Dub8 Issue 18 February 2023

CULTURE

FEBRUARY 2023

ISSUE 18

MUSIC ACTIVISM

J1 USA ‘23 now open

make sure you were there

EDITOR’S NOTES

Created in the image of Dublin 8 we have curated this year’s street issue from the heart of Griffith College. Undoubtedly, we had many trials during the process of making this magazine but as all things go we worked our way through it as a team. We aimed to showcase our streets that are full of culture while also shedding light onto important issues faced by our community. These issues being the housing crisis, protest actions and rising food costs. Despite all this our community remains vibrant with art, music and everything in between.

On behalf of the editors, we want to thank our team of journalists, photographers and designers that spent endless hours working towards the making of this edition. Special thanks to our mentor Ryan Brennan who inspired us to keep going.

If you want to learn more about Dub8 or want to get in touch to let us know what you think:

Instagram: dub8_magazine Tiktok: @dublin8magazine

CREDITS Editors

Bianca Andrea Comanici

Kyle Adam Shafer

Photography

Jessica Krieg

Ryuto Kitano

Nao Inoue

Luiz Phelipe Araujo Dos Santos

Design

Seth Putera

Samuel Becker

Leah Lederer

Zeynep Ozkefeli

Zizi Ifunanya Uzuegbu

Advertising

Oluwademilade Ajoke Adu

Alexander Zeringer

Sub-Editing

Maria Eduarda Castro

Bernd Dorner

Violet Kemp

Maria Giulia Lipparoni

Fiona Lidya Stoica

Kolja Nürnberg

Gugulethu Radebe

Social Media

Maria Eduarda Castro

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 the management of Griffith College or any of its employees.

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Irish Food Prices Are Rapidly Increasing as People Struggle To Make End Meet A District Full of Culture, History and Opportunities

Monthly Dublin City Council Meetings: A Report, An Explanation And a History

Dublin Mosque: A Community Essential

The National Stadium: Why It Is So Important For The Cultural And Musical Community?

Colourful, Welcoming and Diverse - Discover One of Dublin’s Most Exciting Neighbourhoods How English Learners Feel about Irish Accent Dublin 8 Remembers

Childcare Ruining Parents, Costing Them a Fortune

The Digital Hub: New Development Plan Launched By Land Development Agency

More than 500 residences are anticipated to be built on the Digital Hub Campus off Thomas Street in Dublin 8, according to a draft master plan released by the Land Development Agency (LDA)

By Jess Krieg

On its plans for the construction of the Digital Hub Campus, the LDA has launched a draft masterplan and subsequent place consultation process. Around 550 homes are part of the development known under the working title Pear Tree Crossing, a reference to a tree that is claimed to be the oldest fruit-bearing tree in Ireland.

The majority of the residences will be in brand-new apartment buildings, with a smaller number of homes on the top floors of old, historic structures, some of which will have Thomas Street frontage.

The consultation gives a general overview of the draft proposals for the area and how the LDA intends to carry out the vision for the regeneration of this special and distinctive 3.7-hectare site, led by affordable housing and including a vibrant array of commercial, cultural, and community facilities.

As part of the Government’s Housing for All agenda, the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA) was identified for transfer to the LDA last year.

The LDA has a unique opportunity to contribute to the development of The Liberties and to transform this “currently underutilised area into a new, sustainable urban

Photo By Jess Krieg

St. Patrick’s Tower at The Digital Hub.

community with a distinctive identity” by presenting the proposals for the regeneration and phased redevelopment of the Digital Hub Campus.

The initiative will create several high-quality, reasonably priced homes while continuing to support businesses and the community.

The draft is being developed to provide an integrated strategy that respects the history of the location and its special relationship to the Dublin 8 neighbourhood. Existing businesses on site are permitted to remain until 2025.

The Watling plot, the St. Patrick’s Tower plot, the Vat House 7 plot, and the School Street plot are the four plots that will be created on the property. With a maximum building height of eight stories, the Watling plot is expected to have 110 residences, whereas the St. Patrick’s Tower plot is only likely to have roughly 60.

The School Street site will have 190 apartments, while the Vat house 7 property has been earmarked for 190 homes.

The Digital Hub was contacted by Dub 8 Magazine but failed to respond in time for publishing.

Photo By Jess Krieg

“Tree Hub” nursery at The Digital Hub.

Local Children’s Playground Set

Aflame In Dublin 8 Area

Beloved Dublin 8 Weaver Park set aflame

By Gugulethu Radebe

Dublin 8s Weaver Park, located at the heart of the liberties, was set aflame. The incident occurred on the 10th Of October in the late evening hours.

The fire caused significant damage to the wooden panels of the park’s jungle gym. The fire caused the previously brown wooden climbing frames and the play area to turn a pitch-black colour from being scorched by the flames.

The Gardaí arrived at the scene at around 18:30 on Monday. Thankfully no one was harmed, and no children were playing during the time of the incident. So far, no arrests have been made for the incident. This incident is not the first time the Dublin 8 park has experienced since its launch in September 2017.

A similar incident occurred in late 2021 after it sustained fire damage during the Halloween weekend and was repaired shortly after the fire. Once again, no arrests were made.

The once-beloved park has suffered a reoccurrence of traumatic events and has caused an uproar within the community. Many community members have taken to social media platforms to express their frustration with the lack of consequences for the rebels who continue to destroy local community property.

Photo By Jess Krieg Charred rope bridge at Weaver Park.

“My family and I often go to Weaver Park, so it is very disappointing to know about the recent vandalism in Weaver Park, my children are immensely affected by what happened in the park and this vandalism is not the first time its happened.”

Sinn Fein councillor Maire Devine and the Dublin city council also released a public statement expressing their sadness over the fire incident about the children’s park being absolutely destroyed and blackened due to the carelessness of others.

Local Dublin 8 community member and mother of 2, Joanne Gilmoran had this to say when she was interviewed about the recent tragedy in Weaver Park.

Sinn Fein councillor Maire Devine has recently stated that she and the Dublin city council have plans to rebuild the park once more. One would hope that this would be the last time the park has to be rebuilt due to the recklessness of others, and this begs the question of when enough will be enough and when the more significant issue of vandalism, reckless behaviour and justice will be served.

Photo By Jess Krieg

What remains of the children’s playground after the fire.

Dublin’s Bands Saved by the BelloBar

Last-minute gig sells out

by Kyle A. Shafer

Just four days before the show a myriad of complications left local Dublin bands without a venue to perform despite already having sold tickets and promoted the show. But a last-minute twist in the form of the BelloBar changed everything.

“BelloBar said we have a slot, it’s 120 extra people’’ said a member of headlining band Circa. Previous plans for the show are scrapped as the bands and organizers prepare for a much larger venue in so little time. They decide to make the show free to the public, betting they can fill the room that way.

The gamble pays off, as on the 8th of October the atmospheric BelloBar along the grand canal shuts its doors on the late com-

ing customers after the venue has reached capacity. The dark smoky room is lit by the stage lights and not much more as nearly 200 patrons indulge in a jam-packed line up of young exciting artists over their pints.

The stage at the back of BelloBar is surrounded on three sides by stools, chairs, and cushioned seats letting fans get close to the performers and turning the large gig into an intimate venue”, according to Sean, a member of Circa. “The people who are here, are here to watch you, your show”, he said, and his bandmate Cornell elaborated “you can feel the emotions of the people that came to see you.

