By Jack Shanley

As we approach the 55th anniversary of ‘Nights Of Cabiria’, I felt it was an opportunity to reflect on the great Federico Fellini’s Italian classic. The 1957 film is a wo-hour long conversation with the heart, soul and spirit of the audience. ‘Nights of Cabiria’ is a deep, heartbreaking and sorrowful, yet eloquent story that follows the main character, Cabiria, a street walker who dreams of a better life. Unfortunately, life isn’t particularly too kind to her but nevertheless, she looks for meaning through romantic love.This happy-go-lucky character, the embodiment of sadness, pain and bad luck, deals with the unfortunate natures of life as she smiles through the tears. The film is the transcendence of the truth of life reflected through the magic of the projector straight onto the splendid screen for our eyes to witness life instead of living it. It is very much character driven and although it’s a sad film, it’s also quite funny, poignant and enjoyable to watch. Not only is the true essence of life represented in the material but it also provides two hours’ entertainment.Fellini, the Italian maestro, left his imprint in all thefilms he directed for us to enjoy forever. ‘Nights OfCabiria’ is one of his best films and stands out because of the character of Cabiria at the helm of the story. Cabiria, an invincible woman with an unbreakable human spirit, is someone we can all identify with.Though she has deflating experiences like being pushed into the Tiber River and being led-on, she repeatedly opens her heart, hoping to find love and stability. ‘Nights Of Cabiria’ has also been a hugely influential Film, going on to influence the musical ‘Sweet Charity’ (1967).It also won many awards including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1957. Like good wine, it gets better with age and I give it a score of Five Stars.You can buy ‘Nights of Cabiria’ at Tower Records for €16.99. Director: Federico Fellini – Rating: PG - Genre: Drama/Romance - Run Time: 1h 58m Language: Italian. •For more film content please follow @movies4fanatics on Instagram. Nights of Cabiria (1957) – IMDb

By Siobhan O’Neill White

September is often the busiest month of the year for slimming and fitness clubs – for many of these
businesses, it is even more busy than January! As the children go back to school and routine
becomes the norm again, we start to think ahead to Christmas and the party season and the dread
of the LBD (Little Black Dress!).Covid has played havoc with many of our waistlines (mine included unfortunately!) and while it’s good to focus on a healthier attitude to sweets and treats in general, instead of putting huge pressure on yourself to achieve something huge like losing a stone or two before Christmas, how about setting some smaller, more achievable goals instead? We can help! In 2018, we ran a free weight loss group on mams.ie and it was very successful. The aim was to lose half a pound a week by making small changes. Increasing your exercise, cutting down on alcohol, drinking more water, cutting down on fizzy drinks – just these changes alone can bring great results. We all supported each other and it was in a non judgemental way, which really spurred everyone on. I find that, when I want to lose some weight, small changes are the way to go. Instead of cutting out all your favourite treat foods in one go and radically changing your diet, make small changes that are more realistic. So, don’t just quit frothy coffees and a chat with the girls, instead opt for a flat white and have a glass of water on the go at all times. Sometimes, we think we’re hungry when in fact, we are just thirsty. If you fancy a scone with that coffee, earn it, by walking to the café. That way you won’t feel guilty afterwards! When it comes to weekends, go easy on yourself. You don’t have to quit all your favourite things. You can still have a take away but limit it to one a week and if you are having a glass wine, think about drinking white instead of red as its lower in calories. I love soda water with splash of lime cordial, few cubes of ice and a slice of lime, it feels like a drink but no hangover the next day! Instead of reaching for crisps, have other snacks at the ready. Mini crackers and cheese are a good option if you want something salty but don’t want to devour a tub of pringles. And popcorn is a brilliant option – just go easy on the butter. We will be restarting our mams.ie weight loss club again this September, it is free of charge for mams.ie members, all you need to do is create an account at mams.ie and then subscribe.

