Taboo

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

Sex – Religion – Politics

KEEPING THE FAITH

Hidden faces of a Catholic uprising in Ireland

FUR-BIDDEN LOVE

The furry fetish is examined: the passion, the discrimination and the adorable costumes

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE

The place of education in the Travelling community explored

Taboo

WICKLOW WAYRELAY a challenge for UNICEF

THE CHALLENGE: complete the Wicklow Way in 32 hours in a relay team of 5 or more START: Carlow Saturday 1st September 2012 FINISH: Hiking overnight to Dublin on Sunday 2nd Celebratory dinner & awards afterwards!

UNICEF registered charity no. 5616

1728_Unicef_Trek_Challenge_A4.indd 1

For information on the UNICEF Challenge or to register, please call (01) 878 3000 or visit www.unicef.ie

21/05/2012 10:17:08

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

Taboo

Editors’ Letter I

t’s finally upon us folks – your pamphlet has arrived. A unique magazine brought to you by the BA Journalism team at Independent Colleges, with the sole intention of covering the hot topics that have so far managed to slip through the net of mainstream media. A piece of work so taboo in its nature, that we decided to call it Taboo, strangely enough.

The idea for the magazine started off as a publication that would talk about taboo topics, and we eventually came up with the idea that the three traditional things you should never discuss at a dinner table (politics, sex and religion), should be the theme of the magazine. Working on Taboo has been enormously rewarding and we hope that you as a reader will put it down afterwards and say to yourself, “That’s something I never knew.”

A huge thanks must go to all contributors for their consistent efforts in chasing down potential subjects, diligently researching their articles, and subediting each other’s work.

Without this, Taboo simply wouldn’t be in your hands today. Immense gratitude to Meg Murphy for doing our cover illustration. Appreciation also to the shutterbugs who worked pro bono: Katie Varvos, Gavin Fowler, Meg Murphy, Niamh Freeney and Jamie Doyle.

Lizzie Gore-Grimes and Janice Gaffey also deserve a special mention – your support and contribution on Taboo were absolutely necessary and greatly appreciated. We also want to thank all the lecturers in Independent College who taught the Taboo team how to be journalists. We are and will be eternally grateful.

Finally, to the public, we hope you all enjoy reading the magazine as much as we enjoyed the process of producing it. We also hope you remember to hide it under your bed afterwards, as it isn’t the sort of thing you’d want bandied about at family reunions.

Taboo Team tabooeditorial@gmail.com

Editors: Dónall Hoey, Ian Mahon Designer: Lainey Tess Quinn Deputy Editor: Ruth Markey Photo Editor: Shauna Freeney Sub Editors: Stephen Hanlon, Tracey Hyde, Ruth Markey, James Quinn Photographers: Jamie Doyle, Gavin Fowler, Niamh Freeney, Meg Murphy, Katie Varvos Illustrators: Meg Murphy (miscookiemonster@gmail.com) Contributors: Shauna Freeney, Stephen Hanlon, Dónall Hoey, Tracey Hyde, Ian Mahon, Ruth Markey, Stephen Murphy, James Quinn, Lainey Tess Quinn Cover Illustration by: Meg Murphy

This magazine is a production of BAJ2, Independent Colleges. The team’s offices are situated on 60 – 63 Dawson Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. If you wish to contact them, you can email tabooeditorial@gmail.com or you can call 353 1 6351190.

33

Taboo

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

You think it...

Contents 6

APP-RECIATION

Ever find yourself sitting in on a Saturday night, trawling through that smartphone in search of the perfect ‘Kinky App’ to keep you occupied? No, us neither.

28

26

7

SAD TIMES

8

FURRY LOVE

11

BAKING HOT

4

Ever heard of ‘furry fandom’? Taboo delves into the inner workings of a rather hairy subculture in Ireland and abroad.

Meet one woman who has fused the realms of baking and burlesque together as she seeks to beat the recession while starting up her own unique business.

12

POLE POSITION

14

I’M A BELIEVER

18

EDUCATION FOR ALL

20

25

Taboo takes to the streets of Dublin to find out about YOUR crying habits.

Despite what you may hear, men cry too!

Find out if pole dancing can shake off its sleazy reputation as a new fitness craze sweeps the nation.

Are there young people out there who still hold on to their religious beliefs?

Two young Catholics talk about the importance of faith and the profound effect God has in their lives.

Are members of the Travelling community getting a fair crack of the whip when it comes to third-level education opportunities in Ireland?

LAWS OF ATTRACTION

One of our contributers writes about her experiences of growing up gay in Dublin.

..we print it!

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

Contents 18

pull quote

Taboo

22 20

pull quote pull quote

11 21 THINKING ALOUD

26

THE PRISONER

22 PAST ACTIONS

28

SUITABLY ATTIRED

Are you ever curious to know what is on the mind of the opposite sex?

Read an incredible personal account of the devastating effect that the Magdalene Laundries had on families in Ireland.

25 BACK FROM THE BRINK

Discover how a young man struggled to beat his own demons after an unprovoked assault left him with a brain injury.

30

Learn about one man’s experiences of life behind bars and the hardships that come with being released into society.

Jonathan and William, also known as Eve and Luna, talk about the wonderful – and often misunderstood – world of crossdressing.

COP-ON THERAPY Got a burning question that you’re afraid to ask? Don’t Ask Ruth!

Jonathan’s Café Opening Hours

Monday-Thursday: 8.30am – 8.00pm Friday & Saturday: 8.30am – 4.00pm Sunday: Closed...they deserve a day off!

Delicious meals, robust coffee and service with a smile in a relaxed atmosphere.

5

Taboo

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

Kinky Apps Angry Birds can be a lot of fun on the bus home, but for more “adult” orientated apps, Taboo trawled the web looking for the most interesting ones relating to all matters of sex and dating.

The sexual prowess of the human race can now be judged by a talking phone. With the Passion app, lay your iPhone on the bed before you start the deed. Microphone and motion sensors will evaluate your stamina and your “activity” level. When your phone rates your carnal proficiency, it might be time to dust off the old Nokia.

ove L f o e g Langua h your mate s in farraiewr atyo sctoor-p

bar ll’ w it n the pu la ng u age t o h e lp !

Eve r g o ‘o n d , o n ly f o r t h e d s ! Ta b o o is h e re la n e f r ie ne rs o f Ir e a r n o t, t ? We ll f yo u sh o r rt h s ide

e

S o u t h s id To t t y

- uh n

/wo om WOMAN

un a-n / (n o MAN /m

C re e p on

)

erb H it o n (v

/ (ve d ay- t ing DATING / / (n o u n ) K IS S /k is K

IDS /k id-z

Bre a k u p

r b)

Ye r wa n

n Ye r m ah

G oy

)

No

C u lch ie

S e e ing Sno g Ty k e s Dum p

Go h o g g ing R o ydin Sh if t Sp ro g s K ic k t o curb

Bit t a t a le n t B o yo M ac k on C o u rt in

g

Me t Pjs a n d M a r ys Got r idd a

With Sexdrive app you are exposed to two tones of a slightly different frequency, one in each ear, till you hear a single oscillating tone. Called “binaural beats”, experts claim they can reduce stress, help people overcome drug addiction, but more importantly, ramp up your sex drive. Have they not heard of Barry White?

Not a “dating” app as such, Brightkite uses GPS to introduce local users on a basic level. Participants’ current locations are given to each other, allowing them to chat and possibly meet up. The most awkward part of dating, the initial introduction, is made a whole lot easier – as is the job of any wouldbe Jack the Rippers out there.

6

thinkstockphotos.com

With Sex Dice 3D you shake your iPhone and do to your partner whatever the dice says you should do. With a “soft to hot” meter, options range from harmless combinations such as “massage back”, to extreme erotica along the lines of “bite things”. Worth a try, unless you’re sceptical about people biting things, which did put us off.

thinkstockphotos.com

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

When s a w the last time cried?

The tched . But I a w I “ ): off ough et me na (16 Pauli ok and it s Cookie D ’s o Noteb and Jerry n e ” .

B r tte ate felt be and I

ing a s watch a w I “ : (28) Ekrim n ad.” r Conce

Luke was a (19): “La s ber o t a funera t week, w f the l. An hen I a hea g rt att ym I wor older mem ack o n a tr k in died of eadm ill.”

Michael (2 4 Thierry He ): “It was just after nry’s hand ball had knocked Ir ela offs for Wo nd out of the playrld Cup 20 10.”

Inger a child (39): “Yes is ver y sick terday. My right now.”

Adam swivel (23): “The b a c body w hair fell off. ck of my My wh a s fl u n head s macke g back and ole m my wa d rdrobe off the han y dle of .”

Taboo

ths t six mon su o b “A : ) Sam (21 s homesick in Au n a ago – I w nt over on my ow e w I , a trali to work.”

Morgana (2 1 when my ro ): “Last Sunday ommate th my blue ch rew out ee I was upse se. It was late and t. another blo But she did buy me ck the next day.”

