Volume 17 Issue 11

Dáil Éireann

Temple Café

The 32nd Dáil met for the first time last week and we’ve got the details.

Meet the team behind Galway’s newest social enterprise.

Page 4

Page 12

Leo wins an Oscar Check out our extensive Oscars coverage Page 18

UCD votes not to re-affiliate with USI

By Jessica Thompson

FREE STUDENT NEWSPAPER | VOL 17, ISSUE 11 | 15 MARCH 2016

Students’ Union elections sees lowest voter turnout since 2009

By Niamh Cullen The Irish student populace has smashed previous rates of electorate registration numbers by a matter of thousands in the past year.

Yet this did not translate when it came to the turn-up of voters for the Students’ Union elections in NUI Galway. Students from the university had the worst turnout since 2009.

Just over one in ten students (12.96 percent) cast their vote on campus on Thursday 3 March.

That figure was approximately one in seven (14.65 percent) in 2015, and one in five in both 2014 (19.23 percent) and 2013 (20.60 percent).

These figures come despite the university holding the highest number of registered students to date at 19,703.

On the day, lunchtime fared as the most popular time for students to vote – 417 students out of the 2,554 (16 percent) voted between one and two o’clock in the a­ fternoon.

Meanwhile the day’s end proved to accumulate the least amount of votes, with just 23 students (0.01 percent) casting their ballots between seven and eight o’clock in the evening.

On Friday 4 March, the newly appointed Students’ Union President, Vice-President for Education Officer, and Vice-President for Welfare Officer were all announced following the count in The View, Áras na Mac Léinn.

Candidates for full-time Students’ Union positions had a mere week to get their campaigns up and running in their bid to convince students to vote for them.

During that time, each candidate’s campaign was promoted with leaflets, manifestos, designated colours, t-shirts, and interviews with the candidates themselves as carried out by Sin and Flirt FM. Elected Students’ Union President for the 2016/2017 academic year Jimmy McGovern racked up an astounding overall vote of 2005 out of 2543 votes cast, the former Vice-President for Welfare Officer’s vote equating to an astonishing 78.84 percent.

Newly-elected Vice President for Welfare Daniel Khan, President Jimmy McGovern and Vice President for Education Cathal Sherlock celebrating their success after the recent SU Elections.

He climbed past a quota of 1246, eliminating candidate and Jedi MasterCillian Moran.

“I’m so overwhelmed,” Jimmy said following the announced win. “I can’t wait for another amazing year, and I will do my absolute best.”

Cathal Sherlock filled the role of Vice-President for Education with 1256 out of 2515 – 50 percent of the overall vote.

He exceeded the quota on the second count, having faced the competition of fellow candidates Niamh Keane and Niall Gaffney.

Daniel Khan claimed the title of VicePresident for Welfare with 1475 out of 2544 (58 percent of the vote) going to him.

He exceeded the quota on the first count, resulting in elimination of candidate Catherine Ryan.

Both referendums posed to students also passed with resounding results, the first motion asking voters to determine whether or not they agreed with the following stance: “The Students’ Union condemns the direct provision system, which is inhumane and denies asylum seekers their basic rights and calls for its abolition and replacement with a system that respects the human rights of asylum seekers in line with policy supported by the Migrant Rights Centre and other concerned NGOs.” That stance passed with 1963 out of 2544, 77 percent of voters agreeing with the motion.

Continued on page 2

UCD students voted against re-joining the Union of Students in Ireland last week, with a majority of 74 percent voting to maintain UCD’s current stance of disaffiliation. The poll comes three years after UDCSU’s initial split from the national student body.

Polling took place on 8 and 9 March with almost 3,000 students using their vote on the day. The total number of valid polls was 2,921 and 26 percent (760 students) voted yes to re-joining USI, while 2,161 voted not to.

The referendum was called after a student petition was brought past UCD Students’ Union, and its defeat means UCDSU will remain unaffiliated to USI for at least another four years, before they are obliged to hold another referendum.

Reports from both camps during polling, according to The College Tribune suggested that “a low turnout, caused in part by the large number of uncontested races for sabbatical positions, may have seen the referendum fail to meet the quorum – the minimum number of votes required for a referendum to be considered binding”.

Strong support for the No side was seen in the Sutherland (Law) and Newstead (Landscape/Architecture/Engineering) buildings, with 84 percent and 82 percent of students voting No. 12 out of 13 constituencies in the university voted against re-joining USI, with one constituency (Veterinary Science) voting Yes (73 percent).

In a statement released to The College Tribune, the No campaign expressed its satisfaction with the students’ decision to remain disaffiliated with the umbrella students’ union.

It also stated that there will be a list of reforms it hopes to see enacted before students will be asked to vote again in four years.

These reforms include the public availability of USI’s annual accounts; democratic elections for President of the USI; longer sabbatical terms for its officers; amendment of voting structures at USI’s annual congress, to allow for more robust discussion; and the undertaking of an internal review of costs and membership fees.

The No campaign also invited the board of USI to UCD to discuss how reform might be undertaken. The statement concluded with a thank you to students who supported the campaign.

Members of the Yes campaign’s organising team expressed their disappointment, according to The College Tribune, suggesting that the No campaign had engaged in “a degree of mis-selling with regard to precisely what the USI is and does”.

They also stated that an impartial information campaign should have been run by UCDSU to let students know exactly what USI is.

The next USI annual Congress will take place from 21 to 24 March, with a large delegation from NUI Galway Students’ Union set to attend. Sin will be there to live tweet all the details; follow @Sin_News to keep up to date.

2 NEWS

Sin Vol. 17 Issue 11

Students’ Union elections sees lowest voter turnout since 2009 Continued from page 1 The second referendum asked students to vote on the following stance: “That NUI Galway Students’ Union actively supports the decriminalisation of drugs solely for personal use.”

It passed with 1609 out of 2532 or 64 percent of students voting yes to the motion.

NUI Galway’s Students for Sensible Drug Policy were pleased with the outcome.

“Thanks to everyone who campaigned during the week & came out and voted yesterday,” they posted on their Facebook page.

“Every grassroots movement has to start somewhere.”

All three officers will commence their posts in July, and will hold the positions for twelve months.

They make up what is known as the Students’ Union Executive, who are answerable to a council of approximately 350 class representatives.

In addition to dealing with student issues such as housing, health, and academia, the Students’ Union Executive must liaise with the university and representative authorities on behalf of students.

Part-Time Officer Election results were

also announced on Friday 11 March.

The following were deemed elected to their respective positions: Oifigeach na Gaeilge: Clíodhna Coyle; Equality Officer: Megan Reilly; Societies Chairperson: Patrick O’Flaherty; Clubs’ Captain: Caitlin Jansen; Postgraduate Officer: Cillian Moran; and Mature Students’ Officer: Damian Duddy.

Convenor of respective schools were also elected as follows: Arts, Social Sciences, & Celtic Studies: Ciarán MacChoncarraige; Science: Christopher McBrearty; Business, Public Policy and Law: Diarmuid Ó Curraoin; Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences: Lorcán Ó Maoileannaigh; and Engineering and Informatics: Tim Murphy.

Oifigeach na Gaeilge received the highest voting turnout of the part-time positions at a poll of 1145.

Convener of the College of Business, Public Policy, and Law had the most candidates across all elections, with six competing for the position. But just 240 votes were cast in the overall vote.

The lowest voting turnout was for Societies Chairperson, receiving a total poll of 19.

All part-time officers will also commence their positions on 1 July.

C A U A G M Y O L LE! O H

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Campaigners for a few of the candidates running for full-time positions in the week leading up to the SU Elections. Photos: Timothée Cognard.

NEWS 3

March 15 2016

Sick of politics yet?

By Jessica Thompson Wow, what a fortnight it’s been. It seems like only yesterday that I was writing my Issue 10 editorial, encouraging you all to vote in the SU Elections, and here we are looking at issue 11, and the winners of said elections.

That means only one issue left until the end of the semester (and exams), but we’ve been putting together some great content to see you into the summer months.

Politics have been the main issue over the past few weeks, with the General Elections (see our piece on the first sitting of the 32nd Dáil on page 4), the Students’ Union Elections (see page 1), and UCD’s referendum on whether or not they should re-affiliate with USI. But if political stuff bores you, be not afeared, for we have plenty of other great content to ensure your tea-break at Smokey’s is great.

And on that note, I’ll hand you over to my lovely editorial team.

Until next time, Jess

News: Niamh Cullen

It’s been a busy few weeks. The buzzword floating around is – no prizes for the first guess – ‘election’. From the Students’ Union to the next government’s Taoiseach to the Union of Students of Ireland (USI) to the Seanad, we’ve got all the low-down on election updates covered.

Yes, of course it has spilled into this issue! You hardly thought the government would be decided between Issues 10 and 11 now, did you? Enjoy!

Features: Jenna Hodgins

Hello and well done to you all if you’re reading this, it means you’ve survived midterms.

I don’t know about you lot, but it seems this year they were just throwing out the assignments and exams left, right and centre. Five hundred thousand words for you Glen Coco. You go Glen Coco!

Another congratulations is in order for our new Students’ Union executive

committee 16/17 – Jimmy, Cathal and Daniel. Fair play and well done to all candidates and their campaign teams, you successfully wrecked the heads of everyone walking through the concourse which is just a testament to the commitment and huge efforts involved, really.

The last pat on the back goes to the wonderful writers at Sin who helped create another great issue. Features is looking fab as always! We’ve a few eye-opening pieces this issue. Some of my favourites are Niamh Cullen’s feature on invisible disabilities. Meanwhile Tadhg Evans chats us through the male body image in a less conventional way – let’s just say you’ll never make fun of Ken again.

Enjoy!

Lifestyle: Sorcha O’Connor

I seriously can’t believe we are on the second last issue – where has that semester gone? The Easter holidays are fast approaching now and before long we will find ourselves off for summer! But before we get ahead of ourselves, what’s in store in Lifestyle this fortnight?

Well, in the spirit of Seachtain na Gaeilge, we feature Galway’s new bilingual status. We have plenty more in the mix too; we ask has our obsession with social media ‘likes’ gone too far, we give you the 411 on best and worst-dressed at the Oscars, our best tips for interviews and the lowdown on spring/summer makeup trends. Enjoy!

Entertainment: Neil Slevin

In this Entertainment section I’ve gone for quality rather than quantity; it’s possibly our most varied yet. We bring you more insight into the world of gaming from Darren and Eoghan, Frank continues his reign as Sin’s Entertainer-in-Residence (long live the King!), and we feature reviews ranging from the Oscars ceremony to Adele’s sell-out Dublin concerts to Say Anything’s latest album release.

As usual, I hope you enjoy it all.

Best, Neil PS: A big thank you and shout-out to Deirdre Leonard, who pitched in with a number of articles to help make this section what it is.

Sport: Aonghus O’Maicín

As we approach the end of the college year, the sport pages refuse to take the foot off the pedal. This issue is brimming with stories including Conor McGregor’s shock loss at UFC196, a look forward to Cricket’s T20 World Cup and much more.

We also examine the scene closer to home and report on how many of our college clubs are fairing in their respective fields. As always, this issue does not lack in coverage of the usual suspects such as Soccer and GAA. Enjoy the short break and we’ll be here to report on everything you missed out on afterwards.

Photographer: Timothée Cognard

Elections, Múscailt, Fashion week, Potterfest... It has been quite a crazy time since last issue and it seems that the spring is bringing a lot of cultural events.

One of the most striking events for me was the Fashion Week taking place last week.

In particular, I really enjoyed covering the Irish Fashion Innovation Awards at Radisson Blue Hotel. The show gathered all the designers and fashion lovers from Ireland and a few guests from London, Paris and Morocco. For all the fashionistas, you should find some pictures in this issue.

Take care, until next issue!

Find us online:

www.sin.ie

Editor: Jessica Thompson editor@sin.ie Layout: Shannon Reeves | contact via Ed. NEWS

Niamh Cullen | localnews.sined@gmail.com FEATURES

Jenna Hodgins | features.sined@gmail.com LIFESTYLE Sorcha O’Connor | fashion.sined@gmail.com ENTERTAINMENT

Neil Slevin | artsentertainment.sined@gmail.com SPORT Aonghus Ó’Maicín | sport.sined@gmail.com

4 NEWS

Sin Vol. 17 Issue 11

New Ceann Comhairle, but no Taoiseach Free Education is a viable option at Third Level

By Jenna Hodgins

On 10 March the 32nd Dáil met for the first time to appoint their new Ceann Comhairle in a historic secret ballot and elect a new Taoiseach.

Outgoing Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and Richard Boyd Barrett from AntiAusterity Alliance-People Before Profit were the four TDs in the running to become the next Taoiseach.

All four nominees failed to reach the quota.

Seven Labour TDs joined Fine Gael deputies in support of Kenny’s re-election as Taoiseach, however the proposal was defeated by 94 votes to 57.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams’ bid was also unsuccessful and was defeated by 116 to 24 votes with 16 abstentions.

Richard Boyd Barret from AntiAusterity Alliance-People Before Profit (AAA-PBP) failed to be elected; the motion was defeated by 111 votes to 9.

The proposal for Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin to become the next Taoiseach was defeated by 108 votes to 43 with five abstentions from independent TDs Mattie McGrath, Noel Grealish, Denis Naughten and Michael Harty.

After they failed to elect a new Taoiseach, Mr Kenny addressed the Dáil about travelling to meet with President Michael D. Higgins to offer his resignation with no majority support in the House.

He will become acting Taoiseach heading a caretaker government until the Dáil meets again on 22 March.

Mr Kenny confirmed he will continue to fulfil his obligations as Taoiseach which include travelling to the United States for St Patrick’s Day this week.

He expressed his commitment to working so “the people get the government they need and deserve and that they have given their verdict upon”.

Despite their failure to elect a new Taoiseach, the 32nd Dáil successfully appointed a new Ceann Comhairle in a historic secret ballot vote. Fianna Fáil’s Seán Ó Feargháil was elected the Ceann Comhairle of the 32nd Dáil in the fifth count.

Independent Maureen O’Sullivan, Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, and Fine Gael’s Andrew Doyle and Bernard Durkan were eliminated over five counts.

Mr Ó Feargháil was the only remaining candidate left after Mr Doyle’s elimination in the fourth round, however he did not make the quota of 79 votes.

The Wicklow TD’s fifth count transfers brought Ó Feargháil up to 94 votes successfully meeting the quota.

The newly-elected Ceann Comhairle began his new job with “let’s get some work done” and said it was an “immense personal privilege to hold this position and not one I take lightly”.

“I implore you the members to respect each other’s voices as each of us stand not simply for ourselves but for our constituents,” he told the House.

“Disagreement is the beating heart of a democracy but argument is the lifeblood of a vibrant chamber and mutual respect is the foundation importance of debate” continued Ó Feargháil.

As it stands there has been no formal decisions made on the future of the Irish government. Prior to the vote, debate arose within the Dáil with several speakers urging Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to enter a coalition government together.

Outgoing Táinaiste Joan Burton urged Micheál Martin and Fianna

Fáil to do what Labour did five years ago and put the nation before the interests of the party.

“In 2011, the Labour Party didn’t stand idly by in our own best interests. We stood by the Republic. Fianna Fáil should do likewise now,” Miss Burton said.

“Even though Fianna Fáil presided over and created the crash, I believe there is an onus on that party to step up to the plate and seek to remedy their wrongs,” she added.

Remarking on Civil War politics, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan told the Dáil about his grandparents’ political disagreements, “but they got into bed together for 50 odd years and it seemed to work”.

Newly-elected independent Danny Healy-Rae said Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil must form a government and “give over the posturing because time is slipping by”.

Healy-Rae added: “The people voted, the people have spoken and it’s up to the parties to throw away the past, the future is what we want for today.”

The Union of Students in Ireland has claimed that it is no longer reasonable for political parties to pretend free third level education is not viable.

It comes on the wake of reports that the Cassells report on Higher Education Funding will include free education as one of three options to be considered by the next government.

“Political parties struggled to show real leadership on the issue of higher education funding prior to the election. Most of them were concerned about the implications of talking about increased fees or loans before a public vote,” said USI President Kevin Donoghue.

USI has maintained that Higher Education should be free and that Ireland should follow the example of some of our continental EU partners as opposed to introducing the much touted loan scheme.

“Sweden can do it, Germany can do it and now the Cassells report is saying we can do it. The writing is on the walls and in the paper – free education is a viable option and not the pipe dream so many people would make it out to be,” said Mr Donoghue.

Mr Donoghue maintains that politicians should be delighted at the news: “Time and again politicians have argued that free third level education would be great if it was viable. Well now we are being told that it is.”

USI is calling on political groups to ensure that a move to fully publically funded education is included in the programme for government.

“Considering our reliance on a highly educated work force for economic growth, the value it brings in a social and economic sense, and the opportunities it creates where there otherwise might be none it is crucial that we secure investment in the sector now,” said Mr Donoghue.

USI and SIPTU call on the government to introduce a living wage The Union of Students in Ireland and SIPTU are calling for all workers to be paid a living wage of at least €11.45 and will be travelling across campuses (AIT, NUI Galway and LSAD) with a worker’s rights campaign informing students about their working rights from 14 to 16 March.

The campaign will inform students about the best ways to deal with issues such as: how to make a complaint, unlawful deductions

The Students' Union were looking after your mental health earlier this month by bringing a pet farm to NUI Galway. Photo: Timothée Cognard.

from wages, not permitted breaks, not permitted annual leave, insufficient rest periods, maternity leave, right to associate with a union, unfair dismissal, and discrimination of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, religion, sex, marital status, membership of traveller community, and/or disability.

USI and SIPTU will also be launching a petition for the introduction of a living wage in Ireland which is supported by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and which politicians of all parties are being called on to support.

In November 2015 the joint committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation launched a report entitled ‘Low Pay, Decent Work and a Living Wage (2015)’. The committee noted that “paying low-paid employees a living wage offers the prospect of significantly benefiting the living standards of these employees” and that “the state should become a living wage employer and that payment of the living wage should be stipulated as mandatory in government procurement contracts”.

“Fair treatment of workers at all levels should be a key priority for any government. We will be advising students on their rights at work; how to raise a complaint regarding issues at work; how not to get taken for granted in their part-time jobs; and inform-

ing them about SIPTU’s Workers Rights Centre, which is offering a confidential advisory service to all students who are members of USI,” said USI President Kevin Donoghue.

“The prevalence of in-work poverty and deprivation is unacceptably high. 350,000 workers (just under 20 percent of the workforce) are currently classified as ‘living in deprivation’. This rises to 33.8 percent in one-income households. Additionally, 95,000 workers were at risk of poverty.

This needs to change and the introduction of a living wage will help make this change happen.”

SIPTU organiser Dave Curran said: “Everyone deserves a living wage, job security and stability in working hours so that they can plan their lives. In recent years there has been a push by some of the political and business establishment to drive down wages and erode working conditions.

“Young people have borne the brunt of this with the proliferation of short term contracts, insecure hours, ‘if and when’ contracts, low pay and unpaid internships. Not only is this bad for workers but the insecurity and stress it creates are bad for society. Young people need strong unions, and unions need the voices of young people so we can build a better society for all.”

NEWS 5

March 15 2016

“INDIVIDUAL AND CONNECTED”: Young people’s experiences and discourses about youth cafés in Ireland A presentation by Dr Lisa Moran as part of the UNESCO lunch-time seminar series

By Neil Slevin In recent times, youth cafés, as a model of working with young people and as a distinct type of youth space, have attracted considerable attention in research and policy in the UK, and here in Ireland.

In National Recreation Policy (2007), youth cafés were identified as a key need both by and for young people, as places where young people could “hang out” and “be” with their peers, a need compounded by young people’s desire for a safe space in which to socialise.

Subsequent to this document, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs provided funding for a number of youth cafés in 2010, 2012, and 2013 as part of the Youth Capital Funding scheme; and perhaps both as a response to and reflection of

the importance of youth cafés, the number of such initiatives in Ireland has increased substantially since 2000, from virtually zero to over 150 youth cafés nationwide.

Youth cafés are frequently defined as “safe” spaces where young people make new friends, have fun, and take part in a wide range of activities (Forkan et al 2015), ones where “youth ownership and participation” are key principles.

As Nolas highlighted in 2014, more often than not, young people are “far less preoccupied with the activities on offer… and more interested in the opportunities offered to relate to each other”.

It is within these “liminal spaces” that young people can “become themselves”, something that makes them incredibly important, particularly in the context of our rapidly changing society, a dynamic accentuated by the onslaught of social media and wider media coverage.

The youth café model is also viewed as one that succeeds in fostering deeper levels of youth engagement in decision-making, planning, and management than those achieved by other types of

youth work (i.e. youth clubs), thus facilitating the development of critical thinking skills, civic engagement, and youth leadership.

Dr Moran’s presentation was based on a new research paper, which is based on part of a national study of youth cafés in Ireland (2012-2014) that she conducted alongside her current co-authors Dr Bernardine Brady, Dr Cormac Forkan, and Dr Liam Coen.

Drawing on mixed-method empirical fieldwork, overall this paper argues that youth cafés promote two competing yet interlinking discourses, which are linked to the concepts of “individuality” and “connectedness”.

Qualitative evidence presented within it illustrates that young people who participate in youth cafés frequently create and re-create discourses about their own uniqueness and individuality; and these discourses partially account for the success of the model in the Irish context, the freedom that youth café participants experience: “At school you have to pretend to be something you’re not… Here, there’s no pretence. You can just be

who you are”; “Here I just feel free.

