Metro Herald, Monday, May 26, 2014

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Monday, May 26, 2014

Labour losers as Shinners winners

by joanne ahern

THE LABOUR Party hierarchy came under fire last night for its poor local election showing, with one TD calling not just for leader Eamon Gilmore’s head, but for all but one of the party’s front bench to stand down.

With three-quarters of local seats filled last night, Labour had just 44 candidates elected (7.3 per cent) across the country – down more than seven per cent on 2009 figures.

High-profile casualties included Lord Mayor of Dublin Oisín Quinn and his Cork counterpart, Cath-erine Clancy. Meanwhile, its Dublin West by-elec-tion candidate, Lorraine Mulligan, secured just 5.2 per cent of the vote for a seat Patrick Nulty claimed as a Labour candidate.

Clare TD Michael McNamara said everyone bar Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin should go. Speaking to the Clare Champion, he said: ‘The scale of [the Labour backlash] is compounded by the broken promises and those who made them have to fall on their swords’. However, Junior Minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs Joe Costello de-scribed Mr McNamara’s call as ridiculous.

And Eamon Gilmore wasn’t the only leader under fire. Despite having secured 205 seats (25.2 per cent) last night, Fianna Fáil’s Micheál Martin was also in the spotlight, with TD John McGuinness say-ing if action wasn’t taken to bring about change in the party he would make a leadership challenge.

Meanwhile, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has conceded a major shift in Ireland’s political landscape, with voters venting their ‘frustration’ and ‘anger’ and turning to anti-austerity candidates in European, lo-cal and by-elections.

Despite controversy over the arrest of Gerry Ad-ams during the campaign, Sinn Féin was on course to triple its seats to 135 (15.3 per cent) last night.

In an election that was being dubbed Independents’

turn to PAGe 4 «

SINN A BHFUIL: Dublin Euro Sinn Féin candidate Lynn Boylan celebrates topping the poll at the RDS last night with newly elected Ballymun councillor Noeleen Reilly, Dessie Ellis TD and party deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald

� METRO HERALD Monday, May 26, 2014 D

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Today’s birthdays Stevie Nicks, singer, 66; Pam Grier, actress, 65; Lenny Kravitz, rock musician, (pictured), 50; Helena Bonham Carter, actress, 48; Lauryn Hill, singer, 39; and Patsy Palmer, actress, 42.

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Real tall tales: (clockwise from top left), The Bus, The Budgie, gallery owner Oonagh Young,

and an illustration from the comic Pictures: aileen donegan

What’s the buzz? Kidz comic lifts lid on inner city blues

by AiLEEn DOnEgAnDOING homework on the top deck of a Dublin Bus, a budgie that ‘just couldn’t be tamed’ and a garda who tasers drug addicts are just three of the scenarios depict-ed in a new comic from the minds of young Dubliners.

Art gallery owner Oonagh Young is behind the one-off project, the Buzz: City Lives, City Kidz comic book, based on Dublin’s north in-ner city and exploring the lives of the children in the area.

Fourth class pupils from the Central Model Senior School on Marlborough Street were inter-viewed for the project.

Ms Young came up with the idea after frequently seeing the same local children hang around out-side her gallery on James Joyce Street, an image she says can compound the ‘negative’ reputa-tion this part of the city has gar-nered over the years.

A junkie with a bag of syringes is ready to shoot up in one story, only to be foiled by the child who quickly runs to the gardaí – he stun-guns the addict.

‘The stories are in the children’s own words. It’s for the reader to determine what they believe to be true,’ said Ms Young, adding: ‘Children grow up in an environ-ment where there is fear.’

Light-hearted stories include one child’s love of Dublin Bus and another’s ill-fated budgie that ‘just couldn’t be tamed,’ Oonagh laughs.

‘I’m trying to make people a lit-tle more aware of the kids living here,’ she said, hoping the small 3,000 print run will pique the in-terests of enough local businesses to raise awareness of the life out-side of the local offices.

‘There are people working in Dublin; they go in, get to work and then go home again,’ she said.

Illustrators Philip Barrett and Fintan Taite didn’t meet the inter-viewees as Ms Young was adamantthe comic kidz should not ‘direct-ly look’ like the real children.

The children’s own artwork – which are drawings of some of Dublin’s most known buildings and monuments – are on display until Wednesday in the gallery. ‘Their work is hung very low so they can see them,’ she said.

The comic can be picked up from the Oonagh Young Gallery on James Joyce Street, Dublin 1.


Big reach: Gerry Adams at the Dublin West by-election count at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin Picture: reuters

Hanafin says FF will claim her winSHE has officially won a local election seat for Fianna Fáil on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, but a question mark still hangs over whether Mary Hanafin was a party candidate.

The former education minister was at the centre of a controversy in the lead up to the election as she refused to withdraw her papers after the party changed its mind about her candidacy. Last night Fianna Fáil said Kate Feeney, who was also elected, was the

only ratified Fianna Fáil candidate in the Blackrock area.

Speaking on Newstalk yesterday, Ms Hanafin said she was happy she had played by the book.

She added: ‘I bet you when they start counting how many Fianna Fáil councillors were elected and how many Fianna Fáil women got elected, I bet they’ll include me.’

Meanwhile, Labour’s poor local election showing was epitomised in the failure of the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Oisín Quinn, to retain his seat.

Speaking to Metro Herald, Mr Quinn said his mayorship possibly played a part in his demise, as he didn’t have time to knock on doors, but also believed the general backlash against Labour played a part.

He will remain on as Lord Mayor of Dublin until his term ends on June 6.

Social drinker: Ruth Coppinger’s choice of beverage with which to celebrate her Dublin West Dáil seat win earned much guffawing yesterday, with some labelling her a ‘champagne socialist’. However, the Socialist Party councillor and now TD (on right) pointed out it was not champagne, but mere prosecco.

Sinn Féin’s rise fuels predictions for powerDay, non-party aligned candidates, including Anti-Austerity Alliance and People Before Profit, have swept to power across the country, holding 193 seats (28.4 per cent).

With more than three quarters of 949 seats filled, Fianna Fáil on 205 seats had surpassed Fine Gael on 166 (down 8.2 per cent on 2009) to be the biggest party at local level.

Sinn Féin’s rise has also fuelled predictions the party could enter a ruling coalition after the next general election. Deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said the party would consider going into government if it could ‘deliver real results for people’s lives.’

In Northern Ireland, so far, the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin have secured the lion’s share on the new-look councils.

And in the European elections, first counts were not declared until close to 11pm last night, to facilitate late polls in Italy.

Sinn Fein’s Lynn Boylan topped the poll, followed by Fine Gael’s Brian Hayes and Fianna Fáil’s Mary Fitzpatrick.

No one made the quota on the first count so the successful candidates will depend on transfers.

Number crunch: Labour’s Emer Costello, pictured with husband Minister Joe Costello, conceded she would not take a Euro seat

Left makes gains locally, but Labour is wiped out

by AngHARAD wiLLiAMs

INDEPENDENTS and small parties were the big winners in the Dublin lo-cal elections, taking the largest number of seats in three of Dublin’s four local authority areas.

Last night, independents, as well as those from the Anti-Austerity Alli-ance and the People Before Profit Al-liance, had secured 22 of the 63 seats on Dublin City Council. Such candi-dates took 15 of South Dublin County Council’s 40 seats. And in Fingal County Council, they accounted for 12 of the 40 seats. That count contin-ues today for Swords as a recount was called by independent Michael Col-lins.

However, Fine Gael held firm in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown – tying with them on 11 seats each out of 40.

It was also a good election for Sinn Féin, the second biggest party on both Dublin City and South Dublin County councils.

The Green Party claimed four seats on DCC, including former TD Ciaran Cuffe, two each on Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown and Fingal and one seat in South Dublin.

Labour trailed in all council areas, bar Dún Laoghaire, where it came in ahead of Sinn Féin. It’s now the small-est mainstream party in Dublin City Council, winning just eight seats.

Big name wins include Fianna Fáil defector Chris Andrews for Sinn Féin and Olympic boxer Kenneth Egan for Fine Gael in Clondalkin. Former Green TD Paul Gogarty won a seat in Lucan, running as an independent.

Several well-known Fianna Fáil faces made a return, including former TD Sean Haughey in Clontarf, and former education minister Mary Hanafin in Dún Laoghaire/Rathdown.

Dublin senator Averil Power was not seeing the election as a win for Fianna Fáil. She tweeted: ‘Council seats in Dublin will give FF some ex-tra councillors but it’s v clear that we’ve huge work to do in capital.’

Election 2014

Continued from Page1

Coppinger wins Dáil seat in Dublin west

THE Socialist Party’s Ruth Coppinger claimed victory in the Dublin West by-election over Sinn Féin’s Paul Donnelly despite the fact that he topped the poll at the first count with Ms Coppinger winning on transfers.

Ms Coppinger (pictured) claimed 20.6 per cent of first preference votes

while Mr Donnelly took 20.9 per cent. Fianna Fáil’s David McGuinness came in third with 17.5 per cent, while Independent David Hall was fourth at 13.1 per cent. Speaking to Newstalk, Ms Coppinger said: ‘I’m thrilled all the work of the Socialist Party and the activists and the Anti-Austerity Alliance has paid off – sometimes it doesn’t.’

949 The total number of council seats to be filled

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Weathermen predicting a scorcher Irish summerMOST of Ireland could enjoy a hotter than normal summer, on a par with the scorchers of 2003 and 2006, as temperatures hit up to 30C.

The prediction, from the most respected meteorologists to issue a summer forecast, will be a boost for festivals and other major events.

According to the Weather Channel, June to August will see hotter than usual temperatures and drier than normal conditions for the midlands and north. Only the south faces below-average temperatures and above-average rain.

Weather Channel forecaster Leon Brown said: ‘Summer 2014 looks good for most of Ireland, with long drier spells with above-normal temperatures and the potential for 30C maximums. We expect a summer more like the 2002-06 summers, which saw drier long periods of above-average temperatures.’

Meteorologists said they do not expect a repeat of the 2007 to 2012 sequence of soggy summers.

The ‘major factor’ in this summer’s weather would be hot air arriving from northern central Europe.

Skin success for river pairA COUPLE have managed to break a world record, and presumably some pain barriers, when they crossed a river in a slightly unusual fashion.

Mariya Gafitsa, 23 and Pavlo Klets, 24, completed the longest river traverse hanging from their back piercings.

The daredevil couple attached clamps to implants under the skin on their

backs and set out to cross the 550m wide Dnipro River in the Ukranian capital of Kiev.

They each wore a back-up harness in case the weight caused the skin on their back to tear. Thankfully, the pair both made it to the other side in one piece, although their backs looked a little worse for wear after the ordeal.

Rodger’s mother, Lichin, saw the email at 9.17pm and immediately went to her son’s YouTube page, where she saw a video entitled ‘Ret-ribution’, that he posted on the day of the killings.

In the video, Rodger spoke of his plan to ‘slaughter’ women at a so-rority house at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Mr Astaire said Lichin called her husband before calling 911 and the couple set off for Santa Barbara from Los Angeles.

Parents searched for college killerby NEiL LANcEfiELD

Rodger: Emailed ‘manifesto’

ThE parents of Elliot Rodger des-perately searched for him as he went on a deadly gun and knife rampage in Santa Barbara, Califor-nia, after they received his chilling manifesto, a family friend said.

Rodger, 22, emailed a 140-page document to several people, includ-ing his parents and therapist, just before the shootings began in the town of Isla Vista on Friday night, family friend Simon Astaire told CNN.

British-born Rodger, whose film director father Peter worked on The hunger Games, is believed to have taken his own life after killing six people with a gun and knife and fighting gun battles with police.

