Ireland's Big Issue 263 (May 2021) by Ireland's Big Issue

Digital Edition May 2021 Is 263 Vol 19

Is Free Speech More Important than Not Causing Offence?

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Talking Point:

How Hong Kong Challenged the PRC’s Sovereignty Just as its President Reached the Height of his Power.

Is Free Speech More Important than Not Causing Offence? As we become more ‘woke’, our rights and freedoms around speaking candidly feel like they are ever-diminishing by the day. Liz Scales reports.

Letter to my Younger Self – Nancy Sinatra

Joori Roh takes a look at the multibillion dollar cosmetic surgery capital and the people scrambling to obtain cosmetic procedures.

80-year-old singer & actress Nancy Sinatra has a word or two for her 16-year-old self.

Page 28 Michael Mallin -Sentenced to Death for his role in Easter Rising.

Page 8

Sinéad Dunlop takes a look at the life of the Liberties man who faced the firing squad for his convictions.

Debunking QAnon - A Companion Piece to Last Issues’ ‘What’s Going on with QAnon?’

Page 34 Overcoming Ourselves

Alexander Guellil follows up on last issues’ article on the current situation with QAnon.

Joao Martins looks at our abilities to conquer obstacles, test our limits and remain resilient and the external factors that help us do this successfully.

Hanging out with Olivia-Newton John

@BigIssue Ireland

Page 25 South Koreans Scramble to Arrange Cosmetic Surgery.

Page 6

Page 12

Samantha McMurdock had a chat with veteran journalist and Hong Kong-mainland China conflict expert, Stephen Vines on the release of his book ‘Defying the Dragon.’

Jenny Brown speaks with Olivia about life on the farm, baking bread & concentrating on her health.

Regulars

20/21 – Photo World 26/27 – Screen Scene 32 - Book reviews 36-37 - Women’s World

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The Power of Film

info@irelandsbigissue.com

Shaun Anthony takes a look at the films that effected social change, like ‘Cathy Come Home’ and ‘Supersize Me.’

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Issues: Talking Point

Is Free Speech More Important Than Not Causing Offence? “Everyone is in favour of free speech. Hardly a day passes without its being extolled, but some people’s idea of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone else says anything back, that is an outrage.” (Winston Churchill)

s we become more and more ‘woke’, thanks in no small part to fearing we might trigger the ‘snowflakes’ of society and get ‘cancelled’, our rights and freedoms around speaking candidly feel like they are ever-diminishing by the day. Liz Scales reports.

English philosopher J.S. Mill once summed up the importance of free speech when he stated, "The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.” I think Mill summarises what most pragmatic, erudite individuals believe. Onceupon-a-time, in the not-toodistant past, dissidents could speak without fear and the law would protect them against any punishment concocted to punish or censor them. As an argument, the right to an opinion was viewed as sacrosanct and protesters were protected from those who wished to silence them. Public opinion was also largely on the side of the law ready to discredit those people who assumed the right to censor their adversaries. Not any more! Now if we state something that a section of people disagree with, or accidentally misgender someone, we’re viewed as inciting hatred. Someone will be offended - Tweets will be written and your cancellation will be imminent. But why can’t a person/group be vexed and either deal with it or offer a rebuke? Why, in 2021 is the answer to have people cancelled ? Free speech it seems is no longer a human right that is valued.

be censoring people. The only time speech should be censored is when inciting physical violence. Some liberals want every argument shut down that causes offence. But what is offence? We’re talking about something extremely subjective. I may not agree with something a politician says for example, but I can challenge it; I would not attempt to have that person removed from their job - that’s a step too far. Having people sacked and removing their platform accomplishes nothing - it hinders engagement, discussion and contemplation. Look how far we’ve progressed with race, sexuality, minority rights and other issues in the world. Did we get there by censoring voices? Remember when the signs ‘No Irish Need Apply’ used to be in shop windows and on job ads? Did people realise that was wrong until there was outrage and debate? Because of the discourse people learned it was wrong and now offensive and racist signs like this would not be acceptable. If we disagree with someone and they happen to be of a different race, gender or ethic group it doesn’t mean we are racist or misogynist, we are entitled to our opinion and people can use their intelligence to evaluate the merits of that opinion. Cancelling a person as the woke generation would have us do is at best misguided and has the potential to leave us all vulnerable to those who wish to deny true discourse, the political situation in Hong Kong and Myanmar come to mind. If we do not have true freedom to speak without fear we will not continue to evolve and improve.

Free speech is fundamental in a democracy but many so called liberals persistently attempt to silence dissenting voices; take Piers Morgan as an example - it wasn’t enough for the woke mob to try to silence him, they also tried to ‘cancel’ him by de-platforming him and trying to have him fired. That’s an incredibly dangerous mindset as we need to question opinions, we need to know if we’re correct in our viewpoint, we need to be challenged if we’re wrong, make adjustments and learn - that’s how society evolves and we see progress as a civilisation - not

Have your say on Twitter @BigIssueIreland 5

Issues: Life

Letter to my Younger Self - Nancy Sinatra

ach issue we ask a well-known face to write a letter to their 16-year-old self. This issue, 80-yearold singer and actress Nancy Sinatra looks back on her career as a new retrospective compilation of her music is released.

I was a pretty upbeat, contented 16-year-old, I He had faith in me and he gave me faith in myself. He followed all the rules. I loved school. I excelled and I gave me courage. So instead of bubblegum orchestral loved it. I didn’t rebel at all. I wore straight skirts, and music, we went into a more country, funk kind of feel, sweaters and saddle shoes and Bobby socks. The shorter which suited me much better. He really created that for skirts came later. Home life was pretty ordinary. I had me, and I’ll be forever grateful. a brother and a sister and a mother, and my dad would As well as the way he recorded my voice, Lee come and go. We were very, very close, all of us. In my surrounded me with great musicians. And we made high school years, my dad wasn’t as famous or popular as music that was much more me as a person, that groovy he became later or as he funky rhythm had been prior, in the big “My dad stayed out of it. He was very section. There band days in the Forties. good about that. He knew that the best wasn’t an It was all kind of normal. thing for me would be to be on my opportunity to do own, try by myself, and fall on my face I was into all kinds that kind of thing if necessary.” of music when I was a before. When you teenager. I composed a work for a record lot of music for the school label you do what concerts, which we had the producer every year. And I used says. I was signed to go to the record stores to Reprise, but I all the time. There was don’t think they one in Hollywood called wanted to sell Music City. There was me at all. I think another one called Sam I was only there Goody’s, I think. You used because it was my to be able to take a record dad’s label. And and play it in the store in the booth before you purchased they sort of had to tolerate me. I don’t know, maybe I’m it. And we had dance parties, when we’d put on records. wrong, but I don’t think I was that wanted there. My dad I loved Harry Belafonte and my favourite in the early stayed out of it. He was very good about that. He knew days was Johnny Mathis. I love him so much. He’s a dear that the best thing for me would be to be on my own, try friend. He’s a very kind, generous person. by myself, and fall on my face if necessary. I was so immersed in music that it was sort of a fait accompli that that’s the way I would go in life. But it was pretty clear from the get go that I’d have to work hard to get beyond my name. In the end I guess I got lucky. My choice of songs and things, that moved me out of the pattern. In the beginning I named myself Nancy Nice Lady because of the nature of the music I was doing, which was all bubblegum. And then later, Lee Hazlewood came into my life and he nicknamed me Nasty Jones. He said I could be anybody and make hit records, I didn’t have to be a Sinatra. I could be a Jones.

I was manufactured. My look came from London, with hair and makeup from New York. It evolved thanks to Mary Quant and a friend of mine named Amy Green. She took me to a salon called Kenneth in New York and I met a lady who coloured my hair blonde. And I loved it, that new persona. I was grateful for it because I had been floundering. It was playful and a little sexy. It was courageous for me to step out like that. I remember in Los Angeles when I was first wearing miniskirts, I would get smart alec comments like, are you going to play tennis today? People in LA didn’t understand the fashion 6

trend – it took people like Jean Shrimpton coming to America to really nail it.

smart alec, like I’m too young to have a 14-year-old child. No, thank you. In actuality, I was not too young but for some reason I had hurt feelings that they would offer me something like that. But I should have done it. I should have taken it.

I was pretty innocent, and kind of boring in my early twenties, I was quiet and dull. I didn’t do the glamorous kind of life. The first advice I would give my younger self is not to get married so young. It was a stupid, stupid thing to do. That’s number one. Don’t do it. Continue your education, it enriches your life. I was married for a few years and then I was divorced. And then I was at sixes and sevens for a while, trying to figure all that out. I really should not have got married then. There was nothing wrong with Tommy [teen idol singer Tommy Sands], he was adorable, but we were just too young. But if you wanted to have sex in those days, and you were a quote ‘nice’ girl, you got married. Stupid.

I lacked a certain amount of confidence. I was OK with a certain amount of success but I didn’t feel confident enough to really pursue a big career. I don’t know why. I think I was just too shy. Maybe it wasn’t the career for me. I’ve always been interested in anthropology. If I’d stayed in school, I might have gotten into that. But I also believe in destiny. And I don’t know, I think I was brought here to the planet to contribute something to women. And I hope I’ve done that.

