www.newsfour.
ie October / November 2019
Web: www.newsfour.ie  Email: newsfour@gmail.com  Local newsdesk phone: 01 667 3317
Serving Sandymount, Irishtown, Ringsend, Pearse Street, Docklands, Ballsbridge & Donnybrook
windmill still turning out genius
W
n David Prendeville
indmill Lane Recording Studios are an icon-
ic piece of local and national heritage. A vast
array of major artists have recorded there
over the years – U2, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie,
Kate Bush – to name just a few.
The recording studios were originally located in Wind-
mill Lane in the Dublin docklands, but they moved to
Ringsend in 1990. The studios were founded by Brian
Masterson in 1978. Masterson sold the studios in the
mid 2000s. At this point, there is much speculation as to
whom it was sold to but the person will remain unnamed.
In 2006, the studios were the subject of another sale,
this time to Aidan Alcock, Naomi Moore and Tony Per-
rey. This trio were also the founders of Pulse College,
originally situated on Camden Street. Now Windmill
Lane operates not only as Ireland’s leading recording
studio but also as the home of Pulse College, which of-
fers courses in music, audio, film and animation.
Despite the extraordinary history of both the recording
studios and the building itself, many people are unaware
of its significance. As Aidan tells me, “A lot of people
go past this building, not knowing what it is.” Naomi
adds, “People still associate us with [being] down in the
original Windmill Lane, the build-
ing itself was demolished recently,
people were emailing us saying the
business is gone, not realising we’ve
been in Ringsend for thirty years.”
This lack of public awareness is
one of the motivating factors that has
led to Naomi, Aidan and Tony to an-
nounce the news that Windmill Lane
are to launch the ‘Visitor Experience’
in late October. Naomi explains that
this is, “to complement what we do
in the business, but also to give peo-
ple an idea of what happens behind
the scenes within a recording studio,
without compromising our client pri-
vacy, as it is a working rock n’ roll
Page 6: Donnybrook’s sacred space Pages 27-28: Autumn gardening
October / November 2019
studio ongoing.”
Naomi goes on to tell me that the idea for the tour
came from the success of a U2 fan night they held last
year, after a gig Bono and company were playing. “We
thought we’d bring in some of the U2 fans and show
them around, because they’re always at the door any-
way. So rather than them banging on the door constantly
In this issue…
Pages 14-15: History – Maeve Casserly
Page 1
FREE
we brought them in. We said we’d let about 150 in but
overnight we got over 2,000 enquires about coming in
and it kept going up so we had to whittle people out.”
She goes on to explain how this was a lightbulb mo-
ment for the trio, making them realise that, “there is
something special about the place, people do want to
come and see it. So we then devised a whole experience
that they could come in and see. Not just that they come
in to see the spaces, but also to have a bit of behind the
scenes stuff and a bit of the history of the building and
the company and the clients.“
One of the highlights of the tour is when visitors are
offered the chance to experiment with sound mixing
themselves in Studio Two, where they will have the op-
portunity to put their own stamp on a track being per-
formed by Windmill Lane’s own band.
As Naomi tells me, “On this tour we want to give
people an idea of what it’s like to record a mix, we’ve
brought our own band in and the people will be able to
work with them. It’s to make the experience as immer-
sive as it can be so that you learn something, but in an
interesting way.”
People get the chance to experiment at a desk where
lots of hits have been recorded, Naomi citing The Script,
Kylie Minogue, Jonas Brothers and
Ed Sheeran, as just some of the ex-
amples.
Above: The distinctive exterior of the
studios.
Left: This picture was taken in Studio
1 during the making of the album An-
other Country in 1992.
The picture includes: Brian Master-
son (founder of Windmill Lane); Wil-
lie Nelson; Matt Molloy, Sean Keane
and Martin Kay of the Chieftains;
Aiden Mc Govern (assistant Engi-
neer); Kris Kistofferson (with sun-
glasses); Paddy Maloney at front.
(Continued on page 2.)
Pages 32-33: Halloween features
Page 2 www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019

NewsFour Newspaper
is part of a DEASP
Community Employment
Programme
windmill still turning out genius
(Continued from page 1.)
The vintage, analogue equipment on display in Studio One is some-
thing to behold. The speakers in this studio alone, at the time of their
purchase, cost more than it would be to buy property in the area.
went from being a tram station to being a Bovril factory until some-
time in the 1970s and then into a high-end snooker hall, first owned
by Pat Quinn, of Quinnsworth fame.
It then became Jason’s Snooker Hall until Windmill Lane set up

NewsFour The mixing console, Aidan tells me “would’ve cost in the region of
£250,000 in the late eighties.”
there. Naomi expands on the importance of this aspect of the tour.
“It’s good for the area, in that we are bringing in the history, right
Keeping analogue alive is something that’s very important to them, back to Cromwell, so we touch on all those things, and the Ris-
Editor with Naomi commenting that “most things are not like this now and ing, and the history of the area and the importance of Ringsend
Beibhinn Byrne have moved on to dig- to the area at the time
ital. It’s really impor- as well, and the evo-
Online Editor tant to persevere with lution of that. We’ve
Kathrin Kobus the history of this kind been in the heart of
of recording as well.” that, really, since the
Journalists Among the artists early 1900s.”
Kathrin Kobus to have performed There really is his-
Eoin Meegan at the desk in Stu- tory in every corner of
Peter McNamara dio One include The the studios. The walls
David Prendeville Rolling Stones and are adorned with pic-
Geneva Pattison Lady Gaga. Many ture after picture of
Dermot Carmody film soundtracks have figures as eclectic as
Joseph Martin been recorded in this Mick Jagger to Garret
studio, including The Fitzgerald. Sleeves of
Talented Mr. Ripley, Grammy award win-
Contributors
The Mask and A River ning records recorded
Felix O’Regan
Runs Through it. The there proudly hang on
Gavan Bergin
studio and console are the walls. The build-
Patrick Gregg
also famous for hav- ing is itself an extraor-
Declan Hayden
ing featured in a scene dinary artefact.
Susan O’Brien
in The Commitments. The way record-
Angie Canavan The Studio One live ing has evolved over
Hélène Giacometti room, which will play time, the immersion
Annie Gribben host to a spectacular in modern record-
projection show to ing techniques and a
Crossword close the tour is also call-back to the tactile
Gemma Byrne particularly notable in pleasures of analogue
that it is, as Aidan ex- also provide a com-
Design and Layout plains, with the excep- prehensive and educa-
Eugene Carolan tion of RTE, the only tional framework for
recording studio that those with even the
Ad Design can hold an orchestra. “It would be one of the biggest live rooms in slightest interest in music and sound recording. It all makes for fasci-
Dara O Riordain the world, it would be able to hold so many musicians. I think the nating stuff, that has a lot of diverse pleasures to offer.
most we’ve had is about 80 or 86 musicians playing at the one time. Tickets must be booked in advance and can be got at https://www.
Photo Pages When you’d hear the likes of Riverdance, you can imagine that every windmilllanerecording.com/tours/visitor-experience/
Gary Burke single channel on that mixing console is being lit up by the micro-
phones in order to create that.” Clockwise from top left: The white wall where signatures, greetings
Sandymount An aspect of the tour that might appeal, particularly to locals, is the and photos are left by performers; one of the studio mixing desks;
Community Services, sense of the history of the building one gets from it. It was originally the wall of mounted photos; the disc for U2’s multi-platinum sales of
13A Fitzwilliam Street, an electricity station for the tramlines which used to run next door. It Achtung Baby presented to the studio in 1991.
Ringsend, Dublin 4.
THE EDITOR’S CORNER dress, minutely, the dysfunctional lag between us and other countries
Telephone: (01)6673317 This issue’s publication coincides on one hand with the traditional on Green thinking, solutions and quality of life. It’s exhausting that
October Government Budget announcement, and on the other, with a the citizens we pay to represent us are so hopelessly out of touch or
week of organised civil disobedience by the new orthodoxy Extinc- worse, create the problems we now have to solve. We have entered a
E-mail:
tion Rebellion and the real life Halloween Parade of Brexit – as it whole new epoch that requires a whole new approach – an era where
newsfour@gmail.com
rumbles on – rebels without a clue. A whole nation being shorted by qualitative decision-making will emerge emphasising co-operation
investors who are betting against the quality of life and harmony of and our common ownership of resources. We have a collective right
Website: society for millions of people. All three have a thread in common, a to functioning communities and quality in our lives. It makes for a
www.newsfour.ie world in trouble, controlled by money and greed and becoming in- productive, creative, socio-economically secure and self-sufficient
creasingly, necessarily, divided between those who will do whatever society The blindness of pure statistics, sums and data and the unequal
Opinions expressed in NewsFour it takes to protect their own interests and those who will do whatever weighing of taking as much as you can while giving as little as possi-
do not necessarily represent it takes to protect all of our interests. Everything is connected; our ble is marked for extinction. Our future requires practical, ambitious,
the views of Sandymount lives, our freedoms and our environment. Gargantuan greed and short holistic thinking that deals in the living, breathing reality of people’s
Community Services. sightedness is destroying it. lives and our environment. A future which, as Greta Thunberg states,
None of this urgency seems to exist in our current Government. ‘is coming whether you like it or not’. We hope you enjoy this issue
Printed by This week’s budget is purely quantitative when we need a qualita- with our Halloween features and many excellent articles on radical
Webprint, tive one, one that broadcasts far-sightedness not fear, one that doubles upheavals in history, ecological writing on gardening, local wildlife
Mahon, Co. Cork down on a radical re-allocation of priorities and the spending required and rivers, community cohesiveness and care in fundraising, events,
for those priorities not copper-fastening the stale status quo. clubs and efforts as well many other interesting and entertaining ar-
There is nothing new in it, let alone visionary. It doesn’t even ad- ticles in arts, culture, sports, local education, science, tech and news.
 www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019 LOCAL NEWS Page 3

Yi Garden in Herbert Park at a standstill My annual trip to Lourdes Ringsend Park’s winning hoops
n Geneva Pattison n Patrick Gregg
Works by Dublin City Council’s (DCC) Parks Services began on the
The planned installation of the Yi Garden in Herbert park has been cur- I have been making the pilgrim-
existing basketball court in Ringsend Park on September 9th are now
rently postponed pending a review. The project had been on the table since age to Lourdes for more than 10 nearing completion. The works involved improvement to the surface
2016, and was set to be undertaken in September of this year. Newsfour years now. I travel over with the drainage, resurfacing of the court and installation of new hoops. The
got in touch with the Senior Executive Parks Superintendent for the DCC, Dublin diocese and I have made project took approximately four weeks to complete and also involved
Michael Noonan, for further information. In correspondence, Mr. Noonan many good friends from these meetings which were held with local basketball coaches and DCC
clarified that “The project is currently being re-evaluated by the new admin- trips over the years. We travel sports coaches, based in Irishtown Sports Stadium, to undertake coach-
istration in Yangzhou City and therefore the garden installation has been over every year in the first week ing and encourage participation in the sport on completion of the work.
delayed until this review has been completed.’’ of September. We stay in a hos- Some tree pruning work has already been completed on the site to fa-
On July the 8th, the South East Area Committee discussed the planned Yi pital in Lourdes which does a cilitate the upgrading and reduce surface shading.
Garden installation during their monthly meeting. The update on the garden great job of catering for our di-
indicated that the structure would be moved from the originally proposed verse needs. While we’re there
placement in the park near the pond and the bandstand. The updated place- we attend mass and a torchlight
ment would see the Yi Garden placed closer to the public amenities and café procession in the grotto. There
on the opposite side of the park. This new positioning would also ensure are many opportunities for taking
visibility of the garden from the adjacent road while remaining close to the photographs. We even manage to
Chinese embassy on Merrion Road. make it out for a pint on one of the
The Yi Garden was first exhibited at Bloom in 2016. It was Bloom’s first evenings. I really look forward to
international garden and drew inspiration from traditional Chinese paint- the trip away every year. I would
ing theory. Stylistic qualities of the garden included a pagoda style shel- like to thank all the doctors, nurs-
ter, a pond and rockery, a waterfall and an integrated harmonious planting es and the many volunteers who
scheme.The literal translation of Yi Garden is “the garden of friendship” make this trip possible every year.
and had been offered as a gift to Ireland from the city of Yangzhou in Ji- Above, left to right: Leon, Cian, Sophie, Shauna, Chloe and Carlie
angsu province in China, to represent the good relationship between the two Above: Patrick Gregg of Ring- collecting their Leaving Certificate results from Ringsend College
countries. Yangzhou city is historically famous for its scenic Slender West send who attends Enable Ireland’s on August 13th. They were looking forward to starting their Third
Lake area and similarly for its scholars, poets, artists. adult services in Lourdes. Level courses and apprenticeships which began in early September.
 Page 4 LOCAL www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019

Men’s Shed Fundraiser and

T
n Peter McNamara
here has been another
breakthrough for the
Dublin 4 Men’s Shed
campaign– the shed is set to
get a temporary location at the
Ringsend & District Commu-
nity Centre.
Now, with that temporary lo-
cation, the shed organisers can
finally set about getting fund-
ing. Funding is needed for tools
and equipment for use at the
shed, and for the establishment
of a permanent shed building, at
a location to be decided.
The organisers are reaching
out to public and private com-
munity funds in the Dublin 4
area that have given support to
other worthy projects. They also
plan to run a special Race Night,
with further details to be an-
nounced in the next few weeks.
As part of the Race Night, the
organisers are seeking sponsor-
ship from local businesses, to
finally get things off the ground.

