Griffiti Magazine - Issue 39 - October 2010 by Griffith College Students' Union

Issue 39 October 2010

A Note From the Editor

Cover by: Ciara Karagianni

Hi everyone, welcome to issue 39 of Griffiti. Firstly I would like to thank The SU for giving me this opportuinity to work on the magazine, Of course this magazine isn’t possible without contributions from you guys so I look forward to meeting with you over the year and seeing some fantastic articles. I would also like to take this opportuinity to say thanks to Alan Gill and Ryan Brennan for helping me get started and to the IT department for saving me from mental collapse on several occasions.

Issue 39 October 2010

That’s all for now, see ya next month

Editor: Oscar Finn Sub-Editor: Jonathan Keane Design: Oscar Finn Contributers: Daniel Balteanu Brendan Beagon Faye Bollard Dan Brady Kieran Broderick Samuel Burgess Graham Butler Oisin Collins Paddy Daly Anthony Digan Ian Donegan Jojo Chau Brian O’Donoghue Barry O’Sullivan Agnieszka Kowalska John Lalor Emma Loughran John McSweeney Gill Pringle Jacquie Ryan Maiken Woll Eide Advertising Enquiries: 01-4150463 Printed by: Speciality Printers Griffiti Magazine Students’ Union Griffith College Dublin South Circular Road Dublin 8 Ph: 01-4151463 email: griffiti@gcd.ie Griffiti Magazine is the Students’ Union publication at Griffith College. It was established in 2004. All contents copyright of Griffiti, Reproduction of any part of the magazine without permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. The views expressed in Griffiti do not necessarily reflect that of the college or the SU

Oscar Finn Managing Editor

Contents 4 state of the union 6 students union news 9 freshers week 10 Party people 12 Joe Rooney interview 15 south dublin’s finest 18 in focus: Photography 22 griffiti at the movies 25 Music reviews 26 the genuine article 28 liverpool article 30 Joe Duffy interview 31 gorillaz competition 3

StATE OF THE UNION

Office Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday: 09:30 - 19:30 Friday: 09:30 - 17:30 email: su.president@gcd.ie Ph: (01) 415 0418

Graham Butler Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union President Hi guys, First of all I'd like to thank everyone for their participation in Freshers Week and I hope everyone enjoyed all the different events throughout the five days as much as we all did. The Lord Mayor of Dublin stopped by, there were a lot of people down in Arthurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on the Monday night, the Football Tournament was a great success, Joe Rooney made everyone laugh, the Freshers Ball was packed and people got shot at the Paintball excursion on the Friday! Like always, our SU House Party the week after was as untamed as ever! If you didn't get to come to any of the events, don't worry, as there will be plenty more things going on of different varieties later in the year. In the upcoming month, we have Catherine McGuinness; former Senator, retired Supreme Court Justice and President of Law Reform Commission coming in to speak to us on Wednesday 13th October at 2pm in the AF Building. On top of this we have our annual Halloween Ball taking place the last week of October which is always a great event. Fancy dress is essential and all the other details are on the poster to be found later in this magazine. For first year students, thank you for picking up 'Griffiti' for the first time this will be your source for everything that is going on throughout the year here in the Students' Union. As for people who were here last year, you'll notice some slight changes in the size and layout of the magazine. Our 3rd year photography student Oscar Finn is our Editor and is handling everything to do with it this year. If you want to submit anything for publication, he's

the capable man you can talk to about that! As for changes in the SU, we've unfortunately seen the departure of our Manager John McSweeney and Vice President, Clubs and Societies Officer Paddy Daly. I was relishing the opportunity to work with them both for the year but regrettably it wasn't to be. Even though they are continents away from us right now, I hope that myself and the other students that got to know them over their tenures here will get to meet them once again in the future. From everyone here in the SU, we'd like to thank them for the contributions they've made and we wish them the best of luck in Australia and New York and hope they'll return to us one day! We've been graced with the appointment of Paul McCormack as the new SU Manager who we've been working really well with over the past 6 weeks to ensure the Union will be constantly improving and achieving new heights in the next year. As promised during my election campaign, we will be seeing a new Griffith College Students' Union Constitution implemented during the year as the previous one was not used as a 'living breathing document' as it should have been. Some amendments are required to bring it up to speed with the current structure that exists in the Union. This new Constitution will empower the Union to have a much greater say in student affairs in the college and improve the communication links between the general student populous and the Students' Union officers. One of the key reforms I want to see implemented is a year-round Students' Union Officer Board. As it stands, the Union runs only 9 months

of the year leaving a gap right throughout the summer. This new extended time period I'm proposing will run from 1st July-30th June which would see some vast improvements. 1. This new extended period would be used for a proper handover between officers from year to year. This is currently non-existent and a real problem which must be addressed. 2. It would bring the Griffith College Students' Union in line with other all other college Students' Unions throughout the country where it is the standard practice. 3. A full year plan would be drafted and implemented allowing for greater organisation and bigger events the Union could be involved in. Another important issue that the Union must look at is a future affiliation with the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). At present, we are not affiliated members but as Ireland's largest and leading private third level institution, with so many graduates in this country, including some of our own now being forced to emigrate or sign onto the live register, the time might be right for everyone in the college to look towards membership of USI to ensure Griffith and our graduates are represented at a national level. If you have any proposals of how we can improve the Union for you or have any queries at all, we're contactable at any time either in the Meagher Building or the details listed above. Your Students' Union President, Graham Butler

StATE OF THE UNION

Office Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday: 09:30 - 19:30 Friday: 09:30 - 17:30 email: su.sports@gcd.ie Ph: (01) 415 0460

Jacquie Ryan Acting Clubs & Socs Officer Hey All,

went in the next issue.

Welcome back and a big welcome to all the new students, who by now I am sure have settled into life here in Griffith. I hope you all had a fantastic summer and that you are looking forward to the year ahead which will be full of sports and entertainments. We had a fantastic number of students signing up to Clubs & Socs during Freshers' week in the tent. If you missed the sign ups please feel free to pop into the SU building and we can add you to any sports or society you are interested in.

If you need gym or locker keys, just call into the Students’ Union and I will organise it for you. Lockers are EUR25 but you get EUR10 back when you return the key at the end of the year likewise the Gym is EUR15 deposit for the key which is fully refundable when the key are returned to the SU. There is a quota of gym keys so I would recommend you call in to me as soon as possible as they are going fast.

