SIN Vol. 24 Issue 05

Coldvember sees students swim in freezing sea for Galway Rape Crisis Centre

By Valerie McHugh

The annual Coldvember challenge, which sees students swim in the sea every day in November to raise money for charity, has gotten under way.

Crowds of people are joining the event, with many arriving to Blackrock Diving Tower in Salthill at dawn each morning to immerse themselves in the cold water.

People taking part are asked to also donate money to the Galway Rape Crisis Centre, this year’s Coldvember charity, which supports survivors of sexual abuse and their friends and families.

Co-organiser Eoin Hernon praised the work of the GRCC, and stating the team were honoured to be supporting the char ity for the second year in a row.

“Last year, the money raised from Cold vember went to the Galway Rape Crisis Centre too. The services they provide are well-needed. They have therapy and legal sessions and they are so brilliant. We can’t thank the girls and the guys down at the centre enough.”

He also praised the physical and mental health benefits that Coldvember partic ipants can gain by getting up early and joining the crew in the water.

“It’s a fantastic way to begin the day. We have music going and a beautiful sunrise, and it’s just a great way to start the morning with your friends. It’s great to get out into the water, while raising money for a great cause at the same time.”

Third year Engineering student Aideen Murnihan said she is delighted to get involved in the challenge, and said the water was not as cold as she expected it to be.

“I thought it was going to be way colder, but thankfully I wrapped up in loads of layers! I’d say the water was a ‘cold level’ of eight out of ten.”

Joined by her friend Alisha Tobin, both girls said that the atmosphere at Coldvem ber was a huge incentive.

“I think everybody is kind of dreading it at the start, but then once you get in, and the music is playing, everyone is just really happy.”

The charity event is run solely by Uni versity of Galway students, and is getting underway for the fifth year in a row.

This year’s organisers also headed the team in 2021, where they helped raise €21,400 for the Galway Rape Crisis Centre.

“It’s a fantastic way to begin the day. We have music going and a beautiful sunrise, and it’s just a great way to start the morning with your friends. It’s great to get out into the water, while raising money for a great cause at the same time.”

Photo via The Coldvember Team

Editorial

By Valerie McHugh Editor

It’s issue 5, and I am in awe. How did the year fly by so quickly? Another fantastic read awaits you, and a very special word of thanks goes to all the amazing writers who submitted this time around. There’s a few new by-lines which is amazing; it’s great to see people enjoying writing for our newspaper. A particular word of gratitude goes to the Deputy Editor Darragh Nolan for putting so much work into this issue, and to our friend Seán Lyons for helping us out with the content.

Coldvember takes the front page for this issue, and it couldn’t go to a better cause or group of people. All of the guys organising the event this year are inspirations, and I hope that they get the turnout they deserve this year. If the crowds to date are anything to go by, I am sure that this year’s charity collection will match last year’s!

In our usual housekeeping, if you would like to get involved with SIN, make sure to email deputy.sineditor@gmail.com for more information. You can find us over on Instagram and Twitter too, where you can follow everything we get up to too. We’d love to hear from you, so do get in touch!

For now, here is issue 5, please enjoy the read!

Cost of Irish healthcare prevents some from seeking medical treatment

By Syakira Nazri

November is Global Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and the Irish Cancer Society has organised efforts to inform on identifying the early symptoms of lung cancer with a free Lung Health Roadshow.

This has come about as a result of recent findings from a survey by Core Research that shows 1 in 5 people say that the cost of a visit to the GP prevents them from having symptoms checked.

GP visits generally range from €45 to €65 depending on where you live, a cost with pro found impact as personal finances decline into the later months as a result of heating and energy costs, and end-of-year bills roll around.

The Lung Health Roadshow takes place in shopping centres across Ireland and are in the form of nurse-led pop-up clinics.

A study by BMJ reported approximately ten percent increased risk of death for every month of delayed cancer treatment which further highlights the importance of early diagnosis.

The issue of cost coming between patients and treatment is a tragic one most poignantly illustrated in the United States. It points to a wider problem of today’s patients needing to decide between dealing with the medical or financial side of illness treatment.

‘No Patient Left Behind’ is an American organisation that work to help patients who cannot afford their medications. Many people who are diagnosed with cancer in America who are underinsured or uninsured find themselves in deep financial trouble. For drugs with no generic equivalents, prices can also skyrocket, to the point that patients who cannot afford them skip doses or don’t get treatment at all.

Such cases have led to a rise in buying medications from foreign pharmacies because they can be significantly cheaper, even with Medicaid or Medicare. This method is technically illegal, although the state rarely intervenes in this.

A legal option for Americans who can’t fully pay for their treatment is the existence of drug assistance programmes. They are run by major biopharmaceutical companies such as Genentech and AstraZeneca. There are conditions to qualification, however – such as being on Medicare.

Alcohol linked to stroke risk, University-led study finds

By Steven Fox

A global study has found that high and moderate alcohol consumption was asso ciated with increased risk of stroke.

The INTERSTROKE study, co-led by University of Galway, gathered data from almost 26,000 people across 27 countries, from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and cardiovascular risk profiles.

“Overall, our findings indicate that high and moderate intakes of alcohols were associated with increased odds of stroke, while we found no convincing link between low intake and stroke,” said Pro fessor Andrew Smyth, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Galway.

An important feature of the report was its analysis of the socio-economic condi tions behind the data gathered.

“The effects of alcohol intake are complex as they are linked with socio economic factors such as education and many lifestyle factors including smok ing, diet and physical activity,” Professor Smith added.

The type of alcohol consumed was also examined. Predominant beer consump tion was linked with a 21 per cent increase in stroke risk but this jumped to 73 per cent for an intracerebral haemorrhage (a stroke caused by internal bleeding).

By contrast, wine consumption was not linked with risk of stroke, with no increase or decrease. This might reflect a difference in risk based on the type of alcohol, or a difference in the social context of con sumption of wine as opposed to beer.

The type of drinking was very impor tant. Overall, binge drinking resulted in a much higher risk of stroke than lower level but more consistent drinking. For instance, seven drinks on one night posed more risk than one drink a night for seven nights.

Professor Martin O’Donnell, Professor of Neurovascular Medicine at University of Galway, co-led the study.

Professor O’Donnell said that “stroke is a leading cause of death and disability globally. In Ireland, approximately 7,500 people have a stroke, and around 2,000 of these people die. An estimated 30,000 people in Ireland live with disabilities as a result of stroke”.

The INTERSTROKE study stands out for the diversity of its participants said Professor Michelle Canavan, Established Professor of Older Adult Health.

“Most previous research was completed in high-income countries, with limited cultural diversity whereas the global INTERSTROKE study took a different approach by including participants from high, middle and lower

income countries with varying levels of education and cardiovascular risk profiles”.

Based on the data gathered they suggest that “targeted interventions to manage high intake at population level may help reduce stroke risk particularly for males in these regions who are more likely to binge drink”.

INTERSTROKE aims to inform approaches to population-level prevention of stroke. It has been published in Neurol ogy, the world’s most widely circulated and cited neurology journal.

Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels

Photo by Chaosheng Zhang

The type of drinking was very important. Overall, binge drinking resulted in a much higher risk of stroke than lower level but more consistent drinking.”

Training aims to support women entering local politics

By Steven Fox

New training programmes have been launched to tackle the low level of women in local government.

Women for Election, a Dublin-based training company, has launched its new training calendar to help attract and support women in entering and succeeding in local politics.

The push is aiming to increase involvement across the county in advance of the 2024 local authority elections.

The training events are being held nationwide and offer both in-person and online options.

Courses include ‘Introduction to Politics’, which covers the local political structure, the INSPIRE Campaign School, which covers confidence, communications and campaigning, and the EQUIP Campaign Programme, intensive training for women who are get ting ready to run for election or manage another women’s campaign.

The trainings on offer are designed to help address some of the barriers to women accessing politics, and feature trainers such as Orlaith Carmody, co-founder of Gavin Duffy and Associ ates and Margaret E Ward, CEO Clear Ink and Broadly Speaking.

Catríona Gleeson, CEO of Women for Election said that “while May 2024 seem far away for many of us, for anyone considering running for Local Elections, now is the time to get involved.

“Our trainings are aimed for every woman, whether they want to find out more about politics, support a woman to run, explore what it means to run, or re-run for election, we have something for everybody”.

Currently in Galway only seven women sit on the Galway County Council out of a possible 39 (18 per cent).

In the city only five out of eighteen councillors are women (28 per cent).

“We know that women are so involved across community groups and leadership roles in Galway, yet the number of women involved at decision making tables doesn’t reflect that,” Gleeson said of the figures.

“Nationally, women make up only 26 per cent of Councillors […] It is critical that women’s voices are represented at all levels of decision making. With the Local Elections approaching in 2024 now is the ideal time to get involved in politics and put your name forward to represent your community. Women for

Election is here to support that journey,” she added.

Most of the trainings being offered are free but for any that do have a cost attached bursaries and concessionary rates are available in an effort to prevent cost being a barrier to access.

Photo by Lindsey LaMont on Unsplash

Shannon Airport and Ireland West Airport crowned winners of Age Friendly Transport Award

On Friday 28 October 2022 in Dro moland Castle, Ireland West Airport and Shannon Airport were crowned joint winners of the Age Friendly Transport Awards at the National Age Friendly Ireland Awards last night.

Ireland West Airport and Shannon Airport were the first airports to be recognised as Age Friendly which was endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The airports won best in their cat egory as both places exhibited the availability to good quality, easily accessible, user friendly and reliable transport options for the older person.

Additional projects shortlisted under the Transport category was TFI Local Link Kerry for delivering public and community transport services and TFI Local Link Mayo for their Covid-19 Community Response.

Mary Considine, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group said, “Earlier this year, we were honoured, along with our friends at Ireland West Airport, to be recognised and endorsed by the WHO, as the first Age Friendly airports in the world.”

Considine said that Shannon Air port “understand how much it means to our older community to be able to get to where they want to go, when they want to go.”

Mary comments on how the devel opments in Irelands infrastructure is making travelling more “accessible and user friendly for all ages.”

The initiatives that have been implemented by Shannon Airport which Mary Considine mentions like “designated age-friendly parking, better and bigger signage, putting a cover over our walkways to shield passengers from the rain, wind, or even the hot sun as they journey to and from an aircraft.”

The airports main priority is to have an open welcome and offer people the feeling of safety.

“It’s wonderful to have won this award and I want to congratulate all of the award winners from across the categories and thank our team for their commitment to this fantastic initiative.”

