SIN Vol 25 Issue 05

Photo by Yue Qiu

University of Galway releases statement on Israeli-Palestinian conflict

By Fiona Zokou

On February 6, the University of Galway released a statement on the current situation in Israel and Palestine given the high casualties of Palestinian civilians and the growing calls for a ceasefire.

Opening with an ode to Nelson Mandela Anti-Racism Week, Mandela was quoted saying “the world is now in greater need than ever for men and women of peace to stand up and let their voices be heard and their commitment felt.”

This comes after the release of a statement October 18, nearly five months prior, when the war first began after the attack on October 7.

The university has reiterated that their stance for peace in the region has not changed and that the University of Galway condemns “all acts of terror and violence and that we join in the calls for an immediate, permanent ceasefire.”

The Irish Centre for Human Rights, one of the leading organisations for the study of human rights was acknowledged as well, requesting people should seek to amplify the work the centre does in relation to upholding the bindings of international law.

Further, the university supports the ruling of the ICJ hearing in which, “Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent and punish the direct and

public incitement to commit genocide in relation to members of the Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip.”

This conflict is not just personal to the students but academic professionals as well. This comes after the destruction of universities and academic facilities within Gaza and deaths of scholars and students by Israel.

An excerpt here says “as a university, as a community of scholars and students, the destruction of universities in Gaza and the consequent killing of so many students and academics by Israeli forces is particularly grievous to us.”

“As a university community, we have a particular responsibility to oppose the

Editorial

By Caoimhe Looney Editor

Hello everyone, welcome back to the fifth issue of SIN for this academic year, our second last issue for the year already! A special thank you to all the new contributors; we’re glad to have you join the team. Congratulations also to all of our SIN regulars who have done fantastic work on their pieces.

We have a jam packed issue for you all this issue. Our front page looks at the statement released by the University in relation to what’s going on in Israel and Palestine. In News, we have stories both national and international, including information about the two upcoming referendums.

Over in Features, there is lots of discussion of the RAG week events, and a lovely article featuring some of the contributor’s pets to brighten your day! Meanwhile Opinion has some takes on a student’s ability to enact change.

Arts and Fashion is full of movie reviews to give you inspiration on new films to watch, along with a review of the GUMS Musical American Idiot! Over in Health and Lifestyle there’s an article on the CUAN agency, and in Cainte we have a discussion of Kneecap.

In Sports we have a number of pieces on the University of Galway’s sports successes. If you would like to have news about your sports club included, please get your results in via the clubs portal every week.

Finally in Photography Hannah has continued with the student showcase section and has doznes of snaps from RAG week to a Photography Society Spotlight. Feel free to email photography.sineditor@gmail.com if you want your photo featured in the next edition!

If you would like to get involved with SIN, follow the Instagram page for all the latest information and updates. You can also get in contact with any questions or ideas by emailing me at editor.sin@gmail.com. You can also find us over on X/ Twitter and Facebook to see what we’re up to!

For now, enjoy the fifth issue!

Continued from Page 1

deliberate destruction of facilities of higher learning and the targeting of academics and we do here.”

Standing against all forms of discrimination, including Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism, the message spread was that this type of behaviour would not be accepted anywhere on campus in classrooms and beyond.

The University of Galway welcomes the review of the EU-Israel Association agreement. This is in response to the accusations that the State of Israel has been going against the agreements clause for human rights and they will continue to acknowledge the breaches in relation to other Israeli institutions.

Standing with both Israeli and Palestinian members of the University of Galway, the voices and views of all staff and students should be acknowledged and that further supports for those affected have been made available.

Some of these supports include series of activities and workshops around the theme of peace building and addressing trauma, financial assistance, and special accommodations provided to eligible students.

In addition to the range of mental health support services that are already offered, Counselling is in the process of recruiting a counsellor with expertise relevant to the current situation.

To read the full statement, you can see the link here: https://www.universityofgalway.ie/about-us/news-and-events/ universitystatements/

Holly Leech Opinion Co-editor

Eimear Eastwood News Co-editor

Matthew Coggins News Co-editor

Rachel Garvey Features Co-editor

Eliash Eze Opinion Co-editor

Rebekah O’Reilly Arts & Fashion Co-editor

Scott Stephens Arts & Fashion Co-editor

Hannah Martin Photography Editor

Megan Connolly Health & Lifestyle Editor

Sadhbh Clancy Cáinte Editor

INSIDE this issue...

Arts & Fashion

A rise in anti-immigration rhetoric fuelled by misinformation on social media

By Fiona Zokou

A large rise of anti-immigration rhetoric can be seen in Ireland over the past several years as the Irish government has come under attack over the number of migrants let into the country, further fuelled by the spread of misinformation and disinformation on social media.

In a number of protests and violent incidents targeted towards migrants, Ireland has seen a significant rise in hate-related crime.

The Irish Network Against Racism (INAR) stated in a report from 2022 that the system “recorded 223 criminal incidents, including racist assaults, a record 190 reports of illegal discrimination and 136 reports of hate speech.”

Further described in Euronews by An Garda Síochána, there has been “307 anti-migrant protests in 2022, while in 2023 there have already been 64 demos.”

The organisation defines racism as “any incident which has the effect of undermining anyone’s enjoyment of their human rights, based on their background.”

This could be seen in Ireland on Thursday, November 23 when riots broke out across Dublin. Following the stabbing of a young girl the day prior, when heard to have been committed by a non-Irish national, violence erupted.

As shops were vandalized, city buses set ablaze and members of the Gardaí attacked, participants of the protest,

including various far-right groups, could be heard chanting xenophobic slogans such as, “Keep Ireland Irish.”

However, the rise of xenophobia can be contributed to the housing crisis which has continued to worsen, and frustrations have been fuelled over the number of Ukrainian refugees taken in by Ireland.

Averaging at about almost 87,000 Ukrainian refugees since March 2023, Ireland has accepted some of the largest number of refugees per head in the EU, ranking at seventh as reported by The Independent.

Various officials have been very vocal in their opposition to Ireland’s admittance to those seeking asylum. One such person is Fianna Fáil councillor Noel Thomas, in response to a fire started at Ross Hill House near Oughterard, Co Galway. The hotel was set to house about 70 asylum seekers but was burned down in retaliation.

Thomas went on to defend the behaviour, saying “locals were concerned about the possibility of anti-social behaviour coming from a group of young men being isolated in an area like this” reported in the Irish Times.

While there is no evidence to back up his claims, these types of inflammatory comments have been all too common as of recent, spread by the misinformation and disinformation on social media and a lack of regulations over hateful rhetoric.

The difference between misinformation and disinformation is that misinformation can be defined as “false

information that is spread, regardless of where there is intent to mislead.”

Disinformation is when “false information, which is intended to mislead, especially propaganda by a government organisation to a racial power of the media” as defined by the Anti-Defamation League.

Reported by the Irish Times, Twitter, now known as X, has one the highest amounts of false information on the internet. The far-right has a predominant presence and the company has failed to prevent hate speech, going against their own guidelines against misinformation.

Further, since 2020 when the misinformation and conspiracy theories centred around the Covid-19 pandemic, they have now taken aim at different topics, predominantly immigration.

The Journal reported how in Dublin after the riots, migrants felt unsafe due to the negative and false portrayal that spread online through the means of TikTok, Instagram, and X.

In addition, “Brazilians who work for food delivery services have been complaining for months of near daily attacks,” said the Journal.

Tánaiste Micheál Martin stated after the riots in Dublin, the issue of these false narratives is incredibly harmful to the ability to uphold democracy and while social media can be tremendously beneficial, society has to take mind of the dangers created through the spread of disinformation.

Image by Hubert de Thé from Pixabay

Explainer: why are farmers across Europe protesting?

By Naomi Hamilton O’Donnell

Last month, an image of soup being thrown at the Mona Lisa painting in the Louvre Museum in Paris went viral.

The footage shared by French news agency CL Press showed one woman throwing a liquid over the Leonardo Da Vinci painting, which is protected by glass. Her and another woman wearing t-shirts that said ‘Riposte Alimentaire’, which translates to ‘food response’ in English, were arrested.

It turned out the reason for this attack on the iconic painting was inspired by protests by farmers across France.

The protesters were heard shouting: “Our farming system is sick. Our farmers are dying at work.”

Since January, protests by farmers have ramped up across France, Germany, and other countries in the EU. But why are farmers protesting?

MSc Fintech

Farmer concerns

There are a number of issues that farmers are protesting, including increasing diesel costs and increased competition from imports. Much of the anger fuelling the protests across Europe are due to EU policies.

Farmer unions in France lifted their blockades after French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced new measures for farmers, including accelerating Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments.

In Germany, farmers blocked Berlin with tractors in protest against plans to end farmer’s tax breaks for agricultural diesel.

One major point of concern in Eastern Europe is Ukrainian arable imports.

The lifting of restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural imports by the EU has had a negative impact on farmers in neighbouring countries such as Poland and Romania, where prices have fallen for local produce.

On January 24, protests kicked off in Poland over imports from Ukraine. Protests have also taken place in Latvia over imports.

Reaction in Ireland

Irish farmers are also showing solidarity towards their European counterparts.

Last month the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) national council held an emergency meeting to discuss the Europewide protests.

On Tuesday January 30, over 20 farmers showed their solidarity with protesters in France and Germany by gathering with tractors in Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford.

The chair of Kilmacthomas IFA Luke Casey told the Irish Farmers Journal : “We just wanted to recognise what our counterparts in Europe stand for and the solidarity shown last night was very noticeable.”

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels

Two Referendums set to take place in March

By Meadhbh Hannon

What is this?

On March 8, 2024 (International Women’s Day) Irish citizens will be asked to vote on two amendments to the Constitution; the 39th Amendment of the Constitution - (The Family) Bill 2023, and the 40th Amendment - the Care Bill 2023.

What changes will be made?

The first referendum to be voted on, the 39th Amendment will change Article 41, and proposes to expand the definition of family in the Constitution to recognise a wider concept of family, meaning that a new obligation will be put on the State to protect families beyond the marital family, based on ‘durable relationships’, such as cohabiting couples and their children.

It also proposes to delete wording from Article 41.3.1, which states that marriage is the institution ‘on which the family is founded’, which currently does not take unmarried families, cohabiting families and single-parent families, among others, into account.

The second referendum proposes the replacing of language around “women in the home” in the Constitution with language recognising care within families.

The care amendment would replace the current Article 41.2, which recognises the contribution to society made by women in the home, with a gender-neutral provision obliging the State to “strive to support” care in the family.

It will also insert a new Article 42B which would state: “The State recognises that the provision of care, by members of a family to one another by reason of

the bonds that exist among them, gives to Society a support without which the common good cannot be achieved, and shall strive to support such provision.”

The purpose of Article 42B is to formally acknowledge the vital role of family carers in Irish society.

It aims to ensure that the state supports those who provide family care, recognising the invaluable contribution of family carers to society.

What is the context for these referendums?

Three decades of recommendations to delete, amend or modify existing legislation have been made by interest groups and Oireachtas Committees for over three decades, in 2018, 2016, 2013, 2006, 1997, 1996, and 1993.

The most recent proposals for referendums on these aspects of the Constitution come from recommendations from a Citizen’s Assembly, which took place in 2022.

Historical critiques of the status of women in the Constitution date back to its establishment in 1937, with famous Irish feminist activist Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington deeming to be ‘anti-women’.

Significant developments have been made to progress women’s rights in Ireland over the last several decades, including the removal of the marriage bar which banned women from working in the public sector once they were married.

In 1973, the legalisation of contraception in Ireland in 1979, the ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1985, legalising divorce in 1996, and repealing the eighth Amendment of the Constitution to legalise abortion in 2018.

The upcoming referendums also come at a time where Ireland has responsibilities, under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to achieve Gender Equality by 2030, and the passing of these referendums acts as progression to achieving these goals.

How do I register to vote?

Registration to vote can be done on www.checktheregister.ie

Applications for a special or postal voting arrangement must be received by your local authority by Monday February 12.

Applications to register or change details must be received by your local authority by Tuesday February 20.

This includes students who must change their postal address to their student address, so they do not have to go home to vote. This requires filling out a short online form.

Referendum Information Booklet

A Space for — Everyone

Check out the Race Equality Framework and Action Plan 2023 - 2027

Former Taoiseach

John Bruton dies

Eimear Eastwood News Co-editor

Former Taoiseach John Bruton passed away on February 6, 2024 at age 76 following a short illness.

Born in Dunboyne Co. Meath on February 18, 1947, Bruton served as Taoiseach from 1994-1997 and as Leader of Fine Gael from 1990-2001.

Bruton graduated from University College Dublin with a Bachelor of Arts degree and qualified as a barrister from King’s Inn in Dublin. He was the youngest Taoiseach to date, being only 47 when he was elected. Bruton influenced significant political changes both in Ireland and abroad during his time in office.

Bruton’s most recognised achievement as Taoiseach was the removal of the divorce ban. The 15th amendment referendum took place on November 24, 1995 and was signed into law on the June 17, 1996. This law removed the constitutional ban on divorce and permitted the termination of marriages.

Bruton headed the ‘Rainbow Coalition’ that comprised Fine Gael, the Labour Party and the Democratic Left. This coalition was the only one in Irish history that a coalition comprised of different parties was formed in the same Dáil term.

Bruton is credited also with the framework document he negotiated with UK Prime Minister John Major (1990-1997). Such document was the foundation for the forming of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Bruton also served as EU ambassador to the US from 2004-2009. This role meant he was meeting with US presidents and business leaders in over 20 states working to boost the US economy. Bruton sought to improve EU/US relationships in matters relating to trade, health, the environment and humanitarian issues.