Working with the RDCC

The good news about the tem-
porary location was announced
at a public meeting held on Au-
gust 22nd at the Community
Centre. At this meeting the re-
lationship with the Centre was
roughly outlined, and the men’s
shed organising committee was
formally elected. Martin Byrne
will act as committee chairper-
son, while Anthony O’Reardon
will serve as secretary.
The RDCC is currently being
renovated and looks set to be
an even more effective hive of
community activity. At the pub-
lic meeting, the shed organisers
were enthusiastic about becom-
ing (temporarily) part of it. The
organisers were also careful to
note that while the new space
will be located in the Ringsend
& District Community Centre,
it will not be under the control
of the RDCC.
“The two organisations will
work together,” Martin Byrne
explained, “while at the same
time staying independent.”
The new chairperson empha-
sised that shedders will be free
to do their own thing in their
own way. “Men will be able to
come and go to the space as they
please. The whole point is to get
people coming along, so it’ll all
be very easy going.”
Byrne outlined how the shed
organisers are following the of-
ficial men’s shed handbook very
closely, and trying to do every-
thing to the letter. Added to this,
the committee has also been
looking into getting some real
world advice, by visiting other
successful shed projects in Dub-
lin. It’s an impressive approach.
At the public meeting it was
clear that these organisers take
the shed project very seriously,
and are committed to bringing
this valuable resource to the
men of Ringsend and Dublin 4.
The remarkable benefits of a
Men’s Shed
Sheds are informal spaces
where men are encouraged to
come together and undertake
hands-on activities. You might
learn something new, teach
something to someone else, or
just pop in for a chat and a cup
of tea.
The movement started in Aus-
tralia in the mid-1990s. The
first community shed was set
up here in Tipperary. The men’s
shed movement has been a phe-
nomenal success in this country:
Ireland has over 400 sheds, the
largest concentration anywhere
in the world.
The popularity is down to
their effectiveness. Research
proves that taking part in a shed
is hugely beneficial for men’s
physical and mental health.
Male-friendly environments
like men’s sheds can support
people in identifying ways to
reduce their risk of illness and
make positive lifestyle changes.
What’s more, the existence of a
men’s shed in a community ad-
dresses one of the biggest chal-
lenges facing both rural and
urban Ireland today: social iso-
lation.
Sheds in Ireland engage in
many diverse activities, but
woodwork and crafts are the
most popular. As has been pre-
viously reported by this paper,
the organisers are looking to
tap into the maritime history of
Ringsend, namely its connec-
tion to the marina and the docks.
Alongside the many benefits
that come with a shed, a Ring-
send Community Maritime
Shed could play a special role
in the future of the area. With
people coming to teach and
learn different skills, it could be
a place to pass on our local tra-
ditions.
One attendee at the pub-
lic meeting suggested that the
shed could be a place to teach
the rope-making and knot-tying
techniques of old.
“If we set out to make a few
lengths of that authentic rope,
we could even decorate the lo-
cal area,” he said. This man
added that the intricate and
elaborate knot-tying was an art
in itself. “If you did up some
of those knots and put them in
a frame, you could sell them.”
Indeed there are markets across
Dublin that sell such locally
made crafts. “And,” he went on
to say, “if we got even three out
of 1,000 young lads interested
in learning this stuff, that would
be a great way to honour the tra-
dition. And carry it on.”
Ringsend’s historical Men’s
Shed
Speaking of traditions, it
seems that Ringsend had a kind
of men’s shed of it own many
decades before term ‘men’s
shed’ was ever coined. A male-
only meeting space (seemingly
a men’s shed in all but name)
existed in Ringsend from the
1940s through to the late 1980s.
I sat down with two proud
Ringsend ladies, who told me
of the little space that a group
of local men used to frequent,
to meet each other and pass the
time.
They told me the ‘shed’ was
located near the entrance to
Ringsend Park. They reckon it
was probably in an unused back
garden along Brendan’s Cottag-
es or Kennedy Court. At first, it
was a run down out-building, lit-
tle more than bricks and weeds,
and very derelict. The local men
got busy, and made the shack
into something usable.
It seems these men banded to-
gether and set the space up for
themselves because they had
little other option. Times were
hard, money was tight, the men
could hardly afford to go to the
pub. With nothing else to do
they gathered at their ‘shed’.
 www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019
Ringsend’s Historical Shed
There was a tin kettle, a pot-bel-
lied stove, and a few seats. The
men came to chat, play cards or
dominos, and make tea in their
billy cans.
“Some came every day,” I was
told. “It was like a second home
to some of them. Sure, it was all
they had back then.”
The ladies listed some of the
names they remembered from
that time: Chunks Riordan,
Francis Byrne, Daddy Dolan,
Mr. Harris. For the most part,
these were stylish men – as can
be seen in the pictures accom-
panying this article. They wore
Crombie coats with pinstripes,
and classy George Webb shoes.
They didn’t have much, but they
sure made it count.
“The little space they had was
great. It was somewhere to come
in out of the cold. There were 10
or so men. They’d come in the
evenings, the afternoons, at all
hours. It was great for them.”
It’s not clear what happened
to the ‘shed’. It seems to have
lasted right up until the 1980s,
at one point even serving as the
changing rooms for local foot-
ball clubs. In the end, the shed
most likely ceased to exist as the
men who used it passed away.
“These days,” the two ladies
added, “there’s plenty for the
women of Ringsend. But there’s
nothing for the men, only the
pub. A new men’s shed would
be great.”
Fundraising plans – The Race
Night
With a committee elected and
a temporary space secured, the
men’s shed organisers of today
are set on bringing this great
community space back to Ring-
send. It’s a new generation pick-
ing up where the old one left
off – but they’re still in need of
sponsorship and volunteers.
The Race Night will be an-
nounced in the next few weeks.
Local businesses are kindly
asked to give what support they
can. Aside from helping to bring
this much-needed resource to
the Dublin 4 area, any business
LOCAL
which gives sponsorship to the
shed will get a special mention
in NewsFour when the future
Race Night fundraiser is report-
ed on. It’s a worthy cause. Any
help given will not be forgotten.
During the public meeting,
shed organiser Christy Barry
brought the urgency of their
work into sharp focus.
“A place like this could be
especially important now that
we’re coming up to winter.
People can come and do all the
crafts and things, but they don’t
have to. The priority is inclu-
Page 5
sion and mental health,” he said.
“This will be somewhere for an-
yone to come, have a cup of tea
or a chat. You might come along
and only sit in the corner. Some
of the older people here, they
might not see anyone for days
on end. A community space like
this could make a real difference
to a person’s mental health. To
their life.”
Keep an eye out for posters
and notices about the upcoming
Men’s Shed race night, to be an-
nounced in the next few weeks.
Anyone looking to get involved
in the D4 men’s shed project
should contact peternewsfour@
gmail.com, and I will forward
your details to shed committee.
Page 4: Some of the men who
used to frequent the old “men’s
shed” in Ringsend. Someone
you might remember could be
among them!
Above left: Two stylish locals
from that era, John Byrne and
Joseph Kane – they didn’t have
much but they made the most of it!
 Page 6
Documenting
Donnybrook’s
sacred space
H
n Eoin Meegan
aving written about the
ancient cemetery in
Donnybrook previously
in this paper, I was intrigued
when a new documentary on
the cemetery was announced
this summer and went along to
a preview showing of the film at
The Hive in Herbert Park, Don-
nybrook. Titled ‘Donnybrook’s
Hidden Treasure’, it is described
as a film featuring interviews
and stories about some of the
people buried there.
The film was made by local his-
torian Glenda Cimino, who direct-
ed it, with Caroline Brennan and
James Martinez as co-editors, and
Mahyar Ghodsi doing the camera
work. It was produced by the Bea-
ver Row Historical Society.
The film is about 40 minutes
long and features hauntingly beau-
tiful shots of the cemetery, as well
as interviews with some of those
who have a long-standing and
close connection with it.
The interviews are informal and
more like accidental encounters.
Among the contributors are David
Neary, who has been conducting
tours of the cemetery since 2006,
groundsman Míceál Mc Giobúin,
local councillor Dermot Lacey,
and Alan Parkinson, grandson of
Danny Parkinson, whose book
‘Donnybrook Graveyard’ is an im-
portant record of the graveyard, its
history and place in the village.
What particularly struck me
about these people was their genu-
ine love for this ancient graveyard,
their passion to have it preserved,
and in many cases how they were
struck by a feeling of awe and
LOCAL / COMMUNITY
something, almost supernatural
there.
“You get a real feeling of peace
in the cemetery, it really is palpa-
ble,” Míceál Mc Giobúin muses.
“That’s why it’s incumbent on us
to keep it a sacred ground.” This
theme of a sacredness that can be
felt, was repeated by several con-
tributors, and it’s one which this
writer also experienced.
Glenda conveyed to me that she
felt it too, and this was largely the
inspiration, or impetus behind the
making of the film. “I have lived in
Donnybrook since 1974 and every
time I was in the graveyard I felt
that there was truly a sense of peace
there, and felt it was probably con-
nected to the spirit of St Broc and
the life her people lived there. More
so than other cemeteries, it seemed
to have an atmosphere of its own
and convey a sense of well-being
when you enter it. I tried to convey
that in the film. Clearly many oth-
ers, such as Míceál experienced
something mystical too.”
She quotes Freddy de Silva who
said: “Sacred sites are repositories
of subtle energies that have a corre-
sponding effect on people’s state of
consciousness.” This is a statement
anyone visiting Donnybrook’s old
cemetery is likely to resonate with.
David Neary is frequently asked
if he ever felt a presence in the
graveyard. His reply is “the only
presence I feel in it is one of be-
nevolence and peace.” A Waterford
man originally, David tells us how,
after some initial apprehension
when he was cast unexpectedly
into the role of tour guide, he grew
to love it. What gives him particu-
lar satisfaction is the interaction
with people on the tour. “I want the
tour to be a conversation and like it
when people join in,” he says.
So what about the future of the
cemetery? Dermot Lacey has pro-
posed that a columbarium be built,
that is a wall into which the ciner-
ary urns after cremation are depos-
ited, something that is becoming
increasingly popular in many cem-
eteries.
As the cemetery is now full, the
last internment was in 1936, this
would make Donnybrook grave-
yard a working cemetery again,
the council would most likely be
responsible for its upkeep, and it
would become an active part of the
village once more. Obviously, any
new work or additions to it would
have to be done sensitively.
Dermot would also like to see a
bench erected to commemorate the
late Tony Boyle, a local man who
led a team of voluntary workers in
the restoration of the cemetery in
the mid-1980s.
Not everyone shares this vi-
sion of the future of the cemetery,
though. There are some who would
like to see what is now termed as
the ‘re-wilding’ of the cemetery;
that is letting it fall into natural de-
cay, not cutting the grass or restor-
ing headstones which had fallen
over, in other words, allowing na-
ture take its course.
While I understand this senti-
ment I think it would be a pity to
let the graveyard fall into complete
ruin, and some upkeep is neces-
sary, without spoiling its inherent
structure as an old cemetery.
Returning to the documentary,
Glenda says she doesn’t think the
film is quite finished yet and would
like to include material on the re-
burial of the victims of the Seav-
iew Terrace massacre (see feature
on page 16) in the final cut. “I want
to go through it again, make some
corrections, cut some of it out and
add in more about St Broc.”
I probed her on when the public
at large would get to see the film.
www.newsfour.ie
“The first step would be festivals,
and then approach TV, if we get it
to a good length.”
In a post-film panel discussion,
Glenda talked about winning a
prestigious prize for a previous
film she made. I asked her about
this. “The first documentary I di-
rected was ‘Bog Meditation’, a
short film about Dublin artist and
poet Christine Broe, and her work
around sculpting faces out of bog
mud, letting them dry out and take
on their own expressions. We used
her poetry from her collection
‘Lifting Light’ as the soundtrack
for the film. It was a nine-minute
long film. I sent it to the Holly-
wood International Independent
Documentary Awards (HIIDA).
We didn’t have high expectations
but surprisingly we were accepted
into the HIIDA festival and won a
prize in the ‘cultural film’ category.
I think they found the mist and the
bog mud quite exotic. We shot it
over one day with no budget at all.
I chose the music from the creative
commons.”
Danny Parkinson recounts in his
book that over 7,000 people are
buried in Donnybrook cemetery.
The film touches on one tragic
family. In 1867, aged only 33, John
Blythe and his two children, a son
and daughter both under six years,
all died. His wife Hannah, who
came from Ringsend, tragically
followed them only five years later.
It transpired that there were no
October / November 2019
less than four chemical factories
on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay at the
time, where the family lived, and
it is very likely that they all suc-
cumbed to the noxious fumes that
emitted from said factories.
All are interred in Donnybrook
cemetery. A telling lesson for us
even today, when individual health
and the well-being of the environ-
ment have, rightfully, become cen-
tral issues.
‘Donnybrook’s Hidden Treas-
ure’ is a film sensitively made
about one of Donnybrook’s lesser
-known attractions. It is an impor-
tant film documenting the history
and story of a piece of Donnybrook
that not only gave it its name (St
Broc) but from which the village
we love today emerged. I think
Glenda and her team have done a
splendid job and manage to capture
that sacred atmosphere and sense
of well-being just right.
David Neary’s tour of the cem-
etery takes place every alternative
Saturday at 2.00pm. The tour is
free and lasts about an hour. It is
not to be missed.
Above, left to right: Lar Kelly,
James Martinez, Cllr Dermot Lac-
ey, David Neary, Glenda Cimino,
and Mahyar Ghodsi.
Photo by Eoin Meegan.
Below: David Neary.
Photo by Teresa Beausang.
Bottom left image courtesy of
Google Images.
www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019 Page 7
 Page 8
D
n Dermot Carmody
r Niamh Shaw will give
a “talk for grown ups” on
beekeeping and bees’ im-
portance in the ecosystem at The
Ark in Eustace Street on Novem-
ber 17th. The event is part of Sci-
ence Week, which runs from the
10th-17th of November, and this
year, will focus on “climate action,
seeking to help people understand
climate change, how science and
technology can help us create a
positive climate future and the im-
pact we as individuals can have on
climate change.”
NewsFour sat down for a con-
versation with Niamh about life,
bees and space. She’s the very
definition of a renaissance woman,
holding two degrees in engineer-
ing and a Phd in science, boasting
a wealth of experience in theatre
and live speaking and holding the
serious ambition to travel in space
as a citizen and an artist.
And of course she has experi-
ence as a beekeeper, something
she has learned from her father,
who has been very involved in
beekeeping for many years and
who only recently retired as Secre-
tary of the Federation of Irish Bee-
keepers Associations (FIBKA).
“I’m only three years keeping
bees and most of the people in-
volved in beekeeping are in their
70s plus, thats the average age,”
says Niamh. She’s noticed that
since she has become more in-
volved with the bees herself, sud-
denly she meets beekeepers all
the time. “I’ve met two beekeep-
ers this week alone. One, I was in
Belfast and I was working with
scientists and one of them was a
Dr Niamh Shaw
talks bees
and space
beekeeper and then on Wednes-
day night I was at an event and my
friend who’s an engineer and her
husband, who’s also an engineer
ends up being a beekeeper. It’s like
there’s a whole beekeeping under-
world of Ireland!”
Until recently Niamh’s father
kept his beehives in his back gar-
den, with Niamh travelling home
to Louth to help out whenever her
hectic schedule allowed. Then her
father retired as secretary of FIB-
KA and found that back trouble
made lifting the hives difficult, so
they decided to move their bees to
the Louth Beekeepers’ apiary.
Niamh takes up a story of bee
discontent, which illustrates the
way that the whole hive acts out
the mood of its queen. “Within
a matter of days,” she says, “the
bees got really aggressive. At this
stage the bees would know dad
well enough that he doesn’t need
to wear gloves and he doesn’t wear
boots or anything.”
Niamh and her dad took the
lid off their hive and almost im-
mediately the bees started to at-
tack them. “This was really scary
– they were going crazy,” Niamh
recalls. “And we walked away and
they followed us and it took them
about twenty minutes to give up.”
Her father, stung, retreated to the
safety of his car. Luckily Niamh
was fully suited up and managed
to get the angry beehive back in
order. But the next time they re-
turned to the hive the bees were
really aggressive again.
Eventually, a beekeeping col-
league told them they needed to re-
place the queen to solve the prob-
lem. A first attempt to do this failed
SCIENCE
to soothe the narky insects, so they
tried again and “within a few days
the whole hive calmed down. It’s
incredible!”
Niamh is fascinated by the way
a beehive acts as a mini society,
with the queen at the centre dictat-
ing the mood and activity of the
rest with her pheromones. Howev-
er that’s not always good news for
the apian monarch. If the queen’s
pheromones weaken, then the hive
will decide it’s time to get shot of
her and start again.
As Niamh explains, “when they
know the queen is dying, they’ll
just build up a new queen.” The
bees will then literally push the old
queen out to bring about regime
change in the hive. And there’s not
much for her to look forward to
in retirement as Niamh explains:
“They’ve fattened her up and she
can’t actually move all that much
because she eats royal jelly. She’s
a prisoner!”
Although this seems a lit-
tle rough on the deposed queen,
Niamh is an enthusiastic admirer
of what she calls a “perfect socie-
ty” and its extraordinary organisa-
tion and self-regulation. There’s an
organised structure of roles within
the hive and each bee once she
hatches will go through a sequence
of those roles.
Newly-hatched bees start keep-
ing the floor of the hive clean as
sweepers, others take care of the
eggs and some fan air through the
hive from the entrance with their
wings to keep it ventilated. The fi-
nal job in the sequence is that of
the foragers, the bees who fly out
to search for food.
All these working bees are fe-
www.newsfour.ie
male. It’s only when a new queen
has to mate that the male drone
is required. Apart from that func-
tion drones are, as Niamh says, “a
waste of space.”
This can cause problems if the
hive loses its queen. If that hap-
pens, she explains, “the other bees
panic and they start to lay eggs and
all the eggs that hatch are drones,
they’re all male bees. And drones
don’t do anything, Drones just
hang out, chill , eat, do nothing so
they’re a waste of space, like all
men are!”
Honey bees of the type used to
produce honey commercially are
only a small part of our bee popu-
lation. There are around a hundred
different species of bee in Ireland
including the native Irish bee,
apis millifera millifera, which is a
black bee, and all the various soli-
tary bees and bumblebees.
Different species are attracted
to different plants, so the diversity
of the bee population and the plant
population are inextricably linked.
Niamh stresses the importance of
preserving the hedgerows in Ire-
land as they are the environment
where this biodiversity can flour-
ish.
Honey bees act as pollinators for
many fruit trees, something which
has led farmers to become aware
of the importance of the bee popu-
lation, and to seek to make use of
them to increase their yield.
One beekeeper friend of
Niamh’s was approached by an
apple farmer to introduce his bees
to the farmer’s orchard. There was
a 20% improvement in the fruit
yield as a result in this instance.
However, the artificial intro-
duction of bee populations to
certain areas to improve yields is
not without problems, as Niamh
explains. “In America,” she says,
for example, “almond trees need
to be pollinated so they hire bee-
keepers from Montana, Cali-
fornia, Carolina and so on. The
problem with that is that if there’s
a plague in Montana, now it’s go-
ing to be transferred to Carolina
so you’ve got a serious problem
of cross-contamination. There are
different types of pests that bees
have and so you’re exacerbating
the problem for them. When you
aggressively farm something like
that as well it’s not good for na-
ture.”
She also points out that there’s
an ethical concern in the way we
treat bees. Moving them hundreds
of miles in lorries must be stress-
ful for them, she thinks, going so
far as to describe it as a type of
slavery.
October / November 2019
She believes that the way we
treat bees is a reflection of us as
a culture, which is why she com-
bined beekeeping and her passion
for the idea of human space travel
in her last theatre show, Diary Of
A Martian Beekeeper.
In all her work Niamh is mo-
tivated by the importance of in-
forming people about technology,
what it can do and the issues for
us regarding what we think we
should do. “I want people to ask
about asteroid mining and coloni-
sation of Mars,” she says, because
“the sooner we get laws and poli-
cies in place to protect the impact
of us as a species who are essen-
tially a parasite on one planet af-
fecting another planet, the better.”
Although she’s optimistic
about technology and our future,
Niamh’s mission is partly to give
others an informed perspective of
humans in the universe, because,
as she says “whether we exist or
not, our planet continues to re-
volve around its axis and contin-
ues to orbit the sun, it doesn’t give
a damn whether we know or not.”
Niamh Shaw’s talk on bees
and beekeeping is at The Ark in
11A Eustace St, Temple Bar, at
6pm on November 14th.
More information and book-
ing details are online at https://
ark.ie/events/view/beekeeping
Find out more about Niamh
at her website http://www.
niamhshaw.ie
Above: Niamh Shaw pictured on
simulated Mars mission at the
Mars Desert Research Station in
Utah in 2015”.
Photo:www.niamhshaw.ie
Below: A bee hard at work in
Dublin 4.
Photo: Dermot Carmody.
www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019 Page 9
 Page 10
Ó Beauty Botanicals
mra Beauty is a family-
run business, trading in
the Merrion Centre for
over six years. Rachael Foley,
who is the owner and MD of the
special salon, first qualified as a
beautician over 16 years ago and
has worked in various salons and
spas over the years. She is con-
tinually retraining in all of the
latest beauty trends and deliver-
ing that knowledge to her clients
at Ómra Beauty.
Graham hand-built much of the
salon himself, putting countless
hours into its design and construc-
tion during holidays, evenings and
weekends. He put love, care and
attention into every piece of crafts-
manship of the salon. He built eve-
rything from the internal walls to
the manicure tables, to the recep-
tion desk.
Singularly for a beauty salon
they adhere to a strong ethical code
here at Ómra Beauty as they don’t
use any facial products, make-up,
tint or nail polishes that are tested
on animals.
But what is really special is
that they are now offering amaz-
ing new treatments to cancer pa-
tients and also to cancer survivors
through Rachael’s specialist train-
ing in Cancer Touch Therapy.
Rachael got in touch with News-
Four to tell us about her personal
connection to this unique and spe-
cial service.
“Ómra is Irish for Amber. Am-
ber was my beautiful sister’s name
who passed away from cancer in
2011. She always loved beauty
therapy and got beauty treatments
from me whenever she could.
From the beginning, Amber en-
couraged me to open up my own
salon, as she herself was adventur-
ous and also hard-working.
“At that time I was uneducated
in Cancer Touch Therapy, so I felt
powerless to give her any treat-
NewsFour around the World
A well informed tour! NewsFour at the Niagara Falls.
caring for cancer
ments to make her feel better when
she was ill, so being able to offer
these treatments to help others now
is incredible! When Amber was
dying the only respite and pleasure
she got was from receiving Re-
flexology treatments at the Cuisle
Cancer Resource Centre. This was
her hour of peace where she could
forget she was a cancer patient and
just simply be herself and relax.
Due to my personal connections
with cancer as well as the fact that
we are situated opposite St. Vin-
cent’s Hospital, I am thrilled to say
that we now offer Cancer Touch
Therapy. This means that from our
treatments, patients undergoing
HEALTH
oncology treatment can see their
bodies as something that can relax
them and not as the enemy.”
St. Vincent’s University Hospi-
tal in Dublin 4, is one of Ireland’s
busiest hospitals and it also cares
for cancer patients. They often
have people receiving chemother-
apy and radiotherapy asking them
what treatments they can have and
it now feels incredible to be able to
offer these treatments to them.
“A qualification in Cancer Touch
Therapy enables the therapist to
provide an effective and safe treat-
ment within the client’s presenting
condition, taking into account any
contraindication, restrictions or
adaptations necessary to safeguard
the client’s well-being and provide
a comfortable and enjoyable expe-
rience.”
Treatments include: Hand on
Heart – Face, Back and Scalp
Treatment; Catch the Breath
– Back and Scalp Treatment;
Soothe and Nourish Organic Fa-
cial; Touch Therapy Treatment for
hands, arms, legs and feet; safe
and adapted Manicure and Pedi-
cure treatments.
All these treatments are given
using the Made For Life Organics
products.
In 1999 Made For Life Organ-
ics (then known as Spiezia Organ-
ics) was the first UK company to
achieve 100% organic certifica-
www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019
tion across the entire collection
from the UK Soil Association and
worked closely with them to help
define Accreditation for beauty
products.
Organic means your products
are free from toxins and won’t in-
clude parabens (which have been
linked to cancer), formaldehyde,
petroleum waxes, SLS and micro-
beads which are unnecessary and
can be damaging to your skin.
From the beginning, every single
product has been made by hand in
Cornwall using herbs, flowers and
oils from as close as quality will
allow. They track the provenance
of every ingredient that goes into
their products, so each balm, oil or
ointment has its own life story.
Made for Life Organics is a pure
and clean way of life. They do not
add any synthetic chemicals, in-
cluding parabens and the products
are the application of pure nature
to the skin - no more, no less.
With the skin being the larg-
est organ of your body, up to 2kg
of chemicals can be absorbed
through it each year just from toi-
letries and skin-care products. The
range promises uncontaminated
natural products which will not
be tested on animals. They pro-
cess their balms and oils using a
unique method of capturing solar
and lunar energy during a targeted
‘maceration’ which lies at the heart
of each product to provide intense
and natural properties.
Made for Life Organics is an
ethos of healthy and wholesome
living, from the labels on their re-
cycled glass bottles and jars to the
product miles of the ingredients. It
is about making choices that con-
tribute to our own wellbeing and
that of the world we live in.
This ethos extends to their Made
for Life Foundation, a registered
charity 1138846 founded in 2008
by Amanda Winwood, MD of
Made For Life Organics skincare
company, to provide holistic sup-
port for people diagnosed with and
recovering from cancer. The Made
for Life Foundation organises days
filled with complementary treat-
ments, organic makeovers, nutri-
tional advice, art therapy, medi-
tation and relaxation techniques
along with time for sharing and
hugs.
Ómra Beauty’s mission is to
give a thoroughly professional
treatment in a friendly, welcom-
ing and relaxed environment. Our
commitment is to treat all humans
and creatures on this planet with
respect and compassion, there-
fore bringing out true inner beauty
as well as being a dedicated and
qualified Cancer Touch Therapist,
which enables Rachael to confi-
dently carry out spa treatments on
clients, living with, undergoing
treatment for and recovering from
cancer. It is an amazing service to
be able to provide to people in the
Dublin 4 area.
We are proud to tell you that
we have won several awards:
Salon Ambience of the Year
2019 – Irish Hair & Beauty Awards
Best Make Up Salon Dublin
2019 – Irish Make Up Awards
Best Make Up Salon Dublin
2018 – Irish Make Up Awards
Salon Based Make Up Special-
ist of the Year 2016 – Irish Hair &
Beauty Awards
Phorest Client Experience
Award 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016,
2015
For more information see:
http://omrabeauty.ie/
https://madeforlife.org/
https://www.madeforlifeorgan-
ics.com
https://madeforlife.org/cancer-
touch-therapy/
Image: Opening the doors to
those going through cancer – Can-
cer Touch Therapy with Omra
Beauty and Made for Life Organ-
ics.
Image Courtesy of the Made for
Life Foundation.
 www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019 HEALTH Page 11