Andre was in w (20): “W h his life the hospita en my frien l fight ”. ing fo d r

7

Taboo Taboo

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

super furries Super Furry Animals

Most people think of leather and bondage when thinking of fetishes, but as TRACEY HYDE discovers, a sub-culture breaks that mould and brings “fluffiness” to sex. Photo by KATIE VARVOS

S

oFox recalls that the first time he met another furry was an exhilarating experience for him. “I was watching Arnold Schwarzenegger in Last Action Hero. I was watching it on a TV, in a branch of Radio Shack in Seattle. A man standing next to me commented on what a good movie it was. We started talking and before long I realised that he was a furry.” How did he come to this conclusion; a special signal, a secret handshake? “No,” replies SoFox, “he was wearing a dog collar.”

So what exactly is a furry? The answer, it seems, is as complex as it is strange. SoFox, (not his real name!) is a 27-year-old software developer from Dublin, and founder of irishfurries.com. He explains that the name SoFox is the name of his fursona, a purple fox. A fursona is an identity assumed by those who inhabit the weird and wonderful world of furry fandom.

According to Wikifur (yes, Wikifur, that’s not a typo), “Furry fandom is a fandom for fictional anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics. Examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, the ability to speak, walk on two legs, and wear clothes. Furry fandom is also used to refer to the community of people who gather on the Internet and at conventions.”

“If you were to ask five furries what a furry was, you would end up with thirteen different answers. There are many definitions,” says SoFox. He explains that many furries just enjoy drawing and looking at furry art.

There are some who actually want to be animals; others known as therians have a more spiritual connection and believe that they are the reincarnations of animals, and then there are lifestylers, who take aspects of their furry life into their real life. The most commonly known are fursuiters. These are people who like to dress up in fursuits. “These are the furries who get the most media attention.”

SoFox says that he has been a furry as long as he can remember in the sense that he has always been drawn to cartoon characters. He recounts that as a child he loved to watch The Sylvanian Families series and The Animals of Farthing Wood. “I didn’t like children’s programmes with real people in them, the makers seemed not to care about their audiences. The cartoons I liked often dealt with real themes. When you give a character anthropomorphic characteristics it is easier to define them and what they are about.”

Furries are not necessarily furry, they can be amphibians or avian – so why did SoFox choose a fox? “I was inspired by Sonic the Hedgehog. I was a huge Sonic fan. Tails the Fox was my favourite character in it. Foxes

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

are clever and robust. They are adept and also cute. Like me they are omnivores –I’d eat anything.”

It was in 2009 that SoFox took his passion for furry fandom to another level and attended his first Anthrocon convention. Anthrocon, which is held every year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the world’s largest furry convention. It first took place in 1997 and attracts over 4,000 enthusiasts each year over four days. It holds two Guinness World Records; “largest furry fan club” and “most mascots in a parade.” According to Wikifur, it has donated more than $96,000 to animal charities.

Anthrocon describe the event as a “collection of artists, animators, writers, costumers, puppeteers, and just everyday fans who enjoy cartoon animals and their kin. Membership is open to any and all who like to imag-

ine what it would be like if animals could walk and talk as we do – and no, you do not have to wear a costume to attend!”

SoFox said the first time he attended, he did not know what to expect, but felt that was the best reason for going. “The internet is intangible but it became real at the event.

I loved the energy and the friendliness. As soon as I saw a fursuiter, I just couldn’t stop smiling.” Did he wear his fursuit? “No, I don’t own one” But how is this possible? How can a furry not have a fursuit, especially one that is the founder of the Irish Furry Board?

I find myself more than disappointed, but this is short-lived. SoFox reaches into his rucksack and produces a pair of purple ears which he models for me. He is visibly elevated by the adornment and so am I. You really can’t help but smile when you are interviewing someone wearing purple fox ears.

SoFox explains that he doesn’t know of

Taboo

any Irish Furries who actually wear fursuits.

The reason is simple – the cost! Fursuits can cost in excess of €2,000. It seems there is big business in furries. “I don’t mind people making money out of it. They are offering a service that is needed.” He explains he is somewhat of a perfectionist and therefore would not be interested in making his own suit. His ears were commissioned as one of a kind at Anthrocon, and only set him back $20.

Most people you talk to will have no idea what furrydom is, but those who think they do will generally assume that it is a sexual fetish. Furry haters, (yes, just as you were getting your head around furries) have been known to refer to them as furverts. So is there an element of sexual fetishism? “Yes.” SoFox replies, but he goes on to explain that not all furries engage in yiffing. The term yiff is most commonly used to indicate sexual activity or sexual material within the fandom. “A lot of furry art is of a sexual nature, but quite honestly I’m tired of the sexual labels. I’m not into furpiling or anything like that.” What is furpiling? SoFox blushes and makes it clear he is not interested in talking about that element of furry fandom. I, on the other hand, am very interested and I make a note to Google it as soon as I get home.

According to WikiFur, “A furpile is a group of furries who are, at least partially, one on top of the other, possibly in fursuits. It’s usually more of the result of ‘everyone trying to get comfortable’ rather than a deliberately planned thing. A furpile is usually not sexual – it’s a good idea not to pile up on others if one’s weight is over a certain limit. When those on the bottom show signs of discomfort, it is best to let them out.” So now you know – but what of furry haters?

While trawling the internet for furry websites I notice there are numerous sites dedicated to hating furries – godhatesfurries. com and antifurrycoalition.org are the two most prominent. The common theme appears to be that furries are moral deviants and a risk to children. The homepage of The Anti-Furry Coalition reads: “This web-

“We started talking and before long I realised that he was a Furry.” How did he come to this conclusion; a special signal, a secret handshake? “No,” replies SoFox, “he was wearing a dog collar.”

9

Taboo

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

page was created in order to provide a safe learning resource for families and individuals who would like to learn more about furries, without the fear of running into the objectionable content that goes hand-in-hand with the fandom. It’s not easy to find information about furries on the Web without running into their abundant pornographic material, or ending up on a pornographic site that was not marked as such. Here we want you to feel safe when getting information. After all, shouldn’t the

10

“You really can’t help but smile when you are interviewing someone wearing purple fox ears” Internet be safe for everyone?” The organisation goes on to promote the distribution of bumper stickers and posters that declare, “Furry Free Zones.”

I inform SoFox of my discovery – he laughs it off. “Some people find it far more easy to be negative than positive. A lot of these sites are hoaxes.

We’re easy targets, I mean come on, we dress up as animals.” He checks the site out on his iPad. “I think you’ve been trolled.” Good grief, first furries and now trolls. I was beginning to feel like Alice in Wonderland – things were definitely getting curiouser and curiouser.

“The furry community in Ireland is small,” says SoFox. The Irish Furry Board only has 106 members and describes itself as “catering for the (somewhat admittedly bare) Irish furry community. There are much

greater numbers in America.” It seems not only are there more, but that they take furry fandom to greater lengths.

The Daily Telegraph recently reported on the story of Gary Guy Matthews, an unemployed 44-year-old Pittsburgh man who habitually dresses up as a dog. Mr. Matthews, who petitioned to have his name changed to Boomer the Dog, was turned down by a judge who ruled that it was a public welfare risk. He pointed out that if there was a serious accident and the dispatcher at emergency services was told they were dealing with a Boomer the Dog, they might think the call was a prank and not send help. The judge did however say that he wished “Mr. Dog” luck in finding a job.

So what of SoFox’s hirsute pursuit? “I don’t feel I am defined by this, I feel I am benefitting from this. Being a furry means something to me. Being willing to embrace cartoon characters and childish enthusiasm is escapism. It’s escapism from a homogenous society and what’s wrong with that?”

Well said, SoFox and fur-play to you...sorry, I just couldn’t resist!

www.irishfurries.com

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

Photos by Niamh Freeney

Have you met

the Burlesque Baker?

By LAINEY QUINN

Why are you called the “Burlesque Baker”?

I want to combine food and fashion and bring sexiness to baking. I want to create a service that doesn’t exist.

Where in the world did the idea of burlesque baking come from?

One day I was barbequing a steak and I was a wearing a burlesque dress that I loved. I was really paranoid about getting sauce on my dress and my friends were joking, saying I looked like the Naked Chef.

Then I joked about looking like a “burlesque baker” and it just stuck from there.

Where is this going for you?

Well, I’ve been writing a book for two years and it’s going to be the ultimate coffee table cookbook. I’m also planning on setting up my own business, but that will come in time.

What will make your book different to any other coffee table books?

It’s going to be raunchy and sexy, a mixture of Dita Von Teese and the Calendar Girls.

It’ll be colourful and roughly three burlesque pictures of me will be in all twelve chapters.

How long have you been baking?

I’ve been baking since I was a child and I studied baking and pastry management in DIT for three years. Since then, I’ve mainly catered for christenings, communions and children’s birthdays, which is surprising considering the title of my business!

What kind of pictures will they be? Or maybe I shouldn’t ask…

Ha-ha, I know I’m called the burlesque baker but my book is not seedy porn.

It’s supposed to be fun, free-spirited and shameless, which is exactly what I am!

I have photos of me wearing burlesque clothes and I put cake where you don’t expect it!

Where did people first hear about you?

Through friends mostly. My first order was for a communion and very quickly after it, three people who were at the communion who had tasted my cake called me and ordered more for parties they were holding.

Do you have a secret recipe and if so...spill the beans?

I must say, homemade honeycomb is one of my secrets. It makes biscuits crunchy and gives chocolate cakes an extra layer.

It’s lovely with nuts and raisins mixed into it,

Taboo

kind of like rocky road biscuits.