The manifesto details his rejec-tion by women and his fury at men who find it easy to attract the op-posite sex. It also chronicles his distress about his appearance and his parents’ divorce.

On the way to the seaside town they heard there was a shooting and later that night, they found out their son was behind the violence.

Santa Barbara Sheriff Bill Brown said the student stabbed three men to death in his apartment before killing three more people in a shoot-ing spree, leaving 13 injured.

The rampage ended when Rodger slammed his BMW into a parked vehicle before taking his own life, police said.

Among the dead were two wom-en, aged 19 and 22, who were gunned down outside a university sorority house, and a male student who was shot in a delicatessen.

Police described the spree as ‘pre-meditated mass murder’.

Richard Martinez said his son Christopher, 20, was among those killed. he blamed politicians and gun-rights activists, saying: ‘When will this insanity stop? Too many have died. We should say to our-selves, “Not one more”.’

charity duo master dark side of Everest TWO Irish climbers can expect a special homecoming party, after reaching the summit of Mount Everest.

Derek Mahon, from the Naul, Co Dublin, and Noel hanna, from Dromore, Co Down, made it to the top of the 8,850m peak just after 7am last Saturday. The pair, climbing for mental health charity Grow, began their ascent in April on the more challenging Tibetan side where last month 16 Sherpas died in an avalanche.

SOMEONE you know could be €1,657,664 richer today as a mystery winner netted one of the biggest pay-outs in Irish betting history.

The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, staked €7.41 on Scoop6 in a Dublin Ladbrokes shop, picking the winners of six specified races. The betting chain believe the winner isn’t a regular in the shop and that this could have been his first attempt at the bet.

Dublin bookie pays €1.6m for €7.41 bet

Grief: Two students from the University of California comfort each other during a candlelight vigil held to honour the victims of Friday night’s mass shooting picture: ap


60 seconds “Real-life Wolf of Wall Street JORDAn BELfORT, 51, was a multimillionaire by 26, then imprisoned for financial crimes ten years later. He’s now a motivational speaker

I love money. I’m not going to deny

that. Money is a wonderful, beautiful,

amazing thing

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You’re coming to Dublin to give a seminar on how to become a millionaire ethically. What’s the technique? It’s called the Straight Line System and it’s a formula for achieving wealth and success in any business. It’s about communication, persuasion and negotiation. Many of the people who come are entrepreneurs, business owners, salespeople and marketers but it’s not just about sales, it’s about conveying your ideas in a way that connects with another human being.

How many people have you coached to wealth? Back in the day I trained 50,000 people, and I’d say 90 per cent became million-dollar producers. In my new life, I’ve probably spoken to 500,000 people in the past five years.

In a post-Occupy Wall Street world, with rising inequality, is it grotesque to encourage individuals to amass such personal wealth? Wealth creation, in the absence of greed, when it’s fuelled by

ambition and done ethically, is an amazing thing and it elevates society. I love money. I’m not going to deny that. Money is a wonderful, beautiful, amazing thing and I love being generous, I love to give it away. Shame on me that I misused it when I was young. Most people don’t get a second chance – I did.You spent 22 months in prison. Why should people listen to your strategies for getting rich? I made mistakes and paid the price. I started off ethical and then I took one step over the line. Once that step is made, the next is a bit further, the next a bit further, then before you know it you’re doing things you never thought you’d do.

Your story makes it clear that money can’t buy happiness, so what’s the point? Money only matters for a few things, and it’s really important for those things – shelter, food, healthcare, retirement. After that, no, money doesn’t buy happiness, but a lack of money can be a passport to misery.

Some might find it offensive that you continue to profit

from your ill-gotten gains. How would you answer them? I’m going to do a US tour and I’m giving 100 per cent of the profits to the investors who lost money, trying to pay everyone back. I am hoping to make $50m from the forthcoming US tour.

What’s your greatest extravagance now? I travel first class and, whenever I can, I’ll fly in a private plane. I don’t consider it an extravagance, though. My travel schedule means it’s a necessity.

You put your parents through a lot and your dad even worked for you. What did he think of all the drugs and the hookers? My dad was more aware of the hookers than of the drugs. The film was somewhat inaccurate in its portrayal of how much drugs were being done in the office. In the early years it wasn’t like that. When I was in the office I was in control, and I was doing drugs at night-time. My dad knew about the hookers because it was part of the fabric of that world but I don’t think hookers would upset your father as much as drugs.

You became addicted to Quaaludes, were taking cocaine, crashing Ferraris and helicopters and sinking yachts. What was the lowest point? The three-months before I got sober 17 years ago. I’d been snorting cocaine non-stop for three months, my wife told me she was leaving and we had a struggle on the stairs. I never hit her like in the film, though. Then I tried to commit suicide. It wasn’t really a suicide attempt, it was a gesture: I swallowed 15 morphine tablets. I went to rehab to avoid being committed to a mental institution but when I got there, I was ready to get sober.

What’s next? I’ve been offered a TV show. I’m the host and top salesmen in different industries will be competing to be the greatest salesman. Like The Apprentice but on steroids. I’m the judge. I’m the Simon Cowell.Jane Mulkerrins

Jordan Belfort will be speaking at Dublin’s RDS tomorrow.

Ukraine poll shows candy tycoon winAn exit poll showed billionaire candy-maker Petro Poroshenko won Ukraine’s presidential election outright yesterday.

Long lines snaked around polling stations in Kiev for the vote, but in Ukraine’s troubled east, armed pro-Russia rebels intimidated voters by smashing ballot boxes and blocking off voting centres.

The poll showed former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko in second place with 12.9 per cent, compared to Poroshenko’s 55.9 per cent. Full results are expected today three months after the country’s pro-Russia leader fled.

Thai army tightens grip following coupTHAILAnD’s military tightened its grip on power yesterday as it moved to quell growing protests, saying anyone violating its orders would be tried in military court.

It also took its first steps to revitalise a battered economy, saying farmers owned money under a government rice subsidy scheme would be paid in a month.

The military overthrew the government on Thursday after confrontation between the govern-ment of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the royalist establishment.

Suspect sought in Jewish museum fatal shootingsby RAf cASERT

BELGIAN police launched a manhunt yesterday for a lone suspect in a shooting attack at the Brussels Jewish Museum, as the death toll rose to four.

The attack, which came on the eve of national and European Parliament elec-tions, led officials to immediately raise anti-terror measures and increase the protection for Jewish sites.

Video of the attack showed an athletic man with cap calmly walking into the Jewish Museum, getting out a Kalash-nikov shoulder rifle and starting to shoot before briskly walking away. No one has claimed responsibility for the killings.

Deputy prosecutor Ine Van Wymersch said the gunman who killed an Israeli tourist couple, a French woman and a Belgian man with shots to the face and throat ‘probably acted alone, was armed and well prepared’. The fourth victim died yesterday afternoon, reports said.

Meanwhile two Jewish men were at-tacked as they left a synagogue near Paris late on Saturday. Elsewhere Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the attack on European incite-ment against Israel and criticised ‘weak condemnation’ of anti-Semitic acts.

Protest: A man holds the Israeli flag during a wake for the victims of the shooting at the Jewish Museum in Brussels yesterday pIcTURE: ap

Dv1


Pope invites presidents to Vatican home

by kARAn LAub

Peace envoy: Pope Francis touches the wall that divides Israel from the West Bank in Bethlehem picture: reuters

PoPe Francis plunged into Middle-east politics during his Holy Land pilgrimage yesterday, calling the cur-rent stalemate in peace efforts ‘unac-ceptable’ and winning the acceptance from the Israeli and Palestinian presi-dents to pay a symbolic visit to the Vatican next month to pray for peace.

Francis issued the surprise, joint in-vitation after landing in Bethlehem, the cradle of Christianity, in a sym-bolic nod to Palestinian aspirations for their own state.

In another unscripted moment, he prayed at the Israeli separation barrier surrounding the biblical West Bank town and briefly donned the check-ered black and white headscarf that is a symbol of the Palestinian cause.

Jubilant Palestinians cheered Fran-cis as he arrived in Bethlehem’s Man-ger Square, shouting ‘Viva al-Baba!’ or ‘Long live the pope!’

Giant Palestinian flags in red, white, green and black and the Vatican’s yel-low-and-white flags decorated the square, which is home to the Church

of the Nativity, built over Jesus’ tradi-tional birth grotto.

At the end of Mass in the square, Francis invited Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli president Shimon Peres to pray with him for peace.

‘I offer my home in the Vatican as a place for this encounter of prayer,’ Francis said.

The offices of the Israeli and Pales-tinian presidents quickly confirmed that they had accepted the invitation, with the Palestinians saying the meet-ing would take place in June.

The invitation – and the acceptances – were unexpected given Francis’ in-sistence that his three-day visit was a ‘strictly religious’ pilgrimage to com-memorate a Catholic-orthodox anni-versary.

Israeli-Palestinian peace talks broke down in late April this year, and there have been no public high-level meet-ings for a year.

Evacuation alert as crews fight wildfireFIREFIGHTERS in Alaska yesterday were battling a huge wildfire moving towards hundreds of homes and holiday cabins, with more than 1,300 residents told to be ready for a possible evacuation.

The Funny River wildfire was burning on more than 110,000 acres (45,000 hectares) inside the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, expanding from about 96,000 acres on Saturday, according to the Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team.

Crews reported progress late Saturday, saying the six-day-old blaze was 20 per cent contained.

‘Kill Jews’ town casts name change votesVoTERS in the Spanish village of Castrillo Matajudios, whose name means ‘Camp Kill Jews,’ have voted to determine whether its name should be changed.

Results were expected last night after a count at the village with 56 registered voters about 260km north of Madrid.

The town’s original name was Castrillo Motajudios, meaning ‘Jews’ Hill Camp.’ The ‘Kill Jews’ part of the name dates from 1627, a century after a 1492 royal edict ordering Jews to become Catholics or flee the country.


★★★★★★

‘Being half-Irish and half-German helped my acting’

by nick bRAMHiLLMICHAEL Fass-bender has attribut-ed his acclaimed acting skills to his mixed background.

The 37-year-old X-Men star says he believes that growing up in Kil-larney, Co Kerry, with a German fa-ther and Irish mother has helped make him a natural performer.

And he says his latest starring role in the superhero blockbuster, X-Men: Days of Future Past came naturally to him, as he’s so used to standing out from the crowd. He said: ‘All my closest friends from school were half-Italian, or half-Canadian. My best friend, Emerson, is from San Diego. He’s this half-Irish and half-

American guy who ended up living in Killarney.

‘My friend Peter is half-German, half-Irish. It’s funny. I guess it’s peo-ple who come from a similar circum-stance, maybe they gel together.

‘I just know the very first time I went to an acting and drama class I felt very comfortable. I felt really at ease in the realm and I felt there was a clear expression for me there.’

In an interview with The Irish Voice, he said the fact the X-Men characters are so different has made the franchise such a box office suc-cess. He said: ‘I think that’s what makes it such a huge hit all over the

world. The idea of being ostracised for being dif-ferent, for feeling like a misfit or living on the fring-es of society. Whether it’s down to skin colour, religion, sexual orientation, it’s obviously some-thing people can relate to.’

Fassbender stars alongside A-listers Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence, Patrick Stewart, James McAvoy and Ian McKel-len in the film, which opened in Irish cinemas last week. The Bryan Singer-directed movie sees the mutants travelling through time to prevent a war that threatens to de-stroy their species.

Nicole Kidman has responded to the damning reviews of her Grace Kelly biopic by saying she had no control over any of it – and said she has yet to give a ‘great performance’.

Grace Of Monaco, which stars Kidman as the American actress and Tim Roth as her husband Prince Rainier, was slammed by critics after it opened the Cannes Film Festival.

