CLONDALKIN ACTOR Philip Galvin visited his alma mater, Deansrath Community College, to take part in their Proclamation Day ceremony.

Philip was welcomed by school principal Maria Shannon and teacher Seamus Mohan. Over 300 students attended the ceremony. The former pupil raised the tricolour over the school before students read out their proclamations.

Philp told The Echo: “It went very well. It was great to be back in the school and to be involved in the ceremony. There was a great turn-out”.

It was appropriate that Philip visited his old school on Proclamation Day as on Easter Sunday he will be on our TV screens in an RTÉ production entitled 16 Letters. In the programme he will play Fr Columbus Murphy, a Capuchin priest who cared for the wounded and dying during Easter Week 1916.

The story of Fr Murphy will be one of a number told through correspondence from ordinary people, private collections and national archives to provide a “new and personal perspective” on 1916.

Prior to 16 Letters, Philip has appeared in TV shows such as Love/Hate, The Mario Rosenstock Show, Red Rock, Fair City and Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie.

 

 

A DUBLIN teenager who raised the Irish flag (the gold harp on green) over Liberty Hall a week before the1916 Rising was commemorated this week in The Square.

Molly O’Reilly, who was 16 at the time, was given the flag by James Connolly. She had a doll named after her by Treasured Dolls in The Square.

Molly’s granddaughter, Suzanne Corcoran, from Inchicore, was in Treasured Dolls for the naming ceremony.

She told The Echo: “It’s great that Molly is being commemorated. She used to go to Liberty Hall for Irish Dancing classes but didn’t go to the classes and went instead to hear James Connolly speak.”

Suzanne added: “She was born in Gardiner Street in 1900 and got involved in nationalism from an early age. There is a new statue of her in the 1916 exhibition in The Ambassador”.

At the age of 11 she joined Clann na nGaedheal, the republican girl scouts movement. Two years later she was so appalled by the living conditions in the Dublin tenements that she volunteered to support the workers and their families during the Lock-out. At the age of 13 she helped organise a soup kitchen in Liberty Hall.

One week before the Easter Rising she raised the Irish flag (the gold harp on green) for James Connolly.

Molly was hugely influenced by Connolly and was an active member of the Citizen Army. In July 1914, after hundreds of rifles were landed at Howth by the Asgard, she brought dozens of the rifles to her home in Gardner Street where they stayed until they could be distributed throughout the city.

During Easter week in the midst of heavy rifle and machine-gun fire and the artillery shelling of Dublin city centre she fearlessly carried dispatches for the leaders out of and into the GPO.

Later during the War of Independence she was a member of the Cumann na mBan and as a worker in the United Services Club in St Stephens Green – a club for British soldiers – she gathered intelligence for Michael Collins.

Molly opposed the Treaty. During the Civil War she was held in prison by the Treaty side and went on hunger strike. As a result she and 50 other women were released in November 1923. Molly remained a stalwart of the republican struggle until her death in October 1950.

 

 

AS PROCLAMATION Day took place around South Dublin in commemoration of the events of 1916, the students and staff of Coláiste Bride held a particularly historic Proclamation Day event which saw them go viral online.

Minutes after the school’s event, the students of Coláiste Bride became an online sensation thanks to the photographic skills of parent Ben Ryan, whose aerial shot of the students in formation to write out the year 1916 became an instant hit.

The event was also historically significant, with one student, Meghan McGill, wearing the medal of her great grandfather, who was a 1916 rebel.

The school’s Irish flag was also raised by the school’s longest serving staff member, Patricia Harrington, who has been with the school for almost 40 years.

Patricia told The Echo: “It was such a privilege, for both myself and in honour of my father as well, who was very loyal to his country.

“It was a lovely ceremony, and really very moving. We had the youngest student in the school and the most senior member of staff raise the flag.

“There was lots of organisation for Proclamation Day in the school, and the day really went like a dream.

