DUB 8
EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING IN DUBLIN 8
DISTRICT 8
IT'S A WHOLE NEW DIMENSION N E W S / A R T & C U LT U R E / SPORTS/ AND MANY MORE
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FOOD
QUIRKY
LIGHT ENTERTAINMENTS
NEWS
Here’s what to look for!
SPORT
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Editors Note
Editors
John Anderson Jnr Robbie Bacon Ronan Keller
Photo Editor: Ivona Poljak
Head Of Design: Laura Calleja
Designers
Azaliya Dautova Annelise Howarth Kafifi Runsewe Denise Spratt Catallina Damian Rachael Kinnerk
Sub Editors
Photo taken by Barnett Antony Gomez
Hello there, On behalf of the 2015 Dub8 team, welcome to this year’s new Dub8 issue. Over the last few months the team has been working really hard to get this magazine into your hands; with a fresh new look and plenty of new, Dublin 8, related stories. Dublin 8 is a renowned area in the city centre of Dublin, rich with beautiful architecture, character, culture, resta rants and famous locations. In this issue of Dub8, we cover many aspects of this beautiful location, from recent news about the area to the arty side; there is a written piece for everyone in this magazine. The process of creating this magazine has been a fun journey, from
the writing process all the way to the design process; we all here have had some good fun putting this together for you. At the same time, there were stressful periods, but with this strong group of people, we were able to work through it with ease. So we editors would like to thank everyone in the Dub8 team that worked really hard to make sure this magazine could reach all you people, they were great. We hope you enjoy reading Dub8, we sure enjoyed creating it.
Cian Moore Seán Ryan Niamh Kelly Pierce Connolly Harry Manning Nick Fitzgerald Rob Palmer Ryan O'neill
Online Media
Diane O’ Connor Martin John Cullen Lara Lewis
Advertising & Distribution
Anita Uju Arinze Kavitha Kavy
Thank you, Ronan, Robbie & John. Editors.
Disclaimer This magazine was produced by journalism students in Griffith College Dublin. The views expressed in this magazine are those of the authors named, and are not necessarily those of the editorial team or management of Griffith College or any of its employees.
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NEWS
COOL BEANS HOT VENTURE Local business the Cool Bean Company making waves in Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur Competition. By Harry Manning
Isolde Johnson of local business the Cool Bean Company has advanced to the national final of Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur competition (IBYE) representing Dublin City Council in the Best StartUp category. By winning the regional rounds of the competition, Isolde has earned her business a €20,000 investment and also won best online promotion of a business at the National Finals.
‘‘This investment will be a real turning point for us and means we can invest in growing the business. As a startup business finances are tight so this money will really help contribute towards marketing, working capital and salary costs. It really has come at the perfect time for us. We are launched in the UK market and this investment will give us a small marketing budget to work with.’’ The Cool Bean Company was founded by Isolde alongside Sarah O’Connor in 2013 with inspiration for their product stemming from the need of a simple, healthy meal after a long working day.
‘‘We were both working really long hours and at the end of the day wanted something healthy and convenient to eat. We were unimpressed with the ready meals on offer as they were loaded with additives so we decided to make our own super healthy product.’’ ‘‘Cool Beans is a healthy, beany meal in a pot, it comes in three flavours, original toma-
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to, smokey paprika and hot chilli.
‘‘In today’s fast paced world you need to look after your body and feed it the best possible food, sometimes people don’t have the time to cook from scratch but they shouldn’t have to compromise on health and food quality.’’ Isolde and Sarah decided to take their product onto the festival circuit as it was the perfect way to test their delightful dish on a large number of people.
‘‘We bought a mobile catering van and did the festival circuit to test the product in the market. We got a great reception and so decided one of us had to quit our job so we could get the business off the ground. It made more sense for Isolde to resign as her role was transitioning and in the end she turned down an exciting career opportunity to chase our bean dream!’’
Isolde went on to complete the Food Academy programme which provided them with the chance to get their product on supermarket shelves for the first time. ‘‘On September 19, 2014 we
“sometimes people don’t have the time to cook from scratch but they shouldn’t have to compromise on health and food quality.’’
Sarah O’Connor (left) and Isolde Johnson sampling their delicious Cool Bean recipe. Copyright: Sarah O’Connor /Isolde Johnson.
launched in five Supervalu stores around Dublin and by March 2015 were listed nationwide. On the first day when Isolde was making a delivery she saw a woman open the door of the fridge, pick up a pot of chilli beans and put them in her basket. She called me and we screamed down the phone at each other. It’s such a good feeling.’’ The future couldn’t be brighter for Isolde and Sarah as they look to expand their product into larger markets outside of Ireland.
‘‘We are now growing our
Irish presence and launched in the UK in November 2015. In five years we hope to have a successful and growing business in the Irish, UK and European market and hope to be launching our products into the North American market.
By that time we will have a whole product range of healthy convenient foods, lots using beans but also other ingredients which will be outside of our current range.’’
Congratulations to Isolde and Sarah on their recent success and best of luck from all of us here at Dub8 for the future.
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NEWS
RISE OF RENT IN IRELAND The rent in Ireland is climbing and it’s our families that are paying the price.
Copyright: Ronan Keller
By Ronan Keller
T
he rent in Ireland, notably in Dublin, is on the rise. This has led to many people and families struggling to pay their rent on time and to keep a roof over their heads.
Many families have found themselves homeless and seeking emergency accommodation because of this.
According to the Central Statistics Office there has been an 11% rise in rent nationwide. The biggest rise coming in our nations’ capital with a rise of 30% since January 2013. Dublin’s neighbouring counties have seen some of the
rent. This is the lowest number of properties available since 2007.
Couple this with the fact that mortgages are becoming harder and harder to obtain from Irish banks, with people turning to renting instead. We have more and more people renting and less properties available. Add the numbers anyway you want, it still equals a problem.
This is forcing more and more families to sign on for the rent supplement scheme.
More than 70,000 households depend on the rent supplement, with 27,000 of them in Dublin. The scheme
“As of August 15th 2015 there are more than 1000 people sleeping in emergency accommodation, almost 700 of these are children.” highest rent hikes with Meath, Wicklow and Kildare all rising by double figures.
What is the reason for this hike in rent? There are a number of factors; simple supply and demand being one, as of November 1st 2013 there were fewer than 5,400 properties available to
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could and should work, but only if the rent supplement covered the rent and rose with the rent rates. As of August 15th 2015 there are more than 1000 people sleeping in emerency accommodation, almost 700 of these are children.
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NEWS
Griffith College Dublin, international student’s office, Copyright: Kafayah O. Runsewe
HOUSING CRISIS SEES STUDENTS GO HOME “There has been a huge demand for on-campus accommodations for international students in the country,” says The Higher Education Authority in a report today. By Kafayah O.Runsewe
T
he general numbers of international students registered in Irish higher education institutions is around 32,000, an increase of around 2% over last years figures. Following the increase of international students, accommodation prices for the academic year are growing, which has resulted in some international students returning home to their parents. There are often faced with countless money issues like college fees, weekly spend-
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ing, transport to and from college, rent payment, bills and maintenance fees.
One of the major causes for price increase in the last year was the introduction of water charges.
The Higher Education Authority report last year found that 57,000 students were seeking accommodation in Dublin, Cork and Galway with a 25,000 shortage of student beds. The majority of these students have now switched to commuting each day to col-
lege from their new homes.
An international student from Nigeria, currently studying in Griffith College Dublin, in 2nd year of B.A in Law, Amanda Atari Andah says,
“Living on campus is very comfortable, but not affordable for an international student like myself, mostly because the fees are quite high. However, living off campus is affordable. A lot of people complain about the bills, but the main reason why I left campus was mainly because of the cost of living on campus.”
Another student living off-campus is Sicelo Mathebula, a South African student, who moved over to Ireland to study in the Gaiety School of Acting, has said
“I enjoy living off campus, but I don’t have an experience of living on campus yet, unlike other students, I worked and paid for my college fees as well as my accommodation
from my own savings.”
Some of these students have tried to find cheaper apartments and housing rates before the academic year started, most of which were unsuccessful.
Students living off campus are responsible for other bills which are shared with other housemates. The Irish Council for International Students released a statement saying that,
“The amount could be as little as €300 per month for a shared room through to €700 or more for a modest self-contained flat in Dublin. On campus accommodation is in heavy demand and is priced at the higher end.” The majority of these international students have returned back home after completing just one year in their chosen course, while some remain here in Ireland and strive to overcome the housing problem.
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NEWS
A THIRD OF STUDENTS FEEL 'DOWN' EVERY DAY New figures from the Union of Students of Ireland (USI) show more than 30% of students are feeling “down” every day. By Lara Lewis
E
ighty-three per cent of students said that talking to someone helped when they are feeling down, which is why the USI launched their ‘‘Chats for Change’’ campaign with St. Patricks Mental Health Services and ‘‘See Changes Please Talk’’, urging all third level students to talk about mental health, while enjoying a cup of tea with someone.
Twenty per cent of students said the worst thing someone can say to them when they are feeling down is ‘‘man up!’’ while 18.3% of students said that ‘cheer up!” is the worst thing to say, according to the study.
“More than a third of students regularly feeling down is an alarming percentage.”
The ‘Chats for Change’ campaign aims to change the stigma around mental health and encourage anyone feeling down to get into the habit of talking about it.”
The ‘Chats for Change’ campus road show will run in colleges across Ireland.
Kevin Donoghue, USI president said: “It shows the fragility of the mind when it’s faced with multiple strains such as exam and financial stresses. "We are urging students to talk about their problems, anxieties or strains to someone.
"People should be conscious of how they react to their friend’s mental health because belittling the problem is extremely damaging to those suffering from anxiety or depression, as the statistics show.”
Mr Donoghue said: “393 young people under the age of 30 committed suicide last year. 43% of students said the worst part about feeling down is feeling isolated and hopeless with low self-esteem. We want to change these feelings.
They agreed that the hardest part was finding a suitable person to talk to about their worries, most of them choosing not to address their feelings at all. Other findings showed that 60% of those surveyed showed that someone just not being there for you, was the most damaging, and 42.6% said that feeling isolated and hopeless with no self esteem was the worst part about feeling down.
“It shows the fragility of the mind when it’s faced with multiple strains”’’
Photo by Yuri Kawakami
The USI is the national representative body for the 354,000 students in third level education in Ireland. They are a membership organisation. The members are the affiliated Students’ Unions around Ireland, North and South.
For further information on this issue you can contact Mr Kevin Donoghue, USI President on 083 3723161.
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NEWS
GAMBLING TARGETS YOUNG MEN Experts claim targeted advertising and online access is encouraging young male gambling By Lara Lewis
M
r Brian Barry, Operations Manager for the Irish Responsible Gambling Board and Gamble Aware has said that an ease of access to online gambling websites and targeted advertising towards young men is at fault for the emerging gambling addiction problem in Ireland for men aged 18-25. The increase in gambling is set to reach crisis levels. The negative impact on young people growing up in this new gambling culture will become a massive problem, according to new research. Gambling has become an accepted part of Ireland’s mainstream culture.
The vast majority of Irish people who gamble do so recreationally, without adverse consequences. However, for another group of young men gambling has become less about entertainment and more about an addiction; something they find impossible to resist.
Stephen (18), who attends a private secondary school in an upmarket Dublin suburb says: “Gambling is so accessible. It’s everywhere. Whether it’s in the bookies or online, it’s available anytime, 24 hours a day. Gambling advertisements are on constantly and they entice you all the time with free bets.” “It starts off with two euro football bets and accumulators and before you know it, you’re betting on anything and spending lots more money, losing lots more money and owing money. You’re hooked and you are in debt. It’s a loser’s game. It’s
an addiction and it happens so fast. It’s scary” Stephen added.
Mr Barry says: “The main trend is the increase in internet-based gambling and the fact that almost 70% of full-time students have gambled in the past year”. He also stated that “1-2% of these students already have a serious problem”. Mr Barry said that smartphone and online betting are playing a big part in the rise of young men developing gambling problems. These men also have access to a form of gambling 24 hours a day. The products range from betting on football to so called “virtual casinos”. He believes that the main betting companies are targeting their advertising towards the “tech-savvy” 1825 year old age group. The ease of access to online facilities combined with youthful advertisements is very successful at luring in these men. Dr Crystal Fulton from University College Dublin carried out a recent, highly comprehensive study that was released in June this year in relation to the crisis youngsters are facing today in relation to gambling, called “Playing Social Roulette”.
Her findings suggest that the development of both a regulatory and social policy framework is urgently required. She also believes that further research into gambling behaviour and approaches and services is urgently needed in Ireland.