Kidman told The Sunday Telegraph’s Seven Magazine: ‘You literally do the performance and then you leave and you are told, “Ok, come here to help promote the movie.” That’s what I did.’

The actress, who won an Oscar in 2003 for her performance in The Hours, said she’s still waiting for her great

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Actor Emily Blunt has spoken about having ‘to be someone else’ to deal with a stutter. The 31-year-old said when she was growing up a teacher suggested acting as a way of ‘removing me from me’. Blunt told The Sunday Telegraph: ‘He was right, the only way I could speak fluently was to

be someone else.’ Blunt, who stars alongside Tom Cruise in new film Edge of Tomorrow, said of her stutter: ‘It comes back if I’m tired or stressed.’ ★

Katie Price’s husband has admitted cheating on her with her best friend – but says he now hates

the woman he had an affair with, adding: ‘She made me do this.’

Glamour model Price, 36, announced on Twitter more than a fortnight ago that the couple were getting a divorce, days after sharing the news that they were set to become parents again.

She said her marriage was over and accused third husband Kieran Hayler of cheating on her with her best friend Jane Pountney.

In an interview with the Sun on Sunday, Hayler said Pountney was to blame because she ‘didn’t say no’ and said on Twitter he wanted to ‘repair’ Price’s heart.

KIM Kardashian and Kanye West have swapped the glamour and style of Tuscany for the charms of the rebel county – as the high-profile newlyweds are re-portedly spending their honeymoon in Ireland. The couple, who married on Saturday, are thought to have

jetted in to Cork Airport yesterday afternoon for a five-day break. While it’s believed they will spend most of their time in Munster, a trip to Dublin could also be on the cards.

The pair, known as Kimye, married at the Forte di Belvedere in Florence, Italy on Saturday.

Rich Wilkerson Jr, a pastor from Trinity Church in Miami, per-formed the ceremony after former athlete Bruce Jenner walked the blushing bride down the aisle with opera singer Andrea Bocelli serenading them, according to People magazine.

Kim wore a stunning Givenchy wedding dress complete with veil, designed by close friend Riccardo Tisci.

US Weekly reported that the ceremony took place in front of a giant wall full of white flowers, including white gardenias, peonies and roses from Paris and Belgium.

While it’s the reality star’s third wedding, it was Kanye’s first,

and the groom apparently had the jitters: ‘It was funny how nerv-ous he was… this morning he was all smiles, but as it got closer, you could see that the nerves were kicking in,’ an eyewitness told the magazine.

The banquet table was made of 229 feet of marble that had to be hoisted up over the fort’s walls for assembly inside.

Rapper Jay Z was expected to serve as best man, though in the event he and Beyoncé did not attend. Kim’s brother Rob also missed the wedding.

John Legend performed All Of Me and Ordinary People, and a seven-minute fireworks show was delivered later in the evening despite late-arriving rain.

Kim’s bridal party consisted of Kourtney Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner, E! News reported. The food was traditional Tuscan cuisine, followed by a seven-tier wedding cake.

Despite the scale of the wedding, there was no sit-down dinner, with guests filling up instead on hors d’oeuvres.

by METRO HERALD sTAff

Kimye jet in for Cork honeymoon

JUST MARRIED: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian tying the knot in Florence

picture: splash

Choirmaster Gareth Malone would like One Direction star Niall Horan to join one of his choirs.

Malone, behind the chart-topping Military Wives, said he’d like to add the Duchess of Cambridge and Beyoncé to the line-up – but would turn down Katy Perry.

Speaking to The Sunday Mirror’s Notebook magazine, he said: ‘I’d really like the Duchess of Cambridge to be in one of my choirs – I suspect a girl with her education can probably sing.’

Asked who he would choose from the world of pop, Malone said: ‘Niall from One Direction. He seems like the friendly face of the band..’ He added: ‘Can I have Beyoncé? She’s quite fierce but an acceptable singer...

‘I don’t think I’ll have Katy Perry – she won’t hit the high notes with any great force.’

★

★

om

–

Email: [email protected] @metrohnews and #metromailbox

Text: ‘Mail’ to 53131* Facebook.com/ metroheraldMailbox *Please include a name and location. Emails with attachments cannot be received. Texts cost €0.30 per message + standard network

charges. SP. Oxygen8 Communications, 4th Floor, Malt House North, Grand Canal Quay, D2. Customer service number 0818286606 in the know, on the go

Electorate has been pushed to the limits of reason

People are not happy! Under pressure, underpaid and over-worked to pay new utilities/charges introduced to pay off debt not of our own making.

The Irish electorate has spoken very clearly at the ballot box. people can only take so much. Reasonable people can be pushed into taking ‘unreasonable’ actions.

The Aer lingus cabin crew strike is a remarkable example. They are seeking different roster arrangements used in other airlines and by their pilot colleagues but not less productivity.

Aer lingus management has pulled the shutters down and refuses to talk, it seems, as they have cancelled most of their flights for Friday May 30.

Aer lingus is a very profitable company with chief executive Christoph Mueller earning €1.5million last year.

Surely a resolution can be found. The silence of the Government on this issue is deafening.

If the Government can convene an expert panel to deal with airport workers’ pensions then why can they not do the same for this dispute? The people have told the Government to step up. They can start by stepping into this row and get the cabin crew back to work and Aer lingus fully operational.

For real recovery to take hold in Ireland, all sectors need to be operating to full capacity.

Mary Elizabeth Doyle, Donageeha, Newcastle, Co Tipperary

Does any one else find it strange that you never hear or see any foreign national-ity win a competition online, through news-papers, social media, radio etc? I’ve been in Ireland nearly ten years and never came across one. V

people who get on public transport who smell should be put off the bus/train/luas and beaten with sticks. That is all.

Doc

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■

PLAYTIME: Reader Arnold Salut sent us this picture of his boy Seán

Quick pic

Send your photos to [email protected] with ‘Quick pic’ as the subject and we will print the best each day in the paper

Thanks One Direction… I now have at least two of your awful songs warbling round my head thanks to the cheery chirpings emanating from swarms of directionless kids pounding Dublin’s streets on their way to yet another one of your awful concerts… now, NewKidsOnTheBlock anyone? Popocrite

●

good on yaThe beautiful girl who parks her car at

the Garda Club every morning, your smile just makes my day. Single? PK

I am charmed by your invitation. I was not seeking a suitor, but can I enquire as to your awesomeness? Single, and not quite so bitter after the sweet cheeks compliment

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yEh big ridE

random acts of kindnEss your rush-hour crush

trEndingI’m NOT one of those crazy fans… I

swear… #obsessed #partialforzayn #OneDirection #crokepark #twonightsinarow @CharleighBailey

@onedirection OneD! Hilarious Rap Song

●

●

about recycling! RT this please! @turtlelen

LIAM FALLING TONIGHT! ZAYN HELPED HIM UP! ZIAM #zaynmalik #liampayne #onedirection. Hahahahaha can’t stop laughing. @Alizz_L

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@metrohnews #metromailbox#OneDirection

ocelebrate thereturnof Dublin’sbest andbiggest

food festivalwe’veteamedupwithTasteof Dublin to give awayapair ofVIP tickets toour readers everydaythisweek!Terms and Conditions: The competition closes at Midday Friday 30th May 2014. The winners will be chosen at random from theentries received andnotifiedby telephoneor email. Entrantsmust beover 18 years old.UsualMetroHerald rules apply. TheEditor'sdecision is final. By entering this competition youagree to signup to theMetroHeraldpromotions list - Tooptout textNOMETRO to51155. SP. Oxygen8 Communications, 4th Floor,Malt HouseNorth, GrandCanal Quay, D2. Customer Service number 0818 286 606.

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2014’s Taste of Dublin Festival,promises a fusion of artisan food,culinary activism and lively freshevents set in the city’s best kept urbansecret, the IveaghGardens. Provokingthe senses fromThursday 12th toSunday 15th June, the Taste of Dublinfestival is collaborating with Ireland’sinventive chefs, sensational restaurantsand producers for a busy, vibrantcelebration of all things gastronomic.Taste buds get set to explode!

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10 mEtro hEraLd Monday, May 26, 2014 D

D Monday, May 26, 2014 METRO HERALD 11

[email protected] focus

A Pinteresting way to lure in advertisers...

When Pinterest arrived on the social media scene, it was largely written off as a visual arts and crafts fair exclusively for women. Four years on, and it still receives the same criticism, but could it have the last laugh by outdoing Twitter

and Facebook? ROSS McGUINNESS reports…

Pinterest was valued at

€3.7bnlast week after it raised

another €148m in funding

There are more than

30bnpins on Pinterest,

with millionsbeingadded

each day

It hasmore than

70musers

75%of usage is on smartphones

Pinterestdrives more

trafficto websites than Twitter,

YouTube and Google+ andis second only to Facebook

Each pin isworth about

56cin sales

Pins are

100times more viral than

a tweet

Pictures: Pinterest

Usagehas

grown by more than

130%since the beginning

of this year

Pinterest shoppersspend more than

twiceas much as Facebook and

Twitter shoppers

1 in 10pins are text articles

More than

2mfashionideasare

pinnedeach day

There are more than

660mtravel-related pins

on the site

5marticles are

pinned eachday

More than

700,000wedding-related pins are

bookmarked each day

Almost

700,000pins are created each day that

relate to party planning

Pinterestmakes up

25%of retail referral

traffic

Cosmetics brandSephora says

its Pinterest users spend

15times more money onits products than itsFacebook followers

Sources: Pinterest, Piqora, Rich Relevance, Semiocast, Sephora

More than

500,000education-related ideas

are pinned each day

Pinterest founders Evan Sharp and Ben Silbermann

SONJA FOUST loves Pinterest. And she is not alone – more than 70mil-lion people worldwide use the social media platform.

But while most users are happy to browse through a never-ending sea of images, Foust takes things to extremes.

She is also known as the Pintester, trying out the various ideas that others ‘pin’ to the site and charting her attempts to emulate them on her blog. Foust, 33, of North Caroli-na in the US, has become an expert in failing to recreate Pinterest posts. Her trials and trib-ulations have won her a large fan base.

Since starting the Pintester blog in Decem-ber 2011, a year after Pinterest launched, her many projects have seen her make cakes in mugs, apply a temporary tattoo and straighten her hair with brown sugar. Warning: don’t try to straighten your hair this way.

While it’s probably best to pass on her dark chocolate pudding and her champagne jelly shots, Foust’s recreations are helping to illus-trate the gap between the pristine pictures on Pinterest and the harsh reality of concocting a foodstuff that looks like something that might come out of your body rather than something you eat. But that’s all part of the fun, she says, as social media is an aspirational tool.

‘Look at someone’s Instagram or Facebook or, yes, Pinterest boards, and you’re going to

see the parts of their life that they’re proud of, or parts they’ve found some humour in, or an idea of the way they’d like things to be,’ she said.

Pintester has become a success – even sell-ing its own merchandise – because its appeal is universal.

‘People relate to it,’ said Foust, whose blog is in no way associated with Pinterest. ‘There aren’t too many people who haven’t utterly failed at a craft or a recipe or something, and finding someone else who admits to it is re-freshing in the midst of a bunch of blogs full of the perfect stuff you find on Pinterest.’

Having destroyed her kitchen – and her hair – on numerous occasions, you would think Foust might have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest – but she has only one emotion for the site.

‘It’s a lovefest,’ she said. ‘I love Pinterest. The part I hate is that I am not talented enough, patient enough, crafty enough or good enough at following directions to make most of the stuff.’

And the love appears to be mutual: Pintest-

er’s Twitter account is one of the few that @Pinterest follows.

Foust isn’t the only one trying to make Pin-terest work for her. As Facebook and Twitter hog the limelight, Pinterest is developing a business model that could outlast its bigger rivals.