F
n Eoin Meegan
ancy a challenge to help
beat breast cancer? Well,
the Great Pink Run is
back on October 19th next in
the Phoenix Park. You have a
choice of a 10k or a 5k run or
walk, which kicks off at 10 am
and 11 am respectively, with
the 10k event doing two laps of
the route.
Interested? First up, you must
register online if you want to
take part in the event. The cost
is €25 for adults, only €15 for
under 18s, and those ten years
or less can go for a fiver. You
can register online until October
12th, but on registration day it
will be cash only.
You collect your race number
and your t-shirt (which you get
free once you register) either
on the day or the previous day
at a location to be announced.
Children are encouraged to take
part. Upon registering, each par-
ticipant will automatically cre-
ate an online fundraising page
with EverydayHero which al-
lows you to share with friends
and family who can all donate.
Everyone receives a medal at the
end. All funds raised go directly
Pretty in Pink:
Join the Great Pink Run and beat cancer
into breast cancer research and
awareness and the sponsors are
covering all the costs.
The starting point is the junc-
tion of Furze Road and Chester-
field Avenue. If you are travel-
ling to the event, be mindful that
there is limited parking in the
Phoenix Park and the surround-
ing areas. So maybe taking the
bus or Luas is a better option.
Breast cancer is the second
most common cause of cancer in
Ireland in women, and worrying-
ly the cases are on the increase.
Statistics show that one in 11
women are diagnosed with breast
cancer in their lifetime. Over
3,000 cases are diagnosed every
year and sadly 706 women die
from it. The condition is more
common in women over 50, but
it affects younger women too.
On the positive side, survival
rates are on the increase thanks
to early detection, and the re-
search work being carried out
worldwide. That is why your
participation is so vitally im-
portant. Cancer research needs
funds, and your participation on
October the 19th will make a dif-
ference. You can contribute to
this great work by having a fun
day and keeping healthy at the
same time.
This is the ninth year of the
Great Pink Run event, with
more than 35,000 people having
crossed the finishing line since
the event began in 2011. Over
8,000 completed the run in the
Phoenix Park last year, raising
in excess of €500,000, and this
year, the planners are hoping to
do even better.
The event isn’t solely aimed at
women, the organisers want men
to participate in it too. While it
is a serious fundraising event,
and an actual race, the emphasis
is very much on the fun aspect.
You don’t have to be an athlete
to take part, you can walk or jog
or bring your stroller.
The organisers encourage peo-
ple to wear pink, the vast major-
ity of those taking part in previ-
ous years did. And to encourage
you, there will be a prize for the
‘best dressed in pink’. So give it
a go.
The event is organised by
Breast Cancer Ireland, and
sponsored by Avonmore Slim-
line Milk. If you can’t make the
Phoenix Park for some reason,
or if you’re in the Kilkenny area,
the race happens again the fol-
lowing day (20th) in Kilkenny
Castle Park.
This is your chance to do
something really worthwhile
and the organisers would like to
thank their sponsors and all those
who will participate. You can
have a truck-load of fun while
still raising money for a really
worthwhile cause.
See you all in the Phoenix
Park. To register go to https://
www.greatpinkrun.ie/
Image: GPR Logo.
 Page 12 ENVIRONMENT www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019

The Dodder:
A haven of biodiversity
raine, a bat-lover, explains that
August is the best month to see
Daubenton’s bats on the river,
though they will still be seen
through to October until the
temperature drops. “In Novem-
ber they’ll actually go into long-
er sleeps,” she explains, “and
then they build that up before
they go into hibernation.”
Lorraine has had an affin-
ity with waterways since going
fishing in canals and rivers with
her father in London, where she
spent her childhood. Her mother

A
n Dermot Carmody
s part of the recent Her-
itage Week 2019, Dub-
lin City Council organ-
ised guided walks highlighting
Rivers As Havens. NewsFour
went along to the walk along
the Dodder under the expert
guidance of DCC Biodiversity
officer Lorraine Bull and later
chatted with her about her work.
Our group, some forty strong,
met for the guided walk with
Lorraine, where the third long-
est Dublin river flows by Bushy
Park. It was just before dusk for
reasons which were to become
apparent.
Lorraine led us along the
bank of the river in search of
evidence of its abundant fauna.
We peered unsuccessfully under
a bridge where a flat concrete
ridge provides an ideal place
to spot dippers. Smaller than a
blackbird with reddish-brown
plumage and white bib, dippers
can be seen on flat rocks in the
river, their characteristic bob-
bing motion giving rise to their
name.
Less frequently spotted is the
most spectacular bird found
along the Dodder, the brilliantly
coloured kingfisher.
But the airborne stars of the
show on this evening are not
birds but mammals. The chance
to see bats is the reason why the
time and location of the walk
were chosen. Lorraine made use
of a handheld bat detector which
detects the clicking noises made
by the bats to locate the insects
they catch and eat on the wing.
The device converts and am-
plifies the clicking so it can be
heard by the human ear. It can
also be tuned to detect the dif-
ferent specific range of frequen-
cies of the noises made by dif-
ferent species.
Our group crammed on to a
small footbridge and Lorraine’s
bat detector burst into life, indi-
cating the hunting activities of
Daubenton’s bat. Often called
the water bat, Daubenton’s bats
fly just a few centimeters above
the surface of the river hunting
for caddisflies, mayflies and
midges. It can even pluck prey
from the surface with its feet.
The bats fly up and down the
water between the bridges and
we can see them clearly as
our eyes adjust to the twilight.
The bat detector tells Lorraine
there’s another species on the
wing nearby: the smaller pip-
istrelle bats, who flit about in
a different niche at hedgerow
level.
In conversation later, Lor-
hails from Dublin and Lorraine
moved here in the late 90s.
Her background is in the arts,
but she went to college here as
a mature student and studied
Zoology and since then she’s
worked on a number of conser-
vation projects, including the
Wildlife Trust and the Whale
and Dolphin Group in Ireland.
Since April this year she has
been working as DCC’s Biodi-
versity Officer. Why is biologi-
cal diversity important? Well,
as Lorraine describes it, it’s our
“life support system on Earth. It
provides us with fresh drinking
water, air and food. Without the
little macroinvertebrates in the
river, without the trees provid-
ing oxygen and all the plants
and animals providing food, we
wouldn’t be able to survive.”
She describes the richness
and diversity of a river like the
Dodder, which like all rivers has
several different areas provid-
ing different habitats for plants
and animals. “You’ve got fish
spawning grounds, you’ve got
faster-flowing stretches of river
and then areas where it will nat-
urally slow down,” she explains.
Still ponds like the one we en-
countered on our walking tour
provides the perfect environ-
ment for frogs to spawn. Near
that pond, Lorraine pointed out
a flattened pathway through the
growth on the bank into the wa-
ter, which turned out to be an
otter slide. Otters are found all
the way along the Dodder, right
down to where it enters the sea,
where they’ve been spotted near
St. Patrick’s Rowing Club in
Ringsend.
Another interesting inhabitant
of the lower reaches of the Dod-
der is The Little Egret, formerly
a migratory visitor from Africa
here, but then, as Lorraine says,
“just a few years ago they de-
cided to stay. They’re seen as
an indicator species for climate
change.” Our milder winters
coupled with possibly hotter
summers in Africa have made
this bird, which looks like a
small white heron, a permanent
resident.
Lorraine is keen on doing
more walks such as the one
along the Dodder. Liaising with
local community groups like
the Dodder Action Group is an
important part of her work as a
DCC Biodiversity Officer as it’s
not just the actions of official
bodies, for example, the Parks
Department of DCC, that can
contribute to biodiversity.
The Dublin parks have greatly
improved the environment for
pollinators with planting policy
and made changes to the way
invasive plants like Japanese
knotweed are dealt with. But
local groups have also made an
important contribution, as do in-
dividuals who change what they
do in their own garden.
Not only is Lorraine enthu-
siastic about the efforts of in-
dividuals and local community
groups, but she insists it can
make a difference, despite the
daunting prospect of climate
change, which she agrees people
may find overwhelming. “We
think ‘Oh, God, it doesn’t mat-
ter what we do! This is all really
bad!’” she says, “but actually a
lot of local groups working to-
gether on a small scale actually
has a big impact.”
Clockwise from top left:
Daubenton’s Bat.
Photo by Gilles San Martin
(Creative Commons)
Little Egret.
Photo by Bishnu Sarangi from
Pixabay
Swans on the Dodder at Fitzwil-
liam Quay and Exploring the
River Dodder.
Both photos by Dermot Car-
mody.
 www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019 Page 13

Five reasons to consider Dental Implants
candidate. Treatment takes from six
weeks to six months, so it is important
to discuss the process in detail with your
dentist.”
Five Reasons to Consider Dental Im-
plants:
1: Enhanced appearance
Dental implants are designed to look,
feel, and function like natural teeth.
With dental implants in place, patients
find that they can smile with confidence
tion like your own teeth, they allow you
to eat your favourite foods as normal.
4: Natural speech
Missing teeth can often alter a per-
son’s speech. Similarly, with poor-fit-
ting dentures, teeth can slip within the
mouth, causing a person to mumble or
slur their words. Dental implants allow
you to speak naturally, without the wor-
ry that teeth might slip.
5: Better oral health
ments. Northumberland Dental Care is
part of the Dental Care Ireland group.
Dr Jennifer Collins (pictured left) is
lead general dentist at Northumberland
Dental Care in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.
She qualified in dentistry at University
of Wales in 2004 and has been working
in private practice for over ten years.
Dr Collins has a special interest in cos-
metic, restorative and implant dentistry
and is fully trained in facial aesthetics.
For further tips and advice on look-