By Carina Cunningham

Little did she know, this time last year that she would be cast as the leading lady in a vampire film called “Tara Hill”. Director/Writer Bobby Cullen of Ryker Films spotted Becky and took a chance on her, even though she did not have a lot of experience in filming. Becky has been modelling a few years now and is well used to the camera. She has also walked the catwalk on many fashion shows including; Style Warriors fashion and Entertainment Show and other charity events. She has now been granted the opportunity to see herself up on the big screen in this gothic fantasy film set for “Tara Hill”, overlooking the sea at Gorey. Marc Hughes; award winning producer of film “Red Room” has merged with Bobby Cullen under the name of Ryker Films. Together, they plan to enter “Tara Hill” into the Cork Film Festival and The Richard Harris Film Festival this Autumn. Bobby is also an accomplished singer/ songwriter. His songs are featured in the upcoming film “Tara Hill”. “ My Carousel ” is Bobby Cullens’ rock song, which he sang and produced himself. Wardrobe for the entire film has been designed by Carina Cunningham. Make-up is a very important part of a vampire film and none other than the very well-known make-up artist Gillian Stapleton is on set fixing vampire fangs at her best.This will be a super film with amazing scenery; sea, forests, hills, and lakes. The next scene will be shot in Style Warriors Dreamscape room 102 Ardgillan Castle, where the room will be transformed into a smokey vampire local pub. The room, set up with candles and lady vampires will be the perfect setting. Once again costumes will need to be co-ordinated with make-up to set the scene. This fantasy world is my style and needless to say, I will be in my element helping style this. Actress Becky Archbold will look fabulous in Red, plus at least ten
other vampires dressed to taste and kill. Blood is the drug for Becky and her kin! After this film, what’s next for merging Actress Becky Archbold? When one door closes, another one opens, as she has been cast in a new programme which will be filmed in the Autumn. Watch this space as it’s under wraps right now. A perfect second role for Becky, that’s all I can say right now. So, onwards and upwards. Wishing Becky all the best in her new chapter in the film world. Watch out Hollywood, she’s on her way!

By Dave Kavanagh

Many people are in the “it’ll never happen to me” group, when it comes to planning for events that could potentially impact finances. Let’s face it, nobody wants to think that anything “bad” will happen to them but the reality is, bad things happen whether we like it or not. The three areas that are most prevalent to this topic are, Life Cover, Serious Illness Cover and Income Protection. Of course, we would hope that we are not going to die prematurely, we are not going to get seriously ill and accident or illness will not prevent us from being able to work. Sadly, in this small country of ours, over 7,000 people die each year NOT of natural causes (under age 65), we are heading towards 43,000 new cancer cases every year (the cause of more than 50% of Serious Illness claims) and the average time off work for an income protection claim is close to 5 years! When I do group talks, I often ask the question whether anyone’s close family or friends have been affected by cancer? I have only ever had one person say “no”. When I ask whether the same close family or friends have ever won the lotto jackpot, not surprisingly, it’s (almost) always “no”. Yet with odds of 10.7 million to 1 to win the lotto jackpot, people spend a relatively large amount of money each week on lotto (and Euromillions and scratch cards etc.) believing and hoping that it will happen to them. The same people have a 4 to 1 chance of being diagnosed with one of the Serious Illnesses covered BEFORE they are 65. We often review people’s finances and see that they have their vehicles insured, their house insured, their pets, mobile phones, lap tops and jewellery insured but not themselves! It’s not until one of these events happens that people can fully appreciate the financial loss that is suffered. An important detail is that even if people have cover in place from a few years back, they could well be paying over the odds premium wise or it may no longer be most appropriate. Take the time to check what is most appropriate for your specific circumstances.

Dave Kavanagh QFA has been advising people financially for over 25 years. For quotes or information (with no cost or obligation) he can be contacted by emailing info@financialcompanion.ie or use the contact form on www.financialcompanion.ie or @Davekav_advice on Twitter and Instagram. Combined with his previous role of gym/nutrition adviser, he regularly gives talks and workshops at seminars and events for groups, companies and government departments on financial wellbeing, positivity and motivation. As heard on RTE 2FM , LMFM and TV3.

by Malahide Historical Society

On the corner of Bath Avenue, immediately beyond the Grand Hotel towards Portmarnock, where a tall apartment block is now located, stood the popular Malahide Baths. Lord Talbot built the baths at his own expense, apparently for letting, shortly before 1863. They were leased to a Mrs. Gamble. She retired or died in 1864 and her household goods were auctioned off, including “a barometer, an eight-day clock, two fowling pieces, a first rate four-oared boat and two smaller boats”. The baths were then, apparently, taken over by the adjoining hotel.The hotel featured its hot sea and freshwater baths from time to time in advertisements.The baths consisted of a long low building with a number of bathing rooms at one end, a boilerhouse and tall chimney in the middle and living accommodation at the other end. There were two open-air plunge pools to the rear. There were bathing boxes on the shore in front of the baths building for use by modest Victorians who wished to bathe in the estuary seawater.The seawater baths were exceedingly popular in the 19th century and in the latter half of that era tourists flocked to Malahide to avail of the baths’ renowned health-giving properties. The bath water was changed at high-tide. Patrons had a choice of heated indoor baths and or a plunge in an outdoor cold pool. Sadly, the buildings were demolished in 1984 and the rubble used to fill the pools