Nobody judges you”; “It’s less restrictive here. At school, there’s too many rules. You have to find your own role in school. Here, I can just be free.”

However, having noted the former discourse, a counter discourse regarding “connectedness” to others is also discernible in these spheres, something that emphasises feelings of community, shared knowledge, and identity.

Notable participant quotations to evidence this include: “We feel like we belong here and sometimes, we don’t belong anywhere. We’re sometimes seen as the dirty little teenagers”; I want to come back here and be a youth worker and help some of the young people that will come through the door needing help. We need to keep this place going because it’s so good.”

Furthermore, this connectedness concept is also linked to a wider, shared discourse operating in these spaces regarding young people working together for the good of society.

During her presentation, Dr Moran went on to suggest that the dynamic of the informal yet loosely

structured space found and created by those involved in each youth café resulted in participants having the opportunity to see and interact with their peers in a different environment, often for the better.

Concluding, she outlined and re-stated a number of interesting points in relation to the research she has conducted regarding youth cafés.

Young people’s understandings of these spaces are exhibited by stories themed by connectedness and individuality, one often associated with adulthood, independence, and decision-making.

These spaces enable our young people to feel and experience what it is like to be “part of the group”, “part of something bigger”, and the “structured informality” of the youth café model is very appealing to modern-day young people.

Based on the positive impact these spaces are having on our young people according to Dr Moran et al’s research, we should hope and expect to see many more youth cafés being established across Ireland and the UK in the near future.

NUI Galway launches marine coding challenge for young people

By Neil Slevin An exciting challenge for Galway City and County Coder Dojos members aged between 7 and 18 years was launched on Saturday 27 February in the Kirwan Lecture Theatre at NUI Galway.

Organised by NUI Galway as part of its contribution to a European project entitled “Sea Change”, the Coder Dojo “Future Ocean” Challenge seeks to establish a fundamental “sea change” in the way European citizens view their relationship with the sea by fostering their awareness of how their health depends on the health of our seas and ocean.

As part of NUI Galway’s contribution to the project, Coder Dojo enthusiasts both in Galway and Sweden are invited to design a game.

Entrants from individuals or teams of up to four members are invited to submit a game design on the theme of “Sea Change”, one creating a deeper understanding of how our health depends on marine health.

Submissions will then be reviewed by a panel of experts and judged on “best concept” and “ease of use”.

Teams and individuals who enter the competition will also be able to call

on the services of a “game designer” as a mentor and sounding board to help them develop their games.

The winning project will be included in an eBook on coldwater corals that will be presented as a teaching resource to secondary schools, and its designers will receive a cash prize of €500; the best junior project will receive €300.

Speaking to promote the initiative, Dr Veronica McCauley from the School of Education at NUI Galway and event organiser said: “Coding is now an optional subject on the Junior Cycle Curriculum and junior coding languages such as ‘Scratch’ offer tremendous opportunities for children to be creative while learning the basics of coding.

“The challenge here is to use the fun and popularity of designing and playing technology games while enjoying digital stories to raise awareness of marine issues, and to ensure healthy oceans and seas in the future, for ourselves, for the animals that live in them, and ultimately for the planet.”

At the launch, Dr Anthony Grehan of the Earth and Ocean Sciences unit at NUI Galway’s School of Natural Sciences proposed ideas for project development and

gave a talk on the need for greater cold-water coral reef protection worldwide.

Dr Grehan was joined by Dr Amy Lusher who, having recently completed her PhD at GMIT, provided an update on her work relating to the hunt for micro-plastics (small plastic particles) in the oceans.

In addition, Director of Galwaybased RealSIM Ltd Gavan Duffy spoke about his company’s work on the Titanic Belfast Ocean Exploration project, and their current work on the East Coast and Cork Harbour that aims to apply innovative 3D technologies to marine environmental exploration.

To register for this challenge and/ or for more competition details, please visit http://­seachangeproject. eu/­futureocean.

Registration for the competition closes on Saturday 9 April and is open to Coder Dojos in Galway City and County; and, to create that international dimension, Coder Dojos in Lund, Sweden.

Whatever floats your goat... One of the visitors farm the Pet Farm that that was held in NUI Galway earlier this month. Photo: Timothée Cognard.

6 FEATURES

Sin Vol. 17 Issue 11

From a Holy Cross Crusader to a Galway Girl

By Meghan Kearney Late August, 2015, I, along with 15 other Holy Cross juniors ventured across the pond in anticipation of an exciting and adventurous year abroad in Galway, Ireland.

What we didn’t know at the time was how close we would become, and more importantly, how connected we would become with the Irish culture and way of life. If you can’t tell from my name, I am Irish; with both sets of my grandparents traveling from Ireland to Boston in their twenties.

Having two living grandparents with Irish accents, who are constantly sharing stories of the “olden days” when they would tend their sheep farm in the Kerry countryside, sparked my interest in Ireland in my childhood.

What made my obsession more pinpointed, was a two week trip to Ireland I took with my family when I was younger. What I loved more than anything was the green countryside, abundant in adorable sheep and cows, so beautiful and vast. I had never seen anything so naturally beautiful in my life.

It was then I realized this was definitely not my last time in Ireland – the beautiful countryside, quaint towns, simpler way of life, and loving communities were something out of a fairy tale. In high school I had a couple more European adventures, venturing to Prague, Vienna, Berlin, London, and Scotland. It was then that I fell in love with travel and the ability to experience a completely new culture and way of life.

Despite all of the wonderful European cities I travelled to, my favourite trip forever remained my family trip to the Ireland countryside. So, when faced with the choice of where I should go abroad, the decision was beyond simple.

I love to travel more than anything, and while the hustle and bustle of Dublin was thrilling for a weekend or two, Galway was where I belonged. So, decision made and applications successful, I nervously made my way to a new country for an entire school year.

Out of my 15 Holy Cross acquaintances in this new adventure, I was close with two.

While this scared me, it was also exciting to have the opportunity to experience a whole new way of life for a year – and that is just what we did.

Over the course of the first three days in Galway, I was sure I had made the right decision. Missing home aside, the group of students from Holy Cross were more than welcoming and accepting. We immediately opened up to one another, ready to make new friends regardless of what groups we belonged to back at Holy Cross.

Holy Cross has but 3,000 students, which is minuscule compared to NUI Galway. This fact aside, I realized that about half of the Holy Cross students studying in Galway I had never spoken to, or even heard of, and vice versa.

Despite all of this, we all welcomed one another and, having only known this crew for a few months, I am positive we have all grown from this experience. This group of students is truly exceptional: one of the reasons being their ability to completely immerse themselves within the Irish culture. Rather than being frightened by the newness surrounding us, we ventured into the unknown and took Galway by storm.

Not knowing the area at all, a few of the students decided to purchase or rent bikes and figure out Galway for themselves.

Despite the possibility of becoming lost, we used our excitement to fuel our searches and discovered the hidden gems within Galway.

Many students took it upon themselves help the Galway community by using their time to tutor children every week, or spending a couple of hours a week with disabled children. Some helped the unfortunate, donating their time to help the Galway community they had learned to love so much.

We all began to go out together every couple of nights, discovering the famous pubs Galway has to offer, our favourite being The Front Door. We chatted with the locals, learning new Gaelic phrases, and figuring out the secret gems of the town.

We went out to eat, realising despite all Galway has to offer, Irish food was not our favourite. Although, I think we can all agree there is nothing better than a night ended at Supremac’s or Kebab, taco fries in hand.

We explored and we lived and we became members of the Galway community, as opposed to visitors. And soon enough, I think everyone in our group fell hard for the quaint but colourful city of Galway.

Beyond Galway, being abroad has given us the opportunity to travel and expand our horizons in a way we have never experienced before. For many, this is our first time being completely on our own. I went from middle school to high school under

my parents’ reign, and then to Holy Cross which has such a tight-knit community that I always felt at home. Here we were able to explore the world on our own for the very first time.

From Oktoberfest in the beer and sausage-infused land of Germany, to gondola rides in Venice, to exploring the Swiss Alps, this year has given me so many different cultures to explore. While there are some places I had always wanted to go, there are other places I never imagined going that truly amazed me.

For example, Amsterdam was unlike anywhere I’d ever been before. We hardly saw a single car, as the main form of transportation appeared to be bike or water. The culture was so different from America; it was so relaxed and friendly, with few laws holding people back. While in America, the lack of laws and structure might ensue chaos, it was clear in Amsterdam that the culture had always been this way, and thus people were accepting of more aspects of life.

Another place that took my breath away was Interlaken, Switzerland. To be honest, I didn’t know quite what to expect when venturing to Switzerland, other than the famous chocolate and fondue of course.

But upon arrival, the air was fresher and crisper, and I was immediately refreshed and renewed.

I’ve never experienced anything like it, from the enormous, beautiful, Swiss Alps, to the clear, turquoise rivers. It was the most amazing place I have ever been, and we simply walked around in awe for hours.

I am so proud to be part of such a loving, caring, and open group of Holy Cross students, and never imagined my year here in Galway being so rewarding. We have been given the opportunity to explore a city that is considered one of the friendliest in the world, and the chance to explore some of the most beautiful natural landmarks I have ever seen.

There is no place I’d rather call home, even if it’s just for a year.

NUI Galway to Host Second Undergraduate Research Conference

By Caroline Allen The Undergraduate Research Conference, now in its second year and taking place on 23 March, is the perfect place for bright and inquisitive undergraduates from across all disciplines with an interest in academic research to meet and hear each other’s ideas and findings in a fun and supportive environment.

Are you passionate about what you study?

Think you have an original concept or idea that could be developed further? Are you interested in discussions with other likeminded people? Than this year’s Brain Café may have a place for you. Through this multidisciplinary platform, students will get to share their research with peers, academic staff and the wider public.

The name of this year’s conference is the Brain Café because it’s the perfect place for ideas to come together. Its “World Café” style of conferencing means you’ll present in front of a small table of people with a rotating cast of speakers.

You’ll have the opportunity to get important feedback and it might just be the confidence boost you need to take your research further.

Each table will hear from several different disciplines presenting so you’re sure to find lots of variety. Proposals from last year include everything from marine biology, childhood mental health and biomedical engineering to education.

Interested? Submit an abstract (proposal) via the application form at http://www. nuigalway.ie/undergrad-research/presentatconference.

You can submit more than one abstract if you like and all will be considered. The conference will take place in the Lower Aula Maxima (Quadrangle) on 23 March from 11am to 2pm. All students and staff are welcome to attend and show their support for undergraduate research within the university.

This is a fantastic place to build on your skills and knowledge and it could just be the beginning of an exciting academic career.

Things got very artistic in Áras na Mac Léinn last week as PhotoSoc and ArtSoc exhibited some of their best work. Photos: Timothée Cognard.

FEATURES 7

March 15 2016

CHANGING CONFLICT: Robbie Henshaw NUI Galway Law students leaves Connacht Rugby training second level students

By Darren Coppinger

Changing Conflict is a school-based initiative which provides transition year students with conflict management skills. I am doing this as part of the Clinical Legal Education module developed and run by Larry Donnelly from the Law faculty.

This pilot commenced in Galway City in the JES School on Sea Road with 16 students taking part. It helps develop their skills and to understand and manage conflict within a structured educational environment.

The signing of a confidentiality agreement was discussed to highlight the parties’ ability to negotiate freely and productively without fear of prejudice. By watching tutorial videos related to mediation in a secondary school, the students witnessed first-hand how a conflict could be resolved.

We emphasised how those involved are encouraged to find ways to address their present and future needs, rather than dwell upon who may be right or wrong in the past. It was made clear to them that at no stage does the mediator impose a judgement, but rather they help the parties find their own mutually acceptable solution.

It was clear to me that the students’ understanding of mediation and its benefits, increased significantly over the course of the programme. We answered their queries to any

On the first day, we introduced ourselves to the students and the concept of conflict resolution. We defined conflict, explored methods of conflict resolution with regard to conflict transformation and reconciliation.

We got them to identify conflict in the context of the community and the school environment.

By engaging the class in a group discussion on Human Rights, we gained an understanding of their views on areas such as Bullying, Abortion, Discrimination, Racism, and Islamophobia. We provided each student with a reflective exercise chosen from the topics discussed. I was surprised by the level of detail and effort the students put in the reflective exercise.

The students who had little knowledge of mediation and conflict resolution skills prior to our visit were very much engaged in the programme. We explained how mediation helps the parties to communicate and resolve their differences while giving each party equal opportunity to explain their point of view.

uncertainties that they had with regard to the mediation process. We encouraged them to act out role plays involving two disputing parties and act as the mediators themselves to act as problem-solvers in the direct negotiation.

This was received very well by the students who relished the opportunity to put the mediation observed in practice. The programme was highly beneficial to the students.

As mediation will become a more prominent feature of the justice system in the future, these skills will benefit the students.

This comes from the introduction of a Mediation Bill by Alan Shatter in 2012, although it is yet to be fully implemented.

The pilot programme continued in Taylor’s Hill secondary school on 25 February with a follow up on 4 March.

This Pilot Programme is funded by EXPLORE and is a project of NUI Galway Students’ Union with Lorraine McIlrath as a staff member and Lorraine Lally, a student and practising barrister, as the organiser behind the programme.

EXPLORE project brings new ideas and skills to Galway schools

By Kevin Hayes

On the 14 February Connacht Rugby confirmed that Robbie Henshaw would not be extending his contract with the province.

It was later confirmed that the 22-year-old centre would be joining Leinster Rugby on a three-year deal that will keep him at the RDS until the next world cup in 2019.

Connacht Rugby Head Coach Pat Lam commenting on the move said: “Obviously we are disappointed with the ultimate outcome of our negotiations with Robbie; however, we respect the decision he has made and wish him all the best with the Irish team into the future.”

In a statement released by the province on the move, Henshaw said: “I would like to thank everyone involved in Connacht Rugby who has played a part in getting me to where I am today, from my club, Buccaneers, to my school, Marist College and all of the coaching staff in Connacht Rugby itself.

“I was fortunate to be given my chance to play pro rugby at just 19 years of age and it’s been an incredible journey over the past four seasons, culminating in my breakthrough onto the national team.

“I also want to thank the Connacht fans who have always been so supportive of not just me but the team as a whole.

“Connacht Rugby are sitting in a strong position both in the PRO12 and Challenge Cup and I am determined to play my part to ensure we finish the season out on a high.”

Although Henshaw would be missed by any team this is not necessarily the hammer blow to the Connacht team that it would appear. Pat Lam has throughout his tenure emphasised the importance of the team above the individual players.

Speaking more recently about the departure, Lam said: “Everything is around the collective, and making sure that we are successful. And while supporters are disappointed, and I have coached teams and played in teams where we have had homegrown, world-class players, that doesn’t guarantee you success.

“What guarantees you success is your structure, your culture, the game you play, your team work that everyone does. Ultimately, I know fans will be disappointed.

Fans, what they want is a successful team, and that is what we are doing at the moment.

Robbie is part of that this year too. Not only this year, but we want to continue building that year on year so that Connacht Rugby is successful.”

The sense of disappointment among the Connacht faithful mentioned by the former Samoan Captain has been echoed by other observers. Former Leinster and Ireland Captain Brian O’Driscoll speaking on Newstalk’s Off the Ball said: “I absolutely, from a Connacht perspective, could feel the annoyance and the disappointment of them and their supporters because it’s one of their own and they’ve groomed him to be the player that he is and now he’s going to one of the main competitors.”

Initially many Connacht fans saw the move as proof of the low regard that the western province was held in by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU). For months rugby pundits had criticised the potential move.

George Hook, writing last October in the Irish Independent, asked: “What kind of message is the IRFU sending to Connacht players and supporters if, as soon as there is a hint of success, the best young players are stripped away and packed off to other teams? How are Connacht supposed to develop and improve if they are continually treated like a feeder farm for their provincial rivals?”.

However, it has transpired that every effort was made by both the IRFU and the Connacht’s executive branch to keep Henshaw in Galway. Speaking in the days after the announcement of the departure, Pat Lam thanked both the IRFU and Connacht’s Chief Executive Officer Willie Ruane.

Lam said: “Without a doubt. Willie did a tremendous job for us, IRFU as well. There are three parties involved in that. The whole process, we did everything we can, but again it comes back to the player’s decision. You respect the player’s decision.”

Such was the controversy around the departure that Henshaw was compelled to give further details on the move. In an interview before Ireland Six Nations match against England Henshaw said: “A lot of lost sleep over it and it wasn’t an easy decision at all.

It was very close in the end. Obviously I’ve been saying to myself that I’ve let a few people down in Connacht.”

“For myself, it was just a couple of personal things. My girlfriend is in Dublin and I have family in Dublin, so there’s that. There’s nothing negative at all. It’s just what’s best for Robbie Henshaw. That’s the reason.

“You’ve seen what Connacht have done without me this year,” he said. “They are not a one-man team. I don’t think they’re going to go downhill when I leave. The work that Pat Lam has done, the things that he’s cemented in there are unbelievable.

“His game-plan has everyone on the same page. It has clicked for us this year. It took us a couple of years to get it right. What he has done for us is unbelievable. To see the young guys coming through the academy and getting that taste for professional rugby is unbelievable.”

So ends the long running saga for the signature of one of Irish rugby present and future stars. Hopefully this does not constitute a watershed moment in Connacht Rugby’s attempt to achieve an equal footing with their previously more successful provincial counterparts.

Connacht supporters will undoubtedly feel aggrieved about the outcome of these negotiations for some time. However, Robbie Henshaw will continue to be the shining example of Connacht Rugby’s contribution to the national team and although Connacht fans may not be shouting for him in the blue of Leinster it would be difficult to find one that won’t continue to cheer him on in green.

8 FEATURES

Sin Vol. 17 Issue 11

NUI Galway, staff Body image: and gender: fair at last? what about Ken?

By Niamh Cullen It’s been a successful few weeks for women both on and off campus in Galway. Two women in Galway West’s constituency were elected into the new government.

Independent Catherine Connolly and Fine Gael’s Hildegarde Naughton both stand as the first female TDs in the constituency since 1997.

NUI Galway has appointed Professor Anne Scott as Vice-President for Equality and Diversity - the first such designation in an Irish university.

Yet interesting responses to a survey carried out by the university’s employees paint a dimmer picture.

A recently published report on the Athena SWAN Culture Survey shows most respondents have largely negative things to say about the university’s workplace.

Athena SWAN is an awards programme co-ordinated to promote equality for women in science, technology, engineering, medicine and mathematics (STEMM).

NUI Galway’s attempt to win a bronze equality accreditation from the programme was a failed one.

“Old boys club”, “misogynistic” and “a lack of gender balance in senior management positions” are just some of the comments contained in the report.

With almost half of NUI Galway’s staff (46 percent) having carried out the survey, its negative results are a cause for concern.

There are however questions of whether the survey’s conduction, March 2015, may have had a significantly detrimental impact on the results.

The previous month, NUI Galway had suspended a controversial questionnaire in which prospective staff were asked questions regarding their menstrual, breast and gynaecological health. It received national attention, with one woman telling the Connacht Tribune that it was excessively personal.

In addition to Prof Anne Scott’s appointment, the university has also established a task force to look at the issue of gender equality following many protests and complaints.

Most official committees in NUI Galway must now also be comprised of at least 40 percent women and 40 percent men by the end of 2016, including the University Management Team (UMT), Academic Management Team (AMT) and all promotions committees and interview boards.

Mandatory unconscious bias training for all senior staff is now also implemented. In fact, the lengths at which the university has gone to rectify its red-faced incident in early 2015 knows no bounds.

The endless moves to address gender inequality are now all impressively displayed on a fresh ‘Gender Equality’ section of the NUI Galway website. So can we blame the university when it has gone to such strides to rectify a harrowing

issue? Or is this a ‘good publicity’ ploy in an attempt to wipe out negative association?

From the university’s history of run-ins with gender inequality issues, it seems to be a messy mixture of the two.

In 2014, two internal reports on NUI Galway’s promotion systems warned that it was “out of step” in advancing women. That same year, Dr Sheehy Skeffington, was awarded €70,000 from the Equality Tribunal following a discrimination case against the university, her employer of 34 years.

She had complained on the grounds of being turned down for a promotion in 2009 for the fourth time since 2000. That selection process had chosen 16 men and one woman.

By the end of 2014, the Higher Education Authority reflected on Dr Skeffington’s case. It revealed that of the percentages of Irish third-level senior academic roles held by women, NUI Galway came last of all institutions inspected at 21 percent.

It seems that the emergence of multiple incidents in which NUI Galway have come under fire for gender inequality in the workplace might just have something to do with their colossal push.

The question is whether or not their efforts will reflect a genuine improvement outside of hitting quotas and appointing members of a task force.

By Tadhg Evans The millennials’ pursuit of social justice is irresistible. Even Mattel’s tall, blonde, blue-eyed mascot has now succumbed to the wrath of the politically correct. This month, her infamous thigh gap vanished after 57 years, and women all over our planet rejoiced - not one more ego will be injured by Barbie’s physique.

But as of yet, no calls for a beer-bellied Ken doll. The American is nearing his sixtieth birthday, but continues to gulp down three protein-shakes a day without a word of concern from any of his friends.

You see, Ken’s just doing what needs to be done if he wants to be happy. He might burn over a hundred euros a month at Holland & Barrett, but a ‘man’ has to do what a ‘man’ has to do.

The University of West England found that men engage in conversations about one another’s bodies more frequently than women, and 60 percent of those talkers state that such exchanges have impacted negatively on their self-confidence.

