The Print Volume 3, Issue 8

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The official publication of Maynooth Students’ Union

Thursday 16th February 2012 - Volume 3, Issue 8

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Student Contribution Charge To Be Increased To €3,000 By 2016 KEITH BRONI Editor-In-Chief @keithbroni

On the morning of Thursday February 2nd, Minister for Education, Ruairi Quinn, confirmed that further increases to the Student Contribution Charge are being planned by the current Fine GaelLabour government. Speaking at a seminar entitled, “Issues in Irish Journalism”, in the Millstream Common Room of the University of Limerick, Mr Quinn declared that, “we now have this €2,000 fee, €2,250 next year and it is probably increasing up to €3,000.” The Minister then described plans for an additional €250 to be added to the Student Contribution Charge in Budget 2013, akin to the increase enacted by the government this past December, followed by another two equivalent increases in both 2014 and 2015. Such staggered increases have been rumoured for several months.

The Minister’s declaration comes just under a year after he signed a pledge drafted by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) prior to the 2011 General Election. On Monday the 21st of February 2011, the then Labour Party Education Spokesperson made a written commitment that both he and the party would “oppose and campaign against any new form of third level fees, including student loans, graduate taxes and any further increase in the Student Contribution”. Speaking to the press during his signing of the pledge, Mr Quinn remarked that the outgoing Fianna Fáil government’s increase of the charge from €1,500 to €2,500 was a “barrier at the entrance to education” and was “simply too much.”

Coalition partners Fine Gael also made a similar commitment prior to the General Election, stating on page 37 of their manifesto that they would “not increase the student registration fee further”.

Indeed, page 38 of the same manifesto describes

plans to “phase out the student registration fee as an upfront charge.”

When questioned regarding his failure to keep his written pre-election commitment at the Limerick event, Mr. Quinn admitted that, “with regard to breaking promises, I didn’t feel great about it all. I still don’t feel great about it, but I have to get on with it.”

Reacting to the Minister’s plans for further increases, the President of the Union of Students in Ireland, Gary Redmond, declared that, “Minister Quinn and this Government have now clearly abandoned any pretence at even trying to keep their promises to students and families that they made prior to the last election.”

Speaking to The Irish Times, Redmond further commented that, “there was always the suspicion that the Minister was going to increase [the Student Contribution Charge] over the lifetime of his government, and pander to his backbenchers. The Minister has a duty to come clean with students and families and tell them the detail of what they can expect over the next four years.

“The Minister can dress up these increases in any manner he sees fit, but the reality of the situation is that the Minister’s decisions will accelerate the number of young people forced to leave the country and sentence many more to long term unemployment,” continued the student leader.

On November 16th of last year, 20,000 students from across Ireland marched from Parnell Square to Leinster House in protest against any increase in the Student Contribution Charge or cuts to the maintenance grant. When originally introduced in 1996 by the so-called “Rainbow Coalition” in lieu of full third level fees, the charge stood at £150.

The State spends about €1.1 billion on higher education each year.

Students protesting against rumoured Contribution Charge increases in November of last year.

Third Level Applications To Rise Come 2013 CONOR O’BRIEN News Co-Editor @ConorWOBrien

The latest series of cuts to maintenance grants and increases in registration fees, as part of the government’s ongoing austerity package, has not deterred would-be college-goers from pursuing higher education, with the most recent figures released by the CAO revealing the numbers applying are up on last year.

A total of 71,612 applied to the CAO by the deadline on February 1, up from 71, 466 at the same time last year – an increase of 146 applicants.

Although, this is still short of the high of 71,843 set in 2010, it still represents an increase of nearly 10,000 on the corresponding figures recorded a decade ago in 2002.

The reasons for the growth are multitudinous; increased college fees in the UK ensure that not only are Irish students that may have considered

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studying in Britain being deterred, but British students are now seeking cheaper education on these shores. UCAS – the UK’s answer to the CAO – received over 1,200 less applicants from Irish students this year than in 2011.

The consistently high number of CAO applicants reflects the emphasis placed upon education and on the modern workforce, with people of all ages adamant that degrees are a necessary criterion for future employability.

This attitude is not just abounding among school leavers, with mature students accounting for a growing portion of applicants year after year.

Amounting to 15% this time around, meaning that 10,000 people aged 23 or over are applying for college courses which commence in September 2012. By contrast, in 1980, only 3.5% of CAO/CAS entrants were mature, testifying to the greater level of accessibility of higher education now available to first-time students.

While the government might well be pleased with the premium being placed on education by people of all ages, amidst persistent plans to forge a knowledge-based economy, the news may pose some problems for the country’s already overstretched and underfunded universities.

The Universities must now ponder how they can sustainably accommodate growing numbers of students into the future short of radically hiking registration fees much like their counterparts in the UK. At present, Ireland allocates only 16% of its GDP to education, the lowest of any OECD country.

This shortfall has been blamed for the declining standards of Irish Universities, which manifested in the most recent world rankings. Should rising numbers of applicants continue to overstretch limited resources, it is possible that further declines in educational quality could be inflicted over the years to come.

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An increase in CAO Applications is forecast.

Printed in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford via Datascope and Impression LTD.

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Last Veteran Of World Fáilte chuig Gaeltacht War One Passes Away Chluain Dolcáin EOGHAN RYAN

John Ó Liodáin

Wednesday the 8th of February marked the sad passing of the last known world war one veteran, a mere two weeks short of her 111th birthday.

Florence Beatrice Green was born in London on the 19th of February 1901. Having moved to Norfolk, she joined the Women’s Royal Air Force (WRAF) on the 13th of September 1918 at the age of 17.

This newly established force, employing women as drivers, cooks and mechanics had been set up to allow men to partake in active service. While it was originally set up in Britain, it later spread, with approximately 500 women being employed in both France and Germany before being disbanded on 1 April 1920, according to the national Archives.

Despite the passing of almost a century, in a 2008 interview, Mrs Green was capable of recalling her experiences as a mess steward at bases in both Marham and Narborough. “I would work every hour God sent. But I had dozens of friends on the base and we had a great deal of fun in our spare time. In many ways, I had the time of my life.”

Leaving the WRAF at the age of 19, she married and began work at a hotel in King’s Lynn. Her husband, Walter, had also served in the First World War and would go on to serve in the second, before dying in 1975 at the age of 82, one of Mrs Greens daughters told the BBC. Her passing has sparked sadness and urged many to consider the large-scale effect that war has on both those who partake in the fighting, and those who are left at home, fighting a more domestic battle. Retired Air Vice-Marshal Peter Dye, director-general of the RAF Museum, noted the significance of the last veteran being a British woman.

“In a way, that the last veteran should be a lady

Is annamh dea-scéal a bhaineann leis an nGaeilge a fheiceáil sna nuachtáin. Tá gearradh siar déanta ar seirbhisí agus gníomhachtaí a fheidhmíonn trí ghaeilge, idir comhnascadh oifig an choimisneara teanga le oifig an ombudsman, agus níos mó scéalta tubaisteacha nach iad. Ach tá seans ann go dtabharfadh an roinn ealaíon, oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta stádas Gaeltachta ar Cluain Dolcáin i mBaile Átha Cliath theas.

Is áit ar leith é Cluain Dolcáin toisc go bhfuil traidisún gaelach láidir ann. Tá níos mó ná 1,500 dálta i mbun staidéir trí mheán na gaeilge ansin, ar an meánscoil “Coláiste Chillian” agus ar an mbunscoil lán-gaelach. Ní hamháin go bhfuil an Ghaeilge le cloisteáil mar thoradh ar an gcóras oideachais ach mar gheall ar an pobal gaelach atá ag feidhmiú ar an mbaile le blianta anuas, bunaíodh Áras Chrónain sna 60í chun an teanga a chur chun cinn trí ranganna oíche, imeachtaí éagsúla le béim faoi leith ar oidhreacht agus teanga na tíre. Is éard is ceantar gaeltachta ann ná ait ina bhfuil an ghaeilge aitheanta mar theanga an phobail ann, agus ar na háiteanna sa tír ina bhfuil Gaeilge á labhairt mar theanga thraidisiúnta a théann go nádúrtha ó ghlúin go glúin. De réir staitisticí, is é daonra na Gaeltachta ná 95,503 ach cuirtear an ceist go minic an ceart imeall na ngaeltachtaí a athrú. Clúdaíonn an Ghaeltacht codanna leathana de chontaetha Dhún na nGall, Mhaigh Eo, Ghaillimh agus Chiarraí – iad uile ar an gcósta thiar – chomh maith le codanna de chontaetha Chorcaí, na Mí agus Phort Láirge.

Beidh sainmhíniú nua reachtúil ar an Ghaeltacht mar gheall ar Bille Gaeltachta, sainmhíniú a bheidh bunaithe ar chritéir theangeolaíochta agus ní ar limistéir gheografacha. Tabharfar stádas reachtúil

@johnoliodain

Florence Beatrice Green. 1901 - 2012. and someone who served on the home front is something that reminds me that warfare is not confined to the trenches”.

“It reminds us of the Great War, and all warfare since then has been something that involved everyone. It’s a collective experience...Sadly, whether you are in New York, in London, or in Kandahar, warfare touches all of our lives.”

The last three years has seen the remaining few veterans pass away, with the deaths of Henry Allingham, Harry Patch and Bill Stone in 2009, all of whom lived in the United Kingdom. The world’s last known combat veteran, Claude Choules, died aged 110 in May 2011 while living in Australia.

With over 9 million men and women having served in Britain alone at some stage during the Great War, Mrs Green’s passing can easily be seen to mark the end of a generation.

With a lifetime that spanned over a century, including both world wars, one cannot but reflect on the many who have lived through such events, passed away, and paved the way for future generations, as we soon will.

Mrs Green is succeeded by three children, four grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

The funeral will be held at Mintlyn Crematorium, Bawsey, in Norfolk, on February 16th.

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PRINT Issue #8 Contents

NEWS 1 FEATURES 10 WELFARE 13 ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE 14 PROCRASTINATION 25 OPINION & COMMENT 26 TECHNOLOGY 28 SPORTS 29

do chineál nua “Gaeltacht ghréasáin”, ceantair uirbeacha ina mbeidh pobal le “toirt bhunúsach chriticiúil de thacaíocht phobail agus Stáit acu don Ghaeilge”, Cluain Dolcáin ina measc. Deir an tUasal Joe Mac Suibhne príomhoide ar Coláiste Chillian go mbeadh deiseanna fostaíochta ag baint leis an stádas oifigiúla mar Ghaeltacht, spreagfadh sé gnóthaí áitiúla chun a leas a bhaint as an teanga agus béim a chur ar an nGaeilge, chuirfeadh an béim sin deiseanna fostaíochta de dhaoine le gaeilge agus mheallfadh sé níos mó gaeilgeoirí dá bharr.

Is céim mhór chun cinn do Ghaeilge taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht é seo, léiríonn sé fás ollmhór don teanga in áiteanna nach raibh an ghaeilge le sonrú le fada anuas, tá an fás céanna le feiceáil in áiteanna uirbeacha eile fosta mar shampla Gaeltacht Bhéal Feirste ina bhfuil feabhas mór tagtha ar líon na gcainteoirí.

Gluais: pobal gaelach: Irish speaking Community ó ghlúin go glúin: From generation to generation Daonra: Population ar chritéir theangeolaíochta: Linguistic Criteria ceantair uirbeacha: Urban Areas leas a bhaint as: Take advantage/ Capitalize on líon na gcainteoirí: Number of Speakers.

Editor In Chief / Production Editor: Keith Broni News Editors: Conor O’Brien & Áine Kirwan Features Editor: Grainne Hallinan Entertainments & Culture Editors: Lyndsey Farrell & Christina Murphy Opinion & Comment Editor: Kate Phelan Technology Editor: Shane Kiernan Sports Editor: Conor Phelan Additional Proofing: Ailbhe Mahon, Robert Munnelly, Órla Tobin Contributors: Mike Carroll, Shane Coffey, Dylan Colley, Mark Dillon, Eoghan Dunne, Dara Folan, Rob Gilmour, Dean Healy, Sute Iwar, Maeve Kavanagh, Shauna Louise Kelly, Ally Kerr, Megan O’Doherty, John Ó Liodáin, Fiach O’Neill, Michael O’Toole, Karl O’Dwyer, Padraig McCarrick, Conor McGee, Shane McNally, Declan Meenagh, Matthew Mulligan, Majella Rogers, Eoghan Ryan, Mary Francas Ryan, Cillian Shields, Aoife Thomas.

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Ian Paisley in Critical Condition After Suffering Undisclosed Heart Problem SHANE COFFEY @shanecoffey2

Ian Paisley, a historical voice of Northern Unionist opposition, was admitted to hospital on Sunday last for an undisclosed heart problem. At the time of publication he has still not been released and remains in a critical condition in Dundonald hospital, Belfast. The firebrand politician has long been at the forefront of loyalist politics, dividing opinion and vociferously fighting for the unionist cause for decades.

During The Troubles in Northern Ireland he became a political and spiritual leader of the loyalist community for his extreme and unwavering rhetoric against republicanism. This same rhetoric made him a demagogue in the south however, as did his frequent attacks on Catholicism. He famously denounced Pope John Paul II as the Antichrist during his visit to the European Parliament in 1988.

Pasiley’s ruthless opposition to nationalist politics began earnestly in the 1960s when he infamously led a mob of police and loyalists to a

Sinn Féin office on the Falls Road to remove an Irish tricolour from its window, culminating in serious rioting. Throughout The Troubles, he was seen by the British and Irish governments as a radical political leader, albeit one that continuously espoused political violence was largely unassociated with paramilitaries. He made a career, he freely admits, from saying “no”. He said “no” to the civil rights protests, “no” to Sunningdale, “no” to the Anglo-Irish Agreement and “no” to the Good Friday Agreement. In recent years, he has mellowed considerably, most notably leading his party (after much coercion) into a power-sharing government with Sinn Féin in 2007. He forged an amicable relationship with Martin McGuinness during that time and they earned the unlikely nickname, “the chuckle brothers”. For such a vociferous and radical political and religious figure, he has earned the respect of his peers, followers and also his opponents.

This current undisclosed condition follows rumours surrounding Paisley’s health since 2004, when it was confirmed that Paisley had been undergoing tests for an unknown illness.

Paisley’s youngest child and North Antrim MP, Ian Paisley, Jr. gave further confirmation of his father’s worsening health in 2005, admitting that his father had been gravely ill.

Pasiley was born on the 6th of April 1926 in Armagh, Co. Down and reared in the town of Ballymena, Co. Antrim. He is married to Eileen Cassells and the have five children together.

Former First Minister for Northern Ireland, Ian Paisley.

Maynooth Broadcasting Quality Of Engineering Graduates In Question Society Established MATTHEW MULLIGIAN

CONOR O’BRIEN

The second fairs day of the college year is usually spent by societies trying to reaffirm themselves in people’s minds or by students attempting to sign up to clubs and realising that they already had in the first semester, they just never went to any activities.

However, this year there was some commotion in the Arts Block as a new society was being promoted; a Maynooth Broadcasting Society.

Those asking for signatures were met with questions of their own. Students wondered how far along the media society was and what the plans were for the future. The society plans to start broadcasting by releasing first podcasts, and using online web streaming to create programming.

The programmes would be of a wide variety; both academic and entertainment focused and would also include a focus on music. It is hoped that the Broadcasting Society would be a port of call for the many talented musicians and artists in Maynooth, and would be a great medium through which they could show case their talent and reach a large audience. Opinion based programming would also be something which the Society would be interested in pursuing. The ultimate goal of the society is to set

Fears about declining standards in Ireland’s third level education were alarmingly realised last week, with the emergence that engineering graduates face a poorer reputation than ever before.

Standards in the field have fallen to such an extent that Google – one of Ireland’s leading graduate employers, according to gradireland.com – has called for the country to loosen visa restrictions in order to allow overseas graduates easier access to the country in order to fill engineering vacancies here.

The announcement, made by executive chairman Erik Schmidt, is among the latest in a series of public proclamations that the standard of Irish graduates simply is not high enough, reflecting the fall of most Irish universities in the latest world rankings.

John Powers of Engineers Ireland espoused his theory that the apparent lack of quality engineering graduates is due to the decreased Leaving Certificate points for engineering courses nationwide at the height of the economic boom, which saw a surge in the popularity of competing

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News Co-Editor @ConorWOBrien

up a community radio station in the University, and to give students another voice.

Maynooth is one of the few Universities in the country without a student radio station. DCU, UCD, Trinity, DIT and UCC are some of those universities which do have radio stations and in these cases the addition of student run radio stations has always been met with success and great amounts of interest. It is hoped, though it is in its infancy, that the Maynooth Broadcasting Society will develop over time into a fully-fledged student radio station. It would serve the students of Maynooth and add to the various forms of media the campus currently enjoys. Judging by the amount of interest generated so far, the only certainty is that there is a taste for a broadcasting society in Maynooth; with its AGM to be held this week, what becomes of this taste remains to be seen.

The quality of new Irish engineers is under fire. academic disciplines such as law and finance. The subsequently decreased popularity of engineering courses (as well as other maths and science-related degrees) saw the points for these programmes decline, making them more readily accessible due to lowered competition for places.

This viewpoint, although contentious, is also backed up by criticism of graduate quality across the spectrum of science and maths related courses – a serious issue that could persuade many top multinational corporations to uproot should improvements not be seen over the coming years.

With further education cuts on the horizon – coupled with a growing intake of students stretching the resources of the university system to the limit – raising standards may prove a substantial undertaking for underfunded institutions.

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Minister For Children Launches New Missing Child Hotline With ISPCC KATE PHELAN

Opinion & Comment Editor This week the Minister For Children, Frances Fitzgerald, announced that the ISPCC will undertake the operation of a new hotline for the reporting of missing children in Ireland. The hotline, which will also provide support services to missing children’s families and opportunities for citizens to report possible sightings, will operate on the same 11600 number that is available in other European countries.

The government has delayed the provision of this service since 2007, when a European Directive called for the initiative to be introduced across Europe. In the intervening years there have been numerous calls by the European Commission for Ireland to comply with the directive.

Pat Rabbitte stated in 2011 that this delay had been unavoidable as although the 11600 number had been made available here, no one had applied to operate it. During a debate in the Seanad last year on the topic of the hotline, Minister Fitzgerald also argued that “the incidence of children who go

missing in Ireland is, fortunately, low and numbers have fallen significantly in recent years.” She quoted Garda statistics which showed that only five children went missing in Ireland in 2010.

However, while figures from 2010 onwards may be relatively low, an article in the Irish Times in January of last year revealed that between 2000 and 2010 512 unaccompanied children seeking asylum in Ireland went missing from state care. Of these 440 are still unaccounted for.

In their report on these missing ‘separated’ children, children’s charity Barnardos have argued that the high incidence of these cases is mainly due to the fact that the hostels provided for separated children during this period were only staffed during office hours, due to a lack of resources. Their report claims that human traffickers were aware of this situation and some of the missing children may have been kidnapped as a result.

Others have refuted these claims, arguing that these fears are exaggerated as some of those listed as ‘separated’ children may actually have been over 18, and may have left hostels voluntarily after being refused asylum.

The Barnardos report claims that the ‘Children Missing From Care Protocol’ which has since been introduced by the Government and the Gardai, and the closing down of privately run hostels in exchange for residential units which are subject to inspection, has led to a curtailment of the problem.

Early figures from 2011 showed no children had gone missing from the care of the state in that

Current Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald. year. However there is still concern over the small amount of media attention that has been given to the children who remain missing; only a fraction of

whom, Barnardos claim, are listed on the Gardaí’s missing children website.

Haskins Donates Dáil Maynooth Student To Bid Expenses To Charity Represent Ireland at UN CONOR McGEE

MATTHEW MULLIGIAN

After an unsuccessful run in last years general election, Independent candidate Dylan Haskins, has announced that he is to distribute the refund of his election expenses to several charities and other good causes. Unfortunately for Haskins, who was one of the youngest candidates in the race, aged 22 was defeated in last year’s election, although he was refunded €8,700 in election expenses. This was due to the fact that he only managed to gather just under 2,000 votes – over a quarter of the quota. In a blog post on his website Haskins declared that this refund, coupled with donations made to his election campaign, a total of €10,000, would be divided amongst ten charities and good causes.

“These charities and causes have been suggested and selected collectively by eight of the full time campaign team and myself on behalf of all who worked on and contributed to the campaign,” he continued, “None of these people were paid and so these donations are as much from them as from me.”

Some of the proposed charities and causes will include Dublin Youth Theatre, Young Social Innovators, the Dublin intellectual arts project,

Claire Finnegan, third year Law and Economics student, was chosen this week to represent Ireland as part of the United Nations Human Rights Council taking place this coming March. Claire is the current President of the Maynooth branch of the European Law Student’s Association (ELSA), and applied to the ELSA headquarters in order to secure her place. She will act as an observer at the 19th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

As Claire says, having a Maynooth student at the Council is important and significant for the college.

“It’s an absolutely fantastic opportunity to be part of a council meeting that holds such significant world-wide scope and authority. I am delighted that Maynooth are being represented on such a level. I will be bringing back my experiences and I hope [ELSA] can continue to participate at such a European and International level in law, politics and human rights affairs” The Human Rights Council is an intergovernmental body within the UN system made up of 47 States responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around

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@HandsUpMcGee

Former Indepedant TD candidate Dylan Haskins.

LGBT rights lobby Marriage Equality, and LGBT resource centre Outhouse. €1,500 has been donated to the Educate Together movement’s campaign to set up secondary schools and €1,500 to the Free Legal Advice Centres. An additional €1,000 will be donated to organisations including data transparency website,TheStory.ie, the young persons’ mental health charity Headstrong and the adult mental health service Cluain Mhuire.

The Standard in Public Office Commission published documents that Haskins had been allocated election spending totaling €14, 098 for his election campaign in February 2011. Ultimately, four TD’s were elected in Haskins’ constituency, including Education Minister Ruairí Quinn and European Affairs Junior Minister Lucinda Creighton.

NUI Maynooth student Claire Finnegan. the globe. The Council was created by the UN General Assembly in March 2006 with the main purpose of addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them.

Issues to be discussed at the coming session include reports on human rights in Libya following the revolution and civil war, protecting the rights of HIV/AIDS victims and the right to an adequate standard of living.

Last month, Taoiseach Enda Kenny declared that Ireland would for the first time seek election to the Human Rights Council this year. He said that if the bid was to be accepted, Ireland would support clear and strong action by the Council in addressing human rights violations and in promoting respect for human rights.

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Campaigners Claim Large Support For Changing Prostitution Legislation GRAINNE HALLINAN Features Editor

Sex-trade campaigners have claimed to have the backing of 80 members of the Oireachtas for their demands to criminalise prostitution. Turn Off the Red Light, an umbrella group which includes organisations such as Barnardos and Rape Crisis Network Ireland want to see legislation introduced which would prosecute those who buy sex, while granting sex workers immunity. Though it is currently a criminal offence to solicit for sex in Ireland, it is not illegal to buy or sell sex. The proposed new system would be similar to laws currently in place in Nordic countries such as Sweden, Norway and Iceland.

Sarah Benson of Ruhama, one of the organisations involved in the campaign, revealed to the Irish Independent that the threat of criminal convictions and fines are necessary to help eradicate the exploitation of sex workers. “The profile of sex buyers is that they tend to be men of means, they tend to be married, they are people who care about their reputations,” she said. “Consistent studies

of sex buyers in the UK and the US indicate the greatest deterrent to buying sex would be either a criminal offence or being named. That’s what we will be driving at.” She then added “We wouldn’t be looking to lock up (sex customers) and throw away the key. The motivation is to create a deterrent effect in recognition that the trade is exploitative, that those who are bought for sex suffer serious harm as a consequence, and that really we would like Ireland to adopt a similar message to other countries who say buying sex is not okay.”