M
issing teeth can have a huge
impact on a person’s appear-
ance and self-esteem, as well
as mouth function and oral hygiene.
With more and more solutions available
to patients, Dr Jennifer Collins, lead
general dentist at Northumberland Den-
tal Care in Dublin 4, shares some useful
tips on the benefits of dental implants.
As Dr Collins explains: “Dental im-
plants are artificial roots that can pro-
vide a permanent solution to missing
teeth. The implants are embedded in the
jaw, so they create a false tooth that both
looks and feels real. As long as a patient
is in good overall health, with heathy
teeth and gums, they can be a suitable
again, improving self-esteem and often
providing a new lease of life.
2: Durability and comfort
With proper care and maintenance,
implants can last as long as conven-
tional restorations on teeth. They are ex-
tremely durable, and many implants will
last a lifetime. As the implant is fused
with the bone, it becomes a permanent
fixture, eliminating the discomfort and
inconvenience of removable dentures.
3: Improved eating
Replacing missing teeth with implants
allows a person to chew their food more
easily. Sliding dentures can make chew-
ing difficult. Since dental implants func-
Dental implants preserve natural tooth ing after your oral health, visit www.
tissue by avoiding the need to cut down nidm.ie
adjacent teeth, as with a conventional
bridge. Since the nearby teeth are not Below: Northumberland Dental Care.
altered to support the implant, more of
your own teeth are left intact, improving
long-term oral health. Individual im-
plants also allow easier access between
teeth, resulting in better oral hygiene.
Northumberland Dental Care, for-
merly The Northumberland Institute of
Dental Medicine (NIDM), was estab-
lished over 25 years ago in Ballsbridge,
Dublin 4. Led by a multi-disciplinary
team of experts, the state-of-the-art
practice offers a full range of general,
cosmetic and specialist dental treat-
 Page 14
T
n Dermot Carmody
he role of Dublin during the War
of Independence (1919-1921), and
the experiences of her ordinary cit-
izens during that conflict, are the subject
of an exhibition at the Dublin City Library
and Archive in Pearse Street. The exhibi-
tion’s curators have used contemporary
photographs, newspapers and film to chart
the background to the war and to docu-
ment the main protagonists and incidents
in the capital where over 300 people lost
their lives in the violence.
NewsFour attended a guided tour of
the exhibition where James Curry, one of
Dublin City Council’s Historians in Resi-
dence, walked a group of us through the
exhibition. We began at the eye-catching
centerpiece in the middle of the exhibi-
tion, a representation on Nelson’s Pillar,
the monument which once stood on the
site of the Spire in O’Connell Street (pre-
viously named Sackville Street).
This symbol of empire and military
power survived both the 1916 Rising and
the War of Independence of course, to be
eventually destroyed by a bomb in 1966.
As James pointed out, those visiting the
exhibition can still see Nelson’s head up-
stairs in the main reading room of the li-
brary.
The exhibition gives the visitor a context
to the War of Independence with a brief
guide to political events leading up to it,
from the abolition of the parliament in Ire-
land in 1800 following the Act of Union.
A long political struggle to achieve Home
Rule, (independence for Ireland whilst re-
maining within the British Empire) ensued
under the leadership of men like Isaac Butt
and then Charles Stewart Parnell and the
Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP).
However, as Home Rule was due to
be enacted in 1914, the First World War
broke out, which, as James Curry points
out “put a bit of a dampener on things.”
Critically the leader of the IPP, John Red-
mond urged Irish men to enlist to fight for
the British cause in the War. Ultimately,
around 200,000 Irish people fought in the
War and around 35,000 were killed. With
the failure of Home Rule to materialise
and casualties mounting, support for the
IPP dropped and increased for more radi-
cal groups like Sinn Féin.
Although there was limited popular sup-
port for the 1916 rising at the time, this
spread and became entrenched because of
the British response – arrests, executions,
and deportations – so that by the time the
war ended and there was a general election
in 1918 Sinn Féin won a landslide victory.
Curry makes the point, as he shows us
some heavily-censored Sinn Féin elec-
toral material from 1918, that although
they played a relatively small part in the
Rising, Sinn Féin’s victory capitalised en-
tirely on the growth in sympathy after the
fact for the rebels of 1916.
Sinn Féin had fought the election on
an abstentionist policy, so that in January
of 1919 the successful candidates did not
HISTORY
Goodbye Dublin:
The War of
Independence in the City
take their seats at Westminster, but instead
formed the first Dáil, meeting in the round
room at the Mansion House.
There’s an iconic photograph of the
first Dáil in the exhibition, but many in
the crowd there are journalists rather than
elected Sinn Féin members. Two thirds of
those elected were still in jail or in exile,
Curry points out.
On the same day as the first Dáil sat, two
police officers were killed in Tipperary in
an ambush. Because of the occurrence of
these two events on that day, it is regarded
as the start of the War of Independence.
There are a number of photographs of
Michael Collins in the exhibition, includ-
ing a rare one of him looking relaxed as
he throws the ball in for a GAA match. As
well as being Minister for Finance, Col-
lins was of course the IRA’s director of
intelligence, with its headquarters being in
Mespil Road. Curry describes Collins and
others as “the driving force” of the War of
Independence, who were determined to
fight on their terms, essentially by waging
a guerilla war.
Towards the end of 1919 an incident in
Dublin contributed to the escalation of
the war when the IRA made an attempt to
kill the Viceroy of Ireland, Lord French,
at Ashtown. In the event, Curry explains,
they failed in their efforts having targeted
www.newsfour.ie
the wrong car in a motorcade transport-
ing French from Ashtown railway station,
where he had alighted on the way back
from his Roscommon country dwelling to
Dublin. The ambushers had waited in Kel-
ly’s pub (now The Halfway House). One
of them, Martin Savage, was killed during
the incident and there is a memorial to him
at Ashtown roundabout today.
As the violence escalated, the compli-
cated policing situation in Ireland was
exposed. From the start, when two mem-
bers of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC)
were killed at the Soloheadbeg ambush,
the RIC and – in Dublin – the Dublin Met-
ropolitan Police, were a target for the IRA.
Apart from being in danger of being killed
by IRA ambushes and raids on barracks,
members of both forces were ostracised
and recruitment dried up. To provide rein-
forcements, ex-army men were recruited,
some in Dublin, but most came from Brit-
ain, to form an armed police force to cope
with the actions of the IRA in Ireland.
These were the notorious Black and
Tans. when the first of them arrived in Ire-
land there were no uniforms for them and
they wore a mixture of army khaki and
black RIC trousers, giving rise to the nick-
name – also the name by which a pack of
similarly mottled foxhounds on the Lim-
erick / Tipperary border were known. A
October / November 2019
Black and Tan uniform along with typical
equipment is on display in the exhibition.
Later came the Auxiliaries, a militia
who were the brainchild of one Winston
Churchill and who were recruited from
the ranks of ex-army officers. Both groups
were feared and loathed for their drunken,
brutish and violent behaviour. The IRA
used photographs, such as the one in the
exhibition of a group of Auxiliaries who
were stationed at Beggars Bush, to iden-
tify members of these forces as targets
for assassination. Curry tells us that as
dangerous as it was to be in such a pho-
tograph, it was also dangerous to be the
photographer, as one ran the risk of being
identified as part of the IRA intelligence
effort.
Probably the biggest event in the mem-
ory of the War of Independence in Dublin
is Bloody Sunday, 21st November 1920.
There are photographs and other docu-
ments related to that in the exhibition as
well as a large military map which docu-
ments many of the events of that day and
lists the casualties of its culmination when
British forces opened fire on civilians at
an exhibition match in Croke Park.
The day had begun with a number of
IRA assassinations and attempted assassi-
nations, the location of which are marked
on the map. This allows the visitor to con-
nect personally with the events by seek-
ing out places familiar to them where they
occurred. As Curry says, there was a sig-
nificant incident in 1921 virtually on the
doorstep of Pearse Street Library in which
six people, including two civilians lost
their lives.
The exhibition affords an opportunity
for the contemporary Dubliner to connect
with the experience of their predecessors
during the war. There are photographs of
familiar places like Mountjoy Prison with
protestors outside, while IRA prisoners
went on hunger strike inside, or of ordi-
nary people walking around dead bodies
in the streets of Dublin.
It is a window on a Dublin where a cur-
few killed all entertainment, where chil-
dren were killed and the Auxiliaries and
the Black and Tans were a fearsome law
unto themselves. It succeeds in helping us
to connect with a traumatic but important
time in our city’s past.
Goodbye Dublin: The War of Inde-
pendence in the City is at Dublin City
Library and Archive, 138-144 Pearse
Street, Dublin 2 until October 31st
(Mon-Thurs 10am – 8pm; Fri/Sat 10am
– 5pm). Admission is free. Guided tours
are available and are free but booking
is required. Book online at eventbrite.ie
(Search “Goodbye Dublin”)
Above, left and right:
Black and Tan uniform on display at the
exhibition
Nelson’s Column representation at the
centre of the exhibition.
Both photos by Dermot Carmody.
 www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019
T An act of remembrance:
n Eoin Meegan
he 2019 Dublin Festival
of History is upon us and
throughout the month of
October a diverse range of cul-
tural, historical and interactive
events recalling how we see and
interpret the past will take place
right across the city.
The Printworks in Dublin Castle
is the venue for a number of dis-
cussions around areas of signifi-
cance in the 20th century. Among
them is ‘Six Months that Changed
the World: the Paris Peace Confer-
ence of 1919’.
Exactly one hundred years ago
with the ending of the First World
War, the Paris Peace Conference
was established. Between Janu-
ary and July 1919 Paris became
almost the centre of world govern-
ment where new states and nations
were carved up.
Margaret MacMillan and Robert
Gerwarth tease out the nuances of
an event that promised so much
but delivered so little, refusing to
recognise the new Irish State, as
well as being unable to prevent a
second war.
Also in 1919, in April, one of the
worst atrocities against innocent
civilians was committed in what
came to be known as the Amritsar
massacre. In ‘The Patient Assas-
sin’ Anita Anand will discuss what
must be the darkest hour of the
Raj, and how one survivor, Udham
Singh, waited twenty years before
exacting a strange revenge.
Closer to the present time is
‘Republic of Shame: Stories from
Ireland’s Institutions for “Fallen
Women”’. Caelainn Hogan, au-
thor of the book of the same title,
pulls back the curtain on Ireland’s
decades of shame, the Magdalene
laundries, and Mother and Baby
Homes. Caelainn talks to survi-
vors of Tuam, where the discovery
of a mass infant grave with almost
800 bodies some years ago justifi-
ably rocked the world.
‘Big Sister, Little Sister, Red
Sister: Three Women at the Heart
of Twentieth-Century China’ is the
intriguing title of a talk by Jung
Chang on the fascinating lives
of the Soong sisters, Ailing, Qin-
gling and Meiling. These amazing
women from Shanghai exerted
influence before, during, and after
the Revolution in one of the most
phallocentric states in the world.
Don’t miss their story.
If cinema is your thing you
won’t want to miss ‘Does His-
torical Accuracy in Film Really
Matter?’ Cecile Gordon, Hannah
Greig and Tom Holland discuss
the ethical issue of whether artistic
The Dublin Festival of History 2019
licence should always take prec-
edence over portrayal of the facts
in big screen adaptation of histori-
cal events, such as Mary Queen of
Scots.
In the Central Library, ILAC
Centre, Mary Muldowney looks at
employment opportunities which
the Second World War created
for women, in ‘Wartime, Women
and Work’, examining the impact
women had on the economy, and
the social position they played in
Ireland and elsewhere at the time.
Meanwhile, in Kevin Street,
Clodagh Finn takes a look at
women written out of the history
books, in ‘On the Trail of Forgot-
ten Women in Irish History’.
Do you remember the hare on
the thrupeny piece, the deer on the
shilling, or the sow on the old half-
penny? If so, this is your chance
to once more touch, and hear the
story of those old coins issued by
the Free State in 1928 which last-
ed until the Euro came into being
in 2002, with Maeve Casserly at
Ringsend library. A chance not to
be missed.
However, the festival is not only
about talks. Running throughout
the festival is an exhibition in Dr.
Steevens’ Hospital called ‘Surgery
at the Edward Worth Library’,
where a fascinating display of rare
medical books preserved since the
1730s will be on show.
The exhibition ‘Goodbye Dub-
lin: The War of Independence in
HISTORY Page 15
fashion industry down the centu-
ries.
Marking the 30th anniversary
of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the
Goethe Institute are showing three
important films as part of their se-
ries on the Berlin Wall in German
Cinema: Wolfgang Becker’s 2003
classic, ‘Good Bye, Lenin!’, Jür-
gen Böttcher’s documentary ‘The
Wall/Die Mauer’, and ‘November
Days – Voices and Choices’, de-
scribed as a kaleidoscope of enter-
tainment images and news footage
of the time, all get a viewing.
The festival is an annual event
brought to you by Dublin City
Council. All events are free, but
some require advanced booking
due to the demands of space, while
others operate on a first come ba-
sis.
To see a full list of events and
the City’, a mixture of archival Street is the venue for ‘Fabric and discover what needs to be pre-
sources and film footage detailing Fashion: From Silk Weaving to booked download the festival
the impact on the everyday lives of Singer’. This intriguing half-day programme at festivalofhistory@
Dubliners during the War of Inde- seminar casts an inquisitive eye dublincity.ie And enjoy the festival
pendence runs until the end of Oc- on such diverse topics as weaving that celebrates your city.
tober in Dublin City Library and in the Liberties, the Huguenots’
Archive (Pearse Street library). influence on the weaving trade, Clockwise from top left:
A number of walking tours are how women’s fashion became The Paris Peace Conference of
lined up, including ‘Ballads, Beats more dour due to clothes rationing 1919; the Soong sisters; Caelainn
and Beatles: A Musical History of throughout the war years, and the Hogan and Maeve Casserly.
Dublin’ which covers everything highs and lows of the textile and Images courtesy of Google.
from Handel’s Messiah to Séamus
Ennis to rap. There’s also a walk-
ing tour of Herbert Park, one of
Dublin’s nicest parks, with histo-
rian Maeve Casserly.
Seminars are another feature.
On 12th October from 9 to 1.00pm
‘The Viking Age: Dynasties, Digs
and Discoveries’ takes place at
Wood Quay. Such diverse topics
as Viking period female graves,
brooches of Irish origin, and kings
of Dublin in the 9th and 10th cen-
turies come under scrutiny.
Elsewhere on the same topic,
Tom Birkett looks at the retell-
ing of myths and legends of
medieval Scandinavia, where he
will consider ‘points of connec-
tion, and fracture, that a popular
retelling rests upon’, and asks
what is it exactly that makes the
Vikings and Norse gods so fas-
cinating to us today? Check out
‘Stories for our Times? Retelling
the Norse Myths’ in the Royal
Irish Academy.
If fashion is your thing, the City
Assembly House in South William
 Page 16
Massacre or ancient cemetery?
The tale of a gruesome find in Donnybrook
T
n Eoin Meegan
his is the season for the
macabre, when on dark
Halloween nights families
gather round the fireside to lis-
ten to tales of fiendish deeds and
spooky goings-on. And they don’t
get any more eerie than this, the
true story of a strange unearth-
ing in a quiet Donnybrook suburb
some 140 years ago.
For our story we have to go
back to 1879 when some work-
men digging a drain in what is
now Danesfield, just off Seaview
Terrace, came upon what looked
like the gruesome contents of an
unknown cemetery.
In a circular mound, about one
hundred feet in circumference,
was a vast interment containing
the remains of between 600-700
bodies, many bearing the marks
of head injuries that seemed to
speak of a violent death, spread
out in three layers deep.
The centre piece of this eldritch
find was the body of a Scandina-
vian warrior. He lay supine, with
a hole in his skull, and at his feet
were two other bodies, female,
believed to be sacrificial victims.
The remains of the others were
spread out in a kind of mass
grave. A sword lay to one side of
the warrior, and a spearhead on
the other. Also three iron arrow-
heads, which have not survived,
were found in close proximity.
Among the items unearthed
in the mass grave were a spin-
dle whorl, part of a bone comb,
a loop-headed ring pin, and a
bronze pin, 9.5 cm long with an
ornate brambled head. Some of
these are preserved in the Na-
tional Museum today.
The excavation and study of
the findings was undertaken by
Alexander Macalister, Professor
of Anatomy and Zoology at Trin-
ity College Dublin, and William
Hellier Baily, paleontologist with
the Royal Geographical Survey.
What puzzled the authorities
at the time was that there had
been no record of a burial site on
this particular spot. There was
no mention of the site in the an-
nals of Dublin, or in any other
historical record. The Ordinance
Survey records of the 1830s and
40s show no account of this land-
mark, then known as Mount Er-
roll, or that it had once been the
site of a burial ground.
Initially, it was proposed to
seal the mound up, but instead
the decision was made to clear
the site completely. All the re-
mains were then reinterred in the
nearby cemetery at Donnybrook.
So what exactly happened at
this site? Dr. William Frazer, the
leading expert on antiquity at the
time, in a paper to the Royal Irish
Academy in 1880 concluded that
the massacre resulted from an at-
tack on an unsuspecting village
by pirate Vikings. The village
was wiped out and the pirates
fled leaving one of their dead be-
hind. He argued the mass grave
and Viking internment were con-
temporary because the clay type
matched in both.
Because of his stature in the ar-
chaeological world Frazer’s find-
ings went unquestioned at the
time. Recent research, however,
has cast doubt on some of his
conclusions. Dr. Richard Hall,
one of the leading archaeologists
HISTORY
of the Viking period, who sadly
passed away in 2011, points out a
number of anomalies in Frazer’s
theory.
Firstly, Frazer overlooked the
fact that the warrior’s burial was
in accordance with Scandinavian
tradition, which would certainly
not have happened had the na-
tive Irish buried the body as he
suggests. That leaves the remain-
ing conclusions limited. Either
the warrior was inserted into a
pre-existing Christian cemetery,
a view championed by Irish ar-
chaeologist Elizabeth O’Brien,
or, as Hall believes, the mas-
sacre was a revenge attack on a
native settlement carried out by
Vikings for the killing of one of
their own.
The Viking warrior was then
buried by his comrades in Scan-
dinavian fashion, complete with
two sacrificial victims, and the
villagers in a mass grave beside
him.
Hall writes “several factors
combine to indicate that all the
occupants of the Donnybrook
mound were laid to rest at the
same time, and under Scandina-
vian supervision.”
Firstly, is the evidence of the
consistency of the clay that Fras-
er noted. Secondly, that the mass
grave is contained in a mound
suggests a non-Christian intern-
ment. And lastly, charcoal depos-
its and mixed animal bones found
indicate some kind of funerary
pyre, which, combined with the
lack of any coffin remains point
to it being Viking.
O’Brien, however, argues that
the fact that many of the remains
on the bottom layer face east-
ward, a Christian tradition, along
with the general orderliness of
some internments in the mass
grave, suggests otherwise. Her
conclusions are that the site was
an ancient Christian cemetery
into which a Viking burial was
later inserted. So mystery still
surrounds the find and its origins.
Scholars tend to agree that the
two bodies found at the feet of
the warrior were probably his
wives, or persons of a lower so-
cial ranking, who were ritually
murdered, a practice which, as
evidenced by sites at Oseberg,
Birka, and the Isle of Man, was
not uncommon in the Viking
world.
www.newsfour.ie
Taking into consideration that
after 800 A D personal objects
were no longer interred with re-
mains in accordance with Chris-
tian practice in Ireland, and
matching the artifacts found in
the Seaview Terrace grave to
similar ones found at Lagore
crannog in Co Meath, and other
locations between the 7th and
9th centuries, the burial has duly
been dated to sometime in the
8th century.
The Scandinavian sword was
acquired by Nottingham Castle
Museum in the mid 20th century.
No one knows what happened to
it in the interim. The hilt, inlaid
with intricate engravings sur-
vives in two pieces with the grip
missing, and 54cm of blade still
intact.
The authenticity of the sword
was verified by Dr. Hall who
notes “The Donnybrook sword
ranks amongst the finest prod-
ucts of Viking-age weaponry yet
discovered in the British Isles.”
In 1885 the site was listed in
Thom’s Directory as Danesfield,
probably because of the Viking
connection. Prior to that it had
been known as Mount Erroll.
Seaview Terrace itself had only
been in existence some 40 years
earlier, when John Semple built
six Georgian-style houses there
in the 1830s. The name was ap-
propriate then because you could
(just about) catch a glimpse of
the sea.
Today Danesfield, the spot
where the ghoulish find came to
light, is the home of the German
Ambassador’s residence, and
Seaview Terrace is a quiet resi-
dential area off Ailesbury Road.
It has been home to many well-
known people down the years,
including the Jameson family,
famous whiskey makers. Sena-
tor Maurice Moore, brother of
George Moore, lived in no 5, and
novelist Anthony Trollope resid-
ed at no 6 from 1855 until 1859.
October / November 2019
Legend has it that the ghost of
Trollope haunts the avenue, and
can frequently be seen on dark
wintery nights. Or might there be
another explanation? Perhaps the
spectre people claimed to have
seen was that of an ancient Dane
looking for his home and long-
dead comrades.
Whatever the facts, a site that
once unearthed a shocking and
unsettling discovery all those
years ago has, thankfully, re-
turned to a place of tranquillity
and peace.
Sources:
Hall, R. A. ‘A Viking-age
Grave at Donnybrook, Co. Dub-
lin’. Journal of Medieval Archae-
ology, Vol. 22. 1978.
O’Brien, E. ‘A Re-assessment
of the ‘Great Sepulchral Mound’
containing a Viking burial at
Donnybrook, Dublin’. Society of
Medieval Archaeology, Vol. 36.
1992.
Clockwise from top left:
An ancient Irish bone spindle
whorl similar to the one found
at the Donnybrook site. Image:
Courtesy Google.
Seaview Terrace today. Photo
by Eoin Meegan.
Ancient sword found at Don-
nybrook. Image courtesy of
Google.
Typical scene of battle between
the Irish and Vikings. Pinterest.
www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019 Page 17
 Page 18 CULTURE / FILM www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019

Winter November before sliding over to the

streaming platform at the end of that
month.

films An aspect of the film that has gar-

nered a lot of attention in the build-up
to its release is its use of expensive CGI

preview effects work to de-age it’s cast to look

like younger versions of themselves
for chunks of the film. It sounds like
a risky endeavour and first glimpses at

T
n David Prendeville
he summer is over and we’re
facing into those long, cold
nights again. One source of ref-
uge from the misery, however, is the
cinema.
Traditionally, the winter was a time
for more serious and awards-friendly
films to emerge, after the block-buster
fuelled summer. The cinematic seasons
have become a bit more unpredictable
in recent times.
The continued over-saturation of
comic-book films has led to a situation
where we now have a film like Joker
(set for release here on October 4th),
which is a comic-book film but also
an apparent serious awards contender,
having somewhat inconceivably won
the Best Film prize at the prestigious
Venice Film Festival in September.
The film is undoubtedly helped by
having the peerless Joaquin Phoenix as
the eponymous villain. The name of the
film’s director, however, Todd Philips,
most notable for The Hangover films,
hardly screams prestige. The film has
received mostly strong reviews.
Martin Scorsese also returns to our
screens as director in November with
his long-gestating crime epic The Irish-
man. The film which stars Robert De-
Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Harvey
Keitel, recently had its world premiere
at the New York Film Festival.
The film probably ranks as the most
high-profile Netflix production to date,
as they seem to be the only ones willing
to stump the rumoured $150 million-
plus budget. The film will likely play
in a few select theatres here in early
the technology in motion in the trailer
was far from convincing.
A new Martin Scorsese film, how-
ever, is always an event for cinephiles
and not least one that has as fitting a
cast as this. Locals will have the oppor-
tunity to catch the film early, with the
Lighthouse Cinema showing a special
preview direct from the European Pre-
miere at the London Film Festival on
the 13th of October.
Other highlights over the coming
months include The Babadook direc-
tor Jennifer Kent’s controversial, ac-
claimed western The Nightingale,
which stars Irish actress Aisling Fran-
coisi. That will be released by local
company Wildcard Distribution on the
29th of November.
Earlier than that, satirical genius
Chris Morris makes a long-overdue re-
turn to our screens with Their Day Will
Come on October 8th. There is also no
dearth of big releases or franchise films
with Terminator: Dark Fate set for re-
lease on October 23rd. Frozen 2, which
will likely be one of the biggest earners
of the year, is due on November 22nd.
Kristen Stewart leads a new version of
Charlie’s Angels to be released the fol-
lowing week on November 29th.
One of the biggest occasions in the
Irish cinematic calendar also returns in
November with The Cork Film Festival.
The programme is yet to be announced,
but film fans will know they are in for
a treat if it manages to be a fraction as
good as last year’s stellar line-up.
Acclaimed Cannes films such as The
Lighthouse, starring Willem Dafoe and
Robert Pattinson and the Palme D’Or
winner itself Parasite, would be good
bets to screen at the esteemed festival.
Top left: Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker.
Picture of Martin Scorsese courtesy of
Wiki Commons.

ACROSS:

The NewsFour Crossword 1) Imaginative but unlikely plan (6, 2, 5)

8) Leather Alpine breeches (10)
Solutions for the
AUgust / September 2019
Compiled by Gemma Byrne 9) Moari war dance (4) Crossword
10) Urged, encouraged (5, 2)
12) Earthy tasting spice (5)
Across:
13) This vehicle is named desire? (9)
1) Personification; 8) Odious; 9)
16) Enlargement of the thyroid gland (6)
Scallion; 10) Lobbed; 11) Arrest;
17) Decrease (8)
12) Pow; 13) Clandestine; 15)
19) Way to serve a drink without ice or mixer (4)
She; 16) Rain; 18) Passageways;
20) Needle (7)
21) Natural gas; 25) Plight; 27)
22) Large Irish lake (4)
Misinterpreting
24) Trivial (9)
27) Inconsequential (13)
Down:
1) People Person; 2) Rainbow; 3)
DOWN:
Opulence; 4) Fashion Designer;
1) Sharp tool of a fishmonger (9, 5)
5) Charades; 6) Tolerate; 7) None-
2) A colour of the rainbow (6)
theless; 14) Shoe; 17) Isnt; 18)
3) You could say it runs in the family (10)
Per; 19) Gasper; 20) Agog; 22)
4) Ado (4)
Anti; 23) Ugli; 24) Abet; 26) Tag
5) Declaration (12)
6) Long (5)
7) Idea coming down the track? (5, 2, 7) Prize of €25 book token. Post
11) Require (4) entries to NewsFour, 13A Fit-
14) Placed in order of preference (6) zwilliam Street, Ringsend, Dub-
15) An obsessive interest (8) lin 4 by 22nd November 2019.
18) Mogul (6)
21) Indian flatbread (4) The winner of our August/Sep-
Name:…………………………… Telephone:…………………
23) This desert is a total mess? (4) tember crossword competition
25) Measure of how long a suncream will protect is Amanda Baker, Sir John Rog-
Address:………………………………………………………… you (1.1.1) erson’s Quay.
26) Involuntary twitch (3)
 www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019
Horrorthon
returns to IFI
T
n David Prendeville
he annual Horrorthon
returns to the newly-re-
furbished IFI this month,
running from Thursday, October
24th to Monday, October 28th.
This year’s festival will open on
Thursday 24th with the Irish pre-
miere of Abe Forsythe’s zom-
com Little Monsters starring
Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o.
The opening event will include
a screening of James Quinn’s
new short, Daughter of Dismay,
screening in 70mm.
Former festival guest Rich-
ard Stanley’s long-awaited di-
rectorial follow-up to 1992’s
Dust Devil, Color Out of Space,
which featured in the Midnight
Madness section of this year’s
Toronto International Film Fes-
tival, will screen on Saturday
26th. Starring Nicolas Cage and
adapted from a H.P. Lovecraft
short story, this film centres on
a small town dealing with the af-
ter-effects of a meteorite strike.
Fresh from screening out of
competition at the Cannes Film
Festival, Won-Tae Lee’s The
Gangster, The Cop, The Devil
sees a criminal team with the po-
lice to track down a serial killer.
This South Korean production is
one of many international offer-
ings at this year’s festival, which
includes films from Venezuela,
Russia, Israel, Thailand, Den-
mark and Kazakhstan.
Irish talent is represented
within the programme with
Paddy Murphy’s The Perished
debuting on Sunday night. The
film recently had its world pre-
miere at the prestigious London
FrightFest.
Zoe Kavanagh, whose feature
Demon Hunter screened at Hor-
rorthon 2016, will return with
the short Meat Cute, written by
Tara Brady. The festival’s clos-
ing film on Monday 28th, Ant
Timpson’s Come To Daddy,
was shot by Irish-born cinema-
tographer Daniel Katz and fea-
CULTURE / FILM
tures Irish actor Michael Smiley
alongside Elijah Wood and Mar-
tin Donovan.
As with recent years, the fes-
tival will include some fasci-
nating documentaries about the
world of horror filmmaking.
Scream, Queen! My Nightmare
on Elm Street (Saturday 26th at
13.00) details how A Nightmare
On Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Re-
venge became part of the LG-
BTQ+ film canon, and the effect
this had on the career of its star,
Mark Patton.
Blood and Flesh: The Reel
Life and Grizzly Death of Al Ad-
amson (Thursday 23.00) looks at
the cult figure and B-movie mav-
erick, while The Magnificent
Page 19
Obsession of Michael Reeves
(Sunday at 15.00) looks at the
revered director of Witchfinder
General, who died in 1969 at the
tragically young age of 25.
Other highlights through-
out the weekend include Oscar
winner Helen Hunt in domes-
tic chiller I See You (Saturday
at 15.00); Travis Stevens’s Girl
on the Third Floor (Thursday
at 21.10), which premiered to
strong reviews at SXSW earlier
this year; Ping Lumpraploeng’s
tense creature thriller The Pool
(Monday at 18.45); and three
anthology films: Deathcember
(Friday at 22.45), A Night of
Horror: Nightmare Radio (Sun-
day at 22.50) and Immortal
(Monday at 13.00).
Finally, the festival’s Short
Film Showcase (Sunday at
13.00) brings the best of new
filmmaking talent to the Hor-
rorthon audience, while the fes-
tival’s perennial hot ticket, the
Horrorthon Surprise Film will
occupy its trademark Sunday
evening slot. See www.ifi.ie for
more.
Picture of Nicolas Cage cour-
tesy of Wiki Commons.
Page 20 PHOTO DIARY www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019
www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019 PHOTO DIARY Page 21
 Page 22 BOOKS & RECORDS www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019