Bruton made waves in the economy as during his time as Taoiseach the economy grew at a rate of 8.7% peaking at 11.1%.

Bruton’s legacy is felt in many respects in Ireland and abroad.

The Return of Stormont: Michelle O’Neill becomes first Nationalist First Minister

By Emma van Oosterhout News Co-editor

Michelle O’Neill has become the first Nationalist First Minister of Northern Ireland as Stormont returned for the first time since it was collapsed by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in 2022.

O’Neill, who has previously served as Deputy First Minister with Arlene Foster and Paul Givan (both DUP), respectively, is also the Vice President of Sinn Féin since 2018, with Mary Lou McDonald.

Emma Little-Pengelly (DUP) was announced as O’Neill’s Deputy First Minister. Little-Pengelly is a barrister and has previously served as a Member of Parliament or Belfast South.

On January 30, the DUP announced their willingness to return to power-sharing. This paved the way for O’Neill to become first minister, as Sinn Féin won the largest number of seats in the 2022 Assembly election.

O’Neill assumed office on February 3, and is the first Irish Nationalist, Republican and Catholic to hold the title of First Minister

Michelle O’Neill has stated previously that she would be a “First Minister for all”, and has fulfilled that promise by breaking with Republican tradition to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, and the coronation of King Charles III in May 2023.

She said: “We live in changing times and it was the respectful thing to do, to show respect and to be here for all those people at home, who I had said I would be a first minister for all. Attendance here is about honouring that and fulfilling my promise.”

She also broke tradition by saying “Northern Ireland” rather than “the North of Ireland” in her Stormont acceptance speech.

She pledged to show respect to the Royal Family, and held meetings with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris, Taoiseach Leo

Varadkar and Ministers of the Northen Ireland Executive.

O’Neill received a handwritten letter of congratulations from King Charles III following her appointment.

She plans to request higher funding for Northern Ireland, who currently have £3.3 billion package pledged from the Exchequer.

O’Neill has also ruled out water charges in Northern Ireland, saying: “you can’t burden people who are living through a cost-of-living crisis with additional household bills whilst their public services are declining.”

O’Neill has also previously served as the Minister for Health, Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, and Mayor of Dungannon and South Tyrone.

Photo from Sinn Féin.ie

New survey shows 63% of students have experienced sexual violence, 10% occurring on campus.

Photo by Sofia Alejandra on Pexels

“ In a survey carried out regarding sexual violence in Galway, 63 of 100 respondents admitted to experiencing sexual assault or harassment once or more than once in their lifetime.”

By Emma van Oosterhout and Fiona Zokou

Every year, thousands of young adults flood into the lecture halls and classrooms of third level institutions. With this comes new opportunities, new friends, and newfound feelings of freedom and independence.

However, there is a darker side to student life that often gets swept under the rug. Sexual assault and sexual harassment are issues that everyone has heard of, or at least knows someone that has experienced it. Although this is a rampant problem in Ireland, with 40% of people experiencing sexual violence at some stage in their lives, according to an Oireachtas debate in May 2023, it is often brushed away and not regarded as an important topic of discussion.

Since the #MeToo movement in 2017, following allegations of sexual assault and harassment by producer and director Harvey Weinstein by the New York Times and the New Yorker, the issue of sexual violence has been thrust onto the worldwide stage. The hashtag was used over 19 million times on Twitter (now X) in its first year, averaging 55,000 tweets a day.

In a survey carried out regarding sexual violence in Galway, 63 of 100 respondents admitted to experiencing sexual assault or harassment once or more than once in their lifetime. The survey included four positions: undergraduate student; postgraduate student; staff; and don’t attend University of Galway.

57 of 84 (67.8%) female respondents have experienced sexual violence, along with six of 14 (42.8%) male respondents, and one of two (50%) non-binary respondents. Of the 64 people who said they’d been sexually harassed or assaulted, 20 (31.3%) knew the perpetrator. 43 (67.2%) did not know who committed the assault/ harassment, and one person was not sure.

In regard to the locations of where these incidents took place, 40 (63.5%)

people responded ‘at a bar or nightclub’; 30 (47.6%) people responded ‘whilst outdoors’; 24 (38%) people responded ‘at a house or apartment’; 16 (25.4%) people responded ‘on public transport’; ten (15.9%) people responded ‘on campus’; and three (4.8%) people said the assault or harassment took place someplace else. These locations included: in a taxi and at school.

Speaking to SIN, Izzy Tiernan, University of Galway Students’ Union Vice President for Welfare and Equality, said that they are “not surprised” that ten percent of sexual assaults happened on campus, and went on to say: “it’s upsetting and it’s disgraceful that that figure did occur within the confines of a place that students should be able to feel safe.

“This should be a place of education of learning and nurturing, and not somewhere that someone is scared to come into.” they added.

Many of the responses mirrored this. When asked in the survey taken: “what more can be done to inform people about sexual assault and harassment on campus and in Galway?” there were a range of responses from more education on the issue of positive intimate experiences and mandatory workshops on consent and the procedure of reporting a sex crime.

Sexual violence, one could say, is an ongoing silent epidemic that has affected students for decades – in no way is it a new phenomenon. It can take a toll on a person in many different ways, from the physical and mental trauma of being unable to report experiences due to the fear of not being believed, to the internalised stigma of self-blame and shame experienced by victims.

For many within the survey, the lack of consequence for offenders is the most frustrating of all. There has not only been a failure by society with the blame placed on these victims but the overall system and lack of acknowledgement from authorities and government to take these matters of sexual violence more serious.

However, there are many supports for students who find themselves affected by sexual violence. There is the Chaplaincy Team, the Counselling Service, the Students’ Union, Student Services, the Student Safety Watch, and Campus Security.

The SafeZone App is a new app that works on campus. There are three buttons on the main screen, ‘Emergency’, ‘First Aid’, and ‘Non-Urgent’. The ‘Emergency’ button contacts security and emergency services; the ‘First Aid’ button is useful for finding people who are qualified in giving First Aid close to you, and the ‘Non-Urgent’ button is for logging complaints. The app uses the user’s location so that security or emergency services can pinpoint their exact location.

There is also the option to ‘start a check-in’. This means the user sets a timer, for example, for 15 minutes to walk to their accommodation or to their car. If they do not ‘check out’ within the set time, it sends an alert to security, who then place a phone call to check in with the user.

SafeZone

The average number of incidents reported in Ireland is at less than 10% as of 2021 stated by the Seanad Eireann Debate on the Report on Victim’s Testimony in Cases of rape and sexual assault. This statistic rings true and can be seen within the survey where only 6% responded that they reported their experiences to the Gardi.

The app also has a detection device, which can detect if the user has collapsed or fallen. Users can also log instant anonymous complaints on the app, such as unusual activity they may witness. Unfortunately, the app only works on-campus.

University of Galway

Regarding supports off-campus, there is the Galway Rape Crisis Centre, based on Forster Street. GRCC have a 24-hour helpline, and their number is 1800 355 355. The Sexual Assault Treatment Centre, based on the Tuam Road, carries out forensic exam and STI testing on people that have been sexually assaulted or raped.

“ The SafeZone App is a new app that works on campus. The ‘Emergency’ button contacts security and emer the ‘First Aid’ button is useful for findin qualified in giving First Aid close to you. There is also the option to ‘start a check-in’. This means the user sets a timer and if they do not ‘check out’ within the set time, it sends an alert to security, who then place a phone call to check in with the user.

RAG week 2024 - Another great success

By Rachel Garvey

University of Galway students prepared for their busiest week which commenced on Monday February 12.

Students’ calendars were fully booked out due to a three-in-one celebratory bundle; Pancake Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, and RAG Week with the added traditional bonus of Donegal Tuesday. RAG Week is a favourite week amongst new and returning students, but the seven-day streak is not dedicated solely to alcohol consumption.

SIN spoke with Dean Kenny, Student Union President in the University of Galway about this year’s chosen charities that were being supported, “The two charities this year are the Galway Rape Crisis Centre and Cancer Care West.”

All the proceeds raised from RAG Week events went directly to the charities. Dean stated, “At the beginning of each new year, when the new Student Union Executive Committee takes office, applications are invited from any charities that wish to be considered to be one of the chosen.”

The committee consists of fourteen part-time officers and four full-time officers conduct a meeting to consider all applicants and make a choice on which two to choose.

There were numerous events being held all throughout the week. On Monday February 12, Galway Simon Community and COPE Galway teamed up for a pop-up clothes sale from 11am-3pm.

6pm-10pm was dedicated to a Fire Walk, “Students light a fire all together followed by a series of activities and techniques to prepare them for walking over the hot coals.” It was bound to be a fiery experience students would not forget. Tuesday February 13 held a Shave-off event and a Galentine’s brunch with Wednesday giving way to a Taylor Swift night.

Following the end of Valentine’s Day, Thursday February 15 held a five-a-side soccer tournament on the college green. It was a week full of unrest and bustling, but to the relief of students, Dean shared, “the week was rounded out with the RAG Recharge in which we organised a refreshing dip down in Blackrock and meditation and yoga activities that followed.”

Every RAG Week comes with the need to keep students safe. The Student Union advised students to “take it easy.” The continuous events and nights out meant students were wanting to try to go to every single event, but the Student Union urged against the pressure.

College brings new experiences, but in new experiences students are urged to keep safe. Dean urged, “Stay with friends, try to have a plan for your night out and know how you’re getting home.” The new Safezone App was encouraged if students needed to contact security on campus.

Lastly, Dean reminded that, “the sole purpose of RAG Week is exactly what those three letters stands for – Raise and Give. It’s about students coming together, getting involved in various events and raising loads of money for a great cause. People focus on the drinking culture, but neglect to acknowledge all the other positive things that go on.

“RAG Week is officially back for the first time in ten years and it’s a time when the Student Union, societies and more come together to make it a great week for the charities.”

Photo by University of Galway Students’ Union

Charity partners for RAG week 2024

By Finnian Cox

RAG week 2024 was one of the busiest in terms of fundraisers, as the Students Union’s pledge to put the ‘Raise and Give’ back into RAG was a roaring success.

Though always a fundraising event, RAG week often gets dismissed as an excuse for students to party. But according to the charities benefitting, the activities go a long way.

From Shave Off to the Tumbling Paddies, this year’s partners Galway Rape Crisis Centre (GRCC), and Cancer Care West will benefit greatly from the charity events.

GRCC is a Galway based charity that has worked closely with the SU in the past, whether through fundraising, or raising awareness around sexual assault.

Founded in 1984, GRCC’s mission is to lessen the impact of sexual assault and offer counselling to those affected, running a 24/7 support service.

As well as this, they have worked closely with the Student’s Union in the past, to raise awareness for the support that is available.

In a statement, the GRCC voiced their appreciation for the work that the SU

RAG Week’s successful shave-off

By Finnian Cox

Galway is well known for its thriving nightlife, but to put the ‘Raise and Give’ back into RAG week, some students are opting for a different kind of buzz.

‘Shave Off’, an event that sees contestants shaving their heads to raise money was an unprecedented success this year, securing vital funding to support those in need. The annual event is organised by the University of Galway Students’ Union, and was just one of the many fundraising events that happened during this exceptional RAG week of 2024.

This year, two charities will benefit from the event, with six brave volunteers raising over five-thousand euro for Cancer Care West, and Galway Rape Crisis Centre (GRCC).

Student’s Union VP for Welfare and Equality

Izzy Tiernan was one of the six contestants, who

took to Sult’s stage to face the razor on Donegal Tuesday, in an event livestreamed on Instagram.

“I got involved in the Shave-Off through my full-time position in the student’s union, and the want to raise money for our two charities”, said Izzy Tiernan.

“Though there isn’t a set goal collectively on how much we aim to raise, every cent will help and go directly to our charities” they said.

Joining them onstage was SU president Dean Kenny, Union of Students in Ireland VP Aoife Hynes, Gender and LGBTQ+ rights Officer Sava Beekman, Engineering student Seán Meehan, and volunteer Jonathan Breen.

Though RAG week is a long tradition in Galway, this year the SU made it clear they wanted to put more emphasis on the charitable aspect, while also encouraging the craic.

GRCC has worked closely with the Students’ Union in the past, and voiced their

has done to raise money, especially over RAG Week.

“The funds raised during RAG Week and the awareness generated have had a tangible impact on the Galway Rape Crisis Centre,” said the GRCC in a statement.

“RAG Week has become a cornerstone of fundraising efforts, providing students with a platform to showcase their creativity and innovation in fundraising,” they said.

The colourful array of events that the SU and students worked together to put on saw the SU comfortably beat the previous years’ funds raised.

The creativity and innovation behind the activities was also effective in promoting RAG week, with social media filling up with footage from the numerous events.

Whether the RAG run (where participants jogged in superhero costumes), or the livestreamed ‘Shave Off’ the two charity partners were given great promotion, which GRCC say is crucial.

“By raising awareness throughout the student community, the Students Union provides students with the opportunity to reach out to GRCC and access the services they need”, said the GRCC.

Dean Kenny, SU President took part in the Shave off, joined by VP for Welfare and Equality Izzy Tiernan and four others, shaving their heads and raising 500 euro each.

Mr Kenny expressed his eagerness to bring the focus back to the fundraising, and commented on the importance of RAG to the University community.

“It will be a fantastic week, of bringing people together and doing something tangible for the collective good of our community,” said Dean Kenny.

deep appreciation for the fundraising efforts of the Union and those donating.

“Over the years, the Students’ Union has consistently championed the cause of the Galway Rape Crisis Centre”, said the organisation in a statement.