The Gamble Aware research carried out this year, has es-
Copyright: Meg Ong
timated that between 28,000 and 40,000 people in Ireland suffer with a gambling disorder. The Irish Institute of Public Health 2010 has reported that adolescent gambling is two to three times greater than that of adults, in particular, as a consequence of online gambling. Problem gambling can lead to complete social and family breakdown that can also have devastating financial losses. This type of addiction can lead to total alienation of family and friends of those who are affected.
The IRGB is a non-profit organisation created to promote responsible gambling in Ireland.
If you feel that gambling has become a problem in your life, or it’s affecting someone you know and you would like to talk to someone, the IRGB in partnership with Cuan Mhuire, the Republic of Ireland’s only national provider of addiction care services. Their National Problem Gambling Helpline can be found at 1800 753 753. For more information you can also visit GambleAware.ie.
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NEWS History
FUNDRAISING SUCCESS FORTESCO CHARITY Tesco started their ‘‘Charity of the Year’’ fundraising in 2001 and it is still in action 14 years later. By Denise Spratt
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he head of the Tesco Corporation released a statement on the company’s website in 2011 quoting, “We started ‘Charity of the year’ in 2001 and, to date, through the generosity and fund raising of Tesco staff, customers and their local communities, Tesco Charity of the Year has raised over €10.5 million for good causes and charities in Ireland.” The large variety of charities that were chosen to be part of Tesco’s fundraising include ‘Make A Wish’, ‘Temple Street Children’s Hospital’, ‘Childline’, ‘MS Ireland’, ‘Down Syndrome Ireland’, ‘Irish Cancer Society’, ‘The Irish Hospice Foundation’, and ‘The Alzheimer Society of Ireland’.
For the first time in the Charity of the Year fundraiser, Tesco have decided to make Temple Street Children’s Hospital their Charity of the Year for three years in a row. Tesco have risen an astonishing €1 million since 2014. After a successful two years the target for 2016 is another €1 million.
All Tesco Store Managers choose Tesco’s Charity of the Year through a careful selection process. All charities submit an application. Once all applications are submitted the Board of Managers meet and finally choose the Charity of the Year. The fundraising for the charity must be done on the charities terms with each having their own individual require-
Caption: Tesco staff fancy dress day for Halloween 2015 to raise money for Temple Street Children’s Hospital. Copyright: Suzanne McLoughlim Image: by PR Manager Sue Loughlin.
ments and goals they wish to achieve throughout the year.
The Manager of Tesco’s Gorey store, Peter Spratt, gave numerous examples of how they fundraised for Temple Street Children’s Hospital over the past year and the effect it had on the local community.
“Over the past year our Gorey store has raised over €32,000 for Temple Street which added to the combined total of €1 million. It has brought our community closer because we made
"Each local member and staff member of the community who wanted to play the game had to raise €1,000. This motivated the community to get involved in creative ways to fundraise for their place on the team.
"We sold tickets to the public for the charity game and the match sold out. It was a scorching hot day for the game. We were blessed with the huge crowd that turned up and the match was a big success. It created a buzz in the community for weeks.”
“Our neonatal ward will be totally re-developed, creating a lasting legacy for the children.” a team effort to take part and by getting our family and friends involved to spread more awareness for the charity. We had staff cycles on treadmills for hours to raise money. We had our Santa’s grotto for children last Christmas where the locals donated any amount they wished when visiting the grotto.” They raised €15,000 alone in August with the help of the community. He goes on to explain that, “Our most successful and largest fundraising event took place in August where we got in contact with Manchester United and asked some of their legends to come to Wexford and play a charity football game against our own local players and staff in the community.
All funds go towards the redevelopment of the St Michael’s ‘B’ ward at Temple Street Children’s Hospital for this year’s Charity of the Year and next year.
Temple Street has expressed their sincerest gratitude to Tesco for fundraising for this particular ward as it cares for neo-natal patients, babies and infants under 18 months. Denise Fitzgerald of Temple Street released a public word of thanks for Tesco for the hard work: “Thanks to the overwhelming support we have been shown by all of the Tesco staff and customers, our neo-natal ward will be totally re-developed, creating a lasting legacy for the children of Ireland.”
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LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
GET INVOLVED IN INNOCENT’S BIG KNIT! Christmas has come and gone but Innocent’s Big Knit will be back again next year! By Niamh Kelly
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nce again we find ourselves stuck in the January blues, post Christmas depression! Gone by are the days where we saw those little hats upon many of Innocent’s smoothies in supermarkets and shops across the country, but the question is; where do these hats come from? Who knits them, and perhaps most importantly, why? Innocent began their Big Knit campaign in 2008 along with Age Action, whereby both older and younger people would come together and knit the little woolly hats which are placed on Innocent Smoothies just in time for winter. Since 2008, The Big Knit has earned a lot of publicity and has thankfully made an
The Big Knit. Winnie and Delo are only two of the participants of a small group who meet every Saturday and Wednesday to knit the famous tiny woolly hats between 11am and 1pm.
To these ladies The Big Knit is a way of coming together as a community and enjoying each other’s company. Delo shared how important that sense of community and interaction is to the people who take part.
“It’s also a place where people will come in and maybe spend half an hour knitting some hats, or just in to have a natter. Some people go out of their way to appear the two days that we’re here. It’s an amazing feeling, people really enjoy your company.”
“It’s an amazing feeling, people really enjoy your company”
enormous amount of people aware of the struggles many older people face not just during winter time, but all year round.
I had the pleasure of meeting with two fabulous elderly women, Winnie O’Doherty and Delo McArdle from Dublin to find out everything about their participation in
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For Delo, her first time to take part in The Big Knit was “in Dundrum, on a scorching Sunday, where I was teaching kids how to knit. The Big Knit is very important for Age Action because Innocent give us thirty cent for every hat sold’’. Delo then explained where the money earned from In-
Some of the hats knitted at Age Action Camden Street, with knitter Winnie O’Doherty in the background. Copyright: Jenn Coffeey
nocent is spent. “The money goes to the Care and Repair Programme and without it, there are people that wouldn’t be able to change light bulbs, simple things, that some would find more difficult especially in winter.”
They took part in Innocents photo shoot for the campaign where they “had them sitting on the ground with the hats, some were standing but they’ll never forget it.”
Innocent has brought happiness and a huge amount of much-needed awareness to many people about Age Action and the support it provides to elderly people.
I asked these wonderful ladies where they get their inspiration to knit such different kinds of hats and their answer was “imagination.” “There are patterns you can look up but in actual fact people just use their imagination depending how they
feel. Some people do incredible hats and have fantastic ideas. But would you believe, it takes us about an hour to knit just one hat?” It is amazing that these women and people across Ireland contribute such time and effort into a great cause.
According to Age Action, the participants in Ireland have knitted an astonishing 390,000 hats and together they have raised over €120,000. Hats are knitted from February until December 6th. When this deadline is reached, the little woolly labours of love begin being distributed throughout the country on Innocent Smoothie bottles and will be available from February.
If you want to get involved but have seen that the deadline has passed, fear not! You can sign up to help next year, the more the merrier.
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LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT
GUINNESS - MADE OF CHARACTER Guinness advertise is so emotional and pulls on the heartstrings of the audience’s inner emotions, but how does this relate to them as a brand? By Diane O’Connor
A
dvertising is used to attract the attention of customers and the public through the use of messages and creativity. Creativity is very important in achieving a successful advertising campaign. It is important to create something that people will give their attention to and will appeal to their emotions.
tion and impacting on our emotions. Guinness takes full advantage of the success emotional advertising has to offer.
How do they do this though? And why do they use emotional advertising when they’re a beer brand? Does this have a special effect on the audience?
I spoke with Frank Bradley, a professor of Marketing in UCD’s Michael Smurfit Business School. Professor Bradley had a lot to say about the use and affects of emotional advertising. “Feelings are an important element of advertising, feelings give rise to an interest.”
Grabbing people’s attention is something Bradley says
Emotional advertising should contain themes that make us think and that grab our attention: “an emotional advertisement should make you think. It should be fundamental and lasting”. He continued talking about the three fundamental elements to a successful emotional advertisement: awareness, attention and interest. “Guinness reach out to customers but also to pub workers through the pouring of the perfect pint as shown in their ads”. “Guinness are communicating through their advertising that they’re more than just a product company, they’re sending this message through emotional advertising, which gets our attention.” Guinness focus on the true character of their advertisement’s subjects and how they are ‘much more than meets the eye’.
Copyright: Flickr – by Alessandro GIuliani. Guinness, Dublin
Guinness, founded in 1759 and brewing at St. James’ Gate ever since, has made its advertising become something of a phenomenon, with distinctive features including scenes of rugby and perfectly poured pints which demonstrates character and creates an emotional impact. Guinness have unlocked a unique way in grabbing our interests, keeping our atten-
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When we think of beer, we think of happiness and relaxation. Therefore, we’d expect beer companies to advertise such qualities. Coors Light ‘s advertisements focus on the pint being served ‘perfectly chilled’ in a pub where everyone is laughing and enjoying themselves. However, Guinness are different. They choose subliminal messaging which causes us to think and feel emotion.
is “a focus for advertising”. “Guinness triggers our emotions by showing that they offer more to life than just beer and this grabs our attention”.
Guinness attracting our attention revolves around questions such as: Does it make us think? Does it leave us with a memory that lasts? What do we think of when we see the Guinness symbol?
Character has long been Guinness’ advertising focus. No matter the story they’re telling, it always portrays the protagonist’s character. What makes them special, what makes their story one worthy of a worldwide successful brand like Guinness? They’re advertising a message about society and tie this in with their beer as being more than just that. They’re presenting us with real people’s personal stories and creating a character we can familiarise and sympathise with.
Guinness’ latest advertisement is a modern day story. Gareth Thomas, a famous Welsh rugby player, shares
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LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT his story of coming out and his courage of telling his teammates he was gay. It is a message of courage and sportsmanship. The story ends with him relieved that his teammates’support him and accept him. It is a story that is captured emotionally, and is therefore generating a lot of word of mouth and views. However, I can’t help but wonder how any of their human stories are related to a famous brand of beer. Their “Made of More” brand idea is portrayed through their storytelling style of advertising. For example, the “empty chair” advertisement in America revolves around a female bar tender placing a full pint of Guinness at an empty chair everyday.
The advertisement gets us wondering: is it for someone coming? Is it a respect for someone who has died? In the last few moments of the ad, a soldier in uniform walks in and goes to the pint
of beer. This ad is showing that it’s not just a pint, it is much more – it is hope, it is love and respect.
Their focus on character is similar to this also; the subjects are telling a powerful story about their courage, strength and passion. Possibly my favourite of their
and praise is told by loving French fans, paying their respects and adoration for the player, ending with them thanking him. This ad is told through regular people’s opinions, they’re just fans like anyone else, yet they bring together an honest tribute.
“Feelings are an important element of advertising, feelings give rise to an interest”
advertisements is ‘Merci’ from 2014. This one tells the story of Jonny Wilkinson, a former English rugby player who also played for Toulon in France.
Unlike Gareth Thomas narrating over his own ad, Jonny Wilkinson’s story of success
As a consumer and drinker of Guinness beer, Tom Satchwell had an input on their advertising. “Their ads are brilliant, especially for rugby/sports fans who are interested in their subjects like Jonny Wilkinson. I think they target rugby fans.”
Tom is a clear fan of Guinness. “Their advertising doesn’t necessarily make me want to drink it more, but in my opinion it creates a good impression of the brand. I like Heineken as a beer also, but I think their advertising is quite poor compared to Guinness.”
Tom agreed also that their “Made of More” concept and the character focus in the ads are intertwined and represent what is important to the brand in a creative and targeted way. “Their “Made of More” idea is clearly well received through their ads, with the empowering stories of the true character behind famous and respected rugby players.” Guinness have long been in the advertising business, and though I’ve only showed an interest in the product in recent years, I’ve always kept a look out for their new ads and I know I will always enjoy them.
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‘GIGI’ GANNON LAUNCHES BOOK 'MIRACLE MAN' Glenn Gannon tells his remarkable tale: “Homeless to Hollywood” By Lara Lewis It wasn’t too long ago, that Glenn Gannon was sleeping rough under a bridge in Dolphins Barn. Having to contend with the dangers, fears and horror of homelessness, Glenn slept with the “leg of a chair” to protect himself from the dangerous predators of the night. It’s a homeless to Hollywood story. Today, the accomplished actor, composer and director has mingled with stars such as Julianne Moore and Anne Hathaway. Playing the title role of a homeless man in his upcoming movie “Danny”, Glenn can totally identify with the difficulties and challenges facing his new character.
Born in the heart of the Liberties and later moving to Dolphin House, growing up in the Rialto area, Glenn is a true “Dub”. Having received little education, he is largely self-educated. “I am Google educated” he says. Glenn launched his new Book “Miracle Man” in the Teachers Club on Parnell Street this month.
He said “If someone out there is reading this book and has a family member who has depression, just say, here’s the book from an ordinary man. This bloke had problems and if he can get out of them you can get out of them too.”
He adds: “If this book helps one single person, I’d be very happy. When I was at my lowest ebb, I thought of my family, when I was at my highest ebb I thought of my family, when I’m successful I think of my family. I think that when you have family you’re wealthy, no matter what else you have, you’re wealthy, even if they are only memories of your family, you are wealthy.”
Glenn gives talks to students. He has talked in approximately 60 schools since January. He says to the children: “The most important thing in this world is you and your family. If you are listening to your Ma and Da giving out
about money in the mornings and maybe you are worried about things, stick together and you will be fine, you’ll get through it, everyone will rally around.” “The most important thing in this world is you and your family.”
Glenn believes that we have lost sight of these family values during the “Celtic Tiger”, though he admits to not seeing a bit of it! He accuses the Government of wanting to sell anything that “isn’t nailed down” and is currently supporting the fight to help retain the buildings in Moore Street. He says: “that’s community,
Photo credit:Lorraine Shortt . Lara and Glenn Gannon at his book launch “Miracle Man” in the Teachers Club
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LIGHT ENTERTANMENT that’s spirit and that’s what it’s about. We are beginning to help each other again and I love that. I love that about the Irish people”.
At the book launch he joked about Ireland qualifying for the European Championships. He posted on Facebook “Ring ring this is your credit union calling. Your call is very important to us, but there’s 50,000 people before you!”
Glenn’s epic play “The Trial”, was a primary focus at his book launch. The play opened the International Eucharistic Congress in the RDS Concert Hall in 2012. He composed the music and the 20 songs from the show.
Glenn’s dad played the accordion and the piano. His mother played the harmonica and the piano and when she took to the drums, Glenn says, “She couldn’t get off them”. He says that his family were all musical but he didn’t benefit from any of that talent. Unable to play a musical instrument he admits to “wrestling” with a mouth organ until he got a tune out of it. Saying it might have sounded like a “bag of cats”, but that was the way he used to write his songs in his little apartment for the play. Often he
that angels turned into beautiful songs”.
Frank Allen, a good friend, screenwriter and author says Glenn’s book is “such an inspiring story. The miracle is we are reading Glenn’s memoir at all, we could easily have been reading his headstone. His book is a parable of hope for the downtrodden and the marginalized”. Glenn began working for the Simon Community as a volunteer in 2004. Over the years he has supported fundraising events and has collected at churches as well as sharing his story with many.
Sam McGuinness, (CEO of the Dublin Simon Community), says “I will always be grateful of Glenn’s enduring loyalty to Simon and his courage and determination to get back on his feet again”.
He continues: “I often think about what it means to be part of a community. The sense of belonging and being part of something. The Simon Community is a place to call home, to help those who are not feeling safe or secure. It is for people who have no friends or any family support network. People like Glenn who have experienced homelessness themselves, use their understanding to give back to Simon and to
“The most important thing in this world is you and your family” would get out of the shower and sing what was in his head into his phone, as that was the only way he could remember them.
He credits Ken Tuohy, (Musical Director of The Trial), for changing his phone recordings into proper pieces of music with the “little squiggles with heads on them, oh yeah, notarisation, and providing final sheets of music
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people who are weak and vulnerable.”
Talking of Glenn, McGuinness concludes with a quote: “The mark of a man’s success is not the wealth he leaves behind him when he dies, it’s what he bequeaths to society while he is alive. Glenn Gannon we admire you!”. At the book launch, Glenn gives credit to his Mam and
Dad and admits to having the best of both worlds. He says his Dad was well educated and a great writer. He says his mother used to say “well I never went to school but I met the scholars coming home, so anything he can’t teach you, I will”.
He also thanked the people who believed in him. He spoke of Phil Robert whose “wise counsel and friendship has been one constant in life’s shifting sands”. He referred to “my good friend Frank Allen who has enriched my life in so many ways but especially with his presence”.
Before he wrote the book he admitted he told friends “well I can’t spell, I’m partially dyslexic, I never went to school, so what’s the problem? I can’t write the book and that’s it!” Despite this, he managed to publish his autobiography. He continued by saying: “My philosophy has always been and this is what I want the book to say, it doesn’t matter what in the world you want to achieve. If there’s anybody out there that thinks that their life story isn’t important, well I’m here to tell you that your wrong, because what you think is ordinary, is extraordinary. When you think you can’t do something, you can do something and when people tell you you are not able to do something, that’s the first thing you should do”.
“Suffering from depression, I used to drink myself into a cave. Now, I write my way out of my cave, but if there is one thing I’d like my book to do, it would be to help people suffering with depression and if I can only help one person that will make me happy.” Glenn Gannon’s book Miracle Man is available from Heaton’s and the online IBook store. A percentage of profits from book sales will go towards Simon Community Services.
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FEATURES
PERCEIVING ISLAM IN DUBLIN 8 For the past three decades the Muslim community in Dublin have congregated around the SC road in Dublin 8 stances where his wife was thrashed with verbal abuse, seemingly her burka offended a minority of like-minded Irish individuals. Particularly in western society, we have been known for grouping races or cultures together from stereotypes or acts of minority groups in the race/religion. When I took the time to sit down and have a chat with Daniyal I came to realise that the tenets of his religion are as noble as that of our own Christian nation, if theory is put to practice. Photo of Dublin Mosque. Copyright: Meg Ong
By Martin Cullen
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ublin 8 is clearly a mixing pot for different cultures, with the variety of races taking residence in the area since the Celtic Tiger, and those who have come from abroad to study at Griffith College.
One of the more obvious cultures we were introduced to was the Islamic community which has chosen Dublin 8, i.e. the South Circular Road, to be one of its few centres of worship in Dublin.
Many Western media sources have been critical of Islam as a whole because of the actions of some minute extremist sects of the religion who commit atrocities all over the world on a frighteningly consistent and ever intensifying scale.
I thought Dub8 readers might be interested in a testimonial from a Muslim man
who lived in conflicted areas in Pakistan and even lost friends and family for expressing outrage towards extremism to gather an insight into the community in South Circular Road that some locals see as outlandish. Daniyal grew up in Pakistan during the heat of an internal feud between various sects of Islam.
The minority sect which Daniyal belonged to (Ahmadiyya sect) was strongly opposed to more extreme Muslim policies, such as Sharia law, and openly and aggressively condemns acts of terrorism and murder in the name of religion. Daniyal felt that Irish people are very welcoming, and that he and his family were accepted in the community.
That is, except for a few in-
Being Muslim to Daniyal is about “Love for All, Hatred for None,” something similar to the teachings of Jesus Christ. One lesson Daniyal teaches his children is “If I employ someone to do a job for me, I should pay him be-
It appears we have an ally in nipping extremism in the bud, as Daniyal and many like-minded Muslims have organised committees to discourage extremist actions within our own borders.
“I have been part of some initiative by the community in Ireland under the directions from the head of our worldwide community to involve our government officials to help us at the country to tackle the rise of extremist elements in Ireland.” “Last year the elected executive committee of my community was discussing how to prevent the above-mentioned spreading to our community. This was asked by the worldwide head of our community to suggest to him any ways suitable to recommend to governments to discourage Muslim youth
“Love for all, Hatred for None.’’ fore his sweat has dried from his body,” meaning to do fair business with all, a lesson many of us could learn.
Many have taken to social media to express their disgust of the newly formed Islamic state, but have cast the net too wide with many modest Muslims like Daniyal being dragged into the crossfire, making the world’s largest social networks a place that makes these modest Muslims afraid for their families who might be subjected to Islamaphobic retaliations, which have occurred in recent years in the form of assaults and general racism.
joining groups such as Islamic states.”
Hopefully one day all of this will be beneath humans, likewise for extremist transgressions, as the majority of Muslims including Daniyal are outraged by any type of violence.
The Muslim community in South Circular road appears to be that of a tight knit community which simply wishes to contribute to our society with messages of peace and positivity, so that one day they might be accepted by all.
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FEATURES
IT’S A DIFFERENT DIMENSION
An insight into one of the best spots in Dublin for underground music: District 8. By Cian Moore
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nce upon a time, down a small, dusty Dublin side street there was a theatre named the Tivoli.
This theatre has had many purposes in the past, but on August 15th 2014 those purposes would all be forced into the shadow of what it is best known for now, District 8.
At first glance you could easily mistake District 8 for some sort of setting from a sci-fi novel or a different dimension of sorts, which some people claim it is but District 8 is a music venue. It was created by a group of music loving pioneers who have opted to take the Tivoli theatre, re-brand it and turn it into a hub for underground music in Dublin.
Kerri Chandler, Patrick Topping and Skream are just a few of the big name DJs that have visited the Francis Street night spot, selling out almost on a weekly basis and proving to be a hit with clubbers who listen to house and techno music religiously. Yet this did not happen overnight. It took a contingent of knowledgeable, dedicated music loving party-goers, to make District 8 what it is today and
one member of that District 8 contingent is Shaun Darcy.
good at what they do. So we just listen to each other and then most of the time it is about trusting the people you work with. Nobody knows everything, so you have to trust each other.’’
While the beats are banging across the District 8 dance floor, Shaun is usually busy pulling the strings behind the scenes, making sure things run smoothly which makes him the perfect person to tell the story of how District 8 managed to become what it is today.
According to Shaun it was tough at the beginning for District 8 but he and the guys running the show have learned lessons from gig to gig, picking up on their mistakes. ‘‘You’ll always make mistakes, the important thing is to learn from them and keep moving forward. As far as we’re concerned we’re still in the very early days of District 8.’’ As they gained more and more experience things improved, having some immense nights along the way, but one night that stood out for Shaun was the night that got the show on the road.
‘We’ve had so many great moments already it’s hard to choose. I think everybody has their own personal favourite. Mine was probably the
“The aim is to constantly push things forward and to deliver the best experience possible, to treat everybody with respect and to throw unreal parties.”
launch night with Rodhad & Kr!z and Rift. It was electric all night. It was such an exciting moment for us all to see the club go off in that way on the opening night!’’
With all the fun and excitement of seeing the clubbers becoming captivated by the music as the night wears on, Shaun highlighted the energy and effort it takes to organise something like this. ‘‘Everything that you have goes into it. By the end of it you’ll probably be a wreck, but if it goes well you’ll be very happy.’’
Beside the effort and energy used up by those in charge of organising things, Shaun went on to speak about how it is decided what artist to book and how to coordinate proceedings, putting emphasis on communication and trust within the team. ‘‘There are a couple of people involved all with different interests, but everybody who is involved is really
District 8 has being going on for over a year now and Shaun felt that looking towards the future, they want to continue building on the success they’ve already had. ‘‘The aim is to constantly push things forward and to deliver the best experience possible, to treat everybody with respect and to throw unreal parties.’’ But he didn’t stop there, making indications of what to expect from District 8.
‘‘There are always plans to expand and do new, interesting things and we have some massive plans for the future, we can’t really tell you what though.’’
With exciting plans for the future and big acts consistently playing there, District 8 continues to lead the way as one of Dublin’s most popular venues for underground music and I’m sure ravers across the city are dying to see what the District 8 crew has in store next for them.
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FEATURES
HELP THE HOMELESS? NO! REBRAND DUBLIN Dublin City Council has just spent €1 million on rebranding Dublin for the tourism sector, while a homeless crisis hangs over the city.
Mark Wiggins, formerly homeless and a recovering alcoholic now runs a community allotment and art project in Dublin 8. Copyright: Rob Palmer
By Rob Palmer
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n a crisp mid-Autumn morning in Ireland’s capital the working folk sprang to life, they bought their skinny chai lattes from one of the many Starbucks per street before starting the daily grind.
Students stumbled off trains and into the lecture halls; a sea of bedheads and heavy eyelids only held open by an unhealthy amount of Red Bull.
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A selection of brave souls were also falling out of bed with the mother of all hangovers; these fragile examples of the human race braved the sunlight and the wind to pop to their local deli to get themselves a much needed, greasy breakfast roll. There was also at least three people waking up in the middle of Dublin’s fair city; cold, scared and most certainly upset after spending their first night sleeping rough.
The homeless crisis in Dublin is one that is reaching critical mass. When you take into account the rising drug problems among the homeless community in the city it’s a recipe for disaster. Agencies such as The Simon Community are already being stretched thin when it comes to providing beds, respite care and recovery facilities for Dublin’s least fortunate. “We’re coping alright at the moment, but if we were to get an influx of people looking for help from us it would get to the stage where we
would be turning many people away and that’s not right” said a spokesperson for Simon. “Especially for the people who come looking for help from our respite and recovery centres, the pressure on them has been telling since last March. Last year drug use went up among the homeless community by a fair bit, and now it seems that a number of those new users are trying to kick their habits. It’s a good trend, but it has us scrambling for funds, supplies and professionals to help these people” she added.
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FEATURES Why is homelessness and drug use among the community such a big problem? In a city where the Government deem it suitable to drop a cool €1 million euro on the “rebranding” of Dublin to increase tourism revenue, it must be asked why there are still over 3,800 people registered as homeless in the city.
It is clear that the further you move away from O’ Connell Street and up towards places like the Phoenix Park and Chapelizod, that investment in residential areas is little to nothing. It becomes especially shocking when you compare these areas to the more “touristy” parts of Dublin, a mere 20 minute walk away. This lack of investment in areas such as Bridgefoot Street – no more than 500 metres across the River Liffey from The Guinness Storehouse – is only clear to see.
An example of this was when this reporter was brought on a tour of an apartment complex on Bridgefoot Street; Tony O’Rourke, a resident and owner of local diner Oh! Rourkes spoke about the uneven spread of wealth in Dublin that his community feels more than most. “There’s 340 odd apartments in this complex. If you average it out, there are about 300 kids who live on this estate. There are two playgrounds that together are no bigger than a single football pitch. It’s poor planning, but a lot of these complexes all across the city are Dublin City Council owned and built.
In my opinion, because this area isn’t going to make them any money they didn’t bother putting any into it. They built houses to put people,
but didn’t care much for facilities’’ said O’Rourke.
“It’s no coincidence that there is a higher proportion of homeless people up this end of the city than back down towards the Docklands. The close living quarters and lack of outlets for these young kids causes a lot of them to take the wrong path. These people are the best people you could meet, but places like this breed frustration and people get lost in that and find it hard to recover.”
thrown from place to place and made feel like a number rather than an actual person. It makes you feel terrible. It’s not organised in a way that encourages people to get off
“If they’re out of sight, they’re out of mind” How hard is it for people to find help? The Irish Times reported in April 2015 that the number of rough sleepers was down by nearly 40%. However, they also observed that while the number of rough sleepers was down, the number of people in emergency accommodation was up by nearly 300 from November 2014.
These statistics, according to the article in the Times, does not include the almost one thousand children in hotel-type accommodations. Mark Wiggins, formerly homeless and a recovering alcoholic, is of the opinion that the attitude to the homeless crisis in Dublin is: “if they’re out of sight, they’re out of mind”. “I know that from when I went looking for help, you’re
stuff, it makes them feel like a burden. It certainly did with me” Wiggins said. “It’s not difficult to go out and find help, because there’s lots of places that will help you, it’s just getting through the help which is the hard part. I don’t think that’s how it should be.’’
The huge numbers of homeless people in Dublin allows for this issue to be called a crisis. The death of Jonathan Corrie near Leinster House in December 2014 brought the problem into the public consciousness; but sadly after the initial media frenzy and public outcry, the interest in the issue predictably, died down after a few weeks. Homelessness in Dublin is certainly not something that is going away, or even showing any signs of declining and that is why we must have a conversation about it.
The Irish people must shoulder some of the blame for crisis. While it is not our fault that these people are in this predicament, some blame must be laid at our doorstep for doing nothing to help them once they have found themselves there.
It is fair to say that all of us are guilty of passing a homeless person on the streets of Dublin at one stage or another, perhaps on our way for a ‘cheeky’ Nandos or a shopping spree in River Island.
We carry on with our day without giving that homeless person a second thought. Even though we all don’t like to admit it; that is what the vast majority of us do, including myself. However, we can help these people simply by making some noise about the problem. If we discuss the problem in the public sphere it will become something that the government will simply have to tackle.
Political parties’ endless quest for votes and positive public opinion will compel them to do what the people are asking, and what the least fortunate desperately need. Their priorities for spending in Dublin will shift from disgusting, needless superfluous spending to something that will make the city a better place. Instead of dropping €1 million on rebranding Dublin for the tourism sector that money could have been better spent on funding homeless charities.
That money could even have been invested to improve the infrastructure already in place to help homeless people. Money spent on a shiny logo and a new slogan over tackling a human crisis is deplorable but hey, making Dublin look pretty for holiday makers is more important than people dying of exposure on our doorsteps, right?
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FEATURES
ST. TERESA’S GARDEN REGENERATION PROJECT The St. Teresa’s Garden Regeneration has seen many ups and downs. By John Anderson
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t. Teresa’s Garden, also known as, Dolphins Barn, is a council estate that was built in the 1950’s. At one stage it was one of Dublin City’s most sought after areas, with nearly 300 families residing in what was described as a “Vibrant, lively area, where everyone was happy”. However in 2015, more than 60 years on from its rise, that statement is far from the truth. The living conditions in Dolphins Barn are now described as “damp and upended, with people living on top of one and other”.
St. Teresa’s Gardens has been due regeneration since 2006 through a Public Private Partnership. However, due to the property market collapse, which lead to a recession in 2007, the St. Teresa’s Garden regeneration was put on hold, and has had a stop and start pattern for a number of years. In 2009, Dublin City manager John Tierney reported that the regeneration would commence in the autumn of that year. He said he could give no date for when the redevelopment of the complex would begin, but the council would do everything in its power to ensure that Dolphin House was regenerated.
In October of 2009, when the regeneration was due commence, the PPP fell through, leaving the council no choice but to, again, abandon the regeneration.
“We have unfortunately had to abandon the PPP process. We weren’t in a position to
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move forward with it and we had got to the stage where we would have been giving more detailed specification to the bidders and they would have had to spend considerable money at that stage, so we felt we couldn’t allow that to happen,” Anne Graham, manager of the south central area of the city said. One resident spent her child’s first birthday in the hospital, tending to her child.
Fast forward to 2014, and once again, the regeneration was given the go ahead, with the Dublin City Council approving the regeneration with construction scheduled to start in the New Year of 2015. There were a few doubts, especially when the planning permission was only sought the week after the council announced the regeneration would commence.
Some of Dolphins Barn apartments have been boarded up Copyright: William Murphy will also be constructed. Two blocks of vacant flats will be demolished to make way for the new buildings. 40 per cent of the new units will be one-bedroomed, and 41 per cent will have two bedrooms, with the remaining 19 per cent having three or more. The cost of this work has averaged €40,000 per unit. Separately, the council is to build new senior citizens’
“The community of St Teresa’s Gardens is more than fifteen years waiting for this.” However, to the surprise of the residents, the council stuck to their word, and demolition began in March 2015. The €16 million regeneration finally began Three blocks with 72 flats will be reconfigured to make 63 larger apartments. Three new blocks will be built with 28 apartments. Nine houses
accommodation. The residents of the existing senior citizens’ complex, Dolphin Park, will remain in their homes while the units are constructed. The newly refurbishing method has been called “retro-fitting”, the work will see buildings stripped bare to
their foundations, the sewerage systems, drains, water and electricity services will all be replaced. It will involve the removal of some internal non-structural walls and lifts will be added, as well as balconies for an aesthetic appeal.
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Críona Ní Dhálaigh, a former Sinn Fein Councilor, had this to say when the regeneration finally began. “The community of St Teresa’s Gardens is more than 15 years waiting for this. The regeneration was needed, but it is bittersweet. “These are people’s homes. St Teresa’s Gardens was one of the most vibrant and sought after places and people were very happy. “But what happened is these units aren’t fit for purpose any more. The families are too large and there is a huge problem with dampness,” she explained. The St. Teresa’s Gardens Regeneration is set to be completed in 2016.
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A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO TEACHING AT FRANCIS ST C.B.S A holistic approach to teaching is impacting more than just test scores at Francis Street C.B.S. By Robert Bacon
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an you remember your primary school days? I can certainly remember mine. After I had my books and pencil case out I’d spend the next six hours living in hope that my teacher would forget all about teaching us Irish for the day and maybe even treat us to a surprise P.E. class.
The days of primary school pupils living in hope for that surprise P.E. class may be gone, however, if the teaching methods and practices used in St Francis Street CBS primary school spread to other national schools across the country.
Francis Street CBS is an inner city school for boys with 145 pupils and 14 teachers. The school has been growing at a great rate, there were 80 pupils in the school 12 years ago, and since then that number has nearly doubled. Francis Street CBS teaches all the conventional subjects, but it also teaches the pupils something else, how to cope with the outside pressures of life and their own emotions. The school takes a “holistic approach” to teaching according to Victoria McQuaid who is the principal at the school, encouraging “empathy, sympathy and teaching mindfulness”. An hour a week is dedicated to teaching emotional wellbeing and each class takes a different approach to teaching it. “It’s all focused on emotional wellbeing but the approaches might be differ-
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ent… 4th class are getting it at the moment, 5th class are doing peace builders, which is all about friendship skills” says Mrs. McQuaid. Yoga is thought to every class; it is spread out sixweek blocks, meaning every pupil gets to take part during the year. According to Mrs. McQuaid the children “absolutely love it, they come in and they’re all chilled out”. Once they’re back to their ‘regular’ classes, the impact is instantly recognizable, with the pupils more relaxed and able to focus on the subjects being thought. Mindfulness, yoga, empathy and sympathy skills, it all sounds great but is there any way to verify the positive
Picture courtesy of St Francis Street C.B.S.
our literacy and numeracy has improved as well… on all fronts everything has changed in the school”.
Although literacy and numeracy scores are going up the boys are thought something else, how to express their emotions. This is important especially when Irish suicide rates are among some of the highest in Europe at
“The learning has improved, the classroom behavior overall has improved, the management of the classrooms has improved, so from that our literacy and numeracy has improved as well”
impacts on the children and their education?
This is the question I asked Mrs. McQuaid and the answer is astounding: “The learning has improved, the classroom behavior overall has improved, the management of the classrooms has improved, so from that
the moment. More schools like Francis Street C.B.S may play a part in reducing those figures by teaching children how to express their feelings. Mrs. McQuaid explained one of the techniques used in order to encourage the pupils to express how they’re feeling, “they come in in the morning and the first thing
they do is talk about how they’re feeling today. If they can’t describe how they’re feeling, they have a number and for example, they can say ‘well I feel like a number 3 today’ and then the teacher would go back at lunchtime and ask how they’re doing then, and they might say ‘I’m a 6 now’… it’s just to make them aware of how they’re feeling and give them an ability to express it”. While I was there a teacher rang a Tibetan bell out through the intercom and the whole room went silent, as did the rest of the school. When it rings the whole school observes it by staying quiet and breathing. The announcement didn’t take more than 30 seconds and then after it is back to schoolwork, just a bit more relaxed and focused than before.
For me this encapsulates what is happening at Francis Street C.B.S, small, thoughtful changes that make big impacts, not just academically but socially too. I know if I was a pupil at Francis Street today I certainly wouldn’t be spending my time worrying about getting out for P.E.
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ART & CULTURE
The age old entrance to Ireland oldest pub
THE BRAZEN HEAD: A PUB OF HISTORY AND STORYTELLING An insight into one of Ireland’s most famous pubs, the Brazen Head and its unique evening entertainment. By Lara Lewis
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he Brazen Head on Bridge Street in Dublin claims to be Ireland’s oldest pub, dating back to 1198. A wonderful old coach house untouched by the passage of time; it has retained most of its 12th century style and charm with history that is palpable inside the pub walls. If it’s a typical Irish pub with quality food, drink and entertainment you are in search of, then a visit to the Brazen Head is a must. Stephen Wilson, who is the Bar Manager at the Brazen Head, says “The pub is steeped in history, especially in its patrons who include
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writers Jonathon Swift and Brendan Behan as well as revolutionaries like Wolf Tone, Daniel O’Connell, Michael Collins and Robert Emmet who all used to reside here”.
When Robert Emmet, the leader of the 1803 Irish Rebellion, lived in the Brazen Head, he occupied the room overlooking the main front door of the inn so that all callers could be well observed. Emmet’s writing desk, which is a treasured relic of Irish history remains on display in the pub today for all to see. James Joyce, the world-renowned Irish novelist and
poet even found inspiration in the pub and mentions it in his famous 1922 novel Ulysses:
McConachie told him you got a decent enough do in the Brazen Head for a bob.
The walls are covered in memorabilia with a number of old Irish pictures and scrolls on show which helps create a wonderful vibe and sense of culture alongside a busy humdrum of people and wafts of delicious food being delivered to tables. With four little bar rooms downstairs and an outdoor courtyard, there is somewhere to suit all who visit. However, this is not where the story ends; The Brazen Head also offer the opportunity to be taken into a world of folklore and fairies courtesy of a number of talented and intriguing storytellers. Alongside an impeccable four-course dinner and some wonderful Irish traditional music and ballads, you can
disappear into a world with a difference.
Irish Folk Tours in conjunction with the Brazen Head organise the enchanting evenings and founder and storyteller Johnny Daly, spoke about the storytelling nights that are held there. “Numbers can range from anything between 8 to 80 people every night but a magical night is always guaranteed.”
The evening, branded as ‘Food, Folklore and Fairies’ has been consistently voted the number one Dinner Entertainment in Dublin by Trip Advisor from 2011 to 2015, a massive credit to Johnny, his three co- storytellers and the Brazen Head staff. As you ascend the elegant staircase you enter a beautiful cosy room warmed by fire where the storytelling, enchantment, and camaraderie all take place.
Philip Byrne, one of the storytellers, commences the
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ART & CULTURE storytelling by ringing a bell for silence. “The power of a bell” he says jokingly and the crowd erupt in laughter.
Already the atmosphere has been created and everyone relaxes. He asks the gathering if anyone has a criminal record in order to gain permission for my photographer to take a picture, again the room bursts into laughter and everyone immediately welcomes us.
Philip Byrne, one of the storytellers, commences the storytelling by ringing a bell for silence. “The power of a bell” he says jokingly and the crowd erupt in laughter. Philip likes to begin his storytelling session by talking about the people of Ireland who are not remembered in history, those who could not read or write and relied on their voices to communicate their creative sides.
‘‘In many Irish homes long ago, storytelling and Irish music helped people deal with their lives. Ireland was very much an oral society and if stories were not passed from generation to generation, they got lost.” He then talked about Ireland in the mid-19th century, the period just before and after the Famine, explaining that at the time, Ireland was one of the poorest countries in
‘‘When most Europeans were moving towards the cities during their Industrial Revolution, the Irish people were
not as their wealth was in the land. About eight thousand landlords owned this land, but there were approximately 4 million people trying to live off it. The Irish peasants that rented and worked these lands depended on the success of their crops to pay for the rent. If the rent was not paid their families were evicted from their homes and lost the land. For this reason the success of the crop was essential for their wellbeing and survival. An acre of potatoes would feed a family of 6-8 people for a whole year.’’
‘‘The potato became very important to Irish people. No one really knows how the potato reached Europe but in some countries the potato
‘‘Now you guys probably think you invented Halloween, well I’m sorry to tell you, but we invented it, you took it, improved it and we took it back again” he humorously declared to the largely American/Canadian audience who acknowledged his wit by clapping in appreciation. He told the crowd that Halloween is known as the Celtic feast of the dead and that the traditional lighting of the pumpkin originated from a lantern that the Irish used to carry around to scare away bad spirits around that time of the year.
Following the conclusion of his storytelling session, Phillip revealed the key to a good
“‘The Brazen Head also offers the opportunity be taken into a world of folklore and fairies.’’ This is the pull quote for here and here and”
became a novelty but in Ireland it took off like wildfire for three simple reasons: it was easy to grow, it grew in soil that nothing else would grow in and also that it loves a wet climate!’’ Again, the gathering erupted into laughter.
Philip talked about the famous Irish potato dishes like boxty and colcannon and how colcannon was particularly popular at Halloween in Ireland.
story.
“Telling a story comprises of three parts: the storyteller, how the story is told and the audience. It is like a triangle. If all three parts are not working together the whole process breaks down.’’ This particular evening was far from breaking down however as Philip was able to create a magnificent bond with his audience through his compelling and amusing
stories and his fascinating ability to bring these stories to life. Maria Bowers, an American tourist who attended the event described her evening. “It is very rare that you can find somewhere with good food, drink, storytelling, history and music. I really enjoyed the evening.” The Irish word for storyteller is ‘Seanchaí’ which means a bearer of ‘old lore’ or ‘old thoughts’. The storyteller helps the audience to enhance their imaginations so that everyone can enjoy their own experience.
Johnny says, “Our stories are well researched with the University College Dublin Folklore Department, to ensure a genuine exploration of Ireland’s uniquely rich culture of folklore and storytelling”. As a whole, the Brazen Head experience is truly enjoyable. Whether it is the award-winning food, the heart-warming atmosphere, the fascinating history, the captivating storytelling, or just the general craic, a visit to this fine establishment will always guarantee a memorable time.
An evening of “Food, Folklore and Fairies”, in the Brazen Head can be booked online at www.irishfolktours.com or by calling +353 1 2188555. Bookings are essential. It runs every night from March to December and every Thursday and Saturday from January to February.
Story telling is in full flow, as Phillip has the crowd in the aplm of his hand
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Art &&Culture ART CULTURE
WELCOME TO THE 'GAYBOURHOOD' The hottest neighbourhood for Dublin’s LGBT community By Ryan O’Neill
“
I’m 45 years old and I have never once casually, comfortably or carelessly held hands with a partner in public.” This was, LGBT activist and drag act, Panti Bliss speaking at Ted Talks earlier this year describing what it is like as a homosexual to live and love in Ireland Ireland has an intreched history of homophobia in its society. Its gay citizens have suffered at the hands of homophobics in society and even the Government. However, in the past 30 years ‘Catholic Ireland’ has progressed and Ireland’s gay youth is living in much different times. Dublin has given new life to a section of its society and with that comes Dublin 8 – Dublin’s ‘gaybourhood’. Gay rights movements, the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1993, and this year in 2015, the legalisation of same-sex marriage; Dublin 8 has been injected with new life and is now Dublin’s predominant neighbourhood for the city’s homosexual men and women.
Dublin 8 has the highest rate of same sex civil partnerships compared to any other area of Dublin, a known fact among the gay residents of the area; but why has Dublin become the residential hub for homosexual men and women? When we look at Soho in London - a famous gay neighbourhood - it is filled with gay bars such as the well-known G-A-Y bar.
Similarly, Le Marais in Paris, is bursting with gay clubs and LGBT businesses. Whereas, this is not the case
with Dublin 8. Unlike Soho and Le Marais, Dublin 8 is not erupting with the same bars or stereotypical promiscuous shops and saunas but is rather a peaceful, idyllic area. Although, not too close by on South Great Georges Street, many gay bars have come and gone. When David Canon moved to Dublin 8 twenty-two years ago he was not aware of the number of LGBT people in the area. Two decades on, he can clearly see the changes to the area and the emergence of the LGBT community.
“There’s more of a sense of LGBT people in the area. The odd smile of recognition as we recognise one of our own.” David suspects the reason for Dublin 8 being such a gay friendly area is because of its diversity: “Its quite ethnically diverse so I think the people who choose to live here are comfortable with the idea of being in a diverse community near the city center”. The diversity in the area leads to Mr Canon feeling very comfortable being himself in the area and being vocal about issues such as the same-sex referendum. When he put up signs that he was voting yes and admits that he is not sure he would do that so readily if he lived elsewhere in Dublin; he also contributes the gay friendliness of the area to the businesses that have placed LGBT flags or stickers outside their premises, especially in the run up to the samesex marriage referendum. “ I like businesses that are con-
Pride Parade, Photo Credit: Emma Kennedy
fident enough to do this and not fear that it may alienate any potential customers.”
The passing of the same-sex marriage referendum was a pinnacle moment in the history of the LGBT rights movement in Ireland and will have a huge impact on Dublin, and of course, its LGBT citizens.
David believes it “will give an increased sense of confidence” to the LGBT community. “Although the referendum campaign was very grueling for many who actively participated, it also gave many LGBT members a sense of empowerment as they approached strangers on doorsteps and asked them to vote ‘Yes’ and what it would mean to them. For many who campaigned it meant coming out again and again to neighbours or total strangers.” However, David does not believe Dublin 8’s ‘gaybourhood’ will continue without challenges: “ The area of
Dublin 8 I live in has a significant Muslim community and I’m assuming that a large proportion would have a very conservative view on homosexuality. One of the challenges moving forward will be that the LGBT community will have to find a way to coexist in harmony with those who have more conservative values.”
Oliver Fitzpatrick is a resident of Dublin 8 who has also lived in the area for the past twenty-two years. Originally from rural Ireland, Oliver moved to Dublin twenty-five years ago in search of a happier and accepting life and to get away from old fashioned, religious ideas that plagued his mother’s generation. Oliver moved to Dublin 8 before it was ‘trendy and expensive’. During his first years living in Dublin 8, the gay scene was very much underground, and he believes back then it was ‘in some ways more exciting and fun’ and gleefully boasts about how he attended “the ‘last chance to do it.
“The threat of being arrested was taken away and the need for secrecy was lifted”
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ART Art & CULTURE & Culture Twenty-two years later with the same-sex marriage referendum just passed, Oliver can see the effects it has had on Dublin 8 and Dublin in general: “Attitudes and the law has changes so much. It’s quite gay friendly and becoming more so.
You see some gay couples holding hands now. It feels relatively safe to be gay in Dublin. Our laws are very progressive.” Oliver does not plan on moving from Dublin 8 because he has many gay friends who lives nearby in Dublin 8 and admits its great for socialising, but also for support when he needs it. Oliver is aware that more and more gay people are moving to Dublin 8 and believes “some gay people think it’s a trendy place to live but also knowing that it’s an area that you will feel accepted in”.
Harvey Milk, an American activist and the first openly gay person to be elected to office said that “All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve
a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential”, and that is what Dublin 8 offers to the LGBT community. Dublin 8 is a space where people can feel safe and accepted and due to the influx of gay people in thearea, Dublin 8 presents a unique attribute, a network of support for the LGBT community. Dublin is vastly becoming a more accepting and open place to live, with progressive laws and a so ciety willing and actively trying to change, it is unknown what will become of Dublin 8 as a gay neighbourhood.
However, for many LGBT people, who struggled through the criminalisation of homesexuality and then rejoiced at its decriminalisation, Dublin 8 will remain a safe haven, a place where they could flourish as people and live their lives in a welcome environment, and because that, Dublin 8 will remain a part of LGBT history and culture.
Pride Parade 2, Photo credit: Emma Kennedy
“Dublin 8 has the highest rate of same sex civil partnerships compared to any other area of Dublin”
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ART & CULTURE
THE LIBRARY OF ACCIDENTS
Etrance to Marsh Library, Photo taken by Stephen Healey
Walk back in time, and take a look into Marsh Library, Ireland’s first public library. By Laura Calleja
H
idden behind St Patrick’s church, just a little bit further down the Close, is a wlibrary quite literally built on accidents. Every bit of the place was built with love and a deep profound appreciation for books and the quest for knowledge.
One can almost imagine the likes of James Joyce or Bram Stoker walking down its hall’s, or huddled up at one of the reading tables, hours spent there, learning, honing their craft.
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Marsh Library has countless tales of famous poets and novelists who’ve roamed its halls, of the ghost who
why this library of accidents is so special. Commissioned by Narcissus Marsh, an Archbishop of
“It wasn’t just the books themseleves, but the people who saw them.” chooses the library as his permanent home. Those are just a couple of reasons as to
Dublin who lived next door in his official residence of St Sepulchre’s Palace. Marsh Library was opened in 1707,
and was the first ever public library in Ireland. Its interior has changed very little over the last 300 years and probably one the most interesting things about the library are its book cases. Believed to be manufactured in Ireland for the longest time, it was discovered a few years back, that they were actually made from wood taken from the Balkans and manufactured in the Netherlands, then transported to Ireland. Some of the first of their kind, for in the 18th century, it was not common
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ART & CULTURE to have shelfing, which was manufactured and brought over, most pieces were made by hand within the country themselves.
The second thing that makes these book cases so special is the way they were built. Upon accident, they weren’t built into the walls like the original plans had called for them to be.
They stand just a few inches from the wall, and this is why they’ve survived this long. It had been said that the inside structures may not have lasted to, today, if they had been built the way they were originally intended.
of the library believe the library itself had been an inspiration for Stoker.
The current Keeper of the library Dr Jason McElligott sat down with us, after giving a private tour of the library.
Then there was James Joyce who visited Marsh Library in 1902, to read about the prophecies of Joachim of Fiore, we know that there are several references to Joachim in his works.
An Adjunct Professor in History, he spoke to us about the challenges he faced when taking over the library. Of course it seemed like a perfect fit for him, but he wasn’t prepared for the “other side” to running a library.
So one could say that this library has been a helping hand for writers since it opened its doors all those years ago.
It’s all well and good to know about books, but the difficulty comes when trying “to figuring out ways to fundraise.” There’s more to keeping a library open than simply books.
There’s no denying that
But through all its troubles, the library has remained open, visited by people all around the world, who are willing to suspend their disbelief and walk back in time.
Dr McElligott shared with us, that today the most looked at books are about travel. While the library holds rare enlightenment pieces from before the French period, it’s the travel books that people
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are most interested in. They want to “see how they dealt with the foreign world.” People are interested in countries back then and now such as India, China, Japan and other great civilizations who were not Christian. There is not much interest in Greek or Latin literature anymore. But in reality Marsh Library isn’t just about “the books itself, but the people who saw them.” There is record that shows an eighteen year old Bram Stoker reading about Transylvania decades before even thinking about writing Dracula, many of the staff
Marsh Library, the place of accidents, a unique building, hidden just behind St Patrick’s church, a place that has inspired countless poets and novelists, and provides it’s visitors with an experience like no other, of walking back in time to this unchanged 18th century haven.
The Bookshelves, Photo taken by Stephen Healey
Main Hallways of the Library, Photo taken by Stephen Healey
That was never truer than when Trinity Library opened its doors. There was a lull, and for months after the Liberian recounted “very little, if any” visitors.
Marsh Library is special, perhaps that’s why the ghost of Archbishop Narcissus has said to never have left, and on nights, the superstition goes that one could see him roaming the halls.
Entrance to the garden, Photo taken by Stephen Healey
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ART & CULTURE
TREASURE HUNTING ON A SUNDAY Everything you need to know about the Dublin Flea Market. By Robbie Bacon
L
ast Sunday I found myself wandering around my local and feeling a bit sorry for myself, illness, but a self-inflicted one I should add and a direct result of the previous night’s antics. As I strolled along Cork Street, my head slumping ever so slightly below my shoulders, I heard what I thought must have been a small outdoor music festival and followed the sounds, but it wasn’t. On the last Sunday of every month Newmarket Square in Dublin 8 hosts the Dublin Flea Market. The market’s on from 11am to 5pm in all weathers and is the home to more than 60 stalls selling an assortment of goods. Whether you want that warm nostalgic feeling that
I saw some lovely chipped china for my tea and rocking chair for me to sit on while drinking it.
Every time I found myself closely inspecting a new and interesting item, which was a lot, my mind started thinking of ways it would fit into my life, this was especially true when I saw a gleaming mint green Vespa sitting like a show piece in front of one particular stall. While rummaging through the odd bits and bobs in search of that golden nugget I met Sarah, a regular of the Dublin flea market now for the last six months and she told me about her “best buy” at the market to date, “Once I found canisters of those roles you used to use in primary school for Irish on the projector, you know those spools of film, I
“there’s always different people trading… you have no idea what you’re going to find, it’s fascinating.” comes with once again buying the first comic book you ever owned or just want to deck out your new place with the oodles of cheap and interesting furniture on offer, you’ll find all that here and everything in between. You’ll be able to find almost anything you can imagine and some things you probably can’t at the Dublin Flea Market. While I was there
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got a whole batch of them here once”.
You may come home with some very different items than you set out to get but this is only testimony to the magic of the market. Something that struck me instantly upon arrival was what an eclectic mix of people were there, young and old, foreign and national, all
Photo by: Dublin Flea Market
Photo by: Dublin Flea Market
in this little melting pot of culture.
This was not only true for the customers but the stall owners too. Suzie is a stall owner who considers herself “an old veteran”, being on the permanent stall operators list now for the last seven years. When I asked Suzie about the diverse community that exists around the market she said “there’s always different people trading… you have no idea what you’re going to find, it’s fascinating.” While I was there I noticed a lot of groups of friends and couples hanging out, which is when it hit me, this is a much better alternative to meeting up for drinks at the weekend, mind you I was slightly hun-
gover at the time so there may have been somewhat bias. That 30 or 40 quid usually spent in the pub could bring you untold treasures at the market. What makes it even more enticing to go with friends is the fresh foods and coffee, similar to the people you see there it’s all very diverse, meaning there’s something to suit all tastes.
The Dublin Flea Market offers something for everyone: if you want to hunt for bargains to furnish your new place, relive your childhood through the endless mountains of memorabilia or just meet friends for a bite to eat and chat, you’ve found the place, and maybe best of all, it wont leave you with a sore head the next morning.
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ART & CULTURE
WHAT WE CALL LOVE AT THE IRISH MUSEUM OF MODERN ART From Surrealism to Now and Shot at Dawn are currently showcased for all art aficionado’s to see. includes a number of new works commissioned by the IMMA as responses to the thematic of What We Call Love.
High Moon (1991, New York) by the German visual artist Rebeca Horn paints an intriguingly dramatic creation. The installation consists of two rifles, machinery and two pools of red liquid. The representation is simple yet speaks with such depth. Passion can be a destructive force
Photo by Meg Ong
By Nick Fitzgerald
A
s I walked through the archway of IMMA, I entered a large courtyard. An arrangement of two Volvo’s facing one another caught my eye. This arrangement is artwork by Ange Leccia representing two mundane objects in love.
I approached the East Wing on the second floor first. Beyond glass panels lay the entrance to What We Call Love: From Surrealism to Now. What We Call Love explores how our perceptions of love evolved within the 20th century. The exhibition focuses mainly on the present and raises thought provoking questions.
“How have seismic sociological changes concerning sexuality, marriage and intimacy, alongside developments in gender issues, affected the way we conceive love today?”, Booklet of What We
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Call Love 2015.
What We Call Love is separated into three chapters. Chapter one explores the Surrealist movement. Surrealism as a cultural movement began after WW1. Erotic Love from the 60’s to 80’s is explored in chapter two. Love is used as a tool for activism. The third chapter includes the present day, gender roles and how there are many ways to love. “The exhibition doesn’t try and give a definition of love. It tries to present how love is portrayed and how it has existed,” says Jennie Taylor of the IMMA.
There are almost 200 artworks presented that are created by prestigious international figures. Among these are Marina Abramovic, Louise Bourgeois and Constantin Brancusi to name but a few. The exhibition also
Shot at Dawn’s theme is polar opposite to What We Call Love. The subject of death is explored in IMMA’s second exhibition. Chloe Dewe Mathews is an award winning British photographic artist. Her new body of work Shot at Dawn focuses on the sites at which soldiers from the British, French and Belgian armies were executed for cowardice and desertion during WW1. 23 locations of where the soldiers were shot or held during the period leading up to their execution are captured. All photographs are seasonally accurate and were taken as close as possible to the precise time of day at which the executions occurred.
“I really wanted, with this piece, to be very exact and methodical in how I approached it. Having researched these areas of execution there was always a time and a date as well as a location so I wanted to echo that time and date. I always went at the same time of year
and shot at the same time of day” explains Mathews in the video Shot by their own side. Mathews began the project in November 2012. She was initially drawn to the idea of those executed but very quickly became aware of those people in the firing squad who had partaken in the act of executing. In a very real sense the photographer was mirroring what the firing squad had done by visiting the places of execution and aiming towards where the person had been executed. Second Lieutenant Eric Skeffington Poole was executed at the Town Hall in Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen on December 10th, 1916 at 7:25 am. Mathews captures the cell Poole was held in the night before his execution. This is a tragic tale of someone who was previously taken to hospital for shell shock. Lieutenant Poole had experienced head injuries at the Battle of The Somme. It was acknowledged he suffered from psychological trauma.
What We Call Love was opened to the public on September 12th 2015 and runs until February 7th 2016. Shot at Dawn began on October 9th 2015 and extends to February 7th 2016. Both exhibitions delve into the relevant topics of love and death with outstanding depth. I would highly recommend to anyone in their spare time to visit the current exhibitions of the IMMA.
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ART & CULTURE
TURNING DUBLIN IN TO A TV SET, ONE BUILDING AT A TIME
The demand for abandoned properties keeps rising amongst the big media companies By Ivona Poljak
W
hen it comes to abandoned industrial and commercial estates, many would think that most would be failed investments, waiting to be put into good use after years ot of operation. One such building is the old John Player Factory that has been closed for 11 years. Found just across the road from the mosque which, unlike the factory, is in constant use.
If someone would’ve found themselves around the area they’d judge a building by its façade, and they’d be mistaken. Behind its rough exterior the old factory hides a fictional world of TV3’s series; The Red Rock. After the factory closed in 2004 there were speculations of the new re-development plan, but the official plan to build a city quarter only came in 2007. Locals disagreed, the economy crashed, leaving the developer’s plans forgotten.
However, OCMS; property managers who rent sites for Film, Television and Event industries, brought “life” and purpose to the old abandoned buildings. Since there are only two main film studios in Ireland; Ardmore and Ashford, and both are booked out, abandoned industrial sites are in high demand for the Film and TV industry in Ireland. With the tax breaks that are given to the filmmakers, the demand for shooting locations keeps rising. The company (OCMS) made sure that former industrial and commercial sites around Dublin have a purpose and
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that the big media companies have somewhere to go if they decide to shoot in Ireland.
Michael Byrne, from the locations department of The Red Rock answered several questions about the locations that are in high demand amongst filmmakers. He believes that abandoned industrial and commercial properties will become more and more popular.
“There are a lot of commercials, TV shows and films happening at the moment. Film productions are essentially a travelling factory. The amount of parking needed for facilities such as: crew, honey wagons, catering generators/ vans, catering busses, actors trailers and space for a considerable number of lorries means that industrial properties are preferred to be used as a unit base simply because they have the space.” The John Player Factory, for example, has been used in the last two months as a unit base for Ripper Street, Penny Dreadful and a handful of other commercials. The reason behind it is that there’s enough space to hold the crew andb set. Though, not all of those productions are filmed there. Some are just used space as a unit base before travelling to their film location.
There are many advantages and disadvantages, Mr. Byrne said. Abandoned industrial estates are places where the crew can affordably set up for the day. “There’s always enough space to turn old warehouses into whatever the writer can come up with. However,
Inside John Player factory. Copyright: Conor O’Carroll, OCMS Ireland these industrial locations are not designed like Ardmore Studios for example which is ready made to film in. A lot of the time a significant amount of money and man power is spent on preparing and transforming old buildings into a working set.”
The factory has been transformed by TV3 for Red Rock, with sets being created around and inside the warehouse. The show revolves around the Garda Station in a fictional harbour town, and with the help of An Garda Síochána, they turned the warehouse into a detailed replica of a Garda Station. “The series is using other commercial premises, but there aren’t any buildings as big as the John Player Factory that would have the capacity to house a major TV production like this one.”
Needless to say, the potential in abandoned buildings, factories and warehouses will be recognised by big production companies. Producers are always trying to reduce the costs, although transforming an old building would require the same amount of money as the rent for a studio. However, those buildings can always be used as parking lots/unit bases and even as backdrops for giant green screens.
Dublin, and Ireland in general, has always been popular amongst filmmakers. Their interests are more than desirable. It attracts the attention and investors into premises that could’ve been long-forgotten. Instead, they have been put into great use that brought them the new form of life; a fictional one.
“There’s always enough space to turn old warehouses into whatever the writer can come up with.”
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FOOD
THE ONE & ONLYFUMBALLY
T
he slightly faded wooden chairs and tables, bulbs hanging on the roof and the old-fashioned bottles and cups make it feel like in a 1980’s restaurant. It is very much a European styled café with a variety of dishes and the authenticity of specials from around the world. Fumbally is an absolute delight. Fumbally is not just a café to Aishling and Luca; it’s about sustainability, community, good healthy food, happiness and lifestyle. It is something more than a café.
The blossom of their efforts and dreams of several years of traveling, tasting different food, arguments about it, making new friends, gathering ideas and finally making a kitchen. This is what Fumbally means to Aishling and Luca. It is a dream come true for them. Aishling and Luca knew each other for eight years before they started Fumbally. They travelled around the world together, worked at festivals, tasted different foods, met different communities, made friends and finally started Fumbally. And how could I not mention the food? The food at Fumbally is what they want to eat everyday; fresh, healthy, simple and inspiring. Fumbally pretty much use the local products and organic fruits and vegetables as much as
they can. They have a permanent breakfast and lunch menu: it is complimented daily with specials.
Fumbally egg is the favorite of most people who dine in Fumbally. It is a breakfast dish that consists of slightly scrambled egg with olive oil, gubbeen cheese, garlic and tomatoes on toasted brioche.
The food you want to eat every day By Tom Jose
What makes Fumbally egg unique is the traditional style that it is cooked . Falafel is also another attraction. It’s a chirpy fritter wrapped in lots of salads and sauces in a wrap.
Their coffee and drinks are a specialty too. They only use organic whole milk and single origin coffee beans. The aroma of coffee comforts and welcomes you.
Coffee beans and the farm of origin are mentioned on the board above. All the fizzy drinks served in Fumbally are their own make, mostly fermented and naturally carbonated. They are very healthy and pro biotic. If you are thinking of going to Fumbally soon, there is no need to book the seats, they prefer if you just turned up unexpected.
Dinner will be ready by 7pm and last order is at 9:30pm. You may be sharing a table with someone else or dining on the couch. Make it feel more like home.
Photo courtesy of The Fumbally
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FOOD
The Jar, Photo courtesy of The Jar
THE CULINARY CAMDEN MILE There has been a food revolution on Camden Street By Ronan Keller
O
ver the last two years, Camden Street has transformed into the new food hub for Dublin. With a series of brand new restaurants, pubs and café: there are all types of places to satisfy those starving stomachs. Today, it is more than just a street; it’s become its own little slice of Dublin. As you walk down Camden Street you’re struck by the change that has occurred, once only known for its bars,
DeSelby’s charity shops and the Thesis Centre, it now has a blossoming culinary atmosphere, and long may it continue. While it was once known for its late night chippers and kebab shops, such as Tony’s Diner, Zaytoon and Eddie Rockets, today, there are gourmet establishments that have built up a strong trade and vibrant business. From Indian to grill to gourmet doughnuts, the selection is truly unique.
Newly opened DeSelby’s has played a huge part in this booming shake up. Beside the infamous Flannery’s, it takes its name from the fictional character invented by Flann O’Brien from his novel The Third Policeman. A quirky name for a place enriched with fantastically blended and original food. Peter Sweeney, a co-owner, has boasted that “our Irish influenced flat breads are sure to excite people and our line caught fish sandwiches are unique to this street and any other too”, and having sampled some of these flat breads and sandwiches I am inclined to agree! With a relaxed atmosphere and charming servers you might just have found your new brunch spot too!
The Jar
Whitefriar's dish, Photo courtesy of Whitefriar Gril
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A new bar come restaurant taking over the location of Solas (which was bought for the paltry sum of €2.5 million) opened its doors on the 25th of November and has been jammed packed since! It has a varied menu ranging from steaks to pizza, ordering the latter is highly recommended as the chefs have
worked for Base Pizza, who are renowned for making the best pizzas in Dublin. As it is a bar first and foremost, the atmosphere is lively and loud, not somewhere to go if your looking for a romantic evening, but definitely a place to get the party going! With a great wine list and a fully stocked bar you might just treat yourself to a liquid meal instead!
Bow Lane
Another newly opened bar come restaurant. Opened recently by the owners of Whitefriar Grill you just know this place is going to be a success. With a warm, inviting, décor and friendly staff you are made feel right at home. With multiple menus to pick from you are really spoiled for choice. The Early Bird is great value with three courses for €25 and even includes a rib eye steak! Sit in either the bar or restaurant and the service is equally brilliant. Sit at the bar and talk to ‘Dicky Bow Dan’ the Bar Manager about his cocktail menu, try The Bowzieit’s delicious! This place is quickly becoming incredibly popular so definitely go in before there is a waiting list.
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FOOD Whitefriar Grill
Las Tapas De Lola
Proclaimed as the ‘Best Brunch in Dublin’ it does live up to its reputation. A cosy, inviting atmosphere with incredibly friendly and helpful staff you’ll never want to leave. This spot is hugely popular and you will be very lucky to get a table without booking. The brunch menu is wide and varied but everything is cooked to a very high standard and served with care and attention, the Huevos Rancheros are outstanding! If brunch isn’t your thing, the á la carte menu will do. This menu includes great steak, fish and veggie options, you really won’t have much to complain about! A special mention to their Sunday Special, a 14oz ribs and rump cooked to your specification. With three types of ribs to choose from and two side dishes, this is the perfect meal for two and will honestly be the best meal you will eat for a long, long time. If you are going for brunch on a Sunday, arrive after 11.30am as you will be just in time for the Brunch DJ to start his set which only adds to the list of reasons that this is the ‘Best Brunch in Dublin’!
If you like tapas, good food and good service this is the place for you. A glass of prosecco on arrival and free side dish (or maybe two) when your food arrives! This is a place that understands what Irish people want; free booze and free food! A lively atmosphere and great service helps it maintain its quick turn over and ensures that it’s always busy. The servers are helpful, energetic and always quick with a joke so you’ll never have a dull moment! A great little date spot.
"While it was once known for its late night chippers and kebab shops, now there are gourmet restaurants that have built up a strong trade and vibrant business."
Aungier Danger
The new gourmet doughnut shop on Camden Street, it will probably surprise you that something like this not only exists in Dublin but is also thriving. Open from 9 o’clock in the morning, it does a steady business all day until it runs out of doughnuts, which tends to happen around 3 pm. Though at peak times you’ll be lucky to get a foot in the door! There are some interesting, and some bizarre, doughnut choices but be rest assured you’ll find something you like. Especially with the really helpful staff, just try and get there before all the doughnuts are gone!
DeSelby's, Photo courtesy of DeSelby's
Staff of Las Tapas, Photo courtesy of Las Tapas De Lola
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FOOD
HOME SWEET HOME MEALS FROM €5 Fresh food prices being on the rise are ruining the global cooking culture; can you still get cheap, fresh food? By Anita Arinze
T
he availability and cheapness of ready cooked meals combined with fresh food being comparatively very expensive have become a huge problem. These are two of the main factors that have led to the sharp decline in cooking culture. To try and solve this problem, I went exploring in Dublin 8 to find out what stores have the best fresh food bargains.
Everyone knows about Lidl and Aldi being life savers when it comes to cheap, fresh food; but Dublin 8 is teeming with halal shops. During my research I found that for every 10 minutes you walk around Dublin 8, there are at least 2 halal shops.
These shops are incredible when it comes to fresh food at ultra-low prices. For example, most of them sell 1 kilo of chicken for as low as 55 cent and crates of eggs from around €1.50 up to €1.99. One of my favourite meals that you can make for under €5 is Tomato and Red Pepper Sauce. The recipe is as follows: Ingredients
1. 5 Tomatoes
2. 1 Red onion (1 euro in Lidl
for a bag of 8)
Step 1:
3. 1 Red pepper (55 cent in Halal shops for 1, 3 for €2 in Lidl)
4. Habanero chilli (A pack of 10 at African food shops/Halal for*Method
1. Dice your Tomatoes, red bell pepper, habanero chilli and onions into small pieces. 2. Heat a small saucepan. When warmed add 5 table spoons of sun-flower oil, or an alternative of your choice, any oil is suitable. 3. When the oil has heated up, add the diced onions and stir for about 30 seconds until golden.
C.Anita Arinze
Step 2:
4. Add in the rest of your ingredients; ensure you stir while on the heat for a couple of minutes seasoning the mix with thyme, salt and stock cubes to your desired taste.
5. Stir for a further few minutes to rid the mix of excess liquid. When the mix begins to look dry add about half a cup of water, then let it simmer for about 30 seconds. 6. Its ready to serve.
I paired mine up with some Spaghetti (1 pack 49 cent in Lidl), boiled eggs and fried plantain (any halal or African shop, €2 for 5)
“The availability and cheapness of ready cooked meals combined with fresh food being comparatively very expensive have become a huge problem.”
C.Anita Arinze
Step 3
C.Anita Arinze
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QUIRKY
DUBLIN 8 FROM THE INSIDE The good and the bad side of the district shared by the foreign nationals in Dublin 8 By Kavitha Manimaharan
A
ttracted people from across the world to live, work and study. There are approximately 30 different nationalities of people in Dublin 8. I have interviewed foreign nationals living in Dublin 8 to share their experiences. Lara Magdalena Szczepaniak from Freiburg, Germany is currently living and studying in Dublin 8. Photo credit: Stephen Healy. “I love Dublin 8 especially the retail stores here and also the buildings, it’s spectacular. Every day I walk pass buildings like Mary Immaculate Church and it just takes my breath away. In Dublin 8 there are old historical buildings like churches and museum and also modern buildings like pubs and cafés so that mix of old and new is something special about Dublin 8. The people here are amazing. Unlike other places Dublin, it feels safer here. This is majorly because of the people. Coming from a small village, we don’t have many people back home from different nationalities. I’ve been to a Polish- Russian shop, Indian restaurant,
@Stephen Healey
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Chinese Restaurant and an Asian shop here in Dublin 8, which shows how diverse it is. You don’t get this much variation in many places, and what’s greater about it is how all these different people mingle around with each other and live together in one district. It is inspiring actually.” Victoria Trombotto from Sao Paulo, Brazil is currently studying in Dublin 8.“Dublin 8 is very calm and quite unlike Sao Paulo which is always very busy. I like the slow paced life in Dublin 8; it’s less stressful and pleasant. Dublin 8 is also very convenient.
Everything I want from groceries to books is here. One thing that really surprised me about Dublin 8 is how clean and green the area is. It’s very environmentally friendly, there’s less pollution and lots of plants and trees in beautiful parks like St. Patrick’s Park. It is just so relaxing and peaceful to study and to just walk around in. I personally think one of the reason why people here always look so
@Cian Colbert
cheerful is because they live in a clean and healthy environment.”
Adren Heng Chun Che has been living in Dublin 8 for more than three years. “I am here in Dublin 8 for more than three years now and life here is boring. There is nothing much to do. It’s either you go to pubs or parks, that’s it. The lifestyle here is very slow which to me is boring and dull.
Even the people here are very laidback, maybe it’s their culture but to me, I don’t like slow paced life. I also find Dublin 8 to be dirty. There is dog poop everywhere here. People bring their dogs everywhere. There are dogs in restaurants, pubs and so on. It is disgusting but people here are not bothered by it, which is strange. However not everything here is boring. There are also fun places to hang out such as the Guinness Storehouse, which I love. It’s the best part of Dublin 8. I personally think Dublin 8 has the best beers in town and pubs here are so unique, it’s more vintage and posh.” Anurag Sivagouni from Hyderabad, India has been living, working and studying in Dublin 8 for one year. “Honestly, I don’t like it here in Dublin 8. It is not what I
you are a foreigner. The owners tend to charge you more than usual. Dublin 8 is starting to have more foreigners especially students. The majority of the people living on my street are not Irish. I’ve met and so many people from other parts of the world.
This has made Dublin 8 more diverse, but I personally do not like this because the more foreigners living here, the higher the living cost will be. I am not saying Dublin 8 is horrible, it is just not the ideal place for foreigners. The only thing I like about Dublin 8 is the nightlife. There are plenty of bars and pubs to chill out and relax. I like Portobello but I don’t go there often because it is expensive. I will just say Dublin 8 is a perfect place for people with money but for the thrifty people, it has nothing much offer. The people here are friendly, they always have a smile on their face and greet you all the time but unfortunately, it is not always like this. I was bullied by a group of teen boys once, they started throwing eggs at me and friends and made nasty comments to us.”
expected it to be, which is disappointing. Everything is expensive, especially if
@Emma Kennedy
@Emma Kennedy
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QUIRKY
LONG LIVE SYNGE STREET
A Dublin institution that can take any blow and rise from the ashes. By Rachael Kinnerk
Griffith College, Dublin. Copyright © 2015, Amie O Brien t the end of October attending Synge St. CBS. last year, I moved back It started with a Kilkenny to the house I first man called Edmund Rice; a lived in. The re-location was successful Catholic merchant all to do with starting the colin 18th century Ireland. Life lege phase of my life and an and circumstances changed extended family dinner was for Edmund when his pregarranged to celebrate the nant wife was thrown from a occasion and send me on my horse. She died and the baby
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A new freedom became available and with it a new way of thinking and behaving. The school just didn’t see it till it was nearly too late’
way with a full belly and an abundance of good wishes and warnings.
Over dinner, Uncle Derek remarked on how close my new housing was to his old school. I asked about what the school was like back in the day and smiled as he talked about his days in the school.
The passion behind the speech was very real. Three generations all influenced and prepared for life. The impression given was the sense of privilege they had in
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was born severely handicapped. The tragedy changed Edmund causing him to turn to God and seek a vocation. He found it in opposing the penal laws of the time and establishing an environment to educate the Catholic poor. This vocation grew to become the largest body of lay religious educators in the world. Synge Street opened its’ doors in 1864, 30 years after the death of Edmund Rice. It was the first establishment of its kind in South Dublin and its high standards of
free education appealed to working and lower middle class families in the city and neighbouring counties.
Throughout the first half of the 20th century Synge St. grew as serious seat of primary and secondary education. It’s reputation by the end of the 1960's was that of a school with past pupils of the calibre of Gay Byrne and a host of other high profile entertainers, several cabinet TD’s, a President of Ireland, successful sportsmen, a plethora of writers and artists.
The social changes that racked Ireland in the 70’s had a detrimental effect on Synge St. and the Christian Brother movement in general. Vocations were down and the staunch Catholic ethos of Rice and his band of brothers was being challenged. The 80’s and 90’s saw the school slowly fall into mediocrity with pupil numbers low and a noticeable reduction of achievement in academia, sport and high level performance. this proud school was waning and in danger of becoming redundant.
I called my uncle and asked if he knew what had happened to bring about this fall from Photo Credits tAmie O Briengrace. He gave it some thought before saying the school and the Christian Brothers didn’t move with the times:
‘They tried to maintain a status quo in education and teaching method that had become outdated and of little interest to a country and its people that was waking up to the fact there were very real alternatives to the very disciplined Christian lifestyle imposed on them. The century and millennium ended with Synge St. on its knees. A series of leaders
came and went with little or no discernable improvement to the school’s prospects. It looked as if it would take a miracle or a messiah to transform its fortunes.
Michael Minnock would not describe himself as a messiah or a miracle man. However, there are many who would argue that his appointment as principal in 2005 was the turning point in bringing the school back to something of its former glory. He emphasised the need for ambition as an important factor in educating young minds. He produced a clear and concise plan to achieve this. He took all the good things from the past and removed all that was wrong. He married the old with the new while maintaining the basic ethos of Edmund Rice.
Settling for foundation level subjects had become the norm for students before Michael became principal. He immediately began his tenure by encouraging pupils to take higher level subjects. In a relatively short period this led to a higher percentage of students leaving school and going on to third level courses. 56% to university or institutes and 21% to further education during the ten years of his administration.
Awards in many fields of academia have followed, most notably winning the Young Scientist of the Year Award for an unprecedented three times. The promotion of soccer alongside the traditional Gaelic games has seen the school, (in association with Templelogue), began to reach the heights it had once deemed normal. The road to recovery has been well and truly established.
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QUIRKY
GRIFFITH COLLEGE; EDUCATIONAL SUCCESS With a deep and rich history on the site currently occupied by Griffith College lies buildings closely related with the history of the Irish nation. By Azaliya Dautova
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n the early part of the 19th century the site at what is now Griffith College was used by the Grimwood family as a nursery. However, for most of the 19th century the site on the South Circular Road was a prison named the Richmond Bridewell.
The 1840s were traumatic for the Richmond Bridewell and its inmates. Prison inspectors found an overcrowding in the prison. The effects of overcrowding and the spread of disease during the Famine led to outbreaks of such illnesses like typhus, dysentery and cholera. It was customary to bury cholera victims on prison grounds and the most likely site for their final resting place was what became the Griffith Barracks square.
In 1988, the Minister for Defence took the decision to close a number of military installa-tions around the country. The barracks was given to the Office of Public Works and then sold in 1991, after what it became Griffith College Dublin. Today Griffith College is the largest private third-level college in Ireland with over 9000 students at its campus. There are 1500 international students from 56 countries all over the world studying in Grif-fith College. Griffith College is well-known primarily for its courses in law, business, computing, design and journalism; and, despite its relative youth, Griffith is a serious competitor to other uni-versities in Ireland. One of the main advantages
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of Griffith College, Robbie Smyth, Deputy Head of Faculty Journalism & Media Communication says, is that lecturers are always approachable for students to ask any questions about their assignments and work they do.
“Moreover, a lot of lecturers are part time and they work in the industry so it is a great op-portunity for students to talk to people with a huge experience and gain knowledge from them.” Every year the Griffith College Professional Law School hold a preparation course for stu-dents going to sit the Honorable Society of King’s Inns’ Entrance Examinations without having to first complete the Inns’ diploma course or qualifying diploma examinations.
Griffith College, Dublin. Copyright © 2015, Azaliya Dautova two separate cours-es in Interior Architecture at Level 8 and Interior Design at Level 7, and a bridging course between the two.
Griffith College has a strong reputation for the quality of
“Moreover, a lot of lecturers are part-time and they work in the industry. That is why it is a great opportunity for students to talk to people with a huge experience and gain knowledge from them.” Also, Griffith has introduced a BA in Fashion Design, at Level 8 and Level 7, which in-cludes a year at the acclaimed NABA Institute in Milan for honours degree students. Griffith’s design faculty are recognised by the European Council of Interior Architects (ECIA) and the Institute of Designers in Ireland (IDI). The faculty gives
its graduates over the past 40 years. Many of them have achieved success both nationally and internationally in a wide range of industry sectors and especially in a media sphere. One of the most famous graduates is Cecilia Ahern. Before beginning her writing career, she graduated from Griffith Col-
lege Dublin with a degree in Journalism and Media Com-munications
Notable alumni include presenters Chris Donoghue and Henry McKean, TV presenter Laura Whitmore, Fashion Designer Giovanna Borza, former Deputy CEO of Ryanair Michael Cawley, and Rose of Tralee 2015 Maria Walsh.
“All the students ,who are successful by now, had lots of in common. They were very inter-ested in what they did and were really dripped. They always had plans about what they would do next,” Robbie says.
Griffith graduates are working in Today FM, Newstalk, in a wide range of newspapers such as the Irish Independent, the Irish Daily Star, the Irish Daily Mail, the Irish Daily Mirror, UTV Ireland, TV3 and a range of other news and entertainment websites and media companies.
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SPORTS
LEGACY OF RICHMOND PARK A look at the history and the legacy of Richmond Park, the home of St.Patrick's Atheletes. By Harry Manning
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f you were to take a stroll through the streets of Inchicore, you may unconsciously pass a place of some significance. A place where hundreds upon hundreds of memories have been created, a place that thousands call home, a place that has been a landmark of Inchicore for nearly a century. Hidden deep within the confines of the town is Richmond Park, the home of St Patrick’s Athletic since 1930. Originally the area was known as Richmond Barracks where the British Army stationed their troops from 1864 right up until the establishment of the Irish Free State. The ground itself was used as a recreational area by the troops. Since Pats made the stadium their home, it has played host to a number of memorable occasion’s, not only involving football, but also music. In 1970 it played host to the first ever ‘Open Air Pop Festival’ in Ireland which featured rock and roll giants Mungo Jerry with support provided by new band on the block, Thin Lizzy.
Gerard O’Brien has been an Inchicore resident his
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entire life and while he admits to not being the biggest of Pats’ fans, he agrees that there is always a buzz around the area when the team are involved in an important fixture. ‘‘I wouldn’t want to be disrespectful by calling myself a Pats maniac but I have been to a number of high profile games over the years in Richmond Park. The atmosphere inside the ground generally spreads around the area. If Pats have won a big match you can tell straight away by the expression of the fans on the street and the same goes in defeat. It’s as if the Pats fans create and control the mood of the Inchicore locals. If they’re happy, we’re happy, if they’re sad, we’re sad!’’
Cian Lanigan is a member of St Pats’ supporters group the Shed End Invincibles. He has witnessed some of the greatest moments in Pats’ history but one moment stands out in particular.
‘‘The greatest moment for me was without a doubt winning the league back in 2013. It wasn’t even the last game in Richmond, there were two games left after that but we all knew going in to the game that three points would win
the league. The buzz around that game was phenomenal and the ground was sold out. It was breath-taking to see so many passionate fans who didn’t stop singing and jumping around for the whole game. When we scored I nearly had a heart attack. After we won we all piled onto the pitch to celebrate with the manager and players, it was amazing.’’ Over the years there has been constant talk of Pats leaving Richmond Park and possibly Inchicore as a whole. Cian's views on this are mixed.
‘‘It’s difficult to say what impact moving away from Richmond would have on Pats. Some fans think it’s necessary for the club to grow. Attendances have been steadily declining over the last few years and some think that a new ground and a fresh fan base would give the club a boost.
“I’m not sure how to explain it without sounding like a lunatic”
If we were to move out of Inchicore completely though, I genuinely don’t think that
Pats would still be Pats. I can’t imagine the two being separated. As I said, attendances have been declining but I still think the team has a big impact on the local community. Everyone knows about the club and when we’re doing well there’s definitely a better buzz around the area.’’ ‘‘I’m not sure how to explain it without sounding like a lunatic, but Pats is Inchicore and Inchicore is Pats.’’
‘’Maybe the club could rebuild and gain hundreds of new fans if it moved to another area of Dublin, I remain sceptical anyway. If it does come to that I’ll still support Pats but for me and for all the other Pats fans, Richmond is home and not playing there just feels wrong.’’ Gerard also agrees that if St Pats were to leave Inchicore there would be a big hole left in the community.
‘‘You would definitely notice something missing. Even when the Irish League is on the off-season the place loses a bit of character. If this was a permanent thing Inchicore would be a different place altogether. Richmond Park is a place of great history and has become a big part of our community, it would be a shame to see that disappear.’’
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SPORTS
Photo Credits Cian Colbert
GRABBING THE GRASSROOTS BY THE HORNS Jamie Moore talks to Dub 8 about the development of young players in the Irish game. By Sean Ryan
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t. Patrick’s Athletic are one of Ireland’s most famous and successful clubs; producing some memorable European nights like their 0-0 draw at Parkhead. They also producing some of Ireland’s greatest ever players. Paul McGrath and Keith Fahey both learned their trade at Inchicore’s finest, but the job of moulding these players into the men they are falls on precious few and the process is a coveted one. Jamie Moore, the current under 17’s manager, has had the pleasure of seeing guys like Jack Bayly and Darragh Markey make the jump into the first team as of late and he spoke exclusively to Dub8 about the process.
“The idea is to get the best young players in Dublin and the surrounding counties that we can from the age of 15. Get them in the best environment that we can, train three times a week and then have a game at the weekend. Everything in the club works the same way from under 17, 19 and the first team so that when they do get that call it’s not a shock because they’ve been doing the same things
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playing in Ireland before he left for Peterborough United. all along.”
Actually knowing who to pick up can be a problem, but as Jamie says it’s all about putting in the hard yards and going to each and every game to watch the players. “The process would be to have a good knowledge of the age groups coming up. The group of kids we have at the moment were born in the 90’s and 00’s. So for the last couple of years we go out and watch the schoolboy games and try to sign the best players as soon as possible. As soon as we’re legally allowed we get the parents in and show them a PowerPoint and a video about what the club is about. The main thing is to get the best players from my point of view as a manager. For us it’s a case of going to watch your Kevins, your Belvederes, and your Cherry Orchards and pick them out of it.”
It can be difficult for young players going over to England to settle in and get first team football, Paul Corry formally of Sheffield Wednesday now of Northampton being an example, but Chris Forrester got it down to a tee. Spending four years
“Yeah Chris is defiantly setting a good example. People comparing him to Michael Carrick he’s been playing on our doorstep for the last few years so if he does make that jump into the Irish senior team then people will be talking about him and that brings more attention to the LOI.”
And as Ireland have qualified for Euro 2016 in France. Can Forrester make the squad? Jamie seems to thinks so.
“He’s very supportive of the LOI because it’s given him a chance. For him it’s important that his first season goes well. He gets a manager that likes him he’ll be watched. You look at the squad named for the Bosnia qualifier it’s a 39 man squad and if he’s doing ok in six months or a years time he’s certainly in with a shout.” At underage level the League of Ireland teams don’t have the structures or the strength of their English counterparts, but clubs like St. Kevin’s, Cherry Orchard and Belvedere do.
“I don’t have one player who played for Pat’s last year in my team. The League of Ireland teams do not as a whole have good underage teams.
The best underage setups are Kevins, Belvedere and Joeys. They’re the best three in the country, they have the best players and they are so important to us because they are developing the kids technique all the way up and then we take them at 16, 17. I suppose the main thing there is to make it enjoyable for them. If they enjoy it then they settle in better. We signed six from Kevin’s and six from Belvedere so a lot of them would have known each other anyway. The big thing is not to make it too serious for them.”
“If he does make that jump into the Irish senior team then people will be talking about him and that brings more attention to the LOI.”
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