Swords

Fashion fever: Enjoying a stylish event at the PavilionsLAVINIA and Emily McLeod were at the Pavilions Shopping Centre recently to find out what’s hot and what’s new in the world of fash-ion. TV3’s stylist, Courtney Smith, brought her Fashion Satisfaction

event to the centre, which featured hourly shows where the models showed off the latest trends from the world of fashion.

Full Gallery on Page 8

SIPTU, Panda row on ‘rights’ claims

MIMI MURRAY

A ROW has broken out between SIPTU trade union and Panda Waste this week following a protest of over 100 workers against the fur-ther privatisation by Fingal County Council (FCC) of waste collection services in Swords last week.

SIPTU called on FCC to reverse its decision to out-source waste collection to

Panda, “a private company which refuses to recognise the rights of workers to be represented by a trade union of their choice,” according to SIPTU.

However, John Dunne from Panda rejected the claim, saying they recognise their workers rights to be a member of any trade union.

Full Story on Page 6

YOUR COMMUNITY • YOUR PAPER October 27, 2011

ALSOINSIDE: GALLERIES .........8 and 10

MOTORS ........................18

BUSINESS .................... 21

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

ENTERTAINMENT ........ 24

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

FREE GAZETTEGAZETTESwords

Sports Awards: October nominees are announcedPage 29

Football: Paul Flynn caps finest year with All-Star awardPage 32

RECYCLE THIS COPY. KEEP DUBLIN TIDY.

A CITY UNDER WATER: Send your flood pictures, [email protected]

A CITY UNDER WATER: Send your flood pictures, [email protected]

SPOOKTASTIC FUN: Your guide to Dublin’s creepiest ‘haunts’ See P6

Get your complexion glowingthis winter

BEAUTY: P17

2 SWORDS GAZETTE 27 October 2011

A LOCAL school, St Finian’s Community College in Swords, played host to an FAI co-ordinated All-Ireland Secondary School Fut-sal competition for first-year boys recently.

Futsal helps develop footballers’ skill and technique and organis-ers said it was clear from the event that Futsal will have a crucial part to play in the development

of Irish football.The tournament was

a huge success with three schools from Swords – St Finian’s, F inga l Communi ty College and Colaiste Choilm and Donabate Community College – competing for the title and the opportunity to represent their area at the Dublin finals.

The title went to Donabate Community

College with a 3-1 win over Fingal Community College in a competitive final. Next up was the girls’ competition in St Finian’s on October 26 with teams representing Balbriggan, Donabate, Rush and Swords all taking part.

The winner of the North Dublin Section will now progress to the Dublin Finals, which take place in Corduff, Blan-

chardstown, on Novem-ber 16.

Mick Pender, FAI/FCC Football development officer was delighted with the success of the blitz telling the Gazette: “This tournament highlighted the tremendous ben-efits of playing Futsal (the UEFA and FIFA recog-nised version of 5-a-side football). Futsal is all about developing skill and technique, and from the

quality performances and individual skill on show today it is clear that Futsal has a very important part to play in developing Irish football.”

For further informa-tion on the FAI/Fingal Secondary Schools Fut-sal Competition con-tact Paul Keogh, Foot-ball in the Community Development Officer at 086-0444435 or email [email protected]

St Finian’s hosts All-Ireland Futsal competitionSPORT Tournament proves to be a huge success

Wright on: Local venue is chosen for top music acts after show parties THE WRIGHT Venue revellers were treated to a world-class impromptu performance recently when the entire Britney Spears dance crew took to the stage for almost an hour to treat the clubbers to a mesmerising dance display. The venue was chosen by Britney and Joe Jonas crew to enjoy their night off in Dublin after hearing Usher rave about

the world nightclub of the year after his recent visit. Head performer B Girl Shorty led the display in thanks to the birthday greeting she received on her arrival from staff. She was amazed to see her name on the 40ft screens as they arrived to bubbly and a birthday cake. The crew par-tied late in the famous Scarface Room.

MARCH: DEMONSTRATION OVER PRIVATISATION

March held by workers

MIMI MURRAY

OVER 100 workers took part in a protest against the further privatisation by Fingal County Council of waste collection serv-ices in Swords last week.

The demonstration was organised by SIPTU and IMPACT trade unions as part of a campaign to “highlight the real costs of allowing private, for-profit, companies to take over the provision of pub-lic services”.

The workers were led by a waste collection truck as they marched from the Pavilions Shop-ping Centre to Fingal County Hall, where SIPTU organiser, Paul Smyth, presented a letter to Fingal county manager David O’Connor.

In the letter, SIPTU and IMPACT, supported by the Dublin Council of Trade Unions, called on Fingal County Council to rescind its decision to outsource waste collec-tion services to Panda, “a private company which refuses to recognise the rights of workers to be represented by a trade union of their choice”.

A number of local politicians attended the protest, including Clare Daly TD, Councillor Tom Kelleher and Fingal Lord Mayor Gerry McGuire.

SIPTU’s Paul Smyth said: “In the worst reces-sion of our times, the decision to privatise our waste collection serv-ices will lead to huge cost increases for every house-holder in Dublin.

“Unfortunately, in the lead up to this dem-onstration, I have been informed that workers

experienced threats to their employment from the management of a pri-vate company which has moved into the provision of waste collection serv-ices. This is an example of the sort of attacks on workers’ rights which accompanies privatisa-tion, and is something which SIPTU will be investigating further.”

However, Panda reject-ed claims this week that it refuses to recognise workers’ rights.

John Dunne from Panda Waste says: “Panda recognise the rights of its workers to be a member of any trade union. Panda have a system of collec-tive bargaining which has served the company very well since the company was formed 26 years ago.

“No company can be forced to deal with a union, as long it has an acceptable labour rela-tions policy and collec-tive bargaining in place, which Panda has.

“In it’s 26 years in busi-ness Panda has never once had a strike, and all labour relations have been handled in-house. Mr Smyth and his colleagues are insisting that Panda deal with its own work-force through SIPTU, and Panda has politely, repeat-edly, refused, as is their right under the Law.”

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27 October 2011 SWORDS GAZETTE 3

EVENT Launch of state-of-the-art facility

Emma O’ Neill and Chloe Ward at the opening. Pictures: Annie King

New premises for SwordsKarate Club

MIMI MURRAY

SWORDS Karate Club launched its state-of-the-art new premises this week at Seatown Busi-ness Campus.

The popular club, many of whose members have gone on to achieve inter-national success at the World Karate Champion-ships, runs classes for an array of age levels.

The Hokubu Dojo (for-merly Red Dragon) was formed in May 2001 to promote Shotokan Kara-te in Swords and the sur-rounding areas of north County Dublin, hence the name Hokubu, which means Northern Area.

Dermot O’Keefe, who is chief instructor with the club, says the new facility will have mirrored walls, fully matted floors and punch bags.

Dermot, who is a Mas-ter of Karate, is a 5th Dan blackbelt and has been training since 1979.

In this time, he has competed and achieved great success at the high-est level on the national and international compe-tition circuit.

He travels regularly teaching and training with senior JKS instructors, and annually to Japan, to train at the JKS Hombu dojo in Tokyo.

Between 70 and 80 pupils are members of the club and many have gone on to achieve inter-national success in World Karate Championships in Edinburgh recently.

Out of 21 medals, Der-mot’s club won 14 med-als.

“It was the most suc-cessful international to date, which was held in Scotland on September 23 and 24.

“The youngest who took part was 12 years of age right up to 48, which was myself.

“My section was the

veteran section. I started training in 1979 just short of my 16th birthday. I have trained for 32 years and have achieved great success internationally. This is my third medal in a row to win,” he says.

Dermot says karate is beneficial in many ways.

“The word that is most prevalent is focus. The whole ethos of karate is to work towards one goal which is to try your best.

“It is instilled in every student the minute they come through the door and it changes your mind-set and how you approach life. There is a heavy phil-

osophical side to it.”The club practises

authentic traditional Japanese karate as taught in Japan. The minimum age is four years. Karate improves motor skills, balance, self-awareness, confi-dence, self-defence and, above all, a great level of fitness.

He says that the classes are for boys and girls but he has a lot of girls in his senior classes and he also runs girl-only classes.

For more information go to www.hokubudojo.org.

Full Gallery on Page 10

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INTERIM speed reduc-tion measures have been installed at the site of the proposed Ward Cross roundabout project.

Responding to Fianna Fail Cllr Darragh Butler, who had asked that the speed limit be reduced at New Park, the coun-cil said: “Interim speed reduction measures have already been installed in advance of the junction prior to the construc-tion of the proposed Ward Cross roundabout project.”

Speed reduction

ROADS


Concern expressed over Keane Report

MIMI MURRAY

A RECOMMENDA-TION made in the Keane Repor t , that properties, where the owners are in mort-gage arrears, should be handed over to Fingal County Council, could cause serious problems for the local authority.

T ha t ’s accord ing to Dublin North TD Brendan Ryan (Lab), who raised his concerns in the Dail last week.

“My primary concern is that the Government wil l implement the Keane Report’s recom-mendations without rig-orously examining the key proposals. Given the scale of the mort-gage crisis, which, let us remember, is a human crisis and in many cases a family crisis, I find this

report lacks enough rig-orous analysis to make adequate recommenda-tions to solve the mort-gage arrears crisis,” he said.

“I was disappointed to find out that the Working Group only met eight times and that some key data, including the number of mortgages on the verge of going into arrears, was not available to the Group.

“I also raised con-cerns about the pro-posed Mortgage-to-Rent scheme.

“I’m concerned about the capacity of local authorities to cope with the potential for thou-sands of extra proper-ties falling under their remits for repairs and maintenance etc. In my constituency, Fin-

gal County Council is pinned to its collar. At the end of this month we will see the regretta-ble end to Fingal Coun-ty Council’s bin service due to lack of funding and resources.

“Now the Keane Report recommends the potential handing over of properties in mort-gage arrears to local authorities. This has the potential to cause major problems.

“This past week, we have seen residents of the Priory Hall Apart-ment complex in Don-aghmede, having to evacuate their homes due to critical safety concerns in the build-ing’s construction.

“There are estates in north Dublin afflicted with pyrite and I know of many families liv-

ing in pyrite-affected homes, currently in mortgage arrears too.

“ W i l l t h e l o c a l authorities be able to repair and maintain these homes should the mortgage holder fall into a Mortgage-to-Rent scheme? The Government needs to be mindful of these potential issues when deciding on its policy in this area.”

While Deputy Ryan said he welcomed the report as an “important stepping stone” and commended the work done, he added that the “people of Ireland put us into this house to push further to dig deeper and to work harder on finding the right course of action in this most important of issues”.

DAIL Local TD says report lacks enough rigorous analysis

Fake FCC workersFINGAL residents are once again being warned to remain vigilant for criminals impersonating council workers in order to gain access to their homes.