Is there a type of baking that you prefer to specialise in?

Nope, I do everything! Cakes, biscuits and sweet treats mostly.

Do you have a trademark feature that you put on your cakes?

I’m pretty well known for putting edible glitter on cupcakes, birthday cakes and wedding cakes. I absolutely love it – it just dissolves on your tongue.

Have you baked many wedding cakes?

I’ve made two so far, one for a gay couple and one for a young hippy couple who wanted a colourful sparkly cake, instead of a normal white one. I’m convinced they were on hallucinogens and just wanted colourful munchy food!

Will you make a sparkly cake for me?

Anyday!

Contact the Burlesque Baker at burlesquebaker69@gmail.com

11

Taboo

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

Poles Apart Pole fitness is a new craze that takes pole dancing out of the sleazy clubs and into the gym. Shauna Freeney and Ruth Markey talk to people involved in changing the view of pole dancing and even suit up to try it out themselves

T thinkstockphotos.com

he first thing that comes to mind when you think of pole dancing is an old seedy man in a similarly old seedy bar. What doesn’t come to mind as quickly is fitness, workout and unbelievable strength.

Pole fitness has the same stigma as pole dancing, unfortunately. Yet the fitness aspect, however sexy and sassy it may be, requires more than just twirling on a pole like you’re singing in the rain.

But because of the relationship between the two, do people still have the wrong idea when they hear of a woman taking part in a pole fitness class?

Joanne, a dance teacher at the Underground Dance School in North Strand in Dublin, teaches pole dancing five times a week and says she can’t express how much better pole fitness feels compared to doing a full cardio workout in the gym: “I couldn’t do a full

‘Maybe it’s the fact that you don’t need that much clothes on when you’re doing it! The more skin you bare the better grip you have on the pole’ workout on a treadmill but give me a pole and I would use it for up to four hours straight.”

Yet she is still aware of the attitudes towards the craze, and despite having nearly 10 years’ experience, she still has to remind her mother that she is not a lap dancer. “When I go off to a class she says ‘Oh, she’s off to her lap dancing class now’ and I have to constantly tell her ‘it’s not lap dancing, it’s pole fitness, it’s a workout’” says Joanne.

An hour on the pole can burn up to 250 calories. That’s equivalent to one hour of walking or a 30-minute jog. It sounds simple, spinning on a pole for 60 minutes, but the effort pole dancers put their body through is definitely not so simple. And, if you think it comes to you overnight, think again. While it may take a short while to get the hang of it, the initial practices (and the subsequent soreness) would make most people want to back out immediately.

“I was rubbish at the start. It took me ages to master spins, not to mention that it was sore and my body was covered in bruises from the pole. But everyone is the same when they start out,” says Joanne.

It is so popular that Ireland entered the World Pole Championships in 2010 with pole dance-genius Arlene Caffrey flying the Irish flag for the first time in the competition. Petitions were even circulated at one stage, albeit unsuccessfully, for the sport to become an official competition in the London 2012 Olympics.

But is it an art or a sport? Dance is a form of art, no doubt, but pole dancing requires strength in places where other dance styles don’t. The brass monkey, a technique where the dancer climbs the pole, requires immense upper-arm strength, and as a form of cardio workout, dancers often lie horizontally mid-pole and do sit-ups. The question must be asked – why does it not qualify as a sport?

Despite the increasing popularity of pole fitness, many still argue that the future of a pole dancer will still remain on a 12

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

“I was rubbish at the start.

It took me ages to master spins, not to mention that it was sore and my body was covered in bruises from the pole. But everyone is the same when they start out.”

The notion of pole dancing dates as far back as the 12th Century as an Indian sport Mallakhamb, in which men would perform poses on a wooden pole.

>

stage in an old, dark pub with men stuffing money into their thongs.

But, at the same time, we are seeing dancers like Arlene Caffrey, and Joanne, and Bendy Kate (of Sky 1’s Got To Dance, the X Factor’s dancing equivalent) who have all made decent careers of it, ones that are miles away from the dark stage of old clubs.

Of course this sport can be still labelled as a particularly controversial one. Maybe it’s to do with the fact that you don’t need much clothes on when you’re doing it! The more skin you bare, the better grip you have on the pole. It may seem degrading and exploitative of women, but most who put themselves forward for the experience actually leave with more confidence than when they went in. Since catapulting into the Irish fitness world back in 2006, pole fitness classes have popped up all over the country. So we went along (apprehensively) to try it out for ourselves.

Giggles and occasional pole burns (yes, they actually exist) aside, it’s tough work. We were weaned in on the fireman spin – like what you see in the movies, and ended up heels-over-head (not a typo!). From the brass monkey to the chair spin, and the sunwheel spin, it was a lot to take in. But needless to say, it was exciting. We walked out of the studio like Jennifer Beals in Flashdance.

We learned that we had very weak upper-body strength, and that we would be in severe pain for the next three days. But, as Joanne told us, you do get an adrenaline rush which makes you want to try it again and again, till you get the technique just right. Although it may take us a while to recover first!

Early forms began in the U.S. in the 1920s when travelling performers and dancers used a tent pole in their act.

>

>

In the 1990s Fawnia Mondey Dietrich started teaching pole dancing to healthconscious women and produced the very first instructional pole dancing DVD.

Modern pole dancing originated back in 1968 in Oregon, USA with a performance by a Miss Belle Jangles

>

A History of Pole Dancing

>

In 2006, the fitness aspect became part of Ireland’s workout scene with dozens of clubs subsequently popping up around the country

Taboo

Strip tease was added to the performance in the 1980s and is believed to have started in Canada’s table dancing and lap dance clubs.

13

Taboo

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

Faith Street Ian Mahon examines the lives of two ardent young Catholics living in Ireland, and discovers that Catholicism on our shores is far removed from the picture painted by the mainstream media. Photos by Niamh Freeney and Jamie Doyle

T

he media lied. Catholicism in Ireland isn’t just a lessening crowd of ageing men and women, all praying together up and down the country in a kind of hopeless harmony. Down near Dun Laoghaire, there’s proof that all isn’t as it seems. Proof in the form of a 26-year-old desperate for a Bruce Springsteen ticket, and his 23-year-old friend, who’s desperate for the pub.

Together, James Byrne and Robert Loughlin represent a Catholic revival of sorts. A fight back, albeit unintentional, against the many recent injustices dished out in public by magazines, newspapers, and most recently on television – as has been witnessed throughout RTÉ’s libellous forays into the life of Galway priest Fr. Kevin Reynolds.

Their battle is a fight going on behind the scenes, however, and Robert sought to explain the reasoning as he sat down for a chat in his family home in the leafy south Dublin suburb of Monkstown. “Being religious just isn’t something you’d bring up with most people in a conversation”, he says. “For example, I love pizza, but I’m not going to walk up to someone and just shout out, ‘I love pizza’. Just like I wouldn’t go up and say to somebody, ‘Hi, I’m Robert. I love religion.’”

James adds, “The last time I mentioned religion to somebody was a few weeks ago. One of the lads asked me to meet up with him a bit earlier on a Sunday. When I told him I couldn’t because I had to go to

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

mass, he looked at me as if I was lying.

That’s the same with most people who find out. I usually deal with something along the lines of, ‘Really?!’ But that sort of stuff doesn’t bother me.”

James is one who has felt the effects of simmering tensions hit very close to home. Last year an elderly nun, who is close friends with his mother Philomena, was attacked as she made her way home from church, and the 26-year-old, who recently graduated from the National College of Ireland with a degree in Accounting and Human Resource Management, is openly critical of people’s attitude.

“Most people don’t know what they’re talking about. And people are attacking priests and nuns because of what’s being said,” he says.

“One of my mam’s best friends is a nun, she’s about 80-years-old, and she has been verbally abused on the street.

It’s not a nice thing to see anyone upset, especially a harmless old woman. It’s this sort of stuff that gets to me.”

“People are very fickle,” Robert adds.

“Say if loads of young people thought, ‘James is sound’. If he had a few bad words to say about the Church while carrying this influence, his views would catch on. It’s starting in the media, but then people are believing what they are reading, or seeing, and they start to talk to their friends. When they start talking, their views catch on and the word spreads.”

James feels that the media have a huge responsibility when it comes to managing tensions, and that it is a responsibility that

they are not coping with particularly well.

“Have you ever watched shows like The Late Late or Frontline when they’re talking about the Church? I’ve always noticed that the Church’s spokesman is usually a priest, or somebody that is quiet and reasonable, and those arguing against the Church are usually angry and loud. They normally give the priest about five minutes to talk, but let the others go on for much longer than that.”

“It’s never a fair debate, and if they wanted balance they could easily get an angry, loud person who still supports the Church. They choose not to, and it’s an

“One of my mam’s best friends is a nun, she’s about 80-yearsold, and she has been verbally abused on the street.” example of how the media are still attacking Catholicism. They don’t want to talk about the good that is going on.”

The pair aren’t just armchair Catholics, either, with both set to travel to Lourdes as part of a volunteer group this September.

For Robert, it will be his fifth time volunteering – a feat that will receive recognition from Archbishop Diarmuid Martin – but it is set to be James’s first visit.

