Tiernan Brady a director at Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) in Dublin 8 explained that the Liberties area still maintains the “single largest group” of civil partnerships in the county, with 69 couples from the area holding that status.

Over 1,900 gay and lesbian couples have entered civil partnerships in Ireland since the granting of them in 2011. People of all ages have joined these partnerships with most aged between 31 and 40.

Dublin contains the largest number of gay and lesbian couples with a civil partnership status, with results from last year showing 457 living in the capital.

Last month the constitutional convention voted a huge 79 per cent in favour of extending marriage rights to same-sex couples.

This result marked a massive step towards equal marriage rights for lesbian and gay couples in Ireland, showing an unambiguous margin in favour.

Tiernan Brady believes that this is a fantastic result that voices a profoundly positive message for all lesbian and gay people.

“The positive impact of such a large vote in favour shouldn’t be underestimated, it’s a really self-affirming message for a lot of people,” said the director of GLEN.

The conventional not only debated and voted on marriage rights but also on parental rights to same-sex couples.

Votes were also held on whether the amendments to the constitution should be permissive or directive, with 78 per cent voting in favour of directive action.

The GLEN director said “We have always seen this as an Irish success story. When you think of how far we’ve come, in less than 20 years we’ve gone from criminalisation through to equal status acts, to anti-discrimination acts, to the civil partnership and now the constitutional convention.”

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter said he welcomed the support expressed for “the reform and modernisation” of laws in relation to parentage, guardianship and upbringing of children.

“Essential work has been undertaken on the preparation of a new Family Relationships and Children’s Bill to address these issues in relation to children and details of the bill will be published in the coming months,” said the Minister.

The GLEN director explains that recent polls along with the results at the constitutional convention, proves that the majority of people in Ireland, whom are Catholic, are in favour of equal access to civil marriage.

“I suppose it’s a question for the leadership of the Church they would have to ask themselves, are they out of step with not just Ireland but with their own flock,” said Tiernan Brady.

Photograph courtesy of GLEN

Thick winged liner

(Using Maybelline gel liner )

Winged liner is a look that never goes out of fashion so why not update your look for summer by trying out these four simple steps:

1. Starting from the middle of the eye bring the liner to the outer corner and then go from the inner corner to the middle joining the two.
2. To create your eyeliner wing, draw a line starting from the last lash outwards. You can now decide the length & angle to your eye liner.
3. After drawing your wing, draw a line back to your upper lash line. This should create an empty triangle on your upper lid. To make you eyeliner thick, draw a bigger triangle, ending at the middle part of your lash line.
4. Colour in the triangle with your gel liner.

Ombre lips

(Using Max Factor flip stick pen in Boreal Mauve & Barry M lip liner in Pink)

Take inspiration from the ombre hair trend and incorporate it into your make-up look in three easy steps:

1.  Outline the shape of your lips using a dark pink lip-liner
2.  Using the darker shade of flipstick apply all over the lips.
3.  Finally add your lighter pink from the flipstick concentring on the centre of the lips. Rub lips together to fuse the two.

Bold brows

(Using Catrice eyebrow duo in brunette & Maybeline master shape brow pencil)

Embrace your inner Cara Delevingne and frame your eyes with some fierce brows:

1. Brush brows upwards using a clean spooly.
2. Using a brow shadow (catrice brow duo), apply product to the underneath and top of the brow and fill in! Concentrate this in the middle of the brow, leaving the front and tail bare.
3. Take Maybeline master shape brow pencil and sharpen to a point. Fill in the tail of the brow, this is a wax product so will leave the tail of the brow looking sharp and defined, bringing it to a point.
4. For the front of the brow, use a brow powder, and in light feathery strokes blend the product upwards creating your desired shape.

All Products used can be found in any large Boots store.

All looks were created by Amy Gargan, a freelance make-up artist from Cavan. For more of her work check out Amy Gargan Make-Up Artist on Facebook or contact AmyGargan93@hotmail.com.

Tutorial photos by Alison O’Hanlon.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (Credit: Camilla via Flikr)

Summer is here and it is time to banish the overcoats and tired knits and say hello to this season’s hottest trends, from structured stripes to romantic florals, there is something for everyone.

Trend: Geisha
Inspiration from the East is this season’s hottest trend. Prada, Hermes and Armani are just a few designers who’ve adopted the Oriental trend, filled with rich fabrics and detailed prints. The must-have piece of these collections is the kimono; wear draped over a summer dress or adopt as your summer staple for major fashion kudos. For a high street alternative go to Zara and H&M.