Circa is a Dublin-based band that consists of Sam Urwin (bass), Matthew Nealson (guitar), Sean Fox Gordan (vocals/ guitar), Fionn

Photo By Kyle Shafer

Performers on stage at Bellobar

Maguire O Loughlin (drums) and their newest member Cornell (keyboard). They are

The band has existed in various forms since 2017 with bassist Sam,

one of the headliners of the event and were ecstatic at the success of the event, “ we just want people to come and have a fun time and enjoy themselves and the best way to do that is to just get a variety of different musicians who are equally interested in having a good time as giving people a good time.”

then where people have just left and come in, I don’t know if I would call it the same band but it is technically the same band... and then Sean in one of those phases” joins the band has a singer. Previously the band was called “Zeffer” during what Sam describes as the “dark ages” where all other members left the band on two different occasions leaving just himself and Sean.

Sean elaborated “you’re just like, when are we the problem... but we had something, we could do something with our lives that involved music”. At some point the band

became known as Circa and was in need of a drummer. Fionn joined the group while still being involved with a second band called Redlist which included Matthew. “Once Redlist ended I made sure Matthew joined my other band,” Fionn said about his longtime partner. “Three bands together, like every band I’ve been in Fionn, has been,”

said Mathew who planned to take a break from music after Redlist ended “But Fionn was like, get in with Circa they need a guitarist.’’ He then transferred from base to lead guitar. Finally “just two weeks” before the event, Cornell joined the group on the keyboard and “was confident enough to play this gig and sing along to all our songs, to

“We were playing at the Irish music awards and just formed a little band and it’s been this long journey since...”

Photo By Seth Putera Troyokay Rehearsing

play keys for us, it is really impressive and we are happy to have her on board,” Sean said about their newest member.

The Saturday night event is the band’s much-awaited headline debut, and to a full house audience, it exceeds expectations.

We have been rehearsing and making music for two years. We make the music with the intention of kicking off with a big gig... loads of people came to it and loads of people wanted to come to it, I feel like we rose to the moment” stated a triumphant Sam after the show. The night’s finale was the other headliner Troyokay (Troy Martin), a Dublin artist based in the Liberties. “I started making music when I was twelve, I’m nineteen now, I’ve been releasing music since January and gigging since May,” he told me the day after his seventh gig.

Troyokay revealed that he was “not expecting” the “last minute” event to reach “max capacity” but was elated at the results. He debuted two new original songs to the enthusiastic crowd, “Falling Out of Love” and “The Changes”, both of his unreleased EPs, “I always like to test out the new songs... I’ve never played in front of people”.

Troy cites his influences such as King Krule, The Front Bottoms and Modern Baseball along with Irish artists such as Whipping Boy and New Dad as inspirations for his music. And after receiving cheers from the sold-out crowd is optimistic about the Dublin music culture, “you can see people are interested in going to gigs... there is definitely an interest more than there has been in a while”.

Troyokay and Circa are both optimistic about the future of Dublin’s music culture and what is coming out of it in the next few years.

I give it another couple of years and it will be really great, it is already great now. I’m seeing all these great bands that are going to take off in the next couple of years, it is nice to see,” Troy explained, “having BIMM, having all these cool venues is really nice... everyone knows each other, everyone plays the same places, its community.”

“The scene in Dublin, especially Dublin 8, is really growing at the moment, it’s flourishing...”

Photo By Seth Putera

Troyokay reflecting on the Gig at the studio

The Dublin Bee8 Project

Smart Bee8 pilot project is set to cause a buzz

By Gugulethu Radebe

The Dublin Bee8 project has been causing quite the buzz in the Dublin 8 area. The project, in partnership with the Digital Hub, was founded by the Robert Emmet Community Development Project (CDP). The project was originally launched in 2019, stemming from the development of the inner-city beekeeping community project in 2016.

can be found atop the Pearse Lyons distillery, the GEC, the Digital Hub and Adam and Eve’s Church.

With the inner-city beekeeping community doing exceedingly well over the years, their success has influenced a new and innovative style to beekeeping. It has adopted a digital ‘smart’ method to beekeeping called the Smart Bee8 project. The project will build on the existing work done by the community in support of the wellbeing of honey bees. Smart Bee8 is set to be Ireland’s largest api ary this year.

The Executive Director of Robert Emmet CDP, Austin Campbell, had this to say about being part of the organisation:

The inner-city beekeeping community aims to preserve and protect the natural environment in the Dublin 8 area. With help from the local community, its mission is to aid in the monitoring of endangered honey bee species’ health.

Since being launched in 2016, the beekeeping community has created numerous employment opportunities and currently employs two people who are responsible for the upkeep of twelve hives.

They also deliver a 10-week beekeeping course for locals to educate them on the importance of honey bee preservation and hive upkeep.

Since 2016, the inner-city beekeeping community has created many bee hives which

“The organisation which operates Bee8, since 2019. Bee8 has grown a lot in the past three years. In that period, the project has gone from two hives in one location to 57 hives in twelve locations across the city.”

Smart Bee8 is working in collaboration with the Digital Hub in the development of these new smart hives. The smart hives are equipped with 20 sensors across four beehives to monitor key data from the bees such as temperature, hive weight, sound, humidity and overall bee activity. The data that is gathered and obtained from these monitors through the bees will provide useful information for the project team on the air quality, climate and pollution levels in the Dublin 8 area.

Photo By Pexels.com

‘’Bee”autiful flowers”

It is said that with the successful development of this new hive technology, as well as

“Smart Hives are still at a prototype stage. Smart Hives are essentially the exact same as a regular hive with small sensors installed. When Smart Hives have been tested over a period of approximately one year and funding has been sourced the plan is to install sensors in all Bee8 managed hives.”

the data collected, future smart hives will be able to further examine and improve CO2 levels and air quality within the local area.

Community members are also being encouraged to attend workshops focusing on the importance of bees and educating them further on the new technology. A community engagement app will also be available to community members, enabling them to further get involved in the project and also showcasing live streams of beehive activity.

The Dublin Bee8 smart hive project has all the right factors and ingredients to be another success story, driving significant human and economic change. With luck, if this new initiative manages to take off, it will be applied on a global scale.

Digital Hub Marketing and Communications Manager Melissa Meehan had this to add about the Smart Bee8 project:

Photo From Pexel.com by chuanyu2015

Photo From Pexel.com By Anton Atanasov

Hive Five!

Getting Buzzed

Photograph by Luiz Philipe Santos

Danzi wears Diamond Studios Photography, Styling: George Anthony

Dublin 8 Mural Key In Hope To Change Irish Law

Ireland is facing a conversation about street art laws and the mural on South Circular Road is at the centre of discussions

“I would be disappointed if Dublin 8 became another dull grey and white area.”

By Kolja Nurnberg

Dublin 8’s most famous piece of street art, the David Attenborough mural, was set to be the subject of a prosecution by the Dublin City Council (DCC) in June before they dropped the case shortly before the first hearing.

The court was set to decide over the legality of three prominent Dublin street murals, including the one celebrating the environmentalist’s life.

The mural on South Circular Road, by artist collective Subset, was allegedly allowed by residents but never acquired the permission of the city’s planning department.

Under Irish law, organisers of public murals need planning permission, which led to DCC issuing multiple warnings and enforcement notices to Subset.

The prosecution was set to take place in June, but DCC asked for the court to strike

Here for the future - David Attenborough’s mural will stay in Dublin 8.