Ken was one of those mangled by the words of peers. As a teenager, he literally became sick at having his gangly appearance ridiculed. His bandy legs attracted no women, but plenty of insults and daily humiliation. He was acutely unhappy – but at least he could turn to his friend, GI Joe, a man with a flair for guidance.

“Would you ever f*** off and man up, you auld woman,” he was told.

“If you’re not happy, do something about it. To be honest, I’d be miserable myself if I was as puny as you.

Get to a gym, drink some shakes, and snap out of it.”

From there, Ken’s life and body would change beyond recognition.

His routine acquired several gym sessions a day, and biceps soon arrived. Thereafter, young Kenneth pulled a leggy blonde for himself, and she even got him a contract as a poster boy for a worldwide corporation.

He is still not happy, mind you, but he can’t be many tubs of protein short of nirvana by now. Another five kilos on his bench-press ought to cleanse his mind of those pesky childhood memories.

Sometimes, oddly, Ken feels like GI Joe’s advice was substandard.

After all, it might seem bizarre that women tackle fragility by talking, yet male vulnerability is best treated with a vow of silence. It’s accepted that the media taunts girls with unrealistic expectations, yet everyone’s oblivious to the magazine that refers to physical weakness as sinful.

But there’s no time to overthink such peculiarities. Ken’s only half way through his three kilogram keg of ‘Maximuscle’, and it’s been in the house for nearly a whole week now.

If that pace persists, he might well have to part with his enviable physique – and as Mattel warned him, “if the abs go, you go”.

The postgraduate student and the new government: will we see an improvement?

By Niamh Cullen With Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil headlining for a possible coalition, there are a number of questions regarding the word both parties have been throwing around - “continuity.”

Will this mean an improvement in our economy as a result of a slow but steady growth as seen over the past few years? It may very well do.

The Irish economy is set to grow at the fastest rate in the European Union this year - its gross domestic product (GDP) is set to increase by 4.5 percent this year, and 3.5 percent in 2017.

But when it comes to postgraduate affairs, both parties lie firmly on one side. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have made no secret about their stance on reinstating postgraduate grants. It just isn’t going to happen.

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) pointed out earlier in the year that Sinn Féin and the

Social Democrats were the only two parties dedicating to tackling its manifesto issues. This extends to introducing free third-level education while opposing loan schemes and improving access to grants.

Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have staunchly stood in favour of introducing loan schemes, ignoring if not completely dismissing the idea of reinstating any form of grant for postgraduates.

On 15 January, USI President Kevin Donoghue warned that students from rural backgrounds will in particular be disproportionately affected by the loan scheme if it is introduced this year.

“Any implementation of the new proposed loan scheme for students would disproportionately affect those from rural and agricultural backgrounds, deter them from applying to college,

and widen the gap between urban and rural opportunities,” Donoghue said.

“Free education enables social mobility, breaks poverty traps, empowers the youth and creates a level playing field where true equality is possible. It should be a priority for the next government, so USI is urging families across Ireland to vote for parties who will prioritise education and brighten the future of their children,” he added.

Areas of the previous government’s running that the public got riled up about, such as water charges, emigration and continual increases in third-level registration fees, seems to have fallen on the Labour Party, rather than on Fine Gael.

Granted, Labour did not do themselves a favour in having a very vague stance on the matter of fees. The party confirmed prior to

the elections that it could not rule out increasing fees for third-level students.

It can only be felt that Labour shot itself in the foot somewhat by introducing its manifesto this year on their success for abolishing student fees in the previous election, yet stood by and watched as the registration fee increased by €1,500 this time around.

Then again, that is how the superpowers stay in power.

The coalition minority often gets shot in the back for standing by as their leader party colleagues exercise greater Dáil rights, and carry out what they wish, with their minions ready at hand to bow their heads and accept whatever fate comes their way.

The demise of Green Party, anyone?

Unfortunately, Labour started with great intentions for both undergraduate and postgraduate student fee affairs. They maintained

a firm position on both, encouraging free fees and a central European style system in place. They fell into the trap of a coalition with a party far too powerful to allow their seeds to grow.

Should we happen to see the unlikely but very slightly possible chance of a government comprised of Fine Gael, Independents and minor parties, the fear is that the result will be much the same – if not worse.

With all minor parties not having reached the quota for Dáil speaking rights, naturally Fine Gael would be having a field trip. And with Fianna Fáil as their counterpart, it seems that postgraduate grants are a farflung cry of the past.

Students can do one of two things: brace themselves for heavily instated loans much like the United Kingdom system, or kick up a stink about it.

FEATURES 9

March 15 2016

The hidden reality of invisible illnesses

By Niamh Cullen Recently, one Sin writer witnessed a student getting scolded for waiting to use the toilets catered for disabilities.

Her reply was that she has a disability and it had nothing to do with them.

“Once people know you have a disability, they are really accommodating. Where a visible disability introduces itself, an invisible one takes up a huge amount of your social life in terms of trying to explain to people why you have to approach something a different way, or why you are trying to avoid something,” says Hugh*, an NUI Galway staff member.

So why do certain disabilities receive greater attention than others?

Invisible disabilities, or hidden disabilities, are defined as disabilities not immediately obvious to the naked eye. Those with visual, auditory, mental and physical illnesses can all fall under this definition.

On an academic level, NUI Galway and most universities nationwide have a range of services available for illnesses both obvious and hidden.

Assistive technology is available for those with visual and auditory impediments, and learning support is given on a case by case basis.

NUI Galway’s Students’ Union also provides a pedestal on which awareness days and campaigns can be presented to students.

Nonetheless, there appears to be a level of frustration amongst many social spheres, both in and outside of university life, with regards to invisible conditions.

Here are just some of such illnesses, and the stories behind them.

Idiopathic Hypersomnia Sin writer and student of the university Dean Buckley suffers from idiopathic hypersomnia. This means that he does not recharge from sleep the way others do.

“Most of my symptoms don’t present visibly, I don’t have any visible assistive technologies, and my main visible symptom is falling asleep during the day, which most people just interpret as a typical student staying up all hour,” he says.

Dean never gets identified as disabled, and repeatedly feels the need to explain his condition. His symptoms make university life very difficult to manage. He cannot wake up without assistance, and often sleeps late into the afternoon.

He suffers from “sleep inertia”, or sleep drunkenness an hour after waking up, after which he suffers from deficits of memory and concentration:

“I’m very worried about how I’m going to function in the workplace after I graduate,” he says.

“There are pretty much no services that accommodate my disability, but it’s very rare, so I’m not surprised. A university that claims to believe it can discourage poor academic performance by hiking up repeat fees clearly has no intention of making it easier for students with attendance issues to access learning materials,” he adds.

He thinks that the university is quite content to just pretend students like him do not exist until such sufferers force the institution to recognise them.

Arnold chiari malformation (or “chiari”) “Arnold chiari malformation. Never heard of it? Many doctors haven’t either. It’s an incurable lifelong debilitating illness where the cerebellum part of the brain descends into the spinal column, restricting the flow of the spinal fluid causing endless amounts of symptoms,” Holly Buckle explains.

She suffers from the condition, which is simply called “chiari” for short.

“Often there are days I can’t see, my arms stop working and I drop or can’t grasp anything. Anyone with chiari can tell you how frustrating it is not to be listened to and literally left for your body to fade away bit by bit.

Many people end up dying from this.

I am of a low herniation with severe symptoms and currently I’m on the same medication for the last two years to no avail,” she adds.

Another girl, Denise* says her brother suffers from the condition but his illness appears invisible to most: “Ben* looks like there’s nothing wrong with him,” she says.

“But he has headaches almost every day, he’s very sensitive to light and sounds and certain smells, he can’t walk or stand for long periods of time and he’s not allowed to lift anything over 15 pounds. He’s the kind of person people ask for help lifting things and he feels guilty if he says he can’t help, but he genuinely can’t without risking seriously injuring himself,” she describes.

TV3 broadcaster and producer Andrea Hayes also suffers from the condition: “To discover it isn’t going – ever – is probably the hardest thing to deal with. We struggle with denial within ourselves, and along with this, we are often judged socially or within our own circle of friends or even with close family,” she details on her blog.

“A simple remark can strike right at your core.”

Depression NUI Maynooth graduate, Sinead Nic Eoin, has had clinical depression intermittently since the age of 11: “With regards to college, it was definitely really hard with the stress of exams and academic work,” she explains.

“I went to the councillor in college every year I was there and the services they and the doctor on campus provided were unbelievably good. It was when college ended and I was out in the ‘real world’ that things took a turn for the worse.”

Sinead feels that the public prices of mental health services are a “disgrace”.

“You almost have to force the therapists and docs to believe that you are unwell,” she says. She adds that the workplace can be an “incredibly unsafe” place to be with such a condition.

On one occasion, she was out of work for a month with severe depression. She repeatedly stated that she had experienced a reoccurring chest infection, which led to a formal hearing.

When she finally explained that she was “overwhelmed”, she was handed a leaflet for VHI’s employee assistance program.

Idiopathic chronic pain NUI Maynooth graduate Mary* suffers from idiopathic chronic pain, the term for pain that has no apparent underlying cause.

“I’m in pain every single day; sometimes it’s manageable and sometimes I can barely move out of the bed,” she says.

“It’s so disheartening to not know what is wrong and I spent a long time worrying about it but I’ve learned now that it wasn’t helping and was making me feel worse. I’ve seen so many different doctors and had countless tests, MRIs, CAT scans, X-rays, the lot.”

Mary has collapsed in public on so many occasions she has lost count, and is in constant pain daily. Something as insignificant as dancing can leave Mary in chronic pain for days afterwards. She explains that this makes the condition a social nightmare.

“People don’t understand why you have to leave their party; I often hear ‘but you don’t look sick?’” she says.

“I know it’s not their fault and I don’t blame anyone for being mad at me in those situations but it is so hard to explain ‘I know, but I am’.” *some names have been changed to protect identity.

The Irish Fashion Innovation Awards took place in the Radisson Blu Hotel last week, showcasing the work of some of Ireland's most talented designers.

Photos: Timothée Cognard.

10 FEATURES

Sin Vol. 17 Issue 11

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

CONOR MCGREGOR: Two Lessons From ‘The Notorious’ Irishman

By John Mulry Like him or loathe him, you certainly can’t ignore him. Conor McGregor was all over the headlines again with his fight against Nate Diaz in Las Vegas.

As you may know things didn’t exactly go to plan for the outspoken, outlandish and brash UFC star as he lost in the second round, having to tap out against the much bigger, much stronger Diaz.

Now whether or not you’re a McGregor fan, there are two things that you can learn from him and I’m going to share them with you today.

1. CONOR MCGREGOR POLARISES HIS MARKETPLACE TO GREAT EFFECT.

Conor McGregor, whether it’s his actual personality or a persona he has devised, is one of the best in the business at polarising his target audience.

People either love him or they hate him.

The people, who love him, adore his every move, his every chant, his every insult to opponents and flock in droves paying a LOT of money to see him fight, train and buy his merchandise.

Similarly the people who hate him also lend themselves nicely to his fame and fortune. They too talk about him, some more so than the people who actually adore him.

His ability to get people talking about him is second to none and some might say similar to a certain Muhammad Ali. Now I’m not comparing the two fighter’s abilities in the ring, only their marketing prowess.

One of the very first rules of marketing (remember you’re always marketing yourself) is to get attention, to stand out, get noticed and to get your target audience to seek you out. Conor can do this in his sleep with the persona he’s built up.

He also does what very few do in business, and make no mistake about it, he is a business man: he’s in the business of marketing his UFC and MMA career, he takes a stance on something and come hell or high water he attracts people to him, he attracts attention to him and he’s made himself very wealthy and very famous doing so.

It’s the same for you whether you’re in college, in business or looking to get ahead. Do you stand for something? If so what is it and, more importantly, are you shouting about it enough?

Personally, I know what I stand for but honestly I don’t think I shout about it enough. I don’t think I polarise the market to the level I could and I should.

I’m not saying that you need to be all bravado and start insulting everyone but don’t be afraid to stand up for what you believe in; don’t be afraid to be yourself, be different, unique and certainly don’t try to ‘fit in’. Be you.

2. CONOR MCGREGOR’S A SELF-MADE WINNER WHO CAN ACCEPT DEFEAT.

For all his hype and bravado you’d be forgiven for assuming that Conor would turn into a spoilt child after his defeat but the best winners, the most successful people aren’t like that. They hate losing with an absolute passion but they can take it on the chin, accept it for what it is and move on.

Here’s what Conor said after losing to Diaz: “It’s a tough pill to swallow but we can run from our adversity or run to our adversity, take it head on and conquer it.”

He then went on to say: “I have no excuses.

It is what it is. I took a chance, it didn’t pay off, I will be back.”

That takes guts to say and, like him or hate him (which side are you on by the way), you have to respect him for that.

Throughout college and throughout whatever you do afterwards, you’ll be hit with ups and downs and you just have to make sure your ups outweigh your downs. Personally, I’ve been hit with multiple downs but I still forge ahead, striving to do better, striving to be better, with an ultimate goal or mission if you like to see just how much I can achieve.

For that to come to fruition, I’ll fail as many if not more times as I succeed but it’s the getting back from those failures that matter most.

Don’t accept failing as failure, its only failure when you give up.

The Múscailt Arts Festival kicked off on Sunday 6 March with a choir in Galway Cathedral. Photo: Timothée Cognard.

FEATURES 11

March 15 2016

Darren McCallig YEAR OF GRADUATION: 1994 COURSE AT NUI GALWAY: BA (­History and Legal Science) CURRENT OCCUPATION: Priest, Saint Alban’s

Anglican Church, Copenhagen

Did you partake in any societies, sports clubs or volunteering at NUI Galway?

More societies than clubs – the One World Society, homework clubs, political groups and, of course, the SU!

long coffee breaks in Smokey Joe’s, working in the SU, even the rain seems a “fond memory” with hindsight!

Alumni_Dictionary_Page.pdf

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27/11/2015

Has NUI Galway changed since you were here?

What was the college newspaper like when you were in NUI Galway?

10:05 a.m. Did you write for it?

Enormously. Every time I go back (which sadly is not all that often) I am amazed by the new buildings which have sprung up.

How did attending NUI Galway develop you as a person?

What is your fondest memory of NUI Galway?

So many things: the inspiring lecturers, the great friends, Thursday nights in Salthill, the

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In the coming months, a Government working group will report back with their recommendations on the future of Higher Education (HE) funding in Ireland.

At the moment, the higher education landscape is in nothing more than a crisis, and this has been highlighted recently by the members of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI), who had mandated their members to go on strike as a result of what is essentially the downgrading of HE in Ireland.

The Cassells Group, which is tasked with this project, could alter the future of HE in this country for years to come. It will also highlight the attitude that major decision-makers have to education.

Over the past several years, student numbers have continued to increase, by 32 percent, and funding available to HE Institutes has been worryingly decreased by almost €190m (a drop of 35 percent). This has further been highlighted by the nine percent direct drop in lecturing staff.

In a leaking of the report, which has yet to be published, the underlying principal of the funding of HE in Ireland will be linked to a loan scheme, which is to be paid by students. At the moment, how such a system will operate in Ireland is unclear, and more importantly, there is an ambiguity as to after what threshold of income will graduates have to start repaying.

Recent reports suggest that graduate will have to pay €40 a week in repayments.

What is worrying to students at the moment is that a consensus is being created to this proposed loan scheme, and the future of HE funding. Will this create a more

How did your role in the Students’ Union set you up for your career after you left college?

I owe a lot to UCG (as it was then). It not only gave me information, it also gave me (I hope) It gave me invaluable experience of the chalsome wisdom and a passion for combining lenges and joys of working alongside and on academic studies with making a difference behalf of others. It gave me a sense of how Alumni_Dictionary_Page.pdf 1 27/11/2015 10:05toa.m. in the world. to combine wanting “change the world” with the immediate task of helping the next person who walks in your door.

The Cassells Working Group on Higher Education

By Feidhlim Seoighe

It was called Cool Chaint back in my day.

This was also the time before social media – mobile phones were a good deal larger and a lot less “smarter” – so putting the paper together was a real scissors and paste job.

lems and possibilties. But watch out – it will radicalise you (in the best sense of the word) and make you determined to try to change things.

Do you ever miss NUI Galway?

Yes, quite often. Nostalgia grows with the years.

Did you ever get in trouble while you were here?

Not perhaps as much as I should have!

Though I like to think that I gave a robust defence of student interests when dealing with college authorities, and that often ruffled plenty of feathers!

What advice would you give to current NUI Galway students?

Two things. First, enjoy it. It’s a unique time in your life when so many options lie before you – make the most of them. Second, watch out for each other – it can be a very difficult time for many people – ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine!

Do you think the SU is a good way for students to get involved in college life?

If you could go back and do it all again, what would you do differently?

Absolutely. It’s a great way to get a braoder sense of the college community and its prob-

Nothing – except perhaps, invest in better rain gear!

equal means of access to ITs and Universities?

Absolutely not, and this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Grandfather led his wife to the altar when he happier man since he got married. Their In several countries, namely Australia, only 22 years situation is altogether different from ours.

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Antonym somethingin Ireland. different. Synonym change the same manner as is proposed Grandfather led his wife to the altar when he happier man since he got married. selfish Their was only 22 years old. situation is altogether different from (NOTE Doincreased not confuse with altar.)

In these countries student debt:has aluminium / / ours. noun a sil/ adj not selfish. alter / / verb to become or make altruistic / monumentally, and the rate of repayments/ is extremely light alteration (ə)n / noun act ver-coloured unselfishwhich . Antonymis selfish something different.anSynonym change Synonymmetal ( NOTE : Do not confuse with altar.) aluminium / noun a silso uncertain that in Britain the excheq(NOTE: The US spelling is/ aluminum.) of alone, becoming different or alteration of making some/ (ə)n / noun an act ver-coloured metal which is extremely light uer expects that one third of repayments thing different.will Synonymof becoming change, modifialumnus / isnoun US a male stualuminum.) different or of making some- (NOTE/: The US spelling thing different. Synonym change, modifi- alumnus / / nouna US a male stu- or colbe forfeited, amountingcation to a loss in the region dent who used to attend university cation dent who used to attend a university or colof £9 billion to the revenue. or high school. Synonym graduate high school.

Synonym graduate altercation / (ə)n / nounlege a verbal orlege altercation / (ə)n / noun a verbal (NOTE: The plural is alumni / /.) disagreement. Synonym argument These systems clearly don’t work, and it ( NOTE : The plural is alumni / disagreement.

Synonym argument alternate adj / / every other one ALUMNI / əˈlʌmnʌɪ / noun US (plural). A /.) is typical of public service in Ireland to sug/ / to keep changing from one former/ pupil verb or student of a particular alternate / every other one adj / ALUMNI əˈlʌmnʌɪ / noun USschool, (plural). A gest such a system in the face of direct proof particular position or state to another college, or university: a NUI Galway alumnus. / / to keepalternately changing from one verb student of aofparticular / / adv withformer one first pupil that loans as a means of funding education Welcomeor back to the alumni the Class of school, andtothen the other. Antonym consecutively particular position or state another 1995.

Origin: Mid 17th century: from Latin,alumnus. college, or university: a NUI Galway have never worked successfully on an Interalternating current / alternately / / adv/ with one firstcurrentWelcome electric which ‘nursling, pupil’, from alere ‘nourish’. noun an national stage. back to the /alumni of the Class of changes direction all the time, as opposed to always / adv 1. every time and consecutively Education, therefore willthen only the beenother. seen Antonym direct current which flows in one direction. She is always late for work. Why does it al1995. Origin: Mid 17th century: from Latin, Abbr AC. Compare direct current / ways rain when we want to go for a walk? 2. in monetary term, andalternating it will be outside the current alternative / / adj 1.‘nursling, in place all the time It’s always hot ‘nourish’. in tropical pupil’, from alere / noun current remit of those in lower-socio economic back-an electric of something else which If the plane is full, we countries. 3. frequently, especially when will put you on an alternative flight.

2. folchanges someone always time grounds. The fact remains that onlydirection 15 percent all the time, as opposed to always / finds it annoying / adv She’s 1. every lowing a different way from usual noun asking me to lend her money. direct in current flows in one of leaving certificate students areas ofwhich the something whichdirection. takes the place of someShe is always late disease for work.

Why does it alAlzheimer’s / thing else Now that she’s got measles, do AC Compare current / noun a disease of the brain that leads to Liberties, for example,Abbr will go on. to higher direct when we want to go for a walk?

2. we have any alternative to calling theways holidayrain memory loss that gets worse and worse education, and roughly 95 alternative percent of students off? /there no in alternative is noth/ place thereall adjis1. the time It’s am / / bealways hot in tropical ing else we can do will go on to college inofmore affluent areas / adv before midday I have something else If the plane is energy full, we / countries.a.m.3./ frequently, especially when alternative to catch the 7 a.m. train to work every day. like Blackrock. energy2.produced the sun, Telephone will put you on an alternative/ noun flight. fol- bysomeone calls made before 6 a.m. are always finds it annoying She’s the sea or the wind A truly equal HE system would provide way from charged at the cheap rate. (NOTE: a.m. is lowing a different usual noun asking me to lend her money. alternatively / / adv on the usually used to show the exact hour and the good quality education to all, and itwhich would takes It’s rather straight NUI Galway has dedicated other hand something the place of some-forward… word o’clock is left out.

