Motley Magazine Volume VIII Issue 5

Volume VIII ISSUE 5 UCCMotley.ie

20.01.15

“You must understand the place of rugby in South Africa’s history and its place in the mentality of its people”

BEST SELLER

CoverUCC Marriage Equality Survey

-George Hook

Laura Hussey talks books with internationally acclaimed novelist, Karen Joy Fowler

15 PEOPLE YOU WILL MATCH ON TINDR

‘WHEN WE PERFORM WE ALL FEEL MORE ATTACHED TO THE SONG’ Rising Band: Motley editor Ellen Desmond meets with Hermitage Green’s Darragh Graham PAGE 28

LIFE LESS ORDINARY Eoin McSweeney pays homage to a life less ordinary in an interview with Justice Albie Sachs

STYLE EDIT

WHAT WE’LL ALL BE TALKING ABOUT IN 2015 ATTEMPTS SOBRIETY Motley attempts sobriety; deputy features and opinion editor, Hannah Kingston, unveils the reality of a month off the good stuff.

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Team Editor: Ellen Desmond editor@motley.ie Graphic Designer: Cathal O’Gara Deputy Editor: Eoin McSweeney Current Affairs Editors: Eoin McSweeney deputyeditor@motley.ie Laura Cashman currentaffairs@motley.ie Features and Opinion Editors: Claire Crowley features@motley.ie Hannah Kingston deputyfeatures@motley.ie Entertainment Editors: Laura Hussey entertainment@motley.ie Kelly Doherty deputyentertainment@motley.ie Fashion Editor: Emily Horgan fashioneditor@motley.ie Creative Director: Laurence Keating creativedirector@motley.ie Webmaster: Andrew Shortall Public Relations Officer: Méadhbh Crowley Staff Writers: Adam O’Reilly Sorcha Lanigan Rachel O’Shea Contributors Louise Clancy, Naoise Doherty, Gary Moloney, Aaron Noonan, Eleanor Reid, Alex Allen, Cian Manning, Jonny O’Mahony, James O’ Connell, Lorna Lane, Aoife Stapleton, Rachel Muckley, Colm Cahalane and Max Farrell.

Special Thanks Kieran Murphy, John Murphy, Audrey Ellard Walsh, The UCC Media Executive, Albie Sachs, George Hook, Yomaira Mendoza, Laura Harte and all the team at Webprint.

Very Special Thanks Darragh Graham of Hermitage Green, Mark Charles Allen of The Vincent(s), Karen Joy Fowler, RØDHÅD, Rob Cas and UCCSU.

Pieta House Cork Address: Highfield Lawn, Model Farm Road Bishopstown Cork

Phone: 021-4341400 Website: http://www.pieta.ie To Donate: http://www.pieta.ie/index.php/donate

anuary’s edition of Motley Magazine is not so much “New Year New Me,” as it is focusing on the worrying state of the world that has lingered on from 2014. Motley worries about the state of the world a lot. Learning to coexist with all opinions and beliefs is going to be 2015’s biggest problem. Sadly, I don’t think it’s going to get any better before it gets incredibly worse.

I’m not going to discuss international issues as much as I would like to here, because we’ve worked on an important Same Sex Marriage Survey with UCCSU these past few weeks and the results are within these pages. They show some very interesting statistics and these statistics are very important to see. With more than 700 students wishing to have their say in our survey, its apparent students aren’t as clueless and disengaged from bigger issues as they are often stereotyped to be.

However, the results of our Same Sex Marriage Survey are not to be taken lightly. A yes voter reading that a majority of participants support Marriage Equality will see the results as good news. Yet, these participants are only in support of the idea of Marriage Equality. It can’t be assumed that each and every one of them will cast a physical vote in May. Indeed, students have an atrocious reputation when it comes to voting, even when it’s voting in SU referendums or elections; and comparisons to votes in UCC doesn’t factor in that many students will need to travel home in an actual referendum. What about those on placement or Erasmus or worrying about exams? They may have voted in our survey while sitting on Facebook or staring at their email; with little or no effort. Neither side of the debate can know for sure from opinion polls what the real outcome of the vote will be.

In the social circles I move in, it’s pretty much in vogue to support Marriage Equality; the same doesn’t go for in the rest of Ireland, or even UCC. One third of participants in our survey think the referendum is going to be extremely close.

These are the clever ones. If yes voters want to win, the threat posed to them by their opposition needs to be taken seriously. I’ve seen people be very quick to publicly mock no campaigns, and while laughing away a boggart is a healthy attitude, will these same people all be as quick to go out and vote yes?

As I write this, journalist Fionnan Sheahan and others are discussing the Marriage Equality Referendum on the radio behind me. They are all in unanimous agreement that Ireland’s Same Sex Marriage Referendum is going to be answered with a resounding no from voters. The main element of their discussion is focusing on yes campaigners being far too optimistic. The words “landslide no” were used more than once, from these people trying to take an unbiased look at the situation.

In the case of the Irish Marriage Equality Referendum, as in many cases we’ve seen in recent weeks, it’s going to be up to the pen to be mightier than the sword again. To harness a vote from students, and young people, it boils down to a need for a widespread distribution of simple information about how and where to vote – and why to take a side.

Students and young people cast votes for fun, or because they think they absolutely must vote for anything at all in order to be a decent human, and they cast these votes from a totally uninformed place.

Many voters won’t think about Marriage Equality until the day, or the moment in which they make a vote; many again don’t even really know what they are voting for or against. I’m pretty sure I voted for Dana to be the next president in my more blissfully ignorant days, because it seemed witty. For you the referendum might mean everything in the world, but for many it’s the last thing on their minds. Unfortunately for those who it matters to, the end result is about every single citizen putting a mark in a box. It’s all well and good to believe in Marriage Equality but actions are what passes (or fails) a referendum, not sitting at home believing.

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George Hook

What We’ll All Be Talking about in 2015

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Current Affairs Editor Laura Cashman gives voice to the chilling story of humans rights defender, Yomaira Mendoza. he United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights defines “human rights defenders” as those who “individually or with others, act to promote or protect human rights… [they] are identified above all by what they do and it is through a description of their actions and of some of the contexts in which they work that the term can best be explained.”

The above definition gives us an insight into the complexities of the work of human rights defenders around the world. People whose role holds no real definition and are, in large, identified by their actions and the contexts within which they work.

These actions can be accepted as those that largely focus on promoting all human rights for all, everywhere, partaking in local, national, regional and international action, collecting and disseminating information on violations, supporting victims of human rights violations and taking action to secure accountability and to end impunity.

Defenders work in a professional, voluntary or non-professional context.

Yomaira Mendoza is a Colombian human rights defender who has repeatedly put her livelihood and life on the line for what she believes in. She earns the human rights defender title by her activism on behalf of those who have lost their homes and farms to unhindered land grabs and campaigning on their behalf overseas. She is further defined by her work in one of the most volatile regions in the world- rural Colombia.

Recently on a speaking tour in Ireland, following a similar tour in the UK, Mendoza agreed to an exclusive Irish interview with Motley Magazine. She embarked on the tour with the aim to build awareness of the Colombian situation- a country that has seen leftist rebels, rightwing paramilitaries and government troops claim at least 220,000 lives since 1958.

With more than four out of five killed in Colombia civilian non-combatants, countless inhabitants uprooted and conflict fuelled land grabs a common occurrence, the lack of coverage in international media is disheartening. Mendoza is one of many activists working to bring the situation

Yomaira Mendoza is a Colombian human rights defender who has repeatedly put her livelihood and life on the line for what she believes in. She earns the human rights defender title by her activism on behalf of those who have lost their homes and farms to unhindered land grabs and campaigning on their behalf overseas. to light, a decision that may cost her life.

Mendoza believes; “If we all keep our mouths shut, the impunity will go on and on and on; there will never be justice. It’s a risk we have to take. We know that we’ve all got to die sooner or later. And that’s OK. That’s the decision I’ve made.”

Mendoza’s story began in 1997 when her family farm in the Curvaradó region of north-western Colombia was first occupied by paramilitary groups, who she states were “working with the military.” Before her family’s displacement, Colombia, since 1964, was already suffering through a long and bloody civil war between the Colombian government, paramilitaries, and

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different rebel groups. The 1980s saw Government-backed paramilitary groups emerge, supposedly, in an effort to combat insurgents. Fighting intensified and despite attempted demobilization, paramilitary forces remain active in Colombia to this day.

A 2010 Human Rights Watch report on Colombian paramilitaries documents widespread abuse by successor military groups to the paramilitary coalition ranging from massacres, killings, forced displacement, rape, and extortion. The report claims “they often target human rights defenders, trade unionists, victims seeking justice, and community members who do not follow paramilitary orders.”

The brutality and anger of the civil war has encouraged a culture fostered on human rights abuse, violence and oppression. All of which Mendoza has encountered in her life leading to her relocation after been exiled from her home country.

The sequence of events that led to her exile shows the unstable and alarming situation that many human rights defenders face every day. After her family’s return to their farm in 2002, “the paramilitaries captured and tortured my brother.” Coming out of a public meeting in Trinity College where she addressed over 80 people, Mendoza was clearly still battling with the demons of her experience. Her eyes filled with tears as she recounted seeing her own brother being tortured in front of her and her young children. “They cut off his fingers and legs and eyes before they killed him in front of us,” she said.

Fleeing with her children and husband after the brutal attack, Mendoza was not to return to her home until 2005. “I went back for two years and continued to work in the area.” But violence was soon to overcome the family again and her husband, Jose, was shot from the shadows as she walked beside him in 2007. Killed for what Mendoza called “paramilitary and business interests.2 the family once again had to flee after continuous harassment. 2011 brought with it a clear realisation of the events that had tore apart her family. She was threatened “personally by the landowner. It was clear he was the one behind it the whole time.”

Two years later, suffering from continuous intimidation and attacks she “couldn’t put up with it anymore and went to the authorities” but threats soon followed. Three days after contacting the authorities “direct assassination threats” were made against her. Mendoza and her family went into hiding in Bogota, the Colombian capital but “they kept coming.”

She decided she had to leave but they “even followed (her) onto the plane.”

On March the 5th and the 20th of May 2014 she once again received threats and on the 12th of July paramilitaries “left a note and on it said they were going to kill me but not before they told me who

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killed my husband.” While she had been evacuated to a safe house, between March and November 2014, Mendoza has been threatened over seventy times along with her family being intimidated and direct attempts on her life. “We weren’t even safe in the safe zone,” Mendoza explains.

She knows her name is on death lists.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos passed the Victims and Land Restitution law three years ago in the hopes to end this impunity. While UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon hailed this an “important advance,” there has been little change. While President Santos has, at times, publicly condemned attacks, his government has never brought the accountable to justice. A report April last

by Colombian-based Shape the Future Foundation indicated that only 1.7 percent of victims have received rulings since the act. In early 2014, Amnesty International published a letter claiming funds provided by the European Union in order to help with the implementation of the 2011 Victims and Land Restitution Law, was inappropriately used. This, what appears to be purposeful, disregard of the problem has exacerbated the delicate situation.

Based on this and the human rights crisis, international non-governmental organisations working in Colombia have continuously called for change. In May 2014, Amnesty International issued a public letter writing campaign on behalf of Mendoza and her colleagues, Enrique Cabezas and Rafael Truaquero. The letter, sent individually by members of the public, called for the government to “order a full and impartial investigation into the attempt to kill Enrique Cabezas, the threat against Rafael Truaquero and others, publish the results and bring all those responsible to justice,” it urged them “to dismantle paramilitary groups and break their links with the security forces in line with repeated United Nations human rights recommendations” and reminded “them to fulfil their obligations to ensure human rights defenders can carry out their work without fear, as laid out in the 1998 UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.”

In line with this action, Human Rights Watch have also expressed their “grave concern” at the situation. Colombia has generated the world’s second largest population of Internally Displaced People who account for 11 percent of the nation’s population and 19 percent of all internally displaced people globally.

Peace Brigades International provided Mendoza with protective accompaniment throughout this ordeal and supported her when she made the decision to leave the country. They have provided Mendoza with a life again. “It’s like my life before,” she said. But she is aware of so many others who remain in a dire situation in her homeland. Karen Jeffares of the recently established Peace Brigades

International Ireland Country Group said, in conversation with Motley; “Yomaira’s situation is sadly not an isolated case – human rights defenders and land restitution leaders in Colombia are under serious pressure and face threats and harassment that actually increased at the end of last year. According to the programme Somos Defensores, from July to October 2014 they recorded 186 aggressions against HRDs, including 15 assassinations and 9 attempted assassinations. The situation for HRDs in Colombia remains critical. It is important that the Irish government who have taken a strong stance on the protection of human rights defenders, at a European and international level, stand by its commitment to support HRDs like Yomaira by pressing the Colombian state to ensure that adequate and effective protection mechanisms are in place and that all attacks are properly investigated.”

While Colombia is a particularly dangerous region in itself, Mendoza’s situation is exacerbated by the fact that she is a woman. When discussing women as human right defenders she said she “does the same work as male defenders” but “as women we are more exposed to aggression particularly attacks which are sexual in nature.” She also mentioned a trend of receiving family-related threats, as a woman. Just before Christmas, paramilitaries began harassing her 15-year-old son, who lives in a city with extended family, interrogating him about the location of his mother. “They did it to get my attention. They are trying to make me come back,” she says. “I want to be there now, but it is too dangerous.”

There is, as with any ongoing conflict, many different opinions on the way forward. Created in 2011, The National Centre of Historical Memory in Colombia produced a report titled ‘Enough Already: Memories of War and Dignity’ to track the destruction across the country. The centre’s director, Gonzalo Sánchez, who presented the report to President Juan Manuel Santos, said “we have serious problems as a society. The only way to end this horror is to consolidate a peace process. That’s the only way to stop it.”

Yomaira Mendoza represents the very human side of the story, one that is often overshadowed by horrifying facts that are meaningless when represented by nameless figures and made better by empty promises. When I thanked Yomaira for speaking to me she said “you have to speak about these things especially to university students who may someday bring about solutions to these conflicts.” The end is not yet in sight with many, half of the country’s population of 45 million, in poverty which lies at the heart of the conflict. The international community is at a crossroads. Colombia and it’s peoples cannot be left behind.

Christmas is a time for tins of Roses, hot whiskeys by the fire and countless hours spent in front of the TV watching silly Christmas specials and classic Christmas movies. You are therefore forgiven if you forgot all about the outside world during the holidays and need a quick global news catch-up. 2014 was a big year for politics, business, sport and technology. 2015 will be even bigger. ’s Laura Cashman is bringing you some talking points to get you up to date and looking clever in conversations.

What we’ll all be talking about in

The price of oil dropped below $50 per barrel for the first time in almost six years. This may potentially translate in to cheaper energy costs in 2015 with oil firms and oil-rich countries battling it out for the market share. However, it does dampen stock markets around the world. There is once again talk of Greece crashing out of the Euro. Some analysts and politicians say it can’t be as bad as the 20102012 Greece Crisis, others say this breeds a culture of dangerous complacency. Investors are unsure, leading to a visible effect on stocks which is set to continue in 2015.

Events in Ferguson, Missouri, Cleveland, Ohio and New York City in 2014 which involved police officers and people of the African-American community shocked the country and the world.

Reactions were divided very much along racial lines with older, white, Republicans putting their faith in the police forces, of whom those marginalized by this formula hold little respect or trust for. The debate continues regarding social media’s role in the case with one tweet claiming: “If it wasn’t for Twitter, millions may never have learned Michael Brown’s name.” This particular one garnered over 2000 retweets.

Immigration has long been a heated issue in the US that practically blew up in 2014. Over the summer, tens of thousands of children crossed the border seeking refuge in the United States.

They did not receive a warm welcome. However, Obama finished off the year with a monumental announcement. The administration took executive action to fix the broken immigration system. Great news for the undocumented Irish as well as the other 11 million immigrants who live in the shadows.

However, 2015 is already geared up to see the Speaker of the House John Boehner and the House Republicans attempting to undo Obama’s work.

Here’s what you need to know… After decades of a poor relationship and embargo, the Obama administration has “normalised” relations with the country. The act has had many effects including relaxed policies on Cuban cigars (you can now bring them home to the US in your suitcase), but mostly the US has relaxed guidelines on travelling to and from Cuba. While this doesn’t have a huge effect on Irish citizens, it does mean interest in Cuba has piqued and more and more tourists are expected there in the coming years. Cuba could soon become the travel hotspot of 2015 with it’s beautiful beaches, old-fashioned cars and a variety of activities for all-sorts.

Here’s what you need to know… Sony produced a movie for release in 2014 named The Interview.

A comedy which casts Seth Rogen and James Franco as TV journalists asked to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seemed tame compared to what came after. In late 2014 Sony was hacked with employee’s personal information and private conversations leaked. One such leak produced an email feed which contained racist remarks about President Obama’s movie preferences between Sony Pictures co-chairperson Amy Pascal and movie producer Scott Rudin. The hackers also claimed that if the movie release went ahead attacks akin to that of 9/11 would be carried out. The attack and threats can not be traced back to the North Korean government but Pyothang did go on to call it a “righteous deed”. The release was cancelled with the movie now available to stream online for a fee.