“As the flag was raised, the entire school was silent. We also had the school orchestra play the national anthem, and had members of the army at the event.

“The commemoration of 1916 really is wonderful – there is so much going on this week across Dublin.

“I delayed my holiday just so I could take part in the week. I plan to visit Richmond Barracks, and of course the GPO, and hopefully Glasnevin Cemetery.”

School principal Marie-Therese Kilmartin told The Echo: “It was a great occasion, so respectful. It was our first outdoor full school assembly. 950 students and 100 members of staff in total.

“Meghan’s great grandfather fought in 1916 and she proudly wore his medal.

“It was a privilege to address the assembly, and I highlighted that the planning began over a year ago when our school was among the first 100 schools to receive an Irish flag from the Thomas Meagher foundation.

“I wish to thank the three members of the defence forces who attended our ceremonies, lending them an air of authority and extra significance.

“I would like to commend everyone in the school who got involved in poster design, projects, poetry writing, writing a new proclamation for 2016 young people, re-enactments, drama, singing, playing instruments, flag-bearing, our tech team of staff and students who recorded the event and interviewed for audio podcasts.

“There was so much involved, it is an honour to be the principal.”

 

 

AN ADDITIONAL 16 single people and families registered as homeless with South Dublin County Council in the month of February alone, with local services reporting an increase in the number of people facing homelessness due to a lack of rental accommodation.

According to figures released by the council, in response to a request by Tallaght Fianna Fáil councillor Charlie O’ Connor, 275 single people and families were registered as homeless in January.

However, by the end of February this figure had jumped to 291, which is made up of 151 single males, 36 single females, one couple and 103 families.

The council said: “All of the homeless persons on our list have been provided with emergency accommodation either in hostels or hotels.

“They have all been provided with HAP [Homeless Executive Project] Packs to enable them to access private rented accommodation.”

The council confirmed that the 64 families that have been placed in temporary, supported accommodation in Tallaght Cross, a project delivered by the council in partnership with Focus Ireland and Túath Housing, the approved housing authority, are not included in these figures.

Managed by Túath Housing on behalf of the council, this project is supported by Focus Ireland, which provides families with the necessary support to secure their own accommodation and move on from Tallaght Cross – through the HAP project for the Dublin Region.

Susan Murphy, Manager of Focus Ireland Tallaght, told The Echo that they too have experienced an increase in the number of people presenting as homeless since the New Year, especially people on rented accommodation notice.

She said: “We are incredibly busy at the moment and have noticed a considerable increase in the number of people who are on rented accommodation notice, which is when a landlord gives a tenant notice that they must move out of the premises by a certain date.

“We have lots of people coming to us two weeks before they are to vacate the premises in a panic because they have not been able to find anywhere to rent.

“We’d advise anyone who is given rented accommodation notice to come to us straight away and we can give them support and advice early on.”

She added: “We have experienced an increase in the number of people coming in to see us since the start of the year and an increase in the number of people who are facing homelessness because of accommodation issues.

“We are seeing lots of single people and families who have never engaged with a service like Focus Ireland before.

“We are also continuing to support those who are sleeping rough and through liaising with South Dublin County Council we are getting these people into accommodation mainly under the cold weather strategy.”

Focus Ireland is based on Main Street, Tallaght and has an open-door policy from 11am to 1pm Monday to Friday, during which people have access to washing machines, dryers, food, tea, advice and other support services. 
Outside of these hours it is by appointment only.

Call Focus Ireland on 4940224 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

SOUTH DUBLIN County Council is to meet with residents of Boot Road and Rockfield Drive to discuss their concerns about landscaping work along Rockfield Drive, reports Brendan Grehan.

This follows a motion tabled by Councillor Francis Timmons at this month’s Clondalkin Area Committee meeting of SDCC.

Cllr Timmons proposed that the committee “support the Boot and Commons Residents Association in response to the proposed landscaping to the rear of the sound barrier along Rockfield Drive”.

