Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
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Winner: Best Newspaper at the National Student Media Awards 2019
Student Independent News Nuachtán saor in aisce · Vol. 23 Issue 06 · 30 Nov. 2021
Protestors put a creative spin on placards as students chant ‘f*ck the fees’
Niamh McGrath, NUI Galway SU Disability Rights Officer attended the protest alongside student Lottie Wilkins
Students say ‘F*ck the Fees’ in new Cost of College Campaign • Hundreds of students protest against the cost of fees and accommodation in three regional protests • NUI Galway slammed for repeat exam fees at Galway Protest
By Valerie McHugh
Editor
The third of three regional student protests campaigning against the cost of higher education took place last Wednesday in Galway. The Cost of College campaign, directed by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), aims to lobby the government for change in the cost of college fees for students in Ireland.
The campaign encompasses both the ‘F*ck the Fees’ and the ‘No Keys No Degrees’ campaigns that the USI are leading, with students in the Republic of Ireland paying the highest college fees in the EU. Students in Ireland are also subject to accommodation and renting costs of up to and exceeding €1,000. Beth O’Reilly, the Vice President for Campaigns in the USI, told Flirt Newsfeed and SIN that “We started the Cost of College Campaign because all year we have seen so many stories of student poverty, people struggling to pay rent, and ultimately what this comes back to is that our higher education system is pricing people out of education.
“Nobody should be priced out of education. It should be a right, and not a privilege. We started this campaign and we are holding these protests to show the government that the student demand for publicly funded education is there and that they need to make a decision on that sooner rather than later.” Three regional protests were arranged in Cork, Dublin and Galway last week as opposed to having one larger protest in Dublin to acknowledge the concerns that people would have around travelling and gathering in large groups during the pandemic. This decision was also taken CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
News · Nuacht
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Editorial By Valerie McHugh
Editor
Welcome to issue 6 of SIN everybody! I cannot believe this is our last issue for 2021. It simultaneously feels like five minutes but also five decades ago since issue 1 launched and I started this job. This issue, like all of the rest, is full of exciting things for you to cast a glance at, including some information about the USI’s #f*ckthefees protest on our cover page and some news about Cope Galway’s Annual Christmas Swim in our News section. Features is jam packed this issue, but I couldn’t let the moment pass without sending a very special thank you to Saoirse for sharing her Erasmus journey in Stockholm with us over the past couple of months. I am gutted that once she returns to Galway in a few weeks we won’t have her headlining this column, but we cannot wait to have her back on local soil for the commencement of SIN in 2022. In our Opinion section, Kevin Markey’s piece on Metaverse is certainly worth the read and Isabel Filby has graciously blessed us with some of her favourite Christmas recipes from Germany in Health and Lifestyle that will leave you craving Christmas. We have a brand new comic strip section in our Arts and Fashion section and all of the comics are just amazing; you should definitely take a look. Finally Darren has a review on the 2021 sport’s season in Sports this time around and Caitlin has a bank of Christmas lingo as gaeilge for you to draw from over the month of December. As usual, if you would like to join our team email me on editor.sin@gmail.com and I will give you all of the information you’ll need to get involved. Before I sign off, a very special word of thanks and appreciation to all of SIN’s sub-editors and top contributors who have worked so hard this semester to produce a fantastic collection of SIN newspapers. This semester has remained mostly online for us as a team which has naturally posed challenges, but we cannot wait to get started in 2022 again. Thanks to Shannon Reeves who designs and puts the paper together every issue and for being so phenomenally fantastic. We could not do any of this without him. And to all of you who read and react to SIN, thank YOU! We hope you enjoy the final issue of 2021, and we will see you in the new year. Stay safe everyone!
@NuigSin @sin_news Student I ndependent News, NUI Galway
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
SU Says…
I’m dreaming of a green Christmas By Faye Ní Dhomhnaill
Convenor of the College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies In the lead up to Christmas, it’s easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamour of it all. I myself am guilty of wandering through the Christmas market the day my wages hit my bank account, wondering what bits and pieces I should bring home with me. However, we should take a moment to reflect, and realise the harmful effect our overwhelming shopping habits are having on our environment. This Christmas, we should all make a collective effort to be more sustainable, especially as we are leaving lockdown and industry is booming again. One change I am making this year for Christmas is that I am not buying any tangible presents. Instead of this, my nearest and dearest and I are all gifting each other experiences, tickets to shows and vouchers for dinner. This way, we’re not buying each other clutter that will contribute to the massive waste Christmas generates each year. For context, over 90,000 tonnes of waste is generated
in Ireland from packaging alo ne e ac h C h r i stmas. Sustainability is one of CMLOEG’s core values, and as such, we want to try inspire others to aim for a sustainable Christmas. For example, why not shop from local Irish businesses instead of outsourcing all of your gifts this year? @ lovegreen.ie on Instagram compiled a list of 380 small Irish businesses to shop from this year. Why not check them out, and maybe find some inspiration for presents! As well as this, why not ditch the wrapping this year? Sure it adds to the beauty of the holiday, but what the point if it’s just going to end up in the bin on Christmas morning? My favourite way of wrapping presents is to give them in reusable shopping bags, so that it’s the gift that keeps giving. Truly, there are so many way we can strive for sustainability this Christmas, why not give it a try yourself? Be sure to check out NUIG Sustainability for more tips this festive season!
An bhfuil rud é igin le rá agat? Cur litir chuig an Eagarthóir. Editor: Valerie McHugh editor.sin@gmail.com
Find us online: www.sin.ie
News · Nuacht
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
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INSIDE this issue... News
COPE Galway launch their annual Christmas Swim 7
No longer in the “shadow of NUI Galway” — A Traveller’s journey into academia 9
University staff and students encouraged to ‘Speak Out’ University staff recall World War II family stories NUI Galway crowned University of the Year 2022 NUI Galway publish ground-breaking report on alternative education routes
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Features Clare mum creates swimming community to promote mental health awareness Why pets are the best The History of ‘Black Friday’ Life in Limbo Student Diaries
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Opinion Metaverse: Everyone comes around eventually Raised Digitally – A reflection on my relationship with social media Violence in cinema, and has it gone too far?
Review: The Galway Christmas Market 19
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16 17 18
Arts & Fashion Writers’ Society Competition winners 10 items you can do without this Christmas All I want for Christmas is a new playlist
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Health & Lifestyle Be on the Nice List for Christmas 2021 Travel guide for this Christmas Mental Health Spot: Reality of gaslighting Study tips for this December
Christmas spirit on Netflix!
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28 29 30 31
Cainte Foclór Nollag
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Sport NUIG Mystics stroll to fourth victory in five games 34 This Irish team has its bite back after Euro Qualifiers 36 2021 sports year in review 37
German Christmas recipes
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Agallamh Quickfire le Clíodhna Ní Dhufaigh 32
GAA need compensation from AFL for players 34
A huge thanks to our team!
Enya Tierney Arts & Fashion Editor
Valerie McHugh Editor
Ewelina Szybinska Health & Lifestyle Editor
Darragh Nolan Deputy Editor, News Co-editor
Caitlin Murphy Cainte Editor (Irish)
Caoimhe Killeen News Co-editor
Darren Casserly Sports Editor
Anastasia Burton Features Editor
Katie Barragry Online Editor
David Cendon Garcia Opinion Editor
Aine Fogarty Online Editor
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‘F*ck the Fees’ CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE in recognition of the cost of travelling to Dublin for the protests for other students around the country. Beth O’Reilly says that it was “great to travel to other locations” for this protest and will hopefully allow the message to resonate and engage with more students along the way. Speaking at the Galway protest, Faye Ní Dhomhnaill Convenor of The College of Arts Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, said “Students are the future of this
“Shame on NUIG.” Faye Ní Dhomhnaill, Convenor of The College of Arts Social Sciences & Celtic Studies at NUI Galway speaking at the Galway Protest country and that future is being ripped away from us. We all deserve a future. “This government does not care about working class students, student nurses and international students. This government needs to start investing in our future. This government needs to start caring more about students and less about landlords.” Addressing NUI Galway specifically, Faye Ní Dhomhnaill said “At the height of the pandemic when students are suffering both mentally and financially, when students beg the university to show some compassion, NUIG was the only university in this country to charge repeat fees of €300. Shame on them. Shame on NUIG.” Students chanted “F*ck the fees” and “Darragh, Darragh, off your fence, students can’t afford their rent,” referencing Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien, as they walked the streets of Galway city. The campaign has been recognised for this provocative language over the last couple of weeks, and Beth O’Reilly said that the reason that this language is being used is because “that is how students talk.” She concluded that, “There is no point in us doing a campaign that is wordier and is more aimed at the government. We want to empower the students to aim their voices at the government and really reflect the anger that everyone is feeling.”
News · Nuacht
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
University staff and students encouraged to ‘Speak Out’ By Caroline Giles NUI Galway joined a nationwide initiative on Friday 5 November by launching its online platform ‘Speak Out’ for staff and students to anonymously report instances of bullying, harassment and violence. Developed for Ireland’s higher education institutions and led by the Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education Ireland (PCHEI), the platform will allow for increased recording and monitoring of incidents which will then be used to develop prevention and support. Speaking at the launch, President of NUI Galway Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said that the university was delighted to support the initiative which is consistent with the college’s own value of respect. “We are a respectful, open community, committed to welcoming and sustaining, in excellence, all the talents. All members of the University community have the right to study or work in an environment free from bullying, harassment and sexual harassment. “‘Speak Out’ empowers our community in reporting such incidents. I encourage them to do so and to confront those elements of society that are unwelcome and unwelcoming and therefore in need of change,” he said. The ground-breaking project comes as a result of cross-institutional collaboration in response to such incidences within higher education institutions. Data collected through ‘Speak Out’ will be used to inform policy and to provide users with support services relevant to their experience. NUI Galway Students’ Union Vice
President for Welfare and Equality Cora Clarke said that the ‘Speak Out tool’ is the result of hard work by many people and its development is a great success. When asked if there are any measures in place to combat people abusing the anonymous platform Ms Clarke said that she does not anticipate that it will be abused. “As far as I am aware there are no measures to prevent this as any sort of process that would require a victim to authenticate the incident they are reporting could discourage victims from using the tool which is definitely not the desired effect,” she said. Gemma MacNally from the NUI Galway student counselling service said they are proud to launch the tool for students and staff of the university. “It is an important part of our institutional action plan to ensure that sexual violence and harassment become more visible and openly discussed. The ‘Speak Out’ tool provides a new option for people to have their voices heard. “We will continue to work on other parts of the action plan, such as education and training on positive behaviours, supports, and the mutual respect that must underpin the NUI Galway experience,” Ms MacNally finished. ‘Speak Out’ was introduced in part following the 2020 Sexual Experiences Survey which was led by the NUI Galway Active Consent team and the Union of Students (USI). It found that new options were needed to support people in disclosing something that had happened to them. The Speak Out tool is available at https://nuig.speakout.ie/. https://nuig.speakout.ie/
Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, NUI Galway President, and Róisín Nic Lochlainn, NUI Galway Students’ Union President today launched the Speak Out online tool at NUI Galway. Photo: Mike Shaughnessy.
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Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
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University staff recall World War II family stories By Darragh Nolan
News Co-editor
Two NUI Galway-based historians have put together a collection of family stories of World War II told by staff at the university. Dr Róisín Healy and Dr Gearóid Barry have compiled and co-edited Family Histories of World War II: Survivors and Descendants, which focuses on how the conflict impacted those that lived through it and the generations that have come after them. The book includes 13 unique stories ranging from an Irishman who flew in the Royal Air Force and fell into captivity in Yugoslavia to a Spanish communist in the French Resistance and the tale of two Jewish girls in the middle of the Siege of Leningrad. Dr Healy, who specialises in modern German history, said the idea for the book stemmed from her time hearing war stories while based in the country. “After many years as a researcher in Germany, I got to know many Germans and had the privilege of hearing their families’ experiences of World War II.” “It struck me that many others, including people living in Ireland, have war stories of their own. My hunch was that an approach to colleagues at NUI Galway, which now has a very international staff, would yield many such stories. I was bowled over by the response,” she added. A recent surge in interest in family histories is outlined by Dr Healy and Dr Barry in the book’s introduction and stresses the value this has had in uncovering ordinary people’s experiences of the war. The book sheds light on the long-term effects the lived experience of World War II has had on future generations and the people who have retold those stories. “The variety is notable,” said Dr Barry, a specialist on modern France. “The story of a grandfather who served the Nazis became a burden that divided one family while the story of a father who survived Nazi captivity became a lesson in resilience for a daughter with personal difficulties.” Family Histories of World War II also zones in on the different ways in which these remarkable war stories came to light within each family. “In some cases, memories of the war were popular topics of post-war conversations, as in one Greek village active in the resistance. In other cases, memories emerged only decades later, often prompted by the curiosity of younger family members,” Dr Healy finished. Family Histories of World War II: Survivors and Descendants is published by Bloomsbury Academic and is available to purchase now. Further information on the book is available via bloomsbury.com bloomsbury.com.
Cecil McCall and Patricia Fox, wedding day, Guildford, England, September 1945. (Courtesy of Gill and Sheena Fennell).
With 4 months to work and travel in the USA
Work card of Basil Marczuk, 1943. (Courtesy of Sylvie Mossay and family).
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News · Nuacht
NUI Galway to host USI’S Pink Training
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
The Quadrangle at NUI Galway. Photo: Prof. Chaosheng Zhang.