Ms. Benson was among a group of representatives from Turn off the Red Light who met with four TD’s of the Independents technical group, consisting of Mattie McGrath, Maureen O’Sullivan, Thomas Pringle and Catherine Murphy.

She insisted that the campaign reveals the truth behind Ireland’s sex trade – that it is a highly organised criminal venture. “The experience of prostitution for the vast majority of women and girls, and the small number of men and boys involved, is that it is exploitative and dangerous,” she said.” The campaign has identified that this exploitation and organised criminality is facilitated by those who actually purchase sex, because it is a demand-led trade.”

A recent documentary on prostitution in Ireland, Profiting from Prostitution, which aired on RTE revealed that prostitutes, who are often advertised as ‘escorts’, are available in every county in Ireland.

The documentary includes an interview with a 19-year-old woman who works nearly 100 hours a

Sarah Benson, CEO Ruhama, with Independant Roscommon–South Leitrim TD Denis Naughten. week and rarely leaves her room.

The Department of Justice is currently working

on a discussion document to inform possible new laws on prostitution.

Oxford Receives Letter India Celebrates Full Of Student’s Rejection Year Without Polio Case MEGHAN O’DOHERTY @MeganODoherty

The University of Oxford send out thousands of rejection letters every year to disappointed applicants who had hoped to be accepted to attend the esteemed establishment. However, one applicant, Elly Nowell decided that Oxford “did not quite meet the standard of other Universities” and withdrew her application by sending the University her own version of a rejection letter. Nowell had applied to study Jurisprudence at Magdalen College, which is one of the constituent colleges of Oxford University.

In her letter, which mocked the University’s own rejection letter, Nowell stated “I very much regret to inform you that I will be withdrawing my application. I realise you may be disappointed by this decision, but you were in competition with many fantastic Universities and following your interview I am afraid you do not quite meet the standard of the Universities I will be considering.”

In an interview with BBC, Nowell said that whilst in her interview in the University, she realised that Oxford was not a suitable choice for her saying “subjecting myself to the judgement of an institution which I fundamentally disagreed with was bizarre.” Nowell also believes that the setting of the university intimidates state school applicants and that there is a “gap between minorities and middle class students.”

Ironically, the University has defended itself and said in a statement that “Of the seven UK students who received offers for law and joint school courses at Magdalen, only one was from an independent

EOGHAN RYAN

One of the libraries within Oxford University. school.” The University does not seem overly offended by Nowell’s rejection letter and has said it was “a witty way to communicate her withdrawal”.

It is unknown whether the University had planned on offering Nowell a place in the college.

The rejection will do little in changing the reputation of the University which has been placed 1st on ‘Times Good University List’ every year since 2003. Notable alumni of the University include Stephen Hawking and David Cameron. Nowell has said that her letter is not meant to be taken 100% seriously and that she is now hoping to be accepted into University College London.

Friday the 10th of February marks a milestone in Indian history as they celebrate one year without any reported cases of polio.

The virus is an acute contagious infection which attacks the central nervous system, often resulting in fever, loss of reflexes, and occasionally paralysis.

The virus has seen a major decline in recent years in India, falling from over 740 reported cases in 2009, to just one in 2011, an eighteen month old girl named Ruksana Khatun. Despite this, Health minister Ghulam Nabi stressed the importance of continuing to administer the vaccine to ensure the elimination of any remaining threats.

Combined efforts from the government as well as the World Health Organization and UNICEF, enabled 2.5 million workers to administer the vaccine to 175 million children in over 68 million homes. These efforts were further strengthened by the introduction of a new vaccine in 2010, which has been proven to more effectively target the virus.

According to the Guardian, the news was welcomed by the Indian government who have invested approximately 120 billion rupees, or $2.4 billion into the polio elimination program. Despite this achievement the country will not be certified as

India’s most famed structure, the Taj Mahal. polio-free for three years.

If no previously undisclosed cases are reported, India will be the first country to come off of the endemic list since Egypt in 2006, leaving only Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan remaining, all of which have seen an increase in reported cases since 2010.

Speaking to the BBC, Sonia Bari, a spokesperson for the world health organisation, emphasised the significance of this milestone for the global campaign stating that India is proof that it is “biologically and technically feasible to eradicate polio”.

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Arcade Game Built In Aid of Galway Cycle

Further Evidence Found Of Former Mars Ocean

KARL O’DWYER

CONOR O’BRIEN

The Galway Cycle has been a Maynooth Institution for over 20 years and in that time the goal has remained the same: to help a worth while cause, but the ways to raise funds and awareness have improved and evolved every year. From the bog standard bucket shaking, bake and book sales to sponsored cycles on exercise bikes as well as table quizzes, they take it all very seriously. But this year they’ve once again changed the game, quite literally, by building and installing an arcade machine on campus.

Built by Darren Leamy (Electronic Engineering), Kevin Sweeney (EE), Aodhan Coffey (EE) & Cathal Coffey (National Centre for Geocomputation) with the help of Dr. Tomás Ward (EE) and NUIM Makers Club, the machine plays a selection of classic titles including Pac Man, Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, Metal Slug 3 and Super Street Fighter II. When asked about their inspiration, team member Cathal Coffey responded “To be honest the arcade machine was born from a combination of ‘If you build it they will come’ and a ‘because

Discoveries by the European Space Agency earlier this month have added further weight to the growing list of evidence indicating that the red planet once harboured its own ocean.

Radar from the spacecraft Mars Express have revealed deposits of sediments on the Martian surface reminiscent of those typically comprising a seafloor on Earth, implying that a sea once covered northern portions of the planet.

These deposits appear to be ice-rich, suggesting they derived from the remnants of a large body of water that once covered the now frigid and barren surface.

The discovery is an exciting one, given that wherever water can be found on Earth (no matter how inhospitable the environment) life can also be found. Ergo, if Mars did indeed have its own sea, life in some capacity may have arisen at some point in its history.

In 2004, NASA’s twin Mars ‘rovers’ – Spirit and Opportunity – aside from finding rocks minerals that appeared to have formed underwater,

@karlodwyer

News Co-Editor @ConorWOBrien

The student-built arcade machine on campus. we can’ attitude,” he continued. “We think 20 cent for two credits is incredibly fair; if you can find a cheaper arcade machine, anywhere, we suggest you play it. More likely however, If you feel like your paying to little for our arcade machine, then please, by all means, feel free to leave some extra coins in it for the next person.”

The machine is currently in the foyer of the Bio-science and Engineering Building on the North Campus (which is open during the day) and is 20 cent a game. All proceeds go to the Galway Cycle, which this year is raising funds for Down Syndrome Ireland, a very worthy cause.

Want to find how to get involved in the Galway Cycle? Point your browser to http://www. galwaycycle.ie/

An artist’s impression of the Mars Express radar. uncovered what appeared to be a layer of ice just beneath the surface of the soil.

These latest findings by the ESA, revealed on its website, further suggest that water might once have been widespread on the red planet and add credence to an even more exciting possibility; the prospect that microbes could reside within vestiges of liquid water somewhere beneath the Martian surface.

NASA’s latest Mars robot, Curiosity, will attempt to build upon these findings when it arrives on the planet’s Gale crater in August. The most sophisticated rover yet, Curiosity has been designed to deduce whether or not this area of the planet – with its rich deposits of clay and sulphates, typically associated with liquid water – once harboured the kind of conditions conducive to life, life which may still await discovery.

Hydraulic Fracturing Declined Honours From Controversy In Leitrim The Queen Of England SHAUNA LOUISE KELLY @YourTextHere

Hydraulic fracturing (also referred to as “fr acking”) and the charge on septic tanks have been important issues for Ireland’s rural-dwelling population in recent months. The news a number of weeks ago that the Australian-Canadian firm Tamboran Resources announced that there is approximately fifty-five billion dollars worth of oil and gas reserves in county Leitrim has brought the issue to the forefront of national thought.

Tamboran stated that studies carried out in north Leitrim in recent months have shown that “substantial” amounts of gas have been detected, and the field could supply the natural gas needs of Ireland for up to twelve years. The company has also said that procuring the resources will involve the creation of a large number of jobs in the area, which has been sorely hit by mass youth emigration since Ireland’s economic downturn. Tamboran Resources chief executive, Richard Moorman, also spoke of a possible partnership for employee training with Sligo Institute of Technology in an interview with The Irish Times last year.

However, some of the region’s inhabitants are not happy these findings. Protests have been held

against the possibility of fracking as a means to extract the gas from the ground in Leitrim and other areas where similar exploration has been taking place. Fracking is a process in which large amounts of a highly pressurised liquid, usually water, are forced through holes in the rock layer to release gas or other substances for extraction. There are a number of environmental concerns including the possible contamination of nearby water supplies and air pollution. Energy Minister Pat Rabbitte has ordered an independent study of the area by the Environmental Protection Authority, which may lead to the granting of an extraction licence to Tamboran Resources.

The introduction of a charge on septic tanks in December’s budget is another issue that has been met with distaste by many people and also yielded much discussion in the Dáil. Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cúiv voiced his opposition to the charge due to its unfairness on those living in rural areas. However, the Water Services Amendment Bill was passed by 76 votes to 34. The charge, which was originally placed at fifty euro, was reduced to five euro by Environment Minister Phil Hogan last week. This charge of five euro will only occur if householders register their septic tanks before June 30th of this year. After that, the fifty euro charge will again come into place. All septic tanks are to be registered with local authorities by March of 2013. The charge is to be paid to cover the cost of inspections of septic tanks which will be undertaken by a new semi-state body, Irish Water, which will oversee water and sewerage facilities throughout the country. Minister Hogan also announced that financial aid will be made available to any householder whose septic tank is found to need refurbishment after the inspections.

MAJELLA ROGERS @sususummertime

Official records have released a list of names of people who have declined honours from the Queen. The file includes some of the most famous names of the 20th century who had declined an honour between 1951 and 1999 and have since died. Following a Freedom of Information request from the BBC, the files, which cover more than 40 years, include many Irish names also. Unfortunately, the reasons behind the refusal of honours are not recorded in the files. The files identify 287 instances of honours being declined, including 89 rejected MBE’s, 89 OBE’s, 61 CBE’s and 27 knighthoods.

In the past, a number of famous people have returned or refused honours bestowed upon them by the monarch, including John Lennon, who returned his MBE with a note to the Queen in 1969. The Beatles legend wrote, “Your Majesty, I am returning this in protest against Britain’s involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against Cold Turkey slipping down the charts. With Love, John Lennon of Bag.’’ Lennon is the only person to explain why he refused an honour and the reasons behind the other rejections are unknown.

In the files, it is evident that film director Alfred Hitchcock turned down a CBE in 1962, but also went on to accept a knighthood from the Queen four months before his death in 1980. A number of writers snubbed the accolade including children’s writer Roald Dahl, who rejected and OBE in 1986.

The data also confirms that Belfast-born C.S. Lewis refused a CBE in 1952. The files also confirm that LS Lowry turned down more honours than anyone else on the list. Over a period of 21 years, the painter refused five awards in total, including an OBE in 1955, a CBE in 1961, a knighthood in 1968 and two offers of becoming a Companion of Honour. Whilst people could reject honours, honours could also be fortified when a recipient was accused of a criminal offence. The list includes Irish-born colonial officer Roger Casement, who was convicted of treason and executed for his involvement in the 1916 Easter Rising. Irish poet Philip Larkin is also on the list.

Larkin (who is a winner of the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry) refused an OBE in 1968. Irish playwright Sean O’Casey also snubbed honours from the Queen.

Unfortunately, the data that was released does not cover living individuals as they are protected by the Data Protection Act. However in 2003, a list of people who had refused honours including Helen Mirren, rock legend David Bowie and TV cook Nigella Lawson was leaked to The Sunday Times, however, the motives behind most of the rejections remain unknown.

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Entire Staff of US School Removed As Police Investigate Child Sex Abuse ÁINE KIRWAN News Co-Editor @kirwanaine

The entire staff of a Los Angeles primary school are being investigated over sexual abuse claims.

The claims emerged after two teachers from the Los Angeles school were each charged and arrested with numerous cases of child abuse.

The 120 staff members of Miramonte Elementary School were removed from the school and temporarily replaced in order to carry out a full scale investigation. The Los Angeles police took these measures due to the revelations that emerged of sexual abuse charges against two teachers who were present in Miramonte up until their arrest.

The situation is being taken with extreme caution and vigilance as it is believed that further cases may emerge.

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent, John Deasy explained at a press conference how they “intend to interview every adult, every adult who works at that school, whether they are a teacher or administrator, or

whether they are an after-school playground worker or a custodian or a secretary. I mean every single solitary adult who works at Miramonte.”

It was revealed that in one case, children were being blindfolded, their mouths taped, and then photographed.

Although there is no exact time frame in place to let the Miramonte staff know how long the investigations may take, they will still be paid a full wage. Deasy said that “the last thing I’m worried about is a budget issue. The number one thing I’m worried about is the students.” With this being said, psychiatric social workers have been brought into Miramonte to help both students and staff cope with any issues that may arise.

One of the main questions that have been asked during the investigations is why parents have been left in the dark for so long over the sexual abuse cases. Concerns and confusion began to arise when news reports appeared, stating that two Miramonte teachers, Mark Berndt and Martin Springer had been arrested. It is believed that nothing would have been said to the parents and guardians of the Miramonte students if the media leak did not happen.

Berndt, 61, was charged with abusing 23 children, aged 6 to 10, between 2005 and 2010.

Currently on a $23 million bail, it is possible that Bernt could face life in prison if he is convicted.

His trial is planned to take place within the coming weeks. Springer, 49, was arrested on the suspicion of inappropriately touching two girls in his classroom.

Miramonte Elementary School principal Martin Sandoval speaking to reporters.

Springer is on a lower bail than Bernt of $2 million.

It is said that both Bernt and Springer remained

close friends during the duration of the time they spent together in Miramonte.

Further Anti-Austerity No End In Sights For Riots Spark In Greece Occupy Dame Street MARK DILLON

KATE PHELAN

During the weekend, Athens was seen in flames, as protestors took to streets to denounce the Greek government’s agreement to impose further austerity plans demanded by the ECB, IMF and European Commission troika. On Sunday, Greek police said that as many as 80,000 protestors had gathered, following a 48 hour general strike from the previous two days. Not all of the protestors resorted to violence, but unrest started when a group in Syntagma square tried to muscle past the police cordon protecting the parliament building.

They were met with tear gas grenades, which scattered protestors into nearby streets. A large group of protestors then retaliated with rocks and petrol bombs, and some began to riot. At the time of writing, up to seven buildings, including a Starbucks cafe, a bank and a cinema, had been set alight.

The austerity plans, which have led to these scenes, consist of €3.3bn worth of cuts, deemed necessary by the troika if Greece was to receive a second €130bn bailout. Some troika officials had seen the potential for occurrence such as this, with Poul Thomsen, a Danish IMF official overseeing the Greek austerity program, commenting that the

Central Bank Governor, Patrick Holohan, has stated that they will not be making any attempt to force out the Occupy Dame Street protestors, who set up camp there last October as a means of communicating their anger and frustration at the actions of bankers and financial institutions which led to the recession.

In New York, where the Occupy movement originated, protesters have not been so lucky, as their base on Wall Street at Zuccotti Park was raided by police last November. Their makeshift camps and belongings were removed, and Judge Michael D. Stallman of the State Supreme Court ordered that the movement could return to the camp but could not bring tents, sleeping bags, belongings or food. He stated his concerns about their occupation of the park as being related to health and safety. The decision was supported by the Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg.

In Dublin, where the occupation is at a much smaller scale, Holohan stated that although the bank didn’t “welcome the presence of the protesters”, they had no intentions of seeking to have them removed as long as no one was in danger

Opinion & Comment Editor

A member of the Greek riot police in action. troika “will have to slow down a little as far as fiscal adjustment is concerned”, warning of “limitations” of political support and social tolerance towards the deficit-cutting measures. These words came just days after EU leaders scolded the Greek premier for not keeping to an agreed reform programmed, including lowering labour costs and privatising the remaining state assets. However, proposals such as a 22% reduction in the minimum wage have not gone dowe well. These measures, combined with social problems such as a 48% youth unemployment rate, have seen the “limitations” being reached.

A protester at Occupy Dame Street last year. as a result of the occupation.

While the bank are not seeking their removal at present, it has been reported that several shop owners in the Temple Bar area surrounding the camp are keen to see those involved in the movement call an end to their occupation of the area outside Central Bank, as they feel it is hurting their business.

Speaking to thejournal.ie, shop owner Frank McQuade claimed that the camp is “killing small businesses in the area,” by discouraging shoppers from approaching businesses in the nearby streets.

Some shops have gone so far as to place posters in their windows calling for an end to Occupy Dame Street.

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Polish Woman Causes Controversy Through Poorly Translated Interview ÁINE KIRWAN News Co-Editor @kirwanaine

A polish woman caused a stir in the media in the past week as she promoted emigration and living in Ireland. The negativity towards her opinion of living in Ireland was due to attitude she had with regard to life on the live register, allegedly classing it as a “Hawaiian massage”. Labour Senator Jimmy Harte took such offense to the article that he told RTÉ Radio that he would pay for ‘Magda’s’ airfare to go back to Poland.

A Polish native, who used a cover name, was criticised after she explained to the Polish newspaper, Gazeta Wyborca, about her life experiences in Ireland, titled “Pole in Ireland. I love you, unemployment.” According to thejournal. ie, the article briefly noted on how she regarded Donegal as a “shithole” and that she is using this time to “reflect on her life”. Named as ‘Magda’, 36, she claimed how she is currently unable to work due to health reasons and is claiming a weekly amount of €267. Although she is pleased to be on the Dole and promotes how it functions, ‘Magda’

also states in the Polish article that she is not on the live register as choice: “Do I feel guilty about living on benefits? Certainly! I don’t want to live at the government’s expense.”

The Polish Embassy was quick to react and defend the words that were said by the mysterious critic. Polish ambassador, Marcin Nawrot cleared the air by explaining that the article was construed in a negative light. He explained how “in terms of her describing her life as “Hawaiian Massage”, at no stage in this article does she make such statement.

What she actually says is that she has completed a FÁS course in Hawaiian Massage and she is planning to open a massage business next year.” He indicated how the story was manipulated to form a media based vendetta against foreign nationals.

With all the controversy that was said by said “Magda”, she was forced to come into the public eye and plea her case in order to clear her name. Gaia Kowalik spoke to the Irish Times and defended her name by mentioning how she adores the Irish people, our lifestyle, and our culture. Since coming to Ireland in 2006, Kowalik said that she now regards Ireland as her home. The interview indicated that her life as been far from ideal and has faced her share of troubles as she has been in and out of jobs, resorting to a FÁS course to improve her chances of employment. Her own words on the issue made it clear that the original alleged translation could not have been further from the truth, regarding herself simply as “unlucky”.

The plague outside of the Polish Embassy in Dublin.

Media Censorship In Hungary Condemned

Civil Partnerships On The Rise Within Ireland

DECLAN MEENAGH

SHANE KIERNAN Technology Editor @shanezor101

@dagda

The Irish section of the National Union of Journalists, along with members of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions executive, students and Labour Youth Activists protested outside the Hungarian embassy in Dublin recently. The protest was in response to state censorship being imposed by the Hungarian government.

Barry McCall, NUJ Vice-President said: “Much has been made of the failure of EU states to meet fiscal guidelines. There has been an unacceptable silence on the shameful actions of the Hungarian government in attacking the right to free association, the right to organise and the right to freedom of expression. Since 2010, the Orban government has installed its own apparatchiks at MTV the national broadcaster, firing those who stood up to state censorship. The freedoms which are supported to be at the heart of the European Union have been trampled upon and continue to be undermined in Hungary. Ireland, through the Minister for Foreign Affairs must show leadership on this issue. We still retain our influence and our moral authority to speak on issues of fundamental

NUJ Vice President Barry McCall speaking. importance to all the citizens of Europe.”

The Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg said that the current system has caused a narrowing of the space in which the media can act freely in Hungary. The European Federation of Journalists, an umbrella group for journalist trade unions has described the situation as a “perfect storm that threatens the future of independent journalism in Hungary”.

Fidesz, Hungary’s far right ruling party has rewritten the Constitution in ways which opposition party parties and civil liberties groups claim undermine democracy. They claim the new electoral boundaries make it more likely that Fidesz will win future elections, and laws associated with the constitution have put stricter controls on the media, judiciary and the budget Fidesz says these claims are untrue and it is only doing a reboot of the Constitution which had never fully recovered from Communism.

Since civil partnership was introduced in Ireland in January of last year, 536 couples were registered in same-sex partnership in 2011 alone from 5 April onwards, as this was the initial date for the availability of same-sex partnership in Ireland.

These figures show a varied range of stats including age and location diversity.

Out of the 1,072 people who registered civil partnerships last year, 346 were between the ages of 41 and 50; 313 were between 30 and 40; and a further 114 people were just in their 20s. Of the remaining twelve people, eight were over the age of 70, and five were under the age 20. Of all partnerships, 201 were female couples while 335 were all-male.

In terms of location of these partnerships taking place, registrations took place in all counties, excluding county Clare. This absence of registrations in this county was not due to a lack of people celebrating civil partnership, but simply due to a lack of facilities to have the registration carried out. Additional figures released by GLEN (Gay and

Two men celebrating their Civil Partnership Lesbian Equality Network) state that 284 couples currently reside in Dublin, while 230 live elsewhere in Ireland. A further 22 couples have decided to move abroad.

While these figures represent the number of civil marriages which took place from April to December of 2011, GLEN has stated that the number of civil partnerships which took place overseas previous to the introduction of Irish civil partnerships is not counted in the figures released on 14 February. In addition, all same-sex marriages which take place and previously took place overseas are recognized in Ireland as civil partnerships.

Given these figures over an eight month period, an increase in civil partnerships can be expected over the coming months and years.

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Bill Granting Irish Visas Controversy Caused By Stalled By US Senator Proposed Atheist Shrine KATE PHELAN

EOGHAN RYAN

Potential legislation which would allow up to 10,000 Irish people a year to receive indefinitely renewable two-year E-3 visas to work in America has been stalled in the US Senate, by Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa. The Immigration Bill has already cleared the House of Representatives and was being hurried through the Senate by a Democratic senator of New York, Charles Schumer, who has been its most vocal advocate.

Senator Grassley has stated that his main concern in blocking the legislation is protecting Americans, particularly those in high skilled employment fields, from massive immigration of technically skilled workers. According to news sources,he is seeking to amend the bill to allow for immigration but to ensure that American workers will be given preference in recruitment.

The halt Grassley has placed is a blow to Schumer and the many supporters who have approved the bill, both Democratic and Republican, as unanimous consent is required to allow the introduction of legislation. It is expected that the Senate will now be heavily lobbied by Irish-

Prominent atheist philosopher and author, Alain De Botton, has proposed developing a range of secular monuments throughout England as a means of promoting atheism as a constructive force.

The first planned monument will be a 150ft tower in London’s financial district, titled the “Temple to Perspective”. De Botton hopes that the development of such monuments will promote atheism among the general public, while allowing a distinction to be drawn between “destructive” anti-theists such as the late Christopher Hitchens, and atheists who are not anti-religious.