The motion continued: “The proposal for the area is not satisfactory to the residents of Boot Road and Rockfield Drive. We call for SDCC to meet the residents so these issues can be resolved.”

The council replied: “A meeting is being arranged with Boot Road and Rockfield Residents to discuss their concerns and suggestions. An update on this meeting will be presented to a future meeting of the Clondalkin ACM.”

Cllr Timmons told The Echo: “The residents were just not happy with the way the landscaping was left. The council need to look at it. A lot of the trees are just twigs. They are not going to last.

“The residents were just very disappointed. It’s good that the council are going to meet with the residents. That is where we are at the moment.”

 

 

A LACK of uptake in the provision of bike lockers costing €12,000 in Lucan has led South Dublin County Council to launch a promotion to raise awareness of a park-and-ride scheme.

Bike lockers were installed in December at the Lucan Road near Woodies at a cost of €12,372, as part of a National Transport Authority funded N4 cycle scheme.

However, apart from a few enquiries, there has been no uptake on the facilities.

Sinn Féin councillor Danny O’Brien urged the council to engage in more promotion of the facilities, or to relocate the lockers in necessary.

SDCC have this week launched the Bike2Bus initiative, encouraging people to use their bikes as part of their daily commute to the city centre.

The scheme is launched as part of the ongoing N4 cycle scheme in conjunction with BikeLocker.ie.

Bike locker facilities are located at the Lucan Road /Ballyowen Road junction, providing cyclists with a secure place to park their bicycle while they continue their journey to the city.

Each locker is designed as a self-contained unit, with additional space for users to store their cycling gear and helmet.
Individual lockers are available to rent at €1.83 per week and €95 per annum, plus a refundable deposit of €25.

The bike lockers are purposely located close to a Dublin Bus network serviced by a number of express services.

Anyone interested in renting a bike locker at the Lucan location are requested to send their contact information (name, address and telephone number) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">

For information on how to rent a bike locker, call 087 644 23 22.

 

 

A CALL for volunteers throughout Tallaght and Clondalkin has been made by voluntary organisation Friends of the Elderly.

Friends of the Elderly aims to alleviate social isolation amongst the elderly by linking volunteers with an older person in their home or nursing facility to improve the lives of those experiencing loneliness and isolation.

It is an opportunity to develop new friendships and gain some invaluable experience in the field of aging and aging-sensitive issues.

Volunteers will also gain an increased sense of belonging to their community, with ongoing training and support.

Those interested in volunteering with Friends of the Elderly need to be aged 18 or older and have fluent English, along with good and effective communication skills and be a good listener with the ability to emphatise.

Enthusiasm and a desire to improve the lives of older people in your area is also essential, along with the ability to commit to one hour a week for a period of one year to visit an older friend. There are currently over 130 dedicated volunteers throughout the great Dublin area who have been matched with an older friend.

If you are interested in becoming a Friend of the Elderly, contact programme co-ordinator Lisa O’Connor at 8731855 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

LUCAN Harriers Athletic Club has launched a fundraising page in its efforts to secure a new synthetic running track.

In 2015, the club were among the major beneficiaries of the Sports Capital Funding – obtaining €200,000 to go towards the track.

Recipients of Sports Capital funding have to raise a percentage of the costs themselves – Lucan Harriers need the support of the public to get the project over the line.

The upgrade will potentially see the Harriers Newcastle Road track become a premier athletic venue in West Dublin.
The club hope to replace a 30-year old cinder track which is in “serious dis-repair.”

According to club sources, the new track will be a “great addition to the sporting infrastructure of Lucan, and a facility that all the schools in Lucan will be able to avail of.”

“With a growing juvenile section in the club, there is no doubt that having a state-of-the-art track alongside the floodlights already in place, will enable our young people reach their potential locally,” said a club spokesperson.

Lucan Harriers was established in 1978, and have members aged from seven to over 60 years involved in running and athletics.