Thea/US spelling is disease alternative medicine / Alzheimer’s be as a result of one’sthing academic ability, as A.M.) when you graduate you join the Alumni Relations team who work to else Now that she’s ( got doof diseases by/ noun )s n/ measles, noun the treating a disease of the brain that leads to amalgam / / a mixture, esnoun opposed to financial capacity to pay. means such as herbal medicineswhich which has are peciallymake alumni family sure never we have any alternative toextended calling the holiday the used by dentists fill their memory loss thatmixture getsalumni worse and tolose worse not usually used by doctors Ireland has a reputation for delivering holes in teeth over 9,000 members connection with their alma matter off? there is no alternative there is nothalternator / / noun a device am / amalgamate / / be / verb to comworld class graduates,ing andelse a highly skilled which produces alternating current we can do bine together. Synonym merge a.m. / / adv I have although / / conj in spite of the amalgamation workforce. The introduction of a loan scheme / before midday ( )n / noun alternative energy / Although it was freezing, Stay fact that Connected she the act 7 of combining together to catch the a.m. train to work every day. would signal a nail in the coffin of HE, and didn’tAlumni put a coat on. been into / noun energy produced by the I’ve sun, Like Relations onnever Facebook by searching amass / ‘NUI/ Galway collect a lot of verb to Alumni’ that shop although I’ve often walkedTelephone past it. made before 6 a.m. are flies directly in the face of many European money,calls information things.

Synonym and find us on LinkedIn. Email alumni@nuigalway.ie or callor091-494310 the sea or the wind altimeter / / noun an instrument accumulate charged at the cheap rate. ( NOTE : a.m. is countries where education is free, and the for measuring height above sea level amateur / / noun 1. a alternatively / / adv on/ noun the height usually usedwho toisshow the exact hour altitude / above person value of education is understood. not paid to play his or her sport and the C

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12 FEATURES

Sin Vol. 17 Issue 11

THE TEMPLE CAFÉ: A Social Enterprise making a difference in Galway

By Sorcha O’Connor An NUI Galway graduate has recently opened a new social enterprise café on Augustine Street in Galway. Sitting in the bright, airy Temple Café, I spoke with Sebastian Taylor about how the business operates.

“How it works is we run as a normal business and the profits that we generate in the year go towards local charities,” he explained.

“So at the moment we have Console and SERVE working with us. Console is a local suicide awareness charity and SERVE is an overseas volunteering charity.”

The café is furnished with palettes or old furniture converted into tables and chairs, everything painted by Sebastian and his team. There is a calm, relaxing atmosphere in the café, helped along by the soothing singing of Norah Jones in the background and the smell of fresh coffee wafting through the premises.

Sebastian’s idea to start the social enterprise café was inspired by a number of things. He volunteered with SERVE in 2013, going to the Philippines with them, which he said opened his eyes to a whole new world.

“I volunteered with them in 2013. That was a great experience so that’s where I really started wanting to do more charity work,” he said.

“There’s a lot of poverty out there and, as Irish people we sometimes feel we are unlucky but we are so much better off than other people. So I think it’s very important for young people, especially young people in university to actually go and volunteer overseas. And I like with SERVE that all the money that is made from the project goes towards the project, it’s not all caught up in administration costs and all that kind of stuff.”

A café in Edinburgh, the Social Bite, also inspired his work today: “After I finished my degree in NUI Galway I went to do a masters in Amsterdam and was there for two years and then after that I went to work as a recruitment consultant in Edinburgh – so for the last year I lived in Edinburgh and while working out there I was across from a coffee shop called Social Bite,” he continued.

“They’re a social enterprise as well and they now have nine coffee shops across Scotland and they do a similar thing to what we’re doing but they work with homeless charities. One in four people who works for them is formerly homeless as well. So that’s where I first kind of heard of the idea.”

He said he also had heard a little about the concept of social enterprises from learning about Mohammed Yunus, the man who came up with the idea of social business and who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for it.

“When I started talking to the owners of the Social Bite, I started reading his book and the more I read the book the more it made sense,” he said.

Sebastian began working on his plans last July, putting menus in place and by November his father, his partner in the business, had found an ideal location in Galway for him to set up shop.

“It totally made sense to come back to Galway and start it here. So far the response has been great. People are really interested in the whole idea of it. That’s kind of one of the main ideas of it, if we could even just inspire one other person to start up a social business, that kind of knock on effect would be great. We’ve had a lot of interest in it so far; we’ve only been opened three weeks so, so far so good and we’ve got a busy lunch trade.”

Other charities have shown interest in the café too and Sebastian is hoping the café will work with different charities throughout the year and organise events to raise funds and awareness as much as possible.

Sebastian explained the how important the link with charity is for him and how raising awareness around suicide is one of his missions with the café: “I’ve lost a few friends through suicide and members of my family,” he said.

“So you know, it’s affected a lot of people.

Recently when they were having the Prime Time debate with the leaders and they were talking about suicide, they were saying if you’re under fifty, the most likely cause of death you have is suicide in Ireland,” he said.

And the name Temple Café?

“More so than anything, it is about treating your body as a temple,” explained Sebastian.

“So when I was in Edinburgh I left my position as recruitment consultant and I started working with Edinburgh Leisure and that’s when I started really learning about nutrition and sports development and everything like that and I started eating really healthily,” he said.

“And one of the gym instructors there always was like, ‘Your body’s a temple, your body’s a temple,’ so it kind of just stuck with me I suppose. And I think it’s important, for Irish people especially, we need to start looking at how we eat and how nutrition affects our body and not just that but our own mental health. We can eat to be healthier and live healthier lives – so that’s where the whole your body is a temple thing comes in.”

The café sources a lot of local produce with an emphasis on health options: “We do a lot of vegan and vegetarian options,” said Sebastian.

“So we are trying to be slightly different in the way we do foods … We do pancakes but they’re all kind of protein-orientated and we do beans on toast but we do our own homemade beans on toast, a no sugar option, whereas in a normal can of beans you have ten spoons of sugar!”

The café also does its own ‘Roughies’ – breakfast in a smoothie form – and student lunch deals, with soup and ‘proper’ sandwiches.

“We are trying to have that positive impact.

When you’re coming in here you’re supporting charity and you’re being good to your body as well.”

Temple Café can be found on Augustine Street.

LIFESTYLE 13

March 15 2016

Galway becomes bilingual: shouldn’t it have been all along?

By Margaret Langevin

I probably have better Irish than half of the country. That statement only frustrates me and When I first heard Galway was becoming a makes me wonder why people don’t want to bilingual city on 7 March I was taken aback. speak their country’s language.

Not because I didn’t think it had the capability I think it’s a beautiful language, and of course of it, but because I questioned why it took so at times a difficult language to learn, but it is long. Shouldn’t everywhere in Ireland be con- definitely something Irish citizens should strive sidered bilingual? to know.

As an American with grandparents from the I’m sure it’s unfair as an outsider looking Aran Islands I was always impressed by the Irish in criticising the lack of Irish speakers. I know language and constantly annoyed my gramma people have their own reasons why they can’t or to teach it to me. I studied at NUI Galway as won’t speak it. I have been told Irish isn’t taught right in the Galway is home to many native Irish speakers schools, native speakers laugh when a not-soand it’s a hotspot for some of the most fluent person authentic Irish culture places in the country. speaks Irish and if you’re not surThere’s no question this city should be bilingual. rounded by it it’s hard to learn it. a visiting student for the fall semester in 2013. Of course, then there are the different dialects.

I took two classes to advance from knowAll of those are valid points, but it still makes ing words and phrases ‘as Gaeilge’ to putting me wonder why people don’t take an initiative together a sentence. to learn it or parents don’t try to push their chilBetween studying and using the language dren to use it while they’re young. with my friends and family in Aran, I had a shockI think it’s fantastic that Galway is becoming ingly great grasp of it by the end of the semester. a bilingual city, but I think it should have been Two years later and I’m still trying to use all along. Galway is home to many native Irish as much Irish to my family and classmates as speakers and it’s a hotspot for some of the most possible. It’s been said quite a few times that authentic Irish culture places in the country.

Top interview tips

By Emer Flaherty As summer is fast approaching, you’ve probably already flung your CV in every place possible. So what comes next you may ask?

The interview.

Interviews can be daunting and people look forward to them as much as a hangover or an upcoming exam but there’s really no need to fear them. If you’re properly prepared you’ll fly through it and, fingers crossed, get the job. Here are some handy tips for your interview.

DO YOUR RESEARCH: Preparing for an interview cannot be overstated. Ensure you do some background research on what the job will entail and your employer. You can research the job and the organization well by using resources like their company website or LinkedIn. Overall, be prepared for questions like, ‘What do you know about our company?’ and ‘Why do you want to work here?’ Interviews are easiest when you know what you’re talking about. So do your homework!

PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE: Did I mention prepare? Besides doing your general research on the employer, you must prepare for the array of interview questions that will be coming your way. Preparing responses to expected interview questions is the best way to ensure success. Your aim is to compose concise accounts of why you’re suitable for the job. This should be particularly focused on examples of your accomplishments and skills.

It’s important that you can relate the experience you have to the job you’ve applied for.

L E T YO U R P E R S O N A L I T Y S H I N E THROUGH: So they’ve seen your CV and

know what experience you have but now

you must stand out from the crowd and show them why you’d make an invaluable member to their team. This involves letting them know you’re enthusiastic about the position. Be lively when you speak and show that you’re a people person. Don’t become rigid, overly formal or awkward. Employers won’t employ a robot. They’ll like to know what kind of person you are and whether you’ll work well in a team.

BE POLITE AND SMILE: Being well-mannered and respectful can go a long way. Greet them, shake their hand and smile your way through the interview. And don’t forget to thank them for their time at the end!

LOOK THE PART: As far as your attire goes, keep it simple. Show up looking smart, tidy and above all presentable. It is of course your first impression so dressing appropriately is a must. Refrain from wearing your favourite multi-coloured vest please!

STAY CALM AND BE CONFIDENT: Displaying confidence in an interview is a no brainer really. Always keep eye contact and keep faith in yourself throughout. It is also important to stay calm. It’s easy to get carried away, by overthinking the questions and stuttering a bit mid-sentence, but just take a deep breath and remain calm. Odds are it is going better than you think.

ASK QUESTIONS AT THE END: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It shows you have an interest in their company and that you’ve gone the extra mile to muster up some questions. They won’t make you look stupid.

Asking good questions shows the interviewer you’re thoughtful and that you’re not afraid to interact with other people.

Best of luck!

There’s no question this city should be bilingual.

I hope in some way or another, this could encourage younger people to improve their language skills and open the door to others who are just trying to learn it, whether they’re Irish citizens or foreigners.

However, the fear is it’s only something they’re doing to increase their chances of receiving the European Capital of Culture in 2020. Ireland’s a great country, a fun country, a beautiful country, but what it lacks is a language that’s used.

I’m excited to see what is in store for this vibrant city and see what changes come throughout March.

We all should take this more seriously and take this opportunity to use our Irish, no matter what level of we’re at.

We should encourage people to speak it, not laugh at their attempts.

Here’s to officially becoming a bilingual city.

One of the interesting designs showcased at the Irish Fashion Innovation Awards last week. Photo: Timothée Cognard.

14 LIFESTYLE

Sin Vol. 17 Issue 11

THE OSCAR’S HITS AND MISSES

Who was working it and who were we cringing over?

By Georgia Feeney The highly anticipated 2016 Academy Awards Ceremony took place in Hollywood Sunday 28 February and the stars entertained us with their winning speeches, losing expressions and most importantly what they were wearing!

This award season has definitely highlighted who’s getting it right and who needs to fire their stylists as we saw who dared to defy the traditional Oscars gown or who played it ‘girlnext-door’ safe.

A trend we’ve been seeing this awards season is metallics and sequins. Celebs have been gracing the carpets with show-stopper looks to win the title of best dressed. Though there is a slight tinge of hurt that Oscar nominee for Best Actress, Saoirse Ronan didn’t wear an Irish designer, she did however finally come out of her shell in a stunning emerald green dress by Calvin Klein.

Unfortunately, while posing on the carpet many were wondering why she was wearing two different earrings rather than whether she would win Best Actress or not – a bit awkward. Another killer look for the glitz was Margot Robbie wearing a gold Tom Ford gown.

Although the actress was not up for any nominations she certainly won us over with a strong, elegant look.

We’ve certainly seen some interesting fashion choices from Lady Gaga but it seems since her engagement to Taylor Kinney the singer is ready to settle down in both her personal life and wardrobe choices.

We saw Gaga arrive to the red carpet wearing Brandon Maxwell. The Oscars nominee for Best Original Song wowed viewers in a way she hasn’t before. The suit-style pants and capelike dress detail were suited to the traditional Oscars dress code, while maintaining Gaga’s own personal style.

If I have to choose whose look I would steal out of these three, in a heartbeat it would have to be Margot Robbie in that gorgeous gold number.

While these stars got it very right the same cannot be said for Heidi Klum, Brie Larson and Kerry Washington. Klum, who has walked in one of the most famous fashion shows in the world, shamed herself with her Oscars look, which can only be described as a sugar plum fairy costume.

The Versace gown did not do the former model’s body any justice and in fact it is more like she’s being swallowed by the dress! The only explanation here to save Klum’s reputation is that she allowed her children to style her Oscars look...

Oscars’ winner for Best Actress, Brie Larson disappointed in a royal blue Gucci look. The Room star may have won her gold trophy but she rather bores in this Gucci piece. As for the gorgeous Kerry, yes, we get it you have an amazing body but I think the high slit trend has done its course on the red carpet.

I can’t really say I like anything about the look. The upper part of the dress looked like soldier armour and it did nothing except give her a bulky look on top. We’ve definitely seen better from the Scandal star. While I wasn’t impressed by any of these ladies I can choose one as my worst dressed. I can’t believe I’m saying this but the Project Runway judge and former Victoria’s Secret model, Heidi Klum wins the title. Ladies I hope you have learned your lessons.

Lastly, when it comes to any social gathering the one thing no girl ever wants is to be wearing the same thing as someone else there.

At one of the most prestigious events of the year, it happened. Tina Fey and Reese Witherspoon showed up wearing almost identical dresses to the red carpet Oscars event.

Witherspoon wore an Oscar De la Renta indigo blue gown while Fey walked in Atelier Versace. So the result of this situation is to ask ourselves who wore it best? Personally I’m getting bored of Reese Witherspoon, so for me it was Tina Fey. For the last few occasions Witherspoon has not wowed us with her appearance and she seems to be sticking to the same style dress just in a different colour – which makes me lack sympathy for her in this situation. I can barely even rate her for the styling of the dress as she lacks accessories which could have really elevated this look. A statement jewelled necklace could have helped break up the serious gap above the dress.

That look for her has passed and it’s time for her to wear something outside the box.

Fey on the other hand looked slick and elegant. It wasn’t the most exciting look but the dress did accentuate her curves, giving her an hourglass figure. I give Fey a solid 7/10 – and Witherspoon, please hire a new stylist, the ‘Oscars Mommy’ look is getting old.

Spring Summer Makeup trends

By Deirdre Leonard Even though it might not feel like it with the weather, winter is long gone and with the warmer months approaching; it can feel like it’s time for a fresh look. The recent fashion week runways featured the usual array of bold and colourful makeup looks that aren’t really suitable for the average day on campus. So if we can’t copy the runway looks, what can we do to change up our makeup game this spring/summer season?

KEEP IT FRESH A big feature for spring/summer will be lighter and more natural skin. Try to keep your foundation lighter and dewier. If you’re not a fan of foundation, try a BB cream or just some concealer on your skin instead. If you find BB/ CC creams to be the wrong shade for you (a common problem for fairer Irish skin), you can mix some in with your normal moisturiser for a lighter coverage to get a more suitable shade.

Matte skin can look great in the colder months but the warmer seasons are all about healthy and glowing skin. If you have oily skin or you’re a fan of powder, I would recommend using a good highlighter to get that glow instead. A highlighter can be applied to the top of the cheekbones, the Cupid’s bow of the top lip, just under the arch of your eyebrow and down the bridge of the nose for that extra glow.

ROSY CHEEKS A good blush can make all the difference to a tired face. After winter, our skin is usually

drier and more fatigued looking and a nice blush can really wake up the face. Rose-toned, peachy or pink blushes are perfect for this time of year. They can look scary in the pan but you can apply as a little or as much as you feel comfortable with to get that fresh-faced look.

If you’re worried about the ‘clown’ look, try a cream blush that can be patted onto the skin with your fingertips. It gives you more control and the blush will have a lovely natural finish. For powder blushes, tap the excess powder off the brush before applying and start at the top of the cheekbones near the hairline and work your way down. That way there will be less product on the apples of your cheek and it can give more definition to your cheek bones in general.

LIGHTER LIPS In winter, dark lips are a must but it can be nicer to switch back to lighter and more natural colours when spring comes. If you’re already a fan of nude lipsticks, try ones with more of a pink or warmer tone. Peachy-pink lipsticks can look great with minimal makeup and rosy cheeks and there’s a great range of these kinds of shades available from brands like Rimmel or Maybelline.

If you’re not a fan of lipstick, you can try a gloss instead. This can conjure up horror images of the baby pink tacky lip glosses of your early teens but the shades and formulas have come a long way since then and a subtle gloss can add a lot to a fresh faced look. If you’re on a budget or a fan of a more minimal look, stick to lip balms in plain or tinted shades for something lighter.

LIFESTYLE 15

March 15 2016

Thursday 7th April and Thursday 14th April First race 2pm / Last race 5pm / DJ - Live music after racing

YEEHAW

THE RACE IS ON AT LIMERICK RACECOURSE

GENERAL ADMISSION Ticket €17.50 VIP Ticket €27.50

Giddy up and book your tickets online at www.limerickraces.ie

16 ENTERTAINMENT

Sin Vol. 17 Issue 11

WHAT’S GOING ON IN GALWAY? A guide to what’s happening and where close to NUI Galway from 15 March to 29 March

By Frank Roddy It is a historic Easter season, and Galway does not disappoint with the variety of things to do we’ve come to expect from every fortnight.

Damien Dempsey will visit the Róisín Dubh on 16 and 17 March. The Donaghmede man’s message is apparent to all in his folk songs about life in Ireland, particularly the effects of the Celtic Tiger on Irish youth; just looking at the results of the recent General Election shows that Dempsey’s lyrics still bear a lot of relevance today.

For €30, you can see how much the singer-songwriter stands by his message as to say his performances are passionate would be an understatement.

If, after that, you feel a bit more patriotic than normal, the Town Hall Theatre will present 1916 – A Commemorative Concert. 19 March will be a night of music written and arranged by Irish composers, performed by the Galway Youth Orchestra.

For your €10 ticket, you will also see singers Emma English and Ritchie Hayes perform with the orchestra. Don’t be surprised if you leave with

Talented musicians sought after by Balcony TV Galway

By Niamh Cullen You may have heard of Balcony TV – with musicians performing on balconies all over the world, the popular YouTube channel has gone from strength to strength over the past decade. But did you know they run in Galway?

“We output two shows per month as a smaller city,” explains Balcony TV Galway producer Deirdre Sullivan. “Our filming takes place on the balconies of [the] Galway Bay Hotel, where we seek to achieve a personal, underground kind of feel.”

The GMIT Documentary and Filmmaking student took over from Karen Maloney in September of last year. Karen had brought the production to Galway in February 2014 as interest sprung towards the city.

Balcony TV started off originally in Dublin in 2006, when founders Stephen O’Regan, Tom Millett, and Pauline Freeman started filming from O’Regan and Millett’s flat on Dame Street.

With over 50 cities worldwide now participating, the message is still much the same: a

Galway girl Clare Quinn to take the stage at Carnegie Hall this Easter Sunday

By Deirdre Leonard Local student Clare Quinn is set to take the stage in Carnegie Hall, New York this Easter Sunday (27 March). A performer of classical songs, she’ll be singing ‘Parla Pia Piano’, originally written by composer Nino Rota for The Godfather.

But at just 15 years of age, Clare is no stranger to performing in front of big crowds: the Renmore native started off singing in choir at primary

the desire to take over your local post office.

But perhaps orchestras aren’t your thing and you would prefer to celebrate the centenary of this country’s most notable rebellion with your taste buds.

If that is indeed the case, then the Galway Food Festival is on from the 24 to 28 March. Now in its fifth year of activity, this year’s theme is “100 Years of Irish Food”.

While I expect plenty of stew and spuds, with a host of venues throughout the city and a different theme for each decade since 1916, there’s sure to be plenty of variety.

But I’m afraid I don’t know whether there will be any involvement from Ireland’s contemporary gastronomy institution Supermac’s.

And after filling up on all that food, the Róisín Dubh will host another folk great: Niall Connolly.

Originally from Cork but having lived in New York in recent years, Connolly’s brand of traditional Irish folk has been compared to the likes of Bob Dylan and Joe Strummer.

A folk artist compared to a member of The Clash? That alone should make this stand head

and shoulders above the usual trad session, and as something more than intriguing enough to justify getting yourself a €10 ticket.

And now, a curveball: Let’s say that you really want some Irish culture because of the week that’s in it but music and food just won’t do it for you.

What could be better than a bit of GAA? Well, a play about GAA for one because we’re meant to be an island of writers after all.

Face the Short Kickout kicks off (sorry, not sorry!) in the Town Hall Theatre on 19 March. A play about tribalism, bigotry, pathos, a father and son conflict, and the ban on foreign games in the 1960s – heavy stuff for tickets that start at €12.

However, fear not if you’re still finding all of this a bit diddley-eye.

The Town Hall Theatre will also have something on the opposite end of the spectrum when they bring the Harlem Gospel Choir to their stage on 23 March for €30.