Because of its millions of images and mil-lions of pins – with links to websites where users can buy products – Pinterest is a dream for retailers and advertisers. In the US, it has launched a ‘promoted pins’ scheme that will bring in substantial ad revenue from brands such as Gap, Banana Republic and Expedia.

Because of their immediacy, Facebook and Twitter can drive a large amount of traffic to other sites, including retailers, within a short space of time. But Pinterest pins often receive a large proportion of clicks months after be-ing posted. This means advertisers could see it as a more sustainable platform.

Plus, images from brands blend into the site in a way that intrusive advertising on Face-book and Twitter cannot. Pinterest has an-other tech giant in its sights, too: Google.

Last month, Pinterest introduced a Guided Search service to help users navigate the site and find things they didn’t even know were there, according to Pinterest co-founder and chief executive Ben Silbermann.

He maintains there are no plans to follow Facebook and Twitter by floating on the stock market.

Last week, Pinterest collected another €148million in funding from investors, with the site valued at €3.7billion.

‘The web bubble has always put huge valu-ations on companies but, of course, it’s whether it can actually deliver that’s of im-portance,’ said Dan Worth, news editor at tech website V3.co.uk. ‘If it allows advertis-ers to benefit from the visual impact Pinterest provides, it could generate strong revenues and provide a clear benefit to advertisers.’

Women users on Pinterest outnumber men by four to one – but Worth said this was an asset rather than a drawback. ‘If Pinterest has a clear user base, it can generate huge adver-tising rates. This is an area where people are more than willing to spend money, so adver-tisers will want to target them.’

Foust said the site isn’t about finding friends or followers like other social networks – it’s to encourage creativity.

‘It’s not really about conversations – it’s more about inspiration.’

12 METRO HERALD Monday, May 26, 2014 D

the family project RTÉ1, 8pmThe new series sees six new celebrity mentors – Brendan Courtney, Alice Taylor, John Spillane, Yvonne Keating, Davy Fitzgerald and John Lonergan – each assigned a family to inspire and a set of parents to help their children learn in fun and engaging ways. Tonight, former Mountjoy governor Lonergan (pictured) works with the Menton family in Inchicore, to help 15-year-old Aaron realise his dream of becoming a tour guide.

Life television

more than a decade ago, a documentary crew followed Roddy Collins, as he managed English football club, Carlisle United. Ten years on, the sequel picks up Roddy’s story at the helm of monaghan United. After seven years in the footballing wilderness, Roddy tackles his new role in the GAA heartland, as he leads monaghan from Division One to the premier League. With a small, but dedicated legion of fans, a limited budget and as the favourites for relegation, it seems like nothing can go wrong.

the return of the rod squad RTÉ2, 10.30pm

This special, aired to mark BBC2’s 50th anniversary, reunites Meera Syal, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Nina Wadia and Kulvinder Ghir for a one-off of their British-Asian hit comedy show. Sketches include some very competitive grandmothers, how to tell Sherlock Holmes comes from India and a surprising use for an aubergine. Meanwhile, Check Please is still going out on dates and making a right ejit of himself in the process.

goodness gracious me special 2014 bbC2, 11.05pm

The TV series based on the hit movie starring Hugh Grant is proving popular Stateside. In this episode a party becomes awkward for Will as he tries to protect Fiona from the advances of his friend. Meanwhile, Marcus has his first kiss. Ah.

about a boy Sky 1, 9pm

my top five films ACTOR vinCEnT EbRAhimthe lunchboxA beautifully-pitched film about a relationship that exists in the characters’ imaginations, with gentle, understated performances from Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur. It’s set in Mumbai’s suburbs and tells its story through the faces of the two lead actors.

the travelling playersTheodoros Angelopoulos’s film is seductive on many levels. At more than three hours long, you can lose yourself in its world. It’s about

the lives of a troupe of actors living through a

traumatic time in the modern history of Europe, particularly Greece. It’s unashamedly anti-fascist, without

dogma and shot in a moody noir style.

four lionsA tough subject that I thought was handled with a deft touch by Chris Morris to produce a funny, poignant film that left me laughing uneasily at the inept attempts of the would-be terrorists. There are great

performances from the actors, especially Riz Ahmed, staying on just the right side of farce.

a prophetI’m drawn to films that have a melancholic heart and Jacques Audiard’s depiction of a young French Arab man’s struggle with a life of crime moved me enormously. Tahar Rahim (right) gives a luminous, natural performance in the central role.

mean streetsThis film introduced me to the

American ‘new wave’ cinema of the 1970s. Robert De

Niro and Harvey Keitel gave performances that riveted me as a young actor. Martin Scorsese gave New York City a gritty cachet that made me want to go there. Anthony Gibson

Ebrahim stars in comedy Material,

available to download on iTunes.

at set in Mumbai’s

the lives of a troupe of actors living through a

traumatic time in the modern history of Europe, particularly Greece. It’s unashamedly anti-fascist, without

dogma and shot in a moody noir style.

In her acting debut, popstar Christina Aguilera stars as small-town singer, Ali, who takes a job as a cocktail waitress at a rundown burlesque club in LA. Cher is the club’s owner, retired dancer Tess, who soon promotes Ali to being star performer, where she attracts jealousy from showgirl Nikki (Kristen Bell) and draws the attention of businessman Marcus (Eric Dane) who has plans for the building. This musical drama received mixed reviews on its opening, with some critics describing it as clichéd. Still with a cast made up of such talents as Cher and Aguilera, who both contributed to the soundtrack, along with Alan Cumming (The Good Wife’s Eli Gold) as camp club host Alexis and Stanley Tucci as the stage manager Sean, this feel-good movie will have you singing and dancing along.

film of the daybURLESqUE, TG4, 9pm

it’s three weeks in and tempers are flaring as the group exist on a diet of snails (ugh) and coconuts. mike and Chris go to greater lengths to find food, risking their lives with dangerous tides. There is a brief peace in the camp when hunger is satiated with a rare feast. Later on, the men go hunting in the treacherous mangroves for another caiman crocodile.

the island with bear grylls ChAnnEL 4, 9pm

ect es of

cus has

To be in with a great chance of winning just like us on Facebook.com/DublinRiverfest sending us a private message with your name and contact details.Winners announced in Metro Herald Friday 31st May.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH:Win a Weekend for 2 at Jurys Inn Custom House!Plus 10 runner-up prizes of VIP Tickets to attend the Georgian Dance Spectacular at the festival.

Family Fun on North Wall Quay!Saturday 31st, Sunday 1st & Monday 2nd June!

A Dublin Port Company Event

To be in with a great chance of winning just like us on

Winners announced in Metro Herald Friday 31st May.

Tickets to attend the Georgian Dance

Family Fun on North Wall Quay!Saturday 31st, Sunday 1st & Monday 2nd June!

• Ships & Schooners• Pirate Performances• Georgian Ballet Spectacular• Kids Funfair Attractions• Food & Craft Markets• Dublin Port Tugboat Dance and lots more! www.dublinriverfest.com


by DARAgH [email protected]

A furry intriguing concept Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys on his concept album American Interior ahead of his headline performance at Castlepalooza

Our Dolly dishes out some wise words for the newly single rory mcilroy p17

gRUFF Rhys is such a mellow, laid-back interviewee that there are times during our telephone conversation when I worry he may have fallen asleep at the end of the line. His

otherwise highly articulate sentences are punctuated by such lengthy silences I could potentially head off to make a cuppa, safe in the knowledge he’d have gathered his thoughts just in time for my return.

If this suggests the Super Furry Animals frontman has become a zonked-out slacker in middle-age – he’s now 43 – nothing could be further from the truth. He has just released the ‘psychedelic historical travelogue’ American Interior, a multi-faceted project based on 18th-

century explorer John Evans, encompassing an album, book, documentary and app.

Inspired by the questionable theory that one Prince Madoc of Wales discovered America in the 12th century, Evans left Snowdonia and crossed the Atlantic in 1792 to track down the Madogwys, a Native American tribe rumoured to speak Welsh. Given that he failed in his pursuit and died an embittered alcoholic, why was Rhys so drawn to his story? ‘Romance,’ he replies emphatically, after a characteristically protracted pause. ‘The romance of Evans’s undertaking and the contrast between the dream

and the reality. He set off on a journey hoping to find a tribe descended from Madoc roaming the plains and speaking Welsh. He thought he could befriend them and then arrange an exodus from Wales to America. There’s something very appealing to me about this 22-year-old who headed off with this very romantic idea but eventually died of a broken heart, after realising that it was just a myth after all.’

Although Evans failed in his quest it wasn’t an unqualified disaster – he did inadvertently chart the map that allowed Lewis and Clark to complete their trek across the western US decades later. ‘His journey wasn’t futile in that he changed the path of American history in ways he didn’t really realise at the time. What

fascinates me most is the way myths can distort real life. If you think of the dodgy dossier on the weapons of mass destruction, which was a document based on myth-making rather than research, you can see how stories without any real currency can have a profound impact on people and history.’

If the concept behind American Interior makes it sounds off-puttingly niche, rest assured the album is filled with such gorgeous, hook-laden melodies that even listeners who’ve never heard of Evans will find themselves enchanted.

‘I didn’t want to smother the album with historical detail,’ Rhys explains. ‘I created the book and the film to go into the specifics of Evans’s life but I wanted to keep the ➔


going out to advertise, call 01 7055010

[email protected]

HEAR SCHOOLBOY QSouth Central self-styled gangsta rapper Schoolboy Q’s third album and major-label debut, Oxymoron, is a bold personal statement: a work of strong contrasts, confessionals and beguiling pop hooksTomorrow, Vicar Street, 58-59 Thomas Street D8, 8pm, €26. Tel: 0818 719 300. www.vicarstreet.ie

CATCH INTO THE WOODSWhen Stephen Sondheim’s musical premiered in 1987, many people left in the interval, assuming that, after the first act’s happy-ever-after ending, the show was over. But this clever-clever musical fairytale, about a baker and his wife who head into the woods to lift a witch’s curse condemning them to childlessness, has a beguiling doubleness that matches light with dark, life with death, endings with beginnings. Directed by Tom Creed.Until Thu, The Lir Theatre, Pearse Street (at Grand Canal Quay) D2, 7.30pm, (mat tomorrow, 1pm), €10 to €15. Tickets from www.entertainment.ie

YOUR DUBLIN

TO-DO LISTSEE OLD MAN’S HOuSEThe Royal Hospital in Kilmainham has played host to the Irish Museum Of Modern Art since 1990 but its original function as a retirement home and infirmary for military veterans is explored in this family-friendly exhibition organised by the OPWImma, Royal Hospital, Military Road D8, Tue to Sat 10am to 5.15pm (Wed 10.30am to 5.15pm), Sun noon to 5.15pm, free. Tel: (01) 612 9900. www.imma.ie

Often compared to fellow Glaswegians Belle & Sebastian, Camera Obscura’s 1960s-imbued pop has a more tender lilt than their Scottish compatriots. While B&S wax lyrical about graveyards and dirty dreams, Camera Obscura are shy romantics, and all the better for it. There’s much to fall for: strangely forlorn melodies, singer Tracyanne Campbell’s honeyed voice, carousel-like organ riffs and gorgeous swathes of trumpetTonight, Button Factory, Curved Street D2, 8pm, €22. Tel: (01) 670 9202. www.buttonfactory.ie

HEAR CAMERA OBSCuRA

➔

“We have just produced a beer – it’s eight per cent”

album quite impressionistic. 100 Unread Messages is the one track that’s most tied to the details of his life but a song such as Walk Into The Wilderness could be about anyone who’s put their life on the line and embraced adventure.’