“These contributions enable the centre to expand its services, provide crucial support to survivors, and continue its vital work in the community,” they said.

Cancer Care West is a charity providing support to both cancer patients and their families, offering both practical and emotional aids to those affected by the disease.

Photo by University of Galway Students’ Union

Photo by University of Galway Students’ Union

Student Diary

By Latisha McCrudden

Like most college students, our weeks can be very different as each week passes. This week, I will give you an account of what I did in and outside college.

THURSDAY— Today, I had college; it was my late starting day, so I went for a walk before my day started as I am doing the 100 miles for the Irish Heart Foundation this month and wanted to make sure to get my miles in. Today, I also got the news that I received the Galway Traveller Movement education award and was in my county newspaper for an activist boot camp I did last month. After my day in college finished, I went to the cinema with my friend Kelly and watched All of Us Strangers.

FRIDAY— I was up extremely early this morning as I was getting the bus from Eyre Square back home. When I finally got home after 3 hours of a bus journey, I spent time with my mum, and we went for a walk to the beach. Later, we collected my sister from school. I spent the evening with my sister, watching Friends on the TV with her.

SATURDAY— I had a five-hour first aid training course with my karate club today. It was excellent to learn how to properly do CPR and mouth-to-mouth and react in other serious events. When I got home, I worked on an assignment due on Monday. We went for a family walk, had dinner, and spent the evening watching a film on Netflix.

SUNDAY— This morning, we went to mass first thing. I then went on a five-mile walk as I find walking good physically but also good for my mind. I finished my assignment due Monday and then played Monopoly with my sister. In the evening, we went out for dinner. We watched Play Hard or Die Hard Trying on Netflix for the night.

MONDAY— It’s RAG week and reading week in college this week, so I’m staying home for the week. I submitted my assignment on Canvas and went for a walk. When I returned, I started another assignment due later in the week. We have our law society meeting every Monday on campus. As I was at home, I joined online, and we discussed the current events coming up. I watched Friends on Netflix with my sister and did some reading.

TUESDAY— Today, after my mum and I dropped my sister off at school, we went to Castlebar to do some things. When I returned, I worked on some of my assignments and presentation and speech for an event I am speaking at later in the week. I had an online meeting with the members of the CERV project I am involved in, as the project is being nationally launched on February 28. I spent the evening finishing the due essay assignment before watching Love Island All Stars before bed.

WEDNESDAY— I went for a walk in the morning to the beach and back. I then got an exciting email about something happening next month, so I spent a while responding to emails. I made sure I was happy with my speech for tomorrow, also. I had another online meeting with the CERV project to finalize details and information for the project launch. We had dinner, and then I prepared for the event tomorrow and went to bed.

THURSDAY— Today, I was speaking at an event with the No Shame project in Longford, so it was a very early start. We got to Longford around a quarter to ten. I was speaking early in the event, which I was pleased about because the nerves before you speak in front of everybody were nerve-wracking. After the event had ended with the over two-hour journey home, I had another assignment due Monday, so I started some of this assignment. I watched Yes Day on Netflix with my sister and went to bed early as I was wrecked.

Photo by Pixabay

Editor diaries

By Rachel Garvey Features Co-editor

Hello again, sinners. I am positive that all students are relieved to leave behind the winter blues and start afresh for spring time which commenced on February 1.

There is such a huge feeling of unperturbed happiness at seeing the newly blossomed flowers, sneak peeks from the sun and trees gaining back their green colours again.

Personally, my spring time is busy doing a deep spring clean at home and on the hunt for a new job as well as trying to be kind to my mental health on my bad days; being an adult takes a lot, doesn’t it?

It is all a learning curve though and a new year would not be a new year without a few new hiccups.

It is especially hard trying to juggle numerous interviews while you are still working, but break times are a saviour for that until you miss having a full hour to rest and eat as opposed to rushing to different venues across the city centre. It’s all fun. So much fun. Really.

However, there is numerous things to look forward to in spring time alone that are truly fun and each celebration is falling on the calendar one date after the other.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching for the famous February 14 and retailers are showing off cute little teddy bears and scrumptious chocolates that you can gift your friends or partners with, and there was I, buying secret bits before February even started.

My boyfriend and I religiously tell each other not to be buying too much, but neither of us listen. Ever. A few words of advice: one does not need another to spend Valentine’s Day with, and you can choose between your friends or yourself, but not everyone needs a love interest. I used to buy the biggest box of chocolates and devour them in the comfort of my bed while watching a rom-com.

We are all going to be spoiled with sweet things as Pancake Tuesday falls on February 13, the day before all things hearts.

One must take part in the tradition of eating pancakes, I eat them for the entire day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If I make them at home, I love drowning them in butter and sugar or with Nutella if I am feeling fancy or I will take a visit to Java’s Creperie in Abbeygate Street for some sweet and savoury crepes complete with either a fizzy beverage, hot drink, or glass of wine.

The remainder of spring time festivities is shared amongst March and April; March being host to St Patricks Day on

March 17 and April letting the Easter Bunny to deliver as much chocolate eggs as possible before summer season kickstarts in May.

Nowadays, the little things in life are what I look forward to; writing about my day in my journal, deciding what book I would like to read next, what delicious dinner to cook in the evenings, preferably pasta based and saving up for a weekend getaway to Cavan to a beautiful castle location because I haven’t been away since two years ago in Ireland and I haven’t been abroad since 2013 and to quote Lizzo, “It’s about damn time”.

We need to pay attention to the little things, all the annual celebrations are just added extras.

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Photo by Aodhán Morris

Pet Spotlight

Vinny

By Leigha O’Boyle

Vinny. Technically, he is my cat but thinks he is a dog. He runs to greet me at the door when I come home every day before screaming at me to be fed; even though his bowl is still half full. Belly rubs are his favourite and terrorising our actual dog is his idea of fun. At any time of day, he can be found sprawled out on his back fast asleep, charging up for his evening zoomies. If there’s a high up spot he can climb to, you can bet he’ll be up there at the first opportunity staring down with disapproval.

Bubbles

By Rachel Garvey

Unfortunately, due to the painful passing of my two baby hamsters, this small spotlight will have to suffice for my fish, Bubbles. After years of debating what pet to bring into my family of one, I bought Bubbles home with me in November 2019. I worked a lot so I wanted a family member that wouldn’t need me around all the time. Thus came the decision to get a fish. Bubbles is a tradition gold fish. Please don’t ask me how he has survived nearly five years with me because everyone including me has no explanation as to how he’s still alive. He spends his time swimming in circles and under his bridge as well as watching people when they eat in the kitchen, his little mouth going ninety miles an hour. He’s a strange character, but I love him and applaud him for surviving this long.

Daisy

By Hannah Martin

I’d like to introduce you all to my absolute crackpot of a pet Daisy. A Border Collie and Labrador mix, she is a mutt through and through. Her favourite past times include rolling around in fox, cow, deer, or sheep faeces and eating anything that falls under her nose. This past Valentine’s Day marked her tenth birthday and she spent it stealing the bread my mom put out for the birds by sweeping her paw across the patio table. Responding to the names, ‘Dais’, ‘Crazy Daisy’, and my personal favourite ‘Dog’, she has wriggled her way into my family’s hearts one belly rub request at a time. A special note from my sister; “Daisy is the love of my life”, she then sang “love of my life” to really get her love for our dog across. Happy Birthday Daisy!

DRUGCON

Drug Information and Harm Reduction Convention

The Students’ Union is hosting the first of its kind Drug Information and Harm Reduction Convention

27th of February, 11am to 4pm in The Corrib Room, Sult.

Meet supports and services in the areas of addiction, drug related intimidation, recovery and counselling.

Open to all students. There will be hot drinks and fun surprises on the day.

Ye olde valentine’s history

By Rachel Garvey

Valetine’s Day is officially over, a holiday that we are reminded of as soon as the new year starts as retailers display their plushies and boxes of chocolates for your significant other, but as quickly as it comes around it ends.

The funny fact is, these gifts are out on sale for a month and a half, but there are people still running around on Valentine’s night hunting for the perfect present; here is to hoping much of the relationship population bought their gifts on time.

However, this does not exclude the single population from buying gifts for their family, best friends or themselves.

February 14 will forever be the day dedicated to all-thingshearts, but do people know the truth behind the annual holiday? Is there anyone who thought about why we celebrate it or why the day is associated with hearts and flowers and all-things-red?

Fear not, Cupid, this will give people a small insight into what Valentine’s Day is all about, there is no need for the arrow to come out. A visual lesson is available too; The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina includes a full episode about Lupercalia traditions in the world of witches.

Did you know?

The mythical Roman tale of brothers Romulus and Remus play a part in Lupercalia origins; the name Lupercalia is the old mythological name for Valentine’s Day which was celebrated from February 13 -15. A she-wolf is translated to lupa in Italian language. Romulus and Remus were supposedly brought up by a she-wolf until a shepherd found the children in the cave called Lupercal. Afterwards, it was believed that priests held ceremonies at the cave for Lupercalia.

Did you know?

Valentine’s Day is named after the patron saint, Saint Valentine with the Feast Day being on February 14. On Britannica, it is written that, “the legend states that Saint Valetine defied the emperor’s orders and secretly married couples to spare the husbands from war,” thus the reason why Valentine’s Day is symbolised with love.

Did you know?

The celebrations of Lupercalia were nothing like the celebra tions we have at present; there was no going out to dinner, cinema dates or buying teddy bears. “The festival was originally known as Februa, meaning purifications or purging’s, which in turn gave way to February, the month of the festival and a named deity.” During Lupercalia, cities were purified by promot ing health and fertility. “It was a bloody and violent celebration that included animal sacrifice and random match-making in hopes of warding off evil spirits and infertility.” Men chose women’s name from a jar and they had to couple with one another for the majority of the festival, but some ended up falling in love and marrying.

Did you know?

Cupid, who is the God of Love, is known to have kickstarted the heart association with Valentine’s Day with his bow and heartshaped arrow that could change people’s emotions. “Valetine’s Day at present still uses some of Lupercalia’s symbols such as, the colour red; which symbolised blood sacrifice, and the colour white; which signified the milk used to wipe away the blood and to represent new life and procreation.”

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels

The power of our generation to effect change

“ Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace. If, however, they are left on society’s margins, all of us will be impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to participate fully in the lives of their societies.”

—Kofi Annan

By Latisha McCrudden

To me, the young generation of this country can bring the most change because we are the future of this country. The decisions and changes that are happening now will most affect us.

As a young 19-year-old woman in this country, I use my voice to contribute to change through activism and being on nationwide action panels. For example, I am on the Irish Traveler Movement youth forum, the National Women’s Council of Ireland, the National Youth Assembly of Ireland, the Minceirs Whiden Youth Forum, and a National CERV project looking at the impact of COVID-19 on children across the country.

These groups contribute to implementing a positive difference and change in local areas and certain people. However, decisions and considerations can be transferred back to the government at the local councillor stage or to the Dáil or Seanad Éireann.

There are many other ways that the young generation can bring about change nowadays, including even primary and secondary school children being on the student council and green school committee and helping bring a positive difference to their school and local villages and towns and have more positive experiences for the future generations in their school.

As a college student, the options are endless in ways to contribute towards bringing a change in our college for

ourselves, current students, and all those who are to follow us, whether it be in societies, as a class representative, volunteering, or running for a position on the student union.

Our generation can also bring such change in simple ways, whether visiting elderly neighbours, helping in your community, or being kind to those you always meet. Sometimes, the young generation can get a bad reputation among everyone else, but our generation acting with a positive attitude and lifestyle helps us as a whole in effecting change.

The biggest tips I could give our generation to bring change is to make sure your voice is heard and to participate in local politics. As young people grow to voting age and beyond, we need to use that power to spark change.

A quote I came across that I find very significant to this issue is by Kofi Annan: “Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace. If, however, they are left on society’s margins, all of us will be impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to participate fully in the lives of their societies”.

Overall, I think our generation can make a significant difference in many ways in life and help contribute to a positive future for ourselves and the future generations that will follow us.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels

Will You Run?

SU ELECTIONS

Part Time Officers

• Mature Students

• Clubs Captain

• Societies Chairperson

• International Students Officer

• Gender and LGBT+ Rights Officer

• Disability Rights Officer

• Postgraduate Taught Officer

• Postgraduate Research Officer

• Ethnic Minorities Officer

• Environmental and Sustainability Officer

• Convenor of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies

• Convenor of the College of Science and Engineering

• Convenor of the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

• Convenor of the College of Business, Public Policy and Law

Nominations Open: 10:00 Wednesday 21st February 2024

Nominations Close: 17:00 Wednesday 28th February 2024

Election Day: Thursday 7th March 2024

The songs of the four seasons

By Rachel Garvey

There can simply be no such thing as a happy world without music. Those sweet music notes that distract us from loud chatter on the bus, that little distraction it gives us from our anxiety while walking in a busy area, the welcome pounding in our ears while we spend a night on the town in venues that are alive with live music and DJ’s cranking up the volumes of our favourite bangers; music is simply a saviour.

Timing is everything, there is no better time to write this piece about music and how it alters in ways that fit into Ireland’s four seasonal categories; Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, and yes, Ireland has four seasons.

SIN is calling all music lovers to the paper to join in on celebrating and exploring how music becomes festive in each

season; Christmas isn’t the only season that has a massive music playlist. Mariah Carey can’t hog all other festivities.

Christmas has it all, eh? However, there is so much more festive favourites for every other holiday, but there’s a lot of work to be done in that area. Think about every single Christmas song there is and compare that to Halloween songs, summer hits or even chill spring time music; there’s not a lot to go on because snow season is greedy.