Obama has taken steps to hit back for the attack.

First, by publicly coming out in support of the movie’s release and secondly by applying sanctions to North Korea.

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Here’s what you need to know… Under the stewardship of Sepp Blatter, various allegations of corruption have surfaced over his many years in office. In 2012, Michael Garcia, a former US Attorney was asked to head a report investigating these allegations. This was completed in 2014 and sent to FIFA in September. The decisions to allow Russia and Qatar to be the host nations of the 2018 and the 2022 installments of the FIFA World Cup respectively were a primary focus, as it was believed by many that the hosting rights were bought through bribery. These accusations have been refuted by Sepp Blatter and FIFA. Rather than the entire 350 page report, a summary of Garcia’s finding was released in November.

The summary cleared Russia and Qatar of any wrongdoing and seemed to put the issue to bed, with FIFA welcoming “the fact that a degree of closure had been reached.” Yet hours after the release of the summary, Garcia declared it to be erroneous and materially incomplete and lodged an appeal. Soon after he resigned in his role as FIFA ethics investigator. It would seem that FIFA dodged yet another bullet in 2014. All eyes will be on the upcoming Presidential election in May 2015 after Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein announced his desire to run against Sepp Blatter stating: “The headlines should be about football, not about FIFA.”

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Here’s what you need to know… 2014 saw the rise of the water charges debate. While it isn’t the most offensive or damaging tax in recent decades, it is the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.

Some say it was the ruthless way with which the government forced it on the people that garnered the anti-charges community it’s support, others say it is the rise of Sinn Fein and left leaning parties that was able to encourage such a response. Either way, there was tens of thousands out on the streets every weekend protesting and support for the government parties has more than waned with Fine Gael standing at 20% and Labour at 6%. Politics in 2015 will bear the mark of the water protests with many politicians questioning all they hold dear. It can no longer be said: “It’s the economy, stupid.” It’s more than that.

Aaron Noonan discusses the options for the United States to push an increasingly influential and powerful Iran away, or seek to shape its development and policies through détente. n November 24th, the deadline to reach a deal on Iran’s nuclear programme expired once again. This was the second time the deadline had expired since an unprecedented interim agreement was reached in late 2013. Talks between the P5+1 and Iran do tend to end without agreement, but something was different this time. The extension of the talks by a further seven months was agreed upon with such ease that one might be mistaken for forgetting that the United States and Iran are traditional enemies. When such deadlines pass, tensions usually flare and empty threats are shot across the bow by both sides. But not this time. President Rouhani said that the gap had “narrowed” between the two sides and that a deal was close, while U.S. Secretary of State

John Kerry was also optimistic about what the next seven months could bring. Talks are promised to continue before the year is out.

The change in attitude is symptomatic of the on-going détente between the United States and Iran. Relations between the two countries are among the worst in the world, though the interim deal signed in 2013, along with the extremely limited (though still significant) collaboration in the fight against common enemy ISIS, implies that Iran-U.S. relations are softening somewhat. The prospect of a détente between the two nations, however minimal, is having reverberations across the greater Middle East. Thus, it is important to acknowledge why Iran and the U.S. see fit to ease tensions at this juncture, and what the effects of it will be.

It is pertinent to note the extremely favourable position Iran has found itself in in the last decade. The fall of Baghdad in 2003 destroyed the power balance that existed between Sunni-led Iraq and Shialed Iran. Such a balance existed because the catastrophe that was the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s left behind it a reality that neither country could afford such a conflict again. As Iraq fell, Iran was propelled into a regional hegemony. On its western border, Afghanistan was in ruin. To the south, the gulf nations simply did not and do not have the power to balance against a nation as powerful as Iran. To the north lay Turkey, the only country with the potential to take Iraq’s place and balance against Iran, but it is still a rising power, and today it lies in an increasingly precarious position.

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The fall of Iraq in 2003 removed Iran’s only true existential threat. The installation of a Shia-led government in Baghdad coupled with the withdrawal of the final U.S. troops from Iraq in 2011 has cemented Iran’s hegemony in the Middle East. The rise of ISIS over the last several months has certainly changed the landscape in the Middle East.

But in terms of Iran’s relationship with the United States, it has only brought them closer together. The traditional animosity between between Tehran and Washington over nuclear proliferation and sanctions has been put increasingly on the back-burner as both realise that their goals are aligning more than ever.

For Iran’s part, ISIS represents its only real threat in the region. The Sunni jihadist group has the potential to destabilise both Iraq and Syria. Tehran requires the Shia dominated government in Baghdad to stay in power, lest the western border of Iran open itself up to jihadists. Syria’s state government is essentially a puppet of Iran, which provided weapons and funding through groups such as Hezbollah. While the United States seeks to demise of al-Assad, his troops are among the strongest forces fighting ISIS in Syria and to oust him at this point would leave Syria a black hole in the Middle East, and a haven for Sunni jihadists. It is perhaps a sore reality to contend with, but al-Assad has been down-graded to Public Enemy number two, with ISIS claiming the top spot.

Beyond a mutual hostility toward ISIS however, the U.S. and Iran have other strategic goals in common. Both nations want U.S. troops out of the Middle East.

American military involvement overseas has become a hugely domestic issue, with a majority of Americans against boots on the ground in the region. For its part, Iran has had to live for the past decade with American troops on its east and west borders, which has only worsened relations. Furthermore, cautious strategic alliance and détente will, by definition, result in the decrease in likeliness of conflict between the U.S. and Iran. Conflict between Iran and the U.S. is an almost unthinkable prospect, as neither side has the means to defeat the other with ease, and Iran’s geo-strategic positioning means its destabilisation would have reverberations across the Middle East and the wider world through an inevitable spike in oil prices, should the Straits of Hormuz be compromised.

Of course, any alliance between the U.S. and Iran would have a ripple effect across the Middle East. Israel, longtime ally of the United States and

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Conflict between Iran and the U.S. is an almost unthinkable prospect, as neither side has the means to defeat the other with ease, and Iran’s geo-strategic positioning means its destabilisation would have reverberations across the Middle East and the wider world through an inevitable spike in oil prices, should the Straits of Hormuz be compromised.

longtime enemy of Iran, will be disgusted.

It is vehemently against a nuclear deal with Iran. The war in Syria is on Israel’s doorstep, and Israel makes a point of targeting the al-Assad regime periodically, most recently this week.

Détente with Iran instantly shows that the ousting of Assad has been back burned. However, dialogue with Iran will diminish Israeli influence over the United States and thus lessen the chance of Washington being dragged into an Iran-Israeli conflict, a threat Israel has made on several occasions. Saudi Arabia, similarly, will decry any softening between the U.S. and Iran. Saudi Arabia, similar to Israel but to a greater extent, looks to the U.S. for security guarantees and sees Iran as one of its greatest threats. But the U.S. distancing itself from Saudi Arabia might not necessarily be a bad thing – Washington is over reliant on Arabian oil and the House of Saud cannot afford to lose the U.S. as an ally. If the U.S. purchased much of its oil elsewhere, it could arguably force concessions from Saudi Arabia, starting with its backward laws.

As discussed, all-out war with Iran is not a plausible scenario, so détente must be. For now, at least. Any serious proponent of bringing Iran in from the cold knows that a softening of relations doesn’t translate into a blossoming friendship. The Iranian state, in its current form, and the United States will never make good bedmates and both know this. By relaxing its containment policy on Iran, Washington will be affording it a stronger level of influence over the Middle East, including in Iraq. But regardless of this extended influence, Tehran will know that it cannot step too far out of the United States’ shadow, lest it suffer the military and economic consequences. The United States will have to thread a fine line in affording Iran more breathing space and acknowledge from the get-go that détente is a short term solution to a long term problem.

If bringing Iran in from the cold is the short term option, what is the long game? The answer lies to the north with Turkey. Turkey is, by any estimation, an emerging great power in the Middle East. It boasts the largest economy in the region along with the largest military, and a population of 77 million.

Since the fall of Iraq, its Sunni majority government has shown to be the only state in the region capable of balancing against Iran. It has yet to do so, but it will in time. The United States will seek to nurture Turkey’s development over the next several years, while simultaneously engaging in a cautious détente with Iran.

The benefits of having Turkey onside are immense – it not only has the potential to hold considerable influence over the Middle East, but it also serves as

a buffer between the region and the Russian caucuses, while also holding the potential to be a strong player in Europe.

Its relationship with the U.S. is already considerably strained as Turkey wants al-Assad to be removed from power as a matter of urgency and it is also uneasy about U.S. support of Kurdish troops in Iraq. Turkey technically defines ISIS as an enemy, but it is cautious to become to involved in the fight against it, lest it become a target itself or provide a boost to Kurdish populations. As the U.S. sees Turkey crucial to its evolving Middle Eastern policy in finding a counterbalance to Iran, it will be slow to force Turkey into war with ISIS. Indeed, the U.S. will also be slow to extend too long an olive branch to the Iranians, lest it aggravate Turkey. For the foreseeable future, Washington will have to balance keeping Turkey onside while easing hostility with Iran.

The very idea of détente between the United States and Iran seemed impossible just a couple of years ago, but in the past year it has become a very real and active policy of the United States.

Detractors of such a policy will condemn Washington’s apparent appeasement toward Iran and a de facto endorsement of the Assad regime. But on the contrary, it may be the only viable option right now. Continued frosty relations between the United States and an increasingly powerful and unbalanced Iran will be of no benefit to a region bereft by war.

Yes, the U.S. may be aligning with a state that actively supports the al-Assad regime, but that dictatorship is doomed to fail anyway and both the U.S. and Iran knows this. There is no love lost between the United States and Iran, but with ISIS as the centrepiece of all Middle Eastern policy right now, their goals align in many ways. The idea of détente certainly does not serve as a long term solution, as the concerned states disagree fundamentally over important issues, not least the future of Syria, which will eventually have to be acknowledged. The question of nuclear proliferation Iran can be aided by an increasing understanding between Washington and Tehran, but U.S. diplomats must also not under-estimate the genuine potential for Iran to build a bomb.

Sunni Turkey will, in the next several years, fill the void and become the counter-balance to Shia Iran, but the U.S. must nurture and ensure its development – and continued alliance.

In the meantime, the United States can either push an increasingly influential and powerful Iran away, or seek to shape its development and policies through détente.

This article also now appears on Aaron Noonan’s personal blog “Louder than Bombs.”

Eoin McSweeney speaks to George Hook about the new positive

discrimination rule regarding South African rugby and the wider implications that it entails for country and continent.

I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses.” This dream of Nelson Mandela’s has yet to be realised, despite his victorious struggle against apartheid in his native country. Africa remains in crisis and this is exemplified by its most powerful and wealthy nation.

Despite South Africa’s stature as the continent’s leading country, many serious problems still exist. The unemployment rate is close to 25%,

which is a huge atrocity considering the country’s wealth. It suffers from shockingly high levels of rape, shown in a survey conducted by its governmentfunded Medical Research Foundation, in which 37% of men in the Gauteng Province admitted to raping a woman.

Some of the incidents are terrifying, for example, an 8-month old infant was reportedly raped by four men in 2002, a single case in a raft of tragedies. Since apartheid ended, the Rand has continued to become weaker and parts of the country have slipped into extreme poverty. One of the most damning pieces of information is that the disparity in South Africa between the

One of the most damning pieces of information is that the disparity in South Africa between the rich and the poor is greater than any other country in the world apart from Lesotho.

rich and the poor is greater than any other country in the world apart from Lesotho. Many of the wealthy are white, while the majority of the impoverished are not.

SPORT IS ESSENTIALLY ABOUT BEING THE BEST All of this demonstrates just how little South Africa has evolved since apartheid ended. The gap between the black and white communities remains considerably large, even if the mutual resentment shared by both is not as obvious now. A quick look at how the Springboks Rugby Team has

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changed its selection policy is a perfect example of how the two societies are still considered unequal. Motley met with Irish broadcaster George Hook to discuss the situation and he gave an explanation of the rule change.

“The South African coach will have to pick five non-white players in the team, three of whom musts be black,” he explained, “Then you must have seven essentially on the bench, four of whom must be non-white.” This will be in place at next year’s Rugby World Cup and follows years of positive discrimination implemented by various South African governments. Yet this has never applied in a sporting context.

“They brought in positive discrimination. So when you got to a reception desk there were two blacks and two whites. When you got on an airplane, there was three whites and three blacks and so on. Obviously I agreed with that, even though at that point, the education levels of the Black Community were poor and they weren’t very good at the job. However sport is different. Sport is essentially about being the best. This will undoubtedly weaken South Africa. It’s really interesting, that when you do comparisons between the England rugby team and the South African rugby team, despite having a smaller general population of blacks, England has a higher percentage on their international team. Essentially, the true worth of sport is about being the best.”

Above: Nelson Mandela presenting the William Webb Ellis Cup to Sprinboks captain Francois Pienaar as a crowd of some 65,000 chanted his name.

THE PLACE OF RUGBY IN SOUTH AFRICA’S HISTORY The reason that the rule change has attracted so much attention is because of Rugby’s place in South African history.

The country played host to the 1995 World Cup, one year after the end of apartheid and it showed the world that the country had finally changed for the better. Nelson Mandela used his relationship with the team to help unify South Africa and bring together a broken country. Incredibly, South Africa went on to win the tournament. The world celebrated the country’s revival and one of the enduring images of the competition was the presentation of the cup by Mandela to the Springboks captain, Francois Pienaar. The story was even made into a film, with Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman starring in Invictus.

Yet rugby in South Africa also had malicious connotations that still exist today. Rugby was the sport of the white and the wealthy, while soccer was the sport of the poor Black Community.

Despite having a population that was almost 75% black, the winning team in 1995 had one African-American player, winger Chester Williams or, as

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“The problem with this, was that rugby was almost seen by the Afrikaners as an example of who they were. When you think of this, you must understand the place of rugby in South Africa’s history and its place in the mentality of its people.”

he was fondly known, ‘The Black Pearl.’

The sport was seen as one for the Afrikaners to play and it was another example of the great division between the two ethnic groups.

During apartheid, nearly all sports boycotted South African teams, a major example of this being their exclusion from the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup. However South Africa remained part of the International Rugby Board throughout the apartheid era. As Hook explains, it was a “low point for rugby” and that he “turned down invitations to South Africa until the 1995 World Cup,” at which stage apartheid had ended. Controversially, while they were excluded for the first two instalments of the Rugby World Cup, some teams still toured there; most notably the Lions in 1980, England in 1984 and even Ireland in 1981. The sport’s status, and its relationship with the powerful Afrikaners, divided the country.

“Soccer has been the sport of the Black Community in South Africa. The great tradition of South Africa was rugby,” Hook told Motley, “The problem with this, was that rugby was almost seen by the Afrikaners as an example of who they were. When you think of this, you must understand the place of rugby in South Africa’s history and its place in the mentality of its people.”

THE ‘EVOLUTION’ OF SOUTH AFRICA Mandela and Chester Williams were thought to have ended this disparity and broken the Springbok colour barrier. South Africa won the world cup again in 2007, which was seen as another triumph against apartheid. The country then hosted one of the world’s largest sporting events, the FIFA World Cup, in 2010. This was supposed to mark the end of the old South Africa

and show other countries how far it had progressed, much like the hosting of the 1995 World Cup. Nelson Mandela made a brief appearance at the closing ceremony and a new dawn seemed to be on the horizon.

However, as the problems highlighted above show, this has not happened. Even the most recent sporting achievements of South Africa have been tainted by various discrepancies. Of the winning team in 2007, only two of the starting fifteen were non-white. When they played France in their final group game at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, there weren’t any white players on the South African side. Even a quick glance at Oscar Pistorius’ trial will tell you that all is not right in South African sport. Looking at this damning evidence, it seems that a disparity still exists, despite the efforts of Nelson Mandela. Following his death, South Africa now lacks a leader that can unite the two ethnic groups using sport as Mandela once did twenty years ago.

According to Hook; “Mandela was extraordinary. The 1995 world cup being a clear example, how he used the team and his relationship with Pienaar and so on. They haven’t got anybody of that stature now. The Black Community, understandably, thought that with the release of Mandela and the new regime, life was going to change for them. Life hasn’t changed for the vast majority of black people in South Africa.

You only have to go to the great camps outside the big cities. You only have to go to Soweto, or even some of the smaller camps to see how many of the average South African lives. It’s not much better than their living standards under the apartheid regime. The difference is that they don’t have the past laws where they had to have an internal passport and they were clearly discriminated against. The economy hasn’t grown at a rate sufficient enough to give the average South African a proper standard of living.”

THE BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS This new regime has obvious benefits. It will create a sense that rugby is to be played by every South African citizen and not just those who are afforded the rare opportunity. Seeing their heroes play together and be victorious on the pitch, despite the colour of their skin, can inspire younger generations to play a growing sport. This can only lead to a breakdown in the class division and it is hoped that more African-American players will find a place on the South African side. It may also create more competition for places and thus higher

quality players, because essentially, there is only ten places on the team for white players. Hook said that in his gut “they have to get blacks into the team and maybe this is the way to do it.” Positive discrimination has already worked in society, so no real question lies over the future success of this rule.

However its faults are obvious. From a player’s point of view, it is likely to create animosity within a squad. Jealousy could breed contempt and players could be considered undeserving of their place because they were only picked based on colour. Players are born to win and no professional athlete enjoys sitting on the bench at the biggest stage. It’s difficult to understand exactly how the coach will control the situation and explain to a particular player why he can’t play due to the rule.

“I have no doubt it will [create animosity within a group of players]. It is the goal of every athlete to compete in the Olympics, it’s the goal of every rugby player to compete in the Rugby World Cup. Now, sportsmen, from their earliest days are competitive. I’m in Cork Constitution Rugby Club this morning watching under 6’s because I have a grandson there, but everybody knows that Con have a first team, a second team and a third team and the best players are on the first team.

That’s how sportsmen and women are motivated. Therefore I think that there will be a lot of unhappy guys.”

Another problem is the lack of consistency in the application of the rule. Why is there no restriction on the number of African-American players on the soccer team? It seems that now a negative discrimination is being placed on the White Community, which was not meant to be the outcome of Nelson Mandela’s dream. The rule seems to bring to light a less obvious racism in South Africa that would have disappeared if it had just not been addressed.

“Through being in South Africa and working in the USA with two coaches from the Afrikaner Community, I saw how the White Community in South Africa has accepted the new regime.

Brian O’Driscoll’s Replacement: “We look at the history of Irish rugby and we have a small player population. When Jack Kyle dies, it probably took a decade or more to find a player, not better, but equal. They only come once in a generation.

Nobody is going to replace him. Yes we had a great autumn. To win three out of three was great, nobody thought that would happen, but I think that at the World Cup, we will find it hard to score.”

The problem for the White Community, is that it actually goes beyond rugby because the White Community is now being discriminated against, and in a way, I didn’t fight for the end of apartheid in order to let the blacks discriminate against the whites,” says Hook, “I was an activist for equality, I wasn’t an activist for one group over the other. What you now find in South Africa, is that it can be difficult for a white to get a job. South Africa needs the White Community and I can see this driving a wedge between the two. You have replaced a white elite with a black elite and they have a long way to go.”

A LONG TERM SOLUTION

that means black players are coming off and white players are coming on as substitutes and he’s going back to the roots of the rugby. Can there be real movement in South Africa, without positive discrimination? Probably.”

Looking at the current situation in South Africa, the solution that has been devised may work and more people from the Black Community will begin to play. However, because of the lack of consistency in implementing the rule change, the Springboks are contributing to their own downfall. By not supporting poor communities and using rugby as a tool to promote equality, they are not tapping

Is there another solution? If more support is given to black children playing rugby at a younger age, it will certainly be of greater benefit than the current regime. Sport should unite people, not divide them and if a programme was implemented to introduce the poor in South Africa to rugby, the country could change forever.

Work needs to be done at a lower level rather than the quick solution that is in place now. It will take time, but if such a programme had been

successfully set up in 1995, we could have seen a different landscape in South Africa today.

“The negative about this is, that they are only doing this with the national team. They are not doing this with clubs, schools, universities, the professional teams in South Africa. Therefore you have to think that there is a certain amount of politics here. The problem for the coach, is that when you look at South Africa play (and the Irish match is a really good example), South Africa might be losing, they might be under pressure and

Ireland’s Chances at the World Cup: “Come 6 Nations and then the World Cup, Italy will be tricky, but you’d have to think we’d beat them. I can’t see France getting it right, although one, France are my favourite team after Ireland at every World Cup. Of the teams that haven’t won it, they are the best by a mile. You think about how many finals they’ve been in and how many semifinals they’ve been in. They will be difficult.

There’s something about France in a World Cup. I think that we have a big chance of coming through top. If you come through your group top, then you avoid New Zealand, which is a big deal and I think that Ireland want to be in the semi-final.”

into a vast talent pool. On a wider scale, this problem epitomises the African continent. Too many problems exist due to inequality and too many quick fix solutions are being proposed.

As Hook put it: “South Africa must find its own way. I mean it has had unfortunate politicians, but we can’t exactly crow about the quality of politicians in this country either. It’s very difficult, because it’s not about the country of South Africa, it is about the continent of Africa. The continent of Africa in relation to Ebola in West Africa, the corruption in Zimbabwe. The problem is continent wide.”

The Pricing of Tickets at the 2015 Rugby World Cup: “Rugby is professional game now and it is an event. You have to compare the Rugby World Cup with a Rihanna concert or something. The people who used to go to the games were rugby people. Now, only 20 percent of the crowd may be rugby people. They’re pricing the tickets on what the market will bear. It is nothing about George Hook being able to take his grandson to a game so that his grandson will see an event that will live with him for the rest of his life and will increase his appetite for rugby and his love of the game. It has nothing to do with that now - it is an event. So it is simply about money now, it’s not about the sport. And that’s sad, but also a fact of life and I’m not worried about it.”

The Handling of Concussions in Sport: “When you talk about professional rugby players being taken off for concussion, like Johnny Sexton and like Conor Murray, this year has been the first time we have seen it happen. I’m slightly cynical about the concussion story. They are terrified of a legal action because they have seen what happened in America in the NFL. They are only looking after about 500 rugby players i.e. the professional athletes. The vast bulk of players that are playing amateur rugby are doing so without a doctor on the side line or all these concussion protocols. If you look at underage rugby, there is a parent on the touchline.

How does a parent know that their child is concussed?”

Ireland’s stance on the Marriage Equality Referendum Louise Clancy analysis the most current opinion polls relating to this year’s Same Sex Marriage vote

n May 2015 a referendum on same-sex marriage will be held. According to the Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll, from December 2014, 71% of the voters who were surveyed said they are in favour allowing same-sex marriage in Ireland. 17% stood against it, 9% are undecided and 3% have no intention of voting in the referendum.

With the undecided and non-voting sectors factored out, the yes vote stands at 81% and the no vote is 9%. Other results, founded by the Irish Independent/Millard Browne Landsowne survey, show 6 out of every 10 voters believed same-sex marriage should be legislated in Ireland. This survey also showed 27% to be directly opposed to the idea. However, many have stated that estimates like these cannot be fully relied upon due to a consistently low turnout at referenda in the past five years, such as that of the Children’s Rights Bill and the Abolition of the Seanad ,which had a turnout of less than 60% of the Irish electorate.

There have been many public statements from several groups on both sides of the referendum. The main component of the Pro-Marriage Equality side is the Yes Equality campaign which is a collaboration between the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN), Marriage Equality, and The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL). The main goal of the Yes Equality campaign is “to encourage people to register to vote and have their voices heard.”

The conglomerate of civil organisations believe that “civil marriage should be open to all citizens.” The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) have been working alongside the Yes Equality campaign to encourage any university students who are not on the electorate to register to vote on the Student Elector Registration Database. This initiative has resulted in approximately 20,200 new student voters on electorates across the country with University College Cork having the highest number of new registrations at around 3,500.

The main voice of anti-marriage equality is the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference. On the 3rd December 2014, a leaflet entitled The Meaning of Marriage which was published by the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference was launched in Maynooth during their

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winter general meeting. The aim of the leaflet is to highlight, as the organisation states, “the family based on marriage between a woman and a man as the single most important institution in any society.” Throughout the leaflet, there is an emphasis on producing children as the main reason and function of marriage, which by nature same sex couples cannot do according to the leaflet “through the sexual act which expresses marriage.”

Other examples of the anti-marriage equality sentiments towards this year’s referendum includes a publication first spotted in Dublin city with the headline “Should Children be exposed to Sounds of Sodomy?”, which has become a viral hit on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

This flyer encourages people to contact and lobby to their local TDs to prevent not only the same-sex marriage referendum to pass but to also prevent adoption legislation for same-sex couple from passing into law.

Despite opinion polls showing a majority (and all political parties) in favour of same-sex marriage in Ireland, there is a theory that the public will either vote against the referendum or not turn up as a means to punish or show dissatisfaction with the Fine Gael and Labour coalition government.

Others have claimed that the staunch no voters are simply not bothering to campaign, but will sit quietly and turn up in many numbers with a thumbs down on the day. On top of this, there is a concern that people will take the majority vote for granted and not bother to vote.

It is predicted that the day of the referendum will be either take place on a Thursday or a Friday. The Union of Students in Ireland have also requested to hold the referendum in late April instead of May. The USI claim that most college students will be too busy with exams in May to vote in their respective constituencies while many students live and attend college outside of their constituency making them unable to vote. Whether or not this year’s marriage equality referendum will pass by a landslide majority or small margin, polls can’t show what time will tell about the outcome.

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Eoin McSweeney pays homage to a life less ordinary, in an interview with Albie Sachs.

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n the 7th of April 1988, his world changed forever.

An elderly gentleman, he approaches his car in Maputo, Mozambique, the nearest that he has been to his homeland of South Africa in decades.

As a white man, he had been fighting apartheid from abroad, the years of exile being his punishment under a strict regime. He pulls his keys from his pocket and fumbles with them in the lock for a moment or two, before sliding them in and beginning to turn.

That was the before and after moment, where his life was split in two. The car bomb was the catalyst for this change.

The weapon had been planted by the South African government in an attempt to silence Albie Sachs. The explosion killed a passer-by and left Sachs gravely wounded. He was rushed to hospital, barely alive and doctors worked on him for several hours.

He lost his right arm, the sight in one eye and he suffered from a punctured eardrum and broken ribs.

He was only half-alive, but his enemies had failed and this was something that he drew great comfort from. This was the end of one part of Albie Sachs’ extraordinary life and the beginning of another.

During a conference in UCC entitled Changing Mindsets, Changing Minds: The Rights of Children Affected by Parental Imprisonment, he spoke to Motley in depth and discussed his struggle against apartheid and his role as one of the members of the Constitutional Court in South Africa.

He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1935. His father was a prominent member of the

Communist Party in South Africa, one of the few organisations that allowed members of all races to join. He was a major political influence on Albie, so much so, that despite his young age at the outset of World War II, Albie was aware that many of his white neighbours shared the same ideologies of Nazism with regards race. Albie Sachs moved to Cape Town with his mother after his parents separated, and unlike most children at the time, he grew up seeing the black and white communities acting as equals. When apartheid was introduced in 1948, his family vehemently opposed it.

“We don’t say forget the past, we don’t say that the past didn’t happen. There is a lot of pain, a huge injustice. In a strange way, the only good thing that apartheid produced was anti-apartheid. It brought us together. Why should I, Albie Sachs, growing up in Cape Town, going to a whites-only boys’ school, become connected to Nelson Mandela, who was born in a rural peasant family. We had absolutely nothing in common, in language, in culture or in background.”

At the age of 21, he graduated with a law degree and began to practice. Many of his clients were opponents of apartheid and faced the death penalty. After South Africa gained independence in 1960, many parties were outlawed, but Sachs continued to fight. He was arrested in 1963. He spent parts of the next few years in solitary confinement and was subject to brutal interrogation. He was violently treated and, suffered greatly from sleep deprivation. This greatly affected Albie Sachs when he was finally released, however he was allowed to leave and go to England on the basis that he would never return.

“There’s some things that you don’t get over.

I’ve got over the bomb, in the sense that the joy of having surviving that moment was something every freedom fighter works for. I lived! I just felt marvellous from the beginning. I haven’t fully got over solitary confinement. It leaves a certain residue of sadness. However, I’m not preoccupied with it.”

In England, Sachs continued to lead his life.

He married and had children, while also writing numerous books, but he continued to fight apartheid from abroad. Working for the African National Congress (ANC), he conducted speaking tours condemning apartheid. His books, The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs and Justice in South Africa brought to light many of the ongoing tragedies occurring daily in his homeland. He soon became a well-known face of the South African opposition in exile.

“It was a struggle. I was working underground in South Africa in the courts, and eventually, after two spells in solitary confinement, I was very weak, my movement was shattered and I decided to leave.

It was a very heavy decision to leave and I came to London, however I didn’t feel as if I was in exile. I was living in exile. I was active, I got a PhD, I wrote books and I did a lot of anti-apartheid work. And all the time, not only was I demanding the release of Mandela and others, I was denouncing apartheid and preparing a new Constitution. I made great friends and I visited Ireland several times. So we carried on.”

However, he longed for a more active role in the South African liberation movement. His marriage came to an end in 1977 and his family remained in England. He could not return to South

I’ve heard for decades that young people are apathetic. It’s almost a mantra. I don’t believe that’s so, and sometimes the energy of young people is expressed in different ways. For us a huge mobiliser was Nelson Mandela. 70,000 young people demanded his release at Wembley Football Stadium at a time when it was really said that the youth of Britain were soccer hooligans and uninterested in anything that is happening. I’m telling you, as an old South African guy, that it is not that helpful to say that they are apathetic.

Africa, so instead he learned Portuguese and lived in Mozambique, where a multiracial society had been established following a revolution which overthrew colonial rule. At this time, many leaders of the ANC gathered there and in Tanzania and a close relationship was formed between Sachs and the ANC President Oliver Tambo. The South African government began to lash out at its neighbouring enemies and a number of assassinations were planned.

This brings us full circle, and the moment that changed Sachs’ life occurred soon after. There is no doubt that at this point, many of us would fear for our lives. We would run from the danger in front of us and shy from the public eye. However, Sachs laughed in the face of death and continued his work.

His enemies had seized their best chance to kill him, but had failed. For sure he was now a weaker man in body, but in mind he was as strong as ever. Thus began the new life of Albie Sachs.

In 1990 Mandela was released by the President at the time, F. W. de Klerk. Sachs was able to return to his homeland after decades of exile and continue his work on the Constitution. Mandela took over leadership of the ANC after Tambo suffered from a stroke. At this time, Albie Sachs was appointed to the Constitutional Committee and began drafting a charter for a new non-racial state. After seeing a civil war engulf Mozambique, he was determined to lead South Africa into a new era peacefully. In 1994, South Africa’s first multiracial elections were held and Nelson Mandela was elected President.

The new Bill of Rights which Sachs had proposed was integrated into the new Constitution and Sachs took one of the 11 seats on the country’s new Constitutional Court. He remarried and now has another son, who is only just approaching his teenage years. When he looks back on his struggle against apartheid, his family is one of a number of things that he is proud of.

“The past doesn’t haunt, we use the past as a springboard for the present and it is a source of joy to see people doing things now that couldn’t be done before. So you mentioned my child, Oliver.

His mother has dark skin, I have fair skin and under apartheid, we couldn’t have loved, we couldn’t have lived together and it would have been a criminal offence for us to kiss, let alone conceive a child. So it is a sense of accomplishment and achievement to see the progress that has been made and of course sadness that we still have such a long way to go and we still have so many problems.”

Yet Sachs’ extraordinary life didn’t end with apartheid. He continued to sacrifice his time to help the nation that he loved. His work on the Constitutional Committee is unrivalled and his list of achievements in this role is astounding. Obviously, after the apartheid regime, South Africa underwent huge change, not only politically, but also constitutionally.

It took a number of years to finalise the law in the country and Sachs saw this as an opportunity to bend law to help the masses. He helped to abolish the death penalty, which robbed him of so many clients when he first began working. His work aimed at overturning law criminalising homosexuality has been praised around the world, and as mentioned earlier, in the Fourie Case, same-sex marriage was legalised in South Africa. His opinion in this case was widely read around the world.

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One bit of advice that I do offer to people involved with human rights activities is ‘don’t always have a long face.’ It’s pretty strong in the world for human rights activists to walk around with a very gloomy expression. There are a lot of awful things happening in the world and it’s good that they are being named and shamed and there is denunciation. If the sole thing is anger and denunciation, you are going to get too tight. The day that Nelson Mandela was released, I was in London and we were dancing and celebrating and being joyful.

Our English anti-apartheid friends had long mournful faces. 27 years of hurt, how dare they keep him in so long? I just thought there was a difference in culture there.

Children have rights independently of their parents, and why should their lives be so determined by the crimes of their parents and the law cannot be a passive bystander. We cannot send the caregiver to jail, without acknowledging and recognising some response to the fact that the children are going to carry a very heavy burden. What’s the point of saying that children have right if you are ignoring their rights in a very important matter like that.

They are not simply losing a breadwinner, there is a stigma and they are losing the connection with their family.”

Mandela’s successor as President, Thabo Mbeki, held eccentric views on the subject of AIDS Transmission. He denied its existence and blocked the distribution of drugs to assist pregnant woman who did not want to transmit HIV to their children.

Because of the actions of the government at the time, South Africa still suffers greatly from AIDS. In a report on the global AIDS epidemic, published

by UNAIDS in 2007, it was found that 18.5% of the adult population had HIV/AIDS and the number of infected was larger than in any other single country in the world. In 2002, Sachs’ court ruled against the government on this issue and the medicine was made freely available.

“The court gave a decision at a time when there was huge controversy in South Africa because some very senior figures denied that the AIDS virus actually existed. Our court decided that the limitation that the State was putting on the distribution of antiretrovirals to woman about to give birth, who were living with HIV, was against the Constitution. The drug was free and the drug was safe, the mothers wanted it and the doctors wanted it and that turned around the whole debate in the country.” n 2009, Sachs’ appointment to the Court expired, but today he continues to travel the world to speak and write. His visit to UCC was in relation to this work and he gave the keynote speech at the conference. He was invited to speak due to his role in the S v M case, which involved a woman who was a compulsive credit card fraudster. By sending her to jail, Sachs felt that he was condemning her children to a sentence also. In a landmark decision, The Court recognised the rights of the child in such a situation.

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Well I think that it is wonderful that the referendum is being held at all. Anybody reading my decision in the Fourie Case [a landmark decision was given here allowing same sex marriage in South Africa] would know how I would vote.

For me, and the court unanimously, it was an important aspect of human dignity. And to say that somehow, the marriage of straights would be undermined by allowing samesex couples to marry, was very insulting. To somehow say that their love, their affection of each other and the public recognition of that counts for less is a gross violation of equality principles. But that is what we felt in our court and parliament passed a law allowing same sex couples to say ‘I marry you,’ the ‘M’ word. Irish people will decide for themselves, I’m not offering any advice.

This was another example of the many achievements of Sachs. He does live a happy personal life also, as previously mentioned, he remarried in 2006 and had another child in his 70s.

Yet reading through this, it would seem that the car bomb did not split his life in two – it was just another beginning and another end in what was an extraordinary existence. From the beginning of apartheid, to his imprisonment, to his exile, to the attack, to the end of apartheid, to his work on the Constitutional Committee, to his remarriage, to his new child and finally to his retirement, it would seem that Sachs lived many lives, one after the other and as one ended, another began.

As he put it himself: “For us, being part of the struggle has been a source of immense richness.

One particular thing that I learned was to sing in public and to move and to shake my body a little bit.

The humour, the interaction, it’s very affirmative. It’s not simply getting together with likeminded people to expose the evils of the world. It’s also getting together with people who are buoyant and eager about life and searching for interesting, creative and lively ways of doing things. It’s been a very marvellous life.”

Features and Opinion Editor Claire Crowley discusses her smartphone addiction o you have a smartphone? Did you receive a gift of one over the holidays and have just figured out the majority of the features it has, and have stared at the battery decrease dramatically hour per hour?

Now, I must admit, I have not received such a gift. I bought a smartphone for myself a little over a year and a half ago after completing a tough college assignment after promising myself if I managed to hand the assignment in on time, a new phone would be my reward. So, that’s what I did. I bought a Samsung Galaxy S3, a phone that was on the market about six months, was ridiculously expensive and that I fell in love with instantly.

Like any new smartphone user, I began downloading apps, bought a phone cover and cringed anytime my data showed the dreaded “E” instead of a healthy “H” sign. Friends began saying I was addicted to my phone, that I needed it to live.

I laughed off these suggestions, saying that I was simply contacting friends or family, or just browsing through social networks. But, I knew there was some comfort in finally having a smartphone. Waiting at bus stops simply meant that I could listen to music or browse the internet and not make any awkward eye contact. Boring lectures now meant I could escape to another place, and hope that a question would not be fired in my way.

I was never one to previously panic about the battery life of my phone, but I began worrying when it hit 70%, and began desperately looking for a plug socket once it hit 30%. I carried my charger around with me at all times.

The obsession jokes kept coming my way though, and it was only after I nearly walked into a street light on Bandon Road, that I realised that I could not walk from my bus to College Road without having my eyes glued to the phone. It was around this time that Snapchat became increasingly popular, and three hundred second stories of people on nights out replaced checkins on Facebook. Candy Crush became extremely popular and Instagram was an essential for every girl. Filters are the way of the future. Instead of making phone calls or texting, WhatsApp or Viber became my way of contacting most people. I synced all of my email accounts to my phone, I was quite active in college societies which have their own accounts, and included my own personal email accounts too and so suddenly, there was about seven email accounts in my hand at all times. Due to all of this, my phone became like an extra limb to me. I felt panicked when it was not in my hand, and panicked when the battery was not sufficient.

Then, the fear that comes with all phones (but especially smartphones), came: I dropped my precious phone. Even with a cover, my screen had become partially smashed when I was

leaving work, and in the space of a few hours, the screen had turned completely black, rendering the phone basically useless.

There is a light feature on top of the Galaxy S3 that turns a different colour if you get a notification, depending on what the notification is. I was so annoyed and sad, to know that I could not access these notifications, but knew I was being contacted.

I had smashed my phone on a Saturday evening, and even though I went around Cork the entire next day, there wasn’t a phone repair shop open. I went to work, with my useless phone in my bag, angry with myself for dropping my beloved phone. I felt so disconnected. What I missed most though, was the way I was able to contact anyone, look up anything, scroll through all of my social media networks at the touch of a button, and that none of it was possible now. I then fully realised the extent of my phone addiction. The bus journey home from work that evening was one that I had not experienced in a while; my head was not faced in a downwards angle, and there was no screen glaring at my face.

I went back into town the next day and priced getting my phone fixed. The cheapest was I-Electron on Cook Street, who also guaranteed that they would not wipe my phone in the process. An hour later I went back, and exchanged €170 for my repaired phone, which, to my relief, was as good as new again. I must admit, it was sad how elated I was to have a phone back in my hand. I vowed that day to be extra careful with my phone and not drop it again (a promise I kept, but sadly a friend of mine did not – another €130 to fix the screen a few months ago, after she dropped it).

Smartphones can easily become a genuine addiction. They do become like an extra part of you, but it is clear that we rely on them far too much. If you look around college, how may groups of people do you see sitting together, none of them conversing, but just on their phones? How many nights out are now recorded on Snapchat, to be looked at for 24 hours, and then to disappear? And are you truely enjoying a night out if you have the time to make a 400 second Snapchat story?.

I used to be that person. If my phone would beep, I would instantly grab it, disregarding people if they were talking to me. It’s rude, and it certainly isn’t healthy. I would like to think I have gotten better, and am now able to leave my phone beep without instantly having to look at it. It’s progress. So, if you’re thinking this all sounds very familiar, why not try interacting with people more and your phone less? Those restaurants that refuse to give out Wifi passwords are on to a genius idea after all: bringing back the art of conversation.

21

’s Hannah Kingston divulges the reality of a month off the sauce. odka and 7up, Gin and Tonics, Sea Breezes, Cosmopolitans, Sambuca, Tequila and those damn Jager Bombs. I’m a woman of many tastes with a cultured palate. Yet, late last year I decided to kick my cherished liquid friends and to face the big bad world without a hazy hangover head. It all began as a total disaster, as most attempts at kicking life’s great loves do. I have been a saucy drinker since the ripe age of sixteen.

I decided I was going to have a “Sovember” following a week in which I was polluted four evenings out of seven.

Dread and Lola liver whispered to me, “Please Hannah, Enough.” However, my mother then pulled out a bottle of wine; just to have a nice little European nightcap. Two bottles of wine, and half a litre of Captain Morgan’s later, I was back to square one. I woke up the next day feeling like Death was coming for me. This could have been down to my mixture of red and white wine, rum and all the contents of the kitchen bar one hairy lemon. I knew it was time for change. My insides felt like the Sahara desert and my head; a bag of cats.

My second attempt lasted two weeks during an already dry spell in our college abode. I was feeling pretty good; my energy levels were just about coming back. I really thought I was going to do it this time. Nope; I caved. It was a roomie’s birthday and I just couldn’t help myself. A healthy horse portion of vodka, two shots, dancing followed by two litres of chocolate milk and a box of cornflakes - the rest, as they say it, is history.

The cold turkey approach was outright failing; these attempts went from tepid to lukewarm. I really wanted to just do it and see if I would notice a difference. I’m not an alcoholic (I promise) but I had really began to resent booze - and myself for drinking in the resentment and inflicting horrendousness upon myself. Third time lucky was indeed a success; otherwise, I would shamefully have refused to write about it. The exams, saving for Christmas and wanting to feel like a sexy, festive fairy were going to stop me from my unstoppable drinking capabilities; it was time.

During Week One, I really felt it. The week felt like a month as it wasn’t broken up by disco lights and my baby Ramachonoff. I was feeling the withdrawals, I was wornout and moody, and I just wanted to be left alone with my onesie and snacks. I actually felt less energetic and really missed drunkenly getting my twerk on.

By Week Two, my boredom led me to focus on college work and to start watching “Nigella Lawsons Christmas bites.” Reading, followed by watching yummy domestic pornography; it wasn’t so bad. My head started feeling a bit clearer, like I had a far greater chance of dealing with the Tsunami of study that was coming my way. Damn cramming.

By Week Three, I was trucking through my college work frantically. I was thankful to have more motivation and

22

fewer hangovers because twelve lectures in six days is a frightening undertaking even for the most savvy of studiers.

Week Four and I felt like a health goddess. My energy levels were sky rocketing. I was sleeping really well; an added bonus was the lost seven pounds in what retrospectively was a really short period of time.

There were a few observations that I made during my trial pioneer period. Firstly, in a week in which I would frequent “da club” twice in one week, I was likely to spend forty euros between concessions, taxis, vodkas and whites plus bad decisions (also known as shots.) This is not inclusive of my Lidl value 70 cl (€13.99) which would be about three nights out plus an extra box of Amber Leaf (€5.90). That works out at €59.89. If I consistently had these weeks throughout college, that’s €1916.48. That’s enough to get someone started on the Interrail for the summer; which is exactly what I would like to do!

Secondly, I realised that I may rely on alcohol in social situations far more that I would like to admit. Up until the day of my room-mate’s birthday, I was all gung-ho to reject the temptation to drink, however, I then proceeded to go to the other extreme and drink loads in my excitement at breaking free. What is it about us Irish? Why couldn’t I go out for one night on the dry? I think it was a lack of confidence; I wasn’t going to pretend to be on anti-biotics or pregnant (touches wood) but I also didn’t have it in me to just stick to my own personal guns. Primarily, I think it’s because I love drinking but it also comes down to an inability of Hannah, the sheep, to drink fizzies while everyone else appears to be having the time of their lives.

Lastly, the experience made me realize that I have a very limited number of interests. They include: drinking, anytime spent with friends, working out and watching really awful TV. I’m not arty. I used to be able to ride a horse but if I tried that now, my poor liver probably would just implode.

I can’t sing. My cooking terrifies me. I feel like I’ve learned that I want to explore some new ground, take a whirl at knitting or trampolining or something random to see if I could find some hidden depths to Hannah Kingston.

This is not a hate debate on my loved liquids. I write this on a bus home from Dublin on my last official day of sobriety, with bated breath and excitement in my bones to be reunited with my beloved. I’m not telling anyone how to drink; my hands are in no way clean. I just know that it was a month I really needed. My head is clear. I have some extra cash in my back pocket and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy for a while but not in the way that spirits do.

I’m reuniting with my old pals soon but this time I’m doing a self-pinkie promise to take a step back and remember that moderation is key in everything but also that cold turkey never works; it just makes you pine for the forbidden fruit more. What’s my resolution for 2015? To better appreciate and savour college nights out like you would a nice bottle of vino.

It’s never too late to make the change you set out for this January.

Writer Naoise Doherty pens some helpful tips on how to take the first step to a new you. h, January, how we love to hate you.

With the two-faced Roman God Janus as its namesake, January is the month in which we find ourselves looking back at our onesie-clad, chocolategorging selves of the previous 12 months with a sort of nostalgic disgust, and vow to make a change for the better this New Year.

However, despite buzzwords like ‘detox’, ‘diet’ and ‘gym regime’ being given as much press as the Water Charges debacle, it seems that, come next January, many of us will yet again be making the very same avowals to be the healthier, fitter and shinier versions of ourselves that we failed to achieve yet again the previous year.

Well, this year why not stop talking about it, and actually make the change? Transformation is not some elusive future activity, it is an event that is happening to you and your body right now. Every choice you make – whether it’s deciding what you’ll have for dinner, or thinking if you’ll bother going to that gym class you’ve been meaning to try – impacts your body. It’s up to you whether this impact will be a positive or negative one.

If it is positive change you are after, the below list of simple yet effective health and fitness tips will hopefully provide the motivation to kick some of your butts into gear for the coming year:

I know, I know. It really sucks, especially when you’ve spent the entire last month fooling yourself that the collective familial gorging on chocolate and cheese will somehow counteract the scaletipping effects these foods have on our bodies.

Safety in numbers, huh? Unfortunately, the tighter waistband of your jeans begs to differ. Although the physical repercussions of your overindulgences may have you ready to dive headfirst into a detox that requires you to live solely on kale, cayenne pepper and ice cubes for a week; try not to be too drastic. Instead, how about making one small

use the weather as an excuse for inactivity. We live in Ireland. It rains. Just buy a coat and deal with it. Another fun way to get fit is to set yourself an exercise challenge every month, to do on top of your usual workout routine. For example, every morning for 30 days hold a plank for 1 minute, then do 50 squats, 50 crunches, and 20 press ups.

The whole routine will take less than 5 minutes, and you can do it in your pyjamas (hooray!).

change to your diet every week (like eating a second helping of vegetables instead of another bowl of chips at dinner one week, to swapping soft drinks with fizzy water the next). This won’t achieve results as quickly as a ‘detox’ may claim to, but will give your body time to adjust and will prove to be a lot easier to maintain in the long run. Remember, there is no quick-fix when it comes to your diet, so implement changes slowly so that they can be realistically achieved.

Yes, the most fundamental part of many a New Year’s Resolution list, exercise is key to maintaining a healthy body. For us lucky UCC students, Mardyke Gym membership is free, which really voids the majority of excuses as to why one can’t exercise.

There is an array of facilities available to students at the Mardyke, as well as a variety of instructorled classes to suit any taste or fitness-level. If you need further motivation to get off your butt and go, buy yourself some super-slick gym gear so that you feel like a Victoria’s Secret’s model in-training every time you work out. However, the idea of going to the gym can be a daunting prospect for many, or maybe you are simply too busy to dedicate a solid block of time to exercise. Never fear, there are many ways you can be active. Simply by walking to your destination rather than driving is a sure fire way to melt fat and get your heart pumping However, if this is your exercise of choice, don’t

Now, what I’m about to say here may apply more to girls than to guys: girls will almost always tell their friends that they look amazing and are “the perfect weight … why on Earth do you need to diet for?” even if the opposite is in fact true. Friends can unintentionally impede a much-needed health-kick or weight-loss regime, simply through trying to be nice. For that reason, if you are attempting to seriously change your health for the better (and you feel you have a long way to go), team up with a friend who is in the same situation or mindset as yourself. It’s easier to make healthy choices when you have someone to motivate you along the way.

By this I don’t mean buy a bottle of Ballygowan and take a few sips of it throughout the day. I mean drink at least 2 litres every day (besides what you put in your tea or coffee). At first, drinking this amount of water may make you feel like you’re about to give birth to a waterbaby, but your body will become used to it pretty soon. The majority of us mistake being thirsty for hunger, so staying hydrated will help curb your appetite and stop you from mindlessly snacking.

Whilst reading about ways in which you can improve your health, and writing down what you want to achieve, is a good place to begin a healthier lifestyle, don’t use this “research” time as a means to procrastinate starting. Your body doesn’t recognize that “being healthy” is only something that you can start in the morning, or on a Monday. That’s just codswallop. “Being healthy” is something that starts right now. If you don’t like the way you look or feel; stop making up excuses and Just Do It.

23

Alex Allen profiles all the matches to be met on Tinder

This one is easy. In their pictures there is always that one person of the draped around them, in a way that screams more than friends. It also doesn’t help the situation when you quickly realise they are on your course and its common knowledge they are in a relationship, awkward.

The match you get, that you can’t believe you got. They look like a supermodel or have abs that would make Abercrombie jealous. You’re so delighted, your year is made. But then they never message. Either because they’re not real or are just on it to match everyone for an ego boost. Cue crying. Which brings me onto…

Common cases include the same picture 3 times in a row, a selfie where they don’t realise their head has been cut off. Or perhaps confidence is their forte, and there may even just be a genital or two on display. Having good photos is solely the most important thing when on Tinder, so you must get them right. I’ve even seen someone upload a picture of just his cat and a little head in the background which I can only presume was him.

You message them and they never reply because they are way out of your league and probably have ten million other matches.

This person you’ve known for years. You would and don’t know if they would. So you hit like and think yolo and you match. These are the best matches to get because Tinder gives you the freedom The conversation starts off with a simple “Hey, without the fear of rejection. However this backfires how are you?” and you are given their life story horribly if you’re the kind of person who matches in minutes. I’m great actually, went golfing this morning, took a shower, suited up for lunch with the their friends for the lols and they get the wrong impression. Or vice versa… family, we’re having a gathering. Going to Belfast on holidays with my friends tomorrow, actually you wanna come along? I guess to be fair, I did ask.

And an excursion to Belfast would be amazing.

The one you match when your friend takes your “I hope you have a delightful time but I must phone. For example, Bob, 57, wearing a Kilt, regretfully decline, because I don’t know you and I messaged me if I would like to have dinner at his feel the risk is high, but thanks all the same.” house sometime.

The desperate isn’t always easy to spot and then sometimes it is blatantly obvious. It starts off with a simple “let’s go for coffee sometime?” You think, “yeah, maybe.” So that’s exactly what you say. In the meantime, however, you become preoccupied with your other matches, for sometimes no reason you lose interest or just forget to reply. That’s when the message machine gun starts firing. “Why aren’t you messaging me back?!” “Are you ignoring me?”

I really wasn’t but now I am. Clingy is scary.

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They want one thing and they have no problem asking you for it. If there is one match on Tinder it is inevitable to get it’s “this one.” Looking for companionship for the night, you DTF?” Just nope.

When you’re cruising through the stack of profiles to see your best friend’s little brother who is 14 and posing as “Micheal, 21, looking for fun, swipe right.”

This one is extremely disappointing. It has happened to us all; when you accidently slide left instead of right. Just a small slip of the finger and puff they are gone forever from your life. James we could have been soulmates …

You match someone and then you realise they aren’t the one you that you thought they were. You didn’t match that attractive blonde; you matched the one standing beside them in every photo.

You see these people immediately after ye match.

It could be anywhere. It could be Boole Basement.

It could be the library. You get bored in Q+2 when you should be studying and decide to go on Tinder.

You instantly get a match, fantastic. Then you get up for a bathroom break and there they are looking at you.

The one who has a cracker of an opener with their witty chat up line. I won’t get too into them now, some were brilliantly original and some, in retrospect, were just terrible. Apparently I have fine legs for catching cattle.

Despite that Tinder is not taken seriously by most people, I do know people who are in relationships having met on the app. All jokes aside, I did have those rare matches when I matched someone and found that I could have a genuine conversation with them. I matched this one person who did a lot of travelling and extreme sports and honestly I found that a very interesting conversation. Another I had been messaging for quite a while, I happened to actually randomly meet in person. That experience was enchanting. It’s the weirdest thing, yet really wonderful at the same time. You know so much about a person but yet, you don’t know them at all.

Yes – Eleanor Reid

Over My Dead Body – Max Farrell

CC students may not seem to have a problem getting their voices heard – but when you think about the fact that there are 18,000 students here; how many of them do you actually hear from? How many of them leave it up to others to speak up for them?

Students in general don’t have the training, the expertise, the information, or the resources to lobby the government, or campaign for students’ needs. However, elected officers in the USI do have those powers. Not to mention the power to make such progress as registering 20,000 new student voters, which the USI have done this past year. The USI has the credibility and respect that an individual student or college is rarely awarded, and as the nationally recognised voice of Irish students, it is a voice of strength in numbers. The government is understandably much more likely to co-operate with organised, elected officers, speaking with one unified voice, than it is with tens of thousands of seemingly loudmouthed students, or when bombarded by several colleges, seeking varying demands. Why should universities not work together in the unity of the USI? Surely, all decent colleges have the same long-term interests at heart.

On the 26th and 27th of January, UCC will vote in a referendum to decide if it should remain part of the Union of Students in Ireland or go in alone. I would be quick to criticise the wording of the upcoming referendum, as it is incredibly misleading; “…at the cost of €5 per student,” it reads. To those uninformed about what they are voting on (which we must remember is the very hefty majority of UCC voters) it will be assumed they may somehow be asked for €5 if UCC is to stay as part of the USI. By these voters, it will be taken into consideration solely that there is a cost – as there is no benefit outlined in the question. The €5 in question is part of the student capitation free, which each full-time undergraduate student pays at the beginning of the academic year. With the cost of the capitation fee rising steadily each year, it is the USI who campaign and protest against the extortionate costs of education. Independently run student campaigns and protests do not garner the media attention, or numbers of participants, that USI led marches do. Should the USI continue to work on keeping the price of fees down, that €5 may save you money in the long-run. It is also worth pointing out that should UCC leave the USI, your college fees with not be €5 cheaper: the university will simply decide to use the money for something else. Sure, if UCC was saved this money it could possibly go to something else in the students’ favour, but at this point we have no notion at all if this would be the case.

And what about the future of UCCSU should UCC leave the USI? What will they get up to if let loose on their own? Where will they get guidance, support from other colleges or organised, nationally unified progress?

On top of this, if it were the case that UCC no longer is to remain within the Union, the representative body that is USI will lose not only a large amount of income but the credibility of numbers that goes forward with having UCC as a member. This decision will affect campuses all over Ireland and will damage a nationally country-wide unified force of students in the Republic, as well as a force that works positively with students groups in Northern Ireland.

Students face enough barriers as it is without cutting themselves away from some of the dedicated full-time officers elected to support their education and welfare. When the going gets tough for students, when grants are late and landlords need to be paid, when exams are missed or extensions are needed, oftentimes the only support for those struggling is from Students’ Unions or The USI. There is absolutely no benefit of leaving the USI; the USI works to fight for the rights of students. We cannot even begin to consider the consequences of UCC leaving this union.

ounded in 1959, USI was established in an attempt to safeguard and represent the rights of Irish students.

Since the introduction of free fees for students in 1998, USI have failed in their role to effectively lobby relevant bodies with respect to their members' interests. The past six years alone have seen college fees increase from €850 to €3,000, along with the eradication of the majority of state funding for postgraduate students. The truth is that the USI we know today is a far-cry to from the organisation set up over fifty years ago.

The majority of students have no idea what USI do or who even elects them. This is mainly due to the fact that they play no part in the process, from council to congress, and this isn't a sign of ignorance. This isn't a sign of student apathy. It is a validation that the USI's effectiveness has dwindled over the years owing to their transformation into a corporate-like structure whose sole purpose is, seemingly, to post boxes of condoms to third level institutions across the country.

Proponents for USI often bring up the Union's seat on the HEA in attempting to defend the extortionate amount they charge colleges for membership, however, in reality this 'seat' is worthless, as seen in the slashes to the grants and postgraduate funding. Year after year, the USI has failed to successfully lobby for any positive change to students’ lives and college experience, with each year’s election bringing promises of ‘reform-from-within’ and ‘real change’. If anything, the USI has hindered any real progress in the Irish student movement against austerity. The USI’s HEA seat advocates a funding structure that, time and time again, has been rejected by the HEA from the beginning, and yet, instead of proposing new methods of funding to improve the lives of students, USI continuously keep drolling out the same plans. Simply put: USI are a one-trick pony.

USI officers are quick-to-note that they are the go-to representative on student issues for the national media broadcasters but, while this may be true on the most part, the fact is that they have taken away the individual voices of campuses across the country and diluted them through a onesize-fits-all attitude. The diversity that exists across the various third level institutions in Ireland cannot be denied, yet the very nature of USI seems to achieve this. UCC needs a more campusfocused union. There is no training that the USI provide to our Union Officers that our union can’t organize themselves to a more local and an equal or even improved standard.

It really is time to wake up and smell the over-priced and ineffective coffee. Any past and potential ‘lobbying’ done by the USI can easily be achieved by our own Student’s Union officers, with many colleges such as UL and Trinity having done it in the past -outside of USI. Another myth spread by USI hacks is that the €5 charge per student will not be deducted and decrease the student levy. This is a blatant fabrication. Every college that has ever made the decision to escape from the constraints of USI’s bureaucracy has seen their levy charge fall accordingly.

If the student movement is ever to be saved from the moneyguzzling bureaucratic monster that is the USI, UCC students must choose to disaffiliate from this inefficient and impotent PR machine.

A referendum to decide if UCC should remain part of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) be held in UCC on the 26th - 27th of January.

Karen Joy Fowler

Bucket List 2015

PAGE 34

PAGE 34

5/5

BY JONNY

BY COLM

4/5

CAHALANE

he year 2000 brought D’Angelo’s monumental second album ‘Voodoo’ which shaped the R&B scene for years to come and paved the way for many artists such as Frank Ocean which sought to innovate within the genre in his wake. The long awaited third album was surpriseannounced and released within one week in December, and this latecomer poses a solid argument for being the best album of 2014.

It’s certainly the smoothest: no album released in the year holds such an impeccable sense of rhythm, and the album is peppered with soulful instrumentation that takes influence from everyone from Questlove of The Roots (who plays the part of executive

producer and contributes musically) to Jimi Hendrix. Yet what makes the album most essential in 2014 is its core message and its ambition: standout tracks take influence from the Ferguson protests and are true messages of revolution. This album rewards repeat listening, and some have already named it classic.

O’ MAHONY

Cork band that don’t have anywhere near the recognition they deserve, The Shaker Hymn’s debut release is an album that has the quality, professionalism, and sheer class that many recording artists that have been releasing music for years have yet to master. The main song from the record, Hunter And The Headman, is a bluesy alt rock wonder, and is never far away from any playlist I put together. The album was only released last year and already the band are working on their second. Rarely do you come across a band as hardworking and genuine as The Shaker Hymn.

Irish producers Eomac and WIFE offer their own unique twisted remixes, and Slow Magic wraps up the release with a funky take on Tethered Bones; these remixes help to highlight some excellent talent in the electronic music scene.

4/5

BY JONNY

addy Hanna's debut solo release is surprisingly good.

A self made man through and through, Hanna's do it yourself ethic really shines through in this album. With folky indie flails, accompanied with Hanna's unusual vocal style, which can really only be described as melodic whining.

However, the major release from the record, Join The Army, really proves how excellent a musician Paddy Hanna really is. It's put together so well that you'd never know it's a debut release. This is an album release that will either shoot Hanna to indie fame, or nothing at all. In my opinion, and basing it on the opinion of other critics, he's destined for the former.

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4/5

O’ MAHONY ork native and blog darling Talos releases his long-awaited debut EP on local record label Feel Good Lost. This EP features two masterfully crafted songs made with the assistance of Ian Ring of Young Wonder, who provides luscious atmosphere and depth to the track; Bloom deserves special credit for its sparse, minimalist electronics which transform into a bass-filled dubstepinfluenced breakdown. The real star of the show is Talos himself, vocally stunning, with a R&B-influenced delivery that simultaneously brings forth comparisons to acts such as James Vincent McMorrow and The Weeknd. Songwriting talent is put solidly on show as well; both tracks bring cleverly-constructed lyricism.

Since these tracks were previewed

on SoundCloud, Talos has gained somewhat of an international following and there’s huge potential for success in new releases in 2015.

Irish producers Eomac and WIFE offer their own unique twisted remixes, and Slow Magic wraps up the release with a funky take on Tethered Bones; these remixes help to highlight some excellent talent in the electronic music scene.

BY JAMES

O’ CONNELL

he advent of instrumental, experimental grime has electrified the underground bass scene in recent times.

The likes of Wen and Visionist are dark, urban, taking a lot of influence from early, MC-driven grime, whereas the nightmare grime of Sd Laika and the disconcertingly percussive Logos fly the flag for the avant-garde in the genre. Murlo is a different kettle of fish. Melodic and chilled out when compared to his contemporaries, his emergence in 2014 was a breath of fresh air in the scene. His August collab with the most emcee around, Novelist, filled dancefloors worldwide, but his true statement came in his newest EP, ‘Into Mist’. The title track, Into Mist, works as the perfect epitome of Murlo’s manifesto. The blueprint is most certainly grime, but dancehall percussion and dilated synths pierce through. The instrumentals are not the kind that you can imagine JME spitting an insane bar on. The drums are sparse, the synths are icy and mournful. It’s not often that grime comes out with a track that feels this important. There is an opulence to the track that carries onto the rest of the EP. Roman Baths has a nostalgic melancholy to it, Vertigo may be the danciest track on the EP but its basslineinflected melody fits perfectly on the EP. Into Mist is a mature effort from the young producer. It displays grime and its most fragile – accessible, maybe not, but fragile, and human. Murlo is at the top of his game.

5/5

Deputy Features and Opinion Editor, Hannah Kingston, meets Mark Charles Allen of Cork band The Vincent(s). he Vincent(s) describe their music as “Death Pop, Bleak Drag, Kitchen Beat, Howtopleaseyourhusband-core.” Whether or not that floats your boat, this Cork band is certainly making noise - both literally and metaphorically. Having seen The Vincent(s)’ Halloween gig in De Barras, Clonakility, I’ve been long trying to grab them for an interview.

And they do exactly what they say on the tin. If I was a husband, I would most definitely be pleased. The band formed a mere two years ago but are already gaining prestige at a supersonic speed and deservedly so. They are now gaining recognition, not only in Ireland, but in the UK, across Europe and the United States. Motley Magazine was humbled to have the opportunity to meet with front man and all-over rock-star, Mark Charles Allen. On the day of the interview, Allen wore Nazi-style, death-kicker boots and drank a Spaten in a laid-back and all-in-all genuine hipster manner. In ten minutes with Allen, we discussed all of life’s great necessities, such as pineapples, kittens and gee-tars.

Allen has spent his life thoroughly enveloped by music, therefore it goes without much surprise to discover that he has been in more than just one band. Some were good, others bad but none were ugly. We were interested in hearing about what projects have been his most successful or his biggest failures.

“The biggest fail is The Vincent(s) because we’re not as good as Kanye West yet.

The biggest success is The Vincent(s) because we’re not as bad as Kanye West yet.”

The first song which started to make waves for The Vincent(s) was Asked her to the Dance. Its not unlike an Irish version of Teenage Dirtbag, really. Asked her to the Dance caught the eyes (or rather, ears) of many Corkonians and then continued to spread like wildfire. Indeed, when asked about musical inspiration for his music, Allen replied that it comes to him from a burning bush, as if he were Moses pondering over the Ten Commandments.

However, despite their talents, it seems that all musicians, even the prophets among them, have good and bad gigs.

For The Vincent(s) their worst gig was in Dolan’s Warehouse, in Limerick.

“Because when I opened my bag, I realized that all my pedals and leads had been robbed and I had to play in five minutes.

It was like having a slice of toast without the butter.”

Having listened closely to the band’s punchy lyrics, one song in particular stood out for me. In this particular catchy tune, front man Allen claims he has joined the circus, repeating; “Mother I joined the circus, mother. Mother, I joined the

Happiness is key. What makes a front-man happy?

Serotonin and Redbull.

Sadness is a part of life. What makes frontman sad?

Cold Coffee.

How do you like your coffee?

Latte -two sugars Favorite Chocolate?

Dairy Milk Whole Nut Boxers or briefs?

Neither.

Ice-skating or the cinema?

Cinema If you could be an animal?

Girrafe Any freaky obsessions?

I moved into a house and there was a shrine there already, I have nothing to do with Hitler.

circus.” It was impossible not to be intrigued. So had Allen in fact joined Fossets or was it another metaphor? The singer claims he had to tell his mother a white lie because it’s better than her thinking he plays music for a living.

On that grim note, I yearned to find out some fun facts about the musician. The investigation started out simply.

“My favorite fruit are oranges, what’s yours?”

“My favorite fruit is the pineapple because you can eat it and use it for decorative purposes.”

Fantastic, great answer, and then the conversation moved to animals; everyone loves animals, right? So what is a grungy musician’s favorite animal? Simple. A kitten because they’re fluffy and they turn ditch baby days into winners. Ambiguous, but you can see his point.

Soon our conversation turned to alcohol. Now there’s a topic for conversation. Again, Allen has a simple favourite, Absinthe, “because it helps to hear things in the burning bushes when I’m trying to channel my inner-Moses.” Well, who can argue with that? Everyone knows that shots of alcohol are absolutely necessary in getting creative juices flowing.

But there’s one thing it goes without saying that we would all really like to know; is making music, recording and gigging all about drugs, sex and rock n’ roll? Or do musicians, even in the genre of “death pop” have a sensitive side? “Drugs, sex and rock n’ roll make you feel sensitive like Hugh Grant in Noting Hill. So I guess I have a sensitive side while enjoying such perks.”

With animals, fruit and alcohol behind us, it was time for the all important question. Who does the front-man idolize?

“Jesus,” came Allen’s immediate reply. It must be said, Allen was either laughing at me or his looks are deceiving and he does in fact high tail it to mass every Sunday. His music tastes were a bit more believable - he claims he’s all about Amen Dunes, The Soft Moon, Dirty Beaches and Miley Cyrus.

The witty Mark Charles Allen and the rest of The Vincent(s) have a big 2015 ahead. In February they are set to get back in the studio to finish production, and will soon be releasing The Opium Den Song. March will see them gig across Ireland and the U.K, following the release of their new album Fever Dreams. This summer they shall be seen stomping across France and Italy. With their spunky vibrations, authentic beats, catchy lyrics and incredible stage presence, The Vincent(s) transport any crowd to a bubble of complete euphoria.

Catch The Vincent(s) in The Pavillion, Cork, on the 15th of March and in De Barra’s, Clonakility, on the 21st of March.

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ermitage Green is a prime example of a fresh new generation of Irish music emerging from the scene. Irish music is an industry that’s booming with talent at the minute, if you haven’t noticed, and Hermitage Green are just one of many Irish names that we’re going to see creating a stir in 2015. I sat down with Darragh Graham, who plays the banjo, djembe and sings backing vocals for the band. I briefly couldn’t find Darragh, and asked every living person in UCC if they had seen a loose member of Hermitage Green wandering around the place.

Everyone found this very amusing.

Mr Graham himself (who was eventually located) has many accolades in the Irish athletics and sporting field, as well as in the music scene. A former 100m and 200m sprinter for the Republic of Ireland, Graham also coached the Leinster Senior Rugby team, the Tipperary Senior Hurling team and the Irish Paralympic Team. Not to mention holding a PhD in the area of strength and condition. However, today we were together to talk about music.

In particular, we were together to discuss the very interesting sounds of acoustic folk rock band, Hermitage Green.

Hermitage Green, like most bands, incorporates many different

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instruments and genres. However, unlike most bands, Hermitage Green’s members play around with a Dobro, a harmonica, a didgeridoo, a banjo, a djembe, some guitars, a bodhrán, four part harmonies, and a piano. For obvious reasons, it wasn’t an unusual question for Graham to be asked how he would go about describing his music to someone who couldn’t hear it.

“We were all talking about this just yesterday, literally. We were like, if somebody asked us exactly that question – would we all have exactly the same answer? And we came up with the conclusion that we would have a few core similarities in our answers but then everyone had a bit of a different take too. But I suppose, we would say our music is different, we would be distinctive, hopefully, we would fall under highly percussive sounds and four part vocal harmonies and I suppose if you were to try to categorise it, something under the folk rock acoustic sound. I don’t know if those things go together but somehow that’s what we’ve ended up creating.”

The five person Hermitage Green first began creating music together back in July 2010, in what Graham described as an accident. Their curious arrangement of instruments might stem from the fact their band was born from a spontaneous jam

then when they finally had it done they stuck up a sign that said ‘The Hermitage Green.’ So yeah, it was just a good story and Hermitage Green kind of has a ring to it, so we went and used that.”

A name with a meaning for a band with meaning – Graham went on to speak with admirable passion about the band’s creative process and it seems tides are turning in their creative process right now.

Known predominantly for fresh interpretations of other artists’ songs (‘Teardrop,’ ‘Walking in the Air’ and ‘Cosmic Love,’ to name a few) but session between friends; friends with original tracks like the much of different musical backgrounds loved ‘Gibson’ also to their name, and tastes. Since then the originally it’s the future originals that will be Limerick-based group have steadily the ones that get Hermitage Green been gathering momentum, which the next big boost they are looking it was evident from speaking with for. Graham, at least, seems to have Graham, is a momentum that is the focus needed to produce the doing nothing but driving onwards.

The story of the band’s unusual name motivation behind a next phase of music for the group. was as interesting as their music, “This year it’s been different to and it’s an origin I certainly wasn’t previous years. In previous years expecting to hear. he [another band member called “Two of the lads, there’s five Darragh] would come to us with of us in the band and two of them a finished song. Lyrics, melody, he are brothers and they grew up in a housing estate called The Hermitage. would have his own guitar part behind it. Then we would try to fit And they never had a playing area ourselves to that song. Or we might to play soccer or whatever but give our feedback and suggest out the back there was this kind of different things and then we would marsh. And so they tried to make have a kind of a template or a base a football pitch out of the marsh. thing to work off. Whereas this year They spent a week or two putting we’ve kind of explored that process down the grass and everything and

a bit more. We’ve started working with just the five of us in a room and nobody’s coming with something. It’s just starting from scratch and thinking what we will write about it.”

Presumably, this is going to have a colossal effect on the type of music the band produces. It’s early days in 2015 yet and if the move has been for better or worse remains to be seen. However, Graham feels it has been a beneficial move, one which allows them to put more of themselves into their live performances.

“The one benefit is that when we perform it we all feel more attached to the song because if Darragh writes the song and then Barry or Dan sings it, they didn’t write those lyrics so they might not necessarily feel as invested in those lyrics. Whereas if we were all in a room together and we all wrote the verses together or all pitched in and contributed in some way, then when it comes to the part of the some that know oh that was me that was my contribution, then you’re kind of more attached to the song when you perform it you kind of get a bit more of a buzz out of that performance.”

Hermitage Green’s story makes breaking into the music scene and making all these catchy songs sound relatively simply but in a competitive industry, even one as diverse as Ireland’s, it isn’t really all that simple.

It all comes down to one very basic thing; the quality of the music.

“It all depends on the music, like if the music is good enough and you get one or two breaks it’s easier to do it. As an Irish band then, I mean, Irish music is so popular at the moment, even at different levels.

At the top you’ve got like Hozier, or Kodaline, and I’m just talking about the new acts that have come through and then of course there are the bigger acts that are already there. Then underneath that you’ve got people like The Riptide Movement or Gavin James – those are the people who are just getting signed and breaking through. And we’re probably a little bit below them in terms of profile and radio plays and so. But certainly that’s where we want to be going.”

The band will have their work cut out for them in order to reach the heights Hozier and others like him are at right now, but Hermitage Green certainly have the basic aspect covered in that they have piles upon piles of raw talent.

Every time I’ve listened to the band they’ve sounded like a band on the very brink of getting everything completely right. Maybe there was something missing but Graham claims

they’ve found something new this year, and it could be the missing part of the puzzle.

“We’re probably as a band a lot more focused. A lot more driven. We started out accidentally becoming a band and that kind of notion or that kind of feeling was kind of evident for the first few years and now we’ve kind of realised we can stick along doing that or we can really put ourselves into it and become a bigger, better band. And that’s where we are at the moment.

Every gig to date, we never went for it. We never asked for anything and today is the first time I’ve ever actually gone to a college and said are you interested in having us play?

It’s the first time we’ve ever actively sourced a gig. So that’s a reflection on the mind-set at the moment, we want to take every opportunity that’s there, rather than let it slip by. It’s all about writing and creating good music that people like.”

I had already known that Darragh Graham was in UCC for some sort of meeting with the University but I hadn't known for sure if it was to plan a possible UCC gig. The details haven’t been agreed upon or set in stone yet but he admitted; “Yeah hopefully we will be (playing in UCC). We’re talking about hopefully organising a gig here around R&G Week. It’s not confirmed yet but it hopefully will be.”

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It’s easy to be carried away by the wave of album release announcements which occurs every January when the world’s PR people finally run out of mince pies to nibble on. However, whilst international acts are all very exciting, it’s important to remember that we have a wealth of talent right on our doorstep. Kelly Doherty has picked out four Irish acts who have been quietly gigging and working hard around Ireland and hopefully, 2015 will be their year.

Dream poppers Elastic Sleep are certainly a band to keep tabs on in 2015. Hailing from alongside the banks of our own lovely Lee, the outfit are making a splash with their lush, soft twist on shoegaze. Having already amassed a high profile fan in the form of ex My Bloody Valentine drummer, Colm Ó Cíosóig, Elastic Sleep are set to rejuvenate the Irish indie rock scene with their originality and energy. In 2014, the band released their debut EP, ‘Leave You’ which perfectly balances palatable hooks with artistic experimentation without sacrificing any of it’s integrity.

It won’t be long before these guys get picked up by an indie powerhouse like Bella Union so don’t miss out on your chance to see them at smaller venues in 2015.

Where to start? ‘Leave You’ (Leave You EP, 2014) More info: Follow them on Twitter @elasticsleep for tour updates & more

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Girl Band have already made quite a name for themselves. Recently signed to legendary indie label Rough Trade Records, the Dublin foursome, who aren’t actually a girlband, have already toured all over Ireland and the UK and are set to play their first American festival alongside the likes of Weezer and The Black Lips.

Blending the raw post-punk of acts such as The Birthday Party with a modern groove, the band are very welcome in an indie rock era where acts such as Cloud Nothings are playing massive headline shows. The band are set to release their debut album late next summer and it will be exciting to see what they have in store for us.

Where to start? ‘De Bom Bom’ (De Bom Bom 7”, 2014) More info: Check out their brand new website at www.girlband. com

Dublin alternative pop band Maud In Cahoots are a fiercely unique proposition. With a set-up unlike any of their peers, Maud In Cahoots combine lush, dramatic orchestral instrumentation with pop melodies and Maud Riordan’s distinct, powerful vocals. Somehow, the band are as of yet unsigned however having already opened for the likes of Snow Patrol and The Antlers, it won’t be long before Maud In Cahoots tap into a pop market looking for something a little bit different from the norm. Establishing the midpoint between Clean Bandit’s orchestral dance and The Dirty Projectors and TUNEYARDS’ weird pop music, Maud In Cahoots should be able to haul in an eclectic fanbase. Also, to hear just how lovely Riordan’s vocals are, check out ‘Fictional State’, an acoustic folk song performed by British band To Kill A King featuring a wonderful performance from Riordan.

Where to start? ‘Make Me Right’ (Make Me Right Single, 2014), ‘Fictional State’ (Ralph’s Balcony EP, 2012) More info: Check out their incredibly stylish website at www. maudincahoots.com

Hailing from Limerick, Moscow Metro are another band who have tapped into the post-punk/ shoegaze revival that’s been occurring over the last year or so. Having toured with indie darlings such as The Futureheads, Dry The River and many more, the four piece put on a wonderfully atmospheric, intense live show which feels just as exciting as any massive indie rock concert. With their ‘Glasvegas meets the epic parts of The National’s canon’ sound, it shouldn’t be long until Moscow Metro are inducing goosebumps for the Irish indie masses. Their 2014 EP ‘Spirit Of A City’ was criminally overlooked but struck the perfect balance between introspective emotion and exhilarating energy and they have all of the right ingredients to sell to a market much wider than just their hometown.

Where to start? ‘Future Fades’ (Spirit Of A City EP, 2014) More info: Check out www. moscowmetromusic.com to hear their music

Genre: Ambient / Dubtechno/Techno / House Hometown: Berlin Label: Dystopian 1. What are you up to at the moment?

After a really intense year in 2014, I am re-focusing with my crew for a dystopic 2015 now.

We are planning a lot of new releases, a lot of solo gigs and we will do even more DYSTOPIAN nights. Also our website will get more and more stuff to see and to listen to, so we are quite happy with everything.

2. What are your plans for 2015?

My personal plans are to produce more of my own music and also getting more time to spend in the studio.

3. What were your highlights from 2014?

Oh, there are too many… but I have to say, I played a lot of festivals and clubs first time last year and was quite happy to check out so many places. Nuits Sonores Festival and Dekmantel were great, Trouw parties are always great, Concrete and Rex in Paris were super.

Dystopian parties and Berghain gigs in Berlin but also in Italy I had some of the best gigs last year.

James O’Connell charts the rise of a new electronic music phase in 2014 nyone with their finger on the pulse of electronic music last year will have heard of PC Music and their vibrant, sickly sweet mixture of cheesy bubblegum pop and hard-hitting UK Bass. Along with affiliate SOPHIE, PC Music crafted a very specific high-concept aesthetic and accompanying sound that both electrified dancefloors and horrified purists in 2014. The PC Music label began on Soundcloud in 2013, hosting all of their songs for free. It is uncertain how many members there are in the collective, and even if it is not just many pseudonyms of label boss A.G. Cook. Cook makes Balearic beats influenced by scenes as disparate as Night Slugs-esque bass and the loathed (at least in the dance underground) big room house/”EDM” scene. Cook’s most popular track, Beautiful, was an instant success, reaching the upper echelons of many an end-of-year chart in 2014, and with its infectious vocals and chirpy yet still heavy bassline, it came as no surprise.

A.G. Cook’s closest associate is British DJ and producer SOPHIE. While not on the PC Music imprint, SOPHIE frequently appears alongside PC Music artists in clubs, in mixes and even in Boiler Room. Sophie’s Bipp/ Elle double A-side single was thrillingly efficient. A lot more abstract than the poppier PC Music crew, the trance stabs, almost happy hardcore-esque vocals and rubbery “zoings”’ of BIPP was a massive underground clubland smash.

Earlier in 2014, SOPHIE and Cook teamed up to create QT. QT is a “sparkling future pop sensation” QT is also an energy drink. The sparkling, squeaky-clean aesthetic of QT grabbed the attention of the likes of Pitchfork, FACT and Resident Advisor, and when QT’s first single, Hey QT, was released, everyone wanted a piece of it. In the PC Music universe, artists seem to behave as if already absolutely massive, eschewing conventional release strategies and simply inventing new pop stars.

QT was the biggest, but also the most divisive release

4. What's your opinion on the modern techno scene?

It seems it is bigger than ever. So many new artists, so many labels. Even for myself it’s difficult to stay informed and connected to everyone and everything showing up. But it shows that it’s the sound people want to hear and play at the moment which makes me happy because I also saw other times for techno music in the past.

5. What are your plans for the future of Dystopian?

We have really nice releases coming up and want to show more nuances of dystopian music. I think it’s important to have a diversity on a label. But we still want to focus on our crew and people we know or we are connected to, we like this family business.

the label had put out to date. Many outlets failed to grasp the aesthetic/sound/marketing hybrid that QT was, dismissed it as kawaii garbage, and insinuated that us dance music fans were being duped, that this was not some high-concept genius, but a label that was nothing but a ruse. Others lapped it up. Resident Advisor, the foremost voice for electronic music in the modern world, admired how the collaboration pulled each producer in the other’s direction, melding SOPHIE’s impeccable, razor-sharp production with Cook’s pop nous. FACT even named QT, along with a plethora of other PC Music tracks, in their Best Tracks of 2014 list.

How far can this cute manifesto take Cook et al? Will this fizzle out, or will the plug be pulled, Death Gripsstyle, once the group feels they have done enough?

Whatever happens, it’s clear SOPHIE and PC Music have created a refreshing, interesting scene that has got people talking, and more importantly, dancing.

6. What do you think of 'EDM' and do you think its damaging the dance industry?

We’re doing techno. They’re doing EDM. I think EDM is bigger and more important for the dance industry at the moment than our techno scene and it’s good that way, so we can focus and concentrate on our stuff. But if anybody from the EDM-scene wants to join the good side of the force, they are welcome!

7. Final words?

I can’t wait to play again in Ireland. I’ll be in Dublin on the 13th of February. Last time it was insane and I will play even longer this time.

Dublin’s District Eight presents an all-night Rødhåd performance at 11pm on February 13th. Price ranges from €15 - €18.

Cian Manning reviews two books you need to dust off and catch up on

Often the best sports books are the ones that have sport itself IN the background, while analysing a deeper, broader topic at the frontline. Such as Donal Óg Cusack’s autobiography which looked at his life and sexuality while trying to achieve sporting excellence, or Christy O’Connor’s exploration of grief through the effort to remember and find redemption through sport. Both of these books come from the world of Gaelic Games, and though Paul Galvin’s and Anthony Daly’s efforts are admirable, they come well short of being classics of the genre, especially when compared with Anna Krien’s Night Games.

Although it doesn’t inhabit the world of Irish sport, Krien’s work looks at the trial for rape of a low profile Aussie Rules player in the wake of the 2010 AFL Grand Final. For those who love the intricacies of plot in crime thrillers, or those who look to explore gender roles this book covers a broad set of themes and topics that transcend sport.

Core to the book is the process by which Krien tries to analyse society through the vehicle of sport. A world which is dominated by macho-ism and how this then translates into other aspects of our culture such as sex, consent or even views of women in sport. In fact, Krien highlights the difficulties she faced when covering the case, not only being a journalist who hadn’t previously covered sport (previous issues she has written about are the destruction of the Tasmanian forest and animal rights) but also being a woman in a male dominated field. A fact that is starkly illustrated by Krien is that she is only the second woman to win the William Hill Sports Book of the Year in that award’s history.

However, what does the rape case or the reporting of it have to do with sport? In this question lies the intriguing nature of Krien’s book or any good study of society: why are things the way they are and why is the world viewed in such a fashion?

Sport is a separate glorified, revered sphere where men are treated as demagogues; but does that then mean they can abide by their own rules? Often the achievement of women in sport is sadly and wrongly a mere afterthought.

Furthermore, the book is timely, particularly with regard to the case of former Sheffield United soccer player Ched Evans in England or the recent revelations of a number of NFL players and their treatment of women. Krien’s book is not just for sports enthusiasts, males or females and in reading it will challenge our own views and perceptions.

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For those unfamiliar with the story of Marina Keegan, it’s probably worth being enlightened with the details. In May 2012, Marina Keegan was set to graduate magna cum laude from Yale, had already secured a position at the New Yorker and was set to see a play she penned staged at the New York International Fringe Festival. Sadly, five days after her graduation, Keegan died in a car crash. However, her last essay for the Yale Daily News ‘The Opposite of Loneliness’ (from which the title of this collection of essays and short stories derives its name) would see her name come to international prominence, with over 1.4 million readers.

The collection of essays, which covers subjects such as the preservation of whales, the desecration of sacred sites in India by the technology of camera phones, the contradictions of connectivity through modern commodities which results in the lost of spirituality, and an essay entitled ‘Song for the Special,’ about how one author, singer or movie director can capture the zeitgeist, while one can always strive and hope to achieve the same for their generation.

Though Marina Keegan will not have the opportunity to write a work to be tested against the strictures of tombs for epochs; this collection goes a long way to demonstrating that Keegan had all the hallmarks of what it takes to becoming a noteworthy writer. The brilliance of this book is in the nonfiction pieces that demonstrate an acute skill of observation but also a captivating presentation as she explores subjects in a unique fashion.

The fiction section of the book allows one to see the allround talents of Marina Keegan the writer, however they are dwarfed by her lively non-fiction. Nevertheless, the story ‘Hail, Full of Grace’ stands out for the fact it is rooted in reality which adds authenticity to the work, a real voice. As noted by Anne Fadiman (a former professor of Keegan) in the introduction to the book that what was remarkable about Keegan’s writings was her ability to sound and speak for her age. “Marina was twenty-one and sounded twenty-one...who understood that there were few better subjects than being young and uncertain and starry-eyed and frustrated and hopeful.”

This is epitomised in the essay ‘The Opposite of Loneliness’ which should be read by every student. It’s an exploration of Carpe Diem, again through Keegan’s unique perspective. That what she experienced at Yale could only be termed as the opposite of loneliness. The book is worth the price alone for this uplifting essay (though one will probably feel inadequate with your lot when you compare yourself with what Keegan achieved in her tragically brief life, I certainly did) or can be viewed online.

Though Marina Keegan may no longer be with us, her voice certainly lives on with this book. Sadly, we’ll never know how that voice would have matured and viewed the world in the years to come.

’s Méadhbh Crowley chats to YouTuber Brian O’Reilly aka BriBry about fame, travel and life as a YouTuber.

ouTubers seem to have exploded into fame over the last few years. YouTube’s Zoella aka Zoe Sugg has had the fastest selling debut album since records began, Troye Sivan stormed the charts across the world with his debut EP and Cork’s own SacconeJolys sold out Dublin’s Button Factory in just under 20 minutes. It seems that they have crept up to become the new A-list celebrities, with some even having followers as prolific as Taylor Swift, Lorde and One Direction.

Motley recently had the chance to chat with Brian O’Reilly (BriBry), an Irish YouTuber. Chatting with BriBry it was hard to believe the vast success he has achieved in such as short space of time and how he hasn’t, like others, let it all go to his head. With his YouTube AdSense revenue going to charity, suh as a cancer charity called The Ross Nugent Foundation, and #CutCakeNotWrists, a mental health campaign set up by BriBry himself. The young Irish man has made a great example of how to use your popularity for good in the world. YouTube might not seem like a typical career move for most, but for BriBry the normal life was never for him, as he explains: “I was about to graduate from university and every friend around me was talking about getting a job or going to do a Masters. I didn't want to do any of those things until I completed my bucket list.” He continued to say, “I decided to start travelling around the world and film the

whole experience! Nobody watched at the start; then suddenly 300,000 people were watching.”

After starting his channel, ‘BriBry’, it rapidly became successful, gaining a strong and loyal following. He currently has nearly 400,000 subscribers.

When asked if he expected such success BriBry replied, “Not a chance.

When I started I didn't even bother daydreaming that it'd become my full time job one day. Too unrealistic. I just got very lucky.”

BriBry’s channel varies in content from comedy sketches to music videos to discussions of extremely serious issues. With such a mix of topics and genres it was difficult for BriBry to choose his favourite video so far, but after some deliberation he came up with a suggestion. “One of my music videos 'Care' was shot in Hollywood, LA, so that was very cool. Otherwise some of my early videos where I make a boob of myself are always good fun to watch back.”

The world of YouTubers is still a mystery to us, but, like everything, comes with its own

advantages and disadvantages.

BriBry explains why it is both a joy and hindrance. “The main pro is it's the best job in the world. It's never not fun.”

While on the other hand he claims “the main con is a lot of people take their success on Youtube too seriously and become arrogant. At big YouTube events I can't spend longer than 5 minutes in the so called 'VIP' room; everybody is just too up their own arses.”

In the UK and US, a YouTube frenzy has occurred, where 1000s of people attend YouTube events like VidCon and Summer in The City to meet their favourite YouTubers spending hundreds in the process.

BriBry explains that this is not the usual occurrence and that “YouTube Culture” has gone a bit too far.

“This only happened over the past couple of years. In 2011 YouTube events were still held in random fields across the world; where the creator and viewer were equal and could have a chat. Now thousands of kids queue for hours to see their favourite YouTubers.

It's a bit daft.”

UK counterparts have had exponential success with

YouTubers like Sprinkle of Glitter, Alfie Deyes, Marcus Butler and Tanya Burr all harvesting a following of millions, but will Irish YouTubers ever reach these heights? BriBry thinks the Irish can be just as successful but won’t let this go to our heads. “We're too nice,” he admits, “some of those British guys will literally do anything for fame. We Irish have a bit more dignity.”

Not only have his videos been extremely popular, but they are also very honest. His videos often touch on sensitive topics such as mental health and depression, which, from reading comments, has had a massive effect on thousands of young people’s lives.

Speaking about this with BriBry he never realised how much his videos had helped these people. “It's never once kicked in how those videos have helped people, I just sat down and talked for a few minutes and still feel like I could have done a much better job. But when I'm not touring I do mental health talks at schools across the UK and I love doing it.”

As a parting word BriBry gave some advice for aspiring YouTubers.

“Very clichéd thing to say, I know, but do it for the love of making videos; never to become 'famous.’ The moment you stop enjoying what you're doing and just concentrate on views is the moment it becomes a real job. It's YouTube, not an office.”

BriBry plays Cyprus Avenue on the 19th of April.

Tickets are €11.65 excluding booking fee.

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Laura Hussey speaks to internationally acclaimed, bestselling novelist Karen Joy Fowler. ’s

in 1991. The author of six novels and three short story collections spoke to Motley Magazine, following the success of her latest book We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. Fowler’s novel raises questions about animal testing and t’s not everyday that The New sibling rivalry in both a wise and a York Times will describe an author’s heartbreaking way. With authors debut novel as radiant and elegant. like Khaled Hosseini describing the However, for the talent Karen book as ‘gripping and intelligent,’ it is Joy Fowler this is a common place unsurprising that it was shortlisted for description for her clever writing, the prestigious Man Booker Prize in which has earned her a regular spot 2014. With such a successful career on The New York Times Best Seller behind her, it was surprising to learn List since the release of Sarah Canary that Fowler only began seriously

writing in her thirties. “I decided that I would try to be a writer on my 30th birthday,” she explained, “At that point, I hadn’t written much since my days on my high school literary magazine. I wrote term papers in college, and letters, because back in the olden days, we used to write those, but no stories, no poems. So I actually fell in love with writing after I decided to be a writer, which was a very lucky thing to happen.”

Her 2014 novel, The Jane Austen Book Club spent an impressive thirteen weeks on The New York Times Best Seller List during the year

of its release. The Jane Austen Book Club tells the story of one man and five women who get together to discuss the works of Jane Austen. Like many of the great books of our age and ages past, this was one to soon hit the silver screen. But how does an author feel when the product of their imagination is adapted for the big screen, starring Maria Bello and Emily Blunt? Fowler explained that having one of her novels turned into film “was strange. It was downright trippy.” As for future adaptation;, “I’ve always thought my first novel, Sarah Canary, would make a good movie.

An expensive movie, which is why no one ever will, but that’s okay too. I like books best.”

In her latest novel, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, we meet the Cooke family, in which the protagonist Rosemary is haunted by the fate of her sister Fern. The novel tackles the heartbreaking victims of animal testing in a hugely unique and emotive way. It’s clear from the story of Fern and her family how passionate Fowler is about animals.

“I have always been fascinated by animals,” Fowler responded, “My father was a behaviourist who worked with rats; an interest in how animals behave and what they might be capable of was a frequent dinner table topic when I was growing up.

My father was also something of an amateur naturalist, a good guide to the natural world and the creatures in it. But I learned a great deal while writing the book. I came to the book passionate about these things [animal rights] and left it even more so.”

With an impressive backlog of short story collections, such as Black Glass, to her name, Fowler’s opinion is a seal of approval which almost any writer would be delighted with. She cited American writer Molly Gloss who

the rest of us, the ultimate role the internet plays in her writing is as a procrastination tool. “The main impact of the internet on my work is the way the two compete for my time. I can keep up with my email or I can write books. I find it hard to do both. I think it would be frightening to figure out exactly how much time I spend on the internet daily, so I’ve never done so.”

penned Falling From Horses, as her favourite story of 2014. Falling From Horses tells the tale of a nineteenyear-old ranch hand who sets off to Hollywood to become a stunt rider.

Fowler is also current President of the Clarion Foundation, proving her talents go beyond writing, but also to teaching. An organisation which provides strategic support and fundraising for a Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop at USCD, Fowler’s involvement with Clarion “goes back many years to when Damon Knight and Kate Wilhelm first asked me to teach there. I think it may have been in 1991? Who can remember so far back? Not me.”

She proved to be a talented mentor for over twenty years but how did it feel being on the critical end of her own writing?. Having her work dissected, Fowler explained, is always interesting.

“I don’t always agree and I don’t always find it agreeable, but always interesting.”

Having written before the days of the Internet, it was interesting to hear how Fowler has adapted the online world into her work, such as the role it plays in the insightful and funny Wits End. It appears, like

Writer and director Gerard Stembridge once told Motley that if you spend two hours with a woman, you will know her much better than if you spend two hours with a man. As a writer herself, it was interesting to hear Fowler’s take on this statement and in relation to gender roles in her writing. She claimed that in her experience, “women talk to women, and men talk to women. But since I’m not a man anything I say about how men behave in the absence of women is pure speculation and should be instantly dismissed as such.

I know nothing. Gender is certainly something I think about when I create characters, but it’s only one of many factors. Sometimes it’s an important factor, but sometimes it’s not. I can only answer the question on a case by case basis.”

As for future plans, Fowler was deceptively vague and characteristically charming replying; “So many, too many. I will have to live forever.”

Karen Joy Fowler maintains a cleverly written blog which can be found on her website karenjoyfowler. com. Her latest novel, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, is available in all good bookshops now.

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Words: Kelly Doherty Whilst we haven’t been given any concrete details on the follow up to 2013’s Yeezus, there’s heavy rumours suggesting the record is on the way. Apparently, Mr West had a listening party for twenty lucky folks during Paris Fashion Week and an early version of a supposed album track was leaked last summer, so all signs point towards a 2015 release date. Hate him or love him, a release from West is always an event and it will be exciting to see what direction takes after his universally lauded last album.

Words: Kelly Doherty (Release date: expected Spring)

(Release date: January 19) Words: Kelly Doherty The indie-pop legends are kicking off 2015 with releasing the first album in five years, Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance.

The Glasgow gang won an Outstanding Contribution To Music award at the NME Awards 2014 and that’s a pretty good indicator as to how excited you should be for their new release. With one of the most solid back catalogues in indie music, Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance promises to continue the band’s tradition of gentle, eclectic, folk leaning pop songs delivered with Stuart Murdoch’s exceedingly wry, intelligent lyricism. Lead single, Nobody’s Empire, is a great indicator of things to come with its wonderful storytelling and laid-back vibe consolidating Belle & Sebastian’s timeless feel. There’s every chance that their ninth studio album will pass under the radar of the listening masses, given how many major releases 2015 holds, but Belle & Sebastian are one of the greatest unsung heroes of our generation and ‘Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance’ is set to be another testament to that fact.

Words: Gary Moloney Spoiler Alert: this show is great. It’s Sopranos meets the West Wing and shows the darker side of political life. From backchanneling to backstabbing (literally), anything goes in the dog-eat-dog world of Washington Politics. The second season ended with Frank Underwood rising to the role of President of the United States and the body-count rose accordingly.

One wonders what can stand between Frank and total world domination. With reports that the Third Season will be heavily steeped in the game of International Politics, it looks as if Frank’s next obstacle could be the UN Security Council itself.

Are we potentially going to see Frank go up against Vladimir Putin? Place your bets now!

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It’s been four years since Death Cab For Cutie’s electro-pop tinged Codes & Keys and the American indie rock heroes are back with a new album, slated for an early 2015 release.

Whilst Codes & Keys lacked some of the longevity of the band’s previous releases, the last few years has given the band the chance to recuperate and to focus their efforts on side projects. Whilst the news that Chris Walla, guitarist and Death Cab member extraordinaire, has chosen to depart from the band is a tad worrying, the upcoming release is the last album with input from Walla and hopefully it’ll be an album to remember him by. Whilst we’re yet to get any solid details on the release, it’ll be interesting to see whether the band will further develop their pop sensibilities or return to their tried and tested gentle indie rock formula.

Words: Ellen Desmond Ireland’s homegrown Booka Brass Band have gone from strength to strength in their relatively brief time together, and 2015 will see the release of their very first EP - BBB - in February. Booka are a heavily respected live act, especially in Dublin circles, not just for their original work but for some crowd-maddenly good covers too. You didn’t even know you liked brass untill you heard Booka Brass...

Words: Eleanor Reid The ever popular Irish comedian, or self declared “Brit-licker” Dara O’ Briain returns to Cork on the 4th of February for four stand up shows in The Cork Opera House. Although predominantly famed for panel shows, in particular as host of Mock the Week, O’ Briain’s stand up is nearly on par with his comedy hosting skills. Though there is a fantastic line up of comedians penciled in for Cork dates throughout 2015, Dara O’ Briain is certainly one to tick off.

Words: Kelly Doherty Adele’s follow up to the the unbelievably successful 21 is slated for a 2015 release after an Instagram post in which the London singer, on her 26th birthday, said “Bye bye 25... See you again later in the year x.” Given Adele’s tendency for age related album titles that speculation may not be far off point. The British musical scene has changed massively since Adele’s balladry took over the world but she’s still incredibly important. Whether Adele will craft yet another quintessential break up album or approach a different sound remains to be seen but whatever Adele puts her mind to we’re pretty certain will be wonderful.

Words: Gary Moloney If you haven’t been watching this show then you owe it to yourself and your fellowmen to hop on the bandwagon immediately.

In 2014, former Daily Show correspondent and comedian; John Oliver was given his own political satire platform by HBO. Borrowing many of the structural aspects from his contemporaries; Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, Oliver took the format of late-night newsroom satire and made it his own. Last Week Tonight blends news, analysis and comedy, but unlike The Daily Show (which tends to uses current affairs as a source of comedy), it uses comedy to inform and make the news more palpable to the general public. While political pundits such as Fox News’ Bill Reilly have often joked about young people getting their news from The Daily Show as a way of undermining their arguments, Last Week Tonight is a show which would, in fact, serve as a suitable substitute for mainstream news. With a second season confirmed and Oliver himself having been in the running for Time’s Person of the Year, 2015 looks to be a good year for ‘Last Week Tonight’. Now who else wants to see a sequel to the Rumble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium and see John Oliver debate Bill Reilly?

Words: Ellen Desmond Still Alice is already one of this year’s most critically acclaimed films, with a Golden Globe for Best Actress already in Julianne Moore’s bag and most than likely an Oscar on the way as well. However, critically acclaimed doesn’t always equate to a positive response from the public.

Still Alice is different though, and the genuine good the movie appears to have intended to do has translated onto viewer’s side of the silver screen. This touching and delicate portrayal of Alzheimer's Disease shows not just how the disease affects an individual, but a whole network of people around them. It will have almost anyone appreciating how lucky they are.

Words: Gary Moloney It’s unfortunately a rare sight to see a female-lead in mainstream superhero media and while Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel films are a few years away, Marvel is taking the initiative with Agent Carter. A spin-off of both The Avengers film franchise and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter sees Hayley Atwell return as the titular character she originated in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger as she becomes a founding member of Strategic Scientific Reserve, the organisation which will one day become known as S.H.I.E.L.D. The series has great potential as Atwell has always been fantastic in the role and its promises to explore the life of an assertive young woman in the patriarchal world of 1940s America.

Words: Ellen Desmond As George R. R. Martin’s impatient fans wait with baited breath for the mysterious release date of ASOIAF Book 6, The Winds of Winter, we can at least rest reassured that season 5 of the HBO adaptation will hit our screens in April. As the series has progressed, the more hardcore of fans have expressed anguish as it’s plot strays further and further from that of Martin’s books. In particular, the removal of Lady Stoneheart’s character from the storyline caused annoyance for many. It’s rumoured this season will travel away from the lengthy book series even more. However, we’ll all still be watching to satisfy our Westeros cravings and the new season will undoubtedly be just as addicted as last time. Latest rumours have it that The Winds of Winter will, in reality, not hit bookshelves in 2015 as expected and concerns are growing that HBO’s series will very soon catch up with the books.

Words: Eleanor Reid Remakes are almost never a good idea, but Disney will have to run out of ideas eventually. In the meantime, remakes of old Disney movies don’t look too desperate just yet and this one is directed

by Kenneth Brannagh (Frankenstien) who is sure to bring something fresh to the tale. It’s allegedly remaining true to the original story but with a larger role given to The Fairy Godmother (Helena Bonham Carter).

With names as impressive as Bonham Carter and Cate Blanchett, we’re not worried about this one going down the tubes, as long as they don’t try too hard to modernise it.

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Placement Dressing

Style Edit

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Fashion Editor Emily Horgan investigates the reality behind high street clothing sizes.

I’m quite sure I’m not the only consumer in Ireland that shudders at the thought of shopping for clothes. Some of this discomfort is of my own creation: having a sense of style that cannot always be met on the highstreet—inspired by my father’s worn wardrobe—or a desire for clothes well beyond my budget. One of the reasons, however, I must stress is not of my own making, is the inconsistent sizing of clothes in high street chains and beyond.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not about to throw my own personal body image issues on unsuspecting passers-by, screaming ‘here, deal with it—it’s not my fault my hips don’t fit in your jeans!’ (Note: The passersby were a metaphor for high street shops. I know, we’re getting very hazy here, but I promise it’s going somewhere). The hips, I can assure you, are a combination of genetics, gender and of course, anything with melted cheese on it. That said, I’m not

If yes, what size do you usually take, based on the UK sizing guide?

Female - 72% Male - 27% Other - 1% 18 - 24 -93% 25 - 34 - 4% 35 - 44 - 2% 45 - 54 - 1%

the kind of person who allows the disparity in sizing make me feel bad about my shape or my body. Or am I? Before I outsourced my worries to their rightful owner, I felt like it was my problem that in one shop I was a UK size 12 and in another, a 16. I came up with some nonsensical argument that the former must have been tagged wrong and that I somehow actually had gained three inches across my waist since the last time I tried on a pair of jeans; which was probably just the day previous; I like to get my jean shopping done as quickly as possible and won’t stop until I have a pair. Band-Aid technique. Not only have I been on the consumer side, I’ve also worked in retail, experiencing far too many young women crying in fitting rooms at the prospect of “going up a size.”

But what the shops don’t explain clearly is that not only is there huge inconsistencies in sizing between

Yes - 72% No 28%

Size 6 - 6.94% Size 8 - 26.39% Size 10 - 26.39% Size 12 - 23.61% Size 14 - 12.5% Size 16 - 2.78% Size 18 - 1.39%

Not at all satisfied - 18% Content - 56% Satisfied - 20% Very Satisfied - 6%

Yes - 91% No - 9%

portrait of size. Self-esteem is so important for young men and women, and although after my research it is easy for me to blame any doubts I have on the clothes themselves, the lack of knowledge around this area is ruining the experience of shopping for many. Spending money you worked hard to earn should be a positive and empowering experience, and clothes are made to make you feel confident, not leave you scampering for the early bus home or dreading the idea of your old jeans needing replacement.

Unfortunately, as it doesn’t look like there will be any standardisation in the near future, the only way to tackle this issue is to take matters into our own hands. First thing’s first: grab a measuring tape and measure yourself before doing any shopping, online or offline. Measure your waist, your hips (or “seat” as it is referenced to in some stores) and your bust with one finger between the measuring tape and your

Topshop was the closest, with New Look in close second American Apparel got put last the most, along with Zara.

Yes 48% No 45% I don’t know 7%

body, rounding up to the nearest inch. Your waist is measured around your middle using your belly button as a guiding point. Hips are considered to be the widest part of your lower half when standing with your feet next to each other. For your bust, wrap the measuring tape around your chest at the biggest level, around the nipple area, while wearing a non-padded bra. Men, measure your waist in the same way as the ladies and be sure to measure your leg length, taken from the inseam, measuring both legs, beginning at the inside of your leg right down to just below your ankle. For your chest size, the measuring tape should go around the largest part like the ladies, with the tape lying across your shoulder blades.

Now that the boring bit is over, it’s time to shop intelligently. Of course, having measurements for shopping online makes it easy, but not many shops would have the exact inch measurement on the tag.

Bring your measuring tape with you as a fall back.

Try things on in the fitting room, with the confidence that if a size is labelled to be your fit and doesn’t fit as it should, you have your measuring tape to prove that it is not your body to blame, but the brand.

Consider the size as simply a rough guide to what you may be purchasing that day: being open to the idea of the fluctuation of sizes in your wardrobe bodes for a much easier and stress-free shopping experience, and your clothes are guaranteed to fit better.

Never 43% Infrequently 47% Often 6% Regularly 4%

*(Out of 100 UCC students)

brands, there can also be inconsistencies between the stores themselves.

After concluding that this simply wasn’t good enough, I decided to see exactly how erratic the sizing scale was. Choosing a ‘mid-rise regular skinny jean’ for women as my starting point, I trawled through a selection of the high street websites and investigated what each considered to be a UK size 12. Before I even began to research the fluctuation of waist sizes between stores, one thing constantly confused me. A UK size 12 is a US size 8. When looking on American stores’ sites, this little fact misled me to the point that I actually thought there was a three inch difference in waist size between two different stores. You may think this would never trip you up, but I can guarantee you it is labelled in such a nonchalant manner that before you know it, the completely wrong size is being dispatched to your address, to your impending, ill-fitting and demoralizing doom.

After I wrapped my head around this little hiccup, I began my investigation. I have no intention of naming and shaming any stores because, quite frankly, it is impossible to. There is no standardised sizing scale that stores are overriding, so how can anyone say who is right or wrong? There have been some attempts to make standardise sizes, thanks to the EN14302 Standard (catchy!), but no real progress has been made. Convoluted coding systems and categories have been tried and failed, and all they really seem to standardise is what section of the body should be measured for certain items of clothing, using primary and secondary dimensions.

For example, for some items of clothing, ranging from bras to shirts, it does not suffice to simply display one measurement. But again, this doesn’t scratch the surface of the complications choosing a standard size that is a guaranteed fit in every store.

When it came down to raw figures, differences of three quarters of an inch around the waist was a regular occurrence. While some stores did have the beneficial aspect of displaying each pair of jeans’ exact measurements, most just used a general sizing chart to include their entire range of clothes. Call me a cynic, but I am not convinced jeans and trousers have the same fit. And even when the store did display the actual measurements of the item (which are often displayed as “not worn,” meaning they are giving you the measurement of it lying down flat only representing half of the waist size) it only stood to clarify the redundancy of a singular sizing chart, with one pair of size 8 jeans claiming to be 15.5 inches not worn, and the chart displaying an 8 to be 29 inches. Essentially, it is a massively confusing ordeal.

And sure, we can be told that fitting rooms are there for a reason, but from my experience, they are simply a breeding ground for stress and displeasure due to the tags simply not representing a consistent

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@peaceloveshea – Shea Marie, fashion blogger from Southern California

Rachel Muckley documents all the best style moves you didn’t know you knew about

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Everyone knows the Katy Perrys of this world, the Giselles. Through the surgical media, these recognisable faces can’t walk down the street without being surrounded, prodded and pulled, exposed and scrutinized. The growing and accessible use of social

media, over the last 10 years especially, serves to give the world more information about any one celebrity. However, many have risen to fame in a very subtle way online.

I’m talking about bloggers, writers, and commentators on all aspects of modern life. These individuals are

not what we would consider famous because of their appeal or focus on one specific part of the planet.

They are lacking worldacclaim and its subsequent platform to superstardom.

What’s particularly interesting is the rising fame of the nearest and dearest of the famed. These people (friends, partners, or siblings of celebrities) have found their

own claim to the spotlight because they have a personal, unique relationship with an icon.

YouTubers are headlining social media these days, some with followings in the millions like Tyler Oakley, Sam and Nic Chapman (aka Pixiwoo), and Tanya Burr. Blogger Niomi Smart is one such YouTuber, popular, but not always thought of as being at the top of the vlogging list. Nonetheless, her fashion sense is credible, demonstrated in her blog posts and look books. She combines high street with designer very effectively, exuding a girly, preppy look with an unexpected trendy edge. She reveals that, in the past, she worked briefly with Kurt Geiger, and hence owns 20,000 of the most amazing

shoes. She’s a fan of bold colours, quirky sandals, large hats, and summer dresses. Although, not bosting as many followers as her friend Zoella, to date she has over 1 million follow her YouTube channel despite her only having joined at the start of last year. While some have never heard of her, she has her own voice of influence and a target market with whom she is highly validated.

Jean Bernard Versini came as a surprise to us all. No sooner had his face appeared in the middle pages of OK and Grazia magazines, had he become the new husband of the one and only Cheryl Cole. Since, we’ve uncovered just a few facts about him. Namely, he owns a club in Cannes, where he first met Cheryl, he had a reputation growing up as a bit of a ladies man, and he’s one well-dressed Frenchman! Jean Bernard is male glamour personified, complete with designer stubble and squared off brows.

Spotted out in below-the-knee coats, tailored suits and Hitchcock inspired hats and scarves and cast firmly into the pages of Hello!, it’s easy to see why Cheryl’s new man has grabbed the media’s attention.

Nearly everyone will in 2014 recognise the name Styles, immediately associating it with One Direction’s Golden Boy, Harry Styles. But it is his older sister, Gemma, who has captured the worlds of Tumbler and Pinterest within the realms of the fandom. This is a 24 year old known for her wit, intelligence (having graduated with honours in Genetics last year), but most importantly, for constantly making fun of her baby brother. Fans of the band have even gone as far as to become fans of Gemma herself, while bypassing Harry. For the intense, #GemmaisthebetterStyles is a coin thrown all over the web in an attempt to highlight the wonder of the older Styles. And they succeed. Fan’s find Gemma’s style, an attainable and young look, relatable and appealing. She is part of the so-called new London crowd, belted in denim, Forever 21, pinafores, the trendy Oh My Love London, leather and with regular appointments with Bleach London. Of course her popularity has also increased because of her close relationship with Harry, which can only help as she is not seen as a threat to the female fans, unlike the girlfriends of the band members.

Liam Payne’s girlfriend Sophia Smith is one such threat.

Although many automatically took to the web to slate her, others noticed her undeniable taste in fashion. Sophia is always hitting the right note in the fashion stakes, dressing only in the most exclusive designers, wearing Victoria Beckham, Chanel, Givenchy and YSL to name a few. Unlike Gemma, she opts for block colours and timeless silhouettes, preferring

that chic Parisian look.

Unfortunately few can afford such a wardrobe, therefore making Sophia ultraglamorous to her fans, and not only enviable because she’s on the arm of one fifth of One Direction either.

Penelope Cruz’s career has spanned more than two decades but what has been an interesting turn of events is the emergence of her sister, Mónica Cruz into spotlight.

As an actress and dancer who became successful in her native Spain, no other sibling of a star has emerged so late in Hollywood to have both a new rising career and a profound impact on the fashion scene. Mónica most recently starred in the campaign for the perfume Fatale Agent Provocateur and can be found rotating through issues of Vogue, Cosmo and Harper’s Bazaar. Her style is fascinating because, like her sister, she dresses with simplicity in mind to create an eternal, elegant look, using neutral colours and well-

tailored designs. However, the difference is that she can decide to wear any designer she wishes to create any persona she desires the most, which to her is often the 50s, screen siren look, but without the fear of scrutiny and the pressure of getting it wrong, which her sister cannot afford to do.

These fashionable, almost-famous people are not always the trail-blazers the world publicizes. They are people you happen to stumble upon, and luckily so, as you discover that it is not always the most obvious celebrities that you should look to for a style muse.

Sometimes it’s the people in the background who inform the others. These semicelebrities are undoubtedly influential, but motivational to a more condensed following of like-minded people, where the inspiration does, and always will remain the strongest.

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Aoife Stapleton updates you on all things Folkster; the little vintage shop that could.

Looking back on the 2013 fashion radar, one brand which certainly had it's golden year is Irish brand Folkster. Set up by stylist Blanaid Hennessey, it originally started out as Shutterbug, a standalone boutique in Kilkenny which stocked an impressive selection of affordable vintage gear, attracting shoppers from all over the country. Following the success of the first store, the online shop was created and thus, Folkster was born. The online store stocks a wide range of contemporary brands and its edgy shoe and accessories selection seems to be one of the sites main attractions, with shoe brands such as Jeffery Campbell and Miista. With its vast array of fur collars and fedora hats, it’s no wonder the fash pack quickly flocked to the store.

[Words: Lorna Lane] The introduction of their vintage kilo sales, however, seems to be t’s the beginning of a new semester here in UCC and for what the brand really owes its many of us this means embarking on work placement, success to. Held at venues in both Layering is not just for the winter. Most of us will be heading which is exciting and nerve-wrecking all in one. So Dublin and Kilkenny, the event out on placement during the summer and if this summer is you’ve managed to bag the placement you wanted, really got the ball rolling for the anything like the last; it is set to be a scorcher.

While you congratulations, but now it’s time to think about your work brand in the capital. The innovative idea of selling vintage clothes by wardrobe. It can be intimidating entering the big, bad, working may be roasting on the commute to work, making use of light layering pieces such as blazers and light-knit cardigans weight was a new phenomenon world for the first time, in a field you are (hopefully) interested in Ireland and quickly became a in pursuing after college. You don’t want to be remembered as could be a saviour when entering a highly air-conditioned much anticipated event by the office.

Layers that are easy to put on and off will ensure you’re that college girl who came to work for a few months and did fashion forward across Ireland. feeling comfortable in any situation. odd jobs here and there, no, you want to be taken seriously One of the key aspects which really aided the popularity of and viewed by your colleagues as someone with potential; these events has been their highly someone who can contribute to their company and most impressive organisation. Despite importantly someone who they would gladly open their doors the fact hundreds of bargain This may seem like a strange or boring but having an to again. Like it or not, how you dress can play a major role in hungry shoppers turn up to these umbrella on you at all times can be more important than you how other professionals regard you. You only get one chance kilo sales, each of them has been think. With our notoriously unpredictable Irish weather, you a success, owing to the carefully to make a first impression and ultimately, your clothes can chosen spacious venues and the never know when you could be caught in a shower. Most speak for you ever before you’ve even opened your mouth. professional looking coats don’t have the cosy hood that your meticulously categorised rails of Consider the following: clothes. Each sale is divided into beloved college parka has. While that same, casual parka is sections, so if you’re looking for a completely acceptable for trudging into college on the wettest sequined evening dress or a retro of days, a smart coat and umbrella combo is a much more sports jacket for example, the layout makes it a breeze to find In order to create a capsule wardrobe, purchase about 10 key desirable look for the workplace. exactly what you’re looking for. interchangeable items. These essential items will then provide Also, the element of paying by you with a multitude of outfit options. A balanced capsule weight adds a sense of fun to the whole experience. People love a wardrobe might consist of: four tops, one skirt, one pair of The utmost important consideration when deciding what to wear new type of shopping experience trousers, one dress and two pairs of shoes which you can and this idea has really delivered for your placement is whether or not you are comfortable in it. mix-and-match to your hearts content. The beauty about the for the brand.

It is undeniable that being comfortable in your clothes will allow capsule wardrobe is that it is student-budget approved as you Folkster has recently opened you to be more efficient, fearless and self-assured, yet, so often, the doors of its new Dublin store are not buying things for the sake of it and most importantly, we opt for the ‘pain is beauty’ offering. Your experience on work in Temple Bar, which stocks once you have created it, there are no more frantic mornings not only vintage but also many placement is too valuable to be sacrificed for a crippling pair trying to figure out what to wear. contemporary pieces with an of new shoes. Comfortable shoes that are stylish really do exist, Tip: H&M has a great selection of affordable and office even if you have to look a little harder for them, it will be worth added vintage flair. Folkster is appropriate clothing to help get you started. the perfect stop for eye catching it. Whether you think that you work better with your hair tied occasion wear and statement back rather than left down, or you feel more yourself in a pair pieces like their signature capes and sequined shrugs. With of tailored trousers than a smart skirt, be true to you and your celebrities such as Amy Huberman Learning when to invest and when not to invest is crucial when confidence will shine through. Rhyme not intended. regularly being spotted donning you’re a student. Whatever your budget, a coat is something Folkster pieces, it's clear Blanaid We have come a long way from floor length skirts and that will always cost you a bit more. However, investing in and her team have an ability frumpy blouses that acted almost as a uniform for the very first to see past trends and create a good coat may save you in the long run. If you buy a professional working women. Today, we have endless options unique yet elegant looks at timeless, neutral work coat it could see you through years of affordable prices. With the recent when it comes to work wear, which is a good thing, but can placements, interviews and even your professional career. introduction of their interiors That being said, there’s no need to indulge completely. Check equally be very overwhelming. Hopefully, this guide has put section, Guild & Cage, there is out the sale section online or in store where you’re sure to find your clothing conundrums at bay so that you can focus on the no doubt that the company is only actual purpose of your work placement – the work! set to grow further in the future. a good bargain.

Watch this space!

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With grant installments about to start burning holes in the UCC populus’ pockets, Max Farrell counts the essential buys every guy needs for the semester ahead.

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Nothing says ‘pay attention to me’ more than a statement bow-tie. Heading to the Strauss Ball this week and dread smalltalk? With one of these ties your fellow students will be encouraged to approach you and start conversion. If you regularly stumble over small talk and are inadequate at feigning interest in your friend’s never-ending on/off relationship with an SU Officer, consider joining the bow tie community. That’ll give you something to talk about ‘til the cows come home.

Feeling Flush? Dublin’s Keeling Gallery offer a range of handpainted bow-ties depicting famous artworks from €65 upwards.

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Not ostentatious enough to pull off a dickie-bow?

Scottish fashion company ANTA offer a wide range of tweed and woolen slim ties starting at â‚Ź76

Leather Belt with hidden buckle: www.gucci.com

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Every Arts student needs a moleskin journal. Not only will all your classmates assume that you’re an aspiring writer who needs to jot down every waking thought, but, when paired with Barbour’s tortoiseshell glasses, they may even assume you’re teaching the class.

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Bags available at gucci.com and Brown Thomas’ Flagship store. Moleskin Journal, Parker Pen And Anthony Doerr Novel: Easons. Tortoiseshell RayBan and Barbour glasses: Clerys & Kildare Village. Kindle Fire: Argos.

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