With three minutes per speaker, anyone is free to take to the mic and pitch their idea. Make sure you have fun with it, no idea is too small or too daft and the audience will be on hand to give relevant feedback.

This event is a great opportunity to share your ideas, make new connections and meet the NDRC LaunchPad team. If you would like to attend this event in The Kazbar, you can register here.

With three minutes per speaker, anyone is free to take to the mic and pitch their idea. Make sure you have fun with it, no idea is too small or too daft and the audience will be on hand to give relevant feedback.

This event is a great opportunity to share your ideas, make new connections and meet the NDRC LaunchPad team. If you would like to attend this event in Langtons Pub, you can register here.

Italy need a kicker

Out of form Burton isn't an international fly-half

The Italians have been plagued with their lack of decent kicker in this tournament so far. Australian-born Kris Burton has started both games for the Italians with a strike rate of 56%; that’s five out of nine attempts at the sticks. His replacement in both games, South African-born Tobias Botes, has a worse strike rate of 33%; one kick from three attempts. Maybe the Italian problem is that they’re kickers aren’t fully home-grown talent like the excluded Mirco Bergamasco. The younger of the Bergamasco brothers racked up 17 points of Italy’s 22 in their 22-21 momentous win against France in the 2011 Championship. The Racing-Métro centre could easily play fly-half for the Azzurri and help set things straight.

The Irish are still good craic

Scenes from the frozen Stade de France in Paris Saturday night

Despite the frozen pitch in Paris on Saturday night, the Irish team decided to have a game of tag rugby to entertain the deflated crowd. True ambassadors of the Irish spirit; Paul O’Connell led his team in some fun egg tossing with their French counterparts. The match, scheduled to kick off at 9pm Paris-time, was called off when referee Dave Pearson deemed the pitch to be too dangerous to play on. The 6 Nations executive committee have confirmed that the match will be rescheduled for Sunday March 4th with a 4 o’clock kick-off.

Charlie Hodgson can block a tackle and score

Hodgson runs in for England against Italy

Having first played with England back in 2001, when he scored 44 points on his debut, Charlie Hodgson has had bad luck in the English shirt over the years. A couple of injuries and intermittent form being reason enough to leave him out. His recovery led to some great seasons at Sale Sharks; where he was named Player of the Year 2008, 2009 and 2010 before a move to Premiership champions, Saracens, this season. Stuart Lancaster has obviously seen something in the Saracen’s fly-half and boy has he delivered. In the first two games of England’s 6 Nations campaign, Hodgson has charged down defensive kicks and crossed the line becoming England’s only try-scorer this year.

Nothing can go right for Scotland

In the first two games of this championship it has been a case of Murphy’s law for Andy Robinson and co. Against the English, Dan Parks’ poor clearance kick, charged down by Charlie Hodgson, led to the game’s only (allowed) try. Greig Laidlaw was unfortunate to have a try disallowed when the television match official deemed there was no downward pressure on the ball.

Both Rory Lamont & Nick De Luca were sin-binned

The following week the Scots travelled to the Millenium Stadium to face the Welsh in what would prove to be the most frustrating 80 minutes for the thistle. Both Rory Lamont and Nick De Luca ended up sin-binned; which allowed Wales to capitalise on the two man overlap. The Edinburgh centre, De Luca, suffered terrible backlash on social networking site, Twitter, which resulted in him cancelling his account.

Welsh backs or Welsh monsters?

Notably the best performing team in this tournament, Wales could emphasize many factors for their success in the past year. Warren Gatland has discovered a winning recipe; the main ingredient being this new breed of backs. Whilst the Welsh boast some of the best forwards in Bradley Davies, Adam Jones and Sam Warburton; the new range of talent found on the high number-wearing Welsh shirts is simply monstrous. The two centres Jamie Roberts and Johnathan Davies stand at 6’4” and 6’1” and weigh 17 stone and 16 stone, respectfully. Wingers, George North and Alex Cuthbert, reach a height of 6’4” and 6’6” and weigh in at 16stone. Leigh Halfpenny, their full-back and place kicker of late stands at only 5’11” and weighs in at just over 13 stone. The lightest and smallest of this new breed of defenders; his commitment to the Welsh game can be questioned by none. Halfpenny won a game at the death from Ireland with a long-range penalty kick and his tackle count is already in double figures after two games. These Welsh monsters won’t hide in the closet until you go to sleep. They will meet you head on and crash up every ruck, defend the ball to the death and going forward they will break the gain-line every time. It will take something remarkable to stop them.

Alex Cuthbert celebrates his first try on his 3rd appearance

Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Drizzle garlic heads with olive oil then warp tightly in aluminum foil Roast until tender, about 40 minutes. Let rest until cool enough to handle then squeeze garlic from papery skin and set aside.
Melt the butter over a gentle heat. Add the potatoes and garlic, thyme and ½ tsp salt, and mix Cover the pan, turn the heat down and sweat for 10 minutes, stirring a few times, do not to allow to colour too much. Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to the boil and let everything simmer gently for 20 minutes.
Puree the soup with a stick blender or in a liqui­d­iser until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and white pepper, stir in the cream and gently reheat without boiling.
Finish with the grated parmesan, a drizzle of fresh cream and fresh chives (optional)

Pole fitness: is definitely the ultimate workout for the modern day woman. It combines both cardio and strength training. His activity is brilliant for toning your body and you’ll be amazed at how fast you improve. A specific warm up is done before moving onto the pole. The cool down releases the tense from your muscles and enhances your flexibility which will benefit you the next lesson. Around the Dublin area, lessons are available from Terri Fierce of Fierce Fitness Dance Studio in Temple Bar and Maynooth Business Campus.

Kick boxing: refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing. Kickboxing is often practiced for self-defence, general fitness, or as a contact sport. It is said to be formed from the combination of elements of various traditional styles. Classes are available in most gyms and leisure centres, as well as boxing clubs.

Aqua aerobics: is the performance of aerobic exercise in shallow water such as a swimming pool. In some areas it is known as AquaFit or “aqua aerobics”, and is a type of resistance training. In addition to the standard benefits of any exercise, the use of water in water aerobics supports the body and reduces the risk of muscle or joint injury. Classes are held in most local swimming pools, and gyms with pools.

Zumba: A new fitness dance sensation featuring exotic rhythms set to high-energy Latin and international beats. Before participants know it, they’re getting fit and their energy levels are soaring! There’s no other fitness class like a Zumba Fitness-Party. It’s easy to do, effective and totally exhilarating, often building a deep-rooted community among returning students. Classes  can be searched for here: http://www.zumba.com/en-US/parties/search/ 

Trampolining: people perform acrobatics while bouncing on a trampoline. These can include simple jumps in the pike, tuck or straddle position to more complex combinations of forward or backward somersaults and twists. If you’re a student, most large colleges have a club, if not, get yourself to Argos where there are some great deals for personal trampolines!

Greig Laidlaw's controversial disallowed try against England

Italy v England

The English will visit the Stadio Olimpico this weekend with a new-found confidence after their win in Murrayfield last weekend. Stuart Lancaster’s charge would want to be wary as the last team to play the Azzurri at home; France, were beaten by this outfit and Brunel’s men will be keen to improve on last week’s four try thrashing in Paris. In that spirit, Brunel has named two changes to the 22-man squad that lost to France last week. Aironi lock Marco Bortolami and Clermont Auvergne centre Gonzalo Canale have made the starting fifteen, whilst Mauro Bergamasco has made the bench. A shoulder injury kept him out of the 2011 championship.

Stuart Lancaster has made no changes for this week stating: “we have decided to leave the starting team the same to allow them more time to gel together…”, Meanwhile, Manu Tuilagi and Toby Flood could both feature for Leicester this weekend; and see future inclusion in the national squad. Eyes will be on Chris Ashton this week. The Northampton winger ran riot last year against the Italians; scoring four tries in Twickenham as they outplayed Italy to a 59-13 win.

Prediction: England

France v Ireland

A team that never really got going last week and still managed to score four tries; the French will be looking to add some class to their game this week. It will be no easy feat as Declan Kidney’s men descend upon the Stade de France Saturday night. Such depth in Saint-André’s squad and the perfect gelling of his backs could signal a hammering on the cards for the Irish. The back five stay intact, whilst Morgan Parra will replace the injured Dimitri Yaschvilli at scrumhalf and Imanol Harinordoquoy will slot in at openside flanker to give extra options in the lineout. Youngster Wesley Fofana will be looking to continue his fine form by making his impact against a mostly unchanged Irish side.

Ireland's Rob Kearney leaps for a high ball

The bookmakers have written off Declan Kidney’s side after defeat to a strong Welsh side. It may suit the Irish to be the underdogs, but there’s a performance wanting in this side since there near-perfect world cup victory over Australia. Kidney has been criticised for not making any changes, especially at number 4 where it seemed like Donnacha Ryan did more than enough to ensure a starting place over Donncha O’Callaghan. Keith Earls will rejoin the squad at second centre, seeing Fergus McFadden move to the bench. Earls has performed well for Munster this season; scoring tries and running great lines. His attacking prowess is not in dispute, it’s his defensive capabilities that are worrying. The French backs can open up a side so easily and if Earls is unable to make critical tackles, he may find himself standing under the posts, asking what went wrong, more often than he’d like. Johnathan Sexton has suffered a mild thigh strain and so Paddy Wallace has been called up as cover and may make the squad if Sexton is deemed unfit.

Prediction: France

Wales v Scotland

When last they met it looked like Scotland would record an epic victory; leading 21-9 in the second half. This was not to be the case though as Wales spurred a late comeback to win it 31-24; retired Shane Williams putting the finishing touches on the occasion. The Welsh are set to record a second straight victory over the Scots if last week is anything to go by. An expert Welsh side didn’t give the Irish an inch and were able to clinch a late victory from the boot of Leigh Halfpenny.

Warren Gatland has named three changes in his side this week. Gethin Jenkins and Dan Lydiate have returned from injury, whilst Ryan Jones will move to lock to replace the suspended Bradley Davis. Davis was given a seven-week ban for his tackle on Ireland’s Donnacha Ryan last week. On the bench, Scarlets lock Lou Reed could make his debut should he be needed. Warren Gatland has said “We cannot afford to underestimate Scotland…”.

Andy Robinson’s men will hope to capitalise on the positive aspects of their game from last week. The possession and territory they maintained meant they should have won the match, but lost all momentum after a disheartening English try and a disallowed Scottish try. To help achieve a win, Robinson has made two changes to the starting fifteen and three more to the bench. Greig Laidlaw will start at 10, replacing Dan Parks who retired during the week. Geoff Cross comes in at tight-head for the unavailable Euan Murray; who doesn’t play on the Sabbath. Three uncapped players have made the bench; prop, Ed Kalman, stand-off, Duncan Weir and full-back, Stuart Hogg. All play for Glasgow and have featured for the Scotland A team. The rest of the side remains unchanged.

Prediction: Wales

Dimitri Yachvili will not feature for the French against Ireland

Rating: 3/5

In one of his early shows, Eddie Izzard has a skit about horror film clichés. He talks about the outsiders entering a village, the villagers not trusting the new arrivals, their coach driver who’s a monster and the haunted castle which looks like “Hell on toast” whilst children’s choirs haunt the soundscape. He may well have been talking about The Woman In Black, except that Daniel Radcliffe isn’t much like James Mason.

The relaunch of Hammer Studios in 2008 was welcomed with delight by horror fanboys. Hammer is synonymous with cheesy-yet-creepy British-grown horror. The Woman In Black is the most Hammer-esque of their new productions. Centering on young widower lawyer Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe), The Woman In Black is unashamedly old-fashioned in its setting and its storytelling. Kipps arrives in a remote village in Northern England to sort the affairs of a recently desceased client, Mrs. Drablow. Thus, the tortured outsider Kipps arrives to a distrusting village and Eel Marsh House, not so much “Hell on toast” as “Limbo in Broth”, set as it is on an islet frequently cut off from the mainland by the rising tide.The village is beset by the frequent and apparent accidental deaths of young children, and it’s not long before Kipps discovers the children’s deaths may have something to do with another former resident of the house, the ‘woman in black’. Susan Hill’s source novel was a throwback to older Victorian horror, and The Woman In Black is as much of a blast from the past. It’ll be a shock to many audiences that there’s so little bloodshed onscreen. Without guts and bloody torrents to distract from the scares, Radcliffe investigates the house with the kind of curious abandon reserved for idiots who are asking for whatever befalls them. He steps out of Hogwarts’ shadow with a convincing performance as Kipps, a steady guide through the grim secrets of Eel Marsh House. He’s backed up by a good supporting cast, including Ciarán Hinds and Janet McTeer as a wealthy couple who also fell victim to the village epidemic of child deaths.

The lack of bloodshed is a gutsy (pardon the pun) move on the part of director James Watkins (Eden Lake). He may alienate audiences more attuned to full-on gore, but will delight the crowds who screamed at the Hammer Horrors of old. The Woman In Black has a healthy number of jump scares, whilst building a thick fog-covered atmosphere in between. Jane Goldman’s script keeps the eerie plot of Hill’s tome in place, though the changed ending may bend some fan noses out of joint. It may be clichéd and it may be predictible, but The Woman Is Black is scary and it is Hammer, and horror fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

Nothing else oozes spring time style better than floral prints. They’re pretty, versatile, and make such a statement it’ll be hard not to attract some attention (for all the right reasons of course!). pretty much every high street store is rocking some amazing ranges at the minute so you’ll have no problem finding something fab. Check out how the stunning Jessica Alba sports the look..

Pennies – black pencil skirt with floral print €13

River island – light coloured floral print skinny jeans £40

Awear – black playsuit with floral print €50

HM – white cardigan with orange floral print €19.95

New look – wine colour floral print denim shorts €24.99

Vero moda – white mini dress with peach & blue floral print €26.95

Until next time,

Stay styley!

Maeve xx

If, like me you’re interested in food trends, the word on the street is that this year’s food trend is to keep it simple with minimal sauces - the sauce should surround the food, not smother it!

I’ve a deliciously mouth-watering lunchtime fish dish for you to try, it’s simple, but effective and ideal with side salad.  The other dish is a marinated pork sirloin with cous cous.  Pork is one of the most economical meats around and if its trimmed properly it can be leaner and healthier than chicken. I love pork and if cooked correctly can be as tasty as a piece of beef steak. My tip, get a lovely thick steak, ask your butcher to cut them fresh. If you don’t have a local butcher you can always fine them on the supermarket shelf, but if you go to Tesco, don’t look for Pork steaks, they have them, but they are labelled as thick cut pork chops!! Mind you, a chop to me is a piece of meat on a rib bone, but Tesco are a  law onto themselves!!

Rating: 4/5

We all think we know someone like Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron); attractive, painfully svelte, heavily made-up and contemptuous. This is the snobby queen bitch that ruled the roost in every high school, dated the jocks and hated just about everyone. Guess what? She never changed.

Young Adult is a horror film in comedy’s clothing. Mavis is simply a horrible person who induces cringes wherever she goes. Despite a job writing for a popular series of teenage novels, it seems the now mid-30s Mavis never grew up. She wears clothes aimed at girls half her age, has Diet Coke for breakfast and carries her little pomeranian dog (named Dolce) in her handbag. This combination is not pleasant, but there has to be some piece of functioning humanity inside that blonde head, right? Alas, insanity seems to have taken over when she resolves to go back to her hometown of Mercury, Minnesota to win back her high school boyfriend Buddy (Patrick Wilson) after he invites her to a party for his newborn daughter. ‘Yikes’ doesn’t begin to cover it.

Director Jason Reitman has explored some unlikeable people in the past (think Aaron Eckhart in Thank You For Smoking), and he and writer Diablo Cody scored a hit with another lackadaisical young lady, Juno. However, Mavis is a different beast altogether. Her drunkard and snide ways are just utterly unlikeable, and Young Adult is immensely brave for focusing on such a grating character. Yet even someone like Mavis must have a conscience, and hers comes in the form of Patton Oswalt. Oswalt, a US comedy stalwart for many years, is a delight in the role of Matt Freehauf, a former classmate of Mavis’ who is crippled following a severe assault back in high school. Mavis runs into Matt and they immediately click over a fondness for whiskey and a strange mutual fascination. He has a conscience, and she has a life beyond Mercury. As odd as it seems, Mavis and Matt compliment each other beautifully.

Theron has a blast as the super-bitch whilst keeping her sympathetic (if not likeable), whilst Oswalt gets laughs and maintains dignity without milking his character’s disability. As events unfold, Mavis’ behaviour gets more erratic and we start to fear she may actually have mental problems. Cody’s script is biting in its dialogue and sometimes cruel in its plotting, whilst Reitman’s camera never looks away. Audiences might though; for all the laughs (and there are many), Young Adult will mostly induce winces and agape mouths. Young Adult’s blacker-than-black style will turn some off, no question. Go with it, however, and Young Adult delivers laughs aplenty. If they are at Mavis’ expense, she’s got no-one to blame but herself.