The UrbanLab Galway teamed up with the Galway International Arts Festival to bring Luke Jerram’s Mars exhibition to Persse’s Plaza on Nuns’ Island to inspire people to

University project tackling development issues in West

By Steven Fox

Key local and developmental issues in Galway and the west of Ireland are being tackled in a new EU project involving University of Galway.

The project, IN SITU – Place-based inno vation of cultural and creative industries in non-urban areas, will run over four years.

Public input is being sought to increase the capacity of cultural and creative industries to act as drivers of innovation, competitiveness, and sustainability in their local region.

Dr Pat Collins, University of Galway, the project’s Principal Investigator said, “At the core of this project is a recognition that culture and creativity exist everywhere […] “What we are looking at here is how we can use culture and creativity as a legit imate developmental tool for places like the west of Ireland”.

University of Galway is recruiting pub licly engaged researchers for the project. The intention is to commence interesting conversations about key local development issues facing Galway and the west and high lighting the past and future roles of culture and creativity in addressing placemaking.

“Beyond the research aspect, there is an important practical element to this project. We will be inviting members of the public and local creatives to join with us in looking at how culture can help us address some key issues at the local level in the west of Ireland”.

Last summer UrbanLab teamed up with the Galway International Arts Festival to bring Luke Jerram’s Mars exhibition to Persse’s Plaza on Nuns’ Island to inspire the people of Galway to consider new uses for the old distillery.

The IN SITU consortium spans 13 insti tutional partners in 12 countries and is accompanied by a number of partners in Europe and further afield.

The project interlinks research and practice through place-based hubs for networking, capacity building, and mon itoring case studies in six regions across Europe, in Ireland, Portugal, Iceland, Fin land, Latvia, and Croatia.

The project has been granted four mil lion euro in funding from the European Commission under the Horizon Europe programme. It is being coordinated by the Centre for Social Studies at the University of Coimbra in Portugal.

consider new uses for the old distillery.

The Movember Movement

By Rachel Garvey

The month of November is a crucial time for the Movember charity as men across the country take part in the process of growing a moustache, the two first let ters cleverly merging with the letters in November to form the word Movember. Many people who have no knowledge of the event often ask ‘why do men take part in such a cause?’

The answer being that they take part to raise awareness for men’s mental health and other health issues relating to prostate cancer, testicular cancer and suicide; the entire event paying homage to the world of men’s mental health and how impor tant it is to be aware of. The moustache represents “changing the face of men’s health”. Mental health is a crucial thing in our generation, the majority of the popu lation suffering from anxiety or depression or other types of mental illness and there is a big encouragement to talk about your sufferings, to not suffer in silence. When it comes to the males, often times they are struck with comments of Be a man, don’t cry about it, it’s not manly to show your feelings. These comments are creating a negative stigma that needs to be brought an end to. Society needs to banish these comments and openly encourage men to come forward to talk if they need it.

SIN interviewed Ronan O’Neill and asked him a few questions in regard to his participation in the Movember charity.

Q. Why did you choose to take part in it?

A. I’m taking part in it because as a man with mental illness, I’d like to help my fellow person however I can. I also plan to combat toxic masculinity and the stigma against mental health.

Q. Have you taken part in it before?

A. This is my first time taking part in Movember.

Q. What does it mean to you to take part in Movember?

A. My contribution may mean little in the grand scheme of things, but it’s still impor tant to me. Illness to the mind is no less hazardous than wounds or illness to the body and people must know that.

SIN also interviewed Ryian Walsh and asked him the same questions, his response was “I took part in it because it seems like a bit of craic. The styles remind me of the 80s, it’s almost like a throwback, but for a good cause. It’s my first year taking part in this too”.

Hopefully, this inspires men to take part in the cause and to donate to the movement.

Holding out hope

Presenter Chris Sherlock on music, mental health and his latest book outing

By Darragh Nolan

“I see that your wristband says ‘hope’ on it.”

It’s hope that permeates every moment in conversation with radio presenter Chris Sherlock. His story is one of overcoming, one of moving past a childhood marred by bullying to a life lived for telling stories of mental health and recovery.

I explain that my wristband is for Hilinski’s Hope, a charity focused on destigmatising mental illness, especially for young people and athletes.

This knits perfectly with what Chris does, not only for the range of guests he has on his radio show, which broadcasts here on campus from Flirt FM, but also because of the chapter he contributed to Mental Health for Millennials Volume 6.

Entitled ‘My Soundtrack for Hope’, in it Chris outlines how music was an impor tant coping mechanism for him while moving on from the stress and anxiety caused by his experience of bullying.

“A bit of everything really!,” he says of what fills out his playlist, though he encourages readers of his chapter to make their own hopeful soundtrack.

“60s, 70s, 80s, 90s. Whatever was on the radio. We’d be listening to music in the house and anything could pop up on Chris’ jukebox.

“Mental health is everywhere in music. Look at ‘High Hopes’ by Kodaline. Maybe [lead vocalist] Steve Garrigan didn’t know exactly what it represented at the time but it is a hopeful, uplifting song.”

Helen Shapiro’s “Walking Back to Hap piness” is mentioned as another highlight, rather appropriately given Chris’ journey to this point.

His route on to Flirt FM’s airwaves is one typified by perseverance and a refusal to take no for an answer.

His efforts to break into the broadcast world wer en’t successful at the first time of asking.

“I had recorded a demo for another radio station and heard noth ing back, so it mustn’t have been great! But I saw a poster advertising open ings at Flirt FM for presenters and that ended up working out and here I am now.”

Chris is quick to emphasise that while seeking help and support is vital to man aging mental health, it can fall on the individual to pick themselves up and above all, never give up hope.

“I’d say to anyone struggling with anything, be it depression or anxiety or anything else, just try and get out of your comfort zone.

“Sports were never my thing but it could be sports for someone else, exercise does won ders for some people. It was the music and my passion for radio that got me through.”

Chris’ past, though marked by a dark period, has led him to a place and a platform from which he can help others through his radio show, contributions to two volumes of Mental Health for Millen nials and giving talks at schools.

“I never would have thought I’d be called an anti-bullying campaigner. It seems strange to say, but everything happens for a reason and even though what happened to me was so terrible, something positive can come out of it.

“I always say if even one person hears something or reads something that helps them then that’s enough to make a difference.”

He feels that openness and understand ing have grown around mental health over time but that more can always be done to help people in need.

“Over the past three or four years and especially since Covid I think people are talking more. The lockdowns brought a lot of problems for some people and I think that encouraged them to talk and open up about how they’re feeling.

On the stigma surrounding male men tal health, Chris says progress has been made to tackle the issue.

“It’s not just men either, there’s a bit of a stigma for everyone. It’s about men, women, everyone being able to get help and get support,” he says.

Having welcomed guests on to his show with a wide range of conditions from OCD to body dysmorphia, he stresses the impor tance of understanding for wellbeing.

“People can tell their stories and others can hear those stories and maybe say to themselves ‘oh, that sounds like what I’m going through’ and then they can go somewhere to get more information and get the help they need.

“Just being able to put words or put a label to something can make all the difference.”

Mental Health for Millennials Volume 6 is available now from Book Hub Publishing

The first word of Chris Sherlock’s contribution?

Hope.

by Joe Crean Photography

Photo

We wish you a merry Christmas Market

By Rachel Garvey

The gingerbread houses are up, the beer tent is back in action and the terrifying ferris wheel has made its’ way to Eyre Square once again. It’s that time of year when Galway city welcomes back the annual Christmas Market.

This year’s market kicks off on Friday 11th November 2022 until Wednesday 22nd November 2022”. The set times for this year are Monday to Wednesdays 12 noon to 10:00pm and Thursday to Saturdays 10:00am to 10:00pm and Sundays 10:00a to 8pm. The locals of Galway are encouraged to mark it on their calendars as the market arrives with their return of Christmas spirit and all things sugar and spice. The food stalls and hand-crafted items are coming back to add colour and taste to Eyre Square, not to mention the lights and small Christmas displays.

Marie Moynihan Lee, one of the producers of Milestone Inven tive said: “We are delighted that the Annual Christmas Market continues to deliver the spirit of Christmas and record visitor numbers to the city centre each year to the benefit of both traders and the retail and hospitality sectors. The positive economic impact of the market to the city is huge, with thousands of Irish visitors and shoppers coming to Galway for the event.

“Our research consistently shows that every €1 spent in the market, a further €3 is spent in local shops, bars and restaurants”. It’s a rarity that locals notice the change the market brings to the city each year in regards to business’s both big and small creating a small profit in their revenue. A lot of comments surface around the market each year with people thinking that it’s the same thing as every year previous, but locals should really be thinking of the happiness and how a lot of the stall owners depend on this income to pay their bills and keep their stalls open.

That’s what the Christmas Market is about; happiness, joy, spreading Christmas spirit. Personally, a big deal is made out of it in my household with the entire family and my partner going in to the market together and having a look around at all the dazzling lights and tasting the amazing variety of delicious crepes and foods they have. In regards to previous years, we can see the return of various food stalls which include traditional crepes with Nutella, Irish hand-made fudge, German Bratwurst and other confectionaries from over a dozen traders and for those with a thirst in their veins, the traditional mulled wine will be back along with beer served in steins from the popular Bier Keller. The other stalls will hold hand-made crafts and tools; they’ll make the perfect and most unique Christmas gift for someone.

We also can say a big hello to the return of the traditional carousel and the thirsty-two metre big wheel where you can see a spectacular view from the top of the entire market and the lights that trail down Shop Street to the Latin Quarter. It is the best time of year as November acts as the preparation month for Christmas time and what better way to get into the mood of it all by going to the Christmas Market. As a Galway local, I wish them the best of luck and I’m sure all of us are eagerly waiting to see them open their doors to us as we have opened Eyre Square to them.

PRESIDENTIAL

Photo courtesy of christmasmarketgalway on Instagram

The Life, Death and Legacy of Eve Cleary

By Valerie McHugh

It was 16 minutes past 11pm one sum mer night and Eve decided to head to bed. Her mother Melanie was brush ing her hair in the mirror where she caught Eve’s gaze.

“I love you, Mam. I’ll see you in the morning.” It had been a long day, and Eve said she was tired.

“I love you too,” Melanie said. Both went their separate ways to get ready

morning, she started to get worried about the intense pain in her calf.

Melanie remembers her daughter saying concerns were beginning to be raised about her leg. “The back of her leg was really hard, and she men tioned having pins and needles in it. So, they did scans on it.”

