RIP Anthony Foley
I am not a costume
Munster Rugby loses one of her greatest sons
Halloween debate on whether cultural appropriation is acceptable
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DIY Halloween Costumes Six of the best (and easiest) Halloween Costumes out there Page 23
NUI Galway student makes Forbes 30 Under 30 pitch in Boston By Sorcha O’Connor
FREE STUDENT NEWSPAPER | VOL 18, ISSUE 04 | 25 OCT 2016
No to student loans Students across Ireland arrive in their droves to the capital to have their voices heard By Georgia Feeney ON OCTOBER 19 students from colleges
around the country gathered together to demand publicly funded third level education. This was the Union of Students of Ireland (USI)’s fourth national demonstration. The March for Education began at the Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Street. This event saw an estimated 10,000 students stand up for their human right to education and say a firm no to student loans. During the summer, the USI began their campaign against the introduction of a student loan scheme, which is one of three options from the Cassells Report being considered by the Government. The other options are to remain using the current system or to publicly fund third-level education. The fear for many students is to leave University after a number of years with with up to an estimated €20,000. As the situation stands, many students are already heavily reliant on SUSI grants to attend and remain in college. If the government were to implement the loan scheme this would see the abolishment of the SUSI grants system and may leave many individuals unable to attend third level education and receive a degree. USI President Annie Hoey says publicly funded third level education is the better option; “In the ‘70s it was quite a big political decision to make second level education publically funded and accessible to anyone who wants it.” “So publically funded education is not pie in the sky, it is an option that is laid out in the report and it is a matter of political will whether the Government go down this particular route.”
NUI Galway march on at the USI Demonstration Wednesday 19 October. Photo: Cathal Sherlock
Team effort Over the past few months the NUI Galway Students’ Union have been informing students about the march and the vote. Taking off from the Cathedral and Gort na Coirbe at 9am on the day, there was palpable excitement amongst the students hoping to leave an impression on the people of Dublin and Ireland to get the public to stand behind them. SIN spoke to NUI Galway Students’ Union Education Officer Cathal Sherlock on the day, who expressed his strong sense of pride for the college and the participation of over 500 NUI Galway students in the march. “It’s amazing the crowd of people that have turned out,” he said. However while he was thrilled with the turn out Cathal wants to ensure everyone still understands that there is a way to go yet, and the importance of the message of the day. “Everyone should have the equal opportunity to come to college with their own free will,” he said. He believed leaving college and coming out with a gross amount of debt means “a debt for life”. The Education Officer feels that students should not be held back by disability, age, finance or anything other from achieving a
third level education and that this is imperative that the government understand. He spoke of his own experience and explained the important role the SUSI grant played in his college experience. “I wouldn’t have been able to attend University if it weren’t for me receiving a SUSI grant. If the loan scheme is introduced by the government it would mean the end of grants and student financial support from the government. The strain of putting €5000 fees on students and their families is unacceptable; students should not be expected to take out loans to pay for their future,” he said. Before beginning the march students from all participating colleges gathered together. Chants such as “Student loans have got to go” and “What do we want? Free education! When do we want it? Now!” were heard across the crowds. The students also held placards with strong messages in the air: “Buy college? Bye College.” and “Education shouldn’t be a debt sentence!” amongst the many slogans used. The March concluded at Merrion Square where a rally was organised by the USI where a varied group of individuals addressed the crowd. Continued on page 2
Third year biotechnology student in NUI Galway Edel Browne was recently selected to pitch at the Forbes 30 Under 30 conference, held in Boston on 16 – 19 October. She pitched as part of the Blackstone LaunchPad global network showcase. Miss Browne is the founder of Free Feet Medical. The company is developing an aid to help those with Parkinson’s disease. The device helps sufferers overcome the symptom of gait freezing, something that affects 70% of people with the disease. Gait freezing can be described as a temporary inability to move, with the feeling that the feet are unable to lift from the ground. Miss Browne spoke on the Matt Cooper show on Today FM in September. She explained how the device is a small laser which one can attach to their shoe. The laser acts as a visual cueing system for the brain. It shines a red light onto the ground which the user can follow. This helps in reducing the length of time the freezing lasts as the user focuses on following the light and moving again. What started as a young scientist project, the company has been going from strength to strength in recent months; Miss Browne’s trip to Boston came after the launch of a successful crowdfunding campaign that has garnered €9,000 to date and after the company was nominated for a Best Newcomer prize in Women Mean Business Awards. Miss Browne at the age of 19 is the CEO of the company and she was picked through a competitive process to represent the Blackstone LaunchPad at the conference. In advance of the trip to Boston, Executive Director of Blackstone LaunchPad NUI Galway Mary Carty explained how this was an outstanding achievement for Miss Browne. “I am thrilled for Edel. Her hard work and passion is inspiring. It’s a fantastic opportunity to drive her business forward,” she said. “The exposure and opportunities this event will bring to Free Feet Medical is incredible.” Miss Browne wasn’t the only representation of NUI Galway in Boston however. Another NUI Galway start up Crono Labs also attended the conference. Crono Labs have designed a case to carry a computer monitor, reducing desk clutter. The venture, the brainchild of NUI Galway students Ruairi McNicholas and Oliver Burke, is still in the prototype phase. “Having two teams, Free Feet Medical and Crono Labs attend Forbes 30 Under 30 is a fantastic achievement for NUI Galway,” said Ms Carty. “It’s testament to the creativity and ambition of our students and the supports available to them on campus. Seeing our start-ups recognised on a global stage, bodes very well for the future of the next generation of entrepreneurs in Ireland.” Blackstone LaunchPad at NUI Galway, on campus since February, has to date supported over 2,000 students. Their ethos is to support and empower each student by creating supports specific to individual needs and personal development, with the aim of assisting students to shape their pathway and celebrate their own unique talents and strengths.
2 NEWS
Sin Vol. 18 Issue 4
Students across Ireland arrive in their droves to the capital to have their voices heard Continued from front page Speaking at the rally, President of the USI Annie Hoey pushed the point that “education is a human right not a privilege”. It was announced at the rally that in fact over 15,000 students around the country had signed the USI petition for publicly funded education. According to Hoey, the government need to realise the burden they will be placing on students if they implement the student loan scheme. Speaking in regards to this Hoey put it as the government having “the audacity to imply it is too ambitious to invest in our future and impractical to apply an idea of ‘study now, pay later’”. All USI and NUI Galway Students’ Union (SU) representatives urge those who may not have been able to attend the march to still get involved. They believe there’s more
work to be done. The vote, which is set to take place next summer has SU councils across the country preparing to drive up as much support as they can to make a strong opposition to the student loan scheme and show their stance that this is not a viable option. To support the campaign, Sherlock urges students to go and speak to their local TDs or get their parents to speak up; express your fears and have your voice heard is the message being driven to students. The general consensus from this campaign is equal opportunity for education and a no to student debt. The SU council have strongly expressed that more talk and action is needed on this matter and its needed now. For more information visit the USI website www.usi.ie or call in to the NUI Galway Students’ Union offices and speak to Education Officer Cathal Sherlock.
NUI Galway represent: students had a strong message to give. Photo: Cathal Sherlock
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Week 8. Nope, you did not just read that wrong. Semester One is absolutely flying past – and we are already on Issue 4. So, what’s in store? It was with great sadness that the news of Munster Head Coach Anthony Foley passing away suddenly in Paris was learned on 16 October. SIN news editor Cathal Kelly pays homage to the Munster rugby legend, renowned as a great leader and one of the best players the province ever produced. One of our leading stories this issue is on NUI Galway student Edel Browne, who did herself and NUI Galway proud Stateside recently when she was chosen to pitch at the Forbes 30 under 30 event in Boston. We got the scoop from Georgia Feeney on the USI Demonstration held on 19 October, when an estimated 10,000 third level students took to the streets of Dublin to have their voices heard. Georgia also reported on staffless libraries this issue – something rather Dr Who-sounding, if you ask me… And stop the lights – it’s back! No, not Subway, sorry. The cloakroom made its return last Friday however and order was restored in the lives of the many suitcase wheeling students of NUI Galway. As always, our ever-witty columnist Aisling Bonner gives us the latest from behind the steering wheel in her Confessions of a Provisional Driver. SIN also has plenty of tricks and treats in store for the fans
of Halloween amongst you, with an extensive guide from Connell McHugh on how to avoid totes awks costume clashing this scare season. Clown masks a definite no-no. If dressing up isn’t your cauldron of tea (sorry), we have a list of the best scary films to enjoy in the comfort of your own living room. Let’s just hope the phone doesn’t ring. And if you’re torn between loving and hating this time of year, we have the definitive list of the five best and worst things about Halloween. We get controversial in the Opinion section with our Head to Head debate on cultural appropriation and Halloween costumes. Is it all a bit of fun or a serious issue? Read on and make up your own mind. Our SIN book club returns, as Orla Carty reviews All the Bright Places. Did you read along this fortnight? This issue Zoe Ellis previews Girl on the Train so make sure to get your hands on that before she reviews it next issue. With plenty more Entertainment and Sport for you to take a peek at, here’s hoping this is one issue of SIN you’ll read cover to cover. My mam always does and she thinks it’s great. Why not have a go yourself… If you’re still wondering how to get involved in SIN, pop down to AC213 of a Monday evening at 6pm or drop me a line on editor@sin.ie. Newcomers are always welcome and before long you’ll be ready for the bright lights of the Nationals. Here’s to another great fortnight on the lovely NUI Galway campus, happy reading!
-Sorcha.
NEWS 3
October 25 2016
News Editorial: Cathal Kelly & Cathy Lee
Fashion Editorial: Georgia Feeney
Hi everybody, Cathy and Cathal, news editors for this year here! It’s been a jam-packed week on campus, as we’re sure you’re aware with all of the graduations taking place. Congratulations to everyone who did graduate. The future can be daunting, so let’s hope the real world isn’t as cruel as adults say it is! There was plenty of news in Galway this fortnight for you all to sink your teeth into – enjoy!
Hey everyone, Georgia Feeney here SIN’s new resident fashion editor! This fortnight we have plenty for you all to enjoy – we have our Steal Her Style segment, the lowdown on what Penneys have to offer this a/w season and much more. We listed off all the things we love about our winter wardrobe and why it trounces summer every time! Hopefully you can draw some inspiration from the pages and have yourself fashionably kitted out for the rainy, cold days a Galway winter is sure to have…
Features Editorial: Deirdre Leonard I’m Dee, features editor this year. We have a spooktacular Features section for you this issue, with the dos, DIYS and definite donts of costumes and a rundown of smart Halloween safety for your reading pleasure. And we have lots more treats from our bewitching contributors, including more Confessions of a Provisional Driver! Hope you enjoy and have a fabooooolous Halloween (I promise I’ll stop now.)
Opinion Editorial: Eoin Molloy I’m Eoin. Having been voted as NUI Galway’s most belligerent and out-spoken charlatan for the past two years in a row, it’s only natural that I will be editing the opinion section of our student newspaper this year. Throughout the next two semesters, I’ll be attempting to foil campus-related conspiracies that go all the way to the top! In this issue, our writers have tackled a wide range of issues with articles relating to the issue of cultural appropriation as it pertains to Halloween costumes, the pitfalls of online dating as well as the mandatory rolling Donald Trump coverage. In my biweekly column I have covered the oft-overlooked issue of scholastic seclusion, also known as the master of looking content as you take your tea alone. Enjoy now!
Lifestyle Editorial: Kayleigh McCoy Hey, Kayleigh here, editor of the Lifestyle Section here at SIN Newspaper. In the run up to Halloween, this edition of SIN is getting a bit spooky! This week’s issue will help you enjoy Halloween, get that bit healthier, and hopefully that bit happier in the process! Happy reading guys, and enjoy.
Arts & Entertainment Editorial: Saoirse Rafferty & Aisling Bonner It’s Saoirse and Aisling, your new Arts and Entertainment editors. The section is throwing a serious spotlight on student theatre this week with a review of The Monday B.C. and an interview with Robbie Walsh, director of The Lonesome West. With a What’s Going On guide and much more, this is one jampacked issue. Saoirse’s also given us the lowdown on the Vodafone Comedy Carnival – you can’t miss it. Happy LOLoween.
Sports Editorial: Trevor Murray I’m Trevor, Sports editor this year. We’re already well into the academic year and there’s no shortage of entertaining sport on the agenda as October segues into November. Best of all, we have plenty of great coverage in this issue of SIN including sharp views on Republic of Ireland’s World Cup qualifiers, NUI Galway’s GAA victories and an aptly spooky reflection on Mayo’s All-Ireland hoodoo voodoo. Enjoy.
Editor: Sorcha O’Connor
editor@sin.ie Layout: Shannon Reeves
Have something to say? Send your Letter to the Editor to editor@sin.ie.
Find us online:
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INSIDE
Students’ Union secure the return of campus cloakroom 4 Clampdown on drinking in public 5 Munster Rugby loses one of her greatest sons 6 The Positive Economist: how to find a better job, faster, when you work on your presentation skills
7
Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan and his poetic mastery
8
Cliché costumes to avoid this Halloween
10
Is Ireland doing enough for the refugee crisis?
12
Head to Head: Halloween and Cultural Appropriation
13
Donald takes a Trump on election bid
14
Modern Renaissance Palette – a Michelangelo master pièce
19
Primark A/W 16 collection: what’s in store
20
Cover Girl have got themselves a Cover Boy
21
Steal her style: Selena Gomez
22
DIY Halloween costumes
23
How to get your dog fix in college
24
What’s Going on in Galway: festivities for Hallowe’en season
26
In Conversation with The Clockworks
27
From page to stage: Gee Whiz!
28
NUI Galway come out on top in Galway battle
30
Can League of Ireland players really perform for the Boys in Green?
31
4 NEWS
Sin Vol. 18 Issue 4
Students’ Union secure the return of campus cloakroom By Sorcha O’Connor The Students’ Union cloakroom reopened on Friday 21 October. The free service provides a facility for students to leave belongings from 9am – 5pm on Fridays only. This comes just weeks after the well-used and popular service was closed all together.
At the time, Student Union President Jimmy McGovern expressed the Student Unions’ disappointment of the discontinuation of the service to SIN. “Firstly, it goes without say that the Students’ Union is deeply disappointed with the University’s decision to withdraw funding from the Cloakroom,” he said in September.
“The Students’ Union has operated and managed the Cloakroom for many years, and it has been a service used by a wide range of students. The staff cost for this service was covered by the University’s Buildings Office, however this funding was withdrawn last year.” The cloakroom is a simple ini-
tiative. Students receive a token with a number on it when they hand over their belongings. They return the token when collecting their bag or coat. It is a welcomed decision to restart the cloakroom, something the SU have lobbied for since the start of the semester. The availability of the service
on a Friday may make it easier on students commuting home on Fridays who don’t fancy carting a suitcase into the Larmor theatre for their Friday morning lecture! The room is situated in the basement of the library, next to the SU shop. The cloakroom does not accept laptops.
NUI Galway study shows emotional distress can trigger cardiac related issues By Cathy Lee NUI Galway research has found that heavy emotional stress or exertion can go as far as causing a heart attack in a study the largest of its kind, analysing data from nearly 12,500 patients. The average age of these patients was 58 and they were from across the world. The findings of the study showed that experiencing anger, upset or heavy physical exertion linked with a doubling of heart attack risk. As well as this, engaging in physical exertion while being angry
or upset almost tripled the risk of a heart attack. However the study does not cancel out the benefits regualar and appropriate physical activity can have in preventing a heart attack. The research was published in the American Heart Association’s journal and can be viewed on Circulation (http://circ.ahajournals. org/). The study looked at the activities of the patients an hour before their heart attack and aimed to identify “triggers” to the onset of the heart attack.
“Previous studies have explored these heart attack triggers; however, they had fewer participants or were completed in one country, and data was limited from many parts of the world,” said Dr Andrew Smyth, study lead author and a researcher at the HRB Clinical Research Facility at NUI Galway. Patients participating in the study “INTERHEART” completed a questionnaire about whether they experienced any of the triggers in the one hour before their heart attack. They were also asked if they had experienced any of the triggers in the same one hour period on the
day before their heart attack. Authors said that these triggers appeared to independently increase a person’s heart attack risk beyond other risk factors such as age, smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and other health problems. “This large, nearly worldwide study provides more evidence of the crucial link between mind and body,” said Barry Jacobs, Psy.D, an American Heart Association volunteer. Participants had to recall their triggers and due to reasoning that after a heart attack, a person
may be more inclined to say they experienced a trigger than they otherwise would be, this was considered a limitation of the study. Also participants were not given any descriptions of being angry or emotionally upset or of heavy physical exertion. These triggers were therefore self-defined but appear to have the same effect across countries and ethnicities of the 52 surveyed. Following this few found evidence Jacobs said “People who are at risk of a heart attack would do best to avoid extreme emotional situations”.
and to make their views known to the relevant people. It’s not just library goers who want to preserve the long history of the library experience, some have pointed out the mental health factor of this debate. Rita Ann Higgins, an avid library goer and writer for the Irish Independent, points out the power of a library visit. According to Higgins, for an individual living alone, their interaction with a librarian, someone with a shared interest, can be life saving. She believes the absence of a librarian means the loss of receiv-
ing a friendly welcome as you walk through the door, a lack of personal touch to the experience as there’s no one there to give you a book recommendation, and a lack of support to help you get what you need done or a helping hand with the IT services. Those who are unsupportive of the scheme see it as another plan by the government to cut costs and a further lack of caring for the people. Higgins herself wonders if there is a “duty of care to our citizens that is not being adhered to with this ill considered scheme”.
New library scheme involves no library staff By Georgia Feeney Libraries as we know it are about to change as a new pilot scheme hits Galway. This new program puts in place a self service program in libraries to be used after hours when librarians are gone home. The scheme, which was first implemented in Offaly and Sligo is now being piloted in Galway in the Oranmore and Ballinasloe areas, as reported in The Advertiser. Public libraries in the West Coast of the country may see a significant change in what has always been a
sociable and safe environment for many, and the scheme may be seen as a threat on the jobs of librarians. According to The Advertiser, the controversial scheme has already driven up a strong opposing group known as the “Staff Our Libraries” campaign group. They argue the scheme will damage the library experience instead of providing more access to users. They’re pushing for the libraries to be kept “staffed, safe and open to all”. It seems it’s not just the avid readers who are against this scheme. Lecturer at the school of
Law in NUI Galway, Larry Donnelly tweeted that “Staffless libraries are a terrible idea for Ireland” in response to a Journal.ie article on the matter. As reported in The Advertiser, the strong opposition and controversy over the scheme has caused Sinn Féin senator, Trevor O’Clochartaigh to hold a public meeting to discuss the scheme. The meeting was held on Monday 24 October. Sen Ó Clochartaigh had called on the public, “particularly library users”, to attend and ‘inform themselves as to what is being proposed’,
NEWS 5
October 25 2016
Paint It Pink With Roz By Amanda Leeson Model and author of “Natural Born Feeder”, Roz Purcell is asking Galway to “Paint It Pink” this October. This is in aid of the Irish Cancer Society’s campaign to raise vital funds for research into breast cancer. Paint It Pink is calling on the public to host a pink themed coffee morning or an event during the month of October to fight back against breast cancer and raise funds for research, advocacy and services provided by the Irish Cancer Society.