By Jack Shanley

With Baz Luhrmann’s blistering biopic of Elvis Presley, ‘The King of Rock n Roll’, hitting cinemas in late June I felt it would be only right to write a review about the much-anticipated biopic.I felt a little unsatisfied with the film overall. It felt at times to be nothing more than a carnival on screen, with it feeling like a long stream of extraordinary editing but no consideration for the story. I found the opening 40 minutes to be quite restless and boring in all honestly, with it being nothing but swirling and wavy editing and shots from scene to scene leaving me quite discombobulated. With that I did find the last hour of the film to be sorrowful but rather entertaining at last. The film is essentially about the rise and fall of Elvis, a man who changed the landscape of music, so with that the thought of a film adaptation of Elvis is rather daring. The performances were fantastic, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Austin Butler picks up an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Elvis. As the film progressed and Elvis got older, the more he looked like Elvis. By the end of the film they both looked so alike it was uncanny. Although I felt a little lacklustre after watching the film, there was a lot of detail from the spectacular cinematography and glamorous costume design to the frenetic but graceful choreography. Although I speak of this film not being as good as I had anticipated, it was still entertaining. I’d recommend everyone to go see it, as it’s still an interesting story that shines a light on the darker side of Elvis Presley, a side that has always been hidden away from the world.Synopsis: With the rise of Elvis Presley to his superstardom, the Rock ‘n’ Roll icon maintains a very complicated relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, throughout his career as a performer. I’d give this film a score of 3½ stars. You can go see Elvis in your local cinema today. Director: Baz Luhrmann – Rating: 12A – Genre: Musical/Drama – Run Time: 2h 39m – Language: English. For more film content please follow @movies4fanatics on Instagram.

by Carina Cunningham

This Summer, why not learn how to throw on the pottery wheel in a one-to-one, three-hour introduction class to pottery with Jill Kelly in her beautiful studio ‘Clay and Cocoon’ in Ardgillan Castle, Balbriggan.With over twenty years of teaching experience in adult education in various schools around Fingal, Jill has a passion for sharing her expertise and knowledge with people so that they can enjoy the many benefits of creating art. During her ceramics Diploma in NCAD she went to work for Michael Roche in Kiltra Bridge Pottery and learned to throw pots under his guidance. She then went on to work for Mel Bradley, hand painting on silk in the CraftTower, Pearse Street, where she learned how to paint on silk, something which she now incorporates in her semi-abstract botanical paintings. She went back to college to complete her post-grad in Art & Design Education and has been a special needs assistant for the last thirteen years in a secondary school.“I like to think my classes are a form of art therapy to help bring out everyone’s creative side. I love working with people and I have found that my students enjoy the process and experience of making something with their own hands as satisfying as seeing the end product at the end of a class. We are all capable of creating art and I have seen this first hand with all of my students. Being in Ardgillan has made this process even more special for me and I’ve very excited to continue to take in new customers into my studio over the coming months”. Jill is planning to hold longer, more extensive classes in Autumn/Winter later thisyear but also has some limited availability for the remainder of her summer classes (please see contact info below).These classes begin at 10:15 am and last for three hours with a maximum of two students per class. After, your pot will be fired twice in her own kiln, glazed, and will be ready for collection a few weeks later, ready for you to take home. Jill is also planning on taking parents and children aged seven and above for shorter classes at the beginning of October. Some of her bespoke creations, pottery, and art can be found in the craft shop in Ardgillan Castle, alongside new gift vouchers for her pottery classes that make for a lovely alternative gift for someone special. If you would like any further information, you can contact Jill by email at: jillkellyart@gmail.com or through Instagram: @clayandcocoon.

By Siobhan O’Neill White (mams.ie)