My family was always very musical, going right back to my All photos courtesy of Ron Joy / Boots Enterprises Inc grandparents. I was If I could very close to all four have one last of my grandparents. conversation My mother’s parents passed away when I was in my with anyone it would be with my mother. She was the early teens, but I had enough of them to have been wisest person I’ve ever known. I spent every day of the encouraged by them and loved by them. My father’s last weeks of her life at her house, bringing her items of mother Dolly, she used to sing a lot and his comfort and food and just sitting with her, keeping father Marty used to sing too. They her company. I guess I did what I could. But had a bar in their house where when she actually took her last breath. “The first advice I would they would have singalong I wasn’t in the room. My sister was give my younger self is not parties. There was music all there. I had gone to the pharmacy to get married so young. It the time. These days I don’t to pick up medication for her and was a stupid, stupid thing listen to my own music very by the time I got back to the house, much to tell you the truth, but she was gone. I had said everything to do.” lately I’ve had to listen because I wanted to her. Time and again. I just of this new compilation of my songs. would like to have been holding her hand as Do I hear anything of my father’s voice in she passed, but I wasn’t. my own singing? You know, sometimes I do. Sometimes There were a lot of wonderful days and weeks and it comes back at me a little bit, every now and again. months at the desert house [in the San Fernando Valley, If I could go back in time I would probably take more California] when I was growing up. If I could re-live jobs that were offered me along the way. I was nervous any day from my life it would then, around Christmas and shy and I didn’t take advantage of opportunities or Easter time at our family home. My brother and I that I had. And that’s very sad. They say that what you playing either on the lawn or in the swimming pool. My regret at the end of your life is not what you did, but mom pregnant with my sister, my dad sitting in the sun. I what you didn’t do. And there’s a lot of stuff I didn’t do. think it would be that day I was offered a TV series where I would have been a Courtesy of INSP.ngo / The Big Issue UK bigissue.com mom with a 14- year-old child. And I said something real @BigIssue 7

Issues: Current

Debunking QAnon - A Companion Piece to Last Issues’ ‘What’s going on with QAnon?’

s we follow up it is remarkable to think that an anonymous post made on 4chan in late October 2017 gave rise to the QAnon far-right conspiracy theory. Given the fact that violence by far-right groups has been identified as one of the most pressing threats faced by US law enforcement and the world in general, preventing the spread of fake news and debunking conspiracy theories is vitally important. But how do we go about doing that? Alexandra Guellil reports.

Despite the inconsistencies in the posts made by “Q”, receiving between 120 and 130 per day,” Yates continues. there are many “A lot of things people who were going believe their around because story. Many of we were in these believers an anxietyare active on provoking social networks, situation and and they share information was misinformation changing while seeking to rapidly, rally together especially at the with other beginning of the people who year.” share their views. Although Doubts arose Facebook and as a result of Twitter are the spread of trying to do misinformation, something about Employees of medical equipment distributor Owens & Minor wearing hats in support of U.S. and people fake news, it is President Donald Trump pull up their company shirts to reveal t-shirts underneath supporting the began to QAnon conspiracy movement REUTERS/Carlos Barria multiplying at question the such a rate that trial-and-error disinformation approach of the early measures implemented in response has resulted in people having doubts to COVID-19. about the trustworthiness of traditional media and “When you’re scared or worried the appropriateness QAnon: Q’s messages are lies pubabout your children, critical of public health lished on unencrypted and dubious platforms thinking is put aside and guidelines related to by someone who is anything but a secret agent you can end up sharing COVID-19. questionable content,” Yates says. “In six years of covering disinformation, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Before the pandemic, we received between three and five messages a day asking us to fact check a story, says Jeff Yates, a columnist for Décrypteurs, which is a Radio-Canada TV show focused on fact checking and debunking myths.

So why is it that links to conspiracy theories suddenly appear on your news feed as content that you might like to engage with? This is the result both of algorithms and the popularity of QAnon influencers. Content is produced, shared, distorted, adapted and reshared so

“In April and May, at the peak of the pandemic, we were 8

much that sometimes this questionable content is picked up by algorithms and distributed further.

as if by doing so we can wash our hands of the issue. But Dr Pierre Lalonde, a psychiatrist at the Montreal Institute of Mental Health, argues that, in truth, the link between mental health and conspiracy theories is not so clear.

The delayed attempts of Facebook and Twitter to counter the spread of misinformation are certainly not enough to stop the spread of groups such as QAnon. “[QAnon supporters] understood not to put QAnon in the group name and used other methods to spread their ideas,” Yates explains. “A big clean-up has certainly been done, but it just makes it harder for us to find these sites and users.”

“People can believe in these theories without being sick (and vice versa),” he says. “What [people who believe in conspiracy theories] do is they question the decisions and opinions of an authority figure. The problem is polarization: we want to exclude other people because they don’t agree

A man in the crowd holds a QAnon sign with the group’s abbreviation of their rallying cry The solution is “Where we go one, we go all”. REUTERS/Patrick Fallon to remember that there is no basis or evidence to support the myth created by QAnon: with us.” Q’s messages are lies published on unencrypted and When it comes to severe mental health problems, such dubious platforms by someone who is anything but a as schizophrenia or bipolarity, few people with these secret agent. “Young people with Tik Tok and mothers conditions are followers of these theories. While talking who are sensitive to all things related to children, such about the anti-mask as those who follow the hashtag conspiracies #SaveTheChildren, that have are most often Almost overnight, their brother or grandmother started arisen involved in spouting aggressive monologues about child trafficking as a spreading and this destroyed their relationship. these

result

conspiracies and often they do so without even knowing it,” Yates continues. “We have received messages from people whose loved ones have fallen into the QAnon trap. Almost overnight, their brother or grandmother started spouting aggressive monologues about child trafficking and this destroyed their relationship. Conspiracies are closer to the realm of faith rather than logic. They play on social isolation.”

of COVID-19, Dr Lalonde tells me that vindictive people are more likely to protest against the wearing of the mask than his patients.

Conspiracy theories often go like this: you are told that you have been made to believe a certain number of things, that these are false and that there is another truth. This reinforces beliefs that are not based on science. You are then pushed to do research on your own in an era where search engines refer you both to false information as well as proven information. “The human mind needs

The people who believe in conspiracy theories are very different. We are often tempted to use mental health problems as a way to explain a lack of critical thinking, 9

to believe in something,” Dr Lalonde explains. “In the past, religion was our point of reference and allowed us to find the answers; today we end up believing in other things and our critical thinking is sometimes lacking.

in terms of domestic terrorism, Bennardi has noted that each person who comes to believe in conspiracy theories is different. Crucially, believing a conspiracy theory does not necessarily mean radicalization.

“A change in reasoning happens when people experience “The members of these groups spend hours and hours an emotion that leads them to question themselves, researching, doing research and going through counter irrespective of any scientific argumentation, and this arguments,” she says. “It becomes pervasive to the point creates more inner conflict,” Dr Lalonde says. “It’s a of creating a sense of belonging. Ridiculing them does little bit the same with people who have not help build trust. Above all, we delusions: There is no point must avoid confronting in contradicting them. them while asserting We will not succeed our limits.” vindictive people are more likely to protest in making them against the wearing of the mask change by persisting She advocates and strongly opposing that we must them. This can only be adopt an attitude done by getting them to reflect of harm reduction and on how their delusions impact on them support, such as by proposing taking emotionally.” part in an activity away from screens and the Internet, or by casting doubt in the conspiracy follower by sharing Rehumanize and support feelings and concerns. Margaux Bennardi provides support for people who follow conspiracy theories and their relatives. Several “The idea is to rehumanize our actions and to people have asked for help in the last year at the Centre remember that no one knows the absolute truth,” for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence, Bennardi concludes. where she works. “Very often, it is not the believer who isolates himself, but “Social isolation, anxiety and stress – all of which have the rest of the family – because they find the situation too been exacerbated during lockdown – are vulnerability difficult. Re-establishing a dialogue while using the right factors that cause fear,” she tells me. “The media, and its tools ensures that no ties are broken and the individual tendency to be a driver for anxiety, has led people to turn does not feel overwhelmed, marginalized or ridiculed.” away from official sources in order to get answers to their doubts and questions. Some people had no one to talk to, Translated by Louise Wilson were isolated or felt isolated.” Courtesy of L’Itinéraire / INSP.ngo While the FBI has identified QAnon as a potential threat QAnon member during a recent protest.

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Issues: Interview

“That’s my dream, to find a cure for cancer”: Hanging out with Olivia Newton-John

he talented Olivia Newton-John opens a window into her world on her farm in California, where she’s making music, baking bread and concentrating on her health. She is currently living with stage-four cancer, but that doesn’t stop her from singing with her daughter and “smelling the roses”. The four-time Grammy award winner stays strong and spreads a message of hope, Jenny Brown reports. Olivia Newton-John didn’t intend to make more music. Hidden throughout the pandemic at her rural hideaway, she was concentrating on wellness, while living with stage-four cancer. Being busy doing nothing was a new experience for the evergreen singer, songwriter, actor, entrepreneur and health activist, whose high-flying career, like that of so many other artists, had been grounded by COVID-19.

Olivia Newton-John

“I never knew what ‘hanging out’ was. I was always working or travelling,” she says. “Now it’s like, ‘Oh, this is what it means!’ And it’s great, just staying home and making dinner with my daughter; I love it.” Learning to make the perfect sourdough was another bonus. It’s a cliché now, but when I was baking, I didn’t realise everyone else was doing it too, she continues, speaking long distance from the US, her Aussie accent still strong despite so many decades overseas. The smell of sourdough is such a homely, lovely thing. I made it for six months and then I saw what it was doing to me! I had to cut back and go gluten-free again.