2,800 women every year are diagnosed with breast cancer in Ireland alone, according to statistics by the National Cancer Registry that figure is rising annually. Ireland has increased by 33% the number of causes that have been diagnosed over a 10 year period. According to most recent figures from the National Cancer Registry, in 2013 2,983 were diagnosed with breast cancer. This has increased by 33% on figures from 2003. In Galway, 2,049 people were diagnosed with cancer in 2013, with 160 people diagnosed
Paint it Pink with Roz Purcell. Photo: Irish Cancer Society
with breast cancer alone, this figure rising every year. However, thanks to cancer research 85% of women are surviving breast cancer. The Irish Cancer Society have invested €7.5 in BREAST-PREDICT, a five year study that focuses on breast cancer research. Former Miss Universe Roz Purcell speaking at the launch of the campaign said, “Every family has been touched by cancer, and for women, breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. This October we can help support all those on their breast cancer journey by Painting It Pink – host a coffee morning or pink event and play your part.” Roz has given some of her recipes to the campaign along with well-known Irish chef Nevin Maguire. These recipes and how to register to host your own Paint It Pink event can be found at www. paintitpink.ie or you can call 1850 60 60 60. Paint It Pink is a fun way of raising money for the society’s work researching breast cancer, providing advocacy and services to those affected by breast cancer. On 28 October or throughout the month of October host a pink themed coffee morning or an event to join the fight against breast cancer. You can also donate by texting Pink to 50300 to give €4 to the Irish Cancer Society. All €4 goes to the society unless a provider applies VAT, when a minimum of €3.25 will go to the society. Service provided by Likecharity 01-4433890.
Clampdown on drinking in public By Michael Malone According to the Galway Independent, signs are to be erected around Galway city in the coming weeks warning people that fines can now be issued for consuming alcohol in public. The new bilingual signage will remind members of the public that street drinking will now be penalised with a €100 on-the-spot fine. Galway City Council recently passed a byelaw which outlaws drinking in the streets, beaches and parks, among other places. Once the new signage is in place, the Gardaí will be in a position to issue fines.
The ban was published by Galway City Council last year as an attempt to curb the trend of public drinking. Prior to this byelaw being brought into effect, a legal loophole meant the previous ban was effectively unenforceable. According to the Galway Independent, Gardaí intend on working with groups such as Students’ Unions to raise public awareness of the laws. The new signage in Galway reflects a larger trend throughout Ireland of trying to reduce the impact of alcohol in society. The Public Health (alcohol) Bill 2015 which was approved by the government aims to reduce the average level of
alcohol consumed from 11 litres to 9.1 litres by 2020. However, according to the Connacht Tribune the new byelaw can be relaxed in designated areas during festivals, and sporting and cultural events. As reported in the Connacht Tribune, Fine Gael councillor and former mayor Frank Fahy has before described public drinking in Galway as an embarrassment. The Connacht Tribune also reported that Chief Superintendent Tom Curley said that drinking in public remains a serious problem in the city, and that “van loads” of alcohol are seized each week.
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Ireland’s first dementia awareness campaign launches in Galway University Hospitals By Mark Laherty The dementia awareness group Butterfly Scheme was launched in Galway University Hospitals this September. The campaign, organised in collaboration with Saolta University Health Care Group, ensures that hospital staff know if their patients have temporary confusion, memory loss or dementia. The premise of the Butterfly Scheme is that participating patients are given a small butterfly symbol which communicates their condition to staff accordingly. It also trains staff in how to treat patients with dementia. Orla Sheil, a senior occupational therapist at Galway University Hospitals, explained in The Advertiser how her time in the Frail Elderly Assessment team drove her to pursue the scheme.
“I felt that the lack of a system to help staff identify patients with dementia and cognitive impairment increased staff difficulties in meeting patients’ care needs,” she said. The launch was presented by Carmel Geoghegan of AG Networks and Keith Finnegan of Galway Bay FM. As rep or te d in T h e Advertiser, the scheme was welcomed by consultant geriatrician Dr Rónán O Caoimh at the launch. He said that the scheme “complements the goals of the Irish National Dementia Strategy launched in 2014, which states that all hospital staff involved in the care and treatment of people with dementia should be aware of their diagnosis and its impact.” “We at Galway University Hospitals are very proud to announce that we are the first hospital in the Repub-
lic of Ireland to launch the scheme.” As reporred in The Advertiser, training was held at the launch by Barbara Hodkinson, the founder of the scheme. 150 staff members partook in the training, and it is expected that 300 will receive further training in the dementia care REACH response. The scheme is the first of its kind to operate in Ireland. The Butterfly Scheme has been operating in many hospitals in the UK since 2014. UK research has found that the scheme leads to more effective and appropriate care. Dementia rates have been increasing in Ireland over the past several years. Irish hospitals lack standardised care for people with dementia, according to the 2014 Irish National Audit of Dementia Care in Acute Hospitals.
6 NEWS
Sin Vol. 18 Issue 4
Munster Rugby loses one of her greatest sons By Cathal Kelly & Sorcha O’Connor Tributes have been paid from all corners of the rugby sphere to one of the all-time Munster greats, Anthony Foley simply known to his friends as Axel. The news slowly filtered through on Sunday 16 October that the Munster Head coach Foley, aged just 42, had passed away suddenly the previous
There were emotional scenes at Thomond Park too, as hundreds of fans congregated to lay bouquets of flowers and Munster jerseys at the gates of Munster’s formidable fortress, where Foley had led his Munster troops in arduous battle as captain and coach on several occasions. It was more than an appropriate tribute. He was held in high regard by everyone in the rugby community. He began his rugby career playing there
Anthony Foley, RIP. Photo: joe.ie night in the team’s French hotel. The Munster team were in Colombes, a suburb of Paris, to take on Racing 92 in their first game of this year’s European Champions Cup. As the shocking news emerged, the game was understandably called off as a mark of respect for the Munster legend. Munster fans who had travelled to the game gathered outside the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir. They were numbed by the news, but gathered together to give a rousing rendition of the famous Munster and Shannon rugby anthems, “The Fields of Athenry” and “There is an Isle” to pay tribute to their hero.
with Shannon RFC, winning 5 All Ireland Leagues with them, having previously played school’s rugby for St Munchin’s College in Limerick. He had a dazzling playing career for his club, province and country. He began his international career scoring a try against England in a Five Nations match in 1995. He went to the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa. He missed the 1999 Rugby World Cup, but was selected for the 2003 Rugby World Cup, featuring in two of the pool games against Romania and Australia. Foley scored 25 points and captained his country three times against Samoa, Romania, and Georgia. Foley achieved
62 international caps overall, scoring on five of those occasions. He won a Triple Crown with Ireland in 2004. His last international was against Wales in the 2005 Six Nations. Although he had a very successful international career, he will be best remembered for his passionate performances in the red of Munster. He made his professional debut with Munster in 1995 and was practically ever present in the team until his retirement in 2008. His greatest achievement and professional highlight was undoubtedly captaining Munster to their first Heineken cup in 2006, beating Biarritz in the Millennium Stadium, after previously tasting defeat in the 2000 and 2002 finals. He stood down as captain at the beginning of the 2007–08 season, making way for Paul O'Connell. He then turned his attention to coaching, joining the Munster coaching team in 2011. He succeeded Rob Penney as Munster head coach in 2014. He endured a very difficult two seasons managing a Munster team in transition. This season he was continuing his role of head coach but with South African Rassie Erasmus at the helm as Director of Rugby. The Foley name has long been synonymous with Munster rugby. His father Brendan played for Shannon, Munster and Ireland, and he was most famously a member of the legendary Munster team to beat the All Blacks in 1978. His sister Rosie also sported the green for the Irish ladies’ rugby team. The Clare man also played Gaelic football for his local GAA club Smith O'Briens in the parish of Killaloe, lining out for them in a Munster junior club football semi-final in 2010 – after his retirement from rugby! He also
played inter-county hurling for Clare at underage level alongside former Munster rugby player Keith Wood. Throughout his illustrious career, Foley championed everything that Munster stood for; determination, ruthlessness and sheer resolve and purpose. His funeral on Friday 21 October a heartbreakingly sad occasion for Killaloe and the people of Munster. The funeral was attended by representatives from all walks of life around Ireland, and many international players and coaches were also present. Foley’s loving wife Olive assured the mourners that he would indeed “have hated all the fuss”. Anthony’s team took to the field of play the following day in the European Champions Cup against Glasgow. Despite the horrific week they had endured, the team and the Red Army united in Thomond Park to give their leader, mentor, friend and brother a fitting final send-off reigning supreme over a very strong Glasgow Warriors team. A post-match stomping rendition of Stand Up and Fight from the team with Foley’s sons Tony and Dan was the finale of this hyper-charged, emotional day for everyone there and watching from afar. Ulster, Clermont, Llanelli Scarlets and Munster’s greatest rivals Leinster all paid tribute to the rugby great by singing The Fields Of Athenry or wearing Foley’s number eight on their jerseys at their respective games on the same weekend. Connacht also opened a book of condolences at the Sportsground. These gestures of support and grief at his untimely passing shows just how much Anthony Foley meant to rugby people in this country and throughout the world. Rest in Peace, Axel.
Connacht coach honoured with NUI Galway doctorate By Kate Robinson Head coach of Connacht Rugby Pat Lam was awarded an honorary doctorate at NUI Galway on October 17. The New Zealand-born coach, a former international rugby player for New Zealand’s All-Blacks who was also Samoan captain for a time, led Connacht to its first championship win in 131 years in the Guinness PRO12 final in May this year. His long career includes playing for Samoa in three World Cups as well as captaining Northampton and coaching his native Auckland team and Super Rugby team the Blues. In advance of the ceremony, President of NUI Galway Dr. Jim Browne said; “Earlier this year, NUI Galway offered its heartiest congratulations to Pat Lam, his heroic players and committed backroom team on their massive win in the Rugby PRO12 Final.
“We are delighted to now formally recognise the contribution of Pat Lam with an honorary doctorate as members and former members of his squad and from the Rugby Academy also graduate. Their performance over the past season made the University, the province - and indeed the nation - proud and has set hearts racing across Connacht. NUI Galway is fortunate to be associated with many outstanding honorary graduates throughout its history and we are very pleased to be in a position to recognise this major sporting achievement.” According to The Irish Times, Lam said at the ceremony that he was proud to receive the degree. The paper reported how Lam, a former teacher added how “education translates to rugby, it starts with the heart, the heart sets a dream, has a vision but then the hard work needs to happen.”
The Irish Times also reported how Lam also paid tribute to recently deceased Munster head coach Anthony Foley at the ceremony. Foley, who died suddenly in Paris on 16 October, was remembered as a “special man” by Lam and he described him
as a “legend” in the sport. Five Connacht Rugby players also graduated on Monday alongside their coach, including Jack Dinneen (BComm), Conor Finn (BA), Eoghan Masterson (BA), Saba Meunargia (BA), and Danny Qualter (BA).
Honorary conferring for Pat Lam. Photo: The Irish Times
Middle Eastern journalists visit Galway in bid to boost tourism By Jessica Hannon 10 October saw the arrival of influential journalists from the Middle East to explore Ireland’s West Coast and Ireland’s Ancient East. Included were tours of Ireland’s vast Wild Atlantic Way and some historic castles, as guests of Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and Etihad Airways. The two journalists, Ghassan Kharoub, editor from Al Bayan newspaper and Vibha Dania Dhawan from Condé Nast Traveller magazine were accompanied by Asaad Masri from Tourism Ireland. Upon visiting Galway, the guest journalists were treated to a walking tour of the city and a stroll on the promenade in Salthill when they then enjoyed lunch in Ard Bia at Nimmos, at the Spanish Arch. In addition, the journalists checked out sites beyond Galway. The itinerary included visits to Ashford Castle, Gregans Castle and Dromoland Castle, as well as exploring historical sites such as Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. Aisling McDermott, Tourism Ireland’s Manager for Asia, said: “Tourism Ireland was delighted to invite these journalists to visit Ireland. They were really impressed by the places they visited, our wonderful scenery and the friendliness of the people they met along the way.” Ghassan, who studied a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Political Science in Birzeit University, Palestine, is Editor at Al Bayan newspaper in Dubai. He was accompanied by Vibha Dania Dhawan, from Condé Nast Traveller magazine, a travel guide magazine based in India, Asia, providing advice on where to travel and what locations editors are recommending. Their trip to Ireland was perfect for showcasing all that Ireland, the beautiful West Coast, and the city of Galway has to offer to potential tourists in the Middle East. Ireland can expect an influx of tourists flocking to Galway to check out the fantastic location, with Ghassan and Dhawan hoping to put Western Ireland on the world map. “Fact-finding visits like this are an important element of our annual programme of promotions, helping us to spread the good news about holidays on the island of Ireland through the media in the Gulf States,” said McDermott. Tourism Ireland is responsible for promoting Ireland overseas as a leading holiday destination. In 2015, Tourism Ireland welcomed approximately 9.3 million overseas visitors to the island of Ireland, delivering revenue of about €4.7 billion.
FEATURES 7
October 25 2016
Confessions of a Provisional Driver By Aisling Bonner It’s 1:29pm, I’m shovelling some supremely scrambled eggs into me, and reading over my notes on turnabouts and reversing around a corner in the hope that my study will compensate for my lack of practice. Lack of, meaning none. Zilch. It’s a Monday. I know it’s a Monday because my instructor shows me the soles of his black and red striped socks with the word ‘Monday’ stitched on the bottom. Left out for him by the missus, he tells me. “Can’t be wearin’ Tuesday’s socks on a Monday that’s a fair bad start to the week”, he warns. Being my penultimate set of lessons, I’m feeling slightly emotional. Despite the occasional cardiac arrest, I’ve enjoyed learning about my instructor’s favourite chippers, pubs, songs and spice bags. Without revealing too many spoilers, this sentimentality would quickly be washed away as it became apparent that I, like many others, will no doubt be availing of an extra helping of lessons once my 12 are finished. I can almost hear the echo in my Ulster Bank vault. This week’s lesson revolves around the test structure and route, leaving me utterly terrified with a week of nightmares about killer kerbs and haunting hill-starts. We head first for the conundrum that is the Naas Test Centre. “Pick any spot there, Ais”, my instructor says, pointing at the row of lovely wide accessible spaces outside the centre. All of
a sudden my mind thinks I’m on Derek Mooney-era Winning Streak, in an internal battle to choose between Poulaphouca Dam, the Giant’s Causeway and Bunratty Castle. With the tick of the indicator mirroring the shouts from the RTÉ studio audience going “THE DAM GIANT’S POULARATTY CASPHOUCA”, I panic and swing a sharp right straight down the line dividing two of the lovely wide accessible spaces. “Open the door there and check if you’ve space Aisling”, my instructor jeers. Sure enough I’ve a good metre and a half on each side. It looks good to me. Learner’s Best Friend a.k.a dual controls take over again as Derek Mooney steers us neatly into Bunratty without so much as the skim of a wing mirror. The next while is spent going through the test layout, what you need to know and what they’re looking for. It’s more a case of not being too shit at one thing, rather than being unreal at everything. It’s slightly disconcerting to find out that you can’t fail your test even if you don’t know one road sign, road marking or vehicle mechanism. “Some lads can’t read”, my instructor says. How comforting. We head on to the test hotspots to practice turnabouts and reversing around corners. This is when the real confessions of a provisional driver come in. I sheepishly admit to not having attempted either since I was taught them about two months ago (he hands me a cough sweet in memory of
THROWBACK TIME 1984 Halloween Themed By Saoirse Rafferty
that fateful lesson). To put it simply, some practice wouldn’t have gone a-miss. It’s all getting very finicky and my instructor is increasingly picky. Braking too early here, turning too wide there – it’s getting real. The days of being praised for not cutting out several times at traffic lights are long gone. We spend the rest of the lesson following a small red ’02 Renault Clio carrying two rather hairy gents also practicing driving “for the craic”. “Jaysus, look at the beards on them”. “D’ya like someone with a big beard?” “Folley the bearded ones Aiso”. It turns out the bearded ones live rather close to me. Upon arrival to my house I boldly ask to attempt the reverse around a corner manoeuvre into my driveway – save him the hassle, how sound. Here we go, fix the mirrors, look 360, reverse gear, all going well. I’m rolling back nicely and an unexpected force propels me forward just as I notice the glaring pillar in my rear view mirror. My instructor, foot firmly on his own brake pedal gives me a look which says our lessons are by no means numbered.
Galway 1984 Remember this? Basketball NUIG 1984
A Nightmare on Elm Street, Gremlins, Friday the 13th – Final Chapter and Ghostbusters Back (L-R): Michael Carty, Brendan O’Connor, Cathal Connern, Mary Booth. Front (L-R): Kate Howard, Gearoid Faherty
Are you comfortable speaking in public? Or does the prospect of delivering a presentation strike terror in your heart? Speaking in public and having well-honed presentation skills are absolutely crucial in today’s workplace. How crucial? Well, look at it this way: in the workplace you will have to present all the time. First of all in your job interview, and then in meetings, presenting to your boss, to your team (whether as a team member or team leader), to clients, to committees... The ability to be comfortable, articulate and convincing when delivering information will influence just about every aspect of your career. If you exude quiet confidence, if your presentations or interventions in meetings are clear, to the point and interesting, you will always have the advantage. Good presentation skills mean you will find a better job faster, and you will get promoted faster, too. They’re essential to put on your CV and your LinkedIn profile.
Improve your presentation skills incredibly fast with a bit of practice The good thing is that you can improve your presentation skills incredibly fast when you practice. Even if you’re shy and break in a cold sweat whenever you have to speak up, you can totally work your way to confidence. And the more you practice, the more enjoyable you will find public speaking. I deliver speeches and presentations almost every day in my business. Over the past two weeks only, I’ve given training on the financial markets, accounting, business
development, salesmanship and embracing opportunity. I’ve engaged with hundreds of people in small and large audiences across the country. And I love it! I wouldn’t change it for a moment. My friends joke that I must have swallowed the Blarney Stone. Was I always this comfortable? Far from it. I used to go weak at the knees at the prospect of standing up in front of an audience. Then I joined the debating team in secondary school, and my English teacher said something that I will remember forever: “You have to learn to enjoy the nerves.” Enjoy the nerves?! But it’s literally true: when you learn to enjoy the butterflies in your stomach, they give you wings! My business partner and I teach presentation skills at our #SavvyTeenAcademy and #SavvyStudentAcademy (www.savvyteenacademy.com ). It’s the one activity that people are worried about the most beforehand, and yet enjoy the most during the workshop!
3 tips to work on your presentation skills effectively My first tip to improve your presentation skills is deceptively simple: take absolutely every opportunity you can to present in college. This means: 1. Raise your hand and ask questions in lectures. 2. Jump on every occasion to do presentations in your classes. 3. If you’re a member of a society, volunteer to introduce speakers and ask the first question after their presentation. 4. Join a drama or improv group: this will allow you to be more confident in situations when you have to improvise, of
No.1 Song: Ghostbusters (three weeks at number one)
course, and it will familiarise you with having dozens of pairs of eyes trained on you! 5. Make it a habit to talk to people who intimidate you: bring questions to your professors’ office hours and finally call your landlord about that dripping tap. My second tip is to deeply observe all the presentations and public speeches you come across: the lectures and classes you attend, meetings and societies who host guest speakers... Make detailed notes about what works and what doesn’t. How does this speaker sustain your interest? Why is that other speaker so difficult to follow? Watch TED and TEDx talks online. There are thousands of them, some of them very short, and you’re sure to find something to match your interests (feel free to watch my TEDx Belfast talk - google my name + “Five key ways to define yourself and turbo-boost your career”). All the TED speakers undergo intensive public speaking training before they go onstage, so learn from the best! My third tip is to rehearse and relax! Always rehearse a presentation, even if it’s just for ten minutes. Stand up and deliver your speech to a mirror, your housemates or a friend. And on the day – enjoy the nerves! Susan HayesCulleton is a Chartered Financial Analyst and Managing Director of HayesCulleton Ltd. She was the captain of her school’s debating team. Working on her presentation skills has gotten her jobs, promotions and clients. She now teaches these skills to young people at #SavvyTeenAcademy. Sign up for her newsletter at thepositiveeconomist.com/subscribe.
