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ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES ......................8

BUSINESS .................... 19

MOTORS ........................21

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

ENTERTAINMENT ........ 24

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

INSIDE: CommunityCollege students

are honoured P8-9

Online firm promises 40 new website jobsPositions set to come onstream within 18 months

� LAURA WEBB

DUBLIN West landed itself another jobs boost following the announcement that 40 new positions are to become available over the coming 18 months with Buyersclub.ie.

The onl ine business , buyersclub.ie, made the

announcement on Monday at its new state-of-the-art warehouse in Blanchards-town.

The good news comes just a week after global IT giant IBM announced it’s to cre-ate hundreds of new jobs in Mulhuddart as part of the opening of a new Global

Services Integration Hub. Welcoming the announce-

ment, Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar said: “This is more good news for Blan-chardstown, with 40 new jobs being created for the Buyersclub.ie website.”

Full Story on Page 5

Dine and donate:Super effortfor hospital IRELAND’S own Captain America joined with three-year-old, Senan Miland from Artane, on Grafton Street, Dublin recently to celebrate the launch of the Irish-owned fam-ily restaurant’s Dine and Donate Scheme for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin. Visitors to any Captain America’s steakhouse will be able to make a €1 donation to the kids’ hospital directly on their bill. Captain America’s will kick start the scheme with live music concerts and DJs across all restau-rants on the evening of June 8. See www.captainamericas.com

GAZETTEGAZETTEBlanch

MAY 31, 2012 Find us onFREEBLANCHARDSTOWN • BLAKESTOWN • HARTSTOWN • COOLMINE • TYRRELSTOWN • DUNBOYNE • CORDUFF • MULHUDDART • ONGAR

TENANT RIGHTS: TD Patrick Nulty (Lab) on protecting deposits Page 15

Mercedes B-Class – taking it to a new level

MOTORING: P21

Camogie: Erin Go Bragh claim Division 5 Feile titlePage 31

Golf: Lawrie claims place at the 2012 US OpenPage 32

2 BLANCH GAZETTE 31 May 2012

AWARDS Verona FC celebrate another great season

David Colgan, Karl Walsh, Darragh Perdisatt, Anthony Hayes, Emmet Roche, and Craig McGivern Pictures: Ian Fleming

Football club put their feet upA

LL the joyous members of Verona Football Club came together recently to celebrate a successful year.

At the very top, the club’s senior team came ago-nisingly close to reaching the final of the FAI Inter-

mediate Cup, being seen off by eventual runners-up Cherry Orchard after a replay. Throughout the club, there were various successes and the players and people involved were recognised for their hard work and dedication.

�LAURA WEBB

[email protected]

A GOVERNMENT Min-ister has noted calls by the Chief Executive of the Coolmine Therapeutic Community urging the government to find funds of €100,000 to keep Ire-land’s only mother and child residential treat-ment service open.

Last week this paper reported that the service was in need of €100,000 to allow CTC to take in 15 women with babies who are struggling to over-come addiction. Accord-ing to CEO, Paul Conlon, the funds could also save the government €200,000 that might otherwise be spent on prison, social services and state care for children.

He called on Minister of State for Primary Care, Roisin Shortall, who attended the launch of CTC’s 2012-2015 plan, to get the government to find the money which would go to the childcare staff required to look after the children at the centre while the women participate in residential therapy.

In a response to The Gazette this week, a spokesperson for Minis-ter Shortall said she was pleased to have been invited to launch the CTC strategy plan and that she took note of the request made by Conlon

and “has taken the mat-ter up with her colleague Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.”

The spokesperson went on to say: “At the launch the Minister paid tribute to the contribution made by Coolmine Therapeutic Community to the recov-ery of many individuals from problem drug use over the years. In addi-tion, she acknowledged the openness to change that comes across from the plan and their engage-ment in partnerships and collaboration with other service providers all to the benefit of persons dealing with addiction.” Adding: “Minister Short-all recognises the impor-tant work under taken by Coolmine Therapeutic Community in particu-lar in the area of women, with children, dealing with addiction.”

According to Conlon, the strategic plan will see Coolmine build fur-ther on its achievements, whilst adjusting to the new policy and down-turn in economic circum-stances. “In order to be effective and relevant, we must refine and develop all our therapies and pro-grammes in the interest of our clients. This can be achieved through the dedication of the volun-teers and staff, govern-ment funding and private donations,” Conlon said.

SERVICE: COOLMINE’S PLEA FOR HELP HEARD

Minister notes call to rescue drugs unit

Micha Ring and Alan Quinn

Brian Reid, Paul Quinn and Daniel O’

Conner

Marie Dooley and Ann Colgan Man of the Year Noel Hughs and Derek Clarke First team manager Paul Cassidy

Niall and Alison Brennan

Patrick and Lee Cummins

Tommy Fogarty and second team

player of the year Brendan Murphy

Dave Cullen and Donna Cummins

Séan Martin, first team player of the year Daniel O’

Conner, and Derek Clarke

31 May 2012 BLANCH GAZETTE 3

EDUCATION End of term but start of new chapter

New principal for students at Riversdale� LAURA WEBB

IT MAY be the end of term for students at Riv-ersdale Community Col-lege, but for their new principal it is just the beginning.

Principal Tony Barry came to the school at the end of May follow-ing the retirement of the previous principal Noel Gildea.

Since taking over Barry has seen first hand the great work staff at the school are achieving and the unique commu-nity bond the student body are representing.

“The staff are brilliant. I have been amazed at the things that have

been happening. We’ve had third years receive awards from the NUI Maynooth – through the access programme. Teachers were nomi-nated as inspirational teachers, they were also brought over for an award ceremony. Not long after I started, we had a subject inspec-tion in the school. The inspector came and spent two days here, and that was very positive.”

T he schoo l a l so received its first An Taisce Green Flag for Litter and Waste, and 36 transition year students received the Gaisce President’s awards, while eight received silver and

eight senior students received gold.

“I have been amazed at how dedicated and committed the teachers are. The student body and profile of the kids is brilliant. Like any school we have our challenges, but by and large they are very happy to be here and are very respectful.”

Being a father of five, Barry knows that choos-ing the right school for each child is important. “I have done the tour of all the schools in the local area where I live. Each individual is dif-ferent and the school that suits the eldest may not suit the youngest. As a parent going in to look

Tony Barry, seen here with Ameem Muibeen, has been principal of Riversdale

Community College since late May

at schools, I go in look-ing for three things – will my child be happy, will they be safe and will they get the very best educa-tion that they can.”

In his years at sen-ior management, Barry says he has always tried to achieve these things including his previous

school, Mullingar Com-munity College where he was deputy princi-pal. A message the new principal would like to get out is that the school can only do so much to educate students and so parents must come on board to help them achieve their best. “They

are the primary edu-cators; I would like to promote a partnership between ourselves and the families around the kids. If they have issues they can come in and see me at any time.”

With state exams immi-nent Barry wished all stu-dents the best of luck.

Discount shop has big heart DISCOUNT retailer Lidl raised over €90,000 for the Irish Heart Founda-tion after supporting the charity’s biggest fundrais-ing event, Happy Heart Weekend.

Lidl customers bought happy hearts throughout the 130 stores, including its Dublin 15 branch in Blakestown, between May 7 and 13.

Every €2 raised from the sale of Happy Hearts will help stop 13 people dying suddenly every day from heart attack and stroke in Ireland.

Aoife Clarke of Lidl Ire-land said: “We are delight-ed with the overwhelming response to the campaign this year and the generos-ity of Lidl customers. We have been working with the Irish Heart Founda-tion since 2009.

“We would like to say a huge heartfelt thank you to all our customers who supported the Irish Heart Foundation’s Happy Heart Weekend.”

CHARITY



40 new jobs at state-of-the-art warehouse� LAURA WEBB

[email protected]

DUBLIN West land-ed itself another jobs boost following the announcement that 40 new positions are to become available over the coming 18 months with Buyersclub.ie.

The online business, Buyersclub.ie, made the announcement on Monday at its new state-of-the-art warehouse in Blanchardstown.

The good news comes just a week after global IT giant IBM announced it’s to create hundreds of jobs in Mulhuddart as part of the opening of a new global services integration hub.

Ta o i s e a c h E n d a Kenny was on hand to officially announce the new jobs at the ware-house in Blanchards-town.

The online shopping e-commerce website sells home-grown, non perishable, Irish goods as well as international grocery brands at com-petitive prices.

At the launch, owner and managing director, Dara O’Mahony, said Buyersclub.ie promises

to save the customer money while also pro-moting small Irish arti-san producers and man-ufacturers of goods.

“Our research over the last 18 months sup-ports our theory that Irish businesses con-tinue to have difficulties getting their products online.

“Providing an e-com-merce solution like this is vital for companies who want to grow their business both domesti-cally and internation-ally and this is what we have done.

“Buyersclub.ie is Ire-land’s new home for online shopping and offers consumers inter-national brands at heav-ily discounted prices and market access for indigenous Irish goods of the highest quality,” said O’Mahony

At the event, the Tao-iseach was very sup-portive of the initiative saying: “What Buyer-sclub.ie is doing is very impressive, it will save people time and money and they are to be high-ly commended.”

The jobs will be in the area of technical services, social media,

finance, marketing and logistics.

BuyersClub.ie has a City Centre HQ which houses technical, sales and marketing staff and an 18,000 sq ft state-of-the-art fulfilment ware-house in Blanchards-town. The warehouse also boasts a photogra-phy studio and supplier showroom.

We l c o m i n g t h e announcement, Dublin West TD and Minister for Transport, Sport and Tourism Leo Varadkar said: “This is more good news for Blanchards-town, with 40 new jobs being created for the Buyersclub.ie website. These valuable high-tech jobs are focused on the internet, and staff will be recruited over the next year.

“I’m delighted that the website’s opera-tor, PDQ Distribution, has chosen to base this new online service in Blanchardstown. This positive announcement comes just over a week after IBM announced plans to create hun-dreds of new jobs at its Global Services Inte-gration Hub,” Minister Varadkar added.

Recognising excellence: Karen claims prestigious awardKAREN Roberts (left), from the Ebay gym in Blanchardstown, has won the Sodexo Healthworks Service Excellence Award for 2012. Karen is pictured with Debbie White, chief executive of Sodexo UK and Ireland, at the awards ceremony held at the world-famous Ascot Racecourse in the UK. She is employed as a gym instructor by food and facilities management provider Sodexo Ireland and based at Ebay. Karen was recognised for her outstanding commit-ment to helping members understand their health and wellbeing needs, developing tailormade fitness solutions and for her constant enthusiasm and creativity in her work.

RETAIL: ONLINE BUSINESS BOOST FOR DUBLIN WEST IS WARMLY WELCOMED

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Bloom flowers yet againIRELAND’S answer to the Chelsea flower show is back this weekend with gardening, food stalls and family fun taking over the Phoenix Park.

Now in its sixth year, the popular event attract-ed over 90,000 people last year. This year’s show features 27 show-gar-dens, over 100 Irish food and drink producers, 40 nurseries within the flo-ral marquee, 25 cookery demonstrations and over 160 retailers.

President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins will officially open Bloom on Thursday, May 31. This year shows off the talents of the younger genera-tion with a show-garden designed by 10-year-old Miah Ni Nuallain from Crumlin. Meanwhile, GIY Ireland will attempt to break the Guinness world record for the largest number of people sowing seedlings all at the one time.

GARDENING


JUST over half the resi-dential properties liable for the household charge in Fingal registered for the controversial tax.

Figures from Fingal County Council show that as of May 1, 46,322 households registered for the charge. This is 51.3% of the 90,286 residential properties deemed liable

for the charge. According to a spokes-

person for FCC, the council does not have information outlining paid or unpaid charges within the local elec-toral area of Fingal. The revenue generated from the charge is approxi-mately €4.6 million. “It is expected that this fig-

ure will increase once all post received by the Household Charge Bureau has been proc-essed,” the spokesperson added.

Costs incurred by the council for administra-tion were estimated at €20,000 and primarily relate to staffing and advertisement costs.