Fingal County Council has been notified of inci-dents that have occurred in various areas of the county, where persons with criminal intent are impersonating FCC officials in order to gain access to peoples’ homes to rob their valuables. The Balbriggan area appears to be targeted at present. Before answering the door, residents should check to see if there is a van with the FCC logo on it; ask for the person’s full name and ring FCC on (01) 8905000 to confirm he or she is who they say they are. Council staff should also have official ID cards.

If this cannot be con-firmed, the council advise not to open the door and to report the incident to the council.

WARNING

Dublin North Labour TD Brendan Ryan who raised his

concerns in the Dail

This week, respond-ing to Deputy Ryan’s comments, a council spokesperson sa id : “Fingal County Council has not yet received any instruction from the Department in relation to this matter. However,

we have, in the past, worked closely with Voluntary housing bod-ies and statutory agen-cies in order to provide housing and accommo-dation and will continue to meet our obligations in this area.”

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INITIATIVE FCC launches scheme to help businesses

Fingal County Council has announced a new Pop-Up Shop initiative

Pop-Up shopsplan for empty premisesFOR anyone who has dreamed of owning their own business, now’s their chance.

Fingal County Council (FCC), has announced a new Pop-Up Shop ini-tiative, aimed at offering support to start-up retail businesses at a time when the retail sector is being affected by the economic downturn.

Under the new scheme, the council will make use of an empty commercial property, offering a tem-porary (usually up to four weeks) low-cost retail space to local entrepre-neurs, artists and com-munity groups who wish to test out the market to see if establishing their business on a permanent basis is viable.

With the increase in vacant commercial properties caused by the economic downturn, the council says the initiative offers an opportunity to revitalise shopping areas, main streets and town centres, and enables new businesses and start-ups to test their markets with-out any substantial finan-

cial commitment or capi-tal layout.

“The sharp downturn caused by the recession has impacted severely on retailers, and particularly on the smaller start-ups, and although it is accept-ed that a time of reces-sion is the very time for new opportunities, many people who would love to start their own business or move from online sales to retail space simply cannot because of the financial climate.

“Here in FCC we looked for examples of new creative ways to help retail business flourish, and saw that Pop-Up Shops are a simple and very imaginative way to provide well-located space for small retailers and, at the same time, help drive investment and new business in our towns,” says Stewart Logan, senior executive planner with FCC.

Now FCC is calling on landlords of vacant retail units, as well as small-scale retailers, local entrepreneurs, commu-nity groups and artists to

contact them in order to gauge the likely level of interest and feasibility of the initiative.

The council said pro-spective businesses will be vetted to ensure that the venture offers a retail element with attractive display area; the retail use proposed complements adjoining established retailers; the proposal is a high-quality business/artistic/community initia-tive, and that the proposal is not in conflict with planning and licensing regulations.

It is hoped that pilot Pop-Up Shops will be in place in the lead-up to Christmas to exploit the increased retail activity at this time of the year. And with 2011 being the Year of the Craft, the council says it’s an ideal time for budding artists, designers, jewellery makers, etc, to test out a bigger market for their products.

For further informa-tion, please see www.fingalcoco.ie, or email [email protected] or call 01-890 5708 or 01-890 5687.

Extension approvedPLANNING permis-sion has been granted to Lorand Szanto for an extension to a private members card club in the Mall, Swords.

Fingal County Council has granted permission for the extension at Unit 22 at the Mall after an appeal was lodged by a third party. The changes will include a change of use from offices to private members club with total extension of 53 sq m, for use as ancillary to existing private members club.

PLANNING


LAURA WEBB

AS the nights get longer ghosts and ghouls from around the world get ready for another fright-ful night this Halloween, so the Gazette has gath-ered together some local scary stories to get read-ers ready for October 31.

The holiday that cel-ebrates the dead has a number of different tradi-tions associated with it, including trick or treat-ing, bonfires and costume parties, but one thing that everyone loves about it is ghostly stories of haunted houses or places near and far. Here are some fright-fully good stories from places more close to home across Dublin.

In Dublin West, the Strawberry Beds has many a story of ghosts but there is only one true villain and that is Henry Luttrell. He is said to have sold his soul to the devil, and was a member of Dublin’s most known paranormal club – The Hellfire Club.

Luttrell was a supporter of King James I of Eng-land. Once hailed a hero after fighting in the Battle of the Boyne, his life soon spiralled downwards fol-lowing a wave of deceit and treachery. After his death, there were many street ballads about his string of mistresses and

his out-of-wedlock off-spring.

Doubts over his alle-giance to Ireland were confirmed after he was court marshalled for treachery after given vital information about a ford on the Shannon during the Siege of Limerick. But, connections with Patrick Sarsfield saved him.

Local legend believes the Devil’s Mill, known at Shackleton’s Mill today, is where Luttrell wagered the devil that he couldn’t

build the mill in a day. To his anger, the devil placed the last stone on one of the tallest mills in Liffey Valley.

Years later, the Devil collected his debt at The Hellfire’s Club, but Lut-trell – devious in his ways – tricked the Devil by pre-tending his shadow, cast

from candlelight, was the real Henry Luttrell. As the Devil grasped the shadow, Luttrell escaped. In 1717, he was shot dead. No-one was ever convicted, as there were too many people with a motive to assassinate him.

Nearer to the coast, Malahide Castle has its fair share of mysterious sightings. One such story is of the White Lady. For years, the portrait of a beautiful, unidentified lady hung in the Great Hall of the Castle. The

artist is also unknown. Wearing a white, flowing dress, legend has it that she would leave the paint-ing to wander the castle on quiet nights. She has been spotted by a number of people over the years and is now known as the White Lady.

Meanwhile, Cabinteely House in South Dublin was built in 1769, by Rob-ert Nugent, Earl Clare. The 18th-century house has been associated with some strange happenings. It has been said that staff in the house have, over the years, encountered some ghostly experiences, with footsteps coming up a long corridor toward a room where staff were working. The footsteps stop outside the door, and when the door was opened, no one was to be seen.

No one is sure who it might be, but it’s thought it may be the gardener [of Robert Nugent], Pos-tule who was arrested in 1798 and tortured and hanged.

Local legend believes the Devil’s Mill, known at Shackleton’s Mill today, is where Luttrell wagered the devil that

he couldn’t build the mill in a day

A look at the area’s most haunted sites

SCARY STUFF A Gazette guide to Halloween fun around Dublin

GHOULISHFUN

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Join in Airfield’s annual Halloween celebrationIN Dundrum there will be a Halloween Family Fun Day on Saturday, October 29, between 12-4pm at Airfield. Join in Airfield’s annual Halloween celebration for all the family, an unmissable day of fun and seasonal activities to celebrate the festival of ghosts and ghoulies. There’s lots to enjoy, including a special Halloween trail, the chance to make a miniature ghost and a live ceili.

For the past two years, Airfield has asked people to come along and help build scarecrows at Hallowe’en. Now Airfield wants you to take their place! They would like you to come along dressed as a scarecrow, with families of scarecrows particularly welcome. You can come along as any type – the more weird and wonderful the better! There will be spot prizes for the most imaginative costume in different age categories. Price included in entry fee to the walk.Season ticket holders come free.

It’s set to be a spooktacular time in The Haunted

Forest this Halloween at Marlay ParkON Sunday, October 30, Marlay Park will be a FREE fright-fest of spooky thrills and chills for Samhain hosted by DLR Events. Families flock to Marlay Park in their Halloween costumes every year for a spooky walk through the haunted forest with ghosts and ghouls and frightful sights! The forest at Marlay Park comes alive in the night for one evening only with freaky fog, ghastly spiders and skeletons, creepy eyeballs and pumpkins, the spine chilling boat house preachers and menacing witches and demons. Festoon lighting, sound effects and smoke make the adventure all the more exciting but this year, there will be no fireworks so the haunted forest can stay open until 9pm.

But the haunted woods are not for the faint-hearted and, in 2011, are longer and bigger with spooky characters, scary noises and eerie fog! The Haunted Woods will be open between 4pm and 9pm. Entry is FREE. The walk is approx 1.5km long and is on a path suitable for buggies/wheelchairs. Halloween costumes are recommended, but this is an outdoor event so warm clothing is recommended.

A Spooky Walk at Corkagh Park in ClondalkinMEANWHILE, there will be another Spooky Walk at Corkagh Park, in Clondalkin, on Saturday, October 29, between 5 and 7pm. Beware of scary creatures in the woods. Prize for the best-dressed family.

For more information please contact Sports and Recreation Office, Community Services Department, South Dublin County Council 01 4149000

A Guided Trip to The Hellfire ClubGUIDED Trip to The Hellfire Club Monday, October 31.Bus Leaves from the Square Luas Stop at 5pm SHARP.Age 12+Advance Booking Essential and is €3 per person. Contact Alison 0868516669 / Paula 0868292443

Two walks at Halloween Horrors Walk in Turvey ParkTHE scream-tastic Halloween Horrors Walk in Turvey Park, in Donabate is back and scarier than ever! The spooky event takes place on Saturday, October 29 , and this year there are two walks to cater for the ever-increasing numbers for this hugely popular event.

Lurking around on the night are zombies, witches, demons, and other creepy creatures. Visitors brave enough to experience the blood-curdling walk will learn the sorrowful tale of the “Lady in White” and try catch a glimpse of her ghost which haunts the park – but we must beware her evil father, the zombie Baron, who hunts for new victims.

The OWLS Horrors Walk is suitable for young children accompanied by parents/guardians. It is a fun family occasion that finishes off around a bonfire with campfire songs and toasted marshmallows. This cost is €4 per person and fancy dress is welcomed. The first walk starts at 5.45pm, and is intended for families with younger children, and the second at 6.30pm.

Booking is essential. Contact Andrew on 087 32 999 36, or email us at [email protected]. Please book early or be disappointed.



Fashionfever W

HAT’S hot and what’s new in the world of fashion. That was the ques-tion on the mind of the large number

of people who were at the Pavilions Shop-ping Centre recently when TV3’s stylist, Courtney Smith, brought her Fashion Satis-faction event to the centre.

The event featured a number of hourly fashion shows, starting with men’s fashion with Assets models strutting down the cat-walk in all the latest Winter looks.

This event also proved to be very popular with visitors to the centre, following on from a successful weekend of free beauty make-overs held the week before.

Sharon Lydon, Fran Lydon, Amy Lydon, Shauna Lydon and Ava Lydon. Pictures: Annie King

TV3 stylist Courtney Smith with Ava Lydon

Chanel and Francis Lally

Male models show off some of the latest Winter looks

Bryana McMillan and Michelle Ryan

Sarah Taafe and Natalie Schweng

Jase and Cosette Desmond Sophie Jackson, Emily Nelson, Alanna Frawley, Lauren McCool and Maria BradyLouise and Sarah Casserly

EVENT Fashion Satisfaction hits the Pavilions



New club openingS

WORDS Karate Club launched its state-of-the-art new premises recently at Seatown Business Campus. The club

practises Authentic Traditional Japanese Karate as taught in Japan.