Music Rolling Stone Magazine declared ‘84 was “the year pop stood tallest”. MTV introduced 24-hour music videos throughout the US, Europe and beyond.
Birthdays
The Positive Economist: how to find a better job, faster, when you work on your presentation skills By Susan HayesCulleton
Horror Movies
Katy Perry October 25th 1984, 32 Today “I believe in a lot of astrology. I believe in aliens... I look up into the stars and I imagine: ‘How self-important are we to think that we are the only life-form?”
Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ released December ’83 and bigger than ever in 1984 Toys
Trivial pursuit was listed as one of the top five Christmas toys of 1984 Ronald Mc Donald Cloth Doll was a loved happy meal toy in ‘84 Halloween Birthday Peter Jackson, 55 “100 years ago, movies were blackand-white, silent, and 16 frames a second. So 100 years from now, what are they going to be?”
Fashion
Halloween The Late Late Show 1984 ‘In 1984 Michael Mortell won the Late Late Show Designer of the Year for the third year in a row.’ “The annual Oíche Shamhna fancy dress Céili Mór was held in Kilronan on the island of Inis Mór.”
Sources: twitter.com/galwayphotos pinterest.com/pin/544935623636109533/ nuigalwaybiochemistry50.ie irishphotoarchive.blogspot.ie/ l-o-t-r.tumblr.com; buzzfeed.com independent.ie; rte.ie
8 FEATURES
Sin Vol. 18 Issue 4
Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan and his poetic mastery By Rachel Brownlow In an unexpected turn of events, Bob Dylan has been crowned as the 2016 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, proof that the times really are a changing. A lot of controversy has arisen since this announcement. First of all, many people’s complaints are related to the fact that he is a singer-songwriter, rather than an actual writer. These comments are, however, irrelevant, as despite his status as a singer, Dylan has actually also written novels. His first novel Tarantula is a well-acclaimed, innovative, stream-of-consciousness fictional novel and his second novel is a memoir titled Chronicles: Volume One. Secondly, there are of course many other fantastic authors who deserved the prize, as there always will be regardless of who wins, but Dylan is just as deserving as the rest. Now aged 75, Dylan has been releasing records solidly since 1961. Born in Minnesota, named Robert Allen Zimmerman, he has had a long and never stagnant career. Even now he continues to release records at an alarming frequency, having released Shadows in the Night in 2015 and Fallen Angels in 2016. As his life progressed, so did his musical talent as he merged music from folk to rock, switching between acoustic and electric guitar. In 1960 Dylan dropped out of college in Minnesota. He moved to New York where he then began his music career in earnest, signing a recording contract with Columbia records after receiving a rave review in The New York Times for a concert. He then legally changed his name from Zimmerman to Dylan. Not only does his past show example upon example of his literary talents, but several prominent authors have shown their support for Dylan as the choice of this year’s Nobel Prize-winner. Salman Rushdie who tweeted, “From Orpheus to Faiz, song and poetry have been closely linked. Dylan is the brilliant inheritor of the bardic tradition. Great choice.” In response to those saying that song-writing is not poetry, I agree that there is in fact a huge difference between the two mediums. Songlyric mediocracy can be disguised in the music and fall flat when simply read from the page. However, it is exactly Dylan’s success at writing song lyrics which are poetry when read from the page that merits his winning of the prize. He has never been one to settle, and his fine style is both riveting and laden with intrigue. His song-writing and elec-
tric prose have explored America in all forms, finding new ways to reinvent his prose time and time again. His lyrics also have a huge amount of depth, leading to interesting analysis. A lyric which particularly captures the essence of Dylan is from his song ‘Along the Watchtower’; “’There must be some way out of here’, said the Joker to the thief.” Among many theories, there’s one that here Dylan is referring to himself as both the joker and the thief. This shows his satirical outlook on fame and everything that comes with it. This is the Bob that fans love, the mysterious and deep individual who releases lyrics which can be mulled over and enjoyed many times after the first listen. His music is not only to be listened to, but to be read and understood. In classic Dylan fashion he has so far not even acknowledged the Nobel Prize, aside from a tweet stating the win, leading to comments about how he really ‘is not there.’ Dylan is an elusive, strange and ever fascinating individual. In an infamous incident in 2009 he was arrested for wandering around the yard of a house for sale and the police failed to recognise him. He likes to confuse people, often seeming to be indifferent whether people have a positive reaction to him or not. He is resolutely himself. Many concert goers have been unimpressed with Dylan as he changes his songs around however he feels, often making them unrecognisable from the originals. However, this explicitly shows that he does his writing and work solely for himself, not to impress anyone or live up to any social standards. His lack of response to winning the prize is an example in itself. Not necessarily that he is unbothered by this achievement, but it is certainly not something he set out to do. He is not a man to be seen basking in social praise. Dylan is not the voice of a generation but an era. Why should we not applaud this achievement with the celebration of a prize which truly shows his standard of writing? Here is a man who writes songs with a fresh outlook on humanity every time, who doesn’t care what society wants, but instead stays true to his own weird and wonderful self. This is a man who is a perfect Nobel Prize winner. As Dylan himself said; “You that build all the bombs/ You that hide behind walls/ You that hide behind desks/ I just want you to know/ I can see through your mask”
College with a chronic illness By Jennifer O’Connor I have nothing else to give. This thought crosses my mind at least five times during the average college day. Being realistic, every college student probably thinks that around week six of the semester anyway. But for a student with a chronic illness this thought, the concept of giving up, runs much deeper and holds an honesty which is, frankly, painful to discuss. Personally, I got sick in the November of my first year of college. I’m not new to this. It’s now October of my final year and I have ignored exactly seven separate medical recommendations that I should drop out of college altogether in order to stop pushing my body and ‘fragile’ health. I may not be good at walking for long distances and I may faint when I stand up too fast, but ignoring professional medical advice is a skill I pride myself upon. Funnily enough, today a friend told me that they never really believed me that I was that sick, because of how vibrant I am. And that is where invisible chronic illnesses can be a torment - you look fine, so people assume you are. When in truth, you’re just the best actor you know. The reality of how you’re feeling is starkly different. Imagine this: you’re hungover, after running a 5k and you have the flu. That’s the physical symptoms that are happening ‘behind the curtains’ at all times, with little variation from illness to illness. They don’t switch off when you enter the college bar for pints or brave your first society event.
Chronic means forever and the illness is in every breath we take. Colleges try their best. Disability Support Services, elevators, assistive technology, essay extensions - it’s all there. But the bottom line is, it’s not enough, nothing will ever fabricate a college experience with good health. If you, reading this, have a chronic illness then it’s likely you have missed more parties or cocktail nights than you can count. Sports? Maybe, but rarely. Relationships? That’s a whole other kettle of fish. From minuscule issues all the way to the obvious danger zones, college is like playing a game of dodgeball on a minefield. In heels. You can start the day as the star player, feeling like an expert at pain management and a total whizz kid when it comes to faking health. It’s now that you’ll probably make promises to meet up for drinks/dinner/that muchneeded catch-up. But all it takes is one small screw to come loose before the whole machine is wobbling. This screw will always come loose, without fail and just like clockwork. And that loose screw might be caused by that extra ten minute walk from Arts Millennium to the Engineering Building or having too many lectures in a row. Yet here is the important thing to remember (though I rarely do) - we’re in college. And for us, that’s like having ten First Class Honours degrees. The achievement is equal in weight. Never allow yourself to forget that you are doing college with both hands tied behind your back and being asked to do the same
things to the same standard as everyone else. Cut yourself some slack - no one else will nor will they ever know how much you’ll need. As recently as last week, I had two of my favourite lecturers ask me about my illnesses with genuine concern. After explaining the complications of looking healthy but having an illness with the same life-consuming effects as congenital heart failure, they looked horrified. They then proceeded to ask me how I wasn’t entirely depressed. And it is that which leads me my next reminder for you - you are the most resilient object on this planet. Sharper than glass, tougher than steel - we are the rock walls that do not erode and please, do not do yourself the disservice of forgetting that. Allow yourself to be all of these many manifestations of you whilst never feeling less than another for not having a typical college experience. You won’t be able to get drunk quite as often as everyone else, and sure you’ll worry that people will think you’re inconsistent when you turn down an invite again. Yet, in the grand scheme of life, what are those things but moments that are over almost as soon as they begin. The friends that matter won’t question you choosing your health. After all, your health, your recuperation, and your future all depend on you putting yourself first. So my advice is to shamelessly put you and your body first - there’s no other way to survive as fantastically as you have been up until now. Feel free to find and chat with me here: https://jenniferpoyntz.wordpress.com/
Diary of a final year: Week 8: Wait, week 8... already? By Caoimhe Tully I suppose time flies when you are wearing rust coloured cardigans and moss green quilted jackets. That’s right friends, our good old Aunt Autumn has arrived. She swept in the door, and made herself at home. “Ye should all go to New Look and purchase a good pair of over the knee boots,” she breezily advised, over a cup of tea and slice of barmbrack. “ You know something Aunt Autumn? You’re dead right,” I smiled, brushing the leaves off her shoulders. Now, usually I’m not so hospitable. It’s not always tea parties and buttered barmbrack for Aunt Autumn in the Tull-Meister’s house. Usually, I have to take a few days to adjust to her arrival. Adjustment process: constant whinging about the absence of Aunt Summer, plus retail therapy (rust coloured cardigans, moss green quilted jackets, nice boots...). But something has changed. I’ve changed. And I think we need to talk about it. Summer used to be my favourite. My birthday is in July, so naturally I have always associated summer with being spoilt and eating cake. But cake and presents and sunshine and all
that craic... it just doesn’t do it for me anymore. Before you decide that the TullMeister is a big rotten spoilt yoke, let me explain! If you know me, or if you have even met me briefly - in a bathroom on campus or the smoking area of the Front Door - you will know that I just spent a few months in the States. How will you know? Well, I’ll mention it, of course. Example: Nice girl with perfect eyeliner in bathroom: “That toilet doesn’t flush”. Me *thinking if I could do eyeliner like that, I would just drop out of college, become a YouTube sensation and buy a dog and....*: “Oh dear, so annoying, wish we were like the Americans with their automatic flushing toilets... they have everything in America you know, I was there for a while...” Bearded hipster in the Front Door: “What time does this place close?” Me: *wondering if he paid fifty cent or fifty euro for his scruffy jacket*: “Around 2:30... But you, we aren’t so badly off... in Massachusetts everywhere stops serving at 1am...” But, all bragging about my broadened horizons and discovery of toilet technology aside, I think I’ve had enough summer for one year. I never thought I’d
say such a thing. But I am a brave free spirit of the world now, and I’m just going to put it out there: three months of beautiful bright sun beating down on a girl, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It’s too much. Too much worrying about prickly leg hair, fake tan/suncream application, and whether either of them are water proof; too many men in sandals with hairy toes; too much sun for my Celtic complexion. Sometimes I think that whenever God created red-heads, he must have had great fun. I can just imagine him. “No, no, more freckles... paler, paler!” Finally! Now is the time to seize these Celtic complexions. An autumnal colour palette is a pale person’s most complimentary friend. And if you happen to be blessed with a more goddess like olive glow ... well, you can get lost. No, no. I joke. There’s good news for you, too. Good news for all! Autumn is the new January, just like over the knee boots are the new... look. It’s like a mini New Year, except instead of the air being below zero degrees, it’s fresh and charged with possibilities, resolutions and renewal. If you were once a summer lover like myself, you could even go as far as to say autumn is the new summer. Now, time for those resolutions.
FEATURES 9
October 25 2016
My time in Tanzania By John Ivory This past summer I spent five weeks in Mbeya, Tanzania volunteering with NUI Galway’s very own Draíocht Society. From the bustling markets, to the mud-hut villages, the scorched desert, to the green mountains; the country of Tanzania has a bit of everything. As the plane from Dar es Salaam is about to touchdown in Mbeya you’re treated to the somewhat surprising view of lush green mountains down below. The car journey to where I would be based took me across the city where I saw people hauling produce to market, high-rise buildings, and children heading to school. Zion Home, where the Olive Branch for Children is based, is situated in a suburb of Mbeya called Uyole. It’s full of life and laughter. Upon arrival I received a welcome party consisting of several songs and many, many hugs. You settle in straight away and get to know the kids and the other volunteers. Jet lag doesn’t really
exist, as you’re so excited to go out and start working… although there may have been a nap! As I am studying a degree in Journalism with Arts, Deborah, the founder of the Olive Branch, was able to give me a project that suited my skills. I would be tagging along with each individual project and documenting what they do and how they do it. It was brilliant as I got to have a different adventure almost every day. From the HIV testing clinics, to the mobile library, the podiatry programme, to the micro-financing groups, painting a kindergarten and so much more, I had plenty of stories to write! Through my interpreter, I would interview the local people about how the projects run by the Olive Branch were impacting their rural, and often extremely remote communities. Many villages were several miles from a tarmacked road, and even further from medical care, so they were delighted that they were being given some attention.
For four weeks I set out each day to discover new tales, collect some new life stories, and I was privileged enough to meet some extraordinary characters. The people are the happiest I’ve ever met. They want to talk to you, find out about where you’re from, what do you study, and if you ever visit Tanzania I can guarantee you will never be hungry as they are the most hospitable people I have encountered. The children at the Olive Branch will want their picture taken on your phone…dozens of times! They want to play soccer with you, dance with you, read stories, play games and not only be your friend, but be your little brother or sister. In your free time you can go to Uyole market, which is full of sounds and scents and interesting looking fruits. For example, oranges are green in Tanzania and taste so, so good! At weekends you’ll embark on excursions, sometimes to the city, other times to the pictur-
esque Lake Malawi, and even on a Safari. You make strong friendships in such a short space of time with people from NUI Galway that maybe you didn’t really know before going, and also with people from Canada, America, or wherever the other volunteers may hail from. Looking back on my time in Tanzania, I don’t view the early starts as tough, or the bumpy motorbike rides as uncomfortable, or the food as repetitive. There’s not a single aspect of it that I don’t miss. I’d get up at half five every morning if I got to see the sunrise over the savannah. I’d go everywhere on the motorbikes if it meant feeling as free and alive as I did. Ugali, a mix of corn flour and water, wasn’t ideal to eat almost every day, but I don’t know how to make it and now sometimes I want some. People often say things like, “I want to see the world,” or “I wish I could have done this, or that.” We’re afraid to concede to our-
selves that we actually have the power to do a whole lot more than we want to admit. A year ago I hadn’t heard of the Draíocht society. Now I’ve been on the most amazing adventure, experiencing a genuinely fascinating culture, meeting people who share some of the same goals as me, eating foods I’d never before contemplated trying, and made friends I hope I’ll have for a long time. Volunteering abroad is a helluva lot easier to organise than a J1! And it all started here on campus, in meetings in rooms where you probably have a class. No matter how many people tell to you about their experiences abroad you’ll never fully understand it until you go yourself. I’ve tried to give you a sample of mine. Hopefully you’ll find it appealing because it is without doubt the best thing I’ve ever done, and I’m sure it would be the same for you. If you’d like to get involved with Draíocht, simply like our Facebook page, ‘Draíocht Nuig’.
10 FEATURES ClichE–costumes to avoid this Halloween By Connell McHugh On campus it is almost impossible to go a week without meeting someone who is wearing an item of clothing that you are also currently wearing. In this situation it is easy to avoid that person and any possible awkward nods or snickers as recognition strikes their face. However on Halloween night we all want to be original. Nobody wants to show up to a party to discover that the costume that they’ve been planning for weeks is the same as every second person’s. Here is a list of five Halloween costumes to avoid this year if you want to be the one people remember on 1 November.
1. Killer clown They’ve been around since late September for some strange reason. By the time 31 October comes along, we’ll have seen all the stories of killer clowns plaguing Galway, Dublin and even further afield. We’ll also undoubtedly have heard of several arrests being made because someone always goes a bit too far with viral trends. Also, killer clowns seem to be a serious phobia for most people, even on Halloween night. Maybe next year.
2. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton If you and your other half are planning on debating on the dancefloor and going as the two candidates for the US presidential election, you still have a few more days to come up with a decent costume idea. The three debates are now over and possibly the most important election of all time is shortly upon us. While it may be funny, it won’t be totally original and you’ll probably meet plenty of costume-twins in the bathrooms.
3. Harambe The breakout star of 2016 was a gorilla who has come to feel like family to most of us. It’s still all too real and you don’t want to be the person who causes others to cry floods of tears. You’ll also be sweating inside whatever gorilla costume you wear and will have to get changed at some point during the night. Save yourself the hassle.
4. Joker and Harley Quinn While Suicide Squad did not reach the expectations many people had this year, Jared Leto’s Joker and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn were hailed as the silver linings of the movie. Both went on to become the most popular cosplays of San Diego Comic Con. Yes, they will be the most eye-catching costumes this year but you will be lost in the infinite sea of others who were on the same wavelength as you.
5. Pokémon While the Pokémon Go fad lasted for a grand total of 2.5 seconds it is undeniable that it brought millions of people back into the franchise. We all felt the nostalgia of picking between the three starter Pokémon when we first downloaded the app. Ash Ketchum is likely to show up as he does every Halloween, but we can expect the Pokémon themselves to make an appearance too. Nobody likes brushing shoulders with someone painted yellow in an attempt to be Pikachu. Whatever costume you end up choosing this year, have fun and be safe! If your plans have been ruined after reading this list, there is still enough time to pull something together. Just don’t go as Walter White, that’s so 2013.
Sin Vol. 18 Issue 4
Safety beats tricks and treats at Halloween By Stephen James It’s that time of year again where talk has already turned to Christmas. Between ads offering deals for work parties and early offers on decorations and trees, you might find yourself forgetting that before all that, Halloween falls at the end of this month. It’s a shame that Halloween has fallen more and more into the shadow of its big brother Christmas. I mean sure, we don’t have the level of spectacle that the Americans have, but Halloween is one of those times in the college year that students really look forward. So while you’re putting the finishing touches to your costumes, contemplating whether or not you’re too old to get in on the trick-or-treat action, and planning multiple nights out, it’s important to remember that Halloween can also pose certain dangers. Safety for yourself, your friends, your children and your pets should be a priority. And with that in mind, here are a few things you should exercise caution with to ensure that your Halloween celebrations aren’t remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Bonfires Bonfires and Halloween often go hand in hand. You might even notice people slowly but surely building them over a number of weeks before the main event on Halloween night. But these self-made fires can be quite dangerous if they collapse, sending sparks and flames flying at
spectators. It’s also worth noting if you’re planning your own bonfire at home that burning household waste is illegal and could see you landed with a hefty €3,000 fine, and that’s a headache you just don’t want. There is also the potential for fires to spread to neighbouring houses if not properly contained, which can lead to disaster. So why not just save yourself the bother and avail of some of the much safer, supervised bonfires that are organised by city and local councils every year.
Fireworks Like bonfires, fireworks are pretty synonymous with Halloween festivities, so it is amazing to think they are actually illegal. While launching fireworks into the sky can produce spectacular displays that everyone can enjoy, poor handling and poor quality products from the black market can lead to serious injuries if you’re not careful. Every year emergency services are bombarded with people who have sustained serious burns from improper use of fireworks. Like bonfires, city councils can sometimes avail of a special licence to put on firework displays, so have a look out for what’s happening in the city. A public gathering also adds a social aspect that would be much more fun than just sitting in your back garden.
Costumes As we know, one of the best parts of Halloween is putting together a knockout costume. But care should
be taken when buying or making a costume. No matter where you go on Halloween, you are bound to be in close proximity to some sort of flame, whether it be bonfires, candles, lanterns or even cigarettes. You should strive to wear flameresistant, thick materials if at all possible. Lighter materials – which are often used to make cheaper ready to go costumes - are more likely to go up in flames should you accidently come into contact with fire. Also wear some sort of clothing underneath if possible, to create an extra barrier between fire and skin should the worst happen. If you plan on making your costume, avoid using glue to stick anything to yourself, as this can be highly flammable. Be careful this Halloween, however you choose to dress up.
Pets While Halloween can be great fun for us humans, for animals it can be a much different story. The loud bangs from fireworks, various costumes and buzz of activity can lead to a distressing and confusing time for animals, especially dogs and cats. This could lead to them hurting themselves, or even attacking someone in costume, as they perceive them as a threat, especially those that come to your house to trick-or-treat. If possible, talk to your vet in advance of Halloween so that they can prescribe some treatments and medications for your pets that are likely to become distressed. And if possible, keep them inside away from all the noise. The last thing you need is them being scared and running away.
Children Children love Halloween most of all, and all they want to do is throw on a costume and head out to fill their bellies with a huge amount of sweets and chocolate. You may have younger brothers or sisters, or young children of your own and it is always good to think of the possible dangers that could arise from trick-or-treating. Urge them to wear something reflective, or carry a light if they head out at night. As lots of costumes are made with darker colours, it can be hard for drivers to spot them on the road. Hopefully all this won’t have put you off celebrating, but will help you think of some ways to stay safer this Halloween. Have a spooky time!
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12 OPINION
Sin Vol. 18 Issue 4
Is Ireland doing enough for the refugee crisis? By Connell McHugh On 27 August 2015, German chancellor Angela Merkel was quoted at a summit of Balkan country leaders as saying; “Some countries, one has to say, are not taking part in the common European asylum policy, like the UK, Ireland, and Denmark.” Just over a year later and the greatest mass movement of people since World War II has arguably gotten worse, or at best has plateaued. But much has happened in that year. Brexit has caused a mood of intolerance to spread across not just the UK, but much of Europe. Terrorist attacks in both Paris and Belgium have left us shocked and have led many to question the safety of allowing refugees to enter our small country. In the aftermath, we must ask ourselves, are we truly doing enough to help the refugee crisis, or are we turning our backs on those who need help the most? Just a month after chancellor Merkel called upon Ireland to take more action, we pledged to take in 4,000 people by the end of 2017. Minister Frances Fitzgerald announced in April of this year that just one Syrian family of ten members had entered the country under that programme.
After this statistic was announced, the minister attempted to ease the situation by mentioning other programmes that Ireland has been involved in. Under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme which has been running since early 2015, 264 people have entered the country. Plumping ourselves up even more, 357 people have been interviewed in the Lebanon “with a view of being relocated to Ireland.” Other Syrian natives who are here on a temporary basis, such as students, have been allowed to remain here to avoid returning to warzone areas. This figure comes to 119 people. I believe it to be a disgrace to our nation that in just one year, we have been unable to welcome even 10% of what we had pledged as our intake. It is shameful that we are viewing these people, who are being persecuted in their own countries and then drowning on their journeys to safety, as mere statistics. They are human beings. If we were to walk through Galway at three o’clock on any weekday, we would see children in school uniforms walking home ready to complete their homework. If any of us believed that the school they are coming home from was going to be blown up in the morning, we would do something
to stop it. We would do whatever we could to stop them drowning on treacherous waters. We would call on other countries to help us. Ireland is mostly regarded as a welcoming country for tourists who
undecided. We as a population see the images of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi washed ashore and more in boats with double their capacity and yet still believe that we cannot help those in similar situations.
I believe it to be a disgrace to our nation that in just one year, we have been unable to welcome even 10% of what we had pledged as our intake. It is shameful that we are viewing these people as mere statistics. They are human beings. visit, yet we don’t seem to extend that welcoming nature to any foreign national seeking long-term refuge here. In a poll carried out by the Journal.ie, readers were asked, ‘Do you think Ireland could do more to tackle the migrant crisis?’ Startlingly, 59% were of the opinion that we cannot as we do not have enough resources, 34% believed that we can and drastic action needs to be taken and 6% were
It seems we were glad to take in thousands upon thousands of people from other nations during the economic downturn, yet now that we will not be particularly benefiting from the influx of migrants, we are ignoring them and using our instability as an economy as an excuse. Plenty of people are saying that if we cannot home hundreds of people on the streets of our cities and towns then it will be impossible
to do so for refugees. Unfortunately, we could be doing more for our own people in need, but the homeless crisis has been around for years and the government has not done enough to find a solution to it. We seem to ignore the homeless here unless we are using them as a mode of comparison to the refugees. Speaking on the Late Late Show on 7 October, Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham recounted his experience visiting a refugee camp in Jordan as well as broadcasting some even more harrowing facts to the country. Lebanon has a population of 4.5 million, rather similar to Ireland, and has thus far taken in 1.5 million refugees from Syria. Lebanon is a developing nation without much of the infrastructure and resources that we have, and yet are taking in more. What does it say for us if we are only taking in a miniscule fraction in comparison? We must stop seeing the refugee crisis as a problem that is too far away to understand. In 2016, nothing is too far away or ‘other’ to comprehend. We must look inwardly at ourselves as a country in regards to this emergency. We are not doing enough to help the refugee crisis, like Angela Merkel said. We can do more to help.
Eoin Drones: Scholastic Seclusion
By Eoin Molloy When Vera Brittain, the acclaimed author of Testament of Youth coined the term ‘scholastic seclusion’, she had intended it to refer to the isolation she felt being left behind at Oxford while most of her contemporaries had gone off to serve in the Great War. However, scholastic seclusion seems to have a new meaning in the modern age. Cast your minds back to the heady days of secondary school. You always knew where your friends would be at any given time of the day. This is not so in university where conflicting timetables can make it difficult to meet your existing friends on a consistent basis. Moreover, some courses have titanic-sized classes, making it somewhat awkward to make new ones. Therefore, it can often happen that one is forced to lunch solo, or
to kill some time between classes in the library (studying, not watching South Park, honest). This is presumably a wide-spread issue, as you may have seen the HSE recently launched a mental health-themed poster campaign advising students to ‘add friends to their tea’. This wellintentioned campaign has struck at an oft-overlooked aspect of mental health: the importance of maintaining social bonds.
raft of economical, ideological and technological changes. Take technology for example: we are more inter-connected than ever before yet we have somehow managed to arrive at an impasse where human beings are more selfcentred and narcissistic than ever before in our history. Technology allows us to alter our perceptions of both ourselves and the world around us. I can now
As George Monbiot put it in a recent Guardian editorial, human beings have always been ‘ultrasocial’ but we are now being ‘driven apart’ by a raft of economical, ideological and technological changes. Isolation is a root cause of the present mental health epidemic. As George Monbiot put it in a recent Guardian editorial, human beings have always been ‘ultrasocial’ but we are now being ‘driven apart’ by a
take a picture of myself and modify it with beauty filters and the like before uploading it to project an unrealistic representation of myself unto the world. Moreover, I can customise my Facebook feed to only show content
from pre-approved sources, thereby sifting out certain realities that I may find objectionable. This process of tinkering and tailoring with reality has had a detrimental effect on our collective sense of self-worth. Since we are able to create perfect, albeit fake, worlds online, we lapse into crisis whenever something does not go our way in the real world. Renowned French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau once said that humans differ from ever other animal on the planet in our desire for perfection. We carry with us this innate desire to perfect ourselves and the world around us, we are never content to sit idle. This can have a detrimental effect on one’s mental health in terms of social media. If I feel that I am underachieving in life, looking at the oft-overstated pictures of people’s seemingly perfect lives on Facebook is hardly going to have a positive effect on my outlook. Our toxic ideology places success, usually expressed in monetary terms, ahead of all else. Things like altruistic development and caring for the welfare of others all take a back seat to the accumulation
of wealth in terms of the quintessential ‘life goals’. This cult of success pitches humans against one another in a never-ending struggle of one-upmanship. Thanks to a crippling recession, the jobs market is at breaking point. This sparks intense competition in schools and the job market itself. With a limited supply of ‘good’ jobs and an over-supply of well-qualified graduates, youths are now forced to compete with one another more than ever before, thereby reinforcing the ever-expanding cult of individualism that was birthed by the first Instagram selfie. As Monbiot rightfully states, the most feared form of torture in the prison system is solitary confinement. Humans regularly choose physical pain over isolation. Bearing in mind the amount of time and money we are now spending on counselling services and awareness campaigns: why can’t we also simply resolve to talk to the person sitting alone beside us? It seems as though talking to strangers has become taboo, and we need a change of ethos. We should never subject one another to solitary confinement.
OPINION 13
October 25 2016
HEAD to head
Halloween Costumes: is 'cultural appropriation' acceptable?
You can’t honour a culture with a Halloween appropriation: can we Halloween costume just let people have fun? By Mark Laherty The author Lionel Shriver recently gave a speech on cultural appropriation that clearly went out of its way to wind everyone up. This is all well and good if you’re playing Cards Against Humanity, but I think it’s an immature approach to a serious issue. In her keynote address at the Brisbane writers’ festival, Shriver argued that so-called cultural appropriation in fiction was just trying on other people’s hats. This, she argued, is the role of the author: to see the world from different perspectives. But I think she has misunderstood. Cu l tu ra l ap p ro p r i a tion is the use of elements of one culture by people from another culture. Most commonly, it’s considered objectionable when white people, as the privileged group, take elements of another culture. The wellknown example of this is dressing up as a gypsy, geisha, or Pocahontas for Hallowe’en. Let’s take Shriver’s point first. The problem here is that if Shriver writes a book about a black woman’s struggle with being a black woman, she would be fairly likely to be praised for it even if it wasn’t particularly insightful. On the other hand, if a black woman wrote a novel about a black woman, she would be more likely to be criticised for being shrill and demanding. Blackface is now out of fashion, but whitewashing is still all the rage. Reports show that the upcoming live-action Mulan movie will shift the role of protagonist away from Mulan herself and towards a white man who falls in love with her. White people’s imaginations are praised for doing what many black people would like to do but are pressured out of. Worse yet, in the film industry, this means that
people of colour have a much harder time finding work. The material impact of this issue doesn’t stop there; people of colour in the United States are often expected by their workplaces to change their entirely natural hairstyles to look more like white hairstyles so that they’re less distracting. People have actually been fired for wearing braids. This enforced Eurocentric standard is called assimilation. It’s also, by the way, why black people wearing blue jeans isn’t reverse-racist. One common counterargument to all this is that there are more important things to worry about. Am I just looking for reasons to be offended? Well, no. First off, I’m white, so it’s not that I have a personal stake in this that has muddled my objective judgement; I’m just empathetic to this issue. More importantly, it’s not as if we can care about only one issue at a time. By that reasoning, there would
only be one issue in the world, the One Worst Issue, and that would be the only thing we’re allowed to care about. But that’s not how that works, because then we’d actually care about global warming. Though the media debate started by Shriver may have come from fiction, its roots are in the systemic, material exploitation of people of colour by white people. Just because it’s not deliberate or conscious exploitation doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. The only thing required for this exploitation to continue is for white people to refuse to listen when someone explains what they’re doing wrong. I believe huge acts of racism, such as Trump’s proposed policies, only come to exist because of smaller acts of racism propping them up. This continues in a pyramid structure all the way down to small mosquito bites of ignorance. So please do not wear a headdress for Hallowe’en.
By Eoin Molloy In the immortal words of Stephen Fry: ‘‘it’s now very common to hear people say, ‘I’m rather offended by that.’ As if that gives them certain rights. It’s actually nothing more than a whine. ’I find that offensive.’ It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase.’’ Unbeknownst to most folks unacquainted with Tumblr and the dark corners of the Twittersphere, there is a silent internet war being waged as to the effects of the ‘appropriating’ a people’s culture for the purpose of creating a Halloween costume. The general areas of contention seem to centre around ‘white guilt’, as it were. In similar articles published on Slate and Vice’s blog Refinery 29, the authors deride white females for dressing up as Native Americans. This is probably understandable in America, where the ancestors of white folk did have a hand in committing gross injustices
Laurier Students Public Interest Research Group, based in Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, ran the "I Am Not A Costume" campaign which trended on social media.
against Native Americans. That being said, should this ban be extended to Ireland? What role did Ireland play in degrading and marginalising the Native American people? Certain costumes are certainly out of order. With the advent of the internet, lines have become blurred in this respect. What is culturally insensitive in one town or country may not be in the next. The general test in ascertaining whether or not your costume is offensive or not should be based on subjective elements such as one’s location and history. For example, it would be extremely offensive for a British person to dress up as a victim of the Irish potato famine, or for an Irish person to dress up as a member of the IRA. This is about applying measures of common sense that are shockingly lacking online. Halloween has always had carnivalesque elements: the function of a carnival is to invert social norms and to turn the hierarchy on its head, albeit just for one night. For this reason, people often choose to be risqué with their costumes. Most counter-points to my argument will claim that cultural appropriation is symptomatic of a wider problem of systemic exploitation, most often perpetrated by those pesky evil white men who live in Privilege Tower. Here is where I would like to construct a clearlydiscernible line between the appropriation of a culture for a Halloween costume, which is clearly meant in jest, and that of so-called music artists like Iggy Azalea who has constructed a lucrative career by appropriating African-American hip-hop culture. If your Halloween costume is funny or cool, surely you shouldn’t be bullied out of wearing it. This is becoming a freedom of expression issue.
It is strange that the most vociferous opposition to ‘offensive’ Halloween costumes usually comes from people who have no affiliation whatsoever to the ethnic group whose culture is being appropriated. Nowadays, anyone can construct an alternate reality for themselves online, one that caters to their own sensibilities. It is essential to learn that the real world is often cruel and it cares little and less about how offended you are. The general rule of society, as affirmed by centuries of political and philosophical thought, is to exercise your own liberties as freely as you can in such a way that you do not infringe upon the liberty of others. The current generation of internet activists want everyone to conform to their own standards, thereby constraining the liberty of the masses who live in fear of inadvertently saying or doing something that may be construed as offensive. These activists are much akin to the ‘thought police’ in Orwell’s 1984. They buzz about the vast excess of the internet, swarming and attacking anyone who offends their delicate sensibilities. Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating dressing up as a Syrian refugee or a child soldier here, I am simply stating that there are issues that press far more hardly on society than that of girls wearing Native American headdresses at Halloween. In a world of ISIS, a neverending supply of deadly viruses and Joey freaking Essex, can’t we all just agree to have fun for one night? Halloween is a time for mirth and laughter, surely there is no need for me to get bogged down wondering whether or not my Varys from Game of Thrones costume is offensive to Tibetan monks.
14 OPINION
Sin Vol. 18 Issue 4
Donald takes a Trump on election bid By Kate Robinson With only three weeks to go until the US presidential election, all eyes are turned toward America, and my home country has never looked uglier. Although it seems Donald Trump has already lost the election, the fact that he was able to get this far has left a bad taste in many mouths. After the release of a tape from 2005 in which Trump bragged about kissing and groping women without their consent, many Republicans withdrew their support from his campaign. Some high-profile Republicans, however, did not. During the second presidential debate, Trump was questioned about the tape by CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “They’re just words,” Trump said, dismissing his lewd comments as “locker-room talk”. When asked directly by Cooper whether he had ever done what he describes in the recording, he replied, “No, I have not.” However, several women have since come forward, claiming to have experienced unwanted sexual contact from the presidential hopeful. What’s so shocking about these revelations is that everybody is pretending to be shocked. Trump has always been a misogynist. He was
taken to court for sexual assault in 1997. He has made so many disrespectful comments towards women it would take too long to list them all here. But the Republican Party nominated him anyway, and what’s more, many of them are condemning his remarks while in the same breath continuing to support his candidacy for president. How far the US as a nation has sunk. An analysis by popular stats website fivethirtyeight.com reveals the gender divide: men would elect Trump, women would elect Clinton. Is this the battle of the sexes, or an important election with serious consequences for national and global policy? Even worse, following the analysis, Trump supporters (including some women) took to twitter with the hashtag #repealthe19th. The 19th refers to the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. Although Trump has denied the allegations against him, his bid for the presidency appears to be dead; since the tape story broke almost every poll predicts a decisive Clinton victory. So with the outcome of the election all but certain, probable future president Hillary Clinton (whose campaign has weathered a number of scandals itself ) is coming under even more scrutiny.
According to local political contributor Larry Donnelly who spoke with SIN, her main problem is the idea of dishonesty and coldness, and even inhumanity, which surrounds her. In any election, he argues, “perception trumps truth every time.” It is perception, because when you look at the data, Clinton is actually one of the most honest politicians out there today; according to independent fact-checking organisation Politifact, she lies less frequently than the current president, who is generally seen as trustworthy. She is also, if family, friends, and colleagues are to be believed, a warm-hearted person. Of course, Clinton’s negligence regarding her private email server is a serious issue and should be addressed in a way that doesn’t puff it up to ridiculous proportions (the FBI, who thoroughly investigated the issue, did not think she should even be prosecuted, much less thrown in jail). Donnelly thinks a more heartfelt apology would go a long way towards helping Clinton build a better rapport with the citizens she hopes to lead. “A more fulsome apology would help her connect with Americans. If she looked in their eyes and said ‘I’ve made mistakes. I think I’ve learned from them, and I think it would make
me a better president, not a worse one.’ If she did that, I think it would really help to humanise her.” Donnelly says that Clinton’s inability to portray herself in a positive light will be an obstacle for her as the next commander-in-chief. “She’s going to have to be president for everybody, not just for the people who voted for her. So she has to win them over; whether we want to admit it or not, personality matters in American politics. “In order to talk about the future, you’re going to have to have a collective national conversation. She’s going to have to try to lead that conversation, and it’s going to be a challenge for her, because of the likeability gap.” Regardless of whether Americans like Clinton, she is highly qualified and will probably be an effective leader, although the people can only hope that she does actually have their best interests (and not her own interests) at heart. However, I do not think this is a lesser-of-twoevils election. This is an acceptable candidate v an unacceptable one. The fact that Trump has been set up as an actual contender for president makes most of my fellow citizens cringe. As an American, I’m ashamed at the depths to which this election has brought us. But then again, I’m only a woman.
Prince Charming or Tinderfella? By Amy McMahon From a very young age I was raised to believe that I would find love just like the princesses I read about (I was always Belle from Beauty and the Beast). Although in 2016 there aren’t many evil step-mothers, dragons or tall towers for princes to save us from, are there? So where are the boys at? On Tinder. I don’t know about you, but I have never actually heard of anyone finding love on Tinder. So I downloaded the app for one week (for research purposes, of course) to see if it is possible for sparks to fly online, technical glitches aside. First off, I must admit that I am the kind of girl that can fall for a guy in five seconds flat. Honestly if a guy even smiles at me across the dancefloor at Four Four, I’ll turn to my friends telling them I fancy someone new. It’s that easy for me. Baring that in mind, I think it’s a lot harder to get to know someone on Tinder - even harder than yelling over music in a nightclub. Firstly, conversations tend to be boring. Once you match with someone you’re obliged to partake in awkward small talk as a starting point. If you’ve never experienced small talk like this, to put it into perspective, imagine reading one of those endless lists of terms and conditions over and over again. Yeah, there’s a reason no one has ever bothered to read them. After the millionth “hey” followed by some sort of an emoji, you then move onto where you’re from and usually telling them about your college course. Everything is so vague, it’s like filling out an application form. The worst part of this awkward limbo
phase is that this brief, boring conversation could happen over a full day. Unless you’re glued to your phone and are not embarrassed to publicly use Tinder, then you have to wait for each other to reply. For example, on a Monday I have three lectures in a row so if you wanted to message then you would be waiting quite a while. Not ideal. Some Tinder users decide to skip this stage and get right to the point. I don’t know why I was surprised at the start, after all we are young and Tinder is probably primarily used for hook-ups. However that’s not why I was on Tinder so those lads were rather quickly unmatched. For an absolute stranger to message me like that based solely on the basic information shared on my profile is such a weird concept, in my opinion. Why bother? No glass slipper, just a flirty message. At least find out my last name first? I could be wrong but I highly doubt any kind of relationship could emerge from a one night stand - but as I said, maybe that’s just me. Yes, technology is a huge part of our lives, but wouldn’t it be better if we keep our love lives far from the internet? If I could have it my way, I’d turn back the clock and re-introduce the old days of dating. Although it’s hard to believe, people actually had relationships without Snapchat, Facebook and above all, Tinder. If it’s good enough for Disney princesses, it’s good enough for me! So here’s some advice for all of the guys out there; get off your phone and get on your feet. Ask a girl on a date. I guarantee she’ll be much more special than one in a thousand matches getting yet another “hey”.
Coiste Gnó
Executive Committee
2016 - 2017
Vice President/Education Officer Leas Uachtarán/Oifigeach Oideachais
Cathal Sherlock
Clíodhna Nic Giolla Chomháill
Vice President/Welfare Officer Leas Uachtarán/Oifigeach Leasa
Jimmy McGovern
Daniel Khan
su.president@nuigalway.ie 086 385 5502
su.education@nuigalway.ie 086 385 3658
Oifigeach na Gaeilge
President Uachtarán
su.welfare@nuigalway.ie 086 385 3659
Equality Officer Oifigeach Comhionnais
Mature Students’ Officer Oifigeach Mic Léinn Lánfhásta
Megan Reilly
Damian Duddy
su.gaeilge@nuigalway.ie 0044 7763 5726 93
su.equality@nuigalway.ie 086 228 3856
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Clubs Captain Captaen na gClubanna
SU Council Chairperson | Cathaoirleach na Comhairle do Chomhaltas na Mac Léinn
Patrick O’Flaherty su.socs@nuigalway.ie 086 852 3417
Convenor of the College of Science Tionólaí Choláiste na hEolaíochta
Christopher Mc Brearty su.science@nuigalway.ie 087 656 5387
Caitlin Jansen
Aaron Reeves
Postgraduate Officer An tOifigeach Iarchéime
Cillian Moran su.postgrad@nuigalway.ie 087 769 0784
Convenor of the College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies | Tionólaí Choláiste na nDán, na nEolaíochtaí Sóisialta & an Léinn Cheiltigh
Ciarán MacChoncarraige
su.clubs@nuigalway.ie 089 975 4741
su.council@nuigalway.ie 087 269 7232
Convenor of the College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences | Tionólaí Choláiste an Leighis, an Altranais & na nEolaíochtaí Sláinte
Convenor of the College of Business, Public Policy & Law | Tionólaí Choláiste an Ghnó, an Bhearais Phoiblí agus an Dlí
Convenor of the College of Engineering & Informatics | Tionólaí Choláiste na hInnealtóireachta agus na Faisnéisíochta
Diarmuid Ó Curraoin
Tim Murphy
su.business@nuigalway.ie 087 065 5357
su.engineering@nuigalway.ie 086 026 0500
Lorcán Ó Maoileannaigh su.medicine@nuigalway.ie 087 768 7892
su.arts@nuigalway.ie 087 054 4499
WHAT YOU SEE IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG
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CHECK WHAT’S GOING ON BELOW, GET TESTED FREE Confidential STI Clinic at the Student Health Unit, Áras na Mac Léinn
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(Commencing 13th of September) Contact the Student Health Unit to make your appointment Funded by the Student Projects Fund www.su.nuigalway.ie
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Enrol now for the following reduced price courses in the Students’ Union Office:
Cláraigh anois do na cúrsaí seo a leanas ar phraghas laghdaithe in Oifig an Chomhaltais:
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FAIGH AN SCÉAL IOMLÁN, FAIGH AN TÁSTÁIL Beidh Clinic STI faoi rún á reáchtáil SAOR IN AISCE san Aonad Sláinte Mic Léinn, Áras na Mac Léinn
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FASHION 19
October 25 2016
The Power of Pippa By Amanda Leeson
Pippa O’Connor signing copies of her book in Easons Galway.
Pippa O’Connor is one of Ireland’s best known models turned business women. What with her website Pippa.ie being a destination for many Irish fashion followers, having her very own App that was just released, and being the creator behind the bestselling Pippa Palette, this mum shows no signs of slowing down. After giving birth to her second son Louis just three short months ago, Pippa recently launched a book. Simple Tips to Live Beautifully is a guide to fashion and beauty, with interior style mixed in. The book is perfect for any fashion lover. She recently kicked off her book tour with Galway as one of her stops. On Saturday 15 October, Pippa visited Eason’s Galway. Pippa stunned as she signed books and chatted with those who waited to meet her. Recently, the style icon left 185,000 instagram followers guessing what her next venture could be. POCO (Pippa O’Connor-Ormond) was kept a mystery from fans for two days before the big secret was revealed. Pippa has now ventured out to create her very own fashion brand. Speaking about the brand on Snapchat, Pippa said she wanted to design something she could wear every day. The collection will contain five capsule style jeans. Off Duty - Pippa described these as relaxed in a dark denim colour
with silver detailing and white stitching. They are high rise and can be rolled up at the legs. Slimmer - These are said to do exactly as they say, subtly enhance your figure. The Saturday Nights - These are being described as more than just your everyday denim. They are midrise, come in black but not jet black, again with silver detailing. The Leather Look - These are mid-rise with subtle detailing. The Mamma To Be - Maternity jeans, Pippa describes these as skinny looking but not tight. They are light blue and have white stitching. These jeans will range from size 6 to 16. For now they will only be available in one leg length which is Regular (31 inch) but she has plans to develop short and long lengths in the future. The fashion and lifestyle blogger has described the jeans as a luxury product with the best quality denim. Everything from the tags to the packaging it comes in is high quality. The jeans will range from €85-€110. The jeans will be available exclusively from POCObypippa.ie from 14 November. They will offer free delivery in the ROI and will ship internationally for an extra cost. To keep up to date with all things POCO, follow POCO By Pippa on Snapchat and Instagram. Behind the scenes and a sneak peak at the jeans will be available here so keep a eye on these accounts.
MODERN RENAISSANCE PALETTE
– a Michelangelo master pièce
RATING : 5/5
By Kitty Ryan Anastasia Beverly Hills is a relative newcomer as far as established beauty brands go, yet already they are dominating the makeup world. The Modern Renaissance palette is the first permanent palette that Anastasia has created and retails for €49 on beautybay.com - where it is currently sold out. The palette comes with a highquality mirror, a double-sided brush and contains eleven matte shades, two shimmers and one metallic which are all warm colours; reds, oranges, golds and browns – perfect for autumn. I was taken aback by how pigmented all the shades were by just one tap of the brush – even the lightest shade, Tempura, which shows up fully on pale skin. My favourite shade is Love Letter: a pink-toned cranberry matte shadow that looks
amazing on all eye colours. There is a little bit of dustiness to these eye shadows. Swirling your brush around in the shadow will definitely kick up some excess powder – but the shadows are so smooth there’s no need to grind your brush into the pan. I did experience some fallout on my lids with the darkest shade, Cyprus Umber but it was easily fixed. There is only one downside to this product, which I can think of. The packaging is cardboard wrapped in velour – similar to the first Naked palette by Urban Decay. However, since the fabric is such a light pastel colour, it is prone to staining and attracting small hairs. It’s nothing a little eye-makeup remover and a cotton bud can’t fix but maybe a darker packaging colour would have fixed this. Purchasing this palette has given me higher standards for my eye looks and it is essential for anyone who loves warm-toned eyes.
Tried and tested!
Missguided shop opening By Amy McMahon M i s s g u i d e d h av e r e c e n t l y announced a Missguided shop opening up in London. Hold on while I book my flight! The first flagship store will be opening in Westfield Stratford in November 2016. I think it’s fair to say we’ve all been waiting for this moment since the online shopping site first launched in 2009. The brand first broke the news on Twitter saying; “Sh*t just got real! Our first ever flagship store lands in 3 months @westfieldstrat. Watch this space”, along with a huge (and exciting) billboard promoting the shop. At the moment Missguided clothing is available in various shops, such as TK Maxx. However, this store will have all of the stock available in a one-stop shop. Can you imagine how much time and money you’d save on returns? Finally you can try on Missguided stock without waiting 3-5 business days. Hopefully Missguided won’t be the only brand to make the move from online to the real world. In an ideal world, ASOS would open its first physical shop in Ireland, preferably in Galway but I’d settle for Dublin. But right now I’m willing to wait for Missguided to relocate to Eyre Square – a girl can always dream.
20 FASHION
PRIMARK A/W 16 COLLECTION: what’s in store By Georgia Feeney Primark, Penneys, whatever you wanna call it, it’s probably our most beloved retail store across the country and now even abroad. With the company having expanded to the States, it seems you’re never too far from the fashion-on-a-budget friendly shop. It’s October now and close to being officially winter so here at SIN Fashion we recently started to wonder what we could expect to see hitting Penneys shops in the next few weeks. Well, it appears this season the brand is going for a cool laid back 90s vibe (you’re excited already, aren’t you?). An urban edge is being given to outfits with a cool downtown attitude. There’ll be lots of dressing up and dressing down with easily interchangeable pieces for a go-to capsule wardrobe - something which is very important for students, am I right? Ribbed knits will also be huge this season with a variety of styles the Penneys/Primark team promise you’ll fall head over heels for - the shops will have everything you need and more; “Sparkly lurex versions to simple block colour pieces, to black and white striped numbers complete with on-trend funnel necks… we got it all, girl,” reads their website. “Just add our beaut suede button-through mini skirt for a cute n’ groovy ‘70s vibe.” When it comes to commitment, there’s a lot to choose from when it comes to your winter wardrobe staple item - the coat. For whatever vibe you’re feeling, you’ll find a match to swipe right to the checkouts, from the bold leopard print coat to the chill boyfriend style bomber jacket and the classic leather jacket styles too. It wouldn’t be a 90s outfit of course without the gold hoops, with all sizes and colours also available from Penneys stores nationwide. So girls get running to the nearest Penneys to you - before I buy everything!
Sin Vol. 18 Issue 4
10 reasons why your winter wardrobe is the best By Amy McMahon
TIGHTS No more bare legs! The days of constantly fretting if your legs are shaved are over. Welcoming tights back into your wardrobe will give you so much relief. You can keep wearing cute summer shorts and skirts but with the added warm of tights and without the hassle of constantly worrying if your legs are shaved enough. And, shorts won’t ride up anymore either (which is always a bonus).
COLOURS Autumn/winter colours are my favourite colours to wear. Forest green, burnt orange and burgundy are all such rich colours that even sound gorgeous.
ACCESSORIES Aside from the practical keeping warm side of wearing hats and scarves, they can jazz up any outfit in an instant. Also, fur bobble woolly hats are so cute.
KNIT JUMPERS Cosy knit jumpers are such an easy way to look as if you’ve put a lot of effort into your outfit without actually putting any effort in whatsoever. This is perfect for last minute outfits when you’re running late. Did I mention how soft and comfy they are too?
CAPES Capes are a great invention. Some wonderful genius has found a way for us to fashionably wear a blanket in public! When it inevitably gets very chilly in the college, you will definitely find me wrapped up in my stylish yet practical cape in the back corner of the lecture hall sipping a cup of tea.
VELVET Adding velvet to an outfit instantly makes it looks more chic and edgy. Velvet tops and dresses come in handy in particular when walking home after a night out because the material is slightly thicker and keeps you warm much better than a flimsy summerdress ever would.
DUNGAREES Dungarees are an adorable wardrobe addition all year round, but for those wintery days a turtle neck and dungarees add another level of warmth and comfort.
FLUFFY SOCKS & SLIPPERS After a long, hard, tiring day of being a student, nothing cheers me up more than taking my boots off and popping on a pair of fluffy socks and slippers. Honestly, they’re so soft it’s like walking on a cloud.
COATS Winter coats make even the most basic of outfits look dressier and more stylish. I love winter coats so much I even bought one in the middle of July on the hottest day of the year (it was on sale, okay).
CHRISTMAS JUMPERS Okay so I do realise that Halloween is right around the corner and Christmas is still pretty far away, however you cannot deny the wintery brilliance that is a tacky, sleigh-bell-ringing, hopefully-singing Christmas jumper.
FASHION 21
October 25 2016
Cover Girl have got themselves a Cover Boy The U.S makeup brand are the first to create a co-gender aimed collection.
CoverGirl gets a CoverBoy.
By Georgia Feeney
It all started with a picture that went viral, the starting point for many a famous news pieces and where new stars are created. The new face of the Cover Girl brand, James Charles, is a 17-year-old High School student from Bethlehem, New York. His retake picture from his High School’s annual picture day was shared thousands of times across a number of social media outlets because of his immaculate makeup skills. His highlight was just one feature many spoke out in admiration of. The High School senior originally found internet stardom when he set up his Youtube channel back in 2013. He regularly posts makeup tutorials and other types of videos. In the last year his popularity on social media has risen up to 90,000 followers on Youtube and 650,000 on his Instagram account. Astonishingly the YouTuber has only gotten into makeup in the last year and yet his skills surpass those of most females around the world. The idea for videoing a re-take of his high school photo originated because he was unhappy with the highlight on his original photograph. After re-tweeting the pic, attention for his skills grew and he received attention from people all over the world, including singer Zendaya who replied saying; “You win”. Having announced his new role, the 17 year old
posted a Q&A on his channel answering a variety of questions from his followers. When referring to his contract with Cover Girl he replied; “The fact that I am the first boy is so cool. It shows that this industry is actually becoming genderless, and we’re really making the push toward equal opportunities for everybody, regardless of race, sexuality, gender. I think it’s a huge steppingstone for such a big and iconic company”. He is taking this opportunity very seriously and as well as it being a stepping stone for him to open up new opportunities he also recognises the power he has been given to make a change in society. “Hopefully other people will see this, and when they think, ‘Oh, this random 17-year-old kid just started doing makeup recently and is now the face of Cover Girl,’ I hope that inspires them to really be themselves and feel comfortable and wear makeup and express themselves in a manner they haven’t been comfortable doing before”. This new direction for the company is something which could begin the change for the entire industry. After all, before this, only females had been signed to the brand and those of which were already of celebrity status. With the new face a young boy, making plans for his future and college and making YouTube videos in his spare time, is this further proof that stardom is no longer just about making music hits and starring in movie roles?
Your classic brown boots get the cool girl treatment By Christina O’Reilly Alexa Chung’s daily attire is charted in countless blogs and Pinterest boards all over the world. Recently it’s been announced that Alexa will be the new art director for UGG Australia. The edgy ‘It girl’ is the first ever style influencer to build a creative brand partnership with the much loved sheepskin label. First created in the 1970’s by Australian surfers, Brian
Chung has managed to theme edgy with girly. The style icon and company designers created an entire collection of photographs that are striking and will definitely excite fans for this brands new collection. Smith and Doug Jensen designed as a comfortable alternative to the unpractical flip-flops, the company quickly gained world-wide adoration from young girls. UGGs quickly became the ‘it trend’, the shoe to have. Back in 2007/2008 who didn’t own a pair of those comfortable yet unambiguously lazy must have footwear. But is this shoe about to get a total makeover? Yes. Be prepared for an all-inclusive revamp of what you once assumed of the brand. Ben Raynor photographed the collaborative project, while Stella Greenspan styled it. Chung has managed to theme edgy with girly. The style icon and company designers created an entire collection of photographs that are striking and will definitely excite fans for this brands new collection. The collection puts forward new ideas of styling
the classic boots; UGG boots teamed with whimsical chiffon girly gowns or even tailored suits. Some of these pairings most of us would never have thought of doing beforehand. With this collaboration, Chung aims to deconstruct the misconception surrounding the boots by those who were critical of the boots in the past. It’s a collaboration that offers a contemporary upgrade to this classic design, with the new editions having a modern twist and some would even be taken aback by its new edginess. This edginess also adds more practicality to the boot with a chunky zip positioned down the sides to make them even more manageable to get on and off. As art director, she supervised the brands new advertising from the early model castings to the final edited unanticipated shots. Alexa took to Instagram to deliver the news of her campaign with the sheepskin powerhouse. The fashion author was on the ground working from the start, an active member of the team rather than just putting her name to a collection. The campaign for the collection also features close friends of Chung including models Cleo Wade and Coco Baudelle, residents of New York. A shoot in in a typical New York apartment aimed to eradicate the brand’s outdoorsy aesthetic for a modern dash of the metropolitan lifestyle. In a recent interview with Vogue, Alexa remarked to them that ‘There is nothing I enjoy more than getting back to England and seeing all of my mates and that involves my uniform, which is UGG boots, jeans, and a navy blue jumper’. To find out more or make a purchase from the collection check out www.ugg.com/eu/womenalexa-chung. You can also stay up to date with the fashion guru via her Instagram @alexachung.
Uggs get an Alexa makeover.
22 FASHION
Sin Vol. 18 Issue 4
How could you be so heartless? By Grace Kieran
Y
ou’re away with work. You always give more than one hundred and ten per cent, so that’s what they expect. ‘Mediocre’ is not in your vocabulary, apparently. You are the best in the world at your job. An hour into your night shift, you’re sweating, shouting, aching. That’s when you receive the news. Your wife has been brutally bound and robbed at gunpoint by five men and you are 5,833 kilometres away. They call you a God but in this moment, you feel powerless.
MONDAY, 3 OCTOBER — Kanye West was forced to leave Meadow Music and Art Festival in New York after being informed of the $9 million heist involving his wife of two years, Kim Kardashian-West. Kanye was about to perform his twenty-second song of the night as headliner when he announced “I’m sorry there’s a family emergency, I have to stop the show.” Reactions included “Finish the song Kanye, what the f***!”, “You got thirty minutes!” and unsurprisingly, zero sympathy or concern was offered. Which is totally justified, right? You paid hundreds of dollars to see this guy! Then
he saunters off to save his wife from potentially mortal danger. Ugh, how selfish of him. ‘How could you be so heartless?’ is ironically a recurring line in the song the rapper was about to perform. Significant when, days after Kim was gagged and restrained in their private Paris apartment, MediaTakeOut.com accused her of staging the violent assault and attempting to con her insurance company out of millions of dollars. (They are now facing legal action.) One should question how the gang knew the location and infiltrated her mansion as opposed to challenging a victim’s story. Here lies the crux of the matter: the public cannot see Kim as a victim. She is a ‘famous for being famous’, filthyrich sex-tape star of 2007. Kanye is a rapper, an artist and even a possible future “presidential candidate” before we recognise the fact he is a husband and a father. It seems that being weighed down by a twenty carat, $4 million wedding ring dehumanises you. The media and public alike have demonstrated that envy overrides sympathy. The reaction to this heist has revealed a lot more about society than it has about the famous power couple.
STEAL HER STYLE: SELENA GOMEZ
By Amy McMahon
Just in case you’re like me and didn’t realise how quickly this year is going, it is only a matter of weeks until the NUI Galway Law Ball and Science Ball. Can you believe it? I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun. I’ve taken it upon myself to offer some inspiration in this issue’s Steal Her Style featuring the very glamorous Selena Gomez from the opening night of her Revival tour in May 2016. Her iconic silver silky dress made almost all best dressed lists. Now that metallic’s are really on trend I thought this would be the perfect look for a college ball. ASOS have a great dupe for the original Galvan dress on site for ¤113.33 in a champagne gold shade. To finish the look I added a pair of basic Missguided nude strappy heels to keep it simple, costing ¤28. For an extra touch of glitz and glam, you could wear a statement pair of earrings like these ones I found on River Island. The drop earrings are ¤17 and the more understated ones are only ¤8.
LIFESTYLE 23
October 25 2016
DIY Halloween costumes
5 best things about Halloween
By Saoirse Rafferty
A Cereal Killer
By Amy McMahon
Nowadays, Halloween has become more about the cleverest, funniest (or even punniest) costume around the town rather than the scariest. Many of you will remember great outfits such as ‘the Joker’ or a ‘Facebook profile’ that will all be re-worn for many years to come, yet you probably all still found yourself saying, ‘why didn’t I think of that?’. Well, I’m here to help you with some cheap, cheerful and some punny DIY Halloween costume ideas - because let’s face it, no student has enough money to spend €50 on a costume.
This costume doesn’t involve looking psychotic and scary but being known as a punny person instead. All you need is empty cereal boxes, plastic knives/forks and some sellotape to stick it all together. Source: https:// www.pinterest.com/ explore/cereal-killercostume/
1. Halloween gives us all a great excuse to stuff our faces with sweets, and better yet knock on our neighbours’ door for more sweets. Together Easter, Christmas and Halloween join to create a trifecta of chocolate. These three holidays are the only times during the year when it is socially acceptable to eat absolutely everything around you. 2. For as long as I can remember I have always loved dressing up for Halloween and even as a nineteen year old today, I still love it. Halloween gives us the opportunity to literally be whoever and whatever we want to be. If you have always dreamed of being a superhero or a superstar, then this is the day to do it. It’s not very often that we can pretend to be kids again and play dress up, so we should all take this chance to do so. 3. Similarly, Halloween allows us to experiment with our hair and makeup. Whether it’s a blonde Marilyn Monroe wig or a wacky multi-coloured rainbow clown afro, for one night and one night
Gingerbread Man For all you red head guys out there, this is your chance to shine. No, this outfit does not involve smarties, icing and brilliant decorating skills. All you need is a loaf of bread and a sign stating what you are. If you are a woman, just draw on a moustache and beard to add to the costume. Source: http://halloweencostumesnmore. com/gingerbread-man-halloween-costume/
A bag of Jelly Beans For a cheerful and colourful effect, all you need is a bin bag and balloons. Cut holes for your arms and legs in the bin bags, use a ribbon to tie the top together and blow up a load of small colourful balloons and there you have it - a real life walking and talking bag of jelly beans. Make sure to wear bright clothes. If you would rather be a bag of grapes, just use green balloons. Source: http://www.popsugar.com/ smart-living/Cheap-Homemade-HalloweenCostumes-20064402
Where’s Wally? Ever yone has probably met someonedressedas ‘Where’s Wally?’ from one time or another (or maybe not if they were hidden well enough, ay?) This costume is so easy and will never get old. All you need is a stripy red and white shirt, a little red cap/ swimming hat of some sort and glasses (broken 3D ones might even do). Then you can go out and find another Wally to laugh together at how easy your costume was. Source: https://www.pinterest.com/ explore/where’s-waldo-costume/
American Horror Story This hit TV show is so well known, this punny costume will definitely leave your friends laughing. All you need to do is paint an American flag on your face, wear the flag or the colours red, white and blue then carry around a horror story. Source: https://www.pinterest.com/ pin/333266441154505841/
Grumpy Cat You may all know this grumpy cat from various m e m e s s h a re d with captions such as ‘No’. Well, now is your chance to be the grumpy cat. All you need is some white face paint, lots of brown eye-shadow, cat ears, and a sign with a funny quote from one of the memes. Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/ Rnb4jWxRHt/ If none of these ideas appeal to you and you are still panicking on Halloween night, throw a bed sheet over you and cut two holes in it for eyes and there you ghooo-st!
only you can proudly walk down Shop Street with the craziest of crazy hair and no one will bat an eyelid. This rule applies to makeup too. Halloween makeup and face paint will forever be fun to do, so from fake flesh wounds to sugar skulls, you can really play around with your palettes to create amazing looks for the night. 4. Halloween is a great night for making memories with friends. You will never be short of ideas for fun things to do on Halloween. There are always scary movie marathons, firework displays, or haunted house tours to go on. My advice, grab your camera (or your iPhone) and take snap after snap of your fun and freaky night with your friends. Don’t worry about adding way too many photos to your story and potentially annoying all of your contacts - you’re given a free pass on Halloween, make the most of it. 5. Finally, one of the best things about Halloween is the open invitation we are all given to annually prank our nearest and dearest. Along with April Fools’ Day, Halloween gives everyone the opportunity to prank our friends and give them a good scare!
5 worst things about Halloween By Brigid Fox The Halloween season is slowly creeping up on us all and with it brings some delightful and disastrous happenings. From crazy clowns, to overpriced food goods, here is the list of the five worst things we all have to deal with as the face paint is put on and the dusty costumes come out. 1. HALLOWEEN NAMED FOOD/DRINK THAT COSTS DOUBLE THE PRICE
A standard blueberry muffin could cost about €1/1.50 on a standard day but when All Hallows Eve rolls around that muffin (renamed “Spooky Scare Berry” muffin) could cost you a whopping €3/4. This is especially relevant if plans for Halloween night are to be heading out on the town. You can bet buying drinks will be a lot more expensive when fake spiders and cut out drawings on cartoon witches are on the bar counter. That really is a scary thought. 2. HAVING THE SAME COSTUME AS SOMEONE AT A PARTY
The epitome of smug, you’ve discovered the best costume you could have this year. With a hint of humour and terror, you just know your outfit is going to turn some heads. And then you get to the place you were going to show this immaculate piece of work off at and you realise your ‘oh so cool’ idea has been taken by someone else. You’re gut wrenched in disgust. That’s the sort of trauma a person doesn’t forget and is why it deserves a spot on this list. (Not talking from experience of course…) 3. STOLEN HALLOWEEN COSTUMES ON NIGHTS OUT
You can bet if a costume has a headpiece, armour, wig, or anything easily removable, it probably won’t last that long on Hallow-
een night. No matter how hard you try, it’s inevitable that some “wan” is going to come over in the pub/nightclub/party and attempt to take it off you. If they are nice, you may see your precious piece of Halloween glory again but the chances of getting it back in one piece? Pretty slim. 4. PEOPLE NOT MAKING AN EFFORT TO BE SCARY
Currently as a certain clown “craze” has been appearing in the most uncongenial ways across the world, it may be best not to go too overboard with the scare factor, at least for this year anyway. However, there is nothing worse than Halloween outfits that don’t even have a little scare to them; it is Halloween after all. If you’re going to dress up as a hippie, go as a zombie hippie. If you’re going to dress up as a mouse (duh) at least try and be a dead mouse. Throw some fake blood and artificial wounds around the place for the sake of one night. Attempting to get at least somewhat “Halloween-ish” will stop you being a part of this list of horror. 5. MAKE UP TUTORIALS THAT OVERESTIMATE YOUR SKILLS
“Wow, a ripped, bloody mouth and a missing eye make-up tutorial, they make it look so easy.” We’ve all thought that at least once while scrolling through famous bloggers/ MUAs on Facebook and Instagram for inspiration on Halloween tutorials. But when it comes down to it, maybe it’s best to leave it to the professionals for the extravagant make up looks, because getting glue and fake blood in your eye is not worth it for Halloween - or any other day that it might be needed. €1.49 masks in Dealz instead, anyone?
24 LIFESTYLE
Sin Vol. 18 Issue 4
How to get your dog fix in college By Connell McHugh Every student dog owner has been there at least once. You’re getting your possessions together on a Sunday evening for the journey back to Galway. In the midst of grabbing your washing, getting a few frozen dinners from Mammy and finishing off an essay due the following day before heading out the door, you do the unforgiveable: you forget to say goodbye to your dog. A terrible start to the week before it has even begun. But fear not, as a mode of repentance, here are four ways you can get your dog fix before you see your puppy again on Friday: 1. NUI GALWAY DOG SOCIETY: Set up in
September 2015, the dog society has garnered plenty of members in the short time it has been around. This society organises movie nights, bake sales, table quizzes and other events all related to or for dogs. All money raised goes towards dog charities, many of which are located in Galway. Log on to the NUI Galway Societies page to join and find them on Facebook under ‘NUIG Dog Society’. 2. MADRA: Mutts Anonymous Dog Rescue & Adoption (MADRA) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to finding new homes for unwanted, neglected, abused and abandoned dogs. Their shelter is situated in Connemara and they are always looking for volunteers to
help out. Volunteering roles include dog walkers, shop volunteers and drivers to and from pounds. Being a temporary foster home for the dogs is also an option if your landlord allows it. Check out madra.ie for more information and/or to donate a small amount to the charity. 3. GALWAY SPCA: Located on St. Augustine Street in Galway, Galway SPCA regularly need help when organising events, collecting money or selling hoodies and raffle tickets. They also have a second-hand shop which stocks all sorts of items and all profits go towards the upkeep of the kennels. While you probably prefer dogs if you are reading this, there are also plenty of feline friends who can be looked after here. 4. DOG VIDEOS: One of the most important categories on YouTube is the animal category. It can cause hours of distraction and procrastination for all the family, especially college students. One search for ‘dog compilation video’ and you will be entertained for five minutes, and then another five minutes and another until before you know it, it’s time to go to your 9a.m lecture. Definitely time well spent in my book. While your dog at home may not forgive you for cheating on him, if you get involved in any of the above you can feel a little better knowing you helped some worthy causes and got your dog fix at the same time. Enjoy!
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Soft Yet Chewy and Deliciously Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookies This fortnight SIN’s resident baking extraordinaire Justine D’Oven gives her recipe for some heartwarming chocolate cookies. You know those days: the rainy, cold and absolutely miserable days. The ones where leaving the house to satisfy your chocolate craving is utterly out of the question but you need something more than a chocolate bar to be satisfied… These cookies were made for those days! I use whole chocolate bars cut into chunks for my chocolacte chip cookies because Some ooey-gooey goodness! you get more chocolatey goodness into the cookie. Nothing beats a melty, ooey-gooey fresh DIRECTIONS baked chocolate chip cookie with a glass of 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (177 cold milk to fight off the dreary or weary days! degrees celcius) The rainy days are upon us, so stock up on 2. Cream together butter and sugars until supplies now and this winter you won’t be smooth and creamy left wanting - for these cookies are simply 3. Add eggs, one at a time. Make sure to amazing! incorporate each one before adding the next. INGREDIENTS 4. Add the vanilla • 226g (1 cup) unslated butter, softened at 5. In a separate bowl, add flour, baking room temperature* soda and salt (if using) and whisk to • 197g (1 cup) lights muscovado sugar, combine packed 6. Add the flour mixture to the wet • 110g (1/2cup) granulated sugar ingredients until just incorporated • 2 eggs 7. Add chocolate to the dough and • 2tsp vanilla combine; do not over mix though. • 312g (2 ¼ cups) plain flour 8. Scoop approximately 1 Tablespoon of • ½ tsp baking soda dough onto a baking sheet lined with • ¼ tsp salt (if using unsalted butter) baking paper, space about 2 inches • 200-250g (2-2 ½ cups) chocolate chips between each ‘dough ball’ use whatever type you prefer 9. Bake for 12-15 minutes * You can use salted butter, just don’t add salt later on in your flour mixture
NUI Galway Students’ Union Presents / Cuireann Comhaltas na Mac Léinn
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
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Joanne McNally & Eric Lalor
th 7 MONDAY
N OV E M B E R
8pm Monday 7th November at the O’Flaherty Theatre 8 i.n., Dé Luain, An 7 Samhain 2016 i dtéatar Uí Fhlaithearta Tickets €5 from the SU Office and the SU Engineering Desk €5 An ticéad, le fail ó Oifig an Chomhaltais agus ó dheasc Innealtóireachta an Chomhaltas
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26 ENTERTAINMENT
REVIEW: All the Bright Places Overall Rating: 4/5 By Orla Carty Every time I write the title of this book I start singing Megan Trainer’s song in my head, you know the one – all the right junk, in all the right places... I would say that that’s beside the point but in actual fact I think when Jennifer Niven’s novel is made into a film (which is happening, for sure) a more up-to-date version of that boppy tune could be included in the soundtrack. Because, despite the dark undertones of this novel, that was the vibe I got. Feel-good, young adult, bright, bright life. It’s got the John Green-esque style which entails a vivid picture of enigmatic teens, grounded by realistic issues. The two central characters, Finch and Violet, encapsulate this. Finch in particular – who my amateur past-self called Theodore when I spoke about him in my preview last week – is intriguing. While I read he leapt out from the pages, sprawled out on the couch beside me and explained his version of events. What I expected from this novel was something like “every other young adult high-school” story. To a degree, it was. But, as I suspected, or rather hoped, it also included a new take on the usual, with the bell-tower scene definitely being a representative opening. Admittedly, the novel took some time to warm up. I wasn’t hooked until page one hundred and eighty one, to be precise. Before that I found myself reading until the end of a chapter and then dropping it, making tea and loading up some Netflix instead. But my advice would
be to power through the initial lag, because it’s worth it once it reels you in. Or, rather, Finch reels you in. He’s the kind of character you can’t help but love, despite his flaws. He has depth, humour, passion, warmth, complexity and constantly niggling issues. “All the Bright Places” is actually a Dr Seuss quote from Oh the Places You’ll Go! which provides the perfect backdrop for the whole novel. The plot begins as Violet and Finch become partners for a school project to see Indiana. They decide to go wandering, exploring lost corners and anything interesting that they can find. The way the motif tied in with the book title and with Finch’s own wanderings in his own mind, trying to escape his life, really worked well and made for a satisfying read. The ending (which I’m about to distantly poke at *SPOILER ALERT*) wasn’t as predictable as I expected last week. It wasn’t that it had some completely shocking twist, but it just didn’t go down the obvious route of hopeless teens save each other. Instead it was more hopeless boy saves seemingly-hopeless-butactually-hopeful girl. Overall, All the Bright Places tugs on all the right heartstrings (in all the right plaaaces - Meghan Trainer, go away). It’s energetic, thoughtful and realistic enough to make you want to look twice at people you know and wonder if, hey, maybe they’re actually not doing quite so well. Beneath the teenage drama there’s a serious message, to take care with others. You don’t know what’s really going on in anyone’s life. That, I think, is what has made this book special enough to stick out in so many minds.
Sin Vol. 18 Issue 4
WEEKLY PREVIEW: The Girl on the Train A psychological thriller promised to provide many shocking twists and turns. By Zoe Ellis Unless you’re living under a rock, or in a world completely deprived of social media you’ve heard of The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I’m catching on a bit late to the phenomenon, but better late than never. With the release of the film version starring Emily Blunt set to do so well, I couldn’t resist this novel. There’s no greater sense of satisfaction in life than going to the cinema to enjoy a film after reading the book. The novel depicts the tale of an alcoholic who travels on the same train every day. Along her daily commute she becomes familiarised with the people in the houses she passes and forms an odd observatory relationship with them — “you don’t know her but she knows you”. One day she witnesses something that changes everything. Throughout the novel she becomes more and more entangled in the lives of those she used to watch, but is she causing more harm than good? The Girl on the Train is a psychological thriller promised to provide many shocking twists and turns. The king of psychological thrillers himself, Stephen King, described the bestseller saying, “Really great suspense novel. Kept me up most of the night. The
alcoholic narrator is dead perfect”. If it’s good enough for Stephen, it’s good enough for me. Both critics and authors have been giving this novel overwhelmingly positive reviews since its release. I’m very excited to read this novel. With so many overwhelmingly positive reviews I expect great things. I’m just trying (and failing) to keep expectations at a reasonable level so as not to get disappointed from all the hype. When you encounter a book like this it’s impossible not to expect great things. However, I do have some fears. The novel switches point of view between three characters: Rachel, Anna and Megan. This can often make narratives difficult to read as the confusion of worrying about whose talking becomes distracting. Also, my personal pet hate from novels written in this style is hearing events being repeated from each character’s point of view. This can make reading very tedious. I also worry about the twist in this novel. I love an unexpected turn of events to keep you on your toes throughout a novel, but when the promised surprising outcome turns out to be none other than a prediction you’ve had since chapter one it can ruin a good book. If the book can overcome these common literary mistakes I’m sure I will be writing a love letter to Paula Hawkins and not a review in the next issue.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN GALWAY: festivities for Hallowe’en season By Michael Cole & Aisling Forde It’s past halfway through the semester already and it’s fair to say we are well and truly fed up of all the mid-term assignments and exams being thrown our way. We definitely deserve a little bit of a break and what better way than to explore all that Galway has to offer? Galway has always been known as one of the most prominent locations on the Irish cultural map and this is no different for the celebration of Hallowe’en over the weekend of 31 October. Here’s SIN’s round up of what’s going on for you all to check out this fortnight - go on, it would be rude not to! CARNEVIL: the west of Ireland’s first-ever scare attraction. The attraction was enormously successful in 2015 and hopes to attract many more ‘victims’ this year. It began on the 12 October and will finish at midnight on Hallowe’en, opening times being 7pm to 10pm (12 - 16, 20 – 21 October); 6pm to 10pm (22 – 27 October); 4pm to 11pm (28 – 31 October). Tickets are available to be purchased at €10 online at www.carnevil.ie for students and there will be a limited amount supplied at the door. Carnevil is located in the old Connacht Tribune printing press on Market St.
and there are sure to be lots of shocks and surprises in store. VODAFONE COMEDY CARNIVAL: This is definitely a significantly less scary carnival, but guaranteed to be just as entertaining. It takes place from the 25 - 31 October and showcases some of the finest comedy acts around, such as the Rubberbandits, Tommie Tiernan, Jason Manford, PJ Gallagher and David McSavage to name but a few. There’s also wrestling taking place in the Black Box Theatre involving wrestling legends X-Pac and Chris Hero, which will be the sort of event that’s rarely seen in Galway! Other venues for the carnival include the Róisín Dubh, Seven, the King’s Head and the Town Hall. Shows take place during the day and at night and usually include a few comedians in one sitting, costing about €20 for some of the top comedians, but you can find cheaper shows from €5-10 too. Tickets can be purchased online from https://www. vodafonecomedycarnival.com ESCAPE ROOMS: Great Escape Rooms and Asylroom offer great activities for those who love a challenge with a unique twist. In their ‘escape rooms’ you are locked inside for 60 minutes with the sole objective of discovering
the way out through hints and clues. There is a variety of rooms on offer from both companies so even if you’ve escaped from one before there is another mystery to be solved. Escape rooms are group activities that can be done with anywhere from two to ten people, with the price going down the more people you have. It costs around €20 person if there’s two people doing it, but you can do it for €10 a person at Asylroom if you have eight people, so the price varies. More info and pricing details are available on www.greatescaperooms.ie and www.asylroom.com and on their respective Facebook pages. GALWAY ABOO HALLOWE’EN FESTIVAL:
Running from the 28 - 31 October in Galway’s Latin Quarter, the festival has many free and enjoyable events in store. It also includes the renowned Macnas Hallowe’en parade, which will make its way through the streets of Galway on Sunday 30 October from 5pm. The festival organisers encourage you to dress up for the occasion too! GALWAY STUDENT RACE DAY: Save the date! Galway Student Race Day is taking place on 31 October. It goes without saying this is a day (and night) not to be missed. Early bird tickets are on sale now from the Socs Box for
€15 and this includes a return bus from NUI Galway to the racecourse, entry to the races and entry to Electric, Four Four or Karma. Full price tickets will be available thereafter at €20 and also include entry to the after party clubs. How could you go wrong? OH PEP! GIG, RÓISÍN DUBH: Melbourne duo Oh Pep! take to the Róisín Dubh on 6 November. Olivia Hally and Pepita Emmerichs formed the band in music school and recorded their “coming-of-age” LP Stadium Cake in Nova Scotia with Canadian producer Daniel Ledwell – an album Rolling Stone has deemed “faultless folk-rock”. They’re touring Europe this autumn and are surely worth checking out when they grace Galway’s popular music venue. Be sure to pick up the next issue of SIN for a full interview with the band too! BAKEFEST AT LEISURELAND: Finally, here’s something a little different for all the foodies out there. This year the 4th annual Bakefest is returning to Leisureland, Galway on 7 and 8 November. The two-day event is packed with demonstrations, classes and interactive workshops that will appeal to anyone who has a passion for baking. The event will take place 10am – 6pm both days and tickets are €5 daily, or €8 for a two day pass.
ENTERTAINMENT 27
October 25 2016
In Conversation with The Clockworks By Eoin Molloy As their name would seem to suggest, The Clockworks are a punctual bunch. They greet me outside the door of the Temple Café, clad in all black as is necessary for a trio of aspiring rockers. The Temple Café, which is across from Charlie Byrne’s bookshop, is a social venture - that means it is a not-for-profit organisation that donates all of its surplus earnings to charity. Their very choice of location informs me that this is no ordinary group of head-bangers - there is something ponderous about these young lads from Loughrea. As we talk, I am continually struck by their articulate thoughts and overall polite demeanour. We spoke for the guts of an hour. They continually play off one another, butting in and finishing off sentences for one another in the way that only old friends can. After all, they all attended the same secondary school. James McGregor, the lead singer and lyricist, lived in London until the age of 12. The accent is clearly detectable in his singing, with McGregor even going as far as including bits of Cockney slang in his lyrics as an homage to his upbringing. Two of the band members are NUI Galway-affiliated. James graduated from NUI Galway last year with a BA in English and Philosophy, something he views as being integral to his development as a songwriter. “Maybe if I hadn’t taken philosophy, my critical horizons wouldn’t have been sufficiently developed, I guess, to allow me to abstract myself enough to write songs”. Damian Greaney recalls being ‘shuffled in’ to NUI Galway to study non-denominated science rather unwillingly. Damian dropped out to pursue a career in music, something he views as having majorly positive influence on his life. Sean Connelly, on the other hand, tells me with an admirable singularity of purpose that he focused in on his music from day one. As far as he was concerned, there is nothing else he would rather do. He says that he ‘always assumed that everyone else knew what they wanted to do since the age of ten as well’. Sean has always been enamoured with rock and roll. He has a hazy recollection of ‘dancing in his nappy in the sitting room watching a tape of Bruce Sprinsteen playing Dancing in the Dark’ at the tender age of three. Their name is a reference to the Stanley Kubrick film, A Clockwork Orange. Sean, with coy reluctance, lists out some of the names they have previously played under. They were originally known as The Morning after the Night Before, a name James refers to as ‘an essay we wrote’. He recalls being at a house party with members of some other bands, who told him ‘straight up’ that they needed a name change – a piece of advice that seems to have gone down quite well in hindsight. Their debut single, Girls Like You, is a split-narrative - it tells the story of a one-night stand from both the male and female perspective. When asked whether there is a concealed message in the song Sean tells me that they wouldn’t really conceive of writing a song without some sort of message, the bands they listen to always aim to place meaning to the forefront of their lyrics. The Clockworks aren’t interested in weaving together a few unconnected abstract phrases together and calling it a verse – everything tells a story. Their creative process is quite an interesting one. For James, lyricwriting is a type of free-form poetry. Damian tells me that James shuts himself off for a while and ‘comes back with a song that is usually the finished product’, and they then ‘work the music around that’. There is little collaboration on the lyrics, but they all work at the chorus together because that can either make or break a song. It may strike people as odd that a band with such a cosmopolitan sound originated from a rural town like Loughrea, however, the lads take great pride in where they come from. “As far as anyone in Loughrea is concerned, us making it into The Advertiser is the biggest thing we will ever achieve. I guess it’s fairly widely-circulated, so people at home think we’ll be playing Croke Park any day now”, laughs Damian. They have taken quite a while to hone their sound. “We didn’t want to rush into things and start feeling like we were famous just because we had an album out”, says James. The Clockworks spent the past year playing gigs in both Ire-
land and England as opposed to the more conventional modern route of flooding the internet with singles and then going on tour. They are attempting to cultivate a distinct identity as a band in the hopes that fame and fortune will follow, as opposed to cashing in early for short-lived success. Before they released Girls Like You, Damian purposely removed all old videos of them playing from the web as a means of ‘keeping an ace in the hole’. This shows how business-savvy these lads are, they know the value of first impressions and they weren’t keen on anyone seeing some of the less professional stuff that was put up on the internet during the band’s infancy. They have learned the art of performance simply by doing. Their first gig was a ‘slap job’ - backing up Key West at the Roisin Dubh. And how things have changed - the lads have just returned from a jam-packed run of gigs in the UK which saw them play in front of a sold-out crowd at the renowned music venue, The Good Ship. Their UK success comes as no surprise to Sean who says; “We had always subconsciously presumed that we would be received better over there because of our influences, which are primarily British bands, and it turned out to be true”.
Irish interest indeed: Damian Greaney, James McGregor and Sean Connelly (L-R) The music scene is understandably far better developed in London than in Galway. Damian laments the lack of a clearly identifiable ‘music-first’ venue in Galway. More often than not, ‘drinks promotions’, he says, pull a larger crowd than the promise of live music. James credits their producer, Thom McDonell, for whipping them into shape. He said; “He has taught us a lot about the industry, he is the closest thing we have to a manager figure.” In what can be taken as a sure indicator of success, the boys inform me that Thom worked with Hozier about 6 months before he exploded. The ‘phones at gigs’ debacle is something that intrigues The Clockworks, because both sides can be argued. “If the only memory of a gig you have is a photo, then that’s not really a memory at all. You aren’t in the moment. I’ve been guilty of it myself so many times, but I find that I never go back and look at these photos because there are so many of them, they aren’t really even for myself. It’s more of a Facebook or Snapchat thing”, says Damian. This is further qualified by Sean, who notes that people who use phones at gigs are often trying to achieve something positive by promoting the band and the fact that they are having a good time. I discover that it is not just music that captivates their collective interest, our conversation is side-tracked more often than not to talk about Monthy Python and Donald Trump among countless other abstractions. The lads don’t seem as interested in promoting themselves as they do in having a genuine backand-forward conversation, with James even asking me a few questions of his own about my writing process – something that is surely a first for a music interview! This humble, grounded mind-set is something that will undoubtedly stand them in good stead when they do blow up. Their debut single, Girls Like You, and its follow-up, Mazda, can be found on Spotify, YouTube and iTunes. More information about The Clockworks, their gigs and release dates can be found on their Facebook page.
Laugh out loud at the Vodafone Comedy Carnival By Saoirse Rafferty It’s that time of the year again; Halloween is just around the corner as one of Galway’s biggest festivals kicks off today 25 October. The Vodafone Comedy Carnival is a week-long festival full of comedy and entertainment from Ireland’s best known comedians including Tommy Tiernan, who has been given the ‘funniest man in Ireland’ title several times. Alongside Tiernan is a range of events and acts from Ireland and afar to suit all age groups. Here’s a preview of what’s to come this week and why this year could be bigger than any before. BRILLIANT VENUES The Róisin Dubh has always been known as “one of the best music and comedy venues in the country”, and are the main organisers behind the festival. Many of the performances will be held here all week long which means this is definitely a spot to be at during the festival. The Spiegeltent will be returning to Eyre Square, with its wonderful dancehall and colourful layout where “the ordinary becomes extraordinary and the extraordinary becomes magnificent”. The mysterious Red Box will also be held in Eyre Square with a Late Night Karlnival and L’afternoon taking place all weekend. The Kings Head Room will be holding daytime shows at 13:00 pm, and The Loft At Seven will have performances such as Shazia Mirza, The Kardashians Made Me Do It! on during the week. Other venues include An Taibhdhearc and Town Hall Theatre. ACTS FROM OUTSIDE OF IRELAND The Vodafone Comedy Carnival is usually full of Irish and UK based comedians but this year US acts will be travelling to Galway to add to the entertainment. These acts include Comedy Central first spokesperson Tom Rhodes, who will be on stage all weekend alongside other comedians in late night shows. See him on Saturday night in the Spiegeltent at 21:30 with guests such as PJ Gallagher (entry €28). Other US acts include THE DAN BAND who will be performing all weekend in the Róisin Dubh at 23:00, and popular Whose Line Is It Anyway? star Brad Sherwood. Comedian, author, musician, director, television writer Joe De Rosa from Better Call Saul will also be on stage over the week. SUITED FOR FAMILIES The silent discos at the Róisin Dubh have become so popular due to many events such as street discos and weekly silent discos held every Tuesday. This year, the comedy carnival will have a fancy dressed silent disco for kids and families of all ages. This event will be held on October 31 at 14:00 in the Spiegeltent, €7 entry. Entertaining brothers, famous Seamus and Sean–tastic (The Lords of The Strut) will be highly energetic and entertaining for people of all ages on Saturday and Sunday in the Taibhearc theatre at 14:00. Other family events include the annual ‘Irish comedian of the year - grand finale’, held on Thursday 27 October at 19:45. GAEILGE For Irish speakers out there, there’s a show just for you called ‘Gaelgáirí’; the country’s only Irish language stand-up comedy club. This club includes brilliant acts such as Aine Gallagher, with aspecial performance from Tommy Tiernan this year - definitely one not to miss. Held at 17:00 in the Red Box, €12 entry.
EXTRA EVENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR This year has interesting events such as Dirty Circus Burlesque with hula hoop, fire, and more tonight at 20:00 in the wonderful Spiegeltent. Jason Byrne will be involved in comedy showcases tonight at 21:00 at the Róisin Dubh and Wednesday night in the Spiegeltent at 20:00. The Rubberbandits will also be performing in the Spiegeltent on 31 October at 22:00. For more information on acts, prices and ticket booking visit vodafonecomedycarnival.com
28 ENTERTAINMENT
REVIEW: The Monday B.C. By Aisling Bonner A seemingly typical boardroom situated in an imagined Corporate Heaven is swept ceremoniously by the enigmatic Caretaker as the audience take their seats at NUI Galway’s Bank of Ireland Theatre. Some striking features of the clever set such as an infinity clock give a taster of the tongue-in-cheek humour to follow. The Monday B.C. is the brainchild of NUI Galway student Shane Gaffney. It charts the pressure, tension and frustration endured by three prophets: Moses, Isaiah and Ezekiel, as they compose the crucial ‘Prophet Pitch’ to boost God’s believer tally in the face of the expanding Roman Gods. Under the stern surveillance of the psychotic ArchAngel Gabrielle, the trio face an ultimatum: succeed and remain in so-called eternal paradise, or be cast down by ‘The Big Guy’ himself. A combination of Gaffney’s superb characterisation, Denis Haugh’s creative direction, and the cast’s boundless energy and focus secured the acting as the stand-out element of this production. The self-importance of Moses captured by the commanding Phil Trill, teamed with the constantly hilarious naivety of the lively Davin McGowan in the role of Ezekiel made for a satisfying duo. This was contrasted by the scarily convincing cocaine addict, Isaiah, played by Cillian Browne, whose erraticism never wavered throughout. Kevin Murphy’s portrayal of the increasingly profound Caretaker was spot-on, and it was difficult to see him as anything less than centuries old. The first highlight came with the entrance of the inherently enraged Fiona Buckley as Gabrielle, who commanded attention in her whitewinged blazer with her hilarious vein-busting rants. There were moments when the energy of the actors hampered their speech and the odd line was lost due to poor diction and rushed delivery. Despite some inconsistency with accents now and again however, all portrayals were highly accomplished, both individually and as a group. Several specific moments showed the prowess of director Denis Haugh; namely the musically accompanied montage of sorts as the three prophets frantically clambered through files and charts in the hope of some divine inspiration for the ‘Prophet Pitch’. The boardroom, where the majority of the action took place, was utilised effectively and movements were natural and purposeful. At times hidden clues to the story were made more obvious than necessary reducing their impact upon their reveal. While the atmosphere on stage developed throughout, there was a repetition of the same conflicts amongst the three prophets which slightly took away from the climax. The unique concept of The Monday B.C. will forever be its selling point. Gaffney’s writing vividly evokes a Heaven which is so atypical to the common perception it’s convincing. Without going down the previously-treaded route of bashing the Church, Gaffney’s play challenges the concepts of religion, faith and eternity in a more thought-provoking way. Modern issues of racism and misogyny are also raised in a satirical manner, cementing the play’s relevance today. While the story seemed a little muddled in parts, it always found its footing again. Lathered with gags and jibes throughout, it was the tongue-in-cheek zingers that provoked the greatest laughs – “God, I hate Mondays”, sighs Ezekiel. With a hefty helping of Biblical references, The Monday B.C. requires a decent knowledge of The Old Testament for it to make sense. Visually fun in terms of lighting, costumes and set; the play held the audience’s attention until the end. Aside from some minor issues, the acting shone in this production. A standing ovation sealed the fates of this cast and crew. Hallelujah.
Sin Vol. 18 Issue 4
FROM PAGE TO STAGE: Gee Whiz! By Michelle Hannigan The exclamation point in this play’s name is vital, as Alice Keane, writer and director of one of the plays for this year’s NUI Galway Dramsoc productions, made sure to note, because “everything’s exciting!” The NUI Galway student always loved writing and acting, reminiscing on her childhood spent with friends writing plays. Alice decided to study film and media studies in University College Cork as an undergraduate and was involved in the Dramsoc there, further growing her love of playwriting and directing. It was here that Gee Whiz! came to be but was never performed within UCC Dramsoc. Alice then decided to pursue her passion and began looking at masters programmes when she came across the playwriting and dramaturgy MA in NUI Galway, a course which she loves so far. Alice soon became part of NUI Galway’s Dramsoc and finally her beloved project would be open to audiences. When asked about genres and any preferences, Alice states she has always been fascinated by the 1950s.
She gestures at her dress, a beautiful 1950s style, laughing, further mentioning a final year project that she submitted revolving around the era. Comedy is also something Alice finds enjoyable as she notes that she “loves to make people laugh”. A love of television programmes such as I Love Lucy and Denis the Menace inspired her to write this particular play. The play revolves around characters from these 1950s “happy-go-lucky” shows, who live as their television personas. With less than two weeks to go until opening night the pressure is well and truly on to get everything in order. Alice will have at least 16 hours dedicated to the show this week between rehearsals and production meetings, this is on top of her college hours, social life and work life. This doesn’t faze the young writer/director, however, who always dives into anything she wants to and can be involved in, and is used to having a busy schedule and tackling the stress and work with all she has. Such a “social affair” adds to the enjoyment of the process of something so big and with “a load of
talented people”, the work involved certainly doesn’t put this dedicated woman off. The 13 member cast have been busy with rehearsals over the last few weeks and Alice is happy with the progress of the production so far. One of the actors involved, Ritchie Fitz, who is in the MA in Drama and Theatre and Dramasoc with Alice, is looking forward to the show and says that rehearsals are going well and he is enjoying getting to know all involved. “The fictional characters from a wholesome, peppy 1950s TV show are invaded by a modern day Irish TV show’s teen main characters and shenanigans ensue” is Alice’s description of Gee Whiz! The play will run from 1 - 4 November in the Bank of Ireland theatre, beside Sult on the NUI Galway campus. Tickets will be €5 for students and €8 for non-students. The whereabouts of sales has yet to be confirmed but Alice encourages everyone to “like” the Dramsoc page on Facebook to keep up to date on all events. Pictures from rehearsals and auditions can also be found on the Facebook page.
Directing the dream: Robbie Walsh speaks about his upcoming production of The Lonesome West By Aisling Bonner Robbie Walsh arrives an hour before his rehearsal is scheduled in Áras na Mac Léinn’s Art Room, a secluded calm contrasting to the foyer’s graduate-brimming storm. He awaits his actors, cool and composed, a seasoned director for NUI Galway’s Dramsoc. This Semester, Walsh is assuming the director’s chair again for his favourite play, The Lonesome West by Martin McDonagh; a play he first read as part of his Leaving Cert Comparative Study. Dark, yet funny, Walsh feels the play deals with many issues still relevant in today’s society. “Even though it’s set in the 90s, I think what’s going on in the play is very relatable in terms of alcoholism, suicide and Catholicism”, he says. “I hope people really enjoy it in terms of the humour, but I hope they see that there is a bit more of a serious message to the story”. The Lonesome West, in Walsh’s words, charts the struggles of two arguing brothers, Valene and Coleman, in rural Leenane as they are forced to live with one another after the death of their father. Their constant Stepbrothers-esque contention is taken on as a personal challenge by the local alcoholic
priest, Fr. Welsh who resolves to solve their squabbling. While Walsh feels his original vision for the production is still on track, he admits that the directing process has made him think differently about the play itself; “I think it’s a lot more serious than a first read. On the surface I was like, ‘this is such a funny play, it’s hilarious’, but when you really get up and start
“Even though it’s set in the 90s, I think what’s going on in the play is very relatable in terms of alcoholism, suicide and Catholicism.” performing it and start looking at the characters I think the content is a lot darker”. Carrying experience from previous Dramsoc directing endeavours with plays such as Red Roses and Petrol, On Raftery’s Hill and The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Walsh was more than prepared for the casting challenge this year. Over 70 auditionees and 10-15 call-backs later, Walsh notes that the standard
in Dramsoc is especially high this year, leaving him with the perfect cast. Having come to college with the aim to act, Walsh has found his happy place in the most commanding role of all. “People are always like it must be the power, that you have creative control over everything - but I don’t think it’s that”, he laughs. “When you direct, you put it so much work in and then you just get to sit back during the run and appreciate what’s happened. When you act, it’s all in the moment and then it’s over. There’s no kind of sitting back and looking at the work everyone’s put in. So, I think that’s the best thing about directing”. Despite his experience, the pressure of directing this blacker than black comedy creates a nervousness and fear that drives the passion. “It’s hard. It’s my favourite play and I’ve to be really critical of myself when directing it because I love the play anyway. I love everything about it”. The Lonesome West by Martin McDonagh will take place in the Bank of Ireland Theatre, NUI Galway from 25-28 October. Tickets are available from the Socs Box at €5/€8.
30 SPORT
Sin Vol. 18 Issue 4
Deja voodoo for Mayo footballers
NUI Galway come out on top in Galway battle
By Darragh Berry
Senior Football League – Division 2 Group C - Round 1
As I took a quick pit stop at half time in the drawn All-Ireland Final, I heard a die-hard Mayo fan shout from one of the cubicles, “that fecking curse”. Only Mayo could score two own goals. I never believed in the curse, I solely thought that it was an excuse for past failures. But how do you describe that? Scoring one own goal in GAA is unknown and bizarre, scoring two can only be known as Mayo misfortune. As we prepared ourselves for the replay on Saturday October 1, a post was doing the rounds on social media about the said curse. Apparently, it only ever applied to finals which took place on Sundays in September and wouldn’t be relevant on a Saturday in October. As if the gypsy or priest or ludraman that put this “curse” upon us followed it up with a contract containing terms and conditions which we are forever seemingly trying to find loopholes out of. As we all discovered the hard way, the “curse” does apply to Saturdays in October as Mayo go another year without bringing home the Sam Maguire cup.
I am sure if you had told every Mayo person in ’51 that a drought would entail 65 years and counting, they’d have thought you were mad. You know what is really mad though? Putting a curse on your own county team, but the priest from Foxford isn’t the only person to have done that. Biddy Early was a 19 th century healer who was also accused of witchcraft and of putting curses on the hurling teams of Clare and Galway. Despite dying before the establishment of the GAA, both of these teams had 81 and 67-year droughts respectively. Funnily enough, Biddy Early was a Clare woman who had put a hex on her own home county. Can anyone put a curse on a team? Do you have to take a course in witchcraft in NUI Galway before being qualified enough to do so? Because us Mayo folk could really do with putting one on the Dublin or Kerry team for the next few years. Mayo are two years away from surpassing Galway’s drought. Comparisons have been made with them and the Clare hurlers who went eight decades without winning the Liam McCarthy cup. At least Clare only lost one All-Ireland
as I can remember, I always believed we’d come back stronger and within a year or two we’d have the knowledge and experience to finally hold Sam aloft. We went toe-to-toe with one of the best GAA teams of all time for 140 minutes, were much the better team and still couldn’t manage to beat them. We held Dublin scoreless for thirty minutes in the drawn game. That sort of excellent defending had to be punished somehow by the Gods above. It’s hard to believe that we can win it anymore. What kind of team can say they have a handful of top class players but they cannot, and have not, won the top prize in their sport? You just know that all they need is one slice of luck, one moment of magic, one fragment of fortune and it would create a snowball effect. The likes of the O’ Connor brothers have experienced that winning sensation at club level and it has driven them on to retain and win county titles year after year. We could easily win back-to-back titles, or have a dominance a la Kerry of the early 2000s or this current Dublin team. We just need to succeed that first time and the floodgates w ould op en thereafter. When you think of The Saw Doctors and Mayo football, you immediately think of The Green and Red of Mayo. Not me, I think of “To win just once” because to quote the song, “that would be enough”. I’d die a happy man if I witnessed a Mayo captain walk up those steps, shake the hands and show off Sammy to the crowd. Colm Coyle’s freak point in 1996, two hammerings from Kerry, two early goals against Donegal and two own goals against Dublin. You’d certainly start to believe in the supernatural when you research Mayo’s football history. Our day will come, though. It wasn’t 2016, it may not be 2017 but it will come. Clare can hold onto the record for longest drought, we’re not interested in that title.
We went toe-to-toe with one of the best GAA teams of all time for 140 minutes, were much the better team and still
couldn’t manage to beat them... It’s hard to believe that we can win it anymore. The story goes that the victorious Mayo team failed to respect a funeral ceremony while passing the town of Foxford. The residing priest vowed that Mayo would never win another All-Ireland until all of the squad from the 1951 panel were dead. The two men left from the ’51 final, Pádraig Carney and Paddy Prendergast, have squashed any notion that the incident in Foxford actually ever occurred. The beginning of that decade saw Mayo win back-to-back All-Ireland titles.
final between 1914 and 1995, Mayo have now lost eight finals in the last 27 years. This year’s beaten finalists are amongst an array of talent in the last couple of decades and many of the country’s best ever footballers will have never won their sport’s most coveted trophy and that is sad. You want to say that Mayo’s chances of passing Clare’s record of over eight decades is highly doubtful but yet you know better than to rule out the possibility of it happening. Any year we got beaten in a final from as far
NUI GALWAY 2-13 GMIT 0-9
By Darragh Berry What a fortress the NUI Galway lads have turned Dangan into this week. Four matches played, four wins recorded. This game was a slow burner to begin with. Both teams only managed one score each after 15 minutes of play but it wasn’t from the want of trying from NUI Galway as they kicked six wides from long-range attempts. When they kicked on, however, they really put the sword to GMIT. Gerry Canavan kick-started the home side with a beautifully taken goal after 25 minutes. A nice little through ball from Enda Tierney found Canavan who twisted and turned his marker before knocking the ball in. Three consecutive points before half time, two from the boot of Kevin Finn, could only be matched by one score from GMIT, a monster one
at that from 45 yards out courtesy of Joe Donnallen. Sean Kelly was having another storm of a game for the college, as was Christian Bonner. Both seemed to have enough oxygen in the tank to play another two matches after this. Canavan re-opened NUI Galway’s account in the second half with two super scores which were equally matched by frees from Donnallen of GMIT. Kevin Finn followed in their footsteps by chalking up two scores of his own, one from play, the other from a free. The introduction of Kevin Quinn wasn’t long made when the forward knocked in NUI Galway’s second goal. A neat little ball through from Bonner was met by the substitute who buried the ball into the corner of the net with his first kick of the game. GMIT finished strong with three successive scores but the home side had the work done at that stage and ran out deserved winners.
NUI GALWAY SCORERS: Kevin Finn 0-7 (0-3f) Gerry Canavan 1-2, Kevin Quinn 1-1, Enda Tierney 0-3 (0-1f) GMIT SCORERS: Joe Donnallen 0-6, Liam Craton, David Broon and Fionan McNamara 0-1 each NUI GALWAY: Tadhg O’ Malley, Stephen Brennan, Kevin McDonnell (c), James Kennedy (Ruairi Greene, 45), Sean Kelly (Eoin Minniter, 57), Colm Kelly, Aaron O’ Connor (Charlie Tymon, 57), Seamus Moriarty, Enda Tierney, Christian Bonner, Adam Gallagher, Michael Barrett, Kevin Finn, Kevin Donovan (Damian Comer, 21), Gerry Canavan (Kevin Quinn, 45) GMIT: Conor Nolan, Jamie Oates, Andrew Farrell, Dylan McHugh, Keith Mannion, Cathal Reilly, Andy Glynn, Joe Donnallen (c), Joe Keenahan, Fionan McNamara, Eamon Brannigan, David Broon, Adrian Molloy, Jamie Coen, Liam Craton
Intermediate team claim deserved win Independent.ie HE GAA Intermediate Football League Group C NUI GALWAY 3-7 CORK IT 1-9
By Darragh Berry Following opening day wins for the Fresher ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams, the intermediate side were last but not least as they kept the winning streak alive in Dangan making it three out of three for NUI Galway. It wasn’t all plain sailing and the home side found themselves two points down within a blink of an eye. Two long-range shots from Cork IT’s Barry O’ Mahoney put the visitors in front but any lead was short lived. Gerry Canavan made light work of Cork’s defensive line and bullied his way through before squaring the ball to Kevin Quinn who opened up the hosts’ account with a goal. Two more followed, Canavan on hand to assist again, this time to Kevin Henry who tapped the ball in from close range. Henry grabbed his second and NUI Galway’s third goal in the opening 10 minutes when he finished off a superb piece of play which was initiated by half back Sean Kelly who had a monster first half performance.
Kevin Donovan could have made it four for the home outfit but his well-struck penalty was equally well saved by Cork ‘keeper Conor Madden. Canavan, who had been influential in the first period of the game, curled over two beautiful points from placed kicks off the ground to push the home side’s lead to eight. The depth in the home squad was a delight to see and the managers rotated their players at half time and throughout the second half. Christian Bonner’s first touch of the ball was to set up Quinn who fired over the first point of the second half. They were really playing with some style and confidence and it showed mid-way through the second half. Adam Lynch played a quick ball in high to Donovan who quickly flicked the ball with his fist over his marker’s head to set up Quinn who rifled over another point. Cork did snatch a goal late on through Mark Quinn but the result never looked in any doubt in the final stages. Canavan was on hand to knock over another
free from the ground, his placed kicking was a joy to watch in these windy conditions. NUI GALWAY SCORERS:
Kevin Quinn 1-3, Kevin Henry 2-0, Gerry Canavan 0-3 (0-3f), Kevin Donovan 0-1 CORK IT SCORERS: Mark Quinn 1-2, Barry O’ Mahoney 0-3, Daniel Culloty 0-2, Sean O’ Sullivan and Padraic Berhanu 0-1 each NUI GALWAY: Jack Deane, Ryan McGirr, Charlie Tymon (Ciaran O’ Neill, 27), Conor Parker, Sean Kelly (Eoin Minniter, NA), Michael Clarke, Seamus Collins, Adam Lynch (Aodan O Conaire, 52), Jack O’ Reilly, Sean Sheehan, Gerry Canavan, Kevin Henry (Christian Bonner, H/T), Kevin Quinn, Kevin Donovan, Chris Cogan (Stephen Glynn, H/T) CORK IT: Conor Madden, John Buckley, Daniel Daly, Aidan O’ Neill, Daniel Culloty, Olan Murphy, Ryan McCarthy, Sean O’ Sullivan, Martin Collins, Gearoid Buckley, Adam Buckley, Keith Hegarty, Mark Quinn, Barry O’ Mahoney, Padraic Berhanu
SPORT 31
October 25 2016
Ireland in need of imminent improvement By Mark Lynch If you had told Martin O’Neill two months ago that his Republic of Ireland team would be joint-top of their group in 2018 World Cup qualification with seven points from the opening three games, he probably would have been thrilled. However, the reality is that the games against Serbia, Georgia and Moldova have brought their own issues and complexities and have left Irish fans with little optimism ahead of the Austria game next month. It’s easy to brush over the sloppy performances, blunt attack and worrying lack of strength in depth because of the results and position in the table, but to do so would be a definite mistake. Aside from the Serbian away trip, Ireland have played Georgia at home and Moldova away, which most would consider to be two of the softest fixtures the men in green will face. This is one of the main reasons why Ireland’s position in the table must be taken with a pinch of salt. The table will be a fairer assessment after Ireland play Austria and Wales in November and March respectively. Another reason to not be too pleased about being in second
place (albeit as joint-top) is that Ireland, realistically, should be top. After playing Georgia at home and Moldova in Chisinau, Ireland’s goal difference should be the best in the group if we consider ourselves to be good enough to qualify. To luckily scrape past Moldova and to barely beat an extremely mediocre Georgia at home is not the form of potential group winners. Now, to be fair, Georgia made Austria work extremely hard for a 2-1 win and did in fact get a draw against Wales, so to dismiss them totally would be unjust. Even still, they are second bottom in the group and one would be optimistic, if not expectant, that we would pick up a nice home win against them. Similarly, Moldova’s only goal in three games was scored past Darren Randolph. Away from the numbers and the stats, there are issues on the field of play that we are all too familiar with. It’s the issue that usually takes up the majority of the discussion on RTÉ before, during and after games. It has defined the legacies of previous managers and provided many an hour of pub talk. It’s Ireland’s not-so-revolutionary style of play. As mentioned above, this
is not a new topic of debate and has obviously worked previously. Arguably Ireland’s greatest accomplishment at a major finals was achieved with these kind of tactics, reaching the quarter finals of the World Cup in 1990 under the tutelage of Jack Charlton. However, what irks most fans is that the recent games have harked back to the days of hoof-and-run. The patience of Shane Long to keep making lung-busting runs into the channels, chasing what can’t really be described as “passes”, is admirable but unsustainable. Every man, woman and child in the country knows we’re not exactly blessed with the most skillful players we’ve ever had and the oft-made argument is that Ireland simply have a better chance of winning this way. Nonetheless, O’Neill doesn’t do himself any favours in this regard with his selection. With Robbie Brady and Jeff Hendrick absent for the game against Moldova, the former Celtic boss had an opportunity to experiment and give new players a chance in midfield. Yet he went with Glenn Whelan to partner James McCarthy in the holding role. That sounds
reasonable enough, but the question is do we really need two holding midfielders against Moldova? To be fair, he did select Wes Hoolahan, who for years has been talked about as Ireland’s savior against the backward style of managers since the years of Giovanni Trapattoni at the end of the last decade. But it’s hard to see the 34-year-old staying on after this campaign and it’s nigh time we got a chance to view his successor on the international stage, be it Chris Forrester, Daryl Horgan or another. It would be too simplistic to say a bit of creative flair would cure what ails the Irish team’s struggles. That said, it would certainly help. This group is already shaping up to be extremely tight, with four teams of a relatively similar quality. Every result will matter, that’s for sure. What’s likely also is that goal difference will be a huge factor when we get to late 2017 and the campaign is coming to a close. This is where scraping a 1-0 win at home to Georgia and conceding to Moldova away is going to hurt us. It’s the reason Ireland aren’t top at the moment and it’s something that attacking ingenuity would go a long way to solving.
Can League of Ireland players really perform for the Boys in Green? By Trevor Murray So far, the general theme with current Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’ Neill has been that League of Ireland players simply don’t fit into his current plans. Of course, that’s not to say he has ignored anyone with Premier Division experience who have gone on to bigger things, as the continued involvement of Shane Long, Wes Hoolahan and Seamus Coleman attest to. However, those with LOI exposure on their resumes whom he deems worthy of inclusion in the senior set-up do not ply their trade in the Irish top flight at the time of his invite – which makes one wonder just how focused O’ Neill’s attentions are on the country’s top tier. Simply put, it has been over 30 years since a LOI player last featured for the senior team and it’s time that was rectified. O’ Neill, by and large, has done a terrific job as head honcho of the Green Army. He has been criticised far too much by the media for not playing Norwich City playmaker Hoolahan often enough and for refusing to engage in gung-ho football.
However, even though it hasn’t always proved the most attractive or proactive of approaches, the former Celtic manager has been able to stand by his philosophy quite confidently. The reason? He’s gotten the necessary results (most of the time); he led the team through a memorable Euro 2016 qualification phase where world champions Germany tasted the net-rattling venom of Shane Long and then followed that up by guiding them into the last 16 of the finals, with a heroic 1-0 win over Italy the crowning moment of their group-stage glory. Clearly, then, he deserves huge credit for the system he has cultivated. However, football has never favoured those who rest on their laurels and with so many calling for the Derry-born supremo to look to the LOI as a viable option, it could prove a costly error to continue ignoring them. This would be especially true with so many stand-out stars making an almost irrefutable case over the course of the current 2016 season. In particular, a number of Dundalk FC squad members have caused substantial
excitement about the league’s potential to produce readymade international-quality players. The Lilywhites are currently experiencing a dreamlike campaign as they chase silverware on a number of fronts, as well as having tasted UEFA Champions League and Europa League football and it is Daryl Horgan in particular, a Galway native, who has set forth the strongest claim to become a reliable Green Army performer. The tricky 24-year-old winger has been sensational for the reigning champions and his goals and assists have proven crucial in some memorable continental and domestic moments so far this season. His pace, drive and dribbling skills have drawn comparisons with former Ireland legend Damien Duff who went on to record 100 caps for the national side. Also on the public’s radar has been Cork City striker Sean Maguire. The youngster has netted double figures for the Leesiders in the league and he has also become a vital cog in the Ireland U21 team. Galway United supporters might know him best as the quick-footed
poacher who pocketed a double against them at Eamonn Deacy Park in early October, but there are hopes among the wider Irish football community that he will go on to terrorise even bigger teams than the Tribesmen. Before anyone gets carried away with dreams of rattling the back of the net in the green jersey or of pirouetting down the flank en route to steering a perfect assist into the box before wheeling away to celebrate to the tune of Put ‘Em Under Pressure, O’ Neill needs to start including these players in his squads. He needs to give them the chances to get in amongst the set-up, of getting involved with the team now because in six months to a year’s time he might need to call upon someone to get involved at a pivotal moment of their World Cup campaign and they won’t have a hungry, freshfaced performer to come in and do a job. It’s time to gamble on the guys in form now instead of waiting for them to mature into definitive world-beaters. After all, in football – the game where anything can happen – there is no such thing as a sure-fire winner.
Dunne’s departure could hurt Galway United By Trevor Murray Galway United’s 2016 season did not evolve as many expected after their whirlwind start, but the decision to show Tommy Dunne the door after three seasons in charge as manager of the club could prove quite costly in the near future. The hugely experienced Dubliner performed better than many gave him credit for this season and is sure to prove a tough act for the next supremo to follow – which begs the question: why exactly did they decide to part ways after such a fulfilling partnership together? There can be no denying that the Corribsiders were going through a very difficult period of just one win in eight games before the news of his sacking emerged, but to see a legacy wiped clean because of a recent poor run is particularly cut-throat and could be considered quite short-sighted on the part of the board. Everybody knows that we haven’t seen the best from this bunch of Tribesmen since late April, but to see such a charismatic, knowledgeable and driven figure exit before the Premier Division season had even ended has left the club in the lurch. With plenty to alter, rearrange and rectify in the off-season, it is going to be a huge challenge for the next boss to overcome. The general consensus from the fans is that Dunne deserved better treatment considering the striking milestones he has steered the club toward and beyond. Many were shocked to hear about Dunne’s departure from Eamonn Deacy Park, and rightly so, especially considering how beneficial his approach, tactics and proactive imaginings have proven ever since he jumped on board back in late 2013. After all, he masterminded their escape from the snaring First Division at the first time of asking, and although it was a scenic tour back to the top flight he made sure the players never lost sight of the path through playoffs and kept them motivated throughout. He had a warm personality, his press conferences were always a generous affair that saw Dunne just as happy to field questions from a cluster of reporters outside the changing rooms as he was to address a room packed full of local and national press. There was a commonality there that made
him approachable and he was always vocally encouraging with his players in training or during match-day. Memorably, he also led them to an EA Sports League Cup final against St Patrick’s Athletic – their first in nearly 25 years. Despite the fact they lost that match, Dunne was instrumental in corralling his troops to get the most out of them en route to that showpiece clash on the Dyke Road, even beating the much-fancied Dundalk along the way. Then, to top it all off, despite what many have tried to depict as a miserably disappointing season, Dunne was in the driving seat as United bettered their league points tally from 2015 just before the news broke of his exit, and with games to spare heading into October to finish the campaign strongly. If a lack of progress was the reason for showing the former Cork City boss the exit door, then it is surely an extremely harsh decision. Let’s not fail to mention just how lopsided this division truly is. Dundalk and Cork City are running the show, and it really is a two-party affair. Both have plenty of players currently being linked with international call-ups and can boast substantial European experience. Moreover, the Lilywhites are expected to start next season with untold riches to bolster their position as Ireland’s soccer kingpins, so it’s going to be more difficult next term for anybody else to accomplish much of note. There has been a notably slim gap for much of the season where a ballooned-out middle core of the league have constantly swapped places, see-sawing up and down from top half of the table to bottom half. Indeed, it hasn’t been uncommon for as little as four points to separate fifth from ninth. Those are fine margins for those five position, and while teams are under-performing across the board, Dunne’s track record proves he could have continued guiding United towards even better memories. If the club had persisted with him the fans may have had a great chance of seeing their side contest for Europe next season or finally clasped their hands on some cup silverware with some smart transfer activity. Now, however, we’ll never know. From Galway fans everywhere, thanks for the memories Tommy.
NUI Galway Students’ Union
Charity
CHRISTM S DAY Comhaltas na Mac Léinn OÉ Gaillimh Lá Nollag
2016 in a h m a S 7 1 n a in Déardao • 6 1 0 2 r e b m e v o Thursday 17th N
All proceeds go to the RNLI and Threshold Tabharfar an t-airgead do RNLI agus Threshold DECK THE HALLS AND JINGLE YOUR BELLS! THE BIGGEST CHARITY EVENT OF SEMESTER 1 IS UPON US!
Featuring: A Giant Snow Globe • Santa’s Grotto • Christmas Treats Santa Hats • Carols • DJs • Freebies • Cheesy Christmas Tunes Christmas Jumpers and a whole lot of tinsel from 11am in Sult. €5 Wristbands to the official after parties in Electric and Four/Four on sale from the Students’ Union Office. OVER 18’S EVENT. NUI GALWAY STUDENT ID REQUIRED. PLEASE NOTE WRISTBAND DOES NOT GUARANTEE ENTRY TO SULT. WRISTBAND ENTRY TO ELECTRIC & FOUR/FOUR 10PM-11PM ONLY.
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