Photo by Luiz Philipe

out the case only days before the first hearing, stating that this had now become a matter which involved issues concerning freedom of expression and artistic expression and not a legal question.

Even so, Subset claimed that they were happy if this was the end of this matter, they also declared that their “fight” was not yet over.

In an interview with the Guardian, a spokesperson of the collective stated how they had hoped to start conservation in Ireland about liberalising laws which affect street art.

“We have put forward proposed amendments to the laws in conjunction with architects, solicitors, but we were left just going around the houses; speaking with city council representatives, Arts Council representatives, ministers and really to no avail.”

He further insisted that Dublin should embrace the street culture as other cities have and adapt to the ways of Berlin and Melbourne.

Berlin was famously dubbed “the graffiti Mecca of the urban art world” by artist Emilie Tricie and was awarded the title UNESCO’s City of Design in 2006.

Melbourne made street art legal in the 2010s, only having the artists require written permission from the owner of the wall the street art was set to be painted on.

In a street survey, a Dublin 8 resident only highlighted how happy he was that the David Attenborough mural was never taken down.

“I walk past the mural everyday [...] It’s nice to live in a colourful city . I would be disappointed if Dublin 8 became another dull grey and white area.”

In the same survey, another resident stated that the freedom of expression in the form of murals and graffitis is very important but maintained that there still should be laws which prevent racist and xenophobic art.

In Ireland, investment and interest in street art and murals have increased heavily over the last decade.

Since 2017 the Creative Ireland Programme has funded murals in Cork, Kildare and Kerry, stating:

Now that the case was dropped, Subset seeks to be awarded the legal cost of the halted prosecution as they claim that they feared DCC’s application to drop the case was a “tactical move”.

Subset still argues that they are entitled to costs as the art group incurred “enormous expenses” preparing a defence.

“ It’s an art form for everyone, a great way for the ordinary person to view art.”

Is Berlin street art scene an example for Dublin’s future?

Photo by Kolja Nurnberg

Beyond The Pavement

Street art defines the city’s urban image

by Samuel Becker

The streets of Dublin are colourful, vibrant, hectic and diverse. Dublin 8 is the embodiment of Dublin’s cultural identity and a perfect example of the influence of the developing street art scene on the cityscape. When wandering through the district, you can easily be distracted by the beauty of the countless pieces all over— some large and some so tiny you might have trouble even finding them. As beautiful as they are, many also hold powerful political and social messages.

At 62 Donore Avenue, there is a mural painted by local artists Vanessa Power and Garreth Joyce, displaying a quote from Irish poet and novelist James Joyce: ‘They lived and laughed and loved and left.” It is a memento to the last residents of St. Teresa’s Gardens, whose flats have been demolished as part of the St. Teresa’s Gardens Regeneration Project—a project designed to redevelop the area, which has led to the number of homes being reduced.

One of Dublin’s most popular street artists, Maser, is famous for his vibrant pieces and 3D-style installations. Represented all over the city, Maser even established a creative studio and gallery space in Dublin 2. In the heart of Dublin 8, his “U ARE ALIVE” mural gives a certain sense of warmth to the streets, telling a story of the importance of self-evaluation and self-worth.

Designed and painted several years ago, the piece is currently on its fourth iteration, given makeovers on occasions like the Irish marriage equality referendum in 2015 and collaborations with other artists.

Only some murals are approved by the Dublin City Council, though. The council is trying to take some of them down - which led to an ongoing trial between it and an artist collective. You can read more about that on the page.

Photo By Ryuto Kitano

Mural on Clanbrassil Street Upper

Maser’s piece, located at Grantham St, next to the Dublin Simon Community

The Mural, located on the corner of Donore Ave and Harman St

Photo By Ryuto Kitano

Photo By Ryuto Kitano

Cost Of Living Coalition Demand Government Action

Dublin Residents March Against Rising Prices and Corporate Greed

by Kyle Shafer

On Saturday, the 12th of November, Dublin 8 residents, motorists and shoppers could look out their windows and store fronts to see the Cost of Living Coalition marching through the neighbourhood streets demanding the government take steps to address issues with the rising price of energy, housing, groceries and transportation. The group chanted cries of “Freeze Profits not People”, “When Prices Rise Nationalize” and “Prices are Rising, So Are We”.

The Dublin 8 group of the demonstration met at 12pm outside of Saint Catherine’s Church and called on those around to join as the group marched to Dolphins Barn Bridge where they joined forces with other groups.

“They are coming from Fatima, Crumlin, Drimnagh and were all meeting at Dolphins Barn,” I was informed by Mary, a Dublin 8 homeowner and pensioner with 60 years of political activism behind her.

Photo By Nao Inoue Cost of Living Coalition at Dolphin Barn

As the group marched their message was met with applause from balconies, hooks of approval from truck drivers and Deliveroo bikers and even a beauty salon on Cork Street had a brief pause to join them in a chant.

Once they reached Dolphins Barn and were joined by the other three marches their numbers were well over 100 people.

The protest was made up of a diverse group which included pensioners, political activists, mothers with their children in strollers, students from Trinity, DCU and Griffith College and a number of first-time protestors and ordinary people that responded to the flyers and street signs that had been spread to promote the day’s events.

Kenny, one of the event’s organizers said when asked to describe the coalition.

Many were independent but the majority of the group belonged to one or more of the organizations that make up the Cost-ofLiving Coalition. Members from the political parties, housing groups and community centres took turns to address the crowd before the group began chanting again. They finished with a chorus of the song “Whose Side Are You On,” a protest song that dates back to miners strikes in the 1930’s.

“It is People Before Profit, it is Sinn Fein it is a local housing group CAT, the Social Democrats are here with some of their members, and there’s people, regular citizens”

Photo By Nao Inoue

Protestor demanding government action on energy cost.

The Dublin Food Co-op Is Back On Their Feet But They Still Need You

The Dublin Food Co-op has grown into a landmark for sustainability in the Dublin 8 neighbourhood with around 1,500 members

by Jessica Krieg

TheDublin Food Co-op is a member cooperative with the goal of serving the community by offering the best quality organic and ecologically sourced food at the most reasonable costs. The cooperative acts on a volunteer basis. Every member is a shareholder, can become a volunteer and is offered a discount based on the hours they work. As well as that, all are invited to join.

and other sustainable products for decades. Though formally registered in 1991, the Coop was actually formed in early 1980, the Co-op began its journey at St. Andrews Research Centre on Pearse Street. After moving to their old location at Newmarket in the Liberties the cooperative has been a hub for everything organic in Dublin 8 since 2007.

Located at the Old Chocolate Factory across the road from Kilmainham Gaol and only a short walk away from Phoenix Park, the Dublin Food Coop has been providing the people of Dublin with vegetarian whole foods

Like many other businesses, the Dublin Food Co-op has had to endure many hits during the Covid-19 pandemic. “We were open the whole time, 7 days a week. It was relentless,” says cooperative secretary Sam Toland. “When I look back at it now, I’m surprised that we tried to remain open as much as we did. But nonetheless, it just meant it was very difficult to hold on and to keep people,” he adds. But thanks to their resilience and the hard work of their staff, members and volun-

“Ultimately, we are not competitive, we are cooperative.”

Photo by Jess Krieg Food Coop in Kilmainham Square

teers, the cooperative has managed to slowly work their way back up to a fully formed team.