Author of the 2006 book The Architecture of Happiness, De Botton has long emphasised the importance of beauty in architecture and it’s affect on people in their everyday lives.

The proposed monument is planned to be built from various types of stone. Each centimetre in height will represent one million years of earth’s existence, with a 1mm thick band of gold at its base representing humankinds’ short time on Earth with regard to the planet’s age.

The project has an estimated cost of £1 million, while approximately half of the funding for the project has been raised. Among the projects

Opinion & Comment Editor

Republication Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa.

American groups and those in the tech industry to navigate a path around Grassley’s opposition and pass the bill.

Irish-American group, ‘Irish Voice’, have stated that Eamon Gilmore will likely meet the head of the Senate, Mitch McConnell, who is himself an IrishAmerican, during a visit to Washington this week.

It is understood the Tanaiste will probably also seek a meeting with Senator Grassley, in an attempt to negotiate a way forward for the legislation. For the Government, the bill would undoubtedly alleviate some of the building pressure in Ireland over continuing record-nearing highs of unemployment.

According to the Irish Times, Irish emigration to the US doubled in the first four months of 2011 on the previous year, to a total of 4,400 people.

Philosopher, author and atheist Alain De Botton. adversaries are notable secular figures, such as Richard Dawkins, evolutionary biologist and author of works such as The God Delusion. Speaking to the Guardian, professor Dawkins expressed his opposition to the temple stating that “Atheists don’t need temples” and noting that the money would be better spent on secular education and non-religious schools which encourage rational thought.

While De Botton has received criticism for the proposed project, he argues that despite the title, the “temple” will not be erected with respect to any deity, but as a feat of architecture to be enjoyed by the non religious community.

Products High In Sugar STIs On The Increase To Be Given Added Tax? Amid Eldery Population GRAINNE HALLINAN

CONOR McGEE

Features Editor

Doctors in the US have argued that sugar can be as harmful as alcohol or tobacco and should be restricted through additional taxes. The findings, which were published in the journal Nature, revealed that the rising global rates of major illnesses such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes were not caused by obesity as was commonly thought, but by sugar.

The research was undertaken at the University of California, San Francisco, and found that sugar meets four of the criteria for regulation accepted by public health experts, and which are also applied to alcohol. These are - pervasiveness in society, toxicity, potential for abuse and negative impact on society.

Researchers have suggested that taxes should be applied to “added sugar”, which means any sweetener containing fructose that is added to food as it’s processed. This includes sweetened drinks and cereals. They also advised that the location and density of fast-food outlets around schools should be monitored, and that sales of sugary foods should be limited during the school day. An age

@HandsUpMcGee A spoon full of sugar leads to higher taxes now? limit for buying drinks with added sugar was also recommended.

Some countries, such as Denmark and Hungary, have already imposed a tax on foods that are high in saturated fats, and France has implemented a tax on soft drinks. In Ireland, the Government looked at the introduction of extra taxes on fatty foods and sugary drinks last year. Health Minister James Reilly revealed that he was holding discussions with the food and drinks industry on the issue of taxing sugary food and drinks, saying it was “absolutely under consideration”. However, no measures have been introduced as of yet. A consultation process has begun on including calorie counts on menus in restaurants.

Levels of obesity in Ireland are now higher than ever and the disease is putting a considerable strain on the health service. A survey funded by the Food for Health Research Initiative (FHRI) in 2011 discovered that 24% of 18-64 year olds were classed as obese, while 37% were considered overweight.

According to a recent study, it has emerged that not only the younger generations should be informed about the dangers of unprotected sex. The study which was undertaken by the British Medical Journal recorded how a high percentage of the senior population note themselves as being sexually active. The numbers accounted to revealing that 80% of 50-90 year olds are currently sexually active.

This high number of elderly people currently engaging in sexual relations has also led to the doubling in the number of sexually transmitted diseases in the past ten years.

Syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea and genital herpes seem to be among the more prevalent STI’s found among these older generations, according to the study entitled Sexual Health and the Older Adult. Researchers from several institutions across Britain have urged doctors to be more thorough in their diagnoses’ of the elderly, such as Rachael von Sinsom from London’s King’s College who writes that “Sexually transmitted infections are not high on your list of differential diagnoses – but increasing evidence indicates that they should be”.

STI tests should be taken by adults of all ages.

The study further goes on to mention that postmenopausal women more susceptible due to the physical changes their bodies undergo, as well as men who take erectile dysfunction drugs. Also the number of cases of HIV in over 50’s is 11 percent from ten years ago.

CNN quoted clinical psychologist Judy Kuriansky saying that “You never have to retire from sex. But you should always behave as the 20-30 year-olds do. You need to be cautious about it.” The message being stressed here to older generations is that they still need to be safe and use protection regardless of their age.

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The History of St. Valentines’ Day AOIFE THOMAS

Entertainments & Culture Co-Editor Roses are red violets are blue…

The simple occasion of Valentine’s Day holds a bit more complication than cute rhymes and chocolates. It has an inevitable outcome of two extremes. The history of Valentine’s Day may be controversial, but it holds a rather individual, personal meaning for each of us. A popular Valentine’s Day setting might primarily involve presents; resembling cute cards, cuddly teddy bears and red roses, leading on to a romantic dinner with candles and heart-warming sentiments. However, the other side of the story tells of a far different day, the second extreme witnesses the possibility of tears, heartache, jealousy, cosy blankets, alcohol and the unmistakably desired Ben and Jerry’s to compliment a night in front of the TV watching chick flicks.

But where did it all begin? The legend of St. Valentine comprises of more mystery than actual fact. However, it is believed that the patron saint; St. Valentine was a Roman, who was martyred and served as a Catholic priest during the third century reign of Emperor Claudius. When Claudius II decided to outlaw marriage, viewing single men as better soldiers above those that were husbands, Valentine saw the injustice of this decree and continued to perform marriages in secret. He was soon discovered and Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Another variation of the story suggests that St. Valentine was killed during his time in jail for trying to help Christians escape the harsh injustices they were suffering at the hands of the Romans.

According to one legend, the first Valentine was sent to the jailor’s daughter when she went to visit the imprisoned Valentine. He allegedly wrote her a letter signing it; “from your Valentine”.

Each variation of the story represents Valentine as a heroic, sympathetic and most romantic figure.

Pope Gelasius appointed the 14th of February as a day to commemorate the workings of St. Valentine in 496 A.D. Such an occasion further acknowledges February as the month of romance, resembling both Christian and Ancient Roman tradition.

The well-known Cupid seems to also play a major part in the beginnings of the romantic holiday that is full of red roses and affection. The images of a winged child carrying a bow and arrow symbolise emotions and desires of love. Translating to ‘Eros’ in Greek, he was the son of Aphroditethe goodness of love and beauty. Through Roman mythology, Cupid was the God of love and Venus was his mother.

In a romance of his own, Venus asked her son to punish Psyche for she was jealous of her beauty, but instead Cupid fell madly in love with her and whisked her away to a perfect secluded setting.

Psyche was happy until her sisters persuaded her to look at Cupid, something of which she was sworn never to do. By looking at him Cupid banished her and took away her idyllic surroundings. But in an attempt to find her one true love again, she came across the temple of Venus; there Venus gave her a series of tasks, each one harder than the next. One particular task saw Psyche travel to the underworld in search of the beauty of Proserpine, the wife of Pluto and put it in a box. Though she was warned not to open the box temptation gave in and in it

A decorative portrait of St. Valentine. she found a deadly slumber. Cupid found her and instantly removed the slumber from her body. Their love was then rekindled and Psyche was made a Goddess.

In light of these historical stories it would seem that Valentine’s Day was not a commercial holiday created by Hallmark in order to increase consumerism, it was simply to commemorate the day of St. Valentine and the works of Cupid through the emotions of desire and love.

The thing about Valentine’s Day is that it’s more personal than most traditional holidays and is

celebrated in different ways; many people devote themselves to buying gifts or seeking tonnes of ice cream. It may be the only annual occasion that celebrates an emotion.

Though felt by each individual at some point in their life, the feeling of love may be defined as the most powerful yet, hurtful emotion of all time, but we all long for it. Valentine’s Day for some is a celebration of the happiness they share with a soul mate or close friend and for other’s it may just be a reminder that the best is yet to come.

40th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday

MAJELLA ROGERS @majrod

The 30th January 2012 marked the 40th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. As the families of those killed on the day joined for a memorial service and a march in Derry, many still felt that justice has not yet been served. Bloody Sunday (or the Bogside Massacre) occurred in Derry in January 1972 during a Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) protest. Twenty six unarmed civil rights protesters were shot by the British Army during the NICRA march and fourteen people were killed. Seven of the protesters who were killed on Bloody Sunday were teenagers and six of them were just seventeen years old.

After images, videos and pictures of the events of Bloody Sunday were streamed all over the world, the British Army argued that they had opened fire on the civil rights protesters because the protesters had guns. Since 1972, the families of those who were killed have fought to clear their names, arguing that the protesters were unarmed and innocent. David Donaghy was just fifteen years old when he was shot on Bloody Sunday. In an inquiry held in 2001, Donaghy admitted to throwing stones at the British Army before he was shot but argued that he did not deserve to be shot for his actions.

Although Donaghy admitted to having thrown stones at the British Army that day, it is argued that many of the other victims were unarmed. Five of the victims of Bloody Sunday were shot in the back as they were evidently running away from the British Army. The relatives of the victims have protested and fought for the innocence of their loved ones for decades until the news that they had waited 38 years for finally arrived in June 2010.

A public inquiry by Lord Saville, declared that all of the victims of Bloody Sunday were innocent, prompting an apology from the British Prime Minister David Cameron. The Saville Inquiry was the longest running inquiry in British history and it found that the events in Derry on 30th January 1972 were ‘’unjustified and unjustifiable.’’ The inquiry also stated that the casualties were down to the soldiers ‘’losing their self-control’’ and that the protesters were unarmed when the army opened fire on them.

The Saville inquiry was a huge achievement for the victims of Bloody Sunday and their families also. John Kelly, whose seventeen year old brother Michael was killed on Bloody Sunday, said ‘No one in their wildest dreams expected us to achieve what we have achieved.’ Kelly, who had fought for nearly four decades to clear his brother’s name, said that it was an emotional moment but that the majority of the families of the Bloody Sunday victims wanted to see the soldiers responsible for the shootings prosecuted. Kate Nash, whose teenage brother William was also killed on Bloody Sunday, had hoped that the prosecutions of the soldiers involved would occur after the Saville inquiry.

‘I thought that there would be prosecutions, but nothing really happened’ she said. While many of

A gathering to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. the families are pressing for the prosecution of the soldiers involved, most of them have decided not to hold the annual march after the 40th anniversary memorial service. Kate Nash however, said that the march should remain an annual event to help lobby for other bereaved families seeking justice, and over one thousand people took part in the march after the memorial service.

Thousands of people attended the funerals of those who were killed on Bloody Sunday and it remains one of the most significant events in the troubles of Northern Ireland. It was important as those who died were unarmed and shot at by the

British Army rather than the paramilitaries, and they were also in full view of the public and the press. Pictures, videos and images of the British Army opening fire on unarmed protesters in 1972 was streamed all over the world and shocked millions. The events of Bloody Sunday shocked the world and also showed the powerful effect that media and the news had on people. Although the families of those killed have succeeded in clearing the names of their loved ones, they are still fighting for the prosecution of the soldiers involved in Bloody Sunday.

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February 16th 2012 - Volume 3, Issue 8

The Arab Spring: One Year Later SHANE COFFEY @shanecoffey2

The situation in Egypt today is one of uncertainty, flux and excitement. The revolution is changing each day with new threats, hopes and fears with the livelihood of 81 million people at the centre of it all. I recently had the opportunity to talk with ex-Maynooth student David Lynch, now an award-winning journalist and author. He’s reported from the Middle East over the past 7 years and since the outbreak of the revolution in Egypt last year has been right at the forefront of the action.

One year after the inspiring protests that brought down the dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak, the demands of the protesters have still not been met.

The secular, democratic spirit that launched the revolution is in conflict with the conservative religious aspects of society that threaten to take over the country. The building frustration at the lack of change boiled over on the 2nd of February in a sickening display of violence in Port Said football ground. 74 people died in a stampede of outraged young men whose anger was directed more at the establishment than each other. The majority of the victims were killed either by being stabbed or crushed in the melée. The violence was caused by rising anger and resentment within the revolutionary youth of Egypt. It is this demographic of young, educated men that were responsible for the revolution in the first place. Their resentment and anger at the regime spurred the rest of the

country on to the streets and forced Mubarak from power. Their anger is not without reason, in a country with 25% youth unemployment and 20% of the population living below the poverty line there is much to resent in present-day Egypt. The internet and international media has given many people in Egypt access to western standards of life and life expectation and the protestors utilized new tools such as Facebook and Twitter to spread messages during the blackout imposed by Mubarak.

The mood that exists now in Egypt, however, is quite different than what was expected this time last year. Mubarak is gone but the dark forces of the military still hold the reins of power. Everything is still to play for and there are no certainties in a country that had no official political opposition during the Mubarak era. New political forces are coming to the fore, the largest being the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that many in the west have heard of but few know much about. They made the largest political gains in the recent election, but not all are convinced that they are a legitimate and trustworthy political force. It is easy to see the situation as a secular vs religious split but as always there are far more details in play than meet the eye. During my discussions with David Lynch, he described how the Brotherhood is an umbrella movement that contains many strands of thinking, some more liberal than others. Time will tell if they are up to the job of uniting the country and building it up to what those who fought for its future want it to be. Lynch has been right at the fore of the protests and was right in the centre of the crowds in Tahrir square last November when the much-hated security forces made their initial surge on protesters. That day he experienced their brutality first hand as the tear gas and rubber bullets made their impact on the crowds. When I interviewed him about his time in Egypt, his enthusiasm and excitement jumped out at me as

A painted mural in Egypt commemorating the Arab Spring of the 25th of January 2011. he described how he feels about “Working and studying here, I often think this must be what it felt like to work in Paris in the 1790s, or Russia in 1917, or Eastern Europe in 1989 - I know it sounds romantic but that’s the way I feel some mornings!” Like most of us in Maynooth, he formed his political opinions in the Roost, a time

he looks back on fondly today. In fact he described the roost as important to his education as the arts block! “If I went back in time and told the 19 year old me, drinking in the Roost, that in 2012 I would be living, studying and writing from a city living through a revolution- well then I think he would have been pretty pleased with that.”

The “MSM” Blood Ban: The Facts MATTHEW MULLIGIAN @sususummertime

The Irish Blood Transfusion Board is almost constantly short of blood. On its website, it states that it only has a few days blood supply for each blood type. It is because of this shortage of blood that the IBTB in its important mission relies on the almost constant blood donations from people.

Of course, only good blood is accepted - blood which is clean and free from disease and viruses which would be transmitted through bodily fluids.

For this reason the IBTB does not accept blood donations from people who have these diseases and does not use blood found to have these diseases when tested. However, another group excluded from giving blood, even if disease free, is the group known as “men who have sex with men (MSM)”, i.e. any male who has ever engaged in sexual relations with another man (which excludes virginal homosexuals, who can and should give blood).

Members of this group, who are mostly (though not strictly) homosexual or bisexual, are banned automatically for life from giving blood to the IBTB, who use terms such as exclusion or deferral instead of ban.

The IBTB’s policy is based on the fact that

homosexuals and other men who have sex with men are in a high risk group for STIs and other dangerous diseases. A recent study conducted by UCD in 2010 showed that while 40.5% of new cases of HIV here were caused by men who have sex with men, 37.2% of these cases were caused by heterosexual behaviour. Added to these statistics is the fact that heterosexual transmission was at one point in 2002 the highest cause of new cases of HIV here, with 63.7% new cases caused by it. In both homosexual and heterosexual cases though, it is a small percentage of each of the communities as a whole who are HIV positive. Even if a gay man was faithful to his partner for life, and neither had slept with anyone else, they would both be banned from donating blood. On this issue of faithfulness, and the fact that promiscuity is reasoned to by the IBTB as to why homosexuals are high risk, Dr. William Murphy, the Medical Director of the IBTB, admitted that “any regular blood donor in a stable partnership is safer than one who is not, all other things being equal” and said that the IBTB are “unreasonable” in treating all homosexuals as promiscuous.

The IBTB admits that its policy of a life ban “causes considerable offence” and is “discriminatory” by nature, but still stands by it. It hopes to stop cases of HIV, hepatitis and others by singling out, in effect, gay men from giving blood.

The Board says it screens all blood before it is used in transfusions, and its tests include those for the aforementioned diseases. However it admits that a very small amount tainted blood does sometimes get through. There is something to be said for the cases of Spain and Italy, where their policy differs from Ireland. They classify sexual risk not by

A wristband promoting giving blood, an act from which sexually active male homosexuals are prohibited. sexuality but by risk itself, asking prospective blood donors whether they have had “sexual intercourse with a high risk of transmission of STIs” in which case a permanent ban applies or whether they engage in “occasional sexual intercourse with a risk of STIs” in which case a year-long ban comes into effect. This means men who have sex with men can donate blood if not engaged in high risk sexual activity. The same policy is in effect Spain.

In both these countries the number of people infected by HIV through blood transfusion has fallen dramatically over a ten year period; in Italy in 1999, 24 people were infected; in 2001 that figure fell to 10, in 2004, 4. According to the Spanish Ministry for Health, the number of HIV infections

which have occurred through blood donation have decreased also, from 13 in 2001 to 4 in 2003 and 2 each in 2004 and 2005.

These measures in Spain and Italy do not single out gay people. Rather they take sexuality and sex as a spectrum of low risk to high risk, and ascertain how risky a potential donor’s sexual behaviour is. This policy has been shown to work, as it even makes heterosexuals who may have engaged in risky behaviour realise that they are at risk. The important step that the IBTB needs to make is the distinction between high risk sexual behaviour with high rate of transmission, and a faithful lifelong gay couple who would be excluded.

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February 16th 2012 - Volume 3, Issue 8

PRINT WELFARE

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Welfare@NUIMSU.com Facebook.com/ThePrintMSU | Twitter.com/ThePrintMSU

Your Sexual Experience & Health FIACH O’NEILL

Vice President for Welfare & Equality Sex. Am I ready?

Deciding when to have sex for the first time is something you have to do for yourself. This can be whether you’re in a committed relationship or looking for something more casual.

But how do you know you’re ready? Just because your friends are sexually active doesn’t mean it’s the right time for you, and likewise, even if your friends decide to wait, you can feel differently. It’s an individual choice, but asking yourself some important questions first can help you feel secure about making it.

Do you know what consent means?

Never have sex because you think you should.

If you decide to take the step with someone, do it because you both want to.

Have you talked about it?

It’s easy to gossip about sex with your friends, but it’s more important you’re able to discuss it with the person you’re thinking of sleeping with. That way you know for sure if they’re interested, and if both of you are on the same page when it comes to contraception.

Have you looked into contraception?

Before you have sex with someone, sort yourself out with some contraception. A crisis pregnancy is a worry, but so is the possibility of getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are different methods but remember only condoms prevent pregnancy and the spread of STIs. Are you carrying condoms? You too girls!

It’s good to be prepared, even if you haven’t had sex yet. Don’t worry about looking like you’re desperate for sex, having a condom with you shows you’re thinking about your own health and the health of anyone you might end up in bed with.

What about your feelings?

When we have sex, it’s not just our bodies but our minds that are affected. Whether you’re in a longterm relationship or not, sex is the most intimate physical act you can experience with another person.

So before you do it, examine your own feelings about the person you want to sleep with. Are both of you interested in sex for the same reasons? Is it more about love and romance for one of you and more about the sexual urge for the other? It sounds a bit formal but if you negotiate boundaries and expectations before you have sex, it’ll lessen the chances of someone being disappointed afterwards.

Are you open to getting advice?

There are a lot of myths floating around about sex, and separating fact from fiction can be difficult.

If you’re thinking about having sex for the first time you’ll have questions that need to be answered.

Discuss them with the person you’re planning to have sex with if you can, but until you have your answers, hold off on taking the step. Talk to someone you trust. You’ll probably enjoy sex more if you’re fully informed and feel like you’re ready.

Myths about first time sex Myth 1: You can’t get pregnant or catch an STI the first time you have sex Fact: Not true. Every time you have sex you’re at risk of catching an STI or getting pregnant, unless you use a condom. Find out more about contraception, or call into your nearest sexual health clinic.

Myth 2: First time sex always hurts Fact: Not always. Sometimes first time sex is

pleasurable and fun. Sometimes it’s uncomfortable, even painful. Try using lubrication, or asking the person you’re with to slow down if it’s uncomfortable. If it’s hurting a lot, stop. It shouldn’t be too painful. It’s important to talk to your partner about these issues and work out ways to make sex more comfortable. Sometimes when girls have sex for the first time there might be some bleeding. It happens when a ring of tissue called the hymen, located along the entrance to the vagina, breaks. It shouldn’t last long and is perfectly natural. If pain or bleeding continues, it’s important to talk to a health practitioner.

Myth 3: The first time will be perfect Fact: It probably won’t. TV and movies often glamorise the first time, which gives unrealistic expectations about what it’s really like. It’s ok if the first time isn’t perfect. It’s natural to feel self-conscious about your body. And sometimes unexpected things happen when having first time sex, so it’s good to feel comfortable enough to talk about it, before and after.

Advice for guys Lots of advice about first time sex is geared towards girls, because there can be more physical pain involved for them, and a risk of pregnancy. It tends to be assumed that guys are always eager to have sex, girls less so.

But this is often not the case, and a lot of times guys feel pressured to want sex. In fact, guys can feel just as nervous about having sex for the first time as girls and can have a million worries, from premature ejaculation, to penis-size, to whether he can satisfy the girl or guy he’s with sexually. Guys may not feel ready for sex at all, but can feel weird about admitting this to others, as though it makes them less of a man.

Tips for guys to remember when thinking about having sex for the first time: + Don’t do it just because your friends are + Most girls will be more attracted to a guy who waits for the right person to come along, rather than sleeping with the first person they can get into bed. Wait if you want to. + Don’t worry about the size of your penis. You’ll find that nobody cares about this except you. What’s far more important is to be considerate of the needs of the person you’re having sex with – listen to them, respect them and try to focus on giving them pleasure. + Don’t stress about performance problems. Many guys worry about premature ejaculation before having sex for the first time. It can be a common problem, but it’s important to relax before having sex and not worry about problems ahead of time.

Be realistic.

Often when we fantasise about having sex, we think about it as it looks in the movies. Hollywood sex always takes place in a romantic setting, with soft lighting and sexy music. Sex in reality won’t be as picture-perfect as that, but that’s ok. Let’s face it, most guys and girls look at porn. Porn movies make sex look exotic and adventurous, and the actors are all portrayed as willing to do anything.

But most men and women don’t look like porn stars and real-life sex can turn out completely different from what we see on the screen. Understand that sex with someone you care about is different from the stimulation you get from watching porn. The guy or girl you’re with won’t necessarily want to act like they’re a porn star either, and that should be ok with you.

Saying no Having sex can be very enjoyable and rewarding when it’s agreed on by both people involved. But feeling pressured isn’t a good reason to have sex, even if you really want the other person to like you, or to go out with you.

You might hear that other people you both know are sexually active, and feel that it’s now expected of

you. It’s never ok to pressure someone into having sex, and you should never feel bad about saying no. Don’t let yourself be intimidated into having sex with anyone, just explain you’re not ready. If the other person respects you, they’ll wait until you are, which mightn’t be for a long time. If they keep asking, maybe it’s time to consider if this relationship is for you.

