world and is a major event on the international calen-dar. The race will play host to some serious marathon competitors, but the majority of par-

LIFFEY DESCENT: ICONIC ANNUAL CANOEING EVENT RESCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER

The Liffey Descent will hit the water on October 8 with over 1,000 participants picking up their paddles

Descent back on track for 2011’s vintage races

ticipants are recreation-al paddlers whose main aim is to complete the course.

Speaking this week, Karl Dunne, of the Canoe Union said: “This event is one-of-a-kind. The atmosphere on the day as competitors

approach the start line at Straffan is second-to-none.

“A mixture of nervous anticipation and friendly banter is abundant. It is a brilliant event to have on the Irish kayaking calendar and we hope that the success of pre-

vious years will continue for the 2011 event.”

The event is renowned for its Irish party atmos-phere but also guaran-teed good conditions. That’s thanks to the ESB which releases 30 tonnes of water from the Poulaphouca Res-

ervoir to coincide with the race.

This brings the river up to flood level and trans-forms small rapids and gentle weirs into furious torrents and foaming white water walls.

To register, visit www.liffeydescent.com

SEPTEMBER STARS: SEPTEMBER STARS: This month’s Dublin This month’s Dublin Sport Awards nominees Sport Awards nominees announced announced Page 29Page 29

GazetteSportSport28 CASTLEKNOCK GAZETTE 29 September 2011

LEINSTER LEAGUE DIV 1ACoolmine RFC 19

Dundalk 10 [email protected]

AFTER A rocky start, Coolmine notched up their first league win of the season last week against Dundalk.

This was an important match for both sides, as they both had lost their opening league games last week.

A betting man would have put his money on the visitors, as Cool-mine were defeated twice last year by Dun-dalk, and the home side were missing several of their front-line players, including captain Brian Moran and their half-back pairing.

A great catch from Geoff Mullen from the Coolmine kick-off set the tone.

However, it was the visitors who got the first scoring opportuni-ty and they capitalised, converting their second penalty after eight min-utes.

Coolmine seemed to have sorted out all their set-piece problems from last week, and it was from the scrum plat-form that they got their score after 28 minutes.

Pressure on the front row saw the uncon-trolled ball popping out of the Dundalk scrum.

Scr um-ha l f L iam Power was quickest to respond and ran in under the posts for the home side’s first try.

Conor Hayes, taking over kicking duties for the day, made no mis-take with the conver-sion.

Two minutes later, and Coolmine were

back on the attack again. A darting run from Rob Kiersey cut through the Dundalk defence, his offload set-ting David Stacey free, who was stopped just short of the line, but the quickly recycled ball got to the hands of Hayes, who touched down in the corner.

Two long-range pen-alties failed to go over for Coolmine, leaving them going into the break 12-3 ahead.

Dundalk failed to pull back any points after several missed penalties of their own at the start of the second period of play, but did enjoy a sustained period of pressure inside the Coolmine 22, but the defence held and they came away frustrated with nothing to show for their hard work.

Dundalk looked like they may have snatched a score back after 18 minutes, but a fine back line move was called back for a forward pass.

Two minutes later, Coolmine had a lineout just outside the visitors’ 22.

T h e b a l l w a s n ’ t caught cleanly but they managed to keep pos-session and flash it out to the back line. Ruairi Farrell met the line at

speed and his momen-tum took him over for the third try of the game. With less than 20 minutes left the chase was on for the bonus point try and, despite constant pressure, they failed to breach the Dundalk defence.

Dundalk had the last say breaking out of their own 22 to run the length of the pitch for a consolation try, with the conversion being the last kick of the game.

’Mine back on form

RUGBY: LEINSTER LEAGUE WIN FOR COOLMINE AT HOME

Coolmine’s first team registered their first win in Leinster League Division 1A at Ashbrook last week

St Brendan’s miss out on Division 6 victoryST BRENDAN’S Phoenix Park hockey club were defeated by a determined Three Rock Rovers side at home last week in Division 6.