“I don’t stop working over there, but I get a lot of satisfaction from what I do,” says

Taboo

Robert. “My job role is usually stewarding, so it’s my responsibility to make sure that everybody is kept safe and sound, but on a larger scale I’m just generally in the area and trying to make people’s days that bit better.”

Robert has already started fundraising for the trip to the shrine at the foothills of the Pyrénées, even though he admits he wasn’t meant to be involved. “The supermarket bag packing was more for the younger lads, but I wanted to go along and offer some help.”

“You feel satisfied in Lourdes because you’re helping people out. It’s very moving because everybody’s praying in unison to thank God for what they’ve got. And I’ve never seen anyone moaning. There’s always a good atmosphere, even amongst those who are dying. It makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.”

“It also brings some of the younger people together, y’know, and helping older people really helps to teach some of them about the value of life.”

Unlike many who only stumble across religion in later life, Catholicism has always been a big part of both Robert and James’s lives, with the two being regular churchgoers from an early age. Both still regularly attend, every Sunday, “when work doesn’t get in the way”, and James tries to explain the reasoning behind his continued faith.

“When I was growing up, all the kids from the area were sent to mass by their parents. Because sometimes the parents were too busy to go themselves, a lot of

Robert (left) shares a laugh with James as the pair look in at churchgoers attending mass in Dun Laoghaire 15

Taboo

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

the kids ended up pissing off to the park instead, but I always went. Then, when I was about 14, I just started going to mass because I wanted to, rather than having to. It just felt right.”

“Faith, to me, means everything. It’s the most important thing in my life,” admits James, as he recounts about how his old family home in Blackrock exploded due to a gas leak just months after his family had upped sticks and moved a few kilometres down the road to Nutgrove.

it still doesn’t change the truth of the Church.”

Robert then interrupts, briefly, to expand on James’ point, “Kids have a more outspoken attitude these days, and I think that’s a good thing. If a priest tried any of that crap on a child today, I’d like to think that the child would be far more likely to speak out against it.”

Many have argued in recent times that the Church will have to adapt to survive the crisis it finds itself in, but this

importance of confession, using a lighthearted example to put across a serious argument.

“If you’re genuinely sorry, and you say it and do your penance, you’re forgiven, no matter what. That’s what the Church teaches. It’s like me going downstairs and saying, ‘Linda [Robert’s mother], I’ve killed Robert up there. I’m sorry.’ She might not forgive me, but God will.”

Although both unquestionably have faith, they are at the same time equally capable of putting forward a different spin on what – or indeed, who – they believe in, with Robert at one stage expanding on James’ views of confession.

“If you’re in confession and you don’t know the Hail Mary, it doesn’t matter. The priest will work around it, and if worse

“I feel terrible about the abuse scandals, but it’s important to remember that it was people who made mistakes and it was people who covered them up, not the Church.”

“A lot has happened in my life that has made me sit back and say, ‘I am lucky,’ and I’m thankful to God for that.”

It’s undeniable that the abuse scandals did go some way towards damaging the reputation of the Church, both at home and abroad, and the two have strong views on the subject.

“I think you have to be called to be a priest, and that’s where a lot of the abuse scandals stemmed from,” says James.

“Back in the 1960s, if parents were unhappy with a layabout son they’d send him off to the priesthood. If you’re becoming a priest for the wrong reasons then it’s much more likely that bad things will happen, and they did.”

“I feel terrible about the abuse scandals,” he adds, “but it’s important to remember that it was people who made mistakes and it was people who covered them up, not the Church. When a man makes a mistake, or even many men, 16

isn’t something with which Robert would necessarily agree. “There’s nothing major they can do to change. You’re there to hear the gospel and receive communion.

They can’t just change it up when they decide things aren’t going well.”

And on the subject of regularly attending church, James is particularly forceful.

“If you don’t go to church, you’re missing out on the main stuff. It’s like feeding your soul. You know the way you’d go to McDonald’s for a burger? You’re not going to survive without food, and your soul’s not going to survive without going to mass, or receiving communion.”

“So, no more burgers anymore. Feed your soul instead!” shouts Robert, as Bruce Springsteen’s Radio Nowhere bleats out of a nearby radio and the two begin to discuss the financial implications of forking out a three-figure sum for his July gig in the RDS. James is later equally assertive on the

comes to worst he’ll just say, ‘Look, just go out and make some sort of sacrifice.

Don’t eat that Snickers bar you were going to eat.’ He’ll give you a different way to prove you’re sorry.”

As for moral issues in modern society, James and Robert beliefs are quite close to those of the Vatican. Successive popes have condemned the practice of executing convicted criminals and have drawn scorn from conservatives who advocate its practice as a crime deterrent. Ireland may be amongst the majority that have abolished the death penalty in either law or practice, but 43 executions still took place in the United States in 2011 – with many more in China, Iran, North Korea and Yemen. The issue of whether it is right to kill a person in the name of justice is one with which most people have a strong opinion, and as a Catholic, the idea of capital punishment isn’t something that sits easy with James.

“I think the death penalty is wrong,” he laments. “No matter what the situation is, it’s murder. Murdering another human shouldn’t be a choice that somebody has the power to make.” Robert, sensing the tension in his friend’s voice, quickly brings up a point of his own, “If I was given the

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

choice between the death penalty and life in prison, I’d much rather life in prison.

You could still have good days.”

Silence then lingers throughout the room for a moment, until James gets a second wind: “And the courts can be wrong sometimes. I’ve read about innocent people being sentenced to death

place in the United States since capital punishment was reintroduced there in the mid-’70s, almost 50 million legal abortions were carried out in that same period. Because of Ireland’s stringent abortion laws, an average of 12 Irish women every day travel to the UK to have their pregnancies terminated – almost 4,500 per year.

“You feel satisfied in Lourdes because you’re helping people out. There’s always a good atmosphere, even amongst those who are dying. It makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.” before.” These concerns appear to be somewhat warranted too, according to statistics released by Amnesty International, who state that since 1973, 140 people have been released from death rows throughout the United States due to evidence they were wrongfully convicted – with more than 1,200 people being executed in the same time period.

A more pressing concern for both friends, however, is one that is more relevant to their lives in Ireland: abortion. While almost 1,300 executions took

While this figure is the lowest in any year since 1969, and is the fourth successive year the number has fallen, it is still twelve women a day too much, according to both friends.

Despite the two being vehemently opposed to abortion James is perhaps the more vocal campaigner of the two, with Robert describing him as a “keyboard warrior” on the issue.

“I’d be on Facebook fairly regularly, letting people know about anti-abortion marches and putting forward my views as

Taboo

well, because I think abortion is 100 per cent wrong,” says James. “No matter what the situation is, it’s killing an innocent life – and it’s murder as well.”

In fact, a recent Facebook status update from James concerned the defeated Private Members’ Bill in the Dáil, proposed

by TDs Clare Daly, Joan Collins and Mick Wallace to legislate on the controversial ‘X Case’.

“Fantastic to hear that an abortion bill was defeated in the Dáil today by 109 votes to a measly 20. Still means that 20 muppets got voted in though.”

The two later bicker about the rights and wrongs of forms of contraception, until James raises his voice slightly, “You have to go with what the church says, though.

Just because a lot of young people are using condoms nowadays, they can’t just turn around and say, ‘Alright, we’ve taught this for hundreds of years, but since everybody’s using it, we’ve decided condoms are fine.’”

Despite all the scandals of the past, there is no doubt that Catholicism in Ireland is picking itself up from the canvas and dusting itself off. As James points out, the number of people studying for the priesthood actually increased last year – 22 seminarians enrolled at St. Patrick’s College Maynooth in September, up from 16 the year before – and both friends agree that attendances at their respective churches are as high as they have ever been.

But at this very moment in time, the Catholic revival isn’t a big concern to either of them. In fact, it isn’t much of a concern at all. As it stands, their main worry involves clawing back into a game of FIFA 2012 on Robert’s Playstation 3 – Dirk Kuyt has just extended Holland’s lead to two goals, and the two can afford a laugh amongst themselves as the dejection sits in, “Ah, Jim. Dirk Kuyt? He’s definitely a Protestant!” laughs a clearly frustrated Robert as he tightens his grip on the Playstation controller.

As the two settle down from their joking, James suddenly has an epiphany. “Whether this bad feeling towards the Church lasts or not, it doesn’t make a difference.

We still have faith. I just feel sorry for the people that have lost faith, or have never had it at all. They don’t know what they’re missing out on – it’s a powerful thing.”

Fifty years ago, most ardent Catholics would be sitting at home around this time of the evening, waiting for the broadcast of the 6 o’clock Angelus. Today though, there’s a 26-year-old heading to work, with one eye on raising funds for a potential splurge on a ticket to see ‘The Boss’, and his 23-year-old friend, who’s heading to the pub.

But the revolution will not be televised.

17

Taboo

Minority Report tabooeditorial@gmail.com

With most members of the travelling community only attaining primary education, STEPHEN MURPHY finds out about those who move away from their family’s traditional way of life and enter the colleges and universities of Ireland.

I

reland’s education system has progressed beyond recognition in the past 20 years.

We have one of the highest participation levels in the world when it comes to thirdlevel education, with 60 per cent of students who complete secondary level education continuing on to some form of third level.

But there is one area of our society that has not benefited from the upturn in our education – the Travelling community still have very poor participation rates in third-level.

