Volume VII Issue 4

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UCC’S OFFICIAL CLUBBING VENUE

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Action Needed

n our recent survey, Motley found discovered that 67% of students had tried drugs with just over 50% of them having tried them first in secondary school.

This was not surprising to me until I re-discovered a survey Motley did 3 years ago on drug abuse and saw that there was a 23% increase in of the number of students who had tried drugs.

Whether you’re for or against, this sharp increase shows that whatever action being done to prevent the use of drugs isn’t work and maybe it’s time the government reassess their actions - be it for or against.

Kieran Murphy Editor

editor@motley.ie

Arts & Culture Editors Eimear Hurley Ruth Ní Leannacháin

Fashion & Beauty Editor Laurence Keating

artsandculture@motley.ie

fashion@motley.ie

Features & Opinion Editors Dean Murray Leah Driscoll

Public Relations Officer Emer Harrington

Graphic Designer Luke Crowley-Holland Current Affairs & Sport Editor Dylan White

currentaffairs@motley.ie

pr@motley.ie

features@motley.ie

Openers Page 4 UCC MUSICAL SOCIETY LAUNCH AVENUE Q WHILE AN CHULLACHT GET VIRAL BUT NOT THE BAD KIND.

Current Affairs Page 9 EOGHAN DALTON EXAMINES THE STUDENT DRUG USE AND DAVID COEN EXAMINES CHINA’S ONE CHILD POLICY.

Arts & Culture Page 20 DYLAN WHITE CHATS TO EAMON DUNPHY ABOUT HIS LIFE AND CAREER.

Irish Language Page 23 ELAINE MURPHY GETS DOWN WITH AMERICAN HUSTLE, CIARÁN MANGAN REJOICES THE RETURN OF ALAN PARTRIDGE WHILE EIMEAR HURLEY INTERVIEWS LOCAL CORK BAND YOUNG SAVAGE.

Opinion Page 32 LAURA CASHMAN LOOKS AT THE CHANGING ATTITUDES TOWARDS SMOKING WHILE DENISE O’REGAN IF TCD SHOULD HAVE IMPEACHED ITS SU PRESIDENT.US TO BULK UP FOR THE NEW YEAR.

Fashion Page 35 LAURENCE KEATING INTERVIEW YOUTUBE CELEBRITIES PIXIWOO WHILE ALSO GIVING US IMPRESSIVE SHADE THIS LUXE LIFE PHOTO SHOOT IN HAYFIELD MANOR

Sport Page 14

Features Page 27

MARK ROCHE TAKES A LOOK AT THE LATEST UFC BOUTS WHILE DYLAN WHITE TALKS TO FOOTBALL LEGEND EAMON DUNPHY.

MICHELLE MURPHY TELLS US WHAT LIFE’S REALLY LIKE ON ERASMUS WHILE LEAH AFTAB ENCOURAGES US TO BULK UP FOR THE NEW YEAR.

Contributors

Very Special Thanks

Eoghan Dalton, Luke Luby, David Coen, Lorraine Donovan, March Rroche, Jordan McCarthy, Elaine Murphy, Elaine Malone, Kevin Long, Ciarán Mangan, Harvey Fitzgibbo, Martha Hegarthy, Michelle Murphy, Philip Mc Cormack, Leah Aftab, Ciara O’Sullivan, Ruth Lawlor, Denise O’Regan, Rachel Cashman

Eamon Dunphy, Hayfield Manor, Stacey Oakes, PixiWoo and selection boxes for finally going away.

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Picture: Darragh Mc Sweeny/Provison IrishSeniorInternationalHockeyPlayerMiramCrowley,ClareFitzgerald,IrishSeniorChampioninShotPutt&discuss, Cork Hurling Star Cconor Lehan and soccer player Josh O’Shead, Pictured at the UCC Sports Scholarships 2013/2014.

UCC Climbs to 2nd Place in Green Global Rankings UCC’s approach to sustainability has seen it climb to 2nd place in the Universitas Indonesia (UI) Greenmetric World University Rankings, which released its latest results today (Friday 17 January 2014). UCC has improved on its previous position of 3rd place despite a packed field of 301 global competitors. University of Nottingham is ranked in 1st place while Northeastern University in the US changed places with UCC, moving to 3rd place.

It is the second increase in a row for UCC, with a 4th place ranking two years ago and it again reaffirms the ongoing commitment towards reducing its environmental impact and remaining a sustainable campus. UCC also retains its 2nd place position in world ranking for a university in an urban campus setting.

President of UCC, Dr Michael Murphy comments: “On behalf of University College Cork, I am delighted that our green credentials have again been recognised and that we are now ranked as one of the top two institutions worldwide. The result is a wonderful acknowledgement of the approach taken by UCC and our community of independent thinkers in the area of sustainability and will serve to drive us on even further. This is a great start to 2014”.

UCC has been continuously recognised for its work in the area of campus sustainability over the last number of years. It became the world’s first

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Green Flag Campus for third level institutions in 2010, awarded by An Taisce and the Foundation for Environmental Education, an accolade that was renewed in April 2013. Student buy-in from the outset has been pivotal to the success of UCC’s Green Campus programme, inspiring “The student led, research informed and practice

focused’ mission of our green agenda”, according to Professor John O’Halloran, Head of School of Biological earth and Environmental Sciences.

“This mission is underpinned by over 30 courses offered in the area of sustainability, a three year research spend of over €55m and over 800 scholarly publications published in 2012”.

What’s Up Soc? Someone in the guild must have a time turner because UCC always seems to have 3 weeks in 1 but here’s 2 of the best happening in UCC this week.

Who? LGBT What? Umbrella Week What is it? Umbrella Week is a week of awareness pertaining to the minority within the minority. The aim of the week is to educate on terms and identities which are less known, visible, overlooked or rarely addressed within the community. Thus breaking down barriers, misconceptions and stereotypes.

What’s happening for it? Monday: On campus 11am - 3pm.

‘There’s something Queer around here...’ by Laura Finlay ORB 2.20 at 6.30pm Queer Bingo - New Bar 8pm.

Tuesday: On Campus 11am - 3pm ‘Bisexuality awareness’ by Aoife Fitzgibbon O’Riordan - West Wing 4 at 7pm Wednesday: ‘Asexuality awareness’ by Eva Lacy and Oscar James - Kane G7 at 7pm.

Social in New Bar at 8pm.

Thursday: ‘Trans* - the asterisk explained’

by Ben Power and Clodagh Leonard - Boole 5 at 7pm.

AN CHULLACHT UCC GOES VIRAL For the launch of Seachtaín Na Gaeilge, An Chullacht UCC has released a cover of The Wanted’s ‘We Own The Night’. The song has garnered over 10,000 views on Youtube and has been tweeted by the boys themselves.

Irish translations have been a major trend in the Irish language community in recent months with Colaíste Lurgan spearheading the charge, most noticeably with Seo Linn’s cover of Avicci’s Wake Me Up. However Motley thinks that if anyone really wanted to give the Irish language a breath of fresh air they’d translate Gangster’s Paradise, to speak to all those lost kids in rough places like Mallow.

*Check out our What’s Up Soc feature to see what’s happening in SNAG.

Who? An Chuallacht UCC What? Seachtaín na Gaeílge What is it? We’re not actually sure since everything is in Irish but we imagine some trad sessions and lots of trying to translate pop songs into the language. But it is a week the promote our mother tongue to the campus.

What’s happening for it?

Dé Luain 1pm: Tús “Lá NÓ Béarla” - Amphitheatre.

Bailíonn mic léinn an choláiste airgead do chatharnachtaí éagsúla – coimeáid súil amach dóibh ina dT-léintí buí agus tabhair cúpla punt dóibh! Seol teachtaireacht chuig an Chuallacht má thá suim agat páirt a ghlacadh.

1pm ar aghaidh: Taispeántas Rúnda ar Champas – Tar chun fáil amach cad é!

9.30pm: Oíche Sóisialta le UCC TradSoc – An Porterhouse (In aice Mardyke Bowling etc.)

Dé Máirt 8pm: Caint ar “Do pháistí a thógáil i nGaeilge” – Brookfield Dé Céadaoin 11am-4pm: An Chuairt Chraiceáilte – Tagann dalta na hidirbhliana go UCC don lá chun blaiseadh a fháil de shaol na Gaeilge anseo. Seol teachtaireacht chuig An Chuallacht má thá suim agat bheith i do cheannaire ag aon chuid den lá.

7pm: Díospóireacht Grinn – West Wing 6. “Ba cheart deireadh iomláin a chur le Seachtain RAG in UCC agus ar fud na tíre” Déardaoin 1pm: Lón Gaelach – Main Rest. Muintir na Gaeilge UCC ag bualadh le chéile ins an Main Rest chun an Last Supper a fháil roimh an Bál.

3pm: Cluiche Sacair – Mardyke. Freshers vs Dara Bhliain 7pm: Bál na Gaeilge 2014 - Silver Springs, Ticéidí fulls €35 & Na hAfters : €15

BBC TV Presenter James Wong To Talk Plants at UCC Popular BBC TV science presenter and botanist James Wong is to deliver a free, public talk at UCC this month entitled “Grow your own way”. The talk is specifically designed for those interested in studying plants, plant science and horticulture but is sure to also attract members of the public with a passion for the natural world and plants in general.

This event will take place on Thursday 23 January from 7pm in Boole Lecture Theatre One, UCC. The event is free and open to all but requires pre-registration.

To register, please go to jameswong. eventbrite.ie James Wong is a botanist, BBC broadcaster and internationally bestselling author who trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London. His award-winning TV show ‘Grow Your Own Drugs’ became the UK’s top rated gardening series, broadcasted around the world and translated into six languages.

He is also the youngest ever panellist on Radio 4’s ‘ Gardener’s Question Time’ and one of the UK’s top garden designers, having won five Royal Horticulture Society medals, including two golds at the Chelsea Flower Show.

Speaking ahead of his visit to Cork, Wong outlines his motivation for

delivering the talk: “A career in horticulture, and plants in general is often completely unfairly dismissed as being unacademic, mundane and poorly paid. But that is simply not true! In reality horticulture can be one of the most dynamic, creative and rewarding industries out there - with immense professional opportunities to earn a fantastic living. I’m living proof that any aspiring plant geek can get ahead and turn their passion into full-time profession”.

“I’m setting out on a tour of talks to set the record straight, revealing the huge range of opportunities out there and giving my personal tips and tricks on how to get ahead. This talk is a chance for anyone who is studying (or just considering studying) horticulture to learn from an insider’s perspective and ask the burning questions that Google has failed to answer”, says Wong.

The talk is organised by the Centre of Organic Horticulture (COHR) at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES), UCC BEES is home to one of Ireland’s plantbased degree programmes - BSc Applied Plant Biology - and is Europe’s only MSc in Organic Horticulture, which is coordinated by COHR.

Business World Come to UCC with Economics and Commerce Conferences UCC is to play host to two exciting business conferences in the upcoming weeks, with the UCC Commerce Society hosting the first.

The theme for the 2014 Annual Business Conference is “The Brain Drain.. Constraint or opportunity for Growth” and speakers will include Barrie O’Connell from KPMG, Bill Liao of Coderdojo and Lisa Domican of Grace App. The society believes that “particularly relevant topic for business students in today’s ever changing economic climate.”

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Attendees will be encouraged to ask questions with prizes being given for the best. The conference takes place on the 23rd of January in Hayfield Manor.

Tickets cost €10 for a student and will be on sale this Monday and Tuesday.

with a view towards finding a pathway into the future. Attendees include Tim Harford, author of the The Undercover Economist, Sinead Ryan a business journalist for the Herald and the Independent and UCC Economics Lecturer, Robbie Butler.

The UCC Economics Society will host their 2014 Economics Conference on the 1st of February. The conference is intended to unite leading academics and practitioners in the field to discuss economic problems

The Economics Conference will take place in the Aula Maxima, UCC on Saturday the 1st of February and tickets are available for €5 for students at uccconferencing.ie.

AVENUE Q LAUNCH

UCC Musical Society Launch Avenue Q UCC Musical Society are hosting a production of Avenue Q in the Granary Theatre in January. Launched at the Roundy.

Avenue Q follows recent English graduate, Princeton as he moves into an apartment in New York City and learns how to struggle through life as an infant adult. Performers gave a sneak peek of the musical doing renditions of the Avenue Q theme song and Kate Monster’s solo.

Cast includes Cassie McElligott as Kate Monster, a peppy kindergarten teacher looking for love, and Josh Spink as Princeton, the little guy with big plans for life. Our talented cast include Cassie McElligott as Kate Monster, a preppy kindergarten teacher looking for love, and Josh Spink as Princeton, a little guy with big plans for his life. Avenue Q is directed by Grace Vaughan.

Avenue Q will be held in the Granary Theatre from the 29th of January to the 1st of February.

Tickets for the 29th will be €5, regardless of age.

From the 30th to the 1st, tickets will be €8 for OAPs and students, and €10 for everyone else.

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CURRENT AFFAIRS

Motley Investigates:

Drug Culture Amongst Students Motley’s Eoghan Dalton investigates the drug culture in Irish society amongst students.

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ith TD Luke ‘’Ming’’ Flanagan recent motion to legalise cannabis, Motley Magazine decided to survey students about their own use of drugs. The survey queried them on topics such as how often they use drugs, how much they spend per month on them and also the effects their vices have on their mental health. With 300 students responding to the survey (and 82% of them attending University College Cork), it’s a small pool but the results do offer some insight into the habits of students. Also, it should be noted that two in three of those who responded are aged 18 to 21, while other respondents are all above 21.

Among the more striking statistics to emerge is that 15% of students admitted to feeling suicidal after alcohol, which is five times the amount who confessed to similar feelings after taking illegal substances.

However, one respondent answered no to both questions about the after effects of alcohol and drugs, but claimed that while they have never had suicidal thoughts, the post-drinking anxiety known as ‘the fear’ is a common occurrence with one respondent saying “It can cause me anxiety for one or two days afterwards, which is actually making reconsider drinking as much”.

Despite this wide gap between students’ experiences on their

How Do You Figure That?

69%

increase in 3 years:

of students have tried drugs

25%

53% Want marijuana legalized 8

Started in secondary school

67%

comedowns, there is an almost 50/50 split among them with regards to whether drugs should be more tolerated in Irish society. When it comes to the issue of legislation however, there is a clearer divide; just over two thirds of the respondents at 67 % support legalising marijuana. This turnaround in opinion concerning legislation has been confirmed by other publications in recent months, such as TheJournal.ie’s own poll finding 84 % (roughly 40,000 people) of people in favour of Flanagan’s proposal.

It appears that the majority of students who have used recreational support decriminalisation. 69% of those surveyed have taken drugs, a mere 2% greater than those who support Flanagan’s motion.

Of those who have tried drugs, 52% first tried them during secondary school and the rest during college whereas 94% of respondents first used alcohol while in secondary school.

This posed the question as to where students purchase drugs in order to fuel their appetite. Well, just over one in five students buy drugs in the vicinity of the University College Cork main campus. 6% of respondents claim to have sold drugs in the same area, while 38% of students know someone who is a seller. As for what drugs students believe to be most commonly used amongst their peers, marijuana unsurprisingly ranks highest at 96 %. Ecstasy is second at 42%, then cocaine at 12% while mushrooms, LSD and PCP are all under 10%.

Of those who have dealt drugs, 3% have had issues with the Gardaí Síochána as a result but only 27% of respondents believe the Gardaí should be tackling the issue.

The survey provides more intriguing stats when we compare students’ spending on those two other ancient habits; cigarettes and alcohol. One in three students describe themselves as smokers, yet 41% describe themselves as social smokers while 6% are chain smokers.

Similar to alcohol, the majority of smokers started in secondary school, at 33 %, while 17 % started in college. The other half of those surveyed listed themselves as non-smokers. There is a considerable difference between the amount spent on cigarettes and on alcohol though; 95 % spend €50 or less a month on cigarettes, while 57 % is the corresponding number for alcohol. Almost one in four students get by on spending no more than €20 monthly on alcohol Of the students surveyed 56% have use drugs while drinking and 24 % have also used drugs to relieve stress and anxiety during exam time. The most interesting result though is that 43 % admitted to needing drink or drugs to enjoy a night out; from speaking with several students though, this seems to be the most surprising stat as many might expect it to be much higher.

Certainly the most enlightening parts of the survey are in the written responses of the students explaining why they take drugs.

While many opt for simple answers, such as ‘’It’s fun’’, ‘’For the banter’’ and ‘’To relax’’, others give more detailed and thoughtful replies that give an insight into the myriad of reasons a young person may have to take drugs. One person puts their drug use down to ‘’Depression and anxiety from hospitalisation at 17’’, while another said ‘’I enjoy taking drugs in a controlled environment a lot more than being drunk as an ass making a tool of myself. Gave up alcohol a year ago and I’ve never been better”. Another ominously explains that he or she uses drugs so as ‘’To forget’’.

As for what drugs students believe to be most commonly used amongst their peers, marijuana unsurprisingly ranks highest at 96 %. Ecstasy is second at 42%, then cocaine at 12% while mushrooms, LSD and PCP are all under 10%.

Some respondents even claim that ‘’people are capable of using recreationally without abusing’’ and that they know ‘’how to use it responsibly’’. Meanwhile, others prefer to use drugs for their mind-altering effects. While talking about psychedelics, one student said ‘’It gives you a perspective removed from your normal view. You can think differently about and look at things from a different perspective”. Another enjoys using drugs simply because it allows one to ‘’explore (their) consciousness, (while) strengthening relationships with friends”.

It is also of interest (not to mention amusing) to look at how some respondents will abuse and own up to it; one student’s comment shows their own enthusiasm, with them replying ‘’ya can’t beat a few E’s to get off your tits!!!’’. The emphasis is, naturally, their own. Where this respondent’s answers became interesting however is when their other answers were looked at; for example they spend over €100 per month on alcohol, meaning this student appears to like the party lifestyle. This is quite different to other students, especially one, who commented; ‘’I would rather be at a party full of people who are after taking a couple of pills than a party full of people who are after downing a load

of vodka. I find people are generally more relaxed, happy and willing to engage in proper, interesting conversations and as opposed drunken slurs. I find myself generally much more open and chatty after taking pills but also find that I am completely aware of what is going on and can also remember everything the next day. I find alcohol makes me sleepy and causes me to slur my words and talk nonsense”.

The same student later commented ‘’...while I have no problem with drug use under a controlled environment, I do not agree with people completely abusing drugs. I was at a Halloween party two weeks ago where a friend took 14 pills. I find this kind of thing ridiculous...it is important that people are aware of the limits and dangers associated with drug abuse.’’

This student also categorised themselves as spending between €20 and €50 a month on alcohol, which is what most students spend according to the survey.

One student claims to smoke cannabis in order to relieve the pain derived from his sporting injuries and another student said that marijuana needs to be more tolerated in society, but drug addiction must ‘’be a medical issue rather than a criminal issue’’. Some students feel that marijuana must not be ‘’bundled’’ in with harder drugs because it leads to people wondering ‘’if people were lying about the other drugs’’ if smoking goes well for them, which can then lead to experimentation with the likes of cocaine.

One respondent also commented on ‘’Ming’’ Flanagan’s proposal, saying that it is unwise for Ireland; ‘’I think it’s an absolute disgrace that there is a bill to be brought in to legalise marijuana in Ireland. There are so many long term side effects such as schizophrenia... and by legalising it we are leaving our society open to more problems that we don’t need. Drink driving was a huge problem but now driving stoned is going to take its place on the health sector which is already stretched to its limits.’’

This was a truly fascinating and engaging survey that underlines the polarised opinions amongst students with regards to drugs in Irish society.

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Bulger Banged Up At Last Luke Luby takes a look at US mobster, serial killer and sociopath James ‘Whitey’ Bulger’s life sentences by a court in Boston

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angster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger, the notorious Boston mob boss, faces dying in prison after receiving two consecutive life sentences, plus an additional five years, after being convicted of 11 murders as well as 31 counts of racketeering, extortion, drug dealing, money laundering and weapons possession.

The 84 year old was arrested in 2011 after being on the run since 1994, when he received a tip from a corrupt FBI officer. He was found in an apartment with his girlfriend Catherine Grieg, and in the possession of 30 different weapons and approximately €595,000. John Connolly Jr., the former Boston based FBI agent who worked with Bulger, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after tipping Bulger off ahead of an indictment for his arrest.

During the time when he was on the run, Bulger was one of the top ten most wanted people in the world, a list which was topped by Osama bin Laden during much of Bulger’s time on the list. In August 2013, a jury found Bulger guilty of 11 of the murders he was charged with - out of a total of 19 - as well as cocaine and marijuana smuggling and extensive extortion in a vast criminal enterprise which lasted from the 1970s until the 1990s. It was also founded that Bulger and his associates had frequently corrupted FBI agents and other law enforcement officials.

Testimonies from relatives of those killed either by Bulger or on his orders painted him as a psychopath, with some denouncing him as ‘Satan’ and a ‘domestic terrorist’. In a 25 minute summation, Judge Denise Casper said: “The testimony of human suffering that you or your associates inflicted on others was at times agonising to hear and painful to watch. At times during the trial, I wished that we were watching a movie, that what we were hearing wasn’t real, but the families here know only too well it was not a movie.”

Judge Casper went on to say that Bulger’s crimes were “all the more heinous because they were all about money”. Although she did not question his intelligence, she said that it did not take intelligence to take money from people at the end of a gun. The trial was interrupted by outbursts in which former gang mates-turned-prosecution witnesses swore at the man who was on the run for 16 years.

During the trial, prosecutors painted Bulger as cold blooded and a hands killer who even went so far as to murder innocent people who just so happened to get caught up in the crime. This is in stark contrast to the way Bulger had for years painted himself as a Robin Hood figure in his South Boston neighbourhood.

Bulger, who prided himself on having Irish roots, was also ordered to pay €14.5 million in remunerations to the families of those he was

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‘The 84 year old was arrested in 2011 after being on the run since 1994, when he received a tip from a corrupt FBI officer. He was found in an apartment with his girlfriend Catherine Grieg, and in the possession of 30 different weapons and approximately €595,000.’ responsible for killing. To date, Bulger has claimed that the trial is ‘a sham’ as he, according to his defence, has been unable to argue his case, and that he had an immunity deal from law enforcement officers who had protected him for years during his decades long crime spree. He claims that he was given immunity due to his acting as an informant for numerous years.

Bulger declined to testify during any stage of his trial or sentencing. As the trial went on, Bulger barely uttered a word, only speaking when he needed to, and even then he kept his answers mainly to ‘yes’ or ‘no’. He has also claimed that the trial is unfair as, according to his defence attorney, he has been unable to speak about the FBI corruption that enabled him to continue his crime spree, and which led to a tip off that let him flee from prosecution.

His defence attorney, Jay W. Carney Jr., said that: “The trial became a sham in his mind as a result. He did not want to validate the trial

by participating directly or indirectly through us, in the sentencing process. And so to have made a statement at the trial or to have turned directly and faced the people who testified today, would have been part of validating the trial”.

The callous and heinous acts by a man who had instilled fear across the city of Boston were at last put to bed, allowing for some solace but little closure for the families who had suffered throughout his decades-long killing spree.

Family members of Bulger’s victims alluded to the sentencing as like “having a scab ripped off a wound that was trying to heal”, while others made reference to “an eye for an eye” philosophy. Losing a loved one to the hands of such monstrosity appeared too much for some to handle, with one bereaved person claiming that the hollow left in one’s heart can never be filled.

Modification to China’s one-child policy David Coen examines the latest developments to China’s one-child policy.

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n the 15th November 2013, the world witnessed a dramatic alteration to China’s one-child policy. The new plan emerged from resolutions decided upon at the Communist Party’s Central Committee’s third plenum. Held in Beijing, it was concluded that couples in China could now have two children if only one of the parents were only children themselves. This provides a welcome change to the suppressive child policy that has been imposed on China for over thirty years. The one-child policy was brought into legislation in the late 1970s to tackle a rapidly growing Chinese population. This policy allowed for couples to only have one child. Concessions however were made in following years. In the mid 1980’s, amid a backdrop of violent protests against the Chinese Government, the policy was altered to allow for rural couples to have another child if their first born was female. As well as that, it was later decided that couples who were both without siblings could raise two children. Therefore this new change of child policy will primarily affect urban dwellers, making it is a significant landmark in urban family planning in China.

With nearly 1.4 billion people, China is the world’s most populous country. Due to the onechild policy, the Government has claimed that 400 million births have been averted since 1980. This is an incredible number. It demonstrates the dedication of the Chinese Government to control and reduce the country’s population. However, many

argue the credibility of this number and consequentially China’s successful role in Global population control. Comparisons are drawn by newspapers such as the New York Times to countries that had equal to or higher birth rates than China in 1970. Between these countries, an average birthrate was held that dropped to 22 per thousand in 1998 from 35.6 per thousand in 1970. China’s birthrate dropped to 15.6 per thousand in 1998 from 33.4 per thousand in 1970. Although China’s birth-rate significantly declined through the costly policy, it is suggested by some sources that the Chinese birth-rate would also have reduced, though not to as large an extent.

The policy since 1970 has resulted in today’s aging population in China. The main arguments for alterations to the one-child policy include the severe lack of young, fit workers in China and a simultaneous abundance of aging veteran workers. The control of China’s populace has obviously resulted in a clear imbalance between the elderly and the aspiring youth. Social and supportive factors are also important here.

China has experienced a bizarre breakdown in social relations; there is a shortage of Chinese sons and daughters in relation to their parents, subsequently reducing the amount of physical and emotional support offered by children towards their aging mothers and fathers. The Chinese have made enormous social and emotional sacrifices for the good of the nation’s populace. This new concession is well deserved. For over 20 years,

‘The control of China’s populace has obviously resulted in a clear imbalance between the elderly and the aspiring youth.’

fertility levels in China have been extremely low and below the level of replacement (the level of adults having enough children to replace themselves). The 2010 census in Shanghai found a fertility level of 0.7, which is one third of the replacement level.

Interestingly a senior official from the Chinese Government, days following this announcement, has claimed that China will eventually rid of family planning restrictions. This is an ambitious and radical change of direction in Chinese populace control. It’s important to look at how exactly China plan on introducing these initial changes first before thinking about a drastically altered future regarding population. A time frame was not given at the Third Plenum, but it was announced that Provincial Legislatures would first write the new policy into law. The decision remains with these provincial Governments on when to commence the scheme; a choice that will be based on local population conditions. Not all Chinese couples will experience the new policy in the near future. According to the Deputy Director of the National Health and Family Planning Commission a population explosion with large effects on public services is possible if the new policy is overused in the country. Therefore it is clear that this new element of family planning policy is to be gradually established into Chinese society. A non-restrictive society for families in China still seems to be a long way off.

The response to this new child policy in China has been mixed. Many Chinese people are excited by the prospect of having greater freedom over their family planning. In contrast, others remain cautious over the raising of a second child due to increasing child-rearing costs in China. In the days following the announcement of child policy reform, on the basis that demand would increase rapidly, shares of nappy, piano and baby formula manufacturers rose. Meanwhile, Chinese condom producer Humanwell Healthcare Group dropped in shares. The future, at least with regards to more freedom for family planning among parents who had no siblings, looks bright in China.

There has been no sign of a resistance from any of the Chinese provinces. It is also estimated that one million more babies will now be born each year in the country. However, whether or not that figure comes to fruition is another matter; there is also the argument that some Chinese people will not want a second child because of years of indoctrination. As well as that, some of those who really wanted another child have already achieved this through illegal means. The most important thing to conclude here is that China has at least commenced an effort to bring to a cessation an important element of the one-child policy that has controlled its populace for the best part of thirty years. The speed with which it implements this change and moves towards full eradication of child control is a matter which remains to be seen.

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Typhoon Haiyan’s Destruction of the Philippines Lorraine Donovan looks at the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

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n Friday 8th November 2013, just days before the EU Climate Change Summit in Warsaw, the Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) ripped through the Philippines leaving catastrophic damage and anguish in its wake. The category five super storm generated winds that reached up to 195 mph in the province of Cebu and sent waves of 15 feet crashing onto the islands of Leyte and Samar, flooding most of the provinces.

In a country well used to storms and earthquakes, people tried to prepare for their 25th typhoon this year by evacuating areas predicted to be worse hit by the storm. Millions of people headed for shelter around the provinces.

However they were still unprepared for what is now considered to be the worst and most disastrous tropical cyclone to make landfall in recorded history.

An estimated 4,500 people have been confirmed dead, with the possibility of that number rising in the days to come. Approximately three million people have been left displaced and homeless, while millions more are desperately in need of food, water and shelter. It has also been reported that 5,000 people are still missing.

Many images coming out of the Philippines in the aftermath of the typhoon have been harrowing; bodies lying on the side of the road or pinned under houses; the look of devastation and helplessness as people looking for their children, family and friends; children holding up crudely written signs saying “Please Help” and “We Need Food”, and the aerial images of flatted buildings which make you wonder how anyone could have survived this storm. The countries Interior Secretary, Manuel Rotas, who is in the city of Tacloban said on the ground, “I don’t know how to describe what I saw. It’s horrific”. But from a helicopter, “you can see the extent of the devastation. From the shore and moving a kilometre inland, there are no structures standing. It was like a tsunami”.

Of the reported 4,500 that have died, many still lie in the streets, while people pass on by trying to salvage what is left of their homes and lives. The worst hit area was the Eastern Isaias region that covers the islands Samar and Leyte with its main city Tacloban in utter ruins and recording the highest death toll to date. A mass grave has been set up to bury decomposing bodies due to the fear that there will be a spread of disease. Unfortunately this will make it difficult for many devastated families, with some having lost their entire family, to locate their dead and give them a proper burial.

Many other problems also exist in the wake of the typhoon. Due to the islands been cut off in the initial aftermath of the typhoon, power outages exist and many survivors still remained

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‘Due to the islands been cut off in the initial aftermath of the typhoon, power outages exist and many survivors still remained trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.’ trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Another factor is that aid has not yet reached many villages, taking up to 10 days for help to get to certain areas. The supplies of water, food, medicines and tarpaulins for the homeless are slowing getting through as a result of being hampered with impassable roads, little access to fuel and electricity, and poor communication services. There has been over $2.5 million of aid sent to the affected areas but this is not enough as it is estimated that over 10 million are in need of aid and assistance. One medical student in Leyte, Jenny Chu, described how bad the conditions are on a news broadcast: “It’s like a movie….People are walking like zombies looking for food”. This, along with carjacking, looting and robbery has become all part of daily life in many areas still without aid.

Another major concern is an economical one for the country as agricultural areas inland where most of the countries rice and produces are grown have been hit. The UN has warned that if aid does not reach those areas soon then the results will have a disastrous effect on the already fragile economy with the devastation estimated to cost billions. In 2011 the typhoon Washi which killed 1,200 people, displaced 300,000 and caused $1 billion in damages, has been described as a small dent in comparison to this latest storm.

However the President of the Philippines,

Benigno Aquino, who has been touring the worst hit areas handing out aid, has urged people not to despair despite the conditions they’re subjected to: “One is tempted to despair, but the minute I despair, then everybody, it cascades down and everybody gets hampered in their efforts”. This seemed to be the general consensus when a Roman Catholic priest, Rev. Robert Reyes, led dozens of survivors of the typhoon through the city of Rotas in an effort to boost spirits. Many of the survivors are currently living in the church and nearby sports stadium. They marched through the city and sang We Shall Overcome as they passed many unburied bodies on the side of the road. “This is not an ordinary march,” said Rev. Reyes. “We call it the walk to overcome. This is part of what we call psycho-social therapy where you listen to the victims of the disaster but you also make them believe that they can actually heal themselves”. Surprisingly this seems to be working with many survivors of the typhoon coming together, helping and sharing what they have with each other. It really goes to show that despite the loss of their loved ones and the destruction to their homes, many still find hope in the efforts to rebuild and go on living.

The President’s Christmas Message Examined Eoghan Dalton examines the motives behind President Higgins failure to make reference to Christianity in his Christmas message.

H

ave you seen the latest mild controversy to arise in the Irish media over the Christmas break? President Michael D Higgins’ Christmas address seemed to pass with little interest as people continued with enjoying their time off. There were calls for a “shared Irishness” to carry us through future hardship as well as a glance forward to the State Visit to the UK later this year. It could be described as platitude ridden if one was to be impolite, but that can be the nature of these seasonal addresses.

However, the media and the public were given something to chew on when the head chaplain to the Defence Forces, Monsignor Eoin Thynne, criticised Higgins over him not making any explicit reference to Christianity in his speech.

Monsignor Thynne also brought up the alleged removal of a nativity crib from a barracks in Kildare.

At first glance, sympathy isn’t hard to extend to Thynne; Christmas is, along with Easter, among the biggest events in the Christian calendar. With nary a mention of Christ or the religion itself, it has Thynne and others feeling that Higgins was indulging himself and, perhaps, his own beliefs.

Yet if we actually look at Higgins’ speech, there are signs that he was attempting his address to be an all-inclusive one. He may not reference Christ or Christianity but he does point out that “Christmas... reminds us that true hospitality endures and reaches beyond kin and one’s own community; it extends to the stranger, the newcomer, the outsider”. President Higgins, it should be clear to see, does reference the birth of Christ here by reminding us of Mary and Joseph being allowed into the stable. It is not as if Higgins has neglected Christmas entirely in what is termed as the ‘Christmas Address’.

Instead, he uses the word again when he says that “Christmas is a time to reflect on what binds us together ... as fellow-citizens and human beings”. It is used one last time alongside a reminder that the message of Christmas is not unique to Christianity only, but ‘’shared by many faiths’’. Higgins seemed to be trying to not alienate any group by focusing on the message rather than the particulars. For Thynne to criticise the president for not being more direct is churlish. His superior, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Conor O’Boyle, has since apologised for the chaplain’s comments.

The president was also contacted by the Irish Independent who desired to know his exact spiritual views. A spokesman for Higgins declined to answer the queries though, and stated that it would be ‘’inappropriate’’ to ask if the president is an atheist. This is where it gets tricky however; upon taking office in the Áras, Higgins had to take an oath which begins with “In the presence of Almighty God” and concluded with ‘’May God direct and sustain me’’. It’s positively biblical.

Were Higgins to admit that he is an atheist then it would also mean he lied when he took the oath of his office, a potential means for dismissal surely. Of course, considering how Ireland isn’t such a principled place it is difficult to believe such an event could happen. If Bertie Ahern managed to escape the Dáil on his own accord (to a degree,) then the well-liked Higgins will no doubt do similar for a much lesser offence.

What should be taken from this matter though is not whether Christianity gets a full on reference in the Christmas address, but the far less trivial issue of the links between the Roman

Catholic Church and the State in the Constitution.

By forcing atheists (not to mention agnostics) to swear to an entity that they don’t believe in is clearly unfair and discriminatory. If you disagree, however, imagine what the reaction would be if it was Catholics, Protestants or Jews that had a similar barrier to a job. It would be rightfully condemned.

Similarly, the “Holy Trinity” is invoked at the start of any oath taking process going by the Constitution. This is another unnecessary addition and should be replaced by a non-denominational oath that doesn’t prohibit anyone based on their beliefs. It’s a shame that Higgins didn’t speak to the Irish Independent on his spirituality when they asked him; it would have been an opportunity to open a discussion on the issue, which would have been the correct response to Monsignor Thynne’s criticism. Instead, it’s an opportunity missed.

The country will one day have to deal with the uneasy leftovers of the State’s cosy relationship with the Church; are the majority of people content with the religious wording in the Constitution and the oaths? Are they bothered if there is little direct reference to Christianity in the Christmas Address? Where do Irish people stand on role of gay people in the Church and society (interestingly, staunch Catholic Mary McAleese has criticised the Church’s stance on that topic at the beginning of this year)?

President Higgins promised in his address that in the coming year he “will be encouraging the widest possible discussion of ethics in every aspect of our lives, nationally and globally”. We’re not even a month into 2014 and it appears he has failed on the first go.

‘A spokesman for Higgins declined to answer the queries though, and stated that it would be ‘’inappropriate’’ to ask if the president is an atheist.’

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SPORT

UFC 168: Weidman V Silva II

Mark UFC

Roche fighter’s

takes a look back at Anderson Silva’s plans to return to action following

brutal leg break, and the the career-threatening injury

2013 was brought to a spectacular finish on December 28th with one of the most anticipated fights of the year. UFC 168 hosted Weidman V Silva II, a Middleweight Championship rematch between former champion Anderson ‘Spider’ Silva and Chris ‘All American’ Weidman. While the co-feature between Ultimate Fighter coaches, Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate was to be one of the more entertaining fights, it was the final bout which drew gasps of disbelief.

fighter the UFC has ever seen twice and without showing any bravado or cockiness so common in young contenders is nothing short of admirable.

Weidman recognised this before the fight noting that although Silva is almost 10 years his senior, the champ was still in the prime of his life; following the fight he seemed deflated to win in such a manner and offered his condolences to the ‘greatest fighter of all time’.

In their initial encounter at UFC 162, Weidman defeated Silva in what many thought was a fluke after Silva’s cocky flaunting earned him a solid strike on the chin, knocking him out cold in the second round. The undefeated champion had until then, defended his title a record 10 times with 16 consecutive wins between 2006 and 2013.

However, to have fought undefeated in the UFC only to end a career in injury is surely the biggest disappointment to Silva. He may well return to fight and leave ablaze with title in hand. High expectations no doubt but many close to the fighter have said similar; having reduced his leg to rubble below the knee, Silva was treated in the Octagon and rushed to hospital for an emergency operation to save his limb; since then, his doctors have reported that the only question being asked is, “when can I train again?”

‘The Spider’ often tested the limits of mixed martial arts, changing the roles of fighters within the octagon. Many worthy contenders had previously fallen at the feet of Silva; his agility in the cage allowed him to submit with equal force and he is known as one of the greatest knockout artists of his era.

<< In their initial encounter at UFC 162, Weidman defeated Silva in what many thought was a fluke after Silva’s cocky flaunting earned him a solid strike on the chin, knocking him out cold in the second round. >> Why does this sound like a eulogy? Because it may well be how Silva’s legacy is remembered. A Sold-out MGM Grand Garden event, Weidman V Silva II was a rematch which many thought would be the undoing of the 10-0 Weidman; a worthy opponent no doubt, but a young man with more luck than talent (at least that’s what his detractors said). In round 2 of the fight, Weidman again showcased his “luck” by breaking the left leg of Anderson Silva after checking a strong leg kick; as knee met shin in a gruesome slow-motion replay, fans saw Silva’s leg wrap around Weidman’s like jelly, as fibula and tibia fractured with a distinctive crunch.

A ‘lucky’ check indeed, prior to this however Weidman had rocked Silva in the first leaving him on his back landing heavy elbows. A man that was once known for bringing the game to the ground only when he wanted to, Weidman hurt Silva in the clinch followed by a ground-and-pound which very nearly ended the Brazilian.

To say that Weidman was the better fighter is only right; having defeated the greatest

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Silva’s coach, Pedro Rizzo, has stated that some of Silva’s first words to him were, “I will be back, master. I will be back.” Rizzo has gone on to say that while recovery and rest are paramount, he believes Silva has the ability to return and fight. Having disposed of the best fighters in the world, it is true that Silva has very little to prove in the world of MMA, perhaps overcoming such an injury is ultimately for his own esteem rather than his fans; in my eyes he has more to lose than gain by re-entering the octagon.

Initial medical reports have claimed that Silva is already mobile, using crutches to get around and is expected to return training in six to nine months; the addition of an 11mm steel rod in his leg will certainly be an adjustment although if anyone was to rise from the ashes, or climb up the spout in his case it is Anderson Silva.

What of Silva when he returns? A former legend, returning after almost a year of rehabilitation, it is unclear yet as to whether his status will allow him to simply resume his position or whether he will have to fight younger opponents to reclaim what was once his. The Brazilian will be close to 40 and although Dan Henderson has already reached that point with no indication of slowing momentum, it remains to be seen whether Silva will ever fight to former standards again. His left leg will certainly bear a significant target to challengers hoping to make their name by beating the great, Spider Silva.

However, there is a precedent set by other top-calibre MMA fighters towards recovery; arguably it’s what sets them apart from the rest. Welterweight Champion, George St Pierre who returned after 18 months and two knee surgeries to defend his title against Carlos Condit; former Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir suffering his fair share of defeats after a lengthy recovery from a motorcycle accident that almost killed him, only to defeat Antonio Nogueira to once again regain his title. And Randy Couture, one of the few men to challenge Silva’s title for greatest ever MMA fighter proved that age does not define the man; returning from retirement at the age of 43 to become Heavyweight Champion for a record third time and successfully defend it.

If Silva returns, I hope he does so confidently and dismantles any pretence about him being weak; there are even rumours of a fantasy fight upon both fighters return. Would St. Pierre V Silva be worth returning for? I certainly think so.

The next title defence in their division will come in the form of Weidman V Belfort, coming off the back of three consecutive first round knockouts thanks to well placed kicks to the head.

SPORT

Tackling The Stigma Eoghan Dalton proves that there is a high price to pay for success, fortune and fame for many of sports finest athletes.

Mental health has undoubtedly been at the forefront of Irish news for the past while. Galway hurler Niall Donohue’s death, and Conor Cusack’s (the brother of Cork Legend, Dónal Óg Cusack) admission of his own illness have thrust it into the forefront of people’s minds, while the issue has also made its way into the British papers thanks to cricketer Jonathan Trott; the England batsman had to drop out of the international squad, citing a “long-standing stress related illness”. It’s only right that it is in peoples’ minds too, even if the circumstances are nearly always saddening.

Until the turn of the century, there was little talk of the depression in the sporting arena. Encouraging signs of a new openness have appeared these past few years with documentaries and reports on the struggles players must go through have helped, of course. Former footballer and English Professional Association chairman, Clarke Carlisle, helmed the BBC doc Football’s Suicide Secret last summer. That was especially enlightening, as we saw one time high profile footballers discuss the troubles they’ve found themselves facing. In former Aston Villa player Lee Hendrie’s case, the global recession made a mockery of his investments and left him financially devastated. After being declared bankrupt, he twice tried to take his own life.

This is far from uncommon with sportspeople: Carlisle himself found the pressures exerted by his profession so overwhelming he considered closing the door on his life too. After he ruptured his ligaments early in his career, he tried to overdose since he felt there was no other option besides football.

This is a problem which affects professional sports in particular. Few players have actual contingency plans in case they are suddenly injured or even don’t make it past the academy stage. Carlisle has documented this as well with various interviews of youngsters aspiring to graduate past the youth teams.

The majority of schoolboys don’t become professionals, which is understandable; it’s the type of job where the 99 percent tend to be left behind. What isn’t so acceptable is that clubs don’t help educate the players in areas outside of football. If they aren’t good enough for the club, they will either have to find another club or their years spent in football will be a waste. The German FA is now trying to counteract this by ensuring that youth players receive a proper education alongside their sporting one.

* << Few players have actual contingency plans in case they are suddenly injured or even don’t make it past the academy stage >>

A similar issue is prevalent in the NFL in America too. As shown in ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary Broke, many players find themselves in financial ruin once their playing career is over. Some are pressured into providing for family and friends with some of them supporting up to a dozen families at any one time. It’s a shame that they forgot they cannot play forever, or that their careers tend to last 10 to 15 years at best. This is another example of the club using a player until their usefulness on the pitch is no more. After that, they are less than surplus to requirements For those players who choose to continue with their chosen sport, be they amateur or professional, there are still numerous obstacles to their mental health. Kerry Mummery has studied depression in sportspeople and lectures in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Central Queensland University. He believes that one of the problems is down to psychologists focusing more on matters such as anxiety rather than depression. This is problematic because “of the physical and psychological demands placed on them by the sporting environment”. The hours of training is one such factor which can harm a player, especially as the intensity of training sessions has increased over recent years. Unfortunately, as Mummery states, “little is actually known about the relation between training volume and psychological disturbance...

Results of research suggest that the association is U-shaped, with too much exercise...related to depressive symptoms.”

A study last year on youth players by the University of Leeds confirmed as much; after examining 167 players, the researchers stated that most of the young men are at risk of burning out before they graduate. Players striving for perfection were found to be at risk, especially; Dr. Andrew Hill, who led the study, observed that perfectionists are “stuck in a self-defeating cycle”.

Interestingly, he also believes that “there is nothing particularly positive about sport. It is about the environment that is created.” If there is not a content or successful atmosphere in a team (although surely the two are linked) then that is one area where problems can arise.

Essentially, sport must be a positive experience for players and especially when they’re young. Instead, their childhood dreams can be damaged by the demands that coaches place on them as the player may eventually become disaffected. If this isn’t combated, then the opportunity to provide a stable, healthy upbringing to players is lost.

Credit must go to Cusack, as his detailed writings on his depression may prove to be a turning point in Irish sport’s struggle with mental illness. However, this is only the start; who knows how many men and women are out there who are still afraid to reveal their problems? There still isn’t a great understanding by regular people on how exactly a person is affected by mental illness.

It should be clear by now that fame, fortune and even success are no great shields against depression. There’s a long road to travel on the matter, but people talking about their problems must become the norm first.

If you find yourself struggling, then don’t be afraid to talk. It’s a sign of strength, after all. Go to pleasetalk.ie /ucc/ for information on who to talk to, depending on what is affecting you.

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SPORT

Eamon Dunphy NUMERO UNO

Football:

An Insider’s View In this special report, Current Affairs and Sport Editor Dylan White talks Cristiano Ronaldo, Sir Alex Ferguson and the Republic of Ireland job with Irish media personality, broadcaster, author, RTÉ sports pundit and former professional soccer player Eamon Dunphy.athletes.

For the past thirty five years, no Irish commentator on sport has been the object of so much controversy, love, hatred and fascination as RTÉ soccer analyst Eamon Dunphy. Dunphy’s opinions on soccer made him Ireland’s public enemy number one in the summer of 1990 and continue to polarise the nation today. However, at 68, it is fair to say that he has acquired the capacity to enlighten the Irish public on his footballing ideologies and has become an almost lovable character for his rock n’ roll persona on air.

The emergence of the Madeira born sensation Cristiano Ronaldo on the footballing scene in England took the media world by storm as he exploded onto the Old Trafford pitch wearing the iconic number seven jersey of Manchester United. Despite the hype that surrounded the Portuguese winger, Dunphy was initially far from impressed, claiming that ‘Ronaldo’s performance was a disgrace to football’, following his “brattish” like performance in a Champions League semi-final in the Camp Nou against Catalan giants Barcelona in 2008.

Dunphy went out on a limb on numerous occasions, criticising the goal predator for his on-field antics but he says it was not personal at all. “There was something about him that was unappealing despite the goals he’d scored. He was so petulant, a prima donna diva if you like. Great players generally have great characters and at that stage of his career he did things you wouldn’t expect from great players in any sport,” Dunphy explains. He added: “I’d be very interested to know what Roy Keane would have thought of Ronaldo diving and throwing himself around the place. I think Keane would have been on his case real quick”.

Dunphy is adamant that Sir Alex Ferguson was “wise” to let Ronaldo move to the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in 2009 for a reported €94m and accept the fact that CR7 was no longer happy at Manchester United, opting to join his dream club Real Madrid in the Spanish capital. “Ferguson was really pragmatic about it and did what was best for the club”, Dunphy said. He also feels Jose Mourinho’s tenure at Real Madrid helped mature Ronaldo into a world class player and believes CR7 will “always be remembered as one of the greatest players to ever play the game”.

Ferguson’s decision to retire as long-serving Manchester United boss at the end of the 2012/13 season shocked the footballing world. Dunphy thinks the realisation that he no longer had another “great winning side” was central to Ferguson’s decision to retire and having won 38 trophies, he has ultimately “left a very difficult situation for his successor [David Moyes]”.

Dunphy also has his reservations about Ferguson’s new directorial position at the club and whether or not Wayne Rooney will be at Manchester United next season. “My question for Manchester United fans is when David Moyes wants to buy or sell players who will the Glazers consult; Alex Ferguson who’s on the board or David Moyes who’s the manager. So the politics of Manchester United may come into effect. We will see what will happen with the passage of time but my suspicion would be that by hanging around, Ferguson may make the same mistake that Matt Busby made and overshadow his successor. A lot of people in the game will be watching that in the next big transfer window next summer,” Dunphy explains. On the topic of Rooney, he feels Moyes was “dumb” to essentially call Wazza a backup player for Robin Van Persie. He added: “It did get Rooney going but it’s a dangerous tactic”.

The revelations in Ferguson’s autobiography have caused quite a stir amongst some of his fellow players, with many critics questioning the timing of the

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book and the influence it could have on the players and new gaffer David Moyes. Dunphy considers the book to be “unbecoming for a man who should be an elder statesman in the game” and questions the motives behind Ferguson’s criticism of some of his ex-players. “It wasn’t just [David] Beckham and [Roy] Keane. It was small players who are struggling now. I thought it was really kind of cheap. Alex Ferguson is very much about Alex Ferguson. He has been great for the club, rebuilding it and winning more than anyone probably ever will win. From personal experience I was very impressed with him as a person but his public persona, bullying journalists and having no respect for other managers, clubs and players; I don’t like that side of him,” Dunphy said.

Dunphy was very open in his criticism of the Giovanni Trapattoni regime as Republic of Ireland manager and feels the Italian’s approach “sapped the moral out of the team and our fans even to the extent that people were in the stadium watching crap, especially at home. Away we went with the attitude that we were not going to give anything away but at home you have to do more than that”. Dunphy’s public disapproval of Trap’s methods had led to several on-air disagreements with fellow pundit and friend Liam Brady. The Italian was Brady’s manager at Juventus, and the pair, along with Marco Tardelli, had since worked together with the Republic of Ireland. “Liam’s a very clever arguer in a debate and I would expect someone to defend their friend. Liam’s view is that with the players at his disposal Trapattoni did his best; qualify for one major championship final and almost qualifying for another only for the [Thierry] Henry handball incident. But I didn’t agree with that assessment. I think the players are better than what Trapattoni made them appear and at the heart of it was a disagreement about the potential of the team,” Dunphy explains.

SPORT

<< If your manager and coach believe in you, you sense it. If they don’t have faith in you, you’re less likely to have faith in yourself>> Dunphy also refutes Aiden McGeady’s suggestion that the Irish manager’s job is a ‘poisoned chalice’ and thinks the Irish public has “the right to expect”.

He said: “The public feel what Roy Keane felt when he was in the team. We should be expecting to win games and not be defeated in our attitude”. He added: “Between Trapattoni and [Steve] Staunton it was a mess for seven years. Sadly some of our older and better players like Robbie Keane and Richard Dunne are not quite what they were but I’d still be optimistic. Martin O’Neill said the spirit

of the Irish players and their commitment is a plus that other nations don’t necessarily have”.

Dunphy is optimistic about the Republic’s chances under the new management of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane, and is certain that “common sense will rule”. He added: “If your manager and coach believe in you, you sense it. If they don’t have faith in you, you’re less likely to have faith in yourself.

I think there are loads of things Trapattoni did wrong. Séamus Coleman and James McCarthy

should have been in the team long before they were in it. Andy Reid should have never been banished. Wes Hoolahan should have played more than he did. Steven Reid was exiled altogether.

So you had all this going on all to the detriment of the team. I thought that was terrible. It affected the team. I think we will get rid of all that stupidity in this new regime. If you’re good enough to be in the squad you’ll be in it. There will be no communication difficulties like there was with Marc Wilson for example who was exiled from the squad on a misunderstanding. All that nonsense has to stop.

Trapattoni called Shane Long an idiot. You just can’t do that. Séamus Coleman never even went to the European Championships in 2012. Gibson sat on the bench for the 3 games. All that nonsense has to stop and I’m sure it will stop”. Dunphy believes that the margins are fine and that we’re “only missing out by a smallish margin”.

When asked what he would have said if FAI Chief Executive John Delaney had offered him the Ireland job, Dunphy laughed: “Yes I would have taken it. It would have been great and fun. We would have played attacking football and Andy Reid could have played the guitar all night”.

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AP McCoy: 4000 Not Out!

Jordan McCarthy looks back at horse racing legend AP McCoy’s incredible 4,000th career win.

7th November 2013. Towcester racecourse. A novice hurdle. It does not really seem like the setting for such an historic occasion, but it’s the backdrop to an achievement that is unprecedented in National Hunt racing. Champion jockey AP McCoy rides his 4000th winner of an exceptional career. It is bound to make a great pub quiz question, just like the one about his first winner in Britain (the answer is Chickabiddy in a handicap hurdle at Exeter by the way).

It was undoubtedly a record attendance for Towcester racecourse. The crowd surrounding the parade ring resembled that of Sprinter Sacre’s visit to Punchestown last season. The punters knew that they were witnessing something very special indeed. Such is his professionalism, one of the first lines out of his mouth after clinching his 4000th winner was - he’s a nice horse! That is typical of the man, always looking forward to the next winner. It is fitting that he rode his 4000th winner aboard a Jonjo O’Neill runner wearing the famous green and gold silks of JP McManus, who have both been a major part of McCoy’s career.

McCoy’s career is glittered with rides that will go down in racing history. His never-say-die attitude is reminiscent of a certain Roy Keane performance against Juventus in 1999. He has this great determination to keep riding winners. This philosophy has led to him being at the top of his sport for the past 18 years. He is a superb ambassador for the sport.

He learned his trade with the master, Jim Bolger. The jockey rode his first winner at Thurles in 1992 before he later crossed the Irish Sea. His career accelerated when he moved to Britain where first he rode for the Balding yard before he began a long partnership with the Martin Pipe stable. McCoy has bossed British racing ever since. From riding the most winners in a season (289) to becoming 18 times champion jockey, he has broken almost every record in racing. With that he has almost broken every bone in his body. It is testimony to the jockey that he keeps coming back after even the most gruesome of falls. Nothing seems to faze him.

McCoy’s best ride is a debate that will undoubtedly echo in every school yard, create debate in every racing forum and cause argument among betting shop punters for years to come. However, there have been quite a few rides that will make it into almost everybody’s top ten. Cheltenham 2009 produced one of those. The William Hill Handicap Chase won by Wichita Lineman at Cheltenham in 2009 is regarded as one of the best rides given to a horse on a racecourse. The horse missed several jumps and was off the bridle a long way from home. At the top of the hill he looked well beaten. McCoy, however, had other ideas. He kept niggling away on the gelding and somehow got the horse up to snatch victory in the dying strides. It was strange, it was class, and it was just utterly spectacular. Take a bow, son, as Andy Gray would say.

Who could forget his Gold Cup win aboard Synchronised last year? It was a second success in the race for McCoy. He produced Synchronised to perfection to storm up the Cheltenham hill and land National Hunt racing’s Blue Riband.

And what about Edredon Bleu, who landed the Champion Chase under McCoy in another gutsy display by the jockey. Edredon Bleu looked to have been defeated having led for most of the race. Direct Route took the lead but Edredon Bleu’s pilot asked for everything and the horse duly obliged.

The horses finished with just inches between them. McCoy’s grit was again rewarded.

The win that complemented the Pipe and McCoy partnership was Make A Stand’s win in the Champion Hurdle. Martin Pipe’s horses were extremely fit which made McCoy’s job that bit easier. McCoy led from pillar to post, making great use of the horse’s fitness and fluent hurdling. It was still a great riding performance though and ranks up there with the best.

Another of those great McCoy victories came aboard Pridwell. This horse beat the mighty Istabraq in the Aintree Hurdle. Istabraq has been by far the best hurdler in the last two decades. To beat a horse like Istabraq you need to get your tactics right. Pridwell was a tricky character but McCoy got it spot on.

It was yet another thrilling drive to the finish after it looked like Istabraq would seal the win.

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<< McCoy’s best ride is a debate that will undoubtedly echo in every school yard, create debate in every racing forum and cause argument among betting shop punters for years to come.>> He won the Sport’s Personality of the Year award in 2010 and that sums up his achievements in the sport. Not many racing stars get nominated for the BBC award, let alone win it. Of course, that award tied in with his Grand National victory aboard Don’t Push It. The race had eluded McCoy for so long. Since he won the Grand National though, it is fair to say that McCoy has won the lot.

He has completed the elusive prize of the King George, Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup. The Antrim man turns 40 next year but fortunately he has no plans to retire just yet. He has already set his sights on breaking Martin Pipe’s record of 4182 winners trained! He remains as hungry as ever. And with horses such as Jezki, At Fishers Cross and My Tent Or Yours to look forward to this season, who wouldn’t be?

Two more jockey’s titles would certainly be on his mind as it would mean he would be champion jockey for 20 consecutive seasons. That would be a nice number to bow out on for sure. As for 5000 winners, don’t underestimate him!

SPORT

O’Gara & Keane Hit The Small Screen Eoghan Dalton takes a look back the Best of Enemies and

at ITV’s Keane and Vieira documentary RTE’s Ronan O’Gara documentary.

It was adorable in its own way; almost a decade later and they were still as competitive as ever with each other, even if their new arena resembled an abandoned warehouse cellar rather than a high quality football pitch.

Maybe it was to give it that Fight Club feel, which might have made sense even though all they were doing was combining a Dream Team 11 from their clubs.

Nonetheless, Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira resumed their rivalry from their glory days as captains of Manchester United and Arsenal and began inspecting the famous incidents and games from the years they faced off against each other and also the defining moments in their own careers.

Their reflection on a game at Highbury in 2005, where they got into quite the row in the tunnel before kick-off, found them coming to the same conclusion, which is that both were merely trying to protect one of their own; Keane was making sure Vieira wasn’t bullying Manchester United full back Gary Neville, while Vieira was trying to send a message that Neville was not going to have his wicked roughhousing way with Gunners midfielder Robert Pirès, as he had done in the previous game at Old Trafford (no word on what Pirès or Neville made of it all, sadly). They found themselves agreeing with each other, too, on what made them both such immense players for their clubs; determination and the awareness that opposing players could be real challengers to them.

The two enjoyed reminding each other of their lesser moments on the pitch, be it Keane reminding his opposite of the misplaced pass that set up Ryan Giggs for that FA Cup semi-final winner or Vieira running through his thoughts on the night Arsenal won the league at Old Trafford. Keane came across as still being hung up on various incidents throughout his career. He cried after being let go from United, for two minutes’. It’s hard to judge at times when he’s telling the truth and when he’s being half honest but also planting a few metaphorical studs on those from his past.

There was nothing metaphorical about the injury to Alfie Haaland, which he has no regrets about. Vieira came across as less grudging (if a bit too gentle) but wasn’t afraid to point out the flaws at Arsenal in his time there; namely, that Arsene Wenger isn’t the type of manager who’ll give his charges a rocket up the arse to get matters

going. He spoke against Ashley Cole leaving the club, too.

Best of Enemies was a well-made hour of television, and having two of the Premier League’s most iconic players as its subjects was obviously helpful and intriguing. What was also beneficial was that Vieira and Keane are versed in television thanks to their work for ITV, which was behind the doc. This meant both men knew how to talk, when to dramatically pause and how to time the funny bits just right (of which there was surprisingly plenty).

Over on RTÉ, meanwhile, we were treated to a look at one of Ireland’s greatest rugby stars; Ronan O’Gara. Similar to Keane and Vieira, he possessed an incredible hunger but was also earnest in ensuring he didn’t let his team down either. This propelled him and his teammates towards Grand Slams and Heineken Cups throughout his 16 year long career as a professional.

ROG’s generated an audience of around 595,000 people and raked in 65, 800 views in total on RTE player. It encompasses his last four years playing and manages to gain insight into some of the major moments of that time period. As he puts it himself, it’s the ‘’buzz’’ of winning that wouldn’t leave him walk away after the surprising defeat to Toulon in 2011 in the Heineken Cup. It’s been a fine few weeks for sports watchers, with these documentaries hopefully paving the way for similar features in 2014 and beyond. Although ROG isn’t an easy method to emulate as it takes time, patience and money to get made, we are likely to see more which follow the Best of Enemies route.

ITV took two interesting characters from football, sat them in a decorated room and simply had them talk through incidents both were involved in. They kept it simple and it worked. There’s a follow up joke to that sentence, but I’ll resist making it.

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“

Eamon Dunphy El número dos

es mi amigo

If I had stayed here I probably would have been in Love/Hate” Motley’s Current Affairs and Sport Editor Dylan White talks to author and Irish sports commentator Eamon Dunphy about his autobiography The Rocky Road, with the hope of gaining an insight into the life of a man who has fascinated the nation for the past thirty five years.

F

rom the beginning of The Rocky Road, it goes without question that Eamon Dunphy is appreciative of his upbringing within the family home and in particular the influence his parents had on him as a child. Despite the poverty and miserable conditions his family were subjected to in the Ireland of the 1940s and 1950s, Dunphy recalls the love and affection shown within his close family unit: “[My parents] were decent, honest people who played by the rules, worked hard, didn’t whinge when things got tough and believed in doing the right thing. Whenever you found yourself in difficult situations, first you have to fight but you must play by the rules and do the right thing. They gave me love which is strength in itself. There is enough war and struggle out there and you have to fight. But there was never any trouble in our house. It was a loving place so I think they gave me the strength to go out into the world”.

Dunphy recollects the dire conditions his family lived in, sleeping on the floor alongside his brother, Kevin, beside his parents’ bed in a one room tenement flat in Drumcondra. Nonetheless, he believes that his parents and brother’s decency, kindness and love helped him to stay connected to his roots, and to the concerns and passions of ordinary people. “My brother was a terrific guy. He was an ordinary working guy, a plumber, and didn’t like big time stuff. Kevin was a well-grounded person and a very happy person,” Dunphy said.

As a young boy, Dunphy was sexually abused by a neighbour. However, he appears to explain what happened rather than hype it up and denies it had any formative effect on him. Being the only family in the locality with very little made him feel conscious in his surroundings. The lack of simply items such as clothes and even a pair of football boots proved problematic, but Dunphy believes it toughened him up and prepared him for life’s challenges.

“I had to fight even for a pair of boots, but we had love. Nowadays a lot of families are in the same boat as we were only worse because they have the debt added in. We didn’t have debt so I think a tough upbringing can make you or break you. I was lucky it didn’t break me,” he explains.

Dunphy had no strong sense of Irishness growing up, values he holds deeply to this very day. His story recollects a time when his mother Margaret went to the Four Courts in an attempt to overcome a bill for their eviction from their small Drumcondra home. He also draws on the cronyism in Irish society at that time, in particular when his father Paddy was let go as a builder’s labourer by refusing to join Fianna Fáil but kept his pride despite losing a “large chunk” of his life and spending years head bowed in the “silent shame” of the dole queue. “Yes, I am anti-establishment because power does corrupt. I think the journey to acquiring power corrupts. All the little compromises and shabby dealings you do along the line to get to the powerful position. In Ireland we are particularly corrupt because in other countries like England and France you have a left and a right, a real alternative. Here the only alternative is the mafia that is Fianna Fáil and this dysfunctional thing were the Labour Party always gets destroyed because they’ve sold out the people who have elected them in the first place. Now we are seeing a Labour Party imploding with a right wing party that isn’t natural and that isn’t normal. At the last general election they could have stayed out of power, gone to the opposition benches and now they would be the most popular party in the country. The Labour Party would have been the opposition representing the people who had elected them against the austerity policy. Fine Gael would have been shockingly unpopular,” Dunphy said.

Dunphy’s move from having a kick about down by the local dump to the bright lights of Manchester was like winning the “lottery that all street

“I did worry when I was Public Enemy Number One during the Charlton era because my kids were young and my parents didn’t like it too much either. ”

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footballers dreamed of”. The great passion of his life was football, and at the age of 15, his talent was rewarded when the esteemed football scout Billy Behan arranged for him to go on trial with the most famous club in the world at that time, Manchester United, two years after the Munich air crash. Dunphy survived his initial two week trial but struggled to break into United’s first team and did not appear to fit into the Busby Babe’s jigsaw puzzle. However, the journeyman footballer does not feel that his failure to establish himself at Manchester United under Sir Matt Busby had any bearing on the way he approached the rest of his career. “Theres a core of your character formed in the first ten to twelve years of your life and you don’t quite realise it till you get older how important that was. I had been very lucky to get out of here. If I had stayed here I probably would have been in Love/Hate and I would have been doing those kind of things because there was no way I was going to take it from the man every week, going in working for suits and keeping quiet. I was lucky to get out of here and I always felt lucky even when I was playing for York City. I felt I was luckier than the guy punching on in the factory every day or going down coal mines, but you have to remind yourself that it’s always going to end and I was always mindful of that,” Dunphy tells Motley Magazine exclusively.

Nonetheless, Dunphy enjoyed his time in Manchester and fondly remembers hanging out at discos, bowling alleys, snooker halls, Jimmy Savile’s Plaza Ballroom, dog tracks and in the betting shops of the city with George Best and notorious Englishman, Barry Fry. Dunphy says that they did not drink alcohol or take recreational drugs, and claims that he only got his “rock n’ roll” years at the height of the Celtic Tiger in Ireland. “It was all very innocent in the 1960s. I didn’t start [taking drugs] until I was in my 50s. I wasn’t caught with it [cocaine] but I cracked a joke to a journalist saying that ‘you can’t get good coke in this town’ and that was typically of me being a dummy,” he said. Dunphy appeared very open about dabbling in drugs and admits he was wrong to have brought that element into his life. He added: “I smoked a joint, not very often but I did it. There was lots of stuff around for years. I tend to be open about these things”.

The Rocky Road also looks at Dunphy’s experiences with football hooliganism during his years playing for Millwall. He writes affectionately about his nine happy years in a part of London that was heavily bombed during the Blitz by the German bombers. During his time there he observed the rise of football hooliganism and is adamant that if certain steps had been taken it would not have got out of hand. He feels that it was the permissiveness of the 1960s in England that allowed the phenomenon to grow into a national malice. “There was no football hooliganism until around 1966-67 when gang of about 12 Millwall supporters started pulling the communication cords on trains and started causing trouble in town centres. The whole thing escalated but was never cracked down on. It grew quickly and became regarded as a British disease. These seminal moments go to show that if authority doesn’t crack down on something early and sternly it can grow out of control,” Dunphy said.

Only a Game? when he was still playing football. However, Dunphy also wanted to write about politics and current affairs, and is thankful for the support of the then Sunday Independent editor, Aengus Fanning, and print and broadcast journalist, Vincent Browne. “They gave me the opportunity to break out of sports writing alone. I had to proof that I could do it and I worked very hard at it. I was asked to write a book about U2 which was a compliment and then the RTÉ work started in 1978 when Tim O’Connor was the Head of Sports. He didn’t want the bland BBC experience. Bill O’ Herlihy tried to make it more real, giving it a cutting edge and a bit of rigour to the analysis rather than simply the old clichés”.

In 1986, John Giles joined the panel, and then came Liam Brady who “gave it a more modern look”. Dunphy said: “They didn’t want John because when he was in football he wasn’t much of a talker. He didn’t like journalists, didn’t like press conferences and all that stuff. Tim O’Connor said he would be no good but I said he would be great, believe me. They gave John a go and he was great. Liam then came. He’s been doing it with 15 years and has made it really powerful. Liam was working in the game and still is at Arsenal. So you have 3 people and Bill who is a brilliant anchor man who came from current affairs. We treat soccer as if it’s a serious thing. It’s as valid to be serious about soccer as it is to be serious about literature. It’s a part of popular culture. We upset people at times. We have disagreements among ourselves. We put it all out there and people can tune and see four people who are working.

You know what we’re thinking. We’re not gilding any lilies. We’re just doing it”. Dunphy understands why the public get mad at times, but reassures us that the rows are real. He added: “At least we’re not faking it. Liam and I have serious disagreements. Graeme Souness and I have serious disagreements but its good television and that’s our job”.

Dunphy criticism of the Boys in Green made him Public Enemy Number One in Ireland, but he admits that nowadays he is not concerned with how he is perceived in the public domain. “I did worry when I was Public Enemy Number One during the Charlton era because my kids were young and my parents didn’t like it too much either. I did feel guilty about that and stressed out about it because you bring all this upon your family. It was heavy duty stuff, people really wanted to turn the car over and taxi men wouldn’t stop either; they told me to ‘fuck off, we’re not taking you’,” Dunphy said.

Dunphy plans to continue doing the soccer work as long as he’s enjoying it and has no intentions of retiring any time soon. He has started work on volume two of his autobiography and plans to “explode into cyberspace” with an internet project that he’s currently working on. The Rocky Road offers a great insight into Dunphy’s childhood story, his rejection of Irish politics, playing for Ireland, his failure to establish Shamrock Rovers as a fulltime, professional club, the Stardust fire in 1981 and many more enthralling events up until the summer of 1990. “Most sports books are just sports books but I wouldn’t knock anyone else’s book. Let’s put them out there and let the best man win. It will be Fergie anyway,” he laughs.

Dunphy’s transition into journalism began when he wrote a book called

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Music

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Heading to the pictures?

American Hustle Elaine Murphy gives us the lowdown on gangster movie American Hustle

What better way to start the New Year than watching a good old-fashioned American gangster film? American Hustle is one to watch in 2014 and is certainly a contender for this coming awards season, having recently won 3 Golden Globes. Directed by David O.Russell of Silver Linings Playbook fame, and with an all-star cast including Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Christian Bale, the movie contains the perfect recipe for success. Like all gangster films, themes of deceit, corruption and cruelty come to mind. It tells the story of two con artists, Irving Rosenfeld (Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Adams) and how their tricks lead them to help the FBI in tracking down and out-smarting corrupt politicians. However, what sets American Hustle apart from other gangster movies are is its portrayals of love, survival and how far a person will go to protect what is important to them – in this case it is true love and family. So, this isn’t your typical gangster plot full of greed and desire.

of the late 70’s and early 80’s in America, which further adds to the intensity of the film. It even goes so far as to mention at the opening that “some of this actually happened.” While the film begins slowly, it soon accelerates and has some jaw-dropping twists. Comic elements and undeniable chemistry between the actors give the film heart and authenticity. Cooper and Lawrence shine in their comedic roles and put the audience at ease in scenes of high intensity. Meanwhile

of

Elaine Malone silently hopes that Leonardo DiCaprio finally gets that oscar as she reviews his latest film The Wolf of Wall Street’s trailer has everything; sex, drugs and an enormous amount of money with Kanye West’s ‘Black Skinhead’ reverberating in the background. Often a trailer is edited to the extent that it bears no resemblance to a film, just to get bodies in the door stuffing popcorn in their mouths. Martin Scorsese is a formulaic director, where he takes take one true or good story, adds quick dialogue, a snappy soundtrack and bankable cast. But Christ it works. From Goodfellas to the Departed he barely strikes a wrong chord and the cinematography is excellent. Each scene is amassed with minute details, if you can take your eyes of the hookers. United once again with his charismatic lead Leonardo DiCaprio, a glinting Oscar looks to be in the cards. The pace of the trailer is matched by throughout, no real loss of momentum. The great underdog of this movie is Jonah Hill, usually a furiously masturbating icon for the frustrated pubescent male, he shines

1970’s soundtrack, wit, greed, sex and intensity, not to mention a guest appearance by Robert De Niro_ Cooper steps out of his comfort zone as the quirky and slightly insane FBI agent Richie De Maso. He plays cut-throat attitude beautifully, and in a way Cooper has never been seen before. Bale gives an excellent performance too, playing a character determined to do what is best for his loved ones and will just about do anything to protect them.

From start to finish, American Hustle contains all the elements a classic gangster film needs and more. It has style, an amazing 1970’s soundtrack, wit, greed, sex and intensity, not to mention a guest appearance by Robert De Niro as the ultimate crime lord. However, the uniqueness of American Hustle is that it shows what people can do out of sheer desperation. This film deserves its future accolades and is a must-see for this year.

Set in 1970’s America, just after the release of the Watergate scandal and the aftermath of Vietnam, it is loosely based on the FBI ABSCAM operation

The Wolf Wall Street

_ Style, an amazing

in false teeth and Quaalude trips. Another surprising turn is Matthew McConaughey as Mark Hanna, his Texan drawl illuminates the screen and he returns to the past glory of Dazed and Confused, finally escaping romcom purgatory.

Scorsese has one flaw in his storytelling, idealisation. In Goodfellas it’s a love-affair with the mob and here it’s the rich. Jordan Belfort is the king of capitalism. There is no sense of feigned morality it’s plain that they don’t give a shit. The drive is greed and power. For a true story. It’s heavily stylised and self-referential. Belfort’s narration is witty and not too imposing. It also sets a new record for the most uses of Fuck in a non-documentary film, between 506 and 544 times. But

Scorsese delivers. It starts out strong with a blaze of booze and cocaine and breasts, his fourth with his muse Leonardo DiCaprio. Scorsese knows the power of a good soundtrack and this one hell of a good one. It shows an immaculate portrayal of yuppie culture excess. Wild drug use and hookers on tap. At times the film glorifies their excess.

You watch and you drool at the beautiful women and stare wide-eyed at the human-dart. It’s realistic of the time and the power of money over the nouveau riche. Alas! There is retribution, but Scorsese isn’t Aesop and you watch his movies because he is the king of making a good show. It’s sexy, slick, quick-witted and worth the seven quid.

_It’s sexy, slick, quick-witted and worth the seven quid. _ 23

Music Review Artist: Britney Spears

Artist: East India Youth Album: Total Strife Forever Rating:

Album: Britney Jean Rating: Britney Spears’s latest album Britney Jean claims to be her most personal record yet but can we see her through all this auto tune? The album ticks all the boxes for generic pop record with mid tempo ballads and obligatory appearance from will.i.am.

Gems includes the William Orbit produce ‘Alien’ whose chorus brings you in and doesn’t let go but Britney’s been singing about how lonely it is being a celebrity for 10 years now, we wish she’d move onto something else. The lead single of the album ‘Work Bitch’ serves to please the DJs in Ruby Lounge but other than that is really only suited for your power walking playlist.

While Britney Jean does include some smashes it also includes many failures. Auto tune is expected with any record nowadays but Britney’s duet with will.i.am, ‘It Should Be Easy’, takes it to another level where you can’t even recognise the femme fatale’s voice. Not even a signature moan is thrown in.

Britney’s duets are always hit an miss, such as the infectious ‘Tik Tik Boom’ with T.I. however her song ‘Chillin’ With You’ with her sister Jamie Lynn Spears has to be the musical definition of throwing a dog a bone.

Final Word: It just didn’t work, bitch.

East India Youth is the colonial tinged moniker for the rather less exotically named William Doyle, who is so fresh on the scene he doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page to copy from. This 23 year old British virtuoso’s second LP that serves up a seductive brew of feverish electronica, delicately spiked with measures of krautrock, pop, ambient and choral. ‘Looking for Someone’ finds fantastical synths swirling around an uplifting refrain of harmonised voices that hits on Animal Collective or Foals. ‘Dripping Down’ rolls with a swooning, nostalgic vocal over a scratchy drum machine, then bursts into a jubilant ambient disco midsection, before reclining into a reverberating gospel finale. ‘Hinterland’ is swampy and brilliantly dark. However, Doyle’s grandest statement arrives on ‘Heaven, How Long’, which whispers claustrophobically within cobwebbed walls, growing ever more neurotic and beautiful, until it transcends with a gorgeous, glittering chorus that sounds like an attempt to record the explosion of joy in your brain when your favourite song comes on at 1am (and in doing so becoming your new favourite song).

Final Word: Cue countless, ongoing arguments of ‘I discovered East India Youth’ into 2014.

_Kieran Murphy_

Artist: Beyoncé Album: BEYONCÉ Rating: Beyoncé surprised the world with the release of latest album, BEYONCÉ. An impressive feat if you consider that the production of this album involved thousands of people from recording to making the videos for all 18 songs.

Jay-Z, Frank Ocean, Drake and even daughter Blue Ivy all appear on the album, but the most compelling guest vocal is the inclusion of writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in one of the songs. ***Flawless samples Adichie’s address on feminism at TEDxEuston. This is most important in both realizing and defending Beyoncé’s image as a powerful icon for women in music.

BEYONCÉ is marketed as a visual album and the accompanying films serve to heighten the musical experience. But they also exist to make the weaker tracks, notably Superpower and No Angel, seem unforgettable. The flaws on the album are relatively minor and will do little to lessen the album’s commercial and cultural impact. BEYONCÉ is the star’s best work to date.

Final Word: Who run the world? I think we already know. _Kevin Long_

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_Ciarán Mangan_

Artist: Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks Album: Wig Out at Jagbags Rating:

The newest album released by Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks is definitely worth a listen, it is a more than modest attempt at middle aged folk rock . Each songs incorporates a slightly different style and makes it difficult to pin just one genre on the album. What is remarkable about this albums is that Malkmus, since leaving his old band Pavement in 1999, has managed to prove himself as more than a front man but, what was described by The Boston Globe as, “one of indie rock’s most celebrated free spirits.

Wig Out at Jagbags isn’t trying to be a serious record and Malkmus sure as shit isn’t concerned with the same poetics and heft as with Pavement, so it comes as almost a surprise that less driving gimmicks are used throughout the LP. Had the spirit of “Chartjunk” overtaken more of this album, it would at least offer a reason to turn over the record, fire up the sound system, and spin to your heart’s content.

Final Word: You have been welcomed into a very warm, laid back place _Harvey Fitzgibbon_

Film agus TV Sherlocked Martha Hegarty scrutinises the long-awaited third series of Sherlock While a cloud of fan culture threatened to fog up the camera lens, Sherlock Season 3 has obviously decided to avoid being dominated by its own defiance by referencing the theories, speculations, scepticisms and fantasies of its fans. A show that takes ‘contemporary adaptation’ to a new level, it not only plays on the Arthur Conan Doyle canon but knowingly comments on the usually ignored influence of the internet and its #SherlockLives eruption.

Two years after Sherlock faked his suicide, the internet has been buzzing with theories on how he did it. Episode 1 of the new series opens with a dramatic retelling of the scene that has been re-watched, paused and scrutinised to no end in attempts to note small details that might betray the method behind Sherlock’s madness. The lightning-fast retelling shows our hero leap from the roof on a bungee rope before smashing into the hospital window, tousling his hair and mauling long-time devotee Molly. Hearts soared, air was

Despicable Alan Ciarán Mangan rejoices at Alan Partridge’s return to our lives For most of the noughties, Steve Coogan’s deplorable alter ego was consigned to a dusty attic alcove along with other grainy favourites of the VHS era.

Following the success of his first ever assault on the Box Office, Alan Partridge is ‘bouncing back’ once again. With his big screen counterinsurgency ‘heroics’, Norfolk’s most enduring disk jockey made a brief and defiant claim for relevance in the HD banquet of the Digital Age. To all those inflicted with withdrawal symptoms since Alpha Papa, despair not, Alan does not, will not, cannot desert his long-suffering audience. Many of you

punched, and fangirls rejoiced before, the suitably melodramatic scene is cut off and revealed to be a fan theory itself, courtesy of Anderson.

Sherlock’s Benedict Cumberbatch & Martin Freeman

The episode offers another two versions of how he did it, one of which features an almost-kiss between Moriarty and Sherlock that could have been taken directly from a number of Tumblr shipping blogs.

While there seems to be one definitive explanation given by the man himself, in the end it almost doesn’t matter because the show recognises that, after such a long time for nit-picking speculation has passed, not everyone will be happy either way. At the end of the episode, Anderson, upon hearing Sherlock’s description, is let down after the long wait: “well it’s not how I would have done it. Bit ... disappointed.”

Besides the tongue-in-cheek treatment of the suicide explanation, the series is characterised more than ever by the relationship between John and Sherlock, but fizzing with humour and amazing cinematography. The exploration of their closeness which lends the series an ever-present sweetness is never allowed to pass into the cloyingly saccharine. While the cases are not as dominant as they were in precious seasons, each episode is peppered with deductions in different scenarios – whether in flashback or stag night form – enabling the elaboration of familiar characters as well as situation will be pleasantly surprised to discover that the ‘Partridge Renaissance’ of the twenty-tens is not a mere hit ‘n’ run attack but a multi-pronged invasion of our screens and airwaves , with the 2010 hatching of Alan Partridge’s Mid Morning Matters covertly beginning the operation with twelve 15 minute webisodes. Slipping in under the radar of ‘the powers that be’, MMM sees Partridge dip a toe into the uncharted oceans of the World Wide Web via a webcam stream of his radio show from inside a North Norfolk Digital studio.

It’s this formula of live digital radio that sets the premise for an achingly funny and inventive mockumentary from Coogan and his co-writers Armando Ianucci and Ron and Neil Gibbons. The addition of a fictitious online audience tuning in to watch Alan alongside us is an inspired turn.

In the late nineties/early noughties I’m Alan Partridge series, we cringed and cackled watching Alan’s private antics but now his every hateful shrug, anxious glance at the clock and ear wax

comedy with the confidence and pizzazz of a show that has established a strong foundation.

And while I don’t want to reveal any spoilers the show’s recent season 3 finale garnered over 377,000 tweets with fans posting 10,000 tweets a second. After 2 years away from the screen the show still manages to pull in an audience.

extraction are exposed to a whole new viewer ship- and characteristically our combovered host fails miserably in censoring himself. Paired up with Sidekick Sam, a witty minion who Alan keeps firmly under thumb with put-downs and a humiliating, clownish Sidekick Simon jingle, MMM is a painfully contrived attempt by local North Norfolk Digital to reach a global audience. This deluded ambition is played with to great effect, such as when Alan, panting on an in-studio exercise bike, explains what cycling is “for any viewers from a Third World country”. As always Alan’s troubled relationship with his ‘fans’ is a rich source of comedy- his ego desperately needs their approval and ratings but he just can‘t hide his overwhelming disdain. “I know a businessman in Nottingham, let’s call him… Brian. That’s not his name. His real name’s Keith.” After spilling curry on a print-out of a sad story he’s reading from a member of the public, he saves his own skin by making up the rest with improvised, self-serving lines-”I still visit him once a week in prison and he tells me, Alan, that he tunes into your show and it brings him great solace, great comfort.”

MMM clearly owes a debt to the success of The Ricky Gervais Show and takes a similarly alternative approach to comedy with its chat and banter based humour, which is often hilariously parodied through Partridge‘s self-conscious attempts to move with the times. After Alan and Simon exchange a string of laddish quips, a giddy Alan exclaims “this is great banter. It really is.” The range of phone-in topics, true to form, are brilliantly idiotic- “if you could make one species of animal extinct, which would it be and how would you do it?” or “forced celebrity breeding- if you could take two famous people and force them to mate, who would it be and why?” And sounding a softer note, there’s even a surprisingly touching romantic interest for Alan, bringing about his most revealing character development yet. All in all, MMM is a behind-the-scenes peek at one of comedies most disgustingly funny characters in his natural habitat and a giggle goldmine for both veteran Alanites and voyeuristically inclined newbies alike.

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Interview Young Savage Arts & Culture Editor Eimear Hurley discusses the Cork music industry with local band, Young Savage.

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014 is set to be a good year for Cork four piece Young Savage (singer/guitarist Dan O’Connor, bassist Steve Flynn, lead guitarist Dan O’Sullivan and drummer Ross Glavin).

They have have been playing together for over a year now, and have developed a sound that Ross describes as “Garage Rock n Roll with Psychedelic tendencies.”Since competing in the UCC Live Music Society Battle of the Bands last year, the band have performed in Whelan’s in Dublin.

Cork is still home for the band, though. “Our best reception would have to be in The Oliver Plunkett which just has the ideal stage. Of course we can’t leave out The Gateway Bar on Barrack Street, the first venue we played, it’s one of those rare places that just maintains that local live music pub environment. It’s become a rite of passage really for any young and up and coming band in cork to play.”

Songwriting is very much a group effort for Young Savage, Glavin explains: “our writing process is based usually around a guitar riff or bass line...if we like it we jam it out until we find a rough direction of where the song will go and finish it out that way. We all write our own individual parts and it works well for us.”

The band take their influences not so much from individual bands but from musical movements, like the psychedelic movement of the 60s, 70s rock, “and the attitude [of] the madchester/ brit pop era [of] the early 90’s.” Ross tells me that earning a place in the top 10 mostviewed videos on Balcony TV Cork was the band’s highlight of 2013: “It’s always nice knowing people actually take time to listen to your music.”

For Young Savage, the biggest challenge is progressing within the Cork music scene. “There aren’t enough people appreciating live music and gigs in Cork.” Ross says. “It’s easy here to get to a certain stage but it’s hard to progress from that for the simple fact that the scene isn’t popular enough. It’s not that the scene isn’t there and that there’s not people out there who love live music, it’s just a narrow market. The Cork scene is more of a stepping stone, but you couldn’t ask for a better stepping stone. We take a lot of pride in being from Cork and a Cork band, we hope that someday the Cork music scene will be as big as it was in the days of Sir Henrys.”

So what will 2014 hold for Young Savage? At the top of their to-do list is to find a manager - one who’s “as ambitious as we are,” Ross adds. “We want to prove to a wider audience that there is something here in the Cork music scene and that bands here are worth looking at.” A spot of globe-trotting is on the cards too, as the band plans to move to Nashville Tennessee this summer. They hope to cement their sound in the f(in)famous city:“it’s a drinking city with a music problem and we plan to take full advantage of that!”

Young Savage will be recording a demo in Dublin this month, so follow them on Facebook and Twitter for updates and new tracks. @youngsavageband // www.facebook.com/youngsavageband

You want a Lamorghini?

Sip martinis?

Look hot in a bikini?

You better write b***h.

Motley is vibrant, eclectic and diverse and covers a wide range of topics. If you haven’t written for the magazine yet, why not start now? Our next issue is out Febuary 5th.

Email one of our section editors to find out how. editor@motley.ie - currentaffairs@motley.ie features@motley.ie - artsandculture@motley.ie fashion@motley.ie 26

Erasmus student Michelle Murphy gives us an idea of her current year abroad in Saint Etienne, France.

T

here is that well known cliché that distance makes the heart grow fonder. While I despise using clichés in any piece of writing it is hard to deny how true it is. I am currently spending my third year in France as part of my degree. While I could just go on the longest rant/whine about all the things I miss (Dairy Milk chocolate, oh sweet Dairy Milk) there are so many interesting and wonderful opportunities a year abroad can offer.

Sadly all of this wonder is overshadowed by the horror of walking into a shop and not finding a single deli counter. My taste buds still haven’t adjusted to the lack of hot chicken rolls, especially on a Friday afternoon.

I would let it go except the French invented the baguette so surely there would be a counter where they would fill this marvellous creation with magical wonders like hot chicken, wedges and sweet chilli sauce?! Yes it’s probably better for my cholesterol, but as a relatively young and impulsive student I feel now is the only time where one can make mistakes and eat all the junk food in sight.

First off is university life. As an Arts student I expected to be in large lecture theatres much like the Boole but French students pick their speciality before they are even accepted into university. This means that the class, yes I mean class not lecture, sizes are significantly smaller for any degree under the Arts, Languages, Social Sciences, Humanities and Music faculty.

With an average of twenty five people in a room the lecturers often opt to just speak without any microphone or presentation slides. This does mean that you get to know the lecturers and your classmates a lot better than you would in a larger setting. Aside from the language, class size and lack of Power Point presentations French universities place a lot more emphasis on academic achievements which results in no Students Union, Clubs or Societies or even a College Bar. Yes I am probably fulfilling any stereotype of an Irish student abroad but every international student I encounter are equally as shocked by the lack of extracurricular options. Thankfully I found a choir to satisfy my extracurricular needs.

a train “Walking to seeing station and s cities such a unich Geneva or M among being listed es is local servic eal and almost surr eminder serves as a r ll our of how sma planet is.”

It’s far from all bad news though, certain lecturers absolutely love Erasmus students, especially those who deal with literature. In one of my first classes the lecturer noticed my name wasn’t on her roll call, although my pale freckled skin, the faint aroma of factor fifty sun cream and my generally bewildered expression may have also given me away. Upon realising I was an “Anglophone”, the name any native English speaker is given in France, she immediately insisted I stay in the class because she wanted to have someone to read out the English passages in class. The next week I was complimented on my “beautiful accent”. As a native Corkonian this is the first time anyone has ever said anything vaguely nice about the way I speak but I happily took the compliment and smiled in superiority over my classmates. Of course I was brought back down to earth when I was asked a question and had to resume speaking French.

France is famous for its cuisine and having a bakery on almost every street corner makes lunchtime very enjoyable. Miniature cakes and pastries are widely available and for very reasonable prices. There is also an abundance of stores stocked with fresh fruit and vegetables. Not only is the produce better than the same brand in local chain stores but it is extremely cheap.

One of the things I really enjoy is French public transport.

Unlike my beloved Cork, the buses have a strange habit of arriving on time. All the cities and some of the bigger towns have trams that go from one end of the city to the other. Unlike the Luas in Dublin, they have shorter carriages and a more frequent service which means that very few people drive to school, college or work, instead opting for the very affordable tram. Some of the bigger cities have the underground metro but there is the terrifying possibility of being swept through the crowds at rush hour to consider. The novelty of being in mainland Europe still hasn’t worn off, even after a few months. I would highly recommend inter-railing to anyone who loves travelling; walking to a train station and seeing cities such as Geneva or Munich being listed among local services is almost surreal and serves as a reminder of how small our planet is. I have already had the chance to visit other regions and experience things like wine tasting in cellars from the Middle Ages, hiking through gorges, exploring medieval towns and meeting a wide variety of nationalities. The warm weather earlier in the semester also made exploring that little bit more enjoyable and not having to constantly worry about rain was also a pleasant change. By the time you read this piece there will have been at least an entire week of five inch snow in SaintEtienne, my home away from home, making it seem much more wintery and festive. It’s hard to go on a rant about Christmas being advertised too early when you’re surroundings are the cover of a cheesy Christmas card.

27

FEATURES

A Home Away from Home

Picking up some apples, potatoes and carrots for the week I was pleasantly surprised by the price of €2.16. Not only is it student friendly but the owners are perhaps the nicest people in the entire country. When I realised I didn’t have enough change to pay for my weeks supply and the price was below the minimum transaction limit the owner simply smiled, handed me the bag and said that I could pay the next day I was in. Not only was this smiling student happy not to have to sprint to the nearest ATM in the pouring rain but it also reassured me that humanity may not be so bad after all.

Reeling In The Year We may be more than 2 weeks into 2014 but that still hasn’t stopped people wishing you happy new year.

David Coen looks at the highs and lows of 2013.

‘Enjoyed That’ Ireland’s Exit of the Bailout Programme On November the 14th Taoiseach Enda Kenny announced that the country would exit the IMF bailout programme, crucially with the exclusion of an overdraft facility. The decision to not take up a credit line was recommended

by Finance Minister Michael Noonan. German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed the move; she has also spoken to German Development Bank KFW to work with the Irish to improve Ireland’s funding mechanisms. Most importantly though Ireland’s financial fate will be in its own hands, which is a welcome change to the past few years of foreign involvement in overlooking Ireland’s financial performance. This doesn’t mean an end to Ireland’s fiscal crisis, far from it. What it does symbolise however is its determination to stand on its own two feet and hold itself responsible. The country no longer feels the need to rely on Europe to assist them; the refusal to borrow any more money from the IMF being representative of this. In that sense it is a welcome step forward in the countries on-going financial difficulties.

The Election of Pope Francis 2013 witnessed a rarity in the world of religion; the resignation of a Pope on the 11th February. 1415 was the last year that this has occurred. Pope Benedict XVI’s reasons for resignation were a lack of strength in body and mind. His successor, Pope Francis was chosen by the Cardinals of the Vatican on the 13th March. Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope and also the first Pope from the Americas. He is well regarded for his humility and interestingly has chosen to not live, as the norm, in the Apostolic Palace. The pope instead now resides in a Vatican guesthouse. The primary message that has come from the new Pope is as follows: Christians are neglecting the greater need for tenderness, mercy and compassion through concentrating ‘officiously’ on condemning abortion, contraception and homosexual acts. While there doesn’t seem to be any change to the Church’s established views on such matters (Pope Francis fully believes that homosexual practice is intrinsically immoral), a Pope has been elected that at least appears as humble and as having the desire to concentrate sorely on compassion in a world that is currently dealing with violent uprisings in countries such as Syria and Egypt.

Edward Snowden’s Exposal of PRISM This story has gained vast amounts of media coverage in 2013, and rightly so. Edward Snowden, a former CIA contractor, unveiled in June of this year a surveillance program operated by the US, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Australia named PRISM. The program basically stores information from telephone calls, internet history and texts. Snowden collaborated with The Guardian to publish a series of articles detailing the role of major Telecom companies in sharing metadata with the U.S Government of calls made between private U.S citizens. Some of the companies named under PRISM are household names; Google, YouTube, Yahoo and Apple. There has been a huge reaction to this story in both America and abroad; many governments have denounced PRISM as an infringement on human rights. Snowden’s leaks have also directly contradicted claims by security officials that they have not been gathering intelligence on private conversations. Snowden’s leaks have to be a highlight of the year’s news; it allowed for a new sense of awareness on surveillance of private data and has encouraged debate on the subject.

28

‘Bollox To That’ Syrian Civil War A violent Civil War, commenced through the painting of revolutionary slogans by teenagers on a school wall, has continued and worsened since 2011. Security Forces opened fire on protesters to the aforementioned event, providing a catalyst for calls for Bashar Al-Assad to step down as president. The country has been divided between those in favour of Assad and Government forces and those in opposition, with the Free Syria Army developed in July 2011 to help the cause of the latter. The question of foreign intervention in the Syrian Civil War has been a prevalent current affairs topic in the last few months. On the 21st August footage emerged of a suspected chemical weapons attack, with both sides of the conflict blaming each other.

American and British desire to involve themselves directly in Syria through a limited military strike was prevented by the definitive response of their respective people. American’s, along with others, felt that intervention was unnecessary and would be placing the nations themselves in danger. A deal was recently made to remove chemical weapons from Syria by America and Syria’s ally Russia. The situation worsens by the day. 11000 children have died in the conflict.

Conflict in Egypt Conflict in Egypt has also been provoked by the countries president.

Mohamed Morsi was protested against by tens and thousands of protesters after his government granted him, in effect, unlimited powers. 3rd July witnessed a significant event in the conflict when Morsi was deposed. Two days earlier, Anti-Morsi protesters ransacked the national headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo. Mr Morsi has recently claimed from prison that the country could not return to stability until the coup was reversed and those responsible were put on trial. Following Morsi’s deposition, there was frequent violence between those belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood and the Security Forces. Thankfully since then Security Forces have crippled the Brotherhood through a crackdown. Egypt’s current President has also recently signed a law preventing rallies and protests.

Boston Marathon Bombing On the 15th April 2013, two pressure cooker bombs exploded at the Boston Marathon. 3 people were killed and 264 others were estimated to be injured.

Surveillance video was used to identify the two bombers; Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Following the FBI’s release of images of the brothers, the suspects allegedly killed an MIT police officer and began an exchange of gunfire with the police in Massachusetts. Tamerlan was run over by his brother, who was involved in a day-long manhunt in Watertown. He was later found hiding in a boat in a resident’s backyard. Both of the brothers were inspired by extremist Islamist beliefs, and according to Dzhokhar were planning to bomb Times Square in New York City following the Boston Bombings

The Short Straw Philip Mc Cormack looks at the stakes of gambling, that seem to be even higher when you’re a student

S

tudent gambling is an ever growing problem in each college throughout Ireland. The rush and possibility that students see through gambling is endless. The little money we may have to get through a week can be easily parted with for a bet that is viewed as “a sure thing”. We allow ourselves to become overwhelmed with greed and somewhat unrealistic thoughts of riches attained through small bets and high odds. The reality of the situation is that we are in college to receive a degree that may lead us through a life of comfort and stability, but we forget this through the addictiveness of the college lifestyle. I am not writing this as a critic of this lifestyle as I personally can relate to feeling of endless possibilities through gambling, after all, when you win a bet, it’s free money, isn’t it?

Unfortunately it’s not. How much have you spent in order to finally feel victorious over the bookies? Would you have more if you never gambled in the first place? Are you only continuing to gamble because you constantly feel you are down money from previous bets? These are some of the questions I feel that we, as students, should be asking ourselves. Many

“I am not writing this as a critic of this lifestyle as I personally can relate to feeling of endless possibilities through gambling, after all, when you win a bet, it’s free money, isn’t it?”

students bet because they feel that they do not have enough money to both survive and enjoy their week. With this, many students risk money intended for survival on bets which they believe will definitely come though. A friend of mine, who wishes to remain anonymous, once began his college week by gambling two weeks of his month’s rent. He simply put half of his rent on Barcelona as they were huge favourites. He assumed that once this bet comes through he can pay his rent and hold on to the extra money and have a good week. Unfortunately on this occasion, Barcelona drew and the bet was lost. “I saw an easy way to double my money. I didn’t pay rent for the rest of the year” he said in relation to the bet. Instead of facing up to both his parents and landlord about the unfortunate gamble he had taken, he instead told his landlord that he was moving out. Once everything was in order and the Landlord believed him to be completely moved out, he continued to live there anyway, without the landlord’s consent..

Although the bookies is most popular source of gambling for students, most of us experience the heartbreak of going broke in casinos. Roulette, Blackjack, and Poker are quickly becoming the catalyst to our get rich quick schemes. There are millions of euros awarded to poker players every year for their efforts and placing in large tournaments. Such an outrageous amount of money gained through the simple means of playing a game of course helps entice each of us into the world of poker.

Thousands of new players are beginning to surface each year with the intention of achieving riches beyond their wildest dreams. I personally have become engulfed by the world of poker. The rush, the possibilities, the sheer enjoyment gained through taking down a pot. I started as most people do, in a house with a few friends playing for a small buy in such as €5. Since then I have found myself in bigger, more serious and honestly somewhat scary games. My most recent game was a cash game and not a tournament where I earned over €800 in around six hours and five days before hand in an online tournament I earned $1000 dollar in nine hours. Most people view poker as a means of quickly gaining money through a series of random events placing the best cards in their hand.

Through this theory people are led to believe that if they are patient, they will eventually get a hand good enough to win big. Unfortunately this is where people lose money. Years of practice and study must go into poker before anyone can expect to receive high earnings; it’s much more than a game of luck, although at the end of the day, I would rather be lucky than skilled.

While pokers attractiveness may continue to increase through such victories and easily attained money, any player must be careful of falling into the trap of addictiveness and isolation. Many players become consumed by the online world of poker and begin to isolate themselves from the outside world along with a constant unhealthy diet. The opinion of friends on this lifestyle becomes obsolete and the thoughts of triumph over the poker world become instrumental to your success within your own mind. Every player must be extremely observant and careful of their own behaviour in order to avoid such circumstances. The road to addiction can entice us into whatever it wishes, every day will become a new challenge with only the goal of earning money through gambling.

This can lead to debt, despair and depression.

When it comes to gambling, do remember the key word is “gamble”. No matter what bet you place it is in fact a gamble and along with the possibility of losing always outweighs the possibility of winning. When it comes to gambling, money won never feels as good as money lost feels bad. This is something that each reader should remember.

There is nothing wrong with a small bet every now and again, just don’t bet your survival on a possible victory. There is nothing wrong with quitting while you are ahead or even behind. Knowing when to quit is as important as the bet itself.

If you are behind, don’t let it get you down and make you feel like a loser. Money comes and goes and should you be smart enough to hold on to whatever money you have after losing a bet then I commend you because with many people, it is not an easy task.

29

On the bulk?

Had one too many mince pies?

Leah Aftab shows you how to bulk up with the help of whey protein

W

hey protein and its associates are no new phenomenon to the world of health and fitness; however in our era it is the abuse of these products which have attracted the most attention. But is it all really that bad?

For the average person it is advised that they need .5g of protein per pound of body weight if they want to maintain their muscle mass; should you want to build more muscle you will need to consume 1g of protein per pound. Building more muscle does not mean your aim is to burst out of a t-shirt or look bulky, that can take years of effort and discipline. For women the number one misconception is that they will get huge and appear manly. However women do not have the hormone testosterone for this to occur, instead they will achieve a toned and tight physique. Another issue among people is the fear of putting on weight. This will not happen as long as you are burning the calories you are consuming, otherwise you are simply adding to your macro nutrients and in time this can result in excess body fat.

Although it is possible and more natural to do this using lean protein food such as chicken and egg whites, there is only so much one can take without wanting to tear your hair out. This, ladies and gentlemen is where protein supplements such as whey protein come in. With

its various flavours such as chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, and the tempting double chocolate, could it be too good to be true?

The benefits of protein include speeding up muscle recovery time, increasing endurance and leaving you feeling fuller for longer, burning fat and calories, and helping to shrink problem areas; provided you are exercising. For healthy adults, protein supplements do not pose any significant health risks in the short term or over an extended period of time provided there is not too much protein consumed. It is best used within an hour post- workout as this is the time your muscles are craving nourishment the most. When you exercise you put pressure on muscle tissues and as soon as you stop your body starts the recovery process to heal the muscle to get it to grow bigger and stronger. Should you not re-fuel your body after exercising, all your hard work will go to waste, your body cannot build or tighten your muscles without some protein.

Like everything in life, there is a balance that needs to be struck, you should be focusing on getting enough protein and not too much.

There are health problems associated with protein

Bia With Ciara Motley’s newest recruit and wannabe UCC student Ciara O’Sullivan shares with us plebs her cheesey cooking show level recipies. Save this page for when she’s famous lads.

A

s the winter sets in and the evenings are cold, what better way to cheer yourself up than with a twist on an old winter favourite! Quick and effortless to make, Nutella Hot Chocolate is not only a councillor in a mug, but one made with chocolate and hazelnuts! Let’s face it, January is just plain monotonous. So after a session at the gym, reward yourself by swapping the Nectarines for Nutella and ease yourself into the New Year.

INGREDIENTS: * 250 mls. Cow’s Milk per serving – I chose whole milk but you can use semi-skimmed or low-fat (But where’s the fun in that?!)

* 2 tbs. Nutella * 2tbs. drinking chocolate (I use Cadbury’s but it’s up to you) * Chocolate sauce * White chocolate

* Measuring jug * Tall glass * Wooden spoon 30

* Medium pot * Tablespoon * Sieve

supplements, but this is more so linked with the improper use of them, this includes liver damage, lactose intolerance and kidney stones. However, remember that it is a supplement and not a meal, and if used with due care and caution, you will experience the benefits of it. If you do chose to take protein supplements, be sure that you are eating a well-balanced diet and be mindful that it is adding to your daily calorie intake, and this energy should be used on physical activities.

On the whole perhaps it isn’t all so bad. Believe the illusion that bodybuilders are the sole users of such products if you like, but as with most things; don’t knock it till you try it. Now get those gains!

<< METHOD >> 1.

2.

Measure out the milk using the measuring jug.

Heat

the milk slowly, in the pot.

Do

not boil

or heat too quickly as the milk will split, and you’ll end up with lumps, this is especially true with low-fat milk.

3.

When the milk is hot, add the drinking chocolate and slowly stir with a wooden spoon into the milk.

4.

When the drinking chocolate is dissolved, add the Nutella and stir slowly until melted.

5.

Sieve

6.

Dribble some chocolate sauce around the inside

the milk if any lumps won’t dissolve, to

make it extra-smooth.

of the glass making sure to cover the bottom

shavings

UTENSILS:

“Although it is possible and more natural to do this using lean protein food such as chicken and egg whites, there is only so much one can take without wanting to tear your hair out.”

and sides.

7.

8.

9.

Pour your creation into the glass!

Sprinkle with lots of white chocolate shavings.

Sit back and let the counselling session begin

Let us know how you enjoyed your Hot Chocolate via @MotleyMagazine

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31

Opinion

Identity: Ruth Lawlor: An Exploration of the Self in the Face of the Greatest Threat What if you woke up one day and life as you knew it was gone?

I met a girl recently who, at twenty-one years of age, had it all. She was young and beautiful, was attending university to become a nurse, went out with her friends, and was engaged to be married. Soon she would inherit the family business. Then one night as she was driving home she fell asleep at the wheel and everything changed.

Megan woke up eleven months later with her memory erased and her future bleak. The car accident irrevocably damaged her brain and one side of her body and there was very little prospect of recovery. Five years on, Megan today is a woman filled with bitterness and anger – at her family, at the world, and at herself. She utilises a walker to help her get around and has permanent staff to assist her twenty-four hours a day. She can remember who she was before the night that person died, but forgets what she has for breakfast each morning, where she goes each day and sometimes even the names of familiar people.

The moral of this story is possibly that people should be more cautious about driving when tired or emotional. But, perhaps equally, it is also about

“

To a great extent, human beings are shaped and defined by memory. As you grow older you tend to act less by instinct and more by what you have learned to be appropriate, acceptable or safe.

Reality the extent to which memory shapes our identity and thus our lives, and the meaning of a life when that foundational cornerstone is removed.

I once heard it said that God cursed man with memory and with love. Most people have a frightening, painful or embarrassing memory that they wish they could erase, like the sadness felt at the death of a loved one or the fear of a traumatic experience. However, if the price was sacrificing all the other memories as well, few would acquiesce.

To a great extent, human beings are shaped and defined by memory. As you grow older you tend to act less by instinct and more by what you have learned to be appropriate, acceptable or safe. This is the reason that people tend to become more conservative as they age: as young people we catalogue new experiences as “new”, something we have not seen or done before; but as we mature we begin to compartmentalise experiences, adding the “new” ones to previous ones and making comparisons. The result is that we base a decision on what we remember as good or bad, right or wrong, and that dictates our actions.

The problem, however, is that often our memories are flawed. Sometimes our memories even lie to us. On the most basic level this can mean something like remembering a relationship as wonderful when in reality your significant other was a bully who wore you down. On a grander scale this mindtrick effect can bring about massive changes in outlook, perspective and belief. Some individuals have faith in God because they were made to go to church as children and found a sense of peace there. Some people are racists because they remember the things their friends and neighbours said as they were growing up, and saw the influence it gave them in the community. To adopt identity through memory is surely okay in certain instances: if you feel wholesome when you go to church then you have every right to continue that practice. However, the sad part is that often we do not realise why we hold such values so close to our hearts. Ask the racist why he values himself more than others and he will struggle to provide you with an effective or logical answer. Why? Because the truth is that he does not know why he believes such things. He merely remembers that this is how it was yesterday, and the day before that. In this way we are slaves to our memories.

At first sight Megan, to me, represented the ultimate liberty from the identity based on memory. The only way to break free from those chains is to become a blank slate; to have every day begin as though it were a new life, with the chance to form new opinions and unique ideas about the world. If you make a mistake, you can start over again tomorrow. The trivial things become unimportant – past relationships, taste in food and clothing, television programmes – and living becomes about the thrill of feeling something in the moment, rather than the weight of the past or the anticipation of the future.

Freedom from memory grants the ability to act on impulse.

That is what I believed and to a certain extent I still believe it. Philosophically, it is probably true that memory and its effects hold us back and curtail our actions. If, in some alternate reality, we could become a clean page every day, we might enjoy our existence more and live to our true purpose. In this world, unfortunately, that freedom enslaves in its own way, trapping the person in a cycle of repetition, confusion and hopelessness. The person whose identity has been taken away is forced to create a new identity – sometimes every day, sometimes every hour or every minute, depending on the extent of the amnesia. Without the safety net of memory, we must clutch to other external forces to make a person of ourselves, and that is an almost impossible task. There is a certain element of soullessness amongst those who have suffered extensive memory loss – Oliver Sacks has remarked upon it too – because they wander a little lost and unsure who they really are, with no real way of finding out, for every time we remind them they forget again once more.

One must not necessarily fear death, but perhaps one should fear the possibility that none of us has any true identity, that each is a fiction woven from fragments of the past. That cloak of memory is all that we know, yet at any moment it could be torn from under our feet.

32

To Impeach or Not to Impeach?

Should Trinity College’s SU President have been impeached following the discovery of his cheating during his summer exams in 2013? Denise O’Regan gives her two cents on the matter.

Trinity College Student Union President Tom Lenihan, the son of the late Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, recently survived a referendum to impeach him following his admission of cheating on one of his exams in May. In a statement Lenihan admitted to bringing a note into one of this third year law exams, which was seen by an invigilator. He expressed regret for his actions and apologised to the students of Trinity and to the college for his behaviour. In his statement he talks openly about his history of depression and mental health issues. He admitted that during the exam period he neglected his mental treatment and subsequently suffered from severe stress and several panic attacks. He says ‘None of this is to excuse my behaviour, for which I take full responsibility, but it does provide context.’ During a disciplinary meeting in Trinity College, it was decided Lenihan would be allowed to repeat the exam in question with his mark capped at 40%, which he passed. The incoming president also took leave from his role pending the results of the referendum on whether or not to impeach him.

This was not a typical case of a student caught cheating, it made national news due to the fact that Tom was the incoming TCDSU president and due to his late father’s position in government. The scandal will undoubtedly follow

“

him for the rest of this career. Nevertheless, his punishment seems extremely lenient considering his actions. This incident has harmed the university’s reputation and it has undermined the integrity of the exams as well as the integrity of the other students not just in his year, but throughout the college.

The college decides these matters on a discretionary case by case basis and takes all circumstances into consideration before reaching a decision so there is no mandatory punishment or guidelines for what should happen to a student in Lenihan’s situation. But the matter does not stop there.

Tom subsequently survived the referendum to impeach him and commented “I have a lot to catch up for to make sure that I am fulfilling my manifesto promises that the students have elected me for.”

It is my opinion that Tom should have stepped down from his role had he any respect for the position he campaigned for in the first place. Someone who cheats in a college exam and thus damages the student body is not a suitable candidate to run a Students’ Union. He has undermined the academic achievements of his class and had undoubtedly lost the respect and trust of the students who voted for him in February. His position as President is now weaker and due to the short term of office he now serves, he will have no real chance to redeem himself in the eyes of the student body. A resignation would have shown courage and integrity on his part.

“This incident has harmed the university’s reputation and it has undermined the integrity of the exams as well as the integrity of the other students not just in his year, but throughout the college.”

Campaigners in favour of Lenihan have argued there has been “a brutal witch hunt” and “a malicious campaign to destroy him” following these revelations. They argued that if Tom was successfully impeached it would send a message that those with mental health issues are not to be trusted. However in his statement Tom does not cite mental illness or depression as an excuse for his actions, he says they merely provide a ‘context’. This case was not about mental illness or any kind of ‘witch hunt’. It was about a Students’ Union President cheating on his exams and the lack of accountability for his actions, a common occurrence in modern Irish politics.

33

Opinion

Smoke & Mirrors Laura Cashman auditor of the UCC Cancer Society talks about the changing attitude towards smoking in recent years Six years ago a group of friends and I decided to go see Hairspray- the film.

You know this is going to be a great article when that’s the opening sentence don’t you? We were in my sitting room at the time and as my friend looked up screening times I ran upstairs to get some pocket money. As I passed my mother in the kitchen she asked me to rub her back. I impatiently pawed at it for a few minutes while she told me she wasn’t feeling well and had a pain on her right hand side. This is the classic case of the boy who cried wolf. The boy (my mother) always cried wolf (complained about pains and aches). So without another thought I continued on my way to sit through two hours of the most horrifyingly upbeat musical in the world. When I came home that night the house was unusually quiet. I pottered around the place annoyed they hadn’t even left me dinner. After a feeding of tayto sandwiches the house phone rang. It was my dad. “Mam had a heart attack, we’re in the hospital. I won’t be home til late. I’ll bring you to see her tomorrow.”

Needless to say, this was a very hard time for my family. It was very unnerving seeing someone who takes care of you when you’re sick be so helpless.

They put two stints in her heart and thank God she has been healthy as a horse since. She told me after that the doctor asked her did she smoke. She did, 40 a day on average. He said if she smoked again she would undo all of his work. While she has smoked in the last few years you could count the cigarettes she has taken on one hand. She is amazing and I am incredibly proud of her.

However, for all my praise and admiration I am a hypocrite. While I am not a “smoker”, like many students I turn into one around half 12 on Tuesday nights in Havanas.

Why? I don’t actually know.

To be completely honest with you and at the risk of sounding like a complete plonker I think, when drunk, I look really sophisticated and cool as a smoker. It’s the grown up thing to do and let’s be honest the craic in the smoking area is mighty. So off out I go and I ask my friends/random strangers for a cigarette and I hang out with the “cool people” for a

while. We don’t like the taste of them, we don’t crave nicotine and as a really cool person take it from me guys we don’t look cool when we do it. So why do a vast majority of students buy in to this ‘social smoking’? If someone could let me know I would greatly appreciate it.

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Because even as someone who goes through phases where I smoke I don’t even get it.

The world attitude to smoking is changing. Dramatically. From the New York City of 2011 who banned smoking in public places or even closer to home where better education and the smoking ban has made smoking expensive, cumbersome and even ‘dirty’, smoking is no longer cool. And now we stand at a crossroads in our college’s history. Two weeks ago, on behalf of the UCC Cancer Society I attended a meeting with different representatives of UCC. Amongst those present was the Societies Guild, the Students’ Union, and Health Matters. At a working group for the welfare of our students, the subject of a smoke-free campus reared its head. Many of you who have continued thus far with my ramblings are probably interested enough to know that there has been a major push by both UCD and Trinity in recent months to both aim for a smoke free campus or designated smoking areas. While UCC have yet to take the leap of even discussing this at large, the wheels are in motion.

I presume that as of next year you will see many yes/no articles through our college media. Both sides have to be heard. It is unfair to segregate smokers just as it is unfair that non-smokers have to be subjected to second-hand smoke. But as well as this decision, which may affect not only you but also your friends, siblings and maybe kids who attend UCC after you, we also have to address our relationship with smoking in our own lives. I don’t want to be a grouch either but encouraging that one friend to give up smoking may change their life, educating older members of your family will not only save them thousands of euros but improve their health dramatically and deciding against smoking that last cigarette in the box that you have left over from last night may save you from pondering down the well-worn road of addiction.

So to save yourself some hassle and some money just don’t buy the box in Havannas in the first place. Get out of the smoking area and go dance with your friends, kiss a fellow UCC student or go buy an apple in the 24 hour centra. And just take three minutes of your day today and think do I want to smell nicer, have whiter teeth, save some money, stop forcing your second hand smoke on your friends and possibly save my life? It’s never too late.

If you’d like to sign up a team for Relay for Life please email cancer@uccsocieties.ie

FASHION

Super Sisters

Fashion & Beauty Editor Laurence Keating chats to sisters Nicola and Samantha Chapman of Pixiwoo fame

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f you’re at all familiar with the enormously popular makeup tutorials online, thousands of hours of which are uploaded every day, then you’ll undoubtedly know of and Nicola Chapman. The lovely ladies, also known as Pixiwoo have amassed an amazing 1.5 million subscribers on their main YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/pixiwoo) thus far. From bridal, to ultra-creative Halloween looks, to simple nights out and intricate fashion looks, Sam and Nic’s videos have been viewed over a 190,000,000 times.

They now run two channels on YouTube, the main Pixiwoo channel, and the second Pixiwoo Madness as well as working with many other Premium Channels on the video site such as Daily Mix and Body Talk. The multitalented siblings have also launched a line of makeup brushes called Real Techniques, beloved by yours truly, which are carried in Boots nationwide as well as having launched a magazine/app called Two which is available through the App Store and online at www.two-magazine.com

Firstly, I’d like to ask you about skin care, as the weather gets steadily colder and wetter and we spend hours on end in overly heated lecture halls, are there 1 or 2 products you could recommend to help combat dehydrated skin?

We love velvet skin and to create this we love Nars Sheer foundation teamed up with Sleek Suede effect pressed powder_ Some of my favourite items have been the palettes and gift sets we’ve seen a lot of and there are so many great choices this year.

Do you have any favourites?

We are over the moon with our Real Techniques Sam’s Picks Real Technique brush set which is out this month. We also love the Avon Glamour set and Bobbi Brown had some beautiful Eye shadow palettes for this festive season many of which may still be available._ I find the most requested party looks has to be a sparkly/glittery eye paired with a nude lip. Could you share a few tips/products to help get a fresh take on this look?

We like to mix up the party look by using a coloured mascara or jewel toned eye pencil in the water line of the eye._ How has creating and editing TWO Magazine been for you? It’s such a fantastic idea offering the content as an app.

We both have really dry skin and even though we try dozens of moisturisers we always tend to revert back to Embryolisse Moisturiser.

The magazine can be very stressful. Like you say, it’s a logistical nightmare. Making sure people submit their articles on time, offering something new each time etc..We are very lucky that we have a team of makeup artists already working in the industry who’s help is invaluable._

We have recently discovered Bioderma Moisturising mask for sensitive/ dehydrated skin. We like to slather it on and even sleep in it!_

Finally, can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming projects you have lined up?

Velvet Skin is a huge trend this year, do you have any products you particularly love for working this trend?

We have lots going on, some of which we can’t talk about at this stage but we have recorded for the Discovery Channel recently giving makeup tips after beauty disasters have happened. _

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L E I X F U E L

Convertible gown: Amity 36

Black Dress: J Martine Sheer gloves: Miss Daisy Blue Pearls: Azure Jewelery 37

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Sequined Cardigan: Miss Daisy Blue Sheer trousers: J Martine Plus faux fur hat: Stylists own

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Black Dress: J Martine Sheer gloves: Miss Daisy Blue Pearls: Azure Jewelery

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Jumpsuit: J Martine

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Makeup, Styling & Hair: Laurence Keating Photography: Michal Zagorski Model: Emma Tangney Location: Hayfield Manor Hotel Cork 43

Scan Here Take the survey online bit.ly/motleysex x.com/MotleyMagazine @MotleyMagazine 44