Three Rock started at pace and were two goals to the good within the opening quarter, in spite of St Brendan’s trying their best to get their season off to a positive start.

Just before half-time, Rian Kavanagh took advantage of a cross by sweeper Sean Wylie to give Brendan’s a lifeline.

Unfortunately, Three Rock scored again almost from the off, and they were four to the good soon afterwards.

Kavanagh scored again, but Rock solidified the tie with another goal.

If anyone is interested in joining the club, contact [email protected]

FastSport

Tyrrelstown

teams join up

for casino funTYRRELSTOWN Soccer Club and Tyrrelstown GAA Club are holding a joint casino night on Friday, October 14, from 9pm at Jack O’Neill’s pub, Tyrrelstown.

The pub will be redesigned on the night to create the ambience of a real casino, with professional card dealers present at every table, special

Black Jack and Roulette tables and slot machines.

A substantial sum will be won on the night by the highest roller, and other prizes include hotel vouchers, a signed Dublin All-Ireland jersey, and a signed Republic of Ireland soccer jersey.

Individual tickets are priced at €20 each while a bulk purchase of five tickets will cost €80.

For ticket details and enquiries, contact Michael Ormsby on 086 086 5336.

in association with


FastSport

FORMER St Columba’s student Ian McKinley drew his alma mater in a couple of tough draws as he and Shane Horgan con-ducted the Leinster Senior and Junior Devel-opment Cup and Shield draws last weekend.

The Rathfarnham school will face up- and-coming St Fintan’s HS, Sutton in the second round of the McMullen Cup, while their Junior side will face St Patrick’s Classi-cal School, Navan, in round one of the Duff Cup.

In the senior development cup, Lucan CC have been pitted against Firhouse CS in the second round, which will be played on Octo-ber 12. On the same date, Castleknock CS will face Celbridge’s Salesians College while Oatlands play Portmarnock and Malahide CS face Drogheda Grammar.

At Junior level, Castleknock CS face Colaiste Choilm, Swords on October 10.

Schools learn opponents

in Development Cup

WELCOME to the 2011 Dublin Sports Awards, as we mark our local sportsmen and women’s September sport-ing achievements across the capital and, indeed, across the nation.

We’re delighted to once again be able to celebrate the finest achievements in Dub-

lin sport, with some huge efforts at local levels coming to our attention in a variety of well-known, and some, less prominent, sports.

Every form of sporting achievement, at any level and in any sport, is valuable and gives an indication of the diversity of sporting commit-

ment there is around our fair city at all times of the year.

Let us know!Let us know about your

achievements in sport, so that the Gazette can tell the rest of Dublin — and give you, or your team, a chance of being one of our monthly stars.

Contact us on 01 601 0240 or [email protected] to tell us all about your suc-cesses, and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/gazettesport.

You can also check out the latest stories from Gazette-Sport at our new website, www.gazettegroup.com

STARof the

MONTHDEIRDRE RYANDUNDRUM South Dublin athlete Ryan secured her berth at the 2012 London Olympics, jumping the A standard in Daegu when she claimed the sixth place in the high jump world championships this month.

MOSES IKPEFUAKNOCKMITTEN runner Moses won the Under-8 boys’ 60m title at Athlone in the national Community Games’ finals early in September, defeating opponents from around the country in style.

NICOLA RYANLUCAN resident Ryan became an Australian Rules’ world champion when she helped Ireland to claim the inaugural women’s International Cup in Melbourne with a 39-8 victory over Canada.

TEAMof the

MONTH

2011 DUBLIN SPORTS AWARDS - SEPTEMBER NOMINEES

ST BRIGID’SA LAST-gasp free finally put St Brigid’s junior B footballers into seventh heaven when they claimed the championship title against St Finian’s of Newcastle following an epic final earlier this month.

DUBLIN FOOTBALLERS THE sons of Dublin foot-ball finally achieved their potential on the national stage when they put 16 years of hurt behind them to lift the Sam Maguire trophy at Croke Park in front of a jubi-lant home support.

ST SYLVESTER’S ST SYLVESTER’S celebrat-ed their first All-Ireland hurling title a little over 18 months after claim-ing the Leinster Junior championship title when they won the St Jude’s Junior 7s Shield in mid-September.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Ford offer top

travelling prize

for Ireland fans FORD, official vehicle supplier to the FAI, are offering football fans in Dublin the chance to win an exclusive VIP package to the Republic of Ireland’s eagerly anticipated European Championship crunch qualifier against Armenia at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday, October 11.

Ford will look after the transport to and from the game for the winner and his/her friend by supplying a Ford

vehicle and personal chauffeur to pick them up on the day of the big match. The prize also includes a night’s accommodation in a Dublin hotel with pre-match dinner included, a pair of tickets to the game, and a chance to meet the players in the players’ lounge following the final whistle, as well as chauffeur-driven transport back home the following day.

To enter, fans just need to email [email protected] and let Ford know of a great journey they’ve experienced to a previous football match.

GazetteSportSport30 CASTLEKNOCK GAZETTE 29 September 2011

[email protected]

CASTLEKNOCK Celt-ic’s NDSL U-13C side started their league campaign and provided an exciting and tightly-fought contest against Swords Manor last week-end.

Max Trigub struck after only three minutes for the home side, following a long ball behind the Swords’ defence.

A very pacey Swords’ attack was kept at bay by the Celtic defence, particularly Aaron Cun-ningham, who worked hard throughout, and, behind him, Johnny O’Shea made some criti-

cal saves that made him a definite candidate for man of the match.

Play went from end to end with no further goals conceded by either team until the 28th minute of the second half. The Swords’ midfielder, who was a real threat throughout, volleyed home a fine cross from the right for a deserved equaliser.

The game looked destined for a draw, but Celtic launched one final assault from midfield. A through ball was brought under control by Trigub, who crossed for James Yeskersky to slot home the winner past the goal-

keeper’s outstretched right hand. A great team effort earned Celtic the points, and will instil some confidence for the season ahead.

Elsewhere, the AUL Division 1 Saturday side registered a romping win against Balscadden at home when they defeat-ed the visitors by 4-2 in their first round game at home in the Leinster Junior Cup.

Ronan McGivern put his team on their way with a deft header after five minutes, before Al O’Grady, Daragh McGowan and Billy Thompson completed the scoring for Celtic.

The NDSL 18 Pre-mier side produced a superb Leinster Football Association Cup away win against Ballymun United. Brian Slevin was twice on target, while Wale completed the scoring for Celtic. The club send their best wish-es for a speedy recovery to Celtic’s long-serving player, Mo Mahady, who suffered a suspected bro-ken ankle.

In the DDSL 18 Pre-mier, Athlone Town visit-ed Porterstown for their first round tie against Castleknock Celtic, and must have fancied themselves after putting seven goals past Bohe-

mians recently. Athlone did take the lead rather fortunately when the centre forward scored with the help of a heavy deflection, but Celtic got into the game and played some good football.

Luc Caut ley was unlucky not to score after rounding the last defender and shooting narrowly wide, Eoghan Bradshaw had a good header brilliantly saved by the Athlone keeper, and Stephen Ken-na’s powerful header skimmed the post.

A free kick late on led to Celtic conceding a second goal, which flat-tered the visitors.

’Knock stride on in league

SOCCER: SEASON CONTINUES WITH MORE SUCCESS FOR CELTS

Max Trigub scores the winner for Castleknock Celtic’s NDSL Under-13s against Swords Manor

Summerfest

set for next

weekendTHE 2011 Tesco mobile SARI Sum-merfest, the largest intercultural soccer tournament in Ire-land, is set to take part this year at the Garda and Camogie Sports Grounds, in Phoenix Park on September 10 and 11 from 11am to 5pm each day.The Summerfest will also coinciude with the CONCERN kitefest, where kite flyers from around the world will dis-play their kites and give kite workshops for children.The two-day festival also includes a wide array of entertain-ment for all the family.

For more informa-tion, see www.facebook.com/sar-ireland.

Castleknock

Celtic seeking

ladies talentCASTLEKNOCK Celtic FC’s ladies and girls section are recruiting new talent to the cllub for the soccer season start-ing later this month.

If you were born in 1996 or earlier, visit the club’s website at www.castleknock-celtic.com, and pass on your name and contact details in the How To Join section provided on the site.

The club are also looking to recruit girls born in 2001/2002 to play soccer in the Dubli-Girls Soccer League.

FastSport

ST OLIVER Plunketts/Eoghan Ruadh will play in their first ever Senior A final after they qualified for the Shield final in which they will face Na Fianna.

The Tom Savage Park club have been push-ing the boundaries in recent years, reaching a Leinster league final and stepping up to the top tier and this is a further achievement for the club.

The senior A championship final will see the meeting of Ballyboden St Enda’s and Raheny in the 2011 OZO Senior A Cham-pionship final next Sunday next at 11am in Parnell Park.

These match-ups came as a result of last weekend’s semi-finals in Trinity Gaels’ Druimnigh ground.

Plunkett’s camogie into first Dublin senior final

Memories from Ashbrook: Leinster lads in attendanceCOOLMINE RFC were looking back in the archives recently and uncovered a number of photos from recent years, including this one that captured Lein-ster and Ireland star, Johnny Sexton’s visit to the Ashbrook club with Chris Keane and Christian Warner.

Fans can check out all the photo-graphs on the club’s website at cool-minerfc.com.

If you would like a copy of any of the photos, e-mail [email protected]

in association with

. CLUB NOTICEBOARD

ANOTHER historic week in the his-

tory of the club with our adult ladies

winning the B championship by over-

coming St Jude’s. This is the first

adult ladies championship won by

the club. Well done to all involved.

Our adult A hurlers clinched pro-

motion with a tense draw against

Scoil Ui Chonaill.

For the first time in our history,

we now have an adult intermediate

hurling team. Congratulationss to

all involved. With three of our four

adult teams gaining promotion this

year, and with our adult footballers

and hurlers hitting Intermediate

status, the club is certainly going in

the right direction.

Our minor A footballers started

their championship campaign in

Somerton with a good win over Tem-

pleogue SS.

The club is organising a concert

in aid of Dublin 15 Hospice. This will

take place in the Castleknock Hotel

on Thursday, October 20, so keep

that date free and come along for an

evening of music, craic and enter-

tainment, all in a very good cause.

If you would like to help out with the

organisation of this event, please

contact Barbara O’Neill at 086 378

2419.

Castleknock GAA nursery for four-

to seven-year-olds takes place

at CCC on Saturdays from 10 to

11.30am. Just come on down and join

the fun, and why not bring a friend.

New players are always welcome at

all ages and levels.

CASTLEKNOCK


GARDA/WESTMANSTOWN GAELSTHE tour group departs for New

York on Wednesday morning. All the

travelling party must be present

at the Aer Lingus desk in Termi-

nal 2 Dublin Airport no later than

7.30am.

The first round games in Tom Lan-

gan Cup take place in Gaelic Park on

Friday, September 30. Garda GAA v

PSNI at 11am and NYPD v London Met

at 12.30pm. The finals take place in

the Icahn Stadium, Randalls Island

on Saturday, October 1 at 12.30pm

and 2.30pm.

The Intermediates have a cham-

pionship fixture against Kilmacud

Crokes at Kiltipper Road on Tues-

day, October 11 at 7.45pm. Good luck

to all the participants.

Westmanstown Gaels footballers

enjoyed a rest after the drama of

last weekend so the Under-8 hurl-

ers were the only team in action on

Saturday. The juvenile club is cur-

rently recruiting new members for

all of its teams.