There is an estimated 3,406 Travellers in the 15-24 age range living in the Republic of Ireland. Most students attending colleges would fall in this age range but there are only 102 Travellers currently pursuing third-level courses in the University and Institutes of Technology sector. Analysis of data collected

18

by the Higher Education Authority on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills for 2010-2011 indicates that 31 students in higher education institutions that year were from an Irish Traveller background. This compares to 27 entrants in 2009-2010.

While there has been progress, participation by young Irish Travellers in higher education is very low (estimated at 5 percent of the overall national population in the relevant age cohort), compared to overall national participation rates. It should be noted that there may be more students from Traveller backgrounds in higher education as the Higher Education Authority survey is voluntary and incorporates the principle of self-identification.

These figures are a big improvement on

previous years but they are still only a tiny percentile of the community progressing through the Irish education system. The Irish traveller movement (ITM) has been very proactive on education issues over the past number of years. They have been working hard on programmes in primary and secondary level education to try to increase participation and eradicate racism towards the travelling community.

In 2009, ITM founded a peer support group for Travellers attending third-level education, Supporting Travellers in College (STIC). There were five in attendance at the first meeting. ITM argued that this support group was essential for the future of young travellers in third-level education. “What we found was they had no support network, no role models. When they got together in STIC they were looking around at each saying, ‘You’re a traveller?’ and it was a comfort to talk to others in their position,” a spokeswoman for ITM said.

“Many of those in college have a fear of identifying themselves as travellers. Some do identify themselves straight off, others wait to build friendships and then let their friends know about their background. STIC let them share those experiences as well”.

STIC also found that another fear many had when in third-level was of the day they graduate. If some had hidden their background through their college years, their families attending graduation ceremonies could present problems for them. Some didn’t attend their graduations out of fear of discrimination.

STIC faces difficulties in the future, though much of this is due to the drastic cut in funds for traveller education by the Government.

The Government had previously been investing €75 million a year, but in 2010 all funding was cut, leaving STIC and similar groups with bleak futures. All resource centres for members of the travelling community will have their doors closed by the end of this year, and both the ITM and Pavee Point have lost their education officers, who were funded by the Government.

The Government claims that the Traveller

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

community is one of the target groups identified in the National Access Plan 2008-2013, whereby the Higher Education Authority were responsible for implementing funding measures which facilitate greater educational access and opportunity for groups who are under-represented in higher education.

With funding cuts, this is no longer the case.

The Senior Traveller Training Centre (STTC) programme has been in operation since 1974. The Department of Education claim integrated further education provision for Travellers will be implemented throughout this year and STTCs will be phased out

by June 2012. Replacement places, prioritised for Travellers, will be provided under the Back to Education Initiative (BTEI).

STIC also found that another fear many travellers had when in third level was on the day of their graduation.

There have been no new enrolments in STTCs from 1 January 2011.

Mary O’Leary (20), who just finished a BA in Sociology and Geography at NUI Maynooth, is one graduate who has benefited from the support of the STCC. “I loved college and had great support from the departments and access office,” says Mary. As with most young travellers starting in the education system though, Mary found primary school extremely difficult and faced a lot of discrimination and prejudices.

“My parents found that my teachers were

extremely supportive of me, and without their support and dedication I don’t think I would have got to where I am,” states Mary.

She says that STIC was a great asset and a necessary support for her through college.

Mary was one of the five original members at the group’s first meeting. “I joined STIC in September 2009 at their first meeting. I feel that a group such as STIC can be very important in getting more Travellers, young and old, into higher education and keeping them there. This is because STIC is the first group aimed specifically at Travellers who are in third-level, and it is for Travellers by Travellers. I would hope to see the group grow and expand in the coming years.”

Mary has gone on to work as a social care worker and says it’s a line of work that she loves but she isn’t finished with education.

“I will be pursuing my education by doing a part-time postgraduate course in the next year,” says Mary. She adds that the support of STIC makes her decision to do a postgraduate course a lot easier.

ITM are now trying to launch their Yellow Flag programme in third-level education. It works in the same way as the Green Flag programme for schools that are proven to be eco-friendly and get a green flag to fly outside their school. The Yellow Flag scheme provides a practical series of eight steps that brings issues of interculturalism, equality and diversity to schools.

The steps include intercultural and antiracism training for staff and management, establishing a diversity committee, conducting an intercultural review and the production of a diversity code and anti racism policy for the school. On completion of the eight steps, schools receive a yellow flag.

Taboo

“Some colleges are already trying to implement diversity schemes and programme to integrate Travellers into their education system and college life. We feel the Yellow Flag programme can be a template for colleges to follow or even implement fully,” say the ITM.

Ireland’s universities’ outreach programmes for students from marginal communities: • UCC (UCC+): The Cork university set up UCC+ with 1,185 students passing through the programme since 1998.

• UCD (UCD Access Centre): About 600 students enter UCD through Access each year.

• TCD (Trinity Access Programme): The college aims for 22 per cent of first year students to come from “non-traditional” backgrounds.

• DCU (DCU Access Service): Almost 700 students have graduated through the Access Service over the last 21 years.

• UL (UL Access): This year saw 149 students enter the UL programme.

• NUIG (NUI Galway Access Service): A college quota mandates that 20 per cent of first year students come from disadvantaged backgrounds, students with disabilities and mature students.

•NUIM (Maynooth Access Programme): NUIM helped 101 people from marginalised communities attain places on the university’s courses.

19

Taboo

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

Teen Spirit

Although it still carries with it the burden of discrimination, being young and gay in today’s Ireland doesn’t necessarily mean falling out with your family anymore, as Lainey Quinn finds out.

Despite the rapidly increasing recognition and acceptance of the gay scene throughout the Irish nation, not everyone has an easy time. Upon talking to other gay people, I realise that I was luckier than most. My story of “coming out of the closet” isn’t a long, drawn out process with negative reactions from my parents.

It was quite the opposite.

I first became attracted to other women when I was 15 – young and naïve, I didn’t think much of it until I had my first relationship. I was 17 when I dated a girl from the year below me in school. I had brought her back to my house once before and she had met my mum briefly. At this point, my mum didn’t have a clue I was gay, or if she did I wasn’t aware of it.

One day I arrived home from school and stated casually to my mum that I was dating that girl Jacqui she had met a few weeks ago. She said she didn’t care if I dated a boy, girl or any other form of life, but she had concerns about dating someone from my school. She said I got distracted easily and I had to focus on my Leaving Certificate, not a relationship. Of course, being stubborn and defiant I ignored her and ended up royally screwing up my exams – but that’s for another day.

I don’t remember ever telling my dad that I was gay, I think I left that job up to my mum. It was a terrifying thought of saying the words, “Dad, I’m gay.” Christmas morning of that year put my fears to rest. As I was holding the present from my father, I knew it was a book. Everyone knows when he or she gets a book, purely from the shape.

However, I didn’t predict the book would be about Irish people’s experiences of ‘coming out’. I think this was his way of telling me he knew I was gay and it was OK. Nonetheless, I blushed like a burglar caught red-handed for the next few hours. Over the next five years of being out and proud to my family, my dad has even made perfectly executed jokes about being gay – not that they are any good. But it makes me smile when I 20

see my dad try hard to be cool about the whole gay thing.

Not everyone is so blasé about it though. I learnt one day that I “looked gay”, as said by a group of young teens in Cabinteely Park – not being sure if it was a compliment, I said nothing. When the shrill voices of the youngsters got a bit rowdy and insulting, I thought to myself, “this is going to end badly so I might as well have a bit of fun while I can!” I was stuck in a little sand playground and I definitely wasn’t getting out of it easily.

After exclaiming how indeed I was gay, single and looking, the atmosphere turned almost

electric. One girl came up giggling asking me for my number.

Now that wasn’t the reaction I expected.

Dressed like a four-year-old and trying to act like an 18-year-old, I shook my head sadly and rejected her on the basis she was definitely too young for me. In response, she scuttled away laughing like a hyena.

After all the harmless joking the gang stopped laughing and began advancing upon me like an army of amateur soldiers in the frontline, not sure whether to shoot or run. The ringleader decided to spice things up and get her army’s mood in gear by attempting to spit on the jacket I was wearing – my favourite one – and missing by a long shot. I took my jacket off to save it from any more putrid saliva balls just in time before the whole group took great delight in grinding my neck and head into the sandy pavement with the bottom of their dirty Nike runners.

Since that incident, some of my pride has been knocked and I tend to be wary of some people. There have been many stories of attacks happening that are spurred on by homophobia, awful, horrible stories! This sort of discrimination only happened to me once more, when I was left walking away with a split open temple and thinking it might be of use to report it to the Gardaí. All I received from them was a snigger when I told them it happened outside a gay nightclub. They didn’t even ask me for a statement or my details. Pricks.

For many people, “coming out of the closet” is a big deal. The one tip I would give people is not to be ashamed of who you are.

Some people only realise they are gay when they are in their 40s and married.

Some people keep it a secret for years for fear of negative reactions, or maybe they have a family they don’t want to disrupt.

But at the end of the day, it is you who is living your life, no one else. And as far we know we have this one shot to have fun and make something out of ourselves. So take the opportunity you have been given and break free of that voice in your head telling you to keep your mouth shut and tell your family you’re going on a night out with the lads, when in actual fact you’re going to gay it up in the George. There is a wonderful gay community in Dublin so come out, go out and have some fun!