T The Promise Maker

n Eoin Meegan
he Secret Life of Ash-
ley Brown was the first
book by new Irish writer
George Fitzgerald, which was
widely acclaimed upon its re-
lease. Now the sequel ‘The
Promise Maker’ is here.
‘Ashley Brown’, for those of
you who haven’t read the first
book, deals with the subject of
drug abuse and coming of age. It
follows the life of a young Dub-
lin woman who makes it big in
the printing world in London.
The Promise Maker begins
where ‘Ashley Brown’ left off
with Ashley returning to Ire-
land to attend a funeral. How-
ever, after about 30 pages the
book changes tack and goes in a
whole new direction with a new
narrator.
Starting off with Ashley’s
voice, only to switch to Frankie
Smith, who proceeds to tell his
story, and returning to Ashley
in the book’s closing pages can
be a little unnerving. Ashley’s
narrative has a light, chatty feel,
however Frankie’s story takes
a darker turn. This change is
somewhat abrupt and depending
on whether you liked Ashley or
by George Fitzgerald
not, will either please
or disappoint.
Frankie’s life is one
of unremitting misery
and hardship. Born in
New York to an Irish
dad and an American
mum, the family move
to Dublin (we’re not
told why) when he is
still a boy and take up
residence near the Five
Lamps in Dublin’s in-
ner city.
His father is an al-
coholic and subject to
bouts of extreme vio-
lence, and his mother
seems to harbour
some dark secret. The
book is populated
with a raft of villain-
ous characters such
as Buster, Whacker,
Slasher, and the enig-
matic ‘Madam’ Daisy-Mae.
This book is not for the faint-
hearted, it is not a fluffy story of
Dublin in the ‘rare aul times’,
with a few ‘baddies’ thrown in to
give it colour. This is an uncom-
life, there is more than a nod to
Solveig. But ultimately I think
Jenny’s character fails, and with-
out giving away spoilers it just
didn’t seem believable.
The book is a hard, uncompro-
promising journey into mising look at what poverty and
the heart of darkness a life devoid of hope, of salva-
that was Dublin in the tion, even redemption can do to
early 20th century. people, while at the same time
Full of nastiness and showing the bravery and spirit
murder, oppressive at of those who survive it.
times, it manages to The Promise Maker, The Se-
convey the feeling of cret Life of Ashley Brown, part
raw truth. two, while a complete novel in
It’s almost as if its own right, does hint at more
Fitzgerald lived to come. With Ashley as the
through this period, pivotal character, heading up a
so authentically does publishing company, others nat-
he manage to recre- urally gravitate towards her with
ate the scenes and tell their own rich stories.
the people’s stories There’s enough material here
of the time. Don’t for several books, and Daisy-
get me wrong, there Mae may be next. We look for-
are some nice people ward with bated breath. Expect
here too, such as Mr to hear a lot more about this tal-
and Mrs Morgan, and ented writer in the near future.
the tragic Harry-boy, The Promise Maker is pub-
who is Frankie’s con- lished by the author, and cur-
stant friend throughout rently available in Bargain
his unhappy lifetime. Books Abbey Street, and
Sometimes one gets shades of Christian Publication Centre,
Peer Gynt, and in the character Abbey Street. It is also avail-
of Jenny, the love of Frankie’s able on Amazon. Price €10.