If you are interested in joining

us, please visit us any Saturday

morning at 10am in the Garda GAA

grounds in Westmanstown. For

the latest information, visit www.

westmanstowngaels.ie.

Thank you to the staff at West-

manstown Sports Complex.

NEW opening hours for our new club

shop. Friday 7 to 8pm and Saturday

from 10 to 11.30am. New club boots

will be on sale from October 1.

Senior hurlers had a fantastic win

over Chiarain. Junior hurlers had

a good league win over Na Fianna.

U-13A and B footballers beat Bally-

boden and Lucan.

U-16 footballers beat St Vincent’s.

Inter footballers beat Crokes in the

league.

Senior footballers face Na Fianna

this Saturday at 5.30pm in Parnell

Park. U-16 hurlers face Thomas

Davis in the quarter-final this Sat-

urday at 3.30pm in Russell Park.

The U-15 hurlers face Lucan this

Sunday at 11.30am in the 12th Lock.

Inter footballers face St Per-

egrine’s in Junior A quarter-final

this Sunday at 11am in Blakestown.

The Junior A footballers Junior B

quarter-final scheduled for this

Sunday has been moved to next

Tuesday at 8pm in Russell Park.

Minor hurlers face Vincent’s this

Sunday at 11am in Russell Park.

Lotto takes place in Myo’s, Castle-

knock this Friday, with a jackpot of

€15,000.

We have collected 110 old mobile

phones so far. We need 90 more to

get our new AED. No matter how old

the phone is please drop it into the

club bar.

ST BRIGID’S

Follow GazetteSport on Facebook and Twitter and online at www.gazettegroup.com

JUNIOR B C’SHIP FINALCastleknock 1-10

St Jude’s 2-2 [email protected]

CASTLEKNOCK claimed their first-ever adult cham-pionship title in Balreask last Wednesday night when their young charges denied St Jude’s a treble. A string of well-worked, second-half points saw them pull clear of a deter-mined opponent to claim the title.

Goals early in each half did make Jude’s serious contenders but, in the face of a superb defen-sive effort from Grainne O’Brien and skipper Lou-ise Mahony, it took them 46 minutes to register their first point, and that ultimately proved the dif-ference.

At the far end, the injec-tions of pace from Laura Bourke, dovetailing with the accuracy of Jes-sica Comerford (1-4 from play), were a constant threat.

Castleknock got off the

mark first, Comerford applying a neat finish after Deborah Geraghty’s early effort had rebounded off the post.

Jude’s stormed back and scored the game’s first goal when Linda Lodge calmly slotted home low past Amy Mahony from a through pass from Niamh Naughton.

Bourke added a mon-ster point to reduce her side’s deficit, but Jude’s continued to look dan-gerous, Lodge and Leah Barry using their strength to create goal chances.

The blue and gold, how-ever, hit the front when Geraghty’s lengthy ball bounced kindly for Com-erford, and she gathered before firing a shot high into the net from an acute angle in the 23rd minute.

Bourke drew a fine save from Aine O’Sullivan before she and Comer-ford added a point each, capping a pre-break pur-ple patch, going in at half-time 1-4 to 1-0 ahead.

It led to some stern

words in the Jude’s huddle as they looked to regain the fluidity that had seen them win the Division 4 league and cup trophies.

And it seemed to work when Dublin senior Aoife Burke moved into mid-field and proceeded to net her side’s second goal almost direct from the throw-in.

It precipitated Aisling O’Donnell’s move into midfield and, having acquitted herself superbly in the wing-backs, she played a major part in securing and distributing swift ball into the Castle-knock forwards.

When Katie Elliott was sandwiched moments later, the Dublin 15 side had a penalty to bounce back instantly but a slight slip on a slick surface meant O’Sullivan was able to deny Comerford a second goal.