Taking a truly hands-on approach to the songwriting of this album, Rhys set off on an ‘investigative concert tour’ of America in 2012 during which he followed the route taken by Evans, while playing concerts in ‘one-horse towns’ and recording the tracks en route. If writing the LP posed few problems for Rhys, he admits to being somewhat idealistic when it came to completing the accompanying book.

‘I had this very misguided, romantic notion of writing the book in three weeks like Jack Kerouac and that’s the approach I took. I’d write all day and all night while drinking extremely strong cups of tea but it didn’t quite work out as I’d intended.’

And how long did it actually take to finish? ‘Er, about a year and half.’

Rhys is no stranger to bold musical projects. In 2008, as one half of Neon Neon – alongside electronica producer Brian ‘Boom Bip’ Hollon – he released Stainless

Kathleen Hanna’s highly politicised band Le Tigre managed to blend polemic and pop into a hyperactive blast of fun. The New York outfit were formed from the ashes of frontwoman Hanna’s riot-grrl band, Bikini Kill, and were feted for updating punk’s three-chord riffs into provocative – and fun – 21st-century dance music. Hanna stopped performing live in 2005 – much to the chagrin of her fans – and this fascinating documentary explores the reasons why and follows her on the comeback trail Until Thu, IFI, 6 Eustace Street D2, various times & prices. Tel: (01) 679 3477. www.ifi.ie

SEE THE PuNK SINGER

Style, a concept album about 1980s automo-bile entrepreneur John DeLorean; last year they followed it up with Praxis Makes Perfect, inspired by maverick Italian publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli. Does he see American Interior as the last instalment in a loose trilogy?

‘I didn’t think of them as a trio really but I’ve somehow managed to make three biographical albums in the last few years, which is probably down to the fact I’m such a restless person rather than any master plan.’

WAS he tempted to get the Super Furry Animals on board? ‘A group is very much about give and take so preposterous ideas like this

one have to be put to one side. As Super Furry Animals we’ve made nine albums with the same line-up, which is rare, but it would be easy to piss people off by making them record an album as off-the-wall as this.’

While there are no plans for a new Super Furrys album at present, the band have been working together recently, albeit for a very different reason.

‘We’ve just put out a beer called Fuzzy which we’ve developed with Celt Experience Brewery. If there are any Irish importers reading this who’d like to start selling bottles in Dublin we’d like to hear from you.’

And what about bringing a few casks to Offaly in August, when he headlines the Castlepalooza Festival? ‘Maybe. It’s eight per cent though – wouldn’t Tullamore go insane?’ American Interior is out now. Castlepalooza takes place from Aug 1 to 3. www.castlepalooza.com


THE big RELEAsE HERCULES & LOVE AFFAIR THE FEAST OF THE BROKEN HEART Moshi Moshi HHHII

Herculean house masters

Unrequited love never sounded so smooth

RÖYKSOPP & ROBYN DO IT AGAINDog Triumph HHHHIA ‘mini-album’ is a grand term for an EP but we’ll forgive it when the collaboration is as exciting as this one between Swedish electro pop songstress Robyn and Norwegian electronica duo Röyksopp. Lead single Do It Again is sparkling, thumping pop, while much of the rest is dark, deep and ravey. AD

HAMELL ON TRIAL THE HAPPIEST MAN IN THE WORLD NEw wEST REcoRDS HHHHINine albums in and New York folk-punk singer Edward Hamell shows no sign of compromise. His latest mixes socio-political spoken word with roughneck rock’n’roll and features kindred spirit Kimya Dawson (The Moldy Peaches). It’s a sound that embraces blues, hip hop and more, and its humour is as important as its anger – as the tipsy whores shows. sO’C

SHARON VAN ETTEN ARE WE THERE JAgJAguwAR HHHHHSharon Van Etten’s songs have a similar widescreen sweep as those of fellow New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen. Personal and often achingly raw, they’re written in a vaguely alt.country style and grazed by a voice that at times recalls Tim Buckley or Patti Smith. The likes of I Love You But I’m Lost could reduce the stoniest heart to rubble. sO’C

NEIL YOUNG A LETTER HOME THIRD MAN HHHHI Recorded straight to vinyl in Jack white’s vintage Voice-o-graph studio booth and released on his label, Young’s latest is a set of covers – from Tim Hardin to willie Nelson – drawn from his musical roots. Its warmth and fragile, in-the-moment intimacy lends particular poignancy to his take on Bert Jansch’s Needle of Death. sO’C

CONOR OBERST UPSIDE DOWN MOUNTAIN SADDLE cREEK HHHHIThe past decade of oberst’s career has been a period of diminishing returns but he returns to his country folk roots here and retains the ability to snag the heart strings in a single musical phrase. This is a markedly more mature record and benefits from a new found clarity and simplicity. Claire Allfree

dREA BRAvEST OF ALL S/H Records HHHHIDamien Drea’s former band, vesta varro, were proof Irish rock groups could aspire to more than student disco mediocrity. Now the Limerick artist has embarked on a new, quasi-solo project, that sees him channel his love of Scott Walker-esque goth balladry. With a mood-

conjuring baritone and a flair for evocative arrangements, Bravest Of All drips atmosphere: the title track suggests Dead Can Dance minus the Lord Of The Rings whimsy; Through The Wire is what Nick Cave might sound like if he calmed down and had a cup of tea.

But Drea can sound contemporary too – Animal and Lost In The Water remind you of Editors and Interpol (and not in a Joy

Division-pilfering way). Lack of originality is a problem – at moments you can practically hear Drea rifling his record collection for inspiration. But the songwriting is solid, the production (by Daniel Lanois collaborator Giuliano Baglioni) first rank – above all, Drea has a rare talent for imbuing sad songs with muscularity and swagger.

Eamon de Paor

SAM SMITH IN THE LONELY HOUR capitol HHHII

Soul-baring: The 22-year-old Sam Smith

Hercules & Love Affair, the New York collective of modish misfits fronted by DJ and producer Andy Butler, return in yet another new incarnation for their third album.

John Grant, Rouge Mary, Gustaph and Krystle Warren are all rich and elegant vocalists on this new record, which registers yet another shift in vibe. They’ve moved away from the faithful but inspired re-creation of early underground disco that char-acterised their debut, and the more experimental house sounds of 2011’s Blue Songs, into a selection of much more forthright, old-school Chicago house-style bangers.

Tracks such as the album opener Hercules Theme 2014, with its dark bouncing synth riff and distorted vocal chugs, or the tribal 5.43 To Freedom, are wilfully deep and nasty, but there’s almost always a gorgeous vocal to keep things soulful and to (mostly) fend off that paranoid/claustrophobic 4am feeling.

Lead single, Do You Feel The Same?, with its jacking riff and

disco singalong chorus, is prob-ably the closest thing to a break-out hit here – and there’s also a gorgeous but mournful tran-scendence to the piano-led, I Try To Talk To You, written by

Grant last year after he discov-ered he was HIV-positive. However, there’s nothing here that can match the quality of the sublime collaborations with Antony Hegarty – the likes of

Blind and You Belong – that marked this act out from the pack back in 2008. Hercules & Love Affair are still a classy act but the chemistry just isn’t quite the same. Amy Dawson

Sam Smith doesn’t think enough has been written about unrequited love in popular song, which is apparently why – after struggling to find comfort during his own experience – he decided to feature it strongly on his debut album, In The Lonely Hour.

of course, countless classic soul and blues records deal with exactly that subject, as do pop songs by artists ranging from Billy Bragg to Amy

winehouse, but maybe Smith’s background means his focus has been elsewhere.

He first appeared as a guest on Disclosure’s 2012 hit Latch, after which his own debut went into the singles chart at No. 1, with a critics’ choice award at the Brits and a place in the BBc’s Sound of 2014 to follow, and he’s now well on his way to conquering the uS charts.

If Smith was referring to laying himself bare emotionally, then his claim that he ‘wanted to take a risk’ with this record makes sense, given the painfully honest Not In That way. But sonically, it’s safer than a declawed kitten.

Despite their lyrical directness, these songs (co-written with Latch collaborator Jimmy Napes) seem like signposts for emotion rather than the real, messy thing, their measured scrapes of acoustic guitar and restrained piano running along overfamiliar lines while by-numbers strings swell intrusively, notably on I’m Not The only one.

Smith has a strong yet tender gospel soul voice with a fine falsetto and an obvious talent for expression but his debut could have done with a more challenging musical approach and a far less self-consciously tasteful treatment.sharon O’Connell

ALsO OuT

Floor fillers: The latest incarnation of DJ Andy Butler’s collective embraces old-school Chicago house

music


puzzlesNEMI by Lise

METROKU Easy, Moderate and Challenging. For solutions, visit Metro.co.uk/metroku

Crossword No. 980 See next edition for solutions

QU

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ORd

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Friday’s Solutions Across: 7 Exotic; 8 Crease; 10 Replete; 11 Fling; 12 Site; 13 Peace; 17 Trite; 18

Tear; 22 Rouse; 23 Various; 24 Fellow; 25 Screen. Down: 1 Repress; 2 Compete; 3 Sinew; 4 Preface; 5 Rapid; 6 Verge; 9 Defective; 14 Freedom; 15

Devotee; 16 Present; 19 Gruff; 20 Bully; 21 Price.

ACROSS 1 Overcome (9) 8 Tenanted (3) 9 Tempest warning (5-6) 11 Constructor (7) 12 Pour fat over (5) 13 Folly (6) 15 Tranquillity (6) 17 Rogue (5) 18 Lover of country (7) 20 Cut off (11) 22 Plant (3) 23 Esteemed (9)

DOWN 2 Deserter (3) 3 Shy (5) 4 Bird-house (6) 5 Elevate (7) 6 Conjurer (11) 7 Assertion (9) 10 Inventiveness (11) 11 Liveliness (9) 14 Maker (7) 16 Athletics (6) 19 Topic (5) 21 Before (3)

PEARLs BEFORE swINE

QUIZ ANSWERS: ENIGMA: High tide. WHO AM I? Jermain Defoe. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? Delilah; Valves; Denmark; February 1995.

ENIGMAOn coasts there is a line to show Beyond where seas will never go, These two words having the same sound As words that mean ‘hello’ and ‘bound’.

WHO AM I?A footballer, I was born in Beckton in 1982. I joined West Ham as a 16-year-old after going through the Charlton youth system. I now play for Toronto FC. I scored against Poland on

my first start for England.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN?WHO… in the Old Testament caused Samson’s hair to be cut off?WHAT… does a natural trumpet not have?WHERE… was the pioneering 16th-century astronomer Tycho Brahe born?WHEN… did best-selling thriller writer Patricia Highsmith die?

Astrology calls cost 1.27 euros per min from a BT landline. Live Services cost 2.40 euros per minute. Calls from mobiles/other networks may cost more. Callers must be 18 or over to use this service and have the bill payers permission. For entertainment purposes only. All calls are recorded. PhonePayPlus regulated(ComReg in ROI) UK SP: StreamLive Ltd, NR7 0HR, 08700 234 567. ROI SP:Moveda, 1 Courtyard Business Park, Orchard Lane, Blackrock, Co Dublin, 0818 241 398

For a live one-to-one consultation with one of my gifted psychics, call 15809 113 68 or 1800 719 688 to book using credit card

METROSCOPE by Patrick Arundell

Aries Mar 21 – Apr 20 This week can start off with you thinking about several possibilities. Once you are sure of the ones you really want to run with, soon they can gain traction. But to achieve this, you will need a very clear picture in your mind about what you want to do. For your forecast, call 15609 114 70

Taurus Apr 21 – May 21 If you have some clear goals in mind, this can certainly be a week of taking strides towards your aims. If however, you are juggling several options, it will be important to decide on your priorities. Self-discipline is going to be a vital ingredient in any success. For your forecast, call 15609 114 71

Gemini May 22 – Jun 21 The most action orientated option may seem to suit your agenda the most. But actually if you slow things down, there is a fantastic opportunity to tune into your instincts. However, do resist taking things at face value. For your forecast, call 15609 114 72

Cancer Jun 22 – Jul 23 Later this week, Mercury will emerge into your sign. Before then you may find yourself doing quite a lot of deep thinking about your life direction, your connection with others and the values that guide you. However, do accept that progress doesn’t have to be taken in giant strides. For your forecast, call 15609 114 73

Leo Jul 24 – Aug 23 The stars are asking you to think longer term. If you are someone who has the happy knack of living in the moment, don’t feel you need to alter your approach, but obviously it’s good to be mindful of the consequences of our current situations. For your forecast, call 15609 114 74

Virgo Aug 24 – Sep 23 The Sun is squaring up with Neptune, suggesting that when it comes to any professional interaction you need to be crystal clear in what you are saying. This is not a day for nuances, or for getting caught up in office politics. Be concise. For your forecast, call 15609 114 75

Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23

Your imagination can be absolutely awesome today, and if you are contemplating a holiday some magical destinations can appeal. Yet, there could also be a tendency even for well balanced you, to get something out of proportion. For your forecast, call 15609 114 76

scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22 Would you agree with the assertion that you can be sceptical about people at times? Does this run all the way to full on suspicion sometimes? Well, pride yourself on this now, for your self-protection can actually be a good thing right now. For your forecast, call 15609 114 77

sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21 Your larger-than-life approach to relationships could stand you in fantastic stead this week. What may be trickier, is anything to do with close ties or a lot of emotions. Do try to be sensitive to others. Someone around you may be feeling raw. For your forecast, call 15609 114 78

Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 20 Too much strain at work could actually be rather draining in the next few days. And even though you are the workhorse of the Zodiac, this is definitely a time to pace yourself and to prioritise your health. For your forecast, call 15609 114 79

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19 You can be one of the kindliest members of the Zodiac, and a good cause or helping someone who is going through a tough time, could see you do something worthy today. Yet, do try to resist any temptation to splash out. For your forecast, call 15609 114 80

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20 Your co-ruler, the elusive Neptune, gives you fantastic appreciation of life’s subtleties, and of the arts, music and words. Yet, with the Sun forging a tight right angle to Neptune, this can erode logic or confuse you about an intensely personal issue. Don’t be too quick to make a decision for facts can be blurred. For your forecast, call 15609 114 81


Got a problem? No one else can help? Our resident agony aunt tells it like it is

fREE ADvicE fOR…Rory Mcilroy

dear dollyLife [email protected]

q I’m desperate to get married, impatiently waiting for my

boyfriend of three years to propose. Keep dropping hints about rings. Giving him lots of sex. No bended knee yet. What can I do to get us up that aisle? M Heslop

a Er, stop giving off the whiff of desperation for a start? There’s

nothing more of a turn-off than pressure – and would you want him to do the deed just because it’s being demanded? If the relationship is forever, then surely there’s no rush. Also, he can’t surprise you with a proposal if you’re constantly breathing down his neck. While there’s nothing wrong with coveting a big wedding, I wonder why you’re so impatient – do you feel it would give you the security you’re lacking? Is it because your friends are at it? Is it because you’re keen to start a family? Share these fears with him, and enjoy the here and now. Oh, and withdraw the sex. Why would he bother getting married when he’s never had it so good?

q My fiancée wants a Savage Garden song as the first

dance at our wedding because it was apparently on when we had

our first kiss (I have no idea, I was half cut at the time). No way, José. But how to crush a bridezilla?

Finbar

a One word: Dancing. Whether your shortlist includes Do You

Want Your Old Lobby Washed Down or I Am The Walrus, may I suggest learning a dance routine together and she’ll soon forget about Cabbage Garden and standing by you on a mountain. If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, a way to a woman’s heart is a man who can cut some rug. Of course, I refuse to take any responsibility should she insist you do choreography to Truly Madly Deeply…

LAST WEEK:

q I noticed that Tinder and Snapchat are on my long-

term boyfriend’s phone. What should I do? Shocked

YOU SAiD:

a There is a surprisingly large number of people who still

don’t know what Tinder and Snapchat are. Play the idiot and ask him what they are. If he lies, you have your answer. Psych Advice

Set up a bogus account on Tinder… ‘Like’ him, and if he ‘Likes’ you back then you know he’s a love rat who

should be kicked to the curb – via Snapchat. Edwin

OvER TO YOU:

q I’m 33 and my mum is constantly nagging me to

‘find a man’ before my ‘goother closes up altogether’. It’s not that easy, most men I meet get blind drunk on dates, or they have a beard (What’s with all the bloody beards?). What can I do to get her off my back? Content Singleloid

What do you think? Lend Dolly your words of wisdom on our Facebook page or at [email protected]. Best replies published next week...

Dear Rory, last week you went public with your split from tennis ace Caroline Wozniacki, admitting: ‘The problem is mine.

The wedding invitations issued at the weekend

made me realise that I wasn’t ready for all that marriage entails.’

You added that ‘there’s no good time to end a relationship.’ However, you definitely won a hole in one for

picking the worst time – short of literally jilting your fiancée at the altar. Still, I suppose having cold feet at the eleventh hour has saved poor Wozniacki from being a golfer’s wife. You may now be footloose and fancy-free, but be warned, the sports groupies (and paparazzi) will be circling for a bump and run – so keep your wood to yourself, at least until the dust settles.

Out and about in Dublin

Pictures: KieraN HarNett/BriaN McevOy/aNtHONy WOOds

Party People

A LOVELY CUPPA: Jane Lundon and Paula Lenihan were at the Barry’s Tea Teaology event, with Barry’s master blender Denis Daly

SING-LE LIFE: Siobhán O’Connor and Jenny Higgins at The opening night of Singin’ In The Rain at The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre

SOIRING HIGH: Laura McLoughlin and Ken Boylan at Burgundy Beauty’s Blackrock Summer Soiree

SOIR FAR, SOIR GOOD: Amy Corrigan and Madeleine Canty were at Burgundy Beauty’s Blackrock Summer Soiree

BAGS OF FUN: Aoife McElwain and Rory John at the Barry’s Tea Teaology event

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On course for career boostUPSKILLING: Employees can make the most of their current position by earning new qualifications, writesAngharad Williams

Getting ahead: Updating your skills can really help to further your career or allow you to change direction


According to recent research by one leading recruitment company, irish employees are upskilling to advance their ca-reers more than ever. The Kelly

global Workforce index looked at the topic of career development and upskilling and found 71 per cent of employees in ireland are looking for additional education or training outside their current workplace in order to advance their careers.

Some 57 per cent of those questioned wanted to upskill for a promotion with their current employer, while others would up-skill to switch employers or enter a new field of work. While there are fewer oppor-tunities and more competition in the job market, employees can make the most of their current position by earning qualifica-tions and improving their skills.

Although training and staff development might not be something every employer ac-tively supports, upskilling will make you a more attractive candidate when applying for future positions.

‘Showing a commitment or willingness to invest in learning and upskilling demon-strates intent to an employer that you are serious about developing your career,’ clearview coaching group founder and Metro Herald career doctor Jane downes says. ‘it is a vital strategy to open doors. Upskilling also builds your confidence be-cause it reiterates that you are capable at particular skills and up to date with them.’

The Kelly global Workforce index found that 53 per cent of those questioned opt for continued training and education as their preferred method of development. Some employers offer training and development

THere are evening courses which run over a term, or a year starting in September or Jan-uary and also short-term courses which can fit into your schedule.

online courses are another option, but studies have shown that global employers remain sceptical about online education. There are some who do favour distance learning for career-related study, especially in roles in specific sectors such as banking, law and finance.

Before signing up for an online course, you should research the provider and the course itself. See if peo-ple in your sector have already completed a course and look for first-hand recommendations.

The best place to start is deciding what to study. downes suggests speaking to colleagues about cours-es relevant to your career field and to set time aside to research.

‘For those looking to build on general skills to func-tion really well and develop awareness, i am a big fan of undertaking short courses in something outside the box like coaching and leadership coaching skills to build on your ability to handle yourself and others.’

‘diploma or certificate courses in international busi-ness or e-business are good too, or digital marketing qualifications to demonstrate you understand the world of digital skills to open up support roles in dig-ital companies.’

dún Laoghaire institute of Art, design and Tech-nology [iAdT] uses the government’s Springboard programme as its main upskilling focus.

The courses are free, part-time courses in higher education from certificate to degree and post-gradu-ate level.

Head of creative engagement at iAdT, Peter rob-ertson, says the alternative to these courses is a Spe-cial Purpose Award which is a part-time evening

“It’s a vital strategy to open doors

to help staff bridge skills gaps and boost business performance, so if you’re consid-ering upskilling, it is worth asking if your employer has any schemes available.

Although fitting education around a full-time job can be difficult, some employers do include study leave in an employee’s contract.

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That’s my businessCorkman DENIS DALY is the master blender with Barry’s Tea, a role he has held for more than 40 years. He speaks to Joanne Ahern about his businessWhat does a master blender do? I blend teas from different tea gardens to suit Irish tastes. The secret to being a good tea taster is ensuring that every cup of tea you drink is as rewarding as the last. Consistency is key in tea blending.

How did you become a master blender? I started off being a wine taster originally, and was asked by master blender Anthony Barry from Barry’s Tea to work alongside him tasting teas. Anthony Barry trained me to be the tea taster I am today.

Why did you become a master blender? My role within the Barry family business evolved. I was thrilled to be asked to work alongside Anthony Barry learning his craft.

How has the job changed since you started? The one thing that

hasn’t changed is the quality of teas that Barry’s Tea source and blend for Irish consumers. Of course the job has changed. New machines and comput-ers have made life easier, but the tea tasting is the same.

What makes a good master blender? The ability to organise your senses and attention to detail.

Is being a master blender a full time job? Well I have been doing it for 40 years… I hope so!

Where do you get your tea from? Rwanda, Kenya and the Assam Valley.

Does your job involve a lot of travel? Yes, I travel to the best tea gardens in Africa and India once a year to meet the growers and buy tea.

How do you decide on the fla-

vours? I taste teas every day looking for depth of flavour, colour and strength. I know when I taste the teas on the bench which teas are the high-est quality for our blends.

How do you actually test the tea? I measure equal amounts of tea using my scales given to me by Anthony Barry. I decant it into porce-lain tea tasting cups, then pour freshly boiled water in and let it brew for three minutes. Then I decant it when it has brewed and use my special spoon to measure one tea spoon of milk into every cup. I let it cool for a few min-utes and then taste it. I have a list of things that I know the Irish tea drinker wants when they buy Barry’s Tea.

What are the top three things Barry’s Tea drinkers want? Strength of flavour, good, quality tea, and an appetising golden colour.

How many cups of tea do you drink a day?My own personal consumption is five-to-six cups per day. I like drinking at home, so I can behave like a regular consumer drinking tea at home.

Do you ever get tired of drink-ing tea? Never. It’s my passion in life.

What’s your favourite tea and how do you take it? Classic Blend Loose Leaf Tea. I take it with a small bit of milk, no sugar.

Do you ever drink coffee? Occasionally.

How has the increase in popu-larity in coffee affected tea con-sumption in Ireland? It hasn’t really. Irish people will always love their tea.

What do you like most about your job? Travelling to the different tea gardens and meeting the growers. Tasting the different teas is also my favourite part of the day.

What task is always bottom of

your list? Admin. It’s not my strong point! I’d rather be tasting tea than emailing people.

What do you do to relax? I abso-lutely love GAA and am a keen fol-lower of my local GAA club, Na Piar-saigh in Cork. I used to be a hurler in my teens with this club.