The first set of soccer trials took place on the Wednesday of Freshers Week. We had a huge turnout and Leroy Rhodes, our coach was impressed with the skills you guys displayed on the day. On the Thursday of Freshers week we had our 5-a-side soccer tournament. The games went on from 12:30 until after 15:00. The games were great and refereed by Leroy, the college soccer coach. The league was won by team Finesse, the players included John Ojo, Kay, Paul Mc Cormack, Alix Busari, Ciaran Verso and Nigal. They had a fantastic game and congratulations to them all. Our first trip off campus happened on Friday the 1st of October, the paintball society went to Frontier Paintball in Bray Co Wicklow. The bus left campus at 11:30am. Everyone had a fantastic time, although there were a few people who got some rather painful looking wounds. Each of the players deserve our congratulations as they braved the hangover from Thursdays Freshers Ball and endured a day of shooting. The Students’ Union of course was there to help giving all the members a free Red Bull shot so they would have a lively day. The students were not such fans of Bray when we suggested stopping off for an hour to see the town, we were met with rejection and sad faces `all we want to do is go back to Griffith and bed´ said one Spanish gentleman. So we escaped Bray without a visit to the coast.

If you have not signed up to a society please come into the SU and do so. Societies are a great way to meet people and they really help you to become a part of college life. There are plenty to choose from. Such as Comedy, Pool, American Football, Film, Equestrian, Debating, Badminton, Counter Strike, Drama, Paintball, Cheerleading, French, Fashion, Cricket, Music, DJ, Journalism, Law society, International Society, Table Tennis, Irish Language, G-Soc, Boxing, Tae Kwon Do, Kick Boxing, Surfing, poker, shooting, handball, Choir, Glee, and many more. If there is a society that we do not have and you think that enough people would be interested in getting involved please feel free to come and talk to me so we can set it up. Lastly I look forward to seeing you around campus, and let you know that over the next two weeks I will be in contact with everyone regarding societies. Thank you, Jacquie

Everyone will be contacted over the next few days with the meeting times and venues of the Clubs & Socs but if you have any questions drop me a line or come visit me in my office. I am currently getting ready to take part in our annual cricket tournament, the weather is great and so far it is shaping up to be a great day. I will report back on how it

Students’ Union News Ch-ch-changes As I’m sure many of you are aware by now the S.U. has seen a few changes to it’s line up. Over the summer John McSweeney and Paddy Daly departed the Emerald Isle to seek their fortune. Recently we caught up with John and Paddy to see how they are getting on and give them an opportunity to say au revoir to all their friends and fans at Griffith.

over the past two years were able to achieve. I would be here forever if I was to name all the people I wanted to thank, from the SU Sabbaticals who I worked with, to the Griffith staff I dealt with. Suffice to say I would like to thank Griffith College for giving me the opportunity to work there and to the staff members who became my friends and the many students who made my job worth while! So on that note I say goodbye, I wish Paul Mc Cormack all the best as my successor, he is more than able for the role and I'm sure will do a great job in the years to come. From Australia - catch ya later! – John

G'day to all in Griffith. Over the past few weeks a number of students have sent me messages asking me why I left the SU, I'd like to thank the new Griffiti Editor, Oscar, for giving me the opportunity to answer them en mass! I chose to leave Griffith at the end of July as I felt it was time for me to delve into the world of travelling and backpacking (something I have been putting off for years). A lot of people said I was mad to leave a job in the middle of a recession, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do! I didn't wanna be looking back in 10 years time and regretting not taking the leap when I was still relatively young and free! I saw this as one of the last times in my life that I would be able to undertake such an adventure before life started getting too serious! However, it was by no means an easy decision, as I can honestly say being SU Manager was the best job I've ever had and probably ever likely to have! It was my privilege to be the SU Manager for 2 years. My role was a very rewarding one, to see the progression of students from quiet nervous Freshers at induction to the confident individuals they evolved into over their years in college really was just fantastic. I also took great pride in my work with the union and do genuinely see my tenure as a successful and fruitful one for the SU, from the development of the SU building and establishment of the Student Council to the better relationships forged with other college departments as well as the increased International Student participation in the union. I am incredibly proud of what I and the SU Officers

We would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone; students, staff, colleagues, friends and family who have supported us throughout this new venture for us. During our 4 & 5 years in Griffith we have had a ball, made some fantastic friends, met some wonderful people and worked with only the best! No one could ask for a better start off than that! But now, it’s time for us to try new things. New York is amazing and we are having a ball! Hope you all have an amazing year! Remember, life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning how to dance in the rain! :) Love, Ciara & Paddy - xxx Both John and Paddy will be missed and we here in the S.U. wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

Students’ Union News Lord Mayor Visits Griffith

L-R: Alan Gallagher (Chairman, Dublin YFG), Lord Mayor of Dublin Councillor Gerry Breen, Graham Butler (SU President) and Bernard White (Meath YFG). At the beginning of Fresher's Week the Students' Union at Griffith College, was pleased to welcome Lord Mayor of Dublin Councillor Gerry Breen who visited the Young Fine Gael stand at this year's sign up tent in the marquee on the green.

Griffith Cricket tournament

Well done to everyone who took part in the Griffith College Cricket Tournament, which was kindly sponsored by Shop-Easi. The tournament was won by Ali’s team with Johar’s team taking the runners up place. Man of the match went to Sunny. with Best Batsman going to Washi, and Jamal taking the title of Best Bowler. The title of Best Fielder went to Vimal with Nirmal claiming the title of Best Supporter. Congratulations to Jacquai, Paul, Ali, Junaid, Bilal, Imran, Shani, Johar, Vimal, & Nirmal who did a fantastic job organising the day’s activities. We would also like to say a special word of thanks to Diarmuid Hegarty who came down to launch the tournament.

Brand New SU manager First of all, I would like to warmly welcome everyone to the first semester of a new academic year. The sun is still shining, and there is much to look forward to in the year ahead with a new ambitious Students Union team with a certain encouraging glint in their eye “this is going to be a year to remember.” For some, the return to college is the end to summer exploring, to others this is the beginning of an adventure away from their home shores. Mutually, the challenge that lies ahead is the same; the task of studying, having a ball, and hoping that it doesn’t come to the stage that you’re looking under the sofa for small change that may just get you through another night out. As we forge ahead into the new year, the Students Union’s drive is to create more opportunities for the students to enjoy non-academic events, from social outings to Sports & Societies. With the inception of the new Music Society, we are excited about the idea of having our very own GCD performance night, bringing together a melee of international musical talents, including song writers and our very own choir. Perhaps you’re thinking this could be Griffith’s version of Glee, and perhaps you could be right. In our magazine Griffiti we have a new editor on a mission, to bring our Publication to a whole new level, one that urges students to participate and to push the boundaries on all that is current and relevant. Our new President, El Presidente as he likes to be called will literally shake every hand he gets the opportunity to. Why, because there’s a real politician behind Graham’s demeanour, so we expect great wonders from this devotee of student life. All in all, we will commence the year with gusto, always with you the student at the forefront of all that we intend to do. Our door is always open, and we welcome you to drop by with any of your concerns or to listen to any ideas you may have. So for now, remember, you can’t study life, you can only enjoy it. All the best for now, Paul McCormack 7

Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union News Fantastic Su Posters Unless you have been walking around campus with your head buried in a book, which could happen, you would have been unable to miss the fantastic posters pasted to every wall in Griffith which promote this years SU events. Well the posters were designed for the SU by the very talented Glenn Bolton, who is from Greystones and a second year Visual Communications student in DIT Mountjoy Square, and we here in the Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union would like to take this time to thank him for all his hard work and we are looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next.

Freshers week 2010 Freshers’ Week 2010 kicked off on Monday morning with the arrival of a myriad inflatables that illuminated the green. Also, there was the return of the sign up tent where everyone could sign up for various clubs and societies and avail of an obscene amount of free stuff as well as being pestered slightly by the unnervingly pleasant AIB reps.

able. One can assume that went more than well. Then on Wednesday there were ‘Urban life size games’ on the green and the island.

Also, Lord Mayor of Dublin Cllr. Gerry Breen visited the Young Fine Gael stand at this year’s sign up tent.

Meanwhile in Arthur’s, comedian and actor of Father Ted and Killinaskully fame, Joe Rooney performed an hilarious 45 minute gig, containing esoteric nods to rural Irish humour, that seemingly only Roscommon, Kerry and Carlow students “got” as well as a multitude of nationality slagging. Furthermore there was nothing better than jokes regarding the urinary habits of men while trying to eat your lunch.

However the real festivities began with the 6th annual BYOB Party On The Green followed by a live band in the marquee. Tallaght’s Bipolar Empire played us out until we all ventured down into Arthur’s for the, as expected, outstanding Freshers’ Monday Night Madness. The night also saw a guest DJ appearance from Phantom 105.2’s Laura Lee Conboy. The inflatables remained for Tuesday and at lunch time we were joined in Arthur’s by The Riptide Movement who played a mellowed out set. Check out their latest release, Hot Tramp now. Tuesday also saw the SU building open up for a Champions League night with all the night’s matches being shown and free pizza was avail-

Thursday though was possibly the busiest day of the week. A Five a side Football tournament took place on the green and congratulations to the winning team of Finesse

That night though the 2010 Freshers’ week reached its highlight with the Freshers’ ball in Sin Night Club Temple Bar. A great night was had by all with a great turnout from all years. Finally, Friday featured the return of the all-day paintball trips. Thanks to everyone that came out for the various events at this year’s Freshers’ week and for making it a success. Hope you all have great year in Griffith College. 9

Joe Rooney gets fresh in Arthurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s After his phenomenal performace at Freshersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Week Joe Rooney takes some time to talk about comedy and the future Griffiti: How did you get started in the comedy business? JR: I was in a band for a few years. We released a few singles and then broke up but it gave me a taste for performing on stage so myself and my friend Paul Tylak started doing sketches together. Our first gig was in a club that Gavin Friday ran on the quays called Screaming Blue Jaysus Club. I got a great adrenaline rush from doing comedy. Later I decided to do stand up and that was a difficult switch to make because I wasn't comfortable being myself onstage. Now I love it and really feel relaxed onstage but it took me ages to get to that level. However I would hate to be just a stand up and am always trying to get a new comedy acting role. Playing different characters is what drew me to comedy at first. I used to shoot a lot of comedy videos at home with friends playing different characters. Griffiti: Who were your influences and which current comedians are you following? JR: When I was a kid I loved Groucho and Harpo Marx and still do. Then the early Steve Martin films and his stand up, Richard Pryor , The Simpsons, Father Ted, The Office and Ricky Gervais especially the podcast with Karl Pilkington. Of late the best stand-up I've seen have been Jason Byrne and Paul Sinha. Griffiti: I remember seeing you on the Den, how was that experience, and what advice would you have for those looking to get work in the media?

found it stifled creativity. I was also shocked at the lack of enthusiasm among the general work force in RTE. It doesn't feel like a creative environment. Griffiti: You are probably best known for your performances in Father Ted and Killinaskully. What was it like to work on those shows and how has it impacted your career? JR: I really enjoyed working on Father Ted. The atmosphere on set was lovely. I was just looking at some footage I shot while I was working on the show and it was amazing how all the actors and crew got on so well. There were no divas as far as I could see. I didn't realise at the time that I would be recognised on the street for playing a small character in one episode and I certainly didn't think I'd be still getting recognised 15 years later. Killinaskully was a great experience for me because I got to act alongside alot of great actors over a 5 year period. I also got to write in the last two series so over the experience was invaluable. I still get a lot kids looking for autographs from my character Timmy, especially down the country. Griffiti: What's your take on the Irish comedy scene, any rising stars? JR: The live scene in Ireland is thriving and there seems to be tons of people doing stand up. Now that the recession has kicked in there's bound to be some new stars who would have otherwise been doctors or estate agents. Griffiti: What can we look forward to seeing from you next?

JR: I did that for one summer. It was quite exciting at first but I found it difficult in the begining working in a big corporation like RTE where it's hard to do things just off the cuff. For example, If you want to wear a wig then a person from make up has to be on stand by. I wasn't used to this and

JR: I am working on a submission to Storyland with a life coach character called Batty Ryan. I am going to take the live show to Edinburgh Fringe Festival next year and doing some gigs in Switzerland early next year.

So Much More Than Travel Savings!

TRAVEL

DISCOUNTS

RETAIL

DISCOUNTS

ONLINE

DISCOUNTS

123456

5067546740 667616

g Trinity Colle

ONLY

€12

money) (plus €3 photo

a Frank Kavan

online student discount store!

www.studenttravelcard.ie

Available from your student union

THE ULTIMATE T STUDENN T DISCOU CARD

South Dublin’s Finest By Oisin Collins and Brian O’Donoghue As we strolled down Grafton Street, caramel frappalatte in hand, the dark sombre residue of the recession lingered around what was once Dublin’s golden mile. The morning papers were scattered about on the floor of the corner shop as victims of the morning rush. With the dreaded ‘R’ word slapped across every paper it is evident the days of ‘put it on my Visa’, are long gone. As hipsters and indie kids take over the streets, we see less and less of the ‘D4’ crowd. What happened to them, where are they now? Well, Brian and I went to find out and who better to ask than the Golden Boy of South Dublin, Ross O’Carroll Kelly? Actually, it was the actor who plays him, Rory Nolan, in the new RO’C-K play: ‘Stuck Between Foxrock And A Hard Place’. We got a chance to sit with Rory Nolan and Lisa Lambe who play Ross and Sorcha in the luxurious surrounds of Dublin’s Westbury Hotel. Griffiti: Were you fans of the books before the plays? Rory: Yes, very much so. Well I’m roughly the same age as Ross and I left school around the same time as he was winning the Leinster Schools Senior Cup. I grew up in South Dublin and went to a rugby playing school; it was a very different world to Ross’. And I went to UCD, ten years later I’m wondering if I was playing him sub-consciously. But yeah, I can see were Paul Howard