Gay help-lines: Gay Switchboard Dublin 01 872 1055 LGBT 1890 929 539 OUTWEST Ireland 087 972 5586

Photo by MEG MURPHY

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

Taboo

He

Thinks

She

Thinks Remember to listen, remember to listen, remember to listen...or at least pretend to listen. When she blinks, you can look down at your phone and catch the scores. Oh shit, she just said something, and she’s now looking at me waiting for a reaction. Her face doesn’t look too stern, perhaps she said something funny, I better laugh (laughs). She’s laughing as well, phew! I think I might be getting the ride tonight.

◀

On a first date

If the dad is into football – sorted, and I can do a bit of light flirting with her mother but nothing too...wow! Her mother is ac- ◀ tually quite fit. She must have given birth when she was... ooops, they’ve noticed me staring – and drooling a bit. Girlfriend doesn’t look too pleased, but her mother kinda does. When God closes a door, he opens a window.

This girl has a great sense of humour, which is also good. Everyone at the table is laughing at her jokes. Is she funnier than me? I don’t know ◀ if I like that. She loves football as well...but knows more about the game than I do. She’s gorgeous – her martial arts training keeps her in shape...but she’d probably be the one saving my ass if we got mugged...this girl would be perfect if she wasn’t so perfect.

▶

Meeting the parents ▶

Attractive attributes

He is a really nice guy and he’s gorgeous! I spent hours getting ready...I wonder if he notices? He’s telling a funny story...I love a man with a sense of humour! I wonder what car he drives? Oh wow, he just told me I have really nice eyes. OH MY GOD I WANT HIS BABIES! Better not say that to him...that’s more of a third date conversation.

This is a big step in the relationship but I’m glad it happened two months after the first date. I’ve got to be polite, attentive and engaged in the conversation... I better put in extra effort with the siblings. Table manners will be crucial and swear words are a definite no-no. Once dinner is over and the parent-partner relationship is blossoming, I’m gonna offer to help clean the dishes. That seems polite enough without sucking up too much.

This guy has some good qualities; he’s polite, gentle and mature. His sense of humour and open mind are a plus... as is his ability to handle an emotional, crying woman (me) from time to time. If he puts his coat ▶ around me when I get cold, and doesn’t invite himself into my house, he is definitely a keeper.

Taboo

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

With the exact number of victims of the Magdalene Laundries still not known, DÓNALL HOEY writes about one of Ireland’s darkest periods after discovering a family connection to the tragedy. Main photo

by NIAMH FREENEY.

I

n 1947, a 17-year-old girl was kidnapped by an elderly neighbour in her village on Kerry’s Atlantic coast. She was locked in a shed for two days and raped. After the man released her, she went back to her family.

No charges were brought against him and life went back to normal, at least for most people in the village. The girl discovered she was pregnant. She suffered a brutality at the hands of a man and subsequently at the hands of her Church. Her name was Máire and she was my grandmother’s sister.

Almost 50 years later, at High Park laundry in Drumcondra, Dublin 9, a startling discovery was made when the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity sold off land to developers after losing money in a bad commercial investment. Permission was granted in 1993 to exhume 133 bodies of women, who ‘worked’ in the Magdalene laundries and were buried on the grounds, for cremation and burial in a mass grave in Glasnevin. In the exhumation process, 22 further bodies were found which the order could not account for. One of Ireland’s darkest secrets was out.

Bunreacht na hÉireann (1937), article 41.2 declares: “[...] the State recognises that by her life within the home, woman gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved...

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

The State shall, therefore, endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home.”

Uniquely for a national constitution, the role of women in society was laid out, and it did not extend beyond motherhood or the homestead.

The plight of women in a patriarchal and Catholic-dominated Ireland is, perhaps, one of the more shameful aspects of independent Ireland. Two stories, one about a woman whose brief life is still being uncovered, and another about the survivors and their struggle to gain recognition exemplify what went wrong with 20th century Ireland.

Justice for Magdalenes (JFM) is a nonprofit organisation, set up in the wake of the mass grave discovery at High Park, whose two main goals are an apology from the Church and State to the victims of the Magdalene institutions and reparations to the survivors. Claire McGettrick, spokesperson for the group explains why she got involved: “I started in 2002. I’ve no direct link but I am an adopted person and it was through the adopted arena where I became aware of the situation, and it was the excavation at High Park and the mysterious circumstances surrounding those excavations that really spurred me to get on board.”

Its final institutions not closing till 1996,

Taboo

the Magdalene Laundries became more widely known after the release of Mary Raftery’s and Eoin O’Sullivan’s non-fiction book Suffer the Little Children (1999) and Peter Mullan’s film The Magdalene Sisters (2002).

The abuse suffered under the Magdalene system is perhaps more shocking to modern Ireland because of the blatant misogyny of it. Sexually precocious girls and women, or even those deemed to be a future risk of ‘sin’ were the ones incarcerated – there was no male equivalent to the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland.

In 1947, Máire’s pregnancy saw her, at the urging of the Church, being sent off to the “home” in Killarney, or Killarney Mental Hospital and Home to give it its official title.

An institution run by nuns to house those who have “fallen”, it is perhaps comparable to the Magdalene institutions that housed women who were deemed too deviant for Catholic society. She stayed there for the rest of her pregnancy and lived within the building for the rest of her life – all three years of it. In December of 1951, she died at the age of 22. Her death certificate had tuberculosis written down as the cause. At the moment there is no way to verify this, and due to the lapse in time and archaic record keeping practises, perhaps there never will be.

“It’s a difference between right and

Taboo

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

GLASNEVIN: The cemetery where many of the residents of High Park laundry are buried. wrong, so it’s not important what someone’s belief systems are. We certainly haven’t come across any conflict of interest,” says Ms. McGettrick about the religious beliefs, or lack thereof of activists with JFM. With the abuse and incarceration being enacted by several holy orders, it must be hard to maintain Catholic beliefs whilst involved with Justice for Magdalenes. “I don’t know anybody [involved with JFM] who would identify themselves as Catholic. I can only speak for myself when I say that I formally defected from the church years ago and am proud to have done so.”

Asked if there was anyone in the Catholic Church who has helped or championed the cause of JFM, Ms. McGettrick pauses for a moment to think of any names that spring to mind. “I don’t know if there has been one who has particularly ‘championed’, but we did have a meeting with Cardinal Sean Brady in June 2010,” she replies. “We made a presentation laying out the case and he characterised our presentation as fair and balanced and he felt that the religious orders should engage; however the religious orders have declined to engage with us despite considerable correspondence with us.”

Máire was refused burial in her local cemetery by the priest. As an unwed mother, she did not meet the moral standards to be buried in the sacred mud, sod and stones of a Christian graveyard. She was instead buried in a makeshift grave outside the “home”.

Her family, wishing to give their youngest daughter a Christian burial, sent out two of her brothers to dig up her remains in the middle of the night and rebury them in a nearby graveyard. There she remained, unmentioned and unknown. Her family, not wanting to bring up painful memories or perhaps having been told that having a daughter who committed “fornication” was deeply shameful, kept her existence quietly hidden away.

The pursuit of justice for the survivors and an apology from the Church and State for all who suffered isn’t, as one would 24

expect, a cheap endeavour. With many non-profit organisations receiving less funding as a result of the financial crisis, is it fair to assume that Justice for Magdalenes has suffered too?

Not particularly says Ms. McGettrick, as JFM maintains a financial independence from the State. “We’ve never had State funding nor is it our intention to apply for State funding. We’re reliant on donations and are completely voluntary – we don’t

In the exhumation process, 22 further bodies were found which the Order could not account for have any employees. We’ve never had more than a thousand euro in our bank account.”

The exact numbers of residents and victims of the laundries is unknown. It’s difficult to put an estimated number on it as both Church and State have scattered records throughout their various departments. “The Church has refused to release records post 1900. Records being made available to survivors, that’s the top priority,” states Ms. McGettrick. As with most tragedies in modern human history, she argues that collecting the records and documenting the crimes is critically important to preventing history repeating itself. “Ethically approved historians need to get in there and make sense of what happened and tell that story so that it doesn’t happen again, and in fact it is happening again in other forms in nursing homes and in psychiatric institutions.”

There was no arrest, charge or conviction for the elderly man who carried out the kidnap and rape of Máire. From local

accounts, he remained a bachelor throughout his life. It is still not known exactly when he died but he apparently lived well into old age. He was regarded as dainséarach – dangerous – amongst some in the community, but he remained a free man to his last breath.

“Is it a case of ‘deny till they die’? We certainly hope not,” says Ms McGettrick about the possibility that compensation to the victims is being delayed to allow more to die off. “That would be our fear. The survivors are not getting any younger and they do not have that time to wait.” Although they state that any woman who was forced into the laundries should automatically be entitled to €100,000, further compensations are assessed by a weighted scale for the type and level of abuse suffered by the survivor on a case by case basis. Compared to other areas of compensation, she believes the amount required to provide redress, to restore dignity to these women, is a drop in the ocean. “We can’t estimate the number because we don’t have records but we know in comparison to the industrial schools, it is literally miniscule.”