Perhaps you need someone to assure you that there is music that will teach you to pay closer attention to the different times of year, and Spotify allows us to explore these new seasonal songs easily and painlessly.

Spring time houses the beautiful lyrics of Wildflowers by Maddie Poppe, Yours by Jake Scott and I Have Never Felt More Alive

by Madison Beer, each song just mere fractions of what one considers to be their spring song.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, but the best thing with a playlist like this is you get to make it yours; a combination of classic love songs and revengeful lyrics.

While popular love songs like A Thousand Years by Christina Perri, I Won’t Give Up by Jason Mraz and How Long Will I Love You by Ellie Goulding are a top favourite, we must consider everyone’s baddie side that will take you on a whole other level, Greedy by Tate McCrae, Darkside by Neoni, I Shot Cupid and Kiss or Kill by Stela Cole and God Sent Me As Karma by Emlyn.

Who said that Valentine’s Day was only allowed to house romantic songs? We need a playlist for our broken, but put back together hearts too. March 17 has celebrations of St Patrick’s Day, a gigantic celebration for the Irish community; every single pub plays the traditional Irish songs of Galway Girl, Dirty Old Town, Whiskey in the Jar and Zombie.

Summer is well-known for housing a never-ending list of party and dance songs to kickstart sun season and the temporary goodbye for woolly jackets. Song artists like, Dua Lipa, Zara Larsson, Mabel and so much others blare from everyone’s speakers.

My personal playlist for summer season consists of Dance the Night by Dua Lipa, Cake By The Ocean by DNCE, Instruction by Demi Lovato, Baby Don’t Hurt Me by Anne-Marie ft David Guetta and Lush Life By Zara Larsson. One simply doesn’t dance while listening to these songs, they make you want to move and celebrate the return of hot weather, fun times and ice-cream.

August is a beautiful time filled with crisp leaves and woolly cardigan weather. It may be hard to believe, but there is such a thing as an Autumn playlist. Here are a few suggestions that will be sure to make you feel those Autumn vibes; Sweet Relief by Madison Beer, All Too Well by Taylor Swift, Houses by Great Northern and Cinnamon by Jome.

Halloween, that sweet and spooky time season that everyone loves is brimming with spooky songs that will be a great aid when carving pumpkins and putting together treat bags for trick ‘r treaters. A lot of people associate Halloween with songs like Monster Mash, Thriller and Ghostbusters, but there’s more than just the traditional songs; Season of The Witch by Lana Del Rey, Candyman & Everyday is Halloween by LVCRFT and Witch Hunt by VISTA.

Christmas is another big holiday season with a never-ending list of songs, but we won’t get into that right now. Christmas time has just finished, we won’t be talking about that for another year.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels

Is there enough to do in Galway as a student?

By Leona Gilmore

I firmly believe there is no better time to be a student living in Galway! Galway is renowned for its famous nightlife and assemblage of pubs. I understand that it can be quite daunting to find fun alternatives instead of a night on the pints.

I have found plenty of things for you and your friends to do that won’t leave you feeling hungover the next morning. Fear no longer here are my favourite non-alcoholic activities that you can enjoy in Galway.

Maybe alcohol doesn’t appeal to you, but what if I suggested that you venture on a ‘Café Crawl’. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the new and improved pub crawl. I think it’s a great way to explore all that Galway has to offer and it gives you an opportunity to catch up with a friend. It’s fair to say that we are beyond fortunate with all the fabulous cafés in Galway. I believe that we all deserve a treat and what better way than soaking up the beautiful atmosphere in one of Galway’s fabulous cafés. I personally recommend Fairhill, The Little Lane and Plámás.

Why not learn a new skill! The University of Galway has over 115 different societies to choose from including; business, archaeology, chess and tradition Irish music. If you

ask me, I’d say there’s definitely something for everyone. I strongly advise you try out a dance class with Dansoc (the dance society). If that doesn’t sound like something you would be into perhaps the Granny Soc could be. You will learn how to sew, knit and crochet whilst enjoying tea and biscuits with like-minded individuals. I think it would be very cool learning how to DJ with the DJ Soc.

For an experience you won’t forget, head to the cinema! Galway has lots of cinemas to choose from including; Pálás, Omniplex, IMC and the EYE cinema. Cinemas have student deals on certain days which is ideally if you’re a student on a budget. I would recommend that you to try the IMC cinema for their student deal on Tuesdays where you can get your ticket along with a medium meal for only €12. It gets better, the cinema is only a short walk from campus. Next time that you’re sitting around at home contemplating how you should spend the rest of your evening head to the cinema. It will be an experience I can guarantee you will look back on fondly.

Have you ever tried cold water therapy? I’m sure this could be putting you out of your comfort zone massively but if you are interested look no further than Fad

Saoil in Salthill. You can get 45 minutes worth and it costs €15. If you’re unsure I might be able to convince you because the cold water and sauna has many benefits such as increased mood and energy levels as well as the production of white blood cells. There is no place I would rather be than by the Salthill seaside to escape the realities of life. Why not grab a friend and julep out of your comfort zones together.

The cold water and sauna mix may sound like your worst nightmare, if so, I may have a solution! A trip to Salthill will leave you feeling instantly better. Of course, the nice weather is not always guaranteed here in Galway but when it is dry, we are truly blessed with all the stunning walks that we can go on. The best part is that they’re completely free! Barna woods, Rinville and Coole Park are some of my favourite walks. Connemara is known for its natural beauty along with its lovely hikes and walks. You won’t regret walking along Dogs Bay or challenging yourself to climb Diamond Hill.

I hope that I showed you that there is a variety of different things for students to do in Galway. In my opinion we couldn’t be luckier with all the fun activities and places to go that doesn’t involve drinking alcohol!

Photo by Chaosheng Zhang on Ireland’s Content Pool

American Idiot: A Review

By Lisa Hamilton

On January 29, I had the pleasure of attending the dress run for Galway University Musical Society’s 2024 production, ‘American Idiot’, in the iconic Black Box Theatre. Despite being a fan of the namesake Green Day concept album for which the musical is named, I had never had an opportunity to see a live production performed before, so was very excited to learn my alma mater’s society would be bringing it to the stage this year.

Having worked with GUMS previously during my time in the University of Galway, I knew the professionalism, talent and graft that went into every production they staged, so my expectations were very high entering the theatre that night and I’m delighted to say this production exceeded those hopes in every way imaginable.

The production was an absolute triumph from beginning to end. American Idiot follows three friends Johnny, Will and Tunny whose paths diverge as each try to find an escape to their suburban existence in a post 9/11 world. The production team embraced nuanced and

difficult themes within the piece such as addiction, rebellion and yearning for a better existence, with such ease that it was a visceral experience to witness.

No stone was left unturned when it came to the details in this production, from the noughties grunge costumes to the lighting, every scene stood out from the next and by utilising a sparse set by musical theatre standards, this production transported the audience from their seats into the dark and complicated world inhabited by each of these characters.

In my experience, jukebox musicals can be either enhanced or inhibited by the popularity of the music from which they are adapted, with some failing to meet the expectations of the audience due to their nostalgia for the original work.

I have no doubt that this may have been playing on the mind of musical director Robert Cosgrove when he took on this mammoth task of bringing an adaptation of this famous score to the Galway stage, however as expected the months of hard work and the innate talent of their MD was clear as this cast pulled off a powerful and evocative vocal

performance that was a treat for musical and Green Day fans alike.

Equally a difficult task awaited the director and choreographer of this production as a script with minimal dialogue required the raw emotion and turmoil of each character to be visually represented in a way that both complemented the score and also spoke for itself.

Aisling Fox and Jodie Finn, respectively, delivered in each of their roles sublimely, seamlessly integrating movement and emotion into every moment of this piece, with a particular favourite of mine being the struggles experienced as Johnny is haunted by his dark alter ego ‘St Jimmy’, expertly performed by Mike O Sullivan and Eoin Cassidy.

I have reviewed quite a number of shows in my time, but this is one that will stay with me for a long time due to the professionalism and talent I witnessed on the stage that night. I would like to extend a massive congratulations to the cast and crew of American Idiot and I look forward to seeing what comes next for GUMS, as I’m sure it will be equally as immersive and exciting as this production was.

All photos by Lisa Hamilton

Movie Review: All of Us Strangers

By Eve Lonergan

From the first shot of a city bathed in melancholy, All of Us Strangers opens the door into a morose, passionate, and twisted world, and then locks you inside.

Just as concerned with the chasm between parent and child as it is with the unfolding experience of new romance, Andrew Haigh’s film is a kaleidoscopic depiction of loneliness, longing, and love.

Adam (Andrew Scott) is a struggling screenwriter, his listless attitude and depressive mindset vividly represented in the physicality of Scott’s acting. In an almost empty apartment block, Adam is barely touching the surface of life, floating from room to room, reheating takeaway food, and slipping into the numbing mindlessness of daytime television.

Adam’s monotonous routine is interrupted by a knocking at the door, the frame of which holds up a tipsy Harry (Paul Mescal), whose slurred words and vacant eyes suggest a loneliness unsolved by the bottle in his hands. Concerned with the quiet and the half-locked six-floor windows, Harry instigates a relationship with Adam that soon blossoms into a romantic co-dependency.

Underneath the soil in which the roots of this relationship begin to grow, a ghostly presence seeps through Adam’s life. He frequently boards a train to his childhood home, where he visits his parents, elegantly portrayed by Jamie Bell and Claire Foy. They welcome Adam home with a distracted but loving embrace. Their youthful energy and distinctive 1980s fashion can be explained by the fact that they died in a car accident when Adam was twelve.

The internal world of Adam is tender, melancholic, and at times, freakish. Battling with time and memory, Adam fades in and out of his childhood, having the conversations with his parents he never had. Adam is searching for a resolution, but it’s questionable if he ever receives one.

The cinematography flows from tactile, delicate scenes of intimacy to scenes punctured with sharp cuts, flashing lights, and warped vision. It embodies the disintegrating and fragmented nature of its main character’s mind, capturing the shift from reality to fantasy, intimacy to isolation.

Loosely based on Taichi Yamada’s Strangers, the film’s novelistic origins seep through its tender, intimate

cinematography and the deeply internal acting from both Scott and Mescal. However, Haigh’s directorial choices construct a beautiful film heightened by its aesthetic quality and deepened by undercurrents of queerness and childhood.

All of Us Strangers explores the generational split between parent and child, and the melding and changing of societal attitudes, particularly with regards to sexuality. After Adam comes out to his mother, she tearfully whispers that “they say it’s a lonely kind of life”.

Though a film strengthened by the immense abilities of its cast, this is undeniably Scott’s masterpiece. He steps into the physicality of this dreamlike world, so utterly inhabiting his character that the scenes in which he reverts back into his childhood are almost heartbreakingly comical.

The film is immersed in the material sensation. Scott captures the indescribable feeling of inhabiting your childhood home, walking down the staircase on Christmas Eve, sitting at the family dinner table, the warmth of a parent’s bed. “It doesn’t take much to make you feel the way you felt”, Adam realises.

Populated with a variety of 80’s hits, the soundtrack of this film is incredibly potent. ‘The Power of Love’ by Frankie Goes to Hollywood becomes a touchstone throughout and is evocative of this film’s central message. Love is the only constant; in whatever form it appears in.

For a film so preoccupied with the internal mind, it begs us to reconsider others. It asks us to identify the fragments of ourselves found in strangers, to make true connections, and to look after one another. All of Us Strangers is dizzying and dreamy and will leave you in pieces. Perhaps that’s the point.

The Color Purple review: the adaptation is both outlandish and exhilarating

By Swathi K. Radhakrishnan

This latest rendition of Alice Walker’s epistolary novel, The Color Purple, is once again a movie-musical that kicks the tragedy of the narrative into a dimly lit corner to bring the Hollywoodish fantastical elements into play. The choice of such a fanciful genre to narrate a story of rape, domestic violence, and oppression black women face within the community, is both challenging and strange.

The film’s director Blitz Bazawule, screenwriter Marcus Gardley, and producers Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Quincy Jones, deserve genuine appreciation for accepting the difficulty of it. They have explored a narrative ringing with trauma in an apparently

unfitting genre which has already been experimented with to tell the same story. Cheers to them, and the astoundingly befitting cast, they have also succeeded in making it leave an independent impression on the audience.

The only question that now arises is what is achieved by again adapting a tragic narrative into a movie-musical with inspirations also, and even largely, from the 2005 Broadway musical based on the novel? What is it that makes this adaptation stand out?

Similar to Spielberg’s 1985 adaptation, this film highlights the celebration of sisterhood and builds on Walker’s idea of womanism, making it an absolutely exciting watch. The story is set in Georgia, in the beginning of the twentieth

century. A young Celie, played by Phylicia Pearl Mpasi with an aptly repressed demeanour of exploited ignorance, is raped by the man she calls father. And even before she could feed her babies, he takes them away from her, leaving her traumatised for years.

This man, Alfonso (Deon Cole), also gives her away as wife to a man called Albert (Colman Domingo) who had wanted to marry her sister Nettie (Halle Bailey), not her. She follows him like a slave to his house and grows old and depressed tolerating his violence. The older Celie (played by Fantasia Barrino) thus becomes the epitome of silent suffering and repression.

The forbearance in Celie’s character stands out to us even more when we meet

The Holdovers: An Instant Christmas Classic

By Shannon Moore

The Holdovers is a film that holds a special type of charm; it’s a 1970’s period piece that feels less like a period piece, and more like a movie lost to time. Beginning with a seven-minute-long opening credits sequence played over the serene winter landscape of Massachusetts in Decem-

“ The Holdovers holds some of the best performances to grace the silver screen in 2023. Giamatti has already taken home a Golden Globe for his heart wrenching, subtly sad performance, and is one of the front-runners to take home the Oscar for Best Actor.

ber, it’s clear from the get-go that this is something different. The Holdovers is a film that sticks with you, sure to be a certified Christmas classic for years to come.