[author] was coming from and I find the books and the newspaper columns very funny. I really think Howard is the best satire writer around. Ross is an amazing character like, twelve years of shenanigans and the longevity is still there, he must be doing something right. The arc of Ross’ character is immense; the time that Ross has lived in reflects the times we see. The Celtic Tiger, the recession and all the stuff that went on in the naughties, it was an amazing time in Ireland. It’s brilliant material for a character like Ross to navigate his way through Ireland or in his case south east Dublin. Lisa: I was a huge fan, a really big fan of the books, I had a real affinity with Sorcha. I felt sorry for her because she had this juxtaposition of being all for amnesty but at the same time she would always have the newest furs and clothes, and she was like that with a lot of things. I did the voice of Sorcha about four or five years ago for “Ross O’Carroll Kelly’s 12 days of Christmas” so I was delighted when the play came to fruition it was so nice to be approached to play her. Griffiti: Do you think Ross, Sorcha and Erica represent a part of Dublin life? Rory: It’s heightened of course but people do relate to them, there’s a bit of Ross in everyone. Love him or loath him people still want more and

that’s the genius of it, everyone can identify with him in some way, shape or form. People see certain aspects of him in not just themselves but other people too. Ross is certainly a presence. Now he is living in a time were Reynard’s is closed and Mint restaurant is gone. His haunts are gone and everything is crumbling around him. He is getting older; his chances of playing for Leinster are slimmer and slimmer. As I said, like him or loath him he is just fun. You can’t help but follow his adventures and I really think the columns and books hold up a mirror to life during the boom. Everyone was living on credit. The books say this is how we lived and this is how we are, albeit in a heightened model. I think it’s very interesting and I think in a hundred years people will look back at the Ross stuff and it will probably still be going. But they will look back at it and think, ‘WOW’ what a mad country that was. Griffiti: Do you ever feel yourself turning into your characters? Rory: No, you have your shower after the show and try to wash it off. But no, interestingly enough bits of it do stick around. But it’s only because Paul Howard is so sharp that some of the observations and one liners just stick. It’s a great privilege to play the role and work so closely to Paul and such a great list of people. Lisa: I think there is a lot of me in Sorcha, I can relate to her, I wasn’t

really a big fan of rugby before I played her, but I am now! I love clothes too and fashion but I think she’s quite sensitive really and she’s got a good heart even if it’s not always in the right place, and she has that soft spot for Ross which a lot of girls can relate to, the whole going back to the guy who doesn’t exactly treat you right, it’s a very human thing I think. Griffiti: Do you have a favourite book? Rory: I’d have to say it was, ‘I should have got off at Sydney Parade’, just the ending. Ross is this awful character who has a misconception on how life should be lived, but there is a real human cord running through him, he’s actually a very good father. He has a great relationship with his son; he doesn’t have a great relationship with his parents. There are moments where Ross O’Carroll Kelly will surprise you. Lisa: I loved “P.S I scored the bridesmaids”, because it was about Sorcha’s wedding and Ross hooking up with “my” sister I thought that was fantastic and the last book too when Sorcha went to L.A. that was really good, it’s hard to pick a favourite. Griffiti: Is comedy something that you enjoy doing? Rory: Well everything and anything really. Personally, I’m lucky to have such a diverse career for want of a better word. This year I went from

Shakespeare to Oscar Wilde in the Gaiety. It’s great as an actor, all the work and it being so diverse. It’s very fulfilling and as an actor you’re always learning and seeing the world from different points of view and different perspectives. Lisa: Absolutely, I love theatre in general. I think the live element is amazing and with this there are so many committed Ross fans that they generate great noise and no matter how used to being on stage you are that buzz is still there every single night. Griffiti: If you could give your characters one word of advice what would you tell them? Rory: I’d tell him to cop on. Ah no, as I was saying, he has some really good qualities that are overshadowed by him being a womanising megalomaniac. His ego is in outer space and well let’s face it, he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. But if I could give him a bit of advice, well someone like that, so set in their ways, I don’t think I could give him advice. He could certainly give advice and take it or leave it I always think Ross is worth listening to. Lisa: I think in the last couple of books she has really grown up, she has that definite weakness for Ross, I think I’d tell her to be stronger and not to be so sensitive. She is becoming more independent and when she was going out with Killian she had to-

OH My Gawd! Griffiti has, like, two tickets for the show. If you want to, like totally, win them suggest a title for a Ross O’Carroll-Kelly book involving the Students’ Union. Email your suggestions & your name to griffiti@gcd.ie

tally moved away from Ross that was probably a move in the right direction. She needs to be more streetwise, like how she couldn’t see Erica and Ross carrying on is beyond me. Griffiti: So in real life is Lisa attracted to men like Ross? Lisa: Oh god no! I do love rugby players, I’m a bit of fan of them but I think Ross and Sorcha met when they were very young so they had a special connection and in this latest version they can get quite snappy with one another but they also have some very tender moments, it’s like they have a magnetic draw to each other and it’s quite special. Griffiti: How do you get into character? Lisa: Well for Sorcha all you need to do is go to Dundrum shopping centre, look around and copy what you see! But seriously, I suppose the books are a great primary source of information I just try to be the girl that I see in my head when I read the books. Something I’m always worried about is whether I’m being the Sorcha that everybody pictures, so I guess I’ll have to hope my image of her is the right one. Ross O’Carroll-Kelly – Between Foxrock and a Hard Place will be on in the Olympia Theatre from October 15 – November 14

Griffiti At the Movies

Title: Savage Cert: 18 Running time: 83 minutes Release date: Out Now

Title: The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud Cert: 12A Running Time: 100 minutes Release Date: October 8

Savage is Brendan Muldowney’s debut feature film and for a debut effort, it sets a tall order. Funded by the Irish Film Board, it is perhaps one of the darkest Irish films you’ll ever see and definitely one of the best of this year. Already, it has accumulated a tidal wave of hefty approvals and accolades including eight IFTA nominations and much appraisal at the Dark Light film festival.