If you were a kangaroo, what would you keep in your pouch? I’d keep a teabag in my pouch – you never know when you might need an impromptu cup!


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Useful linksQualifax, Ireland’s National Learners’ Database: www.qualifax.ieSpringboard free courses: www.springboardcourses.ieRecognition of prior learning, www.fetac.ieDún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology: www.iadt.ie

course of ten to 12 weeks which provides the opportu-nity to gain new skills in such areas such as marketing, enterprise development and creative writing.

Some courses do have some previous qualification requirements, but institutions do also accept applicants with proven relevant experience, Robertson says.

It is important to look at what qualification the course leads to, who is the awarding body, is it a major or a minor qualification and if there are any options to progress after the course.

Look for courses and institutions which are recog-nised by the National Qualifications Authority of Ire-land. Checking your course on the Qualifax website can help you chose the right course for you and your career.

Twins Ellie and Amber Bewley, 9, of St Patrick’s National School for Girls

in Ringsend, show off their handywork at

the Creative Generations art exhibition run in

association with Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, and sponsored by local

law firm Mason Hayes & Curran. The creative arts

programme started in 2013 is set to continue

into next yearpiCTure: Jason Clarke

Creative fun and

twin ideas


spORT DigEsTRAcing Ryan Moore was full of praise for Marvellous after the Aidan O’Brien-trained filly provided the jockey with a first victory in the Etihad Airways Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh. The daughter of Galileo finished only sixth in the Leopardstown trial on March 30 but proved too strong for 100-30 favourite Lightning Thunder in the closing stages and won by three lengths. Moore said: ‘You have to be very pleased, it was only her third run, in deep ground. I’m sure she’d be a better filly on nicer ground.’

TEnnis Roger Federer spent as little time as possible on court on the opening day of the French Open, beating Lukas Lacko 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 before returning to his parental duties on Mother’s Day in Paris. Watched by wife Mirka and his twin girls, Federer (left) moved gently through the gears against the Slovakian under grey skies on the Philippe Chatrier show court. In the women’s draw, Serena Williams, the

No.1 seed and overwhelming favourite to retain her title, crushed France’s Alize Lim 6-2, 6-1, while older sister, Venus, also reached the second round in straight sets against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland. There were also victories for men’s sixth and eighth seeds Tomas Berdych and Milos Raonic, while women’s third seed Agnieszka Radwanska won 6-3, 6-0 against Zhang Shuai to reach the second round.

Winner offers his Fanks for Irish triumphDaviDe Ballerini of italy Team idea took an outstanding final stage victory in the an Post rás yesterday as yellow jersey Clemens Fankhauser finished safely in the main bunch to claim overall victory.

Ballerini was part of a seven-man breakaway that led for the majority of the final stage into Skerries and the italian attacked in the final ten kilometres, staying away to take the chequered flag, 38 seconds ahead of Daniel Klemme and Pierrick naud.

Fankhauser crossed the line at the front of the chasing peloton to claim the coveted yellow jersey.

‘i am shocked. it’s amazing to win this race,’ said Fankhauser, riding for the austria Tirol team.

‘it’s been a really tough eight days but it’s something i’ll always remember. This is the best day of my career for sure. This country is amazing and the people are very special. i am honoured to be crowned rás champion.’

Honour: Fankhauser

Mountain finish is simply FabioFaBio aru of italy claimed a solo victory on the tough uphill finish to Montecampione in the 15th stage of the Giro d’italia for his first Grand Tour victory.

aru made his move with 2.5km remaining and finished 21 seconds clear of the chasers. ‘i’m very happy,’ a tearful aru, who climbed to fourth overall, 2:24 behind race leader rigoberto uran, said after crossing the line. ‘it’s thanks to my teammates, who have been amazing not only today but all race. This win is for them.’

uran extended his advantage over his closest challengers and is 1:03 ahead of Cadel evans and 1:50 ahead of rafal Majka.

cycling

Federer blasts his way to round two

Familiar Donegal display sees off Derry challenge

Thrilling tie: Cork’s Pat Horgan and Kevin Moran of Waterford will meet again after yesterday’s Semple stalemate

gaa

Donegal hope to go back to the future after coming good after the break to secure a 1-11 to 0-11 vic-tory over Derry and progression in the Ulster football championship.

The dour display was painfully similar to all-Ireland winning manager Jim Mcguinness’s first Championship game in charge when they suffocated antrim in 2011 – before winning the anglo Celt Cup.

They employed similar defen-sive tactics to frustrate allianz league finalists Derry, though found themselves trailing by 0-6 to 0-4 at half-time.

But a strong third quarter from Donegal saw them shoot 1-5 with-out reply and once in the lead they held on for a significant win.

The result means they will face Fermanagh or antrim in a June 22 semi-final that they will be hot fa-vourites to win.

There was drama before throw-in yesterday when Donegal replaced both midfielders, starting with an untested partnership of Christy Toye and odhran Mac- niallais.

Star full-forward Michael Mur-phy dropped deep to play in the middle also but fared better when in attack in the second-half.

The all-Ireland winning captain had a hand in leo Mcloone’s 39th-minute goal which changed the game and he shot four points overall.

Meanwhile, galway were far more comfortable winners against london in the Connacht champi-onship, hammering last season’s finalists 3-17 to 0-7 in Ruislip.

Rising galway star Shane Walsh shot 1-6 while Michael Martin and Danny Cummins tallied 1-3 apiece to secure a June 21 clash with Sligo.

DONEGAL ................... 1-11DERRY ........................ 0-11

uLsTER sFc

by pAuL KEAnE

Antrim advance but Munster rivals drawHolDerS Dublin are a step closer to finding out their leinster hurling championship semi-final opposition after antrim’s qualifier series success.

The Saffrons produced a storming second half in Portlaoise to overcome hosts laois 0-22 to 0-20, claiming top spot in the new five-team group.

Their reward is a leinster quarter-final clash with Wexford next Sunday and the winners of that tie will play Dublin.

laois led 0-12 to 0-8 at half-time yesterday, but were blown away by a storming second half from antrim.

Saffrons manager Kevin ryan believes his side can play with freedom now and potentially score a historic win over Wexford to take into the Dublin contest.

‘We’ll be the underdogs against Wexford which will

help a lot,’ said ryan, whose side lost to Wexford by just one point in the league.

‘Traditionally, we don’t handle that expectation too well. But i think we can play with a bit of freedom now that the shackles are off.’

Meanwhile, old rivals Cork and Waterford produced another thrilling Munster championship encounter, drawing 1-21 to 1-21 in Thurles.

last year’s beaten all-ireland finalists Cork snatched a June 8 replay back at Semple Stadium thanks to a late Pat Horgan point from a free.

underdogs Waterford, relegated from Division 1a just weeks ago in the allianz league, led by 0-13 to 0-7 at half-time and moved 1-16 to 0-11 clear after a solo goal by debutant and ex-minor star austin Gleeson.

pIcture: Inpho

D Monday, May 26, 2014 METRO HERALD 21golf

Rough week ends on a high with PGA glory for Rory

by PETER REGAn

Change of fortune: Rory McIlroy celebrates winning the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth yesterday PICTURE: PA

A WEEK that began with personal heartache ended in professional tri-umph as Rory McIlroy came from seven shots behind to claim a remark-able victory in the BMW PGA Cham-pionship yesterday.

Just four days after McIlroy revealed he had called off his wedding to ten-nis star Caroline Wozniacki after the invitations had been sent out, the 25-year-old carded a closing 66 to win the European Tour’s flagship event following a dramatic final day.

McIlroy only took the outright lead for the first time with a birdie on the 71st hole and made another on the last to finish 14 under par, one ahead of Ireland’s Shane Lowry, with Luke Donald and overnight leader Thomas Bjorn a shot behind in third.

‘It’s been a great day,’ said McIlroy, who missed the cut in each of his last two appearances in the event. ‘Going out seven behind I did not really ex-pect to be in this position. Thomas was playing very well and I thought I would need something really spec-tacular to catch him but walking off the 11th tee I saw I was only two be-hind and thought I had a chance.’

In the aftermath of his split from Wozniacki, McIlroy had left his phone

turned off and even given away his laptop, and he added: ‘When I was inside the ropes it was a little bit of a release. I was on my own, doing what I do best and it gave me four or five hours of serenity or sanctuary. I can’t explain it. It’s obviously a week of mixed emotions. I am looking at the trophy saying “How the hell did it happen?”’

Lowry had been three clear when he started the back nine with a hat-trick of birdies, but drove into trouble on the 13th and ran up a double-bogey six, while Bjorn was left to reflect on squandering a five-shot overnight

lead that brought back memories of his collapse in the final round of the Open at Royal St George’s in 2003.

But the week belonged to McIlroy, who kickstarted his challenge with an eagle from 15 feet on the fourth. Two bogeys and a birdie in the next five holes took McIlroy to the turn in 34 and left him three off the pace, but he chipped in for birdie on the 10th and also picked up shots on the 12th, 13th, 17th and 18th to seal his first profes-sional win on European soil.

Bjorn threw the tournament wide open when he and Donald ran up tri-ple bogeys on the sixth. Donald re-

sponded with five birdies in his next ten holes but failed to birdie the 17th, which meant he needed an eagle on the last to tie. Bjorn also needed a three on the 18th after birdies on the 16th and 17th, but after Donald had found the water, his approach came up well short of the flag.

Lowry was happy for his friend McIlroy but added: ‘I feel very un-lucky. I know I hit a poor tee shot [on 13] but found myself in probably the only bush like that on the course and was struggling from there. But to hole the birdie putt on the last and to finish second on my own is really nice.’

Another one-two for feuding Mercedes duo

Internal strife: Hamilton, left, and Rosberg

LEWIS HAMILTOn insists he has cleared the air with team-mate nico Rosberg, but in the aftermath of yesterday’s Monaco Grand Prix there was an overwhelming feeling that a degree of toxicity remained.

The atmosphere on the podium was positively poisonous after Hamilton finished runner-up to Rosberg, with the German securing back-to-back lights-to-flag wins around the streets of the principality to end the Briton’s run of four successive wins.

Forget a polite nod or even a terse ‘well done’, there was not even a glance from one to the other at any stage. It was as if they were complete strangers rather than Mercedes colleagues who had just secured a record-equalling fifth one-two.

Hamilton appeared thoroughly outraged at what he saw as an injustice during qualifying when Rosberg, on provisional pole, out-braked himself into Mirabeau in the closing stages. The resultant yellow flags then thwarted Hamilton’s bid for pole as the 29-year-old following behind was on a quicker lap and would likely have claimed top spot on the grid.

Although Hamilton was rarely more than a second off Rosberg from the start of the blue-riband race, for the first 60 out of the 78 laps he did not have a single chance to overtake. A problem with his left eye then saw him fall behind the German and

almost into the clutches of Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo who hounded Hamilton over the closing stages, but the Australian ultimately had to settle for third.

Asked whether there was anything he needed to clear up with Rosberg, he replied: ‘no, not really. We’ve sat down and cleared whatever air was needed to be cleared, and we’ve been through the data and seen what needed to be seen. I wish you guys could see it. Otherwise, we’re good. It was a difficult weekend, but what doesn’t break you will make you stronger.’

Despite Hamilton’s remarks, however, it is understood the duo – streets ahead of the competition in the drivers’ standings – are no longer talking to one another, with their relationship at rock bottom.

formula one

Lobbe heeds Jonny’s desire to quit on topToulon must not try to convince Jonny Wilkinson to postpone retirement and chase an unprec-edented third consecutive Euro-pean crown, according to Juan Martin Fernandez lobbe.

Wilkinson captained Toulon to their second straight Heineken Cup title in Saturday’s 23-6 victory over Saracens in Cardiff.