The club has enjoyed recent success with its juvenile members winning gold medals on the national stage, and their Masters Ladies setting national records at the recent indoor championships.

A target of €75,000 has been set on the iFundraise.ie page, which launched last week – it has already received over €1,500.

Visit https://goo.gl/2chX43 for details on how to support.

 

 

As heavy rain and hail showers are forecast this evening the 29th March 2016, An Garda Síochána appeals to road users to take extra care on the roads and for drivers to always drive at a speed appropriate to the conditions.

The heavy rain and hail showers will create potentially hazardous conditions for road users.

Road users are advised:

• It takes longer to stop a vehicle on wet roads so slow down and allow extra distance between you and the vehicle in front.

• Heavy hail showers will make roads slippery, increase stopping distances and reduce visibility.

• Take special care when driving behind trucks or buses as they generate a considerable amount of spray which reduces your visibility.

• Watch out for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

• Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists are advised to be seen. Wear bright clothing with reflective armbands or a reflective belt.

• Pedestrians should walk on a footpath, and if there is no footpath, walk on the right hand side of the road facing oncoming traffic.

 

 

OVER 7,000 children are included among the latest housing applications for the Clondalkin and Lucan area – another worrying factor in housing waiting lists which continue to increase each month.

There are 5,228 applications on South Dublin County Council’s housing list north of the Naas Road – an area which includes Clondalkin and Lucan.

According to a council response to Independent councillor Francis Timmons, applicants for the housing area “list 7,279 children” among the 5,228 applicants.

SDCC collate housing applications into two areas – one north of the Naas Road and the other south of the Naas Road.

The housing list south of the Naas Road, the bulk of which includes Tallaght, has a total of 4,026 applications for January and February.

Altogether, there are a total of 9,254 applications for both areas in January and February.

Cllr Timmons has requested the council investigate a possible site for a homelesss hostel, and will “be very disappointed, if there is no move at the end of our five-year term as a council.”

“We’re in our second year now as a council, but we need a response. There is someone sleeping rough in the village, another person sleeping rough in Lettsfield.”

Timmons has identified a possible site for a homeless hostel in Clondalkin, but is remaining tight-lipped on the location, pending a council feasibility investigation.

He continued: “The big issue is location – sites have to go to Part 8. Last time plans to put a hostel in Liscarne, didn’t go ahead. There is a new council now, but this is a huge problem. We don’t have emergency accommodation, some of the hostels in town are not suitable.

“SDCC have agreed in principle, but we need central government funding. I proposed 20 per cent social housing on new builds. Developers might not want to invest, but it’s a crisis, and not sustainable to spend millions on emergency accommodation in hotels.”

People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny, wants to see a government formed so that focus can be put on tackling a “national emergency.”

Deputy Kenny said: “It seems to be getting worse. It stabilised a bit with families going into emergency accommodation, but other than that, the waiting list continues to increase.

“SDCC promised social housing as infill at two sites but that hasn’t started yet. There needs to be drastic action, we are living in drastic times.”

In relation to a homeless hostel site, a spokesperson for SDCC said: “When one is identified a joint approval and funding request to include the HSE and Dept of Health will be forwarded to the Department of the Environment. This will be made through the Dublin Region Homeless Executive.”

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SEVEN South Dublin county councillors are contesting the Seanad Éireann elections after being nominated by members of the Oireachtas, their own parties or an official external nominating body.

Sinn Féin’s Fintan Warfield and Fine Gael councillor Anne-Marie Dermody, who ran in the recent General Elections, are both running on the Culture and Education panel – which has five seats up for grabs.

Rathfarnham Independent councillor Deirdre O’Donovan and Fine Gael councillor William Lavelle, who represents the Lucan area, have both been nominated to the Industrial and Commercial panel and will fight for votes to secure one of the nine seats available.

Sinn Féin Tallaght Central councillor Maire Devine has been nominated to the Labour panel, which has 11 seats.

