TERAPROOF:User:marywhiteDate:18/04/2014Time:13:14:10Edition:19/04/2014SatEchoSat190414Page:6
Zone:EE
EE - V1
6 NEWS
In brief
(YHQLQJ (FKR Saturday, April 19, 2014
● GAA stars past and present have
launched the fourth annual Race the
Rás charity cycle in aid of NBCRI.
Former Kerry star Tomás Ó Sé
DERYH, former Dublin ace Shane
Ryan, Monaghan All-Star Conor
McManus and Kildare legend Johnny
Doyle joined Irish cycling hero Ciaran
Power to promote Race the Rás,
which takes place between May
18-25 in conjunction with the An Post
Rás.
Former county GAA players will
attempt to cycle one or more stages
of the An Post Rás starting each
morning three hours ahead of the top
amateur cyclists and visiting
professional cycling teams.
Entries are still open via their website
at http://www.racetheras.com/ and it’s
also open for donations.
Charity coastal cycle
● KINSALE Lions Club is holding its
annual Coastal Cycle Run on next
Saturday, April 26.
A 100km route will take in Old Head
and Seven Heads on the return while
there will also be a shorter 60km
course. As usual, it will be very well
stewarded, with refreshments during
the event and at the finish. The Lions
stress that 100% of funds raised go to
charity. Cyclists can enter now on line
at www.kinsalecyclechallenge.com
This time, the aim is to raise funds for
sick children.
Top wedding venue
● BALLINACURRA House, Kinsale,
has won The Hardys Hi Exclusive
Wedding Venue of the Year
2014 – after being confirmed as
Ireland’s Top Private Venue for 2013
by Weddings Online,
as voted by 28,000 couples across
the country.
Since Des and Lisa McGahan
purchased this historic house, which
dates to the 1700s, they
have restored the grandeur of the
house and gardens to recreate the
atmosphere of an
era when the landed gentry held
sway. The have also preserved the
murals and paintings
of the artist John Danford and the
house has hosted a number of events
associated with
the Kinsale Arts Festival.
Westlodge for sale
● THE WESTLODGE Hotel, Bantry,
is for sale for €2 million via agents
DTZ Sherry Fitzgerald.
The hotel, next to Bantry House, is on
25 acres of land with harbour views.
It is currently a three star 100-bed
hotel with nine self-catering cottages.
NEWS 7
(YHQLQJ (FKR Saturday, April 19, 2014
Egg-cellent advice this Easter holiday
IT’S NOT just youngsters who are
anxiously
awaiting
the
Easter
Bunny’s arrival this year —
well-known Cork figures are gearing
up for his visit as well.
GAA stars gear up
and Race The Rás
EE - V1
The day conjured up tasty memories for
Labour TD and chocolate fanatic Kathleen
Lynch who recalled the good old days when she
would receive up to 11 Easter eggs every year
from extended family and friends.
“The important thing to remember when you
get a lot of Easter eggs is that you will always
have plenty of help,” she reassured.
“I came from a family of 11 children so there
was always someone who was willing to give a
hand.
“I’m at the stage now where I am buying
more eggs than getting. I’m even buying ones
for the grandchildren who are just small
babies. Of course, it’s the parents who always
eat them! We usually gorge on chocolate since
we have to deny ourselves it during Lent.”
Jamie Stanton from Cobh, a contestant on
TV’s The Voice of Ireland this year said that, as
a kid, Easter for him was like a chocolate-eating marathon.
“I used to get up to 20 eggs and by the time it
came time to go back to school, they were all
eaten. I had a little help from my younger siblings, of course,” he said.
Manager of Brown Thomas on Patrick Street,
Caroline Counihan, said she missed the old
Easter childhood traditions which she adopted
when her son Luke was little.
“Every year we used to ring the doorbell
before hiding so that he would open the door
and see chocolates outside left by the Easter
Bunny. When I was small, we used to gather all
the sweets we weren’t able to eat during Lent
and then binge on them as soon as Easter arrived.”
Keith Cunningham, better known as KC from
RedFM also wandered down memory lane.
“When I was a kid, there were no Government warnings or TV campaigns on childhood
obesity. We would get a dozen eggs from relatives and neighbours and you’d still be eating
them into Christmas. My auntie Eileen worked
in Cadbury’s in England as an Easter egg designer. It was like boasting that you had Willy
The Easter bunny isn’t the only one hard at work this
week. SARAH HORGAN talks to Cork businesses
preparing for tomorrow’s chocolate bonanza and gets
tips from a top nutritionist on how to control kid’s calorie
intake this bank holiday weekend
Niall Daly of The Chocolate Shop in the English Market in Cork city, with one
of their Easter products.
Picture: Jim Coughlan
Wonka as your dad! Now I have two little girls
who will be doing an Easter egg hunt in the
back garden this year. I’ve not mowed the lawn
this year so hopefully we won’t lose them!”
Meanwhile, Cork North Central councillor
Pat Gosch was reliving memories of her Easter
traditions.
“My husband is German and one of his traditions was to hide painted, hard-boiled eggs in
the garden for the kids to find. Every year he
had to find a new spot to hide them as the children always remembered where he had put
them the Easter before. We also used to leave
little baskets of chocolate
for the neighbours and it
wasn’t long before everyone in the area was doing
it.”
Founder of the Over-60s
Talent
Competition,
Paddy
O’Brien added: “When I was young
it was only wealthy families who got
Easter eggs,” he said. “There were 11 of us
and we got a box of chocolates to share so
everyone could have one sweet each. Now I
love buying my grandchildren Easter eggs.”
Cork chocolate makers get inventive
THE Easter bunny had his work
cut out this week — as did local
chocolate makers.
Eve Chocolates on Magazine
Road was just one port-of-call
for lovers of all things sweet.
Their edible masterpieces included a handmade three-dimensional scene featuring ducks on
a lake made entirely of chocolate.
And many chocolate eggs had
an even tastier surprise inside
courtesy of the romantic men of
Cork.
Jillian Harris, who works at
the store, explained: “Every
year men ask us if we can place
an engagement ring in the egg
for their other half. It’s a really
quirky way to propose.”
And it wasn’t just couples who
were using chocolate as a way of
expressing themselves. Families
were also getting in on the act.
Jillian added: “This is without
doubt our busiest time of the
year and a lot of people are
having their eggs decorated
with personalised messages.
Among them are older people
Jillian Harris of Eve Chocolates, College Commercial Park, Magazine
Road, with one of their Easter products.
Picture: Jim Coughlan
who want to give their grandchildren something special.”
And when it comes to chocolate, there are some Corkonians
with expensive taste.
“The biggest Easter eggs we
make are 60cms and they cost
about €200,” she said.
And then there were the customers in search of something a
little different. “All the staff
have been very creative in the
presentation of their chocolate,”
she said.
“For example, we have some of
our chocolates in a watering can
ornament for anyone who
wishes to veer away from the
traditional Easter egg.”
Meanwhile Niall Daly, who
owns the Chocolate Shop in the
English Market, was busy preparing orders before Easter
Sunday.
“People love choosing their
favourite
handmade
sweets
from the store which they can
have put inside their Easter
egg,” he said.
“The children are all going for
the novelty chocolate pieces this
year and love the ones shaped
liked bunnies and teddy bears.
“Some of the chocolate sculptures are very detailed and include everything from chickens
coming out of eggs to bunnies
driving tractors.
“The dark chocolate is also
popular this year but the milk
always reigns supreme.”
Nutritionist advises
encouraging kids
to forget sweet
treats and choose
fun activity instead
A CORK nutritionist is urging families not
to put all their eggs in one basket this
Easter in a bid to cut children’s calorie
intake.
Dietician Ruth Reidy of the Clinical Nutrition Consultancy in Little
Island, said that most Easter eggs
on the market contained 927 calories.
“This is quite significant
when you consider that the recommended
daily
calorie
intake for a child between the
ages of four and six is about
1,545 calories per day,” she
explained.
“Children tend to get a lot
of Easter eggs from extended
family members nowadays
which can really add up.
“To counteract this, parents
can have a discussion with
their loved ones and encourage them against buying edible
gifts
in
favour
of
doing
something active, like going for a
game of bowling with the child.
“Books always make really great
gifts and reading is a lot more productive than sitting around eating chocolate for
the best part of a day.”
But Ruth emphasised that while chocolate
should be eaten in moderation, children should
In brief
Help businesses call
● CHAMBERS Ireland has called on
local elections candidates to support
the business community by making
key commitments, which will reduce
the cost of doing business and
increase competitiveness. If these
commitments are adhered to, they
say there is the potential to create
100,000 jobs.
Chambers Ireland Chief Executive Ian
Talbot said: “Policies such as the 80%
rezoning levy on brown field lands
and high car parking rates are
anti-consumer.”
Cigs black market up
Dietician Ruth Reidy of Clinical Nutrition
Consultancy in Little Island, said that most Easter
eggs contained 927 calories. Picture: Denis Minihane
not be denied treats at Easter.
“There is absolutely nothing bad for you
about chocolate if it is eaten in moderation,”
she said.
“However, sometimes children might get up
to 10 eggs from relatives and family members.
Most of these contain chocolate bars too, which
only add to their calorie intake.”
She said that there was no real healthy alternative to Easter eggs and stressed that when
it comes to treats, it is all about portions.
“The healthier option would be dark chocolate but the taste can be too bitter for children,
which is why in this situation the size of your
portions are key.
“The long-term implications of eating excessive amounts of food containing sugar and saturated fats can be detrimental for a child and
it’s vital that their intake of energy matches
their energy expenditure.”
● RESEARCH shows the introduction
of plain packaging for cigarettes has
coincided with a nearly 20 percent
increase in the size of the black
market in Australia.
According to the Illicit Tobacco in
Australia report prepared by
accountancy firm KPMG, the black
market grew by nearly 20 percent in
2013. The Australian Government
also increased tobacco tax by 10%
over the same period.
@deirdreclunefg
People spring for good
meat for lamb Sunday
WHILE many of us delight in
eating chocolate eggs for dinner,
others look forward to the Easter
Sunday leg of lamb just as much.
O’Flynns Butchers on Marlboro Street will be serving up its
speciality lamb, a favourite at
this time of year among many
foodies in Cork.
Owner of O’Flynns, Patrick
O’Flynn said: “This is a great
year for lamb with Easter being
so late and the good weather
means it is very flavoursome.
“Lamb tends to be scarce so it’s
in great demand and generation
after generation keep coming
back for it.
“Just recently, a woman came
in to buy lamb with her great
granddaughter, as well as her
daughter. It was amazing to see
three different generations all together in the shop. Lambs liver is
particularly popular among all
ages this year.”
And it wasn’t just lamb that
Simon O’Flynn, Jackie Falvey, Patrick O’Flynn and Tom Collins, with
their Irish Easter lamb, at John O’Flynn & Sons, Butchers, Marlboro
Street.
Picture: Jim Coughlan
was taking people’s fancy. “For
many it’s a tradition to have a fry
up on Easter Sunday in contrast
to Friday when no one is allowed
have meat.
“They get the works including
sausages, rashers and black pudding. There is always that
temptation to indulge in Easter
eggs for dinner but it’s just as
nice to look forward to a hearty
dinner as well.”
Deirdre Clune and Minister Simon Coveney.
For a Strong Voice in Europe,
Vote No.1 Deirdre Clune
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