The report came fol-lowing a question by Mulhuddart councillor David McGuinness (FF) asking for a breakdown on the household charge uptake in Fingal, how many paid, a breakdown of each local elector-ate area of Fingal, rev-enue accrued through this measure and the

total cost to the council through its involvement with this charge.

T h e H o u s e h o l d Charge Bureau, under the aegis of the Local Government Manage-ment Agency, processes payments in respect of the household charge on behalf of all local authorities.

� LAURA WEBB

[email protected]

THE Mulhuddart Motor-cross Club have admitted they “stepped over the mark” when they started construction on a track in Damastown Park without proper consultation and say that no more work will be done until they consult with all involved.

Work on a regular-ised track in the park has stopped because no consultation was initi-ated with residents from an estate adjacent to the park.

During a recent area committee meeting, councillors discussed the

issue and a Fingal County Council spokesperson said it was “unfortunate” that a certain amount of work was carried out by the club “before con-tact was made with resi-dents”.

When the council was made aware of this work, contact was made with the club and all activity stopped.

Speaking to the Gazette recently, club committee member, Ross Dunleavy, said they wanted to “clear up a few things” and out-line their plans.

“The club made con-tact with the council and asked about using the land as a proper track.

“We met with the head of the Parks Department, Ruairi O’Dulaing.

“He told us that he would have to go off, clarify some things with councillors and also seek some funding.

“We kind of stepped over the mark a little bit and we organised our own funding and went in and did the work,” he said.

According to Ross, the area has been used as a motorcross site for the last 20 years, but in an uncon-trolled environment and what the club say they want to do is “create a safe environment” for people who want to pur-sue motorcross within

the area and “eliminate the anti-social behaviour that has been going on up until now”.

“What we are trying to do is restrict the hours to set times and have proper club memberships. All the committee members are trained by the Order of Malta as first aiders, so there will always be first aid on site,” he added. Ross also said that com-ments made during the area committee meeting that members of the club are not from the area are “not true”.

“Everyone involved in the club either grew up within a five minute radius of the track or lives

there now.”The club is now seeking

to work with all parties and say no more work will be done until they have “come to an agreement with the residents, coun-cillors and the council”.

FCC said it met with representatives of the residents of Parnell who registered their strong objections to any type of facility at this location.

“The council accepts these objections and has agreed that this activ-ity will not go ahead without further con-sultation between all parties involved and statutory approval where required.”

Over 50% of households sign up for tax

Lack of consultation puts club’s track on hold

MOTOR CROSS: CLUB ADMIT THEY ‘STEPPED OVER THE MARK’

Joining forces: Working togetherINSTITUTE of Technology Blan-chardstown recently welcomed delegates from the Hubei University for Nationalities, Anshi City, China, where both colleges signed a Memorandum of Agreement.

President of Hubei University for Nationalities, Hu Maocheng, is pictured with Presi-dent of ITB, Mary Meaney signing the memorandum.200200

wdswds

COUNCIL Charge yields €4.6m and is expected to rise

Call our NEWS TEAM on 60 10 240 or

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YOUTH BODY Hartstown man delighted with new job

Foroige elects Dublin chair for first time� LAURA WEBB

[email protected]

FOROIGE has appoint-ed a new chairperson to its national council and it’s the first time in the organisation’s 60-year history that a Dublin person has been elected.

Har tstown nat ive Paul Maher was recent-ly appointed chairper-son of Ireland’s largest youth organisation and says he is honoured to be chosen.

He set up the Harts-town Volunteering group and has been volunteer-ing with the organisa-tion for the last ten years. “There was no youth activity in Hartstown

at the time, so I started up a youth club there. Foroige’s ethos was the one I liked the best so I joined with them,” Paul told the Gazette.

Asked what it was about the organisation’s ethos that drew him to join it, he said: “They [Foroige] are empower-ing people and young people are the future. If you let young peo-ple make decisions for themselves, well then the future of this country will be in safe hands.

“Foroige facilitates them in making their community a better place to live, whether it is local, national or international because they make deci-

sions on what should be done or can be done.”

According to Paul, it is important for young people to be allowed to use their voice.

“Let them think for themselves and let them come up with decisions for themselves, and lis-ten to them – they are the future leaders. There is no point making the same decisions genera-tion after generation.”

Dublin is, for Paul, well represented with over 60 clubs across the county, so being the first chair from Dublin is “bril-liant”.

Married with three children, two of which are members of the

Hartstown native Paul Maher was recently appointed chairperson of Foroige

Foroige Club in Harts-town, Paul is a mechanic and runs an engineering workshop.

His new role will see him at the centre of Foroige decision mak-ing.

The term for Foroige’s chairperson is two years, and during that time Paul hopes to “compli-

ment the work of the last chairperson’s”, make Foroige “the organisa-tion of choice for young people and parents” and have the Foroige brand known to everybody.

“So everyone knows who we are, what we do and how we do it, and then they can make their own educated choice,

knowing Foroige is one of the best, if not the best.”

The charity works with almost 57,000 young people and 5,125 adult volunteers through a net-work of 534 youth clubs, 126 targeted projects and national programmes such as entrepreneur-ship and leadership.

FCC to look into fencingFINGAL County Coun-cil is to look at strength-ening fences along the boundary of Coolmine Park after calls to pro-vide knife edge fencing were made following a number of break-ins in the area.

T he counc i l was responding to a ques-tion from Labour coun-cillor, Mary McCamley.

BoundariesA c c o r d i n g t o a

spokesperson, the area was recently examined with gardai to assess the condition of rear garden boundaries.

It was agreed the council would exam-ine the possibility of strengthening fencing in “three specific locations along the hedge to the rear of the houses, where the hedging is sparse and where gaps exist”.

Work is hoped to begin over the summer months.

COOLMINE


High achievers rise to challengeT

RANSITION year students from Rivers-dale Community College were hon-oured recently as 36 students received

the Gaisce President’s Award at a ceremony held in the school. Eight 5th years also received Gaisce Silver Awards.

The Gaisce Award is Ireland’s National Challenge Award and is open to any young person between the ages of 15 and 25 years

who have exceptional achievements. This prestigious programme highlights individu-al achievement.

To receive the award challengers must take part in four different challenge areas of community involvement, personal skill, physical recreation and adventure journey. As it is a non competitive award challengers only compete with themselves.

EVENT Gaisce President’s Award presented to transition

Ciara Reilly, Rebecca Blackburn, Jade Keating and Emma Allen. Pictures: James Devon

Elizabeth O’Connor, Merry-Joy Itambo and Naomi Marie-Rose Martina Balucova and Anna Balucova

R1


year students at Riversdale Community College

Christopher Cahill and Kevin Kalufando

Randon Jackson, Ameen Muibideen and Mario Shyti

Ameen Muibideen, winner of Student of the Year, and

school principal, Tony Barry

SUPPORT BLANCH BUSINESS

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�

FUNDRAISER Models strut their stuff in support of Kasey

Celebrity fashion show Kares4KaseyA

CELEBRITY fashion show was the latest fund raising event held for the Kare4Kasey trust fund. Hosted in the Vanilla Nightclub

of Hampton Hotel on Friday of May 18, the night was attended by many well-known faces. The trust fund looks to raise money in support of Kasey Kelly, a girl born in December 2010. At 10 months Kasey was diagnosed with a malig-

nant brain tumour known as atypical teratoid/rhabdoid or ATRT, which is very aggressive and extremely rare. Currently living in Boston awaiting treatment for Kasey, the Kelly family has already raised €200,000 from kind dona-tions. To donate to Kasey’s trust fund, please visit www.mycharity.ie/charity/kare4kasey or for more information, www.kare4kasey.com.

Brian Kennedy poses with Audrey Whelan on the dance floor Pictures: Una Williams

Kelly Donegan and

Aoibheann McCaul

Yomyko Chen and Sarah

Morrissey

Niamh Kavanagh and

Danika Skeen

Co-hosts Kirsteen O’Sullivan and Edward Smith

Adam Costello Doherty and Judi Costello


31 May 2012 GAZETTE 11

Sybil isn’t nappy-ing on maternity leave

Although six-week-old Michael may have reflux, at present, Sybil says “it’s not too bad”

PEOPLE TV3 figure talks to The Gazette on being a busy mum

Lucia Wright, Peter McGowan and Juno Treanor joined Sybil Mulcahy at the Radisson Blu hotel to help launch CaldeSpray, a new product in the Caldesene range to help prevent nappy rash

� BAIRBRE NI BHRAONAIN

NEW mother, and Monk-stown resident, Sybil Mulcahy of TV3’s The Morning Show, may only have given birth six weeks ago, but she has bounced back into shape and looked fit, healthy and well-rested at the launch of a new treatment for nappy rash, CaldeSpray.

Sybil launched the new product, of which she is ambassador, in the Radis-son Blu Hotel on May 21, and she had her six-week-old son, Michael, there, too.

She is enjoying her new baby son, but said three children were a lot more work than two, and added: “I think Michael has reflux. He’s up every two hours, so I’m up about three times a night, but it’s not too bad.”

In a frank interview with The Gazette, she said that while she want-ed a third child “at some stage”, Michael was “an accident”, but they were certain they would have a third child in the future.

“I’m just in the first few weeks so I’m watching a lot of late night TV and even infomercials,” she said.

Sybil now plans to take part in the mini-mara-

thon this June, but will walk it instead of run-ning it.

“I’ll be walking – sure, I can barely run down the stairs! I’m not very fit, and have never been to the gym. I did it last year too, and for the same charity, called, Third Age, and it’s like a Childline for the elderly.

“It’s really for elderly people living in remote areas or all alone, and

they often just ring up to say goodnight, not hav-ing spoken to a soul all day. So I’m walking it for them,” said Sybil.

With three children to mind, which she describes as “chaos”, Sybil was thankful that she has a childminder to help out.

“I couldn’t cope, other-wise,” she said. “Fair play to anyone doing it all on their own, though. It’s a

thankless job, but it’s a lot easier if they’re sleeping at night. When you get no sleep, every problem becomes a mountain.”

She intends to enjoy her six months’ maternity leave to the fullest, and is also trying to buy a house in Monkstown or the sur-rounding areas.

“You don’t get a chance to do these things when you’re working. We’re in the process of getting

mortgage approval, and are looking at houses now.

“It takes a good chunk of time, so until I go back to work in October, I’m concentrating on find-ing my house. If anyone out there knows of a nice five-bedroom, let me know!”

Whilst on maternity leave previously, Sybil cut it short as her colleague on Ireland AM, Sinead Desmond was unwell and Sybil filled in. However, as for her current leave, she said: “This time, I’m enjoying it.”

When asked how the other two children were adjusting to the new baby, she said: “Sure, they’re killing each other. I caught my daughter trying to carry the baby down the stairs the other morning.

“She gets jealous if I give the baby attention; the other fellow is not too bad, but I suppose it’ll take a while for things to settle.”

She is due back on The Morning Show in Octo-ber, and is also looking forward to returning.

“The ratings are up, and it’s a show that’s become a part of people’s morning routine. I’m also looking forward to work-ing with Martin [King] again.”

Speaking about the product that she is ambas-sador for, Sybil said: “It’s a great product, and Cal-desene has been on the market for 40 years.

“They had no brand ambassador before, and I’m happy to do it. The spray is an updated ver-sion [of the existing prod-uct].”

12 GAZETTE 31 May 2012

Follow The Gazette online on FacebookDUBLIN Gazette Newspapers have now made it easier for our readers to interact with their favourite regional newspaper group by launching our Facebook page.

Facebook is becoming a huge part of people’s everyday lives, so The Gazette has made it easier than ever to stay in touch with what’s going on, and by you letting us know what’s going on, we can tell the whole city.

Connecting with us on Facebook is a quick and easy way to stay in touch with your favourite regional newspa-

per group – whether you’re letting us know about an event, an exciting news story, or even just staying up to date with what’s happening in your area.

FollowFollow Gazette Newspapers on

Facebook to stay up-to-date with all the best local news and sport stories in Dublin.

Click Like on our page for all the latest news and events, along with opportunities to win some fantastic prizes.