The popular club, many of whose mem-bers have gone on to achieve international success at the World Karate Champion-ships, runs classes for an array of age levels.

Between 70 and 80 pupils are members of the club and many have gone on to achieve international success in World Karate Championships in Edinburgh recently.

Baby Blake, Peter, Zac, Olivia, Jade and Ger. Pictures: Annie King

Reese, Luke and Cian

Nina and Irina

Alex Ward Reese, Luke and Cian

Adhar and Conor

EVENT Swords’ Karate Club launches new premises

27 October 2011 GAZETTE 11

12 GAZETTE 27 October 2011

GazetteNUTRITIONNUTRITION

LEILA JOHARI

TRICK or treat, what to eat? There is something scarier than witches and ghouls this Halloween. It is the amount of sweets and chocolate that we eat.

It’s not only children who aren’t afraid to over-indulge in candies and chocolate, ninety percent of parents admit to occa-sionally dipping into their kiddies’ stash. Maybe this fact should scare us more than the ghosts.

Do not fear. There are ways to banish those sugar demons and have

a healthy Halloween. Pumpkin, nuts and kale are all traditional Hal-loween foods that are nutritious and provide a healthy alternative at this time of feasting.

Pumpkin contains no saturated fats or choles-terol; but is a rich source of dietary fibre, mono-unsaturated fatty acids and anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamins A, C and E. Vitamin A is a power-ful natural anti-oxidant and is required by the body for maintaining the integrity of the skin and mucus membranes. It is also an essential vitamin

for vision not to mention an excellent source of poly-phenolic flavonoid compounds like alpha and beta carotenes. The B-complex group of vitamin-folates, niacin, pyridoxine, thiamine and pantothenic acid are also in this Halloween staple.

Pumpkin is a rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, potas-sium and phosphorous. Pumpkin seeds are a healthy snack rich in zinc, which nourishes the brain. They also contain magnesium, which helps muscle, nerve, heart and bone function and help

A healthy Halloween

the body generate protein and absorb energy from food.

Peanuts are rich in energy and contain many health-benefiting nutri-ents, minerals, anti-oxi-dants and vitamins that are essential to optimum health. They are especially rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids that help to lower LDL or bad choles-

terol and increase HDL or good cholesterol.

These nuts are a good source of dietary proteins with amino acids that are vital for growth and repair of body cells. They contain high quantities of minerals, such as copper, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium.

Just a handful of pea-nuts a day provides the recommended levels of phenolic anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins and protein. A word of warn-ing though – honey-roasted and sugar-coated should be avoided, choose whole and raw instead.

Finally, Kale is a dark

green leafy vegetable that is a traditional part of the Irish Halloween feast. It is used in a potato dish known as colcan-non. Kale is an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K and a good source of calcium, iron, magne-sium, potassium and vita-min C while being low in sodium. If you really can’t fly away on your broom-stick and crave something sweet, the traditional Irish Halloween fruit cake, known as Bairin Breac, is a nutritious and delicious alternative. For a healthy, happy Halloween why not try this spicy pump-kin dip? Served with warm pitta.

Spicy Pumpkin Dip1½ cups canned

pumpkin puree1½ cups canned chick-

peas, drained and rinsed3 tablespoons tahini,

sesame paste1 clove garlic1 teaspoon cayenne1 teaspoon cumin 2 tablespoons olive oil2 tablespoons lemon

juiceSalt and pepper

In a food processor, blend pumpkin and chickpeas until fairly smooth.

Add remaining ingre-dients and process until smooth, season to taste.

As well as making a great Halloween decoration, pumpkin is a very healthy food



GazettePETSPETSBrought to you by Miriam Kerins of

the DSPCA

THE FACTS: WORMS ARE ONE OF THE MOST COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR DOGS

Dealing withthose pesky parasitesA

S an animal wel-fare education officer, I’m asked a variety of ques-

tions regarding all sorts of health queries concerning dogs, but the most popu-lar one seems to be: “Do I need to de-worm my puppy/dog and how do I do it?”

So, with that in mind, I thought I’d focus this week’s column on worms - one of the most common health problems affecting dogs and why it’s impor-tant to try to eliminate the risk of your pet being infected by them.

Before we start, please bear in mind that para-sites or worms are very common in pets; especial-ly those who live closely with other animals or who roam freely, ie. hunt-ing dogs, as this makes them more susceptible.

Remember many inter-nal parasites have inter-mediate hosts; animals or insects that ingest or harbour the early stages of development and then pass the parasite onto your own family pet.

For example, tape-worms are carried by fleas and heartworms are car-ried by mosquitoes.

So, below, are your FAQs and my attempts to answer them. I hope they prove helpful.

Is it important to de-worm?

Absolutely.

What about pup-pies?

N o m a t t e r h ow healthy mom is, her puppies are highly likely

to have worms. This is normal and

treatment – under veteri-nary advice – should be carried out from as early as two to three weeks, depending on the health status of the animal and the product being used.

Always, always, check with your vet and fol-low his/her advice and instructions to the letter.

When the puppy has reached three months, he should be wormed every four weeks until he reaches six months and then he can be treated as an adult.

Again, it depends on the product and health status of the animal and I recommend you seek the advice of your vet and don’t purchase so-called over-the-counter medi-cations as they are never strong enough to elimi-nate all parasites.

How often do I de-worm an adult dog?

Again this depends on the risk factor and status of the dog.

If, for example, you have a nice little house dog who hardly ever goes outside to play or dig and is only ever walked on a lead and never mixes with other dogs; then the risk is low and my advice would be to de-worm this animal

every three months, but, again, check with your vet.

If, however, you’ve right little rascals like mine who are forever foraging, digging, running through the woods and getting up to all sorts of activities, then prevention is better than cure and, depending on the time of year and their activities, I usually de-worm my babies once a month but never allow it go any longer than three months.

You see, every dog is different, but the most important thing to remember is to do the follow-up treatments because the first dose kills the worms that are living, the second kills the ones that have developed since the previous treatment.

How do I know if my dog has worms?

Well, in order to be cer-tain of an infestation and type, a fecal examination needs to be performed. If you feel unable to do this yourself, then visit your vet with a fresh sample of your dog’s poo. However, here are some guidelines.

• Bloated stomach – often visible in puppies that’ve been infected from their mother.

• Weakness, increased appetite, constant hunger, weight loss – all signs the parasites are stealing your pet’s vital nutrition.

• Diarrhoea – contain-ing blood

• Worms visible in vomit

• Worms visible in dog’s poo

• Worms visible in dog’s

fur or around his ear area – tapeworms can appear as moving segments which can dry out and resemble grains of rice.

What types of worms are likely to affect my dog?

Round Worms: The most common type of parasite. They can be life-threatening but are usually not considered as dangerous as hook worms, which can cause bloody diarrhoea and dehydration.

Very common in warm, moist weather.

Both round and hook are transmitted through poo, so it’s important to keep kennels and gardens clean.

Tape Worms: Can be transmitted through the infestation of a flea. Effec-tive treatment is available from your vet.

Heartworms: Carried by mosquitoes. These are an insidious insult to the circulatory system, heart, lungs and kidneys of the poor infected animal.

If your dog has an active case of heartworm, I recommend an imme-diate visit to your vet for treatment and he/she will most likely prescribe annual blood tests.

Remember, my advice is only a guideline and is not a substitute for profes-sional veterinary care. If you have a concern about an animal in your care, contact your vet.

For more information, log on to our website at www.dspca.ie or email me at [email protected]

It’s very important to try to eliminate the risk of your pet dog becoming

infected with worms

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‘The most important thing to remember is to do the follow-up treatments’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


GazetteMUSICMUSICColdplay shine in the light of reflection

Coldplay have produced another collection of engaging pop classics

ROB HEIGH

THERE are some bands that everyone loves. There are some bands everyone hates. And then there’s Coldplay.

Having divided music fans since 2000, Chris Martin’s band of broth-ers tend to fall into the Marmite hinterland for bands.

But anyone paying attention at this year’s Glastonbury festival on the Friday and Saturday would have seen some-thing quite remarkable and that should give an indication of how far Coldplay have come, 50 million record sales not-

withstanding.On the Friday, the pala-

pable sense of expectation around U2s’ set, delayed a year after Bono’s back problems forced them to pull out, fizzled out pretty quickly when the first half-hour of their set turned into a blatant advert for the 20th anni-versary of Achtung Baby (coming to a record shop near you in all formats, music lovers!) As Bono ad-libbed lyrics straight from his teleprompter, the deflation felt immense. A career-defining moment to bookend the period from their appearance at Live Aid went AWOL.

Saturday saw the other

“biggest act in the world” take to the stage and, frankly, Coldplay smashed it. Ninety glorious minutes saw a confident band play their biggest hit second in the setlist, and included an unfamiliar selection of songs from an album that would not see the racks until four months later among their singalong classics. U2 should con-sider their time with the torch over.

And at last, those four months have rolled around, and Xylo Myloto arrives with as much fanfare as vitriol poured upon it’s graffiti-adorned sleeve.

Five albums in and they

are still doing what they do better than almost anyone else, reaching the parts few other acts can in this day and age.

The first six complete songs (the record features interludes and motifs that introduce and pref-ace tracks) are those that anyone who saw Coldplay over the summer at one of the many festivals that they appeared at across the world will recognise.

The euphoric Hurts Like Heaven and Every Teardrop, the songs that opened and closed those performances are pop classics, while Charlie Brown and Major Minus are stand-outs in their

REVIEW: NO REINVENTION BUT NO PROBLEM

own right, alongside the new single, Paradise. As for the newer songs, the one that will get the most attention will undoubt-edly be the collaboration with Rihanna, which is a huge grower.

To the haters, get over yourselves. No one else does Big Music this well.

Yes, there’s not much sub-stance in the lyrics; yes, it’s unashamedly poppy; yes, it is populist and connects with huge numbers of people. So what? People enjoy what they do and while the record is a step forward, it’s not a massive one - but when it’s not broke, why fix it?

If I had one criticism, it’s the fact that the huge sound the band create live, and especially the piledriver drumming of Will Champion, is a little diminished in the mix. They are a revelation in a live setting, and here’s hoping they make a return to the O2 soon.


GazetteBEAUTYBEAUTY

IT’S THE multi-talented high-lighter that hides a multitude of sins and, for this season only, the legendary Touche Eclat is to don a velvet strip in a special edition that celebrates the history and beauty of the YSL tuxedo look.

With its unique formula, Touche Eclat sculpts the features and banishes shadows in a stroke. With just a few sweeps of the brush, the face lights up with radiance.

Launched in 1992, Touche Eclat has never fallen from its pedestal, with one sold world-wide 20 seconds.

And if you fancy discovering new ways to apply this magical pen, why not check out the Touche Eclat website, www.touche-eclat.com/en

Available at YSL counters nationwide whilst stocks last. Recommended Retail Price: €35.

A special edition of the

popular YSL Touche Eclat Give dry, irritated skin the heave-ho and go organicI’VE always been con-scious of ingredients in cosmetics and skincare ranges, probably ever since I read beauty jour-nalist Josephine Fairley’s book, Organic Beauty. Since I’ve become a mum, I’ve become even more conscious of what I put on my skin and my family’s.

Now, one of my favour-ite ranges, Burt’s Bees has launched a new Sensitive Skin Care Line. It’s an ideal range for people who tend to react to various ingredients or products, or whose skin feels tight and sensitive or, indeed, can be dry and irritated.

Burt’s Bees has launched a new Sensitive Skin Care Line

Packed full of gentle, skin-friendly and dis-tinctly formulated with cotton extract, rice extract and aloe, the new range includes a Soap Free Facial Cleanser (€12.95) that has been clinically

proven to moisturise sen-sitive skin, while gently cleansing away dirt, oil and make-up without drying or causing redness or irritation.

Meanwhile, the Daily Moisturiser (€17.95) has

also been designed to leave your complexion nourished and protect-ed.

Other products include a lightweight Eye Cream (€17.95) and Night Cream (€17.95).

All products from the sensitive range are soap-free and fragrance-free.

Burt’s Bees new Sen-sitive Skin Care Line is available from pharma-cies and health stores nationwide.


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Let your complexion glow this winter with KaroraTHE days of slathering yourself in primitive fake tanning creams are long gone and, thankfully, many of the products now on the market leave you with a healthy, glow-ing complexion rather than the tangerine shade of old.

Natural

One of the latest creams to come on the market is Irish brand Karora’s organic Grad-ual Bronzing Moistur-iser with Barrier Cream. Combining leading-edge skincare with advanced tanning ingredients, this delicious new cream will leave you with a natural golden radiance, while protecting your face

against the cold and windy Irish winter.

Formulated for all skin types, Karora’s Gradual Bronzing Moisturiser has an array of special ingredients, including jojoba oil to guard and protect the skin against environmental stress and it is rich in natural nutrients.

Meanwhile, Karora’s signature ingredient, argan oil, has a naturally high concentration of Vitamin E and essential fatty acids, which allevi-ate dry skin and rough patches.

Argan i s rap id ly absorbed by the skin and provides a high-level of balanced moisturisation to help keep your skin

protected, energised and glowing. With advanced organic tanning ingre-dients, it develops over one to two applications per week.

Verdict

My verdict? Well, as a mum of a 17-month-old toddler who had a bad dose of teething last week, I looked like I had a month’s sleep after just one applica-tion. Definitely one for the Christmas stocking this year!

Karora is available at Unicare, McCabes, Sam McCauleys and Inde-pendent Pharmacies nationwide, or you can shop online at karora-cosmetics.com

One of the latest creams to come on the market is Irish brand Karora’s organic Gradual Bronzing Moisturiser

with Barrier Cream


GazetteMOTORSMOTORS

PEUGEOT’S new 508 is a spacious and solid look-ing car. The car

has been designed as a purpose-built estate, and that gives it a presence and standing on the road that’s volumes ahead of the previous 407 model.

The comfort levels are good and there’s plenty of space on board, from the large boot to the rear seats. The car has a solid, functional feel to it that was made special by the

extra features included in the test car.

The inside is made feel more airy with the pano-ramic sunroof that runs the length of the car, well almost. This is a stand-ard feature as the car is available with the Active specification as the entry level.

This has an electrically operated curtain on the inside if the high light gets too much for you. That’s not likely to hap-pen between now and

Peugeot’s 508 brings

The new estate version of the Peugeot 508 called the SW has great looks, good economy and reasonable pulling

towing power, with an entry price of €30,600

RoadRoadSignsSignsIN RECESSION, SUPER RICH BUY A ROLLS: SUPER rich people across the world are investing in Rolls-Royce cars as a means of beating a possible global reces-sion caused by cur-rency fluctuations.

The BMW-owned luxury British car brand has reported full order books. The com-pany is operating three production shifts to meet demand, accord-ing to the company CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, in an inter-view with Automotive News Europe.

“The Rolls-Royce brand holds its value. We represent a valu-able long-term asset, particularly in times of uncertain investment opportunities,” Muel-ler-Oetvoes said.

MICHAEL MORONEY gives his view on the new, spacious Peugeot 508 SW


style in SW format

Top speed: 210 km/hr 0 – 100km/hr: 10.1 sec Economy: 20 km/litre

(5.0 l/100km) CO2 emissions: 125g/km Road Tax Band: B (€156) Euro NCAP Rating: 5

Stars (2011) Warranty: 2 years Entry Price: €30,600

SPECS: PEUGEOT 508 SW 2.0 TDI

next May, so I opted to keep it open for much of the test drive.

Sometimes it’s the little things that attract me to a car. The bits that you take for granted include good comfort, economy and road-holding where you never feel nervous and they are a feature of this Peugeot 508 SW.

Then there are the extras and, for me, a cof-fee cup holder is a must, as I do a lot of driving each week. And there are two on the dash of the Peugeot 508, which fold out of the way when not in use. And they are mounted high enough that you are not bending down to find that cup.

Peugeot offers two engine choices for the car. I had the bigger 2.0-litre turbo-diesel version

on the road for a recent test drive.

There is a difference in power and pace from the bigger engine version, which adds about a little less than €2,000 extra to the price. Opting for the bigger engine gives significantly more power and torque without much loss in fuel economy.

Both cars are within

Band B for annual road tax purposes, so equally competitive to run. That’s why the 2.0-litre version had to be my choice.

This is a big car, weigh-ing in at 1.6 tonnes before the load, so the extra engine power allows it to accelerate from 0 to 100km/hr in just 10.3 seconds. That’s over 10% faster than the small 1.6- litre engine version.

It’s also heavier than the 2.0-litre Ford Mondeo estate and the Toyota Avensis estate and it’s fast-er and more economical than both. The economy figure for this big car is 20 km/litre (5.0 l/100km).

The Peugeot 508 SW has a 72-litre capacity fuel tank and should give well over 1,200km on a full tank. That’s what we have now come to expect as

fuel economy barriers are shattered with each new model in a range.

I didn’t get the rated economy figures – I came in somewhere closer to 15% more, but the car still had the capacity to cover 1,200km before a re-fill.

Volkswagen’s Passat presents a different chal-lenge and it’s the one that Peugeot was aiming at. With its BlueMotion technology the Passat 2.0 TDi is heavier, more eco-nomical and faster than the equivalent engine Peugeot 508 estate.

There will be a differ-ence in price, even if the entry-level Passat looks attractive. The Peugeot deal is better with the entry-level 508 packed with features for an entry price of €30,600, before delivery charges.

The kit on the car is impressive. It includes rear parking aid, automat-ic wipers and headlamps and new-style electric child locks. The Bluetooth connection was easy and very effective.

The car comes with decent size, 17-inch alloy wheels and there’s even a full-size spare, which in the case of the 508 seems to have no detrimental impact on the car’s weight and CO2 rating. The hill- assist system is easy to use and effective, without being too obvious or a challenge.

The car has achieved a five-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating this year and that’s due to the driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags fitted. It also comes with stability control, traction control,

emergency brake assist and an electronic brake force distribution system for good road handling in difficult situations.

In the estate form, this car is particularly impres-sive and different. My per-sonal preference is that the rear-end design of the estate is better matched to the front end, giving an overall better looking car than in saloon format.

The Peugeot 508 is not on the road long enough to judge its reliability per-formance. The 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine has lots of road experience to be as reliable as it is eco-nomical.

The 508 SW is a solid and good-looking car, where the small things are as important as the impressive overall pack-age.

erty has a cobblelock drive for three cars, and a side entrance to the rear garden.

The garden features a deck area, a timber garden shed, and is fully walled.

The property is with-in walking distance of all amenities, includ-ing Malahide village and DART station, and is located byside Mala-hide estuary.

Viewing is by appoint-ment, which can be arranged with Property Team Noel Kelly Auc-tioneers’ representa-tive, Darren Kelly on 01 8462752.

CARTY Estate Agents in Trip are bringing 4B Castlelawns in Athboy, County Meath, a mod-ern red-brick-fronted detached dormer bun-galow with detached garage to the market for the attractive price of €180,000.

Situated in a small residential develop-ment, which is within walking distance of the town of Athboy, number 4B, Castlelawns, was constructed to a very high standard and has been maintained in excellent condit ion throughout and would make an ideal family home.

The accommodation comprises entrance

hall , a lounge with open-plan dining area, a kitchen with dining area, four bedrooms, of which the master is en suite, and two bath-rooms, situated on each level of the property.

The property also benefits from a detached garage with utility area.

Particular features of 4B Castlelawns include PVC double-glazed win-dows, oil-fired radiator central heating, as well as not being overlooked to the rear. The property is approached by a tarmac driveway with lawns to the front and rear. There is also a patio area to the rear. The property also features a large, detached garage

plumbed for washing machine.

Athboy has an excel-lent range of amenities and services. For the commuter there is easy access to the new M3 motorway and a regu-

lar daily bus service to Dublin City Centre.

Number 4B, Castlel-awns, would provide a perfect family home which is ready for immediate occupation and viewing is strictly

by appointment only.To arrange a viewing,

contact Carty Estate Agents on 046-9486860, or email [email protected].

For more informa-tion, see www.carty.ie

Good-priced living at CastlelawnsATHBOY: FOUR-BEDROOM ACCOMMODATION IN MEATH FOR €180,000

Number 4B, Castlelawns, is on the market for €180,000

GazettePROPERTYPROPERTY

Home on the range high on Texas Lane

Number 2, Texas lane, Chalfont, Malahide is on the market for €495,000

PROPERTY Team Noel Kelly Auctioneers are bringing number 2, Texas Lane, Chalfont in Malahide, a four-bed-room semi-detached family home offering bright generously pro-portioned and a flexible layout, to the market for €495,000.

The property, which extends to c 1,650 sq ft, has been extended throughout and is situ-ated in a much sought-after location.

The accommodation comprises an entrance hall, a guest WC with ceramic tiled floor, mir-ror, understairs storage, accessories, WC and WHB.

The property features a garden conversion wth timber f looring. There are two recep-tion rooms which are conjoined by double doors, and the larger

is an extended dining room or tv room, featur-ing sliding doors to rear garden, and recessed lights.

There is an extended kitchen and breakfast area, which contain fit-ted wall and floor units, and all electrical appli-ances are included. The utility room also has all electrical appliances included.

The landing at the top of the stairwell allows access to the attic and has a hot press.

The four bedrooms in the property are upstairs, all of which feature timber floors, and the main bedrooms have built- in ward-robes.

The master bath-room has a ceramic tiled floor, tiled walls, w.c, w.h.b, Triton T90i shower, accessories.

The front of the prop-

MALAHIDE: FOUR BEDROOM SEMI-DETATCHED HOME FOR €495,000A Merrion mansion in Wilson RoadHASSETT & Fitzsimons are bringing number 36, Wilson Road, Mount Merrion, Dublin 4, a spacious four-bedroom bungalow, to the mar-ket for the asking price of €540,000.