By Caoimhe Killeen NUI Galway has been confirmed as the location for this year’s Pink Training which is run by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI.) Pink Training is a yearly residential training course that focuses on LGBT+ issues such as activism, mental health, campaigns, leadership, and diversity in the LGBT+ community. The course signs up about 300 delegates each year, and it is known as the largest LGBT+ Conference in Europe. This year’s edition runs from the 3rd to the 5th of December. “We are so excited to be hosting Pink Training for the USI this year” states NUI Galway’s Student Union Vice President for Welfare and Equality Cora Clarke. “As an event that promotes inclusivity as well as providing a huge amount of fun, it is an honour to be hosting it here and we are really looking forward to it.” NUI Galway have hosted the event on their campus in the past, in 2019 and 2018. The event was held online last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. John Fortune, the USI’S President for the Southern Region is one of the lead organisers of this year’s Pink Training. NUI Galway’s Brod Society (Brod Soc) have also welcomed the news of Pink Training arriving at NUI Galway, while acknowledging the timing of the event is slightly later than usual. The event is normally held in the last week of November. “It’s on a week later this year and a bit closer to exams. But due to the delay of Covid guidelines being eased up, it was inevitable” states Alex Keane, Auditor of NUI Galway’s Brod Soc. Speaking on his committee’s behalf, Keane also stated that colleges from all over Ireland will be attending the event. “And while it’s not ideal timing for NUI Galway students, it’ll no doubt be a great weekend and perhaps even a welcome break to clear our heads between study week and the beginning of exams” finished Keane.
NUI Galway crowned University of the Year 2022 By Darragh Nolan
commitment is being realised, and is recognised in this award,” he concluded. NUI Galway was named University of the The Sunday Times pointed to three Year for 2022 in the latest edition of The exemplary aspects of NUI Galway’s Covid Sunday Times Good University Guide. response in particular. It is the fourth time the university Honorary Senior lecturer Dr Bairbre has claimed the prestigious award in McNicholas was at the forefront of 20 years. research into awake prone positioning The Sunday Times highlighted NUI which involves treating Covid patients Galway’s research response to Covid-19 in ICU while they are lying on their front. including a commitment to supporting The IBM-CISCO FamilyLink project, people through the emotional and phys- led by Dr Aoife Murray and Irial Conroy, ical impacts of the pandemic as well as helped ICU patients stay in touch with its role in preparing the world for future friends and family via video call while pandemics. tight restrictions on visitors were in The university also received praise place in hospitals. for its community-focused ethos and The European Union’s Pandem II prostandout support of culture and the arts. ject aimed at learning from Covid-19 to “We are being recognised as Univer- plan and prepare for future pandemics sity of the Year after a year which was is led by Professor Máire Connolly of the particularly challenging for us all. The School of Medicine. elements that distinguished NUI Galway The President also extended congrathave a humanity, a kindness, our people ulations to GMIT as it marked a clean at their core,” said NUI Galway President sweep for the west of Ireland in being Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh. named Institute of Technology of the “Our success reflects our strategy, Year. launched just before Covid, where we “Congratulations to everyone at GMIT committed ourselves to the public good, and particularly to Dr Orla Flynn, Presreflecting the sense at NUI Galway of ident of GMIT. It is a tremendous boost being in and for our community, the for our region to see such a strong, commitment to our place by looking ambitious and competitive third level beyond our place with curiosity and education ecosystem and it is equally ambition. a great boost as GMIT embarks on its “I am delighted for and grateful to all new journey to Technological University our students and our colleagues that this status,” he said.
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Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
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NUI Galway publish ground-breaking report on alternative education routes By Caoimhe Killeen
News Co-editor
A NUI Galway report has documented that the average progression rates of students in seven alternative education programmes amounted to 80% between January 2018 to July 2020, and more than 90% in some projects. This is the first such report on Ireland’s alternative educational provisions. It’s been published amidst a three-year delay of the publication of a formal review of alternative educational routes by the Department of Education. Dr Cormac Forkan from the UNCESCO Child and Family Research Centre in NUI Galway carried out the three-year academic evaluation of the Education Fund. The report focused on seven projects that were awarded funding under Rethink Ireland’s Education Fund, and the extent to which the practices used by these projects could serve as robust models in overcoming educational inequality. Six projects were based in Dublin such as Trinity Access 21 and Citywise Fast Track Academy, with the seventh being the Cork Life Centre. The average progression rates showed that in most cases, people in these projects had significant success in progressing
their education and is comparable with 3 to 6 of the QQI framework of qualifithe completion rates of those within the cations and achieving ‘hard outcomes” mainstream system. stated Dr Forkan. Martina von Richter, Impact and Oper“However, our data and subsequent model ations Director of Rethink Ireland has shows that it is also about their personal stated that the organisation is delighted transformation and development of their with the results of the evaluation. ‘soft outcomes’, like increased independ“The work of the Education Fund awar- ence (maturity), increased self-confidence, dees is outstanding, and we now have and a more positive outlook. proof that their alternative models of “Our new evidence-based model… education work and have a far reaching recognises that awardee projects provide and sustainable positive impact on their critical and enabling actions for their parlearners” stated von Richter. ticipants in both of these domain areas “Every young person should be sup- and ultimately address better wellbeing ported to reach their full potential…the for participants.” finished Dr Forkan. alternative education sector in Ireland The report also contained recommenneeds to be recognised and supported by dations for policy to tackle educational the government and integrated into the disadvantage. mainstream education sector so that all These recommendations stated a forlearners have the opportunity to benefit mal recognition of alternative educational from them. routes needed to be made by the Depart“Young people don’t come in one size ment of Education and funded the same fits all, and neither should their education.” as the mainstream system. finished von Richter. They also included using the findings For the €7 million invested in the pro- on what worked from the study to develop jects over the three years, the total Social a cross departmental strategy focused on Return on Investment value generated tackling the social and economic inequalifor project beneficiaries was just over €68 ties facing young people and their families million. in order to reduce educational disadvantage, Dr Forkan stated the report allowed a forum for mainstream and alternative his team to look at how the projects sup- educators to share their experiences and a ported their learners. showcase for the chosen projects to share “We found that progression is of course their learning processes with mainstream about participants moving along Levels education and a wider society.
COPE Galway launch their annual Christmas Swim By Laura Quinn COPE Galway have launched their annual Christmas Swim. The organization is calling on swimmers near and far to register online and this year’s swim is a hybrid event taking place during Christmas week from 20–26 December.
Photo courtesy of Cope Galway
It also includes a “live event” on Christmas morning from 9 am to 1 pm. “Last year, Galwegians at home and abroad adapted to Covid restrictions and swam at their own location to raise funds for our services, resulting in a really engaging virtual event” says Lynia O’Brien, Event Organiser. “This year, whether you brave the cold with colleagues, friends or family, whether you join us on Christmas Day or do it your way during the week, anywhere in the world, you can make a huge impact in Galway this Christmas” added O’Brien. The 2021 event will have extra safety measures, including the introduction of time slots. The new swim website and registration portal gives options to register as an individual, family or a group. It allows you to set up a group and invite friends and family to join your team. For over three decades, the event has gone from strength to strength, bringing thousands of families and friends to
Salthill every year as well as raising vital funds for people who need it through the services that COPE Galway provide. Lynia continues, “When I think back to the brave, passionate group of COPE Galway staff who took the plunge into icy waters 32 years ago, I am sure they never guessed that they would inspire one of Galway’s most cherished Christmas traditions.” COPE Galway is an organization that supports people across Galway city and county at a most vulnerable time in their lives. They focus on families and individuals faced with the realities of homelessness, women and children experiencing domestic abuse and older people who may be isolated and in need of nutritional support. The funds raised from the Christmas Swim will help to support these people who benefit from COPE Galway’s Homeless, Domestic Abuse and Older People services throughout the year. To register and for further information please visit copegalway.ie/swim
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Features · Gné-altanna
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Clare mum creates swimming community to promote mental health awareness By Melissa Anderson June Curtin, 49, a mum of two from Spanish Point, Co. Clare swims 365 days a year and she says that it never ceases to amaze her how good it makes her feel. Being in the sea allows June to forget her worries for a while and focus on the present as “you can’t think of anything, only the waves that are coming at you in that very moment.” Swimming changed June’s life as she found it at a time when she most needed it. June tragically lost her husband to suicide in 2013 and says she was “struggling a bit with stress and anxiety and the pressures of home life. We were all struggling with the aftermath of my husband’s death, and I had tried all kinds of things like going to the gym and yoga, mindfulness. I had tried loads of different things, but nothing seemed to work for me.” Having given up her job in the Armada Hotel, her family business, to focus on her children, June knew she needed to prioritise self-care. She says that “they always say you can’t serve from an empty vessel, so I decided then that I would start looking after myself because if I wasn’t then I couldn’t look after my children.” She had exhausted all potential forms of self-care before deciding to try going for a swim one morning. She says that she lived beside the sea her entire life but “never got into the water,” but when she did, she says she felt “like the weight of the world lifted from my shoulders.” June Curtin, founder of Snámhai Sásta, pictured at one of her early morning dips
June was keen to share this amazing feeling the show that she loves country music and with others. The day after her first swim, she in particular, Declan Nerney. ‘Nationwide’ got posted an open invitation on Facebook so that in touch with Declan and he arrived down to locals would feel free to join her. She says that Spanish Point for the taping of the show and she knew, if she didn’t, she probably wouldn’t “from there, the singing in the water took off,” commit to going on her own every day. The says June. next day a local woman joined her, and every June is currently fundraising for the Simon day after that, more and more people came Community. She has set herself the same tarto swim with them. get as last year – to complete 63 swims in 21 From there, Snámhaí Sásta was born. June days between the 1 and the 21 December. Last created Snámhaí Sásta in 2019 – a community year, she managed to raise €15,000, this year that swims, laughs, and drinks tea together on she hopes to raise €50,000. The Snámhaí Sásthe beach every morning. They are a support ta’s also recorded a cover of Tommy Fleming’s to one another on good days and bad, and ‘Don’t Give Up Till It’s Over’ for the cause and “there isn’t a day without laughter in the group,” CD sales will go directly to the charity. June according to June. says that she thought “it was very appropriate She decided to set up an Instagram page for anybody going through a hard time.” to promote the benefits of sea swimming and The Snámhaí Sásta Instagram page receives mental health awareness. And the numbers hundreds of messages every day, often from continued to grow. June says that “all of a sud- people going through difficult times and den there were people travelling on a Sunday looking for words of encouragement or advice. morning. We started having a country music June’s day starts at five o’clock in the morning disco on the beach and doing breakfast on the when she dedicates two hours to replying to beach and hundreds of people would arrive the messages. She offers prayers and lights from the four corners of Ireland.” candles for those that need it most. “I enjoy it The pandemic has had a significant effect really and I’m doing something I like which is on the groups popularity. June says that during great. And it means that I can be at home for the pandemic, “sea swimming became very my children which is very important,” she says. popular because people were really struggling Next year June hopes to get around the and they needed something for themselves country to spread her message of positivity and something for their mental health.” and mental health awareness. She says that One of the things that makes Snámhaí she would like to build up her self-confidence Sásta stand out is their uplifting singsongs in in order to “do more talks about mental health the sea. June says that the singing started after awareness and talks to young people, telling ‘Nationwide’ did a story on Snámhaí Sásta in them that it’s okay not to be okay and the early 2020. June informed the researcher of bravest thing you’ll ever do is ask for help.”
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Features · Gné-altanna
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No longer in the “shadow of NUI Galway” — A Traveller’s journey into academia By David Cendon Garcia
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Owen Patrick Ward is a busy man these days. On top of being NUI Galway’s first Traveller Education Officer, Owen works with the Access Centre to ensure that no child from any minority group misses out on the opportunity to be educated, striving to give back to his community and holding the ladder out for others. Life is very different for Owen than it was for his parents who were both born and raised in bowtop wagons and tents. “My father’s family moved to the city 50 years ago this year,” he says. “They lived in the shadow of NUI Galway, behind the hospital on the side of the road in a tent.” Owen is a member of the Irish Travelling community, and while Travellers accessing further education arguably shouldn’t be news-worthy, it still finds its’ way into shocking headlines. Only 20% of Travellers complete secondary school, and if you continue on to higher education, that number drops to 1%. “It’s very difficult to expect a Traveller child who was living on a halting site, or living on the side of the road, with no access to Wi-Fi or electricity, to have the same educational outcome as a settled person in a four-bedroom house, in a private accommodation,” Owen says. It was President Michael D Higgins, a Galway West TD at the time, whose support of the Traveller community helped Owen’s family secure new accommoda-
My father’s family moved to the city 50 years ago this year. They lived in the shadow of NUI Galway, behind the hospital on the side of the road in a tent.” tion and began his journey to NUI Galway. There wasn’t as much educational access for Travellers, so by the time Owen was in secondary school, all eight of his siblings had moved on. Despite being “academically strong, the support wasn’t there,” he says. “Now I know that you need peer-support and the support from the school and parents. That relationship is very important. And that was very weak for me. So eventually leading up to my Junior Certification, I dropped out, and I became an early school-leaver.” It was not until he was 23 that Owen decided to continue his education and applied
Photo courtesy of Owen Ward and family.
to the Access Programme at NUI Galway. Despite being, on paper, “a really bad candidate to go to university,” Owen was accepted. Owen, who says that he is “acutely aware of my privilege as a member of the Travelling community”, graduated with a B.A. (2014) and M.A. (2020) in Post Primary education, all the while working part-time jobs. “That’s what makes me very passionate about making sure that I have the full picture of every student that I support,” Owen says. He now works for the Access Centre as a Programme Coordinator since 2018, providing opportunities for underrepresented students in what is the largest catchment area of Irish Travellers within Ireland. He is also Galway’s only representative on the Anti-Racism Committee for Ireland. “The stats will tell you, the research is there, they will tell you that racism and discrimination is ingrained within the Traveller’s daily existence and experience.” Such research found that 63% of Travellers in Galway said that they had experienced some form of racism and discrimination. A responsibility he extends to his work as the Traveller Education Officer, where he identifies “members of the Travelling community in post primary school, or in further education that need extra support and guidance to progress into higher education.” Owen’s path into education was troubled by the same issues still affecting Irish Travellers today, including a lack of access to resources, education, and employment.
All of these are barriers that restrict their ability to engage with society and contribute to the Traveller accommodation crisis here in Galway, where 265 Traveller families were assessed as needing housing in 2019. According to the Galway Traveller Movement, during the COVID-19 pandemic, 83% of Travellers were unemployed and approximately 50% of the homeless in Galway were Travellers. Yet, Owen admits that there is still a long path ahead to engage Travellers with education. “Education is a relatively new word to the Travelling community. I was a pioneer in a way,” Owen says. Adding that “I would never, ever give up my Traveller identity for academic achievements. And I’m not the only one,” he says. “I’ll just trust my journey.” A journey that has taken him far from the shadow of the university. Today, Owen is a vital link between the Galway Traveller Community and the university system. He explains it is all about coordinating a “space within the university where Traveller history and culture is embedded and trying to create an environment where Travellers can cultivate a sense of belonging”. “The Traveller community only started to engage with education in the 1960s. So, we’re late, and if you look at our educational outcomes, we have a lot of barriers in front of us.”
Features · Gné-altanna
10
Why pets are the best
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Alice’s dog Cotton. Photo courtesy of Alice O’Donnell
By Alice O’Donnell I’ve had a mix of pets over the years. When I was younger, my parents were guide-dog trainers, so there always seemed to be a golden energy-ball of various puppy-sizes causing havoc in the house. We’ve always had our own dogs too, currently a dainty Labrador Retriever whose brother we trained to be a guide-dog, and my Granny’s ancient, doddery but loveable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Before passing last Christmas, my wonderfully obese rescue cat called Pixie was a constant throughout my childhood, my own purring-electric blanket who could always be found draped across my bed for the last fifteen years. We’ve also had stick-insects (gross) and chickens (moderately less gross), and I honestly can’t imagine our house without some pet wagging their tails and bucking loudly. So below are my reasons why pets are simply the best.
Companionship
There’s a quote by an unknown writer which goes “It’s no coincidence that man’s best friend cannot talk.” While I often imagine how wonderful it would be to be able to understand my pet’s thoughts, I can appreciate the meaning of this quote also. There is something so freeing about having a living companion who won’t ask anything of you beyond affection. Although I obviously love my friends more than anything, there’s something so wonderful about being able to cuddle my cat, and to expect nothing more. No conversations or questions. Just cuddles. And, of course, purring.
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Granted, the chickens, cat and stick insects were rather lacking in terms for protection, but the dogs made up for it. When I’m home alone, I always feel so much safer with a dog or two snoring loudly around me than if I were completely by myself. I also feel a lot more comfortable going for walks at dusk with a big dog who has a deep bark than if I was just going by myself. Even though both of my dogs are beyond friendly, it’s relaxing to know that they would bark if they sensed something was amiss. It’s like having a personal house alarm that drools and nudges your elbow with a wet nose if it’s not getting enough attention. How bad?
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Honestly, I don’t think I would’ve left my house at all over lockdown were it not for our family dogs! Having someone depend on you to take them out and about really motivated me to get some exercise in, especially when I got to see how happy they were to be taken for a walk. I have a frisbee at home, so whenever I’d take my Labrador Retriever for a walk on the beach, I’d bring my frisbee along too, and there was nothing she loved more than racing across the sand to bring the frisbee back to me. Without the two dogs, I wouldn’t have really had an impetus to regularly go out for walks beyond my own fitness drive (which, spoiler, during lockdown was basically non-existent). Although when I was all settled on the couch, there was nothing less I wanted to do than to go for a walk, to be able to share the outdoors with my dogs was really a highlight of lockdown.
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Alice’s cat Pixie. Photo courtesy of Alice O’Donnell
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Features · Gné-altanna
11
The History of ‘Black Friday’ By Charlotte Lavin Last Friday, November 26th, independent retailers once again found themselves competing with big online shopping websites, in the biggest sale of the year: the famous Black Friday sale. Black Friday got its name from the Friday in 1869 when gold prices plummeted, causing a market crash. Some 50 or 60 years later, depending on the stories, a policeman from Philadelphia, US, is said to have called the big day of spending furry following Thanksgiving ‘Black Friday’ because he dreaded that day and the crowds that came with it. Another story about
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My message remains the same as it has always been: buy less, not more. But if you have to buy, take a look at what independent retailers offer, before buying from Internet giants.
the origins of the name is the black ink that flooded retailers receipts, marking the profits they had made: the adjective ‘black’ comes from when records of sales had to be kept by hand, with profits in black and losses in red. Or at least that is what Google says. Black Friday sales were first advertised in 1924 by Macy’s during the Thanksgiving Day Parade as “post-Thanksgiving shopping”. Whether you do or don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, Black Friday has travelled across borders and is well and truly implemented in Europe and the United Kingdom. Those are the stories anyway, not that I’ve asked myself that question before today. I just always knew I was not a massive fan of that day, to say the least. When I asked her what Black Friday represented for her, my flatmate, a 25 years old social worker, said it was a “marketing strategy that encourages over-consumption by offering so-called low prices,” adding the prices are “in reality not that low compared to the average price of the item.” Despite this, I understand that some people rely on Black Friday sales to make purchases they could not afford otherwise. Sarah, 29, marketing assistant for an AI company, tells me she takes advantage of Black Friday to buy her family Christmas Gifts: “There are better deals than usual everywhere, so I can buy what I want for less. I always prefer waiting a bit longer, until Black Friday, to buy what I want so I can get the products for a cheaper price.” Sarah usually looks for the products she wants online before Black Friday, to make sure she finds the better deals. While I cannot disagree with her arguments there, my family’s thinking has always been different than what seems to have become ‘the norm’ of the past decades: if it’s broken, fix it. If it’s still wearable, wear it. I have been made aware very early on of the negative environmental impacts of Black Friday, and of the sheer idiocy of buying for the sake of buying, which is what a lot of people seem to do. Black Friday pushes overproduction and overconsumption, in a world that cannot afford them anymore. The Black Friday’s buying craze would sit slightly better with me if independent retailers were not overpowered by giants such as Amazon and its owner Jeff Bezos. Independent retailers have been badly impacted by the Covid-19 crisis and endless lockdowns. While supporting a small, independent,
preferentially eco-friendly brand is still better than supporting a big corporation, this year a lot of those retailers have decided to close on the 26th. A strong message, in the lines of the Buy Nothing Day, an initiative launched in Canada in 1992 in an act of protest against Black Friday. Other brands are choosing to donate profits made on that day to charities. My mes sage remains the same as it has always been: buy less, not more. But if you have to buy, take a look at what independe nt reta i le r s o f fe r, b e fo re bu y i n g f ro m Internet giants.
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r Registye! toda
Features · Gné-altanna
12
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Life in Limbo — Student Diary By Anastasia Burton
Features Editor
So, recent news of the new restrictions are making me a little anxious. It seems that the minute we feel comfortable again and get a taste of normality it is slowly taken from us. I am really worried about my upcoming trips to Portugal and America; what if they get cancelled? This year has brought a lot of change into my life and I’m finding it hard to accept that it’s almost over. I don’t know if anyone else was struggling with their bodies this year, but I took self-hatred a little too far. The whole “Hot Girl Summer” and “What I Eat In A Day” trends were very damaging especially to someone struggling with body confidence and body dysmorphia. In 2020, I had a very difficult journey with birth control. This may be too personal for some but I feel the information is the key to education. In March of 2020, I had decided to get an implant which was the safest long term
SIN Says by Katie Barragry Hi SIN Says, I am really struggling with time management and getting my college work done in the lead up to exams. I am feeling very overwhelmed and stressed. Do you have any study tips you could offer? Kind regards, Anonymous Hi there, To begin, I would just like to reassure you that you are not the only one feeling this way. While we may be looking forward to the lead up to Christmas, December is a challenging month for students with the looming fear of exams and countless assignments to be submitted. The college year flies by so quickly and it is only natural that you are feeling a bit overwhelmed as the semester draws to a close. I have compiled a list of tips below that might help you manage your time and study effectively in the lead up to exams. Make a to-do list: A list is a great way of ranking your priorities. Having a physical list set out in front of you as you work through tasks can be an effective tool in getting organised and planning how you are going to use your time. I tend to group the tasks at hand into groups of urgency and try to complete the most important first.
contraception I could think of. This would worsened. In the three months I was on the prove to be one of the dumbest decisions I’ve depo I gained 4.5 kilos. I removed my implant made which I blame on the misinformation in January and got another shot as at that of my upbringing. My parent would never point I thought the bar was the problem. In speak with me about safe sex and we never the next three months, I gained another 4.5 had the ‘birds and the bees’ talk. It was a for- kilos. I stopped all forms of contraception in bidden topic. I first heard about periods from February and began to hate my body, which a school lecture. I had a horrible reaction to is about when everyone started posting the the implant but I could not convince my doc- “Hot Girl Summer Prep” videos. tor to remove it and they kept telling me that in six months everything will stabilize, and ow almost a year later I still struggling the fact that I was menstruating every single with my body image, I work out and I day of the month every month and gaining a am not on stable contraception which lot of weight was not important and labelled I got recommended by a gynaecologist spe“normal”. They tried to help me two ways, first cialist after a check-up and blood test. One I was just on the pill to try and stabilise the piece of advice I can give you is to be kinder spotting. It only made things worse, I was to yourself, and speak to a specialist about in constant pain and constantly bloated. I decisions such as contraception. If your famstopped taking them and this is when the ily is like mine and the topic of sex is taboo, worst thing happened. I got the depo shot on do research about local gynaecologists who top of my contraception bar. The injection is could help you. Fingers crossed that there meant to cover you for three months, which won’t be further restrictions so I can tell you it did, the spotting stopped but the bloating all about my trips in my next diary!
N
Organise your study space: The phrase ‘tidy space, tidy mind’ applies to many people when trying to study so I would recommend keeping your study space and materials organised and accessible. Turn off your phone: This is such a simple but effective method in managing your time. During exam season you do not need the constant distraction of messages, updates and aimless scrolling on social media. You can set a time limit for each app on your phone which can be a gentle reminder to put it down and get work done. Take regular breaks: Breaks are key when studying as they give you an opportunity to recharge, relax and start again. Ensure that you designate a time slot for your lunch break every day and take some time away from your desk. Exam questions: Practicing past exam questions is an effective way to prepare for an exam as you know the structure of the paper and the types of questions that may be asked. As they say, practice makes perfect. Prioritise your mental health: Exam season can take its toll on our mental health so ensure that you take time to mind yourself over the next few weeks. Try to pencil in coffee breaks with friends, a walk in the fresh air and time to unwind after a busy day of study. Be kind to yourself and reward yourself regularly, be it with a bar of chocolate or an evening watching Netflix. You can’t study all day, every day. Sleep: Between late night study sessions in the library and consuming several energy drinks, you may find that
your sleep schedule is suffering. To perform well in an exam, many of us need to be well rested so try get into a routine of going to bed at a reasonable hour as exam season approaches. Academic supports: NUI Galway provide workshops from the Academic Writing Centre to help students with academic work. If you are struggling to write an essay or complete an assignment, check your emails for all relevant information on academic supports for students. Set an alarm: Everyone’s worst nightmare is sleeping through an alarm and missing an exam so I would recommend setting several alarms and asking someone trustworthy to ring you on the morning of the exam to ensure you are up and ready to go. Check your exam timetable carefully: Ensure you have the correct date, time and location for each exam and plan how you are going to travel to and from each exam centre. Pack your bag the night before: Ensure that you have all the necessities for completing an exam including pens, pencils, a manual watch and a bottle of water. I would also recommend getting organised the night before. Wishing you all the best with the busy upcoming few weeks and remember, all you can do is do your best. Remember, there are various supports available to you through the college. You can arrange an appointment with the counselling centre if you wish by emailing counselling@nuigalway.ie counselling@nuigalway.ie. Kindest regards, SIN Says
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Features · Gné-altanna
14
Mature student diary By Aoife Burke Hello everybody! I hope all is well. I am busy this week with lots going on. I rely on my diary and my iPhone to get myself organized as it seems the projects are never-ending. I am doing a lot of interviews, editing and planning. I seem to be going from one interview to the next but my CV is starting to look pretty good. Yesterday I was completely burned out and had to spend the afternoon resting. I feel a lot better today though. I usually go to sleep early and get up early as I find I get the best work done then. A lot of the time I am researching potential leads, writing up questions and then later following up on the interviews. Some of them are for radio and some are for a publication. When I have free time, I like to go for a walk or else listen to music. I am not really a television person as I am so used to reading in the evenings, I can’t really concentrate. As you know I work weekends as a care assistant which can be rewarding but at times it is challenging. However, it works well around college, and I don’t need a car so for the moment I will stay with it. I am starting to think about next year as I will be in my final year in September. I wonder what the situation will be then, will we be in lectures in person or online? What about exams? Hmm, I will look back in a year and I will know then. I live at home with my mum, and I have to say, I feel lucky. I rented for a long time, and I know full well how difficult it could be, with all the issues that can arise. It’s a bit weird not having exams this year as I know usually, I would be preparing and studying. I do miss English though as I am doing an English degree and I love writing essays. I think final year English will be mostly literature which I am really looking forward to! It will be nice to see my classmates in September for the final year and I do hope everyone is getting on okay. I have no other news until the next time, Aoife.
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Erasmus Diary By Saoirse Higgins Hello everyone and welcome to my last Erasmus diary. I can’t believe it’s gone so quickly, and Christmas is just around the corner. I still have just over three weeks left here in Stockholm before I come home, and I’m definitely going to try and enjoy every minute that I can. The first snow of the season landed today, and it really is magical to see the snow and the Christmas lights in this beautiful city. I don’t have much other news from the last few weeks other than my mother and my boyfriend came to visit me for the last few days. It’s been really great to have them around and show them the city I’ve become acquainted with in the last three months. I got to show them my favourite spots and bring them to my favourite restaurants. There’s a Mexican restaurant here that make the nicest quesadillas and I’m obsessed. I might have even persuaded them to come three times during their short visit. It was also my boyfriend’s birthday this week and I was so happy we got to celebrate it together as the worst part of Erasmus has been being away from him. (We celebrated it in an Irish pub of course, to make sure we live up to that Irish stereotype.) For my last few weeks, I’ll be doing a lot of travelling. This coming Saturday I’m heading to Warsaw in Poland for several days which I’m very excited for. After Poland, I’ll be venturing to Sweden’s second biggest city, Gothenburg, for one night and from there I’m off to Riga in Latvia. Then, on the tenth of December, I’ll be flying up north to Lapland which is my Christmas dream. We’re staying in a town called Romanievi which apparently is Santa Claus’s home town. I’ve found it hard to think of ways to conclude this diary especially as I still feel I’ve got quite a bit of time left before I leave. However, if you’ve chosen to follow my Erasmus story for the last few weeks,
Saoirse’s boyfriend Tom visiting her on her Erasmus
Saoirse during the first snowfall I hope the main thing you’ve taken away from it is that Erasmus is absolutely worth doing. This is especially true after the gruelling two years we’ve had in this pandemic. It teaches you many things like how to embrace your own independence, how to adapt to different cultures, and how to socialise again after two years indoors. It’s also an amazing opportunity to travel and try so many new things. If Erasmus is not an option for you, I hope this has inspired you to travel abroad at some point in your life. Living in a new city in a culture strange to you can’t be replicated in Ireland. Even a small job working somewhere in Europe for a few months would be good for the soul in my opinion. So, I guess this is where I leave all of you who have been patient enough to read this diary. I’ve enjoyed writing my experience and I can’t wait to read back on all of them in the future. So, again, thank you for reading and I hope you’ve a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Features · Gné-altanna
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
15
Final Year Diary By Niamh Connor Hello everyone it’s Niamh again. It has approached the time of year where you cannot step outside your student house without needing to jump over a pile of vomit. (Thank you to whoever that was.) Yes my friends it is in fact silly season. The Beer Tent is up, the ferris wheel is glowing and the ‘Late Late Toy Show’ is but a few sleeps away. While I whole heartedly agree that Christmas is in fact the most wonderful time of the year I can’t help but feel gloomy about the ever increasing list of assignments and deadlines piling up. Has anybody else been using Adele’s new album as the soundtrack to their anxiety fueled study sessions? No? Just me? Ok, we move.
Currently I have six essays, a choral conducting practical and a music listening test worth 40% of my grade to prepare for. *Insert Bo Burnham song here* It is overwhelming trying to juggle all of these deadlines, a part-time waitressing job and a social life all at once. However I am definitely not the only student going through this struggle, and if anyone out there has found the secret recipe to success please pass it on to me. On a less gloomy note last week I had the absolute privilege of seeing both my housemate and boyfriend graduate from their respective courses. The pride I felt watching my boyfriend collect his degree was unmatched. The graduations gave us all a great excuse to get all glammed up in our suits and dresses and have a few “quiet ones.” It was a brilliant week of celebrating and catching up with friends. The morning after the night before was spent wandering aimlessly around the Christmas Market in search of anything that could cure us. We strategically steered clear of the Beer Tent on our endeavor, and to be honest with you, I think the Christmas Market itself was the cure for all of us. The soothing sound of Michael Bublé’s voice and the sweet smell of cinnamon sugar coated doughnuts was what we all needed. The Galway Christmas Market is truly a magical place. It could make the gloomiest evening seem better. As the evenings grow shorter and dusk seems to creep in ever earlier each day, the Christmas market is a beacon of joy and Christmas cheer. The thoughts of celebrating exam season ending by having a drink in the Beer Tent and a laugh with friends will be enough to get me through the mountain of assignments. Stay frosty folks and I’ll see you in 2022! Niamh Connor
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16
Opinion · Tuairim
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Photo by Marius Masalar on Unsplash
Metaverse: Everyone comes around eventually By Kevin Markey
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(e.g. Google Glass), and technology like haptic clothing. The first of which currently Say goodbye to the real world and hello being designed are gloves with hundreds to the Metaverse. A virtual world within of motors in them that will use inflatable reality, the Metaverse has gained much pads to simulate the feelings of touch while attention in the past few weeks due to in the Metaverse. Shaking hands may no Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement. Face- longer be acceptable in the real world, but book will be going Meta. What exactly in the virtual one, you’ll be able to feel the grip of a friend or new acquaintance from thousands of miles away. This is the future, like it or not. COVID-19 pushed us indoors, and billions of dollars are being spent to keep us there. Social media companies, advertisers, video game companies, even hotels are getting in on the virtual world. While still several years away, even a decade by some estimates, the Metaverse is going to transform the way that humans connect. Of course, I think there will still be real-world interactions. They will just be diminished, and maybe that isn’t a bad thing. For example, with less need to does this mean? How will day-to-day life commute to work, there will be less cars change? How soon until you never have on the road and less smog in larger cities. to leave the house again? In 2020 the world was forced to close Don’t expect change overnight, but it shop and stay inside. And the planet thanked is coming, so best be prepared. us for it. Carbon emissions dropped for the If you have no idea what the Metaverse first time in a century. City skylines in Los is, then you probably have some research Angeles and Beijing cleared for the first time to do. Here is my simple way of describing in years. Maybe, it isn’t such a bad thing for it. Picture it is as if you were living in a video us to be inside a bit more often. game, except it isn’t a game. It is a video Instead of being forced to lockdown by a world. In the next ten years, expect to see global pandemic, what if we choose to do it the computer engineering world boom with on our own? What if we decide that we don’t artificial intelligence, augmented reality want to go to the grocery store, the mall, or
In twenty or thirty years, you might meet your doctor at the virtual doctor’s office in the Metaverse and your virtual pharmacy sends your meds via drone 20 minutes later.
the movie theaters at all. These are routines that we have become accustomed to out of necessity, but we can order food and clothes easier than ever now through apps like Amazon and Deliveroo. As for movies, does anyone really love sitting in a chair 10 minutes after the last person, while your shoes stick to the ground, and you bump elbows with a stranger? Sounds more like a night at Coyotes than the movie theater. I’m not arguing for a secluded society. Just questioning whether we are doing the best for humanity on our current path, and I think more people should question it too. There will always be hesitations to new technology, but I think eventually everyone comes around or gets left in the dark ages. In twenty or thirty years, you might not have to leave the house to see your doctor for example. You just meet them at the virtual doctor’s office in the Metaverse, they diagnose you, and your virtual pharmacy sends your meds via drone 20 minutes later. No waiting times, no standing next to other people with a cold, and no possibility of spreading infection. Without access to the Metaverse, you won’t get to see a doctor. The idea isn’t that you’ll never have to leave the house, it is that you’ll only need to leave it when you want to. But day to day errands, work, shopping, gaming, gambling, sporting, eventually will all be done through the Metaverse. It isn’t the end of the world, just the beginning of a new one.
Opinion · Tuairim
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
17
Raised Digitally — A reflection on my relationship with social media By Caoimhe Killeen “We met through VSCO” is a sentence that I never thought I would hear in my lifetime yet I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, I heard it on the same day that I saw a girl, who couldn’t have been any older than nine years-old, walking with her friends, while texting and complaining loudly about Instagram. The age that kids begin venturing online is getting younger and younger these days to the point where twenty-somethings like ourselves seem like prehistoric fossils, simply because we opened Facebook and Instagram accounts at the age of thirteen. When I got my first phone at the age of eight, it certainly wasn’t an iPhone. It was an old Samsung, nowhere near as fancy as today and purely for safety reasons when I was waiting for a lift home from school. The internet and gaming capacity were nowhere near as advanced as it is now. Social media platforms as we know them either hadn’t been created or were in their early stages of their inception. My earliest “social media networks” were online game websites like Stardoll, Moshi Monsters and Club Penguin (sadly, two of these are no longer available to play.) I even joined social media as a bit of a late bloomer in my Leaving Cert years, simply because I didn’t feel the need to join. But I still consumed media through mediums such as YouTube and Netflix, exposing myself to media saturation that way. There’s the age-old tendency to see content creators and celebrities on social media and be envious of their carefully created life. But on Instagram, I saw that the people
I knew from school were doing the same Someone needs to provide the group chat thing to an extent. It quickly made me with the memes. feel a little bit rubbish about the fact that That, and because you can curate social I wasn’t posting on my Instagram story media to motivate and educate yourself. every two seconds. Following accounts on topics and areas Twitter, on the other hand, introduced that genuinely interested me and doing a me to “cancel culture” and being quick “spring clean” of accounts that I followed to mentally jump on the bandwagon on improved my Instagram feed. whatever scandal is ongoing. TikTok has taught me that I can’t do any These two sites in general can make me of the dances to save my life, while my Yousometimes feel anxious and apprehensive Tube subscription feed has evolved with my towards the world. preferences of content through the years. In fact, two of my closest friends have There’s so much more I could say about outright quit social media, sticking only growing up in the digital age that it would to WhatsApp. be almost impossible to avoid rambling They often ask why I don’t follow suit about it. if it it’s so nerve-wrecking. But instead, I can offer a bad and overAnd I always joke simplified metaphor. that it’s because Social media is a bit like chocoof the memes. late – it’s advised to have bits of it in moderation, it can be easy to overindulge. And of course, there are health risks of consuming too much of it especially on our mental health. But if you can find the good stuff, it can make life all the more sweeter.
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18
Opinion · Tuairim
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Violence in cinema, and has it gone too far? By Róise Nic Dhonnagáin When questioned in an interview on why his movies include such graphic violence, Quentin Tarantino responded ‘because it’s so much fun.’ Tarantino does not tread lightly around this subject, making a clear distinction in the interview between movies and real life, claiming that ‘cool parents’ will let their children watch his films. Scenes of a highly violent nature are a hallmark of Tarantino’s work. As someone
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One may argue that this use of graphic violence enhances the story telling as it raises the stakes of the content we consume, adding an extra layer of drama. But the current all-pervasive level of gore has gone way past the typical thriller genre it is typically associated with. The recent Netflix drama Squid Game gained huge attention not only for the intense violence portrayed throughout the series but also for the highly intriguing plot which shines a light on issues of
YouTubers such as James Charles and Mr Beast have both received criticism for overlooking the meaning of Squid Game, choosing instead to recreate the now infamous games depicted throughout the series.
with a fear of blood, I know that every movie of his that I sit down to watch, will likely have at least ten minutes of screen time where I’ll be hiding behind a pillow, unable to watch the bloodbath taking place before me. This use of violence in cinema has become increasingly common, as movies like the John Wick franchise and others, centred around lengthy and graphic fight scenes, have emerged.
poverty that plague Korean society. The creator Hwang Dong-hyuk claims that the violent nature of the programme is necessary, stating that it is “figurative and allegorical [...] [it] mirrors people who run into a dead end after failing to survive the competitive society.” In his eyes, the violence depicted in the show fuels the storyline.
It is impossible to ignore, however, just how desensitized audiences have become to this brutal new genre. YouTubers such as James Charles and Mr Beast have both received criticism for overlooking the meaning of the show, choosing instead to recreate the now infamous games depicted throughout the series. This trend is highly concerning as both Charles and Mr Beast’s content is aimed towards younger viewers. The Washington Post has also reported on concerns being raised in schools in America after children were seen recreating the games seen in the show. This begs the question; what effect is this violent media having on children? Creators argue that their use of violence is necessary to heighten the drama and intensity of their storylines. I, however, cannot help but wonder whether this graphic content is indeed enhancing the media we consume, or if it is just further desensitising audiences to gratuitous violence. One must question further whether it is safe to expose children to content of a highly graphic nature, or if children can be expected to decipher what is real and what is just special effects, as claimed by Tarantino himself.
Opinion · Tuairim
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
19
Review: The Galway Christmas Market By Roisin Kerrigan Unless you have been living under a rock for the past week, you will be well aware of the beautiful Christmas market that has taken over Eyre Square. Christmas cheer is truly in full swing here in Galway city, with the stunning lights, music, and markets; even though it is only November. Some would say that November is far too early to begin the Christmas celebrations, and I hate to say that I would agree. December is a long month, we have 24 full December days to bask in the Christmas spirit before the big day, so why would anyone want to get the decorations down from the attic and begin the stress of gift shopping so early? I am self admittedly a grinch when it comes to celebrating in November. It just seems too early. That was until I saw the hustle and bustle of Christmas merriment that has taken over Galway, I suppose this grinches heart grew (3 sizes). I have noticed that there is one part of the Christmas markets that is particularly popular with students, the infamous beer tent. A place of drinking cold beers, singing, and dancing on tables. If you haven’t gone yet, I would highly suggest it. It is a great night out that will allow you to finally wear that ugly Christmas jumper that is sitting in the back of your closet. The only downside to this fabulous night on the town is that it closes at 10pm, and let’s be honest, nothing to do with a cold beer should end at 10pm. On ‘Christmas Day,’ I decided to take a walk through the beautiful square, and I couldn’t believe the amount of people who travelled so far to enjoy the Christmas cheer. It was so busy, and yet not a mask in sight. I was shocked. COVID-19 has apparently disappeared in the face of Galway’s Christmas. I think it is irresponsible to not be wearing your masks in such a packed social place, where are those now who were telling people to wear their masks and get vaccinated? Put those masks back on please, the number of cases is only growing. Lucky for you, I have already scouted out the best food in the markets, and, I will admit, I went straight to the food on my visit to Eyre Square. I would highly suggest the Cajun chicken at the Mexican food stall for a pre beer tent snack and end the night with a very tasty chimney cake, (with Nutella and mixed nuts, trust me). Delicious, you will not find better. The Galway Christmas market is not to be missed, there is a magical element in the air between the stunning lights,
wonderful music and Christmas cheer that can be seen spread throughout Eyre Square this Christmas. Over the past two years we have not been able to enjoy the regularly scheduled Christmas celebrations, so I am so glad to see the stalls and decorations back, even if there are extra precautions that need to be taken to ensure everyone’s safety. So, get out and enjoy this spectacular Christmas wonderland right on your doorstep.
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Arts & Fashion · Cultúr 7 Faisean
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Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Writers’ Society Competition winners First Place The Violinist’s Song by Beatriz Langowiski
I once heard the story of a violinist who got on a bus. He made the driver feel cold and weary, with those grey eyes of his. He made the other passengers stare at his light grey suit, the colour of his eyes. He was a stranger in a little town not used to them. I heard that his violin was the colour of bone, and no one would ever dare touch it to check what it was made of. The chords were as black as his hair, but not even the bravest man would stroke them with a lover’s hand. I heard that the violinist got up on the bus and started playing. The bus would shake with every hole on the ground, but the slender man stood tall, still, and put his instrument to his face, his ghostly eyes looking at all and none. I heard that the first note was so long, it sounded like the wail of a child. The melody that the violin built up after that was a series of long notes, one sadder than the other. It made stomachs churn with grief and chests heave with hopelessness. The world faded and all that there was, was the grey violinist and his sad eyebrows and his absent eyes. And people were drawn to him, to his music, to his strange violin. And his lament ended with one last note that resonated through his audience’s bones and made them feel like they would never be whole again. And he put his violin back on the case with his long, pale fingers, and left the bus. I heard that, as the days distanced themselves from the violinist’s visit, the people started distancing themselves from their own minds. Their eyes lost their colours. Their hearts lost their passion. And every single member of his audience met again in the hospital, but they had left that world long before. The person that told me this story is no longer sane, but he warned me to never take the bus in a small town again. Because a violinist with grey eyes and long, long dark hair may pay a visit. His song is the lament of souls imprisoned in eternal servitude, wishing to get out. And from the moment the first note reaches your ears, you become a part of his repertoire.
Second place
no expression in them nor was there any on his face. There was nothing Chipchowchilla worse than seeing nothing in a man’s by Maureen DeLeo face because that meant that there was a whole lot of something behind it and The trio of men laughed loudly at their that something was more dangerous crass joke at the waitress’ expense. She than anyone could comprehend. The told them with a sneer framed by her man lowered his eyes and reached for cheap, waxy red lipstick that men like his mug as he studied the flimsy plasthem make her sick before turning tic menu before him. Doc dropped his away to see to the only other occupied cigarette in Billyjack’s grits and, ignortable in the diner. One of the men got ing his child-like protest, told him to up to make use of the facilities, his pen- get up. He tossed a few crinkled bills cil thin legs bowed slightly as he headed on the table and followed Billyjack’s toward the back of the cramped place. lumbering, rotund form out from the Sipping his coffee, Doc looked over at curved booth. The tiny bell above the the man at the other table as he got up glass door jingled to signal their deparand followed him a moment later. He ture. The moment the door shut behind returned his attention to Billyjack’s them, the waitress went over to refill thick face lit up with excitement at the the man’s coffee just so she could tell belief that he was ensnaring Doc with someone that she just hoped that those his colourful description of what he swine left her a decent tip. The man got up to last night with the seven that said nothing. was in the big brown Cadillac that was Billyjack played endlessly with the pulled over on the side of the road. Doc radio as they drove down the flat, empty sneered into his coffee. From what he stretch of road with brown tobacco and remembered the girl kicked him so hard cotton fields on either side. Doc sneered that Billyjack nearly lost his cool and as the only station that came through got them caught by that passing sheriff. was one of those flashy preachers who Fifteen minutes passed. Doc turned kindly say that for only a small, very his watery eyes toward the direction small really monetary contribution you that Wade passed through. He must not only guaranteed an act of charity have gotten cold feet in the end. He that God would smile down upon was always a coward, never even had but you were also helping him keep a sliver of a spine. It was just as well. spreading the Word. Evidently the Word He looked across the table at Billyjack manifested itself through false veneers, shovelling his grits into his mouth like bad toupees, and pastel spandex suits some starved hog. It would be less com- that were a little too snug in certain plicated this way. spots. People didn’t know nothing ‘Wade ain’t comin’ back,’ Do c because they were nothing more than announced. ‘And we gotta get.’ swine. He looked askance at Billyjack Billyjack, to his disgust, spoke clum- rubbing the heel of his meaty hand sily around the food in his mouth. ‘How against his short snout. Once they got you know that he ain’t comin’ back? to some woods it could be done. Wade’s loyal.’ ‘Hey,’ Billyjack suddenly said with the Loyal. That was a big word with no blind enthusiasm of a child. ‘Hey, look, meaning. Doc tapped the growing ashes you see that man there hitch-hikin’? of his cigarette into the dregs of Billy- Let’s pick him up.’ jack’s milk. ‘Time to get goin’. Come on.’ ‘You lost your mind?’ hissed Doc. ‘Pick Wade probably managed to slip his up some stranger?’ skinny ass out from a window in the ‘Come on, it’ll be fine. It’s hotter’n hell bathroom. He was too smart at least to out, he can’t be out in the sun.’ run to the authorities and alert them as ‘Since when do you care about other to their whereabouts, if only for his own people?’ sake. When they got out Doc knew that ‘We can let him think we’re doin’ him he was going to split shortly after they a favour and rob him blind once we had got out. He didn’t trust either of them our fun.’ and he was right to feel that way. For a ‘Fine.’ moment he coolly regarded Billyjack Turning off the radio, Billyjack rolled as he sucked a little too harshly on his down his window as Doc stopped alongcigarette. Wade’s departure certainly side the man. Asking him if he needed made things a hell of a lot easier for a ride, the man agreed with a wide grin, him. Feeling a pair of eyes on him, Doc saying they sure were nice fellas. slowly raised his gaze to see the man at ‘I don’t really mind the heat,’ the man the other table watching him. There was said as he climbed in the back, sliding
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Arts & Fashion · Cultúr 7 Faisean
21
over to take a seat behind the driver’s to look up at his reflection again. The seat. ‘But it’s nice to get out of it.’ man finally turned his eyes to Billyjack. ‘Where you headed?’ Doc asked, glanc- Just because his eyes were on him didn’t ing up at the rearview. He narrowed his mean his attention was as well. Billyjack eyes. ‘Were you at that diner outside of lit up with the excitement of a child as Chipchowchilla?’ he told him, no, sir, that he hadn’t never ‘No, but I have been in Chipchow- heard of such an individual. chilla for a long while. Time to get goin’.’ ‘The Chipchowchilla Mud Prophet was Unconvinced, Doc returned to his a self-styled prophet,’ explained the man. original question as he continued ‘His real name was Elijah Johnson, aged driving. The man looked up at him sixty-three, resided on a small bit of land in the mirror. ‘I’m headed all over,’ he in the woods to the west of the town answered. proper. In his care was a boy, Abedoah Billyjack grinned. ‘You’re a man of the Disgrace Dooley, aged fourteen, who world, friend.’ he was preparing to become the next ‘Sure.’ Mud Prophet. The Lord doesn’t abide Silence fell over them. Every now and by false prophets. There is no authority then Doc looked up to find the man star- except that which God has established. ing at him in the mirror, swaying a little Elijah Johnson’s sins include this, but from side to side in his seat. Billyjack also assault, battery, kidnapping, forgery, resumed searching for something on lechery, and gluttony. I will not go into the radio, but now even the preachers the details because details are vulgar.’ ‘What happened to him? What’s “vulcouldn’t break through the thick static. It the sound seemed to steadily get gar” mean? Momma used to say I was worse and worse, voices garbled to the vulgar for – ‘ point that they didn’t sound like human ‘Shut up,’ spat Doc, hoping he kept his voices at all and the odd guitar coming panic out of his tone. through so warped as to sound like they The man slowly rolled his neck. ‘I were being tuned on air. Doc winced as killed Elijah Johnson.’ Billyjack went from station to station, Before either of them could react to the fuzziness and loud punctuations of this revelation, the car slowed down sound seemingly working in earnest to before coming to a creeping halt as split and crack open their skulls. Sud- though it was finally empty of the last denly it reached a high pitch frequency bit of fuel in its tank. Doc’s grip on the like a prolonged screech that had wide steering wheel was so tight that Doc and Billyjack gritting their teeth, his knuckles appeared as though they clenching their jaws, and, in Billyjack’s would break through the skin of his case, covering his ears and digging hands. Billyjack’s heart raced as he his blunt fingernails into his temples. desperately looked to Doc to come up Doc shouted at him to turn it off and with something to get them out of this although Billyjack wanted to keep his situation. The man in the back stared hand over his ear, he was more terrified at him through the rearview. of the pain Doc would cause him than ‘You like stories, don’t you, Billyjack the sound from the radio. Thrusting his Foley?’ the man asked. ‘An ignorant man hand toward the dial, he quickly shut it child who plays with pain and sufferoff. Both sighed in relief. The man in the ing like they’re dolls. And you like dolls, back said nothing. don’t you, boy? Like your sister when ‘You from Chipchowchilla?’ Billyjack you pressed your thumbs against her asked as he shoved his thick finger into eyes because she called you a bad, bad his ear and moved his hand back and name. You pressed so hard that she forth in a jerky motion. cried and screamed for help in that little ‘Kinda... From everywhere, y’know,’ shack you grew up in but your momma the man returned. was out and your daddy was out so no Doc looked up in the mirror to find one could help her.’ him staring though he now sat still. Doc watched in frozen terror as BilThere was some comfort in that at least. lyjack’s body shuddered and his hands There certainly was none in his face. raised shakily to his face. He mumbled ‘We’re from Dalton,’ Billyjack said. and stumbled pathetically over his Doc sneered. He thought he was being words as he begged for Jesus’ help and so clever giving the name of the state told the man to go to hell. Slowly he penitentiary without actually disclosing ground the heels of his palms into his that was where they came from. He had eyes. nothing going on in that head of his and ‘That’s right,’ the man said. ‘You kept that was dangerous. goin’, too, because you liked her pain. ‘That so? I’ve been down there.’ And you didn’t like that she was tellin’ ‘You like it?’ you the truth about yourself. If anyone ‘You ever hear about the Chipchow- injures his neighbour, whatever he has chilla Mud Prophet?’ done must be done to him: fracture for Something about his tone caused Doc fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’
A low groaning sound rumbled in Billyjack’s throat, rising upward until it began as a slow, agonised scream before his hands shifted to press his fingertips against his eyes. His body rocked and shook as his fingers seemed to be intent on getting through into his sockets. Doc could say and do nothing to stop it. Blood trickled down his ruddy cheeks and along the sides of his piggish nose. Finally he stopped moving all together, his fingers buried in his flesh, muscle, and tissue. ‘And you,’ the man started without any trace of emotion or feeling. ‘Seymour “Doc” Sevier, thirty-four, escaped convict from Dalton State Penitentiary. On the run for the past four days with reasonable success, though there was that incident on the road last night getting this car. Robbery and the murder of your wife and father.’ ‘You’re the devil,’ Doc said, his fingers wrapped securely around the steering wheel. ‘No.’ ‘How do you explain this then? How do you know what you know?’ ‘I don’t answer to you or anybody else.’ ‘Then what are you?’ ‘The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. By His wounds we are healed.’ Doc tilted his head back against the headrest. Around his throat was the same tightening that his wife probably felt. He closed his eyes. Opening the door, the man stepped out and closed it. He walked onward down the road, seeing and feeling nothing.
Third Place An Ode to October 2021
by Earnan Macoireaghtaigh
Freddie Kruger’s got a booger to scare you with tonight, sitting down at a gig waiting for a lover or fright, subliminal messages in horrors is it wrong or is it right? Time to go back to the pagan rave and dance with all our might, In the darkness the file will always shine the light, keep it satirical and lyrical nil is agaim shite, the ghost is see through not always white, and b.t.w the latex is too tight, P.S. consumerist adds too bright on the blue screen dream the truth is in sight, Sublime inside the turnip g’night.
Arts & Fashion · Cultúr 7 Faisean
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Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
10 items you can do without this Christmas candid effect can be added by putting a few candles around, perhaps a cinnamon scented one. This will help keep the electricity bill affordable, without missing on that Christmassy feeling.
By Enya Tierney
Arts & Fashion Editor With the pressure of having a perfect holiday, the indulgence that all the ads and media around us encourage, it’s hard to resist buying every item we encounter on the shelves of our favourite shops. But when January comes and our pockets are empty, we are likely to regret the excessive spending we made and we might realise that we actually didn’t like some of the things we bought all that much. The planet also suffers from this over-consumption. Christmas lights running basically non-stop for the season, doesn’t come without huge energy consumption. Not to mention how a great percentage of the items purchased are going to be thrown away, a good chunk of them being non-recyclable. Adding present wrapping, Christmas clothes that will be worn for a couple of weeks a year, and an incredible amount of food waste comes with a big environmental cost. Here are ten items that you can do without this Christmas:
1. Reindeer Antlers for your car
You are not fooling anybody; your car is not a reindeer. Others may see your car decorations, but while driving, you won’t. There is no need for items like this, especially given that you will use them for a month only. These decorations are not durable enough to be put outdoors, and they don’t last long. Save those few euros for a hot chocolate with friends or a small donation to a charity.
2. Excessive Christmas Lights
They are tacky, bad for the environment, and with the recent rising cost of electricity, who can even afford them? The same
3. Sequin dresses
There is no doubt sequins are fun and festive, but fast fashion brands will cover every woman’s fashion item with them year after year. At this point, most females already have a dress, a skirt, or a top with sequins on them, and there is no need for more. On the other hand, men’s clothing stays plain, basic and even boring at times. It would be a good idea to put some of the sequins used in the women’s section into the men’s one.
4. Wrapping Paper
Instead of buying more paper that will go straight to the bin once presents are opened, why not get creative? Newspaper pages, the fabric of an old curtain, padding paper from old parcels, etc… The possibilities are endless. It will add a nice personal touch to your presents, and it’s a much greener option!
5. Generic presents
We all have that one person in our lives that we don’t know what to give. It seems like they already have it all. Although getting them a perfume, a candle, a nice pair of socks or some other generic present may seem like a handy option, will they love it, or even use your gift? Save the money and get original. Something handmade like a scrapbook with childhood pictures and memories, personal Spotify playlists, a plant, a fun painting, pre-owned things, digital subscriptions such as Audible, an edited video with memories and a special song, baked goods… the sky is the limit.
6. Too many Quality Street boxes
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7. Christmas themed household items
We do not need household items to make our house look cosy and Christmassy. There is no point in buying hot water bottles, cups, travel mugs, etc… that will be used much less than the ones we already have. Instead, you can always get products with Christmas colours such as red or green without very obvious Christmas slogans or patterns. This way you will still be able to use them all year long!
8. Christmas Cards
Christmas cards are just a very expensive piece of paper. Why not write a short letter to our friends and family instead? If this is not for you, purchase them from a charity where the money goes to a good cause.
9. Tinsel
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A box of chocolates is always a nice detail, but there are always too many of them during Christmas in every household. To save some waste on packaging and a few euros too, try to make an evening of it with some friend and bake some biscuits or rice krispies buns yourselves. You can personalise them, spend some quality time with people doing something inexpensive, and it comes across as more thoughtful.
Tinsel is just sparkly tasselled plastic. It’s not too nice and its use is very limited. Ribbons, Christmas colour garlands or other DIY Christmas decorations are a great switch.
10. Christmas pudding
As a norm, it’s only the older members of the family that like them, and no more than two or three people will have it in a household. Although your grandad may love it, there’s other desserts that he’ll probably enjoy along with the rest of the family.
Arts & Fashion · Cultúr 7 Faisean
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Sex Educated – An amazing new book launched by Sexual Health West
NEW: Comic Strips Special thanks to NUI Galway ArtSoc!
A Bat in Galway by Ruby Havelaar
SEX EDUCATED
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It’s an exciting time for us here in Sexual Health West as we have just launched an amazing book “Sex Educated”. The book was written by our former Relationships & Sexuality Educator Grace O’Shea. The book idea came from answering thousands of questions over the years of teaching RSE in classrooms, giving our WISER (West of Ireland Sexuality Education Resource) team a unique and invaluable insight into the mind of young people; their worries, the curiosities, their fears and what information they are unearthing on the internet. As we know the best sex education is not based solely on answering questions with facts and figures. It is rooted in empathy, respect, kindness, inclusivity, justice, patience and passion; yes it’s about bodies, but it’s about hearts and minds too. Sex, sexuality and sexual health are integral parts of being human, healthy and happy. This book meets the needs of young people in Ireland where they are now, and tells them what they want and need to know with evidence-based, factual, age-appropriate information. So, if you have or know any young person, one who is trying to figure out what feels good or right for them, who isn’t sure who they are attracted to, who doesn’t identify with the gender they were assigned at birth, or who or wants some guidance on how good relationships even work, this book is for you. To order a copy visit https://sexualhealthwest.ie/shop/
Everything young people ask, answered by sex educators
I have no doubt this publication will be an invaluable resource for our younger citizens, and for all those charged with their health and well-being. President Michael D. Higgins, Uachtarán na hÉireann. A rare and captivating insight into the field of sex eductaion in Ireland and the questions that young people want answered. Everyone, regardless of age or gender, can learn something from this book - Michael Keady, Social Inclusion Manager, HSE Community Healthcare West
Grace Alice O’Shea
Sexual Health West answers the questions that young people ask about sex from body image, consent, pleasure, pornography, protection, puberty, reproduction, sexuality to relationships and so much more. These are the questions Ginger’s Christmas Journey by Kate Denny young people in Ireland asked our professional team of WISER Relationship and Sexuality Educators and we answered. Sex Educated is also the first book of its kind in Ireland, delivering a sex positive, age appropriate, comprehensive, evidence-based Q&A guide to a wide range of topics. Because we know that good sex education is about our hearts and minds as well as our bodies.
E D U C A T E D
by Tasmin Frey www.tribespress.com Copyright Sexual Health West 2021 Designed by Ana Slattery
Grace Alice O’Shea Sexual Health West
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Arts & Fashion · Cultúr 7 Faisean
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Christmas spirit on Netflix! by Rachel Garvey It’s time to take a break from Christmas shopping and clicking “Adding to Cart” and instead start adding some Netflix movies to your list for the upcoming Christmas season of 2021. There is no better feeling than lighting a fire, putting your feet up with some Christmas goodies in your lap and watching your personal favourite Christmas movies. Each and every one of us has our favourites, but a few recommendations never hurt anyone in that regard. It’s the season for spreading Christmas cheer after all, and what better way to do that than encouraging people to watch Christmas movies? Netflix is great for satisfying our needs when it comes to movies, but not all our favourites can be found there; Prime Video or a quick Youtube search can help us find more varieties too and retailers will also be selling popular Christmas movies too.
The Holiday (Netflix)
neighbour tries to sabotage his attempts as he feels his holiday celebrations are being upstaged and how he is quickly falling to the second most popular man in his town, DeVito’s character becoming the top popular man because of his bubbly personality and famous light display at his house.
Christmas with The Kranks (Prime Video)
Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis star as husband and wife in this Christmas movie. Luther and Nora Krank, Nora in particular loves to celebrate the Christmas season, but after Luther calculates how much they spend on Christmas the year previous he persuades Nora to spend the money so that they can both go on a cruise and skip Christmas. An important lesson is to be learned from this movie; that being kind to your neighbour, because you never know when you’ll need them for something important.
Home Alone
Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz star in this Christmas romance alongside Jude Law and Jack Black as two strangers from across the world take part in a house swap for two weeks. Amanda, a trailer maker in Los Angeles is looking to get away as a distraction from a recent break-up, while newspaper reporter, Iris in Surrey, England, has her house up on a house swap site, hoping she can catch a break somewhere from her failure of a love life. Packed with comedy and blossoming romance, this movie is sure to give you the holiday feels and the delicious taste of romance at Christmas time.
Unfortunately, there is no sign of this popular movie on Prime Video or Netflix yet, but it does play on the television during the winter season. A movie we have grown to love, one that makes us laugh and feel sympathy for a little boy who has been unknowingly left alone at home for Christmas with the threat of a burglary by two men, Kevin has to put his foot down and be brave to protect his home by setting up little traps using his own toys and household appliances and furniture. Who doesn’t love hearing the name “Kevin” being screamed in either delayed shock or annoyance?
Deck The Halls (Netflix)
The Grinch
Danny DeVito stars in this festive movie as he and his family move into a new house with the main goal being that he wants to create a Christmas light display that will shine so bright that it can be seen from space, but his
In regards to Home Alone, this movie has not yet been released on Netflix or Amazon Prime, but the Christmas season has still yet to begin properly so we need to keep our eyes peeled for this movie title to appear
online. For some of us, The Grinch acts as our spirit animal when Christmas is too early or when Christmas is here in general, but for many of us we can relate to the scene where he clutches his heart and says “I’m feeling…”
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Arts & Fashion · Cultúr 7 Faisean
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All I want for Christmas is a new playlist Christmas season is fast approaching and that means Christmas songs are going to be blaring from speakers in retail stores, radio stations and the Christmas Market. A fan favourite is Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You”, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. There are some who are becoming tired of hearing the same repeated lyrics. Fear not, there are a hundred other Christmas songs that you can listen to and learn to love the lyrics before hating them in the future. Here are some classic and modern Christmas music recommendations:
Little Mix – The One I’ve Been Missing
One of the world’s most famous girl bands introduced us to their Christmas song in 2019 just in time for the December season. The lyrics speak to those specifically who are in long distance relationship or to those who haven’t been spending a lot of time with their significant other because maybe they are travelling because of work or for other reasons.
Ariana Grande – Santa Tell Me
You can never say no to listening to Ariana Grande especially when she’s singing about the presence of Santa Claus and wanting to find the love of her life. The pop icon also has her cover of “Last Christmas” if you fancy treating your playlist to that except in Ariana’s cover, she adds a bit of a twist to it with this specific cover making you want to get up and dance.
Kelly Clarkson – Underneath the Tree
This upbeat Christmas song is sure to add those extra Christmassy vibes to your winter season. The winning contestant of 2002’s American Idol released this Christmas tune in late 2013 just in time for 2013’s Christmas season. “You’re here, where you should be, snow is falling as the carollers sing”, what person wouldn’t want this catchy tune in their playlist.
Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas
We’re taking it back to the 80s, 1984 to be exact. A song that pops its head out of the snow every Christmas time. Written by Bob Geldof, it was to raise money for the famine happening in Ethiopia and quickly climbed to the top Christmas hit for five weeks. Still a top Christmas song in 2021, this song is a must have for being part of your festive playlist.
Brenda Lee – Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
We’re throwing it back all the way to 1958 when Lee gave us her Christmas banger of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and if you don’t have this as part of your playlist, then change that very quickly. One simply can’t put up their Christmas décor and Christmas tree without blaring this tune from their TV’s, phones or speakers.
Shakin’ Stevens – Merry Christmas Everyone
We’re kicking it back to another 80’s banger, 1985 to be exact, just one year after Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas”. Since then, every year Stevens has come to visit us in his sleigh ride with reindeer, snow all around him as he sings us all a Merry Christmas. Another catchy tune to add to the Christmas playlist, you’ll be humming it to yourself as you do your Christmas shopping or wrapping some Christmas presents.
Photo by Laura James from Pexels
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Health & Lifestyle · Folláine 7 Nós Maireachtála
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Photos of Isabel’s Christmas baking captured by her Dad
German Christmas recipes By Isabel Filby
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
A
Health & Lifestyle · Folláine 7 Nós Maireachtála
s an international student, one of the hardest times of year to be away from home is Christmas. There is
just something about the season that makes you long for home. My favourite way to combat any homesickness is
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baking, and Christmas of course calls for Christmas biscuits. So here is a collection of my favourite German biscuit recipes.
Vanille Kipferl (makes 60) Ingredients: • • • •
200 g Butter 80 g icing sugar Pinch of salt 1 tablespoon vanilla (extract or paste, adjust accordingly) • 100 g ground almond • 250g flour • Vanilla sugar for tossing
How-to:
1. Cut butter into small cubes and knead into a smooth dough (easy peasy). 2. Wrap dough in clingfilm or sustainable alternative and refrigerate. 3. Pre-heat oven to 160°C. 4. Cut dough into walnut sized sections, and form into halfmoon shapes.
5. Put onto baking tray and put back into fridge for 10–15 min. 6. Then bake for 15–20 min until golden-brown. 7. Let cool for a few minutes and toss in vanilla sugar while still warm. 8. They can easily be stored in an airtight container for several weeks.
Spritzgebäck (makes 3 trays) Ingredients: • • • • • • •
100g sugar 250g softened butter Pinch of salt Pinch of vanilla (extract or paste) 1 egg (M) 320g flour 100 g melted chocolate for decorating
How-to:
1. Mix the butter with the sugar, vanilla and salt until foamy/creamy. 2. Mix in egg and flour. 3. Fill into a piping bag with a big star nozzle (or just plain round if that’s all you have). 4. Pipe onto baking trays and put in fridge for 45 min. 5. Preheat oven to 180°C.
6. Bake for 10–15 min until golden-brown. 7. While they cool, melt the chocolate. Dip half the biscuit into the chocolate and let harden on some baking paper. 8. Add sprinkles or other decoration if so desired.
Lebkuchen (a lot more ingredients, but a pretty easy dough to make and easy to work with as it’s not temperature sensitive like the others)
Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • • •
250g honey 250 g cane sugar 150 g butter 100 g ground almonds 400–500 g flour 1 tsp cinnamon Pinch of clove Pinch of cardamom Pinch of nutmeg ½ lemon zest 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 egg • 2 tsp baking powder • 2 tbsp Rum
How-to:
1. Melt honey, butter and sugar together in a pot, stirring well. 2. Put mixture into baking bowl and let cool. 3. Add the almonds, 400g of flour, baking powder and the spices, egg and knead well. 4. Add rum and knead again. If the dough is too sticky add as much flour as needed to make a dough that’s easily formable.
5. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. 6. Preheat oven to 180°C. 7. Roll out dough (thickness can vary) and cut into desired shapes. 8. Bake for 10–18 minutes depending on size and thickness. Let cool on cake rack. 9. Decorate with whatever topping you want; I usually do either chocolate or egg white glaze. 10. Store in a NON-airtight container and they last for ages. If stored in an airtight container they will harden and can be used for decorations.
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Health & Lifestyle · Folláine 7 Nós Maireachtála
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Be on the Nice List for Christmas 2021 By Rachel Garvey Santa is currently checking and re-checking his naughty and nice list; which list do you think your name is written on? Have you been nice this year? It shouldn’t only be during the Christmas season when we’re being our nice selves, we need to be nice all year round. Although Christmas is a time of joy for a lot of people, it is also a time of sorrow and for remembering those who aren’t with us nowadays; one’s mental health can topple at any time no matter what season. We need to be kind and here are some simple ways in which we can be kind to those around us:
Be genuine
In our daily lives, we come into contact with so many people; family, friends, co-workers and strangers and we communicate with them in some way. We say the usual “Hey, how are you?” and we then go about our daily lives without ever really stopping to talk to the person on the receiving end of that question. Stop, look at them and smile while asking how they are, have a conversation with them and arrange a small catch-up whenever you’re both free. To the ones you are close with, sit down and ask them “How are you, really?”, give them that space to open up to you about anything that might be weighing on their minds. A small chat and a laugh hold more power than we can ever grow to understand. Be genuine.
Use your manners
A simple “Please”, “Thank you” or “You’re Welcome” can go a long way with a person. One simply cannot emphasise the importance of using one’s manners. Whether it be a conversation with a close friend or a brief encounter with a stranger, you’d be amazed at how people react to manners; it’s like this happy switch is flipped in their minds and they automatically smile at the kind phrases.
Meme power
Sometimes when I’m having a bad day, my friends will sense my sadness and send me memes to brighten up my day. There’s no better feeling than being sent a meme that makes you laugh or smile wholesomely with your friends captioning it “I saw this today and thought of you!”. The fact that they were even thinking of you is a kind thing in itself.
Hold the door
Hold the door open for those you know and those you don’t know, hold it open for those who are capable of holding it open for themselves and those who aren’t capable. It costs nothing to be kind and if you have the door held open for you then please don’t forget to say “Thank you!”.
Contagious smiles
Smile, smile, smile! Your smile is so contagious and all it takes is a simple experiment by smiling at someone and you’ll see that they smile back. Although there were times when I’ve done that and haven’t gotten a smile back, you can’t win everyone over. We live in a time where our smiles are literally masked behind our masks so when someone is outdoors with their mask off and they’re smiling at you, smile back. Don’t hide it!
Typing…Sent…Delivered
It doesn’t have to be rocket science; my boyfriend and I do this on a daily basis where we send each other a “thinking of you” message. No, it’s not sappy, it’s not embarrassing, it’s simply enlightening and it makes your whole day seem that bit better. A simple text of “Good morning,
I hope you have a great day today in college/ work/ life in general, can’t wait to hear about it later”. Kind words take no effort to type or to say.
Just because
Whether it be in the comfort of your own home or out and about in the cold busy streets, coming up to someone with a surprise cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate is personally one of the kindest things I’ve witnessed. You might offer someone a hot beverage and they decline because they feel guilty about being bought something, but upon your arrival back to them with their surprise cup of tea, they’ll light up and be forever grateful for that kind gesture. You may find it to be something so small, but to them, it’s such a big thing; meaning that little cup will mean more to them than you can comprehend.
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Health & Lifestyle · Folláine 7 Nós Maireachtála
Travel guide for this Christmas By Anastasia Burton
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Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels
clothes in your hand luggage or at the top of your pile in your suitcase. Trust me the weather can be very unpredictable. Travelling is still not something many people are comfortable Over the holidays I will be travelling to the States to see my with following almost two-year lockdown and many relapses mom and sister. Now, they live in Florida so the weather of course in restrictions. Just a couple of weeks ago the government will change and the clothing I bring will need to be suitable. The announced a set of new restrictions to deal with a new surge United States had opened their borders on the 8th of November in cases. It is scary stuff that has most of us spending our birth- but please be aware of your visa and your PCR test as proof of days alone afraid to interact or put others at risk. Our lives had vaccination is not enough to pass the border of the U.S. been on hold and it’s not just in Ireland that things like this are Flying has become different, with the additional checks and happening. the face coverings on board, it can get quite scary and even a However, I am staying hopeful that the government is doing little uncomfortable. Make sure to pace yourself when Travelling. what they think is right to keep us safe, nobody knows how to Avoid close contact and even though the temptation may be deal with this situation effectively. But travel is still open and high, do not take off your mask. Bring a small bottle of hand for those brave enough to venture back into our big beautiful sanitizer and hand cream to keep your hands clean and hydrated and ever-changing world, so here is a guide for travelling this as it is guaranteed you will be touching a lot of surfaces and Christmas while also being safe and responsible. consuming food etc. throughout your journey. This will keep you protected and hygienic, which again is very important for 1. Check yourself before you wreck yourself your health and safe travel. When you are booking your flights make sure to learn the current COVID-19 situation in that country. What are the travel 3. Book smart requirements? These can all show you how severe the situation This is by far the biggest thing to look out for. If you are going to can be or how complicated it may prove. Most countries do not a country with no accommodation planned by family or friends require a PCR test if you are fully vaccinated. Most countries you need to look out for affordable places that also offer refunds. need a travel location form filled out at least 24hr before your With the uncertainty of the world’s current situation, you need flight. If you are still concerned about your health, get a free to protect yourself and your assets. test at your nearest walk-in centre or book an antigen test at If you travel via Booking.com some places require upfront the airport which can cost from 35–45 euros. payment. Avoid those unless you are absolutely certain of your stay. If your flight gets cancelled and you have paid for your 2. Bring the essentials accommodation you will be losing a pretty coin. Consider For every comfortable trip, you need a few essential bits. Right investing in the app’s loyalty of Genius discounts. If you get to now, apart from your liquids be aware of your face coverings. level 2 (after you have stayed at 5 properties over 2 years) you When you are travelling over the Christmas holidays you need can get refundable accommodation on top of your discount, to be aware of the climate. When you are on your way to their which is super convenient. Please be safe during your stay but airport to a hot country, coming from a cold climate wear your don’t let your anxiety stop you from living your life. We cannot warmer bigger clothes to the airport and leave your change of be confined to our homes forever.
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Health & Lifestyle · Folláine 7 Nós Maireachtála
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Mental Health Spot: Reality of gaslighting An interview with Cllr. Clodagh Higgins, Fine Gael, a practicing Psychologist By Aoife Burke Our health section aims to provide informative content that can be easily understood. This week Aoife Burke interviewed Cllr. Clodagh Higgins, Fine Gael, a practicing Psychologist with over 14 year’s experience in the mental health field to discuss gaslighting in relationships. She has worked in a variety of settings including adult mental health and disability services prior to taking the leap into self-employment. Her particular interest areas are now child and family and helping people through mental health challenges including attachment issues and supporting families experiencing relationship and communication challenges. Her other areas of special interest include eating disorders and addictions. We asked her some questions about the issue of gaslighting, here were her responses.
What is gaslighting?
Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse which can be devastating for the victim. Gaslighting is hugely manipulative and leaves a person questioning their
attempt to invalidate that victim’s feelings and makes them feel they are making a big deal about nothing. Gaslighting is best summed up as a toxic relationship.
What are the consequences for the victim if they are gaslit?
Being a victim of a gaslighter can erode a person’s trust in themselves and it makes them forget what they once valued about themselves. It can essentially strip a person’s sense of identity due to constant self-doubt and confusion. Being a victim of gaslighting can have a real impact on your mental health (e.g., trauma, anxiety and depression). Also, some victims become so dependent on their abuser that they suffer feelings of isolation from their peers and family.
Can gaslighting happen in relationships?
It can happen in all relationships, intimate relationships, professional relationships, and friendships. However, it is most common in romantic relationships.
Why do people gas light? Is it about power?
Good question! Manipulative people who engage and participate in gaslighting do so to attain power over their victims for two reasons. Either they simply derive warped gratification from the act, or they wish to control their victim emotionally, physically or financially. It is important to note that manipulation is a key feature of gaslighting, but it is not just manipulation, the behaviour isn’t just about influencing someone, it is about controlling them.
Can gaslighting happen in journalism or politics?
Gaslighting can happen in any form of relationship; professional or personal.
What should someone do if they think they are being gaslit?
The very first thing to do is identify the problem because recognising it is the first step. It’s really important to reach out if
When you begin questioning yourself such as posing questions like; Am I being too sensitive? Am I overreacting? Did I really see that? That is when you know there is a problem. How does someone know they are being gaslit?
There are many signs of gaslighting which may be easier for others to spot than yourCllr. Clodagh Higgins, Fine Gael self. It is important to learn to spot the courtesy of clodaghhiggins.ie signs and shut them down because you are minimising the psychological impact own reality, perception and indeed, sanity. by doing so. Campaigns have definitely Typically, it begins at a gradual pace and raised awareness around Gaslighting and as a result, victims do not recognise it, for Coercive Control and it is great to see polwhat it is, and this is what helps the abuser icy and legislation evolve to help minimise to gain control over their victim’s life and this behaviour. isolate them from others. Seeing a normally confident person Working with families, I see first-hand become more anxious and less confident examples of gaslighting regularly. Under- is one of the key signs. When you begin mining a partner’s emotions and feelings questioning yourself such as posing in a way that denies their reality is a com- questions like; Am I being too sensitive? mon example. This can be seen when a Am I overreacting? Did I really see that? partner does something abusive and then That is when you know there is a problem. denied it ever happened which causes a However, the victim is usually the last victim to question whether it happened or person to see it as they continuously not. Another example is if the perpetrator make excuses for their partner’s behavof gaslighting tells their partner they are iour and say things such as “sure it’s just too sensitive if they get upset. This is an our banter.”
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you feel you are a victim of gaslighting. Call a domestic abuse helpline to get advice. Tell your doctor, friends, and family because the more people know, the more they can help you. And you need that support because leaving a gaslighter is difficult because they may try and lure their partner back with positive reinforcement. Having compassion for yourself is so important because recovery from gaslighting may take some time because in most instances gaslighting may have taken place for a period of months, years or even decades. Victims will need some time and numerous approaches to rebuild their sense of self after being a victim of gaslighting.
Is gaslighting now a criminal offence in Ireland?
Coercive control has been a criminal offence since 2019 and sometimes gaslighting fits within this description.
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Health & Lifestyle · Folláine 7 Nós Maireachtála
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Study tips for this December By Alice O’Donnell
Set goals
I think this is the most important study tip out there. Setting goals is a crucial element for staying driven and on track with your coursework. Every night I try to write down a bullet list of everything I want to get done, so from the moment I wake up, I can structure my day depending on how busy it is. I don’t know why, but the immense feeling of satisfaction at getting to cross off another item on your to-do list is unrivalled. Even just setting small goals, like attending my lectures or doing a clothes wash, keeps me focused and gives me something to work towards throughout the day.
Reward yourself
Speaking of setting goals, it’s also important to reward yourself once you can tick off another item on your to-do list. It might be ten minutes on TikTok for reading an academic paper or getting takeout for submitting an essay. Either way, I find the thought of a tangible goal (beyond the whole get-good-grades vibe) really motivates me to study and to be able to tick another item off my to-do list.
Keep track of assignments
Really, is there anything that makes nightmare-fuel better than the thought of realising you have an essay due the night before it’s to be submitted? The thought alone of that panic keeps me checking my calendar every few days to make sure I haven’t missed an assignment. I think keeping a note of every assignment as soon as you get them is a really great idea. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy; I just type mine into my calendar on my phone.
Overall health
The benefits of keeping healthy while at college cannot be underestimated. Tiny changes in a lifestyle can have a big overall impact – even something as simple as walking to campus instead of taking the bus. I find if I don’t exercise regularly in a week, I’ll end up feeling lethargic. Similarly, that one time I existed on cinnamon rolls for four days (not a good move granted, but when I tell you they were so good). I didn’t get a single jot of substantial work done. After the first sugar rush, I ended up just feeling lazy and tired.
“I don’t know why, but the immense feeling of satisfaction at getting
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to cross off another item on your to-do list is unrivalled. Sleep
Possibly the easiest study tip out there – sleep. I find if I don’t get enough sleep, I can rarely study to my best ability. My focus and concentration are shot, and I usually end up scrolling through my phone for way longer than I actually spend studying. Getting those eight hours of zzzs is so beneficial. I always think I end up saving time by getting a night of good sleep because the next day I can study without having to take a nap.
Cainte
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Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
Agallamh Quickfire le Clíodhna Ní Dhufaigh le Áine Ní Dhonnaile Tá mé ar ais an tseachtain seo le hagallaí nua – Clíodhna Ní Dhufaigh! Is as contae Lú di ó dhúchas agus tá obair na gcapall déanta aici le Conradh na Gaeilge agus mar 1/8 de na Gael Gals fosta, le podchraoladh iontach atá ar fáil ar Raidió Rí-Rá! Labhair Clíodhna liom faoin obair s’aici ar Imeall Geal agus Opry an lúir, an grá atá aici bheith ag snámh, agus Barack Obama Plaza!!
Déan cur síos ort féin i 5 fhocal. Giodamach, díograiseach, ceanndána, gealgháireach, cabhrach An bhfuil leasainm agat? Clí an ceann is coitianta atá agam anois, ach chuireadh mo Mham ‘Clíodhna Beena’ nó ‘Clí-ny Beeny’ orm agus mé óg. Céad phost a bhí agat? Bhí mé mar ‘runner’ le comhlacht teilifíse nuair a bhí mé ar scoil agus an ollscoil. D’oibrigh mé ar ‘Imeall Geal’ agus ‘Opry an Iúir’ so bhuail mé le roinnt ceoltóirí ar nós Daniel O’Donnell, Nathan Carter, Una Healy, The Coronas agus basically aon duine a bhíonns ar an eagrán ceol tíre den Late Late lol. Ceol ar bith atá ‘on repeat’ agat faoi láthair? Taylor Swift agus Adele cé go bhfuilim i gcaidreamh fad-théarmach ach ligim orm go bhfuil mo chailín tar éis éagóir a dhéanamh orm. Comhairle is fearr a fuair tú riamh? Just focain déan é. Céad cheolchoirm ar fhreastail tú uirthi? Pink san RDS i 2009! Cad é a chuireann eagla ort? Tá an ghráin agam ar dhamháin alla agus bhíodh eagla an domhain orm roimh an bhfarraige ach thosaigh mé ag snámh le linn na dianghlasála agus is breá liom é anois!
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Sport · Spóirt
NUIG Mystics stroll to fourth victory in five games By Darren Casserly The NUIG Mystics have continued their great start to their women’s nation league division 1 basketball season overcoming the Phoenix Rockets with a score of 82 – 50. This win coming after their first loss of the season against the unbeaten Ulster University in a narrow 77 – 74 loss. The Mystics dominated from the first whistle only allowing the Rockets 5 points in the opening quarter. This impressive defence along with Phoenix’s inability to rebound the ball led to a comfortable led by the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was a much more even affair with the rockets finding their shot and were able to cut the lead to only 9 points. Some poor discipline by the Mystics along with a decent display from the rockets at the free throw line kept them in the game. In the third quarter NUIG Mystics looked like a team on a mission and with some stellar shooting from Hazel Finn, Alison Blaney and Sarah Messler the game as a contest was over midway through the third quarter. The suffocating defence by the Mystics also helped balloon the lead to more than 20 points by the close of the third quarter. The Rockets inability to get any rebounds continued to cause problems for them. It is not the first time this season we have seen the Mystics play some outstanding defence with them keeping the Marble city Hawks to just 31 points in their opening game this season. If this were a boxing match it would have been stopped long before the end of the fourth quarter as the Mystics showed no signs of relenting and extending the lead to 30 points. It was a fast-paced game where the Mystics were able to score at will on the fast break again thanks to their excellent defence that was able to dominate in the rebound category and pile up the steals. The Mystics were at a different level and look to be a super league team already. It was a stellar display from a team that looks destined to return to the Women’s Super league next year if head coach Paul O’Brien can keep up this team’s level of performance. Their next home game will be a national cup quarter final against the Portlaoise Panthers in Claregalway Secondary School at 2 pm on Saturday the 4th of December.
OPINION
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Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
GAA need compensation from AFL for players By Darren Casserly
Sports Editor
Oisin Mullin is the last in a long line of GAA players to make the jump to Aussie rules. I think that it is a jump that for the majority of players does not work out. So, you would have to ask yourself why do AFL teams keep going after these players? The answer for me is that they’re cheap to get, a low-risk, high reward situation. If there was a fee that these AFL teams had to pay not only would it compensate counties losing their best players, but it would also deter teams for going for players who they have less faith in. I know the argument against this is that it goes against the amateur nature of the game, but at this point for the bigger counties the sport is about as amateur as the Premier league. Not only is the success rate of these players that go over there very low, many of the players that return never return to the players they were before, the likes of Tommy Walsh who was an all-star before he switched sports and by the time he returned in his mid-20s he was arguably never the same player again. Of the more than 50 players who have gone over and signed a contract with an AFL team only 8 have managed to get 50 or more appearances which would equal only just over two
seasons. While the impact these players have had on these AFL teams have been minimal in most cases, they have been devastating for many counties who lost years on players they could have built a team around. Even for those players for who it does not work out for, they waste years in development squads learning the rules to a game that is only somewhat similar to our own. The recent rule change to give rookies a fourth year has been added recently which can only exacerbated this problem. Many of these Irish players going over there are 18 – 21-year old’s and may be 24 or 25 when they return if it does not go well for them. Kerry under 20 all-Ireland winner Stefan Okunbor who recently returned from the AFL after three injury hit years is now 23 restarting his GAA career. So, not only will counties be losing players who are successful over there, they are also losing four years of players careers who would have played for them but instead were wasted in development teams in the AFL. Based on all of this, I think the GAA need to start putting in a fee for these players to protect against this. Ireland cannot continue to be seen as a place to take a cheap punt on a player and leave counties empty handed, all the while wasting years of players careers who will not accomplish anything over there.
Oisín Mullin of Mayo during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Mayo and Tyrone at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
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Sport · Spóirt
OPINION
36
This Irish team has its bite back after Euro Qualifiers By Ian Casserly
There’s a saying you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Ireland’s football team of the past few years embodied a dog half deaf with a limp leg. Our condition could be attributed to our obsession with consistently looking at the past to guide us to the future. Abject failures in recent qualification campaigns alongside the barrage of criticism of the team instilled in us a sense of pessimism over our national side. Us, the same nation who once sat 6th in the FIFA World rankings would just have to accept mediocre results and football. Not even the dog whisperer could teach us. This approach has led us to countless national embarrassments such as the hammerings in Euro 2012 and the pathetic playoff defeat to the Danes in 2017. On a lesser note, Ireland’s match in Tbilisi in 2017 where they only managed 214 passes compared to Georgia’s 621 passes encompasses this abjectness. Albeit, as the Dalia Lama famously said, change must come from within and with the events in Gibraltar in 2019, the tectonic plates of Irish football started to rupture. In Gibraltar, the FAI’s CEO whose dealings have been laid bare in great detail was ousted from his position and so began Ireland’s cultural revolution. Since taking the reins in April 2020 it’s fair to say it’s not been all plain sailing in the Stephen Kenny era. Whilst COVID-19 caused major problems with the initial Nations League campaign, a more worrying outbreak was found within the national press as the fear of change infected many talking heads.
OPINION
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
On the surface our performance in sown all the way back in the nations the 2nd tier of the Nations League where league. Notable draws against Portugal our only goal came from a set piece, and Serbia could and should have been and we only staved off relegation by a converted into wins. Meanwhile clinical point could be considered dreadful. On performances against Azerbaijan, Qatar a wider scale this campaign should be and Luxembourg showed a ruthless Irish seen as the sowing of seeds for a cultural side not seen in decades. Callum Robrevolution. inson’s 39 pass goal against Qatar was Debuts and increased play time close to Ireland’s 79 total passes in the for Adam Idah, Jason Knight and Josh first half in the infamous Tbilisi game Cullen amongst others outlined the 4 years ago. emphasis Kenny had for promoting and Further players in the form of playing the new generation of Irish play- Chiedozie Ogbene, Gavin Bazunu and ers. These players, unfazed by the labels Andrew Omobamidele have found form placed on the Irish teams of the past, got at international level where previous crucial exposure to the international managers might not have even considgame within these meaningless games. ered calling them up. Whilst the results were far from ideal As we wound up the qualifying group with 3 draws and 3 losses, the transition with a streak of 6 matches unbeaten to a new international team culture was with 4 clean sheets and 12 goals in those never going to be easy. matches, Kenny is finally getting vinAlbeit this was not alright for the con- dication for his transformative efforts. ditioned ex-internationals who abruptly Whilst we should not get carried away called for normal service to resume by these results, the groundwork has immediately. Ireland players passing the been set that’s revolutionized the Irish ball more than once? Having a player style of play and turned us into a more under the age of 24 playing? Hold your defensively solid, expansive team who drink. We don’t do that around here. can play a number of separate ways. Their armour was enamoured by our Whilst still allowing for some context rocky start to our 2022 World Cup cam- against Portugal, they were able to bring paign. Narrow defeats against higher on Atletico Madrid’s 126 million euro seeded Serbian and Portuguese outfits signing Joao Felix whilst we were able were understandable whilst draws with to call upon Wigan Athletics’ Will Keane. lowly Azerbaijan and Qatar were disapWhilst comments from Luxembourg’s pointing, but a loss to Luxembourg gave manager Luc Holtz about a “British style Ireland its biggest football debate since of play” would have been a complement Saipan. to the turgid Irish teams of the past, SteStick or Twist. New vs Old. Light vs phen Kenny’s offense to the comment Darkness. showed we are not the Irish teams of The second half of the qualifying the past but a new modern Irish team. campaign began to reap the seeds This dog is learning how to bark.
Ireland have shown they can win the Rugby World Cup By Darren Casserly
tackle and pulling them all over the place. say probable not. Johnny Sexton is still It was hard for New Zealand to hide their Irelands best Fly-Half at 36 with no one If I had written this article directly after exhaustion for much of the game, mak- looking next in line, will a 37-year-old SexIreland’s outstanding victory against New ing them cover every blade of grass on ton be starting for us in France in 2023? Zealand I would be saying that anything the pitch. You would have to hope not. other than a semi-final finish for this The aspect of the match which was Even saying this, there is still a huge Irish team in the World Cup would be a most surprising for many fans is that amount of talent in this squad that will failure. Unfortunately, New Zealand’s loss unlike in pretty much all of Ireland’s vic- just be coming into their primes at the to France following that game show that tories over New Zealand they did not play World Cup and other young players will it may be more of a New Zealand prob- a perfect game, they made mistakes and most likely be part of the team. lem than an Irish team finally getting it were still able to win. There has been huge Of course, all of this talk will be moot as all together. improvement in this Irish team since the thing people forget was the previous In the France game, New Zealand Andy Farrell has come in and look to be game between these two sides ended in a looked very much like a team that has as good as they were at their best under World Cup quarter final drubbing in the been on tour for far too long and while Joe Schmidt. favour of the All blacks. We have managed it certainly is the case it does not mean The one concern that I have for this to overcome them when there is nothing that Ireland were unimpressive in their Irish team is will they be able to sustain on the line and the next step is to do it victory, the opposite is true really. this level of performance up to the 2023 when the pressures on and then we will Ireland tired out this New Zealand World Cup which is now just under know if Ireland have turned the tide in team, forcing them to make tackle after two years away and you would have to this rivalry.
OPINION
Vol. 23 #06 30 Nov. 2021
2021 sports year in review
Sport · Spóirt
37
From Left to Right, Top to Bottom – Olympic Rowers Emily Hegarty, Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, Giuseppe De Vita and Fiona Murtagh. Photo courtesy of Fiona Murtagh
By Darren Casserly 2021 was a year like no other, except for 2020, with the start of the year being very barren in every aspect including sports. With Covid-19 disrupting much of the sporting calendar for the past two years we got Euro 2020 in 2021 and the Olympics in 2021 also. The biggest change for sports, particularly early in the year was the ban on fans attending games which was one of the oddest experiences, watching the likes of the Premier League and Six Nations without anything other than the sounds of the teams playing took away from the experience. The joy of beating England in the Aviva really wasn’t the same. 2021 was the year where we were able to see the importance of fans at these games and events, the atmosphere they add to any event. You could see this when they let fans back into Premier league games and subsequently Euro 2020, these sports are not the same without the fans, and in England’s case it might have done their reputation good if no fans were allowed. The Olympics felt more or less the same as the last one with plenty of Irish involvement particularly in the rowing and boxing in which we emerged with a gold and bronze in each. The Olympics as a whole was overshadowed by the Covid protocols and the lack of stadium atmosphere really dampened the big events, but there is nothing better in sport than welcoming back victories Olympians and other than this nothing else matters. Closer to home the GAA season was completely turned upside down after the All-Ireland football final in December of last year. No fixtures even took place until June, but the shortened version provided for some thrilling games, most notably the All-Ireland football semi-final games which will go down in the history books as classics. The unintended consequences of this was that the Club championship is still going on and won’t be finished until next February. The last two years of the sporting calendar have had to be drawn and redrawn several times and it won’t be back to its normal schedule for a few years. All in all, there have a lot of memorable moments from the last year in sport, from Mayo toppling the mighty Dublin to Ireland dominating the All Blacks it will be a year remembered for more than just Covid, even if it has overshadowed everything that has happened for the last two years.
14 August 2021; Pádraig O'Hora of Mayo celebrates with his children Caiden and Mila-Rae after his side's victory over Dublin in their GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final match at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
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