Suddenly, Olivia discovered it was fun to stop, watch the blue jays in her California backyard, bake bread and simply smell the roses. Hanging out with daughter Chloe Lattanzi – on an extended visit from her legal marijuana farm in Oregon – was an added delight. “It’s a new thing for me,” laughs Olivia, who last year became a Dame of the British Empire for unflagging services to entertainment and charity. It’s a commitment that has never wavered, despite – or perhaps because of – her ongoing journey with cancer, first diagnosed in 1992.

“I never knew what ‘hanging out’ was. I was always working or travelling,”

Time passed happily, pottering around with her husband – herbalist John Easterling – tending their menagerie of animals, catching up on books she had always meant to read, launching the Olivia Newton‑John Foundation in the US to support ground‑breaking plant medicine research. Even singing took a backseat. Until an acquaintance sent Olivia an inspiring anthem

she had co-written – ‘Window in the Wall’ – and cheekily told her she needed to record it. “That wasn’t in my idea of the future at all,” says the fourtime Grammy Award‑winner, who has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. “But I played the song and it made me really emotional. It reached out to me. The lyrics and melody resonated deeply and I immediately thought I’d love to sing it with Chloe. I just hoped she’d feel the same way!

“So, it’s wonderful, not only because we did this together, but also because I feel the lyrics and message might help people see things from a different perspective. We are all part of the same human race and if we listen to each other, respect each other and love each other – for both our likenesses and our differences – we might just understand each other a lot more.” Has this world forgotten how to love? Are we blinded by the hate we let inside? No-one is giving in or giving up The lines are drawn and there’s no compromise This isn’t who we are.

“Even though ‘Window in the Wall’ wasn’t written as a duet, I’ve always enjoyed singing duets more than singing on my own. I knew immediately that I wanted to record it with my daughter. So, I called Chloe in Oregon, played it to her, luckily she loved it and here we are.” It’s not the first time this mother‑daughter duo has hit the studio in tandem. Their debut single together, ‘You Have to Believe’, reached No.1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs Chart. “Last time she joined me in my dance world, this time I joined Mom in her country world,” explains Chloe, who has faced and overcome numerous personal struggles – with depression, anorexia, body dysmorphia, drug addiction and alcohol dependency – growing up in the spotlight.

Olivia Newton-John and her daughter Chloe Lattanzi Photo credit: Michelle Day

“One of my favourite things is to sit outside and watch the wild birds here. It’s very healing, like a meditation,”

“I was really moved when Mom spoke to me about the song, because she could have asked any of her friends, well-known artists, to record it with her. We have different voices, but we actually have very similar tones, and music is the way we both express ourselves.

It’s easy to see why the resolute words struck such a chord with Olivia, who has stubbornly rejected any surrender to her illness. First diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, when Chloe was six, she underwent a partial mastectomy and nine months of chemotherapy to become cancerfree. The horizon looked bright, although her first marriage to actor and dancer Matt Lattanzi ended three years later.

But the sky crashed down in 2013. Olivia not only lost her much-loved sister Rona to an aggressive brain tumour – she also privately battled a recurrence of cancer, discovered by chance in her shoulder following a car accident. Worse was to follow when, in May 2017, Olivia was told the cancer had metastasised and spread to the bones in

her lower back. Indomitable as ever, she learned to walk again after breaking her sacrum and being treated at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne. Through it all – forced to deny rumours that she was on her “deathbed” – Olivia has stayed strong and spread a message of hope to others living with cancer. Losing friends and loved ones, including her five-year-old goddaughter Colette Chuda and actor Kelly Preston, only made her more determined.

their ranch two hours outside Los Angeles. “One of my favourite things is to sit outside and watch the wild birds here. It’s very healing, like a meditation,” Olivia says. “There are 30 quail that come into the property every day, blue jays, sparrows, hawks, condors, finches… Gosh, I wish I knew all their names. I’m going to get a book so I can try to figure it out.”

Refusing to give in or give up – just like the lyrics of ‘Window in the Wall’ – Olivia remains vibrant, fun, engaged, willing to learn and eager to share her “It strengthens ....forced to deny rumours that she was on her my resolve experience “deathbed” – Olivia has stayed strong and spread a to do this for other message of hope to others living with cancer... research and people’s find a cure benefit. for cancer,” she It can’t ever says. “That’s my have been easy dream, to find a cure for cancer. to confront cancer so I’m helping myself but also wanting to help publicly, especially for a woman so others feel good about living with cancer. That’s what I do: I live private, but Olivia has never lacked courage. with it. I feel great and healthy and strong and I am very grateful.” Neither does her daughter. “I think we’ve learned strength Is she in pain? None, Olivia stresses – courtesy of from each other, you know,” reflects Olivia, still smarting devoted care from “Amazon John”, her “lovely husband” that school bullies broke the news of her 1992 cancer of 12 years. He’s a long-time advocate of plant-based diagnosis to Chloe, cruelly saying her mother was going healing, especially medical cannabis. to die. “She has a big, huge, compassionate, kind heart, apart from her talent and obvious outer beauty. That really touches me. At first the squeaky-clean star was reluctant to try “Chloe has been through a lot in her life and she has come through cannabis, fearful of its mind-altering qualities, but today she is an enthusiastic advocate, lobbying the with strength, and I admire that. She explores things probably even Australian government to legalise its use in holistic more than I do. She sees both sides, which is what this song is cancer treatments. Low dose cannabis oil, which clinical about. Loving people even if you don’t agree with them. This is a research has shown helps reduce pain, anxiety and time for healing.” insomnia, can now be legally purchased in Australia. Achieving a world beyond cancer – for herself and for Today, she is equally upbeat. “Cannabis helps me so others – is Olivia’s biggest dream, one that she hopes will much with pain, inflammation, sleeplessness, anxiety, moods… become her legacy. Through plant medicine research and and it’s all thanks to John, who spent 30 years in the Amazon, the use of integrated treatments – surgery, chemotherapy, collecting herbs.” radiotherapy and more natural remedies – she believes a cure can and will be found. She hopes to be around to Friends for around 20 years, they “found each other see and share it. romantically” following the mystery disappearance of her on-and-off boyfriend of nine years, Patrick McDermott, “Mom has the most beautiful heart,” Chloe says proudly. “I on a fishing trip in 2005. look at her and she’s like a force to be reckoned with, but a loving one. She changes the world with everything she does. She’s a person I “Actually, John invited me to the rainforest after watching me really look up to. I think she’s incredible.” sing at a concert for the first time,” she says. “He’d never even heard Grease before then! But he thought my music was healing and I was a healer, so he took me to meet the healers down there Courtesy of The Big Issue Australia / INSP.ngo [in South America] and that’s where we fell in love. It was an incredible journey.” Both dedicated environmentalists, they share a passion for the natural world that spills over into everyday life on 14

Make your voice heard 15

Issues: Tales of Hollywood

The T

power

Film

his issue Shaun Anthony takes a look at the power of the cinema and the films that effected social change.

It seems such a long time since I’ve sat in the cinema and emerged myself in pure, unadulterated escapism, but good cinema isn’t always about fantasy - sometimes it’s about something so contemplative, so world-changing that the impact can create lasting social change, whether that be culturally, politically, legally or historically.

Cathy Come Home - Homelessness is no Longer a Taboo Subject While homelessness is still described as an invisible problem, mainly because many of us find it easier to ignore – it’s at least less of a taboo subject than it was in the past. Before Cathy Come Home was released in 1966, nobody spoke about the issue: “Homelessness hadn’t been in the spotlight before,” said the drama’s director Ken Loach. After the drama aired, all that changed. “The sense of public outrage that this was happening sort of grew. It became like a storm that gathered pace,” Loach stated.

Super Size Me - ‘Would you like to Super Size Your Meal?’

Super Size Me, the 2004 documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American, independent film-maker followed him on a 30 day period between 1 February 2003 until 2 March 2003 when he ate only McDonalds food. Although a very simple idea, this documentary was a trailblazing hit and shocked the world into a fascinated state of revulsion as we watched the effects on Spurlock’s body as he quickly gains weight over the course of filming - not to mention the swift decline in his mental health. Super Size Me changed the way the public thought of fast food - when Spurlock stood on the scales and they’d gone up by 20 lbs and he’d clearly developed a darker outlook on life, it was very difficult to get excited about Big Mac meals again. This film encouraged debate over the obesity crisis and how fast food chains fuel a habit of irresponsible eating.

The term Super Size, overnight became a term of abhorrence (remember the days of, ‘Would you like to At the same time, the UK’s first and leading charity on Super Size your meal for an extra 30p’? Like homelessness, Shelter, who wouldn’t want an extra portion of was founded. ...in 1966 nobody spoke about the chips and Super Size Coke for just Even today, an extra 30p! issue: homelessness hadn’t been in the impact of It’s just basic the film is still the sptlight before.... economising!) being felt: “We were expecting that there would be a bit of talk about it but no one could expect that 40 years later we’d still be talking about it and that Cathy would become part of the national language about public events in politics,” Loach stated in 2006.

