Castleknock

Game, set and munch: Enjoying a bite to eat at tennis open dayPAUL Flanagan and Jack McCor-mick were clearly enjoying some tasty treats from the barbecue as they attended a recent open day at The Castleknock Lawn Tennis Club.

The event was held to showcase

the club to visitors in the hopes of attracting new members and fea-tured a number of games as well as a draw to win a fantastic tennis racquet. Full Gallery on Pages 8-9

Park gig violence sparks call for inquiry � LAURA WEBB

THE future of concerts being held at the Phoenix Park has come into question follow-ing chaotic scenes during one of three concerts held last weekend.

Calls have been made for a “thorough investigation” after nine people were stabbed and three suspected drug-related deaths were recorded last Saturday night.

Dublin West TD and Minister for Social Protec-tion Joan Burton called for a detailed examination of event procedures and whether the Phoenix Park is an appropriate venue for such concerts.

An Garda Siochana and MCD have both agreed to carry out an in-depth review regarding all aspects of the event.

Full Story on Page 6

ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES ..................... 2

BEAUTY .........................16

BUSINESS .................... 18

TRAVEL ..........................19

ENTERTAINMENT ........ 24

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

Hurling: Castleknock double dream still on coursePage 31

Athletics: Dublin 15’s Flynn claims national steeplechasePage 30

NEW STAR: Dublin Zoo welcomes Upali, the Asian bull elephant Page 3

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American Independence Day celebrated at Phoenix Park

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2 CASTLEKNOCK GAZETTE 12 July 2012

� LAURA WEBB

[email protected]

THE cont rovers ia l Growing Places initia-tive continues to thrive in the Dublin 15 area with Fingal County Council proposing to overseed areas with wildflower seeds as part of the scheme’s next phase.

During a recent area committee meeting, the issue was raised by Fine Gael councillor Kieran Dennison, who asked for a report on which local areas will be included in the Castleknock/Mul-huddart Growing Places initiative this year.

In response to the councillor, a spokes-person for the council said that in 2012, it is planned to consolidate the existing Growing Places areas throughout Dublin 15.

“It is proposed to overseed some of the areas with wildflower seed as part of the next phase of the scheme.”

There are 12 places specified in the Mul-huddart area, including Beechpark Clonsilla – all mounds along the boundary of the park and under mature trees; Millennium Park - in selected areas excluding outdoor events; Willow Green, Hartstown – on open space under and around old hedgerow; and Waterville Park, Tolka Valley – areas excluding pitches.

In the four Castle-knock, areas it includes selected areas on the main open space at Georgian Village, the area under and around trees at Deerpark Drive, woodland areas and fringe at Park Drive Close and areas in the vicinity of mature trees

on the main open space at Laurel Lodge.

Commenting on the plan, Cllr Dennison, said: “This was an issue last year and the year before, and I wanted to see where we were with it and what we have cov-ered.”

T h e Mu l h u d d a r t councillor welcomed the wildflower seeding by the council, saying: “We’ll actually see some colour coming into areas.”

He went on to say: “I presume the manager has talked to resident associations in the areas and they are in favour of what’s happening in their own estates. I think it is and will be a very effective initiative.”

Fianna Fail councillor David McGuinness said there was a “huge level” of public engagement during the first phase of the initiative back in 2010, and asked that council management not to ignore some areas where “dumping” has become an issue.

Castleknock council-lor, Matt Waine, said consultation needs to be put in place and asked if there are plans to let people know about it in ways such as site visits: “It’s going to be a big issue if consultation process isn’t right.”

Meanwhi le , local Fianna Fail council-lor, Mags Murray, said: “While initially every-one was very unhappy; It has provided great diversity in the area.

“While still a work in progress and we need to keep an eye on it, we have come a long way and people are being brought into it. People have seen the diversity the council have tried to achieve initially.”

REGENERATION: FCC SEED INITIATIVE ‘HAS COME A LONG WAY’

Council to continue Growing Places plan

SUMMER CAMP Fun event is a hit with local children

Children show off some of their work to the Gazette’s photographer. Pictures: James Devon

Ciaran and Derek

Oisin puts the finishing

touches to his cake A selection of some of the great art creations made by the children

Aoife and Oisin

Children’s creativity set freeT

HERE was a feast of creativity at Draiocht studios last week when 27 kids celebrated the end of their art summer camp at the popular Dublin 15 venue.

The Art Explorer summer camp has been a big hit with young art fans for the past four years, and many children return each year to see what crafty delights the team have prepared for them. This year’s theme was the Feast – a

dinner feast. Each day, the kids work on different visual art pieces that are brought to life through a special art performance at the end of the week.

The Gazette caught up with camp teachers – artist, Genevieve Harden and Draiocht’s children and youth art co-ordinator, Sarah Beirne – to get a glimpse of the creativity being developed.

www.gazette group.comwww.gazette group.com

All of your latest local news, sport, features and pictures are now just a click away

12 July 2012 CASTLEKNOCK GAZETTE 3

CEAD MILE FAILTE Asian bull elephant arrives

Upali making new friends at Dublin Zoo� LAURA WEBB

DUBLIN Zoo has unveiled a new addition to their elephant herd when they introduced Upali, a 6,000kg Asian bull elephant.

Earlier this week, the team welcomed the new addition at the Kaziran-ga Forest trail at Dublin Zoo.

Upali moved from Chester Zoo on Thursday, July 5. The 17-year-old elephant is now the larg-est animal at Dublin Zoo, measuring in at 3 metres tall and weighing over 6,000kg – the equivalent of 10 friesian cows.

He is part of an inter-national breeding pro-

gramme and joins three females – sisters Bern-hardine and Yasmin, and Yasmin’s calf, Anak.

The Zoo is now hop-ing the elephants will mate soon, and the goal is to double the size of the Dublin Zoo herd over the coming years. Asian ele-phants are endangered and it is estimated that only 30,000 to 40,000 exist in the wild.

Construction on the bull elephant house com-menced last September to facilitate Upali. The purpose built structure project was managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) and has a glass ceiling, radiant heat-ing and 1.5 metre deep

sand for the elephant to stand on.

Funding for the devel-opment of the bull elephant house was awarded to Dublin Zoo by the government and administered by OPW. Since 1994, the fund-ing has enabled Dublin Zoo to redevelop and create habitats such as The World of Primates, The World of Cats, The Fringes of the Arctic, The African Plains, The Goril-la Rainforest and The Kaziranga Forest Trail. In addition, the funding allowed Dublin Zoo to improve veterinary and horticulture facilities, and refurbish the historic Haughton House.

New friends at Dublin Zoo celebrate Upali’s arrival. Picture: Patrick Bolger

Speaking at the cere-mony, Leo Oosterweghel, director at Dublin Zoo, said, “Upali’s arrival is a hugely significant occa-sion for us as part of the international breeding programme.

He continued, “We are especially pleased to have Minster Brian Hayes with us today to celebrate the

arrival of Upali and open-ing of the Bull Elephant House. We are also very grateful to the Govern-ment and the OPW for the funding and techni-cal support they have provided over the past 18 years. Without the com-mitment from the govern-ment we could not have transformed Dublin Zoo

into Ireland’s number one family attraction with over 1 million visitors per annum.”

Visitors can see Upali, Bernhardine, Yasmin, Anak and Asha at the Kaziranga Forest Trail daily. Visitors can keep an eye on the herd on the elephant webcam at www.dublinzoo.ie.

Oaktree footpath for fixingREPAIR works on a footpath in Oaktree described by a local politician as being a trip hazard is set to begin in the coming weeks as part of scheduled works.

Fine Gael council-lor Eithne Loftus asked council management to investigate a “trip haz-ard” embedded in the footpath at Oaktree Lawn/Oaktree Avenue, where a young lady had a bad fall recently.

According to the councillor, there are a number of uneven joints in the concrete at this location in Castle-knock.

In a report to the councillor, a spokesper-son for Fingal County Council said the foot-path in question has been examined and it was decided that “repair works will be carried out as part of our works scheduled in the coming weeks.”

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President honours Irish Girl GuidesTHE gates of Aras an Uachtarain were opened for members of the Irish Girl Guides last week when they attended a garden party celebrating young people’s contribution to society.

On Tuesday, July 3, the youngsters attended the event hosted by President Michael D Higgins. The girl guides were invited by the president to join other youth organisations from around the country. Five members of the girl guides were chosen to attend the event on behalf of the organisation.

The president’s garden party was one in a series of garden parties being held throughout July to recognise and honour

citizens of Ireland for their special contri-butions to society.

According to a spokesperson for the Irish Girl Guides, the organisation was “proud to have members represented at the Aras an Uachtarain garden party”.

The Irish Girl Guides is a national youth organisation that offers varied and exciting programmes for young women through the country.

IGG’s volunteer leaders across the country encourage members to acquire the confidence and skills to be responsi-ble citizens.

The Guides has over 11,000 members ranging in age from five to 21 years.

� LAURA WEBB

PUBLIC playgrounds across Fingal are set to become tobacco free areas following the approval of Fingal Coun-ty Council’s Smoke-Free Playgrounds initiative.

The council is the first local authority in

the country to adopt a smoke-free policy for all playgrounds.

The initiative was put out on public dis-play until June 22 and a positive reaction to the scheme was received. During this month’s council meeting council-lors agreed to implement

the no-smoking policy at playgrounds.

In a report to council-lors, a FCC spokesperson said the council received a total of 15 submissions.

“Fourteen were wel-coming of this initia-tive as a positive step in promoting the protec-tion of children from

second-hand smoke and the denormalisation of smoking in the commu-nity. There was one nega-tive view submitted,” the report said.

The scheme was pilot-ed and put in place at the playground at Millenni-um Park in Dublin 15 in 2011. The success of the

pilot led to FCC making all 50 of its public play-grounds smoke-free.

The initiative arose from an idea of the HSE who approached FCC to discuss areas of health promotion, and it was out of this that the idea of the smoke-free playgrounds as a health promotion

initiative came about.In statement to the

Gazette before the pub-lic consultation period, a spokesperson for the FCC said: “We partnered with the other agencies to carry out the pilot in Millennium Park, Blan-chardstown, and the find-ings of the pilot showed

clear and measurable advantages to the denor-malisation of smoking to children and young peo-ple.”

The council are cur-rently working on smoke-free signage that will be in place in all of Fingal’s playgrounds in the com-ing weeks.

Smoking to be banned at Fingal playgroundsINITIATIVE Fingal County Council is first local authority to implement policy

A feast of creativity from local children� LAURA WEBB

[email protected]

THERE was a feast of creativity at Draiocht studios last week when 27 kids celebrated the end of their art summer camp at the popular Dublin 15 venue.

The Art Explorer sum-mer camp has been a big hit with young art fans for the past four years, and many children return each year to see what crafty delights the team have prepared for them.

This year’s theme was the Feast – a dinner feast. Each day, the kids work on different visual art pieces that are brought to life through a special art performance at the end of the week. The

Gazette caught up with camp teachers – artist, Genevieve Harden and Draiocht’s children and youth art co-ordinator, Sarah Beirne – to get a glimpse of the creativity being developed.

“Each day we use dif-ferent material. We have plates, cups, candles, table cloths and fake food. The table cloths are also used as costumes. When we do the performance at the end of the week, their paintings will be projected on to them,” Genevieve explained.

The camp caters for students aged from six to eight years, and an older group aged nine to 13 years.

The students are so dedicated to their work that, one day, the teach-

ers had to encourage the students to have a laugh.

“The younger kids would be more inclined to have chats, but the older kids were really concen-trated making their table cloths. They were really into it,” Sarah said.

G e n e v i e ve c o m -mented: “They were so engaged in their work. I pulled back and said to them, you know, you are allowed to talk and laugh with each other. That was after an hour and a half. They were so into it.”

On the last day of the camp, the students move to a performance studio where choreographer Mark Rogers works with them and their pieces to make a colourful end of camp show.

“Their own [art] pic-

tures are projected on to them and it looks like they are standing in their own picture,” Sarah said. Another aspect of the final performance was to gather the children around a table as if they were ready for the big feast.

“There is a series of sounds, like crunching and nibbling and slurp-ing and burping, all these sounds go with it. Mark works with the children to make movements for that – everything they make goes to the final perform-ance – it’s great to see,” Genevieve added.

For further informa-tion about the work-shops and programmes available for children and family, log on to www.draiocht.ie

The children prepare the supplies for the summer camp

DRAIOCHT: ENJOYING END OF ART SUMMER CAMP


Phoenix FM seeks volunteers LOCAL radio station Phoenix FM has estab-lished a reputation for being involved in the local community, and is seeking new volunteers to help it in broadcasting to the wider Dublin 15 area.

Phoenix FM recently provided training sessions to some 30 volunteers from mixed backgrounds and introduced them to the world of community radio.

Training covered a range of topics from ethos and understand-ing of community media to specific radio skills, enabling participants to become part of a vibrant community station with a strong focus on local communities, their needs and interests.

If anyone is interested in getting involved with the station, they can do so by emailing [email protected] and a member of staff will be in touch about current vol-unteer opportunities.

LOCAL RADIO

Gig mayhem sparks calls for an inquiry� LAURA WEBB

THE future of concerts being held at the Phoe-nix Park has come into question following cha-otic scenes during one of three concerts held last weekend.

Calls have been made for a “thorough investi-gation” into what hap-pened in the Phoenix Park last Saturday night where nine people were stabbed and three men died from suspected drug-related deaths.

Dublin West TD and Minister for Social Pro-tection Joan Burton said that what happened on Saturday was “totally unacceptable”, adding she would be in touch with the Minister for Justice Alan Shatter and Brian Hayes, Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, about the events in the park.

“There will have to be a very detailed examina-tion of the procedures in relation to holding concerts in the Park and whether it is an appropriate venue for such concerts.

“Serious questions need to be asked about whether there was suf-ficient security at the event,” she said.

Condolences

M i n i s t e r B u r t o n expressed her condo-lences to the families of the dead and extended her sympathies to all the injured people and their families.

Promoters behind the concert, MCD, said public safety is always their “number one pri-ority”, and ticket hold-ers entering the site were subject to a search permissible by law.

“Every precaution as

far as possible was taken to ensure the safety and security of the audience at all times.”

MCD added that security and gardai per-sonnel levels were “well in excess of the required numbers for a licensed event of this size”.

In a Garda statement, it was stated that 511 security personnel and 145 gardai were on duty at the concert on July 7.

Following a meeting between An Garda Sio-chana and MCD, both organisations have agreed to carry out a more in depth review regarding all aspects of the event, adding they will “work together to minimise any reoccurrence”.

“Further meetings will be held in the context of lessons learned and ori-entation for future con-certs of this nature,” the statement concluded.

Racing ahead: Kate ready for fun run in aid of St James’s HospitalLAST YEAR’S winner, Metro St Brigid’s elite athlete and model Kate O’Neill, this week joined 25 St James’s Hospital junior doctors in the warm-up for the 2012 St James’s Hospital Liberties Fun Run.The fourth annual St James’s Hospital Liberties Fun Run will take place on Thursday, July 19 and will see runners, joggers and walk-ers raise vital funds for the hospital.

The good times will start at 6.30 pm with music and fun and a full warm-up conducted by the hospital’s chartered physi-otherapists.

To enter, or for more information, see www.stjames.ie/funrun

PHOENIX PARK: QUESTION MARK HANGS OVER FUTURE OF CONCERTS

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Game, set and match for clubT

HE Castleknock Lawn Tennis Club ran an open day recently to showcase their club with a view to attracting new members.

Guests were treated to an exhibition of games as well as a tour of the club’s facilities. Food and refreshments were provided along with the compul-sory strawberries and cream as it was ladies’ singles finals day at Wimbledon.

There was also a draw for visitors where one lucky person won a free tennis racquet.

Child protection officer Phelim Kelly, president Geoff Ross and Men’s Captain Paraic McLoughlin. Pictures: Ania Sherlock

Marie McGee and Joe O’Brien

Emily and Kate Abayawickrema with Ailbhe DaltonJohn Kennedy and Peter Byrne

OPEN DAY Castleknock Lawn Tennis Club play games and


Men’s Captain Paraic McLoughlin, chairman Kevin Houston and child protection officer Phelim Kelly

Paul Flanagan and Jack McCormick

Volunteers Rebecca Cummins and Grainne Farrell

Coach Claire Bannon and Ruth Hogan

Sean and Ruth Linnane Brenda Farrell and Martin Mahon Christine Duffy

put on an exhibition to attract new members


Birthday bash for the USA O

N July 4, US Ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney and his wife Patricia celebrated American Inde-pendence Day by hosting the Third Irish Ameri-

can Flag Football Classic. Over 2,500 guests were in attendance for the Independence Day celebrations. The football was delivered by professionals who sky dived from a plane overhead.

Then it was time for The Phoenix Park Pirates to take on the Dublin 8’s.

The Dublin 8’s took the title this year winning 44 to 37. Guests of all ages enjoyed hamburgers, hotdogs, red, white and blue cupcakes and other traditional American treats. The Kids Zone was a huge success with face painting, story-telling, science demonstra-tions and the giant inflatable slide.

William Cummins, Eddie Goggins, Ref Tony Rivers, Dan Rooney and Barry Bolton. Pictures: Peter Doyle

Peter and Mary Tiernan

Dublin 8’s Youth with Martin Kane, head coach, and Heather Sanchez, team

manager

The game featured plenty of end-to-end action

Dave Duffy approaches and then lands with

the Steelers’ FlagUncle Sam with Avril and Nathan Byrne

CELEBRATIONS The Phoenix Park Pirates take on the Dublin 8’s

Phoenix Park Pirates Youth with head coach Gerry Bourke and team manager Elizabeth Morrisson

Katrina Morrisson, US Ambassador to

Ireland Dan Rooney, and Aidan Kelly

Jimmy Kloda, Zoe Gibson, Karen Doyle, Alan Munnelly, Justyna Kloda and

David Vincent French

Louise McKiernan, Margaret McKiernan, Mairead Butler, Dylan

Butler and Conor Butler with Snap, Crackle and Pop

Lee Gibson was a favourite with all those red, white and blue cup cakes

Hadar Levy from the Israeli Embassy

enjoying the celebrations

Blaithin Ruadh, Sinead O’Neill and Sarah Daly

Little Caoimhe McDonald,

three months old, on her first

Independence Day

Peter Killalea

Derek Byrne and Andrew Bradford

Zoe Gibson, Karen Doyle and Justyna Kloda

in American football game to mark USA’s birthday

12 July 2012 GAZETTE 11

Letting celebrate � PAUL HOSFORD

OVER 2,000 people gathered at the resi-dence of the American Ambassador to Ireland, Dan Rooney, last week, to celebrate the birth of the USA.

The residence fea-tured a taste of eve-rything American on the day, with hotdogs, burgers and American Football taking centre stage.

The residence, on 62 acres of ground was completed in 1776.

Built by Col John Blaquiere, chief secre-tary of the British gov-ernment and bailiff of the Phoenix Park, it has been the home of the American ambassador to Ireland since 1928.

Extensive renova-tions to the house and property were made by the U.S. Government in 1952.

The property now consists of orchards and gardens on which are located three cot-tages and a gate lodge.

The lower ground floor of the residence has a ballroom, recep-tion and dining room, library, office, kitchen’s pantry, staff room and laundry.

S ix su i te s which each have a bedroom, bathroom and dress-ing room, plus a sitting room are located on the upper floor.

The residence has fur-niture and equipment obtained in Ireland, the United States and many other countries.

This year, the staff of the American embassy in Ballsbridge, their families and assorted guests, American, Irish and otherwise, were in attendance for the American national day.

S i n c e A m b a s s a -dor Rooney owns the most successful team in American Football history, the Pittsburgh

Steelers, it is hardly surpris ing that the showpiece event of the day should be a gridiron game.

The third Irish Amer-ican Flag Football clas-sic was played on a spe-cially constructed pitch in what is, essentially, the ambassadors back yard.

The pitch, complete with American Foot-ball goalposts, two big screens, bleachers and impressive pitch mark-ings that included a 4-metre wide ambassa-dor’s seal at midfield.

Patrick McKenna and Alan Gallagher from Croke Park both put immense work, with their team.

They made sure the pitch was ready and up to the standard a man whose team plays in a $300 million, 65,000 seater stadium would expect.

There was much jok-ing that the Rooneys could pay Croke Park back by securing a Steel-ers game for HQ in the future, as has long been rumoured, but official word on such a move is still not forthcoming.

The game itself is a non-contact version of the gridiron game.

Many players on both the defending Phoenix Park Pirates and chal-lenging Dublin 8’s had never played the game before at all.

Not everyone, how-ever, was a pigskin neo-phyte.

Taking the reins at quarterback for the 8’s was a young man by the name of Dan Rooney.

The ambassador ’s grandson has just fin-ished a stint as the backup quarterback at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and was coached on the 8’s by his uncle, Dan Roon-ey Jr.

Along with some US Marines and other

embassy staff , both teams had a mix of new-comers and vets, with some Irish American Football players thrown into the mix as well.

The game itself start-ed with the arrivals of the teams as announced by Today FM sports reporter Paul Collins.

Then followed armed forces from both Ireland and the US marching the colour (or, on this day, color) before the singing of the national anthems.

T h e n , t h e g a m e ball was delivered by

members of the Irish Parachute Club, who jumped from high over the residence.

A typically low-key arrival for such an event as this, then.

Game onThe game itself was a

thriller, with the young Rooney leading his team into an early lead by finding Joe Grey for an early touchdown, before finding Danny Ferens Jr, whose father is a member of the Steelers’ front office.

The Phoenix Park Pirates, led by Eddie Goggins, were strug-gling to get into the rhythm as they sought to defend the crown which they wrestled

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

‘The relationship between our two countries is stronger than ever...we never stopped imagining a brighter future’------------------------------------------US Ambassdor Dan

Rooney- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

US Ambassador Dan Rooney with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Aidan Prendergast of the Mayoman’s Association

(top) and with Social Protection Minister, Joan Burton

INDEPENDENCE DAY Over 2,000 get together to mark July 4

12 GAZETTE 12 July 2012

freedom ring to a special friendship

from the 8’s last year.Just before half time,

Shaun Douglas, a player with Castleknock’s own West Dublin Rhinos, caught a pass before weaving his way through the despairing reaches of the 8’s defence and in for a touchdown.

That left the score at 23-14 at the break.

At half-time, a group of youngsters from both Ireland and America took part in a small-sided game, thrilling the crowd in a 14-7 win for the 8’s.

The Pirates would receive the ball to start the second period and after one play, Douglas had hauled his team back into the game.

election this year, it is unclear if this will be the last year of this event or whether Mr Rooney will be returned to the Chief Secretary’s Lodge by Barack Obama or Mitt Romney.

It is clear, however, that Rooney has the appetite to stay in the Phoenix Park, praising the strong relationship between the country of his birth and the nation of his heritage.

“Our relationship is stronger than ever,” he said before echoing the words of Barack Obama who, during his visit to Ireland last year, spoke of countries that have “never stopped imagin-ing a brighter future”

“I have travelled all over Ireland and visited every county. US confi-dence in Ireland’s econ-omy has never wavered and our investment in Ireland’s future remains strong,” Mr Rooney said.

In the end, all that was left to do was sit back and look at how well put-together the day was.

Embassy staff had worked long and hard at producing a special day and they certainly suc-ceeded.

Many in attendance, particularly those from this side of the pond, remarked at how over the top it all seemed, but were reminded swiftly that over the top is what America does.

The teams would go back and forth before the Pirates would level things with just under two minutes to go.

With consummate c a l m n e s s , R o o n e y

showed why the family business was American Football and led his team into the endzone with just seconds to go.

In the end, joint-Most Valuable Player Ferens

would show why he is being highly touted for some major colleges in the States with a stun-ning interception to end the game.

With a presidential

The victorious Dublin 8’s team

the American way - with football and hotdogs

AN annual motorbike charity run is set to take place later this month, when a group of motor-cyclists will travel from Dublin to Tullamore in order to raise money for a very worthy cause.

After a successful charity event last year, the fundraising motor-cyclists “15 to 1” are set to hit the road again, but this year in aid of spina bifida.

The group is inviting any motorcyclists who wish to take part to come along and donate €20 towards the fund-raiser.

Any motorcyclist who would like to join in the run is asked to meet at the Mansion House in Dublin at 9.30am on Sunday, July 29.

The run will official-ly start at 11am with refreshments available on arrival to Tullamore.

Motor bike run for spina bifida

CHARITY



Antibiotic use must be curbed, says study� SUZANNE BYRNE

SCIENTISTS are call-ing on the government to step up their current campaign to curb the use of antibiotics in humans and animal healthcare.

According to an Envi-ronmental Protection Agency (EPA)-funded report detailing new links between water quality and health, the problem of antibiotic resistant bac-teria has become increas-ingly widespread.

The study, Enhancing Human Health through Improved Water Quality, demonstrates the extent to which acquired anti-microbial resistance in E. coli and Enterococci bacteria has spread in Ireland’s water sources.

Lead author of the

study Professor Mar-tin Cormican told the Gazette the health risk lay in the fact that these bacteria, which live in humans and used to be sensitive to antibiotics – had now become resist-ant – primarily due to the overuse of antibiotics.

These bacteria are then spread between humans and animals through contaminated water sources – as well as other inter-animal contact, and can turn up in others that have not been on courses of antibiotics – thus accel-erating their spread.

The study further details the potential role of intensive health care settings, such as hospi-tals as a focus for phar-maceutical and bacterial contaminants.

The hospital super-bug MRSA is a strain of bacteria that has become resistant to conventional antibiotics.

Among the report’s key findings is a connection between heavy rainfall and sudden changes in water quality – as bacte-rial contamination gets washed into groundwater from farm sources and septic tanks.

Researchers have also stressed how poorly-protected wells or water treatment facilities can have an adverse impact on the health of families and business owners.

In light of this, the report recommends the classification of water sources to highlight those at risk.

It further advises the

implementation of a total quality management sys-tems approach to water treatment plants, where operational failure is identified as a major risk.

During the period of the study, some rural populations were exposed to piped water that was substantially contaminated with fae-ces all of the time, with the additional problem of exposure to E. coli that had an array of acquired antimicrobial resistance mechanisms.

It noted in this regard however, that overall improvement in drinking water quality was reported in the recent EPA report The Provision and Qual-ity of Drinking Water in Ireland – a Report for the Year 2010.

Capital comes up roses in garden world

TOP 100 Author updates guide to our horticultural gems

� SUZANNE BYRNE

WICKLOW may be the Garden County – but Dublin’s gardens are still among the best in the country.

That’s according to writer Shirley Lanigan, who’s just published an updated edition of her book, The 100 Best Gar-dens in Ireland.

Airfield Garden in Dundrum, Ardgillan Demesne in Skerries and Dillon Garden in Rane-lagh all make the grade

in her 100 best list, which has now been made available as a pocket guide for wandering gar-den enthusiasts.

The latest edition explores the history of Ireland’s gardens, their design, flora, fauna and

includes interviews with owners, curators and gardeners themselves.

It’s also a great guide to practical information on fees and opening hours and quite simply bursts with information on the cornucopia of horticul-tural gems just waiting to be dug up.

Speak ing to the G a z e t t e , L a n i g a n explained her idea of what made a garden truly great.

“My favourite gardens are big wandering ones

where you can get lost. “Where you actually

have to sort of turn left and right and go down laneways and tunnels. For me, they’re the Mecca of great gardens,” she said.

“There’s an untam-edness about the best of Irish gardens, they always give you the feel-ing it sort of happened by mistake.

“I think it’s because of all the rain our gardens tend to be extremely lush

and it’s easy for an Irish garden to develop a jun-gle-like feel – unlike Brit-ish gardens where they go in for much more for-mality that’s more man-nered and hemmed in. Ireland’s a bit scruffier,” she said.

Explaining how she drew up the list, Lani-gan said she initially made her selection from memory and experi-ence and then revisited the gardens. Some still made the grade – and

Dublin’s gardens are still among the best in the country, according

to writer Shirley Lanigan (left)

some didn’t. “What I like now is the

wall-planting. There’s a lot of good design now, using the walls of a new buildings as a vertical build – it gives you the chance to let plants look as if they have the upper hand.”

Of the Dublin gardens on her list, she said the Dillon garden was a par-ticular wonder.

“It’s one woman and her husband’s garden. There’s this most extraor-

dinarily beautiful garden behind their home. She really is an amazing woman with plants.”

As for the ideal recipi-ent of the book, Lanigan said: “Anyone who likes to go out for a drive. Very often, you’ll pick one or two things. Though you’d be hard pressed to repro-duce them.

“But we can all dream,” she said.

The 100 Best Gardens in Ireland is published by Liberties Press.


CHAMPIONSHIPS 350 sailors set compass for title success

Sailing elite to drop anchor in Dun Laoghaire� SUZANNE BYRNE

THE cream of the world’s young sailors are set to drop anchor in Dun Laoghaire this week as the borough plays host to the International Sail-ing Federation’s (ISAF) World Youth Sailing Championships.

Dubbed the Youth Olympics of Sailing, the event is taking place in Ireland for the first time in its 42-year history at locations across Dun Laoghaire Harbour and Dublin Bay between July 13 and 20.

The 350 budding sea-farers, all aged between 16 and 19, are represent-ing 63 flags from across

six continents.Accompanied by 120

coaches, they will sail 250 boats across five classes in their race for the eight available world titles.

Brian Craig, who’s chairing the event, told the Gazette the organ-ising committee first made its application to host the championships back in 2008 and faced stiff competition from six other countries.

The key factor in their successful bid, he believes, was that Dun Laoghaire “had it all”: “A marina, plenty of hotels, a yacht club – all within short walking distance – while other venues may have had two of these,

but not a third.”Organisers hope the

championships wil l bring €5 million into the local economy with 100,000 visitors expected to attend over the dura-tion.

Along with the com-petitive events, the week-long championships, sponsored by Four Star Pizza, will double up as a music and cultural fes-tival, offering visitors the chance to peruse market stalls, enjoy street music and take in the bracing sea air on a trip around Dublin Bay.

The opening ceremo-ny takes place on July 13 at 7.30pm and will be addressed by Tanaiste

The cream of the world’s young sailors are set to drop anchor in Dun Laoghaire for the International Sailing

Federation’s (ISAF) World Youth Sailing Championships

and local TD Eamon Gilmore (Lab), Cathao-irleach Cllr Tom Joyce (FG) and ISAF President Goran Petersson at the Harbour.Plaza.

The welcoming of the teams will be followed by the ceremonial raising of the championships flag and the mixing of the waters brought from the homelands of the 63

competing nations.The ISAF World Sail-

ing Championships have long provided the world with its first glimpse of future sailing stars and Olympians – with 15 of the competitors who won medals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games past medallists at the youth champion-ships.

Expected to top the medal table this year are the French, New Zealanders, Americans, English and Spanish – although local girl Sophie Murphy from the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire is thought to be in the running in her category, the Laser Radial Girls.

The week’s events will

conclude with a fire-works display which will crown the closing cer-emony.

After the medals are awarded, the official flag will be lowered in readi-ness to be handed over to Cyprus who host the event next year.

For further information on the events logon to http://www.dlrcoco.ie/

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GazetteBEAUTYBEAUTY Edited by

Laura Webb

GETTING the perfect smile could take just one day, thanks to a revolutionary treatment by a Blackrock clinic.

Seapoint Clinic launched a brand new product that will revo-lutionise treatment for denture wearers or those with broken or missing teeth.

Teeth in a Day is a clinically proven prod-uct that allows patients to have their smile transformed in one day.

This clinic is the only clinic in Ireland offering this treatment, which is proving quite popular in the UK and USA.

Typically, when a patient decides to have implants to replace missing or decayed teeth they could be waiting six months, and have to wear temporary dentures in the interim, causing discomfort and unease. This new procedure means that appointments which normally take place over a six month period are condensed into one visit.

For further infor-mation and prices at Seapoint Clinic check out on www.seapoint-clinic.ie or phone 1800 92 7770.

Getting the

perfect smile

in just a dayFashion week celebrates four unknown stylists

Trendsetters Gavin Norton, Leanne Woodfull, Laura O’Brien and Roisin Flanagan (top) and their creations

THE finale of eBay Online Fashion Week ended on a high thanks to

four unknown stylists who were chosen to style the end of week catwalk show, Ireland’s first eBay fashion show at Smock Alley Theatre.

Leanne Woodfull , Gavin Norton, Laura O’Brien and Roisin Flan-agan were handpicked by TV personality fashion guru Darren Kennedy, founder of helpmystyle.ie.

The four young stylists were given the chance to showcase their style ideas by creating three of this summer’s hottest trends for the catwalk show.

The trends included sport luxe, printastic and tea party. Each stylist used clothes from eBay’s fashion gallery.

Gavin Norton’s take on preppy chic for men combined varsity jackets with bow-tie suits and mixed a patterned slim fitting trouser (€31) with a cardigan (€22) – add-ing a leather varsity jack-et to prep up this look (€46).

Laura O’Brien nailed the tea party look keep-

ing it feminine and sweet. One of her looks show-cased a cute yet styl-ish peter pan-collared, orange polka dot dress (€22) teamed perfectly with a flower headband (€7) to give it that sum-mer chic feel.

A printastic themed look by Leanne Woodfull stuck to the brief by high-lighting a Versace print shirt (€42). She themed the amazing summer printed shirt with retro denim shorts (€12) and a simple black belt (€65). The printed scarf used as a headband, added to the look giving it a real 80s feel.

Roisin Flanagan made sports clothes look luxu-rious. One of her looks teamed a baseball vest (€31) with a black leather skirt (€22), turning a top usually associated with lounging around into a sport luxe statement piece.

Over 300 fashionista’s took to their seats at the finale show recently including make-up artist Joanne Larby and Kellie Dalton of Burberry.

Not only did the show delight the Irish audi-ence, but it was viewed


by thousands who watched through a live stream online from areas like Singapore, USA and Italy.

Commenting on the event, eBay’s Laura Wilkinson said “eBay.

ie’s Online Fashion Week celebrated every-thing about Irish fashion and enabled everyone to be involved. The fashion talks engaged the live and online audience with over 500 Twitter interac-

tions and questions post-ed to the industry insid-ers. Showcasing emerg-ing talent of Ireland’s upcoming stylists was a great end to the week.”

The upcoming styl-ists were applauded for

their work and looked like they were having the time of their life.

To watch any of the talks or the fashion show go to: http://www.you tube . com/use r /eBayIEofficial

Always be ‘photo ready’ with Revlon’s affordable foundationBE photo ready with Revlon’s afford-able foundation that is light enough, yet tough enough, to stay intact all day and night.

Whether you plan to stay in, or enjoy a night out on the town, Revlon’s PhotoReady make-up (€19.40) will stay on skin through even the hottest summer days and nights.

Tested under the harshest lights and high-definition camera lenses, the make-up provides poreless, air-brushed skin in any light. Accord-ing to its makers, the PhotoReady foundation contains “photochro-matic pigments that bend and reflect light to help erase any flaw”.

It also contains SPF 20, protecting the skin from sun damage.

This product is also extremely easy to apply, so anyone who doesn’t have a foundation brush will love this foundation. Just press the pump to disperse formula – two to three times is enough – then apply with fingertips. Start at the center of the face and blend out-wards. Once applied, users imme-diately notice the soft luminous finish. It’s fragrance and oil free. This product is available in four colours – Shell, Nude, Natural Beige and Cool Beige.

For anyone who might need a little help with a more even and

smooth complexion, then try Rev-lon’s PhotoReady primers. The Per-fecting Primer (€19) is for anyone who thinks pores and fine lines are an issue. It can be used alone for a more even and smooth complex-ion or as a great surface area for make-up application under Rev-lon’s PhotoReady foundation.

Anyone who wants to reduce the appearance of lines and creases on lids and under eyes should try the Revlon PhotoReady Eye Primer and Brightener (€14.80). It brightens the entire eye area and ensures eye shad-ows and concealers stay in place.

Meanwhile, Revlon are giving lips a burst of colour with their lip

butter. The ColourBurst lip butter (€11.25) softens and hydrates lips, which is a much needed ingredi-ent during warm weather and cold weather periods. This lip butter glides on easily and leaves lips with the great long-lasting colour. There are seven shades available includ-ing: Peach Parfait, Cotton Candy, Candy Apple, Tutti Frutti, Lollipop, Strawberry Shortcake and Sweet Tart. Test out the whole range and find the perfect colour to make the perfect pout. For the month of July, this product is reduced to €7 at participating stores.

Revlon products are available at pharmacies nationwide.

ColorBurst Lip Butter in Lollipop

PhotoReady Makeup in Shell

PhotoReady Eye Primer and Brightener

Tall Ships are coming

Lord Mayor of Dublin Naoise O Muiri (FG), Minister for Transport, Tourism and

Sport, Leo Varadkar, and ‘First Mate’ Keith Duffy at Grand Canal Square in Dublin

as they announce details of the The Tall Ships Races 2012

TO mark the first day of the International Tall Ships Races, “First Mate” Keith Duffy was joined recently at Grand Canal Square by Minister for Tourism Leo Varadkar and Dublin’s newly elect-ed Lord Mayor Naoise O Muiri (FG).

The Bugle Babes, a 1940s-style vocal trio, provided the music as details were announced of the line-up for the cap-ital’s free four-day festival this August 23-26.

The fleet of 50 ships, which sets sail from St Malo, France, for the first race in the series, arrives into Dublin – final host port in the race – for what promises to be this summer’s biggest float-ing festival.

One of the most antic-ipated nautical events of the year, the Tall Ships Races 2012, which is supported by the Polish city of Szczecin and organised by Sail Train-

ing International, docks in Dublin on Thursday, August 23, when the city is expected to come alive with a festival atmos-phere both on and off the water.

Local organisers , Dublin City Council and Dublin Port Com-pany, are delighted that Dublin was chosen as the final host port for this year’s race and have programmed an impressive entertain-ment line-up to cater for all tastes.

Minister Leo Varadkar commented: “It’s great to see the Tall Ships Races back in Ireland again, following a highly successful visit last year. This fantastic event is set to attract thousands of people into the capital.

“It’s a rare opportunity to see so many of these great ships against Dub-lin’s striking city skyline. Events like this are very important for tourism

companies and I’d like to congratulate every-one involved in bringing it to Dublin. It’s fun, it’s free of charge and open to everyone.”

Over the week, there

will be music with Ash and the Undertones set to perform on the Bul-mers Music Stage along with other high-profile music acts as part of the spectacular free four-day

line-up. The Bulmer’s Music Stage will host a jam-packed line-up of performances from some of Ireland’s hottest upcoming acts to musi-cal stalwarts.


SNAPSHOT The local stories of the day

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GazetteBUSINESSBUSINESS

THE COMPLEX WORLD OF INVESTMENT: PART 2

Continued from last week’s Gazette Business

Keeping it simple therefore, uncluttered and easy

to understand is the key for the average investor.

What is also key is that changing nature of invest-

ment. Currently government bonds have been the

star performers over the last few volatile years.

However, they cannot continue to perform as they

have and therefore having the flexibility to be able

to swap into a different investment vehicle without

cost and without fuss is essential.

First things first – work out what is your attitude

to risk. On a scale of one to five, where one is lower

risk and five is higher risk, where are you ?

Once you have established this risk attitude,

then the choices become a little clearer. One option

launched recently is Standard Life’s MyFolio funds

where you simply choose between one of the five

funds that match five risk levels. Each fund is

designed to maximise potential returns within the

investor’s chosen risk level and is then monitored,

reviewed and actively managed by the investment

team in Standard Life.

Based on the same scale of one to five, each

MyFolio of multi-asset funds is risk based. Originally

launched in Britain over 20 months ago, the fund

has so far attracted over €1b with 40% invested in

the MyFolio 3 (the balanced choice) and c. 20% each

in the MyFolio 2 (lower to medium risk) and MyFo-

lio 4 (medium to higher risk). Annual management

charges range from 1.15% for model 1 to 1.35% for

model 5 and for those wanting to see precisely the

make up of every investment in these models, you

can access the factsheets on www.standardlife.ie or

email me for the factsheets.

This type of investment is not suitable for those

investors who do not wish to take any risk on their

money.

� 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

DAVID “Warren” Venter has been in love with hairdressing since 1985, and says that the one thing he loves the best is the ever-changing trends and interesting people he meets.

He says: “It never gets boring. Over the years, I have worked on photo shoots, fashion shows and TV productions. I have worked for a leading hair care company as an educator.

“If I had to sum up all my experience in one word, it would be the word that I start all my training with, and that word is: Lis-ten.”

David adds: “When you listen to the wants and needs of the client – and I mean really listen – the client will tell you all you need to know to meet all of her or his requirements.”

On building up an extremely successful business and name, he says: “I have been in Ireland for 11 years now, and I have embraced this opportunity [to establish my business] with both hands.

“[For our clients], a good experience and advice is what I base my career on.

“As well as good hairdressing, I will be offering a range of beauty services.”

Interview: David ‘Warren’ Venter, owner, David Warren Hair And Beauty, Kinsealy

Q&A

Listening to what the client wants

Known as ‘Warren’, South African David Venter has established himself as a leading name in

hairdressing and is also diversifying into beauty services too

Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be?A: A postman, because post-

men could ride on the bus for

free

Q: What was your first job?A: After two years in the South

African army I started hair-

dressing

Q: And your first pay cheque?A: Although it’s all relative,

my first pay cheque was €6 a

month

Q: Have you ever done a job you loathed?A: No.

Q: When did you start your present job?A: I started hairdressing in

1985

Q: What is the best thing about your job?A: Making a client feel and

look good

Q: What part of your working day do you delegate?A: Where possible, answering

the phone

Q: What sport do you follow?A: What’s that?

Q: What sport can you play?A: As a challenge, I was told

to bounce a golf ball off a tree

on the other side of the field,

which I did on the first swing.

I think I am a natural.

Q: What is your guilty music/TV or movie pleasure?A: Classical music, and horror

movies, all the way

Q: Who best represents mod-ern Ireland – David Norris or Jedward?A: David Norris, of course

Q: What music/pictures/mov-

ies do you have on your iPod/iPad?A: A serious mixture of music

for me: Rory Gallagher, Lady

Gaga, Madonna, Tony Bennett

– you name it, I’ve got it

Q: Who do you follow on Twit-ter/Facebook?A: Lady Gaga. I love the looks.

Proof that changing the way

you look and dress changes the

way people see you.

Q: What was your last Tweet/status update?A: Sanctuary Hair and Beauty

all the way

Q: Describe your dream meal?A: Pasta all the way

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

is real

Q: Where do you enjoy spend-ing money frivolously?A: Shoe and stationery shops

Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?A: Last count, including slip-

pers – about 106. (I have a

thing...)

Q: What was your worst holi-day experience?A: None at all. I try to make

the best of every situation.

Q: Describe your dream holiday?A: Going to South Africa to see

my family, who I haven’t seen

for about eight years

Q: What would be your dream job?A: I have my dream job

Q: What do you plan to do when you retire?A: Look for a job ...

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

LOCALMATTERS

Q: And your firsA: Although it’s

my first pay ch

month

Q: Have you evyou loathed?A: No.

Q: When did yopresent job?A: I started hair

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GETAWAYS!

UNIQUE PILGRIMAGESUNIQUE PILGRIMAGES P22P22 TOP CLASS DESTINATIONSTOP CLASS DESTINATIONS P22P22

SUMMERSUMMERHOME & ABROAD.....FOR ALL THE FAMILY

Summer sale offers even more reasons for a car-cationKIDS will go half-price this summer with Stena Line, which have launched a summer sale offer-ing families even more reasons to enjoy a car-cation this summer.

This latest offer is available on all crossings with Ireland’s leading ferry company, from both Dublin Port to Holyhead and Rosslare to Fish-guard, with children travelling from only €8.50 for a single fare. Children apply to 15 years and younger, while infants travel for free.

This offer is available on travel up until August 31 when booked by July 12, and fares are subject to availability. For further information on the lat-est sale offers, click on www.stenaline.ie, call 01 204 7777, or visit your local travel agent.

Enjoy a weekend of wellbeing and escape to County CarlowIF THERE has ever been an excuse to escape the daily duties of everyday life, it appears Sand-brook House in Co Carlow may be just that.

The period country home has come up with the ideal break away with a weekend of well-be-ing this August, where you are invited to stretch, strengthen and meditate your way to pure relax-ation with sessions of yoga, pilates and medita-tion in the stunning Carlow setting.

From August 17 to 19, Sandbrook House are hosting a Wellness Retreat in the tranquil and picturesque surroundings. Set on 25 acres of mature parkland, it is the ideal place to forget the stresses of daily life.

As well as classes given by talented instruc-tor Rachel Gaffey, founder of MyWellbeing.ie, guests will also enjoy breakfast, lunch and evening meals packed with home-cooked, local, organic vegetarian food and a cookery demon-stration full of delicious recipes that will help you to maintain your healthy lifestyle at home.

To take a proper weekend break and retreat to Sandbrook House, call Rachel Gaffey on 086 845 3864 or visit www.sandbrook.ie

FastTravel

SPAIN: THE DELIGHTFUL COSTA DAURADA IS A FAMILY FAVOURITE

HOLIDAYMAKERS have been flocking to Spain from Dublin, and the island of Ireland, for many years now, with a holiday in Spain still delighting families and holidaymakers of all ages.

With so many sun-drenched beaches, his-toric cities, cultural sites and remarkable scenery to take in, some holi-daymakers might almost fear they have too much choice when trying to find a great holiday in Spain.

However, one thing is for certain – with so many

wonderful resorts and regions to visit, you’re vir-tually guaranteed of hav-ing a wonderful holiday, whatever part of Spain you visit.

Catalonia remains one of Spain’s most popular regions for Irish holiday-makers – and with good reason, given the area’s mixture of sights and resorts.

Catalonia’s Costa Dau-rada (literally,“the golden coast”) is a particularly family-friendly destina-tion that has become increasingly popular with Irish holidaymakers, with families comprising 60%

of visitors to the region.Hotels there are par-

ticularly in tune with family needs, with hotels and restaurants offering high chairs and nappy-changing tables.

The area’s leisure options are endless, and include a wide range of facilities to help visitors enjoy the perfect day at the beach, from children’s play areas to the sand itself, with such delights as outdoor libraries to relax with a good book, or shops renting equip-ment for water sports.

The Costa Daurada’s natural resources mean

visitors can go for relax-ing strolls or bring the kids for one of the area’s many exciting excur-sions.

There are also a wide range of activities and adventure sports for young people, helping to cement the area’s appeal for visitors of all ages.

A l l s e r v i ce s a re designed with families in mind, meaning that the resulting accommoda-tion venues, restaurants, infrastructure and theme parks will guarantee that a family stay in Costa Daurada is set to be the most pleasurable family

experience of the year.So, for golden memo-

ries, and for a wonderful holiday in Spain, whether for a first-time or experi-enced visitor alike, the Costa Daurada promises you a wonderful holiday.

For further information on the Costa Daurada, and on one of Spain’s most enchanting regions, as well as information on hotels and activities, see www.costadaurada.info, www.costadauradae-vents.com or www.ter-resdelebre.travel (select-ing the English language site versions, where nec-essary).

Make golden memories

Whether travelling alone or with your loved ones, the Costa Daurada – “the golden coast” – is an increasingly popular Spanish treasure

Tipp has it all for a top trip away from the city� DAVE PHILLIPS

THERE seems to be a predisposition towards heading for the sea when

GLEN OF AHERLOW: ENJOY THE FRIENDLY AND INVITING ATMOSPHERE

Enjoy a couple’s break

away in magnificent Cavan

GETAWAYS! Enjoy a couple’s break

SUMMERSUMMER

Tipperary’s Glen of Aherlow offers stunning views and fantastic walking trails and the Aherlow House Hotel (right)


ENJOY a child free zone with a Couple’s Retreat at Radisson Blu Farnham Estate, Cavan, this sum-mer. Located in the heart of a magnificent estate just 3km from Cavan town, the Radisson Blu Farnham Estate is a contemporary and stylish hotel, full of country charm and character, surrounded by natu-ral beauty among acres of rolling countryside.

To enjoy a break away this summer, the Radis-son Blu is offering the Ultimate Couple’s Package with spa treatments and lunch as well as one night’s accommodation. Start the experience with a gom-mage marine scrub on the hamman table before a relaxing hydrotherapy bath to leave you refreshed and relaxed. Next, you will both enjoy the serial mud chamber, where you are covered in mud as the chamber gradually warms.

As the mud dries, it removes toxins from the skin. Steam then gently fills the chamber to soften the mud, before a warm shower is dispensed from the ceiling to wash away the mud, leaving your skin feeling luxuriously soft and smooth. Complete this wonderful experience with a massage each side by side. The Couple’s Retreat includes overnight luxury accommodation and super buffet breakfast from €210 per person sharing midweek/€235.00 per person sharing at weekends. For more informa-tion or to book, visit www.farnhamestate.ie or call 049 4377700.

looking for an escape from the city.

Perhaps the attrac-tion is part and parcel of being an island nation; or maybe it is down to the fact that for many people, the quaint coastal towns and villages of the West offer the kind of low-key, slow-living comforts that can’t be found in the city.

Until recently, I was part of the drove that left the inland counties largely unexplored in my quest for a country break, but after stumbling upon Tipperary’s Glen of Aher-low, I’m a card-carrying convert.

Set between the Galtee Mountains and Slievena-much in South Tipper-ary, the Glen of Aherlow is just a short trip off the M8, making it a relatively painless journey from Dublin.

We’d arranged to stay at the Aherlow House Hotel, which with its ivy-laden exterior and overflowing flower bas-

kets, comfortably melds into the lush green sur-rounds. As well as a large restaurant and bar, the hotel offers self-catering options in purpose-built lodges, making it a popu-lar wedding venue.

Located on the cusp of the Glen of Aherlow Nat-ural Park, it’s also a top spot for walkers, acting as a great base for the more challenging peaks of the Galtees, as well as for the multitude of gentler loop walks.

If putting your feet up is more appealing than putting them into boots, you won’t be disappoint-ed. The hotel is charming and the abundant little touches – freshly baked cakes along with the newspapers in the room – go to show that real effort has been made to facilitate a relaxing expe-rience.

Gastronomically, Aher-low House Hotel is spe-cial. The recently recruit-ed head chef, Jose Vega,

has brought culinary flair honed in his native France to locally pro-cured produce. The result is an amazing menu that is simultaneously elegant and earthy. Particularly tasty was the braised fil-let of Aherlow river trout, served with vegetables in a Sancerre butter sauce; and a wonderfully ten-der fillet of beef from the nearby Lewis farm.

After dinner we traded the mountain views of the Treetop Restaurant for the open fire and cosy confines of the Hunting Lodge Bar, which serves as a watering spot for both guests and the surround-ing community. As it was a Friday night, some of the locals were set up next to us for a small seisun. The relaxed atmosphere (and a Bulmers or two) had us pitching in on a few songs, after which we got talking to Michael Moroney, the Glen’s resident walking guide.

Having taken in an

early morning walk, we discovered the hotel can arrange plenty more activities, including fish-ing, golf trips, equestrian outings, heritage tours, or a trip to Mandy Parslow, the local potter. Aherlow House Hotel is full of character and characters.

Outdoor enthusi-asts will be in their ele-ment; food-lovers will be intensely satisfied; history and heritage buffs will enjoy its close proximity to Cashel and Cahir cas-tle, as well as the multi-tude of smaller glimpses of history that can be gleaned from the area.

Maybe it’s down to the stunning location, or perhaps it’s that sense of community pride seeping into everything that hap-pens at Aherlow House Hotel – whatever the cause, you’re bound to enjoy the honest, friendly and inviting atmosphere.

For rates and specials see: www.aherlowhouse.ie

Get more from your pilgrimage � NATALIE BURKE

FOR anyone interested in adding a little extra to the run-of-the-mill pil-grimage, Joe Walsh Tours Pilgrimage and Sun Holi-days are offering you the chance to not only soak up the unique atmos-phere and spirituality found in the ever popular shrines of Italy’s San Gio-vanni Rotondo and Ben-evento, Portugal’s Fatima or Medjugorje in Bosnia Herzegovina, but also to embrace the sunshine and

� NATALIE BURKE

FROM the tropical sands of Thailand to exclusive shopping in Dubai, Trav-elmood are giving you the chance to explore some of the world’s most beautiful locations this summer while staying in top class resorts around the globe.

Stay in the three-star Golden Sands Apart-ments in Dubai for five nights from only €693 per person.

Placed at the heart of fashionable Bur Dubai, visit the exclusive shop-ping malls, the Dubai Museum, the fashion-able night spots and the new Metro Junction.

Departing from Dub-lin on September 7, the price includes return f l ights , f ive nights ’ accommodation on a B&B basis, taxes and charges.

Visit the four-star Viva Wyndham Maya resort in Mexico for seven nights on an all

inclusive basis from just €935 per person.

Be immersed in pris-tine beaches and coral reefs while being just five minutes from bars, restaurants and the shops of Playa del Car-men.

Departing from Dub-lin on December 6, prices include return f lights, seven nights’ accommodation, taxes and charges.

Relax at the five-star Anantara Resort and Spa in Thailand for seven nights on a B&B basis, followed by the four-star Bel-Aire Prin-cess for three nights on a B&B basis from only €999 per person.

The luxurious seclu-sion of the Anantara Hua Hin Resort is rem-iniscent of an ancient Thai village, surrounded by tropical gardens and private beaches as well as being just a short dis-tance from Hua Hin’s best golf courses and the lively town centre.

Top class destinationsTRAVELMOOD: BEAUTIFUL LOCATIONS WORLDWIDE

Departing from Dub-lin on September 6, pric-es include return flights, 10 nights’ accommoda-tion, taxes and charges.

The final offer invites you to stay at the four-star Cape Town Ritz Hotel for seven nights B&B for just €999 per person.

T h e p r i c e a l s o includes return flights, taxes and charges and departs from Dublin on November 2.

Stay at the modern Ritz resort, just 300m from the beach.

Dine at The Top of the Ritz, Cape Town’s only revolving restaurant and consider the option of adding a unique Safari experience to your trip.

For more information on these offers or to book, visit www.travel-mood.ie, call their team on 01 4331020 or visit the Travelmood store in Duke Street, Dublin 2.

Antara Resort and Spa

Kevin’s class gets him to top: New head chef at Herbert Park HotelKEVIN Ramen, has been recently promoted to head chef at the four-star Herbert Park Hotel, Ballsbridge. Kevin is originally from Mauritius and has worked at Herbert Park Hotel since 2006. He had previously worked in various hotels in Mauritius before moving to Ireland.

local cultures in the idyl-lic coastal settings of Alba Adriatica, Sorrento, Lis-bon Coast or Dubrovnik.

The unique combina-tion of a religious and sun holiday allows you to spend three or four days

on a peaceful pilgrimage before moving on to a calming holiday by sandy, sun soaked beaches.

Departures from Dub-lin this summer include a four-night pilgrimage in Fatima, followed by three nights in Estoril at €649 per person, leaving Dublin on July 26, August 23 or August 30 for seven nights. The pilgrimage from Dublin departing on August 31 includes a one night stay at Benevento, three nights in San Gio-vanni Rotondo and three

GETAWAYS! SUMMERSUMMER22 GAZETTE 12 July 2012

St James’s Church,

Medjugorje

nights in Sorrento, priced at €824 per person plus tax, while the pilgrimage departing on September 17 will take you to Alba Adriatica for four nights and to San Giovanni Rotondo for three nights. The seven night trip is €784 per person plus tax.

All prices include direct flights with Aer Lingus from Dublin, one stand-ard piece of check-in lug-gage subject to airline’s conditions, all transfers and tours by luxury air-conditioned coach, a full religious programme and services of a Joe Walsh Tours representative throughout the tour.

For further information, visit www.joewalshtours.ie or call 01 241 0800.

12 July 2012 CASTLEKNOCK GAZETTE 23Commercial Feature

Summer Family Holidays at The 5*Heritage Golf & Spa ResortLOTS of FREE 5* Fam-ily Fun. Pack your bags & head to The Heritage Resort for your family Staycation Vacation!

Book your August 3 night Family break with The Resort by July 20th and stay a 4th night for FREE and also receive a complimentary fam-ily pass to The National Stud & Gardens. (T&C apply).

The resort offers a pic-turesque setting, comfort-able surroundings and spacious family & inter-connecting guestrooms, self catering apartments, Kids Club Fun Club, health club with leisure

pool, a choice of restau-rants, championship golf course, world class spa and an abundance of on-site & nearby activities.

With a variety of Sum-mer Breaks to choose from your will be sure to find what you are looking for.

A three night stay with breakfast in a family gue-

stroom with family din-ner in the Arlington res-taurants on one evening starts from only €290per adult sharing (based on two adults & 2 children sharing).

A two night self catering break in a two-bedroom penthouse apartment overlooking the champi-onship golf course with

access to all resort facili-ties start from €540 per apartment per stay (maxi-mum 2 adults & 3 chil-dren per apartment).

Your family will be spoilt for choice with the selection of on site activities. The popular Kids Club Fun Club runs each week (Mon to Sat) up to the 28th August 2012 where the little ones can enjoy Arts & Crafts Classes, Fun Fit, Giant Games, Basketball, Table Tennis, Bouncy Castle & Hip Hop Dance. Tennis Court, Family Movies, Fishing, wii room, walking track & much more!

Just a short drive from

the Resort, families can explore a range of fun-filled days out including; the National Stud & Japanese Gardens, Outlet Shopping at Kildare Vil-lage, Lullymore Heritage Park, Emo Court, Pet Farm along with explor-ing the wild & wonderful Laois Countryside and nearby horse-riding.

Nestled in the beauti-ful countryside of Co. Laois, the Resort is only an hours drive from Dub-lin City and 45 minutes from the M50 making it’s a hassle free staycation! To book & enquire please call 057 8645500, www.theheritage.com


Sisters are doing itJack (Mark Duplass) learns a harsh lesson when the two ladies say that they are “fine”.

GoingOUT

GazetteENTERTAINMENTENTERTAINMENT

Carefully constructed, tenderly performed and well-written, Your Sister’s Sister just never catches fire

�

� PAUL HOSFORD

YOU don’t get a lot for $120,000 these days.

The moderate sum is barely enough to fund a purchase at a distress auction, never mind a film that would cap-ture the imagination the week that Spider-Man swings back into action.

That is the challenge set for Your Sister’s Sister, the follow-up to Lynn Shelton’s Hump-day, which was one of the finest comedy dra-mas of recent years.

In that f i lm, two men drunkenly agree to make an adult film together and are faced with the prospect of going through with it because of their male pride.

In this film, Shelton has brought Humpday star Mark Duplass back, but left the naughtiness behind.

She instead has made

a very similar film, but for women.

Instead of pornog-raphy, male pride and machismo, the issues of sibling relationships, love and who can or cannot make a good parent.

All in all, it is refresh-ing film-making in that it’s made for very little, but still manages to be engaging in a way that many big-budget films are not.

But, coming af ter such a film as Hump-day, it almost feels like a let-down.

Although Humpday was not Shelton’s debut,

this film feels like the quintessential “difficult second album” in that it tries to hit the same notes as its predeces-sor when a unique take would be more wel-come.

This is less Neon Bible than it is whatever The Darkness’ second album was called.

Actually, compar-ing the film with The Darkness is unfair as it is credible, likeable and put together by extreme-ly talented people who all seem lovely.

Loveliest of them all is Emily Blunt, current-ly stretching her main-

stream legs in The Five Year Engagement.

Here, Blunt plays Iris, who in an effort to help her best friend Jack out of mourning for his brother, suggests he take a trip to her par-ents’ secluded cabin.

There, he stumbles across Iris’s lesbian sister Hannah. A night of drunken passion between the two trig-gers an unexpected entanglement of rela-tionships when Iris suddenly arrives at the cabin the next day.

From there, the film becomes an interesting and somewhat caus-tic look at what makes relationships tick and, honestly, whether men and women can ever be truly just friends.

Although the cast is experienced and likea-ble, the film just fails to fire. Whereas Humpday felt like its 90 minutes sped through, there is the sense that every

sinew is being strained to haul Your Sister’s Sis-ter to the finish line.

When it is good, how-ever, it is very good, and when Shelton is on form, there aren’t many directors who capture the human condition as readily.

At the heart of it all, comes Shelton’s seem-ingly unshakable faith in people. She genu-inely seems to like her characters, f laws and all.

Shelton gives Duplass, star of the criminally overlooked The League, the best lines and he seems as close to a muse as the director has, but DeWitt and Blunt carry a neat three-hander to its inevitable, and well-telegraphed conclu-sion.

It won’t change lives, but this is neatly posi-tioned counter-pro-gramming to the span-dex, swinging and web-shooting.

FILM OF THE WEEK: Your Sister’s Sister�� (15) 90 mins

OUR VERDICT:IT’S a good film. There is no doubt about that. But, and it’s hard to put my finger on why, it just doesn’t feel complete. It’s a well-told, interesting story and a neat look at a very complex set of relationships and some deeply flawed people. Shelton deserves credit for her writing, but the third act lets the film down.

Director: Lynn Shelton Starring: Emily Blunt, Mark Duplass, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mark Birbiglia

THE PAVILION THEATRE 01 231 2929Singing Nina

SINGING Nina is the fabulous new show brought to you by the Chicago Jazz Queen, Karen Underwood and her band. Karen brings to you in narration and song the engrossing life story of the great legend Nina Simone, from her struggle against racism and exile from her homeland to her flamboyant and troubled relationships and her poignant life. Karen sings all the classic Nina songs, Mississippi Goddamn, Sinnerman and My Baby supported by a live band. For one show only, July 13 at 8pm, tickets are priced at €18/16.

MILL THEATRE 01 296 9340 Somewhere under the Rainbow

THIS award winning, one woman, musical theatre extravaganza has captured audiences around the country. Now, in preparation for the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Biscuits for Breakfast are delighted to bring “Liza” to the Mill Theatre for one more performance before she leaves these shores. Sharon Sexton’s Liza recounts stories, memories and secrets that make up a fascinating career and an even more intriguing personal life. As she belts her way through Minnelli’s infamous song book, the audience are invited beyond the footlights. July 14 at 8pm. Admission: €20.

CIVIC THEATRE 01 462 7477Johnnie’s Britches

BEEZNEEZ, the popular company that brought you Tuesdays with Morrie and Don’t Dress for Dinner return to the Civic with a lovely old Irish comedy, Johnnie’s Britches. A runaway, nationwide hit when first produced in the 1940s, Beezneez bring their distinctive production values to this gentle comedy of another time. Anxious to be rid of their accident prone servant girl, Ned and Bridget are willing to allow her to be married to almost anybody, including Johnnie. July 13 and 14 at 8pm. Admission: €20/16.

DRAIOCHT 01 885 2622The Connect Club 2012

THIS July, Draíocht is delighted to be back, once again, working with the Daughters of Charity’s Summer Camp The Connect Club in Laurel Lodge. The summer camp is filled with social and recreational activities catering for young people with varying degrees of intellectual disability, with the aim of providing an outlet that is fun and focused on the individual’s likes and interests.

GazetteGAMINGGAMING

� SHANE DILLON

I NOTICED this week that one of gaming’s Grand Old Men – in the grizzled, scarred, battle-weary and cynical form of Solid Snake, chief protagonist of the end-lessly-reinventing, multi-platform and cross-genre Metal Gear series – is now 25 years old.

Well, I mean, the series is now that old, but Snake himself is much older, as befitting someone who’s been around the block in his day.

That “day” has jumped around, with Snake’s adventures playing out in eras ranging from the 1960s to the present day, through contemporary settings with wildly dif-ferent global politics at play to slightly-futuristic places with impossible tech and gadgets.

A true cross-platform character, Snake’s been caught up in the coldest of Cold War realpolitik scenarios; fought fringe terrorist groups that were backed covertly by global superpowers;

tackled paranoia and rogue international agen-cies attempting to sub-vert political processes; uncovered – and buried – bizarre secrets at one hid-den base or secret loca-tion after another; saved the world, lost allies and fought former comrades – you name it, Snake has wiggled his way through one high-stakes drama after another.

Although largely pre-sented as a curious blend of James Bond, Snake Plissken, Robert Fisk and a masterless samurai,

Although Solid Snake’s adventures in the Metal Gear series have taken him around the world and through

several decades, Snake – and his younger self (inset) – has always been wearily fighting what amounts to

the same battle, as he has fought against Man’s casual willingness to corrupt, rule and destroy others ...

Bytesandpieces

Snake keeps growing

LEST readers think that picking up any of the Metal Gear games is about as light-hearted as a three-hour lecture on Middle-East politics, the series has always had a dash of pure slapstick, such as in its brilliantly daft idea for camouflage – the cardboard box.

Yes indeed, when patrolling a top-secret military base full of guards on high alert, mere hours before an illic-it nuclear launch is due against the world’s main cities, every self-respect-ing master infiltrator needs the perfect fools-everybody disguise: an ordinary cardboard box to hide under.

Simply by slipping a cardboard box over his head, and then inching/dart-ing around playing the old “Huh? Did something just move?” game with con-fused nearby guards, Snake is gener-ally able to sneak on by.

True, my attempts to sneak around, and then out of The Gazette an hour or two early in this fashion haven’t quite worked out as well, but it remains a fondly-remembered gaming sight to see, regardless.

Boxing clever with a brilliantly daft camouflage idea


A spacewalk could be a cake walkHERE’S one of those “Ronseal” IOS games – you know, they do exactly what it says on the tin or, more exactly, what the title says – in the form of Astronaut Spacewalk.

Here, a deep-sea diver has 24 hours to uncover a global conspiracy involving cats, a secret Soviet undersea base, a rusty codex from 1640 and a deadly female French assassin who –

Nah, only kidding – it really is just what the title suggests, as you take an astronaut on a spacewalk through a variety of orbital missions.

It’s a pretty simple idea, yet executed with style and, um, precision. Precision? Yes, indeed, as pre-cision is key to the title, as you guide an astronaut on their spacewalk by tapping to release just the right amounts of gas, while considering your direc-tion and inertia, as well as suit power reserves.

After all, one wrong tap in the wrong direction could send you drifting serenely towards, say, Madagascar on the planet below – and your cer-tain death, helplessly following a trajectory away from the space shuttle docking bay.

A neat little title executed with flair, Astronaut Spacewalk is available on iTunes.

Snake has remained one of gaming’s most com-plex, yet popular, char-acters.

This, despite the Metal Gear games’ tendencies to practically slap play-ers about the head with political commentary as the game plays out.

For example, one moment could find Snake creeping through the engine room of a hijacked container ship carrying biological bombs deep into the heart of a bustling city – the next, a 20-minute cut-scene could play out, as Snake, and others, discuss over his radio link European foreign policies in the 1970s, and the complex ties between the military, commercial and political wings of, say, China.

At least you c a n a l w ay s count on regu-lar breaks to go and make a cuppa, then.

It’s all pretty far-out, head-s c r a t ch -

ingly complex (and, quite simply, frequently daft) stuff, and can feel more like an abstract com-mentary on global poli-tics, and The Way Things Work, than being just, you know, a game.

All of this heavy-hitting wackiness has largely been down to the leg-endary figure of Hideo Kojima, the singularly-fo-cused figure who’s driven Snake, and sidekicks, on across the years, with each new adventure becoming increasingly out-there.

Still, Snake’s adven-tures have remained high-ly popular, as Kojima-san has always driven the games along with plenty of conventional gaming tropes, from stealth sec-tions to all-out blazing action set-pieces.

While occasionally irritatingly dense to wade through, as well as cover-ing stuff that even a con-spiracy theorist would roll his eyes at, here’s hoping that Snake’s maverick adventures in the Metal Gear universe keep grow-ing for many more years.

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FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL

Anthony and Breda O’Connor, are applying to Fingal County Coun-cil for permission for the construction of single storey extension to side and rear with 2 rooflights, new pedestrian gate at side to rear garden and widening of existing vehicular entrance, all at existing house at 6 Sad-dlers Grove, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15. The plan-ning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of mak-ing a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority during its public opening hours and a submission or observation may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the pre-scribed fee (€20) within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the author-ity of this application.

PLANNING NOTICE

16027

FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL

Permission sought for retention of 3 no. velux roof windows to front façade at 28 Park Vil-las, Pecks Lane, Castle-knock, Dublin 15. For Catrina Sheridan & Noel McLoughlin. This planning applica-tion may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the rea-sonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the planning author-ity during its public opening hours and a submission or obser-vation may be made to the Planning Authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee (€20) within the peri-od of 5 weeks begin-ning on the date of receipt by the author-ity of the application.

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DONABATE’S Pa t Doran played superbly but was just pipped at the semi-final stage of the ILGU Irish Senior women’s close cham-pionship at Bunclody Golf and Fishing Club last week.

P lay ing even tua l winner Helen Jones, from Strabane, she was undone on the 21st hole of her final four tie last Thursday to agonisingly miss out.

Jones had earlier pro-duced a stunning come-back. She was dormie two down against Doran but showed her true fighting spirit to win both the 17th and 18th with pars and bring the match down tie holes where she eventually won out on the 21st.

A round ear l i e r, Doran had knocked out defending champions Sheena McElroy, from Grange, who had put up a gallant defence of her title and a three in a

row record.Doran has been

knocking at the door in recent years and she maintained her compo-sure in an edgy match to win with a par on the 18th while McElroy found the water left of the home green.

McElroy had earlier dismissed Killarney’s Mary Geaney on an emphatic 6&5 scoreline to show she was in rude form.

The Island’s Gertie McMullen was another

GOLF: DORAN BRINGS MCELROY’S IRISH SENIOR CLOSE REIGN TO AN END IN BUNCLODY

Donabate’s Pat Doran reached the semi-final of this year’s Irish Seniors’ Close championship

Donabate woman reaches Senior Close final four

local golfer to traverse the competition in dra-matic fashion as she reached the quarter-fi-nals, too. There, she was one up against Portum-na’s Suzanne Corcoran playing the 18th but a

par from the Galway woman was enough to take the final hole and she birdied the first tie hole to win a semi-final berth.

Earlier in the com-peti t ion, McMullen

had beaten Headfort’s Pauline Walsh 4&3 and Adrienne Crowley, from Woodbrook, one up.

D u n L a o g h a i r e duo Marie Igoe and Niamh Giblin were also involved in the competi-

tion and made it safely through the first round.

Igoe bowed out to Jones in round two while Doran dismissed Giblin 4&3 in the third round of the competi-tion.

GazetteSPORTFEILE FEVER:FEILE FEVER:Dublin plays host toDublin plays host toannual U-14 festival annual U-14 festival of hurling of hurling Page 28 and 29Page 28 and 29



GazetteSportSportFeile fever descends on DublinT

HE annual Feile na nGael made its way to Dublin for the first time in over 30 years as over 3,000 hurlers, camogie players and hand-

ballers from around the country came to the capi-tal for one of the highlights of the GAA calendar. They competed in three days of competition at clubs around the city before taking part in social activities including a parade from Croke Park to O’Connell Street while Saturday saw the finals take place across the divisions in Croke Park and Par-nell Park.

Members of St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh were among huge crowds to gather in O’Connell St to support the Feile na nGael

The referee inspects the Newport team’s hurleys

Ballinteer St John’s camogie team enjoy the Bus Eireann Feile na nGael Parade from Croke Park through Dublin CityKilmacud Crokes in action against Buncrana in Silver Park


parade. Pics: Martina McGilloway/ilivephotos.com

Ballyboden St Enda’s Eoin Featherstone and De La Salle’s Lee Wall in the division one hurling competition

The St Brigid’s handball team enjoy the parade

Lucan Sarsfields’ Emily McIntyre and Newport’s Ciara Floyd

The Clondalkin Youth Band lead teams down O’Connell Street

Handballers Hannah Dagg, Fiona Tully and Anna Ni Odhrain Ni Mhurchu Kilcormack/Killoughey in action

Stephen Smith and Thomas Donohoe

Dublin hurlers Peter Kelly and Johnny McCaffrey with Peter Flannery


� [email protected] CASTLEKNOCK Celt-ic’s senior teams are back training in Por-terstown Park on Tues-days and Thursdays at 7.15pm.

T he i r immed ia t e ambition is to gain pro-motion to Premier B, followed by Premier A football in the Athletic Union League.

They are currently in Premier C Sunday where they are joined by Blanch FC, Huntstown-Hartstown United, and Mountview Utd.

Celtic is inviting any new players to join their teams for training dur-

ing the coming weeks in preparation for the resumpt ion o f the league on 18th August.

In addition to Pre-mier C Sunday, Celtic has teams in Div 1A Saturday, Div 2A Satur-day and Div 3 Sunday.

Celtic continues to provide football for all standards among their 40 teams ranging from Under-8s up to senior football.

They welcome new members who can get more information about registering with any of their teams at www.castleknockceltic.com.

Castleknock Celtic in association with the

Football Association of Ireland completed their Summer Camp in Por-terstown with the pres-entation of certificates to all the participants by Martin Doyle of the FAI.

The week was blessed with some lovely weath-er mid-week, though by Friday, we had the soft-est of days as the driz-zle persisted through-out the final day. It did not dampen the spirits of the children who braved the elements to earn their certificates.

All the participants enjoyed a week of coaching from the FAI-accredited coaches.

Martin Doyle, the FAI’s development officer, was full of praise for the hosts, Castleknock Celtic, who made sure that the grounds and clubhouse were ready for each day’s activi-ties.

These included fun-games, as well as coach-ing routines to develop the players’ skills.

The youngest partici-pant was six-year old, Ellie Farrell, daughter of Castleknock Celtic’s Under-14s manager, Mick Farrell. The old-est female member attending the summer camp was 12-year-old, Jennifer Treadwell, who

thoroughly enjoyed the week’s coaching.

She has just complet-ed another successful year with Celtic’s girls’ team which won the Belles in the Meadows tournament under man-ager Hugo Boyle.

The club is looking forward to expanding its girls’ section in the coming season, and new members are invited to join.

Castleknock Celtic’s next big event is their Summer Camp in Por-terstown Park at the beginning of August, details of which, includ-ing application form, are on their website.

Castleknock back in training The players taking part in the FAI Summer School of Soccer practising their dribbling skills this week

GazetteSportSportSOCCER: AUL TEAMS BEING PREPARATIONS FOR NEW TERM

FastSport

Flynn ends Clonliffe’s 42-year national waitCOOLMINE’S David Flynn, centre, brought an end to a 42-year void for Clonliffe Harriers last weekend when he won the 3000m steeplechase at the national senior athletics championships.

He became the first man from the club since Des McCormack as the last man to claim the gold in this event for the Morton Stadium club as he won out on his home track.

Flynn was solid throughout the race but really separated himself from the field in the last 200 metres, pushing every last bit of energy out of his system which saw him finish three seconds ahead of his closest finisher, Letterkenny’s Kieran Doherty.

The rising track and field star had been favourite for three years running on the Irish senior circuit, but this year he finally made the dream a reality, after a hectic season for the Uni-versity of Arkansas, having won two junior and three U-23 titles in the past.

His form in America has been incredible under the watchful eye of legendary coach John McDonnell, who has trained Flynn to two All-American titles in track and field and another two in cross-country running.

His rise to varsity glory was a tough one with the Irishman being head hunted at world and European Championships over the years, but after the University of Arkansas came knocking, their strict rules on GPA stood in Flynn’s way.

Overcoming this obstacle like he runs through the field in competition, Flynn took up an offer from Western State University where he trained every day at altitude of 8,000ft while getting his grades up before moving to the Uni-versity of Arkansas.

Since then, the runner has been prolific and he ran the nationals just weeks after training with the Norwegian national coach in a camp in Portugal, where the determined Flynn ran an incredible 120 miles per week.

Since coming home, Flynn took gold in the Braveheart 5k – a competition which boasted a tribal dance in William Wallace fashion as an opening ceremony, a far cry from the straight-laced American scene – before he went on to dominate the field in the Park West 10k.

Unleashed: Dublin 15 youngsters power Jackies to U-16 winLEAH Mullins (Castleknock), Danielle Pugh (St Peregrine’s) and Megan Morris-sey (Castleknock), left to right, were all part of Dublin U-16s’ Leinster final success, beating Laois 4-21 to 0-12 in Crettyard last Saturday.Due to the recent rain, the tie was hast-

ily switched to the Co Laois ground from Newbridge but it scarcely affected the Jackies who now advance to the All-Ireland semi-final where they will meet the Munster champions.


CLUB NOTICEBOARD

OUR clubhouse appeal fund is just

shy of €50,000; we are a third of the

way there. If you would like to make

your donation to the clubhouse

appeal, please contact a member of

the executive committee. For more

information on the clubhouse appeal,

please log onto castleknock.net/fun-

draising or call Pearse 0862478961.

We hope all the players involved in

our summer camps this week have a

great time.

The summer newsletter is now

available online. To order tickets

for the Leinster football finals on

Sunday, July 22, please text Lisa on

0861022296 before July 13.

Well done to all of our members, vol-

unteers and hosts who were involved

in the All-Ireland Feile last week. We

hope our visiting Feile teams enjoyed

their stay in Castleknock. Congrat-

ulations to Inagh/Kilnamona (Clare)

who lifted the division two camogie

cup in Croke Park after beating

Waterford’s De La Salle 5-5 to 2-2.

Also, a huge well done to St Brigid’s

on winning the Feile double.

Another great night was had last

Friday upstairs in Kavanagh’s at the

trad session.

If you haven’t gone to one yet make

sure to come along and bring a friend.

Bring your instruments too.

Signs surrounding the main pitch in

Somerton are now on sale, for more

information on how to get your sign

seen contact Charlie 0851101008.

The lotto jackpot is €3,600 with the

next draw in Myos on July 12.

Please keep sending in your match

reports and photos. All entries are

entered into a draw to win prizes

each month.

To subscribe to our e-newsletters

and text alerts send email address

or number to [email protected]

or 0877532030.

New players at all ages and lev-

els are always welcome. Just con-

tact our club coach Brendan on

0851329397 for details or check the

website for contact information on

each mentor.

ST BRIGID’SWELL done to everyone involved in

hosting the hugely successful cam-

ogie, handball and hurling Feile in

the club on Thursday and Friday.

All visiting clubs and mentors were

delighted with the warm reception

they received in Russell Park.

What a breathtaking Feile win for

our U-14A hurlers, beating Clarin-

bridge in a pulsating division one

final after extra time.

The club is so proud of all the par-

ents, coaches and players across

our male and female Feile teams

this year.

St Brigid’s summer camps for

boys and girls between five and 12

run from July 16-20. Cost is €60 and

includes a free pair of St Brigid’s

football boots.

The second summer camp is the

Cul camp which runs from August

13 to 17 while our special nursery

summer camp for children between

four and seven run from August 21

to 24. Discounts for families. Con-

tact Paul on 0879154748 for more

info.

Well done to Paul Winters and the

Dublin minor hurlers on their great

Leinster final win.

Great championship and league

wins for our inter hurlers this week,

who are now into the quarter final

on July 21. Two full rounds of adult

league football this week, fixtures

on the website.

The ticket book for the Leinster

football finals is now open until Fri-

day at 10pm. The club lotto jackpot

is €10,000 and takes place on Thurs-

day in Russell Park.

CASTLEKNOCK

JUNIOR A HC GROUP B Castleknock 1-13

St Jude’s 0-13

� [email protected]

CASTLEKNOCK picked up two huge wins in the last week to further both their league and AHL4 title ambitions, winning out by a goal on both occasions.

Last Wednesday, they took on St Jude’s of Tem-pleogue in a must-win fixture in the race to secure a good champion-ship placing and a decent run at the quarter finals.

Missing several key men due to injury and work commitments, though, this was going to be a tall order for the home team.

With Ciaran Kilkenny at number 14 for the blue and gold, St Jude’s were forced to play an extra defender in an effort to curtail his strength and ability. He still scored the opening point with a fine turn of speed and a nice shot off his left side.

The game was being played at a fast pace, helped by the excellent state of the Somerton pitch. Shane Boland, Eoghan Quinn and impressive centre for-ward Ciaran O’Brien slotted over points for the home side.

The determined visi-tors, led by the top class Paul Kelly and Brian Daly, were always in touch and, at half time, the home side led by the minimum 0-7 to 0-6.

The good sized crowd were entertained to a fine second half with both sides going hell for leather to try and secure victory.

A f ter both s ides exchanged points, the crucial score came after Conor Corcoran caught and cleared a fine ball to Ian Cleary who found Kilkenny with a neat pass. After being fouled about 25 yards out, he took the free himself and blasted it to the net.

St Jude’s threw every-

thing they had into the last ten minutes, but the home defence were up to the task and, at the final whistle, the goal remained the sole divider between the two teams.

Best for the home side were Murray, Conor Corcoran, Boland and Kilkenny and they com-plete the group with four wins from five outings and look likely to top the section once the remain-der of the Group B sides finish their schedules.

They duly followed up on Sunday morning with a league win over Lucan Sarsfields. The only goal of the game, scored by

Ian Cleary, was the differ-ence after a game which puts the home lads right back in contention, win-ning 1-12 to 0-12.

It was their sixth win from eight outings in the current campaign and three wins from their remaining games would more than likely see them take one of the top two places and make it back-to-back promo-tions.

Next up is a vital tie against second placed St Finian’s of Swords on July 21 after which only games against Na Fianna and Trinity Gaels remain.

HURLING: CASTLEKNOCK KEEP DOUBLE BID GOING

Castleknock’s hurlers picked up two wins this week to top both their league and championship tables

Kilkenny smashes Castle to JHC win

ST PEREGRINE’S

THANKS to all who helped out with

the Feile last weekend, it was a

great success.

Well done to Eric Lowndes who

won another Leinster minor hurl-

ing medal last Sunday, and best of

luck in the minor football semi-final

against Kildare on Wednesday 2.

Two great wins for our adult

hurlers last week. Football league

action this week sees the senior

team play Skerries on Wednesday

at 7.30pm at home, please see club

for other fixtures.

The club lotto was not won. Num-

bers drawn were 3, 5, 25 and 27;

next week’s jackpot is €2,200.

Congratulations to Gary Kavan-

gah and Carol Murtagh on their

respective marriages last week.

Thanks to Jimmy and Colin for the

great artwork in the stand. Tickets

for the Leinster final can now be

ordered via Mary Murtagh.

Club shop vouchers are now avail-

able; details and contacts on the

club website CNP.ie. Follow us on

Twitter @peregrinesgaa.

ALL OF YOUR CASTLEKNOCK SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 27-31 JULY 12, 2012

LOVELY HURLING: Castleknock

tops in AHL4 and JHC campaigns P31 Ga

zetteSPORT

� STEPHEN FINDLATER

[email protected]

THE St Brigid’s “band of brothers” created GAA history as the Russell Park club claimed the U-14 Feile na nGael hurling title in Croke Park last Saturday to go with the football title they won a fortnight earlier.

In so doing, they became the first ever club to win both titles in the same year, doing so in dramatic fashion as they beat Clarinbridge 1-9 to 1-7 after extra time in the final after two days of preliminary games.

Tiernan McGlynn’s early goal set the side on their way and they maintained a steady lead of around three points for the vast majority of normal time before a fortuitous goal pegged them back with the last puck.

But Brigid’s regrouped and put on a stellar show in extra time to hold their nerve and have a couple of points to spare.

Incredibly 21 players from the 24 player panel doubled up to play in both competi-

tions, showing this is a special generation of athletes.

Traolach O’Sullivan, part of the hurling man-agement team, was quick to tell GazetteSport that it is an achievement based on a wealth of hard graft over the past six months.

“This has been an unbelievable journey since last January when we started off,” he said.

“Twenty-one of this team already had All-Ireland medals with the football team and they are known as a band of brothers and that’s all we are.”

Managing two sports whose training and fix-ture times are usually intertwined can usually throw up its share of logistical difficulties but O’Sullivan says it was scarcely an issue as the club created a memorable piece of history.

“No, not at all. There are six managers – three of us are hurlers, three of us are foot-ballers – and we work together, divide training every second week and all are in this together.

“It is incredible as five of those lads weren’t hurling this time last year and it’s the first time

ever anyone has won the double; history has been made by a Dublin 15 club and long may that record last.

“We’re very proud of all the lads. They were written off last year, playing division two hurl-ing in Dublin last year. We won that and have played every game since then as if we were a band of brothers.”

Dublin legend Keith Barr – an All-Ireland winner in 1995 and two-time All-Star – was part of the football set-up and his son Jack played in both competitions.

He reiterated what O’Sullivan said, telling GazetteSport: “It’s fantastic; they’re a great bunch of boys, playing both hurling and foot-ball to make this magnificent double achieve-ment and bring it back to the parish of Castle-knock and Blanchardstown.

“It’s great for the lads, great for Dublin hurl-ing. We wanted to come here and represent all the clubs in Dublin and want to thank them all for their support as well as the club and all the parents, it’s a wonderful achievement.”

‘Band of brothers’ ‘Band of brothers’ claim Feile doubleclaim Feile doubleSt Brigid’s produce yet another fantastic display to record first ever All-Ireland U-14 achievement

St Brigid’s U-14 hurlers and their management team celebrate their Feile na nGael win in Croke Park under the Hogan Stand. Picture: Chris Lynam

DUBLIN’S FEILE FEVER:The capital welcomes the country’s U-14 hurlers P28-29

Castleknock

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