Set in a sought-after residential area close to Belfield University, the property compris-es three reception rooms, sitting and living rooms, kitchen, four bedrooms and a garage.

The accommodation comprises a porch with coloured leaded lights, which leads to an inner and outer hell with modern white wood panelling.

The sitting room features a white marble gas fireplace, and has sliding doors which lead to an open-plan dining room and kitchen. The kitchen is well-appointed and contains an electric oven and gas hob, an extractor fan, dishwasher and fridge. The utility room con-tains a washing machine, dryer and freezer.

The living room contains double doors to raised decking in the rear garden.

The buildings contain built-in units, and two are contained in the attic conversion in the property which is accessed by a stair-case.

Number 36, Wilson Road has a mature landscaped front garden with parking for up to five cars. The property also has a garage, and has a side entrance to the rear garden.

The rear garden features a garden shed, a raised decking area, a sizable area of rear decking and an equally large lawned area.

Viewing is strictly by appointment with Hassett & Fitzsimons. For more information, see www.hassettandfitzsimons.ie or e-mail [email protected].

MOUNT MERRION: FOUR-BEDROOM BUNGALOW

Number 36, Wilson Road, Mount Merrion is on

the market for €540,000



THIS year, the Marlay Craft Fair is celebrating its 10th birthday. Originally the brainchild of Valerie McGurdy, one of the Marlay Craft Courtyard’s chief go-doers, organiser Sonja Ewen tells the Gazette a little about the history of the event.

“To start out with, it was a very small affair, where the Craft Courtyard studios invited their regular custom-ers to view their works before Christmas. They would have served up mulled wine and mince pies to add to the festive cheer. This kind of snowballed when it was decided to bring in a range of other craftspeople that were not based in the courtyard.

“When I moved to the Courtyard as a full-time jew-eller in about 2003, I was keen to help out with the fair, actually I think it was a given, I just had to help out. It was all hands on deck,” she says.

“Times have changed; there are fewer of us still surviving on craft alone; Marlay Ceramics and I have both had to find other sources of income with this new economic climate in Ireland.

“But, true to my heart is to keep Marlay Craft Fair running as a makers’ craft fair.

“What is fantastic about the fair is that it now has a reputation of being a ‘high-standard craft-makers’ fair. Every year we take on a new charity, we ask for a small entrance fee of €2.50 and this enables us to support the charity.”

For more information, contact Sonja on 087 675 33 58 or visit the website www.MarlayCraftFair.comMarlay Craft Fair November 25-27, 2011.

Interview: Sonja Ewen, Organiser of Marlay Craft Fair

Q&A

Crafting very high standards for fair

Sonja Ewen, Organiser of Marlay Craft Fair

Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be?A: I come from a creative fam-

ily, so I think I always had an

idea to work as a crafts person

of some sort.

Q: What was your first job?A: My first job as a student was

in McCullough’s Department

Store of Dun Laoghaire, the

old-fashioned style shop.

Q: And your first pay cheque?A: I can’t remember, but I

saved like mad to buy a canoe.

There used to be a little sports

shop in Blackrock called

Venture Sports, I think it was.

I managed to scrape enough

money for that boat. I loved it.

Q: Have you ever done a job you loathed?A: Yes, I worked as a secretary

for a while and hated it.

Q: When did you start your present job?A: I moved into the Marlay

Craft Courtyard in approxi-

mately 2003, and was roped

into assisting Valerie McGurdy

to organise the running of

Marlay Craft Fair at about the

same time.

Q: What is the best thing about your job?A: What’s good about organis-

ing the Marlay Craft Fair is be-

ing able to keep it as a proper

craft fair.

Q: What part of your working day do you ‘delegate’?A: I need to be able to delegate

in the running of the fair. This

year, Des Keaney is my right-

hand man and there are things

that he can do much better

than I can, and vice versa. so

I don’t have any issues just

handing stuff over to him

Q: What sport can you play?A: I’m a sea kayaker, so playing

in the waves is my game.

Q: What is your guilty music/TV or movie pleasure?A: I love all sorts of music, so

play lots of varied sorts. We

don’t have a TV, but love to

watch the odd replay on the

computer.

Q: Who best represents mod-ern Ireland – David Norris or

Jedward?A: Oh jeepers, poor David

hasn’t had the best time of it

recently with the presidential

saga, and thinking back to Jed-

ward and the last Eurovision

just makes me laugh – have

you ever seen such unreleased

energy just busting to get out…

Q: What music/pictures/mov-ies do you have on your iPod/iPad?A: iPod/iPad “món” if I were so

lucky, haven’t made it to that

plateau yet, I’m working on it

though!!

Q: Who do you follow on Twit-ter/Facebook?A: I like to keep tabs on the

Whale and Dolphin society.

They get continuous listings

of sightings of whales and

dolphins around the coast of

Ireland – fascinating stuff.

Q: Where do you enjoy spend-ing money frivolously?A: I do have a secret shoe fet-

tish. I could always buy shoes,

needed or not, in fact, suitable

or not, it never really matters.

Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?A: Ha! That’s not fair! Maybe I

should have read all the ques-

tions first!!

Q: What would be your dream job?A: Well the dream job would

have to be the one that would

have lots of time off and that

would pay well enough, so that

when it was time off, you’d

have enough money to be able

to go and do something.

Q: Describe your dream holiday?A: I like the idea of pootling

around in a camper van with

no fixed agenda and no time

restraints and there would have

to be nice places to go and eat

out and good scenery. I’ll send

you a postcard when I find out

where it is.

Q: What do you plan to do when you retire?A: Well, maybe that’ll be when

I’ll go off pootling in that

camper van.

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD…. OR IS IT ?

Q – Gold prices reached over $1,760 per troy

ounce during the last weeks. I was told over

four years ago to buy the yellow metal then –

what is your view in 2011 ? Pauline - Templeogue

A - James Goldsmith once quipped “When you see

a bandwagon, it’s too late” – but the statistics

about gold are both startling and alarming. In

1980, gold reached an all-time high price of $850

per troy ounce (slightly lighter than our own

avoirdupois ounce) BUT it took 27 years to return

to this high of € 850 only four years ago in 2007.

Add inflation to the 1980 price, and you are looking

at a more realistic value of over $2,500. At the

current price - an increase of over 107% in those

four years since 2007 - 2 lbs of gold will cost you

just short of €40,000 ... a lot of money for a small

amount of metal.

JP Morgan and Merrill Lynch, however, came

out in recent weeks to predict gold WILL reach the

$2,500 price before the year end. But more impor-

tant than price is tradability. The reason why gold

prices are surging ahead is the market volatility.

Only when governments, banking, stockmarkets

and property regain confidence will we see a

normalisation in gold prices.

Originally, all Bank of England notes for instance

were backed by gold bullion in their mint – “I

promise to pay the bearer the sum of…” Quanta-

tive easing i.e. printing your own money, among

other things put paid to that.

Peter Schiff is a major precious metals analyst

in New York (regularly on CNBC TV) and has pre-

dicted the price will go to $5,000 per troy ounce.

Not sure that I agree with him, but I do think that

if you have a fairly sizeable portfolio, you should

have about 10% exposure to this commodity. The

decision though to make is what form you buy

the precious metal – mine shares, Gold funds

(exchange traded funds – the cheapest way on

the stock market) krugerrand – the world’s first

one ounce gold bullion coin, brought to market in

1967 and costing up to $ 2,000 each currently –

and similar style coins like gold sovereigns etc, or

through the innovative Perth Mint Gold Certifi-

cate programme ? With this latter option, your

gold bullion is stored in the Perth Mint in Australia,

guaranteed by the AAA-rated Western Australian

government (the only government to give such a

guarantee) and you receive a certificate that you

can redeem at any time rather than hold the bul-

lion, saving security problems.

Email me for details of this or any gold issues

you may have.

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

THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF YOUR PERSONAL FINANCE QUESTIONS

GazetteBUSINESSBUSINESS Supported by AIB

Enjoying the city you’re living in

LAURA WEBB

IT HAD been a few months since my partner and I had taken a city break to let loose and leave the responsibilities of parenthood behind with the grandparents. When thinking about where to go, we decided we wanted to do something different and enjoy a city we both love – Dublin.

Even though we live in the suburbs and going out usually only means a taxi into town, it can often be an expensive round trip, so we thought we would stay in a city hotel, as there are some amazing deals around at the moment.

I had tickets to Mamma Mia at the Grand Canal Theatre and we thought we could stay at the D4 Berkeley.

Stylish

Our room was both spacious and stylish, and with a couple of hours to spare before dinner time, we headed out to see what the hotel’s location had to offer. Just a five minute walk from the RDS and located just minutes from the Aviva

stadium, the hotel is ideal for anyone going to watch a match, concert, exhibition or show.

We walked back just in time for dinner and were greeted by the lovely res-taurant manager, Oscar, and the waiting staff in Berkeley Brasserie were just as friendly. The live piano added to the relaxed atmosphere of the contemporary res-taurant.

For starters, I ordered crispy calamari with a

tomato and chilli sauce. Johnny went for soup- of-the-day and for his main, Irish grilled fillet steak, served with home cut chips, onion rings and peppercorn sauce. I chose the chicken supreme with wilted spin-ach, sundried tomato and orzo pasta. Describing his meal Johnny said it ticked all the boxes for flavour, portion size and afford-ability, as did mine.

We headed off to the Grand Canal Theatre

to see the show and enjoy the many smash-hit songs from Abba. Even though he’s not a fan, Johnny reluctantly agreed he enjoyed it. The next morning. we headed to the Berkeley Brasserie, which was also delicious.

Although we weren’t far from home, it was still a great a mini-break and it actually made us appreciate what Dublin has on offer.

D4 Berkeley offers a variety of special deals for theatre, sport and concert goers, which are available to see online at www.d4berkeley.ie or by phoning the reservation team at 01- 4373444.

D4 Berkeley offers a variety of special offers for theatre, sport and concert goers

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‘Although we weren’t far from home it was still a great mini-break and it actually made us appreciate what Dublin has on offer’- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

ONE of our very own tourist hot spots is on the shortlist as one of the new Seven Wonders of Nature competition.

The Cliffs of Moher are in the final 28, which is hardly surprising given the magnificence of this landscape in County Clare. The Cliffs are 320 million years old and are Ireland’s most visited natural attraction, with almost 100 million visi-tors every year. The reasons for the popularity are manifold, some visitors flock to see a Special Pro-tected Area for seabirds, as the Cliffs are home to over 30,000 nesting pairs each year, including puf-fins, guillemots, razorbills, fulmars, and kittiwakes and makes for a bird watcher’s paradise. However, for most, it is the striking scenery where nature, history and geology merge.