Looking back now her mother Mela nie says: “I don’t know why but a blood clot never entered my mind, I’ve wres tled with this for three years now. It

blood clot?” Eve herself had risk fac tors; she was using the contraceptive pill, she smoked, and there was a his tory of blood clots in her family. She had also injured her ankle a couple of days before her death.

Thrombosis Ireland have compiled an extensive list of risk factors that any person could fall in to, which also include having Covid-19 in the last 12 months. Travelling for six hours on any form of transport without mov

for bed, unaware of the horror that lay ahead.

Eve died less than three hours later. She was 21 years old.

Eve had died suddenly from a blood clot which caused her to go into cardiac arrest.

Two years on, Melanie has joined Thrombosis Ireland to tell her daugh ter’s story.

She hopes that sharing Eve’s tragic story will help save someone else’s loved one and prevent any other family from suffering this tragic loss.

Melanie says: “I remember she had fallen on her way to the car, and when we went to pick her up, she was cry ing and she was really upset. It was torrential rain and her clothes were soaked. So, we brought her home and helped her get changed, but she couldn’t bear any weight on the foot at all.”

Eve’s boyfriend brought her to the hospital to get her leg checked out, and in the early hours of the next

didn’t enter my head; I thought a bone might be broken. Her leg was so angry looking, I remember describing it as a Christmas ham, because that’s exactly what it looked like.”

That night, a doctor told Eve that her scans were clear, and that she could go home to rest.

“I remember Eve saying: ‘Are you sure? Because my leg doesn’t feel right.’ But they told her that she just needed to rest it and that she would be okay.”

They wheeled Eve to the front door in a wheelchair and Eve got in the car to go home with her family. Before they reached home Eve insisted on stopping to get some birthday sweets for her sister Emma who had turned 12 that day.

“I told her we would go in and get them for her, but by God she went in herself and got them. When I think of the pain she must have been in.”

Eve’s family were delighted to have her home, and they spent the rest of Emma’s birthday playing X-box together.

This was the last night Eve’s family ever spent with their beloved daughter and sister.

Shortly after going to bed, Eve went into her first cardiac arrest. She was initially revived by her family, and an ambulance was called, but the young woman died a short time later after going into cardiac arrest once again.

Now, Melanie hopes that Eve’s leg acy will help other women know their risk factors and ask, “could this be a

ing also adds to your risk of getting a blood clot, as does spending time in hospital, a cancer diagnosis or having a baby.

Highlighting the importance of self advocation, Patient Founder of Thrombosis Ireland Anne Marie O’Neill says and that people need to be equipped with the skills to recognise when they may be in a risk category and need a Venous Thromboembo lism Risk Assessment..

“Even if you have one of those risk factors, you should always advocate for yourself and say ‘I have one of those risk factors. Can you risk assess me?’ and continue to be vigilant.

Ms O’Neill says people need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of a blood clot; swelling or pain in one arm or leg, warmth or redness in one leg or arm, shortness of breath or rapid breathing. chest pain (particularly when breathing deeply) or coughing/ coughing up blood.

Praising the work of Thrombosis Ireland, Melanie says they are doing “trojan work” to raise awareness on blood clots and the need for VTE assessments. “I want other young women to be very, very aware of the risks,” she says.

“Eve fluttered into my life. I was very honoured to have that. I’d hate to see this ever happen again,” says Melanie.

“When Eve left, I still looked for her for a long time afterwards.

“Now, in town some days, I look and wonder will she be there.”

Melanie hopes that Eve’s legacy will help other women know their risk factors and ask, “could this be a blood clot?” Eve herself had risk factors; she was using the contraceptive pill, she smoked, and there was a history of blood clots in her family. She had also injured her ankle a couple of days before her death.”

Re-location, Re-location, Re-location

By Rachel Garvey

Absence is a thing that I despise, but was one I felt and took part in involuntarily during SIN’s last issue. If there was one thing I missed, it would have been the time I always scrambled together to write an article or the time I spent wracking my brain to come up with great feature ideas, but life has a funny way of throwing you off your path and decisions have to be made. There is a reason why moving house is on the top five things that stress people out; look it up and you’ll be guaranteed to see that fact. One never realises how much stuff they have until they have to start packing it into boxes and suitcases and bin bags. Furniture too; there’s a huge level of gratefulness when your family friend has a large van that can take such big bookcases; lovely IKEA ones that go by the name of Billy.

The housing crisis as well as the cost of living became a struggle that my partner and I thought we could deal with, but we were way in over our heads. Depleting bank accounts and stressing about making ends meet was our daily routine and we prayed every day that there would eventually be a crash in the housing market, but wishes don’t come true that easy. Our small one-bedroom apartment in the city costing €1200 a month seemed do-able at the beginning, but over time you start the realise the financial pressure it puts on you especially when it comes to budgeting; having your income split into various categories including rent money, bills, food expenses and other daily expenses. There is so much pressure put on people of every age today to make all this work, to live, to keep a roof over their heads and a meal on the table.

A decision was made, a deal was struck and hands were shook over a new property in the village of Head ford; a 25km drive from Galway city. I grew up there from the age of nine to twenty before moving back into the city to be with my Nan. Bags were packed, furniture was moved and payments were sorted; a nice drop from €1200 to €925 a month. A re-location, a new job, a new everything, but thankfully one thing stayed the same; my family being just up the town from our new location. The city had to deal with two tenants saying a temporary farewell until things eventually become more afforda ble, but for now we’re focusing on settling in and adjusting to countryside life. There is some thing peaceful about going to sleep and hearing the soft mew of cows and sheep in nearby fields, it certainly wins against the sound of blaring car horns. What would you rather; being woken up by the soft baa of a sheep outside or the loud banging from a bin truck outside your window?

DAILY STUDENT Deals

Photo by Iza Gawrych on Unsplash

The Gaps in Women’s Health Care

By Rachel Garvey

Women have been through a whirlwind of difficulties since the 1930s: men doing the work while women were meant to stay home and do the household chores, patriarchies thinking that women couldn’t do a man’s job, women having to fight for their right to vote, their right to a voice.

Nowadays we have secured our right to vote, our right to work a job that men were only permitted to do back in the day, but women have a different fight nowadays: a fight for their health.

The recent decision in the United States to ban abortion has shocked not just Amer ica, but other nations too, people taking to the streets to protest against the ban. As someone who voted for pro-choice in the abortion referendum in Ireland, I believed that every woman had a right to what hap pens to their body: her body, her choice.

Many women have no choice when it comes to pregnancy because they are a victim of sexual assault or rape and other personal circumstances while others are just not ready to welcome a child into the world yet. There’s the personal side of the matter, but then there’s the danger it could pose to the female body.

Many women suffer when carrying a baby from miscarriage or the fact that their body isn’t healthy enough to carry a baby. Complications can result along the pregnancy path, complications that can be life-threatening to not just the baby, but the mother too. It’s in times of crisis like these where abortion comes in, it could save someone’s life.

If we take a look at what’s happening in Ireland we can see the gaps where women’s health is being overlooked: the ten-year death anniversary of Savita Halappanavar and the recent death of Lynsey Bennett from Longford. There are many other cases too that add to the fact that Ireland needs to pay closer and more careful attention to women’s health.

Ireland needs to do better. We need them to do better. We are placing our trust in those to keep our health and our being alive and at its best level without little to zero complications. When we want to submit a smear test sample, we want to be at ease knowing the sample will be handled with care and looked into for any signs that we should be wary of, for any signs that could be fatal.

We have a battle to fight and to win, don’t be the cause of us losing it. Lastly, we need to know that we are in full control of our bodies. Women have been through too much for someone to make the choice for them, a choice that results in death. It’s our bodies. It’s our choice. We don’t need someone making that choice for us. We are women, we are capable, we know what is best for us. Not you.

“

...the ten-year death anniversary of Savita Halappanavar and the recent death of Lynsey Bennett from Longford. There are many other cases too that add to the fact that Ireland needs to pay closer and more careful attention to women’s health.

Photo by William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cancelling the Culture: Are we losing artistic freedom to outrage?

By Anne-Marie Brennan

Cancel culture. A tool that the internet has used to all extremes. It began with people on Twitter denouncing celebri ties who had committed crimes or held problematic beliefs, such as R Kelly or J.K. Rowling. It then spread through YouTube, where youtubers’ offensive old tweets or videos would resurface, and they would be ultimately ‘cancelled’.

The phenomenon has been controver sial in in of itself – ironic I know. Some people online believe that cancel culture has inhibited our ability to learn and grow from our mistakes, as well as affecting the right to free speech. Others see it as a way to hold influential figures accountable for what they say and do.

Cancel culture isn’t fundamentally bad. At its core it is supposed to limit harmful behaviour and speech on the internet. But like many things online it has been warped and misunderstood: used to cen sor content we simply don’t agree with.

One case of this is Taylor Swift’s new music video for her song Anti-Hero. In the video there is a clip of Swift standing on a

weighing scale and the word ‘fat’ appear ing. This caused outrage on Twitter as many deemed it to be fatphobic which led to the clip being removed from the video completely.

People thought that Swift using the word ‘fat’ to portray negative feelings she’s had with her body image encouraged the idea that being overweight is a bad thing. I understand this viewpoint and agree that we have to change the idea that our selfworth is linked to our weight. Yet was this not Taylor Swift’s intention also?

In the music video it is her alter-ego who views the idea of being fat as nega tive. It’s an exploration of Swift’s personal journey with her body image. If anything, she is criticising her own past mindset and how do we condemn someone for that?

The point of art is to provoke thought, to explore personal feelings, to question ourselves and others. Taylor Swift was simply creating art. How do we cancel art? We can’t begin to remove artwork simply because we don’t agree with it. Even at that, it appears most people who were offended by the video were missing the point of it.

The trick that’s played on consumers

By Rachel Garvey

As consumers in an industry where inflation is on the rise, our expenditure is always being chipped away at until our impulse purchases are laughing at us in their evil way. They know that they’ve tricked us into thinking we need them but they’re just a luxury that we only want.

Goods on sale, merchandising in win dows, big label prices that charm us with a percentage off the final total: all tricks of the trade. But there’s one trick that always remains to catch us out. The worst thing is, we can never dodge this trick or turn our backs on to it, it’s merely just a case of letting it be and saying a prayer to the bank gods.

Here’s what happens: you have the New year starting off in January which brings you all the sales and pre-Valentine stock out, February leads you to Valentine’s Day and pre-St Patrick’s Day stock, March to April holds our St Patrick’s Day and Easter Holiday with Easter eggs hitting the shelves before March.