The 35-year-old booted 13 points and had a hand in Matt Giteau’s cunning first-half try.

Wilkinson will retire after Saturday’s Top 14 final against Castres, a repeat of last year’s French league showpiece, and move into Toulon’s back room staff.

no side has ever claimed three European titles on the spin, but Argentina flanker lobbe said

Picking his

moment: Wilkinson

rugby

Toulon must resist the temptation to twist Wilkinson’s arm into one more season, in a bid to break yet another record.

‘Jonny’s not someone that will take a decision lightly, if he decides it’s the moment to retire, it’s definitely the moment to do it,’ said lobbe.

‘He knows what he’s doing; he always knows what he’s doing. We can’t try to make him change his mind, and certainly not for any records or anything like that.

‘He always plans every move of his life, for the benefit of the team.

‘So if he decides it’s the moment to get out, it’s because he thinks it’s the best thing for the team.

‘So we’ll always respect and honour that.’


rep of irelanD ...........1turkey .......................... 2

by RyAn bAiLEy

Turkey expose the

Knockout blow: Tarik shoots past Rob Elliot to put Turkey two up piCtureS: inpHo

fOOTbALL DigEsT

Danny WElbEcK has hailed the appointment of louis van Gaal as Manchester United manager. Welbeck considered leaving United after becoming frustrated at being played out of position under David Moyes. but with the Scot gone, Welbeck now has a chance to prove himself under Van Gaal, and the United forward is looking forward to working under the

former barcelona, ajax and bayern Munich coach next season. ‘I heard the news [about Van Gaal’s appointment] and I am happy,’ said Welbeck, who scored 11 times for United last year, after starting just 24 matches in all competitions. ‘He is a great man, a great manager. looking at his cV tells you he has managed at some big clubs.’

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has delayed naming his final 23-man squad for next month’s World Cup as injured atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa battles to recover. Costa appeared to re-injure his hamstring in Saturday’s Champions league final. Del Bosque has picked a 19-player squad for a friendly against Bolivia on May 30 that doesn’t include any atletico or real Madrid players following Saturday’s final. Del Bosque has until June 2 to finalise his party for Brazil.

HaMIlTon ended Hibernian’s 15-year stay in the Scottish Premiership with a dramatic 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory in the play-off final second leg at Easter Road. Terry butcher’s side blew a two goal first-leg lead before Kevin Thomson and Jason cummings – the double goal hero on Wednesday at new Douglas Park – saw spot-kicks saved by accies no.1 Kevin cuthbert. Hamilton had forced extra-time thanks to goals from Jason Scotland and Tony andreu’s stoppage-time equaliser.

Welbeck loving Louis arrival

We’ll keep on spending, say promoted QPRQPR co-owner Tony Fernandes has vowed to fight the prospect of a Financial Fair Play fine and plough much of his side’s promotion windfall back into the club.

Rangers returned to the Premier League at the first attempt by defeat-ing Derby in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Saturday.

The victory, courtesy of Bobby Zamora’s 90th-minute goal, is reported to be worth in the region of €150million to QPR but the London-ers are now facing a fine of up to €60million for failing to comply with financial guidelines. However, Fernandes has been seeking legal advice and has confirmed he will fight the sanctions in court.

‘Will we fight the fine?’ said the Malaysian entrepreneur. ‘What do you think? After all we’ve been through, it’s my middle name – “Fight It” Fernandes.

‘My view has been consistent, that it is very unfair for a club that has been relegated as the wage difference between the Premier League and Championship is impossible. There should be a time period for clubs to rectify their salaries. If we were in the Championship in two years with that wage bill it wouldn’t be right. I’m in favour of FFP but it is unfair for a club coming down.

‘Harry Redknapp and me are very close and the manager is already talking about new players and next season,’ added the 50-year-old.

‘He never stops. After the whistle he was mentioning a couple of players. I think he is relishing being back in the Premier League.’

Financial fight: Fernandes

championship

Welcome arrival: Van Gaal

Upcoming friendlies now big test for new regime

football international

The honeymoon period is well and truly over. With this, a sec-ond defeat in four for Martin O’Neill, Ireland’s busy summer programme began in under-whelming and rather familiar fashion at the Aviva Stadium.

That a little over 20,000 were in attendance tells its own story but on the pitch there was little to take from a game that marked the start of an important few weeks for the Boys in Green.

The hosts enjoyed plenty of possession but were left to rue a host of missed opportunities against a well-drilled Turkish outfit. Ahmet Ilhan Ozek’s first-half header gave Fatih Terim’s side an early, if not undeserved, lead before substitute Osman Tarik struck in the final quarter.

Ireland hit back instantly through Jon Walters but it was too little too late.

There was an element of mis-fortune for Ireland as well. Aid-en McGeady, the orchestrator of the home side’s best chances, found a pocket of space between the lines and set the onrushing Shane Long towards goal.

The strike went down under the clumsy challenge of Omer Toprak but the referee turned a blind eye to the appeals: replays

showed there was contact but marginally outside the box.

The Turkish rearguard were disjointed to start but Ireland were unable to take advantage. From McGeady’s set-piece, Long was thwarted, from all of three yards, by the goalkeeper before John O’Shea’s follow-up effort was hacked off the line.

having been on the front foot for much of the first quarter, Ire-land were pegged back on 17 minutes. James McClean was caught upfield and Gokhan Gonul took advantage to deliver a pinpoint cross for the onrush-ing Ahmet to head past Rob elli-ot on his first senior appearance.

Damien Delaney tested the handling of Kivrak with a head-er and then the goalkeeper de-nied McClean and man of the match Wes hoolahan in quick succession but those in green lacked ideas and were devoid of the cutting edge.

O’Neill introduced Walters and Meyler shortly after the hour mark but it was the visitors who landed the knockout blow, Tarik’s powerful effort flying past elliot into the net.

Out of nothing, Walters fired Ireland back into the game breaking free of the Turkish de-fence and cutting inside before shooting past Kivrak.

It was a rare moment of quality in the final third for Ireland but a late rally never materialised. Substitute Daryl Murphy came closest to snatching an unlikely draw but his header was tame.

On this evidence, with Italy up next on Saturday in London. a lot of hard work needs to be done.

Rep of ireland: elliot, Coleman, o’Shea, Delaney (Meyler 65), Ward, Whelan (Quinn 82), Wilson, McGeady (Walters 66), Hoolahan, McClean, long (Murphy 66). goal: Walters 78.Turkey: kivrak, Gonul, toprak, Balta,erkin, ozek (Camdal 70), Calhanoglu (adin 63), inan (ozyakup 21), nuri Sahin (Dogan 84), kisa (tufan 46), erdinc (pektemek 81). booked: Gonul. goals: ozek 17, Camdal 75.Ref: ruddy Buquet (fra).

MATcHfAcTs

Bale revels in role as triumphant Real lift La Decima

Dream moment: Bale, right, with Luka Modric


lack of Irish ideaschampions league

Gareth Bale described lifting the Champions league trophy with real Madrid as ‘a dream come true’ after he scored the decisive goal in lisbon.

With a pulsating final between city rivals real and atletico Madrid finely poised at 1-1, Bale struck five minutes into the second period of extra time to break the hearts of the recently-crowned Primera Division champions.

having missed several chances throughout normal time, including a clear-cut opportunity when through on goal when the tie was still goalless, Bale held his nerve to steer a header into an empty net after angel di Maria’s shot was saved by atletico goalkeeper thibaut Courtois.

Marcelo’s strike and Cristiano ronaldo’s penalty gave the scoreline a rather flattering look as real claimed a 4-1 victory and finally sealed the dream of ‘la Decima’, their tenth european Cup triumph.

When asked what it felt like to lift the trophy, Bale said: ‘a dream come true, literally. When you’re a little boy you dream of lifting the Champions league, and to lift the tenth one for real Madrid is special. It’s one that will go down in history.

‘It was a hard fought game, they made it very dif-ficult for us, but we showed our character and eventually we were able to win.

‘We always were praying that we’d get a goal, and it was obviously great that we did. We left it late, but it made it that extra bit more special.’

Bale’s attitude was commended by boss Carlo ancelotti, who said: ‘It was very important because he had tried before, but he was unlucky in front of goal. But he turned up when he was needed.’

‘We left it late, but that made it that extra bit more special’

Simeone proud of his stars’ sacrificeDiego Simeone was full of pride for his Atletico madrid players after they had a famous double snatched from their grasp by city rivals Real.

Having wrapped up the Primera Division title last week, Atletico took a 36th-minute lead on Saturday night through Diego godin’s header. Yet their failure to extend the lead ensured they were on the back foot for much of the final half hour and their defence was finally breached in the third minute of stoppage time when Sergio Ramos headed home from a corner.

extra-time goals from gareth Bale, marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo saw Real to a 4-1 triumph and Simeone said: ‘This fixture doesn’t deserve one tear, when you give your life, there’s nothing to say.

‘it’s part of the game. You can win, you can lose. We lost but know that we gave everything. That exalts us and gives us the ability to continue growing.’

Over the top: Caner Erkin climbs above Ireland’s Seamus Coleman

Mystery as ‘excellent’ display leads to defeatMartIN O’Neill was at a loss to explain how his republic of Ireland side slipped to a second successive friendly defeat as turkey left Dublin victorious.

Goals from ahmet Ilhan Ozek and substitute Osman tarik Camdal either side of half-time proved sufficient to hand the visitors a 2-1 win at the aviva Stadium, with Jon Walters’ 78th-minute strike prompting a late, but ultimately unsuccessful, fightback.

however, O’Neill and his players were left to rue missed chances, good goalkeeping and two debatable penalty decisions as the turks did what Serbia managed to do on Irish soil in March.

he said: ‘I thought that we created a lot of chances in the game and I genuinely don’t know how we lost the match.

‘a combination of things – poor finishing, some great saves by the goalkeeper – but we should have had the game out of sight by half-time. I thought we played really well.

‘eventually we conceded two goals when I think that there

should have been less danger. that said I thought we were excellent and somebody is going to earn themselves a fortune by being able to put the ball in the net.’

things might have been very different had referee ruddy

Buquet viewed defender Omer toprak’s challenge on Shane long differently.

O’Neill said: ‘I have seen it back on the big screen, but it’s pretty blatant, and I think the referee knows that.’

Despite the result, O’Neill

was able to take positives with the contribution of playmaker Wes hoolahan a particular high point for the manager.

he said: ‘I thought little hoolahan played brilliantly. he tried to create things for us during the course of the game.’

Ireland’s profligacy accentuates limitations

ThErE was no shortage of endeavour, and even an element of misfortune, but last night’s reversal to Fatih Terim’s Turkey – a side that had also limped through World Cup qualifying – was another alarming reminder of the task ahead for Martin O’Neill and his subordinates.

In the build-up to this busy summer itinerary, the term ‘honeymoon period’ has been used on more than one occasion. however, this was a second underwhelming defeat in a row at Lansdowne road, one that only highlights

deficiencies that run a lot deeper than the coaching staff and their approach.

For much of proceedings, there was plenty to admire but this was another home fixture that provided little to cheer about. That such a sparse crowd was in attendance – 25,000 was the official figure

but that was a little generous – tells its own story, but come September and the start of the serious business, many will be hard pressed on returning.

Much like the Serbia defeat in March, Ireland started brightly. But that spark failed to ignite as the performance and atmosphere fell flat.

Man of the match Wes hoolahan and Aiden McGeady (pictured) provided glimpses of ingenuity, but worryingly there was a lack of creativity and composure elsewhere. Shane Long, touted as robbie Keane’s heir apparent, was chief culprit in squandering several gilt-edged chances.

TALkIngpOInT

by RyAn bAILEy


Documents

Metro Herald, Monday, May 26, 2014