To vote for the Cliffs inclusion, log onto www.new7wonders.com or Text MOHER 53131 (€0.30C) to vote for their inclusion in the New 7 Wonders of Nature. For more information on inspirational places to visit and great value holi-days check out www.discoverireland.ie

FastTravel

GazetteTTRAVELRAVEL22 GAZETTE 27 October 2011

Take in the wonder of the Cliffs of Moher and explore the West

The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare

QUICK GETAWAY: A STYLISH NIGHT AT D4 BERKELEY

Irish Ferries is welcoming the New Year with great offers, so book your 2012 reservation early

Though January may be months away, Irish Fer-ries has already welcomed in the New Year with the announcement that their reservations system has been opened for 2012 bookings on their services to France.

To get bookings off to a quick start and encourage those anxious to secure preferred sailing dates and choice of cabin accommodation, the company is offering a three-tiered incentives package, beginning with an early booking discount of 10% off all fares booked before December 15.

The second offer is the chance to secure one’s booking on payment of a low €100 non-refundable deposit with the balance payable six weeks before departure – one that contrasts with others who seek payment in full or a more significant deposit at time of booking.

Finally, repeated again, next year is the offer of a free trip to Britain for a car plus two passengers for all motorist return bookings to France during June, July and August.

For bookings and information, visit www.irishferries.ie or call 0818 300 400.

Scandinavian Airlines offering bargain fares to Bangkok and all this exotic city has to offer

SCANDINAVIAN Airlines have some bargain fares to Bangkok at the moment.

Bangkok is fantastic for shopping, nightlife, restaurants and culture and is a great place to stop off before head-ing to the luxury of the tourist resorts.

SAS can offer quick connections through Copenhagen airport where you only need 45 minutes to connect. For Irish travellers travelling to Bangkok, it is normally only a 15-metre walk from gate to gate to change plane in Copenhagen Airport. Fly from Dublin to Bangkok from as little as €799 return, including all taxes and charges.

Book before November 1, 2011 to secure this special fare. Go to www.flysas.ie for more details.

Concorde Travel is offering great deals to the Por-tuguese capital of Lisbon for a great city break

ARGUABLY one of the nic-est European capitals, Lisbon is a city that captures the imagination of the visitor with its magnificent architecture, reminiscent of a glorious maritime past as well as the majestic Tagus River and the dominant Castelo de San

Jorge. Exploring the city on foot is a delight – there is something around every corner that will surprise you. Lisbon is a lively city boasting bars, clubs and cafes, where you can simply relax and enjoy a powerful Portu-guese-style coffee or party all night long in some of the trendiest clubs.

Concorde Travel is offering great deals to the Portuguese capital this winter from only €349. Stay three nights on a B&B basis at the three-star Hotel Evidência Tejo, from €349, four-star Tivoli Jardim, from €419, and five-star Tivoli Lisboa, from €499.

Visit www.concordetravel.ie to book your city break to Lisbon today.

TravelBriefs

Edited by

Mimi Murray


Go ghost hunting in haunting ScotlandFANS of ghouls and ghosts should make their way to Scotland this Hal-loween. With haunted castles, churches and streets, there are few countries with a more fascinating or spookier history than Scotland.

Fans of the Da Vinci Code will be captivated by Rosslyn Chapel, the church built for the Sin-clair Family in the 15th century. Ghostly flames apparently flicker in the burial vault when one of the Sinclairs is about to die and an appari-tion of the apprentice who carved the famous Apprentice Pillar and was murdered by his teachers, can sometimes be seen or heard.

With a long and bloody history, Edinburgh Cas-tle is said to be home to many spirits, including that of a headless drum-mer boy. Rumour has it, that the appearance of

HALLOWEEN: HAUNTED CASTLES AND STREETS

FOR anyone consid-ering a long-haul trip, Thomas Cook Ireland’s newly launched Far and Away brochure is a must. The range covers tradi-tional package holidays, escorted tours to exotic destinations and far-flung cruises.

Customers can also tailor their holidays to suit their preferences and schedules.

Feature

Cuba, Mexico, Domin-ican Republic, India (Goa), Gambia, Jamaica and Florida all feature strongly in the new Far and Away brochure.

As Thomas Cook can avail of its own accom-modation and charters from the UK to these des-tinations, customers can find more competitive

Travelling Far and Away

A Mexican beach and (inset) Old Havana in Cuba

and comprehensive pric-ing. Eleven nights in the four-star Laico Atlantic in Banjul Beach in Gambia next March is available

all-inclusive from just €849, while 14 nights over Christmas and New Year in Goa in the three-star Colonia Santa Maria

at Baga Beach, also all inclusive, is on offer for €1,789, departing December 20. (Prices are from UK airports).

the ghostly drummer boy is a warning that the cas-tle is about to be besieged and was first seen in 1650, before Oliver Cromwell and his English army attacked.

Believed to be the most haunted place in Edin-burgh, The Royal Mile as it is known, is the street leading from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of

Holyroodhouse. Taking a stroll down this street you may be in for a few surprises as No.1 Mary Kings’s Close, which was bricked up during an outbreak of the plague, is said to be haunted by the spirit of a young girl.

Cruden Bay, located on the Aberdeenshire coast, may seem like a pleasant looking fishing village,

but you may be surprised to know that, in the 19th century, it was the holiday haunt of Bram Stoker.

The ruins of Slains Castle, which drape down from the headland inspired Stoker’s vision of Count Dracula’s Castle. The Kilmarnock Arms Inn, where Stoker stayed in 1895, is still there for those brave enough to pay a visit.

On the west coast of Scotland, close to the town of Oban, lies Dun-staffnage Castle. The cas-tle is said to be haunted by a lady dressed in green, who walks the ramparts when events are about to unfold for the castle own-ers. When she is smiling it said that good fortune awaits but if she is weep-ing, trouble lies ahead. The castle is open daily, but visiting hours are restricted in the winter.

For more details www.visitscotland/surprise

Rosslyn Chapel


Germinating ideasMitch Emhoff (Matt Damon) can’t quite take in the news from a doctor that his healthy wife, Beth (Gwynneth Paltrow) has suddenly died

from a mysterious new virus, with a mass outbreak killing thousands of people around the world in this week’s film, Contagion

GoingOUT

GazetteENTERTAINMENTENTERTAINMENT

What if ... a new, deadly virus sprang up all around the world? The prognosis is poor in this interesting new film

KATE CROWLEY

NOW is the winter of our discontent most keenly felt ... largely through red noses, hoarse throats and a thousand rasping coughs, it would seem, as the emaciated Flu crow has slowly but surely flapped its way back to Ireland’s shores for its annual winter sojourn.

Thanks to this unwant-ed visitor, all around the Crowley household, a hundred flu sufferers seem to be blearily mak-ing their way through the streets, while Mr Crowley has a touch of Man Flu, which, he tells me, is “a thousand times worse than ordinary flu” (yet which doesn’t seem to stop him from eating chocolate biscuits and watching football).

However, as unpleas-ant as the flu is for those battling it – such as yours truly, still croaking her way through a lingering two-week chest infection

– for most, it’s not the end of the world.

No, the end of the world is, instead, the underlying theme of this week’s film, which takes the flu theme and runs with it to a much more frightening, logical outcome.

In Contagion, several plotlines converge as a business exec (Paltrow) returns from a business trip to Hong Kong with a bad dose of jet lag.

That’s “jet lag” as in “she’ll be dead within two days of a mysterious new virus, folks” jet lag, of the kind that most travellers would rather avoid.

Exit Paltrow, leaving bemused hubby (Damon) to soldier on, despite the fact that their family isn’t quite through the worst of the horror just yet ...

Of course, his wife’s death is just one of many deaths, as it’s obvious that a deadly pandemic is spreading across the world at frightning speed, with equally frightening mortality rates.

Although, as with any virus and contagion, there are plenty of people who are immune – such as Damon’s character – most people aren’t, and, with-out an antidote, it looks

like goodnight, Seattle, for most of humanity.

For those readers shouting at my review: “Science will save us!”, that sounds like an appro-priate time to send in the clow- err, scientists, in the forms of Winslet and Fishburne.

That almost sounds like a double act, but there’s nothing amusing about their characters as, working in different ways, they’re on a race against time to trace the virus back to Patient X – the first recorded victim – and then, with a bit of luck, figure out where the infection came from, and thus possibly come up with an antidote.

However, all of this takes time, and, as every passing day exponentially increases the pandemic’s infection – and conse-quent sudden mortality – rates around the world, there’s a desperate race against time to get ahead of the virus’ deadly infec-

tion, and stop the global contagion.

Unfortunately, quite apart from the dangers of the virus itself, the char-acters are also faced with problems posed by peo-ple, whether that’s nefari-ous journalists (Law) or the bureaucracies of vari-ous political and medical systems.

With social order rap-idly collapsing all over the world, and with govern-ments resorting to des-perate measures to quar-antine people, the race is on to find a cure ...

As usual, director Sod-erbergh has created an unconventional tale, with lots of Hollywood stars and stalwarts fighting for screen time in an occa-sionally busy story.

Not a film for the germ-wary, it’s a thoughtful tale that shows that, maybe, just maybe, there are worse things than the flu to worry about. Now, Man Flu, that’s a thousand times worse, I hear ...

FILM OF THE WEEK:

Contagion (12A) 106 mins

OUR VERDICT:LOTS of stars with lots of storylines, yet one overall plot ... While the world seems to have mostly forgotten the perils and fears over Swine Flu and Bird Flu, here comes a film to play on the fears of those recent pandemics. Slow-moving, and perhaps constrained by being a film about, well, deadly germs, it’s still an interesting tale that director Soderbergh helms well enough ...

Director: Steven SoderberghStarring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne

PAVILION 01 231 2929Snow Play

CHILDREN aged from three to seven will be delighted with this show, which tells of how snow-hating Mr Green returns from his Christmas holidays only to find that Mr White has moved in, and covered everything with snow! Children will help to make a giant snowman, have a snowball fight and more in this highly-interactive production. Snow Play takes place on at 2pm and 4pm on Saturday, October 29, and at 2pm on Sunday, October 30, with tickets priced at €8 for children, and €10 for adults.

MILL THEATRE 01 296 9340 One Act Festival

THEATRE lovers are in for a treat, thanks to the Mill Theatre’s quick-moving festival that will present eight plays across two nights. Actors, directors and drama enthusiasts from all across the country will be found at the theatre, as an eclectic range of productions whirl through their paces. Following the plays’ productions, adjudicator Tom Byrne will provide an engaging analysis. For full details of the plays, which take place from 7pm on Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28, see www.milltheatre.ie.

DRAIOCHT 01 885 2622My Way

GARVAN Gallagher’s commendable exhibition examines the “invisible” status of older citizens, with a diverse range of work examing the status and self-image of our elders. Whether personal texts, short films, or even fashion shoots replacing younger models with more mature citizens, My Way is an excellent, diverse project underlining how valuable our “invisible” citizens are. My Way runs at Driaocht’s ground floor gallery until Saturday, November 5.


SHANE DILLON

THE hit Playstation (and, more latterly, also avail-able on the XBox 360) Final Fantasy franchise is set for another stab at the previous cross-plat-form title in the series, Final Fantasy XIII.

In a similar manner to the last major title I reviewed, last week (Dead Rising 2: Off The Record), Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a largely simi-lar, but rejigged, version of its predecessor title, FFXIII.

However, much as twins may appear to be quite similar at first sight – and I say that as a twin, myself – there are sev-eral notable differences between the two, mak-ing XIII-2 similar, but yet quite different to, its predessor, XIII.

The Final Fantasy series of games have had a long and illustri-ous past on a number of platforms, yet, argu-ably, found their greatest success on Sony’s Play-Station 2 – at least here in the West – while the franchise has remained a key part of Sony’s Play-Station brand.

Here, “Final” is some-thing of a misnomer, as the series has been spun out through many titles that far exceed the numer-ical titles in the series, with characters from the franchise popping up in everything from farm-ing games to dance titles, beat-em-ups to platform-ers, and more.

However, at heart, the Final Fantasy series remains a fundamentally structured role-playing game, typically created with strong undercur-rents of Japanese culture, gaming memes, and ideas that seem unique to the series, with regular recur-ring themes of personal

More Final Fantasy XIII-2 facts emerge

GazetteGAMINGGAMING

strife, responsibility, duty and honour appealing to a global audience.

Wi th i t s supe rb designs, always evolv-ing gameplay and game mechanics, striking music and a generally strong direction, it’s been no surprise that, today, the “Final” franchise is a key PlayStation brand, with Microsoft also coming on board for the release of previous title in the series, Final Fan-tasy XIII.

Curiously, despite

being a game that was specifically developed for, and aimed at engag-ing Western audiences, rather than, debatably, a core Japanese and cult American fanbase, FFX-III was largely greeted with a lukewarm criti-cal reception, and not especially notable sales figures.

Still, early next year, a “remodelled” ver-sion of FFXIII – neatly called FFXIII-2 – will be released, set in the same world as its pred-

ecessor, and with many of the same characters, yet with a new storyline, new characters, and new gameplay mechanics – all with the hope for the developer, Squaresoft, to create greater respect for (and higher sales fig-ures) for an experimental title that was, perhaps, a little overlooked once released.

Collectors’s edition packs will include all of the usual items, ranging from CDs of the game music, to t-shirts, art

books, special cases and more, creating releases to take up plenty of space on gamers’ shelves – and leave plenty of cor-responding space in their wallets, too.

It’s an interesting devel-opment, seeing game companies take a “Take Two” attitude towards titles that didn’t quite hit expectations on release, but which were perfectly decent. If this sequel, of sorts, does well, perhaps it won’t be the final case of such rejigged releases.

A typically exotic and stylish branding design for Final Fantasy XIII-2, with strong artwork helping shape the series

It’s a case of so four-za, so goodIN ONE of the most predictable gaming events of the year, Forza Motorsport 4 – or Forza 4, for short – recently roared straight to the top of the charts, with racing and motoring fans driving the XBox 360-exclusive title straight to the top.

For those who like exquisitely-modelled cars, stunning landscapes, top-notch graphics, a Top Gear association (with Clarkson on voiceover duties) and an awfully big game to play around with – and that’s an awful lot of gamers – it’s hard to see any other racers appearing in the rear mir-ror in the near future, with Forza 4 set to hold pole position in the racing genre for quite some time.

Bytesandpieces

Forza 4 certainly sets a noticeably-high

benchmark in graphics on current platforms

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JAMES Cluskey contin-ued his superb recent run of form last week on the ITF Futures tour as he reached the final of the doubles at the Le Roche-Sur-Yon F19 event in France.

It was his fifth final in his last six outings since mid-September – the other seeing him make the semi-final – marking one of the his best runs on the circuit.

On Sunday, playing with South African Jean Anderson, he was denied the title in a super-set by home-town pair Jeremy Blandin and Gleb Sakha-rov.

It was a tight game, losing the first set on a tiebreak before bouncing back to claim the second 6-3. But the super-set was lost ten points to seven, leaving the Swords’ man to have to be content with a third runners-up medal in October.

In the other competi-tion played this month, though, Cluskey and Andersen claimed the F16 Futures title in Forbach, beating Germany’s Sebas-tian Fitz and Russia’s Vitaliy Kachanovskiy.

Again, the final was decided on a super-set as the Irishman was part of a superb comeback having fallen a set down, 7-5.

He and Andersen snagged the second in comprehensive fashion with a 6-1 success before

TENNIS: SWORDS STAR HITTING THE HEIGHTS ON THE ITF FUTURES TOUR IN EUROPE

Tennis ace James Cluskey maintained his fine run of form, reaching another final last week in France

Cluskey makes fifth final out of six competitions

closing out the deciding game 10-3.

It continues a bril-liant run of form on the hard court and carpets of France, taking in an F18 Futures final in St Dizier, Mulhouse and Nevers as

well as that semi-final in Brusoporto, Italy.

It is a superb return to form following a summer in which Cluskey was part of the Irish Davis Cup side, and also reached the final of the Irish Open.

In the wake of that competition, the Swords LTC man has been quiet in August and September, but this sustained period abroad has been a very fruitful one.

Elsewhere, former St

Andrew’s student Amy Bowtell earned a place in the women’s singles main draw at the AEGON GB Pro Series Glasgow after defeating number three seeded Michaela Honco-va (SVK) in Scotland.

GazetteSPORT27 October 2011 SWORDS GAZETTE 27

OCTOBER STARS: OCTOBER STARS: Nominations for Nominations for Dublin Sports Stars Dublin Sports Stars are announced are announced Page 29Page 29

R1

GazetteSportSport


All-Stars 2011

Super Stars saluted at gala nightT

HE immense achievements of the Dub-lin senior football and hurling teams in 2011 was recognised at the National

Convention Centre when a total of eight players collected their GAA GPA All-Star awards last weekend. Footballers Bernard Brogan, Paul Flynn, Michael Darragh MacAuley, Kevin Nolan, Stephen Cluxton and Alan Brogan, and hurlers Liam Rushe and Gary Maguire received their plaudits in front of a packed audience, with Alan Brogan being named Player of the Year.

Fingallians’ Paul Flynn makes his way to the National Convention Centre stage to collect his All-Star football award. Pictures: SPORTSFILE

Football All-Stars Bernard Brogan, Paul Flynn, Michael Darragh MacAuley, Kevin Nolan, Stephen

Cluxton and Alan Brogan, front right, with Hurlers of the Year, Gary Maguire and Liam Rushe

Paul Flynn and Bernard Brogan on the red carpet

Bernard Brogan Snr, Lydia Brogan, Footballer of the Year Alan

Brogan, Bernard Brogan and Marie Brogan

Kilmacud’s Michael Darragh MacAuley

Dublin hurlers Liam Rushe and Gary Maguire

in association with


FastSport

THE first Celtic Open Masters Short Course swim meet was held at the National Aquatic Centre, Blanchardstown last week.

The meet, jointly organised by Aer Lingus Masters and NAC Masters swimming clubs, attracted 285 entries from the length and breadth of Ireland, ranging in ages from 20 to 80.

The competitors represented no fewer than 43 Masters clubs, including six overseas clubs from Britain and Spain, all competing in a packed gala programme.

It is envisaged that the Celtic Open Mas-ters could go on to become a regular event, adding to the existing Masters Swim Meet calendar in Ireland.

Masters meet at NAC a

massive swim success

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

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

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

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

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

Let us know!Let us know about your

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

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

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

STARof the

MONTHJAKE CARROLL

A YOUNG man who has

graduated through the

ranks of local soccer

to attain the heights of

a place in the League

of Ireland firmament,

Carroll was instrumental

in helping St Parts to the

Leinster Senior Cup title.

PAUL RYAN

BALLYBODEN St Enda’s

Paul Ryan has been at

the forefront of his

club’s drive for five,

thumping 2-6 against

Lucan Sarsfields in the

Dublin SHC semi-final

including 1-4 of his side’s

opening 1-5.

ALAN BROGAN

THE “other” Brogan

brother’s immense con-

tribution to Dublin’s All-

Ireland campaign in this

and every other cham-

pionship run he has been

a part of was rewarded

with a hugely deserved

Player of the Year award.

TEAMof the

MONTH

2011 DUBLIN SPORTS AWARDS - OCTOBER NOMINEES

SOUTH DUBLIN SWANS

THE South Dublin Swans,

featuring a number of the

players who annexed the

International Cup title in

Melbourne earlier in the

year won the Irish Aussie

Rules Premiership title

this month, defeating

Leeside Lions in Laois

LUCAN GOLF

LUCAN Golf CLub’s ladies

players claimed the

Miele All-Ireland Fourball

title this month in a

nail-biting finale to the

national competition at

Kilkenny GC, defeating

Faithlegg on the fifth

play-off hole.

EGAN AND FLEMING

SALMON Leap Canoe CLub

members Peter Egan

and Neil Fleming took

the Liffey Descent title

to add to their huge

achievements in claim-

ing the Irish and British

canoeing championships

in 2011.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Fingal futsal

competition a

local success ST FINIAN’S Community College, Swords, played host to the FAI co-ordinated All-Ireland Secondary School Futsal competition for first year boys.

The tournament was a great success with three schools from Swords — St Finian’s, Fingal Community College and Colaiste Choilm — and Donabate Community College competing for the title and the opportunity to represent their area at the Dublin finals.

The title went to Donabate Community College with a 3-1 win over

Fingal Community College in a competitive final.

Next up is the girls’ competition in St. Finian’s on October 26, with teams representing Balbriggan, Donabate, Rush and Swords all taking part.

The winners of these North Dublin Sections will progress to the Dublin Finals, which take place in Corduff, Blanchardstown, on November 16.

For further information on the FAI/Fingal Secondary Schools Futsal Competition contact Paul Keogh, Football in the Community Development Officer at 086-0444435 or email [email protected]

GazetteSportSport


FastSport

Summerfest

set for next

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

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

Castleknock

Celtic seeking

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

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

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

By charter: Local firm are new sponsorsFINGALLIANS’ Under-11 ladies footballers were celebrating last week when Nicola McKitter-ick, manager of the Fingallians’ team, recieved a set of game shirts from Susan McKitterick of McInerney Saunders Char-tered Accountants Swords, and will be wearing their new jerseys with pride at forthcom-ing matches. Picture: Kyran O’Brien

[email protected]

LEE HYLAND Fitzsi-mons from Baldoyle will be heading to Paris at the end of the month as part of the Irish Power-chair soccer team.

The national side’s first match is on Novem-ber 3 at the FIPFA World Cup finals.

Powerchair soccer is one of the fastest grow-ing variations of soccer in the world. It allows people with more severe disabilities to participate in sport, and the world’s most popular sport at that. It plays the same basic rules as soccer, two teams, two goals, two

halves, one winner. The sport has been in

existence since 1979 but only arrived in Ireland by virtue of the persist-ence of Muscular Dys-trophy Ireland (MDI) in 2003.