The months of May, June and July hold summer sales and the Mother’s and Father’s Days fall in between those first six months of the year. August holds the

end of summer sales while September braces us with Halloween stock as well as Christmas stock.

We’re not only getting ready for one holiday, but now two? The quicker the Halloween stock sells, the more Christ mas stock that takes its place on the shelf. Essentially, we’re preparing for one holi day before it begins while just finishing the previous: funny, right?

However, they’re clever in how they do it. When it comes around to September and October time they know that as soon as October 31st dies and goes to the grave for another year it’s straight into Novem ber 1st – which is preparation time for Christmas season.

One particular retailer outlet had nearly their whole Christmas display out and stocked before mid-October even hit the calendar and consumers went crazy buying the stock while the shops small Halloween section was left abandoned.

I love Halloween and Christmas, but I do not stand for Christmas goods being displayed before Halloween. The question I would love to put to consumers is, how would you feel if Halloween was after Christmas, the Halloween goods displayed

One of the things I find most beautiful about artistic freedom – whether it be in writing, music, or artwork – is the artist’s ability to convey an honesty that they may not be able to otherwise. Some of the most private musicians, who stay out of the public eye completely, lay their souls bare in their music: revealing their flaws and mistakes for us to relate to.

Art is an essential part of society, allow ing us to reflect, discuss and grow. It has been a part of our culture for centuries and its contribution to who we are cannot be underestimated. To remove it simply because we don’t agree with it sets a dan gerous precedent. How do we cancel our culture?

more than the Christmas goods? How would that make you feel? One answer: furious.

Retailers will continue to play this dirty little game, but as consumers, we’re simply just trying to enjoy one holiday at a time without the pressure of having to buy for two.

The rules should be set as follows: Sep tember is the month to slowly introduce Halloween stock into shops and by Octo ber people can get what they need for this one approaching holiday for October. As soon as November hits then the Christmas stock can grace the shelves and consumer eyes with its presence.

We live in an economy where goods are being increased. Prices are skyrocketing to the point where we have to draw a line and sadly tell ourselves we can’t afford it this year, so trying to focus on one thing would be nice instead of feeling the pressure to prepare for two things at the one time.

I wonder will this ever change. Or is this strategy going to remain in place for future generations? I don’t have that answer right now, but I know one thing for sure, that being I could never become like a fellow family member of mine who completes her Christmas shopping during the summer months.

Photo by Omid Armin on Unsplash

Big Sleep: Navigating Ireland’s Music Scene as an Independent Band

By Seán Lyons Music Columnist

Ahead of their headliner at Monroe’s on November 19th, Rónán Connolly and Matteo Poli of Dublin indie/rock band Big Sleep sit down to chat about the “DIY ethic”, the Irish gig circuit and the good will of audiences.

“As an artist or musician, your job used to be just to create great music and put on great gigs,” says Big Sleep’s lead singer Rónán. In an ever-evolving music scene where the artist’s role is becoming increasingly mul ti-faceted, he and his bandmates have had to acquire new skills in order to succeed.

“The DIY ethic is the most important thing”, he says. “We’ve learned to not wait around for a promoter to say ‘hey, now it’s your turn’.”

It cannot be denied that the band have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps. Since they began releasing music in 2019, they have accrued tens of thousands of listens on Spotify and toured extensively in Ireland as well as across Europe. This has not come without its stumbling blocks however.

Just two months after the release of their debut single ‘Paint on Cars’ in January 2020, the pandemic hit and the world descended into lockdown. As dreams of touring tem porarily drifted away, Big Sleep were forced to go back to the drawing board.

“We’ve been a band for longer in a pan demic than not. Like everyone, we’ve had to make it work”, says Rónán.

The foursome’s pandemic project and debut EP ‘Feel Something Sunday’ was released in July 2022 as the result of much blood, sweat, tears and Zoom connectivity issues. Reflecting on the pandemic’s role in the conception of the songs on the EP, Rónán says “it was a time for looking at them, taking them completely apart again and putting them back together”.

Big Sleep’s sound is undeniably laid-back and nostalgic. When asked about their influ ences, Rónán and Matteo resolutely cite Angus Stone of Dope Lemon as a musical idol. Chicago band Whitney also get a mention.

Speaking about Whitney, Rónán says, “I love the vocal sounds that they get. They work with trumpet and horn sections as well which to me sounds really unique. We have a bit of trumpet sounds in our stuff so we were pulling from that influence”.

However, they approach the creative pro cess with a sense of open-mindedness and are conscious of not being stylistically pigeonholed. Rónán remarks that they “focus on the songs and take them as they come”.

Matteo, the band’s drummer, moved to Ireland from Italy several years ago to study English and hone his craft as a musician. As the band have made their way around the national gig circuit, he has become enchanted by the comradery on display between different bands.

“It’s not that we compete with each other; it’s more like we are on the same ship. You compete but in a friendly way”, he says.

Over the coming weeks, the band embark on a tour of Ireland with several UK dates thrown in for good measure. For Matteo, the enthusiasm and positivity of Irish audiences is a motivating factor.

“I love the way you can get to the farthest pub in the farthest place in Ireland and people are super up for listening to music. I think there is a great culture here for live music. I like the attitude of people”, he says.

This will not be Big Sleep’s first foray in Galway. Last May, they played at the Cellar Bar. In the lead up to the gig, they made time to become acquainted with the city’s famous busking culture.

“We had a busk down on Shop Street for the day and we made a good day of it. The busking scene in Galway is amazing so it was cool to be a part of it and we’d definitely like to come back”, Rónán says.

The band hope for a warm reception on their return to Galway but if the reaction to their last performance here is anything to go by, they need not worry.

Rónán recalls, “we played a new song that we’d written in the Cellar Bar. One of the lads in the crowd must’ve been a fan because he held up the show for a little bit after we finished that song demanding that we play it again. He wanted the same song back to back. We took it as a compliment obviously. Heckling but as a compliment”.

Big Sleep play Monroe’s on Saturday 19th Novem ber. Support is by Smythy and doors are at 8pm. Tickets at https://monroes.ie/products/big-sleep

Photo provided by Big Sleep

Flirt FM Galway Events Guide

Courtesy of the team at Flirt FM

For inclusion, email info@flirtfm.ie. Times correct at publishing, check before you head out.

Repeating Events

Silent Disco

Every Tuesday and Wednesday at 8PM

@ Róisín Dubh

Silent Disco every Tuesday and Wednes

John Conneely Inc.

Every Sunday at 11PM @ Róisín Dubh

John Conneely Inc. shuffle through musical genres with ease and with a setlist that spans

Thursday 17th November

day at the Róisín Dubh with Ted & gugai playing music you love, music you love to hate and all your guilty pleasures.

She’s Electric Monthly Wednesdays at The Ol ’55

DJ Doolittle’s Indie Disco

Tigh He-He : A pop-up comedy club

Every Thursday at 8pm @ Róisín Dubh

A pop-up comedy club, featuring the very best of Irish stand up comedy Blush

Thursdays at @ Róisín Dubh

Blush is a multi-genre clubnight focused on platforming women, lgbtq+ and non-binary Irish artists and Djs

decades you will hear them performing big band arrangements of Django Reinhardt, Nina Simone and Cab Calloway alongside fresh interpretations of more contemporary songs from the 80’s and 90’s. Featuring some of Galway’s finest musicians the multi-cultural lineup includes Keyboards, Saxophone, Dobro, Flutes along with many guest musicians.

Open Mic Night

Every Sunday at 9PM @ Róisín Dubh Open Mic Night at Róisín Dubh

Christmas Market Beer Tent VIP Ticket Daily 5PM and 8PM @ Christmas Market Beer Tent

This ticket guarantees you entry and a seat for Over 18s only.

Lisa O’Neill

8PM @ Róisín Dubh

Songs From An Open Road present LISA O’NEILL. Lisa has built a reputation for herself on the Irish and international scenes and now has a growing follow ing with her unique folk sound, strong song-writing and distinctive voice. Lisa’s last release on the Rough Trade imprint River Lea, ‘Heard A Long Gone Song’ has garnered huge acclaim both at home and abroad. It was Choice Nominated has a 5/5 star review from the Guardian on release and a coveted ‘Best Folk Album of 2019’ from the same publication.

Enola Gay & Autumns

8PM @ Áras na nGael

It’s going to be a hefty one

Tuesday 22nd November

DJ Doolittle’s Indie Disco

8PM at Áras na nGael

Vaccines, sleaford mods, parquet courts etc.

Friday 25th November

T.A NARRATIVE + CAT TURNER & OWLS

8.30PM @ Áras na nGael

The first in a brand new set of pop up events to be held sporadically by AMM in venues we’ve never used before.

Bridgerton is the cultural reset in Hollywood diversity we all needed

By Syakira Nazri

The stories and careers of minority actors in Hollywood are generally stereotypical and formulaic. A well-rounded, fleshed out character of colour was an almost non-existent thing to be seen in popular TV and media up to the last two decades or so. A lot of work has been done since to humanise and incorporate the nuance of underrepresented people, but we still have a long way to go.

Speaking from personal experience, my earliest recollection of a character of colour I felt I could relate to was Mulan from the 1998 Disney classic. As a child, I was entranced by the magic of being a Disney princess and loved them all in equal measure. The representation of girls of various ethnicities undoubtedly helped me feel more connected to them.

I have always appreciated this aspect of my personal childhood film favourites: most notably, as seen in The Princess and the Frog (2009). Tiana’s strong work ethic, can-do attitude and loving nature made her the role model I aspired to be like

when I was grown-up one day. It’s clear through her influence that positive rep resentation of people of colour in film and media is of great significance to the people who consume said media.

Recent Disney films such as Encanto, Turning Red, Luca and Raya and the Last Dragon have shown a surge in popularity in portraying personas from varying racial backgrounds. A running joke on TikTok has been that Disney has a current interest in capitalising on generational trauma – but in all honesty, I think that these films occasion ally depict the experiences of being a child of colour with surprising accuracy.

Bridgerton is another example of stel lar representation and diversity. As a lover of period-era dramas myself, it was

revolutionary to see someone who looked like me in a show set in the Regency era (think Jane Austen’s Emma and Pride and Prejudice). Simone Ashley (who plays Kate in season two of Bridgerton) tells of how she felt the same: “I never imagined that a woman who looked like me could be a part of one”.

It goes to show how very possible it is to include people of ethnic backgrounds and diverse beauty standards without need ing to change much else about a film’s storyline. In fact, when these characters are simply present but add nothing to the plot of a story or are reduced to merely stereotypical shells, it does more harm than good for the community being represented.

Top to bottom, scenes from: The Princess and the Frog, Encanto, Turning Red, Raya and the Last Dragon.

Five feel-good films to beat the November blues

By Darragh Nolan

It’s that always dreaded time of year: November. Dreary weather, dark evenings, pouring rain.

The rain’s pouring down in Galway and across the country with more regularity each day and temperatures are crawling ever downwards. It’s high-time we filled the evenings with some tried and tested feel-good favourites.

School of Rock (2003)

There’s a certain charm to films based around the relationship between a teacher and their students and few are as uplifting as School of Rock. Jack Black is at his very best (admittedly not the hardest task) as a down-on-his-luck rocker who poses as his substitute teacher (not a temp!) roommate to score a job at a private school.

slightest. She is fiercely authoritative, her command of the role the cornerstone of an overall excellent movie.

and your girlfriend. Maybe I just wasted my days of mitching while the rest of you were driving sports cars and getting the shift…

Nobody made teenage films quite like John Hughes and this is arguably the late director’s finest work. The fourth-wall breaking, the oh-so-satisfying battle between rebel and authority figure and all the youthful exuberance of a Hughes ‘80s classic. Not only a fun-filled movie, but a must-watch classic, period.

Dewey Finn (Black) brings a class of reluctant youths on a rock ‘n’ roll jour ney to Battle of the Bands that features stellar supporting performances from Joan Cusack, Sarah Silverman and the film’s writer Mike White. Non-stop fun with an excellent soundtrack and the novelty of a pre-Nickelodeon Miranda Cosgrove.

Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

Emma Thompson stars opposite Tom Hanks’ Walt Disney as Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers. The film follows the writer through negotiations around the film rights for her book with the media tycoon.

Rife with the warmth and sentimen tality typical of a Disney produced biopic, Saving Mr. Banks balances itself out with themes of loss, healing and Travers’ deep personal attachment to her work.

Hanks puts forward what is surely the defining portrayal of Walt Disney on the big screen to date, but Thompson’s cen tral role does not take a backseat in the

The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)

This indie flick follows Zak (Zack Gottsa gen), a 22-year-old with Down’s Syndrome who leaves his care home behind to pur sue a dream job in professional wrestling. Social worker Eleanor (Dakota Johnson) tries to bring Zak home while fisherman Tyler (Shia LaBeouf) helps him on his

Good Will Hunting (1997)

For my money, the ultimate feel-good film. Robin Williams is at his Oscar winning best as Dr Sean Maguire, leading Will Hunting (Matt Damon) through the emotional strug gles of youth. The title character navigates romance, friendship and the counselling he receives from Maguire while coming to

journey to a wrestling school.

It’s original, refreshing and utterly wholesome. The Peanut Butter Falcon rep resents a huge step forward for Hollywood and even sparked a real-life friendship between Gottsagen and LaBeouf which saw them present an Academy Award together. A progressive story that has as much feel-good factor off screen as on it.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

The appeal of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is rather self-indulgent. We all pulled a sickie at one point or another but not like this Staying in bed and playing your Nintendo is a far-cry from stealing a Ferrari and tak ing a tour of Chicago with your best mate

Good Will Hunting

terms with his wasted intellect.

On the surface, Good Will Hunting is a film about a young genius who works as an MIT janitor. The real gem is Will’s efforts to balance the conflicting relationships in his life. As likely to make you smile as it is to make you cry, it’s really a cardinal sin if you haven’t seen this one already.

School of Rock

Saving Mr. Banks

Cast members of The Peanut Butter Falcon

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Galway pipers celebrate International Uilleann Piping Day

By Seán Lyons Music Columnist

Visitors to Galway City Museum were treated to an unexpected auditory expe rience last Saturday as the ancient sound of the uilleann pipes soared through the corridors. In a remote room looking out onto the River Corrib, a gathering of pipers and pipe fanatics was underway.

The event was organised by NPU to mark International Uilleann Piping Day. Now in its eleventh year, the day is “aimed at raising awareness of this iconic Irish instrument”.

As pipers around Ireland strapped on their pipes to mark the day, so too did their international counterparts who organ ised recitals, exhibitions and workshops in Montreal, Modena, Brittany, London, Boston and Santiago de Compostela to name just a handful of places suffused with pipe-mania.

In total, eight uilleann pipers stepped up to the plate at Galway City Museum to make a musical contribution. The event was led by local piping stalworth Tommy Keane. In an opening address, he said that event was organised to acknowledge “the international dimension of the instru ment now being played and made in all corners of the world”.

This “international dimension” was represented at the event by Lorient native Emmanuel Houdayer who came to Ireland to play the pipes professionally. 20 years later, he has settled in Galway and has become an integral part of its traditional music scene.

The youngest piper at the event was 12 year-old Cóilín O’Reilly who played his “two favourite songs”. After receiving rap turous applause, he told the audience that

when he began learning the instrument just one year ago, his teacher “gave me a goal to try and come here and play in November – and I’m here”.

Sonorous sounds were also produced by Tara Boyle, Cormac Cannon, Shauna Redmond, Siobhan Nolan and sisters Mar ion and Jacqueline McCarthy. The recital concluded with a lively set of reels played by the McCarthy sisters joined by Keane as Redmond showcased her step dancing talent.

The event was supported by the Arts Council and Culture Ireland. There was free admission which enabled muse um-goers to wander in and out at will. At any given time, there were over 30 people in attendance.

Speaking after the event, Keane praised the success of NPU in reviving the instrument and stressed the importance of International Uilleann Piping Day in marking NPU’s success. He said that when the organisation began, the “majority of pipers were obviously in Ireland… some in England, some in America and maybe a handful in Australia but it’s literally a global thing now”.

Referring to the practice of uilleann pipe making, he said that “there was only one full-time maker back in 1970 (Leo Rowsome) and now there’s people making pipes in Japan, Spain, Germany, France, all over England as well”.

Na Píobairí Uilleann was founded in 1968 with the goal of promoting the play ing and profile of the uilleann pipes. At the time, the national bagpipe was viewed as being on its last legs with only an esti mated 100 uilleann pipers spread across the world and only one known pipe maker. Over the last 50 years, the instrument has surged in popularity within Ireland and on the international stage.

The Rise of Aesthetics

By Syakira Nazri

According to Merriam-Webster, the term ‘aesthetic’ is used to denote something “of, relating to, or dealing with aesthetics or the beautiful”. An astute definition for the now-popular internet phenome non, I believe that finding beauty in the mundanity of everyday life goes way beyond the confinements of convention.

The rise of Pinterest, TikTok and BeReal has sparked conversation around the mythical idea of what we find beau tiful – in particular, when catered to individually unique interests and expe riences. Ranging from the well-known concept of ‘cottagecore’ to the relatively niche fashion trend that is ‘gorpcore’, aesthetics have nestled a comfortable place in internet culture. This culture has now translated over to real life with a decidedly (though not exclusively) youthful image.

This idea of romanticising ordinary things in an effort to find beauty is a prac tice as old as humanity itself. The Greeks have famously prevailed in their influence in the arts and the classical aesthetics of their statues and architecture. So much so, that despite the now long-gone era of their revolutionary civilisation, the trade mark marble sculptures and buildings like the Parthenon live on with a clear image in the popular mindset.

The internet’s current and most popu lar idea of aesthetics is very broad, with a wide range of applications. It includes, but is not limited to fashion, film, art and music. The medium can be any piece of media at all – and is not strictly visual.

The brilliance of aesthetics lies in the ability to invent oneself in boundless ways. Lana Del Rey is an example of one such artist. Her persona takes inspiration from a variety of sources, mainly in old Hollywood starlets and the idea of the Western sad girl after the bad boys. Born to Die is her most dynamic album, with the sweetness of “Lucky Ones” juxta posing the hardcore, but feminine feel of “Lolita”.

Lana’s successful manifestation of a mystically undefined form of being is sym bolic of how all of us are capable of being artists of our own realities. Being able to find beauty in perhaps the unlikeliest of places are part of what make us special and human.

“There is some kind of a sweet inno cence in being human – in not having to be just happy or just sad – in the nature of being able to be both broken and whole, at the same time.” ― C.

JoyBell C.

L-R: Marion McCarthy, Jacqueline McCarthy and Tommy Keane. Photo by Seán Lyons.

MACNAS presents Con Mór

Galway’s famous group MACNAS brought the people of Galway out in hoards on the October Bank Holiday weekend to see their spectacular piece Con Mór, The Giant in Fisheries Field. This spectacular piece was created by the talented artists and creatives of the MACNAS group and was brought to life with special effects and live performances performed by a talented ensemble. Truly an incredible display that will be remembered for years to come.

Photos by Lisa Hamilton

Top 5 Scenic Places to visit in Donegal

By Lucy Peoples

Glen

Ards Forest Park

The

The Poision Glen

Fanad Lighthouse

On

the coast of the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the beaches of Ballyhiernan Bay, Fanad Lighthouse is the perfect meeting point for a day at the beach.

Glenveagh Bridge

Glenveagh Bridge leads into the beautiful forestry of Glenveagh National Park.

Situated in the heart of the Poison Glen is the abandoned Church of Dunlewy. It’s a beautiful, historic scenic point.

Excellent for lovers of hiking, Glen offers many trails to climb with stunning views at every summit.

enchanting wood of Ards Forest Park is the perfect place for a walk. Located beside the Monk’s Friary, Ards is a peaceful place where people can relax and practice mindfulness whilst enjoying the scenery.

UG DramSoc presents ‘Clown Bar’

University of Galway’s DramSoc performed their latest production, ‘Clown Bar’, in the BOI Theatre from the 8th to the 11th of November. Directed by Jennifer Lyons, Clown Bar follows the story of Happy, a sharp-talking cop who must return to his former life to find answers after his brother Timmy is found dead. Will he find what he’s looking for, or will he be sucked back into the darkness and vices of the life he tried so desperately to leave behind? In Clown Bar, we experience the twists and turns of solving a murder where everyone we meet can be considered a suspect. Clown Bar’s cast displayed an incredible versatility in delivering both the darkness and light of this Szymkowicz piece and undoubtedly impressed all that saw this witty and poignant production during its run.

Photos by Lisa Hamilton

Winter is coming – and so is the flu

By Sanjukta Salgaonkar

As the winter is coming so is the flu season. From the month of November till start of March days get shorter and colder here in Galway. The windy nature of the city does not help when it comes to the spread of the flu. In this article we will tell you about preventive measures, symptoms and some tips on how to take care of yourself if you are home alone and sick.

Preventive Measures:

While talking to SIN, Dr Eoin Mac Donn cha, said, “The key things in preventing or reducing the risk of picking up flu is general well-being and self-care and mak ing sure you are eating a regularly healthy diet and eating right. Treating yourself once in a while is good but maintaining a good healthy balanced diet as it helps in building a good immune system.”

He also says that, “Taking all kinds of vitamins is not necessary if you have a healthy diet, but due to the shorter days in cold months it is recommended to take vitamin D as we don’t get much sunlight here in Ireland.

“Always maintain clean hygiene. Con stantly wear mask when you are in crowded places. Such type of simple measures help a lot since they stop the bacteria to have a direct contact with your mouth of eyes.

“Other than flu or influenza covid is also wreaking havoc again so if haven’t by now

please get you booster shot it helps a lot in protecting yourself. If you feel you are suf fering from flu and it is not getting better please do an antigen test which is freely available outside of the student health unit and in the student union office.

“Do the test at least thrice to be sure that it wasn’t a false negative. The tests are available in the pharmacy too. They are made free for the people who have a high risk of contracting it, are above the age of 65, or have any underlying disease that can make them susceptible for example people with asthma.”

Here are some symptoms of flu and Influenza:

Not everyone shows all signs or symptoms of flu and influenza. So here is a list of some of the symptoms that you can cross check and refer to.

Note: If you feel that these symptoms are very strong, seek medical assistance.

• Severe Body Pain

• Joint Pain

• Feverish Nauseous Sweats

• Chills

• Weakness

If you have two or more of these sickness, make sure to get yourself checked. When you have these symptoms you are on the couch or the bed due to the weakness. But on the

other hand if you a head cold your symptoms are likely to be a sore throat, runny nose and cough, which won’t make you very weak, in very rare cases head cold gives your weakness.

Home Remedy

Here are some ways that you treat yourself when you are at home.

Symptomatic management: For some people the first symptoms to be shown before falling sick can be ache, or a joint pain and the best way is taking care of the pain with a mild painkiller or a paraceta mol and curing it.

Taking the right amount of medicine, and always asking your pharmacist for advice on what you should and can take.

97% of the infections that happen during this season are flu and viral infec tions and they don’t need anti biotics to be treated, or immune system helps in quick recovery.

For more information you can still visit the site hse.ie for more knowledge on maintain health and preventive sickness.

The key things in reducing the risk of picking up flu is general well-being and self-care and eating right.”

Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay

Sweet Sleepy Saviour

By Valerie McHugh

The drones of my alarm which burst through my sweet dreams are seriously a buzz kill. Why do 9am lectures even exist? For many of us students, our lives consist of trotting in from a nightclub in the early hours of the morning, with lots of us maintaining the notion that we will still make it to our 9am Chemistry lab.

But, cue the snooze button. Every day the sleep deprived, lazy angel on my shoulder fills my head with thoughts like “Who needs a degree anyways? You can totally miss this lecture; your attendance is only worth 30%.” The idea of hitting my feet off the icy floor in my bedroom sends a shiver up my spine as I lie in my cocoon of warm fluffiness, surrounded by several teddy bears and a hot water bottle that is still luke warm from the night before.

I think that it is fair to say that many of you can relate to me on this. In fact, a study by two members of the Department of Neurology in the University of Michigan found that 7 out of 10 of my fellow college peers don’t get enough sleep.

I did some internet digging, and found an article by the National Sleep Foundation that recommends young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 should be getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night. So, if you’re like me, and achieving that amount of sleep seems more like a dream than a reality, you have come to the right place.

I broadened my research, soon realising that ‘SpunOut.ie’, a youth information page, is a nifty website for all Irish young people. It gave me a brilliant insight into how I can make my quality of sleep ‘snooze-tastic’. I tested some of these methods for you and discovered that a lot of this advice is really useful, and could ultimately could help us all get higher attendance marks at our 9ams. Here are some of the things ‘SpunOut’ taught me, which I think can help you too.

1. We need to be more careful of caffeine

Coffee and ‘Monster’ Energy drinks appear to go hand in hand with college students, and are arguably the easiest way to keep yourself awake for a cramming session. However, caffeine and sleep aren’t friends. Caffeine stays in your body for up to 8 hours, and we are actually meant to be having our last caffeinated beverage at 2pm. (insert shocked gasp here.) However, for me this wasn’t practical. I’m a faithful ‘Barry’s tea’ girl, and I cannot envision depriving myself of tea for that long. Instead, I switched to decaf tea in the late afternoon and evening, and I can confirm that I found it a bit easier to drift off.

2. Create a sleep schedule that works for you and STICK to it

Remember when your family would force you out of the sitting room at ‘bedtime’ when you were a child, and you would stomp up the stairs in a state of frustration? Apparently, that’s actually the way adulthood should work too. But, this time you can pick your bedtime. Going to bed at the same time every night can be so beneficial for your sleep. I can vouch for this, because one of the amazing benefits of watching a television series like “Love Island” means that it is on at the same time every single night. I have started planning my night routine around when the show begins and ends, meaning by the end of the show, I am climbing into my bed, ready for some solid sleep.

3. Manage your naps

I can relate to the amazingness of naps. I would argue that there are fewer greater pleasures in life than that post – lecture ‘forty winks’. But, the more sleep you get during the day hinders how tired you will be at night. If you want to take naps, try to sleep

for less than 20 minutes, or just not at all. If you are me, I still grab the quota of 20 minutes regularly, and it has made sleeping a lot easier at night time.

4. Exercise

A word I love to hate. But, for anyone else that is prone to gym-anxiety, the good news is exercise can take place anywhere! Try going for a walk in the sea air, or join a recreational sports team. I can confirm that a long walk to Salthill and back really took it out of me, and by night-time I was ready for my bed.

All of these tips were brilliant, but we are not living in perfect world. So this final tip is from me, who is also a mere human.

5. Don’t panic if you’re sleep schedule isn’t perfect

Trust me, sometimes life gets in the way. But don’t let that dis courage you.

I am not a pro-sleeper yet, and I don’t know if I ever will be. As I write this in my jittery caffeine – filled state following last night’s Netflix binge, I have many regrets. But these regrets have empowered me to tackle my sleep routine again tonight. My nana always stressed the importance of keeping your chin up. For me, persevering and keeping my chin up is my life motto, because we are allowed to make mistakes.

Keep living a student life, and don’t forget, things didn’t turn out too badly for Sleeping Beauty. After all, she married a prince and ended up living happily ever after.

Luna snoozing on the back of the sofa. Photo by Jonathan McHugh

November nights in for you

By Rachel Garvey

It’s that time of year when Halloween crawls back into its grave to rest peacefully for another year and an even colder more jolly force starts to envelope society. The time for wearing t-shirts and shorts is now a distant memory as the days batter us with rain and a cold chill sticks in the air.

Spending more nights in is growing in popularity amongst people of all ages at the moment. People are starting to laze in their sitting room with a fire burning, keep the doors closed to contain the warmth and pop on our cosy pyjamas. That applies all genders; men like their cosy pyjamas too and such materials are a must-have because of how cold it’s getting these days. Want some tips on how to spend these cold evenings indoors? Of course, you do.

Christmas preparation

Don’t say it’s too early because it is a known fact that Christmas décor in retail outlets hit the shelves before Halloween stock had a chance to charm consumers. If September is preparation time for Halloween season, then November is preparation time for Christmas season. Grab your planning journal with a nice mug of tea and plan out what your November will hold in regard to when the best sales are on in the world of retail and find out what is on your family and friends’ Christmas lists. It’s really helpful and super organised to have what you’re planning to buy and where to buy it; be the Santa Clause in perfecting your gift list.

Movie nights

This is a fixed event on what to do on nights-in list. A permanent spot. A movie night is always a good idea and gives you the power to get in the mood for the upcoming Christmas season. Whether it be Disney+, Netflix or Amazon Prime Movies, each streaming platform has a great variety of movies to watch. Another nice mug of tea is needed for this too; don’t forget the chocolate chip and ginger cookies.

Playing catch-up

A night in doesn’t necessarily mean you have to force yourself to relax especially if you’re a productive being who is constantly busying yourself no matter what time of the day or night it is. Use these long evenings to chill out in your room and catch up on study or assignments; don’t delay in Christmas exam study, you’ll thank me later. Do that essay you keep procrastinating on, read that chapter that you need to research on for your modules, make a study plan for the next few weeks. This is your time to catch up on college work.

Trying something new

Often times, November is used as an opportunity to try something new. Nowadays, there has been a steady increase in young adults taking up knitting or sewing and even creating scrapbooks. Those long evenings need something to make them seem a little less long and boring. The cold weather would also give you an excuse to knit yourself a woolly hate; talk about killing two birds with one Stone. You’d be putting your new knitting skills to use and creating something that will protect you from the winter’s cold front.

Photo by Pixabay

Let’s talk about dreams

By Anna Falk

I’ve never been a fan of dream interpre tation, but that doesn’t stop people from asking me what their dreams mean. I’m an international student, and at my home university, I work at a lab that specialises in sleep.

While the type of research I do isn’t related to dreams in any way, pretty much everyone I’ve told has always asked me to interpret their dreams. I’m also a neuroscience major, and one of the most popular theories regarding the mechanisms behind dreams is that they are just random electrical impulses that create pictures in our head while we sleep.

Despite this, I’ve always enjoyed dis cussing my crazy dreams with my friends. I have many who don’t believe they dream at all, but from my knowledge, they just can’t remember them. Those who can though, have so much to tell.

In the past year or so, I’ve had many vivid dreams that I’ve fortunately been able to recall. I’ve started a dream log of all my wild dreams. I will now share with you one of my crazier ones.

This dream begins in my older sister’s apartment in California. I noted in my log that it was a lot dirtier, darker and more lived in than it was. Her roommate Ryan came in the room and handed me a letter with kid’s handwriting scrawled across pink paper.

Intuitively, I knew that this letter was written by a five-year-old psychic, psy chotic child who had been trying to track me down through the U.S. Postal Service. However, she was writing as though she was my former church group leader.

According to the letter, she was very upset that I didn’t have her contact infor mation on my phone. How she would know this or why she would care, I do not know. The letter contained her phone number (which was not a real phone num ber), her husband’s emails (which were not emails but rather links to WikiHow articles), and her daughter’s home address.

Suddenly, the scenery changes, and it’s now been a few weeks since I was in California. I am back in my room in Ohio, and I am quite frustrated. The child has been sending me packages in the mail. I’m placing a few more in my room that I had received that day.