SCHOOLS National search for Teacher of the Year

Emma Bundschu and Filip Blazejczak help their teacher (and Donegal GAA footballer)

Rory Kavanagh launch the Teacher of the Year 2012 awards search

Your chance to name the top educator� BAIRBRE NI

BHRAONAIN

RORY Kavanagh, Don-egal GAA footballer and teacher at Scoil Colm-cille National School in Letterkenny, launched the Teacher of the Year Awards last week.

Students from all across Dublin are being given the opportunity to celebrate their best teachers, and they can give top marks to their favourite teacher by entering her or him into a national awards com-petition to find the best teacher in the country.

The Teacher of the Year awards are being organised by www.abc-books.ie, and will allow students, colleagues and family members to nominate a teacher with vision, expertise, passion and creativity for the accolade.

The competition is open to students from all schools around Ireland, both national and sec-ondary, and each nomi-nating student will get a free consultation for fixed braces with David McCo-nville Orthodontists.

At the launch, Mark Bundschu, of abcbooks.ie, said: “We deal with teachers daily and have

great respect for the job they do.

“When we realised there wasn’t a national awards programme to honour the great work of our primary and second-ary school teachers, we decided to take on the mantle.”

If you would like to nominate a teacher, all you have to do is write a piece all about them in 500 words or less.

You need to convince the judging panel of why your teacher deserves to be crowned Teacher of the Year 2012, and you can include additional primary evidence of their merit, such as photos, videos, or stories.

Speaking to The Gazette, Kavanagh said that he was pleased to support any initiative that promotes the work done by teachers.

“It’s a great opportu-nity for parents and stu-

dents to nominate their teacher.

“The nominations come at the end of term, in order to give students the chance to work closely with that teacher throughout the year.

“This is a great chance to promote teaching, and all of the good work done behind closed doors,” he said.

When asked about his own likelihood of nomi-nation at Scoil Colm-cille, Kavanagh said: “I wish!”, and went on to say: “As a teacher, you work with these fellows for years, and don’t real-ise the impact you have on them.

“It’s only when they come back to you years later when they’re in sec-ondary school and talk to you and thank you that you realise it, and it’s very rewarding.”

The judging panel will apply tough criteria in their selection process, which include ability to teach and explain a diffi-cult topic, commitment, creativity, innovation, rapport with students and involvement in extra-curricular activi-ties.

Nominat ions can be made online at www.abcbooks.ie.

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

‘The Teacher of the Year judging panel will apply tough criteria in their selection process’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

TRAVELPAGE 22

�

Pole position:

‘Making the

most of your

UEFA trip to

Poznan’


Spirit of Folk 2012 will see musicians and storytellers from all over Ireland and the UK come together for a weekend of music, arts and craft

Getting into the spirit of things in Dunderry

SPIRIT of Folk, Ireland’s newest festival “celebrat-ing all things folk”, has announced a stellar line-up and the addition of an extra night for this year’s festival, once again taking place in the idyllic sur-roundings of Dunderry Park, Co Meath.

Returning this year from September 21 to 23, Spirit of Folk 2012 will see musicians and storytellers from all over Ireland and the UK come together for a weekend of music, arts, craft, spiri-tuality, philosophy and folklore. This year’s fam-ily-friendly festival line up boasts an impressive mix of traditional Irish music, folk, bluegrass and country; from established Irish singer songwrit-ers to emerging acts, the beautiful and bespoke three-day event will truly embody the spirit of all things folk.

This year’s Spirit of Folk festival line up fea-tures: Irish singer/song-writer and twice winner of the Meteor award for Best Folk/Trad, John Spillane; The Lost Broth-ers, an Irish duo hailing from Omagh and Navan, as seen on RTE’s Other Voices; Lisa O’Neill, rap-idly emerging as one of the

truest contemporary Irish folk voices and recently returned from touring with Welsh singer David Gray; I Draw Slow, a five-piece outfit comprising alt-country, folk, roots, old-time Americana; Spook of the Thirteenth Lock, Irish folk rock band delving into the realms of psych, prog and post rock and Cry Monster Cry, who have just launched their new EP.

Fest ival director, Natasha Duffy, comment-ed: “We are delighted and proud to announce the fantastic line up we have planned for this year’s Spirit of Folk festival. In our sophomore year, we aim to truly celebrate Irish folk in a relaxed fam-ily-friendly setting with great music and events for everyone to enjoy – a magical way to bid fare-well to summer and fin-ish the festival season in style!”

Other acts featuring at this year’s festival include: Tucan; The Hot Sprock-ets; Mossy Nolan; The Henry Girls; The Young Folk; Tir na nOg; Aoife Scott; Jig away the Don-key; Pete Cummins; The Bonny Men; Traz; The Man Whom, Gypsy Reb-ble Rabble; Bunoscionn;

Trad side of the moon; Wookalilly; Alpaca Jam-boree; Miriam Donohue; Joy Booth; TAC; Twin Headed Wolf; The Eskies; Hidden Highways and JP Trio and Niamh.

To accompany this feast of musical acts, there will be an abundance of alternative events for all to enjoy, including story-telling and poetry read-ing by Pat Speight, Eddie Lenihan, Tim Evans, Jack Sheehan and Stephen James Smith; as well as talks and workshops on ancient druidism and sha-manism; Tibetan Man-dala making and singing bowls; Native American pipe ceremonies; dreams analysis; and ancient astronomy and permacul-ture.

A limited supply of Early Bird weekend tick-ets for €65 and day tickets for €35 will be available until May 31 only. From June onwards, weekend tickets will cost €85 and day tickets will cost €45.

To purchase your Spirit of Folk 2012 tickets go to www.tickets.ie. For more information, check out www.spiritoffolk.com or follow us on Twitter (@Spirit_of_Folk) or like us on Facebook.com/spirit-offolkfestival.

MUSIC Ireland’s newest festival celebrates all things folk


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RENT Landlords can keep deposits in ways inconsistent with law

PATRICK NULTY TD on a bill to reduce the number of times tenants unfairly lose their deposits

Patrick Nulty TD (Lab): “No statistic can describe the

pain of those experiencing life without a home.”

Tilting balance of fairness back in favour of tenants

BEFORE I was elected a TD, I was employed

as a policy analyst with Focus Ireland, who work on housing issues affect-ing those on the front line of our housing crisis.

That is those who have lost their homes, or are at risk of becoming home-less.

Almost one in seven of those currently accessing Focus Ireland homeless services are children.

But no statistic can describe the pain of those experiencing life without a home.

And yet, the facts and figures of our housing crisis need to be under-stood.

• 300,000 homes in Ire-land are currently unoc-cupied.

• 100,000 households are currently on the hous-ing list.

• One in 10 mortgages are now in arrears.

Our housing system is dysfunctional and in crisis. Individuals and families want security, whether they are renting their homes or paying mortgages.

In particular, issues of security frequently arise in the private rented sector with regard to deposits.

Tenants are required to come up with at least one month’s rent as a deposit.

For many, the deposit is a form of saving. They rely on the deposit to use for their next home; if and when they move out of their current accommo-dation.

There are approximate-ly one quarter of a million tenancies registered in the country with the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB).

Illegal deposit reten-tion is one of the most common problems expe-rienced by tenants in the private rented sector.

The Residential Tenan-cies Act 2004, sets how a

deposit can be retained by the landlord in very specific instances such as rent arrears, damage beyond normal wear and tear or outstanding utility bills.

The Threshold Annual Report for 2011 shows that some landlords are withholding deposits in a way which is totally inconsistent with the law.

Tenants are at risk of becoming home-less when a landlord unfairly withholds their deposit.

In 2010, Threshold dealt with 3,224 deposit queries. In 79% of these cases, they were successful in ensuring a full or partial refund of the deposit for the tenant.

Many of these cases have to be referred back to the PRTB and some reach the courts.

This has been a time consuming process, and a burden for those who need the deposit for a new home.

Last week, I sought leave to introduce a bill which, if passed by the Dail and Seanad, will bring in a deposit reten-tion scheme for those renting in the private rented sector.

The bill, if passed, will allow for rental deposits to be held by an inde-pendent third party. This bill will now be debated in Dail private members’ time within the next few months.

I hope the Govern-ment will accept the bill as a review of potential deposit retention schemes is already underway with-in the Department of the Environment.

This bill (if passed) would ensure that depos-its are returned promptly, unless a landlord has valid claims for damage, withheld rent or unpaid bills. There are examples of such models in Britain and Australia.

According to Threshold,

these schemes have great-ly reduced the number of times tenants unfairly lose their deposits.

The deposits can be managed by the National Treasury Management Agency.

Any surplus or interest generated could be used to regulate and improve standards in the private rented sector.

A recent PrimeTime programme (May 10) esti-mated that in 2010 local authorities only inspect-ed 7% of private rented dwellings.

This is unacceptable.There is widespread

recognition that a deposit retention scheme makes sense.

In November of last year, the then Minister for Housing Willie Pen-rose said: “I have asked the PRTB to research potential schemes and to provide me with a sound evidential base on which I can make a decision in this regard and I intend to make recommenda-tions to Government on this topic in 2012.

A deposit retention

scheme was also included in the Labour Party mani-festo for the 2011 General Election.

I am very hopeful that the Dail and Seanad will accept the proposal and a deposit retention scheme will be estab-lished.

It would be a first step in tilting the balance of fairness back in favour of ten-ants.

Patrick Nulty TDLabour Party TD for Dublin West

and Swords

GazetteSTYLESTYLE Edited by

Laura Webb

ALMOST 1-in-25 Irish adults have had an angina or heart attack, according to a recent report. Angina is a message from your heart telling you that it is suffering from a lack of blood-carrying oxygen. There is an important balance between the amount of blood your heart muscle demands and the ability of the coro-nary arteries to supply that blood. The heart demands are increased by infections, and high blood pressure. The blood supply is reduced by narrowed arteries, or a low blood count. Correcting this balanced is achieved through lifestyle changes and use of anti-anginal drugs. The other important aspect of treating angina is to prevent the disease in the arteries getting worse through modify-ing risk factors, such as cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking, weight and inactivity. Speak to your GP or pharmacist for infor-mation about angina and its risk factors.

With thanks to the staff at

Lucan Village Pharmacy

Facts about

treating

anginaGetting fit is a ‘Sure’ thing at Zumba class

A good hour of jumping, salsa and bellydancing at a Zumba class was no match for Sure Maximum Protection

IT cla ims to be “unapologetically s t rong” o f fe r ing women “maximum

protection”, so when Gazette Style got the chance to trial out Sure’s new deodorant, we were ready to put it to the test.

What better way to spend a Saturday after-noon than getting in a lit-tle gentle exercise, or so we thought. The Zumba class, organised by Sure for Women, turned out to be an energetic hour that definitely tests endurance and sweat glands.

The instructor putting us through our paces was Zumba guru, Larissa Atkinson. Before start-ing, the group of about 20 women (and a few men) lathered the cream-like deodorant under arms before testing it during the class.

Starting off, it seemed like a walk in the park, a bit of Latin dancing moves here and there. Then, as if someone had changed the record to fast forward, the moves

got faster and a bit more intense and it was then we knew we were in for a good workout.

After each song, we were given a short water break, but that didn’t last long and we were back into the swing of it before we could say agua. Zumba offers a really good cardio workout, but at the same time, it is a lot of fun.

After a good hour of jumping, salsa, belly-dancing and squatting it was time to check how Sure’s Maximum Protec-tion deodorant worked out. Lifting arms it was clear to see that this deo-dorant does exactly what it says on the bottle – it keeps you dry in any situ-ation.

Even talking to the instructor, Larissa, she was pleasantly surprised by it and said she would be recommending it to her class participants. Aches and pains through-out the body days after the session showed us that Zumba works well as a workout.

So, here comes the sci-ence, how does the deo-dorant work? According to Sure, this product is two times stronger than the leading antiperspirant and is designed to keep you protected whatever the situation. Sure Maxi-mum Protection has a TRIsolid formula made

up of three components. Firstly, it has extra

strength dryness protec-tion. While you sleep it forms a level of protec-tion, giving you unbeat-able wetness protection for the day ahead. The second component is its patented fragrance technology containing

odour-protecting micro-capsules. The micro-capsules dissolve when you sweat, so you keep smelling fresh through-out the day and, thirdly, it has skin conditioning ingredients that help to protect the skin from irritation.