One of the most famous choirs in the world, standing out with their inclusion of jazz and blues, they have performed with everyone from

Bono to Diana Ross, Damon Albarn to Gorillaz.

And yes, Albarn was in Gorillaz, but they still count as two acts; no-one likes nit-picking.

But I’m sorry; maybe that was too big a jump, moving from theatre about GAA to American gospel choirs would be a disorientating transition for anyone. My readers and I need a buffer and, luckily, the Town Hall Theatre comes to our aid yet again.

Irish-American comedian Des Bishop will be on stage on 19 March, performing his latest show Grey Matters. Bishop will be talking about growing older after abandoning his use of Just For Men, having a long-distance relationship with a girl in China, and all manner of things that fit in between.

Known for his various documentary series on RTÉ, Bishop returns to straight stand-up with this show. No longer restricted by projects such as working for the minimum wage or becoming fluent in Irish, the comedian is now free to talk about whatever comes to mind.

I’m pretty sure that, whatever that happens to be, it’ll be well worth €23 and a hilarious reflection on Irish society by a man who still has to remind audiences that he sat the Inter Cert.

five-minute original song to be performed acoustically by new and upcoming musicians is at the heart of the show’s aim.

To date, Balcony TV has hosted well-known names such as The Script, Mumford and Sons, Bowling For Soup, Ed Sheeran, Biffy Clyro, The Temper Trap, and many more.

“We try to find local artists and bands as much as possible, although we do accept those interested from out of town,” Deirdre says. “So far, The Oaken and Reckless Youth are two Galway bands I’ve particularly enjoyed on Balcony TV Galway.”

The atmosphere she describes as being sought by her four person crew is very simplified, chilled-out and toned down.

All productions from Galway are streamed to the main Balcony TV site, resulting in a viewership of millions for every artist and band that participates.

“Whenever I’m walking down Shop Street with my headphones in, I tend to pause whatever I’m listening to, to hear any potential buskers or artists that might take my interest,” Deirdre says. “I’m also often frequenting open mic nights to get a feel for any new local talent.”

Deirdre adds that two recorded shows will go out early next month, with the next round of filming due to take place in April.

Anyone interested in getting involved can contact Deirdre at galway@balconytv.com. A full list of Galway shows can be explored at http://www. balconytv.com/galway.

A feast of Irish student drama in Galway Over the years, The Irish Student Drama Association Festival has been the launch pad for the careers of theatre heavyweights as Michael Colgan, Conor McPherson, Fiona Shaw, Alan Stanford, Barry McGovern, Cian O’Brien, and Tom Creed from Rough Magic, and Garry Hynes from Druid, not forgetting Irish acting icons Pauline McLynn and Chris O’Dowd.

This year’s festival will run in Galway from 14-23 March, consisting of 18 productions in five venues throughout the city, including The Mick Lally Theatre, An Taibhdhearc, and The Bank of Ireland Theatre, NUI Galway.

The programme features a variety of productions from new works to acclaimed classics, including Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me and The Beauty Queen of Leenane from the NUI Galway Drama Society, as well as Misterman from Queen’s University’s QU Players.

Trinity College’s DU Players will present Mercury Fur and Freak, both plays exploring sexuality and life in a ravaged world where humanity is the bargaining chip. Queen’s QU Players bring us back to

1953 America, where everything is about to change in Dinner without Joe, and in Delkany Ploy, in which one man’s pursuit of true love may mean his death.

Maynooth University Drama Society present Doubt, the play’s characters having to confront their own faith and doubt as everything they know is challenged. UCC’s Butterfly Kiss brings the audience into the world of Lily in her prison cell, where she is incarcerated for matricide.

In Exit the King, DIT’s Drama Society will present the absurdist world of Eugene Lonesco. DCU Dramsoc will present two plays on the themes of youth and Nothing to Declare, a devised piece based on interviews of people who have migrated to a new city, country, or continent.

Reflecting on this diverse programme events and speaking to promote the event, Festival Director Oryana Farrell Hickey said: “NUI Galway Dramsoc is delighted to host the national awards and we hope that Galway, with its international reputation for excellent theatre, will join in with what is a feast of drama over the duration of a festival where enthusiasts will get the opportunity to see future dramatists in the making.”

The week will also include panel discussions, movie screenings workshops, murder mystery, and a host of drama-related entertainment, all of which will be concluded by the gala awards ceremony on Wednesday 23 March, where the much-coveted awards will be announced.

school and her talent has only grown from there.

Aged 13, she released her debut single ‘SMILE’, with all the proceeds from the CD going to the Galway Hospice.

With a voice well beyond her years, Clare sang locally in church, nursing homes, and community centres before coming to prominence in 2014 when she won the All Ireland Schools Talent Search.

From almost 1200 initial contestants, she stood out with a striking performance of ‘Nella Fantasia’ from The Mission, composed by the talented Ennio Morricone.

She followed this win by coming first in the CU Factor, a Galway-based talent show, starting off a successful two years that have led to this opportunity.

Also in 2014, Clare performed ‘Nessun Dorma’

on the Late Late Toy Show, with Ryan Tubridy calling her “one of those talents that makes you sit up and pay attention... a big name in years to come”, the Irish Independent describing her singing as “the performance of the night”.

In the last year alone, she was the recipient of the High Achievers Award from the Royal Irish Academy of Music for her singing and won national titles at the Feis Ceoil 2015.

Last Christmas, she was invited by President Michael D. Higgins to sing at the lighting of the Christmas lights in Áras an Uachtaráin, where she performed ‘O Holy Night’ for the President and a large crowd.

Most recently, she won the prestigious American Protégé International Music Talent

Competition, which seeks out and celebrates talented young people from across the world who demonstrate genuine stage presence and raw talent.

Clare’s upcoming performance is a direct result of this win, and her friends and family have said that they’ll be travelling to New York to show their support for her.

Speaking to the Galway Advertiser about the event, Clare said, “It is such a wonderful opportunity for me to perform on such an iconic stage as Carnegie Hall and I am really looking forward to it.”

Based on her goal of becoming a professional classical singer, the future is bright for Clare Quinn; we wish her all the best in her upcoming performances and endeavours.

By Neil Slevin

ENTERTAINMENT 17

March 15 2016

O’Hanrahan Station

By Mark Laherty That bus floats still along its bloated loop.

He was made to take a much longer route.

Moss could creep up along the brick walls, And spiderwebs bridge The cataracts in glass eyes.

The good and the bad, He misses them all.

But he doesn’t miss his friend.

He never knew her, And you can’t miss someone You don’t know.

Ventricle

By Daniel Mulcahy she begins the descent across coarse coral shells and stones scrape wet underfoot they shift with resistance then all of a sudden crumbling around each uncertain step face opaque below the man beckons languidly from his bed before proceeding to withdraw his hand into starfish, polyps, absence ocean jolts from exposed waist to rib line, breastbone, over shoulder withheld breath stretching through depths that drown the sky drunk of salt and ink with eyes and mouth clamped shut she stumbles among the trails of grasping, shivering tongues

The Struggle

By Shane McCormack Pages flicker As I sit anxiously I shiver with cold Cold, but mostly fear Constant paranoia All around me Barely able to breath Clutching at my sleeves As thick as thieves My foot taps with impatience The subtle noises Echoing in the background Clicking of pens Sounds of zips The bell triumphantly rings I am free But just for another day.

A Revelation upon Learning Languages at University

By Jennifer O’Connor After only a month into university, it dawned on me that my talents may not even be talents at all, and that the foundation of my intellectual confidence would soon become hard work. That is the truth that is rarely spread about learning languages.

Of course we hear endless buzzwords and phrases regarding how easy it is to learn the intricate grammar of a nation through one simple CD – just 20 minutes a day and you’ll be fluent in weeks!

I may have believed that when the only language I was learning was German.

German, generally speaking, is a rather complex language – for one, there are three genders rather than two, and more grammar exceptions than those that abide by the rules.

But it is not difficult.

German is defined, rigid, and mechanical.

German is the friend who is reliable, loyal and consistently irritating and loveable in the same, repeating ways. You can learn German – all you have to do is to want to.

When I was 13 I wanted (more than I had ever) to learn French or Spanish, both of which were the far more common choices.

However, I chose German. This had a great deal more to do with my teacher (whom I respected with a reverence that remains long after she passed away) than it did anything else.

But whatever the motivation, I learned the German language like a child trains a dog. I honed it to trust me and to come fluently to my lips; I loved its irregularities and accepted them, nurturing them to stay in my brain. I was returned with the loyalty of fluency. It is no small wonder I continued German in NUI Galway.

However, things took a difficult path when I chose to study German, Spanish, and Italian simultaneously. I was foolish to think that all languages could be honed with the same determination; after all, not all dogs are trained with the same methods.

It is hard to say what posed – and continues to pose – a more uphill climb, Spanish or Italian. Throughout the mass of tenses, literature, and adjective endings, I began to feel like a mother with three children but with only one, vaguely mobile hand.

Perhaps I was truly not as intelligent as I had hoped or assumed. I practised German daily and with eagerness, but what came to fruition may not have been talent at all, but a practice makes perfect gone perfectly.

It was at this moment, while I was still as raw and naïve at university as a freshly hatched chick, that I questioned whether I could do this. Could I learn three at once and deliver over 50 hours a week to the languages that may never serve me as well as my obedient German once had?

It was in my German lectures that I found the time to wonder at my own ineptitude at any language that was, indeed, not German.

But I forced myself to try.

I was not inept, I was normal – something I never wished to be – exceptional was something I wanted much more. So instead of putting in 50 hours a week, I put in 60, and honed Spanish and Italian until they were tame and answered to my linguistically orientated whims.

True, the honing and training of them was different: Italian and Spanish felt more like wood carvings with jagged splinters that I could never quite get rid of in comparison with the perfect clay sculpture German was.

But in turn, I was different. When you choose to study more than one language at once, your brain is pulled open like steel doors, plied inch by inch. You learn to breathe a new air and think a new set of thoughts entirely.

Naturally, my steel doors are not perfectly open – they won’t be until such a time as I am linguistically appeased, and that seems unlikely to be anytime soon (I have quite the avid aspiration to teach myself French in the coming summer months!).

The rigid school system taught me German and to love it, whereas the diverse, flexible, and mouldable university system continues to teach me Italian and Spanish.

I have learned great lessons that will stand behind and to me, the most important one being that, if you have mastered one language, you have the ability to do it again – a foundation that is often mistaken for knowledge but what is really a blueprint for all that will follow.

There truly is only one step to learning languages: wanting to.

Resonate Edited by Neil Slevin Resonate is Sin’s culture section seeking NUI Galway students’ creative work to showcase and share with our readers in each edition.

We welcome submissions in all genres of writing and/or visual art, and select the work that we think will reach out to and resonate most with our student readership.

This edition includes poetry from Resonate’s favourite satirist Mark Laherty, Sin contributor Daniel Mulcahy, and a newcomer in the form of Shane McCormack.

We also feature writer and blogger Jennifer O’Connor, who shares her insight into what is becoming a topical issue for many of NUI Galway’s students: learning foreign languages.

If you are interested in having your work featured in Resonate – or if you have requests for further work by any of our contributors – please contact Neil at ArtsEntertainment.SinEd@gmail.com.

NB: We welcome submissions from all NUI Galway students, not just those who contribute to Sin as journalists.

We look forward to working with you.

18 ENTERTAINMENT

Sin Vol. 17 Issue 11

The 2016 Oscars: A Review

By Deirdre Leonard The 88th Academy Awards are over and it was a big night for the Irish contingent, with the country represented across a wide range of the major categories.

Saoirse Ronan and Michael Fassbender were both nominated in the Leading Actor categories while Dublin-born Lenny Abrahamson was up for Best Director for Room, the film itself based on the book of the same name by Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue, who was also up for Best Adapted Screenplay for her adaption of the book.

Room was nominated for the main prize of Best Picture, as was Brooklyn, a movie about a young Irish emigrant in the 1950s. Brooklyn, based on the book by Irish novelist Colm Tóibín, was filmed partly on location in Ireland and featured a strong local cast.

With all those Irish names in the mix, it wasn’t a surprise that we came away with a gong, with Benjamin Cleary the one to win it for his Live Action Short Film Stutterer.

Cleary spoke fondly of Ireland in his acceptance speech, stating that, “Every day is a proud day to be Irish but today more so than usual.”

The sheer number of Irish nominees was refreshing to see and it was a great night to highlight the talent and strength of the arts in Ireland.

Outside of the Irish presence at the Oscars ceremony, there were a number of big winners and some surprises on the night.

What didn’t come as a shock to anyone was that Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his first Oscar. It’s been 23 years since his first nomination and it was a well-deserved win for the beloved actor.

Leo’s losses have become somewhat of an internet meme favourite over the last two to three years and there were a lot of people rooting for him to win this year, particularly after his stunning work in the gruelling film The Revenant.

The Revenant was expected to win big in the cinematography categories but ended up losing out in that area to Mad Max: Fury Road, the post-apocalyptic action film starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, that won six awards across the technical areas like Best Film Editing.

The night’s only real surprises came in two of the main categories, Best Supporting Actor and Best Picture. Sylvester Stallone had been

widely tipped to take home the award for his work in Creed, after winning both a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award in the lead-up to the Oscars.

Many people, bookies included, felt it was Stallone’s time to win after his previous work in the Rocky franchise and an illustrious career that has largely gone unrecognised in award circles.

Instead, the award went to Oscar newcomer Mark Rylance for his work in the Steven Spielberg-Tom Hanks lovechild Bridge of Spies.

The other upset of the night was Spotlight winning Best Picture. The race for Best Picture was hotly contested this year, with The Revenant, Spotlight, and The Big Short all winning major awards in the run-up to the ceremony.

While The Revenant was the favourite to win, the award for Best Picture went to Tom McCarthy’s film about sexual abuse perpetrated

by Catholic priests in Boston and the investigative journalists who helped uncover it. This moving story featured excellent performances by a strong cast including Mark Ruffalo and Michael Keaton, and was undoubtedly deserving of the win.

Meanwhile the Oscars faced a lot of controversy in the run-up to the ceremony for their lack of racial representation across the acting categories.

Actors like Michael B. Jordan for his work in Creed and Idris Elba for Beasts of No Nation were overlooked for nominations, while Straight Outta Compton, one of the most successful films of the year, was not considered for any of the major categories.

I n re s p o n s e, c e l e b r i t i e s like Will Smith and Spike Lee announced a boycott of the awards and, as a result, the Academy announced a new plans to double the number of female and ethnic minority members by 2020, in the hopes of promoting diversity in the future.

This was the topic of the night for host Chris Rock, who devoted almost all of his 10-minute monologue to the issue, focusing on Hollywood’s limited view on racial issues and the lack of roles available to black actors.

He didn’t hold back, addressing the predominantly white audience with biting lines, including “When your grandmother’s swinging from a tree, it’s really hard to care about best documentary foreign short.”

Photo via Flickr: Prayitno.

The theme of racial diversity ran through several segments in the ceremony, with smaller spotlights featuring people like

Whoopi Goldberg aired throughout the show.

It was an interesting ceremony from all angles this year and viewers

will be keen to see if this controversy, or indeed any of the wins from this year, will shape how the Oscars proceed in the near future.

THE 88 TH ACADEMY AWARDS:

By Dean Buckley Spotlight took home the Academy Award for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars, after critics first declared it a sure thing, then manufactured reasons to worry that it would lose to The Revenant, presumably to have something to talk about in the most locked-in Best Picture win since 12 Years a Slave.

However, both Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor were major upsets for the presumed winners Kate Winslet and Sylvester Stallone.

The case for Winslet was admittedly shaky and based almost entirely on her surprise win of the same award at the Golden Globes, but it was nonetheless a shock that Alicia Vikander specifically won for her role in The Danish Girl, as opposed to Jennifer Jason Leigh or Rooney Mara.

On the other hand, it seemed the full force of the film industry was behind Sylvester Stallone to win for Creed, but instead the award was clinched by Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies in probably the biggest surprise of the night.

Best Adapted Screenplay was a complicated, messy category this year, and would have been more competitive if the Academy’s guilty tokenism had led them to nominate Creed for this award instead of Straight Outta Compton for Original Screenplay.

In the end, The Big Short won the night, so now the guy who directed Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and Step Brothers has an Oscar.

Best Original Screenplay was a two-horse race between Inside Out and Spotlight, with none of the other three nominees in any real contention, and the chips fell for Spotlight.

Mad Max : Fury Road was undoubtedly the most electrifying film of the year, a two-hour car chase that received ten nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, but maybe its most enduring legacy will be how many people it made genuinely interested in the technical awards.

George Miller has spoken freely and often on the awards circuit about how Margaret Sixel, the film’s editor and his wife, was the real genius behind the film, bringing attention to the fact that although film editing is a field dominated by women, who often receive little or no credit for their role in crafting the films they edit, only nine have ever won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing.

But as of this year, of course, it is ten, as Margaret Sixel took the Oscar home, and she wasn’t alone.

Only two of the eight technical awards escaped the grasp of Fury Road, with The Revenant’s Emmanuel Lubezki winning his third consecutive Oscar for Cinematography in a year that many

thought was Roger Deakins’ to win, and Ex Machina nabbing Best Visual Effects.

In addition to Film Editing, Fury Road took home Make-up and Hairstyling, Costume Design, Production Design, and both Sound Mixing and Sound Editing.

Jenny Beavan’s win for Costume Design caused some controversy after a viral video showed a number of prominent attendees, including Best Director nominees Tom McCarthy and Alejandro González Iñárritu, not clapping for Beavan as she walked down the aisle.

The clip was disputed by Iñárritu, who posted a longer version showing he actually began to clap half-heartedly when Beavan reached the stage.

Regardless, Beavan’s win is long overdue, her second since winning for A Room with a View in 1986, and she wasn’t the only overdue recipient of the night.

After one of the most expansive and influential careers in the history of music generally, and certainly cinema in particular, Ennio Morricone finally received the Academy Award for Best Original Score for his work on The Hateful Eight.

Mor r icone delivered his acceptance speech in Italian, accompanied by a translator, and it was undoubtedly one of the most moving moments of the night.

ENTERTAINMENT 19

March 15 2016

Leonardo DiCaprio and his long, star-spangled quest for an Oscar

By Rachel Brownlow It finally happened: Leonardo DiCaprio won an Oscar. We have waited with baited breath for this moment for far too long.

And if we were getting impatient, God only knows how he must have been feeling.

At age five, his career got off to a patchy start, as he was removed from a children’s television series Romper Room for being disruptive. But despite this, it cannot be disputed that, since then, the only way his career has been going is up.

We all know the DiCaprio favourites, but he truly has had some goldies in his time. Even those that were just that little bit bad were still pretty good – in true DiCaprio style.

So before he goes on with his Oscar-winning, carbon-footprint-campaigning future, we may as well reminisce on his glorious if award-less past…

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

At the ripe old age of 19, DiCaprio hit the big screen with a stellar performance in a film that unexpectedly became a critical success.

DiCaprio stars as Gilbert Grape’s (played by Johnny Depp) mentally handicapped younger brother in this comedy set in the midst of a dysfunctional Iowabound family.

DiCaprio’s performance is striking and powerful and, even in playing a minor character, his presence is undeniable.

As stated by New York Times Critic Janet Maslin, “The film’s real show-stopping comes from DiCaprio, who makes Arnie’s many tics so startling and vivid that at first he is difficult to watch.”

This film is one of my favourites in terms of his performances; and, in my opinion, he was more than deserving of both the Academy Award and Golden Globe for which he was nominated.

Romeo and Juliet (1996)

The 1996 adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, in which DiCaprio co-stars alongside Claire, is still by far the most-loved film version of Shakespeare’s romance.

Though the original Shakespearian dialogue is retained, director Baz Luhrmann mixes things up by representing the Montagues and Capulets as warring mafia empires who fight with guns rather than the more traditional swords.

Despite this slightly strange set-up, the film received mostly positive reviews, with even Rotten Tomatoes giving it an overall rating of “Fresh”; and DiCaprio profited from this by winning the Favourite Actor prize at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards and securing three MTV Movie Award nominations for his performance as Romeo.

Titanic (1997)

Titanic is one of DiCaprio’s oldest classics, a tale of romance set amidst the maiden voyage and

REACTIONS TO THE OSCARS His win was followed immediately by the exact opposite of his own victory, when Sam Smith and Jimmy Napes, his co-writer on ‘Writing’s on the Wall’ (who has had to spend the awards season with just about the stupidest person on the face of the Earth), won Best Original Song.

Sam Smith announced his belief that he was the first openly gay man to win an Oscar ever, because he misread an article in which Sir Ian McKellen remarked that no openly gay man had ever won Best Actor.

When a member of the press informed Smith he was not the first openly gay man to ever win an Oscar, Smith expressed delight that he was second, because two is his lucky number.

Sam Smith is, of course, not even the second openly gay man to win Best Original Song, let alone any Oscar at all, with Stephen Sondheim, Howard Ashman, and Elton John beating him to the punch in the ’90s.

Smith later received a callout on Twitter from Dustin Lance Black, the openly gay writer who won Best Original Screenplay for Milk in 2009, asking that he stop texting his fiancée Tom Daley, because Sam Smith is just the biggest idiot in the world, apparently.

The three winners in the Short categories – Live-Action, Animated and Documentary – were all very poignant and deserving, but there

could be no greater contrast than the wins for Animated Feature and Documentary Feature.

Inside Out won Animated Feature handily, and Pete Docter delivered a moving acceptance speech about how expression can help struggling kids survive hard times.

Amy won Documentary Feature in a fairly contentious category, and its directors gave a very selfaggrandising speech about what they had done for Amy Winehouse.

Best Director was the toughest category of the year, but Iñárritu

Leonardo Di Caprio in Revenant.

took it for The Revenant, and gave a beautiful speech about equality and diversity that he continued to give even as the play-off music tried to drown him out.

Best Actor, of course, went to Leonardo DiCaprio. He gave a great speech about protecting the environment. We’re all free now.

But the real win of the night was Brie Larson for Best Actress in Room, a film in which she essentially had to both act and direct her young co-star.

Thankfully, Room’s only win was also the most deserving win of the evening by far.

subsequent sinking of the Titanic led to a stellar hit.

Titanic dominated that year’s awards season, receiving an astonishing 14 Academy Award nominations, of which it won a total of 11.

But the biggest thing to come out of it for most viewers was their love for Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Jack and Rose; Kate and Leo, the iconic duo and the role that has clung to DiCaprio the most throughout his career.

Throughout filming, Winslet and DiCaprio struck up a firm friendship that has kept the internet in thrall ever since, resulting in numerous memes and cries of adoration over Kate’s 2009 Golden Globes speech in which she professed her love for him.

Jack and Rose may have stirred our hearts but it’s most definitely Kate and Leo who have stayed in them.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

The 2002 biographical American crime drama in which DiCaprio acts out the life of Frank Abagnale, one of the greatest con-artists of all time, is starkly different to most of his work up to that point.

Gone were the romance and soft comedy; this film is fastpaced and thrilling. DiCaprio shines throughout the myriad of Abagnale’s facades ranging from co-pilot to doctor to lawyer.

Even with a stellar cast including Tom Hanks and Christopher Walken, DiCaprio still stands out.

His ability to play each of Abagnale’s roles as he ranges from teenager to middle-aged man is astonishing as he switches seamlessly from one character

to the next, bringing to life this biographical story with ease as if it were his own.

Shutter Island (2010)

Once again DiCaprio switches up the genre, this time opting for a psychological thriller. Directed by Martin Scorsese, this is a cleverly wielded film with a plot twist that throws out everything you thought you knew about it.

Set in a hospital for the mentally insane on Shutter Island, DiCaprio plays a US Marshall carrying out the investigation in response to the escape of a patient.

This film received mostly positive views, with Rotten Tomatoes stating that Shutter Island’s “gleefully unapologetic genre thrills represent the director at his most unrestrained”.

Inception (2010)

Not a film for those who are easily confused, Inception is a science-fiction heist thriller.

Filmed in 2010, it features an acclaimed cast with actors such as Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Cillian Murphy.

DiCaprio’s character is a thief who infiltrates the sub-consciousness of his targets, and who is given the job of implanting another person’s idea into the subconscious of one of these targets.

The highly skilled performance of DiCaprio along with his co-stars makes this film a thrilling, mind-boggling, and fast-paced picture that has been compared with The Matrix.

Inception is the second most lucrative film in DiCaprio’s career to date (after Titanic).

The Great Gatsby (2013) In yet another complete change of character and genre, this film finds DiCaprio starring in the adaptation of a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald (written in 1925, the story followed a small group of characters living in the fictional town of West Egg in 1922).

The Great Gatsby shows the dizzying world of the Jazz age and the stereotypical view of the American Dream, DiCaprio playing the enigmatic and mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby pursuing his strange and dangerous obsession with Daisy Buchanan.

With Cary Grant as a co-star, DiCaprio once again gives a phenomenal performance, though critics gave the film mixed reviews, some feeling that the film gave a more positive light to the ’20s than that originally intended

by Fitzgerald.

20 ENTERTAINMENT

Sin Vol. 17 Issue 11

The Galway Gamer: “Gotta catch ’em all”

By Eoghan Murphy 20 years. Two entire decades. That’s a long time.

The last score of years has seen countless changes internationally, from the Y2K bug scare that swept across the land at the turn of the century to seeing early ’90s fashion swinging back around for another try.

Yes, the world certainly has changed, but there is one gaming franchise that has stood firmly in place throughout this period.

20 long years after we were introduced to that young boy and his yellow partner, and here we are still attempting to catch ’em all.

When Pokémon originally made an impact here in Ireland, it did so riding on the back of a hugely popular cartoon. Everybody at the time knew about the adventures of a young boy named Ash Ketchum and his little yellow friend Pikachu.

The catchphrases of diabolical bandit group Team Rocket were embedded in the minds of every watching child, and everyone wanted to own their own pokémon.

With this kind of marketing being broadcast into every household in the country each week, there was no way that Pokémon’s video game counterparts couldn’t have been a huge success.

The word “Pokémon” derives from “Pocket Monsters”, which was a perfect name for the game in question.

Pokémon was a game where you collected small monsters in a fantasy world and had them battle at your side. It was originally released on the Gameboy, making it easy for each player to tuck the console away into their pocket, allowing them to access these creatures at a moment’s notice. That in itself was an absolutely flawless piece of marketing.

Now add to that the fact that the game came as two halves, each one mirroring the other: the original generation of Pokémon was initially sold as Pokémon Red Version and Pokémon Blue Version, with subtle differences between each. The animals found therein differentiated depending on which version was being played.

This, merged with the fact that the game carried a counter system and urged the player to collect one of each beast to complete it, meant that people had a huge interest not only in their own copy of the game, but also in each other’s Gameboy cartridges.

Luckily, the games also featured a trade function in which players could catch a pokémon and send it to their friend in exchange for another. This made completing the “Pokédex” (the complete collection of pokémon) a little easier and encouraged social interaction in playgrounds throughout the world.

Another thing that separated the Pokémon series from other games in the role-playing

video game genre was their unrivalled team-building mechanism. At that time, many games allowed you to assemble a team from various characters who you may have met on your virtual travels.

However, none of them did this with the sheer magnitude of that seen in Pokémon: each of the 151 animals that could be caught was a potential part of the individual player’s six-man team.

This option was completely unrestricted, allowing a combination of any six pokémon, giving the player unprecedented control and allowing for almost limitless customization on their part.

Whether you were heavily armed with a team of legendary pokémon, coupled with the some of the most powerful creatures in Kanto, or you decided to simply carry six Magikarp with the combined capability to do absolutely nothing, the choice was yours.

And so, here we are 20 years later.

The green tint of the Gameboy’s screen has been replaced with hyper-colourful displays on the twin screens of the Nintendo 3DS, the number of available pokémon has skyrocketed from a humble 151 to a staggering 721, and the series has evolved from a cute game aimed at children to a widely popular and competitive e-sport played by people of all ages. The fictional land of Kanto is now one of nostalgia as the series continues to push forward.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of such a well-loved and ground-breaking franchise, Pokémon fans the world over have been treated to a re-release of the original run of video games.

Versions of Pokémon Red, Blue and fanfavourite Yellow have all been re-released on 3DS to commemorate this momentous occasion. Players who grew and evolved alongside their monsters can now relive their glory days, reacquainting themselves with old friends like Blastoise, Charizard, and Venusaur whilst battling old rivals.

It seems that this trip down memory lane has once again captivated fans the world over, as #GottaCatchemAll has been trending internationally on Twitter since each digital release.

But a look back at days gone by is not the only celebration that has taken place due to this anniversary, however.

On 27 February, precisely 20 years after its original release, a live online broadcast revealed a new generation of Pokémon entitled Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon.

Just like the other games in the series, Sun and Moon will be released

as alternatives to one another with each title sporting exclusive content to separate it from its counterpart.

At the moment, very little is known about the upcoming releases other than the fact that they’re currently works in progress that are due to hit the shelves during winter of this year. Fans are expecting to see another large influx of pokémon creatures in these games, allowing them to build exciting new teams and meet new friends as they progress through their adventures.

As time goes by, this cute yet incredibly deep series seems to continue to gather speed. What’s now a gaming phenomenon looks set to continue to captivate the hearts of players of all ages for many more years to come.

Eoghan Murphy is a Galway City-based music and gaming journalist. Born and raised on 1980s thrash metal, this ex-vocalist also enjoys a touch of hard rock and hip hop. When not banging his head to extreme music, he can usually be found knee deep in piles of video games, competing at tournaments and writing for www.Hit-Start-Now. com or spinning chiptunes on Flirt FM at 2pm each Thursday as the Galway Gamer.

ENTERTAINMENT 21

March 15 2016

No Man’s Sky release date announced

By Darren Coppinger After months of speculation, perhaps the most anticipated new PlayStation 4 title of 2016 has been given the release date of 21 June.

No Man’s Sky has been eagerly awaited ever since it was first presented on stage during the Sony PlayStation conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in 2014.

The game is being developed by Hello Games studio, led by the studio’s Managing Director and game developer Sean Murray.

Murray, originally from Cork, has been the public face of the game throughout its development.

His journey into the collective gaming consciousness began with his computer science degree from University College Cork before he became a Lead Programmer at Criterion Games, a studio owned by Electronic Arts.

There, he contributed to games like Burnout 3 and Black. Following this, he moved to Kuju Entertainment where, in 2008, he and four friends decided to set up their own studio.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Murray said, “One of the lads on the team had a box of toys from his parents’ attic and we were using them to create game scenarios. We were looking at the transformers to see how they moved.

“Then we saw the Evel Knievel stunt cycle toy, and we spent the first week in our new offices firing Evel Knievel out of windows and through the doors of the other offices.

“We started to think about what this guy would be like, [someone] who constantly crashes all the time and still gets back up. We started to form ideas around it.”

With this playful and adventurous spirit, Hello Games was born and, just two years later, after Murray sold his own house to finance the company, Hello Games studio released their first game Joe Danger to critical acclaim.

In the same Examiner interview Murray said that making a smaller scale downloadable game like Joe Danger made it possible for “first-time studios of [their] size [to] get a game out.”

Since this time of limited ambition, the studio has clearly decided to (ahem!) aim for the stars.

No Man’s Sky has captured the imagination of gamers worldwide not only for its appealing ’70’s sci-fi cel-shaded aesthetic, but for its bold claim of providing gamers with a potentially “infinite procedurally generated universe” to explore.

Speaking to gaming website IGN, Murray gave a technical demonstration of how large a single planet is in this procedurally generated game. He said, “I can walk and walk in any direction for days and days and weeks and weeks if I want. I can walk all the way around the planet and come right back to where I started.”

But there’s more, each planet’s environment is populated with flora and fauna, all unique to that world, that change dynamically over time and can be interacted with.

Perhaps, on its own, this might not sound very impressive. But it should be kept in mind that the game is made up of 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 planets, each with their own unique features.

And when it is, the scope and sheer scale of this game becomes apparent. Naturally, the question that must follow on from this (no pun intended) astronomical figure is, how can Hello Games fill these planets with interesting and engaging content without near-constant repetition?

Indeed, this has been the central question behind the coverage of No Man’s Sky by most games media outlets; what exactly do you do in this endless playground of planetary systems?

With the announcement of this release date, more tantalizing details on this thus far elusive game-play have been revealed. There are different alien races and factions in the game that you can ally yourself to.

Murray promises, “You can trade, you can fight, you can explore, [and] you can survive.

It’s a giant sandbox – a universe-sized sandbox.

“We’ve always talked about having factions in the game. It’s something we’ve always wanted. We had ideas on how we wanted that to fit in No Man’s Sky, but it’s taken us a while to get to the point where we’re happy enough to show it.

“In No Man’s Sky, you actually have to learn their language; they speak to you in their native tongue. The more you travel around the universe, the more you learn their language, and the more you can communicate with them.

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“The nice thing about it is that the NPCs [non-playable characters] are divided up into different races. So one race is perhaps more focused on exploration and science, and knowing that helps you decide how to best interact with them.”

In a video game industry that relies more and more on sequels to previously established properties in well-defined genres, No Man’s Sky is something truly unique; a new idea.

If it delivers on this promise, then it may

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come to define this generation of console games; and yet, it fills fans with a sense of wonder and trepidation in equal measure. Could it possibly be as good as it sounds?

In the spirit of adventure that this game and the studio behind it seek to inspire, on 21 June, many fans will be willing to take the risk and go on this journey of discovery with Sean Murray and the rest of the Hello Games team.

The chance to explore the universe that they’ve created is far too enticing to pass up.

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22 ENTERTAINMENT

Sin Vol. 17 Issue 11

ALBUM REVIEW: I Don’t Think It Is – Say Anything

By Dean Buckley As the latest entry in an already radical and revolutionary discography, it might not be immediately clear where I Don’t Think It Is fits in Max Bemis’s growth as an artist, but it’s still a damn good album, wherever its chips may fall in the long view of pop punk history.

Max Bemis freely admits that, for most of the band’s history, Say Anything has been Max Bemis, and Max Bemis has been Say Anything, with the enthusiastic involvement of his touring band, certainly, but with complete and dictatorial creative control in his hands alone.

As he put it in typically selfdeprecating fashion in ‘Judas Decapitation’ from Hebrews, Say Anything isn’t really a band. Max

just “hires five skinny, better-looking men/to play guitar parts he’ll never play again”.

Or, at least, that was the case until now.

While still obviously heavily autobiographical in the way all of Say Anything’s albums have been (“23, locked up in the asylum/listening too much to my own album” from ‘17 Coked Up and Speeding’ is an obvious example), I Don’t Think It Is represents the greatest risk that Say Anything have ever taken.

For the first time in the band’s history, Say Anything is actually kind of a band.

Darren King of Mutemath shares co-writer and co-producer credit with Max, and an improv-driven recording process of learning how to record together and then just

doing it has delivered a strange and challenging but quintessentially Say Anything album.

‘Give a Damn’ kicks things into gear straight away with a fuzzy, flaring guitar riff, Max at his scrappiest on vocals, and a repeated chanting chorus of “We don’t give a damn what they say.”

If it’s a bit broader than expected, ‘17 Coked Up and Speeding’ is nothing if not ruthlessly specific, teasing out, as so many songs from this late era of Say Anything do, how Max Bemis, the “dot dot dot real man” of the modern day relates to the troubled youth of …

Is A Real Boy, and their mutual expectations of each other.

Max has described his friend Joshua Sultan as the “bizarre muse” of I Don’t Think It Is, just one more example of the outward-looking

direction of the album, and no song makes that more explicit than ‘Goshua’, wherein Max pleads with ‘Goshua’ to stand up for and believe in himself the way that Max already believes in him.

‘Princess’ is probably the funniest song on the album, painting an image of posturing leftist intellectuals who like to flaunt their radical credentials, then asking them if they would “spit in Little Lucy’s face/because she watches the movie Frozen/and she wants to be a princess/even though Disney employs nearly genocidal business practices?”

Those lines are also exemplary of how little Say Anything pull their punches on this record, something that is pretty impressive for a band who previously put out lyrics like

“When you surrender your form to the digital swarm/my son, you wear the swastika,” but whereas older songs, particularly “Admit It!”, painted their targets by implication, I Don’t Think It Is is willing to get very specific and very pointed.

Appropriately enough then that I Don’t Think It Is has ‘Attaboy’ as its killer app, the second-last song on the album, and, in many ways, the conclusion of thematic threads stretching back to the band’s genesis.

After the self-deprecating rage of ‘Admit It!’ and righteous anger of ‘Judas Decapitation’, it seems that Max is finally ready to make peace with the hipsters and invite them in from the desolate wasteland of self-imposed reflexive elitism.

Let’s hope we all take that proffered hand.

The story also unravels around Alice’s sister Meg – who has long since decided that she doesn’t want a relationship or children in her future, then has a change of heart and decides to have a child with the aid of a sperm-donor.

Almost immediately after she becomes pregnant, she meets Ken and they fall in love, but she hides the pregnancy.

Many things happen in the storyline but, having watched the film, you can see that even though it teaches us about life and relationships, it also teaches us that being happy, doing what you love, and pursuing your dreams is what makes a person’s life; it’s also what helps us to embrace being single.

This romantic comedy is a film to watch for guys and girls, especially

if they want to have a laughter-filled evening with friends or even by themselves.

Having received mixed reviews worldwide (some critics praised it, others did not), How To Be Single still jumped into third place in global box office ratings behind Deadpool and Kung Fu Panda 3.

And in my opinion, it is a mustwatch for everyone.

FILM REVIEW: How To Be Single

By Meda Balciunaite We all want a fun single life where we can come and go and be free as life comes, but at times some of us find it difficult to pursue this lifestyle; we don’t want to be alone or know how to enjoy it.

This American rom-com, written

by Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein, about relationships, love, romance, and friendship, tries to teach us how to approach the single life in a way in which everyone can enjoy themselves.

We all know the charming actress Rebel Wilson, who many of us came to know as “Fat Amy” from the 2012 film Pitch Perfect that gained international appraisal; she might even have been the reason why so many of us wanted to go and watch this one.

Wilson brings smiles to many people’s faces and releases their laughter.

In this film, she plays a single girl named Robin who loves partying, and having one-night stands.

Her being the expert on single life, when she meets Alice (Dakota Johnson), a girl who has decided to take a break from her long-term relationship with her boyfriend Josh, Robin immediately wants to teach Alice about all that the single life in New York entails, because Alice doesn’t know how to be single.

And they have a ball on their nights out together, but when Alice sleeps with bar owner Tom, she wants to reunite with Josh because she realizes that most men want different things to her.

When Josh breaks it off completely, Alice is left to embrace the journey of being a single woman with her sister Meg and her best friend Robin: all of this is full of hysterics, a lot of partying, and booze; but there come many bumps on the road, and these cause the girls to question their friendship.

Elvis Costello to play Galway International Arts Festival this summer

By Deirdre Leonard Legendary musician Elvis Costello is set to make his Arts Festival debut when he plays in the Big Top this summer. His gig will take place on Friday 15 July, and he’ll be joined on the day by The Imposters.

Organised by the Galway International Arts Festival and the Róisín Dubh, this event promises to be a great one with the incredible atmosphere of the week sure to add to the occasion.

Elvis Costello is a critically acclaimed and much-loved artist whose career has spanned over four decades.

Starting on the London pub scene in the early ’70s, he soon rose to prominence with his critically acclaimed single ‘Watch the Detectives’ and his illustrious career took flight from there.

Known for his experimenting across different genres, Costello has released over 30 studio albums,

ranging widely from angry pop-punk to country covers to his classical music album The Juliet Letters.

Amassing an impressive 42 Top 100 Singles in his time, he’s collaborated with some of the best known musicians in the world, including the likes of Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, and The Roots.

No matter what genre he explores, Costello’s work undoubtedly has a unique voice, which he’s carried with him through the decades.

Costello has often performed with backing bands in the past, the most prominent being The Attractions and later the Imposters.

For this performance, The Imposters’ Stevie Nieve will be on keyboards along with Pete Thomas on drums and Davey Faragher on bass; Nieve and Thomas have both worked with Costello on multiple records and tours since the late ’70s and that friendship and chemistry is sure to resonate from the stage.

Elvis Costello has been ranked among Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and has won numerous awards throughout his career. Already a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Costello will be inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame this June.

Be sure to catch the legend in this unmissable touring comeback; it’ll be an experience any music fan is certain to remember.

Tickets are €49.50 and are on sale now from giaf.ie and rosindubh.net.

ENTERTAINMENT 23

March 15 2016

Farewell to another great one; RIP, Frank Kelly

By Georgia Feeney The hearts of various generations were broken when the announcement came on 28 February that Irish acting great Frank Kelly had passed away aged 77.

The actor, best remembered for his role as Father Jack Hackett in the Irish comedy Father Ted, was laid to rest on Wednesday 2 March.

At this time, many of his fans will be rehashing and replaying their favourite lines from the actor’s most famous roles, but many of them might be surprised to learn of his illustrious CV. A well-respected actor in the Irish acting community, Frank Kelly was even involved in some English TV works. Best remembered for his role as Father Jack Hackett in the Channel 4 comedy Father Ted, Frank Kelly’s commitment to this role was apparent in the preparation involved in generating this character’s appearance alone.

When being interviewed about his role in Father Ted, Kelly described the less than glamourous side to playing the part: “It took me two hours to be

made up as Father Jack. I found it quite repulsive. If I was in costume, nobody would sit beside me.

“And I don’t blame them. I had Vaseline coming out of my ears as discharge, incontinence marks on my trousers, prosthetic teeth, which I took out to eat, and one blind eye with an opaque lens.”

Despite this, Kelly brought to life a man who made thousands laugh and did this without ever expressing any of his distaste for the character’s appearance on screen.

Father Ted may have been the actor’s best known work, but acting was Kelly’s great passion and he was involved in many different projects before and after that hit TV comedy show.

From 1968 until 2015, both the Irish and English public witnessed Frank Kelly’s great work on their screens.

He first appeared on TV screens in the role of Professor Astro in RTÉ’s Wanderly Wagon, a children’s musical fantasy set in Ireland that ran from 1968 until 1982, during which time Kelly not only acted out but also wrote some of the storylines.

The show followed the characters, both human and puppet figures, as they travelled in the horse-drawn wagon to magical lands of Irish mythology and into outer space.

It was during this period that his debut on the big screen came in his role as a prison officer in The Italian Job (1969).

Kelly then made a return to children’s screens in the live action musical animation Rock-A-Doodle as the voiceover for the Grand Duke’s Owls in 1991.

He also made appearances in numerous TV dramas, one of which as William Skeggs in the crime drama Remington Steele alongside Pierce Brosnan in 1984. That particular episode saw Brosnan’s character flee LA and arrive in Ireland to meet William Skeggs (played by Kelly, whose character, in the mean-time, has been murdered).

Meanwhile, some of the Irish actor’s other TV and film-based cameo roles included Teems of Times (in which he played Giggles Devoy for four episodes); the BAFTA-awarded Screen Two; and well-loved Irish family adventure film War of the Buttons, all before he was given his first leading role in Father Ted.

While working on television, Kelly also made appearances on the big screen in a number of independent productions: Taffin (1988), 35 Aside (1996), and short film Fishing the SloeBlack River, also released in 1996.

In 2002, he returned to the cinema as Uncle Matt in the Irish comedy Rat. This saw Kelly as the brother of Conchita, played by Imelda Staunton, whose husband has been turned into a rat, forcing the family to cope with this significant alteration to their lives.

In a more prominent role, the veteran actor played the father of Desmond (played by Pierce Brosnan) in the 2002 film Evelyn.

In the heart-wrenching family drama, Desmond’s wife abandons the family the day after Christmas, and because he is unemployed and unable to care for his children, they are placed in an orphanage. The film was nominated for Best Irish Film in 2002.

Meanwhile, Kelly’s interest in Irish language and culture was expressed by his involvement in the short film Yu Ming Is Ainm Dom, which won an IFTA in 2003.

And despite him only being on screen for six months, many will remember his role in the ITV soap Emmerdale as Dermot, father of Declan Lacey in 2010. It’s reported that Kelly left this role because he missed his family in Ireland.

Kelly’s last appearance on the big screen was in 2014 in a cameo role as the judge in the Mrs. Brown’s Boys D’Movie.

One thing many fans may not be aware of, however, is that Frank Kelly was also a singer/song-writer. In 1982, he released the single ‘Christmas Countdown’ (a comedy song by Hugh Leonard) that reached number 8 in the Irish Singles Charts, a song that continues to be loved by the Irish public (and therefore receives regular airplay), every holiday season.

Kelly also released an album Comedy Countdown, which featured a sketch from his RTÉ radio programme The Glen Abbey Show.

Frank Kelly was certainly one of the greats of Irish and English entertainment; he will be sorely missed by his many fans. RIP.

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24 SPORT

Sin Vol. 17 Issue 11

What have the Clubs been up to?

NUI Galway Men’s Soccer Club Capture Spillane Cup at Collingwood 2016 NUI Galway defeated University of Ulster 2-1 in the Spillane Cup Final played at The Farm in UCC on Wednesday 24 February.

NUI Galway had been knocked out of the Collingwood Cup earlier in the week, losing rather unluckily 2-1 to Queen’s University Belfast, in game which saw them issued with two very harsh red cards.

However, they picked themselves to participate in the Spillane

Cup, a competition named in honour of Prof. Liam Spillane, former NUI Galway Chairman who remains very much active on the club fundraising.

NUI Galway had easily overcome the RCSI in the Semi Final winning 4-2 with goals from Alan Murphy, Allie Sanusi and Shane O’Rourke.

The Final was a tougher affair with NUI Galway getting off to a

great start, with a penalty earned and converted by Niall Whelan playing in what probably will be his final Collingwood.

Alan Murphy added a second making it 2-0 but Ulster University (UU) fought back well scoring with 15 minutes remaining. A spirited fightback by UU wasn’t enough and NUI Galway lifted the trophy for the second time in four years having won it in 2013 previously.

Mountaineering: Pictured are scenes from a recent climb on snow-capped hills in Connemara.

Archery: Earlier this month, at the National Indoor Championships, Darren posted the highest 60 arrow score in Recurve at an indoor competition, since the national indoors last year, where he also hit the highest score that year.

NUIG Ladies Battle Their Way Into Irish Cup Final The NUIG ladies soccer team is making headlines in recent weeks following their victory over Maynooth in the Premier Division Cup semi-final. This is the first time in the history of the university that the ladies’ team has reached this stage, the pinnacle of women’s college soccer.

Maynooth got the lucky toss of the coin for this game with NUIG having to make the two hour journey to Kildare. This did appear to take its toll on the away team, with the starting eleven starting quite sluggish.

The first 45 minutes were a tight affair overall with both sides having chances yet nothing too clear-cut. Galway’s Ciara Lynagh and Maebh Coleman dominated

central midfield in the opening half, both working hard in helping out the defence. Galway created a few chances down the right with full back Aoife Walsh linking up well with winger Eimear Foley.

Maynooth’s main threat, Amber Barrett, one of the league’s top scorers, was well marshalled at the back

by Laura O’ Carroll and Rosa Shine throughout the first half.

For the opening five minutes of the second half, NUIG dropped their concentration levels and this was all it took for Barrett to swoop in and score the opening goal of the game. With a difficult deficit to overturn, it would have been easy for heads to drop on the Galway side, the clear underdogs for this game. However this is a team

brimming with confidence and self-belief, and the 1-0 score line seemed to spur them on to play even more probing football.

Erasmus student Kara Shue used her fantastic pace to beat the Maynooth defence and score the equaliser, much to the delight of managers John Hynes and Padraic De Burca. Striker Lisa Casserly struck a wonderful free kick only moments later which was well saved by the home keeper who could do nothing about the follow up from Paula McGrory.

In an incredible ten-minute turnaround, Lisa Casserly put the NUI Galway side 3-1 up with a neat finish to a cross from another international student Ella McMackin.

Tori D’Acunto put the game to bed

in the dying minutes with a superb strike to make it a total of 4 goals for NUIG. Shauna Fox and Bridget Westermann kept the defence tight throughout this half to ensure a 4-1 win for the travelling team.

Special congratulations must go to captain Jennifer Byrne who was terrific throughout and also to goalkeeper Louise Creaven who undoubtedly kept the Galway side in the game with a handful of top class saves.

SPORT 25

March 15 2016

Irish Open Judo Championships 2016

Sailing:

The Irish Open Judo Championships, the premier event on the Judo calender, was held in the Dublin City University sports complex on Saturday 5 March 2016. The NUI Galway men’s team followed up on their recent success at the Judo Intervarsities in Derry with a further medal haul at this event.

Darren Friel continued his good form taking a bronze medal in the senior men under 100kg event. This was followed by some very skillfull wins in the open weigh category, reaching the final and taking a silver medal.

His clubmate, Glen McGrane, had some excellent wins and took a bronze in the under 100kg cate-

At the Intervarsity Championships from 24 to 28 February, NUIG 1 was promoted to Gold, while NUIG 2 competed for bronze.

After day one, NUIG 1 were promoted to the Gold Fleet following a successful day racing against some of the country’s top teams.

NUIG 2 also performed well.

Day two saw NUIG 1 battle it out against the international teams and competition was tough. NUIG 2 performed well in bronze and made it to a semi-final against DIT and DCU.

gory. Stephen Bradshaw also had a good day taking gold in the masters division and silver in the senior mens under 90Kg division. The NUI Galway ladies team on the same day competed in the Galway Open taking away two silver medals.

The full results are as follows: IRISH OPEN – MEN’S:

U90Kg – Silver – Stephen Bradshaw Masters – Gold - Stephen Bradshaw U100Kg – Bronze – Glen McGrane U100Kg – Bronze – Darren Friel Open weight – Silver – Darren Friel GALWAY OPEN – LADIES:

Catherine Petitti – Silver – Lower belts Maedhbh Weldon – Silver – Upper belts

NUIG Judo Club squad who took part in the Irish Open Judo Championships on 5 March 2016. Left to right: Colm O’Riordan, (Senior Coach), Darren Friel, Stpehen Bradshaw, Glen McGrane.

NUIG Mystics Capture League Title NUIG Mystics won the BIWD1 League title with one game remaining following a massive win in Cork.

NUIG were without four players, two of them starters for the game against Fr.Matthews. Currently second in the league, Fr. Matthews were confident of putting the league decider down to the last game for Mystics V Ulster Rockets on Sunday but NUIG Mystics had other plans.

NUIG Mystics started with Hannah Coen, Ailish O’Reilly, Marritta Gillcrease, Lauren Murray and Deirdre O’Shea and the first quarter was a high-scoring one with all the starters getting off the mark and Ailish O’Reilly leading the way with nine points.

The quarter ended in Mystics’ favour on a score line of 21-13.

The second quarter started with a three-pointer from Lauren Murray and Hannah Coen and with Marritta Gillcrease working tirelessly inside on defence and scoring on the offensive end.

At halftime it was 36-23 in Mystics’ favour. The second half saw a revitalised Fr. Matthews’ who came out fighting, putting huge pressure on Mystics’ guards. Rebecca Hansberry got in in the third and hit a big two straight away. Matthews won the third to cut the gap but Mystics still had the advantage on a score line of 49-40.

Going into the fourth, Fr Matthews had some foul trouble with four of their players on four fouls.

Waterpolo: The women’s team won second and the men’s team won third at the Irish water polo intervarsities They fought hard though and, with Mystics tiring, they introduced Emer Smyth and Aoibhin O’Neill.

Their fresh legs proved very helpful to Mystics.

Fr Matthews drew Level with two and a half minutes remaining but a big “3” from Coen saw Mystics take back the lead and with Fr Matthews on team fouls. Mystics went to the line through O’Reilly and Coen to secure a very important win and more importantly the National League Title.

NUIG Judo and Athletics Strike Gold Intervarsity Judo 2016: The Judo Intervarsities were hosted this year by University of Ulster in Derry on Saturday 20 February.

The NUIG Men’s A team reached the final for the fifth year in succession, having won three of the last four titles. The team defeated UUC with a score of 5-0 in the first round and went on to beat QUB in the semi-final.

Glen McGrane secured this round win with a thundering full point throw in the fourth contest – with NUIG prevailing by 4-1. The final this year was a repeat of last year’s final which NUIG won without losing a contest. In a very closely fought contest, UCC prevailed this year and took the title. The Men’s B team secured the bronze medal position by defeating UCD. UCC went on to complete a unique double by winning the Ladies team event.

In the individual events the club took 14 medals in all, with four gold, two silver and eight bronze. The medals were spread across a wide range of categories from novice to senior open events in both Ladies and Men’s.

Darren Friel of NUIG won his weight, (under 100kg), in spectacular fashion, defeating all opponents by full point throws. He went on to march his way through the open event, again, defeating all opponents by full point throws. He was unbeaten on the day and took gold for the club in this event for the second time in three years, following up on the win by Stephen Bradshaw in Galway in 2014.

It was no surprise that when Throw of the Day was announced and went to Darren Friel. There were some fine performances from some of the newcomers to the club such as Jack Roche who recently

won his blue belt in Dublin, and took bronze in the upper belt category winning his contests with some very skilful Judo.

The Ladies novice, lower and middle belt categories were dominated by NUIG. Nora Maung took silver in the novice event with Club Captain, Aileen Ward, taking gold in the lower belts. Marina Sokolovskays took gold in the middle belts, silver in the U78Kg category and went on to take a very credible bronze in the ladies open category which had a very strong field of experienced entries.

The club coach, Colm O’Riordan, was very pleased with the results indicating that all club members who entered took away at least one medal. The Judo Club would like to thank the staff in the sports unit in NUIG and the Kingfisher sports centre for their support and look forward to next year’s event which will be hosted by UCD. Final count: Men’s team silver, & bronze, - individual medals: 4 gold, 2 silver, 8 bronze - including the men’s open gold.

Athletics: There were some brilliant performances recently at the indoor athletics intervarsities in Athlone. A young NUIG squad of close to 20 went and produced one the university’s best ever performances which bodes very well for the future. Congratulations to Conall Mahon who won the triple jump and Aengus Meldon who ran a brave race to place 3rd in the 800m.

Also special mention to William Flynn(400m), Simon Callaghan(Long Jump) and Barry Quigg(High Jump) who were all points scorers.

NUIG Mystics V Ulster Rockets: With the League title secured, NUIG Mystics took on Ulster Rockets in the Kingfisher on Sunday 28 February in front of a great crowd of supporters. Busloads of supporters came from Mayo and Tullamore to cheer on the Mystics in their last regular league home game.

Mystics were back to their full strength team and started with Hannah Coen, Ailish O’Reilly, Marritta Gillcrease, Lauren Murray and Deirdre O’Shea and started well with Coen hitting six in the first and the first also saw the introduction of Siobhan Kilkenny and Catherine Connaire.

The first finished on a score line of 13-12 in Mystics’ favour but the second saw Mystics step up the intensity. Michelle Fahy entered

the game as did Emer Smyth and Mystics won the second 19-6 and on the half the score was 31-19 in Mystics’ favour.

Into the third and the substitutions were being made with Leah Cunningham entering the game for Gillcrease and Aoibhinn O’Neill getting on to go up against her sister who plays for the Ulster Rockets.

The teams traded baskets and, even though Rockets played well, there was only one outcome to this game. Suzanne McDonagh came in for Mystics and hit points in quick succession. The score line ran out 59-51 and secured another win for NUIG Mystics who ended their regular season on 16 wins and one loss.

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SPORT 27

March 15 2016

ALL IRELAND CLUB FINALS PREVIEW: Four clubs with one dream on St. Patrick’s Day

By Graham Gillespie It’s a dream scenario for every club GAA player in the country, to line out in an All-Ireland Club Final in Croke Park on St. Patrick’s Day. However for this dream to be possible, a mess must be made of the club calendar with teams often playing the most important games in their club’s history in the worst weather conditions of the year after playing very few games during the summer months.

Due to the scheduling chaos, particularly at club level, in the GAA it is not unforeseeable to envisage the Paddy’s day club finals being abolished in the not too distant future. Anyway, switching focus to this year’s two finals, we have three clubs making their All Ireland final debut, whilst the other will be desperately hoping it will be third time lucky after failing to win either of their previous two outings in Croke Park on finals day.

The first game of the day will see two clubs from counties who are not accustomed to national success battle it out for the Hurling title. The Limerick City based Na Piarsaigh will take on Antrim’s Ruairí Óg Cushendall in what will be a very unfamiliar experience for all involved to kick off the St. Patrick’s Day double header at Croke Park.

Back in November, Na Piarsaigh, who are spearheaded by Limerick forward Shane Dowling, sealed their third Munster Championship in just five years after overcoming Ballygunner from Waterford in Semple Stadium. However on their previous sojourns beyond the Munster Championship they have lost in the semis both times firstly to Loughgiel Shamrocks of Antrim in 2012 and then to Portumna from Galway in 2014.

In fact, Na Piarsaigh’s current manager Shane O’Neill was one of the players who came up short in 2012. This time around they didn’t come unstuck against Wexford’s Oulart-theBallagh despite a fiercely contested match.

Na Piarsaigh led for nearly the entirety of the game but a late four-point surge from Oulart forced the game to extra time in which the Limerick City northsiders prevailed narrowly by two points.

With Shane Dowling being the main provider of scores in the team, fellow Limerick inter-county player David Breen will also play a key part from an attacking perspective while midfielders Will O’Donoghue and Alan Dempsey will be the ones others look to for leadership in the difficult moments on 17 March.

Fellow debutants Ruairí Óg Cushendall will be aspiring to follow Loughgiel Shamrocks footsteps in becoming only the second club from Ulster to win the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship. As Antrim at county level got demoted to the Christy Ring Cup and division 2A in the league, Cushendall have been a bright spot in an otherwise miserable year in hurling for the county of the Glens.

Like Na Piarsaigh, Cushendall were taken to extra time on their route to Croker, but unlike their opponents it came in their provincial final against Derry champions Slaughtneill. The following semi-final was surprisingly comfortable for the ten time Ulster champions with them completely dismantling Galway’s Sarsfields 3-12 to 1-6.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner Ruairí Óg player Neil McManus said that there has been an greater emphasis on hurling and style of play instead of physical preparation in training and this may well be part of why McManus scored 1-7 against Sarsfields and are now preparing for an All-Ireland final.

Veteran Karl McKeegan and man of the match from the semi Ryan McCambridge will be crucial while midfielder Shane McNaughton will be taking up a role in the T.V series The Fall, but not before hopefully picking up an All-Ireland winners medal.

In the football final, two clubs filled with players well used to playing in various AllIreland finals will be looking to lift the Andy Merrigan Cup for the first time. Connacht champions Castlebar Mitchels will square off against Dublin side Ballyboden St. Enda’s.

Two years ago Castlebar Mitchels made the All-Ireland final and faced another Dublin team in St. Vincents but on that occasion Mitchels were beaten by seven points. Castlebar have

forged a shot at redemption following an edgy one point victory over Crossmaglen which made them the third Mayo club to make an All-Ireland final this year after Ardnaree Sarsfields made the junior decider and Hollymount-Carramore made the intermediate final.

Mitchels will be hoping to buck the trend since both Ardnaree and Hollymount lost their finals and have been imperiously free scoring in their run to Croke Park.

In the Mayo final a Neil Douglas hat-trick helped hammer the O’Shea brother’s Breaffy and in the Connacht final they knocked out the All-Ireland holders Corofin by a score of 2-10 to 0-11 with the prolific full forward line of Danny Kirby, Richie Feeney and Neil Douglas all in fine form. This game was also Corofin manager Stephen Rocheford’s last game before he became the Mayo manager.

Two more players who will be key are midfielder Barry Moran, who scored the winning point in the semi-final and half-back Paddy Durcan. These two Mayo county players could be crucial in the battle around midfield with Michael Darragh Macauley being part of the Ballyboden midfield.

Ballyboden were the team that this year emerge from the bear pit of the Dublin Championship beating St. Vincents in the final and they have not had it much easier since then. In claiming their first ever Leinster crown in football, ‘Boden squeezed past Portlaoise 2-9 to 1-11 and were fortunate that Portlaoise forward Paul Cahillane missed what looked like a simple free to take the game to extra time.

When they played Clonmel Commercials for a spot in the final, luck was on their side once more when they kicked three points in injury time to tie the game, the last of which

by Darragh Nelson came with more than a suspicion of travelling, before notching up a five point victory in the resulting extra time.

Along with Macauley, forward Andrew Kerin and Donegal keeper Paul Durcan are amongst some of the players the south Dublin club will need on their best form if they are to overcome Castlebar. Although Castlebar Mitchels are slight favourites, this battle hardened Ballyboden outfit will definitely have a great chance of winning the All-Ireland final on their first attempt.

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28 SPORT

Sin Vol. 17 Issue 11

The Hunt for League of Ireland Glory Returns

By Paul Corcoran The lunatic fringe of the Irish sporting public have been waiting for this all winter long. The Airtricity League returns Friday 4 March.

The lead up to the season saw the welcome announcement that the FAI has increased the total prize money for the league by €160,000— €315,000 to €475,000.

The amount is still far too little overall and for some teams in the First Division, their chunk of the money still won’t cover their entry fees into the league.

Cynicism aside, however, this is still a step forward for our league.

The most notable absence from the 2016 season is Richie Towell. The midfielder supplied over 20 goals for league and cup double winners Dundalk last year.

The Louth club have added Robbie Benson and former Derry City striker Patrick McEleney to their squad for the upcoming season. Manager Stephen Kenny has also managed to hold onto the bulk of his title winning squad from the 2015 season. Galway man Daryl Horgan remains with Dundalk, despite a number of offers from the United Kingdom.

For two years in a row, Cork City, have been a case of bridesmaids but never the bride in the Premier Division. Certainly many commentators

see this wait for a league win to continue into the future. The Dennehy’s leaving and the retirement of Dan Murray leave the Leesiders short of the talent required to go all the way this season, despite manager, John Caulfield’s additions to the squad.

Also at the top of the division, Shamrock Rovers and St. Patrick’s Athletic will be battling to regain the championship.

Shamrock Rovers are coming of the back of a disappointing season, drawing 11 of 33 games.

Pat Fenlon hasn’t managed to galvanise the side the way he had hoped. The addition of Killian Brennan is a controversial one, having not been a favourite with the fans in his first spell at the club back in 2012.

However, Brennan has proven himself around the league and is the most successful Airtricity League player still active with three League of Ireland titles, three FAI cups and three EA Sports Cups to his name over the past decade. Rovers will be looking to improve on last year’s third place finish.

St. Pat’s have had a couple of disappointing league campaigns since winning the title in 2013. A third place finish in 2014 and fourth in 2015 don’t look good for one of the league’s longest serving managers, Liam Buckley. The saving grace for the Inchicore side has been their FAI and President’s Cup wins in 2014 and their EA Sports Cup win last season.

The Saints will be looking to have a stronger showing in the league this season however. Lots

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of changes to Buckley’s side for this season with the Dennehy’s coming in from Cork and David Cawley and Dinny Corcoran signing from Sligo Rovers. A big clear out with lots of mainstays making way such as Brennan and Chambers, Buckley’s main struggle is getting this squad to gel.

At the lower end of the table, newly promoted Finn Harps and Wexford Youths look set to struggle this season and, despite some notable additions to their squads, the sides will battle with each other to avoid the dreaded wooden spoon.

Danny Ledwith adds Premier Division experience to Wexford but there have been no other notable additions to Shane Keegan’s charges.

Danny Furlong scored 30 goals last season in Ireland’s second tier and Wexford will surely rely on the striker bringing this form into the top flight.

Harps’ manager, and Galway native, Ollie Horgan, has added to his squad this year. Former Manchester United trainee, Ryan McConell, has captured the imagination of the locals in Ballybofey. Horgan also captured former Derry

City players, Ryan Curran and Sean Houston and Michael Rafter. Dave Scully and Adam Hanlon have also been added to the squad to add Premier Division experience.

A season of mid-table anonymity lies before a number of team. The likes of Bray Wanderers, Sligo Rovers and Longford Town won’t mind given the amount of teams worrying about relegation late on last season.

Closer to home, Galway United, look set to improve on their 10th place finish in 2015. Fan favourite and joint top scorer, Jake Keegan, has departed for the comforts of the USL and FC Edmonton. In form striker Vinny Faherty has returned to the club for his third stint at his hometown club, however.

The addition of Bosnian-Swede Armin Aganovic in defence and experienced midfielder John Sullivan and Tommy Dunne’s retention of the majority of his talented young side should see The Tribesmen comfortably avoid relegation this season.

Who to Look Out for at 2016 US Masters

By Eamonn Doggett The Masters is a special golf event. It is played on the same course every year. It is the smallest field of any major championship. The caddies are forced to wear white boiler suits.

The smug white middle-class spectators watch the action from deck chairs. The winner has the thrill of wearing a green jacket while being surrounded by other men wearing green jackets. It is antiquated, bizarre and utterly compelling.

The Big Contenders JORDAN SPEITH: He’s the defending champion, world number one and in two Masters appearances has yet to finish outside the top two. Speith, 22, won last year’s tournament with such ease that it was clear a golfing superstar had emerged. A fine driver and iron player, he can excel on any layout but Augusta National with its wide fairways and sympathetic rough puts a lot of emphasis on putting and this is where Speith has few peers.

Last year, despite his relative lack of experience in negotiating its theatrical slopes, he had the temerity to putt like he believed he would never miss and he rarely did. He also has the mental temperament of a golfing Buddha, is well-spoken, and is the sort of person you imagine sold lemonade for charity as a kid. I hope someone else wins.

RORY MCILROY: Since last year’s tournament, McIlroy has dropped to world number three, got a new girlfriend and could now comfortably bench press Jordon Speith. In theory, Augusta should suit has game. A natural drawer of the ball coupled with boundless length off the tee allows him to cut out large sections of the course, mocking the course’s par fives.

Yet, his best Master’s finish is only tied fourth, courtesy of a flawless final round 66 last year, when he was just a curly-haired side show to Speith’s master class. Arguably, McIlroy’s best is better than anyone else’s best and if he could make half the putts Speith regularly makes he would be nearly unstoppable. But that is a big ‘if’.

JASON DAY: Day seemingly targetted major championships as soon as he came on tour and after a series of near misses; he won last year’s PGA Championship in convincing style.

A relatively sparse schedule allows him to concentrate on the majors and there will no player better prepared for Augusta, a place where he has finished second and third in recent years.

There is little to criticise in the Australian’s game – his compact and powerful swing rarely errs and like Speith he possesses the mental strength to brush aside the bogeys that are impossible to avoid at Augusta. There might be some players who beat Day but you can be sure that he won’t beat himself.

RICKIE FOWLER: The Californian who likes the colour orange, flat caps and elasticated trousers is golf’s ‘cool guy’. He is also a brilliant golfer. A breakthrough victory at the Player’s Championship in 2015 and early season success in the Far East has many tipping Fowler to be the first man to combine the green jacket with orange trousers. Since working with Butch Harmon, his swing has tightened up and he can play any shot shape he so desires.

There are many golfers for whom the enormity of winning the Masters makes their putting tentative and their swing rushed. You feel though that Fowler will not be afraid to try on his first green jacket.

The Bombers BUBBA WATSON: Augusta’s hierarchy can scarcely

still believe that they have handed out two green jackets to a man named Bubba. The fact that he swings like an orangutan mystifies further. Yet, good early season form makes the left-hander a likely winner.

DUSTIN JOHNSON: He walks like a gunslinger, dabbles in recreational drugs and is an embarrassingly talented golfer. If he keeps his concentration on the right type of grass, the American can go very low on a course that should play to his strengths.

The People’s Champion SHANE LOWRY: A man who seems more likely

to pack his golf bag with ham sandwiches than protein supplements, he has the short-game prowess to get into contention on Sunday.

SPORT 29

March 15 2016

Formula One Returns for its 67th Season

By Ryan Mc Guinness The 2016 Formula 1 season kicks off on 20 March in Australia and Mercedes will look to carry on from where they left off last year.

As you may already know, Lewis Hamilton secured his third Drivers’ Championship in 2015 with three races left in the season. Runner-up was his teammate Nico Rosberg who was 59 points behind, and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was third, a further 44 points adrift. Now, as we reach the opening weekend of the 2016 season, the question still remains; have the other teams made adequate improvements to close the gap on the high flying silver arrows?

A few rule changes have headlined the weeks leading up to 20 March. The cars are being fitted with a new exhaust system with a “separate exhaust wastegate tailpipe through which all and only wastegate exhaust gases must pass”.

For anyone unsure of what this change will do to the cars don’t worry; it doesn’t have any impact on the performance of the car and merely makes the exhaust sound louder.

Ever since the V6 turbo engines were introduced at the start of the 2014 season, Formula 1 has faced waves of criticism over the lack of noise produced by these hybrid power units, so this will be a welcome change for spectators.

Pirelli will also make their red-marked super soft tyre available in Australia for the first time next year, along with the white marked medium and yellow marked soft compounds, after revealing the three compounds that will be used in the 2016 season-opener under the new tyre regulations.

There’s also a greater focus on driver safety, with larger padded areas around the driver’s head.

Mercedes go into the 2016 season as the expected favourites. With dominating performances from both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, culminating in the acquisition of the constructor’s title for the team, they’ve gone from strength to strength since the introduction of hybrid turbos back in 2014. With the re-emergence of the Hamilton-Rosberg feud at the end of last season, this could be an exciting contest for this year’s championship.

Ferrari looks to be the only team capable of catching Mercedes. Testing has suggested the Ital-

ICC World T20 2016 Promises to be a Belter

By Srinivasan Arumugam ICC World T20 cup is scheduled to be held from 8 March until 3 April 2016 in India. This will be the sixth edition of the World cup cricket T20, where 16 cricket teams from all over the world will fight to take the world cup cricket T20.

This time, India will be the country which will be hosting the ICC tournament. It is the first time that the country will be hosting the major ICC event without any collaboration. Seven Indian cities will host matches at the tournament.

On 3 April, the grand finale will be played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Ten teams have qualified automatically through their status as full members of the International Cricket Council, while another six qualified through the 2015 World T20 Qualifier held from 6 to 26 July 2015, which was hosted by Ireland and Scotland.

The groups are divided into two rounds namely first and second. The qualifying teams are Scotland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Oman. Oman is the only team making its tournament debut.

In the first round (group winners are to progress to the second round), Ireland, with its ICC T20 ranking 15, is in Group A along with Bangladesh, Netherlands and Oman. The first match for Ireland is against Oman on 9 March and further matches are on 11 March against Bangladesh, and 13 March against Netherlands.

Apart from the qualifier match, there would be a warm-up match of Ireland vs Zimbabwe on 5 March. Winners of Q1A will join Group B of the second round groups along with India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand. Bangladesh is the prominent team of Group A that has the maximum chance to move into the second round however Ireland and Netherlands would try to spoil the contender. Prior to the tournament, each team has selected a squad of fifteen players.

FIRST ROUND GROUPS:

• Group A – Bangladesh, Netherlands, Ireland and Oman • Group B – Zimbabwe, Scotland, Hong Kong and Afghanistan SECOND ROUND GROUPS:

• Group A – Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies, England, Winner Group B (Q1B) • Group B – India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Winner Group A (Q1A) Cricket was introduced to Ireland in the 19th century, and the first match played by an Ireland team was in 1855. Ireland toured Canada and the United States in the late 19th century, and occasionally hosted matches against touring side. Rivalry with the Scotland national cricket team was established when the teams first played each other in 1888.

Ireland’s maiden first-class match was played in 1902. Ireland qualified for the Cricket World Cup for the first time in 2007, and has since played in the 2011 and 2015 tournaments. They also qualified for the 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2014 World Twenty20 competitions.

Ireland also plays international cricket in the ICC Intercontinental Cup, which they have won four times since 2005, including the most recent competition in 2013. William Porterfield succeeded Johnston as Ireland’s full-time captain in April 2008.

On occasions when Porterfield has been unavailable, sometimes due to commitments with his county side, Kyle McCallan has filled the role of captain. This backup role now belongs to Kevin O’Brein.

Ireland’s cricket team has announced a special ‘The Slog Sweep’ video podcast that will be broadcasted exclusively on www.cricketireland.ie ahead of every one of Ireland’s ICC World T20 matches.

This show will feature special celebrity guests, expert analysis, giveaways and plenty of entertainment for all fans of the Boys and Girls in Green.

ians are more than capable of keeping up, with Kimi Raikkonen setting numerous fastest laps during winder testing at the start of the month.

As well as its shortened nose, Ferrari’s engineers have fitted the car with pushrod suspension for the first time in four years. Pressure will be on Ferrari this year however, having not won a title since the 2008 constructors championship. This may be their best chance to get back into winning ways, with a car out performing most and two highly experienced drivers in Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastien Vettel.

Red Bull was held back last year by power issues from its Renault engine. Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat struggled all year and the team ended up fourth overall. There are some positives however. Red Bull’s chief technical officer Adrian Newey’s chassis was seen to be the best on the grid last year, so they do have something to build upon.

Williams have had a revival in the past two years, finishing third in both the 2014 and 2015 Constructors Championships. With further developments in the coming months, the UK-based company could be looking to challenge second place.

A new American team, Haas F1, also joins the grid for the new season. They’ve already gathered a substantial fan base by being the first American led F1 team since 1986. With the hiring of Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutiérrez, they could be a competitive mid-table team. That is, if they sort out the myriad of problems they’ve went through in testing, including brake-by-wire problems that have limited their production.

Marussia have also re-branded into Manor and are swapping from Ferrari to Mercedes power units in the hope of improving from their abysmal performances in the last few years. Hopefully drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Rio Haryanto can bring a bit of pride back to this back-of-the-grid team.

The mid table battles between the likes of Renault, Sauber and Force India are always entertaining, especially when Mercedes dominate proceedings at the front. The new rule changes and multitude of improvements to the cars hopefully will lead to a more competitive and compelling race for the spectators. Qualifying starts Saturday the 29th with the race following on the Sunday.

What’s next for Carl Frampton?

By Ryan Mc Guinness On 27 February, Carl ‘The Jackal’ Frampton added the WBA Super-Bantamweight title to the IBF version he has held since 2014 when he defeated Scott Quigg by split decision in the Manchester arena.

Frampton was dominant throughout, and a broken jaw in round four didn’t help Quigg’s chances. Overall it was a pretty dull affair but it did cement Frampton’s legitimacy as a big time fighter. The question on everyone’s mind now however is who will be his next opponent. Below are the five most likely candidates for The Jackal’s next fight.

GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX: The deserving contender. The former two time Olympic gold medallist and arguably most accomplished amateur fighter ever wants his title back.

Rigondeaux was stripped of both the WBO and WBA Super Bantamweight titles last year due to inactivity. ‘El Chacal’ as he is nicknamed, has long been considered the man to beat in the division. His style is seen as boring to some, but his technical skill and ring prowess cannot be denied. With an impressive record of 16-0, 10 coming by way of knockout, Guillermo is the obvious choice to face Frampton.

LEO SANTA CRUZ: Coming off an impressive fifth round TKO title defence victory over Kiko Martinez, Leo Santa Cruz remains undefeated at 32-0-1. The current WBA Super-Featherweight champion would love the opportunity to fight Frampton, stating on a number of occasions that if he (Frampton) was willing to go up in weight, Cruz would gladly throw down. Frampton challenged Cruz to a fight via twitter the day after his victory over Martinez. Frampton would be at an instant disadvantage however being a natural bantamweight and not having enough experience at the 126lb weight class. Nevertheless, Cruz’s relentless punching and non-stop motor versus Frampton’s technical prowess could make for an intriguing encounter.

SHINGO WAKE: The Japanese southpaw is on a 10-fight winning streak and is the mandatory challenger for the IBF title, so this fight is inevitable. Shingo has never fought outside Japan however and hasn’t yet fought a serious competitor in the bantamweight division. A southpaw who relies heavily on speed and movement, Shingo may give any of the fighters on this list a competitive bout.

He is a classical sharp shooter who will move and jab, look for openings and then try and land a bigger shot. Untested on international soil, an upset could be on the cards here in this potential contest.

LEE SELBY: The current IBF World Featherweight champion Lee Selby has pursued domestic blockbusters with the likes of Scott Quigg and Carl Frampton since he won the title from Evgeny Gradovich last year. His last bout resulted in a comfortable unanimous decision win against seasoned veteran Fernando Montiel. The Welsh born boxer must first come through a title defence against American Eric Hunter, but after that he says he’s happy to fight Frampton. With both men having a huge following in both Ireland and the UK, and with established reputations in the states, this could be a payday that neither man would refuse.

SCOTT QUIGG: Even though the first bout wasn’t the most entertaining, a rematch may still be on the cards. The hypothetical situation of Quigg not breaking his jaw in the 4th round lingers in the mind. Could he have managed to defeat Frampton had he not changed his tactics to alleviate his injury? Also the fact that one of the judges scored the contest 115-113 in favour of Quigg asks some interesting questions. Frampton however isn’t keen on the idea of a rematch, stating on numerous occasions that their first contest was too boring and that people wouldn’t want to pay to see it all over again. If a rematch is scheduled it would most likely be in Frampton’s home town of Belfast, where I couldn’t see Quigg coming out on top.

30 SPORT

Sin Vol. 17 Issue 11

Shock loss for McGregor at UFC 196

By David Kane UFC Featherweight Champion Conor McGregor had his 15-fight winning streak end on Saturday 5 March at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas.

The Notorious One was forced to tap out at the end of the second round after being choked into submission by his opponent Nate Diaz.

Typical of McGregor’s recent form, he looked in control of the opening exchange but Diaz was prepared for the quick start.

“I was inefficient with my energy.

The bigger man takes a bigger shot and I’ll learn from this,” admitted the McGregor during the post-fight press conference.

The pair traded shots in the early stages and McGregor’s left hook was at its usual best, cutting through Diaz’s guard at every opportunity.

There was an air of confidence about the Irish man after a hard left hand again caught Diaz and opened a wound above his right eye just before the interval. But Diaz continued to advance after the break

capitalising on McGregor’s complacency and dropping hands.

Mid-way through the second round, two powerful punches from Diaz shook McGregor and signaled his intent to finish the bout. McGregor somehow avoided a flurry of oncoming shots but was dazed and unsteady on his feet as Diaz took control.

In what appeared as an attempt to run down the clock, McGregor took the fight to the canvas and Diaz, a skilled martial artist and jujitsu black belt, obliged.

Reversing McGregor’s hold, the American achieved a headlock and choked McGregor into defeat by submission. McGregor was originally scheduled to fight Lightweight Champion Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 197 but the Brazilian broke his foot during his pre-fight training camp and was replaced by Diaz.

Diaz had 11 days to prepare for the bout and, with minimal training, put in the performance of the night. Standing at 6ft, he had a height advantage over McGregor and a three-inch reach advantage,

which McGregor didn’t see as a problem until the bout started.

“My left hand was falling short and the wheel kicks were hitting glove,” and the post-fight stats demonstrate that his analysis was correct. McGregor had a strike rate of 45 percent against Diaz showing how he was forced to maintain his distance.

In his previous three fights against Jose Aldo, Chad Mendez and Dennis Siver, McGregor performed significantly better with an average strike rate of 66 percent. He was also forced to punch more in an attempt to stop Diaz, and managed 145 shots over two rounds.

Overlooking the Jose Aldo knockout inside 13 seconds, this number is considerably higher than in previous fights where he has averaged 84 shots per fight. Against Max Holloway in 2013, McGregor threw 173 punches, his highest ever, in a fight, which went the distance and was decided by the judges.

The defeat has undoubtedly garnered the attention of many UFC fighters and Jose Aldo was

once again the name being mentioned at the post-fight press conference. While McGregor stated that nothing has been confirmed for UFC 200, he did suggest a return to his former stomping ground; “I think that I’ll go back down and defend my featherweight crown.”

Co-main event at UFC 197 was Holly Holm versus Miesha Tate with Holm heavily tipped to successfully defend her bantamweight title.

Tate came out victorious and finished Holm with a headlock, similar to that of Diaz, after five rounds; going to show that for every Goliath, there is a David.

“This is not featherweight. Soft!”

– Rafael Dos Anjos And the best for last: “Your fairy tale is over. You got nowhere to run now. Time for a rematch, p***y” – Jose Aldo There’s kicking a man when he’s down, then there’s repeatedly reversing over him with an articulated lorry. Contrary to what Aldo suggested, the McGregor story isn’t over. It’s just gotten more interesting.

Before Sunday, ‘The Notorious’ hadn’t lost a fight in over five years. So why now, at the tender age of 27, should he be dismissed with disdain? Maybe his ultimate ambition of owning and defending belts across a serious of weight divisions needs to be revised, but would that failure on its own render him a complete loser?

Muhammad Ali once opined that he learned more from one defeat than he did from all the victories he had accumulated. Had McGregor

finished the job he started so well on Sunday morning, the weakness of his ground-and-pound would not have been examined with anything like the intensity that it will be now.

Having his hands down by his knees seemed praiseworthy when trouble seemed distant, only a mark of showmanship, but now it’s being looked at in a more sinister light, a contributor to a sapping defeat – as it should be.

With McGregor more aware of his deficiencies than at any other point in his career to date, might he be more dangerous from here?

Aldo is expected to be McGregor’s next opponent, more than likely at July’s UFC 200. If The Notorious is beaten, then yes, it’s okay to doubt. If he repeats his December victory over the Brazilian, most will re-engage with the most enchanting story in recent Irish sporting history.

A wounded McGregor more dangerous after humbling defeat

By Tadhg Evans It’s a few seconds after 6am in a house on the outskirts of Dingle town. Six twentysomethings are staring at a screen that’s bringing them a fight from the other side of the planet. One minute has elapsed in the second round of Conor McGregor’s welterweight contest against Nate Diaz, and the Irishman is controlling affairs with impressive authority.

Diaz’ face is painted red.

McGregor cracked the skin over the American’s right eye only a few minutes ago, and a sustained onslaught has barely given that cut a moment’s peace. In that Dingle

face of the UFC, opts to tap out as Diaz’ right arm wraps around his neck and constricts like a python.

“F*** it.”

“He’s finished.”

“Why did he have his hands down? He got way too cocky.”

“He won’t ever come back from this.”

Those same opinions were surely being expressed in houses all over a tiny country. It might have been an unearthly hour on our traditional day of rest, but McGregor has been dragging the Irish from their beds on a regular basis for over a year now. Rarely have our sports mad people been this enthused about any of their athletes.

It’s hard to take your beating, harder still when you’ve promised to annihilate and you’ve fallen in front of literally millions. sitting room, opinions on McGregor are free to air: “He’s all over him.”

“He’s actually a monster.”

“His hands are down by his sides. He knows he has it.”

“Diaz can’t last long more.”

Three minutes later, those views are being mangled to fit what they had just seen. McGregor, the new

They say a week is a long time in politics – so what? In sport, any event can change in minutes, even seconds. At 6am, McGregor was prancing proudly around his octagon at the MGM Grand, seemingly destined to wrap up a victory in a routine manner. By 6.02, some doubted if he even had a future in fighting. McGregor always prom-

ised he’d be humble in defeat as well as victory. On Sunday morning, he finally had to prove the former before a worldwide audience.

It’s hard to take your beating, harder still when you’ve promised to annihilate and you’ve fallen in front of literally millions.

“Usually, when I fight a man in the division in which I am champion, they crumble under those shots. Nate took them very well. I enjoyed the fact that a person could take the shots and keep coming, He kept his composure. It was simply a battle of energy in there and he got the better of that. I make no excuses.

It is what it is. I came up short.”

Some have taken McGregor’s previous fits of showboating literally – but to the more reasonable, his antics are more childishly endearing than malicious. When the public gets to see the real McGregor, they always approve. You can question his ground-and-pound, and his taste in clothing, but his class should not be in doubt.

The same can’t be said for some of his colleagues: “I’m not surprised motherf***ers.” – Nate Diaz “The thing about that loss is that CMac gave up once he found himself in a tough position.” – Aljamain Sterling

March 15 2016

NUI GALWAY IN PHOTOS

By Timothée Cognard The past two weeks have seen a hive of activity in NUI Galway, with such events as the Students’ Union Elections (full-time and part-time), the launch of Múscailt Arts Festival, a pet farm on campus, the Irish Fashion Innovation Awards, flash mobs, and exhibitions by PhotoSoc and ArtSoc.

FINAL WORD 31

Diary of the

SMOKEY’S PIGEON

Well, I didn’t get voted into the Students’ Union as President… as you’ll all know because not one of you voted for me. Even RON and that pesky Jedi got more votes than me, and they certainly didn’t promise the return of the Crane, did they? No. But never mind; I don’t think I could hold down a full-time working position in this university anyway. I’m pretty busy as it is, pecking up the crumbs you lot are dropping around Smokey’s every day. I see you’ve given up on Lent already, and the midterms are making you eat your feelings, leaving me plenty of tasty muffins and tayto crumbs.

Never change, NUIG.

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M

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CM

MY

CY

CMY

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NUI Galway Alumni Association Writing Competition 2016 €1,000 prize fund & the winner will also be published in Cois Coiribe & Sin Newspaper

Essay Title: University College Galway and the 1916 Rising For more information please contact studentsunion@nuigalway.ie In conjunction with Sin Newspaper, NUI Galway Students’ Union, the Galway University Foundation and the NUI Galway College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies.