The Blame Game

Shop local, Shop Irish

By Sofia Hadef

We live in a difficult time, this pandemic and level 5 forced many companies to close their doors for a while. All these restrictions are affecting small businesses the most. As Christmas is coming, let’s all support local businesses by ordering presents from them.

Click-and-collect possibilities accessible and stores providing online delivery, there are lots of ways to buy locally and from Irish-owned companies, if you need this Christmas.

Guaranteed Irish made a new website called guaranteedirishgifts. ie which brings together hundreds of Irish companies throughout the country. Guaranteed Irish is a membership group for more than 1,200 companies based in Ireland. Their gift catalogue site has divisions for all types of products, from clothes to beauty, and artisan food or drinks.

The site also has sections for children, women, and men as well as choices for corporate presents for businesses to choose from. The organisation said this site gives “a collective shop window” for people who want to purchase locally.

Justbuyirish.com also have a catalogue with hundreds of independent Irish companies that deliver all across Ireland. They also have plenty of sections, from alcohol to books, but also home and design. It’s the perfect website if you want to buy something different, like games or jewellery.

When you support a local business, you are boosting the local economy, which is especially crucial during this time of restrictions. Every 10 euros spent locally on Irish products generates 40 euros for the local marketplace, according to Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association 2020. This keeps finances within the community.

Our local businesses stores, cafes, restaurants, and specialised shops are all help define the special character of our community. The people involved in running them and their clients contribute to the community spirit. Local shops bring special advice and knowledge on products as they are generally specialised in their field. They also source their ingredients and materials. They often protects the local land and its wildlife. It is also greener to shop local.

In Galway, you can click and collect from companies such as Charlie Byrne’s, Ireland’s best-loved independent bookshop, books are in my opinion the best gift to offer, as you give a special and unique present full of knowledge and emotions, books can change a life too. You can also offer stunning and artistic products from 2 Wild Geese who work with incredible Irish artists and designers. For the foodies, Gourmet Tart Co. are selling tasty treats like their gourmet cookies, festive mince pies etc. They will definitely make your Christmas happier. McCambridge’s have also got a beautiful selection of food and gift hampers that you can order for delivery. Francis’ Soap Shop are here to deliver the best and natural health and beauty products you need. Hazel Mountain Chocolate is one of my favourite places in Galway, delivering delicious chocolates for your family and friends, their cacao beans are directly sourced from farmers, and it’s all crafted in the Burren.

Shop locally and savour the best Irish products.

The Blame Game

Nina Deacon The outcry and anger of the leakage It was recently reported that thousands matched by slut-shaming, judgment, and of Irish women had their sexual and inti- fury about this being made into a “big deal.” mate images, along with personal details Many people argued that these women leaked online without their consent. This made the choice to expose themselves in occurred after a victims’ support group the first place and should have anticipated uncovered nearly 140,000 stolen images the risks involved. It is important to note from women online. It is believed that that men are not solely to blame for these Irish women were targeted, as shockingly comments, as many women were equally there is no law against this type of viola- vocal in shaming these victims. tion in the country. This scandal opened The central issue that underlies this up a broader conversation about consent, entire conversation is that of consent

This is precisely why so many women live in fear, and why the majority of assault whether sexual or media based go unreported.

misogyny, and the slut-shaming these victims have been forced to endure since this news broke earlier this month.

The lack of protection of this type of image-based assault was illustrated in the case of Dara Quigley. In 2017 she was detained under the Mental Health Act after she was found naked on a Dublin street in what was described as a “psychotic episode” by her mother. On that day, state CCTV captured images of her walking naked and forcibly being detained, and footage was held by An Garda Siochana. Someone in the station recorded the CCTV images off a monitor and shared it to a Whatsapp group, and posted the images on Facebook, which were shared an estimated 125,000 times. Dara became aware of the footage’s release and committed suicide on April 12th that year. To this day, nobody has been held responsible for this blatant violation of Dara’s dignity and rights.

By Darren Casserly

Opinion Editor For many people, not just college students, but anyone who has to work from home, the laptop is their life, from talking with friends to going to lectures and then just watching Netflix or YouTube. It is unfortunate and most people in this situation do not want to be on screens as much.

The thing about it right now is that its not a problem, but if NUI Galway were to say some modules or lectures were to be exclusively online when the pandemic ends, most people would not be on board with it. The hope is that this constant requirement to be online and always available will come to an end with the virus, but it is not a guarantee.

The thing that I would compare this situation to is during the recession when the government brought in the Universal of these woman’s images was equally and respect. Under no circumstances did these women consent to having their personal details and images released to the public, yet they are being treated as if what happened to them was inevitable. What happened to them is a complete violation of their rights, and the perpetrators should be held responsible. In the era of #MeToo and the infamous Belfast rape trial, it should come as no surprise that 90% of revenge porn victims are women. Although great strides have been made in the last few decades towards women’s rights, this is unfortunately yet another example of the countless ways in which society continuously undermines women and shames victims. This is precisely why so many women live in fear, and why the majority of assault whether sexual or media based go unreported.

This is not simply a “woman’s issue.” Perhaps it is not ironic that this news broke on the week of International Men’s Social Charge, introduced by Fianna Fáil as a temporary measure, yet 10 years on there is no sign of it being changed and looks to be here for the foreseeable future, let’s hope this is not the requirement for people post- Covid.

This unfortunately seems to be the future for college students, with NUI Galway in particular trying to make the university as profitable as possible, receiving around the same amount of income from students, with less expense it could very well end up that the situations drags on beyond next semester and into the future.

The current circumstances can be very lonely, with many students being left isolated in their rooms all the time with no communication with anyone, it’s not too bad for people living at home, but for people living with roommates that they don’t get on with, or those living on their own, it’s not good to be on Day, as men need to be at the centre of this conversation as much as women are, if not more. They are pivotal in driving the much-needed social change. Ireland, like much of the world has a deeply ingrained “boys will be boys” culture. This attitude is extremely dangerous, as it reinforces gender stereotypes and excuses behaviours that allow men to act however they want without understanding the damaging effects their actions have. By speaking out against the blatant hypocrisy and misogyny this scandal has sparked, and by standing in solidarity with these women, the vicious cycle of blame and shaming can be broken. The only way to spark a societal shift is by having these difficult conversations and refusing to remain quiet- and therefore complacent. The psychological impact that the leakage of these images has had on the victims (many of whom are underage) is inexcusable. A petition of over 40,000 signatures has gone viral, and the government are now under pressure to bring in legislation to ban this horrific violation. However, the conversation cannot end here. Why are we as a society so quick to blame the victims? Perhaps it is because as human beings we feel the need to believe that we all deserve the outcomes and consequences in our lives. However, what these women did is not wrong, and the focus should be on those who breached these women’s confidentiality. For as stated by the poet Farida D, slut-shaming a woman for what she consents to do sexually perpetuates the idea that women should not consent to sex, and should instead accept it passively. Both men and women need to become aware of the internalized misogyny we all possess, and change the way we talk

Are we forced to be on screens too much during this pandemic?

about and treat women in our society. screens for this long and does in some ways effect your health, particularly your mental health.

Lecturers too are not helping with this, particularly since it seems that there is far more work this year than others and this is overwhelming for a lot of people. No one can argue everyone has had a tough year, but especially people who are stuck at home on their laptops all day. It is difficult, but hopefully it is just temporary and that this is not going to be the norm going forward.

Being trapped in the house all day is an annoyance now, but if it is the norm it would be disastrous for many people. You really have to get out of the house everyday and just try and not get overwhelmed with the requirement that you have to be online all day and available all the time which is just not fair on students. It just seems to be the way society is going but hopefully I’m wrong with this thought.