The film follows Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), a brash, bug-eyed, fish-smelling professor of classics at Barton Academy, a posh boy’s school somewhere in Western Massachusetts. It’s the start of Christmas break for the majority of the school, but not for Hunham. He’s been stuck with babysitting those who are left behind over the holiday break, or the “holdovers”, giving the film its title.

Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) is one of those boys holding over against his will, as his newly married mother refuses to pick him up. The men are joined by the school’s head cook, Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) who just lost her recently graduated son to the war in Vietnam. The three make an extremely unlikely trio, bonded together by loneliness and the Christmas spirit; together, they deliver an extremely emotional film.

The Holdovers holds some of the best performances to grace the silver screen in 2023, with actors receiving accolades left and right. Giamatti has already taken home a Golden Globe for his heart wrenching, subtly sad performance, and is one of the front-runners to take home the Oscar for Best Actor.

The character of Paul Hunam is one of loneliness, of lack of purpose. His quick wit, lazy eye, and overall sincerity are at the heart of this film. Giamatti is long overdue for an Oscar, and I wouldn’t be the least surprised if he took it home for this film.

Randolph also took home the Golden Globe for her performance in the film and is also nominated for an Oscar. Her performance as Mary Lamb is one that creeps up on you as the plot unfolds; a bereaving single mother, she holds it all together, until she can’t. Despite all she’s facing, she never lacks empathy and kindness for the world around her. She is the embodiment of a woman doing the best she can with the odds stacked against her. If Giamatti is the heart of this film, Randolph is the glue.

Notably, Sessa is left out of these Oscar nominations, a true snub. The Holdovers is Sessa’s debut film, he was cast from an open audition call at his school, Deerfield Academy, one of the filming locations for the movie.

Sofia, wife of Albert’s son Harpo (Corey Hawkins), brilliantly portrayed by Danielle Brooks, whose performance even outranks Oprah Winfrey’s in the 1985 film. She is well aware of the exploitative nature of the men around her and is determined to fight them; but even Sofia breaks down when met with racism and political power a black woman is in no means to fight and defeat.

However, it is when Albert’s lover, and the whole town’s figure of admiration and desire, Shug Avery (Taraji P. Henson), comes into her life, that she learns the beauty of romantic love and freedom, and gradually gains the strength to stand up to Albert. The film celebrates Shug, and her erotic relationship with Celie, that while it emphasizes the beauty of female relationships, often evoked in Walker’s writings, it also makes us overlook the villainy of the men in the story.

Sessa holds his own against two seasoned actors, which is no small feat. He goes toe-to-toe with Giamatti and Randolph in subtlety, class, and wit; the film would not succeed without his performance. He acts with a certain ease, reminiscent of the stars of the 70’s themselves, like Dustin Hoffman. Despite his lack of accolades, Sessa is sure to have a bright future in the industry.

Outside of its performances, The Holdovers is a film that is bright and warm. It embodies the ‘found family’ Christmas flick, yet nothing about it feels cheesy. It’s one of the most authentic holiday films in a long while, never overstepping its boundaries or asking the viewer to suspend belief. Backed with the scenic winter landscape of Boston, Massachusetts, the world of The Holdovers is a warm, loving hug that you never want to let go of; a solidified Christmas classic that will only get better with time.

Walker’s novel, in its epistolary style, tells an extremely tragic story of black women and their journey to freedom. Finding themselves in a society that calls them ugly and dumb becomes an extension of the tragedy. Bazawule’s artistic freedom dominates the film and makes this difficult journey far too exhilarating. Hence, while the film will be an inspiring watch to the narrative’s first-time audience, to the readers of Walker, it will be rather too polished.

If you ask me, I savoured the bright colors that came and went, the dimly lit secluded sets that signaled the existence of a fantastical realm, and the songs that took me out of the narrative and hooked me to the characters’ inner dramas. Bazawule exercises his dramatic freedom again, like in his film The Burial of Kojo, and it leaves me entertained.

Oscar nominations recap

By Dorottya Fejes

As Hollywood’s most anticipated night is fast approaching, the nominations for the 96th Academy Awards were recently released, and we were surprised to see who didn’t make the shortlist (and who did).

The movie that lured millions of people to dress up in pink was excluded from nominations in some of the major categories.

Barbie is the only film to surpass the one-billion-dollar box office while being directed by solely one woman, nonetheless, Greta Gerwig didn’t make the cut in the Best Director category.

Neither did Margot Robbie, Barbie herself, in the Best Actress category, while Ryan Gosling received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for portraying Ken.

“ Despite many snubs and surprises, this year’s Oscars is full of Irish nominations again, with 12 in total, including the Cork-native Cillian Murphy who has secured his first ever Oscar nomination

In a statement, Gosling highlighted that there is “no Ken without a Barbie, and there is no Barbie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally celebrated film.

“To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement.”

He also congratulated co-star America Ferrera, the actress who delivered the famous monologue about the difficulties experienced by women in modern-day society.

She was recognised in the Best Supporting Actress category, after being overseen at other major award shows, including the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, and the BAFTAs.

For the first time ever, three movies directed by women are nominated for Best Picture. Alongside Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, Celine Song’s Past Lives and Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall were recognised.

Triet is the only woman to be nominated for Best Director this year, making

her the eighth female nominee in this category in the history of the Academy Awards.

Lily Gladstone became the first Native American to be nominated in the Best Actress category, for playing the lead character, Mollie Burkhart, in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon

The film received a total of ten nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director for Martin Scorsese, and Best Supporting Actor for Robert De Niro.

Leonardo DiCaprio was overseen in the Best Actor category and so were Martin Scorsese and Eric Roth for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Surprisingly, The Color Purple , the musical adaptation of the 1982 book and the 1985 film only received one nomination – Best Supporting Actress for Danielle Brooks.

Natalie Portman’s, Juliane Moore’s and Charles Melton’s performances in Todd Haynes’ May December were also overseen in the acting categories. The film was only nominated in the Best Original Screenplay category.

Despite many snubs and surprises, this year’s Oscars is full of Irish nominations again, with 12 in total.

The Cork-native Cillian Murphy has secured his first ever Oscar nomination for portraying the father of the atomic bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer, in Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster, Oppenheimer

The movie took home a total of 13 nominations including Best Picture, Best Director for Christopher Nolan, Best Supporting Actress for Emily Blunt and Best Supporting Actress for Robert Downey Jr., which is just one nomination behind the recordholders; Titanic, La La Land and All About Eve

After winning most of the best director awards this year so far, including a Golden Globe and both an American and Canadian Critics Choice Award, many believe that Nolan has a good chance of taking his first Oscar statuette home soon.

Poor Things, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and produced by the Irish company Elemental Pictures, received a total of 11 nominations, the most nominations ever obtained by an Irish-produced film.

These include Best Director for Yorgos Lanthimos, Best Actress for Emma Stone, Best Supporting Actor for Mark Ruffalo and Best Cinematography for the Irishman Robbie Ryan.

The 96th Academy Awards will take place on March 10 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood starting at an earlier timeslot than in previous years, at 12am GMT.

Jimmy Kimmel will return as the host of the Oscars for the fourth time.

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels

Oscar picks and predictions

By Scott Stephens Arts & Fashion Co-editor

The Academy Awards are fast approaching with the anticipated ceremony taking place in less than a month on March 10. Knowing the history of the Oscars there’s bound to be some snubs and surprises, so with that in mind lets go through the main categories and see who the academy is likely to give the statues to, but also who they should go to.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Will win: Oppenheimer

Should win: Oppenheimer

Following Memento and Inception, this is Christopher Nolan’s third writing nomination. This is just one of many expected awards for the writer-director’s 12th feature film, and deservedly so. Oppenheimer is certainly a highlight of Nolan’s writing; it is not an easy thing to write a gripping story about the father of the atomic bomb that doesn’t waste one minute of its three-hour runtime.

Best Original Screenplay

Will win: Anatomy of a Fall

Should win: The Holdovers

Justine Triet’s courtroom drama is certainly a magnificent work that will likely tickle the fancy of the Academy, but it is not as wonderful as The Holdovers, a story that speaks on the bonds that can form between damaged people. The greatness of the writing shines the most through the film’s characters, each of which is crafted so carefully and realistically.

Best Supporting Actress

Will win: Da’Vine Joy Randolph

Should win: Da’vine Joy Randolph

It seems that almost every year there is at least one category that can be easily predicted. This year it’s Best Supporting Actress. Da’vine Joy Randolph’s performance as a head cook who has just lost her son in The Holdovers is one that will leave an impression on you. She plays a character that shows so much heart and compassion, even in the face of tragedy, and thankfully her victory seems definite.

Best Supporting Actor

Will win: Robert Downey Jr.

Should win: Mark Ruffalo

The momentum is certainly behind Robert Downey Jr. for his powerful portrayal of Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, with a Golden Globe and a Critic’s Choice Award already

under his belt. However, Mark Ruffalo’s performance as Bella Baxter’s deplorable partner in Poor Things is one that deserves much more praise than it is getting.

Best Actress

Will win: Emma Stone

Should win: Lily Gladstone

Along with Best Supporting Actress, another definite this year is that someone with the word “stone” in their name is going to win Best Actress. It seems like the Academy’s favourite is Emma Stone for her performance in Poor Things. Stone did something brilliantly unique with her character Bella Baxter, but Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon is a truly heartbreaking and commanding work.

Best Actor

Will win: Cillian Murphy

Should win: Cillian Murphy

Other than the slight risk of Paul Giamatti beating him, Cillian Murphy seems well placed to win his first Oscar for portraying the titular nuclear physicist in Oppenheimer. In Murphy’s sixth collaboration with director Christopher Nolan, he gives a tour-de-force performance. Oppenheimer has many highlights, but Murphy’s acting is among the top; a captivating performance that is likely to make the Academy drool.

Best Director

Will win: Christopher Nolan

Should win: Yorgos Lanthimos

Nolan seems well poised to scoop his first Best Director Oscar, following on from a heap of awards he has already won for his 12th feature. While Nolan’s directing is astonishing and a feat that deserves all the praise it is getting, Yorgos Lanthimos constructed a truly weird and wonderful world with Poor Things but doesn’t seem likely to take home the statue.

Best Picture

Will win: Oppenheimer

Should win: Killers of the Flower Moon

It seems like the 96th Academy Awards are going to be an Oppenheimer sweep. It is certainly a brilliant film, well received by critics and audiences alike, in fact, if it wins Best Picture it will be one of the highest ever grossing movies to do so. However, Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese’s powerful 26th film, is more deserving than any other nominee of the award.

Overall, it has been an incredible year for movies, with many films nominated being more than worthy of the biggest awards of the night.

The 2024 Grammys: A Recap

By Áine Feeney

Artists, composers, producers, and fans gathered at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 5 to celebrate the biggest night in music: the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. This year was a particularly memorable year. There were history-making wins for artists like Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and boygenius, and unforgettable performances from Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, and Annie Lennox. Let’s take a deep dive into some of the highlights of the night.

This year was huge for female artists, who won in all of the major categories. Taylor Swift made history as the first artist to win Album of the Year four times, scooping the most anticipated award of the night for her tenth studio album Midnights, which also won Best Pop Vocal album. During her acceptance speech, she announced the upcoming release of her 11th studio album The Tortured Poets Department on April 11.

Miley Cyrus won big at the Grammys for the first time, taking home Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for her song Flowers. Paying an homage to the late Tina Turner with her outfit, Cyrus added some tongue-in-cheek adlibs during an energetic live performance of the song after her win, exclaiming “I just won my first Grammy!” to the elated audience.

Song of the Year went to Billie Eilish

for What Was I Made For? from the Barbie movie soundtrack, which also won big at the Golden Globes in January. She performed the song live on the night, accompanied by her brother and co-writer FINNEAS.

Phoebe Bridgers was the most awarded artist of the night, winning a Grammy for her feature on SZA’s Ghost in the Machine, as well as three Grammys for her part in boygenius, a supergroup she formed in 2018 with Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker when they embarked on a co-headlining tour together. The Boys, as they are known by their fans, won Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for Not Strong Enough from their 2023 album The Record, which also won Best Alternative Music Album.

The nominees for Best New Artist included Noah Kahan, Ice Spice, Gracie Abrams, and Fred Again, but the award went to Victoria Monét, who gave a touching and humorous acceptance speech where she thanked God, her mother, and the champagne servers. Monét also won Best R&B Album for Jaguar II, her debut studio album.

Nominated alongside names like Metallica and the Foo Fighters, Paramore won Best Rock Album for This Is Why, which also won Best Alternative Music Performance. The band have been active since 2004, and were previously nominated for Grammy Awards in 2008, 2011, and 2015, but only won for the first time this year.

2024 was a big year for SZA and her second studio album, SOS. She was nominated in six categories and took home three Grammys for Best Progressive R&B Album, Best R&B Song, and Best Pop Duo/ Group Performance. There were some huge names nominated in this year’s Rap categories, including Drake, Travis Scott, and Doja Cat. However, Best Rap Album went to Killer Mike for Michael, which also scooped Best Rap Song for Scientists and Engineers

Joni Mitchell won Best Folk Album for Joni Mitchell at Newport [Live], making her a ten-time Grammy winner. But it was the singer’s first ever Grammy performance that drew the most attention from audiences. She sang Both Sides Now in one of her first public performances since having a brain aneurysm in 2015. The legendary Tracy Chapman also performed Fast Car alongside Luke Combs, who released his own cover of the song as a single in 2023. Chapman has been active since 1988, but has been noticeably absent from the limelight since she last went on tour in 2009, making her appearance at the Grammys all the more special for audiences.