For the first time in 6 years, the cooperative had to increase their membership fee to keep their prices at the same rate. Due to the pandemic, the Co-op team was thinned out and their adjacent and affiliated Limetree café was shut down, the Co-op is now looking to grow their team of members and volunteers back to their original numbers, but “probably even more so than before the pandemic.” By the end of the next fiscal year, they hope to increase their volunteering team from 70 to 350 people. This could be called quite an “optimistic” goal, says Sam, but “we’d be happy with half that. That would be the biggest change for the shop.” After all, their volunteering system is what makes the cooperative so unique.

Of course, the cooperative recognises the current cost of the living crisis being a concern for volunteer work, Sam is aware that people’s living standards are under pressure and that many are worried about money. However, he says that people do need to reflect on what is important at the moment. He emphasises looking at the big picture when it comes to people’s budgets. Saying that people should reconsider whether their food budget should take the biggest hit and that people should really consider how important the independent grocer is for them. Never mind a community grocer.

decimated volunteering system during the pandemic, the Co-op has become very professionalised. “Our Co-op just doesn’t really work at a high level of professional operation,” says Sam highlighting that the heart of their model is that members contribute their time, which reduces the Co-ops costs and in return is being passed back to members in discounts. “Ultimately, we are not competitive, we are cooperative. We are not looking to get into direct competition with any other shop that happens to sell organic products,” he stresses. “We’re a cooperative and the unique aspect of that is that we have members who can participate.”

“People are flocking to the supermarkets and independent grocers are going out of business left, right and centre. If we are not careful people are going to be living in hollowed-out local neighbourhoods with Dunnes Stores and Lidl on the edge of town.”

Sam also talks about the struggle they are facing at the minute with Irish and organic food being expensive as “people are not as prepared to pay for them in the way they used to be.” People want Irish produce, but they have to understand there are limits, especially based on the time of year. He recommends people focus on Irish food at the times when it is available and that it is a “tragedy” that the whole country leaves for the summer months when they are the best months for Irish produce.

“People are flocking to the supermarkets and independent grocers are going out of business left, right and centre. If we are not careful people are going to be living in hollowed-out local neighbourhoods with Dunnes Stores and Lidl on the edge of town. Is that the Dublin you want to live in?” This a very important question that we should all consider.

For 2023 they are planning on “fundamentally reorienting” the Co-op to return to their roots. With the high work intensity and a

With a big emphasis on the community, the Co-op is also trying to get back to their monthly events in the newly opened cafe Loaf next door. The events will be based on different sustainability themes and actions, such as clothes-swapping parties. They are currently trying to get an events team together. Something they used to have in the past but unfortunately disbanded for various reasons, including their move to Kilmainham.

Regarding expansion plans the Co-op was planning to identify a warehouse space to grow their online and bulk offering and a second location as a multi-use space. But unless their volunteering model gets great traction next year and after Covid and with the current cost of living crisis, the Co-op is not talking about expansion anytime soon and rather about “consolidation and survival.”

Photos by Jess Krieg & Kyle Adam Shafer

Photos by Jess Krieg & Kyle Adam Shafer

Stumble To Remember

The story of the six Irish holocaust victims and how Dublin commemorates them

by Kolja Nurnberg

It is a Wednesday morning, a normal one on Donore Avenue. Children are flooding through the gate of St. Catherine National School. They are playing and laughing. One boy cannot let go of his father, while another is anxious about leaving his mother’s side.

The scene must have looked quite similar almost a century ago. It was probably more crowded, current Principal Karen Jordan assumes – she still cannot believe how 500 children managed to fit in a school which now struggles to do the same with 200 children. One of the many girls attending the school back then was Esther “Ettie” Stein-

berg. She would not have stood out, she probably played and laughed like any other child.

This is her story, but it is also the story of five other Irish Jews who also became victims of the Holocaust. This is the story of how St. Catherine’s, Portobello and Dublin remember them. This is the story of Ireland’s first ‘Stolpersteine’.

Ettie and her family had only moved to Dublin in 1925. Born in Veretsky, Austria- Hungary, she and her family had moved many times before settling in Portobello, which 90 years ago was still known as “Little Jerusalem”.

“Well people think Ireland wasn’t involved [...] but we were. The people were.”

Through the “Stolpersteine” the six victims are once again a part of Portobello.

Photo By Luiz Philipe

Like most families living there, Ettie and her family were of Jewish belief. Something she must have shared with many of her friends at her school. Of the 500 pupils attending the school back then, Mrs Jordan explains, half of them were Jewish.

Finishing School at seventeen, Ettie had decided to learn the trade of a seamstress and it was during that work that she met her future husband, the Belgian Vogtjeck Gluck. Their wedding took place in 1937 on South Circular Road in the Greenville Hall Synagogue and was followed by their moving to Antwerp.

Their stay in Belgium was cut short by the rising tensions of the Nazi expansion and by the time the Second World War had started they were living in Paris, where in 1940 Ettie would give birth to her son Leon. It took the family over two years to finally succeed in gaining a visa to travel to Northern Ireland, but a day before their papers arrived they were abducted and interned in Toulouse by the Gestapo. The family’s fate was tragic and sadly not that different from the fate of many other European Jews.

In September 1942 all three were murdered upon their arrival in Auschwitz.

The 1st of June 2022 was different to any other Wednesday morning. Different to the Wednesday morning of the 25th of October, and different to the many Wednesday mornings ninety years ago. Instead of children flooding the gates, men and women in suits and dresses were arriving at St. Catherine. Instead of it being crowded by children, it was crowded by cameras and journalists.

If one would have looked closely, he could have possibly recognized the Deputy Major, the German ambassador and many Councillors. Different to Ettie one person standing out would have been the artist Gunther Deming with his grey hat and his grey vest. It would have been hard to believe that he was the reason all of these people were gathering there – But he was – Because back in the early 1990s he had become the founding father of the “Stolpersteine” - the largest decentralized memorial in the world with the first “Stolperstein” placed by him in 1992.

Joe Schleider, Ettie’s nephew, points at Ettie’s sons ’s Stolperstein - they would have been the same age today.

Photo by Steve Humphreys

Thirty years later the number of “Stolpersteine” now amounts to 95.000 and that Wednesday morning marked the “Stolpersteine” now spreading to over thirty-one countries in Europe, their function being to remember one who “stumbles” over them of the many Holocaust victims and each personal story, each personal tragedy.

This Wednesday morning not just Ettie, Vogtjeck and Leon Gluck but also Ephraim and Jeanne Saks and Isaac Shishi, who were also Irish victims of the Holocaust, got their own Stolpersteine. All of them had lived in what was known as “Little Jerusalem”. All of them were once just children playing and laughing. And all of them suffered the same tragic fate.

German ambassador followed and fittingly argued that these six people will be a small but integral part of Donore Avenue, of Dublin and Ireland.

Joe Schleider a nephew of Ettie rightfully stated that these six human stories once again highlight the tragedy of the Holocaust and the many lives lost, while Roderic O Gorman, Minster for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth of Ireland, reminded the audience of the importance of solidarity in today’s society.

Also speaking on the day of the ceremony was Principal Karen Jordan – she is still surprised that next to all these important politicians she also got to say a few words. Even five months after the ceremony she still claims that it was one of her proudest moments as principal and mentions all the different ways it has affected her school.

Speaking on the day of the ceremony

Gunther Deming was just grateful:

The six Stolpersteine were Ireland’s first. The

“We have schools from Dundalk come down to see them,” she tells me and adds that the stones make history relatable. “The children can become historians themselves.” and shows me the works of her students. Most of them focus on the lost opportunities, one

“We are happy about every new stone, every new town, every small village and of course every new country.”

Gunther Demning the man behind the 95.000 Stolpersteine in Europe.

Photo by Jim Leonard

poem is titled “One more day...” and tells the story of what could have been if Ettie had one more day, another painting shows Ettie as a student of St. Catherine’s. “It [Ettie’s Story] makes it more real, especially to the kids,” she says.

Asked to describe the role of her school in the “Stolpersteine” project, she explains how the process went: “We were first contacted by Holocaust Education Ireland about six years ago. [...] We sort of facilitated it and provided a location.” The link to the community was especially the reason they put the “Stolpersteine” in front of her school.

Mrs Jordan says how fascinated she was that 21 members of Ettie’s family turned up to the ceremony and how some of them were able to point out their parents in Ettie’s wedding picture, which is on display in one of the classrooms. “One thinks [the Holocaust] is far away, but actually it was not that long ago,” she concludes.

She was especially emotional about Ettie’s Nephew ending his speech by saying: “Thank you, thank you, thank you. Six million Thank you’s.” And one could now argue that Donore Avenue is a sight to six of these thank you. Says Mrs Jordan. Ettie’s

story once again shows that the Holocaust left nothing untouched, not even “neutral” Ireland.

If one now walks past the school, perhaps on a Wednesday morning, the six Stolpersteine will make people remember Ettie’s, Vogtjeck’s, Leon’s, Jeanne’s, Ephraim’s and Isaac’s stories. Will make one remember that they also laughed and played like the children of St. Catherine’s and will make one remember all the lost opportunities, not only for Ettie but for all victims of the Holocaust.

To find out more about Holocaust Education Ireland, scan here:

From this year on Ettie Gulck will never be forgotten.

Photo by Steve Humphreys

“Well people think Ireland wasn’t involved [...] but we were. The people were.”

Irish Food Prices Are Rapidly Increasing as People Struggle To Make Ends Meet

Food prices in Ireland reached a record high in September, with an increase of 12.4%

by Zizi Uzuegbu

Consumers are astonished by the daily price increases in foods like fats and oils, bread and cereals, dairy products and eggs, as well as beef and meat products. However, for businesses to earn a living, they must raise their prices because doing otherwise would not be in their best interest. Inflation in food costs is a significant issue to everyone in and out of business, but it also has an impact on an individual’s betterment

as cost-of-living statistics continue to rise constantly, and there are more and more homeless individuals.

Many consumers in Ireland believe that the cost of groceries is getting too high because, while worrying about a place to live is an issue, worrying about food to eat shouldn’t be. The inflated food prices always go down or up monthly, but at the rate, the prices

Photo by Ryuto Kitano

Prices of food staples rise

are going, many people are concerned that they won’t be able to afford to keep buying groceries. In October, gas rates climbed by 47.11%, while electricity costs started to rise by 33.5%. The Irish people are currently finding it difficult to stay afloat and have remarked that the government isn’t doing enough to support the population of the nation; as a result, many individuals are forced to put in more hours of work because their monthly salaries aren’t increasing at the same rate as prices.

There are more people, including those with jobs, who struggle to get enough food to eat. The increase in inflation exceeded economists’ predictions, which called for a 10% increase. The inflation rate of 10.1% is in line

with the 40- year high reached in July and is still significantly higher than the government’s goal rate of 2%. There are thought to be 350,000 persons in Ireland who are food insecure around 7% of the total population, and the high food prices would increase the percentage of Irish people.

The situation has worsened due to the conflict in Ukraine, and the system is still dealing with a significant amount of pricing pressure. Numerous economic and financial sanctions have been imposed on various nations, including Ireland, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions may have shortor long-term effects on the Irish economy and also gravely affect the situation of electricity, food, and cost of living in Ireland.

Photo by Ryuto Kitano Community reels from increase in prices at grocery store.

Monthly Dublin City Council meetings: a report

Why council meetings are essential to running this lively, vibrant city

by Violet Kemp

Towering over Dame Street in Dublin, less than a two minute walk from the River Liffey, the City Hall is a mightily impressive building. Built between 1769 and 1779 by architect Thomas Cooley and formally the Royal Exchange before becoming Dublin City Hall in 1851, it is one of the most iconic features of Dublin and “a magnificent example of Georgian architecture”, according to the official Dublin City Hall website.

Tuesday evening was a fairly quiet affair, with only half of the seats filled by councillors and local politicians as they steadily and politely ploughed through fifty-six motions over five hours — a slightly less harrowing number than Monday night’s sixty-four. Most of the proceedings at the beginning consisted of the Lord Mayor, Caroline Conroy, talking back and forth with councillors about these motions and their intricacies, somehow managing to give little to nothing away as to what they pertained to.

Some of the councillors present were Daithí Doolan and Micheál MacDonncha from Sinn Fein, as well as Deirdre Heney from Fianna Fáil.

One of the speakers who most stood out to me, John O’Hara, calmly talked about religious institutions and their owning of land in various parts of the city: “There are institutional lands all over the city. There are some parts of the city with quite generous amounts of land… which they can utilise to bring forward money to allow development or improvement in other parts of the city, particularly parts that are more congested with not as much open space, which tend to be less advantaged areas… The idea is to attract spending of assets from areas with lots of green space and institutionalised lands to lend to schools which are not so fortunate.”

Despite the careful civil proceedings, in which councillors seem to be strongly encouraged to exactly follow proceedings and not talk for longer than they should and which, for the most part, they willingly comply with, meetings of the council are not without their dramas. In June 2022, the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) refused to attend a city council meeting for the second time in a row.

Councillors were united in calling it “an affront to democracy”. Amidst a murky tangle of laws and planning mishaps, the chief executive of OPR, Owen Keegan, and the council butted heads over schemes to build 100 build-to-rent apartments in various areas of the city.

Photo by Violet Kemp Dublin City Hall At Night

“Politicians shouldn’t be hidden away inside these massive old buildings, where no-one can see them or see what they’re doing.”

Colourful, Welcoming and Diverse

- Discover One of Dublin’s Most Exciting Neighbourhoods

Dublin 8 ranked higher than other areas in major cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona and Paris

by Alexander Zeringer

F orget Soho, Chelsea or Hollywood. Dublin 8 was named the 15th coolest neighbourhood in the world by Time Out magazine last year.

Dublin 8 has something for everyone: countless trendy coffee shops, cultural institutions and Europe’s largest inner-city park, Phoenix Park with over 1,750 acres, which is even bigger than Central Park in New York City.

Culinary highlights ranging from Irish, and European to Asian cuisine can be found on South Circular Road. Along with The Liberties, a centre of enterprises, innovation, cultural life and activities. It is home to loads of traditional pubs and bars, such as The Brazen Head, which is the oldest pub in town. For whiskey and beer lovers, the neighbourhood is home to the famous Teeling Distillery and Guinness Brewery.

Stephen Coyne, Programme Manager of The Liberties Dublin Business Area Improvement Initiative said the following about the area: “Dublin 8 has dramatically changed for the better in recent years. Since 2014, we have created new parks and green spaces, the streets are in a much better condition

and there has been growth in amenities and facilities for locals and tourists. D8 is a very authentic part of Dublin. It feels real and very lively, it’s not simply a business area.“

The area is also home to a variety of museums, events and concerts. Comedy and music events take place at Vicar Street, Dublin’s Premier Venue with a capacity of over 1,500 sitting and standing facilities, regularly. There is always something going on in Dublin 8.

There is a ‘hidden gem‘, that even some locals are not aware of: Marsh’s Library, which happens to be the oldest library in The Republic of Ireland and is located next to St. Patrick’s Cathedral. To escape the hustle and bustle of the city, you can take long walks in several parks like Phoenix Park or The Irish National War Memorial Gardens or see numerous pieces of contemporary art at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA).

The IMMA has over 3,500 artworks by Irish and International artists and offers exhibitions to students for free. If this has made you curious, come and see for yourself. You certainly won’t regret it.

New graffiti painting along the canal in Portobello.

Photo by Ryuto Kitano

Dublin Mosque: A Community Essential

The headquarters of the Islamic Foundation in Ireland and a delightful spot for Dublin 8’s community

by Maria Giulia Lipparoni

Inthe 1970s Muslim students in Dublin contacted Islamic Foundations in the United Kingdom and other countries to start raising funds to establish the first Mosque in Dublin. This led to the purchasing of a four-storey home mainly funded by King Faisal Bin Abdul-Aziz, the late King of Saudi Arabia. When an increase in worshippers began to occur, the Islamic Foundation had to start a new fundraiser to expand the Mosque. Built in the 1860s the Presbyterian Church that had a 13th-century style on South Circular Road was converted into a Mosque.

But what is it that makes the Dublin Mosque an enjoyable place for Dublin 8’s community?

Fares Sabbagh, who works as the administrator for the Islamic Foundation, says that the establishment isn’t only used for praying purposes, “We make most of our profit through the Al Khair restaurant, which has been running for around 30 years”. Fares says that the previous owner of Al Khair passed away and left the business to his son.

“We also provide halal foods through the Nuur Shop, along with Halal certificates which is another great percentage of our profits.” Both are situated on the Islamic Foundation grounds on South Circular Road,“A solid restaurant if you can handle your spice” mentions Mr Sabbagh. The administration building also provides translations, fax services, and mosque visit arrangements.

The main entrance to the Mosque takes you to the prayer rooms. Fares states that you won’t see any pictures when you walk into a prayer room.

“It’s because when it comes to God, things that are unseen - Al Ghaib in Islam- we have no knowledge of it, so even the idea to try

and comprehend God’s essence or appearance can be considered Haram, sinful.”

The prayers carried out at the Dublin Mosque are held out by the Imam at the minbar, but comparably to other Mosques, they provide an English translation throughout. Fares says, “It’s good to get a mix, some only do English and some only do Arabic”.

Fares explains that the upstairs area is normally used by women, along with the secluded prayer room for women. “But in Islam, a man must attend the Friday prayer and not a woman, so when it packs out and we have a thousand people inside the Mosque we will give men the precedence”.

The Islamic Foundation takes advantage of their busy fridays by allowing charitable donations to book slots within the day to go in and collect donations. He goes on to mention that they collect their donations for Sakaat outside of the prayer rooms. Mr Sabbagh explains that the Sakaat is a mandatory donation that must be given yearly, as part of the Islamic religion. “There is something called a Nisāb though, which is the minimum threshold a Muslim should have before giving to Sakaat.” These donations go to the poor and needy, “We dedicate them to countries in

Photo by Jess Krieg

Dublin Mosque on South Circular Road

“Giving back to the community”

need, there are people we trust in countries like Palestine that will be able to give them to those who need it”. He continues by saying that most of the time you would need to donate through charitable foundations “But some countries don’t have organisations willing to help like that”

The most exciting part of the building is the extension. This is where most of the Foundation’s works take place. “Although the building seems big it’s being put to good use at all times, it still feels small sometimes”. The extension side of the Mosque is where the weekend Quran school for children takes place. Fares says that the class is mainly focused on memorising the Quran and telling stories about it.

8 community into the Ramadan spirit every year by giving out Ramadan cards to neighbours and going door to door with slices of cake for everyone.

On top of this, the Islamic Foundation also works very closely with Discover Islam Ireland, which Fares speaks very highly about. “When people come in to convert religions Discover Islam is there to help you every step of the way”, Fares says that they are there to help make sure you feel 100% comfortable throughout your conversion. “When converting, you’d be surprised how many problems come up with families. Discover Islam is there to help people navigate.”

The extended area also holds the ladies’ and children’s rooms. English classes for women are carried out in this room on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Along with the Tuesday Lady’s Quran Class. Fares mentions that Arabic lessons were also offered to the community if consistency and genuine interest were offered in retrospect, but that sadly didn’t work out.

Wednesday mornings the Mosque hosts Ladies Coffee, this is primarily for refugee women, women that can’t speak English very well, and women that have just moved to the country. “The focus of the coffee mornings is to make sure they can implement themselves into the community if barriers are stopping them,” says Fares.

The coffee mornings are hosted by the same person who runs the AMAL office in the Mosque. “Amal stands for Hope” comments Sabbagh. Hanan Amer is an Egyptian lady who started Amal and runs it with Amilah Ali as an organisation that supports women going through domestic violence cases. “She’s a gem. During Ramadan, she gathered food packages and went around Ireland giving them out to refugees.”

The Foundation itself implements the Dublin

Fares also reminisces of times before Covid-19 when they used to host Islamic Cultural Exhibitions. This would occur twice a year and the whole neighbourhood was welcome. The main focus was showcasing Islam by sharing what the Mosque did. This would include leaflets and posters that contained information for anyone interested in learning more about the religion. They would also al-

low everyone to taste cultural foods made at the Al Khair Restaurant free of charge. “We are trying to start that up again, it just hasn’t happened yet, a work in progress.”

Not taking full responsibility for how great the Mosque is, Fares says “There are multiple jobs the Imam is in charge of. The Mosque is a Patron for two schools in Dublin, which means the Imam oversees the curriculum and how the school’s function”. But that’s not all the Imam does. He focuses on pilgrimage trips to Mecca for Hajj (which are available to all Muslims when converting at the Dublin Mosque) and oversees donations processes.

Photo by Jess Krieg

“The class is open to children of any background really; it’s run by a Somalian and he’s great.”

The IFOI based at Dublin Mosque

The National Stadium

Why it is important?

How the home of boxing became a haven of music and culture

By Maria Eduarda Castro

The 2000-seater stadium, known as the “Home of Irish Boxing,” has hosted many of Ireland’s best boxing sportsmen. The stadium is about 17,000 square feet in size and is located in the heart of Dublin. The National Stadium is the ultimate intimate multi-purpose facility for both musicians and fans.

Initially built as the first and only purpose-built boxing stadium in the world. In 1939, government minister Frank Aiken inaugurated the stadium. It is owned by the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) and has been used as a site for national and international competitions for over 60 years.

The Stadium also opened their door to bingo nights, that has been happening for over 20 years, religious events, dance competition, football streaming, The Dublin 8 venue that hosted some of the biggest musical acts of all time, with U2, Thin Lizzy, Johnny Cash and Led Zeppelin.

In the last few years, the All nations church (rediscovery life) hosted mass every Sunday at 11:00, Life Groups, Bible School and prayer meetings online via Zoom and in person adhering to social distancing guidelines.

Another important event in which the stadium opens its doors is wrestling. It is a physical sport, and its tactics have been adopted by martial arts, for example.

The event organised by Over the Top (OTT), founded in 2014 by Joey Cabray, has become one of the major independent wrestling promotions in the world.

This year on the 29th of October (Saturday),

the eighth anniversary, fans are really engaged with this event. Some great boxing and professional wrestling events, with athletes such as Katie Taylor, Barry McGuigan, and Jordan Devlin all participating in huge boxing and wrestling bouts, respectively.

Other remarkable events in October 2022 were the musical events, with mixed genres, cultures and different nationalities.

According to the Community tools, understanding a variety of cultures teaches you that there are many different approaches to living in, and yours might not be the best. Connecting with individuals from other cultures may often let you see things from a new point of view.

This year is open to international events like grouping with the Green Group Events, A Brazilian Event Production Company in Dublin, born in 2018 by Gutto Macedo, originally from Natal, Brazil. He said,

“We take the best attractions and the best experience so that those who live here know to enjoy a Brazilian show.”

Menos é Mais concert held on the 30th of September in the stadium

Photo by Green Group Events

The National Stadium had hosted and opened the house for artists like Pablo Vittar, Whinderson Nunes, Turma do Pagode and Menos é Mais.

On Thursday, 28th of October, the Singer Wesley Safadão got all the tickets sold out. The opinion of some fans at the door of the event;

genders and ages, helping with accommodation services in the Dublin 8 region and boosting local businesses.

In the 1980s, U2, an internationally recognized band, performed at the stadium to get the attention of a record company. The concert counted approximately 2400 people, according to an article. After the show, U2 signed their first contract with Island Records with Nick Stewart, who was at the show as part of the A&R Department of Island Records.

“...Green groups do wonderful and very unique work.” Complete Fabiana Maia who has been living in Ireland for over 6 years.

According to the concerts archives the top genres of 2022-2023 to perform are Rock and classical rock with 129 sets followed by Folk with 47 sets.

The mixture of nationalities does not stop there. Next Friday, November 4th, the Ministry concert will happen, an American metal band, followed by Fozzy, a heavy metal band also formed in the United States of America.

When many people and cultures have shortterm access to the same environment, The venue and the Dublin 8 community absorb a little experience and energy. People from all over Ireland participate in these effects, all

87 years after the stadium’s construction, it still is an essential place for the locals, especially for boxing fans and for all these new fans that time has brought, the national stadium remains the only stadium built exclusively for boxing.

The music and other events are frequent, but boxing is still the most significant part of the stadium. In December 2022, they will open the entry for women’s and men’s National Elite championships.

The Irish National Elite Championships will be held in January 2023.

The Elites will be contested for the first time since September 2021. The National Stadium in Dublin will host the gem in the crown of Irish boxing commencing on January 12th, six months before the first Paris Olym pics qualification at the European Games in Poland in June 2023.

“There are many Brazilians in Ireland, so having the concert of these artists makes us feel close to home, and it’s nice to see Irish people getting to know and enjoying our culture.”

Photo by Jess Krieg

“Home of Irish Boxing” National Stadium

How English Learners

Feel about Irish Accent

International learners share their takes on the local dialect.

By Ryuto Kitano

English spoken in Ireland, often called the Irish accent, has unique characteristics in both sound and speed of talking. Additionally, Irish people speak a variety of distinct accents divided into three categories: East Coast (Dublin), SouthWestern Ireland, and Northern Ireland, depending on where they are from.

Having more than 150,000 students enrolling in language schools from all over the world, Ireland is certainly one of the most common choices for English learners.

Especially since, In Dublin, there are over 30 English language schools.

Then, how do English learners feel about the Irish accent? I conducted a survey targeting English students studying at two schools in Dublin 8: Kaplan Language school and Griffith college. The questionnaire contains, two Yes or No questions and two free-answer questions. Seventeen students from Austria, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Oman, Peru, and Turkey kindly shared their opinions.

Photo by Ryuto Kitano Atlas Language School in Portobello

Have you ever had difficulty understanding an Irish accent?

Almost all students, in total 16, answered YES to this question. This is because they have yet to be taught Irish English so far. They told me that they had learned US English or British English.

Among all English-speaking countries, what brought you to study in Ireland?

Six of the interviewees chose Ireland because of the simplicity of staying. Thanks to the European Union, Students from Europe do not need any complicated registration to study in this English-speaking country.

Secondly, four students decided to study in Ireland to avoid too many students from their countries, which might be a trap for language learning. Other students chose Ireland for a specific course, nightlife culture, rich nature, and friendly people. None of them mentioned the Irish accent as a reason for their choice.

When,

Why, and How

is the Irish accent difficult?

Two-thirds of the interviewees, nine interviewees, mentioned speaking speed with an Irish accent. They repeatedly said Irish people talk fast, and it is sometimes hard to keep up with. 4 students referred to the “t” sound. They talked about the fact that the dropped /t/ comes last. For example, “but” is pronounced as “bu-“ not “but” with an Irish accent.

Additionally, two students mentioned how they pronounce the first person. They are sometimes confused by the unique way of pronouncing “I” as “oi.”

Do you like the Irish accent?

Irish accents are only attractive to some English learners Nine of the students answered No, while eight students did answer Yes. A 19-year-old Belgium student in Kaplan said, “Irish accents do not sound nice”, while an 18-year-old Omani student in Kaplan said, “they speak like they are singing, I like it”.

This data implies that almost all learners do have difficulty with the Irish accent, while some people certainly like the unique accent. However, it can be seen that the Irish accent is not the reason for their choice itself. These facts don’t mean the Irish accent is bad, as a 25-year-old French student in Kaplan said in his interview. He concludes, “Every accent should be respected, as we respect people speaking different accents. Especially, we learners should adapt to the culture where we learn.”

Dublin 8 Remembers

The Memorial Gardens in Dublin a reminder of the fallen Irish Soldiers of the First World War

By Nao Inoue

‘They shall not grow old.’ A quote often used to describe the men who went to serve their countries in the trenches and on the battlefields of the First World War. The trenches and battlefields of Belgium and France, the trenches and battlefields far away from the island of Ireland.

Still nearly 50.000 Irish Soldiers lost their lives between 1914 and 1918, nearly 50.000 Irish Soldiers never came home, nearly 50.000 Irish Soldiers never grew old.

The Irish National War Memorial Gardens in Islandbridge, Dublin 8 remembers these 50.000 young men. One of Europe’s most famous memorial gardens, it was built for

the exactly 49,400 Irish soldiers who gave their lives and to celebrate the 206,000 Irishmen who served in British forces during the war, which was famously deemed to end all wars.

The park is a very relaxed and peaceful place, it features two fountains and many small gardens. The architect Sir Edwin Lutyens designed the sunken rose gardens, herbaceous borders, and tree rings to welcome visitors in any season more than eight decades ago with the help of many Dubliners.

Now, more than a hundred years after the tragic war, people spend their leisure time

Photo by Nao Inoue

The Memorial Gardens

in the gardens. They walk with dogs, jog on the many pathways and in the summer some people are even seen canoeing on the river.

On 11th November this year, the British Isles celebrated the 104th anniversary of the end of the First World War and the Gardens were a big part of the annual event.

very special and many flowers, people from all over had brought, decorated the garden.

Some people wore the traditional ‘Poppies’, which carry the word “lest we forget”.

And this is probably what the garden is about, although more than 100 years have passed since the first World War has ended, the gardens still connect the living and the dead. We should not forget about the young men - the young men who never got to grow old.

an elderly lady tells me.

She was only one of many people who celebrated the anniversary in the gardens, and one of many who mourned in front of the memorial monument. The atmosphere was

In recent years, the gardens have been known as a place for remembrance and beautiful scenery. Now the memorial park is a part of life - it is a place to create memories.

“I came here to honor my grandfather who was a fallen veteran in the war.”

Photo by Nao Inoue Lest we Forget pin to honor a family member

Preschools are recommended for children under the age of 4 years old to attend.

Studies suggest that children who attend high-quality preschool for just one year are more likely to succeed in school than those who do not - preschool attendance increases a child’s chances of long-term academic success, post-secondary enrolment, and even future professional earnings.

However, why are parents faced with such a challenging decision at such an early stage of their child’s life?

Parents today have to choose whether they prioritise their child’s academic future or if they want to afford a house.Everyone has complained about the cost of living, not just parents – rent has spiked, people can barely afford to pay their gas and electricity bills, and on top of all that, parents have to pay a weekly fee for their children to attend preschool.

To sum it all up, families, on average monthly, are paying €2,400 for a two-bedroom house, €230 on their gas bill, €190 on the electricity bill, €200-€400 on groceries. Parents monthly are paying over €2,800 to live - that is excluding insurance and petrol.

The average price range for a child to attend preschool is between €180-€220 per week, resulting in parents paying €720-€880 per month.Parents in Dublin are drowning themselves in bills just so they can afford to live in Dublin.

The average monthly wage for a person in Ireland is €3600 - if both partners are working full time, they can get by just enough. However, if only one partner is working or

Childcare ruining parents, costing them a fortune

By Fiona Lidya Stoica

they are a single parent- they will not have enough money to live.

Despite parents getting child benefits monthly, it is just not enough – parents receive every first Tuesday of the month a set amount of money depending on how many children they have.

If a family has only one child, they receive €140 per month – if there are two children, then the family receives €280 per month.

Despite the government’s help, this monthly payment does not even cover one week of preschool – it is understandable why parents feel restless and stressed about living in Dublin.

Preschools are just adding stress to parents who are just trying to make a living and get by – many feel that they have no choice but to enrol their children in preschool, as that is what many other parents are doing.

New parents feel the need to follow other parents as it is their first time experiencing parenthood – many often feel that if they do not do what others are doing, they will be

In 2022, Ireland has faced several urgent societal concerns, but childcare is undoubtedly one of the most serious

Photo by Luiz Philipe Playground at Weaver Park

ostracised from parent groups.

One of the reasons why parents decide to enrol their child in preschool is because the other parent most likely wants the mother to join the work field again – they then have to choose a preschool from its reputation, stimulating curriculum, qualifying, caring staff, clean, safe facilities and current license.

According to a significant study, teachers worry that certain junior infants are “over-prepared” in academic skills, including literacy and numeracy. They state that at this age, it is more crucial to focus on social, emotional, and self-management abilities, such as the ability to put on a coat, establish friends, and control emotions.The current Children’s School Lives project followed 4,000 kids across 189 schools to learn about their experiences.

According to the survey, there are indications of a “disconnect” between parents and teachers regarding the standards for learning at the preschool and primary school levels. The study was informed by one school principal that “you have children now who are two years in a preschool setting, so they’re coming into junior infants, and a lot of what’s been done in the current junior infant class has already been done in the preschool, so there’s complete overlap.”One of the major findings of the study is the necessity of enhancing the cooperation and collaboration taking place between preschools and primary schools to promote children’s transitions.

Additionally, it emphasises the necessity of improving play-based learning in primary schools and making social and emotional development a higher priority.

Still, notably, those at risk due to poverty, social isolation, or specialised learning requirements are thought to benefit from a smooth transition.

Now is it necessary to put parents under financial strain when the study states that both preschool and junior infants intersect – that will now be up to parents to decide whether they want to pay a fortune for the child to attend preschool and then do the same thing for junior infants for free. Shannon Murphy (32), a mother of two, expressed that her

“(My) first child attended preschool and dinner club at the preschool and now is third class, but he is not enjoying school and hates doing school work, it takes me over an hour to convince him to do his homework and he often likes to lie that he has none for the night.”

Shannon also complained and showed her concern about the prices of preschool for her youngest child to attend, “I have looked at every preschool that there is near my home, so it is convenient, but I just couldn’t find one that was suitable for me and my partner’s budget. We applied to many somewhat in our price range, and still, all rejected us.”

Photo by Luiz Philipe

Dubln 8 children by Emmalene Blake in Swift Alley

Photo by Jess Krieg

Become part of Ireland’s first and most successful Credit Union located in the Liberties, Dublin 8.

It is not by chance that the Credit Union movement has an excellent reputation and has topped customer experience charts for the past 8 years. Ireland has over 3.6 million people that are credit union members. Right here in the heart of Dublin 8 you have Ireland’s oldest credit union; Donore Credit Union

Our independent credit union was founded in 1958 by the 3 young sisters from Dublin 8 – the Byrne Sisters. It was their vision that led to the establishment of Ireland’s first credit union and sparked the movement across the country leading led to credit unions in every town and county in Ireland.

What exactly is a credit union?

A credit union is a not-for-profit financial institution that provides various banking services to its members who are commonly local people that live, study, work or have family living in the area. Credit Unions offers savings accounts and loans at competitive interest rates with no hidden fees or charges and no penalty fees for paying back early.

By being a member of a credit union and borrowing from a local cooperative that YOU own, you make it possible for credit unions to continue supporting communities. Every year we donate funds and make it possible for local clubs, societies, sports teams, community initiatives and members of the community to “do more with Donore”.

On average this credit union generates a social dividend of over €25 million per year.

Our main goal is not to maximise profits but instead strive to maximise our members well-being and offer a service based on trust, empathy, openness and honesty.

Why Join Donore Credit Union?

Credit Unions are not banks. We don’t have shareholders – we don’t focus on profit above all else. We do not have customers, we have members. While banks treat loans as transactions, we recognise behind every loan is a need, dream, ambition, but most importantly a person.

Our emphasis is on offering a personal service where members can speak to staff in person and not be directed to a machine. You can walk into the office to apply for a loan or simply ask for financial advice with-

Photo Courtesy of Donore Credit Union

out having to schedule an appointment. And yet we offer modern services such as online banking and a mobile app to make our services more accessible. You can apply for a loan in person, over the phone or through our mobile app. Our office has opening hours that suit you, even opening until 6:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays between 9:15am – 12:30pm.

By joining and borrowing from your local credit union, you keep local services local, and keep local money, local.

Sustainable and Green

Donore Credit Union is recognised as being an enabler of a sustainable community. We support local green initiatives; our investments are sensitive to the environment, and we offer low interest loans for “green” home improvements and “green” vehicles including e-bikes/bicycles and e vehicles. Donore is collectively working with other credit unions to make our offices and communities more energy efficient and carbon neutral

“Do more with Donore”

This is not an empty slogan. Rather a statement of fact. As a member of Ireland’s first credit union, you can do more for yourself, your family and your community. In 2023, we are hoping to add current accounts and debit cards to our offerings. Donore Credit Union is a community asset, the more you do with us, the more we can offer to you. Join us and keep local services.

Photo by Donore

Photos Courtesy of Donore Credit Union

Photo by Donore

For 65 years we have been an essential part of Dublin 8 and we are famous for our personal service Here members can speak to our staff in-person without being redirected to a machine No need to schedule an appointment and we're open late on Fridays and open on Saturdaysvisit us to see the difference!

Ethical Lending

Online Banking & Mobile