The nominees have now embarked on a nationwide canvass of their county council peers in their bids to claim a seat in the 25th Seanad.

MICROSOFT is planning to spend approximately €880 million on a massive expansion of its Irish data centre interests in Grange Castle Business Park.

The US software giant has submitted a new planning application for four new data centres – DUB09, DUB10, DUB12, DUB13 – on 70 acres of land in Grange Castle.

The land sits alongside existing Microsoft centres in the business park, and is owned by Microsoft, Takeda, a pharma group, and South Dublin County Council.

Each centre measures more than 17,500 sq.metres, and plans contain proposals for offices, computer/support areas, electrical component rooms, plant and associated equipment.

The project is expected to create 2,500 jobs for construction workers.

Microsoft is seeking permission for 1,750 parking spaces for construction workers on the Takeda and council sites, as well as 160 additional spaces for full-time workers when the four new data centres are completed.

The software giant first opened a data centre in Grange Castle in 2009 at a cost of approximately €600 million – expanding the centre to a colossal 500,000sq.ft. facility.

In January, the company received planning permission from South Dublin County Council to construct two new data centres at an adjoining plug-in site at Grange Castle.

Microsoft are understood to be ahead of schedule with regard to their development plans in Grange Cross within the County Development Plan.

The existing Microsoft data centre hosts about 200 core products, including Office365, its Bing search engine, as well as its cloud development platform Azure.

Plans for the four new data centres contain proposals for site-enabling works, including demolition of an existing vacant house and outbuildings, diversion of Baldonnel stream, ancillary site works for connection to infrastructural services, and provision for installation of heat dispersal infrastructure to facilitate potential heat energy recycling.

An environmental impact statement has been submitted with the application.

Microsoft would not comment on the development to The Echo.

UP TO €1.5 million of a European fund, which could be utilised to train young unemployed people in South Dublin County, will be handed back to Brussels this year.

Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin has called for major reforms in the way the fund is managed, and says vulnerable young people and community projects are losing out as a result.

The Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland (LTAI) European Globalisation Fund EGF was approved in 2014 – targeting up to 250 of the 424 LT workers affected by redundancy, and up to 200 young persons under the age of 25 not in employment, education or training.

The overall programme allocation is €4.15m, including a 60 per cent EU EGF contribution of €2.49m, and it has to be used by September 2016.

The Department of Education are the managing authority for the EGF.

Solas in Tallaght coordinate EGF supports for the programme in this region, whilst a number of state agencies also draw down funding from the programme.

Under a parliamentary question last November, Minister of State Damien English, stated it “is difficult to accurately forecast the final expenditure” of the fund.

However, documents obtained under Freedom of Information by Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin “flatly contradict” this claim, and indicate that 63 per cent of the overall fund will not be used.

Deputy Ó Broin said: “Solas, who administer the programme, keep a spread sheet of actual and estimated expenditure.

“The most recent expenditure spreadsheet for the Lufthansa Technik programme was produced five days prior to Damien English’s parliamentary question reply.

“It estimates the Lufthansa programme will only spend €1.5m of the €4.15m by the closing date of September 2016. This means that only €975,000 of the European Commission’s €2.49m contribution will be spent. The remaining €1.5m will have to be returned to Brussels.”

Deputy Ó Broin continued: ‘It is shocking that 63 per cent will remain unspent. This money should be used to provide education and training not only to workers who lost their jobs in Lufthansa Technik, but also to hundreds of young people.”

The figures indicate Solas has an estimated expenditure of 11 per cent, ETB eight per cent, LEO office 28 per cent, and the HEA 46 per cent.

Ó Broin blasted the Minister for “withholding information from the Oireachtas”, and says the underspend has been a feature of previous programmes, and “something the Government knew about when they took office in 2011.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Education, reiterated Minister English’s parliamentary response last November.

The spokesperson said: “As has been previously noted by Minister English, take-up of EGF support measures offered to date under the programme is less than anticipated and lower than estimated take-up rates will result in lower final total expenditure.