It’s estimated that 17 million people tuned in to watch the Grammys this year, the largest viewership figure seen since the pandemic. This follows news that the Golden Globes also saw its highest ratings in years. With the 2024 award season in full swing, all eyes now turn to the Oscars, which are set to take place on March 10.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Prelude to Ecstasy: The Last Dinner Party’s evocative debut album

By Caitlin Maughan

Distinctly feminine. Overflowing with religious iconography. Ravenous. These are some of the ways I would describe The Last Dinner Party, an all-female indie rock band.

When they perform, it is a haze of corsets, billowing skirts, and Dr Marten boots. The lead vocalist, Abigail Morris, allows herself to indulge in the music as she twirls and leaps across the stage. Her haunting and operatic voice echoes throughout the venue as she sings.

The group released their debut single ‘Nothing Matters’ in April 2023 and have since opened for The Rolling Stones, Hozier, and Florence + the Machine.

On February 2, The Last Dinner Party released Prelude to Ecstasy, their debut album which is stacked with themes of religion, sex, and girlhood. In a joint statement, the band said; “This is an archaeology of ourselves; you can exhume our collective and individual experiences and influences from within its fabric. We exorcised guitars for their solos, laid bare confessions directly from diary pages, and summoned an orchestra to bring our vision to life.”

The first track was surprising: an elaborate orchestral overture with the potential to be the soundtrack of a 1980s gothic vampire thriller. The song induces the feeling of impending greatness, a fitting way to commence the album.

Other notable tracks include ‘On Your Side’, a bewitching ballad about devotion and unreciprocated love. Regarding the atmospheric outro of this song, The Last Dinner Party said; “It turned into this wrenching shimmering section that sounds like the end of a poisonous relationship; dissolving, fragmenting, painful but also ultimately freeing.”

‘Sinner’ also deserves an honourable mention. It is catchy yet profound; the song delves into the shame that is often

experienced alongside queer love. The repetition of the line “pray for me on your knees” as well as the use of phrases such as “altar of lust” implies the source of shame is Catholic guilt.

Another song that sparks goosebumps is ‘Portrait of a Dead Girl’. This track reflects on a soul-crushing betrayal through descriptive imagery of baroque artwork.

Prelude to Ecstasy also embraces dramatic tonal shifts. For instance, the first verse of ‘My Lady of Mercy’ is upbeat but the song swiftly transitions into a dark, fervent chorus reflective of the duality of love.

However, all successful musicians will inevitably suffer the criticism and hostility that accompanies fame. Due to their instant popularity, The Last Dinner Party has been accused of being an industry plant. Suspicions arose because the band has a clear artistic vision and flawless execution despite only forming in 2021.

While it is true that nepotism and preferential treatment run rampant in the music industry, is it unfathomable that five young women could become overnight sensations solely because they are talented? The Last Dinner Party makes powerful and relatable music that speaks to young women across the globe. Not to mention, they have a striking stage presence, which is an incredibly alluring quality.

Overall, The Last Dinner Party is distinctive and eccentric; I have no doubt that they will continue to take the music industry by storm if they continue to make evocative music with confessional lyrics.

University of Galway Law Review Interview with Chief Justice Donal O'Donnell

All photos by Léa Heuillet

Welcome Delegation

(L-R) Prof Martin Hogg, Dr Shivaun Quinlivan, CJ Donal O’Donnel, Prof Pól Ó Dochartaigh, Mayor Eddie Hoare

Some of the Law Review Team with the Chief Justice

Chief Justice Donal O’Donnell with Co-Editors-in-Chief of the Law Review, Emma Halpin and Tom O’Connor

M.C. Eric Ehigie

Chief Justice Donal O’Donnell interviewed by Shivaun Quinlivan

Club Spotlight

Surf

Photos by Tom Keal

Photos by University of Galway Students’ Union

Sult Taylor’s Version

Sult Taylor’s Version

RAG Run

RAG Recharge

SOS SOS

Shave off

Shave off

Shave off

Galentines

Galentines

RAG Firewalk

Photos by Hannah Martin

Photo by Raimey O’Boyle

Student Showcase

Yue Qiu

Shivam Sharma

Kristina Micallef Pule

Aodhán Morris

Aodhán Morris

Aodhán Morris

Yue Qiu

Kristina Micallef Pule

Kristina Micallef Pule

Hannah Martin

Hannah Martin

Hannah Martin

Aodhán Morris Aodhán

Aodhán Morris

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Cuan Agency – where are we now?

By Meadhbh Hannon

A statutory agency dedicated to tackling and reducing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV), Cuan, was established by law on January 1, 2024 alongside the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Agency Act

Establishment of the Agency comes as a result of a commitment in the ‘Zero Tolerance’ national strategy on DSGBV published in June 2022. While the news of the agency’s establishment is welcomed and comes as a significant opportunity to combat issues relating to DSGBV, there has been little evidence of any mobilisation of the agency’s objectives.

The establishment of the Agency follows scandalous reports of over 3,000 domestic violence 999 calls being cancelled by the Garda Síochána between 2019 and 2020, a reported rise of 16% in contacts with Women’s Aid support services in 2022, and an ‘epidemic’ of gender-based violence in Ireland, according to Leo Varadkar in 2023, who stated that dealing with the issue is a ‘government priority’.

While Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has claimed that the Agency and its board will provide expert focus and commitment to drive the necessary societal change to tackle DSGBV, this has yet to be seen in any capacity.

Where are we now with CUAN?

Developments and updates on the agency’s progression have been slow, with public advertisements for core employment opportunities, such as Head of Strategic Engagement remaining open until February 7, over a month after the agency’s establishment. Further, the Agency remains without a website, despite its core objectives involving ensuring that victims of DSGBV know the full range of supports available and how to access them. This comes as a concern considering analysis

weeks after its establishment. Incidents of DSGBV are rife in Ireland, and delays to combat these are quite concerning.

What is DSGBV?

The UN defines GBV as ‘violence that is directed against a person on the basis of gender or sex. It includes acts that inflict physical, mental, or sexual harm or suffering, threats of such acts, coercion and other deprivations of liberty. While women, men, boys and girls can be the victims of GBV, women and girls are the main victims.’

Establishing the Agency by law does absolutely nothing for victim-survivors of violence and abuse. Legislation is futile without action.”

by Safe Ireland that suggests that 92% of women who experience domestic violence or intimate partner violence do not access support services.

The aims of the Agency seem to open up significant opportunities to combat DSGBV, yet there has been no indication that the Agency has begun to take any action yet,

Further, the European Commission has established that GBV is a violation of human rights and a form of discrimination, which can be seen through acts of physical harm, sexual harm, psychological or economic harm, or suffering to women.

DSGBV can have short-term, long-term, or lifelong mental, physical , and social impacts on survivors, and in extreme cases can even result in loss of life.

What will CUAN do?

The Agency will be tasked with coordinating and reporting on the delivery of government strategies relating to DSGBV (including the current National Strategy), supporting and overseeing the delivery of safe and accessible refuge accommodation, and ensuring the delivery of excellent services to victims of DSGBV (including helpline and other supports).

They also are responsible for leading on awareness-raising campaigns designed to reduce the incidence of DSGBV in Irish society as well as ensuring all victims know the full range of supports available and how to access them, liaising with the Minister for Justice and the Department of Justice to ensure that the work of the Agency aligns with overall government DSGBC policy, leading on research to inform DSGBV policy development, working with others, such as the CSO.

Action is needed now

Incidence rates of DSGBV are ever-increasing, and lives are at stake. Establishing the Agency by law does absolutely nothing for victim-survivors of violence and abuse, legislation is futile without action, and represents a mere symbol of acknowledgement by government officials. While societal and attitudinal change take considerable time and effort, the lack of action to mobilise the Agency is not excusable.

Photo by Liza Summer on Pexels

Kneecap ag Féile Sundance

Le Sadhbh Clancy Cainte Editor

I mí Eanáir, bhí an-tóir go deo ar an scannán Kneecap ag Féile Sundance mar bhuaigh sé an Audience Award: NEXT ag an féile. Is é an chéad scannán Gaeilge a bhuaigh ag Sundance. Stiúrthóir Rich Peppiat a rinne an scannán agus leanann an scannán tríréad rap Kneecap agus bhur tsaoil i mBéal Feirste. Is iad Móglaí Bap (Naoise Ó Caircealláin), Mo Chara (Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh) agus DJ Próvai (JJ Ó Dochartaigh) na hamhránaí sa grúpa agus is scéal ficseanaigh é an scannán ar bhur tsaoil. Ag tús an scannán bíonn Naoise agus Liam Óg ag díol drugaí agus éiríonn téamaí den saol deacair atá ag an fear óg i mBéal Feirste. Is mac den oigifeach IRA é Naoise agus de bharr sin, is duine tírghrách é, atá ceangailte leis an Ghaeilge amach is amach.

Chomh maith leis sin tá Liam Óg ag deileáil leis a shaol rómánsúil mar bíonn caidreamh aige le cailín Protastúnach. Oíche ámhain nuair a tarraing siad an dlí ort féin, buaileann siad le JJ, múinteoir Gaeilge, agus socraíonn sé cabhrú leo le bhur ceol. Caitheann sé balacláva le bhrat na hÉireann air chun a aitheantas a choimeád faoi cheilt.

Tá féiniúlacht Kneecap nasctha go hiomlán leis an Ghaeilge mar is tríréad dhátheangach iad ag deileáil leis an foiréigean, drugaí agus bíonn bhur rap in aghaidh an coilíneachas agus leatrom. D’éirigh an grúpa i mbéal an phobail nuair a scaoil siad a chéad amhrán ‘Cearta’, amhrán ag tabhairt dúshlán na steiréitíopaí a bhíonn ag daoine faoi lucht labhartha na Gaeilge.

An rachaidh

tú san iomaíocht?

Toghcháin CML

Todhchán na nOifigeach Lánaimseartha

• Uachtarán

• Leas-Uachtarán / An tOifigeach Oideachais

• Leas-Uachtarán / An tOifigeach Leasa agus Comhionannais

• Leas Uachtarán don Ghaeilge

Osclófar Ainmniúcháin: 10:00 Dé Céadaoin 28 Feabhra 2024

Dúnfar Ainmniúcháin: 17:00 Dé Céadaoin 6 Márta 2024

Lá an Toghcháin: Déardaoin an 14 Márta 2024

Image of Kneecap’s album fine art

Bhí scannán Kneecap a rinneadh le Northern Ireland Screen, an Irish Language Broadcast Fund, Fís Éireann, an BFI , Coimisiún na Meán and TG4, agus le tacaíocht ag Great Point Media. Fuair Sony Pictures Classic cearta an scannán i Mheirceá Thuiadh, Meiriceá Theas, Oirthear na hEorpa, an Tuairc agus an Meánoirthear. Scaoilfear Kneecap sna pictiurlann níos deanaí i mbliana.

Toghcháin CML

An rachaidh tú san iomaíocht?

Oifigeach Páirt-Aimseartha

• Oifigeach na Mac Léinn Lánfhasta

• Captaen na gClubanna

• Cathaoirleach na gCumann

• Oifigeach na Mac Léinn Idirnáisiúnta

• Oifigeach um Chearta Inscne agus LADT+

• Oifigeach um Chearta Míchumais

• Oifigeach na nIarchéimithe Teagasctha

• Oifigeach na nIarchéimithe i mbun Taighde

• Oifigeach na Mionlach Eitneach

• Oifigeach Comhshaoil agus Inbhuanaitheachta

• Tionólaí Choláiste na nDán, na nEolaíochtaí Sóisialta, agus An Léinn Cheiltigh

• Tionólaí Choláiste na hEolaíochta agus na hInnealtóireachta

• Tionólaí Choláiste an Leighis, an Altranais agus na nEolaíochtaí Sláinte

• Tionólaí Coláiste an Ghnó, an Bheartais Phoiblí agus an Dlí

Osclófar Ainmniúcháin: 10:00 Dé Céadaoin 21 Feabhra 2024

Dúnfar Ainmniúcháin: 17:00 Dé Céadaoin 28 Feabhra 2024

Lá an Toghcháin: Déardaoin an 7 Márta 2024

GAA GO Controversy

By Tristan Friel

Many headlines last year covered the GAA GO controversy. As we are starting into a new GAA season, now is a good time to investigate the controversy and see if any improvements could be considered.

Last year’s controversy mainly surrounded the streaming platform having sole rights to many of the most entertaining hurling matches last season. A flashpoint occurred last year when Donal Óg Cusack was critical of the streaming platform on the Sunday game live in early May last year.

The controversy is because many of last year’s Munster hurling championship matches were only available to the public if they bought a GAAGO pass. Many critics have stated that it is against the fundamental values of the GAA to not allow these matches to be shown on RTÉ or TG4.

Another part of the controversy is that the GAA is an amateur athletic association, and as of this, its players do not get paid and receive no financial incentive to play.

For years, fans have loved the amateur aspect of the GAA as it attests to the true values of amateur sport, watching the players give their all for their county. However, as the players don’t get paid, fans struggle to see why businessmen should profit from the players’ hard work and dedication. This has made people feel it is unfair that those who dedicate their lives to the sport are expected to play for no financial gain while third parties, such as the streaming service GAAGO, make millions in profit.

We are told that the players play for the love of the game and to make their families and parishes proud. Is it too much to

ask that their families and friends might be able to view them playing free of charge?

Another hot topic for debate surrounding this story has been the fact that the introduction of the streaming platform GAAGO has put many matches out of the reach of some older people and those who are digitally illiterate.

Age Action states, “three in ten older people didn’t even have access to the internet last year.” The GAA should address this. The GAA brings a lot of joy to the older generation of this country, as I’ve seen it even within older members of my own family. The GAA and RTÉ should do their best to solve this growing problem.”

The GAA was once something Irish people could be proud of; sadly, now many are starting to become disillusioned with the association, believing it does not stand for the values it was once famous for. They are an association out of touch with reality and risk a major backlash if they ignore the warnings of the people of Ireland for too long.

HOT MEALS

I am not against the streaming platform GAAGO. It can be an excellent way of bringing the games to a broader worldwide audience. So many young people are emigrating, and I feel the GAA have an opportunity with this streaming service to give them a real sense of homeliness by letting them watch the games free of charge on GAAGO while also promoting the GAA in other countries hopefully leading to more foreign investment in the GAA.

However, this should not be at an expense to the older, more vulnerable population at home. It is worth remembering that the GAA would not exist today without the thankless hours volunteers put into making it what it is today. Without them, the GAA would not exist, and the GAA would be wise not to forget them in future decision making.

I acknowledge it is feasibly impossible for all GAA games to be covered on RTÉ and TG4 alone, I think the GAA may rethink their streaming programme. I don’t think it should charge the people of Ireland for these matches.

It has also been noted in the media lately that GAAGO is co-owned by RTÉ and the GAA. As RTÉ receives funding from television licensing to pay for the live sporting events they broadcast, it seems a little immoral that they would further charge people for using their streaming program GAAGO.

I believe a better alternative would be to implement a setup similar to that of the BBC red button in Britain in which viewers would be able to access the other matches that are being streamed free of charge through RTÉ but just on a different channel or perhaps our very own RTÉ green button; this would also allow for the streaming service GAAGO to be perhaps moulded towards a more global audience or potentially being incorporated in some way into the RTÉ Player.

I would also like to think that if there was profit being made from the streaming service, they might think of using it to reward its volunteers, spreading profits among clubs at Christmas to be shared among volunteers as a thank you. Moves like this would significantly improve relationships between the communities and the GAA while putting the controversy in the past and allowing for further growth in the Gaelic Games in the coming years.

GaaGo logo

Will Ireland make history by winning back-to-back Grand Slams?

By Aodain Byrne

Two rounds played so far in the 2024 Six Nations, it is safe to say that Ireland are on the road to back-to-back Six Nations Grand Slams for the first time in their history.

Looking to shake off the cobwebs after a disastrous exit from the Rugby World Cup last October, attention was turned to how well they will recover, especially from the devastating retirement of Jonathan Sexton.

Now was the time to focus on the new crop of players being integrated into the first team, for example players like Munster`s Calvin Nash and Leinster`s Joe McCarthy got a chance to impress themselves in their victorious 38-17 win away to France in the opening round in Marseille on February 2.

Meanwhile back in Dublin a week later, Ireland recorded a cagey but rather dominant 36-0 victory over Italy, which Ireland have won ten consecutive Guinness Men’s Six Nations matches, becoming just the second nation to win more than ten straight matches in the Championship since Italy joined in 2000.

As well as Ireland preventing Italy from registering a score, it was also the first time they have held an opponent scoreless in the Five or Six Nations since 1987 with a 17-0 home win against England. Ireland recorded 12-line breaks against Italy as becoming the first team to reach more than six line breaks in this season’s Six Nations.

But from the two games played so far, it just seems that Ireland are head and shoulders

ahead of the chasing pack with Wales, Scotland and England left to play. However, strange things can happen once complacency slips into this squad, so it is important to keep its big performers fit and available.

Next up for the boys in green is against the Welsh at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, February 24 at 2:15pm, a game which Ireland are looking forward to taking another step towards another Grand Slam. Wales, who have been on the bad end of narrowing defeats of Scotland and England, want to soak up the hurt inside them, by hoping to cause an upset against one of the dominant teams in the world right now, which Wales haven`t beaten Ireland away in the Six Nations since 2012.

Looking ahead to the following games after that, Ireland goes to Twickenham on Saturday March 9 to face England before returning home for the visit of Scotland on Saturday March 16 where Ireland hopes to provide another successful campaign wrapped up for their home fans on the eve of St. Patrick’s day.

From all the stats gathered so far, it might be argued that Ireland haven`t certainly

Ireland goes to Twickenham on Saturday March 9 to face England before returning home for the visit of Scotland on Saturday March 16 where Ireland hopes to provide another successful campaign wrapped up for their home fans on the eve of St. Patrick’s day.”

being challenged and have been uncontested so far in this year’s Six Nations, where France had only 14 men to play against Ireland for large portions of that game and Italy`s horrible record away to Ireland but that doesn’t mean that they are the finished article just yet.

Opposition teams on their day can catch Ireland on their worst of days and the pressure of securing back-to-back Grand Slams for the first ever time can have a major impact for such a small country.

I am convinced by their character and resilience shown over the past year that they can get it over the line to further prove themselves as the major powerhouse to the whole of European rugby.

Jack Conan of Ireland wins possession in the lineout during the Guinness Six Nations Rugby Championship match between Ireland and Italy at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Ben McShane/ Sportsfile

Galway Roscommon Match

By Ronan O’Donnell

On Sunday February 4, Davy Burke’s Roscommon team welcomed Connacht rivals Galway to Dr Hyde Park. Going into the game, Galway had suffered a defeat to their arch rivals Mayo in Salthill as Roscommon came away from Omagh with a narrow defeat to a youthful Tyrone side.

There was a lot of questions asked of Padraic Joyce and his Galway charges after the disappointing loss to Mayo. Many felt the team as a whole produced a lesser performance as Mayo were comfortable throughout the game.

Before the game started, Roscommon were slight favourites with the bookmakers as last year’s league finalists were arriving into the second game week as narrow underdogs. Galway were without some of their key players such as Sean Kelly, Shane Walsh and Damien Comer (All injured).

Roscommon introduced three players from the St Brigid’s club into the starting 15 fresh from their impressive run to the All-Ireland club final where they narrowly lost out to a resilient Glen team. Robbie Dolan, Ruaidhri Fallon and Ben O`Carroll all started in the Hyde.

There was a very strong wind present which didn’t help either side in the first half, Galway opened the scoring thanks to a free from Robert Finnerty.

Roscommon Full forward, Ciaran Lennon had to be replaced after the Clann Na Gael clubman picked up an injury early on. His replacement, Conor Cox opened the scoring for the home side.

Although Galway were playing against the wind in the opening half, they battled away and Cillian O Curraoin finished off an excellent move which saw the Tribesmen restore the lead with their opening score from play.

On the 17th minute, Cox levelled the game before a long-ranged effort from Daire Cregg put Roscommon ahead for the first time. A nice free from off the surface from Matthew Tierney restored parity in the 22nd minute.

Ruaidhri Fallon and O Curraoin kicked scores to leave it four points apiece with 28 minutes played. St Brigid’s captain Brian Stack came on as a sub late in the first half and gave some stability to his side.

Conor Cox kicked a hat trick of points including his first from play to put his side three points up at half time. Half Time score: Roscommon 0-7, Galway 0-4.

It didn’t take long for Galway to reduce the deficit thanks to early frees from Finnerty and O Curraoin. Roscommon who were playing into tricky conditions battled on and points from their dangerman, Ben O Carroll and a free from Diarmuid Murtagh meant that they had a 3-point advantage going into the last quarter of the game.

As you would expect, the visitors never gave up and Kieran Molloy and Matthew Tierney chipped in with two points from play to leave the bare minimum between the sides. Galway veteran midfielder popped up and brought the game level from a placed ball.

There were seven minutes to go as Donie Smith saw red for an altercation with Paul Conroy, the game took another twist as Galway’s numerical advantage was wiped out when Corofin youngster, Jack Mc Cabe got a black card shortly after his introduction to play.

With both teams having 14 on the field of play, they went in search of a winner. There were late chances for both sides but unfortunately all failed to hit the target. In the end, both sides had to settle for a point. Full Time score: Roscommon 0-9, Galway 0-9.

GALWAY: C. Gleeson, J. McGrath, S. Fitzgerald, E. Kelly, D. McHugh, J. Daly, S. Mulkerrin, P. Conroy 0-1, J. Maher, K. Molloy 0-1, M. Tierney 0-2 (1 free), C. Sweeney, L. Ó Conghaile, R. Finnerty 0-2 (2 frees), C. Ó Curraoin 0-3 (2 frees).

SUBS: J. Heaney for Kelly (44), C. Darcy for Ó Curraoin (55), J. McCabe for Finnerty (62), P. Egan for Mulkerrin (70).

ROSCOMMON: C. Carroll, R Dolan, D. Murray, N. Higgins, N. Daly, R. Fallon 0-1, E. McCormack, E. Smith, D. Ruane 0-1, C. Connolly, D Cregg, C. Lennon, D. Murtagh 0-1 (1 free), B. O’Carroll 0-1, D. Smith.

SUBS: C. Cox 0-5 (4 frees) for Lennon (9 - inj), B. Stack for Connolly (30), K. Doyle for Ruane (44), J. Fitzpatrick for Cregg (65), E. Flynn for Dolan (73), A. Glennon for Murtagh (75).

REFEREE: C. Lane (Cork).

Paul Conroy of Galway in action against Enda Smith of Roscommon during the Allianz Football League Division 1 match between Roscommon and Galway at Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile

“ From the throw-in University of Galway hit the ground running with a beautiful point from play from joint captain Tiffanie Fitzgerald within ten seconds and they never looked back.

University of Galway are set to return to top flight camogie in 2025 after being crowned the 2024 Purcell Cup Champions at the University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome when they beat SETU Carlow.

With two teams competing and the job of hosting the Electric Ireland Third Level Camogie Championship weekend it was a busy weekend for all involved.

The hosts had a comfortable win in the Purcell Cup semi-final on Saturday against Mary I before taking on SETU Carlow on Sunday in the final.

This was the third year in a row that University of Galway had reached the final and after suffering narrow defeats in 2022 and 2023 they were determined to make amends.

University of Galway crowned 2024 Purcell Cup Champions

From the throw-in University of Galway hit the ground running with a beautiful point from play from joint captain Tiffanie Fitzgerald within ten seconds and they never looked back.

Galway had outstanding performances across the entire team and had a comfortable lead going in at half-time on a scoreline of 4-11 to 0-5 with some fine goals scored by Tegan Canning, Aoife Power, Aine O’Loughlin, and Mairead Dillon.

They continued to dominate in the second half with a second goal from Aoife Power who gave an outstanding performance across the full 60 minutes.

Joint captains Fiona Ryan and Tiffanie Fitzgerald accepted the cup from President of the Camogie Association, Hilda Breslin.

Speaking after the game Tiffanie Fitzgerald, joint captain, said, “I’m absolutely delighted on behalf of everyone involved to have lifted the Purcell Cup. It has taken a huge effort and commitment from the players, the team management and the club officers to get University

of Galway camogie back to Ashbourne Camogie and I’m already looking forward to competing at the top-level next year.”

Speaking after the game, John Power, CEO Aerogen said, “We were particularly proud to support the University Camogie teams and the whole company are absolutely delighted with their achievements over the weekend culminating in the Purcell Cup victory. They have done their University and the West of Ireland proud.”

The junior team contested the Uí Mhaolagáin Cup Final on Saturday evening against UL. After a thrilling contest there was only the bare minimum separating the teams resulting in heartbreak for the University’s junior side.

Speaking after the game manager Louise O’Connor said, “We’re disappointed to have lost out by a single point but we are so proud of this group of players and the commitment they have shown throughout the year. We’re already looking forward to next year and I know that some of these players will have an eye on breaking into the Ashbourne panel so this has been a great experience for them.”

University of Galway Lacrosse Celebration of International Women in Sport

On February 10, the Lacrosse team competed in the first Open Day which took place at UCD in Dublin, in celebration of International Women in Sports Day, of the Irish Women’s Lacrosse League. The day commenced with some practice drills for all players in the league before a mixed game was held at the end.

Two of the University of Galway Lacrosse players were immediate standouts in the game! Current Co-captain, Sarah Hontz, added two more pass interruptions to her record as well as one shot block, and two pass interceptions. She played all four quarters and commanded a strong presence on defense throughout the entire game. Katie Daynes also gave an impressive showing in the game by recording two assists as well as an interception. She played all four quarters in midfield.

While the team ended losing by two, our players gave it their all and help to set the tone of what to expect from the Galway players moving forward this season. The next team event will be the first official game day in Dublin on March 2, followed by the team hosting a pub quiz in Massimo’s on March 5.

Practices are held every Thursday at 6:30pm in the Corrib cages and players of any level are welcome to join!

The University of Galway Lacrosse has announced that their vice-captain, Sarah Hontz, has been selected to represent Ireland on the first ever Women’s National Box Lacrosse team.

The team is set to compete in the inaugural Women’s World Championship in September 2024 in Utica, New York. Sarah will be competing with the national team as in a training camp tournament in June 2-3 in Canada.

Sarah has most recently competed in the Southern Box Lacrosse Winter League, where her team Boxford Blaze, won the women’s first ever winter league.

She has also competed for Ireland’s Team Éire at LAXNAI as part of the national team trials, and as well as at last year’s SheBox.

She also competed in Boxmania 2023 as part of the Pflazer Phantoms where the team placed fourth.