Use Sure Maximum

Protection in Confidence for an extra boost in a stressful situation. For delicate skin, try Sensi-tive to keep dry without compromising the skin and for an everyday clean feeling use the classic Clean Fresh Scent. The RRP for Sure Maximum Protection is €6.87

THIS summer, why not become a lady what lunches and use stylish restaurants and bistros as your very own catwalk with a little help from clothing giant Forever 21.

This season Forever 21 is urging Dubliners to “unleash your upper East Side girl” with a fabulous collection of muted pastels and gorgeous neutrals – a must have this spring/sum-mer and great for when out lunching.

Key pieces from the collec-tion can transform a wardrobe and create numerous different styles that suit every day of the week, or even help transition from day to night wear.

This collection has delicate lace and textured knits that pair with fitted skirts or fab block colour skinnies – great for those dull days that see bursts of sun come through making you unsure about what to wear. Don’t be too quick to put the cardi at the back of the wardrobe, as they are good to keep at arm’s length, just in case the weather takes a turn for the worst.

What’s even better about this collection, is that not only is it right on trend in terms of colour and style, it has very affordable price tags that won’t see you dipping in to your holi-day savings. Looking through

some of the items, there is a chic cami for just €12.90 and a stunning dress that would make even Sienna Miller green with envy, as it is priced at a very affordable €28.90.

The collection also has a number of different delicate blouses with a Peter Pan col-lar, which sits well on most necklines. Block colours, another must have, can be brought to life with some great skinnies at €21.90. Cozy cardigans and jumpers are also available at prices that make it hard to leave them sitting on the rails.

Forever 21 is located in Jervis Street shopping centre.

‘Unleash your upper East Side girl’ this summer at Forever 21

Beige skirt, ¤19.90


Light pink dress, ¤28.90 Turquoise jeans, ¤21.90

GazetteMUSICMUSIC

Leaping live at Leopardstown

The Walls and, inset, Jape, two of the acts who will be taking to the stage at Leopardstown Live this summer

� ELLEN COONEY

MUSIC lovers wi l l have the chance to be up close and personal with Dublin talent this summer when Live At Leopardstown launches for a series of concerts that run from June 8 to August 16.

There will be nine gigs spaced out over nine evenings, and Live at Leopardstown has managed to pack ten of Dublin’s brightest bands into their programme to play alongside other Irish greats.

As if this ratio wasn’t impressive enough, eight out of the nine nights have a Dublin-based headliner. The only night missing a Metro-politan monster of rock is the last night when a true national treasure, the Saw Doctors will take to the stage.

Not only is the line-

up completely home-grown, but it’s prestig-ious to boot. Bipolar Empire will headline first on June 8, followed over the proceeding weeks with sets from The Original Rudeboys, The Walls, Kila, Jape, Royseven, The Minutes and Ryan Sheridan.

These Dublin acts have shared the stage with some of the world’s greatest legends of rock, including U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faithless and The Flaming Lips, and have performed at festivals such as Oxe-gen, Glastonbury and Electric Picnic.

This i s a l ineup which is as eclectic as it is impressive, and will surely cater for the tastes of anyone wish-ing to attend. From Jape’s electronic rock to Ryan Sheridan’s acoustic sounds, there’s definitely something for

everyone. The support acts are

also sure to draw in a crowd, with Cavan’s The Would Be’s stirring up some nostalgia and Cork’s Dead School throwing some post punk into the mix.

Horsing aroundLeopardstown will

also be hosting its horse races alongside these music events, making sure that everyone is in for a fun-filled evening, combining the atmos-phere of a boutique music festival with the thrill of a night at the races.

In what is a somewhat precipitous move, the racecourse has decided to hold each of the live gigs in a weatherproofed Big Top, ensuring that the attendees can be certain of a warm and more importantly dry evening of entertain-

ment with the possibili-ty of a true Irish summer always on the horizon.

Ciaran Conroy, com-mercial manager of Leopardstown said: “Now in its fourth year, we’re proud that Live at Leopardstown has enabled many people to experience racing for the first time.

“We are delighted to enhance the customer experience by hosting all our concerts under canvas in the Leopard-stown Big Top.

“For 2012, we’ve added top-class support acts to further enhance the music element of the festival.”

Racing will go to post between 5.30pm and 6.00pm and finishes up in time for the live music to commence between 8.30pm and 9.00pm.

To find out more, go online to www.liveatle-opardstown.com.

FESTIVAL: A DAY AT THE RACES WITH ADDED ROCK

REMEMBER when you were in the awkward adolescent phase of hating everyone who was good to you (i.e. your parents) while spending your days vying for the attention of people who didn’t like you at all (i.e. the cool gang in school)?

A rite of passage for many an agsty-teenager I thought, so since when did rock cleanse away the embarrassing-dad sydrome experienced by most of us during our younger days?

Steven Tyler has spent the past season of American Idol making eyes and inappropriate comments at many female auditionees; Tom Jones has been deemed “down with the kids” enough to be given a judge’s seat on The Voice UK, while Rod Stewart will no doubt have to be introduced to Gary Barlow and Tulisa Contostavlos when he sits in as temporary judge for the next season of The X Factor.

I’m in two minds whether to shout “over the hill!” or “still got it” at my TV screen.

FastTunes with Radio Nova’s Dee Woods


Edited by

Rob Heigh


GazettePETSPETSBrought to you by Miriam Kerins of

the DSPCA

THE FACTS: A NUMBER OF GARDEN HAZARDS COULD PUT YOUR ANIMAL AT RISK

Keep your pet safe for summerS

UMMER ha s arrived at last and, as usual, our thoughts turn to

the garden.However, this is also a

time when the pet par-ent in me switches to “cautious” mode as I make a quick inventory of all the possible sum-mer garden hazards that could place my doggies at risk.

And no, I don’t mean weeds, I mean the follow-ing: And do bear in mind, these are only guidelines, I don’t have the full list, nor am I able to give informa-tion regarding the lethal dosage so if you are con-cerned, contact your vet.

FertilizerThe fertilizer that

feeds your plants could

be the very thing that upsets your dog, espe-cially if it contains ammonium n i t ra te which is toxic to ani-mals.

Common plantsRhododendron and

azalea, daffodil, hya-cinth, tulip, hydrangea and foxglove to name but a few.

InsecticidesInsect ic ide bai ts ,

sprays, granules and herbicides are great for your garden but are not friendly to your dog, especially if they include ingredients like snail bait with metalde-hyde and fly bait with methomyl. A tip! Don’t wear gardening shoes in the house; (those who

From garden tools to fertilizers, your garden could

feature a number of threats for doggies

live chez moi already know the dangers of wearing muddy shoes in the house), they bring extra pesticides and dirt indoors, further expos-ing my pets when they lick their paws.

Coco mulchVery popular with

the landscape gardener, but, as it’s a by-product

of chocolate it attracts dogs with its sweet aroma.

Depending on the amount ingested, this can cause a variety of symptoms ranging from vomiting, diarrhoea, hyperactivity and even seizures.

C o n s i d e r u s i n g shredded pine or cedar instead?

CompostAs an eco friendly

kinda gal I understand the whole Mother Earth thing and composting is definitely the right way to go, but as an ani-mal lover, I have to say, you’re posing a huge risk to your pets if you don’t do it properly and responsibly.

We see a lot of inci-dents where dogs are being poisoned due to what is often referred to as “garbage gut”.

You see, the fer-mentation of certain items such as meat and dairy products means they produce clostrid-ial toxins; these toxins languish in compost heaps, get raided by nosy canines who may then experience severe

symptoms such as vom-iting and diarrhoea, resulting in you having to rush them to the fam-ily vet for urgent atten-tion.

Tools of the TradeKeep an eye on rakes,

hoes and trowels etc, they can prove danger-ous to your pet’s nose, paws and other parts of his body, especially if they puncture his skin.

If the tools are rusty or mucky, there is a danger of your dog get-ting tetanus. Make sure your dog’s vaccinations are up to date and lock your gardening tools in the shed.

AllergiesYep, pets have aller-

gies just like you and

me and, if the reaction is severe it can cause anaphylactic shock.

If you’re concerned or suspect your pet suf-fers from an allergy, have your vet give him the once over and he/she will best advise regarding medications and course of action to take.

Please remember, the above information is only a guideline and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional veterinary advice.

If you are concerned about your pet, contact your family vet.

� For more informa-tion, log onto www.dspca.ie or contact your vet or email me at [email protected]


GazetteBUSINESSBUSINESS Supported by AIB

PAYMENT PROTECTION INSURANCE Q – I have had PPI on my AIB Visa card for years. How do I get rid of it and am I entitled to any refund of premiums ? Carmel – Blanchardstown

A – The easy answer to this is simply write to AIB

and ask them to cancel the PPI element of your

monthly payment. PPI gave some people peace

of mind should they fall sick, have an accident or

be made redundant. Your payments were paid

up to 12 months until you recovered on any of the

three fronts. Unfortunately, you will not be able

to claim a refund, as you enjoyed the protection

insurance during this period (a little like asking

for refunds on life cover while you were covered

all along). However, it was also massively mis-

sold because certain categories were unable to

claim and should have been told at the outset by

the sellers. Those NOT covered included:

• Aged under 18, or over 65 years of age

• Working less than 16 hours a week

• Self-employed or unemployed

• Have existing medical conditions

• On contract or temporary work

If you are in any of these categories, email me

for further details.

SAFETY OF DEPOSIT TAKER

Q – I have €90,000 to invest and see that KBC Bank are doing an awful lot of advertising lately. How safe are they? Mark – Mount Merrion

A – As it happens, KBC Bank currently have the

best interest rates both in the demand (fully

accessible day to day – 3.25%) and 12-month

fixed (4.15%) categories. They also bask in the

comfort of the Deposit Protection Scheme guar-

anteeing up to €100,000 per person (underwrit-

ten ultimately by the Irish taxpayer) like all the

Irish deposit takers in Ireland.

The bigger picture is also reassuring, in that

they have been in Ireland over 35 years with

centres in Dublin, Cork, Belfast, Limerick, Cork

and Galway, employing over 450 people. They

are part of the Belgian KBC Group – KBC Bank NV

based in Brussels and enjoy an A rating. So, with

€90,000, you are safe as houses as the saying

goes to deposit with them. You could go to any

of their formally appointed agents and transact

through them at no cost to you. Email me for

details.

� Contact John with your money questions at

[email protected] or visit his website at

www.moneydoctor.ie. John Lowe, Fellow of the

Institute of Bankers, is founder and managing

director of Money Doctor

A NEW walk-in tax and accountancy advice service, TaxAssist Accountants, servicing small businesses and the self employed in the Dun Laoghaire area opened last year.

The new business was launched by Kevin Kelly, an accountant with over 10 years’ experience. Having worked in vari-ous accounting roles throughout his career, Kevin decided to fulfil his ambition of open-ing his own business.

The new practice aims to simplify the accounts and tax process and offer real value to clients. Clients can avail of a range of services such as tax returns, payroll, end-of-year accounts and book-keeping all on a fixed fee basis.

TaxAssist Accountants operates from a bright, open shop front on Patrick Street. The idea of the shop front is that clients can simply call in off the street to discuss their accountancy and tax matters without an appointment.

Kevin said: “Traditionally, the accountants office is hidden away upstairs. I wanted to take away any of the formalities and make a trip to the accountants a more comfortable experience.”

“Clients want a good, proactive service from their accountant without the expensive hourly rates that usually brings. We offer a free one hour consultation, and we always work on a fixed fee basis so there are no hid-den fees and no shocks,” he concluded.

Interview: Kevin Kelly from TaxAssist Accountants in Dun Laoghaire

Q&A

Taking account of real concerns

Kevin Kelly of TaxAssist Accountants: “I want to make a trip to the accountants a more

comfortable experience”

Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be?A: A Limerick hurler.

Q: What was your first job?A: Helping out in my fa-

ther’s accountancy practice.

Q: And your first pay cheque?A: As a doorman in New

York for a summer during

college.

Q: When did you start your present job?A: In January 2011.

Q: What is the best thing about your job?A: I enjoy helping and advis-

ing a mix of businesses and

individuals.

Q: What part of your work-ing day do you “delegate”?

A: Filing.

Q: What sport do you fol-low?A: I follow hurling, football

and basketball.

Q: What is your guilty mu-sic/TV or movie pleasure?A: Bad action movies.

Q: Who best represents modern Ireland – David Norris or Jedward?A: Jedward – double person-

ality with a short attention

span and annoyingly enter-

taining.

Q: What music/pictures/movies do you have on your iPod/iPad?A: Alternative and electronic

music, wedding photos,

comedy films.

Q: Who do you follow on Twitter/Facebook?A: Local businesses, music,

sport and current affairs.

Q: What was your last Tweet/status update?A: Few comments on a re-

cent networking event.

Q: Describe your dream meal?A: Starter: Smoked Salmon.

Main (depends): Chicken

rogan josh or steak and

chips or penne arrabiata.

Dessert: Chocolate and

coffee.

Q: Who would you rather have dinner with – Enda Kenny or Dame Edna?A: Enda Kenny.

Q: Where do you enjoy spending money frivolously?A: On holidays.

Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?A: Five pairs of shoes and

five pairs of trainers.

Q: What was your worst holiday experience?A: Ring of Kerry when we

were young – it rained and

we all got food poisoning.

Been back a few times since

and it was very enjoyable.

Q: Describe your dream holiday?A: Family holiday by the sea

and close to a town, with

lots of good food.

Q: What would be your dream job?A: As the bass player in a

well-respected and not too

famous band.

Q: What do you plan to do when you retire?A: More family time, gigs,

sporting events and travel.

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

ADVERTISE WITH THE

GAZETTE CALL 60 10 240

Understanding the costs of renovation

A beautiful extension might increase the value of your property, but understanding the costs of renovation is important, too

When you are plan-ning on extending your home, one question will occupy you more than any other: How much will the extension cost?

There are a variety of answers, depending on the set of variables that makes up your building project.

Each project is unique and each will have its own set of costs. When planning your project it’s very helpful to have an understanding of the items and factors that can affect costings.

In this article we’ll cover the more common items, so when you look at a set of plans, you will be more knowledgeable about how costings are drawn up.

Your Site AccessNo matter what type

of build you are plan-ning, there will be some digging involved. The

access to the site can have a cost impact in a very simple way.

If the build is happen-ing at the rear of your house, can a digger gain access? Foundations can be excavated very quickly and efficiently with a digger.

If there is no vehicular rear access, there may be no choice but for the foundations to be dug the old fashioned way, by hand, which will be more expensive in terms of time and money.

Soil conditions: If there a massive depth of soil beneath your house, your builder may need to double to ensure solid foundations.

Drainage and pipesIf there is a large

manhole in your garden this is more than likely an access point to the community sewerage scheme which your local authority need to

have access to on a per-manent basis.

Perhaps the shape of the foundations will have to be altered or adjusted to take the manhole into account. Design changes above standard layouts will be more costly.

The new structureA standard, off the

shelf design is more cost effective to build then a complex, once off, unique, project.

All that aside, this is your home you are dealing with so as long as you are aware that complexity equals addi-tional expense, you are going into the project with your eyes open.

Materials, finishesYou would be amazed

at the impact seemingly insignificant decisions can have on the bottom line cost of a building project. Bear items on

this list in mind when you are putting your budget together.

Insulation - standard or future proof?

It may be cheaper up front to just go for a standard insulation, but more high quality products may have a future saving in terms of running costs of the finished property.

Inside finishes – kitch-en/tiles/layout/electri-cal points/plumbing/electrical points.

More than likely you will be buying a new kitchen as part of your build. The quality and costs of kitchen units can vary widely, so shop around before you buy.

If you put your new kitchen in the same position as your old kitchen there will be a lower building cost as pipes/electrics may not

have to be moved. If you swap your

kitchen and your din-ing room around, there will be a big cost in new pipework.

Do you really need those marble tiles in the hall?

And what about those brushed chrome light switches, gorgeous to look at, but standard white plastic one do the exact same job at a much lower cost.

Hopefully after read-ing this article, you will have a better idea of the costs involved in build-ing your dream home and when you go to put your project out to tender, you will be able to digest the different quotes with a bit more understanding.

To get in touch with HSLC, find them online at www.hslc.ie or call Gerhard on 087 774 9470 or [email protected]

EXTENSIONS: TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF THE POSSIBLE COSTS

GazettePROPERTYPROPERTYNew design is a Knott classic IRELAND’S best known interior designer, Neville Knott, travelled to Rathfarnham for next week’s edition of Neville’s Doorstep Challenge on TV3, and the show sees him pay a visit to homeowner Mary in her apartment in Rathfarnham as she’s desperate to stop her home looking like a charac-terless rental.

Talking about his design, Neville said: “Mary wanted a space she would be proud to have pho-tos taken in on the day of her wedding. I created a strong focal point in the room by painting thick stripes in mink and soft grey which gave the room great width and a definite personality which it lacked before.”

As well as being a famous face on TV, Neville is also colour consultant to Crown Paints and head of interior design at the Dublin Institute of Tech-nology.

Neville’s Door Step Challenge, in association with Crown Paints and Woodies DIY is on TV3 on Tuesdays at 7.30pm.

To find out how Neville achieved the look, see www.facebook.com/crownpaints.


GazetteMOTORSMOTORS

� CORMAC CURTIS

MERCEDES Benz have not been sitting on their laurels in recent times.

Even a cursory glance at the striking and imagi-native marketing and advertising campaigns they have been rolling out will tell you that the German brand have their sights firmly on younger drivers.

This is new territory for the marque, who have more tradition-ally appealed to an older, more executive level of driver.

But this new direction shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. It was as far back as 2005 when the company first broke ranks by introduc-ing the family-friendly B-Class.

What is both encour-aging and reassuring is that, despite all the atten-tion and resources being devoted to some new models in the line-up, cars such as the B-Class are being revamped and improved to a staggering extent.

For 2012, not only has

the B-Class been given an incredibly sexy new look, it brings the compact class to an entirely new level as it is the first model change in the company’s history to have so many new fea-tures introduced at one time.

It also comes on the market with an entry-level price that Mercedes-Benz says is 11% lower than the model it replaces.

Putting the new fea-tures and sticker price to one side, when it comes to a car like the B-Class, to put it through its paces requires a few passengers, as well as some distance to travel.

So, the timing of the B-Class road test couldn’t have been better – the May Bank Holiday week-

end was coming up, so, I made preparations to take the family south to West Cork for a few days.

En route, we had to stop for a night in Kinsale, the Kinsale Rugby Sevens event was on, so we had to swing by to soak up some of the atmosphere.

Kinsale may have a reputation for excellent seafood, but what they don’t tell you in the tourist brochure is that the town is like a maze, with some exceptionally narrow little alleys to navigate.

After taking one wrong turn on the way to our rented holiday home, I was seriously impressed with the tight turning cir-cle of the B-Class – one hard lock of the steering wheel and we pulled off a perfect U-turn.

That’s skipping ahead a little – let’s get back to the start. Mercedes have managed to fit an enor-mous amount of space in to the B-Class.

They tell us that the seats are more upright and set lower to the road, resulting in improved headroom.

Rear-seat passengers

have bundles of space, and there is serious load capacity in the boot, 486-1,545 litres in fact. There is even an optional feature that allows the rear seats to be adjusted forwards/backwards to facilitate bulkier items.

All this passenger and storage space has not translated into a bulky, gas-guzzling machine – far from it.

Outstanding aerody-namics help to deliver low fuel consumption and reduced CO2 emissions, while a standard item on all B-Class models is an ECO start/stop function. I have to admit, I wasn’t a huge fan of this particular start/stop system, but it’s one of those features that you do get used to, and it does make life easier on the wallet!

The car comes with a number of engine options, in Ireland, the model likely to account for the bulk of sales is the 109bhp entry level B180 CDI, which comes on the market at €29,330, with annual road tax of €160. A second diesel is

a 2.0-litre/136bhp unit, the price of which will be announced later.

In petrol form, the first version to go on sale is the 122bhp B180Blue-EFFICIENCY selling at €29,890 with annual road tax of €225. A 2.0-litre/156bhp BlueEF-FICIENCY version will be added to the range at a later date.

There is a completely new six-speed manual transmission, boasting easy gear change and low shift forces, although my biggest gripe with this car is the reverse gear – I just couldn’t get used to the unusual position, the upper left, as well as the push/pull mechanism to get the gear lever through the gate.

Most of the time, the only occasion for a reviewer to see emergency stopping features in effect is at demonstrations laid on by the manufacturer, but in this case I got a taste of just how good the Mercedes safety kit is.

While driving through North Strand in heavy traffic, my attention was not what it should have

been, and I was driving a little quickly towards a stopped car. The new radar-based collision prevention warning sys-tem kicked in and an alarm sounded. Thank-fully, I braked in time and avoided any kind of contact – much to the relief of Mercedes I’m sure.

Other safety features on board the new B-Class include items imported from larger Mercedes-Benz such as adaptive headlamp, blind spot, lane keeping and speed limit assist systems along with parking assist, hill hold brake function, reversing camera and distance con-trol. All in all, this is a seri-ously attractive car. The interior is pure Mercedes, with some nice, subtle nods to a more modern look and feel.

The quality is every-thing you would expect, and the performance, safety, and economy have all taken large steps for-ward, and all for a seri-ously competitive price.

This is a car that will fit the bill for any family on the move.

Taking it to a new levelAll in all, the new Mercedes B-Class is a seriously attractive car

NEW FOCUS LIM-ITED EDITION: THE Ford Focus, has seen its range extended with the announcement of a new Focus Limited Edition Series.

The new models are badged as Focus Zetec S and Titanium X.

The Zetec S com-bines a strong visual appeal with a sporty image and relies on Ford’s fuel efficient 1.6-TDCi diesel engine with the option of 95PS or 115PS out-puts (5-door only).

The Titanium X is available in 4- and 5-door models and is powered by the same 1.6-TDCi die-sel engine. The spec includes the following features: 17” titanium alloys; deflation detec-tion system; active park assist; visibility pack; Bluetooth Voice Control and USB con-nectivity; and full size spare wheel.

Prices start at €24,927 ex–works.

RoadRoadSignsSigns

� Top speed: � 0 – 100km/hr: 10.9 secs � Economy: 4.4 – 4.6 l/100km Combined � CO2 emissions: 114 – 121 g/km� Entry Price: €29,330

SPECS: MERCEDES BENZ B-CLASS


Edited by

Cormac Curtis

GazetteTTRAVELRAVELFastTravel

CITY BREAK: POLISH CITY HAS BECOME A HUB OF ACTIVITY

� ELLEN COONEY

THE city on eve-ryone’s lips this summer is Poznan, host to UEFA

EURO 2012. Previously, a relatively unknown city among the Irish, Poznan has been busy in prepa-ration to offer our fans a spectacular welcome.

Despite being one of the oldest cities in Poland, Poznan is home to some incredible and modern architecture. Its new railway station with its smooth curves, glass walls and geometric garden areas is the per-fect welcome to this ever developing city. These sleek developments offer a perfect contrast to the city’s picturesque recrea-tion areas which include four lakes, 40 parks and 100 green areas.

There is no shortage of entertainment in the city which thrives on the energy of the new Euro-pean countries while meeting with the culture of Western civilisation. For beer lovers there are beer tasting events and free tours of the Lech brewery, and Poznan has one of the largest num-bers of pubs in Poland. There is also a variety of shopping options and an all-year-round ski slope for those seeking some-thing a little different.

This bustling city has recently become a big player in the world of sporting events. The sta-dium which will hold this year’s UEFA EURO 2012 was finished in September 2010 and has since hosted four Europa League matches and the Red Bull X Fighters. The

Poznan preparing for a world of fans

Poznan is host to UEFA EURO 2012

city is also a popular des-tination for canoe teams and the Lake of Malta has been deemed one of the finest rowing venues in the world.

Especially for UEFA EURO 2012 the city will designate a specialised FanZone, which will

hold around 30,000 and will be a hive of activ-ity for fans during the final tournament. There will be events every day from June 8 until July 1, including live music acts. There are also two Fan Camps planned in Poznan with 10,000

places. Attendants can rent student dormitories, flats and houses.

With thousands of fans destined for this stunning city in the com-ing months, Poznan will surely become a popu-lar destination for global travellers in the future.

SUMMER can be a busy time for some people, making it difficult to avail of standard package holi-days. American Holidays are now offering beautiful autumn cruises through-out the months of Octo-ber and November.

There are three differ-ent cruises to choose from, covering six of the United State’s most popular and influential cities, and also providing a number of nights to sail the seas in luxury. The cruises range in price from €1,695pp to €1,829pp.

The first of these trips begins in Orlando, Flori-da, where you will stay for five nights in The Rosen Inn, just a stone’s throw away from all of Orlan-do’s attractions.

Getting the best from the US

Next on the agenda is four nights aboard Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas. On your fifth day aboard, you will dock in Nashville, Tennessee to enjoy some southern hos-pitality and comfort food at the Doubletree Hotel.

If you’re looking for a taste of politics, culture art and music, why not choose a trip which starts with a luxury hotel stay in Washington DC and includes a cruise cover-ing New England and Canada.

Your trip will be round-ed off with eight nights aboard Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas, where you will have the chance to visit five differ-ent ports of call includ-ing Portland, Maine and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Enjoy some southern hospitality in Nashville, Tennessee

For a little glamour with your sun, why not try the Eastern Carib-bean cruise. Starting at the Miami Beach Resort and Spa Hotel, you will relax in the tropical sur-roundings complete with a semi-private beach.

After resting up, you will spend seven nights aboard the Norwegian Cruise line ship, Norwe-gian Epic, before arriv-ing in Las Vegas for four nights. Here you can take in the sights, avail of the attractions on the Las Vegas Strip.

For more information or to make a booking, call American Holidays on 01 6733800, or call into 18-19 Duke Street, Dublin 2 to speak with their expert staff.

PORT OF CALL: LET AMERICAN HOLIDAYS SHOW YOU THE SITES

Joe Walsh tours is offering escorted tours to explore Italy and Portugal in styleTHE days of the sun lounger may be numbered as Irish tourists search for alternative ways to see Europe.

Ireland’s longest running tour operator, Joe Walsh Tours, currently has four fabulous escort-ed tours on offer for those wanting a different kind of holiday this summer. These group tours will allow you to explore the culture and history of Italy or the beauty and heritage of Portugal.

Whether you want to soak up the sun while relaxing on the Lisbon Coast, exploring the winding streets of Venice, taking an evening stroll to the Trevi fountain or simply discover-ing the beauty of Rome, Joe Walsh tours will let you do it in comfort. You will travel on a luxury coach to each of your destinations, and spend each night in a four-star hotel.

Each tour differs from the others, and covers a vast amount of sightseeing, relaxation and fun, ensuring that there is something for everyone. Each tour is accompanied by an experienced Joe Walsh Tours representative, so you can be certain you will see the most wonderful regions of each country, and the gems of each city.

All four tours are seven nights in length and range in price from €774 to €975. Each tour is an all-inclusive package and includes your return flights (including taxes and charges), air-port transfers, hotel accommodation, tours and excursions on a luxury coach and the assistance of a Joe Walsh representative.

As the longest established tour operator in Ire-land, with over 50 years’ experience, Joe Walsh Tours will make sure that your holiday is defi-nitely one to remember.

For further information on these tours or to book, visit www.joewalshtours.ie, call 012410800 or email [email protected]

Edited by

Mimi Murray




Films still fighting fitThere are fights in apartment rooms, in the corridors, through the floors, out the windows... Basically there are a lot of fights.

GoingOUT

GazetteENTERTAINMENTENTERTAINMENT

A Welsh man has made the newest non stop, adrenalin pumping, action classic... In Indonesia. Are you sure?

�THE PAVILION THEATRE 01 231 2929Travesties

FOLLOWING the hugely successful and popular Plaza Suite, Rough Magic are back at the Pavilion Theatre with the delicious comedy Travesties by Tom Stoppard.Best-known as the author of the Oscar-winning film Shakespeare in Love and the plays Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and Arcadia, Stoppard is at his best in this absurdly funny masterpiece featuring James Joyce, Vladimir Lenin and Dadaist Tristan Tzara. Running from June 7 to 23, tickets are priced from €18 to €25.

MILL THEATRE 01 296 9340 Bloomsday Celebration

THE Mill Theatre and Roly Saul’s present a special Bloomsday Celebration Brunch to mark the 90th anniversary of the publication of Ulysses. Join the team in Roly Saul’s restaurant for a buffet brunch with fare inspired by Leopold Bloom’s breakfast, including a glass of burgundy! Brunch will be accompanied by theatrical readings from Ulysses and music and song from the Joyce era. The celebration takes place on Saturday, June 16 from 11.30am. Tickets are priced at €15.

CIVIC THEATRE 01 462 7477Ardal O’Hanlon

AWARD winning comedian, actor, writer - and star of Father Ted (C4), My Hero (BBC 1), Val Falvey (RTE) and Leagues Apart (RTE), Ardal O’Hanlon brings his unique brand of stand up comedy back to Ireland. A highly acclaimed stand up, Ardal has toured to sell out audiences internationally and has released two Top 10 stand up DVDs. He continues to be one of the most sought after comedians working with regular sell out solo tours in the UK, USA and Australia. Catch him on June 6 at 8pm, tickets are €20.

DRAIOCHT 01 885 2622Niamh Kavanagh and her band

NIAMH’S back with her brilliant blend of rock, soul, r&b, Eurovision hits, tracks from her successful albums and her own favourites with that amazing voice Commitments’ director Alan Parker ‘‘had to have’’. Described as the ‘‘Rolls Royce’’ of Irish singers, Niamh Kavanagh represented Ireland at the Eurovision twice, collecting maximum points from the Irish vote, and is the voice behind three of the biggest hits from the Commitments ever. Catch her on June 30 with tickets €20/€16.

� NIALL BERMINGHAM

THE BRAINCHILD of Welsh writer/director, Gareth Evans, and a completely Indonesian cast and crew, The Raid is without doubt one of the best action films to come along since the heyday of action.

Garnering huge inter-est for itself with tremen-dously successful festival showings (winning both the Dublin Film Critics Circle Best Film and Audience Award at the Jameson Dublin Inter-national Film Festival), it lives up to the hype and some.

The film has been made to showcase the traditional Indonesian martial art Pencak Silat, which lends itself very well to film. It is a hard hitting, high kicking, and bone crunching style of martial arts that has no qualms about integrat-ing weapons when the need is there.

Perhaps not for the faint of heart, The Raid does not shy away from visceral action; how-ever that is not the only thing on show. Scenes of extreme tension and genuine comedy are also offered up by Evans.

The story follows a SWAT team as they try to overthrow drug lord, Tama Riyadi (Ray Sahetapy) from within his base of operations in a multi-storey apart-ment block in the centre of the Jakarta slums.

The team has every-thing you’d expect, new guys, tough guys, old guys, and a level headed

and well respected lead-er. They all have their place in the film and each one fits fabulously.

The lead is played by Iko Uwais (who along with Yayan Ruh-lan mapped out all the action), a new member to the SWAT team, who has personal reasons for entering the apartment block.

As the team work their way up floor by floor, not everything goes to plan (if it had, it wouldn’t have been much of a film) and soon all hell breaks loose. The team are left fighting for their lives with their weapons

and soon their fists and then just about whatever they can find (the most novel being a fridge).

Meanwhile we see drug lord Tama as he reacts to the police inva-sion and seeing as he is a paranoid mob boss his decisions are not the most rational. He calls on wave after wave of his henchmen to attack the quickly diminish-ing SWAT force. When he finds that there are still some police left he unleashes his two right hand men to personally take care of it. Here, we are introduced to the two most interesting characters of the film.

Andi (Donny Alam-syah) and “Mad Dog” (Yayan Ruhlan) have two different roles in the movie. “Mad Dog” is the main antagonist, engag-ing in prolonged fight scenes with some of the remaining SWAT team, whereas Andi oper-ates from the shadows,

scheming and brood-ing.

With tremendous vari-ety separating all the set pieces, you will spend all evening recounting your favourite punch, or the kick that made you grimace the most. My favourite scene involved a fire escape and a three storey fall.

It all culminates for a fantastic ending leav-ing you wanting more and, thankfully, Evans has something up his sleeve to offer. Plans to turn this film into a trilogy began as early as script development so of course there is a wide open ending, and as this is an Asian film that has performed well internationally, there are talks of an Ameri-can remake.

Now af ter all the gushing I’ll just say that if you like action, you’ll love this, and if not, then there’s always the new American Pie...

FILM OF THE WEEK: The Raid�� (18) 101 mins

OUR VERDICT:Better than any recent action film produced in Hollywood, or anywhere for that matter, The Raid will tick all the boxes for action fans of any age. The eastern insanity works brilliantly with director Evans’ western sensibilities. It’s probably not one for an evening of romance, but for a straight up, balls-to-the-wall action experience, this is as good as it gets.

Director: Gareth EvansStarring: Iko Uwais, Donny Alamsyah, Joe Taslim, Ray Sahetapy, Yayan Ruhian, Tegar Satrya


GazetteGAMINGGAMING

� SHANE DILLON

I’M NOT quite sure why, but the zombie genre has risen again in popu-lar media, and is shuf-fling forward once more, relentlessly making tracks into popular culture.

While the world and his dog awaits the Brad Pitt-starring World War Z at cinemas at the end of the year, the small screen has been well served with the surprise hit, The Walking Dead, based on the popu-lar, long-running graphic novels of the same name.

In a canny move, and in a pretty shrewd marrying of adventure gaming with

survival horror, developer Telltale Games rolled out its version of The Walk-ing Dead recently which, for some – and apolo-gies here – will be dead entertaining, while other gamers may not see it as a very lively title.

Telltale has made a name for itself with its adventure titles, which range from decent hits to dreadful misses, as with any other developer out there.

However, The Walking Dead – and the major intellectual property that the title represents, these days – gave the devel-oper the chance to step

away from conventional adventure gaming sce-narios and puzzles into darker territory.

Set in the by now famil-iar setting of a post-apoc-alyptic America, cour-tesy of the long-promised zombie armageddon, in The Walking Dead: A New Day, the player takes control of Lee Everett, a man with a murky past, who starts off in the back of a patrol car, on his way to jail.

One unexpected crash later, and Lee comes to – only to find that there are Walkers – zombies – eve-rywhere, and the world’s falling to pieces.

From there on, it’s down to the player to steer Lee down a lin-ear route in this, the first downloadable chapter of a series, as he meets other survivors, tries to stay alive, and begins to work out what’s going on.

However, as it’s a Tell-tale game, this means lots of looking around screens/the environment for items to use, collect or activate, with occa-sional bursts of Quick Time Event (QTE) action breaking up events.

After all, checking out the kitchen of a seem-ingly deserted house – only for a Walker to

suddenly jump out of the shadows – practically demands a QTE event, for Lee to frantically try and escape.

Interestingly, while such action set pieces aren’t very common, there’s a lot of character interaction, as Lee meets other survivors and the things he says affect how they treat him.

With this divertingly interesting first instal-ment, which is available on a number of gam-ing platforms (bar IOS), here’s hoping that Telltale can continue with the quality it’s established in this chapter.

Clementine’s parents are missing now that zombies have overrun America, and possibly the world – but, luckily, she can rely on Lee to look

out for her, when they cross paths in the surprisingly strong character-driven first chapter of the cross-platform title, The Walking Dead

Arise, Sir iconic Apple designer ...WHILE I couldn’t throw an iPad out the window without probably hitting someone who immediate-ly piped up with “Steve Jobs” if I asked him or her who had created it, that’s not strictly true.

In fact, Brit-i s h d e s i g n e r Jonathan Ives is the man behind many of Apple’s iconic products’ designs over the past two decades, with the 45-year-old responsible for the 1993 iMac G3’s design, and, from there, other such iconic Apple products as the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

While you’d have to search long and hard up and down streets all around the world to find people who’d be able to pull Ives out of a line-up, such gen-eral anonymity doesn’t bother the designer, with, perhaps, such design achievements under his belt to comfort him – not to mention a significant amassed fortune from his work, innumerable awards, and such titles as Commander of the British Empire, which he was awarded in 2005.

Last week, the latest honour for Ives was being knighted by Princess Anne. (Now) Sir Ives contin-ues to prove that visionary designers are still very much a core component of Apple’s success ...

Bytesandpieces

Dead entertaining

Questions over Facebook’s tumbling shares ...

Anotherweebyte...

AS EXPECTED, there was enormous interest over the inevitable initial public offering (IPO) of Facebook, which went public very recently with a barely comprehensible value of $104 billion.

However, market analysts almost immediately started asking questions about the subsequent tumble in the company’s share values, with negative shifts reported in a short period – three days after floating on Nasdaq, shares were trading at 18% below the $38 offer price, seeing bil-lions (at the time of writing) written down from the company’s value – not what many expected, though, no doubt, shares will bounce back.

Also at the time of writing, a number of American lawsuits query-ing how the company had been valued emerged, focusing on how the company had been valued, and who has acccess to such valuations. Regardless of how such developments pan out, it’s interesting to see such unexpected stories centred around the normally unassailable social media giant ...

CONTINUING to name significant people that many readers may not know of, one

of Gaming’s most prolific and well-known (yet little-

known to non-gamers) stars, Nolan North, has

made another addition to his already colossal CV.

While it’s very common for cinema stars to do voi-ceover work for games, Nolan – “the” voice of gaming,

for many, given the staggering range of charac-ters he has voiced – has reversed the trend, and

has been given a role on the upcoming blockbuster, Star Trek 2, thanks to his impressive voiceover skills. No doubt the news that he’s joining Kirk and co has left him beaming with happiness ...

Gaming star treks off to a movie role

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FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL

PLANNING NOTICE

15666

Teagasc wish to apply for Planning Permission for the construction of the follow-ing:- 1) extension to existing conference facility to con-tain staff canteen, lecture hall, new entrance, offices, toilets and circulation space; 2) 949.66m² mushroom tun-nel building; 3) 692.90m² agricultural storage/work-shop building; 4) 2663.37m² glasshouse, 5) 233.17m² combined heat and power building; 6) two 822.82m² polytunnels building; 7) all associated and ancillary siteworks and services and ancillary accommodation. Also retention permission of the following items, 200,000 litre water storage tank, 2.4m high paladin boundary fence, extension to road and footpath network, extension of existing carparking areas coupled with all ancillary site services. All the above works to be undertaken on our site at Teagasc, Ashtown

Food Research Centre, Ash-town, Dublin 15. The Plan-ning Application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reason-able cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority during the public opening hours of 9.30 - 16.30 Monday - Friday at Fingal County Council, Grove Road, Blanchardstown, Fin-gal, Dublin 15. A submission or observation in relation to the Application may be made in writing to the Plan-ning Authority on payment of a fee of €20, within the period of 5 weeks, beginning on the date of receipt by Fin-gal County Council of the Application, and such sub-missions or observations will be considered by the Plan-ning Authority in making a decision on the application. The Planning Authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission.

BUILDING PLUMBINGBATHROOMS PAINTING

DVD SERVICES


I Patrick Ryan , intend to apply for planning permission for development at this site, 48 College Grove Castleknock Dublin 15. The development consists of the replacement of existing flat roof on single sto-rey, entrance porch and living room at side with a concrete tiled pitched, lean-to roof. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of Fingal County Coun-cil during its public opening hours of 9.30 - 16.30 Monday - Friday at Fingal County Coun-cil Fingal County Hall Main St., Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin. (to inspect Planning Applica-tions on all lands except those lands to the west of the N2). Fingal County Council Offices, Grove Rd. Blanchardstown, Fingal Dublin 15 (to inspect Planning Applications on all lands to the west of the N2)A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the Planning Authority on payment of the prescribed fee (€20.00) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the application

PLANNING NOTICE

15696


I, Keith Wall Intend to apply for Planning Permission for, single storey extension to sideAnd all associated site works at No 41 Alderwood,Hollystown,Dublin 15. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of Fingal County Council, Grove Road, Blanchardstown Dublin 15 during its public opening hours. A submission or obser-vation in relation to the appli-cation may be made in writ-ing to the planning authority on payment of a prescribed fee (20 euro) within a period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authori-ty of the application and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission.

PLANNING NOTICE

15697

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ST PAT’S Palmerstown and Dublin senior hurl-ing star Liam Rushe was on hand last week when the Opel Ireland 2012 Kit For Clubs initiative was launched at Croke Park, with all sports fans across the city called upon to support their local GAA clubs.

Dublin GAA fans can collect points to earn free sports kit and equipment for their local GAA club

through the initiative. For every car service

(10 points), test drive (10 points), or Opel pur-chase (200 points) made through the Opel Dealer Network, the club you support is awarded points which can be built up and redeemed against high-quality kit.

GAA clubs can choose from an extensive range of kit which includes everything from sliotars (5 points) to footballs (10 points) and from

goal posts (100 points) to tackle bags (100 points). New to the programme this year is the addition of juvenile club jerseys (800 points) and senior club jerseys (1,000 points), pro-vided by Masita, official supplier of the GAA.

The Kit for Clubs initia-tive is about supporting local Dublin GAA clubs across the county.

Liam Ware from Mal-low GAA Club, outlines how his club has benefited from the initiative: “Since

GAELIC GAMES: OPEL ANNOUNCE 2012 INITIATIVE TO HELP LOCAL CLUBS KIT UP

Liam Rushe, Colm Cooper and Jackie Tyrrell with Derry and Christian Finlay at the launch of Kit For Clubs

Rushe on points for clubs seeking new equipment

this scheme started, Mal-low GAA club have been able to obtain both play-ing kit and training equip-ment, otherwise, we prob-ably would not have been able to get this gear due to limited resources.”

Paraic Duffy, the GAA’s director general said: “The advantages of being involved in a scheme such as this are obvious and the provision of training and playing gear is a welcome payback to our members

and clubs who look to Opel for their motoring needs. It is also encour-aging to see some of our top players supporting this scheme and lending their profile to help raise awareness about what is

an excellent initiative.”Log onto www.opel-

kitforclubs.com, on Facebook or visit your local Opel dealer to reg-ister your club and start building your GAA club’s points.

GazetteSPORTMAY YOU BE CHAMPS: MAY YOU BE CHAMPS: This month’s Sports This month’s Sports Awards winners Awards winners are announced: are announced: Page 29Page 29

GazetteSportSport


U-14 Hurling

Youth teams show great skill at FeileO

N A cool, overcast, May Saturday morning, all the U-14 hurling teams in Dublin were preparing for Feile day. The

teams involved in this particular Feile were Skerries Harps, Clanna Gael, Na Fianna B, Trinity Gaels, and hosts, St Peregrine’s. With the pitch in perfect condition, the matches got under way. To progress to the semi-finals teams would have to win three out of the four games they played. Unfortunately for the hosts, they only managed to win two of their games despite some brilliant play. The players will have lots of time to reflect on what was an excellent experience that will benefit them greatly.

Fantastic performances were on display from all the teams

Na Fianna were the favourites to top the group

Na Fianna proved just too much to handle

St Peregrine’s comfortably beat Clanna Gael in their second match

A determined push in the second half by Peregrine’s was not enough to overcome Na Fianna

The St Peregrine’s team played valiantly even when it was clear they could not progress

A dominant first half put Na Fianna up 3-2 to St Peregrine’s 1-2


�STARof theMONTHLEO CULLEN

BLACKROCK College man Leo

Cullen further enshrined

his name in Heineken Cup

folklore this month when he

led Leinster to a third suc-

cess in four years in the

competition against Ulster. It

confirmed the current Blues’

crop as the greatest team

in the competition’s history,

becoming the first side to go

through a season unbeaten.

SUMMERTIME has officially arrived and while that unfamiliar orb hangs in the sky, let’s celebrate the achievements of the stars of Dublin sport for the month of May.

Leo Cullen once again proved that he is the epitome of cap-tainhood after he helped steer Leinster through the vagaries of the Heineken Cup unbeaten and unbowed, to claim their third title in the course of four years.

St Brigid’s, in turn, showed the experience of youth in registering a unique double success in claiming the Dublin hurling and football-ing Feile titles at Parnell Park, an achievement last recorded in the city by Ballyboden St Enda’s.

Let us know about your achieve-ments in sport, so that the Gazette can tell the rest of Dublin. Contact us on 01 601 0240 or [email protected] to tell us all about your successes.

ST BRIGID’S U-14S

ST BRIGID’S Under-14 hurlers

and footballers celebrated a

unique success this month when

they claimed their respective

Division 1 Feile titles at Parnell

Park. Two weeks after the

footballers captured their Feile

title with a superb win over

St Sylvester’s, the hurling side

completed the double thanks to

a memorable victory over Na

Fianna.

�TEAMof theMONTH

2012 DUBLIN SPORTS AWARDS MAY WINNERS

Camara race nets €6k

ATHLETICS: GREAT DAY OUT ON SANDYMOUNT


LAST Saturday morning saw the sun come out for the many dedicated runners who lined out for Camara’s 10K along the scenic backdrop of Sandymount strand.

Dublin’s Lord Mayor, Andrew Montague , sounded the starter’s horn to a high-spirit-ed crowd as everyone soaked up the atmos-phere to help raise vital funds for eLearning opportunities in Irish schools.

Camara Education, a charity and social enter-prise, works to deliver eLearning opportuni-ties to schools in disad-vantaged communities in Ireland, Africa and Jamaica through the re-use of technology.

The annual 10K run, now in its third year, was a huge success as over €6,000 was raised on the day for Camara’s Ir ish School ’s Pro-gramme.

The proceeds will go to supply 55 Irish schools in need of

affordable IT with 1,100 computers and to train 300 school teachers in ICT in 2012.

Commencing on the Promenade, Strand R o a d , t h e c o u r s e s t r e t c h e d a r o u n d Sean Moore Park and the Irishtown Nature Re se r ve p rov id ing beautiful scenic views o f Dubl in Bay for entrants.

Lord Mayor Mon-tague said: “I have been a long-time supporter of Camara. Having worked with them as a volunteer

in Uganda, Zambia and Tanzania, I am aware of the excellent work they do with children in Afri-ca, Jamaica and Ireland to develop computer skills.”

The first place prize on the morning went to Hugh Hunt who came in at 36:17. Accepting his first place trophy and medal, he said: “Today has been a fantastic day, great atmosphere and a beautiful course along the Strand on a sunny morning and all for a great cause.”

www.gazettegroup.comAll of your latest local news, sport, features and pictures are now just a click away

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Captains in Canada: All-Star ladies in TorontoMEETING on an unfamiliar field last weekend were team captains Juliet Murphy, left, of Cork and the 2011 All Stars, and Denise Masterson, of Dublin and the 2010 All Stars, in the company of referee Keith Dela-hunty. The picture was taken before the game between the 2010 All Stars and 2011 All Stars in Centennial Park, Toronto, Canada, an exhibi-tion game which took place as part of the 2012 TG4/O’Neills Ladies All-Star Tour.

Dublin’s Lord Mayor Andrew Montague starts the race horn at Camara’s Sandymount 10K

GazetteSportSport


FAI SENIOR CUP ROUND 2UCD AFC 3

Phoenix 1


PHOENIX FAI Cup dreams came to a close last Friday at the hands of UCD in the Belfield Bowl when the LSL Sunday Senior side were undone by the stu-dents.

Having eliminated Lucan United — resi-dents of LSL Sunday 1B — the difference in standard between the opponents in succes-sive rounds was stark, with Samir Belhout offering early touches of Premier quality down

the left wing as part of an ambitious attacking formation from UCD.

The pace and pres-sure applied almost led to an early opener when Graham Rusk and Bel-hout chased down an attempted Tadhg Mur-phy clearance, which the former blocked, but the ricochet went just wide of the target.

Paul O’Conor shot just wide before driv-ing a hammer of a shot straight at Murphy, denying the effort after the assistant referee belatedly raised an off-side flag.