“It is also worth noting that the improving national economic climate is evident in the re-integration into employment of 65 per cent of the LTAI workforce as at December 2015, reducing significantly the need to call on EGF supports.”

The Department said “all potential beneficiaries have been contacted” and service providers are “continuing efforts to maximise participation.”

The spokesperson said Ireland’s average drawdown rate of “60 per cent of EU EGF” funding under the seven completed Irish EGF programmes, exceeds the “average 55 per cent drawdown rate across all participating member states.”

The Department say the EGF process in Ireland was comprehensively reviewed in 2012 and has been incorporated into the current EGF programme.

Deputy Ó Broin has called on Minister of Education Jan O’Sullivan to implement urgent reforms to ensure all EGF funding is used, and believes bureaucracy is at the root of the problem.

Deputy Ó Broin said: “Community and voluntary sectors need to know about how to spend the money. A review of the programme is needed the improve and make it better.”

A SIX million euro investment into a new low-cost dental practice on the Naas Road has brought 35 jobs and affordable dentistry to the capital – in the hope of taking a bite out of the business generated by the thousands of Irish people travelling abroad each year for dental work.

Based at Red Cow House on the Naas Road, 3Dental is set to open its doors at the end of March and is the brainchild of dentists Paul O’Connell, Peter Doherty and Niall Vallely – who are “dedicated to ushering in a new era for dentistry” in Ireland.

After being inspired by an interview with consumer affairs journalist Conor Pope, which focused on the thousands of Irish people travelling abroad for dental work each year, Niall, who is based in Knocklyon, contacted his Trinity College classmates Paul and Peter about offering a cost-effective model that would allow these people to be treated in Ireland.

Adopting a new way of thinking and reworking the dentistry model to include experienced professionals pooling skills and sharing costs, 3Dental was formed and operates under the core values of quality, affordability and service – with the team also offering payment plans in their new premises, which is spacious, bright and welcoming.

According to 3Dental, the average cost of a crown in Dublin is €750 but their economical model can offer this work for €400 – with the dental team also providing €25 scale and polish treatments.

Niall, who has worked in Knocklyon Dental Surgery for the past ten years, said: “Listening to that Conor Pope radio interview was a real eye-opener because he asked the question why one or two young dentists hadn’t created an affordable dental surgery with a broad range of treatments.

“I met with Paul and Peter to discuss it and things started from there – so I guess we really do owe Conor Pope a debt of gratitude.”

Kilkenny man Peter currently carries out specialised treatments across the country and believes that 3Dental can make a real difference in the Irish market.

“We want to put a stop to people travelling abroad for dental treatment – there is no need now when you can get excellent quality dentistry on your own doorstep for fees which are competitive with Eastern Europe”, Peter said.

Together Paul, Niall and Peter are “determined to revolutionise dentistry” in the capital and also have plans to turn their West Dublin base into a comprehensive medical facility.

Red Cow House has space for a private GP, chiropractor, physiotherapist and weight-loss service, with the base having the potential to grow into a medical village.

To date the venture has created 20 construction jobs as well as 15 staff jobs.

For more information, visit the 3Dental website or follow the dental practice on Facebook or Twitter for opening offers.

AFTER making it through to the live quarter finals and wowing the audiences of The Voice UK, Clondalkin singer Lauren Lapsley-Browne was eliminated on Saturday’s competitive live show.

Eighteen-year-old Lauren, a former student of Coláiste Bride, performed club hit Dreamer by Livin’ Joy as part of Team will.i.am.

Despite a strong performance, Lauren found herself eliminated alongside Harry Fisher from Team Boy George following a public vote.

Following her elimination, Lauren’s mentor will.i.am praised her time on the show and said that The Voice was “not the end” of her career and said that he was “sad” she was going from the competition.

Although she was overcome with emotion following her performance, Lauren, who lives in Bawnogue with her family, said that her experience on The Voice had been “memorable” and that she did not believe she would go so far in the competition.