This September, the third season of the All-Ireland League compe-tition got underway, and will run to May 2012. In June 2012, the All Ire-land Cup will take place in University of Limer-ick.

There are now 70 players competing in two leagues. The leagues have 10 teams from clubs based in Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Laois,

Offaly, Kildare, Dublin, Meath and Belfast.

Patrick Flanagan, committee member of the Association of Irish Powerchair Football (AIPF) and Ireland’s team captain, said: “I played in MDI’s first Irish national Power Soccer tournament in the Irish Wheelchair Association sports hall Dublin in July 2003. The event was a huge success and since then, the sport has grown considerably.

“This could not have happened without the tremendous help from Muscular Dystrophy Ire-land staff and members, and the FAI Football for

All team. “The FAI were the first

national organisation to grant powerchair foot-ballers full international caps for representing their country.”

“It is testament to everyone involved in Irish Powersoccer, past and present, that after three years the sport has grown from 10 to 70 players; an intensely competitive league has been established and this year the sport will be brought to the interna-tional stage. Such devel-opments have taken ten to twenty years in coun-tries like France and England.”

Irish fans will be cheering the team on to victory and a large contingent of family, friends and supporters are travelling over with the team.

The Irish Powerchair Soccer team would like to ask for any financial support that might be out there to help them grow and reach out to all people with a disability who may not be able to participate in any other competitive sport.

Contact Muscular Dystrophy Ireland for further information, or alternatovely, contact [email protected] or phone 01 6236414.

Lee for World Cup debut

SOCCER: POWERCHAIR TOURNAMENT TO TAKE PLACE IN PARIS

Ireland’s powerchair starts are travelling to France for the FIPFA World Cup, which begins on November 3

Fingal into sidings after Railway defeatEOIN MacArthur’s first Division One hat-trick saw Fingal’s nightmare start to the Leinster league continue when they fell 5-1 to Railway Union.

The return of Derek O’Gorman and Tom Manning had given Fingal a boost, but they were rocked as MacArthur grabbed the first three goals of the game, the first from play, the second from a broken-down penalty corner and the third with a sharp rebound, volleying first time after Karl Chapple’s initial strike.

Rob Abbott made it 4-0 from close range before Peter English got his eighth of the cam-paign in all competitions with a drag-flick. Luke Hayden pulled one back, profiting from a defen-sive slip three minutes.

in association with


CLUB NOTICEBOARD

CONGRATULATIONS to Paul Flynn on

his well deserved All Star award.

Disappointingly, the senior league

game was abandoned in the open-

ing minutes, away at O’Toole’s on

Saturday evening, due to a floodlight

issue. Further details on the fixture

to follow.

Boys: Well done to U-9s who had

an overall win against Raheny this

weekend in hurling. Also, the U-11s

had a great win v Ballinteer.

Girls: Our U-11 girls won last Sat-

urday in the semis, and are now in

the U-11 Shield final. A big thanks to

McInerney Saunders in Swords for

sponsoring their jerseys, that were

presented at the weekend.

Thanks to Killoe - Emmet Ogs from

Longford who hosted our junior

ladies over the weekend.

Tickets are now available for the

Club Car Draw. Please contact any

manager or check out the club web

site for further information and tick-

et applications.

Reminder: this year’s AGM will take

place on Thursday, November 17 at

9pm.

The Movember kick-off party will

take place in Fingallians GAA Club on

Sunday, October 30. The Gala Mous-

tache Show will be at the same venue

on Saturday, November 26. Join the

Fingallians Movember team by click-

ing below or find us on the Movember

website: ie.movember.com/regis-

ter.

U9 - U19 Cross Country League

was held at the Phoenix Park at the

weekend. Next week sees the venue

change to Marley Park - good luck to

all our athletes taking part.

Aine Deasy, former senior ladies

player, has won an All Star at the

2011 Asian Gaelic Games, and also

got Club Person of the Year for her

endless hard work for Seoul Gaels

in Korea. Fingallians’ loss has been

Korea’s gain.

ST FINIAN’STHE intermediate football team

were unlucky to lose out to a last-

minute goal from Scoil Ui Chonaill

in the replay of the last 16 of the

championship on Saturday. It’s the

end of a long season for the lads

who have trained hard all year.

Halloween (Mid-term) football

camps : James Devlin is organising

camps from Tuesday, November 1 to

Friday, November 4. Lunch will be

provided and each participant will

receive a free polo shirt. Special

thanks to the local Centra Super-

market for their sponsorship. Book

before Friday 28th October so that

we have a better idea of numbers

but come along on the day if that’s

not possible.

A Ch i ld Pr o t e c t io n tr a in in g

course for St Finian’s juvenile men-

tors and adult leaders will be held

on Friday evening, November 4 at

7pm upstairs in Peacock’s. All men-

tors of juvenile teams are invited

to attend. The course should take

approximately three hours. Contact

Mary White by email (marybwhite@

eircom.net) or text (087 9721728), by

October 28 as this course is limited

to 20 participants.

Lotto: Numbers drawn were 1, 7,

13 and 14. There was no winner. The

€50winners are Jim and Austin and

Louise Napeer. Next week’s jackpot

will be €2,100.

FINGALLIANS

FINGAL RAVENSOUR duck race and cross country

challenge will take place this Sun-

day, October 30 at 2pm at Kinse-

la’s Bridge. Come along and enjoy

a great family day out including a

barbecue, and ducks will be on sale

each day this week outside Roles-

town NS.

We are having an awards night for

our Under-21s who won the 2010

championship, and our ladies team

who won their 2010 league, on Sun-

day, October 30 in Kettle’s Hotel.

All members are welcome to come

along and celebrate the success of

these teams.

Club AGM will take place on Thurs-

day, November 17 at 8pm in Roles-

town Hall.

We will be holding a pub quiz on

Thursday, November 24, in Ket-

tle’s Hotel for our juvenile section.

Please keep this date free and come

along and support this fundraiser.

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

LEINSTER LADIES FINALSt Sylvester’s 4-10

St Laurence’s 0-18

[email protected]

S T S Y LV E S T E R ’ S incredible goal-scoring ability saw the club claim their second Leinster junior title in two years as the ladies footballers followed in the footsteps of their hurling counter-parts.They claimed their title in thrilling fashion in Newbridge, an amazingly open tie despite a deluge of rain which would nor-mally render such a tie sticky and scrappy.

Kildare champions St Lawrence’s offered plen-ty going forward with four seriously dangerous forwards who showed great accuracy in front of the posts.

But Niamh McEvoy’s first half double and Sine-ad Aherne found the net before half-time to build a six-point lead.

And Nicole Owens’ brilliant solo effort in

the second half kept the Malahide women just out of range to all but secure the victory, creating an eight-point lead which Lawrence’s etched away at.

But Aimee Hazley was mighty at full-back, helping to deny any goal chances which would have seen the Kildare side put the cat truly among the pigeons.

Conditions were tough throughout with the bounce almost wholly taken out of the game but it did not massively affect the level of football.

It was a testament to the ambition and dis-cipline of both sides, though, that they endeav-oured to play an open brand of football with the vast majority of the scores coming from play.

Goals proved the dif-ference as Syl’s first half triple put them six points clear but Lawrence’s never let up with a high percentage of attacks translated into scores on

the board.Aherne’s goal gave

some sort of breathing space just before the break as handling condi-tions deteriorated as time went on.

But Owens’ goal and Hazley’s defensive work carried the day and now have Syl’s looking for-ward to a first All-Ireland semi-final, pitted against Tipperary’s Aherlow for were Munster champions with a two point victory over Cork’s Dromina, 4-7 to 2-11.

With Syl’s conceding just one in the Leinster championship, they will

need to continue their miserly defence to keep their final four opponents at bay.

Inter disappointmentMeanwhile, Syl’s inter

footballers bowed out of their championship at Balgriffin when they were knocked out by St Jude’s 2-8 to 1-4. A solid first half up the hill seemed to set the Malahide men up for a chance to take this quarter final but it didn’t turn out that way as Judes used the space to far bet-ter effect in the second half and ran out easy winners in the end.

FOOTBALL: SAINTS WILL FACE ATHERLOW IN SEMI

St Sylvesters celebrate their Tesco Leinster Junior Championship Final 2011 victory. Pictures: GAApics.com

Syl’s ladies are the Leinster champions

ALL OF YOUR SWORDS SPORTS COVERAGE FROM PAGE 27-31 OCTOBER 27, 2011

PARIS POWER: Irish Powersoccer

side on their way to World Cup P30 Ga

zetteSPORT

Paul Flynn caps fine season with Star Fingallians’ man is rewarded for outstanding season for club and county with All-Star honour last week

A delighted Paul Flynn with his All-Star award at the National Convention Centre in Dublin last week

STEPHEN FINDLATER

[email protected]

PAUL Flynn was honoured for his outstanding performances throughout the championship summer with a richly deserved footballing All-Star at the National Convention Centre last Friday night.

And club manager Dan Davern was quick to praise the half-forward for his sterling efforts in what was also a landmark moment for his home club, Fingallians.

“It’s a massive thing for the club and Paul himself,” Davern told the Gazette. “He’s only a young lad and has had an outstanding season and was definitely one of the stand-outs.”

More than just his playing exploits, Davern says the All-Star provides an inspiration for many of the club’s youth whom Flynn helps out with on a more than regular basis.

“He contributes an awful lot to the club, especially in the area of juvenile develop-

ment. He’s heavily involved in the schools and the

academy we have. “He’s one of the go-to guys when it comes to

any sort of development and is happy to lend a hand and do whatever it takes.

“From our point of view from a playing per-spective, it’s a shame we don’t have him more often throughout the year for games and things like that but, when he is there, he makes a mas-sive difference.”

Indeed, it can be a frustrating experience for Davern as Flynn often takes in club games when his intercounty schedule allows.

“It’s a great lift for the boys when you have a guy who is as committed to the club as well. He comes to a lot of our games even when he can’t play. I know from personal experience, it’s not always an easy thing to do, standing on a side-line when you feel you could be taking part. In fairness, he bites that bullet come to the games and we see him down at a lot of training ses-

sions even though he can’t take part.”On that front, Fins’ vital AFL2 hopes

remain up in the air after a bizarre Saturday at O’Toole’s. Leading 0-2 to 0-1, the game was called off after ten minutes due to floodlight failure – a frustrating turn of events after play-ers changed personal plans to play on the day.

“Eight minutes into the game, two sets of lights went off; the ref played on for literally two minutes before another set went off. It wasn’t safe to play at that point.

“I haven’t a clue what happened but, ini-tially, playing on Saturday didn’t really suit us. We had seven lads who had changed working shifts to accommodate the game and then the time was changed from 4.30pm to six. Again, it didn’t overly suit but we agreed to compromise with them and then the lights went off.”

A CCC meeting in midweek is likely to discuss the issue and set a new date for the game.

OCTOBER HEROESSports Awards nomina-tions announced P29

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