Afterwards After you have sex for the first time, you might experience a whole range of emotions – some good, some confusing. You can feel worried or guilty, or can begin feeling more romantic about the other person. If you’re having trouble dealing with this yourself, you should talk to the person involved, and with other people you can trust, like friends, family members or a counsellor.

Your Sexual Health

If you’re sexually active, it’s important to be screened regularly for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). You should also discuss any reproductive or sexual health issues with a doctor or nurse.

What is an STI test?

An STI test is when you’re screened for STIs by a doctor. It’s also a chance or you to ask questions about your reproductive and sexual health.

Who can carry out an STI test?

It depends on where you’re located and what services you have access to. An STI test is carried out by a health practitioner – your local GP, or a doctor or nurse at a sexual health clinic or family planning clinic.

Who needs an STI test?

Anyone who is sexually active should be regularly tested for STIs. How often and when you need to have one depends on your lifestyle and level of sexual activity. A sexual health check is advisable if any of the following circumstances apply to you: + if you think you might have an STI, + if you’ve had unprotected sex, including vaginal, oral and anal sex, + if the condom you were using broke or fell of during sex, + if your partner has another sexual partner, + if you have more than one sexual partner, + if you’ve shared injecting equipment, + if you’re starting a new sexual relationship.

What happens during a test?

The nurse or doctor will usually begin by taking your sexual history. Some of the questions they will ask can seem quite personal, such as: + how many sexual partners you’ve had, + sexual activities you’ve engaged in, + if you have sex with men, women or both, + whether you have any symptoms, + whether you’ve injected drugs and/or shared injecting equipment + whether you have tattoos or body piercings You might feel uncomfortable about telling the truth when answering questions. But if you don’t give accurate information, you might not get the best advice or be given the right tests – this could mean your health could be seriously affected. Some STIs can lead to long-term health problems if not treated properly. Check with the doctor or nurse to make sure all the information you give them is confidential.

During the examination (with your consent), your external genital area may be examined for any signs of STIs. A range of tests may be done including: + a urine sample and/or blood test, + vaginal swabs (when fluid sample is collected for examination on a slide under a microscope), + swabs from the throat or rectum, + a vaginal examination may also be performed, such as a cervical smear test (a smear test is a routine procedure that all sexually active women

are advised to undertake every two years).

This all sounds very daunting, but it’s a relatively simple procedure that isn’t as bad as it sounds. It’s really important to look after your sexual health, for yourself and for others who you are sexually active with.

Note: there is a national cervical screening programme in Ireland currently, which provides free smear tests to women aged 25 to 60 who are eligible for screening. Cervical screening is the most effective method of reducing a woman’s risk of developing cervical cancer.

Contact tracing You should also check if contact tracing will take place, and what the laws in your area are are.

Contact tracing is the process of identifying how an infection may have spread from person to person.

The doctor or nurse does this by asking you for the contact details of people you’ve had sexual contact with. Contact tracing only occurs if you test positive for certain types of STIs, such as HIV. What questions should you ask?

You can consider a visit to a sexual health clinic or your GP as a chance to ask any questions you have about your sexual health, or to discuss anything that has been worrying you. A good nurse or doctor should encourage you to ask questions.

It’s important you feel like you’re able to ask any questions you have. It is equally important they answer your questions and explain all procedures in a way you’re able to understand.

Some of the questions you may wish to ask the practitioner before you have a sexual health check: + Can someone under the age of 17-years-old to be seen without their parent or guardian present? + Is there an age limit at which a young person won’t be seen without a parent or guardian? + How much does it cost? + Does the service reduce fees in any way for young people or students? + Does this service provide free or low cost Hep B vaccinations? + Are there emergency appointments that can be used for pregnancy testing or emergency contraception?

Some questions you can ask during the examination: + What specific STIs are you being tested for? + Will the test be a blood test, swab or urine test?

(Many people mistakenly think a blood test will detect all STIs, but a urine and/or a swab test should also be carried out to be sure.) + If any of the tests are positive, do I have to tell anyone? + Will the doctor or nurse tell anyone? + What are the treatment options? + Will this affect my future fertility, pregnancy or general health?

Feeling comfortable Stay in tune with how you’re feeling. If you’re feeling uncomfortable with the nurse or doctor, or you detect discomfort in the person you’re consulting, you can choose to see someone else.

Please check out the K.I.S.S. Week sexual health packs for more information on Contraception and Sexually Transmitted Infections.

You can pick up a pack by emailing welfare@nuimsu.com or just dropping into the Students’ Union office and asking to talk to Fiach.

As the Welfare & Equality Officer, Fiach deals with a wide of issues regarding student well-being. If you’re under the weather or stressed over a personal issue, make sure to get in contact with him. He’s lovely!

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February 16th 2012 - Volume 3, Issue 8

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PRINT ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE

Entertainment@ThePrint.ie Facebook.com/ThePrintMSU | Twitter.com/ThePrintMSU

From Indie-Pop To Pop-Up-Shop: An Interview with Ronan from Delorentos DYLAN COLLEY @DylanColley

Irish indie band Delorentos have recently launched their third LP Little Sparks. To promote this, the band set up pop-up shops in cities throughout Ireland where they hung around chatting to fans, selling merchandise and performing small acoustic sets. The shops were located in Cork, Limerick, Galway and finally Dublin, which took place on Saturday the 4th of February. The Tuesday after the Dublin pop-up shop on South King Street, I met up with vocalist and guitarist Rónan with a cup of tea, while he had coffee, to discuss the shops, general promotion and the new album.

First of all, Rónan explained to me the thoughts behind the pop-up shops and what allowed the band to do them: “It kind of came out of the creative process in recording the album. Our own preoccupations, maybe, in earlier days kind of stopped ourselves doing things we wanted to do. I had my heroes, and I wanted to be like them, whether it be Bruce Springsteen or Julian Casablancas but I think in the course of making this album we were more comfortable with ourselves. When it came to promoting the album, we wanted to do it in a fun way, do things we hadn’t. As well as really growing in our music, we really wanted to enjoy being in a band. We’re an independent act, nobody tells us what to do or how we should do things, so we felt why should we restrict each other? Why not try all sorts of crazy ideas? It was just one of the many ideas we had that seemed fun, exciting and different.”

At the shops, among t-shirts, posters and CDs in the merchandise, was a magazine which contained an EP at the back including songs not available on the album itself: “Kieran always wanted to put together a magazine – he collects Mojo and Uncut and all these great magazines. He said ‘I’d love to do that myself, even just once’. In the spirit of having some sort of added value and giving people more insight into the band, we thought we could put it together and get in touch with our friends and those who inspire us – young Irish people who are doing some really cool stuff, and shed some light on what’s happening in Ireland. It’s just a really nice thing to have. From there, brainstorming rolled on and popup shops thing came up. Kieran seems to be our good ideas man.”

Many times through our chat, Rónan used the word “fun” to describe the pop-up shops, he went

on to describe just how enjoyable they were: “We had families come in, we were showing kids how to play the instruments – it was just a really fun day. You can’t help but notice, there seems to be more business units with Gillette signs on them than with people in them. It’s great because it all comes from us. What we were doing was as much a creative thing as a commercial thing. This was completely coming from us. For better or worse, it was down to us. It was great to be just able to say we’re an independent act, we were at the helm. It was really good fun.”

Amongst the fans, there is definitely a feeling of being valued with Delorentos more than many other bands. I wondered, does Rónan feel like it’s just as important to cater to dedicated fans as well as the new fans?

“Definitely! In this case, it was all up to fans making it work. It was really informal, just kinda hanging out. People brought cakes and biscuits and Rice Krispie buns, it was just really nice. We’re really lucky; maybe if at the beginning we’d have been on a major label, we might’ve been that bit more separated. We’ve never been on a major label, so we don’t know. We meet lots of people and have gotten to know some fans quite well over the years. Our fans are the best people to spread the word about the band. We’re really lucky in that regard. We’ve been going full steam the last 6 or 7 years, and they’ve stuck with us. The good will with the release of this album has been really overwhelming.”

Many Irish bands including Delorentos, Royseven, Codes use interesting and different acoustic versions to promote themselves, such as at Saturday’s event. Rónan went on to describe this as a form of promotion: “A huge amount of work goes in, but we had loads of fun putting them together. If you’re Lisa Hannigan or Conor O’Brien or James Vincent McMorrow, they can sit down with just an acoustic guitar and blow people away. When we started out, we weren’t as comfortable or as confident maybe without a wall of sound to hide behind us. With some bands, there’s a bit of resentment: ‘Oh we’ve to go to this radio station and play a crappy acoustic version’. It’s funny, but it’s a really bad attitude to have.

“We wanted to do this show we hadn’t put on before. Níal’s dad had an accordion from when he was learning, he put it up in the attic and it hadn’t been touched for 50 years. It was weird – he had a bit of a problem with it. I said it to my dad and he told me his friend might have one, so he brought it down and it was the exact same! Same case and everything. We bought a harmonium making the album, which we then used. There was a lot of work gone into it but it was so rewarding to do it. It started out with Bullet In a Gun which we recorded kind of spontaneously last summer in Madrid – we decided it’d be really cool if we could, over a year, record all our acoustic versions in video form. The reactions to those... some say ‘I actually prefer the acoustic version’ and even members of the band feel that way.”

Ronan performing as a part of the Delorentos.

Little Sparks is the third album to be independently released by the band and also the third to hit the top 10. With the confidence after the first two reaching #7 and #2 respectively, were they more complacent this time around?

“No way! You can never be complacent! When we started, the idea that you’d get to a certain point and someone would take over and do the work for you was still prevalent enough. Maybe it felt we were still hoping someone would step in. This time around, that thought didn’t even occur to us. It was a tough week, we scraped into the top ten. It’s funny, even though this was at #10 , it was strangely the most rewarding of the three. It feels like we’ve holistically worked so hard, it feels real.

“Getting the news, we were at one of the shops.

We were in Limerick. One thing we definitely resolved after the band briefly broke up and got back together is that we appreciate things. We make sure to take a second to appreciate the good things when they happen. We don’t rest on our laurels, but there’s no harm in having a little smile. It’s great, it’s really, really great. People sometimes ask me, ‘If you hear your song on the radio, do you get sick of it?’

You obviously really want your songs to be on the radio, there is that. The other side is there’s still this kid, every time can feel like the first time hearing your song on the radio.

“Going to play a show in Amsterdam a couple of years ago, we had a rental car for a few days. Flicking around all of the stations, not understanding a word and then S.E.C.R.E.T. came on the radio! I was just like ‘Holy crap! I can’t believe it!’ It was incredibly surreal. Not understanding what they were saying, we were

asking did they like it? Or are they saying [with his best Dutch accent] ‘This is a joke band, have a laugh at this’? We never found out... Those moments always give you a bit of a thrill.”

During the day of the pop-up shop in Dublin, there was a definite air about the crowd that they were all asking the same question, ‘Will Níal and Ross ever sing live?’

“Myself and Kieran are always asking the same question! It was one thing that always excited me from the beginning that all of the band actually could sing. Obviously, Kieran and myself do most of the singing. The guys are singing more and more. On Little Sparks, Ross has penned 3 original songs and sings lead on a couple. I dunno, maybe it’s a comfort thing. Ross has incredible attention to detail, maybe he feels if to be singing would compromise the drums...! Níal has the song on You Can Make Sound, Let The Light Go Out. We don’t play it much – I love the song. We did it once, went down in folklore. I think there’ll be more. There’s some really gorgeous harmonies, done well. Can create such a lush sound, I think it’ll be done more and more. Maybe as the band goes on there’ll be less and less sense of a lead vocalist. All I can say is I hope so, like everyone else. They’ve definitely got amazing voices and unique voices and they deserve to be heard.”

Delorentos third long player Little Sparks is available now in record shops. The band will playing Dublin’s The Button Factory on the 25th of February, Dolans Warehouse in Limerick on the 2nd of March and Cyprus Avenue in Cork on the 3rd of March.

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February 16th 2012 - Volume 3, Issue 8

PRINT ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE

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Entertainment@ThePrint.ie Facebook.com/ThePrintMSU | Twitter.com/ThePrintMSU

Whitney Houston Dies At 48 LYNDSEY FARRELL

Entertainments & Culture Co-Editor @TheLyndog Music and vocal sensation Whitney Houston has died at the age of 48. She was pronounced dead at 3:55pm, local time, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on Saturday 11th February, with her publicist Kristen Foster announcing the tragic news to the public. The cause of death was unknown when this article went to print. It was reported that Houston’s body was removed from the bathtub of her hotel room before emergency services had arrived. Although several bottles of prescription drugs were found in the hotel room, police found no illegal substances at the scene, TMZ has revealed. It was also reported that an autopsy will be carried out to determine the cause of the singer’s death.

Houston’s mentor and life-long friend Clive Davis memorialized the singer on Saturday night at his Pre-Grammy Gala in the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where Houston was set to perform. A heartbroken Davis stated, “Simply put, Whitney would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on”. Fellow singer Jennifer Hudson performed a tribute to the star at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards at Staples Centre, Los Angeles.

Ken Erhlic, the executive producer of the Grammy’s spoke of the reason behind the tribute, “We would be remiss if we didn’t recognise Whitney’s remarkable contribution to music in general and in particular her close ties with the Grammy telecast and her Grammy wins and nominations over the years.”

With over 170 million records sold worldwide, Whitney Houston is one of the highest-selling and most successful female artists of all time. During her career, she won over 415 awards, including

6 Grammys, 2 Emmys, 16 Billboards and 23 American Music Awards. New York Times wrote that she “possesses one of her generations most powerful gospel-trained voices… and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, she communicates cool self-assurance and strength.”

Her behaviour and drug addiction in her later years, however, seemed to overshadow the woman who was once the titled the Queen of Pop. Whitney Houston seemed destined for fame; she was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, cousin on the 1960s diva Dianne Warwick, and the goddaughter of singing icon Aretha Franklin.

She sang gospel music in choirs growing up and remained loyal to her gospel roots throughout her career, with several renditions of “Yes Jesus Loves Me” and the breathtaking performance of “A Quiet Place”. As a teenager she sang backing vocals for singers Chaka Khan and Jermaine Jackson as well as her mother. It was around this time that Clive Davis first heard her sing: “The time that I first saw her singing in her mother’s act in a club… it was such a stunning impact. To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song.”

It wouldn’t be long before the rest of the world would hear this fire. Houston made her debut in 1985 with the album Whitney Houston, which sold millions and released hit after hit. “Saving All My Love For You” brought her first Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal. Other smash-hits from this album include “How Will I Know” and “The Greatest Love Of All”. Houston continued her successful streak with a second album entitled Whitney, which went multi-platinum and included the classic dance tune “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”.

1992 saw Houston’s marriage to former New Edition member and “bad boy” Bobby Brown.

While she was seen as America’s sweetheart, Houston believed that she was more like Brown than people would believe, “I am no angel. I can get down and dirty”. ‘92 was also the year that Houston would become a Hollywood actress, starring as Rachel Marron alongside Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard. As well as being an international success, the movie gave the singer her most

Famed singing Whitney Houston. 1963 - 2012. memorable hit, the spectacular cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You”, which topped the American and UK charts and stayed there for 14 weeks and 10 weeks respectively. This song, which Houston made her own, was the Grammy winner for Best Pop Vocal of 1992.

Houston went on to star in other movies during the mid 90s such as The Preachers Wife and Waiting To Exhale. In 1998 she released another studio album My Love Is Your Love, which brought yet another Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal for the single “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay”.

During her success in the 90s, however, Houston was abusing drugs. She confessed in an interview in 2010 with Oprah Winfrey that doing drugs became “an everyday thing. I was losing myself.” She went on to blame her rocky marriage to Bobby Brown for her unhappiness and substance abuse. The pair had divorced in 2007, after numerous charges

against Brown for domestic abuse. It wasn’t until this interview with Winfrey that the singer declared herself drug-free.

2009 saw what promised to be a successful comeback for the singing sensation, with her new album I Look To You going platinum and debuting at the top of the charts. Unfortunately, however, cracks soon started to appear. Her world tour after the album’s release left many disappointed, as she forgot lyrics to some of her songs and failed to hit notes which were once sang effortlessly. So many fans wished for her to do well, but they were left to believe that she lost the magic she had once ruled the charts with.

Although her career in the last few years wasn’t as successful as it had been in the past, no one can deny that the music world has lost one of its brightest stars. There will never be another voice like Whitney Houston. Rest in Peace.

Fiona Apple To Release New Material

ALLY KERR @AllyKerr_

Singer-songwriter Fiona Apple has been absent from the music scene for far too long (almost seven years!) However, after years of scattered appearances, speculations, and a riot, Fiona is finally back — almost. According to Twitter and Perez Hilton, Epic chair L.A. Reid confirmed last week that Fiona Apple will definitely be releasing an album later in the year. Speculation about the singer’s next album has been swirling for a few years, since the controversial release of her 2005 album - Extraordinary Machine. Complications and personal problems seem to plague the singer.

In 2000, she suffered a meltdown on stage in New York’s Roseland Ballroom due to rattled nerves and on-going stress. In 1998, she confessed in an interview with the Rolling Stone that she was a victim of child abuse and then aforementioned riot

occurred, so a prolonged break between albums seems understandable. When she did a surprise show with Jon Brion late last year, she said, “I can’t remember any of my new songs because they’ve been done for a f*cking year.” to which Brion added, “Not her fault!”

Fiona has clearly been dissatisfied with Reid’s management of her material so his “welcome back” tweet might be more of a “welcome back to Epic!” peace offering rather than “welcome back to music” In any case, Fiona Apple was an artist that was sorely missed by her fans. Her debut – Tidal, was released in 1996. Tidal is a spectacular debut, featuring the melancholic and sultry “Shadowboxer”, and bitter and angsty song “Sleep to Dream” and “Criminal” – Fiona’s breakthrough single that won a 1998 Grammy Award for “Best Female Rock Vocal Performance”. “Criminal” also featured one of the sexiest music videos of that decade.

Her second album (released 1999) – When the Pawn…(album title too long and pretentious to type out fully). Despite the name, this is a stunning album; featuring the singles “As Fast As You Can” and “Paper Bag” with its infectious, lilting melody and topped with wistful but ultimately dashed hopes for finding a new love “whose reality I knew, was a hopeless to be had.”

Recording artist Fiona Apple.

Her last album - Extraordinary Machine was expected to be released in 2003 but was delayed several times by the record label without explanation. Extraordinary Machine was named the 49th best album of the 2000s by Rolling Stone.

It features the singes “O’ Sailor”, “Not About Love” and “Red Red Red”. Extraordinary Machine also won “best new album of the year” in Entertainment Weekly’s ‘Best of 2005.

Since the release of her last album, Apple has

made quite a few public appearances; she featured on Iconoclasts -Sundance TV show with Quentin Tarantino back in 2006. She had occasional guest performances with Brion, collaborations with Andrew Bird and Margaret Cho, and has done Buddy Holly covers, indicating that she not completely off the radar yet. Fiona Apple has released four magnificent albums; so her impending album release this year is certainly something to get excited about.

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Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rumours’ Turns 35 KEITH BRONI Editor-In-Chief @KeithBroni

“I’m just second hand news, I’m just second hand news!” decries guitarist / vocalist Lindsey Buckingham during the titular coda of the opening track of ‘Rumours’, the famed Fleetwood Mac album which recently celebrated 35 years since its original release. Although in the song, Buckingham is lamenting the end of an intimate relationship and these lyrics could be seen as somewhat ironic out of this context . This is an album that after 35 years, remains at the forefront of the world’s musical consciousness. Handed down from one generation to another, it has continued to please and inspire thousands, including popular modern recording artists such as Vampire Weekend and Florence & The Machine. The musical comedy-drama series Glee even dedicated an entire episode to only performing songs from the album during its second season. So perhaps Buckingham shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the potency of “second hand news”.

Fleetwood Mac were formed in London in 1967 by drummer Mick Fleetwood and blues guitarist Peter Green, with bassist John McVie joining soon afterwards. In its early days as a blues rock band, Fleetwood Mac secured a UK number one single

with the song “Albatross”. However, the band would reach its creative zenith following the departure of Green and made a transition from blues to more pop-orientated songs. It was during this time that Lindsey Buckingham was asked to join the band, bringing his then girlfriend and musical partner Stephanie “Stevie” Nicks into the fold. Prior to Green’s departure, the band’s session keyboard player and wife of bassist John, Christine McVie, joined the band as a full-time member.

‘Rumours’, the second album made by this fivepiece incarnation of the band, was released on the 4th of February 1977. It was a both a commercial and critical success, going to number one in the US album charts, winning the ‘Album of the Year’ at the 1977 Grammy Award Ceremony and securing four US top 10 singles.

And yet at the time of its recording, there were severe doubts over whether or not the album would be completed at all. Buckingham and Nicks were going through a tumultuous period in their “on-again off-again” relationship. The McVies had divorced after nearly eight years of marriage and Fleetwood had discovered that his wife had been having an affair with his best friend. These issues had a negative effect which lead to a huge intake of drugs by all members of the band, with Chris Stone, one of the owners of the studio in which they were recording, claiming that Fleetwood Mac brought “excess at its most excessive” to his property.

“The band would come in at 7 at night, have a big feast, party till 1 or 2 in the morning, and then when they were so whacked-out they couldn’t do anything, they’d start recording” Yet despite conflicting conditions, a classic was born. In 2003, it was declared that Rumours had sold over 19 million copies in the US alone

The cover of the much-celebrated Fleetwood Mac album, Rumours. (certified as a diamond album by the RIAA) and a total of 40 million copies worldwide. In the decade since the album’s release, sales have certainly

continued, solidifying the album’s status as one of the biggest-selling and most loved albums of all time.

Rufus Wainwright To Release New Album LYNDSEY FARRELL

Entertainments & Culture Co-Editor @TheLyndog At the beginning of 2012 it was announced that Rufus Wainwright had completed his long awaited seventh studio album, set to be released later this year.

The album, entitled Out Of The Game was recorded in New York during the fall in 2011 and was produced by the celebrated Mark Ronson.

Wainwright considers the LP “the most pop album I’ve ever made” crediting influences such as Elton John, Freddie Mercury and David Bowie, “basically the brash and the beautiful.” Ronson also stated that the album is “the best work of [his own] career.” Out Of The Game will include features from Wainwright’s sister, Martha, as well as musicians such as Sean Lennon and the Dap-Kings, who also featured on Amy Winehouse’s sensational Back to Black. The album is said to be reminiscent of Wainwright’s earlier albums, with Ronson believing it has “a real 70s Laurel Canyon spirit.” Out Of The Game is said by Wainwright to have two sides, “the first being a sense of relief and lightness and joy about cherishing life because, y’know, certainly the last three years were the darkest I’d ever experienced (Wainwright’s mother, Kate, passed away in 2010). But by the same token they were also the most joyous because my daughter Viva is going to be one this year, so that’s sort of intermingled

with it.”

Wainwright, considered “the greatest songwriter on the planet” by Sir Elton John, was born in New York, the son of folk musicians Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle. He was immersed in music at a very young age, learning to play piano and guitar as well as performing with of The McGarrigle Sisters and Family alongside his mother, sister and aunt Anna. After spending some time on the Montreal music circuit, playing weekly gigs at Café Sarajavo, Wainwright’s demo was sent to Van Dyke Parks, who was a friend of his fathers. Parks would later send the demo to Lenny Waronker, who would go on to sign Wainwright on to his record label, DreamWorks. Waronker spoke of the first time he heard the demo, “I thought to myself ‘Gee if he has his mom’s musicality and smarts, and his dad’s smarts and voice, that’d be nice.’ Then I put it on and I said, ‘Oh my God, this is stunning.’