Lauren’s spirits were still high online following her elimination, and she was heaped with praise from her supporters in both Ireland and the UK.

On Tuesday, she tweeted that she had received some “amazing news” and said “hopefully good things to come now”.

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FROM TODAY all dogs must be microchipped or their owners could potentially face a fine of up to €5,000.

On Saturday April 1, The Irish Blue Cross mobile clinic will be stationed outside Maxi Zoo at the Arena Retail Park in Whitestown Way, Tallaght. On Saturday April 9, they will be outside Maxi Zoo in Liffey Valley and on Saturday, April 16, they will be outside Maxi Zoo in the Blanchardstown Retail Park.

A simple microchip can prevent the heartache of losing your pet? If the finders of a stray or lost pet are unable to locate his/her owners it may be put to sleep or re-homed elsewhere. A simple microchip can save a lot of owners’ upset and tears by identifying the pet and facilitating its return to its family home.

Dr. Bairbre Sharkey, Head of Veterinary Services at the Charity says that there is a steady uptake of dog microchipping at The Blue Cross’s Inchicore Clinic as more owners become aware of their duty under the new Microchipping legislation.

She told The Echo: “Approximately 40 per cent of our clients presently have their dogs microchipped, indicating there is some way to go to ensure that any time a pet goes missing we can return them to their rightful owner.”

Dr Sharkey says that the implications of having all dogs microchipped are huge. The number of dogs euthanised because an owner could not be found would be negligible.

Dr Sharkey added: “Our pets are valued family members and we urge all owners to microchip their dog as soon as possible! It is also extremely important to ensure your dog is registered with an approved database and the details are up-to-date. It is essential that owners remember to bring their photo id and a utility bill.”

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THE LAURELS Charity Crew have committed to raising €150,000 for CMRF Crumlin in their 2016 annual cross-country cycle.

CMRF Crumlin is the principal fundraising body for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin and the National Children’s Research Centre (NCRC). Three hundred places are available for the two-day cycle which will commence in Cork on April 15 and finish in Dublin on April 16.

Over the past six years, The Laurels Charity Crew in Clondalkin has raised almost €500,000 for CMRF Crumlin and this year the organisers hope to raise €150,000.

All funds raised will be allocated to Straight Ahead, a medical support group affiliated to CMRF Crumlin which provides surgery, support and medical equipment for children with orthopaedic conditions.

Denis McCarthy co-founder of the Laurels Charity Crew told The Echo:”The cycle is such a rewarding experience for everyone involved and will generate significant funds for the orthopaedic support group Straight Ahead which does incredible work for children across the country.

“We are proud that the money raised from our two-day cycle will be used to keep their fantastic work going throughout 2016.”

Dr Patrick Kiely, co-founder of Straight Ahead and consultant at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin said that the Laurels Charity Crew does a great job every year in rolling out its annual fundraiser.

He added: “Straight Ahead is honoured to have been chosen as the beneficiary of this year’s cycle.

“We are hugely dependent on fundraising to maintain the pro bono work we do and the funds raised from the Laurels Charity Cycle will help us continue providing crucial orthopaedic procedures and equipment for children across the country throughout 2016.”

Registrations for the cycle can be made at The Laurels in Clondalkin or online via https://www.eventbrite.ie/d/ireland--dublin/laurels-charity-cycle/

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THE IRISH RUGBY Union Players’ Association has launched a new mental wellbeing campaign “Tackle Your Feelings” in partnership with Zurich.

As part of the campaign provincial and international rugby stars have come forward to tell their own personal stories of the issues they have faced off the pitch.

Leinster and Ireland loose-head Jack McGrath speaks emotively about how he coped with the death of his brother by suicide in 2010, and Irish women’s player, Hannah Tyrrell, from Clondalkin, talks about how she overcame her struggles with self-harm and bulimia.

Jack lost his brother to suicide in 2010 but struggled to address his feelings. Instead, he said he shunned talking about how it affected him and tried to be the strong one for his family.

He said: “It was something I was really reluctant to talk out initially. When it happened it was a real shock to everyone in the family, so for me I just needed to just be strong for my family and didn’t think about it. I just tried to forget about it by playing rugby and I just thought ‘I have to be tough’.” Jack said that the way he dealt with it was to put his head under the sand.

He added: “That probably worked for me for five-and-a-half years, but towards last year it started creeping up, this anxious feeling happening inside me, it was just like this ball of stress in my stomach the whole time. I just knew it wasn’t the way somebody should be feeling, I needed to open up about it.”

Jack said the turning point for him was when his anxiety started creeping into all areas of his life.

He said : “It started affecting where it hadn’t before, it started to affect my rugby, my relationships and my life, and that’s when I needed to do something about it.It wasn’t all the time, I would be okay for a minute and then the next I’d have this knot in my stomach and this feeling of dread and you don’t know what it’s from or where it comes from.

“The day I decided I had to change was the day I will always look back on, and I’ve never felt that feeling in my mind or in myself since. Once I start to feel anything like that or anything like that getting on top of me or getting in the way, I just talk to people. It doesn’t have to be a psychiatrist or anyone like that, it can be someone you trust, someone in your family, or a friend.”

The concept for Tackle Your Feelings arose from seeing how athletes, including professional rugby players, were more than willing to address emotional challenges that were not necessarily linked with their sport once they realised the performance benefits that followed.

IRUPA’s members decided to leverage the unique platform of professional rugby to get the message out there, so Tackle Your Feelings was born. Ambassadors from all four provinces opted not only to speak about this important topic but to lead by example and share their own stories of overcoming tough times.

www.tackleyourfeelings.com

TOYOTA Ireland has become TeenLine Ireland’s new brand ambassador, and recently visited the Tallaght-based listening service with rugby champion Paul O’ Connell – and a cheque donation of €12,000.

Based at the St Dominic’s shopping centre, TeenLine Ireland was established by Tallaght mother Maureen Bolger after the loss of her son Darren to suicide in 2003.

Maureen saw the need for a confidential service to help teenagers and young adults who may feel isolated, troubled or lonely, so TeenLine, which is a non-profit organisation, was set-up.

Receiving more than 24,000 calls annually, TeenLine is run by a team of trained volunteers who understand that young people need to be heard and they volunteer to listen – with TeenLine now seeking new volunteers to help staff its helpline.

The donation presented by Toyota Ireland, and the company’s brand ambassador Paul O’Connell, will help TeenLine fund general operational activity in schools nationwide alongside vital recruitment and training of volunteers – who are ordinary, members of the general public.

Steve Tormey, Chief Executive Toyota Ireland, said: “Toyota Ireland is delighted to support TeenLine Ireland which provides an important, impartial support service for teenagers.

“The crucial work that the team at TeenLine Ireland do is not only very challenging, but it is also voluntary . . . and we are proud to contribute towards the recruitment and specialised training of volunteers who can make a massive impact on the lives of young people in Ireland.”

Thanking Toyota Ireland for its donation, the Chairperson of TeenLine Ireland, Declan Brennan, said: “The support Toyota Ireland is giving TeenLine is of great significance to us as it will enable us to visit many more schools to raise the awareness which our Helpline provides to so many teenagers and young adults all over Ireland.

“It will also ensure we can continue to recruit the many type of volunteers from helpline to fundraisers. TeenLine needs to continue to provide this vital service.”

TeenLine ambassadors Cllr Charlie O’Connor and Kildare North Fianna Fail TD, James Lawless were also present on the day.

TeenLine’s helpline is open from 8pm to 11pm, seven days a week, 365 days a year.To talk in confidence call 1800 833 634 or text TEEN to 50015. Anybody interested in volunteering or fundraising, call the TeenLine office on 4622122/4622124, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.teenline.ie.

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