1. News
‘Prime Time’ creches face prosecution
NEWS
Two creches which featured in an RTE Prime
Time investigation are facing prosecution by
Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The agency
has decided to bring the charges following a
lengthy investigation launched in the aftermath
of the programme. Page 10
‘Three attackers’ in Thai beach murder
WORLDNEWS
Thai police believe at least three “attackers”
were involved in the vicious murders of two
British backpackers whose semi-naked bodies
were found on a tourist idyll this week.
Page 26
COMMENT
BUSINESS
Eircom pulls plug on €3bn listing
Eircom has pulled the plug on a planned €3bn
stock market listing just a week after filing an
updated flotation prospectus with the Central
Bank. Page 34
SPORT
TIMEOUT
Your weather
and puzzles
section
Page46-47
IN TODAY’S PAPER
Liz O’Donnell
Old tricks and new rants
as our TDs return to the
arena ready for battle.
Page 33
PERSONAL NOTICES
Deaths
Page 42
Classifieds
Page 43-45
All-Ireland ticket prices soar
Massive interest in the first ever All-Ireland
senior football final between Kerry and Donegal
has sent ticket prices soaring to over six times
their face value. Stand tickets with a face value
of €80 were last night on offer at €500 each on
various websites. Page 76
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‘We haven’t seen Bill since he left RTE’
SOCCER pundits Johnny Giles
and Eamon Dunphy haven’t seen
their long-standing colleague Bill
O’Herlihy since he retired from
RTE at the end of the World Cup.
Giles and Dunphy are now the
stars of a cringey new TV advert
for a chocolate bar, but the duo
say that RTE’s soccer analysts
don’t often socialise outside of
Montrose.
“We miss Bill, he was great
broadcaster and a true legend,”
Giles said.
“We got on very well but we
didn’t really mix socially, we never
went for drinks.”
Both Giles and Dunphy were
quick to commend O’Herlihy’s
presenting technique but think
new host Darragh Maloney brings
a new dynamic to the panel.
“Bill was the master and
brought something truly unique,”
Dunphy said.
“But Darragh Maloney is doing
a great job and he will only get
better as he gets more experienced
and gets older.
“He is an outstanding broad-
caster and brings a new dynamic
which is a great thing.”
A video of Dunphy and Giles is
currently sweeping the internet,
gaining them plenty of attention.
And their questionable dance
moves on Cadbury’s infamous ‘Feel
the Joy’ ad has raised more than a
few laughs – including some from
Dunphy himself.
“The cringe factor is the secret
to my success – baby!” he told the
Irish Independent.
The advert, which sees Dunphy
and Giles dance to Baccara’s 1977
disco hit ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ has
garnered a lot of attention online
where it has been described as “toe
curling”, “painfully unfunny” and
“deeply disturbing”.
But Dunphy is confident his
moves “are as sharp as ever”,
adding that he has always been “a
much better dancer than football
player” and “loves disco beats –
especially Bee Gees stuff.”
While disco dancing came easily
to Dunphy it took Giles some time
to perfect his footwork.
“I taught John everything he
knows when it comes to dancing
and he taught me everything I
know when it comes to football,”
Dunphy said.
“He doesn’t have the confidence
and flair I do but he’s learning.”
Kirsty Blake Knox
John Giles and Eamon Dunphy
pictured yesterday.
History is made after
Golden goal for Dublin with €100m
boost from soccer championship
DUBLIN City is set for a financial
boost of up to €100m after UEFA con-
firmed the Aviva Stadium will host
four Euro 2020 football fixtures.
The tournament will be spread
across Europe for the first time to
mark its 60th anniversary.
Dublin is one of eight cities chosen
to host three group stage matches and
one last-16 fixture.
The tournament will be shared
between 13 host cities with Wembley
Stadium in London hosting the semi-fi-
nals and final. London was selected
“by acclamation” after the German FA
stood aside in exchange for English
support for their Euro 2024 bid.
Due to the Europe-wide spread
of the championships, every host
nation will have to qualify for the
tournament.
Should they qualify, Ireland will be
guaranteed two group games in Dub-
lin after UEFA confirmed a maximum
of two host teams will be allowed in
each group.
FAI CEO John Delaney (pictured
below) said it will be a “tremendous
honour” to host the matches in a year
that coincides with the FAI’s 100-year
anniversary. “It’s an historic day. We’ve
achieved a holy grail really that I think
in the past, people would have felt we
couldn’t achieve,” he said.
“We had a good degree of confi-
dence going in today but when Dublin
comes out and you see Dublin there
in front of the whole of Europe, maybe
the whole of the world, it’s a wonder-
ful, wonderful feeling.”
Speaking to the Irish Independent,
RTE pundit Eamon Dunphy said the
successful bid is a “vindication” of the
FAI’s decision to “extend themselves
financially” to ensure the redevelop-
ment of the Aviva Stadium.
“Although there is massive debt
associated with the stadium, the fact
that we can facilitate the European
Championship is amazing,” he said.
“It’s great for the country. It will
bring a lot of people in and it’s great
for soccer and sport in Ireland.”
The UEFA tournament is one of the
biggest sporting events in the world
and with a cumulative TV audience of
1.9 billion, only the FIFA World Cup
and Summer Olympic Games have a
greater global reach.
Delight
Tourism and business representatives
have expressed their delight at a
decision that could be worth “tens of
millions” to Dublin.
Dublin Chamber of Commerce chief
executive Gina Quin said the matches
could be worth between €50m and
€100m to the city “depending on which
teams are drawn to play in Dublin.”
“The games will attract tens of
thousands of football fans from all
over Europe . . . This provides us with
an incredible opportunity to demon-
strate Dublin’s credentials as a host
city for big events and a destination
for tourists,” she said.
Minister of State for Tourism and
Sport, Michael Ring said the “sig-
nificant economic impact” of the
tournament will be felt throughout
the country.
“It is a marvellous opportunity for
our nation to be part of one of the
world’s top sporting events and a
fantastic opportunity for Irish football
fans to enjoy such a prestigious event
on their own home soil,” he said.
Failte Ireland CEO, Shaun Quinn
said the championships are “a great
opportunity” to showcase Ireland on
the world stage.”
“I am confident we can provide a
fantastic experience and atmosphere
for all the overseas fans – before,
during and after each game,” he said.
Michael Staines
and Kirsty Blake Knox
Euro 2020 venue:
Aviva Stadium,
Dublin, will hold
three group stage
games and one
round-of-16 match
UEFA president
Michel Platini
announcing Dublin
as a host city for
Euro 2020
2 Irish Independent
Saturday 20 September 2014