But the opening score was coming, as Rusk and

Gary Burke went close before O’Conor broke the deadlock after Rob-bie Benson created the chance and O’Conor chipped over Murphy.

Burke subsequently hit the bar from dis-tance, but Phoenix were hanging tough and they grabbed an equal-iser when Keith Dawson netted from the penalty spot in the 37th minute when former UCD man John Brophy was felled by Belhout.

And parity remained unti l the break for Shamrock Rovers leg-end Harry Kenny and his Scribblestown men who kept the midfield

tight and got bodies between the goal and the UCD hordes.

Danny Ledwith hit the woodwork once more in the second half while Rusk’s effort to rustle up a lead goal was scrambled away to safety.

Eventually, the lead goal came with 14 minutes remain ing as Derek Swan, just moments after making his entrance, missed his step to take down Ben-son and Ledwith duly stepped up to sweep in for 2-1 from the free kick.

And the game was made safe six minutes

later as Dean Clarke cut into the box and squared for Rusk to knock home his second goal of the week from close range.

Danial Ianolli and Keith Kennedy endeav-oured to get one back and set up a grandstand finish but the latter saw his effort skim the wrong side of the post.

It ended the Dublin 15 side’s run in the com-petition after a lengthy season saw the club go deep in the FAI Inter-mediate Cup, too, and finish fourth in the Sun-day Senior.

But Premier Division opposition proved that bridge too far.

Phoenix’s FAI run ended

SOCCER: STUDENTS SHOW SENIOR SUNDAY SIDE THEIR SKILLS

An emphatic display from UCD showed the difference between the divisions as Phoenix took their bow from the FAI Senior Cup

FastSport

2012 sees hosting of 15th Mini-LeaguesOn the back of a very successful year for St Brigid’s GAA club’s underage sides, with dou-ble victories in the Dublin Under-14 Feile for football and hurling, the club is launching its 2012 mini-leagues, the 15th time that the event has been held at the club.

Over 500 boys and girls from ages four to 12 from Castleknock, Blanchardstown and the surrounding areas are expected to take part in this great community event.

The mini-leagues take place throughout the week of June 11, finishing off with an all-day family festival on Saturday, June 16, in Russell Park.

Karmann Volkswaen’s North Side distribu-tors have kindly sponsored the event.

Karmann’s general manager, Thomas Brady said: “We are delighted to continue to be spon-sor of this important event in the community.

“The St Brigid’s Mini-Leagues is a great festival which encourages children of all ages and their families to participate in GAA activ-ities in the local area.”

Noel McLoughlin, co-ordinator of the events for St Brigid’s said: “Karmann’s con-tinued sponsorship of the mini-leagues is very much appreciated in these difficult economic times.

“In all, over 2,000 people of the local com-munity will attend the event over the week, between participants, mentors, volunteers, parents and grandparents.

“It’s an important milestone in the St Brig-id’s GAA calendar and is also a great way for new members to get introduced to the club.”

A new on-line sign up facility is now avail-able on the St Brigid’s GAA website at www.stbrigidsgaa.ie

Medals and jerseys are awarded to all par-ticipants and are presented by some of Dub-lin’s famous senior players.


A NUMBER of Dublin 15 sides continue to march on in cricket’s Leprechaun Cup, the largest Under-13 schools competition of its kind.

The tournament continues to offer primary school boys and girls their first introduction to hard-ball cricket, with many new schools in non-cricketing areas entering this year, a great devel-opment for the overall progress of the game in Leinster.

In Porterstown Park, Castle-knock NS edged past Castaheany

Educate Together by three wick-ets when Adam Gibson-McKen-na saw his side pass the target of 60-9 in the 17th of their 20 overs.

Joshua Tamas and Troy Pagay-onan’s bowling had Castleknock in trouble, but the batting of Ben Wallace and Gibson-McKenna helped pass their target,

At the same venue, St Mochta’s NS made it into the second round with a narrow two-wicket victory over Scoil Mhuire.

Ciaran Murray and Emmanual Nkencho had propelled Mhu-ire to a competitive 81-8, but Conor McCarthy and Cian Cro-

nan weighed in with significant knocks to overhaul the total.

St Patrick’s, Diswellstown had a similar margin of victory as Harris Cheema and Sean com-bined to dismiss Mulhuddart NS for 68.

The run chase was a fraught one but Eoin Crossan’s knock of 14 saw Pat’s win out by two wick-ets despite an exceptional spell from Craig Kennedy, recording figures of five for 10.

Their reward was date with Castleknock NS but the Dis-wellstown crew could never get a foothold in the tie.

Owen Crossan (12) and Sean Nagle (11) chipped in but a great bowling spell from Adam Gib-son-McKenna (4-10) and Ben Eustace (3-16) set a tally of 67-8.

Castleknock chased it down with nine wickets to spare with Sean Pierce setting the tone.

St Brigid’s NS were undone on the Navan Road by St John Bosco’s in a game reduced to 16 overs. Mykola Baiby bowled well to take a couple of wickets but Bosco were able to run up 67 from their allotted time and Brigid’s could not threaten, fall-ing by 31 runs.

Local Leprechauns batting for future

. CLUB NOTICEBOARD


WELL done to all those involved in

hosting the Division 1 camogie Feile in

Russell Park on Saturday.

The club was looking spectacular

and the visiting clubs complimented

us on the organisation of the day.

Our Division 1 girls lost by a point in

the semi-finals after several great

performances.

Super league win for our senior

hurlers v Crumlin in AHL1, while the

juniors game was postponed.

Register online for Summer Mini-

Leagues festival on June 11 to 16.

Big week of adult league football

ahead, with all our six adult teams in

action. Fixtures and venues on web-

site.

Well done to all those involved in the

annual golf classic which took place in

Royal Tara on Friday.

TG4 are doing a new programme on

Dublin supporters and they are look-

ing for Irish speakers from St Brigid’s

to take part in the show. If you would

like to take part email info@stbrig-

idsgaa.com.

Club snooker table now available

to rent to all members during bar

hours. Info on website.

Congratulations to Jim Daly who

won the €15,000 Lotto jackpot last

week.

Club Lotto is now €8,800 this week

and takes place in Myo’s on Friday.

New players are always welcome.

ST BRIGID’S

ST PEREGRINE’SIT WAS a great week for our ladies

section: Well done to our girls’ Feile

team who won the Division 4 cam-

ogie Feile in Parnell Park last Sun-

day beating Pat’s (P) in the final.

Well done to our adult ladies who

qualified for the semi-finals for the

junior football championship.

Big week for our adult footballers

this week, please support where

possible.

We would like to wish Paul Donnelly

a speedy recovery.

Lotto: The jackpot was not won.

Numbers drawn were 8, 12 22 and

24. Next week’s jackpot is €3,400.

Tesco for Schools initiative is now

up and running please see club-

house for details.

Club shop vouchers are now avail-

able, details and contacts on the

club website CNP.ie, which will be

finished shortly.

Enter tainment this Saturday

from Rainbow and, on Bank Holiday

Sunday from Chardonnay.

OUR junior hurlers were in action

against Good Counsel in Hazelbury

park, going down by five points in

hard-fought game.

This Friday, we are holding a fun-

draising junior disco in the Cas-

taheany Community Centre. Kids

between the ages of four and seven

can come between 6.30 and 7.30pm;

kids between the ages of eight

and 12 can come between 7.45 and

9.30pm.

Thanks to Pat Keenan and the

Vineyard for hosting the fundraiser

last Friday which, although poorly

supported, still helped raise vital

funds for the club.

Lotto: Numbers drawn were 5, 6,

7 and 15. There was no winner. Next

week’s jackpot is €5,500. Draw to be

held in The Paddocks.

We would encourage all members

to support our weekly lotto. Tick-

ets are €2 per ticket or three for €5.

This is a key fundraiser for this club.

There are tickets behind the bar.

ERIN GO BRAGH

THE training times for the junior

teams are as follows:

Nursery and U-7: Wednesda y

from 6 to 7pm and Saturday from

10-11am (Tyrrelstown Community

Hall)

U-8: Tuesday and Wednesday from

6 to 7pm and Saturday from 10-11am

(Belgree pitch, Tyrrelstown)

U-9: Tuesday from 6 to 7pm and

Saturday from 10-11am (Belgree

pitch, Tyrrelstown)

U-11: Wednesday from 6 to 7pm

and Saturday from 10 to 11am (Bel-

gree pitch, Tyrrelstown)

Please be advised that due to

the nursery and U-7 training being

indoors, trainers must be worn.

If you are available to mentor a

group, throw in a ball, or even make

the tea, we would like to hear from

you.

This is a great opportunity to give

something back to the community,

get fit and most of all have fun.

For more information on helping

out, or to register your child’s name,

contact James on 083 4086173.

TYRRELSTOWN

The Erin Go Bragh team in Parnell Park where they won the Division 5 title

It was obvious from the outset that the two teams

were very evenly matched

It was a lovely sunny day which added to the excellent

playing conditions

Erin Go Brath won it all in their first ever Féile The young girls displayed great skill

Play was tight in all areas of the pitch

Posession of the sliotar demanded hard work

and all the players rose to that challenge

Camogie congratulationsC

LONEE’s camogie stars from Erin Go Bragh were celebrating last weekend when their Under-14 team completed

an impressive coup by annexing the Divi-sion 5 title after a tight and low-scoing strug-

gle against fellow finalists, Commercials, at Parnell Park. The club wish to thank all of the players, parents, mentors and support-ers who were all a part of the success for the club on the day.

FEILE 2012: EPIC SUCCESS FOR ERIN GO BRAGH

Both teams showed excellent sportsmanship

R1

ALL OF YOUR BLANCHARDSTOWN SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 27-31 MAY 31, 2012

ERIN’S OWN: Feile success for Erin

Go Bragh’s camogie starlets P31


PETER Lawrie pro-duced a brilliant five days of golf to not only net fourth place at the BMW PGA Champi-onship last Sunday — and with it a €225,000 pay-day — but also to follow that success up in superb fashion on Monday to grab a place at this year’s US Open.

He claimed one of the 11 spots up for grabs at the Walton Heath qual-ifier for the major on Monday.

He emerged from a tense five-man play-off for the four available US Open berths along-side Italian Matteo Manassero, England’s Matthew Baldwin and

Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin.

Manassero and Bald-win birdied the first play-off hole to go through, while Jacquelin and Lawrie advanced at the second play-off hole after Korean Sihwan Kim bogeyed after fall-ing into a greenside bunker when attempt-ing to get up and down.

It means Lawrie will participate in his first ever US Open, the sec-ond major of the sea-son, on June 14 to 17 as he hopes to capitalise on his excellent results of late.

Coming into the BMW event, a 16th place fin-ish in the Spanish Open showed decent form, and he swung freely

last Thursday to put together a brilliant first round of 66 for a share of the lead with David Drysdale.

F r o m t h e r e , h e remained steady with a 71 in round two and a level par 72 in his third round to remain in among the top ten.

But he looked in dan-ger when a treble-bogey seven in his final round left him with plenty of

ground to recover.Birdies on ten and 12

assuaged some of the damage before a pair of bogeys dropped him back to six under.

One final twist of for-tune, though, saw him claim shots back on the last two holes to move above Richard Sterne and Branden Grace to move into fourth place on his own.

“I birdied the last

two, the last which was worth quite a few quid for me to jump out of the tie for fourth alone,” the Castleknock GC man said of the late charge.

“If you told me at the start of the week, on this kind of golf course and this kind of field, I would have jumped at it. The way I played, it was great golf this week. I think I led the stats in

driving and greens in regulation – accuracy driving of course, not length – but I didn’t hold my share of putts. So, to see those last few putts go in was nice.

“I’ve got off to a good start every day, mak-ing a couple of birdies starting out. But I feel I’ve been patient, play-ing a lot of good shots early on and waited for the birdies to come.”

Dublin 15 golfing star Peter Lawrie produced a run of excellent golf to claim a place at this year’s US Open

Lawrie makes grade for US Open

GazetteSPORTKINGS OF DUBLIN:Leo and St Brigid’steams are Dublin Stars P29

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