Fusion Magazine - September 2015

SEPTEMBER 2015 €3.50

RYAN SHERIDAN / J.W. ANDERSON / THE RIPTIDE MOVEMENT / PARAIC LEAHY / HILARY JONES

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11 Ryan Sheridan 14 16 20 28 30 34 36 41 44 47 51 54 56 62 64 68 70 72 74 76 78 82

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Paraic Leahy Andy Lee

Well Being Culture Night

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Emma Manley Rebecca Marsden

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EDITOR IN CHIEF / Michelle Costello PHOTOGRAPHER / Tarmo Tulit GRAPHIC DESIGN / Keith Aherne CONTRIBUTORS: Kayleigh Ziolo Sophie Butler

David Cuddihy Mary Kiely

Hazel Ryan Sheehan Evan Considine Rebecca Egan Olivia Chau

Johanna Aaspollu Kellie Fitzgerald

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“I LOVE PL AYING LIVE, THAT’S WHAT I LOVE DOING, T H AT’S WH Y I’M I N T H I S B U S I N E S S A N D I R E A L LY WANT TO GET THAT ACROSS IN THE ALBUM.”

Ah you gotta tour Ireland, I mean I’m from here so I have to tour here. It brings you back It’s been four years since Ryan Sheridan’s last down to earth because Irish crowds are the studio album and at the end of last month, best for the heckling. he finally released his new album Here and Now. With that he has also just finished his Does it feel weird to go on a world tour and then tour of Australia and Germany, and is set to come home and play at home in Monaghan? come back to tour all over Ireland throughout No it doesn’t, it feels great. I mean especially September with gigs at Whelans, Roisin coming back to Monaghan having family and friends - everybody is there. I’m more nervous Dubh, and Westfest to name a few. at that than I am anywhere else, to be honest.

We sit down with Ryan to see what we could There does be a lot of slagging and good craic expect from his upcoming tour and album and at gigs like that so it puts you at ease. to see what’s he’s been up to for the last four You played a lot of Irish music as a child. Do you years. think that that has had much of an influence on your music?

How’s your tour going?

I’m just back from Germany, I was doing some Yes massively. When I was about five I was in gigs over there. I’m starting my tour August the ceoltas playing the fiddle but I quit playing, although I did play it up until I was fifteen.

28th in Ireland.

Then I picked up the guitar. But it wasn’t until For anyone seeing you on the Irish leg of your I was about twenty that it came back to me, tour, what can they expect from one of your that feeling of playing Irish music and I think that’s an element that I have in most of my gigs?

I like to keep it very energetic so I think they songs. Yeah, it’s been a big influence. can expect an acoustic, raw, and energetic set.

You were also in a band called Shiversant. When You’re going to be touring all over the world that ended, why did you decide to go solo and soon - why do you think it’s important to still not join another band?

Well to be honest, I finished with the band tour Ireland so extensively?

Ryan Sheridan – Musician

and then I kind of quit music for a while when I moved from Glasgow back to Ireland, back to Dublin. It just wasn’t working out that much and I got bogged down in other jobs.

I got to open my own venue at home and I got some bands in there. It was just one day that I decided I was gonna give music another go. It had been eight years so I met up with Arthur, the drummer from the band, and we just decided we would go out onto the streets and busk. It was kind of then that I made the decision. It wasn’t a decision that I would go solo, it just happened.

Your third studio album, Here and Now, has just been released - can you tell us a bit about it?

It’s been four years since my first album. I’ve recorded this album for the past two years. I recorded it in two parts – I recorded the first part of the album in Grouse Lodge with Jim Lowe from Stereophonics and the second part of the album then I recorded in Germany with a fella called Vincent Sorge.

In the first part of the album I wanted it to be a little bit more rock but then I wanted to go back to my roots a little bit more. I want to keep it more acoustic, more raw, and more energetic. So in the album there’s a couple of rock songs, energetic acoustic songs and there’s a couple of ballad songs.

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“I THINK THEY I love playing live, that’s what I love doing, that’s why I’m in this business and I really want to get that across in the album.

Along with many other Irish artists, you’ve spent a lot of time in Germany. You recorded part of your album there and you’re always touring there. Why do you think that Germany is such a great place for music?

It’s a massive country for a start. I mean it just seems to be that there is an audience for every genre of music over there. It’s been great for me, I can’t really speak for anybody else but for me I just did a few support gigs, I did a few TV things and I got a sold out tour on the back of it and it just kind of took off for me.

I think they really love the Irish sound that we have over there, our energy in our songs, our melodies in our voice. I’m not sure, I’m not completely sure what it is. I’m liking it whatever it is.

What was your main influence for your new album?

Trying to take my songs back more acoustically was an influence for me, thinking back over my time doing traditional music, I think that was my main influence. Lyrically, I tried to keep the album positive as well so between the two of them I think they were my main influences.

What do you think makes this album different from your last?

Well there’s a lot more going on in this album I think. There’s definitely a lot more instruments in these songs. I think it’s developed over the past four years and that comes across in the album as well.

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CAN EXPECT AN ACOUSTIC, RAW, AND ENERGETIC SET.” What is your favourite song off the album and why?

My favourite song would be a song called ‘Stay’ because I’ve had a bit of hardship with that song. That song has had a lot of versions.

There were a lot of faster versions and I scrapped them and I went with the slower version which completely changed the whole song.

I just love it. I love the energy behind it. I love playing it live and it’s just my favourite one.

Ryan’s album “Here and Now” is available now.

Words - Sophie Butler Images - Jelena Lihhatsova

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30’s

13 year old self: So, we haven’t caught up in quite a while, I have so much to ask, tell me where are you now?

31 year old self: Well, I’ve been living in Limerick City the past 13 years and consider it home at this stage.

Throughout my early teens I would spend many hours contemplating how my life was going to turn out. What would I work at, where would I live and many more questions besides. I think I have always wanted the designer life and often trawled through magazines and catalogs when I was bored, picking out how big my house would be, what furniture I would have, the colours on the walls and even the bed sheets I wanted.

I pictured myself in a penthouse apartment with an amazing skyline view, I would have the best of everything and want for nothing.

The 13 year old me was creating a life for myself based on what he was reading of the rich and famous in countless magazines. My 13 year old self had a bit of a vivid imagination and the money to go with it so it seems!

All of a shot I have found myself in my early 30s, and without an instruction manual, to make matters worse. This is all a tad overwhelming if I allow myself to think of it for too long. Is there a plan I should be following now that I am here, or do I just keep freewheeling as I did for most of my 20s? I am single, full time employed and with no commitments and wondering if this is the new normal for my age. Growing up I always imaged being settled by the time I hit my 30s but was this just some form of imaginary goal which I set myself because it was the social norm going back 20 years or so?

Life plans are not something the average fella discusses while having a few pints so I find myself at a loss as to what others are thinking.

Us menfolk don’t really like to delve into such serious lifestyle topics as we are more of a casual creature preferring to go with the flow and deal with whatever life throws our way with manly nonchalance. I for one have appeared to have mastered the technique throughout my 20s but I think maybe it’s time to answer some of the questions my 13 year old self dreamed of.

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13 year old self: Oh right! Have you settled down yet? Married? Children?

31 year old self: This may not come as a surprise to you but no, I haven’t found the one yet. Don’t worry though surely someone will put up with me at some stage. As for the kids part, I don’t think that will be happening any time soon.

13 year old self: OK then! Why have you ruled out kids?

31 year old self: Well to tell the truth and I don’t want to alarm you but in a year or two you will turn your attention from girls to boys.

Don’t worry though this won’t define you and your life will still be as good as it is now, I promise.

13 year old self: Well I kind of expected that but I’m glad it worked out. So tell me about your house, is it all I imagined it to be - big, spacious, modern, fabulous?

31 year old self: Well it’s not quite how you imagined it no. I’ve been renting for many years and had lots of different houses but on the plus side if you get bored you can move and find something better. Sometimes a change is as good is anything and you will have many of those over the years. 9 to be exact, just so you’re prepared. I do have nice bedsheets though!

13 year old self: Ok so let me get this right, I’m not going to be rich, I’m not going to be famous, I’m not settled down yet, is there anything that I can look forward to?

31 year old self: Ah come on now it’s not all that bad, it just may not work out just the way you imagined it. You will have a lot of ups and downs in your life, but I will not tell you exactly when these are going to be because I want you to live your life not fearing what’s around the corner. I will give you this advice though: you will sometimes be afraid to take that leap into the unknown, do not be afraid as you can very easily adapt to life whatever it throws at you and you will make the best of any situation.

13 year old self: Thanks for that. One last question; will I be happy?

31 year old self: Yes, yes you will. Things may not have exactly worked out the way you dreamed them but that will never hold you back. What you will experience over the next 18 years will define you and make you who I am today. One more thing, 31 is not old so stop your worrying and live your life in the moment. Dreams will always be there and there is plenty of time to make them happen!

Take care of yourself kiddo!

So, after a little chat with my inquisitive 13 year old self I’m suddenly not feeling as daunted by where I am today. I know now that I have got this far on my own intuition and will continue to carve my own little way through this life. So what if I haven’t fulfilled exactly what I dreamed of all those years ago, I still have plenty of time to come up with more dreams and carry see them through, if I choose to. I think the life of a thirty-something carefree man may suit me and if it changes along the way then so be it I will deal with it.

For now I am secure and happy and I think my 13 year old self would be fairly ok with that once he realises the difference between dreams and reality. I’d strongly recommend to stop and having a chat with your younger self sometimes for a bit of perspective, it may not be quite as mad as it sounds. I hope!

13 year old self: Yeah that sounds about right, I’m always changing my mind too. So I’m taking it you didn’t become famous like I imagined - at least tell me you’re loaded?

31 year old self: Well not really no, sorry to disappoint you. Not entirely my fault though because the country has been through a bit of a rough time and we’ve all been hit by more taxes and money just seems to fly out these days. If you’re clever save as much as you can in your teens and early twenties but maybe Words - Dave Cuddihy keep it in the post office and not the banks.

THINK OUTSIDE THE

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VISUAL ARTIST

PARAIC LEAHY Paraic Leahy gives us a warm welcome into his Limerick based studios and says with a smile that he won’t be based here for much longer. After 11 years living in Lady Limericks’ aisles he is destined for the grassier fields of Callan, Kilkenny, where he will commence his Tony O’Malley Residency, a well-earned award. Naturally, I was keen to discover his story, and find out what draws him to create such different and intricate, delicate pieces.

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How did you find yourself in this line of work?

I’ve always loved art. At school I used to draw in the evenings, it was simply a past time then.

I never knew I’d end up making a living from working as a visual artist. I just loved the ability of making exact representations of something real on paper with my pencils. I would draw things over and over again, countless versions of the one shoe! Precision has always been key for me; I like to think that it is still evident in my work.

These pieces on your studio wall must be from your recent exhibitions?