As parents know, getting children back to school is stressful and expensive. On mams.ie, we have some tips which may help reduce that stress.The Back to school clothing and footwear allowance is a payment made to parents to help with the cost of schooling. Many most parents will have received it by now. However, if you are on a low income, social welfare payment or are struggling due to the rising cost of living you can and should apply for this payment. In cases where both parents are working, you may still qualify. Applications are open until September. Uniforms are a big expense, especially when schools have a ‘recommended supplier’. A crested jumper or cardigan can be €30-40 and jacket €50-60. Instead of buying from these shops, you can buy generic uniform items and have the school crest added. Look for places like Bestwear in Drogheda, who will embroider school crests on for €3-5. We were able to pick up a plain wool cardigan for €10 and plain PE jumper for €8 in Dunnes Stores at the Ilac SC this week and will have the crests added for €10. This is a significant saving. You can also request crests from your school and sew them on yourself. When buying primary school books, look for offers on places like Book Haven and Schoolbooks.ie Many secondary schools have moved to ipads which are great for kids. Everything is up to date and they are easier to carry than heavy books. If your child has an ipad, it is very important to protect it with a cover, so it doesn’t break if (when) they drop it. Hoco in he Ilac SC has a great range of ipad covers. For personalised stick on and iron on label, for uniforms, technology, books etc mynametags.ie labels are excellent. They have a clever coating meaning viruses like Covid cannot stick to them. You will need a sturdy schoolbag for your child and Smiggle have colourful bundles starting at €30. Ideal for primary school kids, the quality is excellent. For stationery, pencils, pens, maths sets and all the accessories your child needs, The Works stores are excellent value. Much cheaper for Sharpies and Bic than many other stores. For more tips on reducing Back to school costs, visit mams.ie and follow us on our socials FB Twitter and Instagram.

By Dave Kavanagh

Every year, I see examples of people who have done all the right things in preparing to apply for a home loan to purchase their new home. They have saved regularly to build a deposit, maintained stable employment, avoided taking out new loans (and made sure any existing or previous loan obligations were paid in full and on time), conducted their current accounts efficiently, etc. but sadly, they don’t get to proceed with their house/apartment purchase (certainly not in the time frame they wanted to) because they cannot get their mortgage protection life cover accepted. This can be for a number of reasons but primarily it comes down to this.When you apply for any form of life cover, it is underwritten based on your current and past medical history. If someone has had any adverse medical conditions, if deemed serious enough, it could prevent cover being granted. More commonly, someone may have been recommended by their GP or consultant to have certain tests done, but they never got around to it. This would usually prompt a life company to postpone a decision until the tests are done and satisfactory results are available. Depending on the type of tests, this could take months to get sorted. For these reasons, anybody planning to apply for a mortgage should research how they will be underwritten for mortgage protection at an early stage, particularly if they are concerned that a past medical issue could be a problem. In the current climate regarding Covid-19, many are even getting their mortgage protection in place early and extending the term so that they are certain of having cover in place, when it is time to draw down the home loan. Once cover is in place, any new medical issues that arise will not be relevant.

Dave Kavanagh QFA has been advising people financially for over 25 years. For quotes or information (with no cost or obligation) he can be contacted by emailing info@financialcompanion.ie or use the contact form on financialcompanion.i or @Davekav_advice on Twitter and Instagram. Combined with his previous role of gym/nutrition adviser, he regularly gives talks and workshops at seminars and events for groups, companies and government departments on financial wellbeing, positivity and motivation. As heard on RTE 2FM , LMFM and TV3.

By Jack Shanley

Over 30 years since it was originally made, Martin Scorsese kicked off the ‘90s by making arguably his third masterpiece. I write about ‘Goodfellas’ following the sad passing of Ray Liotta who shone like a diamond in the movie, screened recently at the Lighthouse Cinema. Liotta’s impeccable performance as Henry Hill will forever be remembered as one of the great gangster performances in cinema history. ‘Goodfellas’, an adaptation of the book ‘Wiseguy’, written by Nicholas Pileggi, is a fast-paced crime drama about a gangster lifestyle we don’t ever see but only hear about. It is gripping from start to finish. Even the opening titles, moving fast from one side of the screen to the other, are dubbed with the sound of cars racing by, symbolising how relentless the gangster lifestyle truly is. ‘Goodfellas’ is so fast paced we see nine freeze frames throughout, highlighting important moments, and slowing the film down to give the audience a chance to catch its breath. Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing is utterly brilliant with match cuts used from scene to scene to keep the momentum going.We also see 204 tracking shots which are used to take us through entire buildings instead of shooting a scene in just one room. One example is the famous date scene where Henry takes Karen through the restaurant kitchen to skip the long queue outside. ‘Goodfellas’ is one of my favourite Scorsese movies. Even if you watch the opening ten minutes, you’ll end up watching the entire film. It flies by so fast, like life itself. Throughout we feel many different emotions, from the highs to the lows, and these characters are just people passing through life before it’s all over in an instant. I’ll give ‘Goodfellas’ a score of five stars. You can watch ‘Goodfellas’ on sky cinema or buy it at Tower Records €7.99. Director: Martin Scorsese – Rating: R - Genre: Crime/Drama Run Time: 2h 26m Language: English. For more film content please follow @movies4fanatics on Instagram.