Within just six weeks, McDonalds removed their Super Size option and have since revamped their whole menu with healthier options, including salads and fruit.

Bambi - ‘The Bambi Effect’

...countless hunters gave up their hobby completely, dwindling hunter numbers by 50%.

The Walt Disney 1942 classic Bambi which tells the story of a white-tailed deer, his parents and his friends Thumper and Flower is a favourite of every child at some stage, but upon its release in the early ‘40s, viewers were overwrought after they watched this lovable deer orphaned after a hunter kills his mum. It seems that children and their parents were not the only ones crying in the cinema; recreational hunters were apparently deeply moved too by this little fawn’s grief. Apparently there was a widespread laying down of arms - countless hunters gave up their hobby completely, dwindling hunter numbers by 50%. Titled ‘The Bambi Effect’, this Disney movie soon became a global animal rights symbol, altering the course of hunting history and those who engaged in it.

The Thin Blue Line - An Innocent Man Walks Free This 1988 film was another impactful documentary film. Director Errol Morris made a reconstruction of the Randall Dale Adams case, which was a famous trial of a man sentenced to death after being wrongly accused of murdering a policeman. As we get through the film it becomes apparent that Adams is completely innocent and was simply convicted after a string of false allegations from people with their own agendas. The film grabbed the attention of the media and sparked great controversy, leading to Randall’s retrial and acquittal. The film also exposed a psychiatrist by the name of Dr. James Grigson, known as “Dr. Death” who had testified with “100 percent certainty” of defendant’s recidivism in many trials (including that of Adams) which had resulted in 100 death sentences.

A Girl in the River - Pakistan Changes Law A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, the 2015 documentary-film directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy actually resulted in a change in the law.

Honour killings claim the lives of 5000 women every year - and disgustingly, these murders are actually legal in many countries. Oscar Winner, Obaid-Chinoy was determined to take a stand. Her film A Girl in the River tells the story of a 19-yearold girl who is almost killed by her father for having a forbidden love affair. The film shows how (without any contrition) her father fails to understand the gravity of his behaviour, in fact, he feels validated in trying to kill his daughter in order to protect the family name from dishonour. Thankfully, his philosophy was not shared by Nawaz Sharif, the then Pakistani Prime Minster. In a significant hour for women, Sharif proclaimed after watching the movie that he was determined to change the law on honour killings. In her Oscar acceptance speech, Obaid-Chinoy said that this change reflected “the power of film”.

The Birth of a Nation - Negative Effects of Cinema The films we have looked at so far have been pivotal to positive change, unfortunately this one is not. 17

DW Griffith’s 1915 offering, The Birth A Short Film About Killing of a Nation, which was set during the American Civil War follows the lives of two families, the Stonemans (from the North) and the Camerons (from the South). When the Cameron family is attacked by black soldiers they are rescued by members of the Ku Klux Klan. This in turn motivates the eldest son to join the KKK - ascending through the ranks until he’s eventually their leader. The film extolled the work of the KKK, sickeningly inciting sales dropped dramatically and share prices halved upon far-right individuals to join this radical hate group. release. The result - SeaWorld cancelled their killer whale Repugnantly, this movie made the Klan look cool, breeding programme and put an end to all live shows. causing membership (of a group that was nearly extinct) to increase by a staggering 4 million by the ‘20s. This proves the power of cinema when placed in misdirected, A Short Film about Killing - Poland zealot hands.

Eradicates the Death Penalty

Krzysztof Globisz’s film is set in harsh post-Cold War Warsaw where a man is savagely executed for committing murder. Although A Short Film about Killing does not Blackfish, the 2013 documentary-film directed by evade the significance of this young man’s crime, it does Gabriela Cowperthwaite concerned Tilikum, an orca intelligently create a mirror of the two acts - the murder held by SeaWorld. The film brought us into the life and the result, cold-blooded execution. of Tilikum and exposed severe By showing both actions side mistreatment from SeaWorld, by side the movie artfully After the film’s release (and a very from cramped containers forces the viewer to ask controversial reception at the Cannes Film and inhumane treatment themselves, is there any Festival), Poland eradicated the death - which led him to kill difference between both penalty. three of his trainers - to a of these behaviours? After real lack of care in general the film’s release (and a very within the entertainment controversial reception at the complexes that welcome 5 million Cannes Film Festival), Poland eradicated the guests each year. death penalty.

Blackfish - Customers Vote with their Feet

The revelation of how these poor marine animals were treated behind closed doors led to a global outcry. A non-stop wave of tweets, Facebook video footage and petitions took the ‘net by storm exposing the underhanded price of this ‘entertainment.’ SeaWorld felt the pinch, were it really hurt, in their pockets, millions of people boycotted them, their reputation was destroyed, ticket

Rosetta - Laws to Protect Teenage Workers are Voted Through Rosetta, described on its release as a “wrenching work of social realism” follows the life of a young, poor Belgian teenager living on a caravan park with her alcoholic mother. When she isn’t taking care of her mum, she’s desperately trying to find and hold on to a job in the vain hope of working her way out of the situation. This film not only touched critics, but against all odds it won the Palme D’Or Cannes film festival and won over 18

Belgian policy makers who that very year voted through ‘Rosetta’s Law’ to protect the rights of teenage workers in the country.

Philadelphia - Promoted Dialogue

Cinema has the power to change opinions, entertain and inspire. Hopefully it will not be too much longer until we can all once again recline and be entertained or challenged.

The 1993 legal drama Philadelphia starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington was one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to acknowledge HIV/ AIDS, homosexuality and homophobia. Issues around HIV/AIDS has always been a point of discord, not helped with the ubiquitous hysteria, inflamed by the media. Even as recent as 1993, people still did not feel comfortable talking about the subject until the film Philadelphia challenged that by putting the HIV epidemic into the vanguard of societal conversation. The film de-stigmatised AIDS and probed how this disease, compounded by the media, fuelled a malignant culture of homophobia. Philadelphia had a real ‘butterfly effect’ in that people began feeling empathy towards those living with HIV/AIDS and instead of speaking of the disease in hushed, embarrassed tones, this film brought the epidemic dissension to the forefront of everyday conversations and marked the beginning of a shift in attitudes.

Proud Supporters of Ireland’s Big Issue and Homeless Street Leagues

Close to Cinque Terre area, Portofino is one of the most beautiful and fashionable towns. 21

Issues: World

Veteran Journalist and Expert on the Hong Kong-Mainland China Conflict, Stephen Vines on Why he Wrote ‘Defying the Dragon’, his New Book on How the Citizens of Hong Kong Challenged the PRC’s Sovereignty Just as its President Reached the Height of his Powers.

tephen Vines is a Hong Kong-based journalist, writer and broadcaster. He was an editor at The Observer and has worked for The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, BBC, Asia Times and The Independent. Vines is the author of several books, including: Hong Kong: China’s New Colony, The Years of Living Dangerously - Asia from Crisis to the New Millennium and Market Panic and most recently, Defying the Dragon – Hong Kong and the world’s largest dictatorship. Samantha McMurdock recently had a chat, hot on the success of the aforementioned Defying the Dragon. Stephen, you moved to Hong Kong 34 years ago - tell us a little of the Hong Kong you arrived in and the “low expectations” you were warned of ?

after the Tiananmen Massacre of democracy protesters in Beijing in 1989 that I came to appreciate the complex and really fascinating politics of a place that had never really enjoyed democracy Hong Kong’s fate had yet experienced the heady been sealed by the Sinoatmosphere of freedom. British agreement for the The community mobilised handover of the former in an extraordinarily colony three years impressive way to support previously, the handover China’s democracy itself was not due for movement, in no small part another decade, so Hong realising that the fate of the Kong had largely faded movement on the mainland from the headlines while would have a crucial other places in South impact on Hong Kong’s East Asia, which I was own fate. In the business also covering, such as the of journalism it is often Philippines and Indonesia, were very much in the news. hard to know whether you are living through a crucial Attention in newspapers tends to be pretty short term moment of history, or simply another historical footnote, so at the time, in 1987, it seemed as though Hong Kong but 1989 made me realise that I was in the middle of one would be a base for other assignments and little more of the most extraordinary moments in time when the than that. It really did not look like there would be much world’s largest dictatorship was poised to takeover this of a story there. open society and even guarantee that it would be allowed to remain autonomous, preserving its way of life. Things Lord Patten has described you as “one of Hong have turned out very differently and not for the better but Kong’s most distinguished and longto be in the centre of this process serving journalists” - what is really something. 1989 made me realise that I was in the middle initially interested you in of one of the most extraordinary moments in the politics there? Your hardcover, time when the world’s largest dictatorship was Defying the poised to takeover this open society…. That’s a very generous Dragon came description from someone who to this day remains highly popular in Hong Kong. I had visited Hong Kong a number of times before moving here. I relished the dynamism of the place and the constant sense of the possible. However it was only

out 25 March, a story of how Hong Kong’s citizens challenged the authority of the PRC as the president became ever-more powerful. Tell us why you wrote the book and why our readers

need to read it.

any way relations will ever be mended?

Frankly, I did not What’s originally intend to happened is write this book, I was that David too tied up in following Cameron’s events on a day-toplans for a ‘new day basis but golden era’ of around the relations with end of 2019 China have it became been trodden increasingly firmly into the clear to me dust. Were it the that history case that only would be Sino-British re-written by relations were the Chinese in bad shape, it state which would matter was mobilising less but the fact on all levels to that relations crush the uprising and so it was important to be part with other European states are being reassessed and of the effort to present an alternative narrative. The substantially changed in America, suggests something hardline regime presided over by President Xi Jinping much bigger. Of course things will change, as they saw the challenge posed in Hong Kong as an existential always do in the world of diplomatic threat to the entire dictatorship. They relations but there had reason to do so because is something It would, I firmly believe, be foolish not the history of dictatorships new here to seek a deeper understanding of China is littered with challenges because from the periphery that events because what happens inside this nation have resulted in their in Hong has a profound effect on the rest of the demise. Chinese history is Kong world. punctuated by rebellions far away and the Covid from the centre, triggering regime crisis have had change. So, I wanted to chronicle what an unusually was happening and to seek a deeper understanding of profound impact on public thinking about China, why it was happening and how this unique experiment meaning that political leaders have to pay far more in a dictatorship would fare. The book views these attention to public response in their dealings with Beijing. events mainly through the prism of Hong Kong but I am not really sure how this will evolve, but business as in so doing it tells us a great deal about the world’s usual is clearly off the table for some time, what happens largest nation, now strutting the world stage in direct next depends on factors that seemed to be predictable competition with democratic forms of government. It before these events but have come much less predictable would, I firmly believe, be foolish not to seek a deeper in their wake. understanding of China because what happens inside this nation has a profound effect on the rest of the world. The Joint Declaration is supposed to be in place until 2047 yet a new law is passed that gives This has been brought into focus by the fallout from China sweeping controls over the people of the Covid-19 pandemic, which I examine in the book, Hong Kong, meaning that crimes of secession, but also in a myriad of other ways as China strives for global economic supremacy, regional military dominance subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces are punishable by a maximum sentence and seeks to influence both immediate neighbours and of life in prison and if any law conflicts with HK more distant nations. A detailed examination of what law, then Beijing law takes priority - surely HK’s happened in Hong Kong provides an insight that reveals freedoms are gone? How does ‘Joe Public’ on the how the China story might well pan out. street feel about that? British-China relations, many would say are at an all-time low - not helped by China’s handling of China has taken to describing the Joint Declaration the Covid-19 situation. In your opinion, is there as being a historical document with no contemporary 23

relevance. The promises of granting a ‘high degree of autonomy’ to Hong Kong have largely evaporated. The immediate future is looking very bleak for the The very idea of ‘one country, two systems’ has been people of Hong Kong who wake up each day to learn hollowed out to make the two systems largely invisible. of new political arrests and new plans to bring this Many people say that a ‘white terror’ is now running place into line. In Beijing the government is increasingly through Hong Kong, it is hard to disagree. Right now coming to resemble the Millwall FC supporters who Beijing is drawing up plans to largely destroy Hong defiantly chant ‘ no one likes us and we don’t care’. They Kong’s election system so as to ensure that election boast of how well the economy is recovering, concoct a contests are confined to those fantasy narrative of how their actions who tow the Party in Hong Kong amount to little In Beijing the government is line. Over 10,000 more than a response to increasingly coming to resemble the people have been popular demand from Millwall FC supporters who defiantly arrested since the within the former colony protests began. and have launched even chant ‘ no one likes us and we don’t People suspected of more aggressive military care’. harbouring democratic action against neighbours such as views are being thrown out India and Taiwan which Beijing regards of employment. The media is coming under tighter as being a renegade province. The Chinese Communist control – at every level the edifice of liberty is being Party marks its 100th anniversary this year, having torn down. On one level this is fuelling an exodus from spent more than seven decades of this time ruling the Hong Kong, particularly to Britain which is offering country. This longevity is poised to exceed that of all a generous pathway to citizenship for those resident other dictatorships in the modern era and poses the in the former colony before 1997. But other places, question of continued durability. The uprising in Hong notably Canada and Australia, have also opened their Kong highlighted the fractures in this structure and the doors. Open opposition has largely gone underground, response showed that Beijing’s tool box contains little in large part to be replaced by a sullen resistance to the more than brute force. How long can that last? sweeping changes that are taking place. There is however a body of Beijing loyalists who welcome these changes but they clearly do not enjoy majority support, were it otherwise Beijing would not need to change the election Stephen Vines’ Defying the Dragon: Hong Kong to guarantee their success. and the World’s Largest Dictatorship is out now. What IS the future for HK, China (and even the (Hurst Publishing) £20. world as a whole)?

Issues: Abroad

South Koreans Scramble to Arrange Cosmetic Surgery

s an end to pandemic mask-wearing nears, South Koreans scramble to arrange cosmetic surgery Korea is a multi-billion-dollar cosmetic surgery capital, and that has only increased since the coronavirus pandemic began. With masks now a necessary everyday face covering, it provides the perfect opportunity to conceal the initial after-effects of procedures. With vaccinations coming, masks may not need to be so prevalent soon, so those considering surgery are rushing out to take advantage of the situation. Joori Roh reports.

When Ryu Han-na, a 20-year-old university student, got cosmetic surgery on her nose in mid-December, she had a simple reason: it might be the last chance to do so covertly before people start taking off masks this year as vaccines are distributed.

charge of Ryu’s operation. Surgeon Shin Sang-ho, who operates Krismas Plastic Surgery Clinic in the centre of Gangnam district, said many people have spent their emergency stimulus payment from the government at hospitals and clinics, boosting revenue in the third and fourth quarter of 2020.

Ryu, who has been attending her courses online throughout 2020, said the ability to recuperate at home and wear a mask in public without drawing attention were deciding factors.

“I felt like it’s sort of a revenge spending. I’ve sensed that customers were expressing their pent-up emotions (from the coronavirus) by getting cosmetic procedures,” Shin said.

“I always wanted to get a nose job ... I thought it would be the best to get it now before people start taking off masks when vaccines become available in 2021,” she said as she prepared for the 4.4 million won ($4,013) procedure. “There will be bruises and swelling from the surgery but since we’ll all be wearing masks, I think that should help,” she added.

Ryu Han-na poses for photographs before undergoing nose plastic surgery at WooAhIn Plastic Surgery Clinic in Seoul, South Korea, REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

That attitude is fuelling demand for such operations in South Korea, which had already experienced a pickup in cosmetic surgery in 2020. The country has been a world capital of cosmetic surgery even during non-pandemic times. The industry is estimated to be worth about $10.7 billion in 2020, up 9.2 per cent year-on-year, and is expected to hover around $11.8 billion this year, according to Gangnam Unni, the country’s largest online cosmetic surgery platform. Cosmetic surgeons say patients are interested in all parts of the face: those that can be easily hidden under masks, such as the nose and lips, as well as those that face coverings don’t conceal, which some consider the criteria of beauty in the coronavirus era. “Both surgical and non-surgical inquiries about eyes, eyebrows, nose bridge and foreheads - the only visible parts - certainly increased,” said Park Cheol-woo, a surgeon at WooAhIn Plastic Surgery Clinic, who was in

types were not disclosed.

Government data showed that of 14.2 trillion won ($12.95 billion) government cash handouts, 10.6% was used in hospitals and pharmacies, the third-largest segment by classification behind supermarkets and restaurants, though the details of hospital

Gangnam Unni data showed its users surged 63 per cent from a year earlier to about 2.6 million last year. They requested 1 million counselling sessions, double the amount from a year earlier. The pandemic made it harder to promote services to foreign clients, so in the last year it embraced a more local and regional focus. But a third wave of coronavirus at home remains a concern as the country reports record-breaking daily cases. “We’ve seen growing numbers of cancellations in consultation appointments recently as people refrain more from going outside ... especially customers from the suburbs mostly postponed their surgeries to later,” Park said. Courtesy of Reuters / INSP.ngo

Screen Scene

The Mitchells vs. The Machines ***

Cruella***

Starring:Emma Stone,Emma Thompson, Mark Strong. Streaming on: Disney+ Run Time: 90 mins Available to stream from: 28 May 2021

Voice cast: Abbi Jacobson, Maya Rudolph, Conan O’Brien. Run Time: 110 mins. Available to stream from: 30 April 2021

From the people who brought us the Academy Award-winning Spider-Man: Into The SpiderVerse and The LEGO Movie comes The Mitchells vs. The Machines, an animated actioncomedy about an ordinary family who find themselves in the middle of their biggest family challenge yet…saving the world from the robot apocalypse. No big deal, right? It all starts when creative outsider Katie Mitchell is accepted into the film school of her dreams and is eager to leave home and find “her people,” when her nature-loving dad insists on having the whole family drive her to school and bond during one last totallynot-awkward-or-forced road trip. But just when the trip can’t get any worse, the family suddenly finds itself in the middle of the robot uprising! Everything from smart phones, to roombas, to evil Furbys are employed to capture every human on the planet. Now it’s up to the Mitchells, including upbeat mom Linda, quirky little brother Aaron, their squishy pug, Monchi, and two friendly, but simple-minded robots to save humanity.

The Mitchells vs. The Machines

La La Land Oscar winner Emma Stone and I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie bring us the origin story of one of Disney’s most iconic villains. We’ll discover how the inimitable Cruella de Vil first developed her love for Dalmatian fur coats, setting up the events for the chronologically later 101 Dalmatians. Expect the versatile Stone to vamp it up with lots of 1970s chic.

Belgravia*** Starring: Tamsin Greig, Philip Glenister Streaming on: RTÉ Catch-up Run Time: 6 x1hr Available to stream from: 30 March 2021 When a long-buried secret is unearthed it threatens the reputation and inheritance of many, sending shockwaves through the sophisticated society of London’s Belgravia. Pride and loyalty will be tested, as lives hang in the balance. Fans of Downton Abbey are going to love this!

Promising Young Woman **** Turas Bóthair ***

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Adam Brody. Streaming: Sky Cinema Run Time: 113 mins Available to stream from: 17 April 2021

Starring:Members of the Irish public Streaming: TG4 CatchUp Run Time: 24 mins. Available to stream from: 15 April: 9 April 2021

Nothing in Cassie’s (played superbly by Carey Mulligan) life is what it appears to be - she’s wickedly smart, tantalisingly cunning, and she’s living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give her a chance to right the wrongs from the past. Boldly provovcative and a must for those who love a good revenge movie! Mulligan earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and you can see why.

This show features cars across Ireland rigged with cameras allowing us to eavesdrop on what people are really talking about. In the first episode, they chat about the Birds and the Bees, their drinking habits and who is going to start World War 3. We also hear from Séamus in Donegal telling taxi driver Grace of how he experienced a stroke at the age of 26. Gogglebox fans will love this.

Promising Young Woman

Turas Bóthair

Shadow and the Bone ** Starring:Jessie Mei Li, Ben Barnes Streaming: Netflix Run Time: 3 x1hr Available to stream from: 21 April 2021

Based on Leigh Bardugo’s worldwide bestselling Grishaverse novels, Shadow and Bone finds us in a war-torn world where lowly soldier and orphan Alina Starkov has just unleashed an extraordinary power that could be the key to setting her country free. With the monstrous threat of the Shadow Fold looming, Alina is torn from everything she knows to train as part of an elite army of magical soldiers known as Grisha, but as she struggles to hone her power, she finds that allies and enemies can be one and the same and that nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. There are dangerous forces at play, including a crew of charismatic criminals, and it will take more than magic to survive!

Shadow and the Bone

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Issues: Historical

Michael Mallin The Liberties Man Sentenced to Death for his Role in the Easter Rising

ineád Dunlop takes a look at the life of Michael Mallin who was executed for his role in the Easter Rising.

Michael Mallin was born 1 December 1874 in a tenement in the Liberties in central Dublin and was one of ten children born to John Mallin, a carpenter and Sarah (née Dowling). The children were educated at the National School in Denmark Street. At the age of 14, Michael visited his uncle James Dowling who was a member of the British Army as a pay sergeant and was persuaded to enlist in the army as a drummer in the 21st Royal Scots Fusiliers. His early army career was spent stationed in the U.K. and Ireland but for most of his 14 years in service, he was stationed in India, taking part in the Tirah Campaign an experience that led him to become a strong anti-imperialist.

When Mallin returned home to Ireland he took employment under his uncle James as a silk weaver’s apprentice. James had also been in the British Army. In his spare time, Michael was very active in politics and was the Secretary of the Socialist Party of Ireland. He progressed to become a leading official in the silk weavers’ union and during the 1913 Lockout (the major industrial dispute between 20,000 workers and 300 employers in Dublin) he led a strike of silk workers at the Hanbury Lane factory lasting 13 weeks, with Michael an effective negotiator on behalf of strikers.

During Michael’s time in India he would write home frequently “We aught [sic] to leave the poor people alone…if I were not a soldier I would be out fighting for them.”

“….it will be short and sharp. We will all be dead in a short time.”

His experiences in India led him to become a nationalist, socialist and trade unionist and in 1897 when asked to make a contribution to the memorial fund for Queen Victoria’s jubilee year he refused because,

Easter Rising Mallin’s objective on Easter Monday was to subjugate St. Stephen’s Green and the College of Surgeons but he could only marshal 36 men for this operation. “We will be fighting in a short time and we will have to fight alone,” Michael stated soberly. He went on to suggest that “it will be short and sharp. We will all be dead in a short time.”

“…..he could not subscribe as the English monarch had taken an oath to uphold the Protestant faith.” Michael’s brother, Thomas, later stated that episodes like this ensured he was never promoted any higher than a drummer.

Due to his experience in the British Army, Michael played a significant role in training the Irish Citizen Army (ICA) which was formed to protect workers from the Dublin Metropolitan Police and from employer-funded gangs of strike-breakers. Mallin was second-in-command to Edinburgh-born James Connelly and the pair were an effective military force. Michael would be appointed chief of staff of the ICA in 1914.

Mallin’s shortage of men may have been the reason he made a pivotal mistake when failing to conquer the Shelbourne Hotel. The British seized the Shelbourne 28

and began machine-gunning the Green, forcing the ICA to withdraw to the College of Surgeons. Michael’s official second-incommand at the Green was Christopher Poole - although myth has it that it was really the zealous Countess Markievicz, who was a real upholder of what Connolly expounded. Markievicz played a huge part in setting up barricades and shot a sniper. Near the end of the siege, she went in search of a bayonet. Michael “I question if they will humorously suggested, shoot Lizzie.” “You are very bloodthirsty.” Michael’s military relationship with the Countess would later come into play when he was court-martialled. On Sunday 30 April 1916, just one week after the commencement of the Easter Rising and the declaration of the Irish Republic, Commandant Michael Mallin, Chief of Staff of the Irish Citizen Army was ordered to surrender his garrison at the College of Surgeons, St. Stephen’s Mallin & Markievicz Green. The order to surrender under guard was signed by James Connolly and P.H Pearse, delivered to Mallin by Nurse Elizabeth O’Farrell. Mallin’s men were marched down Grafton Street and had to be protected by their British captives from the hostility of the locals. Exhausted and starving, Mallin wrote a note to his wife Agnes. The note was written on the inside of a used envelope and read, “My darling wife all is lost. My love to all my children, no matter what my fate I am satisfied I have done my duty to my beloved Ireland, and you, and to my darling children. I charge you as their sole guardian now to bring them up in the national faith of your father, and of my faith, of our unborn child [may] God and his blessed Mother help you and it. I said all was lost, I meant all but honour and courage. God and his blessed Mother again guard and keep you my own darling wife”

At Richmond Barracks, Michael was court-martialled and faced what many of the married leaders faced, the dilemma between their love of their beloved island or that of their families. It can’t have been easy for Mallin, he had 4 children and one of the way who would miss out on the love of a father if executed. Perhaps he couldn’t be blamed therefore for trying to understate his part in the revolt and place the burden on Markievicz, whom he falsely portrayed as his superior. At his court-martial, Michael stated, “I am a silk weaver by trade and have been employed by the Transport Union as band instructor. During my instruction of these bands, they became part of the Citizen Army and from this, I was asked to become a drill instructor. I had no commission whatever in the Citizen Army. I was never taken into the confidence of James Connolly. I was under the impression we were going out for manoeuvres on Sunday but something altered the arrangements and the manoeuvres were postponed till Monday. I had verbal instructions from James Connolly to take 36 men to St. Stephen’s Green and to report to the Volunteer officer there. Shortly after my arrival at St. Stephen’s Green the firing started and the Countess of Markievicz ordered me to take command of the men as I had been so long associated with them. I felt I could not leave them and from that time I joined the rebellion. I made it my business to save all officers and civilians who were brought in to Stephen’s Green. I gave explicit orders to the men to make no offensive movements and I prevented them attacking the Shelbourne Hotel.” At the barracks, Michael admitted to fellow prisoners that he had put the onus on the Countess because, “I question if they will shoot Lizzie.”

It wasn’t the most honourable thing to do, but who knows in similar circumstances how anyone would react in such a situation. Certainly, Markievicz (whose sentence of death was commuted to penal servitude for life) held no malice, in fact she later claimed that the faith shown by Mallin in the College of Surgeons inspired her 29

conversion to Catholicism. The British were not hoodwinked. General Maxwell sent a memo to the Prime Minister H.H. Asquith stating, “This man was second in command of the Larkinite or Citizen Army with which organisation he had been connected since its inception.” Mallin was sentenced to death and knowing his fate, he seemed to take ownership of his part in the rising. In a letter he penned to his wife, he wrote,

He wrote to his children, “Una my little one be a Nun, Joseph my little man be a Priest if you can [they both followed his wishes] James & John to you the care of your mother make yourselves good strong men for her sake and remember Ireland.” His funeral mass took place at the Dominican Church in Tallaght on 13 May 1916. People from the cortege clashed with police outside the church with two policemen injured.

“I do not believe that our blood has been shed in Agnes gave birth to Maura Constance, 109 days after vain. I believe Michael’s execution. Agnes and the children Ireland will come out Mallin Remembered greater and grander but Michael Mallin was she must not remembered through forget she is his son, Father Joseph Catholic, she Mallin who died in must keep the 2018, aged 104. Joseph faith…I must reflected on his father now prepare later in life, these last few hours must “My father was be spent with rather quiet but very Agnes gave birth to Maura God alone. thoughtful about the Constance, 109 days after Michael’s Your loving political things and the execution. husband state Ireland was in. He Michael was determined to do Mallin, something about it for Commandant, Stephen’s Green Command.” the good of the people—the good of the country. He would follow what he thought was right and He wrote a similar letter to his parents stating that he just, no matter what the consequences were.” must pay the price like the “others” who had “failed before and paid the price” [to make Ireland a free Father Mallin also had empathy for the quandary his nation]. father found himself in at the time of his surrender: The Execution Michael was executed by firing squad on 8 May 1916, between 3.45 and 4.05am. Before his execution, he was described by his priest as being, “serene, though very much affected.” The night before being put to death he was visited in his cell by his mother, three of his siblings, Agnes and their four children. In his final letter to his wife, Mallin stated that, “I find no fault with the soldiers or the police” and asked her “to pray for all the souls who fell in this fight, Irish and English.”

“Of course it wasn’t true [about Countess Markievicz being in charge]. A family of four, one coming, we’re destitute—where does his duty lie? What answer do you give?” Two years before Father Mallin died he was awarded the Freedom of the City of Dublin. The then Lord Mayor, Críona Ní Dhálaig, said that Fr. Mallin was not only receiving recognition for being the only surviving child of one of the 1916 martyrs but also for his 70 years of faithful work for the people of Hong Kong and Macau. Dún Laoghaire Mallin DART station is named after Mallin. 30

s e k Jo

Because laughter is the best medicine!

Tom, Dick and Harry were in the pub enjoying a few quiet drinks one night, when they decided to get in on the weekly raffle. They bought five $1 tickets each, seeing it was for charity. The following week, when the raffle was drawn, they each won a prize. Tom won the first prize - a whole year’s supply of gourmet spaghetti sauce. Dick was the winner of the second prize - six months’ supply of extralong gourmet spaghetti. And Harry won the sixth prize - a toilet brush. When they met in the pub a week later, Harry asked the others how they were enjoying their prizes. “Great,” said Tom. “I love spaghetti.” “So do I,” said Dick. “And how’s the toilet brush, Harry?” “Not so good,” Harry said, “I reckon I’ll go back to paper...” Emily Sue passed away and Bubba called 911. The 911 operator told Bubba that she would send someone out right away. “Where do you live?” asked the operator. Bubba replied, “At the end of Eucalyptus Drive.” The operator asked, “Can you spell that for me?” There was a long pause and finally Bubba said, “How ‘bout if I drag her over to Oak Street and you pick her up there?”

A doctor and his wife are having a fight at the breakfast table. Husband gets up in a rage and says, “And you are no good in bed either,” and storms out of the house. After sometime he realises he was nasty and decides to make amends and calls home. She comes to the phone after many rings and the irritated husband says, “What took you so long to answer the phone?” She says, “I was in bed.” “In bed this early, doing what?” Shouts the doctor. “Getting a second opinion!” A group of girlfriends are on vacation when they see a 5-story hotel with a sign that reads: “For Women Only.” Since they are without their boyfriends and husbands, they decide to go in. The bouncer, a very attractive guy, explains to them how it works. “We have 5 floors. Go up floor by floor, and once you find what you are looking for, you can stay there. It’s easy to decide since each floor has a sign telling you what’s inside.” So they start going up and on the first floor the sign reads: “All the men on this floor are short and plain.” The friends laugh and without hesitation move on to the next floor. The sign on the second floor reads: “All the men here are short and handsome.” Still, this isn’t good enough, so the friends continue on up. They reach the third floor and the sign reads: “All the men here are tall and plain.” They still want to do better, and so, knowing there are still two floors left, they continued on up. On the fourth floor, the sign is perfect: “All the men here are tall and handsome.” The women get all 31

excited and are going in when they realize that there is still one floor left. Wondering what they are missing, they head on up to the fifth floor. There they find a sign that reads: “There are no men here. This floor was built only to prove that there is no way to please a woman.” A woman and a man are involved in a car accident. It’s a bad one. Both of their cars are totally demolished but amazingly neither of them are hurt. After they crawl out of their cars, the woman says, “So you’re a man, that’s interesting. I’m a woman. Wow, just look at our cars! There’s nothing left but fortunately we are unhurt. This must be a sign from God that we should meet and be friends and live together in peace for the rest of our days.” The man replied, “I agree with you completely. This must be a sign from God! “ The woman continued, “And look at this, here’s another miracle.... My car is completely demolished but this bottle of wine didn’t break. Surely God wants us to drink this wine and celebrate our good fortune.” Then she hands the bottle to the man. The man shakes his head in agreement, opens it and drinks half the bottle and then hands it back to the woman. The woman takes the bottle, immediately puts the cap back on, and hands it back to the man. The man asks, “Aren’t you having any?” The woman replies, “No. I think I’ll just wait for the police”.

Issues: New Book Releases

Patricia Scanlan’s Book Club Patricia Scanlan was born in Dublin, where she still lives. She is a #1 bestselling author and has sold millions of books worldwide. Her books are translated in many languages. Patricia is the series editor and a contributing author to the award winning Open Door Literacy series.

This issue, Patricia brings her favourite books of the moment.

Three Weddings and a Proposal - Sheila O’Flanaghan (Headline Review)

efore she became an international bestselling author, Sheila O’Flanagan worked in Finance, and in this, her 26th novel, Three Weddings and a Proposal, she uses that background to very good effect. Delphie Mertens is a high achieving executive, who loves living alone in her in her cottage in Malahide, and who doesn’t need to wait for a Prince Charming to buy nice things for herself. Unexpectedly, her boss, Conrad Morgan a hugely successful and wealthy businessman, offers her a directorship on his company’s board. Delphie is stunned, and immediately asks, ‘why?’ Something no man would ever do, her boss points out. Is she ‘the token women,’ she wonders despite the fact that she is smart, capable, and ultra efficient, and has saved the company thousands by spotting a colleague’s error. Elated by her forthcoming promotion, Delphie is enjoying her brother’s wedding when a shocking phone call changes everything. Conrad has been killed in a crash and the new CEO, the obnoxious Justin, is determined to oust Delphie from the company. But has he met his match? O’Flanagan knows well the misogyny and difficulties women in business endure, and she writes with great authenticity about Delphie’s journey to resolution. In parallel to all that’s going on at work, Delphie’s life is complicated by the reappearance of an ex boyfriend, and a family who cannot understand why she isn’t panting to walk up the aisle – her sister-in-law Lindsay is a particularly nasty madam, forever making barbed comments. On top of this Delphie has to endure the bitterness between her dead boss’s wife and his new partner, who both try to get her to take sides. Delphie’s negotiations of these tricky minefields make for an engaging and absorbing read. Three Weddings and a Proposal is crafted by an author at the top of her game. Her many devoted readers will love it. 34

Judas Horse – Linda La Plante Zaffre

Wild mustangs are difficult to rope, their lead stallion wary and protective of his herd. To capture that special stallion takes time. He is separated, roped, and lead back to the ranch. Once tamed, he is sent back into the wild. And before long, he will lead the entire herd back to the ranch. He is given the name 'Judas Horse'. When Detective Jack Warr identifies an informer, the terrified man begins to give details of a massive robbery planned by a team of unscrupulous and dangerous men. These men have orchestrated many audacious robberies, leaving terrified victims in their wake. And they have already killed to get what they want. Detective Warr and his team must use their informant as a 'Judas Horse' to draw in the unsuspecting robbers, so that they go ahead with the planned robbery. However, one false move, and more blood will be spilled . . . From the acclaimed Queen of thrillers, Linda La Plante, comes a sizzling new detective novel, Judas Horse. A gripping page-turner.

The Bone Code - Kathy Reichs Simon & Schuster

A storm has hit South Carolina, dredging up crimes of the past. En route to Isle of Palms, a barrier island off the South Carolina coast, forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan receives a call from the Charleston coroner. During the storm, a medical waste container has washed up on the beach. Inside are two decomposed bodies wrapped in plastic sheeting and bound with electrical wire. Chillingly, Tempe recognises many details as identical to those of an unsolved case she handled in Quebec fifteen years earlier. With a growing sense of foreboding, she flies to Montreal to gather evidence and convince her boss Pierre LaManch to reopen the cold case. She also seeks the advice—and comfort—of her long time beau, Andrew Ryan. Meanwhile, a storm of a different type gathers force in South Carolina. The citizens of Charleston are struck by capnocytophaga, a bacterium that, at its worst, can eat human flesh. Thousands panic and test themselves for a rare genetic mutation that may have rendered them vulnerable. Shockingly, Tempe eventually deduces not only that the victims in both grisly murder cases are related, but that the murders and the disease outbreak also have a common cause . . .Kathy Reich’s 20th Temperance Brennan novel, The Bone Code is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that will delight her millions of fans.

A Whole New Plan for Living – Jim Lucey Hachette Ireland

In his latest highly acclaimed book A Whole New Plan for Living, leading psychiatrist Prof Jim Lucey, a consultant psychiatrist at St Patrick’s University Hospital, Dublin, and clinical professor of psychiatry at Trinity College, focuses on how to achieve balance and wellness in a changing world. He presents ten powerful steps to show us how, by maintaining balance and wellness in our daily lives we can achieve overall health and wellbeing, ready for the challenges life presents to us. From understanding wellness, to managing stress and distress, to the opportunity for mental health recovery no matter the circumstances, A Whole New Plan for Living shows us how by making small changes, we can achieve optimum mental health, become more resilient and live with hope for the future. A timely, reassuring, empowering read. 35

Issues: Self-Improvement

Overcoming Ourselves

he ability to conquer obstacles, test our limits and remain resilient is no easy skill. An individual’s ability to do this is also reliant on a series of external factors such as education, relationships with friends and family and the functioning of contemporary society as a whole. João Martins reports. “And life itself told me this secret: ‘Look,’ it said, ‘you are the one who always has to overcome yourself.’”

Unreachable dreams Mountain climber João García is an excellent example of someone who has successfully overcome his obstacles. He started rock climbing at the age of 16 with the Guarda Mountaineering Club in Serra da Estrela. Since then, this passion has kept him going and made him risk his life on extremely dangerous mountain expeditions.

These words are spoken by Zarathustra, a philosopher from ancient Persia, in Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883), one of the most influential works by Friedrich Nietzsche. These words have lost In April 2010, García none of their became the 10th climber resonance in the world to achieve today, as it the feat of scaling all is through of the 14 mountains overcoming over 8,000 meters in difficulties and limitations, whether height (including Mount Everest) without the aid physical, moral or intellectual, of artificial oxygen or high-altitude that life challenges every porters. In December of the same “When I embraced that goal, I thought that individual in the modern year, he reached the summit of we have to believe that we can achieve our world. Mount Kosciuszko in Australia, goals and fight – strive – for that. I’m not a thereby finishing the 7 Summits person to believe in unreachable dreams,” “Overcoming obstacles Project, which is the challenge of requires a person to climbing the highest peak on every have great self-confidence continent. “When I climbed my first and motivation when faced with mountain over 8,000 meters, at that moment, a concrete situation. These two features are related to I never dreamed that one day I would complete the list another psychological dimension, which is resilience,” of the 14 mountains,” confesses the climber. “When I explains Joana Amaral Dias. “Usually the people who embraced that goal, I thought that we have to believe overcome obstacles and defy the odds, who can overcome that we can achieve our goals and fight – strive – for that. things instead of accepting the normal or predictable I’m not a person to believe in unreachable dreams,” says outcome, are people who are highly confident in their the mountaineer, who is now 50 years old. abilities and motivated to act,” the psychologist adds. In order to “achieve excellence”, García − who also 34

organises and gives motivational speeches − says that three fundamental elements are needed: passion, honesty and work.

close, intimate relationships,” she adds. The quality of resilience, or the ability of the individual to deal with problems that arise, is not a genetic trait, but a process that begins during the first years of life.

“First, you have to have passion for the activity, because that’s what helps us to overcome the more difficult moments of life and lack of will. Second, we must “We live in a society that has little time for emotional be honest with investment in the young. The ourselves; that is, first years of life are crucial to make the way for the establishment of we do things just the primary abilities of the as important. If individual, whether they are an athlete wants to intellectual; like language, overcome himself, learning, and motor skills, or he has to be honest. emotional and psychological; Then, you have such as resilience,” explains to work hard with the psychologist. “What strong preparation happens is that this and dedication,” investment is abandoned in a he explains. “For society in which, for example, me, the true the parents don’t have the definition of luck is time they need to take care of Mountain Climber João García when opportunity their children,” she says. and preparation meet: when we A question of values are very well prepared, and an opportunity arises to work with the right, For Manuel Sérgio, who is a motivated partner at philosopher, former professor that moment.” to “achieve excellence”, three fundamental elements are in the Department of needed: passion, honesty and work. Human Motor Skills and the But not everyone recognized author of 50 books can overcome themselves. on sports, “to live is to have the ability Lack of motivation or interest may be the to transcend ourselves continuously. Whatever abilities biggest barrier to building a successful career. we have, humans are always works in progress,” he says. “I live only inasmuch as I overcome, because being alive “I try to have a purpose and set a time frame, that is, is being able to transcend, and this is the meaning of not to dream in the abstract,” says Garcia. “I like having life.” goals and then working to achieve them. The greatest pleasure is during the journey: not in achieving the goal, The belief system and the willpower that inspire each but the entire process in which we start to dream, plan, individual are defined by the values that we have and prepare, until completion,” he smiles. acquired.

External factors Independently of our passions, professional goals and personal circumstances, there are also external factors which we are often not able to control that come into play when it comes to overcoming adversity. “Resilience depends on factors which are basic on the one hand, but increasingly difficult to obtain in contemporary society, such as education or quality relationships. That is, the fact that people have good relationships with their families and good social support,” says Joana Amaral Dias. “People don’t have a lot of time to participate in quality social activities and to build

“There are values without which it is impossible to live humanly. These are values that we have incorporated into our existence and to which we must be faithful. And that gives us the capacity for transcendence,” stresses Sérgio. “We can never forget that ‘belief creates biology,’ insofar as if I believe that I have more power, more speed, more strength, then I will have more physical and psychological qualities, through the values that I hold.” Translated from Portuguese by Dr Julier Attwater Courtesy of CAIS / INSP.ngo 35

Issues: Abroad

Overcoming Adversity

Afghan woman who topped university entrance exam eyes presidency.

s the Afghan government holds power-sharing talks with the Taliban that have raised concerns about women’s rights, Shamsia Alizada, a young woman who came top of 17,000 exam-sitting students soon after escaping an Islamic state terrorist attack, has set her sights on becoming Afghanistan’s first female president. Stefanie Glinski reports.

An Afghan teenager who topped the university entrance exams after narrowly escaping an Islamic State attack has set her sights on becoming the country’s first female president. Shamsia Alizada, the daughter of an Afghan coal miner, came first out of more than 170,000 students, winning widespread praise in a country where girls were once banned from going to school. Her success came in spite of a personal tragedy two years ago when an Islamic State militant suicide attack in west Kabul killed dozens, including fellow students at the exam preparation class she was supposed to go to.

further to work for the women of Afghanistan,” added Alizada, who now plans to study at the University of Kabul. She hopes to become a brain surgeon, but is also considering a diplomatic career, she said, adding, “one day, I’d even like to be the first female president.” Alizada’s success comes at a pivotal time for the country, whose government recently began powersharing talks with the Taliban Islamist militant group that ruled the country until its overthrow in 2001. Women’s rights have improved dramatically since those days, when the group banned women from going out to work and girls from attending school, and many fear their hardwon gains could now be at risk.

She had changed Shamsia Alizada her plans at the last minute to attend another event.

The Taliban say they have changed and will let girls be educated, but fears remain that women’s rights will deteriorate if the group regains “I was lucky,” she said influence. daughter of an Afghan coal miner, came quietly in an first out of more than 170,000 students in a About 2.2 million girls interview in a country where girls were once banned from are still out of school and coffee shop in going to school. less than 30% of women in Kabul, her hands Afghanistan are literate, according tightly wrapped around to United Nations agencies. a glass of warm green tea as she spoke of wanting to work towards a brighter future for her Alizada attributes her success in part to supportive troubled country. parents who treated her as equal to her two brothers something she said was rare in Afghanistan, where girls “Medicine will help me do that, but I’d like to strive 36

“often lag behind”.

As she waits for university classes to start, Alizada said she was spending her free time taking walks with her friends in the neighbourhood or reading poetry.

‘Opportunities to rise’ Born shortly after the US-led invasion, she is part of an ambitious, young post-Taliban generation, growing up with opportunities that her own family didn’t enjoy. “My mother was in Kabul during the war and escaped to Ghazni,” Shamsea explained, referring to the family’s native province south of the capital. When she took her exams at the university campus, she said, she was nervous but excited.

Her older brother is studying engineering in India and she said she hoped to also win a scholarship to study in Britain, the United States or Canada.

Shamsia Alizada at home with her dad.

But her ambitions are not just personal.

“Ten years from now, I’m not only hoping to practise medicine, I’m hoping that About 2.2 million girls are still out of women across Afghanistan – in school and less than 30% of women in both big cities and small villages Afghanistan are literate, according to – will have opportunities to rise United Nations agencies. and to change the future of this country,” she said.

“I wanted to do well. My parents had always supported me to study hard and I had waited for this day for years. I didn’t want to disappoint them,” she said.

“I want to help make this happen.” Courtesy of Reuters / Thomson Reuters Foundation / INSP.ngo

Word Power Over the next few issues we’ll be attempting to increase your word power. Have a look at the words below and afterwards see if you know their meaning.

Word 1. Jocular 2. Dichotomy 3. Jejune 4. Partisan 5. Encomium 6. Attrition 7. Beguile 8. Voracious 9. Titular 10.Gargantuan 11. Vociferous 12. Poise

Pronunciation Jok-yuh-ler Die-kot-o-mie Ji-joon Pahr-tuh-zhun En-koh-mee-uhm Uh-trish-uhn Bih-gay-il Vaw-rey-shuhs Tich-uh-ler Gahr-gan-choo-uhn Voh-sif-er-uhs Poiz

Answers 1. Given to, characterised by, intended for, or suited to joking or jesting. 2. A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different. 3. Naive, simplistic, and superficial. 4. A strong supporter of a party, cause, or person. 5. A speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly. 6. A reduction in numbers usually as a result of resignation, retirement, or death. 7. To lead by deception. 8.Exceedingly eager or avid. 9 Holding or constituting a purely formal position or title without any real authority. 10. Enormous. 11. Expressing or characterised by vehement opinions; loud and forceful. 12. A natural self-confident manner. How did YOU score? How did you do? Let us know on Twitter @BigIssueIreland

10 or more – Perfection!6-9 Brilliant. 3-5 Well done. 0-2 Must do better.

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t Corne