Zac Efron stars as Charlie St Cloud the town’s local sailing hero. At the start of the movie Charlie is on top of the world, popular with his peers, winning boat races and has a boating scholarship for Stanford University. He has a great relationship with his brother Samuel (Charlie Tahan) with whom he has made a pact to help with his baseball pitch everyday at sunset “come rail, hail or shine.” Nothing it seems can bring him down, that is until a tragic accident takes his younger brother away from him and Charlie’s miraculous recovery leaves him with much more than just physical scars.

Muldowney himself has described Savage as a film that examines violence and masculinity, and what makes a man as well as desiring the tough guy exterior. But Savage explores so many other facets of human behaviour from the animalistic to the timid and freely comments on an increasingly depraved society. We’re taken into the world of tabloid photographer Paul Graynor in a stunning performance by Darren Healy. Graynor, a man valiant in his work but shy and reclusive in every other characteristic, has his life thrown into disarray and alarm by a brutal, ferocious and completely unprovoked attack. He subsequently loses control of himself and any reasonable perspective of his world around him, fading away into a morass of fear and regret. From there we follow Paul through four chapters in his ordeal, an ordeal that totally surprises in a distressfully macabre fashion. But primarily, this film looks at the human mind and the ever escalating violence in society, honing in on urban surroundings. Savage is a dark piece of work in every aspect and exposes the most sinister, murkiest corners and mires of Dublin; in fact, that of any city. It’s been called a revenge story but that lacks any tact as it only loosely describes one piece of a much grander puzzle. Savage is most certainly not for the faint hearted, whether it’s by way of its explicitly violent scenes or unsettling mental breakdowns, Brendan Muldowney has created a deeply harrowing world. It pulls no punches and is wholly uncompromising. 4/5 Jonathan Keane

Five years later we see that Charlie has deferred his scholarship and is now working as an undertaker at the graveyard Sam is buried in. His once proud sailing boat is now his bed and he seems content with being the mysterious quiet guy who everyone wonders about. His brush with death causes him to see more than just the spectre of his brother but of old friends too. When the arrival of old high school friend and sailing rival Tess (Amanda Crew) causes excitement in the town, the two are drawn to each other and it forces Charlie to have to and figure out what he wants and what is important to him. The move is a dramatic difference from previous movies we’ve seen Efron in. Gone is the care free teenager and here is a character that is grief stricken and torn between two choices. The supporting cast has been well chosen, Charlie’s English gin loving friend from work, Alastair (Augustus Prew) is a great character, funny and a loyal friend. This is a movie that will have you reaching for your tissues. The storyline takes you on quite the emotional rollercoaster with its mixture of grief, romance, panic and it leaves you with this warm feeling. Yes it’s cheesy, not one you would go to with the lads. It’s a date movie or a girls’ night out movie, but if you love sailing it’s well worth watching just for the race at the start! The location is spectacular and the soundtrack really ties in well with the movie.

3/5 Katie Harnett Devereux

Griffiti At the Movies

Title: Wall Street – Money never sleeps Cert: 12A Running Time: 134minutes Release Date: October 6

Title: Buried Cert: 15A Running Time: 94minutes Release Date: Out Now

In the original Wall Street, Gordon Gecko (Michael Douglas) was like the Devil, promoting the idea that 'greed is good' and manipulating global financial markets by any means necessary until Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) stands up to him and he is sent to prison. In this sequel Gecko is back and he needs to get back in the game. The other side of the story follows Jake Moore, played by Shia Lebeouf, a young hot shot financial whizz-kid who just happens to be engaged to Gecko's daughter, played by Carrey Mulligan. Moore seeks out Gecko and the two agree to help each other, Moore to reunite Gecko with his estranged daughter and in exchange Gecko will give Moore the information he needs to challenge a major bank who brought ruin to his employers.

I heard good things about this movie and was interested to see how the film makers would approach this buried alive thriller. After having seen Kill Bill Volume 2 and the ‘Grave Digger’ episode of C.S.I. (both directed by Quentin Tarantino incidentally) I was intrigued to see if director Rodrigo Cortés could bring anything new to the scenario and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Once the lights go down in the cinema we find ourselves buried with Ryan Reynolds.

Overall I did enjoy the movie. The presentation of New York as a giant Crystal palace hints at the fragility of the financial markets as evident by the real world global economic meltdown. There are plenty of references to the original including a very cheesy cameo by Charlie sheen (I was half expecting the cast from Two and a Half Men to be in the background). Talking Heads fans will be interested in the soundtrack by David Byrne. In the end what you get is Wall Street lite and I think Stone missed an opportunity to make a comment on what American banks did to the markets to land us in the mess we are in. Money never sleeps but it occasionally dozes off behind the wheel.

Of course Conroy isn’t the only character in the film, one of the items he discovers buried with him is a half charged mobile phone which he uses to try and get help which leads the story along by building a back story to the events prior to his burial and also his location and who may be responsible.

3/5

4/5

Oscar Finn

I’ve been a fan of Reynolds for a while now, unfortunately I haven’t been a big fan of most of the films he has been in; with this film I think we are really starting to see his potential as an actor. In the film Reynolds plays Paul ConThe film boasts a fantastic supporting cast with star turns from roy, a truck driver and family man, who awakes to find Susan Sarandon, Eli Wallach and Frank Langella. Josh brolin himself buried alive with his air running out and only the plays the villain in the film, or rather the head villain as his role contents of his pockets to help him survive. functions as Gekko 2.0. For those who aren't familiar with the original movie this may feel like a waste of time as much of Considering the film contains nothing more than a man in what this film has is built on the nostalgia from the original, al- a box it does rattle on at a fair pace and Cortés does manthough for many who love the original this may disappoint as age to create a balance between tension, emotion and it does not have the same hard edge and it only serves to add humour and just when you think you know what is going to happen next it goes in a different direction. to the argument that Oliver Stone has lost his edge.