The whereabouts of the son Máire bore, up until February of this year, was unknown amongst our family. We discovered he had passed away of cancer in 1995. So far, all we know was that he received treatment in Kerry, but there’s no evidence yet to confirm that he lived in the county. As for what he worked as or whether he had a family or children, there is still not enough to go on to personify this man in the minds of our family – at the moment he is a middle-aged man who succumbed to cancer after entering this world in the darkest of circumstances. The tragic bookends of this man’s life shouldn’t be what define him, at least to the family that never knew him. We can only hope there was some peace and happiness somewhere between those two points.

To find out more about the campaign for Magdalene Laundry survivors visit www.magdalenelaundries.com

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

The Rocky Road to Recovery

Taboo

Physically recovering from a serious head injury is a long and difficult process but sometimes your confidence can be the hardest thing to rehabilitate, as STEPHEN HANLON finds out. Photo by NIAMH FREENEY.

F

or most of us, the 6th of May 2006 was just one of the many forgettable days that make up our lives. For Peter Kavanagh, however, it was the day that changed his life forever.

“I was out with my friends when we encountered a group of five boys who were around the same age as us. They didn’t like our type – one of them didn’t like me in particular and when I dropped my guard, he hit me in the temple with a mobile phone.” Wicklow native Peter was just 14 when the vicious assault occurred. The attack left him with serious head injuries and doctors put him into an induced coma. Upon regaining consciousness, Peter discovered that he was entirely paralysed down his right side and that he had lost part of his ability to speak. An exhausting nine months of speech, occupational and physiotherapy followed in the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire.

Physically it took him just over a year to recover but the mental scars lasted much longer. Although he will always carry his mental wounds, Peter recalls the night things became easier for him. “I was at a friend’s party and I was still quite nervous after everything, but that night, for whatever reason something suddenly changed. I was talking to everybody instead of hiding behind people like I used to.”

This newly discovered confidence turned out to be crucial in Peter’s road to recovery. Not only did it allow him to move on from the bad memories of his past, but it also helped him to pave a new future. He has since gone on to study to become a veterinary nurse, but feels that after the assault, people would initially try to put limitations on him. “I would get in arguments with them. But receiving my Leaving Cert results was a huge confidence boost for me,” says Peter. “When I saw each grade I just wanted to scream, ‘I’VE PROVEN YOU WRONG!’” He did however have to relive his attack one more time during the subsequent court case in May of 2009. His attacker received a two-year sentence with the case concluding on the third anniversary of the assault, but this is not true justice in Peter’s eyes. “I believe that justice could only truly be served if he was to feel exactly what I felt. Only then do I ever think I could start to forgive him. I try not to think about it too much though.”

With the harrowing situation now behind him, Peter is determined to live his life to the full, a message he promotes as often as he can. “I’m never going to be to the way I used to.

I’ve now accepted that. I could say a lot of things about what I’ve been through, but the best advice I could give is to live in the present as you can lose everything in the blink of an eye.”

Hard Time Taboo

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

James Quinn sits down with an ex-inmate of Mountjoy Prison to discuss the daily life of a convict

I

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

t had been four years since the last time I saw Anto. At ease with each other, I ask him to tell me about Mountjoy.

“What do you want to know?” he asks.

The first day? “The van stays parked in front of the gates for nearly half an hour.

Three other lads sit handcuffed beside me. Nobody says a word the entire time we’re there. My body is rushing with butterflies. It’s kind of a similar feeling to when you wake up from a dream where you’re falling. The door opens and we are told to get out. I didn’t know what to expect. I was scared shitless but I had to hide it and I never told anyone. I think most people are, but nobody admits it.” He starts to smile as he tells me this, and I get the feeling it’s a relief for him to tell someone.

It had been a long time since I last saw my friend Anto. We grew up in the same area and were close childhood friends. In the years that had passed he had subsequently been jailed for a serious assault and attempted robbery. I read about it in the paper and found it hard to come to terms with. I don’t want to ask him why he did it because I’m afraid what the answer might be.

He is short in height but was always stocky which gave him an intimidating presence. But now he looks gaunt and malnourished. His experiences seem to have reshaped his character. He talks differently, both in accent and perspective – harder and more aggressive, but there’s also a vulnerability about him as he recalls his first day in Mountjoy Prison.

“You’re then stripped naked and you have to sit on the Bosch Chair, which is a big metal detector used to check for weapons. After that you’re given your prison clothes and put in a holding cell with all the other new inmates. There were about eight of us in the cell. I tried to keep to myself but two Travellers started pushing me for no reason. I pushed back and they both went for me. They got me to the ground and started kicking me and stamping on my head but I managed to cover up so they didn’t do too much damage”.

I was nervous travelling to meet Anto because I didn’t know what to expect.

It wasn’t just that I thought he would be different but I also wondered if he would think that I was different. The first few minutes are awkward. His experiences seem to have reshaped his character. He talks differently now both in accent and perspective. It takes a while but we find comfort in talking about our shared past.

“The screws [prison guards] came in

and pulled me out of the cell. They took a look at me and told me I was grand. I didn’t really know what just hit me, to be honest. After that I was strip-searched again, this time to check for drugs. I was then assigned a cell with two other lads.

They were grand though.” He starts to laugh at the expression of horror on my

“You have too much time to think about things, it can get to you. If people pick up on that you become an easy target” face. I shake my head and tell Anto that as far as first days go, his must have been terrifying. “Yeah,” he replies with a shrug, seemingly unfazed.

Anto came from a tough background.

He never met his father and his mother died when he was quite young. In a family of five children, he was the eldest, followed by his sister and three other brothers. When he was nine and his sister was seven, they were fostered by a stable middle-class family with his other brothers going to different homes. The family was strict but fair. As a kid, Anto was constantly in and out of trouble with the family but when he turned 18, they decided it was time for him to move on. As for his sister, she had a baby boy almost a year ago.

“I found out my sister was pregnant when I was in prison.” When asked how that made him feel, Anto replied, “It upset me at first because we’re very close and I feel very protective of her. I’d have preferred not to find out in prison. When I was inside, I didn’t want to hear anything about the outside. You have too much time to think about things, it can get to you. If people pick up on that you can become an easy target. It can be a tough place,” he says. I nod in agreement and ask him to tell me more about what his first few weeks were like.

“The Travellers who got me on the first

Taboo

day came back at me a couple of times in the first week. One of the lads I was sharing the cell with told me I had to do something about it or it would keep happening. I was playing pool one day and one of them walked in. I took my opportunity and laid him out with a pool cue.”

But in prison, grievances are rarely forgotten as Anto found out the next day. “I was playing pool and I was attacked by the two of them armed with a shiv [make-shift knife] and pool balls in a sock. It got broken up fairly quick but one of them managed to slash my head and arm up pretty badly.”

The indifference he shows to the level of violence shocks me. I ask him if anything happened afterwards. “No, that was pretty much the end of it. That was in the first few days and I kind of made friends after that, so they probably reckoned it wasn’t worth their while.”

Sounding like a terrifying environment to live in, I ask him was it always like that or does it get any better. “Yeah, it gets better.

Prison is kind of like school, believe it or not – there’s a natural order. If you come in thinking you’re someone you get found out pretty quick. Everyone sticks to their little groups in the yard – usually it’s with people you know or meet through other people. After a while it just becomes like being on the outside,” he says.

As for how prison has changed his life and his plans for the future, Anto remains pessimistic over his chances. “I’m actually homeless at the moment, so I’ve been living in hostels in town. They can be just as rough as prison. My sister and her partner won’t let me see my nephew. I don’t have a Leaving Cert or any skills so I guess I have to accept the fact that I won’t be getting a job any time soon,” he says in a defeated tone.

I tell him it’s never too late to turn your life around but he just shrugs his shoulders. We leave each other with a hug and a smile but inside I feel empty.

Incarceration rates by nation According to the International Centre for Prison Studies, Ireland has one of the lowest incarceration rates in the world. Ranked 149th out of 218, Ireland has 95 prisoners per 100,000 people. By comparison, the USA leads the list with 730 per 100,000. The EU member state with the highest rate is Lithuania, ranked 42nd globally with 276 per 100,000. Here is a list of incarceration rates in a few notable countries: 1. United States (730) 5. Russia (522) 42. Lithuania (276) 90. United Kingdom (156) 121. China (122) 149. Ireland (95)

Taboo

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

DRESSED TO THRILL I

LAINEY QUINN encounters two people who shed their workaday threads and put on the clothes that more properly fit their personalities. Photos by GAVIN FOWLER

was recently introduced to a fascinating person by the name of Eve, who also goes by the monikers “JJ” and “Evana Blowhard”. At first glance, you wouldn’t believe this 22-year-old make-up student with long red-chestnut hair is a man underneath the comfortable women’s clothing. To his mother, he is known as Jonathan. In this

glare” she explained. Eve decided to do a “legger”. It was a day of firsts; her first time dressing as a woman, her first Pride March and her first experience of running in heels.

Some people confuse cross-dressers with drag queens. The main difference is that drag queens are men dressed in almost theatrical female clothing and make-

Eve said that she would usually dress in jeans, Uggs and big jumpers and doesn’t like to be noticeably dressing as a woman.

It can be hard for people to come out as different from the norm in society but Eve had no reservations in telling her mother she liked to dress as a woman. Although initially the news was difficult to digest, her

article, and in everyday life, Eve prefers to be referred to as a “she”.