Yes! These are all pieces from my exhibition ’To Behold Oneself as One Looks to Others’ at Nag Gallery, Dublin 2014, which were a continuation of ideas related to my first solo exhibition titled - ‘Behold the Scaffolding on Which Beauty is Built’ held in Ormston House in 2013. The scaffolding referring to the human skull, acting as simply that, (a scaffolding), on which we construct our own versions of beauty; what is acceptable and what is not. I toy with these ideas and distort realities. The purpose of these pieces is to question ‘what is beauty and who defines it?’

How do you develop ideas to create these pieces? Tell me about the process and the mediums you use.

I focus on a relatively small scale at the minute, but I aim to change that in my next body of work. I love literature, woodwork and portraiture so I guess many of my works explore these elements. I read a lot about various techniques and approaches and study the histories of representational art; photography too. Old family photographs are so interesting to me, I’d examine photos from the 1920s and older very carefully. Then I paint on wood, which adds another element of the natural world and hopefully gets people to question what is real and what is constructed beauty. I collect wood and store it; the natural grain, texture and colour can be a great canvas for a piece or even inspire a totally new idea within me.

What is your first memory of painting?

I actually never painted until college. In school I only really focused on drawing and in LSAD we did blocks of various art forms, so in first year I painted my first picture. It hadn’t been something I had considered before but I absolutely loved it! But the type of art that I like, which I guess relates to the art I create, is a very specific style, it isn’t something many people would be familiar with I guess.

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“MY MANTRA IS TO KEEP PLUGGING AWAY, STAY IN THE STUDIO - HOWEVER LONG IT TAKES”

Do you come from an artistic background?

Not really - my sister is a graphic designer, which is a path I thought I too would follow but once I tried it out I realised it really wasn’t for me. I didn’t like the process, I preferred the notion of physically creating my images.

I have a cousin who is also an artist. I wasn’t necessarily steeped in art from a young age, it was more my self-immersion in art as a fulfilling hobby that has brought me down this road.

What else inspires you? When you go somewhere new are you enthralled by the architecture and art of the cultures around you?

I do love going to new places and I get great enjoyment from vast free spaces like the countryside, but I can’t say that new places completely change my style or approach. It is more the case that I find there what I already know and what I identify with. I have really come to recognise and work on developing my individual style. When I finished college first, my pieces were more random and perhaps not as fluid or reflective of me, of my interests, and of what I want to develop and expose through art, as they are now. When I travel I see more of what I already link to than anything that can throw me on a totally different line.

To be so grounded and understanding of what your work is must be comforting - have you ever travelled with your work?

Well you can never get too comfortable (laughs). Nothing I do is ever too similar.

Every collection is different - focusing on developing in scale is my next feat to overcome definitely, the subjects shall remain the same size but the canvas shall grow. My work is so detailed and if I make a mistake I have to scrap it and start anew, so that has helped me know what I want standard wise, but product wise… you never know how a piece will turn out until it is done!

My work has been exhibited in the UK, around Europe, New York and Australia. It’s always a privilege and a delight when I exhibit in a new place. I had a residency in Wyoming (USA) for two months in 2011: that was a very interesting experience. It definitely influenced my art and my outlook, being based in somewhere so sparse and alien compared to Limerick or Tipp, where I grew up.

however long it takes, it will be worth it. So far it has worked, I’m fierce excited about my new residency in Callan: the Tony O’Malley Residency is a fantastic opportunity for me and other awardees. It is a superb opportunity, to have such a large studio and living space right nearby, particularly when you think that you are in the same space of such a reputable Irish artist. The support of Jane O’Malley (Tony’s wife) and the RHA to artists like myself through this residency will help shape the product of Irish artists.

Describe in one word what your art demonstrates?

Vulnerability. It would have to be that; the fragility of the wood I often use, the breakdown of portraits and politics how ridiculous society can be in its portrayal of everyday life.

See Paraic’s works yourself on: www.paraicleahy.com

Words - Rebecca Egan Do you view life as a visual artist in Ireland Images - Tarmo Tulit challenging?

Certainly, particularly from talking to older artist friends they have identified the greater uncertainty for younger artists. My mantra is to keep plugging away, stay in the studio -

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MORE THAN MR. NICE GUY

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“I DID HAVE A STRONG IDEA OF WHAT I WANTED TO DO AND WHAT I HOPED TO ACCOMPLISH,IT’S BET TER THAN THE DREAM IN SO MANY WAYS. IT’S VERY GRATIFYING TO BE HERE.”

Time is of the essence. We’re told we have “literally two minutes” in order to finish our photoshoot and interview Andy Lee before he has to leave. As the camera clicks through a series of poses, we eventually pluck up the courage to present him with the SpongeBob plaster.

A pause, then Andy laughs: “So why are we bothering with all these other shots when you’re obviously going to choose this one!”

He’s caught us bang to rights, of course.

The rumours are true, it seems. Andy Lee is well known for being one of the kindest and most down to earth men in boxing, and in our short time together (more than two minutes, as it turned out) he is pleasant, polite and charming. He is also one of the most dangerous competitors in professional boxing, famed for his killer punch - he was recently rated the 10th best single puncher in the world by HBO - an all-encompassing style that allows no room for complacency.

He describes his boxing as reflective of his personality; strategic, but if he is stunned he will retaliate. And as he speaks about his imminent title defence, it is clear there is a strategic, technical mind at work, thinking in terms of warfare, rather than aggression.

There’s a sense of Hollywood romance to his story. The southpaw amateur boxer going pro, a member of a traveller family from Castleconnell with a big dream, overcoming devastating defeats to be crowned WBO Middleweight Champion in 2014.

Yet, in the presence of the man himself, with his steely focus and relaxed humour, it just seems to make total sense. He is self-assured, without arrogance. Why wouldn’t he make it to the top, it’s where he knew he would be all along.

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When speaking to a former member of St. Francis ABC, Mungret Street, where Andy trained as a teenager, that Andy always stood out to him, not just because he had an extraordinary natural talent, but because from the very beginning he always had his eye on the ultimate goal of world domination. He always had a strategy.

“I suppose, I wouldn’t say I was focused on being world champion then, but I did have a strong idea of what I wanted to do and what I hoped to accomplish,” Andy says. And how does the dream compare with the reality? “It’s better than the dream in so many ways.

It’s very gratifying to be here.”

THE MAKING OF A CHAMPION That’s not to say his dream came true easily.

Like anyone who reaches the pinnacle of success, it was done through perseverance and bouncing back from the pain of defeat.

Andy is a Limerick man through and through, but he was actually born and spent most of his childhood in Bow, East London, where his parents had moved to not long after marrying in the 1970s. That was where he began his boxing career, following his older brothers in Repton Boxing Club. He had his first competitive fight at the tender age of 11. Just a few years later, he was the National Champion.

The family moved back to Limerick in 1998 and Andy joined St. Francis. He went from strength to strength and began attracting attention from the international boxing community. His campaign at the 2004 Olympic Games ended in disappointment, as he lost out in a count back decision against Hassam N’Dam N’Jikam of Cameroon. Yet he also enjoyed success in the Irish Amateur Championships between 2003 and 2005. As a result, the Irish Sports Council declared their

desire to fund him in the Beijing Olympics, but he turned it down to sign a professional contract with legendary Emmanuel Steward, who was said to have been following young Andy’s progress since he came to prominence in the 2002 World Junior Championship. He was the subject of much praise in the coming years, with HBO and ESPN rating him as a top prospect. He won his first professional bout in 2006 and became Irish Super-middleweight champion the following year. 2008 brought about his first and only professional defeat against Brian Vera. While Andy subsequently won all his fights from 2008 onwards, Vera had faced defeat in the last four out of five fixtures; some commentators still doubted Lee’s ability when they faced each other again in 2011. Andy won by unanimous decision.

His first shot at a professional world title came against Julio Caesar Chavez Jr. in 2012.

Though the fight started well for Andy, the stronger physicality of Chavez won out and the bout was stopped in the seventh round.

Andy had tasted defeat again and he took it hard. Then an even bigger blow occurred as Steward, his trainer, manager and friend, passed away after a short illness. Andy had been living with Steward and trained at his renowned Kronk Boxing Gym in Detroit. It could have been a period of turmoil, but he kept going forward, with the help of new trainer Adam Booth.

Andy said at the time that “The best thing I can do is go on and achieve. He always believed in me… the best way I can honour Emmanuel is be a champion one day…”

Then came the comeback. The title defeat was followed by an undercard victory against former Irish Super middleweight Anthony Fitzgerald in 2013. The next victory was sealed against fellow hard hitter John Jackson.

It was a rollercoaster of a fight, Andy was knocked down for the first time ever in the

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“I’M 31 AFTER ALL... I FEEL LIKE I’VE ACHIEVED ALMOST EVERYTHING I WANT TO ACHIEVE, EXCEPT THOMOND, SO I’LL PROBABLY BE LOOKING AT A COUPLE MORE BEFORE CALLING IT A DAY.”

first round, but made it to the fifth, when, on the ropes, he caught Jackson with a powerful right hook counter that knocked him straight out. After that, he secured a WBO World Middleweight title shot against undefeated former Olympian Matt Korobov. The rest is history: in December 2014, Andy was the first Irishman to win a world title on American soil since 1934. He returned from Las Vegas to Limerick in triumph, with thousands of people waiting to give him a hero’s welcome.

His mother, Anne, proud as any mother could be, was by his side when he landed in Shannon Airport.

It’s clear that he has a very supportive and close knit family. His mother, his wife Maud, and his young nephews and nieces are all here as we speak with Andy. It’s very endearing to see the younger family members passing the championship belt around and play-fighting with one another, they are obviously very proud of their famous uncle. Do his family travel with him a lot? “They don’t come to every press event, but they will always be at the fights. There are no rules - when they want to come, they come,” he smiles.

CALM BEFORE THE STORM And now he’s focused on the pinnacle of his career: his title defence. He says he never wants to taste defeat again, and he says it like he means it.

When the spotlight is on him, Andy is relaxed and composed, and never engages in any trash talk or aggrandising. He chooses his words carefully, yet the answers he gives appear honest and from the heart. When someone mentions a headline about him vowing to knock his opponent out in four rounds, he very quickly explains that he was misquoted.

He is very keen, it seems, to make sure he is not drawn into anything that would seem

disrespectful or lacking in sportsmanship.

Perhaps the calm demeanour is all a deliberate effort to disarm his opponents, to lure them into a false sense of security. More likely this is just more of Andy as he comes. His eyes give only the faintest glimmer of fatigue from a day of flashing cameras and endless questions. But any irritation he may feel, he wouldn’t show.

With this in mind, I ask him how he feels about the promotion and media side of his life. Can it sometimes be as gruelling as the training?

“If it’s a bit away from the fight, it’s fine; it feeds into the excitement and it’s good to see people get hyped up. But when it comes closer, it can be a bit of a pain. Everything gets more intense and I’m trying to make sure I’m making weight. Obviously when you’re trying to lose weight, you end up a bit cranky!

It can be hard to keep smiling and answering questions.”

Of course, as Limerick’s son, Andy is already the hero for Irish fans. And while words between him and his opponent have been nothing but respectful, Billy Joe Saunders meanwhile hasn’t helped avoid his public tarring as the villain. Back in July, as Andy and Adam Booth announced they were in talks to try to get Katie Taylor on the undercard, Saunders made some rather dubious comments about women’s boxing and women’s societal roles as a whole. In a video uploaded to YouTube, he stated: “Women are there for cleaning, cooking, washing and sex. They’re not to put a headguard on and get punched in the face.” It may have been a clumsy attempt at tongue in cheek humour, but needless to say it didn’t go down well, particularly in contrast to Andy’s declared commitment to promoting gender equality in the sport. Taylor herself responded with classy dismissal on Twitter, while Andy took the opportunity to promise he would teach

Saunders a “painful lesson” on their behalf.

Saunders later apologised for the offence caused.

Then of course, came the debacle of The Showdown at Thomond. Everything had appeared to be in place for the first open air stadium fight held in Ireland since Steve Collins vs Chris Eubank at Pairc Ui Chaoimh in 1995. But, as we all know, it wasn’t to be.

The cancellation of the event at Thomond Park as a result of Andy contracting a virus was a big blow to him and to Irish fans alike.

Shock turned into questions as rumours abounded on social media about ticket sales and discontent from Frank Warren and Billy Joe Saunders’ camp. The fight, dubbed “World War III” will now be held in Manchester and will host two other world title bouts.

Ahead of this all-consuming event, it seems futile to try to get Andy to talk about much else.

We do however touch upon the future of his career. After Saunders, he says he will be in for one or two more big fights, then he’ll be looking towards his retirement. “I’m 31 after all... I feel like I’ve achieved almost everything I want to achieve, except Thomond, so I’ll probably be looking at a couple more before calling it a day.”

The answer is a bit of a jolt. It seems strange to hear him talking about the imminent hanging up of his gloves. He may have much behind him, but it still feels like he is a fresh talent who has many more waves to make in the sport. Perhaps it’s because of his refreshingly low-key attitude, the fact he isn’t in the news for much other than his ring achievements, his response to his success quieter than the usual flashier characters of the sport. Andy doesn’t have much to tell about what he does in his downtime, at least not much other than what most of us do in our spare time. “You’re always conscience of the next challenge, but my last 25

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fight was in April so I had been on downtime after that. I haven’t really done anything in particular, just travelled about a bit, went to Spain and Barcelona, the Monaco Grand Prix, a few weddings of friends and family nothing too out of the ordinary, really.” Even his response to recovering from a virus is much like the rest of us too – no health spa retreat or specially sourced medicines, just “a bit of my mother’s cooking at home”.

GREAT POWER, GREAT RESPONSIBILIT Y

boxers of traveller heritage, something which makes both fighters particularly proud. Andy said recently, “The thing that makes the fight special is that there’s a lot of pride on the line.

There’s always pride on the line when you’re fighting, I guess, but this one especially with our backgrounds. I’m going to leave it in the ring. I know he is and he knows I am.”

Saunders agrees: “It doesn’t need talking up.

You’ve got two proud travelling men going out and doing it for their countries. The fans are definitely going to win in this fight.” It’s been a dramatic, twist filled build up to a fight that will no doubt have plenty of drama of its own.

Perhaps all this will lead to that Hollywoodesque happy ending and we will see a repeat of those triumphant scenes at Shannon Airport in 2014. Whatever happens, the whole of Ireland is behind their champion all the way.

Level headed, focused, making the most of his natural talent - Andy is a good role model for any young person to have. How does he feel about being in that position?

“I think it’s important to have positive role models growing up. Mine were my two Words - Kayleigh Ziolo brothers, I just wanted to be like them.”

He feels responsible towards his legion of fans: Images – Tarmo Tulit “If I am a role model then I want to make sure that I can keep a connection with them. That’s why defending the title at Thomond was such a big deal for me and why it was such a disappointment when it fell through. It wasn’t my decision. I dreamed of defending my title at Thomond Park every time I ever walked past the stadium over the years, and I wanted to repay those who’ve supported me since I was an amateur. Because if I can become a world champion then any kid from Limerick can do it. If it had been up to me at the time it would still be happening in Limerick, though I know it was the right call.”

The crowd could be the difference for Andy in Manchester. “There is a big Irish community so I would expect a big crowd for me.” It will be an event filled with emotion, he admits, but he won’t be daunted by the change of venue: “All the disappointment has only strengthened my resolve. Now, nothing will stop me from winning this fight. I have to be at 100% because I know how hard this fight will be.”

Trainer Booth also credits him with a wisdom and ability to process emotions and use them to his advantage.

While a disappointment for Irish boxing fans hoping to see him on their soil, the title defence is still set to be a fight to remember.

It is also the first ever title fight between two

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life

of

a

former

PART Y GIRL

Kellie is founder of Blog: The Adventures of a Sober Señorita Wow I can’t even believe I’m typing this! I made it to one full year without alcohol. When I took my last drink. I will never forget how it felt. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I was tired of being the party girl, I was tired of feeling like shit. I was tired of disappointing and embarrassing my friends and loved ones.

I decided I needed a big change. Trying to drink in moderation hadn’t proved to be the best option for me. It never worked. Enough was enough. I tried something that I never did before – stopped drinking alcohol completely.

When I started this sober journey I wasn’t sure how long it would last and now I can’t imagine going back to how my life was before.

The positives have been plentiful and the negatives have been slim to none.

Here’s what I’ve learned in my one year sans alcohol:

of alcohol. I learned that waking up on the weekend without a hangover, having a cup of coffee, and going for a run is exactly what I want to be doing. I’m learning that person who was under the cloud of constant alcohol black outs for the last several years was not me. I am not the stupid embarrassing things I did, I am a real person who does not mix well with alcohol.

3. Alcohol was not fun for me anymore I had been trying and failing for years to regulate my drinking. I’m only going to drink two, ok three, just on the weekends. It never worked and I finally figured out why – I’m not a person who can ingest alcohol. It started out as a fun, social thing for me years ago, but last year I realised that it wasn’t fun anymore. In fact it was the root of any type of problem I had. Bad things happened to me when I drank and I should have wanted to stop sooner than 1. My senses are heightened x 1000 I feel everything with a noticeable heightened I did. sensitivity. This includes emotions, muscle pain, sense of smell, hearing, and taste. My 4. My life is manageable nose is so sensitive to smells I am ALWAYS When actively drinking my life was a hot saying “it smells like ___ in here”, or “whoa, mess and I was comfortable that way. I fought it smells SO strong”. My emotions are crazy, through the scary first days and months of not sometimes I think this is what it must feel drinking and now being sober is my normal. like to be pregnant. I cry at the drop of a I’m so glad it is. Bad things would happen hat, I’m offended easily, and sometimes I in the past and I always felt like it was the am so happy I feel like I’m going to burst. I end of the world and drinking was the answer actually care what people think about me. This to everything. Now, I feel more prepared if ‘feeling everything’ thing can be extremely something bad were to happen, I am able to overwhelming at times, but I’ve never felt handle it in a healthy way. Additionally, less bad things have happened since I stopped something so amazing. drinking alcohol which was the cause of many 2. I’m just beginning to understand who I really problems in the past. I am now present and thankful for each day. am I’ve been learning that there are things I thought I liked that I really don’t like and 5. I am worthy of love? things I like that I never knew I did. I’m I’m positive I have been sabotaging my learning how to socialise and be myself romantic relationships for a long time. Why? with friends and family without the crutch Now that might take years to find out, but 28

the drinking just helped fuel this problem.

It supported, encouraged, and justified bad decisions of all kinds, especially those related to men. What I didn’t realise until the drinking stopped was that I am capable of being in a normal relationship and I do in fact, deserve to be loved. You see, I had this way of thinking that since I was fucked up, I was meant to be in a fucked up relationship. Now I know that is crazy talk. I am lucky enough to be in a loving, healthy relationship with an amazing man who has helped show me that I deserve all the love in the world and I am finally starting to believe him.

I learning to feel them. I am learning how to deal with them, and live a healthy and successful life. I have made mistakes along the way and I will never be perfect. Every day I have to make a conscious decision not to beat myself up. I am a work in progress and I have come a LONG way. There are good days and bad days. Sometimes I feel like life isn’t fair and I wish I could just drink alcohol normally like everyone else. Mostly, I have accepted that this is the way my life is, kind of like having five knee surgeries, quitting alcohol has become one of my stories of perseverance.

I never thought that sobriety would be my preferred way of life, but now I can’t imagine going back to my party girl ways. I never dreamed I would feel SO happy, full, and healthy living a life without drugs and alcohol.

I was always that girl who needed alcohol to have fun and now I am a testament to the fact that you don’t need it to enjoy yourself. I wake up every day feeling relieved that I never have to feel hungover. I hope that by sharing my story other party girls (and boys) will have the courage to put down the drink and live the life they have always imagined. The best is yet to come.

6. Toxic people are just like toxic habits This is a big one for me. Obviously when you stop drinking or doing drugs you probably need to change some friends you hang out with. I definitely had to do this and I realised just how little I had in common with some people. I also realised that I had friends that were completely different from me, without the same goals and outlook on life. It felt all too fake. When you make a big life decision like admitting you have an alcohol problem and decide to stop drinking, you really find out who your true friends are. There are those who will love you unconditionally, those who Words – Kellie Fitzgearld won’t bat an eyelash, and those who will still offer you cocktails after they already know you don’t drink. I’ve encountered all of the above.

Getting rid of my toxic friendships along with my toxic habits just makes sense and I’m learning not to feel bad about it.

7. I’m not perfect and that’s ok Stopping a nasty habit like alcohol abuse can bring out a lot of guilt, shame, and regret. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t felt all of the above at times. However, I am realising feeling all the emotions I spent years trying to numb is actually a beautiful thing. Not only am

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Passing the key of a Kingdom to the entire and history and so much more… but it invites us in for free.

Irish Community.

-11pm, Workshop leaders and volunteers organising and running the events naturally are building their profile and experience. Sometimes Sure if you’re into the artsy-fartsy stuff begrudgers consider this the secondary reason wouldn’t you just go anyway? Why do you (after they realise it isn’t a ploy for money) need to label another day for more whacky for running Culture Night, but it is quite the contrary. The facilitators and performers events? of events occurring nationwide are always No better retort to these sentiments in my experienced and renowned in their fields. mind would be the words of Charlie Chaplin, They often have assistants who are in formal in The Great Dictator; “Sometimes we think training or under their own leadership, too much and feel too little”. If we only enabling and capturing a true community opened up more to new ideas and experiences, vibe. In recent years, exhibitions, workshops we would be so much more appreciative of and other events have been held in churches life and of ourselves. Culture Night, which which itself brings another element to the some would consider to still be in its infancy, ambience of the night. is celebrating its 9th year. It is a day in which those who work in our culturally-seeped fields The easiest way to find out what event is celebrate and invite the nation to join them in most suited to you is to check out the website their ‘ordinary’, which itself is extraordinary. www.culturenight.ie. From old jailhouses With events, tours and workshops of all kinds, and libraries to theatres, museums and it has grown from a small seed in 2006 to a sports stadiums, there certainly is something wonderful explosion of colour, craftsmanship, for everyone. A whopping 350,000 people and exposure. It’s a night where the door to participated last year. Many events are family a wonderful, creative, sporting and historical friendly and are the perfect excuse for a kingdom is opened wide for everyone to join; reunion with friends. and it is right on your doorstep.

Noted online for capturing both the public If you’re sceptical of ‘culture’ or afraid of what imagination and the enthusiasm of artists and Culture Night entails, I implore you to stop cultural organisers, Culture Night has blasted being foolish! Remember what culture is; to all parts of the country. This in turn fits it’s the way we walk, talk, laugh, it’s how we nicely with the objectives of the celebration to communicate and compete, it is how we are encourage more people to visit cultural venues recognised and represented. It is much more and experience culture in their locality. than a night celebrating the ‘artsy fartsy’ of our island - although I never quite know Our surroundings are like a black and white what people who say that really mean! Not photograph that you really love. It’s in the hall only does Culture Night enable and invite by the door and you pass it every day, after us to touch base with different foods, music, a while you stop appreciating it. Sure, you religious places of worship, song, dance, sport know it is there but it has just become ‘the Friday 18th Nationwide

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September,

5pm

“IF YOU’RE SCEPTICAL OF ‘CULTURE’ OR AFRAID OF WHAT CULTURE NIGHT ENTAILS, I IMPLORE YOU TO STOP BEING FOOLISH!”

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“MANY VOLUNTEERS HAVE RETURNED YEAR ON YEAR, MAKING A TRADITION OUT OF THE EXPERIENCE.”

black and white photo’, no longer seen as the beautiful reminder of something wonderful.

Now imagine you passed it one day on the way to work and you noticed a change.

Imagine the focal point of the photo is now in colour. The photograph has been rejuvenated, refreshed and revived in your mind. You have a new-found gratitude for something you had become immune to seeing. Culture Night represents that splash of colour. If you attend a tour, a workshop or event of somewhere old (or somewhere new) to you, you are giving yourself the opportunity to appreciate the fantastic cultural facilities and resources near and far from you within our little country.

Convinced by its magic and potential?

Great! This brainchild is organised by

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the Department of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht in conjunction with regional arts offices, local authorities and cultural organisations nationwide. Understandably, an array of events on this scale demands that many people from all walks of life lead, design and plan events. A massive team of volunteers is required for its success. This cultural celebration is such a great gig to be a part of and the organisers are extremely thankful to the volunteers who invest their ideas, time and energy into the nationwide project. Many volunteers have returned year on year, making a tradition out of the experience. If you wish to volunteer you will need to wait until next year and get in touch early. What exactly would you be requested to

do as a volunteer? Act as a guide on a tour bus, assist at Information Points, aid stewards with outdoor events and help distribute Culture Night Packs. The Department of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht are always welcoming of new ideas and will assist and guide you if you have something feasible to bring to the table. If you have already done so, and/ or you already volunteer, I salute you, you pure hearted, smart, sassy individual!

What is going on this year? Dublin alone shall see a record of 230 venues open for the evening that’s in it, including Christ Church Cathedral, the National Museum of Ireland, The Guinness Storehouse, the Science Gallery Trinity College, The Ark… the list

facilities and creative minds that we do.

Always be aware of how culture embodies us, of how we shape the world we live in. Life without sport, history, science, theatre, music and dance would be lifeless. Be inspired and be inspiring: talk, read, look, and listen, and always, always share. Share your ideas and your time, because these are the precious, priceless gifts that we have been granted and that we can share to make life so much better.

If you are in the position where you or your company or organisation are able to support Supporting the arts… a most worthy Culture Night by means of sponsorship, by all endeavour! Without my, yours, and everyone means do it! else’s continued support by attending cultural events on Culture Night and throughout the year, we would not have the wonderful reaches the length of your arm! There is plenty of entertainment, adventure and discovery from Malin to Mizen, with the website noting ‘thousands of free events for all to enjoy’.

The full programme has been available since August, on the above noted website. However, seeing as events are open to all, there is no way that any number of volunteers (or venue) would be capable of catering for ‘all’ at once.

Events are ticketed and you can register for them online.

Culture Night is a reminder to those who are consumed by life to appreciate our world; to live. The most unassuming people may have the most curious interests in the events being organised. Everyone is invited, make sure you let them know!

For event listing all over the country visit www.culturenight.ie Words – Rebecca Egan Images - Tarmo Tulit

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LUSH

Since the day Lush opened their doors in 1995 they have been known for their strong ethics. In recent years, they have also been known for their eye-catching campaigns, particularly against animal testing, including a dramatic performance in a London shop window of animal testing being performed on a human. The woman behind all of this is Lush’s Ethics Director Hilary Jones, who has been with Lush since they first started.

Hilary’s other campaigns with Lush around the world include battling against bullfighting in Spain, the fur free campaign in Holland, and most recently, the #GayIsOk campaign worldwide.

If her campaigns are this intense, we figured that she must have a lot to say…

What activism work did you do before you started working in Lush?

Before Lush I campaigned as an individual.

I was involved in campaigning for animals, I was involved in the anti-road building protests, anti-nuclear protests, and many environmental campaigns.

How did you first get involved in Lush?

I have been a vegan for about thirty years and in the past finding soap without animal fat was a huge problem, with the few vegan washing products available being bland and dull. Then along came Cosmetics To Go, the company the Lush team started earlier in their careers, offering a superb range of cruelty-free choices to those of us that had been searching for something less basic for a long time. I stuck with them as a customer, and then later I went to work there. So when Lush started up, I became one of the very first employees. I had no background in cosmetics - it was the values and ethics that attracted me to the company.

past to be ashamed of. Companies like Body Shop, Cosmetics To Go and Lush have tried through the years to show that there is another way to do business. There needs to be another groundswell of this kind of ‘alternative’ business again now, with so many companies dodging tax and working the systems to benefit themselves at the cost of animals, people, and the environment. I wish there could be a revolution on the high street, with companies supplying clothes, coffee, consumer goods etc. starting to find ways to trade in today’s sensitive environment in a caring rather than greedy way.

Animal testing is technically illegal in Europe.

So why do you think there is still a need to campaign against it in the UK and Ireland?

Animal testing for cosmetics is technically illegal in Europe now, thanks to the huge groundswell of public opinion through the 1980s and 90s pushing our governments to make progress on this issue. But animals are still used for many other types of testing.

We think of animal testing as a global issue.

Animals are not citizens of one country, they are vulnerable and voiceless and they need to have strong representation for their needs to be understood and not forgotten in human society. We need to speak up for them wherever they are, and eliminate suffering wherever possible.

Can you tell us more about the Lush Prize?

We started the Lush Prize because we felt very much that bringing a total stop to all animal testing requires both government legislation and modern non-animal testing methods that companies and scientists are willing to use.

We set aside a quarter of a million pounds each year to reward those who are making steps forward to remove animals from toxicity Why do you think it is important for a beauty testing. The prize is mostly geared towards scientists who are developing non-animal brand like Lush to have such strong ethics?

I think the ‘beauty’ industry has a lot in its methods, but it also invites entries from the

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areas of training and lobbying/campaigning.

Training is important because it was clear that there are non-animal methods developed which are not being widely used - so clearly universities and laboratories need to be kept up to date with the latest non-animal tests and taught how to use them. Lobbying and campaigning are about reaching out to people and governments to help create a drive towards cruelty free legislation. If the public demand an end to animal experiments and governments worldwide respond with legislation, this sends clear guidelines to companies and to the scientists that serve them that their working practices need to move away from using animals. A combination of laws and science is what will eventually lead to an end to animal experiments - but it is only going to happen if it’s pushed for by the general public.

Lush recently released their #GayIsOk soap, why do you think it was important to do something like that?

The #GayIsOk soap was sold to raise money for LGBT groups worldwide. The change in social attitude towards homosexuality has moved at a pace that gives much hope to campaigners on other issues. If social attitudes on one issue can change this quickly, there is hope for people campaigning on other things like climate change and animal rights.

But whilst attitudes have changed in many countries, there are sadly many countries where you can still be criminalised and punished for your sexuality. So whilst we may be celebrating the recent changes that have

taken place in our country, we felt we should Are you planning any future campaigns or projects that you can tell us about? not forget those who are still at risk.

At the moment we are reading up on the What are your thoughts on the possibility of proposed trade deal called TTIP - and that the UK getting rid of the fox hunting ban? Will is causing us great concern. It seems to us that it touches on and threatens everything Lush be doing anything to fight against this?

At Lush we think it is insane that we even have we hold dear - things like food and product to still have conversations about fox hunting. safety, environmental protection and animal How disgraceful that in 2015 anyone could welfare. It is things like this that we like to think that it is acceptable to chase, exhaust, bring to the attention of the public, because and then tear apart an animal just for fun. Fox often these deals are done quietly without the hunting should be firmly in our shameful past, public knowing what is being done in their along with things like not allowing women to name. vote, slavery and bear baiting - there is no place in a modern, civilised society for such How can people get involved in your campaigns?

Keep an eye on our website, visit our shops and things. follow us and the campaign groups we work Lush are known for their intense campaigns and with on social media. There is so much that demonstrations. Are you ever afraid that they won’t change unless the public gets involved may scare off potential customers? Or do you - so adding your voice to others and speaking think that they have to be intense for the public up is a huge thing that anyone can do. to take notice?

In a modern, busy, media savvy world, it To keep up to date with Hilary Jones and sometimes takes strong visuals and intense Lush’s campaigns, you can follow them on tactics to grab people’s attention and make twitter @LushCampaigns. If you want to them take a moment to stop and think. We support the charities that Lush supports then would love to do gentle, reasoned debate on you can buy some of their products including these issues - and sometimes we are lucky the new #GayIsOk soap or the Charity Pot, as enough to be able to do that. Other times proceeds from these products to go numerous though, we have to find ways to grab people different charities. in two seconds and get the message across as they walk past a window, or click through a Words - Sophie Butler web page. For the sake of the planet and the animals, we have to try every tactic we can to get the message across that we are running out of time to save things from destruction.

Words - Sophie Butler

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J.W ANDERSON

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The small town Irish lad who took the fashion One year later the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN (New Generation) awarded him world to dizzy heights. the Men’s Catwalk Sponsorship for A/W 11.

One Google search of the words J.W Now that we have our little history lesson out Anderson and you are met with endless pages of the way we can get right down to business of websites and images. Anderson, a small - A/W 15. Although you may be forgiven for town guy who hails from Londonderry in thinking that we’ve just spent the last two the North of Ireland has put Ireland firmly months in Winter. Anderson’s A/W 15 is on the map as one of the nations to be going to blow our minds - his first collection recognised when it comes to international that holds the fear of the unknown. Are we fashion. Wise beyond his years, Anderson going towards the future? Or are we taking appears more seasoned and experienced than a step back in time? Ruling out nostalgia his 31 years would suggest. J.W Anderson put the collection takes a swipe at past decades his mark on the fashion world back in 2008 and incorporates the most important style after graduating from the London College of elements from each. Wide collars or high Fashion. His easy, androgynous aesthetic has waisted trousers anyone? When those long made him one to watch for this season and leather trench coats, brown bombers, slit blue trousers and oversized scarfs appeared for the many more to come. first time for the public’s eyes we knew that There’s something about Anderson’s they were going to take off and we were all in collections that make you step back and for a wild time. observe the piece that has been presented in front of you. The quality and the detail in It was a delight to study Anderson’s A/W each item reflects the hard work and the time 15 collection, and as I got deeper into the that has been put into this massive machine collection my love for 90’s boot cut trousers he has built. “You can make it whatever you was suddenly reignited. Anderson has taken want” were the words from Anderson at his the traditional boot cut pants and turned it 2012 Topshop launch in London. Anderson into a masterpiece, and how has he done this? believes that his success is down to dreaming He has simply slit the inside leg of the pants, big, “I think that’s why I always think big – and a vision of high fashion was born. The because I lived in a very small town.” A very idea of boot cut becoming flared should never clear reflection of hard work and dreaming work on paper but on the street and on the big gave Anderson the role of creative runway the idea comes to life, and you wonder director at menswear label, Sunspel, in 2010. why no one ever thought of it sooner.

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return and shows no sign of going anywhere, as it has become a key piece for any man in any season. With its return for A/W the high neck can be paired with practically anything.

When you team the flared trousers with the high neck and the oversized coat it almost sends you back in time to those early Parisian The A/W collection is wearable and of course catwalks. with Anderson’s signature leather pieces the collection also boasts an array of 60’s inspired “I like the idea of something that felt a little leather bomber jackets, oversized fur coats apocalyptic, or looking like it came from a and classic blazers. Unlike many previous computer game” Anderson on his A/W 15 Anderson collections it is also bursting with collection at London Fashion Week. This is colour - reds and navys and creams all making exactly what he captured: he tore up the rule very welcomed appearances. The added book, merged decades and came up with one detail to the jackets is a stroke of genius, an of the most original collections. The A/W oversized metal piece or an oversized flower 15 collection is true testament to Anderson’s sits perfectly in the button hole and sets off creativity. The collection stands as a body of the entire look. The jackets are so simple and work and even though its launching for the beautiful that they will be wardrobe staples. last months of 2015, I can guarantee that The pieces he has created will stand the test when the days get shorter and the mornings are more crisp in the autumn you will be of time for sure. reaching for these impeccable pieces.

With both decades of the 60’s and the 90’s covered it’s only right to give a nod to the Words – Evan Considine disco dancing decade, the glorious 70’s. Under those amazing oversized coats and blazers sits a perfect high neck jumper, an essential piece that holds the entire look together, hiding in plain sight under those big statement piece buttons situated on the jacket. The high neck which we saw make an appearance in Andersons S/S 15 shows makes a triumph The leather and the cotton trousers are stand out pieces. It is hard to stay on top of your game in the fashion world and when this idea was revealed, I hold my hands up and say that I was not a supporter but here we are about to brave A/W and I cannot wait.

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Editorial Images - Tarmo Tulit Stylist - Michelle Costello Styling Assitant - Sophie Butler MUA - Mary Keily Hair - Rachel Flanagan Models - Lara Broderick Aoife Hogan Carrie Lee

BRAND - MANLEY

is stocked nationwide.

What has been your biggest achievement to date?

Launching Manley SS15 in Arnotts. It’s Ireland’s oldest and largest department store and was a huge part of my life growing up.

Arnotts was where I went to lust after clothes I couldn’t afford, it was where I went to spend my first pay cheque, where I went to buy my first designer handbag. Now, Manley is being sold there, it seems almost surreal! Manley had a very successful first season in store and I look forward to AW15 launching this month!

What type of clothes do you design?

Manley is a collection of contemporary separates and alternative eveningwear with an edgy femininity. Delicate structures are juxtaposed with strong contemporary silhouettes, giving way to an aesthetic that is hard and soft, powerful and preciously delicate at once. Quality of fabric and production is at the absolute core of all Manley products.

Materials are sourced from the world’s finest luxury houses, and innovative manufacturing methods of laser cutting are fused with time-honoured, hand-sewn and embellished What has been your favourite collection so far? detailing.

I’m so excited to release AW15, I think it’s my strongest collection to date and definitely the Describe your designs in three words. one I love the most.

Edgy, elegant and textured.

What advice would you give to someone looking How did you start your career? to follow in your footsteps?

Manley started in a basement flat in London Determination, patience and persistence are a almost by accident. A year later I took the must for a job like mine. Design is a labour label home to really make a go of things. of love, you would want to be head over heels Three years on Manley and Manley Jewellery about it for it to work.

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www.manley.ie

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What type of clothes do you design?

I design clothes that fuse texture and form.

I love to explore the qualities of different fabrics and work with them, or develop these qualities further to create garments that inspire curiosity. They are striking yet accessible pieces. Currently I focus solely on womenswear with collections that feature wovens and innovative knitwear.

How did you start your career?

I was fortunate to win the most ‘Innovative use of Materials’ award for my graduate collection from the Limerick School of Art and Design. From there I was invited to be the finale collection shown at the Volvo Ocean Race 2012 as part of the International Design Collective, featuring designers from all over the world. It was a very exciting event to be a part of as a young designer, and it led to me being invited to feature my collection in Brown Thomas as part of their Irish designers CREATE showcase.

What has been your biggest achievement to date?

I was delighted to receive 2 awards in 2014: Designer of the Year and the overall Innovation Award. These have opened up great opportunities such as my continued relationship with Brown Thomas, exhibitions and educational programmes I have been involved in through the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland, the CIFD and ID2015, 44

and most recently being selected by Nissan to be a ‘Generation Next’ Ambassador.

What has been your favourite collection so far?

I think most designers look back with fondness to their graduate collection, especially when it has been the driving force in kick-starting their career. The wonderful thing about that collection (Cellular Collision) was that there was no creative compromise, commercial aspects of design aren’t on the forefront of your mind in college and so I would encourage students out there to make the very most of that, it really is such an amazing time to explore, push boundaries and be playful.

What advice would you give to someone looking to follow in your footsteps?

Go for it! The Irish fashion industry needs to keep growing this can only happen through skilled graduates honing their skills here, be it through setting up their own labels, adding their pattern drafting and technical skills to existing fashion labels or production houses more of which are needed here in Ireland! The International Fashion Incubator in Limerick is one of the great positives highlighting the demand for industry development and inspiring confidence in the future of fashion here in Ireland.

www.rebeccamarsdendesigns.com

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develop prints for other designer’s collections.

However, the more prints I developed the more I could visualise them as finished products, and the more I started to want build my own brand and to have creative control.

BRAND - LISA RYDER What type of accessories do you design?

Lisa Ryder Designs is a design lead women’s fashion accessories label. Its primary focus is on producing creative women’s accessories with a strong focus on print. Each pieces starts with a print, which dictates the shape, and is then hand crafted in Italy.

Describe your designs in three words.

Fun, unique and creative How did you start your career?

I started my career out of a need to design. I had worked for a couple of years for ready-towear and high fashion designers in London. I loved this environment from the first moment we saw the new sketches for the collections to the toiling and sourcing of fabrics. So when I moved back to Ireland I was at a loss. To say it happened quite naturally is true. I had no intention of setting up my own label, I just wanted to get back to my roots and

What has been your biggest achievement to date?

My biggest achievement to date is being chosen to showcase my designs alongside some of Ireland’s most talented designers at Brown Thomas Irish Designers CREATE for three years in a row.

What has been your favourite collection so far?

My favourite collection so far is our new SS16 collection which we are just getting ready to present at a show in Paris in September. I know it is not out yet but watch this space!

We have introduced some new shapes and our colour palette for this season is in your face bright greens and steely greys combined with baby blues.

What advice would you give to someone looking to follow in your footsteps?

My advice is, surround yourself with positive friends and family and take your time. It can sometimes be a long process to bring your ideas to life. Also, we cannot do everything ourselves so make sure to employ the expertise of makers and craftspeople. It is these relationships that will help you grow your business.

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What type of clothes do you design?

Luxury womenswear using the finest fabrics like 100% silks, cashmeres and leathers.

Elegant and contemporary design with a fresh approach and clean lines.

Describe your designs in three words.

Contemporary, fresh cut.

your brand. It gives you a boost. Celia Holman Lee has also been a great support of mine and promotes the brand in shows. It’s so important to get this type of endorsement especially when you are starting off your career.

What has been your favourite collection so far?

My favourite is the current Autumn/Winter 15 collection. I guess with every collection How did you start your career? there is change and growth as with every I studied in UCA, Rochester and went on to designer, so next year you could ask me the intern and work for brands in central London same question and it could be totally different like Roksanda Ilincic, Betty Jackson, Erdem answer! and Dolce & Gabbana. After 7 years there I relocated back to Ireland to launch my own What advice would you give to someone looking label. to follow in your footsteps?

Definitely intern if you can and get as much What has been your biggest achievement to experience as you can. It’s never going to be date? easy so you have to just keep going and have I have exhibited in Paris and Milan during the belief that you will achieve what you set fashion week which was a great step forward. out to do.

I have also had the pleasure of having Maria Walsh wear many of my pieces to numerous Image - Tarmo Tulit events and on TV, which has been invaluable.

It is great when someone like that really loves

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What type of clothes do you design?

I like to design collections that combine technical innovation and traditional garment construction. My collections are lighthearted, fun and feminine. Technology is always a starting point for me, as modern techniques such as 3D printing and laser cutting are becoming more accessible and more adaptable to different industries, I like to try and combine this with my designs.

Describe your designs in three words.

Colourful, edgy and fun.

How did you start your career?

I started a Fashion Design degree at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute in my native Holland. It was a tough three years, and the course was very focused on technical garment development. Meanwhile, I noticed that back home in Ireland, young fashion designers were getting more exposure, and a new young generation of fashion designers was emerging.

I aspired to become a part of this generation, and decided to finish the last year of my degree in Textile Design in NCAD. NCAD was a completely different, much freer environment.

The tutors were extremely supportive and allowed me to have the freedom to explore and research technologies to incorporate in my designs. I was very lucky to have graduated in

the year of Irish Design, and for my designs to What advice would you give to someone looking be noticed by the Design and Crafts Council to follow in your footsteps?

Becoming a fashion designer takes a lot of Ireland (DCCoI). of dedication, and I’m only at the start of What has been your biggest achievement to my career path. The most important things I’ve learnt so far are; love what you do, have date?

Winning the Student Future Makers Award confidence in your ability to make it to the issued by the DCCoI was an incredible deadline but always remain critical of the experience. The Future Makers Award is quality of your work. I believe that if you put a national competition for students and love and dedication into the design process, practitioners, and an opportunity to have this will reflect in the final garments. your work assessed by a panel of judges who are active in the industry. This year one of the Profile of Alanna: Peter Richards judges was Natalie Coleman, who is one of my favourite Irish Fashion Designers. After much deliberation, I decided to submit my graduate collection. I had absolutely no expectations from the competition and was completely taken by surprise when they announced I had won. It still feels so surreal, but I am very grateful for the boost of confidence this has given me, and the incredible support by the DCCoI. What has been your favourite collection so far?

My graduation collection was the first full collection I have made, consisting of seven outfits. It was extremely hard work and required full dedication and very little sleep, but I’d do it all over again if I could.

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BRAND - ZOË CAROL

to see the pride in my parents faces meant everything.

What type of clothes do you design?

I design womenswear that is uncomplicated. What has been your favourite collection so far?

Tailoring that conveys a minimal, timeless My newest/next collection is always my modernity and lightness of touch. favourite. I fall in and out love of my collections very quickly but I see that as a Describe your designs in three words. good thing. Collections are in my life for 6 Clean, functional, and effortless months and then become my past so a natural excitement for the next collection is necessary.

How did you start your career?

I would like to think that it started at a very What advice would you give to someone looking young age when watching Fashion TV (with to follow in your footsteps?

Jeanne Beker) and Dallas with my Mum. My I’d tell them to make sure that it’s what they Mum encouraged me to be creative from a really truly love. Liking fashion blogs and young age and my Dad later on supported dressing up is not going to get them through me in going to Parsons the Newschool for the inevitable hard times of a fashion business.

Design, NYC, to study fashion design. Over 4 I’d ask them if they’re willing to commit 5 years years ago, I designed costumes for my partner of their life to giving everything they’ve got in Paul’s short film and that solidified my love life and not having the luxuries of a wage. To for designing womenswear. really make sure that they have everything in their physical and mental skillset by working What has been your biggest achievement to with someone in the fashion business and to date? never give up when you realise this is the life Oddly, it has nothing to do with fashion. My you have to live. biggest achievement so far was getting my Science degree at my graduation ceremony Profile of Zoe: Alan Hurley at Trinity College Dublin. I had worked so hard for 5 years for that piece of paper and 57

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www.cosstores.com

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‘EXPEDITION’, dedicated to the great outdoors, adventure and discovery, surveying t​ he wonders of the natural world. cosstores.com and COS, Wicklow Street, Dublin 2. COS also available in Brown Thomas, Limerick, Cork and Galway​and BT2 in Dublin.

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nose, temples, under the brow, inner corner of the eye and finally the cupids bow on the lip.

Don’t put highlighter along the nose, chin or forehead area as it just makes the skin look oily and sweaty.

For the past few seasons we’ve seen face narrowing, and cheekbone sculpting looks, but as we know contouring is not for everyone.

At the start of this SS15 season, leading makeup artists like Alex Box & Charlotte Tilbury used this amazing technique of merging make up and skincare together backstage.

Strobing is like contouring, but a more natural version. It defines your features by using light. This make up technique will let your natural radiance shine through with reflective products. By using reflection on the high points of the face it will catch the light and give you that beautiful natural glow. The main thing you need to pull this look off is healthy skin - this is the base needed for Strobing to work, so a good skincare regime is needed.

You need to merge skincare and make up together, so if concealers or foundations are used simply mix them with your moisturiser for that dewy, wet look finish.

For this look I have cleansed and toned the skin, rubbed Dior ‘Dreamskin’ all over to hydrate the skin. The foundation and concealer used were mixed with MAC ‘ Strobe Cream’.

Then simply add MAC ‘Vanilla’ pigment as a highlight to the points of the face to catch the light. The points are cheekbones, bridge of the

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I’ve used MAC ‘Redbrick’ all over the eye and blended out, also MAC ‘Brave’ on the lips with Dior ‘Lip Maximizer’ for a glossy finish.

This trend is here to stay, natural is always better.

Words: Mary Kiely Image: Tarmo Tulit Model: Shauna Lindsay

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&

THE REDHEAD THE BACKPACK

From Yellow Flower to Cauliflower (Hsipaw, Myanmar) At 2.30am, the day after our tour, Thura arrived to pick me up to take me to Mandalay’s train station. I decided to take the 4am train to Hsipaw, as it crosses the iconic Gokteik Viaduct, the highest railway bridge in Myanmar. As well as this, the scenery was said to be stunning. So off I set, with the packed breakfast Mama had prepared for me, for the long, twelve hour journey. And long it was! Locals getting on and off, selling noodles and watermelon, broke the journey up but at times, it felt like the track would never end.

It also has to be the roughest train ride I’ve ever been on- on more than one occasion I nearly fell out of my seat and at one stage, my backpack (all 23 kilos of it) fell from the overhead rack onto another passenger’s head, such was the brutality of the journey.

After eight hours, we crossed the viaduct, as the train conductor excitedly ushered us from one side of the carriage to the other in order to get the best views. Four hours after this, we arrived in the northern town of Hsipaw. I

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wasted no time in signing up for a trek via my guesthouse “Mr Charles Guesthouse”. After a dinner of roti and Shan noodle soup, I hit the hay, exhausted from the pre-dawn start and rocky train journey.

The next morning our group of five set off for a two day trek with our guide, Win, a 48 year old local man. Win smoked like a chimney, yet still managed to keep pace through the hills of the Shan state. As we went, we walked through several villages and Win taught us how to greet people in each place. This was tricky as no sooner had we learned to say “hello” in one village, the language would change when we got to the next, depending on the tribe that lived there. So my “chamsa” in one village was met by giggles in the next.

The first day of trekking was tough, mainly uphill, until we reached the small Palaung village of Pamkam, where we stopped for lunch with a local family. Win informed us that his groups stopped at this family’s home, as they were one of the poorest in the village and providing lunch for trekkers was their main source of income. They were a family with no men- an elderly auntie, her young niece who had separated from her husband and their one year old daughter. Seemingly, this separation was after they had had one argument. Apparently, this is what village people tend to do-not think about the consequences of separation and do it at the drop of a hat. This, we were told, all comes down to lack of education.

In the afternoon, we trekked for three hours until we reached the Shan village of Manloi.

All five of us, as well as Win, were to spend the with the Lonkham family. The Lonkhams consisted of a mother, a father and their seven

children in a small, basic house. After playing with the younger children for a little while and practising English with the 10 year old little girl of the house, we all sat down to a dinner of vegetable curry, rice and green vegetables. Until bedtime, we settled ourselves at small fire just outside the house and had a few Myanmar beers. Bright and early the next morning, we were off, after a breakfast that wasn’t very different from the previous night’s dinner. The trek was mainly downhill and at about 2pm, we arrived back in Hsipaw.

The trek was well worth the trip to Hsipaw, not only to take in the stunning scenery, but to meet people from the small, hill tribe villages along the way. Spending a night with them was an amazing way to get a glimpse of what life in rural Myanmar is like. Similarly, it was great to spend time with Win, whose opinions on certain aspects of married life were interesting! He now sleeps alone, but that’s okay, as his wife has evolved from being a small, yellow flower when they first met, to a big cauliflower now! Just as well she doesn’t have the village mentality of quick separations.....!

Temples Temples Everywhere!

(Bagan, Myanmar) No sooner was I back from the trek, it was time to decide.... Inle Lake or Bagan? I had tried to change my flights and extend my stay in Myanmar but the internet connection was so poor, it was impossible. And so, with only two days left in the country, it was time to decide between the two. Inle Lake is famous for its beautiful views, “jumping cats” and single-leg-standing fishermen. Bagan again,

has the views, as well as thousands of ancient temples, themselves hundreds of years old.

Having spoken with other backpackers who had already done both, the consensus was that Bagan should not be missed. I left Hsipaw with Hazal and Bermard, a Colombian and a Spaniard, both on holiday from their teaching jobs in China.

Now, there seems to be a theme in my posts about transport and travel and I don’t want to sound like a broken record but.......! The bus from Hsipaw to Bagan was hard work!

The sleeper bus had sold out and so we had no choice but to take the “normal bus”. This bus had no air conditioning, upright seats and was so full, that people were sitting in the aisles. A type of Burmese comedy act played loudly on the bus television set and the sick bags provided were being taken full advantage of by a few on board. At one of our stops, in desperation to fall asleep for the journey, I bought a naggin of Burmese whiskey ($1!).

As I took my first sip, the local man next to me thought that this was hilarious and decided to point me out to our neighbours, before toasting me with his own whiskey. This was the start of our beautiful friendship- he shared his pumpkin seeds with me before falling asleep on my shoulder and elbowing me several times in the head. Those ten hours to Bagan took their toll!

Hazal, Bernard and I arrived in Bagan at about 5am. Apparently, the bus station we arrived into was the “new station”, 3km from Bagan and so taking a taxi was going to be necessary.

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“THE TEMPLES DOTTED AROUND BAGAN WERE BREATH TAKING AND TO BE HONEST, WE WEREN’T QUITE SURE HOW TO START!”

agreed a price and set off for our hostels. After a short sleep on a communal mattress in the lobby (my bed wasn’t ready given the early arrival), I met Hazal and Bernard to head off and explore.

The temples dotted around Bagan were breath taking and to be honest, we weren’t quite sure how to start! We had loosely made a plan consisting of our “must sees” and we also decided which temple to watch the sunset from. While the boys opted to cycle, I rented an e-bike to get from temple to temple. This was a kind of cross between a bicycle and a motorbike. It cost $1 to hire for the day and was more than worth it just to avoid pedalling around in the scorching 40 degree heat. We dipped in and out of too many temples to mention, but ended the day at the Shwesandaw Paya, a pyramid-like pagoda on the Central Plain, near Old Bagan. After a steep climb up to the top, we met hundreds of other tourists on the Paya’s terraces, with the same “sunset idea”. As we looked down, we saw dozens of tour buses arriving to make the ascent. It was mobbed!

For me, one day of visiting temples was enough.

And so, while the boys set off for round two the next day, I decided to rent a motorbike and explore the non-temple parts of Bagan. In actual fact, my “exploring” involved indulging the foodie in me and working my way through a few of the restaurants that Bagan has to offer.

The hippily-named “Be Kind To Animals The Moon” vegetarian restaurant in Old Bagan was my favourite- amazing aubergine and tamarind leaf curries, washed down with fresh fruit shakes. Yum! “Fuji” Japanese restaurant in Nyaung U comes in second for its value and great service, while “Black Bamboo” 66

takes third place for it’s (slightly overpriced) French/Burmese inspired menu. Yes, you read that correctly… three restaurants, one day. Maybe I SHOULD have hired a pedal bike....!

Bagan Tips - As you enter Bagan, you must pay a $20 government fee. This is collected on the outskirts of the town and the taxi WILL stop at the collection point. You are given a ticket, valid for 5 days and spot checks are carried out at temples to ensure that you haven’t slipped through the net.

- Be prepared to haggle! Bagan is known for its beautiful and colourful lacquerware that’s for sale throughout the region. Most of the marketers in the tourist hotspots go for the hard sell! If you’re interested in buying, bargain hard. If you’re not, be persistent in your refusal.

- Beware of the “friendly, free guides”. Your 5 minute tour will probably end at their market stall where you’ll feel obliged to buy something. Lesson learned for me!

- Wear shoes that are easy to get on and off as when you enter temples, they’ll have to be left outside. Also, cover up- shoulders and knees must be hidden.

- Hire an e-bike!

- The “new bus station” IS outside Bagan.....!

Words & Images – Yvonne Dallman

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THE OREO COOKIE MARTINI INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 oz dark crème de cacao 3/4 oz cream 1 1/2 oz vanilla vodka Crushed Oreo cookies for rim DIRECTIONS Rim the cocktail glass with the crème de cacao and then with the finely crushed Oreos.

Take glass and place in freezer to chill.

Combine vanilla vodka, cream, and dark crème de cacao into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.

Shake vigorously Strain into the chilled cocktail glass Serve!

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o t d e g A n o i t c e f Per

Texas Steakout, 116 O’ Connell Street, Limerick 061 410 350 www.texassteakout.com reception@texassteakout.ie 69

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CHOCOLATE DIPPED CUPCAKES There are some things, once tasted you can’t do without. These cupcakes are one of those things. Imagine a soft, marshmallow chocolatey treat on your favourite cupcake base. A must that is all messy and gooey and oh-so-moreish. Below you’ll find all you need to top your choice of cupcake with the best frosting you can imagine. Be it chocolate, red velvet or plain ol’ vanilla, your cupcakes will get a lease of new life when you adorn it with the frosting and coat it in lashings of yummy chocolate. This recipe will make enough to frost and coat 12 cupcakes. If you need to make new friends, treat someone at work or just impress your family with your baking prowess, this is the recipe for you. It’s pure indulgence at its best!

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FOR THE FROSTING 350g caster sugar 60ml water

3 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large heatproof bowl combine the caster sugar, the water, egg whites, and cream of tartar. Using an electric mixer, mix until it becomes foamy. This should take about 1 minute on high speed. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water, keep it on a low heat. Beat on high speed until the frosting forms stiff peaks. This should take about 10 minutes (hang in there, it’s worth it!). Remove the bowl from heat; stir in vanilla and beat for an extra 2 minutes more until frosting thickens.

Transfer your frosting to a large piping bag, disposable is the best. Using a plain, round pastry tip (or just snip a good size hole in the bottom of your piping bag) pipe a ring on each of your cupcakes. Pipe a spiral of frosting about 2-inch-high, in a 99 cone shape. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

Transfer cupcakes to a baking sheet, and pop in the freezer while preparing the chocolate coating.

FOR THE CHOCOL ATE COATING 340g of dark chocolate (regular Bourneville is fine!)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Put the chocolate and oil in a heat-proof bowl, set over a medium saucepan of simmering water and stir the mix until melted and smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, with a top wide enough to dip the top of your cupcake into and let cool about for about 15 minutes.

Take the cupcakes out of the freezer and holding each cupcake by its paper bottom, dip the cupcake into the chocolate to coat the frosting. Keep holding it upside down for a few moments allowing excess chocolate to drip off. Pop it back onto the baking sheet. Let cupcakes stand at room temperature 15 minutes. And then place back into the fridge.

Serve cold from the fridge, the cupcakes should hold for about 3 days in the fridge.

Words - Hazel Ryan Sheehan – www.procrastibake.ie Images – Tarmo Tulit

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THE RIPTIDE MOVEMENT

Interview with - Sophie Butler

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Having gone from strength to strength in 2014, The Riptide Movement started this year with a record deal with Universal Music, a number one album with Getting Through and a music video starring Amy Huberman.

Things are still looking up for this Dublin band as they’re about to start their own tour of Germany and Australia. Even though they’re touring the world, they still have time to come back to Ireland and perform at WestFest festival in Limerick this September.

They also have time to sit down with us as we spoke to the band’s lead singer, Malachy Touhy, to discuss the whirlwind of success that has followed their number one album.

2014 was of course such a big year for you guys.

How has 2015 compared so far?

2015 has been brilliant so far. Getting Through was released in the UK and throughout Europe back in May so most of 2015 has been all about touring and promoting the album in Europe. We have played stadiums in Germany, festivals all across Europe like Benicassim, Eurosonic, The Great Escape, T in the Park.

We’re playing the Reading and Leeds festival for the first time later this month and then Electric Picnic in September. We’re also going to the land down under in October for our first Aussie tour because Getting Through is been released there next month. Then we have

a fifteen date tour of Germany in November, and after that it’s California in December to record album four!

2015 has been great and it’s been full on.

Being nominated for Best Song and Best Album at The Meteor Awards was also a big highlight as is having our song ‘All Works Out’ currently being used by The Today Show in the US as their theme music!!

Did you always know what you wanted the band’s music to sound like or did you go through different phases with it?

Yeah we had the idea that we only wanted to play music we liked playing and we wouldn’t be set to a certain genre of music. I think your musical tastes change with you on life’s journey and our sound matures and evolves with us. Our three albums have all been different and album four is taking that one step forward, it’s going to be mega.

Your last album went to number one last year.

How did it feel to finally have a number one When do you think we can expect some new album? music from you guys? Or have you even Unreal! planned it much yet?

How do you plan on topping the success of that The new album has been written, it’s been recorded in December and January in the US last album?

We would like to have a number one album and should reach your good ears next summer. all across the world with album number four.

You’re going to be performing at Westfest in The single ‘All Works Out’ really blew up after Limerick this September - do you find that it was featured on the Discover Ireland advert. there’s a difference between performing at How did you manage to get your song featured festivals and performing at one of your own gigs? on that?

The guy that picks the song for the campaign Festivals are always great craic and everyone saw us performing All Works Out on The Late isn’t necessarily there to see you so we love the Late Show. He loved the song, downloaded challenge of winning new audiences over, but from iTunes and played it to his two little girls saying that a Riptide Movement gig is always and once they gave the vote of confidence the special. wheels were set in motion!

Do you have any good stories from when you Of course we know that Amy Huberman were in Limerick before that you could share? appeared in the video for that single but are We’ve had a few and they always seem to there any other celebrities that you’d like to involve Dolans - what a venue and what a crowd of legends that run the place, hands have in one of your videos?

Emilia Clarke, Carice Van Houten and down it’s one of our favourite places to play.

They really look after the bands, sometimes Jennifer Lawrence (laughs) a little too well - impromptu sessions on the way back from Dolans on top of trucks at 5am You were all in different bands before such in the morning always seem like a good idea at as The Serotones and Crimson Lizard so the time. I better not say any more… what made you want to start up The Riptide Movement?

It was just a natural progression, and the timing was right.

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“IT’S MORE LIKE CLASSICAL MUSIC IN THAT IT FLOWS FROM PART TO PART IN A LONG SEQUENCE RATHER THAN REPEATING SECTIONS.”

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One of the most anticipated albums in the music scene, Shardborne released Living Bridges. With the help of Out on A Limb Records, the band have stepped out from behind the curtain and are now in the spotlight, as one of the most progressive metal bands in Ireland. They have had some amazing reviews over the Summer. Olivia chats with Ciaran Cullhane about the exciting happenings for the band this year.

like classical music in that it flows from part to part in a long sequence rather than repeating sections. We do repeat things but usually we'll change it so that it's different- sometimes we might just keep the chords and do something else with it, or it could be a repeating rhythm with different music to it. The second way the music could be considered "Prog" is that it varies more style wise than a traditional metal band would allow. Some parts could be death metal, some could be jazzy or anything in between. Whatever we feel works in the context of the song we'll use and we don't worry about it fitting into a certain genre.

Overall I think you could describe our sound as big, heavy, complex but also melodic. Many times people are surprised by how "musical" we are when they hear us for the first time.

How did Shardborne get together?

Well the twins- myself and Eoin, met Ben through a mutual friend years ago when he moved over to Ireland and started playing together. We had a good few different line-ups as we got older and eventually we morphed into the instrumental Shardborne. Cormac joined us when our old bass player left and So this year you guys have been signed to Out shortly afterwards we recorded the first E.P. On A Limb, which is also home to such bands as Windings, Crayonsmith, Jogging and Hidden What was the first gig you guys ever played?

Eoin, Ben and Ciaran all played our first ever Highways. How does it feel to be part of such a gig under a different name in the Greyhound great record label?

Bar in Newcastle West, Ben was only 14 if I It’s great. Ciarån and Richard have been fantastic to work with. They are on top of recall correctly! everything and are very much on the same What was the best gig and the worst gig you page as us with the release. They care about getting the music to people in the best ways guys ever played?

The best gig for us would probably be a toss up possible without compromise. There's so between supporting Cynic in Dublin or one of much relief for us to have people helping us the Siege of Limerick slots. We each probably get our album out there, When we decided have our own worst gig, when something goes to shop our album out to different labels they wrong it can be hard to get "back in the zone" were one of the first names that came to mind so for them to be interested and sign us was mid gig. amazing.

You describe your sound as Progressive Metal, for those people who might not have heard of Your new album Living Bridges was released in this genre before, how would you describe your July, tell about the process of putting out an album? sound to them?

The "Progressive" tag relates to us in a few ways. For us it was a very long process. We gigged Firstly, the music doesn't have traditional song the last release pretty heavily so it took us time structures with verses and choruses. It's more to get around to working on new material.

Once we were happy with the songs we started demoing them and doing pre production. This took us many months as the songs have lots of changes and we wanted to make sure it was exactly how we wanted it. We undertook the task of recording it ourselves- 3 of the 4 members of the band work as sound engineers so we had the tools and skills and it meant we didn’t have limitations on time. Once we were happy with the recording we sent it to Jamie King in North Carolina, who mixed many bands we're fans of. Since he's such a busy guy it took about 6 months to get it mixed. All in all we spent close to 2 years working on the album.

Shardborne have had a major year with some great reviews, what is in store for rest of 2015 and beyond?

We're going to do a series of gigs around Ireland in the second half of this year and hope to get abroad again and do some gigs in UK and Europe. We love gigging and believe persistence pays off so we want to try stay busy.

Words: Olivia Chau

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ELEMENTAL FESTIVAL Encompassing the arts in all their guises, Elemental aims to animate Limerick in an inclusive way through arts & culture.

With a solid foundation in heritage it provides a diverse range of artist skills, craft trades of old and technological innovation all with environmental protection as a core value.

Promising a healthy dose of fun, workshops galore and a culturally enhancing time Elemental is the place to be this

11th-13th September!

Mary Conroy, Eco-artist & Ceramicist / Jennifer Allen, Artistic Director / Alan Hogan, General Manager

What inspired you to perform at Elemental?

M.C.: I’ve been here since the get-go, either with an art installation or running a workshop.

I love that Elemental is the type of festival that you happen upon. Everyone’s invited and there is such a variety!

J.A.: We set up Elemental to animate the city through arts and culture.

A.H.: The aim of Elemental is to bring a mix of local, national and international performers to a Limerick audience.

From 2014’s schedule, what topped your list?

M.C.: I spent most of the 2014 festival hanging out in the Creative Nature garden on Thomas St. There were kids workshops, seed saving, live music, a seated piano recital - all in the open air surrounded by flowers, trees and bees. The place was buzzing!

J.A.: Much Loved, a brilliant exhibition of teddy bear portraits by Mark Nixon. The Elemental exhibition of the bears was in support of the Blue Box Creative Therapy Centre.

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A.H.: Favourite was Icarus Roo’d. Had seen them at Galway Arts Festival years previously and even at that stage would have liked to see them come to Limerick, so it was a dream come true to bring them to Elemental!

Who comes to Elemental and why should they?

M.C.: Anyone who is in Limerick, in fact they probably can’t avoid it; if they wander into the city something will pop up in front of them (quite literally in the case of last year’s Icarus Roo’d!). That’s the beauty of Elemental- it comes to you. And as clichéd as it sounds, there really is something for everyone.

J.A.: The programme is really inclusive and, we hope, accessible, so there is something in there for every age-group and interest.

A.H.: As Limerick is bidding to be European City of Culture in 2020, we see the potential for even greater reach for the festival and collaborations with artists and performers from around the world. So Elemental can be as much a showcase of Limerick to the performers who attend as it is for the spectators who join us.

What are you most looking forward to this year?

M.C.: This year I’m looking forward to hanging out in the garden again, wandering around the streets and seeing what surprises pop up in the city’s spaces.

J.A.: We have some beautiful events lined up around the Cartoon Saloon animation Song of the Sea, from a screening to an exhibition and a workshop.

A.H.: A very special collaborative project between local sign artist Tom Collins, Texasbased sign artists Sean and Kayleigh Starr and Drogheda-based sign artist Peter McCullen, along with a their friends, taking place at Words: Rebecca Egan FabLab, Rutland Street, right through the Illustration: Jacob Stack Elemental weekend.

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Ever wanted to go to a rave inside a shipping container? You will after this. As part of Dublin Fringe Festival this year, Lords of Strut will be hosting an event called ContainA-Rave - a thirty minute 90’s style rave.

There’s only one rule, “all ye have to do is dance” (and buy a ticket).

For those of you who don’t already know, Lords of Strut are an award-winning comedic duo that combine acrobatics, dance and comedy into their shows. Their real names are Cian Kinsella and Cormac Mohally but they perform under the names Famous Seamus and Sean-tastic. Want to know more about Contain-A-Rave? We’ve got that covered as we talked to Cian about Dublin Fringe, forming Lords of Strut and even Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

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How did you come up with the characters of Famous Seamus and Sean-tastic?

It was just kind of accidental. Cormac already had a character called Seamus. We just got together and started making routines, kind of circus comedy routines and then just after a little while we were like “aw, we should make them brothers and they should think that they’re amazing dancers”. That was just how it happened.

How did you both get started in acrobatics? It’s a rare enough thing to come across now…

Yes it is but circus is growing and more people are doing acrobatics. We were in a circus training school but it was only for like a month. Neither of us had really done acrobatics before and we were both paired off with different people to do acrobatics with.

But then when we would do it together we could do the acrobatics more easily and it made everyone laugh. So we were like “oh, we’re onto something here”. We just kind of came across it. Neither of us really knew what we were doing in life and we were just like “ah yeah, circus is fun” and then we started to be able to make people laugh by kind of messing around. Then next thing you know it’s the only thing you’re doing.

How did you go from being street performers to doing sell-out shows all over the world?

We literally just started doing some of our material in comedy clubs. We liked doing stuff indoors – it’s a totally different vibe. We liked street but once you start going indoors you realise that there’s more possibilities because you can be more subtle and a bit more outrageous indoors than you can on the street and we were like yeah, let’s start making more indoors material and we still are.

So I heard you used to push your DJ sound system around in a shopping trolley, what was your reasoning behind that?

Yeah, we have a little sound system that we do street shows with so we put it on a shopping trolley and wheel it around and make some noise to promote ourselves for our first indoor show. Our first indoor show was in Dublin Fringe about two years ago and we were like alright, let’s push this around and it was just funny. It was the stupidest thing ever. We were dressed up in this 80’s B-Boy style gear pushing around our shopping trolley. We were pushing it around in Dublin one day and we stopped in the alley between Dame Street and Dame Lane and it was just the two of us dancing with our sound system.

Then we put the word out that we were in Dublin and we filled up the alley and it was just like a total buzz. It’s really fun while you’re in it because you’re just dancing and you’re partaking but you also get people walking past saying “what the hell is going on?!” and some people join in. Other people just go “I don’t even know what I’ve just seen”. You’re in on a joke when you’re doing it.

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You’ve been a part of Dublin Fringe Festival before. What made you want to work with them again this time?

It’s the best platform for alternative and emerging performers in the country. They’re like Ireland’s alternative theatre festival. It’s not just theatre, they do music and comedy and stuff as well. We go to festivals like that in other countries like in Edinburgh and Australia and Canada and places where there is platforms for those kind of things so that’s how we end up working abroad mostly. But [Dublin Fringe] is the main alternative platform where you’re given a good stage. You’re highlighted as something to be celebrated whereas sometimes more alternative for Fringe-style shows can be seen as less important if it’s not opera or it’s not a John B. Keane play. Actually what a lot of it is, is the more cutting edge of what’s going on artistically in the country.

What can we expect from Contain-A-Rave?

When somebody comes in, they’re not just gonna step in. We’re going to bring them into a different world and give them a theatrical pep talk. Think Priscilla, Queen of the Desert meets 24 Hour Party People. You’re here to get involved in it, you’re not here to watch it so it’s really about just going for it, just going sick on the dancefloor for a half an hour just for the sake of doing it. Then walking away and enjoying the rest of the day. You could be in a nightclub for like four hours and it’s only at the end of the night that you start to really get into it whereas here, you have to get into it straight away.

“WE’RE GOING TO BRING THEM INTO A DIFFERENT WORLD AND GIVE THEM A THEATRICAL PEP TALK. THINK PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT MEETS 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE.”

Very exciting. So what should we wear to this very secret location?

We’re encouraging people to get dressed up and wear stuff that’s amazing. As in if you pick an item out of your wardrobe or from a shop or from a junkyard or wherever and you think that it looks amazing, then it is and you should wear it and just go for it. Just go for it.

Is there anything else you plan on seeing as part of Dublin Fringe?

I plan on seeing Lady Grew’s show [Sweet Pang!] and I plan on seeing The Word of Breda.

How does Contain-A-Rave compare to your They’re two that I definitely know that I’ll go to previous shows? see but it’s a pretty good programme. I’ve had Our previous shows were us doing routines and a look through and there’s a lot I want to see. comedy and this is more about the audience getting involved. This is a dance party. Our Contain-A-Rave takes place from September other shows were theatre comedy shows. This 11th – 13th in Dublin city as part of Dublin is literally a dance party.

Fringe Festival. If you want to dance your heart out with Famous Seamus and Sean-tastic you Are you allowed to tell us the location yet? can head over to fringefest.com to get your No, that’s still a secret but when it’s released ticket now for just €10. You might not get a you’ll know. People in the know will be able to chance like this again. find out but we’re keeping it a secret for the moment. Isn’t that exciting?

Interview by: Sophie Butler

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COMEDY

ELECTRIC PICNIC

REVIEW

If you weren’t already kicking yourself for not buying tickets in time for the now sold-out festival, you definitely will after you see this year’s comedy tent lineup. The comedy tent is possibly one of the most underrated aspects of Electric Picnic as you’ll already know if you’ve been there before, and this year looks like it will be no exception.

The comedy tent is guaranteed to have something for everyone. Whether you plan on it being the highlight of your weekend or if it’s just a place to relax and recover, you will not be disappointed.

The comedy tent will host a sea of comedians from all over the world this year including Adam Hills, Des Bishop, Daniel Sloss, Terry Alderton and returning from last year, The Rubberbandits. Headlining the comedy tent this year is Ireland’s own David O’Doherty. He’ll be taking a break from his regular appearances on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and QI to come over to Stradbally and hopefully he’ll be bringing along his trademark keyboard as well.

and The Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Now he is finally bringing his stand up to Ireland’s biggest festival. An unusual characteristic of his festival shows is that he usually has a sign language interpreter with him so that deaf members of the audience can also enjoy the show.

Foil, Arms & Hog are also set to perform at Electric Picnic this year following their recent world tour. They have become a regular act at the comedy tent having performed there every year since 2010. In fact, they’re regulars at many festivals having also performed at Edinburgh Comedy Festival and Vodafone Comedy Festival every year since 2009. The comedy trio consists of Sean Finegan (Foil), Conor McKenna (Arms) and Sean Flanagan (Hog) and they’re known for their sketch comedy and also their own radio show on 98fm.

After a very successful performance at last year’s Picnic, The Rubberbandits are planning on returning to the comedy stage for the second time. Our previous cover stars have evolved since their original radio station prank calls in the early 2000’s. They now play to massive crowds all over the world as “hardcore gangster rappers” after having gained almost thirty million views on Youtube. They’re the perfect act to see if you planned on just going for the music as their shows mainly consist of them performing their own comedy songs such as ‘I Wanna Fight Your Father’, ‘I Like to Shift Girls’ and ‘Pure Awkward’.

Even if you were initially planning on just going for the music, the comedy tent is definitely something you have to check out over the weekend. You can stroll in any time on the Saturday or Sunday from 1.15pm to see some world class comedic acts.

There will be plenty of other Irish comedic actors making an appearance that September weekend as well. Deirdre O’Kane, who stars as Debra Moone in Moone Boy, will be making her first appearance at Electric Picnic this year.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Irish comedy without a few actors from Father Ted. Joe Rooney, who played Father Damo, and Patrick McDonell, who played Eoin McLove, will also be taking the stage over the weekend.

If you’re a fan of comedy shows on Channel 4 then you’ll definitely be in for a treat at Electric Picnic this year. Not only is 8 Out of 10 Cats and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown regular David O’Doherty going to perform there but so will Adam Hills, the presenter of The Last Leg. Having hosted The Last Leg since 2012, Words - Sophie Butler the Australian comedian still finds time to do Image - Tarmo Tulit stand up. He has performed at many festivals including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 82

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