I personally interpreted the film as a parable for American society evident by Conroy’s frustration at trying to get help from robotic phone operators and his frustration at his captors who level responsibility for the U.S. invasion of Iraq on his shoulders. In summary a well paced thriller that holds your attention right to the final frame.

music Reviews

Carthage – The Lost And Found

The Lost And Found is the first full length effort from Dublin based singer songwriter Carthage Carroll (though originally from Sligo). It’s a record two years in the making between writing and recording in various locations both sides of the Atlantic. The fruits of his labour are borne here but it’s all a little patchy. First track Hang ‘Em High is a poor indication of where the record is headed. It’s The Lost And Found’s weakest moment so it creates an unwarranted sense of disappointment from the get-go. It’s not until the title track, the third that the record really begins to gather some pace, particular in its mid section to it close. Stillborn’s ambling guitar work wouldn’t sound out of place on ‘driving tunes’ compilation and similarly, the angular riffs of Lock Up Your Soul are inescapably hook laden. Although, there are still faults and the major one is with Carthage’s vocals. They remain repetitive for the most part and at times can become tedious. Conversely though, the serene, Angel Light proves that he can stand up vocally when needs be. The Lost And Found, though reaches its climax, very much so, in its closing moments. Closing two tracks Colour Blind and Night Light, alongside the aforementioned Angel Light are the album’s standout moments. The Lost And Found is a wavering effort to say the least, still bearing in mind it’s a debut. It isn’t a record of staggering peaks, however it has its moments of lustre but they can be quickly lost. Hopefully things will only improve for Carthage in the future as there are snippets of high-quality here that should only be utilized and developed ten fold. Jonathan Keane

Rook and The Ravens Crawdaddy 2/10/10

Rook and the Ravens are an up and coming 5 piece band from Manchester. After a successful summer covering the festival circuit they are gearing up for the big time. I was invited along to their gig in Crawdaddy recently for the launch of their new single ‘ALPHA’ and I have to say they were one of the most impressive bands I have seen this year. What is great about R&R is that when you first hear them they sound like a band you have been a fan of for years, in saying that the songs are new and unique with an infectious quality that once you start listening to them you wont be able to stop. For a sample of what the band is about check out their Myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/rookandtheravens) for a selection of songs, tracks like 'Little Rib' and their fantastic cover of 'The Air That I Breathe' show off the bands vocal talents while songs like 'Alpha' display their skill for crafting energetic upbeat songs. Live the band put on a great show and it's clear they are hungry for it and enjoy what they do. They come across as a band very comfortable on stage playing great songs interspersed with jovial banter between themselves and the audience. With three singers they do not present themselves in the usual manner of front man + band but rather the entire band shares the role of front man which can seem a little daunting at first because there is so much happening it's hard to know where to look. Check them out if you like bands like, The Frames, Crosby, Stills, & Nash and Mic Christopher, you wont be dissapointed.

Oscar Finn 25

music Reviews

two door cinema club

Interview by Ian Donegan Photo by Tom Morgan

Two Door Cinema Club were in town the other day so we sent Ian Donegan and Tom Morgan to chat with bassist Kevin Baird fill us in on what the bands up to . Griffiti: Two Door Cinema club is a very unusual name for a band, where did that come from? KB: There’s a Cinema close to where we live in Northern Ireland just outside Bangor called the Tudor cinema and we’ve been there a few times and we were trying to come up with band names and Sam came up with Two Door Cinema Club. We asked him where he got that, and basically he was under the impression that Tudor was pronounced ‘Two door’. He can’t really read. Anyway, this became a bit of a joke, it was funny at the time. Griffiti: Electropop indie rock is your genre, are there many other bands of that genre? KB: I don’t think so. We’re the only one (laughs). In terms of musicality I guess our closest comparison would be Phoenix. But I don’t know, we never knew how to describe ourselves in, like, three words in terms of genre. It’s so difficult. Griffiti: You’ve opened for of a number of successful bands, including Phoenix, have you found that that has improved your popularity much? KB: I think doing support slots is not so much about winning fans. I mean, if you go to a gig and you see a support band you might say ‘oh wow those guys were great, I must look them up when I go home. And then say, Phoenix comes on, the band you were there to see and there amazing, they’ll completely overshadow anything that came on before. It’s a lot more about experience and getting on the road and learning from other bands. Obviously there is a small degree of winning over new fans. But I think our support status has been more beneficial from a learning point of view. Griffiti: Your first album, Tourist History, came out in March. For a first album it’s been quite successful, hasn’t it? KB: Well, I wouldn’t say were anywhere near getting a gold record or anything like that. We’re just on a small indie label. We didn’t have the fans to really push it in terms of promoting or bill boards or anything like that. We didn’t have a big marketing budget so it was sort of a soft release. But it’s nice that it’s had a steady climb. And because of that we’re releasing it as a dulux version next month to give it a real proper push. We’re in a place where we can afford to do so now.

Griffiti: In your song Undercover Martyn, who’s martyn? KB: Martyn is a fictional character. The song is kind of about a guy who knows he has to do something but he’s kind of scared. It’s a song about us saying ‘come on, grow a pair’. It’s about ourselves really because we knew this was going to be scary but we had to jump into it because it was what we wanted to do and we believed in ourselves. But there’s still that fear in the back of your head when you’re putting yourself out there and going for it. That’s what it’s about. Griffiti: You seem like a bunch of everymen, you don’t seem like rockstars. Is that how you see yourselves? KB: Well, too often you see guys who, because there in a band they need to be these dick rockstars, I mean what’s the point. We do what we want to do. We play a show, we get drunk, we do other things (laughs). But we don’t try and make it a feature of our band. We’re about the live shows, not about how much we drink or how many girls we sleep with. Griffiti: You and the guys are constantly with each other on the road and gigs and whatever, do you ever get on each others’ tits? KB: All the time! (laughs) It’s never gone to blows, or anything like that. I think I nearly punched Sam once. We were playing a gig and we were muckin’ around and he threw something at me and it hit me in the eye and I freaked out so I chased him trying to punch him but I couldn’t catch him. I ran out of breathe so I said fuck it. But we’ve all known each other since we were fourteen years old and we’ve been best friend since then. We could say the worst things to each other and there isn’t even a need to apologise, the next day it’s fine. Griffiti: Out of all the bands out there who would you most like to collaborate with? KB: We’ve always said we’d like to work with Daft Punk. That would be brilliant, but maybe a little bit unachievable. But we met them once and they were really nice guys and we also obviously have that French connection. Yeah maybe one day, that would be brilliant. Griffiti: You’ve got an American tour coming up. KB: Yeah, we leave in a week. It’s five weeks of headline shows. The last American tour we did we were supporting Phoenix. We’ve just got one show with Phoenix this year. We love touring America, it’s like the best place to tour. It’s so different but so familiar at the same time. Because you’ve seen so many movies and shows set in America. Some of the best gigs we’ve had have been in America.