I was waiting for Eve outside a busy café on Dame Street in Dublin and four minutes after the time we had arranged to meet, an attractive looking girl caught my eye. It turned out to be Eve, my interviewee for the day – we exchanged hellos and sat down for a cup of coffee. She took no time in proceeding to let me know about the life of a cross-dresser – the nooks and crannies, the potholes and the ramps. She spoke with a clear, calm voice and didn’t seem at all shy talking about a subject that many people would be unfamiliar or uncomfortable with.

“I put women’s clothes on for the first time when I was 15 and joined in the annual Dublin Pride Day. I found that my chest area was rather unconvincing, she I two condoms with water and put them down my top. In the midst of the celebrations and excitement, whilst running beside a transsexual, one of the condoms fell out and exploded on to their shoe. As the whoops and yells of delight rang out around me, the transvestite fixed me with an irate

up, and cross-dressing men wear female clothing and make-up because they feel most comfortable in it. Cross dressers don’t perform or make money from it.

People also make a mistake between cross-dressers and transsexuals. Transsexuals are those who are either in the process or have already changed their gender. Eve is a cross-dresser, also known as a transvestite (from the Latin trans-, “across, over” and vestitus, “dressed”).

Is fashion a big thing to a cross-dresser?

Well, it takes Eve two hours to get ready when she is going out on the town and an hour when she’s going out for the day. Her favourite outfit is a little black dress from Forever 21 with a mink coat or her black whale-boned corset. She would describe her fashion sense as conservative and she doesn’t like to show off too much skin. Her number one tip for girls is “wear lower skirts and heels”.

The shops often graced by Eve’s credit card are Dior, Chanel, Brown Thomas, Forever 21 and charity shops. Asked if she would call herself a “full time cross-dresser”

mother is now very supportive and they share clothes, handbags and make-up. Her friends always had their suspicions about Eve’s sexuality and have been fully supportive.

Eve has not encountered much bullying or harassment in her life – although she recalls one exception. She was in a rock bar on the Quays and had been chatted up all night by a man. He had been saying the entire time he was into girls like Eve. Upon exiting the club, the man whispered something dirty into Eve’s ear, which implied he was planning on having sex with someone with female genitalia that night.

Shocked at the misunderstanding, Eve said “I’m a dude”. The man in turn looked even more shocked. Angrily clenching his fists, he shouted “I meant I’m into big girls”. That was the end of the chemistry for the night and unfortunately, for Eve, the second time she ended up running in heels.

When dressed up as a girl, Eve feels confident in her skin and believes if someone gave her hassle she would be able to find the voice inside to stick up for herself.

28

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

Taboo

The support she has received from her family and friends is, to her, a big help.

Everyone has idols that inspire him or her for one reason or another. A few that have inspired Eve are musical artists Pink and Lady Gaga and legendary Irish actress Maureen O’Hara. Lady Gaga inspires her because of her beliefs and how she has stuck to them. Eve is also influenced by the iconic Maureen O’Hara because she is sometimes compared to the actress on account of her Hollywood style dress sense and flaming red hair. “I once met Maureen O’Hara in Glengarriff,” says Eve. “I was excited to tell her about myself and how I like to dress like her – unfortunately she was unimpressed. I don’t think she understood.”

Eve only dates guys and is currently single and happy to be so. The only issue she has with her body is her middle toe is longer than the big toe. As a result, she doesn’t really like her feet. Other than that, Eve is quite comfortable in her own skin and has no intention of getting an operation to further her gender transformation.

Someone who does intend on having gender transformation surgery is William O’

as a woman when she was 12 years old and has been told she is much better looking as a woman than a man. Asked why she wants to surgically change her sex, she replied, “I should have been born a female, I don’t see myself as a guy. I’m getting it done as soon as possible.”

To start with she is going to save up and buy ‘chicken fillets’ – bra enhancers – off Ebay for €180. While talking about chicken fillets and gender transformation surgery, Luna sat back confidently in an arm chair

Luna’s fashion tip for girls is, “don’t wear too much make up, and less is more.” Her favourite outfit is a black and pink jumper with sparkly silver writing across the front, worn with black skinny jeans and black Converse runners. Luna notices that I am staring at her hair which is short, dark and tweaked to perfection. “Ah yes, the hair – I do own a wig,” she replied with a chuckle.

“Long black hair with blond streaks.”

It was then that I became envious of Luna and Eve. Their free-spirit and confi-

wearing a macho t-shirt that showed off her muscles and tattoos, totally at ease with the subject in question. So as a man who wants to become a woman, does Luna think guys have a good dress sense now that he sees them from a female perspective? “Absolute-

dent minds, and their ability to dress how they liked wherever and whenever they liked – their attitudes were inspiring. It was no surprise to me that many people cross-dress, nor was it a “heart-warming” or “eye-opening” experience. It merely made

Dwyer, 23. William calls himself ‘Luna’ and plans on using his medical card to pay for the operation eventually. He also prefers to be referred to as “she”. Luna first dressed

ly not! We (girls) find clothes that match our eyes, hair and nails. It takes me two hours to get ready. Guys do not know how to mix colours correctly.”

me happy to see two people who were born into the wrong body make the decision to be themselves and nobody else.

Eve is inspired by the iconic Maureen O’Hara because she is sometimes compared to the actress on account of her Hollywood style dress sense and flaming red hair

Cinema has a rich array of films dedicated to cross dressing. Here’s our top five choices: 1. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994): Aussie flick about three drag queens traversing across the outback and looking fabulous.

2. The Crying Game (1992): IRA fugitive Stephen Rea falls for the girlfriend of a dead British soldier, but all is not what it seems.

3. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975): Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Tim Curry in tights, The Time Warp...this musical is the guiltiest of pleasures.

4. The Birdcage (1996): Robin Williams and Nathan Lane play a “husband and wife” in front of their son’s prospective parents-in-law.

5. Tootsie (1982): Dustin Hoffman dresses in drag to land a part in a soap opera, but is stuck with his new persona when she becomes a hit.

29

Taboo

Ruth

tabooeditorial@gmail.com

With most agony aunts giving readers the sugar-coated advice they want to hear, rather than the advice they need to hear, RUTH MARKEY dispenses healthy doses of cop-on

I love my boyfriend so much but he keeps cheating on me. We are supposed to get married next year but I am having doubts about our future. He says he has got an addiction. He blames me for his cheating, and constantly tells me I should be thankful that he’s not an abusive maniac instead. He also says I’m being ungrateful because he has given me everything I ever asked for and I can’t give him my blessing on this. Is this my fault?

RACHEL (Newbridge)

Q

My wife says I have terrible body odour and because of that she is becoming less attracted to me every single day. She’s driving me nuts! It’s not my fault that I much prefer sitting on my bum, watching TV than having a shower. How do I shut up my annoying nagging wife? JOHN (Cabinteely) I can tell you how. Get up off your lazy behind, grab some shower gel and wash yourself! Are you serious?! Yuck!

A

A

Girl, where is your self respect?! He’s given you everything you asked for?

Did you forget to ask him not to cheat on you?! Get out of this toxic relationship immediately and for your own good, then hit the town and get yo’ freak on!

Q

I can’t seem to lose weight and it’s knocking my confidence. All I eat in my diet are burgers, chips and pizza. I only keep it to three meals a day with the odd pitcher of beer in the evening.

I also exercise regularly by walking to the chipper every day. Why can’t I lose weight? Is there something wrong? MICHAEL (Chapelizod)

A

Are you for real? You’re heading for cardiac arrest, never mind fat camp!

You only keep it to three meals a day? That’s great, but you’re eating three meals for a whole family rather than for yourself! Looks like you have to sort out your daily take-away excursions before you sort out your weight!

Q

You could say I used to have a bad boy reputation, but recently I have come across this amazing girl and I think I have found the one! There is one problem. You could say she not very “experienced” in the intimate department and she wants to wait until we get more serious. I swear I am going to explode! I have so many offers from so many gorgeous women on nights out to go home with them, and I have come close to cheating on her so many times. What do I do?

STEPHEN(Clondalkin)

A

What should you do? You should stop thinking with your pants and start to think with your brain for a start… if that’s possible! Stop being so selfish and start to think about your girlfriend’s feelings. To be honest I think she deserves better than you! So either cop on or spare your girlfriend’s pain and end it!

30

Q

I think I am in love with my manager in work, and I think he likes me too! He is always so nice to me and smiles at me and calls me one of his best workers and he acts completely different towards my other colleagues. The other day I caught him staring at me and checking me out!

There’s one problem though: he’s married with two children. But the chemistry between us is so strong.

Should I talk to him about it? Maybe he will leave his wife for me? CLAIRE (Clontarf)

A

People like you seriously annoy me. No, SICKEN me! Ah go on tell him! Of course he is going to leave his wife for you and probably jeopardise his job!

Then you both can get on a horse and gallop away into the sunset and live happily ever after in Never Never Land! Meanwhile, back here on planet Earth you and your prince will leave behind a broken home and two kids with an absentee father .You might also become known as a home wrecker to everyone you know. Then after a few weeks the spark will be gone and he’ll head off back to his missus leaving you alone with nobody but yourself because of your newfound reputation. But yeah I’d say go for it, good luck!

thinkstockphotos.com

Q