Trend: Monochrome
Monochrome is the ‘it’ word of chic summer style, black and white has never been so much fun. Go minimalist as seen at Gucci or opt for a bolder look as seen at Marc Jacobs with clashing head to toe prints. Oasis is the go-to for all things monochrome this season.

Trend: Print
Print, PRINT, print; the brighter, bolder and more exaggerated the better. This season is all about letting your clothes do the talking and no colour combination is off limits. Kenzo’s summer line is bursting with abstract clashing leopard prints and Mary Katrantzou sought inspiration from summer holidays with her postage stamp prints. In keeping with their young urban collection Topshop offers all this season’s hottest trends and at a fraction of the designer prices.

Trend: Stripes
Wide or thin, bright or basic, stripes are on the horizon. Get ready to make a statement this season with a colourful offering as seen at Paul Smith, or go for a more sophisticated look with tailored shorts and matching top as seen at Dolce and Gabbana. If you want to do this sailor inspired look A-Wear and Warehouse are bang on trend.

Trend: Aqua
Feeling BLUE?  There might be enough trends to make your head spin but there is only one colour this summer – aqua. As seen at Zac Posen and Etro.

Photography by http://www.flickr.com/photos/evarinaldiphotography

The Food Gallery (Credits: Ross McGovern)

Dining out and taking the time to enjoy a well cooked meal is a thing of the past, as each meal nowadays seems to contain some infamous secret. You can’t seem to find a decent meal these days without hearing some shocking story behind the various nutrients you have on your plate.

Inevitably, the price reflects how lucky you are to be there at that specific time and place enjoying their simple food. However, The Liberty disagrees with this type of hogwash. We are all for frugal porcini, cheapskate skate, a mean burger and a thrifty burrito. Here are some of my recommendations and reviews for the best places to find good, cheap food in the local area.

Leo Burdocks:

This place is a stalwart among chipper aficionados. On the economical side of what’s on offer, it costs €10 for a meal that most people would struggle to finish. The menu offers fish such as cod, ray and sole (as if you didn’t know), but this can always vary depending on the season.

The Lord Edward:

I know this doesn’t exactly tickle the taste buds of your wallets, but I’m not suggesting that one goes in and asks for a lobster claw for a fiver. However, If you’re willing to double the price of a Burdocks, a decent sit-down meal is on offer. The early bird special is €20 and is on from 5pm to 7pm. The starter is a choice of smoked salmon pate, melon royal or prawn bisque. The main is either sole, goujons, salmon darne with hollandaise sauce or Irish stew and all are served with fresh vegetables. This is then followed by dessert and tea or coffee.

The Food Gallery:

This is a spacious café that serves a wide selection of food. However, I’d like to note that the high ceilinged room makes time-wasting very tempting. The only issue is the curious pricing. Porridge or granola is reasonable at €3.25, but €9 for soup and a salad is pushing the boat out a bit too far.

Cathedral Cafe :

This little gem stands out for its honest homemade Spanish food, in a city full of cafes and restaurants that need “concepts” to survive. There is a wide variety of Spanish and Irish dishes, minus the bitter taste of pretentiousness. The montaditos are small sandwiches, which come in between €1 to €1.50. I can honestly tell you, that they are the best value in town. An example of a more substantial meal is the cottage pie, costing only €7.50, a price bracket that caters for both our pockets as well as our stomachs. There is a fine selection of cakes on display, all averaging at a good price range, along with the traditional tapas available on weekends. The lady in charge and co-owner Teresa Varela, has an obvious passion for good food, accompanied by her pleasant nature, which is reflected in the atmosphere of her establishment.

Lennox Café Bistro:

Any place which throws ‘bistro’ onto the end of their name immediately screams highfalutin food presentation. However, it’s difficult to fault a place which uses the best produce to serve good food. I’ve been here a few times, but have yet to be let down. Although, when you pay €13 for a burger it would be a sin to be served anything below par. The Lennox isn’t cheap, but rest assure it’s reliable for good food.

Green Nineteen:

This place has been open on Camden Street for quite a while now and has racked up its fair share of reviews along the way. This success is partly due to the fact it doesn’t over-charge. It offers a lively yet comfortable atmosphere to enjoy all it has to offer. Roughly 80% of the mains are priced at €10 and are perfectly acceptable. It may not be parfait for a long and intimate, romantic meal for two, but this place is all about the food, not the romance.

New Liffey Bridge (Credit: Charlie Heasman)

Over 10,000 people have submitted suggestions on the naming of Dublin’s latest bridge.

Dublin City Council confirmed this number, which showed the enthusiasm of Dublin residents towards the new bridge, which is situated between Marlborough Street and Dawson Street.

The council’s Commemorative Naming Committee hope to have a recommendation ready for a city councillors’ vote in mid-July.

Suggested names reflect many popular figures including scientist Earnest Walton; activist and trade unionist Rosie Hackett, who was involved in the 1913 Lockout and 1916 Rising; and writer Maeve Binchy.

A campaign organised by the Abbey Theatre group gathered 2,300 votes to name the bridge The Abbey Bridge, whilst GAA supporters voted to honour 15-times All-Ireland camogie champion Kay Mills.

The three most recent bridges were named after Samuel Beckett, Seán O’Casey and James Joyce.

Just two of the 23 bridges over the Liffey have female names - Sarah’s bridge at Islandbridge and the Anna Livia bridge at Lucan.

Chairman of the Commemorative Committee Councillor Dermot Lacey said, “There is definitely an argument for naming the bridge after a woman.”

He also said that the committee would prefer to honour someone who was deceased for at least 20 years.

However, O’Connell Bridge street trader Philip Killeen believes that Maeve Binchy’s name should be seriously considered.

“She was one of Ireland’s true talents, for other reasons besides nationalism. We shouldn’t have to wait years after her death to acknowledge one of Dublin’s legends,” he said.

The deadline for public suggestions closed on Friday 19 April, with Charlie Haughey, Phil Lynott, Bram Stoker and James Connolly also in the mix.

On completion the new bridge, funded by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, will provide a thoroughfare over the Liffey for buses, Luas, cyclists and pedestrians.

S

Pope Francis (credit: Roberto Stuckert Filho)

Sinead Makk and Niamh Foran uncover local opinions on our new head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis.

Karen: “I don’t really know yet, he has lovely airs and graces about him but I don’t really know anything about him.”

Winnie and Liz: “He looks lovely. He looks nice but I haven’t really thought about it at the moment. He looks really friendly. He seems to be jolly, more open than Pope Benedict.”

Larry O’ Toole: “I’m delighted with him; he’s a bit of fresh air into the Catholic Church.”

Sarah Cullen: “He’s alright. He will be coming to visit here but it won’t be this year he will be coming, it will be next year. I would definitely go see him if he came.”

Patrick Whelan: “I don’t know anything about him yet. I have no opinion at the moment because I think it really is too early to say.”

David: “I don’t believe in all that – I’m an atheist. I believe that there was a man called Jesus Christ that roamed the Earth. I have no interest in the pope. I have faith but I wouldn’t necessarily define that faith through the Pope.”

Margie Boyland: “He has to be given a chance doesn’t he? He is only starting out. I think he’s lovely to be honest with you.”

James O’Connor: “Yeah I think he’s good but he hasn’t really done too much has he? I suppose if he was to come to Ireland I would make an effort to learn more about him.’’

Marie O’Callaghan: “I don’t like him to be honest, I don’t agree with the whole idea of having one figurehead in the Catholic Church which dictates. I have my own faith and that’s that.”

The Thomas House (Credit: Aaron Hennessy)

The Liberties is host to some of Dublin’s most vibrant nightlife areas. Offering a wide spectrum of choice, the area caters to all.

The Camden Street area, which is adjacent to the Liberties, is one of the most popular destinations in terms of nightlife. It is best known for its nightclubs, of which it has some of Dublin’s finest.

The two main clubs are The Palace and The Village, which each draw over 1,000 people respectively to the street on a good night.

These nightclubs, of course, are only one facet of nightlife in the Liberties — live music is also an option for those seeking something different.

Vicar Street is the most obvious destination for music lovers, being Dublin’s premier medium sized venue. Located across from NCAD, it hosts both national and international acts throughout the year.

Sticking to live music, Whelan‘s of Wexford Street is famous for its personal setting. The pub has two venues – upstairs and down – which operate simultaneously and continue to draw impressive acts new and old, national and international.

Venturing back to Thomas Street, the Thomas House is perfect for that not-so-quiet-pint. The music bar caters to music lovers of different creed: the tunes vary from punk to sca, indie to reggae. Offering an open door to “miscreants and weirdos”, they also carry an impressive variety of foreign/ craft beers which alone make the pub worth visiting.

Continuing the craft beer trend is The Little Green cafe, bar and art gallery on High Street (just a few doors down from The Thomas House). This quirky bar, the decor reminiscent of a Wes Anderson movie, is a perfect spot for lunch, an after-work drink or – if in the mood – to idle away a few moments appreciating any of the art or movies they regularly show.

Of course, there are those who prefer a pub to play a more traditional role, an offer of solitude. Fallon‘s is the embodiment of such sentiment. Located near The Coombe, Fallon’s – doling out legendary Guinness – is an Irish pub in the traditional sense of the term.

In a performance which highlighted Tipp’s impressive scoring power, the Dubs were outclassed from the outset, trailing 3-11 to 0-8 at half time. The Premier County finished the game with 4-20 on the scoreboard, compared to Dublin’s 17 points, seeing them through to the final of this year’s League.

Tipp effectively walked through weak Dublin defending, while they dominated the midfield and showed resilience in defence, neutralising every one of Dublin’s few goal-scoring opportunities. Three early goals from Eamon O’Shea’s men ended the game as a contest, even in the early stages. Excluding a brief purple patch in the second half, Dublin never seemed likely to get back into the game.

Questions must now be asked over the manner in which Dublin stood back and were overwhelmed; something which cannot continue if they are to compete against Tipperary and Killkenny in the future.

According to many, including manager Anthony Daly, it is a fair reflection of the gap between the two strands of Division 1 hurling, with Tipp and Dublin fresh from campaigns in 1A and 1B respectively.

This is a gap which needs to be closed and after a promising league campaign, Daly’s forces must now retreat to the drawing board as the onset of the championship looms. They finished top of Division 1B and secured promotion to the top tier, but judging by the Tipperary result, this promotion itself poses many challenges for Dublin hurling.

It would be foolish to write off any team’s prospects so soon based on one performance. Dublin have played well at times this year, but some changes may be necessary and inevitable.

Photograph by wfbakker2 via flickr

Frank Currie (49) admitted to setting the fire, which caused 4.1m in damages. He proclaimed that he was “God Almighty” and signed his name as “Jesus Christ” when he was being booked into the Garda station.

During the trial, the jury heard from Dr Conor O’Neill, who is a consultant psychiatrist at the Central Mental Hospital. He told the court that in his opinion Mr Currie was suffering from a mental illness, which meant he wasn’t able to stop himself from carrying out the arson attack.

The case is now adjourned until 10 May, so that a new report assessing Mr Currie’s mental state can be carried out. Mr Currie will be held at the Central Mental Hospital until then.

According to one of the parish priests, Fr Niall Coghlan, this was not the first time that there had been an incident involving Mr Currie and the church. About three weeks before Christmas, the homeless man caused a disturbance by shouting at people during Sunday mass. He stole one of the vestments that the priests wear when saying mass.

Nothing was done about the incident at the time and there wasn’t any sign of Mr Currie for a few weeks. However, Fr Coghlan explained that Mr Currie returned on the morning that the fire took place.

He wasn’t wearing any shoes and asked the sacristan if he could get some shoes. Fr Coghlan subsequently gave him a pair of his own boots and he went away.

Fr Coghlan went to meet friends after saying 10 o’clock mass and when he returned home at about 4pm, he was met on Thomas Street by a parishioner, who told him that the church was on fire.

CCTV footage shows that Mr Currie was alone in the church, when he suddenly got up and started rearranging the church statues.
“He placed Mary in front of the altar, he put the baby Jesus with St Theresa and he left Joseph and the wise men to fend for themselves. He then set fire to the straw in the crib.”

Fr Coghlan said that it wasn’t unusual for parishioners or homeless people to be left alone in the church: “Sometimes people come in to sleep and for heat, and we don’t mind that because it is as much their church as it is ours,” he said.

Most of the damage was caused by an explosion that lasted for about 30 seconds. Flammable fumes that had reached the apex of the church met with oxygen when the firemen entered the building.

The explosion travelled the length of the church, destroying the mural on the ceiling. It also blew out the stained glass window at the front of the church as well as incinerating the organ.

The insurance company were able to cover most of the costs, but some of the restorations needed weren’t covered because they were not directly damaged by the fire.

The exact amount of money needed is not yet known because some of the costs are still coming in. However, Fr Coghlan estimated that it is somewhere in excess of €150,000.

A fundraising committee was set up at the end of last year in an attempt to raise the money needed to open the church. So far their efforts have been successful and they have collected around €190,000.

The committee comprises of the two priests of the Augustinian Church; John Laurence, who owns a shop on Thomas Street; Noel Fleming of Meath Street; businessman Tommy Daly and parishioner Anne Mooney.

Each member had their own reasons for getting involved with the fundraising effort. Anne Mooney has been a member of the parish for her whole life and said that when the fire happened, it was as if the heart was gone out of the street.

She explained that there was no real effort needed in organising events, “People just wanted their church back, so they just went in and gave what they could,” she said.

Noel Fleming and John Laurence, who own Londis on Meath Street and Black Bow on Thomas Street respectively, said that from the start, they would do anything they could to help.

When asked about Mr Currie’s actions Mr Fleming said, “God works in mysterious ways. The community has come together since the fire. Good things are going to happen when the church opens again. Where it was a bad thing at the time, it’s going to be a wonderful time when it opens again.”

The majority of people are in agreement that the verdict was just. Ms Mooney noted that “If the man was sick the man was sick, what can you do?”
However, Mr Laurence believes that he should have known that what he had done was wrong and that there should have been a stronger punishment enforced.

The fundraising committee have collected money from sponsored greyhound races, pigeon races and putting donation boxes into shops in the area.

They also started a campaign to help pay for the 25,410 slates needed for the roof. Anyone can come in and sponsor a slate for €5, giving them the opportunity to personally have a stake in the renovated church.

The goal is to have the church open by July or August and things like the new stained glass windows and the new organ are expected to be put in sometime in the following months.

Photograph by Danielle Stephens

One member of the Dubs panel who has fond memories of their 2011 All-Ireland triumph, Templeogue Synge Street’s Denis Bastick, spoke to the Liberty about his experiences with the game he loves to play.

“By getting involved with the game of football from a young age at school, I got a good taste for it. My school and its teachers had a big influence on me, and as a young player, being able to see the county teams playing in Croke Park was great. The possibility of replicating that when I grew up was a goal I wanted to achieve.”

The Dublin midfielder has stayed loyal to his local club, Templeogue Synge Street GFC. As he developed through the youth ranks in the club, Bastick became friends with a lot of the locals from the area and bought into the community feel within the club.

“The nice thing about GAA is that there are many different levels of competitiveness; the game is for all ages, not just for the league players. The great thing about the sport at club level is that you have 18-year-olds and 40-year-olds all playing together.”

Bastick echoes the opinion of many people when he speaks about the issue of the decline in the number of people playing GAA. The midfielder thinks that it is disappointing for club volunteers to see young players, who coaches have put a lot of effort into, give up and go down a different and sometimes troublesome path.

“It’s hard to witness young teens get distracted by off-field issues and see them lose touch with the game. What is even more surprising is that it is often the most talented and able ones that lose interest.”

He adds, “The biggest quality a person can have is determination; it is often the case that talented players, no matter how good they are, lack a certain inspiration. It’s unfortunate when you know what certain individuals are capable of and what they could do on a bigger stage.”

Away from his football career, Bastick has many words of praise for the players playing the other code of Gaelic Games, hurling. “Some of the players (hurlers) would have been on my teams growing up so it’s great to see them doing well.”

“There is a hurling club in the Dolphin’s Barn area called Kevin’s. Although they’re solely a hurling and camogie club, their proximity to us and their similar initiatives to encourage young people to get involved in GAA means the two clubs have a good relationship and have a lot of respect for each other.”

Bastick also says he has great respect for women’s GAA and the success the Templeogue Synge Street GFC  ladies teams are enjoying.

“It’s taken the club a few years to develop a strong ladies set-up but now that it’s in place, they are in a good shape to become very successful. In a club like this, which is so engrained with the community, it is good for families who have sons and daughters to know that they can get their daughters involved as well.”

Speaking about women’s GAA on a county level, Bastick admitted; “They don’t get as much exposure as the guys do. I think they could introduce a system where some of the women’s games are played before the men’s matches in Croke Park; this would showcase the women’s game to a much wider audience.”

The next aim on Dublin’s and Bastick’s agenda is to try and bring the Sam Maguire back to the capital. Bastick believes any one from a number of teams can claim the prize.

“In hurling, the All-Ireland crown usually goes to one or two teams. However, in football, the competition is wide open. You’ve got the likes of Cork, Kerry and the reigning champions Donegal. However, if we put a string of good performances together, Dublin definitely has a strong chance of regaining Sam.”

Photograph courtesy of Synge Street GAA