The Genuine Article Daly pulls out of sports office, sports office not pregnant by Daniel James, Chief Correspondent Remember that little chubby guy running around campus last year trying to organise sports and societies? That’s right, Paddy Daly! The guy who ran unopposed for the sports officer job and, to most of our surprise, won. Where is that guy? The Genuine Article spoke to a close friend of Paddy’s who preferred to remain anonymous. ‘His bird went to America, and ya know Paddy, needs to ride her at least twice a day or he breaks out in hives, so he followed her over. But once he was there he didn’t want to leave after seeing how the Americans live life; two litre tubs of ice cream, a pint of butter with your popcorn and allyou-can-eat buffets, he just refused to leave.’ Paddy informed the SU of his resignation in late August leaving President McLovin with the task of finding a new Sports Officer. He has so far been unsuc-

McCormack Contemplates Juventus Move by Coco Trixibelle Sportsdesk

Just days after Paul ‘lightning feet’ McCormack made his stunning debut for Griff Utd it looks like he could be making a surprise move to Juventus. Unbeknownst to the team there were several talent spotters in the crowd who were very impressed by the skills and dedication displayed on the pitch. One of the spotters (who asked to remain anonymous) was quoted as saying “not since Stanley Teabag debuted for the Worthing cessful and begs anyone who Dynamos in 1985 have I seen such raw talent. feels up to the job to contact him. ‘Please! I keep getting first We here at the G.A. hope McCormack will stay years in to me asking about soc- with his home team and lead Griff Utd. to a cer, cricket and rugby! Do I look brighter future. like I play rugby! I don’t know when they’re going to be set up!’ the President said. Daly’s girlfriend, Ciara, being madly in love with him for reaOfficial language of Norway: Clicks sons unknown decided to stay and Whistles with Paddy as he explores the American dream. Meanwhile, ex-President Jacquie Ryan has Spar drops ‘r’ from name temporarily taken up the post. Ryan is not one bit happy about the situation. ‘I practically did his Hegarty admits Fashion not really a fucking job for him last year and course. To be replaced by Sandwichnow I’ve to do it all over again Making because he discovered Chocapocalypse ice-cream! I’m Daly disputes ‘chubby’ comment ragin’!’ Whether this arrangement will work out in the students’ interest Freshers not putting out as planned, has yet to be seen, but, of Butler enraged course the monkeys in research for The Genuine Article will inHector Heathwood finally gets joke vestigate further and keep you about name posted.

News In brief

Car Park Pee Predicament Penetrated

Under the Spotlight

Name:Tony Ward

This just in: Alliteration poor choice of headline technique

Occupation: IT guy/Batman Hobbies: Wizards chess/Trying to resurrect Elvis

There are some things mankind has never been able to explain, like why do we exist? How is Jacquie Ryan still in college? And what in the name of Saint Rita in a rickshaw is that wet patch in the underground car park?

Likes: A nice pair of slacks Dislikes: Tight binding belted-up jeans Interesting fact: Is Chairman of the Grapefruit worshiping cult, ‘Stingsalittle’.

We can just about accept the two old cars that have been lying there gathering dust and rats for years now but the strange phenomenon that is this crazy wet patch lying right at the entrance/exit There are many of you, I am sure, who will not think this article was worth writing or that the topic is important. But it’s bloody area of the car park has finally been solved.

Arthur’s Staff Ruin Arthur’s Day

well important to me and something needs to be done about it.

The Genuine Article’s worker monkeys have being studying samples from the dubious liquid for some Arthur’s Day rolled around again this year on the 23rd of September and I, like every other proud Irishman, was very exyears now and a result has been finalised. SEWAGE Yes folks, it’s true. The wet patch is a combination of toilet and shower water which drips down from the dodgy pipes over head, bringing the poo and pubes of Griffith Halls’ finest straight to your car tops. When asked if this was acceptable the head of maintenance declared loudly as he cruised by in his Russian army tank “Who in the name a jaysus are you? What pipe? That water is there to disinfect the tyres of the cars that pass through” he then ran away hiding his head with his hood. Who does he think he is fooling? Has he seen our worker monkeys? They’ve got red waist coats.

cited. My lectures finished up at 17:50. My colleague and I made our way to Arthur’s (the on campus bar, not the day) and ordered two pints of Guinness at approximately 17:55. At 17:58 it all went horribly wrong. The bartender, Vod Kashotz handed us two pints of Guinness IN AMSTEL GLASSES! Now, I come from a part of Ireland where it would be perfectly acceptable to smash a glass over the tender’s fucking head if he handed you a pint of Guinness in anything other than a Guinness glass! The only thing that saved Arthur’s from, what my doctors call an episode, was the fact that there was no time to pull another pint before 17:59 and it was imperative that my mouth be full of the black stuff at that time. So I toasted to a great Irishman and grudgingly drank from a glass made for a substandard lager.

Point in case: Arthur’s management, please send your staff to any country pub to work for a week. They may come maimed The Genuine Article believes that a solution to the in some way but I guarantee that they won’t be long learning wet problem will never be found, may god have what a pint of Guinness goes in.

mercy on us all. The contents of this section are satirical and may offend. The views expressed do not represent the views of the SU

Liverpool - The Party’s Over Darren Cleary takes a look at the mounting troubles plaguing Liverpool Football Club It’s been Liverpool's worst start to a season for 18 years, and it could have been a lot worse on the domestic front had captain Steven Gerrard not grabbed a much-needed headed equaliser against a Sunderland side threatening to grab all three points at Anfield on Saturday September 25th as the Merseysiders clocked up another draw in the Premier League. If the Black Cats had held on at 2-1, Liverpool would have been staring at their worst top-flight opening sequence of results in 56 years. Their misery was further compounded by defeat at the hands of newly promoted Blackpool 2-1 at Anfeild. On the flip side, they have played the top sides already this season , having played Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United; however this cannot hide the current problems threatening to engulf the famous club as they languise in the relagation zone. Liverpool 28

finished sixth in 1992/93 season, the last time they got off to such an atrocious start and it seems fans can expect more of the same this season. Rescuing a draw at home against a side that has not scored a goal on the red half of Merseyside in over a decade is not what Liverpool fans are used too. Either is one win in six in the opening stages of a new league campaign. Add to that the most embarrassing cup exit since the defeat to non-league Worcester City in 1959 and Roy Hodgson’s start has been less than ideal. A bad result against top-flight newcomers Blackpool next Sunday and the pressure will increase further on the club’s new manager. Reds legend Kenny Dalglish believes the current financial mess at the club should not affect the players once they cross the white line, however these are not the same calibre of player that Dalglish was used to playing with, or managing, at

Liverpool. This is a sub-standard squad which has been under-invested in, with new manager Hodgson being forced to raise cash for new signings from player sales, due to the club’s current financial restrictions. The club’s supporters are infuriated by the situation that thousands stayed behind after the Sunderland game to protest against the current American ownership in an attempt to increase pressure on the duo to sell. With the Reds condemned to the Europa League this season, where does that leave the futures of Spanish star Fernando Torres and club captain Gerrard, both eager to play at the top European level in the Champions League? Two players Hodgson promised that there would soon be substantial investment to end the American nightmare and help build a bright new future for Liverpool. Chairman Martin Broughton initially was hopeful of concluding

a takeover before the end of August, saying: “It still remains the objective to conclude a deal before the end of the transfer window”. However, nearly two months later there have not been any fresh developments. Results in Europe so far this season have been positive for the Merseysiders with a tally of five straight Europa League wins, Hodgson’s side were however frustrated by a scoreless draw at Dutch side Utrecht. Liverpool arrived with the intent on adding to his tally of five straight Europa League wins as Liverpool manager but just as eager to see Torres end an uncharacteristically lean spell that has yielded just one goal so far this season. He may well have been content with the outcome of the first objective but not the second, after a misfiring Torres spurned three clear opportunities. The problem remains with coowner Tom Hicks’ over-inflated

asking price, which has so far been baulked at by potential investors. Fellow co-owner George Gillett has already defaulted on repaying his half of the loan, while in the background Hicks has been looking for further bank loans to hold on to his stake in the club and buyout his want-away partner Gillett. This would give him more time to sell for the price he wanted. However the club’s beleaguered board will block any attempts by Hicks to refinance his loan deal with the Royal Bank of Scotland. Potential investors are unwilling to pay Hicks’ premium price, estimated to be around £600m. Instead, they will wait until Liverpool are in the hands of RBS and look to secure the club for a bargain £280m. No wonder there has been little news of a takeover recently. Meanwhile the club’s managing director Christian Purslow has had to publicly deny the club will go

bust or find themselves in a similar situation to Leeds United or Portsmouth, amid speculation surrounding the threat of administration. With the RBS deadline approaching, for Hicks and Gillett to either settle their debt or refinance, looming, it looks increasingly likely English football’s most successful-ever club will face the indignity of ending up being owned by the debt collectors. However, this could lead to administration and a points deduction, something RBS are obviously keen to avoid. RBS will look to sell the club as soon as they can, however they are unlikely to be too concerned over who they sell it to. The deadline day may be celebrated by fans as the day Hicks’ and Gillett’s reign at Anfield finally comes to an end, but it should also provide a stark reminder of just how far the five time European Cup winners have fallen.

JonathanKeane Talks To Joe Duffy

The lobby of the Sheraton hotel in Athlone is bedlam. RTE’s radio equipment is strewn across a makeshift stage, there’s a sizeable crowd gathered before it and Joe Duffy is giving the usual thanks to everyone that came out. Liveline broadcasted their Funny Friday show this afternoon so guests were aplenty. The jammed lobby isn’t helped either by the fact that the wedding entourage from the nearby church are beginning to scurry in too. The crowd’s presence is more than summed up by the phrase: “It’s a program that’s totally dependent on having a big audience and lots of listeners.” We’ve a few minutes, just about, to talk with Joe Duffy before presumably returning to RTE’s Dublin HQ. The conversation is a general one to say the least, on whether or not Joe ever envisaged Liveline becoming one of the most listened to and indeed criticised radio shows in the country. “It’s hard to see on the inside what impact it has. I know we’re quite strong on numbers. But sometimes you’re quite surprised, to go to Athlone and see the reaction and that so many people know the various topics and issues that have been raised on Liveline.” “I’m well surprised but there’s also time and chance. There’s a lot of hard work by the production team and myself over the years.” Liveline may be one of the most listened to radio shows in Ireland, but it’s not without its critics. The show though providing a platform for callers to air many complaints has been the subject of much criticism. Joe is quick to respond, still in an unperturbed manner, “we get good and bad, some columnists and newspapers don’t like Liveline. Sometimes people on Liveline are criticising the newspapers and

that’s part of our job as well to give people a forum that they wouldn’t usually get.” The truth is that, all denigration from some taken into account, Liveline’s impact can’t be denied. Look to the passing of screenwriter Frank Deasy (from liver cancer) who appealed for people to become organ donors on air. In the following days over 5,000 applications for new organ donor cards were registered. The unavoidable and, indeed occasionally pointless, rants along with those structured aside, an incident like that isn’t one to be sniffed at and Joe Duffy himself is quick to agree. “What he did in terms of raising awareness was just phenomenal but unfortunately the tragedy is that Frank died, which was terrible. It was terrible for his children and his wife – We all should carry a donor card, every single one of us.” “We never lose the run of ourselves”, Joe adds with all this talk on impact and influence, it’s still genuinely insisted on that Liveline remains very much grounded. “We don’t believe our own publicity, we try to remember why we’re here and what the purpose of our program is, which is to be a public service to people and that’s what we do”, he continues. We do however live in a time when it is easy to “lose the run” of yourself, especially when media is ever evolving thanks to our old friend the internet. Liveline is the number one downloaded RTE podcast, so it’s reaching further out than 1.45-3pm, which surprises him, he admits. “Liveline is obviously very much a live program and I just think sometimes it suffers when you listen back to it”, he explains. “It’s when you listen to it live you become engaged and things happen and

change over the 75 minutes, which often happens.” “But we’re on Twitter and Facebook. We’re very conscious of trying to get up on all the platforms and we broadcast wherever we can.” It seems to be an apt conclusion when discussing the show now in its tenth year with Duffy. With that, the talk winds down a little bit, with a slight change in topic. Joe Duffy was, in his student days, an active one to say the least, being Trinity Student Union president as well as president of USI (Union of Students in Ireland) for two years. 2010 of course saw the startling increase in people seeking college places, so for someone desiring a media career in these frankly uncertain times it’s challenging to say the least. However, the response is put frankly by Joe, “you want to be a journalist? Be a journalist. There’s nothing stopping you – work!” “If you want to be in radio, work for your local radio station. Do stuff, offer. If you want to be a print journalist, go to the courts. If you hear about a traffic accident, go to the traffic accident. Get writing, there’s nothing stopping you writing or recording something. Just get out. If you want to do a course, better still. But just be – be curious, be interested and get up and go. You will not be a journalist from behind a computer.” Jonathan Keane

FREE STUDENT TRAVELCARD*

Join us in the ﬁrst term. We do more for you over the long term.

Open an AIB Student Plus Account in AIB Donnybrook, 69/71 Morehampton Road, Donnybrook to get your FREE Student Travelcard*. Also check out the great discounts, offers and competition prizes on www.stuff4students.ie *The Student Travelcard offer is only available to ﬁrst year third level students. In order to receive your Student Travelcard voucher you must open or convert to an AIB Student Plus Account between 19th May and 29th October 2010 inclusive.

Talk to our Student Ofﬁcer Helen Collins ph 01 6680367 today.

Terms and conditions apply. Student Travelcard vouchers must be redeemed by 30th November 2010. Allied Irish Banks, p.l.c. is regulated by the Financial Regulator.