Vinyl Festival returns for

a second spin
F
ollowing the success
of its 2018 event, the
much–anticipated Vi-
nyl Festival returns to Dún
Laoghaire in November, prom-
ising once again to be an un-
missable experience for music
fans and vinyl record aficiona-
dos alike.
The festival will take place
in a selection of venues around
Dún Laoghaire, including The
LexIcon Library Studio, The
National Maritime Museum,
The Pavilion Theatre and The
Lighthouse.
Taking place over three days
from 1st to 3rd November, the
Vinyl Festival will involve a
collection of talks and discus-
sions relating to all aspects
of vinyl recordings – from
writing, recording, producing
and performing, to examining
sleeve design and liner notes,
as well as looking at the im-
portance and significance of
vinyl records in our culture
today.
Highlights of the festival
look set to be two live gigs
featuring Johnny, Barry and
Jim of Horslips on the 1st and
2nd in the Pavilion Theatre (43
years on from recording their
Horslips Live album in Dún
Laoghaire’s old Pavilion!),
and Line of Duty/This is Eng-
land actor – and part-time DJ
– Vicky McClure’s DJ set in
The Lighthouse on the Satur-
day night.
Other events likely to garner
great interest are Newstalk’s
Tom Dunne playing tracks
from the Beatles’ Abbey Road
and discussing its recording
and legacy as it celebrates its
50th birthday, plus Liam O
Maonlaí discussing the Hot-
house Flowers’ debut album,
People, playing some of the
tracks on vinyl and live on pi-
ano!
The festival brings together
a wide selection of talent, in-
cluding international musi-
cians, writers and film-makers,
all of whom will take part in
a broad series of discussions,
and play a selection of their
own favourite vinyl records,
so it promises to be an extra
special three-day event with a
difference.
The line-up also includes
Leslie Dowdall, Damian
O’Neill and Michael Bradley
(The Undertones), The Cran-
berries’ Noel Hogan (discuss-
ing the band’s latest and final
album, In the End), authors
Stuart Cosgrove, Geraldine
Quigley and Jennifer Otter
Bickerdike, as well as directors
Richie Smyth and Kevin God-
ley examining the relationship
between video and vinyl sales.
Established radio DJs Dave
Fanning, Tom Dunne, Peter
Devlin and Dan Hegarty along
with journalists, Roisin Dwyer
and Nadine O’Regan, will act
as moderators and interview-
ers for the discussions.
Irish Record Fairs will be on
site on Saturday and Sunday,
so there will be plenty of op-
portunity to go crate-digging!
Brian O’Flaherty and Neil
Goodman, directors of the
Dún Laoghaire Vinyl Festival
commented on how the fes-
tival came about: “A mutual
love of music, the excitement
at the return of an old format
that many felt was gone and a
wish to celebrate it in our lo-
cal community – these are the
reasons we created the Dún
Laoghaire Vinyl Festival in
2018. This year’s event will
be even bigger and more var-
ied, with something for audio-
philes of all ages and musical
tastes: from punk to soul, from
recording to sleeve design –
with vinyl, the music is only
part of the story.”
For any real hardcore fans
of vinyl who’d like to go that
extra mile, there’s a FundIt
page to help offset costs, as
this event is not-for-profit -
https://fundit.ie/project/dn-
laoghaire-vinyl-festival
Tickets for the Vinyl Festi-
val start at €10 and further
information can be found on
https://www.vinylfestival.ie/
 www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019
Mimi’s French Classes
n Angie Canavan & Hélène
M
Giacometti
imi’s French Class-
es are bringing fun
and engaging French
classes for babies and toddlers to
Sandymount on Tuesday morn-
ings. Running successfully in
Dun Laoghaire for the past five
years, Mimi’s have expanded
their classes to their hometown of
Sandymount.
Mimi’s French Classes make
learning French an exciting and
creative experience. The language
is taught through songs, puppets,
story-telling, arts and crafts,
games, and other play-based and
hands-on activities.
The classes provide learning
relevant to the children’s every-
day lives, and provide ideas of
songs, activities and learning for
parents and carers to continue en-
joying French at home.
Babies and toddlers:
Babies are the best language
learners of all, and are recep-
tive to new sounds. The younger
you expose them to a new lan-
guage the better! Babies from six
months will love our lively songs,
daily routines, toys and puppets
and will have lots of fun through
French. More than just a French
class, there are also lots of music
and sensory activities that babies
and toddlers find exciting and en-
gaging. Parents and minders will
truly enjoy learning French along
with their little ones.
Studies show that the earlier a
child learns a second language
EDUCATION
the easier it is for them to become
proficient. There are many bene-
fits to learning a second language.
These include improved problem
solving, flexible thinking, com-
munication skills and an ability to
connect with other cultures.
Mimi’s French Classes have
grown steadily over the last
five years and offer a variety of
classes in Sandymount and Dun
Laoghaire. It is a testimony that
their fresh approach is working,
with quite a number of children
with them since they started their
first classes. Today they have a di-
verse mix of local children, chil-
dren from Franco-Irish families,
home-schoolers and people trav-
elling from as far as Kildare and
Meath to attend the classes.
“The Irish have always had a
great love for the French language
and culture, and with so many
Irish families going on holidays
every year to France it’s great
for the kids to have some French
to make new friends at the kids’
clubs on the campsites” com-
ments Mimi’s co-founder Angie
Canavan.
Mimi’s French Classes were
founded by qualified teachers
Hélène Giacometti and Angie Ca-
navan in 2014 to bring entertain-
ing language classes to children.
“It’s been an amazing five years
building up Mimi’s French Class-
es. The children are fantastic and
watching children and their par-
ents get so much enjoyment from
learning French is so rewarding”
enthuses Canavan.
Bonne chance, Mimi!
Come and say Bonjour at
one of our classes for Babies &
toddlers, Pre-schoolers (3-5’s)
Page 23
& our Super Saturday French
Club for 5-8s, based in Dun
Laoghaire and Sandymount.
About - Awards - Mimi’s
French Classes were shortlisted
for the Léargas European Lan-
guage Label Award in 2016.
If you would like more infor-
mation, please contact us at mim-
isfrenchclass@gmail.com
www.mimisfrench.com
https://www.facebook.com/
mimisfrench
Angie and Hélène
Hélène Giacometti grew
up bilingual in English
and French. She is an ex-
perienced Primary School
teacher with a specialism in
teaching foreign languages.
She also studied a degree in
French at Trinity College.
Angie Canavan lived
in Paris for several years
where she obtained a degree
from the Sorbonne Uni-
versity. She qualified as a
teacher from Exeter Univer-
sity and has over 16 years’
experience teaching in Ire-
land, England and France.
 Page 24
DCC Notes
for SEAC meeting,
September 2019
Compiled by Dermot Carmody
A
busy South East Area Com-
mittee (SEAC) meeting on
September 9th featured four
presentations given to councillors on
various matters. These were on the
Poddle Flood Alleviation Scheme, the
planning application for a replacement
development on the site of Jefferson
House at the end of Eglington Road in
Donnybrook, arrangements for UEFA
2020 in Dublin and an update on the
Neighbourhood Transport Scheme.
Mr. David Grant, the project man-
ager of the Poddle Flood Alleviation
Scheme (FAS) gave the context for the
scheme in terms of historical flooding
events related to the Poddle, the most
recent being in 2011.
Mr. Grant outlined the challenges
to the FAS scheme including access
to works, the large number of stake-
holders, 25 different groups in all and
the high level of public interest in the
wake of the severe flooding in some
areas in 2011. He also highlighted
the benefits of the scheme; including
flood protection for 800 homes, im-
proved water quality and biodiversity
benefits.
Mr. Grant reported that draft Envi-
ronmental Impact Assessment Report
and Draft Planning Drawings were
submitted in June and that the Part
10 planning application (required as
the scheme is over 2 km long) will be
submitted in Q3 of 2019. The start of
construction is estimated for mid-2020
and the 18-24 month project will cost
in the region of €7 million.
Councillors raised a number of relat-
ed points, including Cllr Mary Freehill
(LAB), who pointed out that residents
in Harold’s Cross affected by previous
flooding still cannot get home insur-
ance, She suggested letters of com-
fort regarding the works of the FAS
in progress might help in this regard.
However, Cllr Paddy McCartan (FG)
pointed out that, in the case of resi-
dents affected by flooding in the Sand-
ymount and Ballsbridge areas, such
letters had little impact on their ability
to get insurance. “I wouldn’t hold your
breath on that one,” he advised. Mr.
Gerard O’Connell, DCC Flood Protec-
tion Project Leader told Cllr Freehill
that letters of comfort would be issued
when the works were completed.
Cllr Mannix Flynn (IND) claimed
that a lot of flooding was as a result
of no maintenance having been carried
out and made a general point about
the level of contaminants flowing
from all sources into the Liffey, which
POLITICS
he described as “a pure and absolute
sewer.” Mr. O’Connell responded that
work had been done to avoid block-
ages, including doubling of screens
and the addition of level monitors. He
said there hasn’t been a problem with
screens on the Poddle since 2011.
High Rise Development in Donny-
brook
Ms. Elaine Sullivan, Area Planner
for the South East Area, gave a pres-
entation to councillors on the current
planning application for an 11-storey
over basement apartment block on the
site of the current Jefferson House
office building on the south corner
of Eglington Road and Donnybrook
Road. The proposed development in-
cludes 62 apartments. The existing
basement carpark will be expanded to
provide 20 car parking spaces and 72
bike parking spaces. There would be
a further 22 bike spaces at the ground
level.
A number of councillors commented
adversely on the height of the pro-
posed new development. Cllr Hazel
Chu (GP) pointed out that there is an
eight-story building proposed on the
north corner of Eglington Road and
Donnybrook Road opposite the Jeffer-
son House site and suggested the tall
buildings would lead to an undesirable
“valley effect”.
Little love was in evidence for the
existing building, with Cllr James
Geoghan (FG) saying its demolition
“should be unanimously welcomed
by anyone with eyes, because it’s the
ugliest building in the whole of Don-
nybrook.” However, Cllr Geoghan
was also concerned at the height of
the proposed new building, which he
said would represent a “significant
change to the Donnybrook landscape.”
Cllr Mannix Flynn (Ind) agreed that
the building would destroy the neigh-
bourhood. Expressing his personal
affection for the village, Cllr Flynn
opined that “you might as well stick
a car bomb in here and blow it up.”
He urged councillors to object to the
planning.
Cllr Mary Freehill (Lab) pointed out
that the height of the proposed build-
ing is greater than that envisaged in
the Development Plan but noted that
www.newsfour.ie
“we have a government hell-bent on
overriding the development plan.”
She also expressed concern about
the possibility of flooding in the pro-
posed basement car park, as the site
is adjacent to the Dodder. Answering
these points, Ms Sullivan said that the
height restrictions in the Development
Plan have been superseded by govern-
ment guidelines on height and apart-
ment sizes. She said a flood impact
statement for the building has been
submitted and will be assessed by the
Drainage Department.
Ms. Sullivan also responded to Cllr
Danny Byrne (FG), who had suggested
that 64 apartments would require, by
his reckoning, some 100 parking spac-
es rather than the 20 proposed. Ms.
Sullivan noted that ministerial guide-
lines do not require there to be a park-
ing space for every apartment and that
the developer has proposed car clubs
and car sharing in the scheme.
Cllr Flynn’s motion recommending
rejection of the proposed develop-
ment was adopted, despite an objec-
tion from Cllr Geoghan, who suggest-
ed alternative wording simply noting
the opinion of councillors. He criti-
cised the motion as being “just poli-
tics.” However, Cllr Dermot Lacey
(LAB) in the chair, pointed out that
although he agreed such a motion has
no legal standing in the planning pro-
cess, said that it was consistent with a
long-standing practice of the SEAC,
albeit that this has not been the case
recently.
UEFA Euro 2020 in Dublin
Mr. Don Daly, DCC Euro 2020 Pro-
ject Manager gave a presentation on
the city’s plans for a “festival of foot-
ball” based around the four matches
in the UEFA Euro 2020 Finals being
hosted in the Aviva Stadium in June
next year.
Over 120,000 overseas visitors are
expected in Dublin for the matches,
and a benefit of over €100 million to
the local economy is anticipated. DCC
will be organising events around the
city and will be responsible for ‘Fan-
zones’ where those without tickets can
gather to enjoy the matches as well as
the promotion of the event to the wider
community and ensuring those attend-
October / November 2019
ing have the best experience possible.
Dublin is being promoted as a walk-
ing city, with spectators being encour-
aged to walk to the stadium, some-
thing facilitated by the Aviva Stadium
being unusually close to the city cen-
tre. Councillors broadly welcomed the
plans and the opportunity for the city.
Cllr Chris Andrews (SF) noted the
huge tradition of football in Ringsend,
and asked whether the Irishtown Sta-
dium would be used during the event.
Mr. Daly responded that Ringsend
Stadium would be used as a volunteer
centre and for bike parking.
In answer to Cllr Kevin Donoghue
(Lab), who expressed concern about
the condition of some of the pathways
on the route between the City Centre
and the stadium in Lansdowne Road,
Mr. Daly said he was still working
with the Traffic Department, the Gar-
dai and other stakeholders on the par-
ticulars of the walking routes.
Neighbourhood Transport Scheme
Update
DCC Neighbourhood Transport En-
gineer Andrew Duff presented an up-
date on the scheme. He explained the
criteria for the prioritising of response
to the high volume of requests for
traffic calming measures around the
city using Multiple Criteria Analysis.
He assured councillors with concerns
about measures being sought in specif-
ic locations that he would now begin
immediately the process of getting in
touch with all councillors individually.
Racially Motivated Abuse Con-
demned
The meeting concluded by unani-
mously supporting a motion to con-
demn “in the strongest terms all
forms of ethnic and racially motivated
abuse.” The motion was signed by
Councillors James Geoghegan, Claire
Byrne, Hazel Chu and Patrick Cos-
tello and was a response to the recent
attacks made on Cllr Chu (GP), par-
ticularly on social media, which made
reference to her ethnicity.
Proposing the motion, Cllr Geoghan
said that “when a politician is attacked
on racial or ethnic grounds it should be
noted and condemned. Cllr Pat Dunne
(United Left), who was in part respon-
sible for instigating the motion said
that such abuse was “an attempt to
try and isolate public representatives
based on their background and is done
in a way to stir up racial hatred in this
city.” Cllr Dunne said we have to stand
up against such attempts in every fo-
rum at every opportunity.
Above: Image of the proposed Avestus
apartment development from Donny-
brook Bridge. Image: Newenham Mul-
ligan & Associates architects / Dublin
City Council Planning Department.
www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019 Page 25
 Page 26
Depression and bipolarity
under the microscope
‘T
n Eoin Meegan
he Future of Depres-
sion and Bipolar
Disorder’ is a special
conference hosted by Aware
on World Mental Health Day,
October 12 next.
It will feature talks and panel
discussions by leading experts
in the field of education, psy-
chology and psychiatry on cut-
ting edge research and devel-
opment into this very important
topic that is affecting so many
event / mental health
today. The conference aims on
‘concentrating on novel ap-
proaches, further development
in existing therapies and addi-
tional means of understanding
depression, bipolar disorder
and mental health.’
Aware’s Chief Executive
Dominic Layden will open
the proceedings, followed
by Professor Chris Williams,
Emeritus Professor of Psycho-
social Psychiatry, University
of Glasgow, on ‘Living Life to
the Full Across the Lifespan’
in the opening plenary session.
Other contributions will be:
Dr Derek Richards, Chief
Science Officer, SilverCloud
Health, ‘What is the Future for
Mental Health with Advances
in Technology?’
Tine Bryan Stensbol, Senior
Vice President in Research and
Development Lundbeck Glob-
al: ‘What’s Next in Treatment
of Depression?’
Dr Olivia O’Leary, Depart-
ment of Anatomy and Neu-
roscience, UCC: ‘Emerging
Roles of the Gut-Brain Axis
and Psychobiotics in Depres-
sion’.
Professor John Sheehan,
Associate Clinical Profes-
sor, UCD, Consultant in Liai-
son and Perinatal Psychiatry:
‘Managing Depression and
Bipolar Disorder in Pregnancy
and the Postpartum Period’.
www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019
Dr Joanna Fortune, Clinical
Psychotherapist, Solamh: ‘The
Impact of a Parent’s Mental
Health on Children and Ado-
lescents’
Sinead Kennedy will give a
talk on ‘Personal Experience’.
Dr Claire Gillan, Assistant
Professor of Psychology, TCD:
‘Can Big Data Yield Insights
for Depression?’
Dr Justin Brophy, Consultant
Psychiatrist, Chair of the Fo-
rum of the Irish Postgraduate
Training Bodies: ‘Measures
to Prevent Suicide in Clinical
and Community Healthcare
Settings’.
Dr Declan Lyons, Consult-
ant Psychiatrist, St Patrick’s
Mental Health Services: ‘Why
do Clinicians Struggle to Di-
agnose Late Life Depression?’
Dr Mark Rowe, Medical
Doctor, author, speaker, edu-
cator and expert in lifestyle
medicine: ‘Living with Vital-
ity’.
Dr Claire Hayes, clinical
psychologist: ‘Choose Well’.
Deirdre McSwiney, ‘Sleep
Technologist and Cognitive
Behaviour Therapist for In-
somnia: ‘The Importance of
Sleep to Physical and Mental
Health’.
Sarah Keogh, Dietician,
‘How Nutrition Impacts on
your Mental Health’.
The conference will take
place in UCD and will be di-
vided between the O’Reilly
Hall, and the Icon and Intel
Theatres, both in the Sci-
ence Gallery. The event is on
Saturday October 12th from
9.30 to 4.30. Tickets cost
€80.22 and you can register
at https://www.awareconfer-
ence.com
Image: Aware logo.
All others courtesy of Google.
 www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019
Reaping what you sow: Harvest edition
A
n Geneva Pattison
utumn is a peaceful
affair. We’re wind-
ing down from a jam-
packed Summer and having a
break before the Winter fes-
tivities and exciting Christmas
rush.
However, Autumn could
be considered the gardener’s
Christmas with the amount of
gifts it produces. If you were
hard at work planting seeds as
far back as April and May, now
is the time to collect your boun-
ty.
Apples will be ripe for the
picking, perfect for making pies
and tarts. Be sure to prune any
diseased or dead branches as
you see them but hard pruning
AUTUMN GARDENING
an apple tree is best done dur-
ing the dormant period when the
leaves have all fallen off.
Another harvest favourite that
should be primed and ready
for the picking is pumpkin and
squash. All of these kinds of
cultivars from the squash family
have similar needs – good ferti-
lisation, warm days and consist-
ently well watered moist soil,
without getting the leaves wet!
If you planted the seeds in
late Spring, you should have
enough squash and pumpkin to
start your own jack-o-lantern
business by now – or maybe a
pumpkin spice latte stand?
Late-fruiting berries like
blackberries and raspberries
will be in abundance at this
point. The great thing about
blackberries in particular is that
they grow wild in many areas
around Ireland.
If you do go wild blackberry
picking make sure to identify
the fruit completely, as there
are many poisonous berries that
grow in similar conditions. Al-
ternatively, if you grow them
in your garden, once you’ve
picked all the fruit, cut back the
fruiting branches all the way to
the base of the plant.
It takes two years for fruiting
branches to produce anything,
but once they do fruit, they nev-
er will again. Hopefully you’ll
have enough to make a nice
blackberry crumble as a reward
for your fruit growing prowess.
Plants to cut back before the
frost:
Another aspect to consider
looking into, in Autumn, is
pruning back your perennials.
Hostas are leafy shade-loving
plant that need to be completely
cut down to their base before
any frost takes hold. I’ll tell you
the truth, It seems scary, but
your hosta will love you for it
and it may encourage flowering.
As mentioned above, berry
bushes like blackberries and
blackcurrants need to be pruned
to ensure fruiting next year. Cut
all the fruit-bearing branches
to the bottom of the plant and
prune any unsightly or over-
grown non-fruiting branches.
Herbs such as lavender and
rosemary can be cut back at
this point in the year to pro-
mote good air circulation for
the plants. For the lavender,
do not cut it all the way back
to the woody base, just prune
the existing shoots and stems
by one third.
Trimming rosemary isn’t
Page 27
technically necessary, but by
pruning a few inches from the
top of each branch during Au-
tumn, you’ll promote more rig-
orous and full growth.
If you’re a lover of roses,
you’ll be feeling the sting from
the loss of colour in your garden
at this time. To distract yourself,
give your roses a pre-winter
tidy. Prune any diseased leaves
or foliage away from the plant.
If you see any fallen, diseased or
mouldy leaves around the base
of your roses, get rid of them too
to avoid anything nasty spread-
ing to the rose bush.
Prune browning and wilted
roses away, but, you can leave
a few dying flower heads if you
have a cultivar that produces
rose hips. In winter, the rose
hips will make for a colourful
display of red to break up those
Winter garden blues.
Top left: Harvest display. Photo
by Geneva Pattison.
Below left: Orchard apples.
Photo courtesy Pixabay.
 Page 28
Autumnal preparations
in the garden
I
n Susan O’Brien
n local parks and along our neigh-
bourhood streets, the green leaf tones
of summer are slowly giving way to
lime tree yellows and orange tones of the
chestnut. All around, there is a sense of a
rising swell as flowers, fruits, and seed-
heads surge towards a concert-like cre-
scendo, in one final display.
As the days become cooler and the
evenings draw closer, most late season
specimens will fade gracefully into the
winter months.
If buds are still developing, herba-
AUTUMN GARDENING
ceous performers, Anemones, Dahlias,
and Salvias, can easily be encouraged to
continue flowering, with regular snips.
Once finished, there is no great rush to
cut everything back. The stiffening stems
and shapely seedheads will create a tran-
sitional structural interest, to carry the
space forward. The above-ground mass
will also help to protect the plant base
and insulate the root zone, on colder
nights.
So too will a thick cover or ‘top dress’
of organic mulch, spread over the soil
surface. Both decorative and highly
www.newsfour.ie
functional, it will gradually break down,
enriching the soil and improving struc-
ture. If you have a plot that has just been
cropped, apply well-rotted manure or
compost.
All frost-hardy vegetable varieties will
survive well over winter, especially with
a cover of protective fleece, kale, chard,
perpetual spinach and sprouting broccoli.
Similarly, a winter selection of cabbage,
peas, and broad bean plants can all be
transplanted now. The mighty garlic can
be planted too.
Choose ‘certified’ disease-free bulbs
of soft or hard necked varieties. Orien-
tal leaves do well at the beginning and
end of the main growing season. Store
surplus seeds in their packets, in a sealed
container. Add rice grains as a desiccant.
Place in the fridge or a cool, dry dark
space.
As ground conditions become wetter,
harvest remaining courgettes and mar-
rows before the slugs do it for you. Lift
ripening squash or pumpkins directly off
the soil surface to prevent rot. Place a
slate underneath. Remove excess leaves
to increase ripening. Once ready, harvest
the fruit with several inches of the stem
attached to maintain quality.
Before winds begin to pick up, now is
a good time to check wire supports on
walls, tie in new growth on climbers and
ensure tree ties around trees are loosely
secure. Tall stems on shrub roses can be
roughly cut back to prevent catching in
the wind and rocking the roots. More
precise pruning can take place in the new
year, before bud break.
Although not entirely necessary, an
annual pruning of deciduous flowering
shrubs will encourage strong, healthy
October / November 2019
shoots and improve display. Of course,
specific pruning requirements depend on
the type of shrub, but there are some sim-
ple guidelines. If you are unsure, it is al-
ways best and easy to seek some advice.
Evergreen shrubs require little or no
regular pruning. If space is an issue, cut
back in mid to late spring after any risk of
frost has passed and before new growth
begins. If the shrub is still flowering or
starting to flower in mid-spring, prune
immediately afterwards.
For a quick tidy-up, remove all dam-
aged, diseased and dead material, the
three “D”s. Cut out any weak, twiggy
growth and any rubbing stems, which
create access points for disease. Reduce
in size or remove entirely, a few ill-
placed stems, avoiding excessive cutting.
Take a step back and look at the plant be-
fore proceeding.
Deciduous shrubs that bloom after
mid-summer and into autumn like Bud-
dleja davidii, are pruned in early to mid-
spring. This allows time for the new
stems to grow, mature and flower in the
same year. Deciduous shrubs that bloom
in late winter, spring and early summer
like Jasminum nudiflorum, Forsythia or
Philadelphus are pruned immediately af-
ter flowering.
Whilst the calendar provides a general
guide, nature is a more accurate indica-
tor!
If readers are looking for addition-
al gardening guidance or tips please
email gardennewsfour@gmail.com.
Clockwise from top left:
Pumpkins basking in the autumn sun;
Beehive Composting Bin; Waiting for
Halloween? and Autumn Plot Harvest.
Photos courtesy Susan O’Brien.
 www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019
WHAT IS ART THERAPY?
Deirdre Cunningham & Ella Reilly
(Art Psychotherapists)
Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy where
art materials are used as part of the thera-
peutic process. Art is a form of communica-
tion that has the ability to access specific in-
formation about the individual. It can bypass
the layers or barriers that are often built up
with words and defences. It acts as a mirror,
a reflective object that holds all our projec-
tions. The art piece might be described as a
finger ID where the therapist and client work
collaboratively to unravel its code. This form
of therapy is a safe and sensitive way to ap-
proach ‘difficult’ subjects. The pace of thera-
py is set by the client and their readiness to
look at themselves.
The normal psychotherapeutic boundaries
are adhered to; time, safety and confidenti-
ality. The contained space is essential for a
sense of safety. As with all the therapeutic
practices, a trusting relationship sits at the
heart of the work.
WHO DOES ART THERAPY?
Anyone can participate in art therapy. Despite
its title, ‘art’ therapy does not require artistic
skill, nor is it limited to any age. The busy,
stressed mum, the young, confused college
student, the middle-aged man seeking some
answers might all benefit from art therapy.
Some people simply enjoy the exploratory
nature of the practice.
WHAT ABOUT MY MENTAL HEALTH?
Art therapy is suitable for anyone with men-
Child and Adolescent Therapy
Adolescent Therapy helps adolescents to
overcome their emotional and psychological
challenges. Adolescents have an opportunity
to explore the meaning of their experiences.
This in turn promotes increased well-being
and improves relationships with those around
them. For example parents and friends.
The therapist collaborates with parents and
caregivers to assist them in supporting their
child/ children during and after this process.
One of the outcomes is that you will be less
stressed as a parent and your children will be
happier and have a fulfilling life.
Meet our Child and Adolescent Therapists
Ella Reilly, Deirdre Cunningham,
Art Psychotherapist Art Psychotherapist
tal health difficulties or those struggling with
a current challenge. These can range from
anxiety, anger issues, self-harm, suicide ide-
ation, depression, loss and grief to family and
relational issues.
HOW IS IT STRUCTURED?
Art therapy can be short-term, solution fo-
cused or more long-term self-exploratory
work. It might take the shape of;
• Identifying issue/s
• Barriers to overcoming problems
• Re-framing - finding a new way of looking at
life, thorough art-making
• Making sense of our story through reflection
• Learning to self-soothe when distressed
• Looking at ourselves with curiosity and com-
passion rather than judgement
• Healing our wounds
• Gaining a sense of mastery and compe-
tence
• Encouraging our innate creativity
• Having visual evidence of our internal jour-
ney
• Beautiful moments of clarity
Bath Avenue Counselling centre offers Child
and Adolescent Therapy, using Art, Play and
Talk Therapy.
“I support adolescents to overcome their
emotional & psychological challenges by
helping them explore the meaning of their
experiences. This promotes increased well-
being & improves relationships with those
around them. I also collaborate with parents
& caregivers to assist them support their child
during and after this process” Laura Fitzpat-
rick, Adolescent Psychotherapist.
Laura Fitzpatrick,
Adolescent Psychotherapist
Page 29
FROM STRESS TO EXAM SUCCESS
PROGRAMME
Are you a Leaving Cert student
struggling to manage the stress
that comes with prepping for the
exams?
We will be offering a four week
group programme for Leaving
Certificate students to provide stress relieving support in the
build up to the exams.
There will be a single workshop of the programme that will
take place on the 25th of January from 11:00am-13:00pm
The programme will take place 4 Saturday mornings (Satur-
day April 11th, 18th, 25th & May 2nd) from 11:00am-13:00pm.
The contents of this programme will include:
• Understanding how your body and brain work under stress
and how to manage the effects.
• The importance of taking time out and positive tips on how
to unwind during this busy year.
• Identifying the type of learner you are and what will work for
you as an individual.
• Building a positive studying environment.
Blocks to studying discussed and explained.
• Managing your time and planner.
The workshop will cost €50 pp. The four week programme
will cost €150 pp.
To book a complimentary individual consultation or to
receive more information please contact us on:
Bath Avenue Counselling Centre > Contact us on: 01
678 864, 087 981 1998 or E-mail info@bathavenuecoun-
selling.ie
Or contact the programme facilitator, Laura Fitzpatrick
directly via E-mail @ laura.fitzpatrick85@gmail.com
 Page 30
Gerard Byrne appointed
Artist-in-Residence at the
Singapore Botanic Gardens
I
n David Prendeville
n August, Gerard Byrne,
one of Ireland’s lead-
ing contemporary art-
ists, whose studio is based in
Ranelagh, became Artist-in-
Residence at the Singapore
Botanic Gardens.
As part of the commemora-
tive celebration of the Gar-
dens’ 160 years in existence,
Gerard was invited by Patrick
Bourne, Irish Ambassador to
Singapore and Dr Nigel Tay-
lor, Director of Singapore Bo-
tanic Gardens to reside at the
Gardens for one month.
Gerard has a big follow-
ing in Dublin 4, having spent
many hours painting the coast
of south Dublin; Sandymount,
Sandycove and Dalkey, to
name but a few locations. He
also had a solo exhibition in
Gallery Four in 2007.
Following from last year’s
‘Inside Outside & Beyond’,
a successful exhibition cel-
ebrating thirty years of paint-
ing the National Botanic
Gardens of Ireland, Gerard
continues to explore and de-
velop his passion for paint-
ing exotic plants and nature
ART www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019
by creating a new collection
while in Singapore.
Byrne’s residency has cul-
minated in an exhibition of
his botanical paintings from
Ireland and Kew Gardens in
London, alongside his new
Singaporean collection. The
exhibition ‘Botanical Fusion’
is currently being displayed
at People’s Gallery, Singa-
pore Botanic Gardens, having
started on the 6th of Septem-
ber and running until Novem-
ber 10th..
In July, Felix Loh, CEO
of the iconic Gardens by the
Bay made a visit to Gerard’s
gallery/studio with Patrick
Bourne, Irish Ambassador to
Singapore. This meeting re-
sulted in the official invita-
tion for Gerard to paint plein-
air during his trip within the
Gardens by the Bay, the world His unique blend, near kalei- they can follow Gerard on ins-
famous nature park in Singa- doscope, of style and subject tagram @gerard_byrne_artist
pore spanning 101 hectares of explain his emergence as an or visit www.gerardbyrneart-
reclaimed land with its spec- established force in Irish art ist.com
tacular ‘Supertrees’ and the and increasing internationally.
largest glass greenhouse in If readers wish to follow Pictures of paintings courtesy
the world. Gerard’s journey and to get of the Gerard Byrne Studio.
Gardens by the Bay is part an insight of his residency in Picture of Gerard Byrne cour-
of the nation’s plans to trans- Singapore Botanic Gardens, tesy of Leon Farrell.
form its ‘Garden City’ to a
‘City in a Garden’, with the
aim of raising the quality of
life by enhancing greenery
and flora in the city.
The versatility of Gerard’s
work has led him to many
commissions, both in private
and corporate sectors, his
most recent being of Sarah
Eberle’s Main Avenue Gar-
den, ‘The Resilience Garden’,
sponsored by The Forestry
Commission at this year’s
Chelsea Flower Show in Lon-
don.
Gerard’s work has also been
featured in the publication of
Patricia Butler’s ‘Irish Bo-
tanical Illustrations & Flower
Painters’ (2000) and was se-
lected out of 1,000 artists to
participate in the Landscape
Artist of the Year, SKY Arts
programme in 2017.
Gerard paints both from re-
ality and imagination, creat-
ing exuberant images which
hover on the verge of abstract.
 www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019
Bauhaus at 100
T
n Geneva Pattison
his year marks the cen-
tenary of Bauhaus, a
movement within the Art
and Architecture humanities. To
mark the occasion, the National
Museum has acquired four port-
folios, comprising 52 woodcuts
prints, lithographs, lino cuts
and etchings on loan from the
Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart.
This groundbreaking movement
was established after Germany
was defeated in WW1 and the new
Weimar Republic era began. The
newly-established and more lib-
eral Weimar Republic enabled art-
ists the freedom to express them-
selves through more experimental
forms of art.
The Bauhaus school was estab-
lished by Walter Gropius in 1919,
driven by the desire to remove elit-
ism from among the art commu-
nity and his wish to reinforce that
there was “no essential difference
between the artist and the crafts-
man”. The school championed all
principles of good design, with an
emphasis on clean lines and eye-
catching elements.
As the years progressed, Eu-
rope saw tensions increase dur-
ing the lead-up to WW2. The ex-
treme right’s popularity grew in
Germany and the Bauhaus artists
found themselves condemned as
Paul Kobus and Clanns chairman Bernard Barron at the Celtic
Cross memorial in Fontenoy village. Remembering the Irish troops
contribution to victory at Fontenoy in 1745. (See page 38)
“degenerate artists”. To keep the
Bauhaus school of art alive, all in-
volved eventually scattered to the
four winds to ensure their spirit of
freedom survived.
Artists on show in the exhibi-
tion include Wassily Kandinsky,
Max Pechstein, Umberto Boccioni
and Natalia Goncharova amongst
others. Walking into the exhibition
space, I was immediately drawn to
a monochrome woodcut print on
the back wall of the first room.
“Creation I” by Franz Marc is an
elegant abstract masterpiece. Marc
was drawn to nature, and animals
were the subject of most of his ma-
ture artworks. He felt that animals
represented innocence and had a
spiritual connection to the world,
more so than men. Although he is
primarily known for his explora-
tion of colours as emotion through
cubist-esque paintings, his black
and white prints are just as beauti-
fully nuanced in composition.
Upon first glance, the naturalis-
tic, inky black curves of the piece
seem to envelope most of the print.
However, these are offset by an
undercurrent of harsh lines which
run throughout. These stark lines
present a sense of hidden danger.
Perhaps a representation of man’s
ability to take over or remove the
organic shapes of nature or maybe
a representation of nature’s ability
NewsFour
around the
World 2
ART Page 31
to fight back in difficult circum- telling and the design incorporat- be showing until December 1st
stances. ing the forward-looking principles and will interest lovers of design,
Marc’s style ranges from Cub- of the Bauhaus. art and history alike.
ist to German Expressionism and In 1920, Walter Gropius gave To find out more about the
if you ever come across his other Klee a key position in the Bauhaus history of Bauhaus visit the of-
colourful paintings you can see school. He was beloved by many ficial centenary website.
elements of Futurism in his use of the students, with some of them https://www.bauhaus100.com/
of colours and form. Although going as far as dedicating their
Franz Marc died tragically young works of art to him. Above, from left:
in 1916, before the advent of the Bauhaus paved the way for Franz Marc, Creation I, 1914,
Bauhaus, he played a pivotal role modern graphic design to thrive woodcut.
in influencing it by enriching the as it does today. The free exhibi- Paul Klee, Hoffmanesque Scene,
artistic landscape of Germany dur- tion in the National Gallery will 1921, colour lithograph.
ing WW1.
Another print that stood out
was “Hoffmannesque scene” by
Bauhaus master Paul Klee. From
a young age Klee had a palpable
talent for drawing, and eventually
Klee studied for a degree in fine
art. Early in his college career he
found out that he didn’t have a
great grasp of colour in the tradi-
tional sense, which played a part
in his development as an experi-
mental artist.
Many of his early etchings ex-
hibited child-like exaggerations
of figures, grotesque in form and
inspired by Greek comedies and
tragedies. This piece of his later
work on show in the gallery is sim-
ilarly influenced by another piece
of writing, E.T.A Hoffmann’s
“The Golden Pot”. The Romantic
German fairy tale follows a young
man who falls in love with a be-
nevolent snake in a tree and upon
having received a dowry of a gold-
en pot from her alchemist father,
he is cursed by a witch.
In the etching we see a young
man at the base of the picture
looking upwards towards a tree
and towards the centre a mysteri-
ous vessel, potentially the golden
pot. Although primitive in appear-
ance, “Hoffmannesque scene” il-
lustrates a communion between
Klee’s own Romantic leanings
through warm colour and story-
 Page 32
Fear of the unknown:
The obscure Irish gothic
E
n Geneva Pattison
very year around this time,
we are reminded of one
of our most hallowed and
terrifying literary exports, Bram
Stoker’s “Dracula”. Over a centu-
ry later, the man behind the fangs
seems to have punctured every
facet of pop-culture.
We have seen vampires in mov-
ies, art, 21st century literature and
even bleeding over into the realm
of fashion and makeup. Stoker’s
seminal work may be our most
prominent example of Gothic lit-
erature, however it’s certainly not
our only one.
Patrick Lafcadio Hearn is a
sometimes forgotten Irish writer
of horror, possibly because his
main topic of interest was Japa-
nese folklore. He was born in 1850
in Greece to Irish Officer Charles
Hearn and Greek native Rosa Cas-
simati, who moved to Dublin in
1852.
His early life was quite bleak,
one might say the tale of his up-
bringing was his first foray into
FEATURES / HALLOWEEN
dread. His father was never pre-
sent and as a result the marriage
failed, resulting in Hearn’s mother
abandoning him and leaving for
Greece when he was four.
By 1857, he was being raised
by his great aunt in Dublin, as his
father had left for India and remar-
ried. Lafcadio never saw his father
again. Hearn recalls a particularly
terrifying period in his life in Dub-
lin, when he was locked in an iso-
lated room where no fire was al-
lowed to be lit and no candles were
permitted to be used.
This segregating action was
supposed to cure the young Hearn
of his fear of the dark, which it
did not. While being educated in
England, a teenage Hearn lost all
sight in one eye after an accident,
leaving him feeling haunted by a
sense of deformity for the rest of
his days.
The effect of these unfurling
life events meant whatever ven-
ture Hearn pursued later in life, he
always seemed to skirt the edges
of the unfamiliar, the unknown
and the simply unheard of in the
1800’s. He found comfort in the
strange and his work began to echo
this. In the 1880’s his writings tra-
versed into the domain of ghosts,
cautionary spectres and that of the
uncanny.
Hearn moved to Japan in 1890
and fell in love with the country
and its strong heritage. He started
a family and began to write on all
aspects of Japan, including its folk
legends, to try and relay his love of
the then-mysterious country to the
Western world.
His book “Kwaidan: Stories and
Studies of Strange Things” was
Hearn’s adaptation and translation
of ancient Japanese lore and ghost
stories. The tale of “Mimi-nashi
Hōichi” is about a blind minstrel
with an extraordinary gift for play-
ing the biwa (Japanese lute). He
was trained from a young age to
sing and recount the tales of fa-
mous historical battles and he de-
livered the songs with such emo-
tion that “even the goblins could
not refrain from tears”.
In the tale, Hoichi is poor and
has to live with a kind priest in a
temple. However, one night while
playing the biwa he is approached
by a samurai who demands that
the musician comes with him to
play for his lord.
He agrees to perform and the
blind Hoichi is led by the warrior
to meet the wealthy court. I don’t
want to give away the entire story
but at some point poor Hoichi…
loses his ears. Despite this, the
story ultimately has a happy end-
ing, but eeriness, superstition and
a curse precedes it.
Originally, “Kwaidan” was
published in 1904, but since then
edited and curated compilations
of Hearn’s work have been pub-
lished. Penguin Classics have one
such compilation edited by Paul
Murray which includes an essay,
“Nightmare Touch”, written by
Hearn on the subject of fear itself.
In the essay, Hearn asks “What
is the fear of ghosts among those
who believe in ghosts?” He argues
that all fear is the result of expe-
rience. What do you think? Have
you seen a ghost?
The Female Gothic Legacy in
Ireland
From the 19th century onwards,
Irish female writers have been
producing Gothic literature to
evoke feelings of the uncanny and
beguile curious readers. Many of
these stories would elicit fear from
the most rigid of skeptics – you
have been warned.
The anthology, “Bending to
Earth: Strange Stories by Irish
Women” is comprised of other-
worldly tales as crafted by the au-
thors, reflecting both continental
and exotic frights but with even
scarier terrors closer to home.
Lady Jane Wilde born in 1821,
poet, writer and mother to Os-
car Wilde features early on in the
book with her tale “The Child’s
www.newsfour.ie
Dream”. Her story is set in old Ire-
land, telling of an ancient Prince
of Munster and his young family
who lived peacefully on the island
of Innis Sark.
One day, the Prince’s young son
is delivered a somewhat cryptic
message in a dream… “why do
you come here, dear child; for
none but the dead come here”. It
is a foreboding tale of premonition
and that which is unseen, drawing
heavily from Irish religious folk-
lore and mysticism.
Well-known dramatist, folklor-
ist and co-founder of the Abbey
Theatre, Lady Augusta Gregory
utilises eye-witness accounts from
all across Ireland to incite terror
from the reader. “The Unquiet
Dead” is a collection of folk tales
about ghouls, maledictions and
things that go bump in the night
from the Aran Islands to Kildare.
One such unearthly tale comes
from a woman named Mrs. Ca-
sey. She recounts the story of two
young girls who took a rest by a
bush one day, while out gather-
ing supplies. The girls heard a
voice moan from under the ground
where they rested. They ran home
and returned with a man who, sure
enough, heard the same sad moan-
ing.
Bending down to the ground
to listen closer, he heard a voice
say… “Let someone shave me and
get me out of this, for I was never
shaved before dying”. The man
returned the third day with soap
and a razor, to find a body lying on
top of the grass where he had been
listening. He shaved the dead man
and when he was done he saw it
ascend to the sky.
The retellings are mostly to do
with wayward spirits and ghosts
trapped on earth, however there
is an unusual story at the end of
the collection delivered by an old
army man about the time he had a
vision of hell.
October / November 2019
In the vision, he says, he walked
through a large archway of sear-
ing hot metal and to his left five
furnaces stood, filled with trapped
souls in chains. He also tells of a
giant hot metal wall that surround-
ed the archway which seemed to
go on forever in either direction.
Trapped souls? Walls? Sounds dis-
turbingly familiar if you ask me.
“Bending to Earth” is edited
by Maria Giakaniki and Brian J.
Showers and showcases twelve
short stories by Irish women. Each
of the authors included in the an-
thology was not primarily known
for their writing on phantasmago-
rical topics, but each of them has
ventured into the realm of the mys-
tical, exploring a world where oth-
ers dare not tread.
If you’re feeling brave this Hal-
loween season, the books men-
tioned above have a whole host
of frightful delights for fans of
the supernatural and they make
for a welcome departure from the
usual scary novels we see time and
again. However, be aware that any
chills felt during your reading may
not be the result of the Autumnal
weather alone…
Above: Lady Augusta Gregory.
Left: Lafcadio Hearn and his wife.
Both images: Wiki Commons.
 www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019
I A modern séance and a
n Dermot Carmody
t’s the time of year when we
celebrate the supernatural and
listen closely for messages
from the dead souls who move
among us. The ongoing success of
The Bram Stoker Festival, which
celebrates the Gothic horror of
which Stoker, the creator of Drac-
ula, was a master, demonstrates
that we are still fascinated and en-
tertained by the scary supernatural.
Dracula was published in 1897
at the height of the late 19th and
early 20th century obsession with
psychic phenomena and the para-
normal. Mediums who were be-
lieved to channel communications
from the dead were widely popular
in Ireland as in other parts of the
world.
Many a psychic took to the stage
to amaze or hoodwink their audi-
ence with apparent knowledge of
their dead relatives, and many a
respectable drawing room hosted
séances, attempts to converses
with dead.
This year the Bram Stoker Festi-
val revives this activity in the form
of a unique theatrical experience
which occurs in total darkness in a
24ft shipping container.
Séance comes from writer Glen
Neath and director David Rosen-
berg, whose company Darkfield
creates a unique immersive theat-
rical experience for audiences of
ten to 20 people at a time using
binaural sound in complete dark-
ness.
Binaural recording creates real-
istic 3-D soundscape for the audi-
ence, each of whom wears head-
phones. Séance uses this technique
to “bombard” the audience with
“suggestible material”. The audi-
ence begin to believe there is a
person moving around them in the
dark, whispering in their ear. And
maybe there are entities other than
a living human present.
The show explores the psychol-
ogy of suggestibility, demonstrat-
ing that mental states can be af-
fected and emotions evinced using
technological trickery, despite the
fact that the 2019 audience knows
it is artifice and trickery.
Everyone is aware of what is be-
ing done, they know it’s not real,
but a hundred years ago things
were different. Paranormal and
psychic phenomena were for a
FEATURES / HALLOWEEN Page 33
of salt what spirits told her rather
than doubting their existence.
Hester went on to publish more
Dublin medium from history
of the results of her séances in-
cluding “The Scripts of Philip”,
dictated by a Greek spirit who said
he had known Christ and described
time taken very seriously by many, Isis in the reign of Ramses II and his teachings and also meeting him
including men and women who re- Sharma, who said she was Hindu after the resurrection, and conver-
garded themselves as taking a sci- and was Hester’s spiritual guide. sations with Oscar Wilde.
entific approach to communication One of the early controls was an Among other things, Wilde’s
from the dead. Irish American spirit calling him- spirit relayed his extremely poor
One such woman was Hester self Peter Rooney. Hester, how- opinion of the writings of James
Dowden. Hester was born in 1868, ever, researched this person and Joyce in a series of put-down re-
the daughter of Edward Dowden, was satisfied that the spirit had lied marks which Joyce himself then
Professor of oratory and English about his identity. satirised in Finnegans Wake.
literature at Dublin University and On one occasion during a séance Hester Dowden died in London
a resident of Wellington Road at she held in the company of the in February 1949 and was cre-
the time of Hester’s birth. playwright Lennox Robinson they mated in Golders Green. To the
Edward Dowden was friends were contacted by a spirit claiming best of our knowledge she hasn’t
with many notables in literature to be Sir Hugh Lane, director of been heard from since, but then
and art at the time, including Jack the Municipal Gallery in Dublin. we haven’t attended Séance at the
B Yeats, who painted Hester’s por- Hester knew Hugh Lane but Bram Stoker Festival yet.
trait when she was eleven years did not know what his supposed Séance is presented by the Bram
old. He also knew WB Yeats (who spirit now told her, which was that Stoker Festival and Darkfield at
was critical of Dowden, regard- he had been aboard the Lusitania Wolfe Tone Square, 23 Jervis
ing him as a “West Briton”) Oscar which had sunk days before and Street, Dublin 1 Fri 25 Oct – Mon
Wilde and Bram Stoker himself. had drowned. Hester again re- 28 Oct. Tickets are €13 (incl. €1
The young Hester planned a ca- their experiments in 1919 entitled searched this and while in essence booking fee). For more informa-
reer as a musician and moved to “Voice From The Void”. the spirit was truthful, she discov- tion and to book visit bramstoker-
London to study music when she The spirits who made their pres- ered that a cabin number he had festival.com.
was 21. She returned to Dublin ence felt through the medium in given her as well as the name of a
when her mother died, and looked this way were referred to as “con- fellow passenger were erroneous. Left: Hester Dowden (Wiki Com-
after her father until he remarried trols”. These included Eyen, who It seems that her skepticism only mons); Below: Ouija Board
in 1895. claimed to be an Egyptian priest of went as far as taking with a pinch (Halloween Vectors by Vecteezy).
Both she and her sister Hilda
had an interest in spiritualism and
joined the Dublin branch of the
Society for Psychical Research
(SPR). They both experimented
with “automatic writing”, a pro-
cess by which the spirits of the
dead were supposed to communi-
cate through the mediums writing
their messages.
Hester was actually quite skep-
tical, but her sister was deeply
affected by the experiences and
seems to have suffered some sort
of a nervous breakdown.
In his 1951 biography of Hes-
ter Dowden, Edmund Bentley
claimed Hester applied this rig-
orous skepticism to all her psy-
chic experiences, saying that she
followed a “golden rule of non-
absorption” and never allowed
herself to be “dominated by dis-
carnate influences.”
Hester and the head of the SPR
William Bennett used a custom
version of the ouija-board to com-
municate with the spirits. This was
a table covered with a sheet of
glass beneath which the letters of
the alphabet were distributed in a
random pattern. The hand of the
medium, Hester in this case, would
hold a pointer through which the
spirit who was talking via Hester
would use to spell out their mes-
sage. She published an account of
 Page 34 PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019

Dear Valerie,
We acknowledge with sincere thanks your very kind and generous
Lions cook up a storm for Haddington Road School
S
donation (receipt given) towards our Appeal Fund, being proceeds of n Annie Gribbin
you Fundraising Coffee Morning in aid of The Friends of St Luke’s ummer is over for another
Cancer Care, Research and Cure. year, but one of the most
Please convey our gratitude to: Pauline Memery, Orla Murphy, Sean successful and memora-
Murphy, Gura’s Grand-children, Gura’s Great Grand-son, Stephen ble events of this August was
O’Connor, Brian Learmouth and Colleagues, Clare Cummins, Anna the Ballsbridge Lions Club
Richardson and the wonderful residence of Pearse House. Tell them
first BBQ, which was held in
how much their support means to the hospital.
the Bishop’s Garden St Mary’s
In 2019 with your help The Friends are continuing to fund a number
Road.
or very important projects across the network which include:
Over 300 people attended and
• Child and Adolescent play area for our paediatric service. St Luke’s
were well entertained by live
is the only centre that provides Paediatric Radiation Therapy. The
performances from the School
Friends are funding a dedicated space for both children and their fami-
of Rock and Murphy’s Law.
lies. The space will serve as a waiting room, counselling room and a
The new Miss Universe Ireland, also Addiction Recovery Ireland. ter! So watch this space and fol-
quiet are for the recovery from anaesthetics. It will provide a much
Fionnghuala O’Reilly, arrived to The goal of the Lions Club is to low us on Facebook! Better again
needed separate facility for teenage patients, who obviously don’t want
showcase her crown and have her strengthen the community spirit why not join the club and become
to be with children or adults and need the latest technology available.
picture taken with John Gavigan, which is particularly relevant in a member of this huge growing
• 50 Electronic Beds for patients at St. Luke’s Rathgar which are
the new incoming President of the the Ballsbridge/Ringsend area, international charity worldwide
helpful with blood flow, are more comfortable for the patients and safer
Club. where the daily local way of life serving its own community.
for the healthcare staff.
This was her first charity fund- is under threat from the influx of You can do so at http://www.
• The Friends will continue to support Oaklands Lodge our ‘home
raising event of her year and she large corporates. lionsclubs.ie/join-the-lions or
from home’ for patients who travel long distances for treatment. Oak-
enjoyed it so much she stayed the We welcome new members and contact John Gavigan at 086
lands Lodge has some accommodation which provides for a family
whole evening and mingled with stress that there is no obligation to 2460125
member or friend to stay also, which is a great comfort during a pos-
everyone. The summer barbecue become actively involved except Annie Gribbin (below) is the
sibly stressful time. It is a wonderful facility and has been completely
was in aid of St Christopher’s to attend a meeting once a month. voluntary PR for the Ballsbridge
funded by our supporters and fundraisers.
new school on Haddington Road, There is great social interaction Lions Club.
It is only with the help of people like you, that we can continue to
which after costs amounted to between the members and regular
fundraise for St Luke’s to ensure the full range of services continue to
€10,000 and was very well spon- fun get-togethers.
be available to all of the patients who attend the St Luke’s Radiation
sored by the local business com-
Oncology Network. Our aim is to support our patients in whatever way
possible, as they go through their cancer journey and to create a warm
munity whom we would sincerely So What Next?
like to thank for their support for Already there are plans for a de-
and welcoming environment.
getting on board with supplying fibrillator training course for the
Many thanks again for your support and interest in our work. It is
drink and amazing food. community, a golf outing, some
deeply appreciated by all who benefit.
The Lions Club is celebrating concerts in the church hall and a
its first year in existence and has trip to the south of France! Due to
Kind regards,
raised funds for several local char- the great success of the BBQ this
Geraldine Watt (Mrs)
ities like The Linen Guild which year we will no doubt do it again
EVENTS CO-ORDINATOR
supports Hollis Street Hospital, next year, only bigger and bet-

Mind-Body Extravaganza at RDS a threatened sub-species. And if

you fancy a tipple Beo Wine Bar
provide biodynamic and organic

T
n Eoin Meegan
he Dublin Mind Body Ex-
perience makes a welcome
return to the RDS this au-
tumn after a few years’ absence,
featuring many old favourites
along with a sprinkling of new
ones in the field of holistic health
and medicine. It kicks off with an
evening opening on November
8th, from 4.00pm till 8.00, and
then gets underway in earnest the
next two days from 10.00 to 7.00
in Hall 4 (that’s the Anglesea Road
entrance). The event boasts 190
exhibitors, complemented by talks
and workshops, along with yoga
and meditation classes spread over
the three days.
The event brings together a wide
range of exhibitors, practition-
ers, and speakers from the world
of holistic health and well-being,
many providing mini treatments
and demonstrating a diverse range
of healing modalities, such as Bio
energy, Reiki, and Pranic Healing,
among others.
While entry is free, the organis-
ers advise pre-registering as they
are expecting a big crowd and
space will be limited. A queuing
system will be in operation for all
talks and workshops with those
pre-registered getting priority.
So what exactly is on offer?
Well, you can browse the many
stalls in the main hall or delve
deeper if you feel the pull.
Shamanism, said to be the oldest
healing systems on the planet has
been growing in popularity among
adherents of personal develop-
ment. At the RDS event, Shining
Soul will have all your shamanic
accessories, including handmade
shamanic rattles and smudge feath-
ers. Often shrouded in mystery, the
enigmatic world of Tantra will be
unveiled by Vesco Stefanov. Else-
where you can share a Sound Bath
with Fiona McDonagh, or tickle
your ears with something called
Solfeggio Healing Tones - appar-
ently they act like a tuning fork on
the energy system bringing it into
harmony. And if that’s not enough,
Maria B. Burke will be along with
the 321 Focus 30 Day Challenge
that promises to change your life.
Then if crystals are your thing
Rocky Road Minerals have rare
tumbled stones, and semi-precious
stone jewellery on offer, as well
as doing a line in crystal magic
wands, should you want to spend
time in the Potterverse. Aura
Soma, whose motto is ‘you are the
colours you choose’ offer coloured
bottles and scents, while TianDe
have a wide range of beauty and
health products that can help with
eczema, psoriasis, and other ail-
ments. Herbs of Grace are among
a number of groups dealing with
the healing power of herbs. And if
you want to avail of Alpaca cloth-
ing, which is supposedly softer
than sheep’s wool and keeps you
warm in winter and cool in sum-
mer, then Gifts of Nature is the
stall to head for. The delightfully
named Pachamama is a new ho-
listic gift shop that supply all your
spiritual needs, while Dervish Ho-
listics have a wide range of higher
consciousness books and cds on
offer. And not forgetting our four-
legged friends, Holistic Pet Prod-
ucts will cater to all their needs.
Today everyone wants to be
healthier, and Coconutty provide
vegan and gluten free snacks.
While Eating Freely is not another
diet regime but a system to help
break the link between our emo-
tional states and eating habits. You
can sample some delicious honey
from Galtee Honey Farm who
boast an amazing 170 beehives on
their farm, including the Native
Irish Black Honey bee, apparently
wines.
So if you’re tired of football,
rugby or the usual pub scene this
sounds like a delightfully alterna-
tive way to spend a weekend. Why
not come along to the RDS and let
them pamper your body, open your
mind, and raise your energy to a
new level. The event is organised
by Freddy Roberts and his partner
Lorraine who have been organis-
ing spiritual and holistic fairs in
Dublin, Cork and Galway for the
past eleven years. Their aim is to
create larger holistic events, make
them accessible and affordable
to everyone, and help promote a
more conscious and healthy life-
style. Sounds like a plan.
I’ve only given a small sample
of what’s on offer over the week-
end, so for a full programme and
to register go to
https://www.dublinmindbody-
experience.ie/pre-register
Photo courtesy of Freddy Rob-
erts and Mind Body Experience.
 www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019
BusConnects:
A September saga
B
n Kathrin Kobus
usConnects is back on
the agenda after the
summer. Four months
have passed since the first
round of consultations were
completed, and residents had
the chance to contact the
planners with their submis-
sions and suggestions.
Three community forums
were conducted by the Na-
tional Transport Authority
(NTA) throughout September.
One segment of the corridor/
route project stood out amidst
the number of submissions
after the first round of discus-
sions held between February
and May.
Nearly 760 submissions had
been logged with the NTA by
the end of May from residents
who are affected in one way
or another by the proposals
for the No.14; the corridor
between UCD, Ballsbridge
and the city centre.
Of these submissions nearly
half (358) were concerned
with the entire scheme. On
September 18th Aidan Gal-
lagher senior project manager
and Hugh Creegan Deputy
CEO of the NTA answered
questions during the second
round of community forums
at the Clayton Hotel with the
aim “to review pedestrian ar-
rangements, to review overall
cycling route, to undertake
environmental assessments
[and] to review traffic move-
ments and traffic impacts.” as
was pointed out at the open-
ing of the revised presenta-
tion.
Nutley Lane, especially, has
become a focal point of the
discussion. The NTA received
signed petition letters includ-
ing a letter from the Nutley
Avenue Residents Group with
65 numbered signatures and
a letter from the Clyde Lane
Residents with 26 numbered
signatures.
There are now two propos-
als and / or amendments up
for discussion regarding the
disputed suggestions. The
first (top right) centres around
proposing bus and private car
lanes in both directions and
the footpath along the houses
and cycling path on the oppo-
site site. The second option is
(second from top right) that
TRANSPORT Page 35
there will be two bus lanes,
but only one-way traffic for
private cars with cycling path
and footpath as before. This
proposal will definitely in-
volve residents’ property and
increase the amount of traf-
fic going through, which is
something residents are op-
posed to.
Easier to accept is the
planned straightening out of
the current island junction
between Herbert Road, Pem-
broke Road and Shelbourne
Road (third from top right).
This would become a plain
square crossing. Elgin Road
would no longer be accessible
but trees would be planted.
It had been a bit quieter at
the meeting the previous week
at the Gibson Hotel forum re-
garding the route/corridor No.
16, which will lead in a loop
from Talbot Memorial Bridge
up to Tom Clark Bridge/East
link and cross the Liffey on a
new, as yet, to be built bridge
at the mouth of the Dodder
near St Pats Rowing club (top FC Clubhouse and connect of consultations for the corri-
left) and then run back west- directly to Sean Moore Road, dors is scheduled. The formal
wards along Sir John Roger- instead of continuing towards planning application to An
son’s quay. the Irishtown stadium. Bord Pleanála will be made
This bridge will only be This was the second round by the middle of next year.
open for public transport, tax- of proposals only regarding The proposals can be ac-
is and will have separate pe- the corridors. There will be cessed via: https://www.bus-
destrian and cycle lanes. The other meetings in the follow- connects.ie/initiatives/com-
planners received 19 submis- ing weeks concerning the ac- munity-forum/
sions from 17 parties focused tual spines, that’s the lettered Freephone 1800 303 653
on 11 issues. routes which are to replace
Some key issues sprang up, the current bus routes 1, 4, 7 Photographs: Gary Burke.
including the cycling route and the issue of the no 47 still Maps: Busconnects, courtesy
and the heavy traffic leading disappearing. The third round of NTA brochure.
regularly to congestion along
York Road and Pigeon House
Road, including the green
space and the granite former
seawall (bottom left).
The cycle path (bottom
right marked in dotted line)
is planned from the Northern
corner of Ringsend Park then
would continue on towards
Sean Moore Park via Bath
Street.
In addition to that, another
cycle path is suggested along
the western side, via the gates
at Cambridge Park. Sugges-
tions came from Chris An-
drews, councillor for Sinn
Féin to change the cycle route
straight on past the Cambridge
 Page 36
I Ireland’s Euro 2020
n David Prendeville
reland remain unbeaten,
heading into the closing
three fixtures of their Euro
2020 qualifying group, after
snatching a 1-1 draw with Swit-
zerland in the Aviva last month.
They’re sitting on top of the
table, two points ahead of Den-
mark and three ahead of Swit-
zerland, albeit the Swiss have a
game less played.
It has to be said, though, that
Ireland’s remaining three fix-
tures look extremely tough. First
they face Georgia away on the
12th of October. Ireland, while
playing some decent stuff on
the night, were only able to beat
the Georgians 1-0 at the Aviva.
Denmark also recently slipped
up in Tbilisi, only managing a
0-0 draw. This has the makings
of an extremely tricky away tie
for Ireland.
The boys in green then travel
to the Stade de Genève to face
the Swiss on October 15th. We
conclude the group at home to
Denmark in the Aviva on the
18th of November. Bearing in
mind how our last game against
them in the Aviva turned out, we
know how difficult that game
will be, albeit the Danes haven’t
Campaign
been at their best of late.
There has been plenty of
praise for Ireland’s recent ex-
ploits and obviously being top
of the table with three games
to go can’t be said to be a bad
thing. However, one can’t shake
the feeling that Ireland are still
big underdogs to get through,
based on the fixtures they have
remaining.
Failure to qualify would, of
SPORT
course, be all the more disap-
pointing considering some of the
Euro 2020 games will be held in
the Aviva. Pundits seemed in
general pleased with the recent
draw against Switzerland and I
can’t help wonder if this is just
down to Mick McCarthy saying
he’d be happy with a draw be-
fore the game.
Switzerland’s team are un-
doubtedly superior to Ireland,
but realistically, I can’t see
how, if we want to qualify from
the group, we could’ve aimed
for anything other than a win
against them at home, when we
still have to play them away.
Switzerland were also missing
Xherdan Shaqiri, their most po-
tent attacking threat for the trip
to the Aviva. It remains to be
seen if he’ll be present for the
reverse fixture, as it seems there
are some behind-the-scenes is-
sues surrounding his absence.
Ireland’s performance in that
game was admirable in its grit
and determination. David Mc-
Goldrick has had a fine start to
life with Sheffield United in the
Premier League this season and
it was great to see him get his
first international goal. Likewise
his team-mate for both club
and country Callum Robinson
brought his recent good form
into the game and looked lively.
It would also have been easy
for the players to let their heads
drop after going behind to Fa-
bian Schar’s superb opener.
Instead, they showed excel-
lent spirit and everyone was
certainly in no doubt that they
gave everything for the cause.
Whether spirit alone will be
enough to power this Ireland
team through these next three
www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019
games and into the European
Championships in 2020 remains
to be seen. I have my doubts, but
I hope I am proven wrong.
An area in which there has
been real excitement for Irish
football recently has been at un-
der 21 level, where we recently
saw off Armenia and Swe-
den impressively in qualifiers.
Spurs’ Troy Parrott continues to
make the headlines scoring the
winner in Dublin against Arme-
nia and then grabbing two after
he came off the bench in Swe-
den.
Elsewhere Brighton’s Aaron
Connolly also caught the eye.
The 19-year-old Galway man
recently made his first senior
start for the Brighton first team
and scored in their Carling Cup
win over Crawley Town.
The U-21 squad in general
looks to have plenty of excit-
ing prospects running through
it, from the highly-rated Lee
O’Connor, who recently moved
from Manchester United to
Celtic, and who should have
better prospects of first team
football there, to West Ham’s
cultured midfielder Conor Cov-
entry. There seems to be a lot of
talent coming through for the
first time in a long while.
I’ve been critical of McCarthy
not picking youth previously
and I stand by that, but criticism
of him not drafting up some of
the U-21 squad for the friendly
against Bulgaria that followed
the Switzerland game is mis-
guided in this instance. This is
considering the U-21s were in
action in a competitive game.
By drafting them into the senior
squad, he would have been de-
nying Stephen Kenny some of
his biggest players and hindered
his team’s chances of qualify-
ing.
In other Irish football news
Niall Quinn turned down the op-
portunity to be considered for a
place on the board of the FAI, as
reported in the Irish Times, due
to him being unsatisfied with
the levels of reform that have
taken place within the board.
That sorry story seems to have
no end in sight and it remains to
be seen how many new lows it
can sink to.
In better, local news, it was
also revealed last month, as re-
ported in Dublin Live, that Mer-
rion Square was set to become a
month-long football village for
UEFA’s Euro 2020 plans.
Photos of the Aviva Stadium and
Fabian Schar courtesy of Wiki
Commons.
 www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019
B Billy Farrell:
n Gavan Bergin
illy ‘Juicy’ Farrell was
born in Bray, Co Wick-
low in 1902 and when he
was a young boy he played foot-
ball for Bray Swifts. When was
eleven years old Billy scored
76 goals and two of those goals
earned his team their victory in
the 1912 Junior Combination
Final.
Billy joined Bray Unknowns
Football Club and stayed with
them for years, rising from the
lower leagues to the top lev-
els of Irish football. Unknowns
made it into the Leinster Senior
League for the 1920/21 season,
and in 1923 they won it.
In 1923/24 he began play-
ing for Shamrock Rovers in the
League of Ireland. In his second
season with Rovers, Billy scored
25 league goals, the team won
the 1924/25 championship and
the FAI Cup and the League of
Ireland Shield.
In 1925/26, Billy scored
24 league goals. He was the
league’s top striker for the sec-
ond year in a row.
A total of 49 goals in two sea-
sons was a seriously impressive
scoring record, but the numbers
alone don’t tell what kind of
player he was.
The legendary League of Ire-
land defender William ‘Sacky’
Glen, who played with Billy
in the ‘20s and ‘30s was inter-
viewed in the 1970s and when
he was asked who was the best
player he’d ever seen he said,
“Oh, that’s easy. Billy Farrell.
He was a great forward. He had
more ways of getting goals than
anyone else, he’d beat you on a
penny with the ball, he had great
body-swerves, which would
send you the wrong way every
time. He was good every way.
I saw him score seven in Cork
against their great goalkeeper,
O’Hagen, and before the game
Billy had said to him: ‘you’ll
be bending your back today’…
which he was! The final score
was 7-0. Billy Farrell scored the
whole seven.”
During the 1925/26 season
there was speculation that his
fine form with Rovers would
supreme Goalscorer
earn him selection for the Re-
public of Ireland team. Before
that, in March 1926 he was se-
lected to play for the FAI team
in a match between the southern-
based League of Ireland and the
northern-based Irish League.
This match was not going to be
taken lightly by anyone.
As the Evening Herald news-
paper reported, “a record crowd
is expected at Dalymount today,
March 13th 1926, including a
big contingent of away support-
ers who travelled down on the
train from Belfast along with the
Irish League players.”
The gates opened at 1.30 and
from then on a steady stream of
people poured into the ground.
By the time kick-off arrived,
there was a record crowd of
20,000 present – and they made
plenty of noise, giving an ova-
tion as the teams came out onto
the pitch: the Northerners in
green shirts, the home side wear-
ing white.
Billy’s first half performance
was praised in the Evening Her-
ald report that stated: “Farrell
made a series of good attempts
and was predominant in the play
for his side’s goal. Later on, he
was fouled in the box but the ref-
eree denied him the penalty kick
his efforts warranted.”
Billy kept up the good play af-
ter half-time. The final score was
3-1, which hardly reflected the
dominance of the home team.
The Freeman’s Journal match
report said that the FAI team
“thoroughly outplayed their op-
ponents, Billy Farrell was a clev-
er raider throughout the match,
SPORTING HISTORY
his ball control was perfect and
his advances against the Ulster
defenders were splendidly ma-
noeuvred. He set a hot pace from
the outset and was relentless in
attack thereafter… just like the
rest of the home team he played
football that made the methods
of the Northerners look crude.”
That game took place only a
week before the Republic of Ire-
land’s first ever full international
match, against Italy in Turin on
March 21st 1926. With his great
display in the inter-league match
Billy had put himself right in
contention to play for his coun-
try against the Italians. Then,
the day before the Ireland team
was to be picked, Billy scored a
hat trick for Rovers and got in-
jured in the process. He was not
selected in the Irish team that
played Italy.
Disappointing as it must have
been for Billy to miss out on
playing for Ireland, he didn’t let
it affect his play on the pitch.
He recovered from his injury
quickly enough and kept play-
ing well right through to his last
match of the season, in which he
scored two goals for the Leinster
FA team in their 3-2 win against
Paris Athletic at Dalymount
Park on May 22nd 1926.
So Billy ended the ‘25/’26 sea-
son in good form, and he went
into the summer as a player with
much promise for the future. At
the age of 25 he was entering the
prime years of his life as a foot-
baller.
But, within a month of the sea-
son’s end one day in June 1926,
Billy crashed his motorbike in
Kilmacanogue, County Wick-
low. He broke his thigh bone
and badly damaged his leg mus-
cles. He was in hospital for six
months until November 1926,
and he ended up missing the en-
tire 1926/27 football season.
After the accident and all that
time out of the game, it certainly
looked like Billy was done for
as a footballer, but on the 4th of
September 1927, Billy was back
in action for Shamrock Rovers.
He did the business that day; he
scored a goal and made it look
like nothing had changed for him
as a player, but he had to deal
with serious pain after the game.
It was three weeks before he
could manage another game,
in which he scored, but then he
wasn’t able to play again until
Page 37
October 1927, when he lined up
against his old team, the Bray
Unknowns. He scored against
Bray too. But that was his last
ever goal in his last ever game
for Shamrock Rovers. He didn’t
play again during the ‘27/’28
season.
The following season, Billy
signed again to play for Bray
Unknowns, but it didn’t work
out and he retired as a player that
September.
After his retirement the Book
of Irish Goalscorers noted that
Billy was “a great loss to Irish
Football, for as a forward he
had few equals. A scorer with
both feet, he had speed and good
control – his dribbling skills be-
ing a particular delight. He was
also dangerous with his head,
especially from corner kicks
and he showed his bravery and
resourcefulness in standing up
to the buffeting centre-forwards
take from their opponents.”
But, though Billy’s time in
football ended prematurely, it
wasn’t the only sport that he
could play to a high standard.
As the profile recorded, he was
an all-round sportsman, good
enough to play inter-provincial
cricket for Leinster, become the
billiards champion of County
Wicklow, and play hockey and
Gaelic football to a commend-
able standard with the teams of
his native Bray.”
It seems Billy did have a good
retirement, too. On October 28th
1964, the Irish Independent re-
ported that “Billy Farrell, one
of the most famous forwards to
play for Shamrock Rovers, is
still hale and hearty out by the
Dargle in Bray.”
The final line of that article
said: “Many old-timers rate
Billy Farrell the greatest of all
the Shamrock Rovers centre-
forwards.”
Clockwise from top to centre:
1926 Pathé Footage showing
League of Ireland XI lining out.
League of Ireland XI in action
in 1926.
Billy ‘Juicy’ Farrell played for
Shamrock Rovers.
A vintage Shamrock Rovers
poster.
 Page 38
History in the making at Clanna Gael Fontenoy
n Felix O’Regan
T
Minors make history
ogether with some men-
tors and parents, members
of our minor squad trav-
elled recently to Belgium to link
up with Fontenoy to make a pres-
entation to the town from which
our club takes its name.
Fontenoy was the scene of a
battle on the 11th May 1745 and
was part of the War of the Austrian
Succession between the French on
the one hand and the British and
Dutch on the other. The latter were
assured of victory, or so it seemed,
until the Irish Brigade – fighting
for the French – made one last
charge. To the cry of ‘Remember
Limerick’ – a reference to the long
defence of Limerick from the Wil-
liamites – the Irish Brigade, led by
Lord Clare, Charles O’Brien, rout-
ed the British and Dutch forces
and won the day.  2-12 for Clanns. Down the other
The Celtic Cross Memorial,
erected at Fontenoy by national-
ists, was unveiled there by the Lord
Mayor of Dublin on 25th August
1907. It’s reported that the Irish Bri-
gade comprised a good many from
our club’s hinterland, so when the
first meeting took place at 20 Bath
Avenue on 7th October 1887, the
name Fontenoy was proposed for
the new club and adopted.
The final formation of the club as
we know it today took place in 1968
with the amalgamation of Fontenoy
(hurling) and Clanna Gael (football)
which had been founded in 1929.
From the town of Fontenoy, it
was onward to Ypres for an insight
into the history of World War 1. The
trip also saw the group get a guid-
ed tour of the Belgian Parliament,
make a visit to Autoworld for a his-
tory of the automobile and enjoy a
puck around with members of the
Craobh Rua Brussels GAA Club in
Parc Cinqantenaire.
Intermediate footballers win pro-
motion
Key among the highs of the sum-
mer season was our Intermediate
footballers winning promotion from
Division Four with a fine win in
Sean Moore Park against St Moni-
cas from Edenmore.
Although the two teams occupied
opposite ends of the league table, the
game was well contested through-
out the opening stages. But Clanns
corner forward, Ricky Joyce, soon
demonstrated the difference in class
with some fine scores, bringing his
tally to eight points in the first half
alone – a major contribution to their
half-time lead of 0-11 to 0-5.
Any notion the visitors had of
getting back into the game in any
meaningful way were dispelled
early in the second half by a scin-
tillating goal from Evan Caulfield.
Sean Rimmer, Kenneth Lyons and
David Meehan also contributed
nicely to the Clanns scoring, while
Eoin O’Mahony and Fergal McNa-
mara were especially impressive in
the central defensive roles.
The Clanns 1-18 to 1-8 win
SPORT
guaranteed promotion to Division
Three, much to the delight of play-
ers as well as the management/
backroom team of Michael Fitzger-
ald, Des Markey, John Diveney and
John Dodd.
Team Manager, Michael Fitzger-
ald, professed to be delighted and
relieved to have achieved promo-
tion. “They are a fantastic group of
players and well deserved their suc-
cess. They have worked really hard
over the past two seasons and now
all credit should go to them as they
have gone about their business in a
very professional manner night after
night in training. They now have a
platform to build on for further fu-
ture success.”
Darcy delivers five-in-a-row
Clanns man and Dublin selector,
Declan Darcy, made history in help-
ing Dublin senior footballers to a
historical five All-Ireland titles in a
row with a well-earned victory over
www.newsfour.ie
Kerry in this year’s final. A former
successful inter-county footballer
with both Leitrim and Dublin, De-
clan has combined his management
of the Clanns U16 girls and U12
boys’ teams with his Dublin duties.
Congratulations, Declan.
Junior hurlers vie for promotion
After a season’s 11 games which
saw them win seven, draw two and
lose just two, our junior hurlers pre-
pare for a promotion play-off match
against Ballyboden St Endas. Win
that and they’ll be playing in Divi-
sion Four next season. Lose it and
they can still feel rightly proud of
reaching that position in a league
that presented some really tough
opposition – as can their coaching
and management team of Colly
Reynolds, Ciarán Murphy, Ronan
Murphy and Jimmy Barnes.
The game that clinched the play-
off spot was played against St Fin-
ians of Swords in Ringsend Park.
October / November 2019
Clanns never looked to be in danger
of losing, but still they were made
to work hard. Some great free tak-
ing from Patrick Hogan which pro-
duced two cracking goals as well
as a bevy of points was the key
highlight of the game. Des Duggan
and Sean Rimmer were also among
those who chipped in with some
fine points, while Austin Dodd pro-
duced a solid performance around
the midfield area. Victory was
achieved on a score line of 2-16 to
2-7.
Goals also featured aplenty for
Clanns in their game a week earlier
against Realt Dearg from the Drim-
nagh area. This time it was Sean
Rimmer who hit the net twice. Karl
Morgan, Des Duggan and Patrick
Hogan were among those who con-
tributed some fine points in what
turned out to be a particularly high-
scoring game that finished 3-18 to
end of the pitch, Dean Fitzpatrick
brought off some great saves in goal
at critical times.
Clockwise from top: Clanna Gael
Fontenoy group on a trip to Belgium
and the town of Fontenoy, from
whence the club takes its name.
Junior hurlers in action against
St Finians.
Intermediate football promotion
winners, back left to right: Seamie
Kyne (Physio), Howard Long, Ste-
ven Walsh, Adam Doran(Coach), JP
Pugh, Sean Rimmer, David Lyons,
Joe Hennessey, Fergal McNamara,
Kenneth Lyons, Eoin O’Mahony,
Danny O’Malley, Conor Hennes-
sey, Ciaran Diveney.
Front left to right: David Meenan
(Captain), Bernard McCarthy,
Mark Stafford, Cormac Eastwood,
Pauric Moylett, Ricky Joyce, Ni-
all Lavery, Austin Dodd, Ed
O’Sullivan, Kerry Mulvihille, Colm
O’Connell and Evan Caulfield.
Clanns man and Dublin selector,
Declan Darcy, with Jim Gavin when
the Dublin manager visited the club.
Photos courtesy of Pat Duffy,
John Dodd, Felix O’Regan.
www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019 SMALL ADS / NOTICES Page 39

REMEMBRANCES
Page 40 www.newsfour.ie October / November 2019