Making Waves: The University of Galway Swim Club at Varsities

Why You Should Keep an Eye on Irish Swimming

It’s no secret that sports coverage in Ireland varies depending on the sport and who’s playing. This is particularly true in swimming, where expensive underwater cameras and professional editing is needed to make the viewing experience pleasurable for the casual watcher.

With a country which already lacks funding and resources in swimming compared to the UK, the coverage of the Irish Nationals (both short and long course) is limited and unlikely to become mainstream anytime soon.

Yet Daniel Wiffen, world record holder and the first Irish swimmer to win gold at the World Aquatic Championships, finished a whole ten seconds before his closest competitor in the 1500m freestyle. Swimming is usually counted in milliseconds. He’s got his sights set on Paris 2024 and is a serious medal contender.

Many people tuned in when Michael Phelps swam, but this year swimming could become the most important sport for Ireland heading into the Olympics. That’s why you should get ahead of the game and start paying attention to swimming now.

All levels of swimming feature fun mishaps and intense races, and the 2024 Irish Swimming Intervarsities were no exception. With the largest turnout since before COVID, and many swimmers from the National Centre Limerick in attendance, the competition was fierce.

The gala was hosted by UCC on February 17 and 18, and featured over three hundred competitors. The University of Galway Swim Club brought twenty-eight swimmers, some of whom had never competed before.

With a charged atmosphere and the loudest supporters there, despite their small numbers the University of Galway swim club put up a good fight. Overall the men’s team placed third, with impressive swims from everyone, especially the medal winners Robin Pfeiffer, Eidhne Kennedy and Jake Van de Beek. The rest of the men pulled their weight, making a total of twelve finals in the shorter events, and placing in the top ten in the 200m events.

The women’s team placed fourth, with Ailbhe Mulhall bringing home the bronze in the 200m free. Six of the women made finals, with many others placing high in the long-distance events. Five swimmers competed for the first time, proving it’s never too late to start something new.

Overall, the team placed fourth, and coaches Sebastien Locteau and Conor Menendez are happy with the result and looking forward to competing again.

Interested in Dipping into Swimming?

If you’re interested in learning more about swimming while also joining a lively close-knit group, then look no further than the University of Galway Swim Club. Swimmers of all abilities are welcome, whether you’re a seasoned competitor or swimming for the first time.

If you want to learn more about the team, or if you’d like to follow their swimming journey, why not follow their social media?

Instagram: @uniofgalwayswimclub

TikTok: @uofgswimteam

Is table tennis a real sport?

By T. Yao

Studying abroad is a daunting journey due to all the cultural, psychological, social and physical anxieties. Wandering through the campus, I felt inspired—there is a whole new world to explore!

I imitated other students to look excited, smiley, happy and cool, but it was all fake. Deep down I was hiding my insecurities about my misplaced existence—I look alien, I sound awkward, my clothes are tacky, my hair is too long, my head is too big.

Something must be wrong when those white people looked at me, or worse, when they didn’t even look at me. What was more pathetic, I was all alone. I had no friends, and I couldn’t understand the local social codes— after all, they are in Irish!

Nevertheless, it was my own choice to study in this faraway land, so I had to swallow it. With a mix of apprehension, curiosity, and the determination of stepping out of my little comfort zone, I dawdled into the Club Day.

A variety of sports clubs were on offer in the bustling event. Looking at those energetic players, I was fascinated by their athletic bodies—they were tall, fit, agile and hot, whereas myself, short, skinny, dull and ugly.

While most people were thrilled by those hyper macho and competitive games, I was intimidated by their aggressive and painful body collisions. ‘I don’t belong here, I am going home’, but my escape was blocked by some tables in the middle of the hall—a few players engaged in spirited matches, their eyes focused, and their bodies moving with grace.

It was a rather pleasant atmosphere. Beholding the ping-pong balls being knocked back and forth in the air, I couldn’t help but feel bewildered—this game looks so dainty, is it a real sport? “Hey there, newbie! Ready to show us your killer moves?” a guy wearing Table Tennis Club jersey exclaimed, waving his paddle, “If you can beat me, you will get free biscuits!” I blushed but pretended to be nonchalant.

“Sure. That’s easy! Watch out for my killer moves!” He laughed and welcomed me in. I didn’t realise it would actually take some real skills to handle this guy’s balls.

Trying to bluff, I struck hard, but my shots went either too high or too wide. My

clumsiness embarrassed myself. I was about to give up, but the other players encouraged me by giving me tips on grip, technique, and footwork. Those tips immediately made a difference, made me excited and kept me going.

Such a short trial made me realise that table tennis might be the kind of sport I can manage. Of course, I knew their biscuits and tips were baits, but I was still tempted, because I found the friendly interaction quite sweet—I secretly speculated that they invited me into their club because they liked me!

I attended the club’s regular trainings, and my game began to improve as time went on. Because I am smart, I developed a knack for anticipating my opponents’ moves and executing more precise shots. The once clumsy nerd became nimble and confident on the table.

Beyond the skill development, I found something even more valuable—the joy of camaraderie. During training sessions, I had the opportunity to interact with other clubmates from various backgrounds. Our shared passion for table tennis served as a catalyst for us to know one another.

The club organised social events, such as outings, parties, and board games. These activities provided a platform for building deeper connections beyond the sport court.

As we spent time together, I discovered that the club was a melting pot of different cultures, with students from all around the world. This diversity broadened my horizons, and made me feel I was being accepted and appreciated, even though I probably still look alien and sound awkward, but at this stage, who cares?

The camaraderie became palpable when the members came together to organise our first table tennis tournament.

The planning process began with brainstorming, such as tournament format, equipment arrangement, promotion channels.

We wanted to ensure the tournament to be inclusive, engaging, and well-executed, so we discussed, debated, and fought over various ideas. It is in this process of working together, we learned the importance of open communication, empathy, collaboration, and compromise.

After weeks of preparation, the day of the tournament arrived. From registration and warm-up areas to seating arrangements for spectators, we coordinated with volunteers,

the Sport Unit, and Kingfisher staff to ensure a smooth flow of the event.

The matches progressed with intensity and excitement, and the atmosphere became electric when the tournament reached its final stage.

Again and again, the spectators erupted with applause and cheers when the finalists engaged in tense rallies, and displayed stunning skills and breathtaking strategies in the heat of combat.

As the winners basked in the glory of their victory, my clubmates and I also felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. We successfully organised a tournament that brought the university community together, and our teamwork and dedication strengthened the bond among table tennis lovers.

Through the Table Tennis Club, I not only discovered a fun sport to move my nerdy body,

but also a community of friends who accepted me for who I was. Together, we had laughter and fights, shed sweat and tears, overcame challenges and celebrated achievements.

In the end, my decision to step out of my comfort zone and join the club proved to be a transformative experience. I am no longer alone. I don’t need to fake happiness and excitement anymore because they became real.

So, if you ask me again whether table tennis is a real sport, I can responsibly answer that my psychological and physical transformations are real, the sense of connection and belonging are real, the genuine companionship and camaraderie are real, the heartfelt joy and fulfilment are real. With all the true values, table tennis is definitely a real sport worth trying!

Freshers National Champions 2024

The University of Galway’s Freshers Basketball team has achieved a remarkable feat by winning the national championship in the 2024 competition held in UL.

Despite losing their first game to UL on a buzzer beater, the team showed resilience and determination to bounce back and win their next game against UCC with a score of 54-22.

They then went on to beat Trinity 48-42 in the semi-finals and UCD 53-41 in the

finals, securing the championship title.

The team’s success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the players, coaches, and managers who have put in countless hours of training and preparation.

The University of Galway Basketball Club has a rich history of success, with many international and elite division players among its ranks.

The club has also played a significant role in raising the standard of basketball in the west, competing in local league and cup competitions.

The Freshers Basketball team’s victory is a reflection of the university’s commitment to supporting and nurturing athletic talent, and it serves as an inspiration to other student-athletes to strive for excellence in their respective sports.

Picture this: At the D12 Weightlifting Club

By Robyn Gaffey

The stage was set, the competitors were pumped, and the action unfolded with all the drama you’d expect from a heavyweight showdown. Out of the gate, University of Galway student Cormac Maguire set the bar high (literally), snatching a cool 87kg and cleaning and jerking a whopping 115kg. Those numbers earned him a shiny silver medal in the -102kg category. Not bad for a day’s work!

But wait, there’s more! Fellow student Cormac Stapleton wasn’t about to let Maguire hog all the limelight. In the -81kg category, he made an 87kg snatch and a gritty 96kg clean and jerk, earning himself another silver medal and adding to the club’s medal haul.

Then there was Ilir Surdulli, bringing home the bronze in the -89kg category with some seriously impressive lifts. Ilir snatched 97kg and clean and jerked 127kg,

for a jaw-dropping total of 224kg.

And let’s not forget about Masters student Lisa, the newbie who took her first shot at competition and absolutely rocked it! She may have been the underdog, but she held her own, snatching 36kg and clean and jerking 47kg, totalling a respectable 83kg. Not bad for a debut!

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the guidance of coaches and University of Galway alumni Evan and Aleksander, who kept the team on track and firing on all cylinders. And a big shoutout goes to D12 Weightlifting Club and Weightlifting Ireland for hosting the event and giving these lifters a platform to shine.

So there you have it: a day filled with sweat, triumph, and a whole lot of heart. The University of Galway Weightlifting Club proved once again that when it comes to lifting heavy and making memories, they’re a force to be reckoned with.

University of Galway RFC are staying up in J1A

University of Galway RFC v Ballinrobe, RFC, Sunday February 4, Ballinrobe RFC

Last weekend the University of Galway Rugby team travelled to Ballinrobe in the final round of the Connacht J1A league and came away with a win that secures their status in the top division of Junior rugby in Connacht for next season. Having been promoted last year and facing the best Junior clubs in Connacht is a testament to Colm Rigney and Gavin Duffy’s men.

The University Club have been absent from the top division for several years and it took some time for the College to find their groove, but two wins and three losing bonus points was enough to ensure survival in the top division.

After losing out to Ballinrobe in last year’s promotion play off final, there was an underlying edge to this game with massive stakes on the line and all to play for.

It was a very physical encounter but the likes of Finn McCall, Peter Magliocco from the University side and Craig Hansbury of Ballinrobe took it to a new level. Facing into a strong wind in the first half it was easy for the University side to pin Ballinrobe into their own half early on but despite the wind advantage, Ballinrobe still managed to draw level at half time with the score standing at 10-10.

University of Galway’s number eight Finn McCall crossed the line twice in the match making it his tenth try of the season and it was fitting that Oscar Soden, the University of Galway’s hooker and captain, scored his first ever try after playing over one hundred games for the college.

Soon after half time, Craig Hansberry inevitably muscled his way over the line to bring Ballinrobe back into the game, leaving the last few minutes on a knife edge with just a score between the sides. The College’s substitutions late into the second half had a real impact on the game, with Dan O’Connell coming on in the back row and managing to hold up a certain try. UG were shown a red card with two minutes to play but managed to hold the home side at bay for the final moments of a gripping encounter, with the final score being 22-17 to the University team Colm Rigney’s men travel to Dunmore in the quarter final of the Junior Cup at the end of February.

UNIVERSITY OF GALWAY: Liam Melia, Oscar Soden, Callum Wall, Toto McCabe, Niall Murphy. Peter Magliocco, Conor O’Grady, Finn McCall, Dan O’Connor, Ben Clarke, Daithi Burke, Brian Murphy, Sean Cullen, Jack Fitzgerald, Daniel Bent. Bench: Drew Hamilton, Maitias 0’Griofa, James Doyle, Dan O’Connell, Jamie Tohaia.

BALLINROBE: James McTigue, James Treacy, Craig Hansberry, Patrick Mylotte, Stephen O’Connor, Micheal Walsh, Thomas Lynagh, Rory Murphy, Cillian Walsh, Evan O’Brien, Shane Biggins, Sean Mullin, Tom Staunton, Jarlath Mullin. Bench: Marcin Mikolajewski, Killian McCaleenan, Eoghan Lynagh, John Carter, John Enda, David Madden.

University of Galway Ladies Rugby vs Sligo

Sunday January 28, 2024

Our University of Galway ladies first match of the 2024 calendar year secured them a home semi-final. A really successful game for the University of Galway Women’s.

After making the journey to play away in Sligo under seriously windy conditions the team put in a massive effort. The first half they were receiving the ball, playing against the wind while receiving many kicks from their opponents in the first half.

Defensively the team stood out as the wind kept pushing into their half. The University women carried the ball with drive and connectivity.

Scrums and line outs stood out in particular with both a scrum and line out turnover in the first half.

Alana Roche made a strong break in the first half securing the first points of the match. Following that, fullback Mia Williams sprinted the sideline to get the second try for the university. The last try of the first half was scored by Emer Cafferkey from a hard break and hand off to the line.

The wind played in the favour of the Galway women in the second half and their structured gameplay proceeded as it had in the first.

During this half Mia Williams scored her second try along with tries from Eva Phelan and captain Aisling Hahessey.

Three conversions were secured by our starting scrumhalf, Charlotte Miller. Resulting in a Final score of 36-0 to the University of Galway.

The University of Galway U20s Fall Short against Galwegians.

Sunday the 28th of January 2024 at Crowley Park

The University of Galway u20s headed to Crowley Park for their first game of 2024 facing a strong Galwegians opposition. UG started well-applying pressure to their opposition. After a hard fought few minutes on the away sides 22m line, UG were awarded a penalty and opted to kick for the posts added by Christian Clarke. UG then went phase after phase eventually crossing the white line through Daniel Carr. After a tough, well fought second half Galwegians took home the Bruce Blake Memorial Cup. Final score: 39-8.