Bourke’s sharp runs, though, created another point and drew a foul from Emily Hearne that led to her sin-binning in

the 36th minute. During her time out, Castleknock continued rebuilding their lead with Aisling Maho-ny’s long pass finished off by Comerford, and Lisa Quinn also weighed in for a 1-7 to 2-0 lead.

Lodge reeled one back, but a swift interchange between Bourke, Com-erford and Geraghty kept Castleknock out of range.

The trio combined to add a couple more points for a six-point lead with six minutes left.

A grandstand finish, however, was still in the offing as Jude’s threw themselves forward, draw-ing umpteen blocks from the likes of O’Brien, Lou-ise Mahony and Rioghan Ni Lorcan.

Carmel Kearney was felled for a late penalty but Lodge’s shot was parried by Amy Mahony before Louise Mahony complet-ed the job with a brave, covering block and, while Sarah Ward did grab a last-minute score, it did not affect the outcome.

FOOTBALL: JUNIOR LADIES CLAIM CHAMPIONSHIP

Castleknock in action in their Tesco Dublin Ladies’ Junior B championship final win. Picture: GAA pics.com

Knock the champions of junior B football

ALL OF YOUR CASTLEKNOCK SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 27-31 SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

HOOP DREAMS: Castleknock Celtic

progress with wins in league campaigns P30

SEPTEMBER STARSSports Awards nomi-nees announced P29GazetteSPORT

STEPHEN FINDLATER

[email protected]

PHILIP Bourke admitted he was “extremely proud” to be part of the first ever Castleknock ladies’ football championship winning side after they got the jump on St Jude’s last Wednesday in St Margarets to claim the Junior B crown.

Bourke has been among a group of manag-ers and mentors who have overseen the side’s progression from juvenile level, working all the while with Pat Convery and Pat Comerford, since the introduction of ladies’ football at the club in 1999.

Just three of their extended panel came from outside of this channel and Bourke hopes this landmark occasion can propel the club further up the ranks, saying: “They’ve worked very hard all season and it’s such a pleasure to be involved with this team. They’ve all come up through the ranks, bar three of them, and it just shows the juvenile

system which we have working in the club.“There are a lot of juvenile teams coming up so,

hopefully, this will spur them on. Hopefully the girls will get involved and will be able to progress further.”

One such player is his daughter, Laura, who produced a unique double, both playing and refereeing championship finals within a five-day period.

She officiated the Junior C title decider between St Brigid’s and St Finian’s, Newcastle, just a cou-ple of days earlier and followed up with a virtuoso performance between centre and full-forward to help her side to their landmark success.

It came in a week – and indeed a season – in which the emerging Somerton club moved back up to intermediate hurling for the first time since 2008.

It means the club now has both inter hurling and football sides at the same time, another first in the club’s history

They did so with a tension-filled draw against Scoil ui Chonail on Sunday morning, 1-10 to 0-13, on home turf on a day with plenty of supporters around the club due to the minor A footballers and U-15 camogie side also in championship action.

The game itself was no hurling classic, with both teams striving towards the one objective, it was always going to be a match of tight play and man to man marking.

The unnerving accuracy of Gerry Mulryan’s free-taking for the home team gave them an edge, a 0-8 to 0-4 lead at the break.

Scoil stormed back, levelling inside ten minutes of the turn, making for a nip-and-tuck tie before Dublin minor Ciaran Kilkenny emerged from the bench to make a telling intervention.

He struck two injury-time frees to keep the game level and earn the vital result for the blue and golds and guarantee a finish in the top two in AHL5 and promotion for Castleknock to the fourth division.

Junior Bs pride Junior Bs pride of Castleknockof CastleknockMentor Bourne hails effort of ladies’ footballers in winning team’s first championship title last week

Castleknock ladies’ footballers celebrate their achievement against St Jude’s to win the Junior B title last week

castleknock

Documents

phoenix park station

actual park

popular park

phoenix park station

ashtown park gate

modern station

nearby national park

old phoenix park racecourse