I can’t make out what most of them are. At this point, I’ve stopped opening them, but I do remember that one was a giant peacock feather contained in a cage of bones. This is how most of my dreams go.

My dreams seem to be quite complex and nuanced, and I’ve never been able to find anything to help me interpret them. Some dreams related to stress or anxiety about getting a bad grade on a math test or losing a friend are understandable, but from my own personal experiences, nothing could even begin to explain the meaning behind my multitude of crazy dreams.

A library guide

By Ewelina Szybinska

The dear silence that you are promised once you sit down defines the word ‘library.’ As much as staying at home is melody to my ears, I know I will not be as productive at home surrounded by constant distractions.

A busy period of assignments and exams is fast approaching, and I thought what better time to take you through my typical day at the library. The key to making the most of my day is dragging myself out of bed around 8 in the morning. I find that if I start the day earlier, I’ll feel more accomplished right from the start.

Comfort

I’m sorry but if I’m about to spend my whole day in the library, comfort is absolutely necessary. Leggings or joggers are my go-to, followed by a soft sweater or jumper. I’m trying to create a balance between comfortable but also not too comfortable in case I lose my concentration. The perfect example to explain this is wearing pyjamas. You will not catch me doing anything remotely productive in them.

Where in the library?

I think with time, everyone has a spe cific spot they go to. I pay attention to a couple of things. If it’s a sunny day, will I be able to see my laptop screen, is it directly shining on my face? It sounds silly but we unconsciously think about those things. With the cold weather, I make sure the area is warm. You’d be surprised but you’d freeze in some areas.

Journalism & Law

I am in my final year studying Journal ism & Law, and if you’re curious how my day looks like studying those subjects, you’re in for a treat. Law usually means hours of reading and note taking. I pre pare for tutorials by trying to attempt problem and essay type questions. With Journalism, one minute I could be organising an interview, the other writ ing an article or doing some research for academic essays.

Time for a break

Coffee, cold water and snacks are essential. You have to break up your study sessions. I tend to lose my con centration after an hour. I have to get up and go for a small walk, usually to go say hello to a friend. See what they are up to. Having a study buddy is where a lot of my motivation comes from. It’s the sense of knowing I’m not alone and basically others are also in a similar boat.

Photo by George Lemon on Unsplash

I’m an adult now

By Rachel Garvey

No-one ever tells you that being an adult is hard, that there are challenges waiting patiently around every corner. When I was young, I was ecstatic to be an adult, to have the freedom that my parents had and the excitement over not going to school anymore. Getting up early to

put on a uniform I didn’t like. However, I was wrong about a lot of things.

My tiny mind thought that being an adult was easier than being a child and how I’d be allowed to do things that chil dren aren’t permitted to do. Being an adult has its perks, yes, but one can never properly prepare you for the challenges and decisions that come with being a grown up. Here are some moments when it registered in my brain that suddenly, I am an adult.

ATM usage

I remember using an ATM for the first time. I approached it cautiously and I was fiddling with my debit card in my hand. I took my time pressing buttons, making sure I didn’t make any mistakes. I was terrified that one wrong button would result in my debit card being lost forever. I withdrew my money and my card returned safely. I remember turning around with a big smile on my face and I waved my money around happily until I realised that passers-by were probably staring at me. There was also the slight threat that someone could have snatched my euro notes from my hand in a heart beat so I quickly tucked my money into

my purse. I told my nan and mam about it afterwards; it was a minor accomplish ment and I felt I had a place amongst the adults, all because I used an ATM.

What’s a TV licence?

A new challenge that reared its head recently; acquiring a TV license. You would wonder why we live in a world where we need a license to have a tele vision, but we do. This one took me to messaging my mam and asking how do you go about paying for it? I wish things like this came with a manual because there’s a lot of things I’m still learning. It’s a simple enough process that you go through in your local post office, but there’s me still thinking that one should not have to pay for a TV license when in reality you’ve just paid for the television itself. There’s no relying on your parents to pay for it this time.

No more child bus fares

Up until a certain age, I used to get away with only paying for child bus fares;

mainly because I’m tiny. I have noticed some people try to get away with it nowa days and the majority of the time they do, but it won’t last forever. Trust me. There was a certain pride in getting away with it and you were saving a little bit of money each time, but once you reach a certain level of maturity, you start to realise it’s now time to pay for the adult fare because that is what I am; an adult.

Calpol catastrophe

This was a big one for me; a major loss. When I was a child, it was a tradition to take Calpol when I was sick. It was the easiest medicine for me to ingest and the sweet tasting liquid was too good, but when I hit my teenage years and suffered from a bad cold and flu then my precious medicine was taken from me. I had asked my mam could I take a spoon to make me feel better from my bad cold, but the response I got was “Calpol? Sure, that’s for children, you’re too old for that!”. I was devastated and taking Nurofen was not an option. It was a sad day.

“ When I hit my teenage years my precious medicine was taken from me. I had asked my mam could I take a spoon to make me feel better from my bad cold, but the response I got was “Calpol? Sure, that’s for children, you’re too old for that!”.

Photo by Getty via Unsplash+

Dearmad á dhéanamh ar mhuintir Ceantar na nOileáin?

a bhíonn siar leis.

Le Gearóid Ó Droighneáin

Tá imní ar mhuintir Ceantar na nOileáin maidir leis an easpa seirbhísí busanna atá ag dul as Leitir Mealláin isteach go dtí an bhaile mhóir.

Ag cruinniú poiblí plean gníom haíochta a reáchtáil Comhairle Ceantar na nOileán agus Comhair Chuigeal an mhí seo caitheadh, ardóidh ceist na mbusanna sa gceantair. Dúradh go bhfuil sár-seir bhís busanna ag dul ón gCeathrú Rua chomh fada le cathair na Gaillimhe agus ar ais, ach go bhfuil easpa busanna ag dul chomh fada le Leitir Mealláin.

Dúirt tuismitheoirí ag an gcruinniú go raibh orthu a bheidh ag tabhairt síobanna go Casla dá gclann atá ag freastal ar choláistí sa gcathair mar ghe all nach bhfuil na hamanna a imíonn an bus feiliúnach agus chomh maith le sin dúradh go mbíonn an bus deirenach, is iad siúd a bhíonn léachtaí nó coinní acu

Nuair a cuireadh an cheist ar an Údarás Náisiúnta Iompair cén fáth nach bhfuil an seirbhís go Leitir Mealláin sásúil, dúirt siad go bhfuil siad ag déanamh fiosrú sa bplean le haghaidh níos mó seirbhísí a chur sa treo sin.

Ach, sa bplean a bhí i gceist acu níl aon chaint ar tuilleadh busanna a chur go Leitir Mealláin. Scríofa sa bplean séard atá ann na go bhfuil sé ar inchinn acu busanna a chur ón gCeathrú Rua chomh fada leis an Teach Dóite.

Críochnaigh siad an ráiteas ag rá, agus iad ag scríobh i mBéarla: “Go raibh maith agat as ucht an fadhb seo a chur faoi bhráid an Údaráis”.

Le gairid gabh príomhfheidhmeannach an comhlacht Go-Ahead Ireland, Andrew Edwards leithscéal le na custaiméirí uilig a bhí siar le busanna deirenach le chúpla mí anuas. Is thart timpeall ar Bhaile Átha Claith a théann na busanna sin. Dúirt sé go bhfuil siad ag oibriú ar an fhadhb agus go bhfuil 150 tiománaithe nua fostaithe acu.

Ag COP27 dúirt an tAire Fuinnimh Eamon Ryan go gcaithfear oibriú chomh crua agus chomh sciobtha agus is féidir le bheith in an méid gás astaíocht a ísliú.

Mar sin féin mura mbeidh athrú ar an gcóras iompair poiblí go luath, beidh gá le carranna go hárithe faoin tuath.

Sa bplean a bhí i gceist acu níl aon chaint ar tuilleadh busanna a chur go Leitir Mealláin. Críochnaigh siad an ráiteas ag rá, agus iad ag scríobh i mBéarla: “Go raibh maith agat as ucht an fadhb seo a chur faoi bhráid an Údaráis”.”

Photo: Tom Murphy, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Amber Barrett: Ireland Women’s World Cup hero through the eyes of her former coach

By Alessia Micalizzi

After her goal brought Ireland women’s soccer team to the World Cup for the first time two weeks ago, everyone wants to know a little more about Amber Barrett: what’s she like and what’s the career path that made her the main character of such an historical moment.

SIN spoke to James O’Callaghan, coach who managed young Amber in her University team and then in Peamount United FC Dublin’s team where Barrett played for five seasons before heading to Germany to play as a professional.

Amber Barrett was born in 1996 in Milford, County Donegal, from a family of Gaelic football players, trainers and supporters. She soon became a Done gal GAA player, and while attending a teacher training course at Maynooth University she joined the college soccer team.

She played both sports at the same time, constantly going back and forth from one to the other – “hard to do

without clashing and impacting at least one of the two”, according to Mr O’Callaghan.

She eventually chose soccer, also due to a health condition. Thanks to a connection between Maynooth and Peamount United FC, she signed for Pea mount in 2015 in the Women’s National League.

“Both in Maynooth and Peamount, Amber was a phenomenal goal scorer. She’s been doing that her whole career”, explains Mr O’Callaghan.

“When she chose soccer over Gaelic football, she committed fully. She took some trainings that made her better at the game and quicker, not only a goal scorer. She became a big game player as well, helping her team to win many times.”

Amber was playing for Peamount when she took part in a national team match for the first time with Colin Bell’s Republic of Ireland team. Already in 2018, Barrett’s goal in a win over Slovakia kept Ireland in contention for World Cup qualification.

“Amber has a smiley, warm personality. She was a model for our young players, and still is. We were sad when she left Peamount, but happy because she got a full-time professional contract in Ger many”, says Mr O’Callaghan.

In 2019, Barrett joined FC Köln who were just promoted to the Frauen-Bunde sliga (German women’s national league). After three years she moved to Turbine Potsdam, her current team.

The impact Barrett’s goal had on Irish women’s soccer is not only about the access to the World Cup, but it could boost the relevance of the sport at a national level: “We hope that with the national team making it to the World Cup, the whole sector will receive more funding and increase its chances to get semi-professional, to generate income for the girls playing” says Mr O’Callaghan, who is sure that the quality of Irish wom en’s soccer has developed and improved in the recent years.

“I see it in the early years in Peamount, in the coaching and in how the girls play”.

11 October 2022; Amber Barrett of Republic of Ireland celebrates after scoring her side's goal during the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 Play-off match between Scotland and Republic of Ireland at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland.

Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

University of Galway Maree off to winning start in National Cup

By Cóilín Duffy University of Galway Maree 88 — Flexachem KCYMS Killorglin 81

Jarrett Haines led the way with 24 points, as Galway secured their place in the InsureMyHouse.ie Pat Duffy Cup quar ter-finals with a 88-81 home win over Flexachem KCYMS on Saturday evening.

It was far from a comfortable watch, though defensive stops and clearer lategame execution saw them edge past Killorglin in a contest finely poised at 83-79 with two minutes left.

Slick ball movement was the early indicator of success for Maree in a nip-and-tuck first quarter, hoisting three-pointers aplenty but rightly punished for fouling too much in-andaround the paint.

Haines made con secutive buckets, including one in transition after Flexachem missed a wide open triple to open up a six-point lead.

It became a scrappy, end-to-end affair at Calasanctus College with turnovers and missed shots a recurring theme for both, though Maree were frequently mak ing difficult shots through traffic.

British shooting guard/forward Phar roh Gordon was the visitors’ top scorer with 22 points in 33 minutes, the bulk coming from long-range baskets.

He scored a tough floater to kickstart the second quarter though, and was repeatedly getting fouled as his impact intensified – recording 15 points in five minutes as his teammates fed the hot hand.

Zach Light played limited minutes on his return from a broken nose last month but his defensive tenacity was there to see: a steal and sprint to the basket, with Rodrigo Gomez hammering home a put back dunk after he missed the layup.

Robert Alan Kelly Jr finished with 20 points for KCYMS and scored consecutive baskets to make it a 45-39 half-time score.

Sloppy turnovers and a three-point barrage saw the visitors take a slender lead shortly after the interval, before Aksels Skaistlauks gave them a five-point cushion when a bullet pass was stolen – moments after Maree retrieved posses sion in the paint themselves.

Gomez showcased his deft passing in the paint and Maree were eventually ahead once more, though it was that man Kelly Jr getting to the foul line as Flexa chem sought a rapid response.

He made six of nine free-throws in the contest, and sank a three as they regained a slender advantage. Haines showed great time-management and adaptability to win a trio of free-throws himself after being fouled when attempting his own three with three seconds left in the third.

Gordon popped up with consecutive three-pointers to keep things ticking early in the final quarter, before Joe-Junior Mvuezolo had a blistering burst of his own.

His ball-handling and all-around play meant he was unfazed by opposition players surrounding him as he was clearly in a flow state.

Eoin Rockall killed the game with a three. Up next is a return to league action away against Ballincollig and are riding an encour aging wave of form right now. As for the Cup, Belfast Star await them in quarter-final action during the first week of December.

Scorers for University of Galway Maree: Jarett Haines 24, Joe-Junior Mvuezolo 23, Zvonimir Cutuk 15, John Burke 10, Rodrigo Gomez 9, Eoin Rockall 7.

Scorers for Flexachem KCYMS Killorglin: Pharroh Gor don 22, Robert Alan Kelly Jr 20, Aksels Skaistlauks 19, Jani Griffith 11, Aleix

Drilling a corner three right in-front of the opposition bench would’ve done won ders for their team morale during a tricky stretch, especially as Zvonimir Cutuk did the same shortly afterwards.

Just as the game looked to be slipping out of Flexachem’s reach, sloppy turnovers and a few big plays by big man Jani Griffith asked the question.

Would they hold on? He scored on successive possessions before making a key deflection himself, as the lead was cut down to four.

Haines showed active hands to snatch and finish as Aleix Tarradellas had the ball stolen. Kelly Jr relinquished possession after running straight into traffic on the next play, before

Tarradellas 8, Declan Wall 1.

University of Galway

Maree:

Starting line-up: Eoin Rockall, Rodrigo Gomez, Jarett Haines, Joe-Junior Mvuezolo, Zvonimir Cutuk.

Bench: Cathal Finn, Ben Burke, John Burke, Malik Thiam, Paul Freeman, Zach Light, Stephen Commins.

Flexachem KCYMS Killorglin:

Starting line-up: Aleix Tarradellas, Robert Alan Kelly Jr, Pharroh Gordon, Aksels Skaistlauks, Jani Griffith.

Bench: Ronan Fitzpatrick, Declan Wall, Eoin Evans, Liam Croke.

University of Galway Maree's Joe Junior Mvuezolo in action against Robert Alan Kelly Junior from Flexachem KCYMS Killorglin in the First Round of the National Cup on Saturday night. Photo by Michael Gough.

Galway United’s promotion dreams scuppered by ruthless Waterford FC

By Nathan Ring

It wasn’t to be for Galway United, as their confident performance in the First Division Play-Off Final went unrewarded against a clinical Waterford FC outfit at Market’s Field in Limerick.

United came into the tie full of confidence following a 5-2 aggregate victory against Longford Town in the playoff semi-fi nals. However, Waterford, who were fresh off the back of a 7-4 aggregate victory over Treaty United in the other tie, were far more clinical on the night and made United pay for their prof ligacy in front of goal.

United started on an extremely positive note, with Stephen Walsh breathing down the Waterford defender’s necks as he initiated a spell of unrelenting pressure. John Caulfield’s side were riled up, and a fifth-minute free kick had the makings of a fairy-tale start for United. However, Ronan Manning’s dead ball effort smashed into the wall.

Just three minutes later, in what seemed to be Waterford’s first spell of possession, The Blues found themselves in a very similar position. Wassim Aouachria was fouled 30 yards out, and Phoenix Patterson and Junior Quitirna stood over the dead ball menacingly.

It was Junior who struck it, after Patterson’s deft touch offered him a more appealing angle. He was soon thanking the wet conditions of Market’s Field, as the ball slipped out of Conor Kearns’ grasp and nestled into the bottom corner.

Following the opener, this battle showed no signs of slowing down, with Waterford creating a few chances for themselves.

Pinball in the United penalty area created havoc, but amid the chaos United somehow managed to clear.

The Tribesmen were on the hunt for an equaliser and came close just a minute later. David Hurley found himself in a cross ing position on the right wing and fizzed the ball across the face of the goal. Walsh and Ed McCarthy tried in vain to get a toe on

the end of it, but neither could connect on the stretch.

Both teams enjoyed a breather following a stoppage just before the half-hour mark. A structural issue in the away stand saw Gardaí and stewards escorting Waterford fans to safety.

Quick-witted chants between fans created a great atmosphere, as the entire main stand in Limerick played host to scenes that have been seen at Eamonn Deacy Park all season.

United were now determined to fight back and soon found a target man to aim for, as Rob Manley replaced Hurley, who was forced off through injury. Once again, Waterford found them selves trapped in their own penalty area but somehow survived.

Waterford finally cleared the ball six minutes into additional time, and some strong play by Aouachria helped him burst through on goal before finishing low past Kearns against the run of play to make it 2-0 to The Blues.

The restart had little impact on the flow of the game, as United continued their direct approach into the second half. Waterford found themselves with more counter-attacking opportunities as Galway searched for any hint of a comeback.

United thought their prayers were answered in the 51st minute when James Finnerty climbed highest to head Conor McCor mack’s cross goal bound, but it crashed against the woodwork.

A flurry of United corners was followed by a chance for substi tute Mikie Rowe in the 77th minute. With some good footwork, he found himself with a yard of space to unleash a shot, but it was blocked once again by a sturdy Waterford defence. United maintained their attack, and Manning cut through the Waterford backline with some impressive skill.

In a desperate attempt to hold onto their lead, Manning was taken down inside the box by Waterford’s defence. It was now or never for United, and for the first time all night, the stadium was deafeningly silent. Walsh stepped up to take, and he struck it pure, but he was met with a fantastic save by Paul Martin, who threw himself to his right to deny United.

Waterford knew they were fortunate to have maintained their two-goal advantage, and when Patterson and Quitirna attacked two minutes later, they made no mistake. Patterson drove at the Galway defence before slotting in Quitirna, who fired emphatically past Kearns.

United and their supporters kept pushing until the very end, but with a three-goal deficit and only ten minutes to go, a come back was almost impossible.

It was just not Galway United’s night, while Waterford booked their ticket to the Premier Division Promotion/Relegation Play-off.

In a desperate attempt to hold onto their lead, Manning was taken down inside the box by Waterford’s defence. It was now or never for United, and for the first time all night, the stadium was deafeningly silent.”

Dylan meets: Cathal Mannion

By Dylan McLoughlin SIN Columnist

Galway hurling star Cathal Mannion is an All-Ireland SHC and All-Star Award winner. He also plays with his club Ahascragh/ Fohenagh.

From what age was it your dream to play for Galway?

I started playing hurling when I was 6 years old and as I started playing U10 and U12, it was always something I wanted to do. I was on underage panels with Galway, which really drove me on to play with Galway at adult level.

Do you still get the same buzz today wearing the maroon and white as you did when you first made your senior debut in 2014?

Yes, I do. It is probably more of a buzz now as I’ve gotten older because I realise how lucky I am to be in this position. There’s nothing like playing in big games.

Describe winning the All-Ireland SHC title with your county in 2017?

That was definitely the best day of my career because Galway were waiting 29 years for it, and so many people never won an All-Ireland. It was a dream come true, but it makes me want to win more.

How special was it to have your brother on the team alongside you?

That made it extra special for us. We knew how much time and effort we put into trying to achieve this. We always push each other on to get better. It was also very special for our parents and family who give us so much support.

You’re also an All-Star Award winner –what did that mean to you to win such an award?

To be honest, that will be something I will be proud of when I finish, but when I am still playing, it is my aim to keep getting better.

Who was your hurling hero growing up?

Tommy

Walsh

(Kilkenny)

What’s the best advice you’ve got as a hurler to date?

Regardless of how you played or what you’ve achieved, your aim is to always improve. It’s the same for every sport.

How important is it to continually practice your skills as a young hurler hoping to play for Galway some day?

No one will reach the highest level in any sport without hours and hours of practice. Hurling is no different as it is such a skilful game. Even hitting the ball to someone or off the wall allows you to try new skills and the basics of hurling, which will allow you to get better.

What other sports do you like?

I played some football down through the years and more recently I like to watch and play golf in my free time.

What are your hopes and ambitions with Galway in 2023?

To be consistent in every game and get back winning some silverware. Our aim every year is to be competing for the Liam McCarthy and 2023 will be no different.

18 June 2022; Galway manager Henry Shefflin issues instructions to Cathal Mannion during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Quarter-Final match between Galway and Cork at the FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles, Tipperary. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile