TheCity

Author: The City’s Newshound

Oktoberfest Brings Munich to the Docklands

By Kieva McLaughlin

Oktoberfest has come to a close for another year in Dublin. The German copycat festival saw more people than ever before this year, with thousands of people heading down to George’s Dock over the last three weeks for Bavarian food, music, and most importantly, lots and lots of German beer.

(Source: Pixabay)

As you walked into Oktoberfest the smell of food is overwhelming and almost everyone is holding a huge tankard of beer. There was a Bavarian band playing with a supporting DJ, both playing traditional German music along with more recent hits. There were many stands scattered around the event such as the charitable ‘Movember’ and there were also competitions including ‘who could hang from a pole the longest?’

The lower area which had queues as long as two hours to get inside, was made up of bars, a dance floor, and long wooden benches. The queue stopped it from getting too over crowded but they might want to consider investing in a bigger area for next year because it is not yet coveted enough to warrant a two hour queue.

Oktoberfest began in Munich in 1810. When King Ludwig I married Princess Therese of Hidburghausen, he invited all of the citizens of Munich to the festivities. When the celebrations were repeated in 1811 it started the annual festival we now know as Oktoberfest.

Sandra Niederloehner, a Munich native and a worker at Dublin’s Oktoberfest, describes the celebration as the biggest festival in Germany. “It’s an event I’ve gone to every year, for as long as I can remember. All my friends and family are there, it’s a tradition in Munich.”

(Source: Wikimedia)

Dublin’s Oktoberfest is an over-21 event, so it is not the family affair they have in Munich.

“In Germany it is much bigger so there’s a lot more things families can get involved in. We have carnivals and fun days and there is special days allocated just for families with children,” explained Sandra.

This year’s festival in Dublin had a lot of themed nights including, a ‘Monday: Industry’ encouraging people to come after work, a ‘Pink Tuesday’ celebrating gay pride and LGBTQ rights and a ‘Wacky Wednesday’ where everyone was encouraged to dress up. Traditionally in Munich everyone wears traditional Bavarian costumes but that trend has still not caught up with the Irish with only a few daring to wear the suspenders, long socks and little dresses, formally known as ‘lederhose and dirndl dresses’.

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October 6, 2016
Opinion: Cycling In The City

By Mary Kate Hickey

Living within walking distance of the city centre, I could write a book on some of the things I’ve seen on my daily commute.

A lot of these stories involve cyclists, and with a record number of 11,000 commuters pedaling their way into the city every day – according to Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) annual traffic count – it’s no wonder.

(Source: Mary Kate Hickey)

Cycling in Dublin quite frankly scares me, and I personally don’t see myself ever attempting it. That said cyclists in Dublin also terrify me – they zoom along between cars and buses, on pedestrian walkways and can regularly be seen running red lights.

I don’t hate cyclists but rather have a strong dislike; simply because so many find it difficult to adhere to the rules of the road. My main issue with cyclists is the lack of respect they have for pedestrians, and pedestrian walkways.

I’ve had many personal experiences with this. Most memorably, I was walking across Millennium Bridge when a man pulled out in front of me on his bike, nearly knocking me over – something many Dubliners have experienced. By the time I composed myself enough to tell him that he was cycling on a pedestrianised bridge, he was already cycling the wrong way down the Quays.

Another seemingly common trait amongst cyclists is their habit of breaking red lights, having no concern for themselves or others in doing so. A friend of mine recently told me a story when she was crossing the road with her child, a cyclist breaking the traffic lights almost hit her child in her stroller. The lights are there not only for the safety of pedestrians, but for drivers and cyclists too. Had there been traffic going in another direction, that cyclist put themselves and others at risk, all for the sake of saving a minute or two.

Cyclists on Millennium Bridge. (Source: Mary Kate Hickey)

As well as this sheer lack of concern for others, some cyclists seem to have very little concerns for their own safety. Many cyclists in the city forego wearing a helmet, to protect themselves if they are unfortunate enough to get in an accident. A lot of cyclists also never wear high-vis gear, or have lights on their bikes, making them invisible to drivers and pedestrians, especially at night.

With cyclists sometimes choosing not to use the cycle lanes, drivers have to be vigilant and look on both sides of their vehicle for them. Without lights, and high-vis gear, this makes the drivers’ job to see them a lot more difficult.

With the volume of cyclists on the roads, going down one way streets in the opposite direction might save time – but I’ve often seen cyclists going the wrong way on one way streets, again putting themselves in danger.

The final thing that annoys me about cyclists is the sense of entitlement they have over the road. Many cyclists seem to think they can cycle wherever they like, whenever they like and not follow the rules of the road. The rules are there for the safety of everyone, and I think if everyone followed them correctly the roads of this city would be a safer place.

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October 6, 2016
Ireland to get test cricket status this month, according to leaked report

By Conor McNally

Irish cricket will be given ‘transformational’ test cricket status this month, according to a leaked report.

Irish cricket has had unprecedented success in the last ten years, but their goal of obtaining test status – allowing the team to play in the longest and oldest format of the game – has until now remained unrealised.

That could be about to change as proposals to allow Ireland entrance to the elite club of global cricket are set to be ratified at an October meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

College Park Cricket Grounds, Trinity College (Source: Eoin Gardner, Flickr)

The Chief Executive of Cricket Ireland Warren Deutrom, remained circumspect on the issue and urged caution since nothing is certain until the proposals are approved by cricket’s governing body.

However, he described the potential attainment of test status for Ireland as ‘transformational’ in terms of public awareness of cricket and future revenue from being a test playing nation.

“I think the perception is that both within the game and externally test cricket is the pinnacle of the sport,” said Deutrom. “It is what the major nations in the sport do, and because the major nations play cricket by definition, Ireland playing test cricket means they become a major nation in that sport. Therefore, the perception of Ireland’s position within the game and within Irish sport is that it is a sport that is deservedly with the major sports in Ireland.”

Currently test cricket is played by ten countries. These are considered ‘full members’ of the ICC and are the only nations who can play recognised five day games known as test matches.

Source: Wikimedia

The proposals on the table will allow for the top two nations not playing test cricket currently – known as ‘associate members’ – to become full members with their first test matches to be played in 2019.

Ireland and Afghanistan are currently listed as the top two associate counties and would be the first countries to become full members for almost twenty years.

Cricket politics are notoriously complicated with financial issues and real life politics often coming into play. If Afghanistan does become a full member they will join Pakistan in being unable to play home games in their own country because of security issues.

Deutrom is aware of these issues and has pushed hard for the associate nations to have a cohesive message when lobbying the ICC.

“The fundamental philosophy that we have been trying to push as Ireland and a group of associate nations is accountability. It’s about making sure that the opportunities to play matches, opportunities to access events and the funding that comes as result of that is given on a meritocratic basis and not necessarily conferred by virtue of entitlements or membership and that’s the key philosophy behind everything,” Deutrom explained.

Getting test cricket does not mean all Irish cricket’s problems are now solved. The game is only played by about 50,000 people, the vast majority of whom are in the Dublin area.

Expanding the reach of the game and making it perceived to be less elitist is a major challenge for Cricket Ireland.

“We need to look at whether or not the transition from young cricket to club cricket to more senior cricket is good enough. We need to look at cricket played at school level, are clubs getting into our local schools?” said Deutrom

“My nine year old daughter plays cricket camp at Easter and loves it. What we need to make sure is that the reason she enjoys the experience there is the same experience she has when she joins the local cricket club and plays at a more serious level and [is] asked [to] give up eight hours on a Saturday and you’re not getting too much opportunity to bat and bowl,” he said.

Expanding the reach of cricket is a major challenge in Ireland where so many sports battle for attention. Getting test status for cricket does not fix ongoing problems but it would be a valuable testament to the significant progress already made.

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October 5, 2016
Ploughing Championships 2016: Even Electric Picnic Looked Modest in Comparison

By Sarah Ruane

This year marked the 85th anniversary of the National Ploughing Championships which were held in Screggan, outside Tullamore in Co. Offaly. It’s difficult to comprehend how popular the event has become over the last few years, drawing in a record total of 283,000 attendees over the three days.

One of the most anticipated music festivals in Ireland, Electric Picnic, reeled in over 50,000 people to their sold out event, putting into perspective the appeal of the Ploughing Championships.

(Source: Geograph.com)

The tickets were sold at €20 per adult per day which is expensive considering you needed the three days to get around to the majority of the stalls. A relief was offered to families however, as children under the age of 12 were free of charge.

Food and drink, although plentiful in supply, were predictably overpriced, so packed lunches and flasks were the motto amongst a lot of farmers.

Once inside, the smell of hay and livestock filled your nostrils and the clunking of wellies beating off the wooden flooring drummed through your ears. Children stood each side of the path waving cattle rods in the air. “Rods five euro aye up, come and get them,” one young lad bellowed.

(Source: Sarah Ruane)

Looking around there really was something there for everyone. Makeup stations were set up for young women to get their makeup professionally looked after, which many would have flocked to after the lash of rain on Wednesday. A playground especially for young children allowed parents to let their young ones run rampant resulting in a quieter journey home. An enormous fun-fair for all the adrenaline junkies sat on the perimeters of the event, where a lot of the secondary school students liked to hang around.

There was also a fashion show, a vintage show, sheep shearing competitions, horse racing competitions and cooking demonstrations. You name it, the Ploughing Championships had it.

Today the event appeals to people of all ages and backgrounds, whether it be farmers or city slickers. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t any knowledge of farming because there are so many other distractions. The sheer happiness and buzz the event created was infectious.

(Source: Sarah Ruane)

Tractor football proved a popular form of entertainment this year, with many celebrities such as Marty Morrissey and Ryan Tubridy getting in on the gig. Four large tractors were centred in the middle of a field with a large plastic air-filled ball wedged in between them. A scoreboard with Laois on one side of it and Offaly on the other brought the competition to life and gave spectators someone to root for.

The livestock is always another big attraction with stalls set up for every breed of cow, sheep, pig and chicken. Top-notch bullocks were on offer as prizes if the dead weight could be guessed correctly. Award winning bulls were on show at each stall and merchandise could be purchased inside also. The best thing about the livestock section was looking at the reaction of some of the young children when they stood near these award winning bulls, their eyes fixated on the sheer size of the beasts.

The rugby-star Kearney brothers Rob and Dave worked alongside the National Dairy Council this year and undertook a celebrity appearance. The two brothers signed autographs and took pictures with fans, which seemed to be a tactic utilised by a lot of the stalls to draw larger crowds in.

On Wednesday evening when the rain landed, crowds rushed for the tents. I found myself in one called the Bridge House. Setting foot inside the tent felt like I was stepping into my local pub in Mayo. Traditional music thumped and I was shoulder to shoulder with people, the place was jammed. Shuffling my way to the front near the stage I could see the well-known trad-band “Ruaile Buaile” belting out tunes. People were linking arms and singing together, while others grabbed dancing partners for a quick twirl on the floor. The craic might I say was ninety and leaving the tent soon after I imagined the trouble the workers would have getting rid of people when it was time to close up.

Managing Director Anna May McHugh said the feedback to the event was extremely positive. She also paid tribute to the garda traffic management plan. “They kept traffic moving well to and from the site, particularly yesterday when many vehicles became stuck in the mud following afternoon rainfall,” she said.

#Ploughing16 was trending on Twitter and Facebook all week and thousands of people had updated their status or uploaded pictures, which shows the extent of how popular the event has become on social media this year.

And of course the winner of the ploughing event itself this year was Eamonn Treacy from Co. Carlow. This was Eamonn’s seventh consecutive win at the competition and shows his ambition and determination to win is still there. The National Ploughing Championships 2017 will be returning to Screggan in Tullamore, Co. Offaly next year.

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October 4, 2016
Marching for Change, and for Choice

By Mary Kate Hickey

As the rain poured down on the thousands of men, women, children and dogs gathered for the fifth annual March for Choice, a loud cheer could be heard from the crowd to mark the start of our journey.

Neither the rain nor bus strikes were able to deter the thousands of campaigners, young and old, coming to show their opposition to the Eighth Amendment. It is estimated that in all over 20,000 people showed up to march their way to Leinster House.

(Source: Mary Kate Hickey)

Sweatshirts, t-shirts, hats and even umbrellas emblazoned with the word “REPEAL” acted as the uniform of choice for the marchers. Among those in a REPEAL sweatshirt was Marie Mitchell, a mother from Sandyford, showing her support to the Abortion Rights campaign. “I’m a mother of two, a son and a daughter. My daughter is 20 and I would like for her, and any woman, to have the choice over what they do with their own body,” she said.

The theme of this year’s rally was “Rise and Repeal” which is a reference to the Constitution and the Eighth Amendment, which equates the life of an unborn baby to that of the mother. And like a rising it felt, with drums, homemade drums and loudspeakers aplenty among the crowd, there was no way it couldn’t have been heard all across the city.

Morale among the crowd was high despite the weather, and campaigners were happy to share their stories of why they felt the need to march in the rain for the right to choice. Rebecca from Tipperary shared her story: “Today I’m marching with Tipp for Choice in honour of my friend Claire who lost her baby Alex to a fatal foetal abnormality. What Claire and Alex went through was pure tragedy and we have to stop punishing tragedy in this country by repealing the Eighth.”

(Source: Mary Kate Hickey)

Another person marching was Tanya from Kilkenny. “I set up Kilkenny For Choice this year and I’m marching today because last year, 35 women from Kilkenny had to travel to England to avail of medical services that they need, which is not fair. It’s 2016 [and] women have been denied their rights for far too long. We need to move on to the 21^st Century and give women the care they need,” she said.

The high morale was made ever clearer with chants of “not the church, not the state, women must decide their fate”, “pro-life, that’s a lie, you don’t care if women die,” and “get your rosaries off my ovaries”, keeping us going all the way to Merrion Square.

These chants, along with banners and signs told a story that many Irish women know all too well, a story that these campaigners are seeking to put an end to. Robin, from Germany but living in Ireland was one of the many people carrying banners. He said: “I’m here today because I believe every woman should have the right to choose, and I believe in a broader sense that the Eighthalso calls into question everyone’s freedom to make choices over their own body, which is a scary thought.”

(Source: Mary Kate Hickey)

Walking along the route with the marchers was an eye-opening experience as you get to hear first-hand stories from them as to why they are there. Claire Loughran from Naas said: “I’m marching today because I think it is an archaic law and it’s about time Ireland gave women the right to their own bodies.” Accompanying Claire was Heather Law, also from Naas, who added: “I’m marching because I think bodily autonomy is an important thing that everyone should have the right to.”

Marchers travelled from all over the country to show their support. James Doyle from Limerick was one of them. “I just think women should have the right to choose what they do with their own bodies, and the state and the church shouldn’t have a say in something so personal,” he said.

(Source: Mary Kate Hickey)

Some people also felt that it was their time to give back, like Luke from Galway, who said he was marching to thank everyone for the yes vote in the Marriage Referendum last year. “I’m marching today because so many people marched with the YES EQUALITY movement, and now it’s my turn to return the favour and help people have the right to choose what they do with their own bodies.”

The streets of the city along the route were littered with people attentively watching our journey from one end of the city to the next. Some even stopping in their tracks to applaud us in support. Others there from the opposition, to have their opinions on the right to life heard.

Counter arguments from the Pro-Life side came at one stage in the form of two men, one holding a picture of the Virgin Mary, and one waving a flag. Both were saying that “abortion stops a beating heart” to the marchers.

Members of the Pro-Life campaign also held a counter demonstration on Grafton Street, where they claimed that around 100,000 lives have been saved in Ireland due to not having abortion on demand. (Based on figures of Irish women travelling to UK for abortions and those in UK having abortions.)

*Some people weren’t comfortable giving their full names, but all agreed to have their opinions published with a degree of anonymity.*

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October 4, 2016
Dublin Celebrates Fourth Festival of History

By Dara Boyle

Last week saw the beginning of the fourth annual Dublin Festival of History, which will continue until 8th October, and features a wide variety of events around the city.

The festival, organised by the Dublin City Library and Archive Service, began in Dublin Castle with a commemoration of the 1916 rising and a talk about the founding of the GAA. Other events over the past number of days have included talks on a diverse array of topics such as the First World War and the Hillsborough disaster, as well as tours, exhibitions and more. Many of the events are taking place in Dublin’s libraries.

(Source: Wikimedia)

This week’s schedule features a similarly mixed list of events, with a tour of the armoury at the National Museum of Ireland, film screenings in Pearse Street Library, and a lecture as Gaeilge in Dublin City Library about the Irish language in early 20th Century Dublin. These will all take place over the coming days.

Events catering for families and children include a workshop entitled ‘If Things Could Talk’, which invites families to examine objects from the National Museum to gain a greater appreciation of them.

This year’s festival is placing an emphasis on Irish history, due to it being the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising. World history is also playing a part, however, with coverage of events such as the bombing of Pearl Harbour.

Entry to all the events is free, however some may require booking in advance.

For more details on the Festival and a full list of upcoming events, see dublinfestivalofhistory.ie

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October 4, 2016
All Ireland Senior Football Championship Replay Review

By Andrew Leahy

After a scintillating, yet at times sloppy affair at GAA headquarters two weeks ago, fans were left looking forward to a mouth-watering replay between Dublin and Mayo. The Dubs were aiming to be the first team since Kerry in 2007 to win back-to-back all Ireland trophies, whilst the Westerners were bidding for their first victory in the decider since 1951.

Croke Park on All Ireland Match Day (Source: Wikimedia)

Both managers were forced to reshuffle their decks from the stale-mate game two weeks previous, with Jim Gavin dropping star man Bernard Brogan, along with midfielder Michael-Darragh McCauley and defender David Byrne. In their places were Paul Mannion, Paddy Andrews and Michael Fitzsimons. Stephen Rochford made one solitary change which baffled many pundits in the lead up to throw-in, the omission of goalkeeper David Clarke seemed strange, and Rob Hennelly came into the fray.

When the ball was thrown in it was the reigning champions who were quickest out of the blocks, they immediately looked slicker and more confident than they had done in the drawn game, where a lot of criticism was aimed towards Dublin’s forwards. They sprinted into a 4-point lead after just 8 minutes, with three of these coming from Dean Rock and Kevin McManamon tagging on an extra score. Mayo looked stunned in the opening encounters and they would need to respond quickly as it is almost always detrimental letting Dublin get a run on you. However, Mayo responded perfectly, wing-back Patrick Durcan slotted over their first score off his left boot, and this was followed up by 3 more points, two of which came from frees put over from captain Cillian O’ Connor, with Andy Moran snatching the equaliser. Mayo had kicked into life.

By the 18th minute Dublin had pulled two points clear, again coming from the boot of on-form free taker Dean Rock. Mayo had mounted some promising looking attacks but these were all thwarted by a disciplined Dublin defence, which has been so solid all through the 2016 campaign.

However, the Dubs defence was breached in the eighteenth minute, when Aidan O’ Shea got out in front of his man on the 45’ and twisted his way past two Dublin defenders. He made a bee-line towards Cluxton’s net, half back Lee Keegan was on his shoulder, he popped the ball to Keegan who rifled the ball low past Stephen Cluxton leaving Mayo ahead by a point 1-4 to 0-6. Over the next twelve minutes, the sides were level again twice, with Dublin’s full back Johnny Cooper receiving a black card. But Dublin went two points clear with another score from Dean Rock and a sublime point from marquee forward Diarmuid Connolly. The St. Vincent’s man had been quiet

The Sam Maguire Cup (Source: Wikimedia)

up until that moment, and on the stroke of half-time, referee Maurice Deegan deemed Lee Keegan to have deliberately pulled down Connolly outside the 14’, and he too received a black card. This was seen as a hammer blow for Mayo, as Keegan had been influential in the game so far, and had done an excellent
job keeping tabs on Connolly. Dublin led at the break on a score-line of 0-10 to 1-6.

Mayo had levelled the game yet again after Cillian O’Connor pointed another free, and they went in front for the second time in the game thanks to a close range pint from Cillian’s younger brother Diarmuid. This was short-lived however, as Dean Rock put over his eighth score of the day with a fabulous free kick.

The defining moment of the game came in the 40th minute when a routine ball was kicked in in front of Mayo goalkeeper Robbie Hennelly. However, he fumbled the ball right onto the foot of Paddy Andrews, and he was forced to pull the Dublin forward down or else give away a certain goal. Hennelly was also awarded a black card and David Clarke came on in his place. It was up to Diarmuid Connolly to take the penalty kick and he made no mistake blasting it into the bottom left corner, out of the reach of Clarke, putting Dublin 1-11 to 1-8 ahead.

This ended up being a gap which the men from the West just couldn’t bridge. The deficit was cut down to only 2 points on four separate occasions. Dublin never looked like losing control of the game in the last 15 minutes, and this was largely due to their bench. Much was made of the strength and depth of the Dublin squad and this certainly played a part in the closing stages of the game. Dublin called on the likes of Michael Darragh McCauley and Bernard Brogan. McCauley is a power-house in the engine room and added exuberance when tired legs started to become a factor. Brogan got on the scoresheet putting the Dubs two ahead in the remaining 13 minutes, and substitute Cormac Costello put them 3 clear with two snappy points.

Mayo never gave up, and brought the deficit to the minimum twice with free kicks from O’Connor but they could never get the equaliser they so desperately craved. A third score from super-sub Costello left the boys in blue two up and one final score from O’Connor was the last score of the game. He missed an extremely difficult kick to draw the game but no one would hold it against him.

And so Dublin retained the Sam Maguire cup for the second year in a row on a score line of 1-15 to 1-14. It can’t be denied that Dublin were the dominant force again in this year’s championship and it’s hard to see who will be able to beat them next year. Although the Dubs are still celebrating at the moment, I’m sure the thoughts of a treble are in the back of their mind.

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October 4, 2016
Tuesday’s Tops: Dublin’s Top 5 Bars
By Emily Hull

Xico

(Source: Xico Bar)

Hidden in plain view, this Mexican themed bar is located on Baggot Street Lower. One of the best meals you’ll get in town, Xico offers a concise Mexican inspired food menu with a house cocktail to match. Night-time brings a free-spirited atmosphere, where you can dance all night ’til the early morn’ with the all the songs you love to dance and get jiggy with to. A great spot for cocktails, food, and a dance.
- Food: chicken wings
- Drink: Jalapeño Business cocktail
Café en Seine

(Source: Cafe En Seine)

Emphasising the size of this bar to someone who has never entered through its red doors really is a challenge. Three floors on Dawson Street host four bars, a sizeable dance floor and DJ booth – perfect for a night out on the weekend. With excellent table service all night long, and food service until 9.30pm, what can’t you get in the place? Name a cocktail and the bar staff will make it for you, along with some signatures that are worth a try. A large food menu offers anything that you could fancy seven days a week. There’s also a Sunday only brunch menu, complimented by a live jazz band, to help with the fear from Saturday night. The perfect place for a sophisticated lunch, a seductive dinner or a night full of dancing.
- Food: Seafood chowder
- Drink: Lavender Elyx cocktail
House Dublin

(Source: House Bar)

Wine on tap and a beer garden you’ll want at your own house, what’s not to love? Located only a stone’s throw away from St Stephen’s Green, The Sugar Club, and The National Concert Hall, this beautiful Georgian townhouse on Leeson Street Lower hosts a secluded sophisticated spot. Here you can enjoy an audacious cocktail of an evening, or an atmospheric lunch on your break from the office. Your choice. Chin chin.
- Food: Farmhouse Chicken sandwich (lunch menu)
- Drink: The Last Word cocktail
Dice Bar

(Source: Dice Bar)

Word on the street is that Smithfield is the new IT area of Dublin, and if you’re looking for somewhere to go, look no further than Dice Bar. On the corner of Queen Street and Benburb Street, this is the perfect place if you’re looking for a cool spot to show your friends from out of town; want to watch a match without the crowds of the sports bars; or just want to go for a drink on a Friday after work – or any day of the week for that matter! Unique to Dublin, Dice Bar is known for its black interior – but not for its lack of daylight. Far from a standard dark pub, it’s flooded with light and has a chilled out atmosphere that lets you people-watch out through the huge windows.With its own craft beers, chilled out atmosphere, great DJ’s, and friendly staff, why haven’t you gone here before?!
- Recommended Drink: Augustine Steam Lager
Idlewild

(Source: Idlewild)

Idlewild is one of Dublin’s newest and most secretive bars. Outside, there’s a neon sign that leads you in with the simple word “bar”, but once you’re in you won’t want to leave – trippy boho wallpaper and a giant disco ball will urge you to stay! The bar sits in a small space between Market Bar and a cycle shop on Fade Street. The Spotify playlist will keep you dancing all night and the daily special cocktails will be the fuel to keep you going! Part of me wants to tell you to go here because it is so goddamn cool, the other half wants me to keep this place a secret so I can have it all to myself….

Go there! It’s so cool you’ll love it! But please don’t go here – leave it for me.
- Food: Classic Toastie
- Drink: Thursday’s special
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October 4, 2016
Interview of Interest: Kelly Donegan

By Chelsea Tyler McNeill

Kelly Donegan is now an author, fitness guru and ambassador for the Irish Cancer Society which is a very different road from the one she began on. Kelly got her start in 2011 when she starred in the TV3 reality show, Tallafornia. The show was strongly criticized and Kelly struggled to break away from that.

She said: “Being on TV and being in the media isn’t all it is cracked up to be, it doesn’t always end up the way you wanted it to go and sometimes it can close a lot of doors for you.

“People got this impression that I was stuck up or thought I was better than everyone because I was on TV and that couldn’t be further from the truth.It’s hard to shift that label but when people meet me, they see that I am just a normal girl from Tallaght.”

(Source: Kelly Donegan)

Kelly found herself in a career hole when the show ended but maintaining a healthy lifestyle gave her stability and made her happier. “Fitness really helped me channel a lot of bad energy that I had in my life into something positive.”

She wrote a book ‘Build Your Own Body’ in May which is now in bookshops nationwide. “That opened a lot of doors. I have been on TV and radio as a panellist talking about all things fitness quite a lot recently so that inspired me to go back to study with the Fitness Institute and improve my knowledge of the fitness industry,” Kelly told us.

The fitness guru is a strong advocate for a healthy lifestyle and believes Ireland needs to come to terms with its obesity problem.

“I think the problem is a lack of information and a lack of support, there isn’t that much emphasis on health and fitness here in Ireland.

“Young people don’t really have the support in school to make better choices and they are not really aware of the dangers and health risks of eating badly. The fitness and healthy eating phenomena seems to be growing at a rapid rate but so does obesity so I think there is a disconnect between the two of them,” she stated.

When Kelly was approached by the Irish Cancer society in January 2015 to become the brand ambassador of their Trek for life campaign, they made her aware of the significance a healthy

Kelly Donegan and the team departing for Kilamanjaro (Source: Kelly Donegan)

lifestyle has when fighting cancer. “You are almost 50% less likely to get cancer if you have a healthy lifestyle, which is a huge number.”

She teamed up with the society and trekked up Machu Picchu. It was a life changing experience for Kelly, so this year she decided to do it again and hike Kilimanjaro.

“I have almost raised €10,000 for the charity and I have seen two new continents so it is an unbelievable opportunity. Working with the Irish Cancer Society has been amazing. Cancer affects so many people and now that I am in the fitness industry, I know how detrimental being inactive and unhealthy is to your health.”

Kelly has begun her second Trek4life campaign, she is currently in Tanzania and has just begun her trek up Kilimanjaro. You can follow Kelly’s journey through her Instagram or watch her daily updates on Snapchat, both usernames are ‘itskellydonegan’. You can also get involved in the Trek4life campaign yourself, through donation or even becoming one of the trekkers next year, all of the details can be found on the Irish Cancer society’s website.

https://www.cancer.ie/get-involved/fundraise/challenge-yourself/trek?utm_source=Trek4Life&utm_medium=VanityURL&utm_content=cancer.ie/treks&utm_campaign=Trek4Life%202015#sthash.XsnLoGsH.c8IRl7bd.dpbs

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September 30, 2016
Dress For Success to Hold Designer Sale this Weekend

BY JOHN SMITH

Dress for Success Dublin, the charity that provides women with the clothing, skills and confidence needed to succeed in the workplace, will be hosting their annual fashion sale this Saturday, 10 October, from 10am to 4pm in Filmbase, Temple Bar.

The sale will allow bargain hunters to add pre-loved designer shoes, jewellery, clothing and bags to their wardrobes at a fraction of their original cost. Some of the designer brands at the sale will include Moschino, Ralph Lauren, Jenny Packham and Furla. Many high-street pieces will also be available.

All of the clothes and accessories included in the sale have been donated to Dress for Success Dublin in recent months.

Sonya Lennon, designer and founder of Dress for Success Dublin and Susan Butler, Director of Dress for Success Dublin. Pic: Marc O’Sullivan

Sonya Lennon, designer, tech entrepreneur and founder of Dress for Success Dublin says: “Our annual sales are the perfect opportunity to snap up some serious designer bargains. We have some amazing designer pieces on sale for a steal, so my advice would be to get there early to ensure you’re not disappointed!

“It’s important to note also that, by supporting our fashion sale, you’re contributing to a really worthwhile cause: every penny raised through sales of clothing and accessories on the day will go to Dress for Success Dublin to help us provide women with the clothing, skills and confidence needed to succeed in the workplace.”

Dress for Success was founded in 2010 and is part of a worldwide network of Dress for Success partners. The charity has helped over 1,000 women to develop skills in applying for and finding jobs, and developing their careers on an ongoing basis.

Martina Quinn, Fundraising and Business Development Coordinator with Dress for Success Dublin, said the organisation is now six years old and entering an exciting growth stage: “The first five years of Dress for Success Dublin were focused on getting the organisation up and running, building partnerships with the agencies that refer women on to us, and getting the word out there about the services we provide.

“We’ve recently completed a strategic planning process focused on the next five years, and there are lots of exciting developments in the pipeline. These include a pop-up facility that will make our services more accessible to those outside of Dublin city centre, as well as plans to significantly increase the number of women that we help each year. We are also in the process of putting in place a really innovative mentoring programme.”

More information about Dress for Success can be found on their website: dressforsuccessdublin.org

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September 29, 2016