Wainwright moved to Los Angeles in ‘96 and began working on his first studio album. Rufus Wainwright was released in 1998 and was named one of the best albums of the year by Rolling Stones magazine. The album was nominated for four awards by the Gay and Lesbian American Music Awards, including a nomination for Album of the Year. Wainwright himself won Best New Artist at these awards. Although he had received these nominations, the album failed to make a lasting impression on the public, failing to appear in any British or American charts.

It wasn’t until 2007 that Wainwright released what is arguably his best album, Release the Stars.

He produced the album himself, which features his mother and sister as well as artists such as Julianna Raye and Toby Dammit. The album reached #2 in the UK charts and debuted at #23 on the Billboard 200.

Recording artist Rufus Wainwright.

Wainwright is known for having a somewhat troubled life. He has spoken openly about the fact that he was sexually assaulted at the age of fourteen, “I thought it was going to be a romantic walk in the park, but he raped me and robbed me afterwards and tried to strangle me.” In the early 2000’s Wainwright became addicted to Crystal Meth and

temporarily lost his sight. He described the peak of his addiction as “the most surreal experience of [his] life”, with recurring hallucinations of his father.

Out Of The Game will be released in the UK and Ireland on April 23rd, with Wainwright touring in the US and Europe for its promotion.

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Actor David Kelly Dies At 82 MATTHEW MULLIGIAN @sususummertime

Last Saturday the Irish Film and Television Awards honoured the best names in the fields of Irish acting, directing, writing and drama.

In decorating those in these areas, Lifetime Achievement awards are given to people who have made us smile, laugh and cry. The legendary actor David Kelly, himself a recipient of the IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, passed away Sunday evening after a short illness. He was 82.

Kelly was an actor who possessed an instantly recognizable voice, style and manner. His dapper dress sense off screen became well known, with bowties harbouring a special place in his wardrobe as he tried to look like a bohemian artist, well into his later years. A grand old man of Irish screen and stage, he was also well respected abroad, with both Tim Burton and Johnny Depp paying homage to him when his Lifetime Achievement Award was announced. Known to the older generation for his countless roles in theatre and also his famous appearance as a typical Irish builder in ‘Fawlty Towers’, Kelly was also recognizable to younger children for his role as Grandpa Joe in Burton’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. Playing the role of an eccentric but wise grandfather well suited

Kelly, as his constant presence on our screen gave Irish audiences a warm familiarity towards him.

Kelly was born in Dublin on July 11, 1929. He had an appreciation for acting at an early age, his first on stage performance coming when he was only eight. Educated at Synge Street CBS, he later trained with the Abbey School of Acting.

His cautionary father felt acting to be too risky a career choice, and for a while Kelly trained as a calligrapher and a draughtsman. He later married actress Laurie Morton with whom he lived in Goatstown.

His screen debut came in the 1958 film noir ‘Dublin Nightmare’, and from then on Kelly enjoyed a film career that spanned five decades. Television roles included the character of “Rashers” Tierney in the RTÉ miniseries ‘Strumpet City’, starring roles in the soap operas ‘Emmerdale Farm’ and ‘Glenroe’, and the British sitcom ‘Robin’s Nest’ in which he played a one-armed dishwasher named Albert Riddle. On stage he was in the critics favour, winning the Helen Hayes Award for his role in ‘Moon for the Misbegotten’ and playing numerous Shakespearean roles along with the title role in Beckett’s ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’.

On the big screen the soft, gentle voice and demeanour of an older Kelly worked to his advantage as he found success with the roles of the raconteuring, travelling grandfather in the Jim Sheridan penned ‘Into the West’ and Michael O’Sullivan in ‘Waking Ned´ (in which Kelly, then nearing 70 years old, rode a Honda Civic nude).

For his role in ‘Waking Ned’, Kelly was honoured with a Screen Actors Guild award nomination.

His performances in ‘Into the West’ and ‘Waking Ned’ brought Kelly to a wider audience in the

Loved and respected Irish actor David Kelly. 1929 - 2012.

United States and in 2005 he found fame amongst a younger audience with his role in ’Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’.

On accepting his Lifetime Achievement award Kelly remarked “my only true desire in life was to

be an actor. And it is bizarre, truly bizarre, that I’m now being rewarded for having a dream come true”.

He is survived by his wife Laurie, and his two children David and Miriam.

Pat Byrne on The Voice Irish Hip-Hop Scene

MARY FRANCAS RYAN

DYLAN COLLEY

Like many Maynooth students, I clearly remember the first time I came across “The Craicademic” Pat Byrne. For me it was his promotional video for the 2010 Freshers’ Week, in which he and some mates danced away to “We’ve Got the World Tonight” by Micky Joe Harte, just having the absolute craic. And like many Maynooth students I knew one thing straight away – that Pat was some lad.

Although no longer a student here in Maynooth, Pat still remains a beloved figure. So when it became known that Pat would be a contestant on the new RTE musical talent show The Voice, the student body took note. And when his performance was aired on the 22nd of January, Pat did his Maynooth following proud, wowing all four judges with a rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s The River featuring both guitar and harmonica. Bressie, Sharon Corr, Kian Egan and Brian Kennedy all turned their chairs around and pitched joining their team for the remainder of the competition.

Ultimately he chose Bressie, feeling the former frontman of The Blizzards had to most the offer him. Bressie himself seemed thrilled with his new team member, posting on Twitter after the show: “Thank you all so much for your support. Pat is bloody awesome and I’m honoured to have him on #teambressie.”

The response to Pat’s performance over both Facebook and Twitter was enormous, with support

The Irish hip-hop scene is often regarded with much hilarity, and hardly ever taken seriously by the casual rap fan. To many, when the subject of the hip-hop scene here is brought up, it conjures thoughts of the pitiful and unintentional humorous rappers with incredibly thick accents. This side of the scene was perfectly incarnated in 2006 as DJ Spiral dropped his woeful single “Finglas”, universally jeered despite reaching #9 in the charts.

This laughable façade on our industry aside, Ireland does in fact have an incredibly rich hip-hop scene which is beginning to gain recognition on a grander scale. Here are just a few to look out for in the coming year.

The TemperMental MissElayneous (née Elayne Harrington) is a Finglas rapper vaguely reminiscent in style and substance of Immortal Technique. Her lyrics are contemplative, transcendent and mostly political. TMM will often rap about societal issues; she shows feminist tendencies particularly in her single ‘Contra-Diction’ under-cushioned by Eastern flavoured philosophy: “Nothing is real, nothing exists”. MissElayneous is above all a clever lyricist.

Her flow is tinged with her punk influences and has a West Indian patter. TMM has just launched her EP called Proletarian Restitution which can be bought at her shows, usually performed alongside her b-boy Barry Krishna.

Much acclaimed and awaited, Dublin’s Lecs

@DylanColley

Pat Byrne enjoying a bit of a session. for the Carlow lad flooding in from both friends and strangers. BoyleSport also currently have Pat at 10/1 to win the competition; undeniably impressive odds.

The live Battle Stages of the competition will have begun by the time this article is published, so by that time we’ll know if Pat will have advanced. But in any case, Pat will be making his grand return to Maynooth on Wednesday the 22nd of February to perform in the Students’ Union he was once the Entertainments’ Officer of. Make sure to pop along and get behind Pat Byrne – Maynooth and Carlow’s bid for The Voice of Ireland!

Luther is set to make an explosion once his CD Fish & Chips drops. For some time now, speculations about the date of release have been rampant, while Lecs himself has only specified “soon”.

Often compared with Tyler, The Creator and MF Doom, Lecs has acquired his own underground following, appearing on forums from Kanye West’s to OFWGKTA’s own and even having his own fan-made fuckyeahlecsluther Tumblr account.

Unfortunately for an Irish man, Luther raps with an American drawl, and though this false accent is off-putting, his smooth laid-back flow makes it hard to begrudge him this. His soft rhyme-based lyrics are incredibly pleasing and more than make up for the US accent.

Earlier in 2012, Lethal Dialect released his spectacular LP LD50 Part 2 which includes the leading single ‘Keep It Real’. And this is exactly what Lethal Dialect does; he doesn’t rap with any other accent but his own and he only ever speaks from experience and sincerity. LD’s rhymes are based on his life in the suburb of Cabra and often deal with class divides, which is a huge factor in the mainstream disinterest in Irish hip-hop today.

LD50 Part 2 is up among the best Irish hip-hop albums of all time. It is even comparable with some of the great classic New York, Chicago or Los Angeles rap acts. It can be streamed online at www. harmlessnoise.ie.

Irish hip-hop has been rich and full of pride through the years. In the 1990’s, groups such as Marxman and Scary Éire even opened for such acts as Beastie Boys or Public Enemy. We have an amazing battle scene with DFI, consisting of really clever lyricists such as Cork’s Nash and Ballyfermot’s Nugget. A casual rap fan could easily grasp some of the prolific artists we have to offer in a scene that is truly and sadly overlooked.

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“It Takes A Long Time To Make Up That Much Bullshit”: An Interview with David O’Doherty DEAN HEALY

@OnaedInSpace On Tuesday the 7th of February the Edinburgh Fringe and Perrier Award winning comedian David O’Doherty made another trip to The Venue in the Maynooth SU for what is by now an annual performance. The 1990 East Leinster Under-14’s Triple-Jump bronze medallist had this to say when The Print caught up with him after what turned out to be a truly hilarious gig.

Hey David, thank you for talking to us. You released a new book late last year 100 Facts About Sharks. Did a lot of research go into your second attempt at an animal based factual book?

“Yeah, it takes a long time to make up that much bullshit, like you would not believe the effort that goes into it; and then anyone you meet just says “oh yeah and it’s in my jax, and I only really read it when I’m having a dump”. And you know that’s fine, but there are Tom Clancy novels that have had less research than that book, but maybe people read them there too. Well actually, maybe the loo is the highest compliment you can afford to a novel. Maybe they should judge Booker Prizes by the amount of dumps that have been done while reading it.”

Will there be a serial anthology coming along with these books by any chance?

“I don’t know. We’ll see now as it took so long to write, and look at the comments for it on Amazon. com; about 50% of them are just people going despite the fact that this book has a picture of a shark on the front jumping through a hoop in a sort of shark world/killer whale park type thing, they think it’s real. So we’ll see, maybe.”

People’s hard earned money goes into that book.

“Yeah, I feel bad about that but people just shouldn’t be such idiots.”

Very true. So who would win in a fight DO’D, a shark or a panda?

“It pretty much depends on whether they were

in water, or on land. I would image most people could beat a shark if it was a land fight, wrestling ring or whatever, you would just need to avoid it for maybe a day while it wriggles around and you’d just pin it for the three seconds then. In a water based situation it would be a different story, I mean unless you could think of a situation where it was an even fight. If it was in like three inches of water, although I don’t even know if a shark could move around then; maybe in thick fog it would win. The panda isn’t a particularly vicious creature so I think we would just have to wait many hours to die. It depends how much bamboo there is really!”

You recently recorded your third CD, does it have a name or a release date yet?

“Yeah it’s going to be called “We Are Not The Champions” and it is going to come out in the next month I would say. It has been delayed because I am recording a Comedy Central special in America and they want to release that then as well. I am very excited about it; I recorded it in Whelan’s, which is quite close to where I live, in October. It is pretty much the previous two years work that is actually on it.”

Awesome! You also have appeared on some mainstream BBC shows lately.

“Yeah I appeared on “Would I Lie To You?”. I love that show. I love Rob Brydon, he makes me laugh so much and I love David Mitchell from “Peep Show”. I love Lee Mack too. You can do small things on Channel 4 and they go out at strange times of day, but if you do a show on BBC1 like at nine o’clock so many people see it. Aunts, and so many relatives that you thought were dead contact you to say that they saw it. They are happy you are finally making a success of your career. I wouldn’t make it a habit, going on those shows. I also went on “Have I Got News For You” as I think they are both great shows.”

Have you ever thought of incorporating any other instruments into your set?

“Yeah I am playing a big piano now some of the time as well as the little piano, but I can’t play anything else. I can play tin whistle a little bit.”

Would you not just fake it like the artists nowadays?

“Oh, I could mime along. I could mime to something like the theme tune from “Titanic” and people wouldn’t think anything of it, especially if it was on panpipes. No, its tiny keyboards. Tiny keyboards are just handy, I know it has a sort of

Whimsical Irish comedian David O’Doherty. novelty factor but it’s just that it fits in a sports bag you know. Imagine me ringing Maynooth on the day and saying can you hire a €1,000 Steinway grand piano for me please. The sound check this evening took about a minute and a half, and you can do the gig.”

Have you got any advice for graduating students about to hit the dole on how to get into comedy?

“I would never consider it as a career option. It’s something that you just feel the need to do. It is so tough when you are starting out, you just have to do as many gigs as you can and you are guaranteed that a fair proportion of those gigs will be weird gigs. There are all old people in the audience or kids or drunks, or it’ll be in a bad part of Belfast. There is just that period where you are yes, yes, yes. You have to be highly committed to it, it is all very well to see people on the Apollo and go “oh yeah, I’d like to do that” and write out a five year plan on a sheet of A4. The only advice that I could give people is that you have to talk about things that you find funny, you know that tiny little stupid thing that causes you to laugh into your tea when nobody else is particularly laughing. You have got to figure

out those things and then the excitement of your career is trying to get this across to strangers. All the truly great stand-ups are all so different; there is a template of what a TV comedian is like these days but look at the real greats, the likes of Mitch Hedberg or [Zach] Galifianakis or Demetri Martin, or [Flight of the] Concords. These are all people doing the opposite of each other. Dylan Moran though is the best comedian this country has ever produced and it is all because of his turn of phrase.”

Lastly, I recently had a dream that I failed to get a job in media because I had never interviewed somebody famous before. Can I get a quote for a perspective future employer?

“Dean’s interviewing style was engaging; however at the start he was pointing the iPhone in the wrong direction. What he would have recorded was just the sound of his own questions and the sound of me audibly mumbling off in the distance, but I say hire him. Exclamation mark.”

100 Facts About Sharks is out now and DO’D’s third CD We Are Not The Champions will be available in the coming weeks.

A Back to the Future Musical? GREAT SCOTT! ALLY KERR @AllyKerr_

With the American Psycho musical currently in the works, another musical of another quality film – Back To the Future, is apparently going to be made. Director Robert Zemeckis, screenwriter Bob Gale and composer Alan Silvestri are all on board for a Broadway transfer. Exciting as it sounds; I’m sceptical about the whole idea. I mean - how the hell will they get the DeLorean up to 88mph on stage? And how are they going to do the car-chasing scenes with the skateboard? Anyone who loves Back to the Future as much as I do might feel slightly aggrieved by the idea of the best ever film getting

the Ghost treatment and turned into a musical.

But we aficionados are open-minded types, wise to the surprises of the space-time continuum. We’ve been raised on a story that teaches you responsible libertarianism; that every action (such as bumping into your dad after you’ve accidentally travelled 30 years into the past) has a consequence, but also that free will is always an ally (perhaps that mad scientist can return you to 1985 if the DeLorean going at 88mph hits the bolt of lightning that strikes the clock tower at 10.04pm precisely).

The music was already a driving force through the movie, from the Huey Lewis theme tune “The Power of Love” to Marty McFly’s hair-metal rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B Goode”. But the original compositions should be something to look forward to. Will Biff ’s goons sing barbershop harmonies? Will they be able to find a rhyme for “jiggawatts”?

Unfortunately, the makers of the musical don’t have use of a real flux capacitor, so if they mess up; there’s no going back. The Back to the Future saga is one of the best in movie history so hopefully, if the musical goes ahead, it will be a roaring success. And

Marty McFly and the Doc contemplate how to get back to the future. one wonders, since most of it is set in the ’50s, how similar is this musical going to be in comparison to Grease? Also, if you’re going to see American

Psycho or Back to the Future the musicals – do you have to like Huey Lewis and the News?

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“It’s a bit like an imaginary childhood friend”: A Phone-In Interview with Michael Winslow LYNDSEY FARRELL

Entertainments & Culture Co-Editor @TheLyndog Let’s face it, Michael Winslow is a bit deadly.

Known as “The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects”, he can do anything from beatboxing, to providing his own audio effects for imaginary video games, to appear to be over-dubbing his own voice! Ahead of his performance in The Venue on February 16th, I was given the opportunity to Skype Mr. Winslow and have the absolute banter. We spoke about the new Police Academy movie (being a massive Police Academy fan, I let out a celebratory scream when he confirmed it was really happening. Morto for myself), imaginary childhood friends, and pretending to be a typewriter. Here’s what Michael had to say to The Print: Hey Michael! Let me start by thanking you for taking our Skype call all the way from America!

“Well thank you very much for calling, I’m really excited about performing for you guys next week!”

Aren’t you lovely! We’re excited to be having you here! So you’ll be travelling around Ireland from February 16th until March 2nd with your new tour. Tell us a bit about what our Maynooth students should expect from your show?

“Well, basically, a lot of sounds! They can expect a lot of music and a lot of sounds, and hopefully we can get the audience to do some noises themselves.

And the great thing about sounds is that you don’t know what’s going to happen. So they can also expect a lot of surprises too.”

Awesome! You’ve been named “The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects”. When did you discover this talent and what kind of things did you do for it to develop into what you can do today?

“Oh I don’t know really. It’s just something that has always stuck with me. It’s a bit like an

imaginary childhood friend, did you have an imaginary childhood friend?”

I can’t say that I did, Michael…

“Oh, okay, well it’s kind of like that. It follows you everywhere, and it can get you into a lot of trouble! Especially when you’re in school and next thing (cue random sound effect). So yeah, it was just something that always stuck with me. And I just got better at it as I went along.”

You’re most well-known for your role as Larvelle “Motor-Mouth” Jones in Police Academy. Or as he refers to himself, Dr. Monsignor Larvelle Jones MA. “[Laughs] that’s right Dr. Monsignor!”

I told you I was a huge fan! Buy yes, yours was the only character to appear in all seven movies as well as the T.V. and cartoon series. Had you any idea that it would become such a huge part of your career and your life?

“I really didn’t. I had no idea. I was very happily surprised and grateful at how huge it was, and how huge it continues to be. Especially with the eighth movie coming soon-” Woah hold up there! The eighth Police Academy movie is 100% happening?

“Yes!” *Cue celebratory scream* I was told they were just rumours!

“No no, it’s definitely happening. Production is set to start in the next few months.”

That has just made my day, thanks Michael!

You’re also known for your role as the Radar Technician in the cult classic Space Balls. What was it like getting to work with such an iconic figure as Mel Brooks?

“Oh well you can’t even call him a “figure” can you? It’s simply just “Mel Brooks”! I had a great time, it was a great experience. I always enjoy working on films, and even the smallest of roles can have a big impact. So yeah, it was a lot of fun.”

I was looking at your filmography a while back, and something that stood out for me was your recital of The History of the Typewriter.

Which is a rather fascinating video. How exactly did this idea come about?

“Oh yes the typewriters! Well, basically I was approached by a guy who owned a lot of

typewriters. He was a collector of them. And between the two of us we arranged to do the recital.

I listened to each model and then just recited what I heard. It actually looks at a lot of different models and a lot of different sounds.”

Yeah, I was quite surprised when I was watching it. I just kind of presumed they all sounded the same!

“Not at all, they’re all very different.”

As we’ve seen, you’ve covered lots of different areas throughout your career. Do you prefer acting or doing your own stand-up gigs?

“Oh I love them both. Each are enjoyable in their own way, they bring different things. So I’d like a piece of both really!”

Good answer! Now, as we ask many of the acts that perform here in Maynooth, have you ever received any fans’ underwear in the mail?

“No. Not unless I send it to myself, anyways!”

Oscar nominations, Williams currently holds the record for the most Oscar nominations for a living person, and is the second most nominated person in the history of the Academy Awards behind only Walt Disney’s 59.

Born on the 8th of February 1932 in Long Island, New York, Williams was first introduced to music through his father, a jazz percussionist in the Raymond Scott Quintet. After graduating from high school in 1950, he went on to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and after a three year spell in the US Air Force between (during which time he conducted and arranged music for the Air Force Band), he returned to New York to study in the Juilliard School of Performing Arts.

Focally a jazz pianist, Williams worked in many New York clubs and studios during this time.

Following the completion of his studies, Williams (or “Johnny Williams”, as he preferred to be called at the time) began working as a studio pianist for film composers, performing on scores by the likes of Jerry Goldsmith and Henry Mancini.

This led him to composing scores of various TV programmes such as Gilligan’s Island and Lost In Space, finally resulting in him composing

full length film scores, from the aforementioned unaccredited Daddy-O to his first Academy Award win with Fiddler on the Roof.

Despite this success, however, many name Williams’ first interaction with the fledging direct Steven Spielberg as the most paramount moment in the composer’s career. Seeking a composer for his feature length debut in 1974, Spielberg was able to convince Williams not only to work on that initial project but also to score his sophomore effort – the 1975 classic, Jaws. The near unanimous acclaim for this collaboration lead to Spielberg and Williams developing score and script in unison for their next effort, the equally revered Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Spielberg recommending Williams to his close friend George Lucas when he was seeking a composer for his make-or-break space epic, Star Wars. Next came the likes of E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones film series, Hook Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, again to name but a few. In fact, as it stands Williams has scored all but two of Spielberg’s major feature films – Twilight Zone: The Movie and The Color Purple.

Many of the films listed above are now revered as classics. Yet their scores are equally revered, if not

Police Academy star and “Man of 10,000 Sound Effects”, Michael Winslow.

Aw poor Michael! Do you want me to talk to some of our students and sort something out for next week?

“Yeah, that’d be great, thanks!”

I’ll pitch it as a kind of Underwear Trust Fund!

So that’s me pretty much done here, thanks again for taking our call Michael, we look forward to your show in Maynooth next week!

“It was my pleasure, thanks for calling. I’ll see you guys soon!”

Michael Winslow will be hitting our stage on Thursday 16th February with what promises to be a fantastic show, so get your tickets people! If you would like to donate some underwear to the “Michael Winslow Underwear Trust Fund”, feel free to drop your undies (ooer!) into the office of our very own Keith Broni. He won’t mind. Once I‘ve informed him that is.

Iconic Film Composer John Williams Turns 80

KEITH BRONI Editor-In-Chief @KeithBroni

Earlier this month the iconic film composer John Williams celebrated his 80th birthday. The man behind the music of Jaws, Star Wars and Harry Potter, to name but a few, has been a mainstay of cinematic composition of almost six decades.

Since composing his first (unaccredited) score for the B-movie Daddy-O in 1958, Williams has accumulated a total of five Academy Awards, four Golden Globes and 21 Grammys. His prodigiousness has also failed to diminish with age, as his scores for both Tintin and War Horse were nominated for ‘Best Original Score’ for the upcoming 2012 Academy Awards. In fact, with 47

The presently jovial composer John Williams. more so in some cases. So happy 80th birthday to John Williams: the man behind the sighing violin and majestic horns of some of cinemas’ greatest moments.

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From There To The Top Fashion Trends: ‘Nooth: Boston, MA Fabulous Florals MAEVE KAVANAGH @maevekxxx

Nothing else oozes spring time style better than floral prints. They’re pretty, versatile, and make such a statement it’ll be hard not to attract some attention (for all the right reasons of course!).

Pretty much every high street store is rocking some amazing ranges at the minute, so you’ll have no problem finding something fab! #1: Pennies: Black pencil skirt with floral print. €13. #2: River Island: light coloured floral print skinny jeans. £40. #3: A-Wear: black playsuit with floral print. €50. #4: New Look: wine colour floral print denim shorts. €24.99. #5: Vero Moda: White mini dress with floral print. €26.95. #6: H&M: White cardigan with orange floral print. €19.95.

The Empty Glass Guide

The skyline of Boston, Massachusetts.

MIKE CARROLL Its 2 o’clock on a Monday morning. I haven’t been in Ireland for twenty-four hours, and already I find myself urinating on a rock wall with a Garda patrol vehicle creeping to a halt some five feet behind my back. Unaffected by the situation, my roommate walks over to the car, laughs with the officers for a minute, and sends them on their way smiling with not so much as a stern glance shot in my direction.

I had barely stepped off the plane and I could tell already that my stay at Maynooth was going to be a memorable one.

When I was deciding where exactly it was that I wanted to study abroad, Ireland quickly became my destination of choice. Between my Irish family heritage and the country’s drinking culture, Ireland seemed like the logical place to spend six months of College. In addition, I attend a university in the city of Boston with about 12,000 students, an environment that while constantly buzzing with things to do, can often become chaotic and overwhelming. The small town atmosphere and castle-like campus of Maynooth seemed about as far from this atmosphere as I could get, and after my first trip to the Roost, I could tell that I had made the right decision.

I can’t express how fortunate I’ve been to have encountered so many amazing and cordial people during my brief stay here in Ireland. My first day at Maynooth, I was lucky enough to make friends with a group of American exchange students, people I can talk to and seek solace in the fact that my liver and bank account are not the only ones being destroyed by the Irish culture. In addition to

these Americans, I’ve made friends with a number of Irish students as well, all of whom encourage me to get involved in their club or society and make it known that I’m welcome in their place—be it for studying or for partying—at any time. I think all people carry with them some preconceived notions when travelling abroad, but the friendliness of the Irish people is one stereotype that I believe I can safely confirm.

In terms of social differences between Ireland in the United State, apart from the accent and an unreasonable price for Guinness on tap, many of the Irish people and parties that I’ve encountered are quite similar to those back in the states. With that being said, I was told by my international advisor prior to leaving that the Irish carry themselves with a laid back and easy going attitude unfamiliar to many Americans, and although I have only been here for a short period of time, I can tell already that she was right. From Garda officers that laugh as you urinate in public to complete strangers that offer you a beer when you enter the room, Ireland seems to be a country hell bent on assuring that every person within its borders is having a good time, regardless of their nationality.

Are you an international student here in Maynooth? Have a amusing story or two about your time in Ireland thus far? Well why not get your tales published in your Students’ Union newspaper! Drop an e-mail to: editor@theprint.ie

ROB GILMOUR & SHANE McNALLY El Commandate Chardonnay

Score: (B+) 82, Price: €11.95 from Corkscrew Wine Merchant.

Pronounced, with tropical fruit, intense notes of melon, peach, pear drops and slightly mineral note, some notes of a juicy apple. Some residual sugar is noticeable. A medium body, light acidity, with melon and apple notes taking most of the palate, hints of spice offer some life to the wine, while at the same time apple notes become more and more prevalent.

El Commandate Malbec

Score: (A-) 87.

Price: €11.95 from Corkscrew Wine Merchant

A clean nose which is instantly more interesting and structured than 2009. Offering up more of the elegant fruits which Tom noted they had tried to achieve. Notes of smoked meats and plum bring up the initial assault on the nose, the wine, opens slowly offering up red fruits that show again more structure than the previous embodiment. Fig comes soon followed by cheddar and cedar box. A nice and light style of Mablec.

Chocolate, plum, a medium body with good tannic structure giving way to darker fruits of Fig and blackberry, the palate is fantastic however the finish is slightly short and this is the only fall down of the wine. On a bonus however the fruit flavours intensify with a tibble of food for which we selected unsurprisingly some steak, the wine really craves food and rewards those that feed themselves and the wines craving..

Errazuriz Max Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Score: (A) 90, Price: €10.95 Mill Wine Cellar Decent Cabernets at a sensible price are few and far between, but every so often an exceptional one makes itself hear above the cacophony of banal Bordeaux wannabes (I include most entry level Bordeaux in this category), this is one of those exceptional wines. On the nose there was intense cassis, blueberry (sorry Rob) , thyme, eucalyptus, cinnamon and a hint of cedar. On the palate there was intense fresh balckberry, a hint of eucalyptus with cinnamon and cracked pepper on the finish.

Very well balanced with a persistent finish and medium-high fine tannin. Definitely a serious Bordeaux style, but from Chile and a fraction of the cost.

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The Life & Works of Charles Dickens ÁINE KIRWAN News Co-Editor @kirwanaine

On the 7th of February, the world paid tribute to an iconic figure of English Literature, Charles Dickens. The date not only marked his 200th birthday, but reminded us of the constant presence he has omitted throughout the years and how he is an author and poet that we have come to love and adore. Whether you have become a dedicated fan of the Dickens novels, watched the Oliver movie countless times, or have memories of every childhood Christmas consisting of being told the tale of “A Christmas Carol”, it is safe to say that a majority of us have been touched by the Dickens saga in one way or another.

Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England, but grew up in Kent which is notably recognised as his place of origin. As his father was a clerk in the Navy-Pay office, he was indulged in a few years of private education, an honour and luxury to be bestowed on any child of the Victorian Era, although this abruptly came to an end seeing Dickens and his family of seven siblings move to Camden Town, London. By the age of 12, Dickens was forced to leave his schooling in order to earn an income for his family who had fallen on hard times. He worked in a Blackening factory, earning six shillings a week for the long and tiresome labour he carried out.

Although what may have been a treacherous time for Dickens, these childhood experiences of strenuous and cruel work conditions fuelled the imagination of young Dickens which

would stand to him later in life to recuperate his autobiographical novel, David Copperfield.

Dickens used this mistreatment of the workingclass in a way that would compel and entice, while also addressing the truth of life in the 19th Century industrialised Britain. Along with this form of narrative, Dickens also used his personal intimate relations and hardship with his first love, Maria Beadnell, a courtship that was disapproved

by Beadnell’s parents, as a mode of creating the character Dora . Such a way of writing meant that decades later, his style would still let today’s reader use his works as a portal to this time due to their accuracy and insight, inevitably noting them as all-time classics due to the genuine traits they possessed.

Dickens’ literature life blossomed as he became a political journalist for the Morning Chronicle in 1834, covering the British electoral campaigns, later being recognised and offered the job as editor of Bentley’s Miscellany. It was at this time that he produced Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop (based on the close relationship and tragic death of his 17 year old sister Mary) and Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of ‘Eighty. This was the foreground of Dickens career from which he became known for his talents. In 1836, Dickens married Catherine Thomson Hogarth who bared him a total of ten children. In his later life, Dickens progressed to become a playwright, creating Bleak House, Hard Times and Little Dormit in the 1850s, but also paved the way to a different future as he fell in love with actress Ellen Ternan, with whom he spent the rest of his life in secret with.

Dickens life experiences came to literally haunt him when he was part of a train crash in 1865, from which he produced a ghost story titled The Signal Man, where the protagonist has a premonition of his own death in a rail crash. Five years to the day of this crash, Dickens died of a stroke on June 9th 1865, later being buried in the Poets Corner of Westminster Abbey.

As Dickens has come to be regarded as what is know as the defining writer of the Victorian

The celebrated British author Charles Dickens.

Era, a recent interview with Dr Christopher Stokes, English lecturer of NUI Maynooth added light to the statement. “I suppose Dickens is the most English of all the English novelists. It’s that tradition of no-nonsense storytelling: memorable characters, plenty of humour, a strong sentimental vein, a celebration of “life” in its chaotic but profuse variety. That’s not to say he doesn’t have depth.

Despite being nominally a realist writer, he has a kind of hallucinatory power: a taste for gothic and the strange. He’s also one of the greatest, perhaps

the greatest, at evoking London - particularly it’s grimier and more rough-edged parts. Finally, I think that he still arrests us because he makes social conscience so vivid. Yes, he’s sentimental in his treatment of poverty; yes, he continually resists any kind of radicalism, but the ethics of his novels - the dynamics of class, the rootlessness of the marginalised, and the corrosive effect of corrupt bureaucracies - are more relevant than ever.”

Ireland’s National (Recession) Theatre

DEAN HEALY

@OnaedInSpace The Abbey Theatre recently released their production schedule for the 2012 national stage with a noticeably dull fanfare to surround it.

Following on from the 2011 recession themed productions of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, Brian Friel’s Translations, Sam Shepard’s Curse of the Starving Class and the damp squib that was Roddy Doyle’s The Government Inspector, the Abbey now is facing a year of recessional productions rather than recessional themed productions. The Plough and the Stars is the leading play, a play which featured in 2010, and Bookworms also makes a return to the Peacock stage after also appearing in 2010. The recycling of material can arguably be seen as an attempt at steadying audience numbers and banking on sure fire hits, which for a national theatre with such an historic turnover of world famous plays is really quite alarming. A Sean O’Casey play also appeared last year with Juno and the Paycock coming off as a successful co-production with the Nation Theatre of Great Britain.

There are some new productions in the shape of I (heart) Alice (heart) I by Amy Conroy and Alice In Funderland by the THISISPOPBABY crowd. I (heart) Alive (heart) I promises to be the theatre equivalent of a coming out story for the most unlikely of couples. Conroy has emerged fresh from the Abbey’s 2011 New Playwright Programme and so this production must be a hit to ensure that the programme is viewed as being money well spent.

Any THISISPOPBABY production is always a hoot too, and so who knows what to expect from that all-singing-all-dancing crowd. The House

by Tom Murphy is making its first appearance on The Abbey Stage since 2000 in June with the tale promising to be even more horrifying in this current recessional Ireland due to its heightened topic of emigration. Here is to hoping this year does not become the year of emigrational theatre. One other notable inclusion is Silent by Pat Kinevane which explores the mind of a homeless man on the Irish streets; who not only has lost his home but now his mind. This production won the Edinburgh Fringe First award recently and threatens to be the best piece of theatre in the entire schedule.

Unfortunately, The Abbey has again failed to produce the type of play that the country has been waiting for in the last number of years. J.M. Synge delivered with The Playboy of the Western World when we needed to question the nations Catholicism, Sean O’Casey delivered with The Plough and the Stars (although in 2012, it surely does not have the same impact by putting it on twice in three years) when we needed to question

A promotional image for Roddy Doyle’s recent adaptation of The Government Inspector. our Nationalism and Brian Friel delivered with Translations when Northern Ireland was on the agenda. But where is our saving play? In 2011 Christ, Deliver Us! (After Wedekend) by Tom Kilroy tackled the church scandals at a time when

we needed that. But as of yet, nothing has emerged to actually question our economic woes; the question remains though, do we blame The Abbey Theatre for not finding that play or the nation for not writing it?

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LANA DEL REY BORN TO DIE

Album. 49:28 minutes. Interscope.

Released 27th January 2012.

One of the most highly anticipated albums of the past year is finally here. This is Lana Del Rey’s second album but first on a major label having previously released under an independent label. Since the release of her debut single, ‘Video Games’, Del Rey has been propelled into the limelight and fans have been teased in waiting for an album by the release of second single ‘Born to Die’.

Del Rey (real name Lizzy Grant) offers a rather unique style, a blend of old and new with elements of 60s pop and urban beats running right through this album. Del Rey herself describes herself as a ‘gangsta Nancy Sinatra’ and she’s really not far wrong to be honest. The album starts off with the title track ‘Born to Die’ which is by now an already very well-known single. ‘Born to Die’ is in a lot of ways quite different from Del Rey’s debut single, ‘Video Games’, but in terms of vocals the two are very similar. In ‘Born to Die’ Del Rey’s low-pitched vocals are accompanied by strings and electronic beats. There is a melancholic and haunting feel to the track and this very effectively reflects the content of the lyrics.

OF MONTREAL PARALYTIC STALKS

Album. 58:05 minutes. Polyvinyl Recordings. Released February 7th 2012.

The evidence is unfortunately clear. of Montreal make excellent records when Kevin Barnes gets depressed. The last bout of psychological negative energy that Kevin Barnes experienced was essentially channelled into the bi-product that would eventually become Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?, an album that championed the band and has to date been unsurpassable as a piece of work by the collective.

The band then got all sex driven and Oedipal on us with Skeletal Lamping and on False Priest they (unsuccessfully) attempted to break the mainstream with the help of producer Jon Brion, and singers Janelle Monae/Solange Knowles. Now returning to the dark negative energies of their seminal album, of Montreal have produced a record that tones down the psycho and instead channels the raw emotion that has worked so well in previous efforts. But there is of course a twist, this time they have attacked and harpooned some classical instruments. And it certainly works.

“Gelid Ascent” opens with the alarming lyrics, “You are what parasites evolved from/Still an unanswered question/ You are the refuse energy from a superior form”. The song itself is layered with moody guitar, timid yet painfully off kilter drumming and sharp piano keys. This intro certainly lays the foundation for the dark record to come. On

‘Off to the Races’ is the next track contrasts greatly with both ‘Born to Die’ and ‘Video Games’ and may be quite a shock to many who had only heard these tracks before.

The instrumentation in this track is much the same as in ‘Born to Die’ but in terms of vocals it’s almost like a completely different vocalist has joined the album. Initially you hear the familiar low-pitched vocals that Del Rey has become known for but then for the chorus her voice completely transforms into a high-pitched, much more feminine voice than before.

‘Video Games’ will certainly be the most familiar of the tracks on this album. Accompanied by strings, piano and eventually snare and bass drum, Del Rey’s vocals lead a crescendo-like atmosphere, one which so many fans have been drawn in by.

‘Radio’ is a track worth noting as it shows off more of those high-pitched vocals heard in ‘Off to the Races’. Del Rey cites Britney Spears as one of her influences and in these vocals it is easy to hear that influence. However the track stays true to Del Rey’s own rather unique style and that is important.

Overall this album is a good starting point for Lana Del Rey, who had previously failed under her real name Lizzy Grant, but I feel that she could build on it. There is not a huge amount of variety here, the tracks are for the most part very alike and that is the album’s main drawback.

MICHAEL O’TOOLE @bassmastashadez

“Spiteful Intervention” Barnes’ manic voice takes over the tune to surpass the yawning blurts of violin. The human condition of suffering is certainly instilled into the song.

The lyrical content describes the sound better than I can: “asthmatic energy”. First official single “Dour Percentage” introduces an aspect of Barnes voice that has not heard in awhile, pleasant sing-talking. The song is essentially a piano ballad with accompanying pipes and sax, and really showcases of Montreal’s re-embrace of normal song structure; which the band had successfully obliterated on their previous two albums.

As this album progresses so does the experimental and excessive instrumental elements. “Ye, Renew the Plaintiff ” is arguably the best track on the album with the “everything but the kitchen sink” approach now incorporating a kitchen sink. The track is a spazz out synth and drumming led track which takes you through a journey that you will surely want to experience again. There are both screaming elements and guitar breakdowns to boot, but the second half of the almost nine minute song really takes the meaning of accessible but experimental to new heights. The ambience leaking out from the multiple instruments is complimented by the superior instrument that is Kevin Barnes powerful voice. The last two songs on the album “Exorcismic Breeding Knife” and “Authentic Pyrrhic Remission” account for one third of the overall album and they are (mostly) instrumental tracks in the vein of Sufjan Stevens polarising album The Age of Adz or a drugged up Walt Disney soundtrack. Although not completely enjoyable, they do showcase and tow the postmodern classical music line between manic and structured quite successfully. Overall, this album is a delicious return to form.

DEAN HEALY @OnaedInSpace

LEONARD COHEN OLD IDEAS Album. 41:44 minutes. Columbia.

Released 31st January 2012.

Leonard Cohen has been in the music business for the past forty-four years and has written twelve studio albums, two novels and lord knows how many poems. “Old Ideas” is his first album release in eight years and it’s certainly been worth the wait.

A self-described “manual for living with defeat”, Old Ideas is a Leviticus and Deuteronomy of suggestions of atonement for carnal error and misplaced faith and puts to rest any idea that Cohen has mellowed over the years. The album opens with the song “Going Home” which was also published as a poem in the New Yorker, “I love to speak with Leonard/He’s a sportsman and shepherd/ He’s a lazy bastard living in a suit” “Darkness” is about old age and

lack of money – two themes that Cohen is no stranger to: “I’ve got no future/ I know my days are few,” he intones grimly “I thought the past would last me/ But the darkness got that, too.” In the hymn-like “Come Healing” Cohen is backed by the Webb Sisters’ angelic vocals, asking us: “See the darkness yielding/ That tore light apart.” “Show Me the Place” a warm-hearted, piano ballad that’s almost Tom Waitsian in style. “Show me the place/ I loved you like a slave” is what he coos accompanied by an organ and female vocal. Cohen also uses that similar Waitsian sound in “Amen” where he employs a spooky banjo and organ that creates an ominous, vaudevillian sound. “Tell me again when I’m clean and I’m sober/ tell me again when I’ve seen through the horror/ tell me over and over” he rumbles.

Cohen maybe in his late seventies, but that doesn’t stop “Old Ideas” from being a fresh and exciting album.

“Old Ideas” is clever and moving and hands down his best studio album since I’m Your Man came out in 1988.

ALLY KEER @AllyKerr_

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DELORENTOS LITTLE SPARKS

VARIOUS ARTISTS CHIMES OF FREEDOM Album. Amnesty International, Fontana.

Released 6th February 2012.

This is a new compilation 4-CD box-set containing 75 recordings of Bob Dylan songs performed by a number of different musicians. The box-set is being released to celebrate and honour 50 years of Human Rights NGO, Amnesty International. Across this box-set there is a wide diversity of artists from different genres ranging from Rise Against, Tom Morello, Pete Townshend and Johnny Cash to Miley Cyrus, My Chemical Romance and Adele.

All with their own takes on songs originally from the legendary Bob Dylan paying homage to not only Amnesty International’s work but also to Dylan’s influential role in spreading the message of human rights. Many of these artists, as AI’s website states are long-time supporters of the organisation including and many of the recordings have never been released before.

There are a large number of tracks in this compilation that make it an essential addition to any music fanatic’s collection. Tom Morello’s (The Nightwatchman) rendition of ‘Blind Willie McTell’ is one such example of this. Morello himself is known for his involvement in

as The Immediate. This is definitely the big pop tune of the record, if nothing much more. The verse gives nothing that wouldn’t be expected, but all the same I think I would enjoy this much more in the context of a live show as a simple song. Kieran’s Petardu is next on the tracklist. I Album. 57:17 minutes. Fricton, Interscope. dancey enjoy the melody of this track and atmosphere in the mix, Released 11th November 2011. however some of the lyrics I find to be a tad clichéd and slightly off-putting; for example “We’re related by blood/ Someone else’s blood”.

After this, the album continues at a reasonably even pace.

There are some extremely atmospheric moments, such as The word ‘anticipation’ has been thrown around quite in Right To Know and the wonderfully evocative Swimmer. a bit concerning Delorentos awaited third studio offering. The latter of which begins very sparsely with haunting With Little Sparks, the band returns with their signature melodies and continues with marshy layers, well-conveying brand of bright, indie-pop guitar music, though this time watery textures. The title track builds up progressively from with a lot more depth. The soundscapes are broader and calm and understated to a powerful ending before falling even more interesting than before, while altogether Little to my personal favourite on the record, Waited For You Sparks is a far tighter album than the previous two.

So Long. This song is tender and unsettlingly loyal. The The album opens on a sanguine note, with the sprightly descending bass of guitar line in the chorus feels regretful pop number that is the single Did We Ever Really Try? and the voice dances on the edge of falsetto in the verse; it is With the typically Delorentos style synthy guitar sound, it’s the sweetest and loveliest they have offered yet. an extremely bright opening. It’s enjoyable and provides an Another of my favourites is The Stream - smooth and optimistic lead into the album. Right after this, however, is sentimental and eases to a slightly skippy beat. The first a stripped back but gripping track in the form of Bullet In few bars pour out and the melody is naïve in the best way a Gun. The verse consists of Ronan with his acoustic guitar possible. The lyrics are simple, yet effective: “Even though I and drums distantly pounding behind. It is intriguing, the love you, you’re a fool”. The album ends with the swarming listener knows something is about to happen. This comes sounds of Witness In The Dark, as the vocals call out with with the chorus’ trebley Clash-like electric guitar, backing warmth. Its music is warm and rich in general, with long vocals and claps. thick bass notes and calm sensations throughout until the Care For, which already seems to be a fan favourite, is drums come in precariously in the mix. A wonderful seal to one of drummer Ross’ tracks. There is an interesting guitar the album. line in the chorus, which skips and whirls hypnotically DYLAN COLLEY and is reminiscent of older Irish independent artists such @DylanColley human rights causes so it is not such a surprise to see his involvement in this compilation. While best known for his role as Rage Against the Machine guitarist, his solo career as The Nightwatchman lets him show his own vocal power and his deep bass voice really gets a point across, particularly well in this track.

Another track that is really worth noting on this compilation is Ziggy Marley’s cover of ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’. Ziggy’s voice, very similar to that of his father’s, really gives a distinct sound to this cover of such a wellknown and well-loved song of Dylan’s. Mark Knopfler performs a wonderful version of ‘Restless Farewell’ adding his own distinct guitar tone to the accompaniment along with accordion, flute and strings. This is directly followed by a superb and much more upbeat Queen of the Stone Age cover of ‘Outlaw Blues’.

Flogging Molly take Dylan classic, ‘The Times They are a Changin’’ and really put their Celtic punk-rock stamp on it. Seal and Jeff Beck get together to create an incredible cover of “Like a Rolling Stone” with Seal showing true vocal power and Beck providing a superb piece of guitar work. This has to be one of the highlights of the box-set.

This is but a snapshot of this box-set though and with 75 tracks there’s bound to be something for everyone. It is a truly excellent collection of covers of a truly excellent collection of songs by a wide range of great artists from the farthest reaches of the music industry.

MICHAEL O’TOOLE @bassmastashadez

GREG HOLDEN - I DON’T BELIEVE IT’S YOU

entranced. This phrase couldn’t be truer, and now he brings that same distinctive voice to his new album, where he manages to find that middle ground between acoustic and rock.

The real gem on the album, the track that may just Album. 37:35 minutes. Falling Art. bring him into to the focus of the public, is the driving, Released 31st May 2011. upbeat ‘Hell and Back.’ The song is nestled in the middle of the album, framed by the laid-back, ambient ‘Tower Terrain’ and ‘Empty Hands.’ It has a thunderous base drum and some faint echos of James Morrison.

Many of the songs are sentimental, while still casting an It all began for Greg Holden four years ago when he started uploading videos of his songs to Youtube for people eye to the future. The song ‘Following Footsteps’ epitomes this with lyrics like “I’m here by myself but I don’t feel to find. Now, listening to those old videos, you can only alone.” We can see that Holden’s songwriting has all the hear a trace of the man singing on “I Don’t Believe You”, poise and consideration of a poet and listeners will get the his latest album. The often self-pitying lyrics and fading feeling that he has truly considered every word and judged guitar have been left behind, replaced by confident riffs, it for its worth. carefully sculpted lyrics, and powerful vocals that are Using his fans as a platform, Holden began a Kickstarter unleashed from the very first song.

The album opens with the title track that builds slowly campaign to fund his album. Kickstarter is a website that to a climax of an upbeat, catchy chorus. It sets the tone for allows fans to pledge money to artists to help them raise funds to record their album. Initially setting out to raise the rest of the album, incorporating jazzy drums, clever guitar riffs that don’t overpower the full-bodied sound of $20,000, Holden found himself on the receiving end of the acoustic guitar and Holden’s strong voice maintaining over $30,000 from his loyal fan-base.

Greg Holden’s album I don’t Believe You, is available in control of the song. some stores and on iTunes.

A review of his last album on iTunes that she could CONOR PHELAN listen to this artist sing the dictionary and she would be @conorphelan1

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J. EDGAR

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE

Film. 101 minutes. Directed by Sean Durkin. Starring Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy.

Released 21st January 2012.

Director Sean Durkin makes a statement with his debut feature film Martha Marcy May Marlene. The film focuses on Martha (Elizabeth Olsen), a young woman who has just escaped from her life in a small cult and tries to fit back into ‘normal’ life with her sister. Through flashback, the audience comes to understand some of the more chilling features of the cult, such as rituals of indoctrination and crime. Martha struggles to remove herself from Marcy May, her name and identity during cult life and finds the expectations of her sister and society at large daunting and insurmountable.

Playing the role of Martha, Elizabeth Olsen effortlessly commands the screen and delivers her performance with an individualistic style. Olsen’s potential is immense and Martha Marcy May Marlene captures that perfectly. She captures a level of emotional depth past her 22 years.

finesse or style and a completely rambling screenplay which results in any major plot narrative being explored properly.

This is undoubtedly the aspect of the film that mars it the Film. 137 minutes. Directed by Clint most. The frequency of the use of flashback and the way in Eastwood. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, which it intermingles with the present is somewhat dizzying Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts, Josh Lucas, and lacks focus.

The one saving grace about J. Edgar is the performances Judi Dench. Released 11th November 2011. by its leading characters. Though certainly not the finest performance of Di Caprio’s career, his portrayal of Edgar is believable and moving. Arnie Hammer’s performance follows a similar note, however is own that is easily engulfed into Di Caprio’s shadow. Indeed the only actor who In his latest picture, director Clint Eastwood attempts succeeds in going to toe-to-toe with Di Caprio is Dame to capture the mystery of one of the most prolific figures in Judy Dench in her portrayal of Hoover’s mother. All the recent American history, Federal Bureau of Investigation good of the performances is undone by the makeup that boss, J. Edgar Hoover. This biopic however fails to truly looks awkward, synthetic and certainly limits the facial capture the aura of mystery and controversy surrounding expressions of Hammer and Di Caprio. Had an older actor the legacy of Hoover. Eastwood presents viewers with a been cast in the role of an older J. Edgar and Leonardo Di disjointed and flawed movie, relying solely on the charisma Caprio as his younger version, J. Edgar would have certainly of Leonardo Di Caprio, in the title role to keep them been a different movie. It is hard to see past the distorting interested. artificiality of the make-up for Edgar and Tolson in their J. Edgar is a film that sits firmly on the fence when it older years, which makes it difficult to become entirely comes to its depiction of the relationship of Hoover and engrossed in the movie. his co-worker Clyde Tolson (Arnie Hammer). Indeed it Overall J. Edgar is a watchable, though drawn-out film. has been remarked that J. Edgar is one of most closeted In its attempt to gain Oscar glory, the film will inevitably films in terms of its advertising, with little focus on slip into the catalogue of unremarkable biopics, which have Hoover’s struggle with his sexual orientation in trailers. come to dominate cinema.

This is all the more surprising that much of insight we gain CHRISTINA MURPHY into Hoover’s character is through this struggle and his relationship with Tolson.

J. Edgar ticks all the Oscar boxes, but has remained shunned and hasn’t received a single nomination. This is perhaps due to the film being seen as serving as little more than Oscar bait. Indeed, J. Edgar is a film shot without More importantly, she never relies on hysterics, and carries off the role with a type of subtle finesse. Another actor who deserves attention is John Hawkes, playing the role of cult leader Patrick. Hawkes delivers a powerful performance, with his character ranging on the unnerving to chilling spectrum.

The feature as a whole is quiet beautiful in the way its shot, with cinematography a prominent, though never dominating feature of the film. Though the screenplay, also by Durkin is not without its flaws, Martha Marcy May Marlene is a tense ride for audiences and not a moment is wasted.

The singular flaw in is the lack of development in parts of the film. Martha leaves audiences questioning and there appears to be no correct answers to their musings. This of course surrounds the film with an aura of intentional, though at times frustrating, mystery.

Martha Marcy May Marlene will prove to be a great launch pad for Elizabeth Olsen, who no doubt will quickly become a darling of the independent movie circuit. This is her first feature length film role and she carries off her role with a sublime, charismatic and vulnerable energy. The film will do similar things for director Durkin. Simply put this is a movie that will leave audiences guessing. This is a film with longevity and bravado and is certainly worth a visit to the nearest cinema.

CHRISTINA MURPHY

NICHOLAS SPARKS THE BEST OF ME

shared is about to be re-kindled.

However, with a twist to the tale; is love ever going to find its way back to Amanda and Dawson? Even with Dawson’s troublesome family keeping a watchful eye, Amanda contemplates leaving behind an established lifestyle, family Novel. Grand Central Publishing. and home in search of a forgotten past while Dawson Published October 11, 2011 struggles to come to terms with the events that have altered his life in more ways than one.

In a small suburban town, big decisions have to be made.

It is difficult to criticise the works of Nicholas Sparks when he draws a story to an end and concludes it in a No stone is ever left unturned by the truly wonderful perfect manner. However, it may not be one of his best, and heart wrenching author that is Nicholas Sparks. In his starting off as a promising love story involving two high latest book; the best of me, two people travel though time school lovers, it evokes into a rather long winded weekend to only bring them back to the present. A captivating story, of continuous choices and relentless conflict. The move from it opens your mind and makes you long to read more. past to present while considering what the future may hold Sparks allows for two young lovers to embark on a tale of for the two star crossed lovers seems endless and although separate lives and ordinary living but could their hearts be curiosity remains, readers are left distressed in anticipating re-united by the spirit of a close friend? an end. Ultimately the end is evident and concludes rather Another successful love story, Sparks presents his quickly after a nail biting tale of suspense. The twist of readers with decisions that cause conflict and despair while Sparks comes at a late point by which time the attention of also addressing the strengthening emotions of love and readers may have been easily lost. happiness.

Despite the late climatic encounter, Sparks appears to It would seem that Amanda and Dawson share a bond have done it again and won over the approval of many. In that is relatable to most of us. You never forget your first fact, the book is already in line for filming. love and in the case of these two people the love they once AOIFE THOMAS

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When ‘Banter’ Isn’t A Valid Excuse

PADRAIG McCARRICK @PaudiMcTurkish

I’m all for a bit of banter. Those that have heard our podcasts, or read some of my more tongue and cheek articles will know that on occasion, I do tend to lean on the more risqué side of things.

But an incident that occurred last month on the website Unilad.com, not only crossed the line, but highlighted a serious issue within certain elements of the male 18-23 demographic that needs to be addressed immediately.

For those unaware of the incident in question, Unilad is an online magazine based in the UK and aimed at male students. It incorporates various aspects of modern lad culture and from what I can find online, reads like a bad copy of ZOO or Nuts magazine. Examples of the article titles on offer include “The Blood Jizz Cocktail”, “The Vagina Vomit Bucket” and “Halloween: The Easiest Night To Get Laid?” As misogynistic as these sound, the article that caused such a furore that the National Union of Students has had the site shut down for “trivialising rape” was simply called “Sexual Mathematics”.

In the ‘article’, written by Oxford Brookes student Alex Partridge, quotes include “And if the girl you’ve taken for a drink happens to belong to the ‘25%’ group and won’t ‘spread for your head’, think about this mathematical statistic: 85% of rape cases go unreported. That seems to be fairly good odds.”

It goes on to say “Uni Lad does not condone rape without saying ‘surprise’.” Further complaints have been directed at its merchandise which includes t-shirts that say “Keep calm, it won’t take long”.

While the Unilad site has since issued an apology, which refers to the tips as “flippant comments”, many, including myself have felt that those running the editorial have failed to understand the gravity of this so called ‘banter’. An apology on its Facebook page was met with much abuse by male readers and many who commented on twitter and facebook in favour of the sites ban were met with misogynistic and homophobic abuse, using the same type of excuses used by convicted rapists. The site will

resume running next week.

This brings me to the crux of the matter. There is very little awareness of the gravity of rape amongst young males not only against women but against them and their peers. The lines between masculinity and misogyny are marred together in the name of ‘banter’ to such an extent that many believe that they are one and the same. In the same way, feminism is pandered off as an irrelevant movement, and those that strive for equality between men and women face ridicule.

While differences between men and women should be celebrated and a healthy sexual relationship between the two encouraged, equality and respect for both should not be traded off in order to do so. Those ‘lads’, that are under the misconception that feminists are angry lesbians and their worries about rape are nothing but overreaction should probably look at the statistics cited that 85% of rapes failed to go unreported.

Among that 85%, male rapes against fellow males are included.

Rape awareness campaigns highlighting this issue have been grossly inadequate. In colleges and universities, where these attitudes towards women seem to be at their worst, campaigns highlighting rape are non-existent. Of the five years I have spent in university, I have never seen a Students’ Union candidate make an issue of this or attempt to promote an awareness campaign. I may be wrong, but if I’m unaware of such efforts and I’ve been looking, it has hardly been effective to attract the attention of the people who clearly need awareness.

In Canada, The Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre in conjunction with the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women and the Ottawa Police Service launched a new campaign against sexual assault last May entitled “Don’t be that guy”. OCEVAW state that, “Instead of placing responsibility for preventing sexual assault in the hands of victims, the posters appeal to potential offenders—speaking directly to them in their language”.

In Vancouver, just six months after starting the campaign Police have reported a fall of 10% in

One of the “Don’t Be That Guy” campaign posters by the OCEVAW. sexual assaults. While this is just the beginning, an approach like the one seen in Canada would do well in Ireland and the UK. Since the campaigns are primarily aimed at students of university age, Students’ Unions should be actively driving these changes, even if it is just on their own campus.

If we are to at all change the idea of ‘banter’ surrounding the likes of Unilad and its contemporaries, a proper awareness campaign to discourage sexual assault must be undertaken. It must be free from the excuses that a girl brings it upon herself by the way she dresses or by walking home alone. Universities, in theory are there for people to broaden their horizons and develop their education in order to contribute to society. Over the course of a degree, we change for the better. Our

attitudes develop and we become more mature and considerate adults. My only hope is that the folks at Unilad and their male readers can for once see beyond the banter and realise that rape is never funny and can never be joked about.

Padraig is an Assistant Editor of the Student Observer, a current events blog run by both current and former students of NUI Maynooth. You can find them via the following links: StObserver.Wordpress.com Facebook.com/StObserver

Palestine: The BBC’s Latest Dirty Word

FEARGAL Ó CLÉIRIGH In December 2010, rapper Mic Righteous had his voice and his message smothered by the sound of breaking glass, as he performed on Charlie Sloth’s BBC show. The young performer had been in the middle of shouting “Free Palestine” when the name, Palestine, was censored.

Responding to original complaints, the BBC defended its decision saying that if the rapper had been allowed to air his message, it would have compromised the broadcaster’s “impartiality”. On January 31st of this year, the BBC Trust rejected complaints of bias again, stating that because it was not clear when opposing views to those of Mic Righteous would have been aired, it would have violated BBC guidelines.

The fact that the BBC sees the acknowledgement of Palestinian territory as under occupation, as a contentious political opinion, says a great deal. UN resolution 242 calls for the withdrawal of Israel from Gaza and the West Bank. If we accept “Free Palestine” as a call for the return of these territories,

its censorship puts the BBC’s “impartiality” at odds with the UN. This partial act of “impartiality” is not a once-off example of anti-Palestinian bias within the BBC, but as Amena Saleem, of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign has stated, the BBC remains wedded to an “institutionalised bias against the Palestinians”.

During the Israeli assault on Gaza, from December 2008 to January 2009, in which 1417 Palestinians were killed, the BBC refused to air humanitarian appeals from the Disaster Emergencies Committee (DEC). The DEC is an umbrella organisation of 14 charities, which is “driven by the principles of the Geneva conventions in terms of impartiality and neutrality”. Not only did the BBC throw a huge practical obstacle in the appeals way, by refusing to air it, but they cast damaging aspersions on the capability of the organisation to deliver genuine aid to the Palestinian people. In an interview with a rightly incensed Tony Benn, a BBC presenter speculated that aid sent to Gaza might be used to “rearm” Hamas. Such speculation from the BBC, juxtaposing aid with re-armament, seriously insults the integrity of such charity organisations as, the British Red Cross, Oxfam, and Concern, all of which are members of the DEC. It also creates a discourse where Hamas is seen as an illegitimate force, as opposed to Gaza’s elected government.

The BBC’s political dislike of Hamas would seem to have put them in conflict with impartial apolitical

A protest outside of the BBC Headquarters regarding the Palestine issue. charities.

All British media broadcasters, with the exception of the BBC, are answerable to the British media regulator, Ofcom. The BBC is only answerable to the BBC Trust. In effect, the BBC is funded by British taxpayers but only accountable to

itself. As long as this situation remains, we should expect to continue to see the implementation of the broadcaster’s partial “impartiality” when it comes to presenting the suffering of the Palestinian people, and their struggle for freedom.

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Is It Really In the National Interest?

MARK DILLON The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, has come out in defence of the recently agreed EU fiscal Treaty, stating that “Ireland signing up to this is not consigning itself to a programme of austerity for the future”. Without going into too much detail, acceptance of this treaty would mean that a state must run near zero budget deficits, as well as submitting their budget for approval by the EU. However, simply put, this treaty would have not have helped Ireland avoid the financial mess it currently finds itself in.

Until 2008, Ireland followed the provisions of this treaty predecessor, the 1997 Stability and Growth Pact. This treaty required countries to run an annual budget deficit of no more than 3%, and Ireland duly followed this requirement. However, over-zealous lending by private bankers led to a situation where Ireland was forced to make the biggest financial decision of its history, the bank guarantee, under pressure from the EU and without a referendum, which in turn led to our breaking the terms of the Stability and Growth Pact and accepting an EU/IMF bailout.

So the Irish government now, again under pressure from the EU and, if Enda Kenny has his way, without a referendum, is being coerced into accepting a treaty which contains regulations

which we were already adhering to before the EU decided to dictate our sovereign affairs. And who is the driving force behind this new fiscal treaty?

Germany.

The same Germany whose re-unification, in a similar financial scenario to today’s crisis but on a more minor scale, led to the country running budget deficits to alleviate the recession of one part of the union as its debt to GDP ratio rose from 41.7% in 1985 (FRG figures) to 49.8% in 1995. Germany whose re-unification led to it demanding continuing low interest rates to encourage investment in the east. These interest rates were applied Europe-wide because of the ECB, setting low interest rates in countries in countries like Ireland which evidently didn’t need them. This is the same Germany who was the driving force behind Stability and Growth Pact, and then proceeded to regularly violate its terms.

The same Germany who, in 2009, introduced the Schuldenbremse or “debt brake” in its own country, a balanced budget provision which it now seeks to enforce in other EU countries. Perhaps it may be concluded that the most powerful country in the EU, Germany, is manipulating the working of the EU to serve its own agenda.

Despite all the rhetoric about EU integration it is quite obvious, and to be expected, that countries will continue to pursue their own national interests within the framework of the EU. In hastily agreeing to a treaty which does nothing to solve the structural problems at the heart of the Irish financial crisis while further eroding our economic, and therefore national, sovereignty, Enda Kenny is being excessively naive. Perhaps he should look to the past before making assurances about our future.

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny standing alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

A Life Of Facebook Likes Mitt Romney & The Poor EOGHAN DUNNE

EOGHAN DUNNE

I like coffee. I like flipping my pillow over to the cold side. A quick glance at my Facebook profile and I learn that at some point over the last few years I developed a penchant for the RTÉ news drinking game, Supernintendo Chalmers and giving Father Larry Duff a call.

These Likes are already old, though. The Like has changed form a few times, from becoming a Fan of something to the dreaded “lol jk” and a thousand Chuck Norris facts you saw a year ago. But the Like has changed again, now it’s a form of news, gossip, and a commentary on life in Ireland. If you isolated yourself from all media except Facebook Likes, you’d miss out on all the financial news and European affairs, but you’d still get the weather, the sport, the headlines and which people in your school are sluts. It’s now a form of pseudo-news, with a heavy dose of humour. It’s like Perez Hilton presenting the Six One News about the lives of Junior Cert students.

And here’s where we find the bad stuff, the personal attacks. They are part of a public forum, it’s not regulated and it’s anonymous. Of course there’s going to be personal attacks. It’s internet graffiti, and the majority of Likes are created by secondary school students - the amount of spelling mistakes is the first clue, and college students aren’t often sitting in CSPE wondering what’s going on at all. Do you remember the 6th December 2011, when the youth of Ireland took to Facebook to create thousands of Likes about each other?

Personal attacks about rumours, sexual history, and making fun of people whose parents had died were unfortunately very common. People created Likes pleading for it to stop, some even pretending to be the Guards. This took over Facebook and lasted for a few days, and was even covered on radio stations

Mitt Romney is the most likely candidate to win the Republican Nomination for 2012. Well ahead in the polls, he is the overwhelming favourite to go up against Barack Obama in November, but he doesn’t care about the poor. Okay, that’s not quite true. I’m taking liberties with his words, but the fact remains that while we shouldn’t be able to take these liberties, Romney himself has given his opponents and floating voters ammunition against him.

Romney is a rich man, a very rich man. Estimates of his net worth usually fall between $200 million and $250 million, and the fact that he utters the words “I’m not concerned about the very poor” on live television, well that’s not very good for his image.

For a man of considerable wealth to ignore the most vulnerable in society in his campaign won’t go down well with voters of any income bracket.

Romney qualifies his gaffe by asserting “We have a safety net there, and if it needs repair I’ll fix it”. That’s nice of him. Mitt Romney is going to do all he can to stop the very poor from dying of starvation, because he will protect systems like food stamps and Medicaid by fixing any holes he might find. But why is he not concerned about the very poor, who have nothing but this safety net? A safety net stops you from falling, but offers no help getting back up. Romney seems satisfied that the very poor will stay very poor as long as they can eat. “My campaign is focused on middle-income Americans” he states. Why? Middle-income America is in a position that is a lot safer than that of the very poor.

Middle-income America and the very poor both have concerns about abortion, same-sex marriage and unemployment. It seems that Romney passes off the very poor as a problem to be taken care of later, when the Americans with a little money are safe. Middle-income America doesn’t have to deal

@eoghanisonfire

@eoghanisonfire

Liking our way through pop culture consumption. that night, presenters calling for it to stop. The Like mutated that night and we’ve sadly seen a trickle of it continue since.

Bebo had “me too”, which was an awkward way of appreciating a status. Twitter has the Trending Topics, which is brilliant, but I don’t get a laugh or any information from #OneDirectionAreAmazing or #JustinBieberIsHandsome, and they are all too common outside of school hours.

I think the appeal of the Like as it is now is that it concerns the foibles of Irish life that we recognise.

Take a look, the best of them are self deprecating, and our ability to point out our own inadequacies is something we like about Irish life. I like this.

Current Republication frontrunner, Mitt Romney. with the same social problems as the very poor.

Drugs, crime, and education problems are not taking over middle-income America’s life.

The question remains, why would Middleincome America vote for Mitt Romney if he views the most vulnerable in society as a problem to be put on the back burner? He has already been labelled as more concerned with Corporate America than with individuals. His nearest rival, Newt Gingrich, has called Romney out on several occasions, proposing a “safety trampoline” instead of a safety net, he seems to be collecting support for his concern with the very poor in America, and has also labelled Romney as a “food stamp president”.

It looks like Romney is set to win, and it looks like things aren’t going to get any better for the very poor in America if he goes all the way in November.

That safety net is going to be put under a lot of stress.

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Smokes, Booze and... Facebook?

SHANE KIERNAN Technology Editor @shanezor101

In a recent study carried out in the University of Chicago, it was discovered that social networking media is harder to tear yourself from than cigarettes and alcohol. This discovery came from a study involving 200 adults who had their daily habits and desires monitored, the result found that work and social media were the hardest to resist. Given these results, one must consider the implications on social interaction and a decline in smoking and alcohol consumption levels.

While social media consumption may be on the rise with addictiveness, it must be considered how smoking and drinking are being affected.

Can we conclude that people are going to become less addicted to nicotine and alcohol? I do not think so. Obviously, people aren’t going to give up serious habits and replace them with Facebook or Twitter, but the detrimental health effects of social media addiction are quite minimal; generally relating to idleness and damage to eyes and vision due to prolonged periods of time in front of a screen.

When it comes to working opposed to smoking or drinking, I would have to believe that the adults

involved in the study were not students of the university, given that the preference of social media over work in college being a large factor of student life in this day and age. The leader of the study, Wilhelm Hofmann, has stated that the people involved were polled seven times a day for a full week and asked to document their desires from the previous 30 minutes. When documenting their desires it was found that desires for sleep and sex were strongest, yet that the desire for social media was almost irresistible.

Personally, I believe the psychological factors involved in this study are truly extraordinary; especially given that there is a large amount to be discovered about why social media is so addictive, seeing as there is no chemical elements such as in cigarettes and drinks. The field of study on the social and cultural implications of websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr is obviously left to be explored, yet we can perceive from this study that social media has become a large aspect of daily routines and procrastination in avoiding work or studying.

As a student, not unlike most others within college and university, it is noteworthy to mention the negative aspects of procrastination via these sites. While the study has shown that work and social networking were almost irresistible, I believe that in these go hand in hand for students; using one to avoid the other. I shan’t disclose which is which, but given the exam period has just ended; the amount of procrastination-related groups on Facebook has seen a serious decline.reminder that the best is yet to come.

An artist’s depiction of Facebook being as addictive as cigarette smoking.

US Customs & Twitter The Size Of Facebook’s Initial Public Offering?

CONOR PHELAN Sports Editor @conorphelan1

What have you written on Twitter, Facebook, or even that vast wasteland that is Google+ recently?

Have you “liked” a risqué page, written a sarcastic comment, or seemingly worst of all, mentioned the USA? Before leaving for LA, Irish man Leigh Van Bryan joked that he would be “diggin’ Marilyn Monroe up!” (a reference Family Guy fans will appreciate) and he also tweeted a friend of his asking if they were “free for a quick gossip/prep before I go to destroy America? x” These tweets alone were enough for the US Department of Homeland Security to arrest Van Bryan and his traveling partner Emily Banting, detain them overnight before sending them back home.

The two tried to explain that the tweets were a joke, but their explanation fell on deaf ears as they were interrogated for five hours by the DHS. There are over 250 million updates on Twitter alone every single day, so how did two harmless tourists end up on the terrorist watchlist?

Security in America run a automatic search for certain terms online and clearly Van Bryan’s use of the word “destroy” within the same sentence as “America” came up as a result. The resulting

searches would have shown his intention to dig up the grave of a Hollywood superstar, thus implicating him in an act of terrorism.

The problem here is the required reliance on automated systems. Machines can’t tell sarcasm from a statement of intent, and once a “threat” to the United States has been identified, the system goes into motion to neutralise the targets before they get a chance to act.

If we look at the system from a bureaucratic point of view, the arrest of Van Bryan and Banting shows the success and efficiency of their online algorithm and response unit. The targets did not even get the chance to make it out of the airport.

Target neutralized; America sleeps soundly tonight.

The obvious problem is that there is no human, common sense intervention. Firstly to believe that these two posed an actual threat to security, and secondly that if they did, they would be stupid enough to post it publicly online.

The problem for us as non-residents of the USA is that we don’t have constitutional rights against Homeland Security so there’s no point in making lofty arguments about freedom of expression and the right to privacy.

What you have uploaded, liked, tagged, written or blogged is all online and can be traced to you.

Social media sites have become a great database of your life that simply doesn’t go away no matter how private your settings are or how long ago you said them.

So if you’re planning on jetting over to the US of A anytime soon, best to leave off on any topic that is related to America in any way, or can be deemed as a danger to security. Actually, best to post up a few videos of country musicians crying over the American flag as it dances in the sunlight, that should do it.

DECLAN MEENAGH @dagda

It’s been speculated about for ages, how much is Facebook earning and how much is it worth.

The social network market has been very fickle, remember friendster, bebo, MySpace anyone?

IPO means initial public offering, basically up to now, Facebook shares have been soled privately, so Facebook doesn’t have to publish anything, but since so many people now own the shares, and people who have them sell them on, it’s time for Facebook to open it’s books to the public.

Some cool stuff we’ve figured out is that in 2011, facebook made $3.7 billion and Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO, made $1.5 million. The most amazing thing is that Facebook is estimated to be worth $100 Billion! They are only selling $5 billion of shares in their IPO. Is Facebook any different from the previously popular social networks? I think it could be. The thing about Facebook is that it’s huge, and everyone on it, unlike Google+ is using it as a actual social network. The only threat to it is Google since they updated their privacy policy. They want to force anyone who uses any Google product to be on

Facebook’s IPO to be billions when made public.

Google+. This strategy will annoy consumers, and mightn’t work. Facebook’s position as king of the social network is deeply entrenched and will be hard to displace.

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Ireland’s Euro 2012 Squad Revealed DARA FOLAN On Friday the 10th of February, Giovanni Trapattoni announced his squad choices for the Republic of Ireland’s first in a series of friendlies in the lead up to Euro 2012. With Ireland hosting the Czech Republic in a Dublin friendly on the 29th of February, the match was seen as an opportunity for fringe players to stake a claim in the wily Italian’s Euro 2012 plans. Unsurprisingly, Trapattoni’s squad announcement contained no wildcards, no surprise inclusions and most tellingly no James McClean.

The selection for the most part has remained loyal to the tried and tested servants that have thus far brought the Republic of Ireland to Poland & Ukraine 2012.

Trapattoni has rarely been at the forefront of attractive football, let alone experimentation or innovation. As a member of the conservative footballing old-school, it is very much a case of; he knows what he likes and he likes what he knows.

A rigid 4-4-2 is his formation of choice and his selection choices tend to reflect the specificities of this system, as such there is rarely room for embellishment or flair. Even still, one man who was widely expected to break into Trapattoni’s tight-knit collective was ex-Derry City winger, James McClean. The 22-year old has made a huge

impact as his impressive, all-action and talismanic performances have proved a key feature in Sunderland’s current resurgence under the guidance of fellow Derryman, Martin O’Neill.

There were numerous rumblings leading up to the squad announcement that McClean had signed the necessary international clearance papers to join up with Republic squad, yet he remained ultimately absent from the final selection. The Norwich City pair, Wes Hoolahan and Anthony Pilkington were among other aspiring Ireland hopefuls to miss out.

Members of previous Trapattoni squads such as Andy Keogh, Paul McShane, Liam Lawrence and Ciarán Clark were also omitted, effectively ending their Euro 2012 chances. Similarly there was no evidence of a long speculated and most likely unwelcome Stephen Ireland return.

The apparent lack of contingency in this Irish team, a side which too often rode its luck during qualification, will be the major concern heading into this tournament. If any of Trapattoni’s regular starters, particularly the Whelan/Andrews dynamic, suffer serious injury, his long standing aversion to testing new players and tactics could yield serious repercussions. In the Czech Republic fixture and subsequent friendlies he should give long-time benchwarmers such McCarthy and Coleman some game time in a green jersey, otherwise the team heads to Poland with internationally inexperienced back-up.

Despite the McClean omission, the squad selection shouldn’t raise too many eyebrows; he has been a stubborn and loyal coach throughout his tenure and only serious injury will change his selection policy between now and the summer.

Current Republic of Ireland football manager Giovanni Trapattoni.

Paul Cook Leaving Rovers Football Tragedy in Egypt

CILLIAN SHIELDS @pile_of_eggs

Sligo Rovers have confirmed that their muchsought ex-manager Paul Cook has left the club to return to his own former team from his playing days, Accrington Stanley. The West of Ireland club released the news that Cook wanted to speak to Stanley via a statement on their website. Less than a week later, it was confirmed that Cook had signed with the League Two side.

Cook has had the desire to return closer to his home and his family for some time now, as the former Rovers manager is a Liverpudlian native. In the statement they released, Sligo emphasised the fact that Cook was under contract with the club for another year “and have no desire to see him leave the club.”

Odds on cook to become the next manager at the Crown Ground slashed dramatically the in week before he left. Cook had already dismissed the advances of Scottish club St. Johnston and League of Ireland rivals Derry City in both their attempts to find a new manager this off-season. This, combined with the fact that Cook has made a number of excellent signings for the Bit o’ Red and is building a very strong squad out west suggested that Cook had no intention of leaving, so the news of his departure may come as a bit of a surprise, even if it has been an ambition of his to manage Stanley.

Accrington Stanley aren’t just known for that 1980s milk advert. The north-west English side

currently hold a playoff position in League Two. The club have steadily rose from the doldrums of the English football pyramid to make it to the playoffs last year in League Two, but they couldn’t earn another promotion. This year they’re on course so far to equal or better their previous season’s efforts.

Paul Cook managed Sligo from 2007 and brought them to three FAI Cup finals in a row in his time at the club, winning two of them. He has turned Rovers from a mid-table team into title challengers, with many League of Ireland journalists and opinionators believing that Cook had his team playing the most attractive style of football in the country in the past two years.

With only a few weeks to go before the 2012 league campaign gets underway, Cook has left his former club with little time to find his replacement.

This also means that his inevitable successor, whoever it may be, won’t be given very much time to work with their new squad. Damien Richardson has been the name most heavily linked with the vacancy.

With this move, Cook potentially joins the list of obscure managers that Sligo Rovers have employed who have gone on to make a name for themselves in the footballing world. Former Northern Ireland and Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez started off his career on the sidelines of The Showgrounds.

Current Nottingham Forest boss, Steve Cotterill, also cut his teeth at the managerial side of the game with Sligo. With Cook’s impressive style of play, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he followed in their footsteps and went on to achieve big things.

SUTE IWAR What was scheduled to be a routine football league game between top Cairo club al-Ahly and Port Said side al-Masry, turned out to be the worst incident of football violence in Egyptian history.

The Egyptian health ministry confirmed 74 deaths and at least 150 people left with critical injuries as a result of the violence at the Port Said stadium.

This has led to the ruling Military Council and the Egyptian Parliament to concede to a security vacuum within the state On the first of February, al-Masry was victorious with a 3-1 score line against the favourites and Africa’s most successful football club, al-Ahly.

In purely sporting terms, this victory called for elaborate celebration, however what occurred subsequently was shocking. The al-Masry fans flooded the pitch in large numbers headed in the direction of the al-Ahly fans and the players, who were scrambling to leave the pitch and head to their locker room. The Port Said stadium, which has a capacity of about 25 000 was packed with about 22 000 eager fans that night with only about 2 000 al-Ahly supporters. The brawl that followed between them involved the use of rocks and chairs as ammunition with numerous fans falling from the bleachers sustaining fatal injuries.

In the wake of the Port Said stadium violence, the current Egyptian Prime Minister, Kamal alGanzouri announced to parliament that the head of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) would

be relieved of duty and the association’s governing board would be dissolved immediately. Initially, it was unclear if the violence was essentially sporting related or with political influences. However, some Al-Ahly fans claim that in their attempt to flee it became clear that the doors had been locked with chains leaving them stranded in the stadium. They also claim that the police present in the stadium allowed violence to escalate by acting as passive witnesses to the brawl and not carrying out their duty to protect.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter commented in a statement that the incident marked a black day for football. He also announced that football’s governing body would donate $250 000 to show support to the families of those lost during the horrific incident. Also, the visiting football club at the Port Said stadium that night - al-Ahly - have set up a bank account specifically to support families of the demised.

In the wake of these events, the Egyptian Premier League has been suspended and postponed indefinitely. This decision has forced Egyptian football into a state of disharmony. About 6 Egyptian sports channels have come under threat of closure because their revenue is heavily dependent on broadcast income as well as TV advertisement revenue and the huge sports investments. Also, the leagues postponement has forced players to leave for other stable leagues either on loan or permanently in order to play competitive football again.

Live, breath or play sport? Well why not write about it for your Students’ Union newspaper as well! If you’d like to start contributing, drop an e-mail into the e-mail address below! editor@theprint.ie

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Classic Sporting Interruptions DARA FOLAN Sporting events have forever been at the mercy and utility of opportunistic extroverts, protestors and barnyard animals. Many television stations tend to avoid giving the worst of these demonstrators the much-craved attention, usually by virtue of a scenic camera pan across the stadium.

In light of the handcuffed Ryanair protester at Goodison Park and the cat who took to the pitch at Anfield, here is a brief compilation of some of the more bizarre on-field invasions.

1. Fan-man The Fan-man A.K.A parachutist James Miller, orchestrated perhaps the best known incident of sporting invasion of all time and one that has been the subject of countless parodies, including one in The Simpsons. During the 7th round of a heavy-weight title fight between Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe in 1993, the fan-man circled the arena above Caesar’s Palace for a number of minutes, losing control in his impromptu descent into the ring, hitting the overhead lighting and plummeting straight into crowd. Bowe’s violent entourage and the rowdy spectators made sure that Fan-man suffered for his art.

2. Emily Davison In perhaps the original and most extreme example of modern on-field protest, feminist, suffragette and all-round trendsetter, Emily Davison famously flung herself in front of the King George V’s horse at the Epsom Derby in 1913. She died from her fatal injuries 4 days later, becoming a martyr for the suffragette cause.

3. Jimmy Jump Jimmy Jump has become a figure of some notoriety in recent years. The Spanish serial invader has appeared at innumerable public events but his finest moment is probably his World Cup 201o final charge to steal/place a hat upon the World Cup trophy. He was stopped in his tracks by an impressive stiff arm-cum-facegrab, administered by an obliging security guard.

4. International Rules Dog During a Croke Park Rules match in 2004, a Jack Russell took to the field in a show commitment and dedication that any county selector would be proud of. During the 10 minutes he was on the field, the terrier was surprisingly effective under the high ball and harried like a madman, tripping up players and functioning as an all-rou nuisance to those involved.

5. Cornelius Horan Ireland’s original dancing priest (laicised) and general international annoyance Cornelius ‘Corny’ Horan has been a prominent figure of the surreal for some time now. In 2009 he appeared on Britain’s

The Fan Man crashes down during the 1993 Heavy-weight boxing championship match.

Got Talent and is regularly seen on the streets of London, performing his own hybrid brand of Irish dancing and post-apocalyptic prophesying. In 2003 he appeared on the racetrack during the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, running headlong into 200 km/h F1 traffic wearing a kilt/skirt too short for

common decency. He is also a renowned crusher dreams after he bizarrely attacked Brazilian runner Vanderlei de Lima as he led the final stretch of the 2004 Olympic Marathon, ultimately losing him the gold medal. Irish. National. Treasure.

Such Failure To Prepare Dream Start for Zayed

MARK DILLON England have a history of shooting themselves in the foot in advance of major tournaments. This time, however, they’ve gone and hacked off a leg.

A week may be a long time in long time in politics, but English football is starting to make its’ own case. In the space of less than a week, England have lost both their captain and their manager. What John Terry may or may not have said to Anton Ferdinand during Chelsea’s Premier League fixture with Queens Park Rangers’ last October will be up for debate on July 9th, 8 days after the conclusion of Euro 2012. What is clear though, is that this incident has set in motion a chain of events which may seriously damage England’s chances of success at Euro 2012. Terry stands accused of racially abusing Ferdinand, a charge which he has plead not guilty to. He would normally have stood trial next month, however, the trial has been postponed as many of the key witnesses, which mainly consist of footballers, would not be available till July.

This led to a situation where England were to be potentially captained during Euro 2012 by a man who was under investigation for the very crime that the F.A. are trying to stamp out in the English game. Considering this dilemma, the F.A. came to the decision that the captaincy should be stripped from Terry. As David Bernstein, the chairman of the F.A. has said, “The totemic aspect of the England captaincy meant it wasn’t something we could go in to a tournament with hanging over us”.

This decision was made over the head of England

manager Fabio Capello, the man who is paid an estimated £6 million a year to make these sort of decisions. This led to a rift between Capello and the F.A. . Capello come out against the F.A.’s decision, decrying it in an outburst on Italian television.

In an meeting between Capello, Bernstein and F.A. general secretary Alex Horne, they had what Bernstein has described as “a frank exchange of views” about the matter. Capello then offered his resignation, and it was accepted. What happens now is up for speculation. The only assured fact about the future at this stage is that Stuart Pearce will manage England for their forthcoming friendly with Holland. This presents an excellent opportunity for the man, affectionately known in his playing days as “Psycho”, to stake his claim for the permanent position as manager. Other possible contenders for the role are likely to be managers such as Harry Redknapp, Alan Pardew and Guus Hiddink. There is understood to be a desire for the next manager to be English, as Bernstein has said, “There is clearly a preference for an English, or a British, manager”. However, the abruptness of Capello’s departure creates problems in this regard, with Redknapp and Pardew in the middle of successful seasons with Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle, respectively. Hiddink is currently unemployed after a spell with Turkey, but the fact that he is Dutch may work against him. Whoever is appointed to the position has a huge job on their hands. They will have to choose a new captain to replace Terry, as well as deciding whether Terry should go to the finals, as his presence may sour the atmosphere in the squad. Most of all, they will have to ensure that England do not, once again, do not underperform at a major tournament. Amidst such chaos, and with so little time to prepare, the omens aren’t good.

CILLIAN SHIELDS @pile_of_eggs

Former Derry City striker Eamon Zayed has had an explosive start with his new club Persepolis, based in Tehran, Iran. Playing in front of an unfathomable 65,000 fans, Zayed had the kind of game on February 2nd that all players dream about, but rarely, if ever, achieve.

Picture the setting; you’re at a brand new club on a completely different continent from what you’re used to. You’ve made your debut already, but that’s all you’ve played for your new team. The next game is against your local rivals, a derby heralded as one of the fiercest in world football. Your team is 2-0 down, reduced to 10 men and there’s only 8 minutes left on the clock and you’ve come on off the bench to, probably hopelessly, make an impact. There’s a crowd of 65,000 watching you, dejected from your team’s performance so far, with plenty more watching on television screens around the country.

This is the exact situation that Zayed was thrown into, and what was he able to do about it? Only score three goals in ten minutes to win the game 3-2.

The Dublin-born Libyan international and last season’s Balls Out In Public Player of the Year winner lived this dream game earlier on this month, and was awarded with the Goal.com World Player of the Week award for it, becoming the first ever player from the Iranian League to be awarded this accolade.

His first goal came from an excellent through ball that found Zayed’s clever run behind the Esteghlal defence. After latching onto the ball, Zayed deployed a neat finish into the far corner of the net to give the Persepolis fans some hope.

Two minutes later, a winger put in a cross aiming for Zayed’s head. The ex-Bray Wanderer was able to head the ball low causing the keeper too much difficulty to deal with. This goal made the scores

Zayed and teammates celebrating a goal. level and if it stayed that way, Persepolis would gain a point from a match that looked like they were certainly going to lose. Because of this, the crowd went wild. A victory for their arch-rivals was snatched away from them, and for a little while at least, it looked as though they were going to have to make do with just a point.

But speaking to Goal.com, Zayed said that the third, the winner, was his own personal favourite of the three. “I felt it was the best of the three and the fact it was in the 92nd minute, to win the game, made it that bit more special.“ For this goal, Zayed collected a low cross from the opposite wing of the second goal. He controlled the ball well and quickly turned 180 degrees, giving him space to shoot the ball low into the same corner as the first goal. If the crowd were ecstatic before, then their reaction to this 92nd minute winner is ineffable.

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February 16th 2012 - Volume 3, Issue 8

How The SuperBowl Could Have Been A Very Different Ball Game CILLIAN SHIELDS @pile_of_eggs

In American Football, every play through the game from start to finish is vital. This is no truer than in the Super Bowl, the pinnacle of every player’s career should they be lucky enough to play in one. The “Greatest Show on Earth” can be won and lost at any given moment on the field, and this year’s edition in which the New York Giants came out victorious over the New England Patriots is no exception.

The championship could have been ripped out of the Giants’ hands at the very last play of the game, when the Patriots had the chance to win it with a Hail Mary throw to the end zone. They didn’t, but the game still could have been so different, all thanks to plenty of tiny things. Here we take a look at some of the plays that could so easily have turned the outcome on its head.

Eli Manning began the night’s proceedings when New York started off with the ball. He couldn’t get far enough up the field to score on his first drive thanks to the solid start from the Pats defense and the Giants had to punt the ball away. Up steps Tom Brady, eager to smash even more records than he has this season. But the Pats quarterback’s first play on offense results in a safety – an ‘intentional grounding’ penalty against Brady, when the refs adjudged him to have illegally avoided a sack in his own end zone.

As a result of this, New York took a 2-0 lead but

more importantly, the Patriots had to kick the ball to the Giants, giving Manning a second chance to score before Brady had even made one yard.

Manning gratefully obliged and put the G-men 9-0 to the good. Brady’s intentional grounding penalty completely changed the dynamic of the game. The Giants were essentially given a free possession to score and also keep Tom Brady waiting cold and bored on the sideline, watching his opponents take a massive head start in the biggest game of the year.

The next play that shaped this Super Bowl came just before the Giants scored their first touchdown.

Manning found Victor Cruz for a first down inside the ten-yard line, before the ball was ripped away and recovered by the Patriots. Pats thought they had gained possession of the ball, meaning the Giants weren’t going to be able to score those 7 points and instead New England could have gotten themselves on the scoreboard.

However, the refs cut their celebrations short with a flag. It turned out that the Patriots had too many players on the field, a foul for obvious reasons. The ball was given back to the G-men, who then went on and scored. Such a small mistake, confusion between the players as to who was meant to be involved in the play and who wasn’t, cost the Patriots a potential 14-point difference.

As the game progressed, Tom Brady recovered his team from such a shaky start and even took the lead right before half time. Four minutes remained on the clock when the Pats were 17-15 up 5 yards into the Giants’ half of the field. The quarterback sees the ever-reliable receiver Wes Welker wide open about twenty yards ahead of him, and sends the ball his way. The delivery is perfect, the ball is sent right to the palms of Welker’s hands.

But somehow, Welker just can’t control it, and lets it drop. The commentators at this exact

moment remarked that 100 out of 100 times, Welker makes that catch. This must have been the once out of 1,000 times in which he didn’t, and on the biggest stage of all. Shortly after this, the Patriots had to punt the possession back to Eli. From the first play that the Giants got from this subsequent possession came the play of the game.

Pinned back to their own 11, Eli begins a drive with just under four minutes left knowing that they need to score, and they’ve got a long way to go to do so. The Mississippi graduate pinged the ball in the direction of the running receiver Mario Manningham on the left wing of the field.

The pass had good power and distance on it.

Nearly too much, but good enough in the end.

Not just a good enough pass, in fact, a perfect one. But that didn’t necessarily mean that the pass would be completed, not if the two huge onrushing defenders breathing down his neck had a say.

20 seconds” said Herzlich in an interview with the NFL network, ““Running out of the tunnel again, that was my end goal.”

Doctors told the six-foot-four linebacker that the cancer was isolated in his left leg and that there would be three outcomes; firstly that if the cancer spread, it would be fatal, secondly that if they detected any fracture in his femur, the cancer would seep out and begin to spread, if this happened then they would have to amputate the leg. The final outcome, which doctors recommended, was to operate, remove infected parts of his leg and insert a metal rod. None of these options would allow him to run again, never mind play in another football game.

Herzlich had other ideas. The thought of a life without Football was unbearable to him, so a week after being diagnosed he began a process of aggressive chemotherapy. Herzlich began 50 rounds of radiation, every morning and night, five days a week over five weeks.

Boston College fundraised for their most prized player, selling “Beat cancer #94” shirts, and Herzlich said he was overwhelmed with the amount of support he received during his battle.

At the end of September 2009, Herzlich announced that he was cancer-free. However, the radiation had left the linebacker with muscle that

had melded with the bone in his leg. Herzlich began deep muscle therapy, which, “Instead of massaging, they’re ripping your muscles off the bone with their fingers. It’s very painful. I was on the table holding on for dear life and screaming.”

Having seen this fearless behemoth playing, the image of him screaming in pain is one that is difficult to comprehend as during games puts his body through huge impacts without ever hazing him.

Herzlich still had a long way to go, and spent the year building up muscle and fitness that the Process had taken away from him. On the 4th of September 2010, Herzlich led the Boston College Eagles onto the field, just as he said he would. That season, he started all 13 games, made 65 tackles, and caught four interceptions.

Herzlich then looked towards his dream of playing in the NFL, however, the draft left him out in the cold with the scouts noticing that he didn’t have the same speed, strength or ability since coming back from cancer.

He kept the dream alive by working hard to get back to form, he worked out, watched tapes and focused his mind on one thing and one thing alone; getting into the NFL. His determination and grit paid off on the 26th of July 2011 when he signed as a free agent to the New York Giants.

New York Giants Quarterback Eli Manning jumps onto defensive end Justin Tuck.

It turned out that they didn’t really have much of a say. Eli and Manningham made the play of the game out of nowhere, to complete a 38-yard pass, the longest of the game, and begin the drive that would ultimately win them the game. They also made this play despite such a wide possibility of error in many aspects of the play. Manningham could have gotten a push earlier in his run to slightly halt him, his hands may not have been so secure, Eli’s pass may not have been so accurate.

These didn’t matter in the end because the play was perfect, down to the tiniest detail of it.

Had they not began that drive so effectively and intensely, then perhaps they wouldn’t have been able to go on and win it. If none of these particular plays happened the exact way they did, the outcome probably would have been totally different.

That’s football, guys. That’s all it is.

Mark Herzlich’s SuperBowl XLVI Saga

CONOR PHELAN Sports Editor @conorphelan1

2008 saw the Boston College Eagle Mark Herzlich picked as a First-team All-American and the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He lead the Eagles with 110 tackles, 81 stops, six interceptions, eight pass break-ups, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries, with 13 tackles for a loss. Commentators saw him as one of the biggest and best defensive players in college football and had him down to make a huge impact on the NFL. It all changed for Herzlich in the spring of 2009 when he noticed a pain in his left leg. The news the doctor gave him was a bigger hit than he had ever made on the football field; he had contracted Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.

“It felt like my whole world was taken away in

New York Giant Mark Herzlich during practice.

The Giants went on to win this year’s Superbowl over the New England Patriots, and Herzlich’s tweet a few days before the game says it all really “2 yrs ago I was told I’d never walk again, Just WALKED off plane to #Indy to play in #SuperBowl #TakeThatCancer”