The College View - Issue 11 - XVIII

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Vol. XVIII, Issue 11

Features:

The Government battles Ireland’s drugs problem but is it too late?

Opinion:

Wednesday, 20 April, 2016

Sport:

Should the Gardaí be grateful for what they’re given?

College View defeats DCUfm in Billo Cup

THE COLLEGE VIEW Read more on page 15

Read more on page 10

See back bage

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY’S ONLY INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1999

The College View coasted to a 10-4 victory in the Bill O’Herlihy Cup Credit: Laura Horan

Katie O’Neill News Reporter @_Katie__ONeill

THE DCU Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) has had the highest first year undergraduate dropout rate for the past five years, The College View can reveal.

Some 6.66 per cent of first year HSS students withdrew from their course of study over the past four years. This is closely followed by 6.29 per cent of Science and Health first year undergraduates.

In 2012, 8.68 per cent of first year HSS students withdrew

from DCU, the highest figure in any faculty in any of the five academic years in the time period 2011/12 - 2015/16. 49 of the 564 first year HSS undergrads withdrew from DCU that year.

Conversely, the School of Business (BS) has seen the fewest number of first year dropouts at 4.28 per cent over the past four years. The Engineering and Computing faculty has seen a drop out of 4.76 per cent of first year students in the same period.

A subset of figures exists for courses that stretch over the DCUBS/HSS faculties, namely the Economics, Politics and Law

degree. The drop-out rate in this bracket for first year undergraduates was 7.25 per cent in the same time period.

These figures are from the academic years 2011/12 - 2014/15.

While figures from the current year are available, they only cover withdrawals until January 31st of this year and so have not been considered in this comparison. The figures from this year so far when combined with the previous four years convey that at the time of their release, HSS first year undergraduate dropouts remain the highest.

These figures do not ac-

count for students who have deferred their course or who have transferred internally in DCU to another course.

While a request for drop-out figures from the subsequent years of study following first year were made, this information was not returned. However, withdrawals in first year account for the majority of withdrawals made.

Looking at the time period from the academic years 2006/07 - 2015/16, 2014/15 had the most student withdrawFull story on page 3

VOL: 2 ISSUE: 11 20.04.16

Humanities and Social Sciences has highest first year dropout rate in DCU

THE COLLEGE VIEW

THE SUSS

EVANNA Irish actress excels in Fitzmaurice’s masterpiece

INSIDE THE SUSS

THE SUSS COVERS THE KING KONG CLUB MY NAME IS EMILY REVIEW FESTIVAL FASHION POWER PUFF GIRLS REBOOT TIPS FOR TIME MANAGEMENT

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 6 April, 2016

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Editorial Aaron Gallagher Editor-in-Chief @AaronGallagher8

DCU win big at the BICS this year with MPS taking away Best Event and Eoin Lúc Ó Ceallaigh being awarded Best Individual Credit DE Photo Ireland

IT would not be right to begin without seeing the old to the door, shaking their hand and patting them on the back proudly on their way as they enter into new and more promising horizons. We, the new takes its place, waving it off as the car tracks down the dusty path of DCU’s front door into real-world job opportunities, placements and endless other exciting ventures in the world of media and beyond.

The outgoing editorial team of The College View was a unique being. It ebbed and flowed as one continuous unit of friends as opposed to colleagues. Perhaps that is what makes student publications so unique insofar as they are not workplaces at all. The work put into them is completed on a university campus where one seamlessly bumps into friends and classmates as we go about our day-to-day.

We cannot thank outgoing Editor-in-Chief Catherine Devine, Deputy Katie O’Neill and their team enough for what they have put into The College View over the last twelve months and for offering me, Aidan and our new team the opportunity to build on their foundations and contribute our own verse.

Those of us remaining on may in the past couple of weeks have looked around sheepishly and unknowingly at what the future held as our friends slowly slipped away beyond third level education and into the real world. But we were soon made to feel at home once again.

The new editorial team here at The College View trembles with excitement and possibility. The group of writers, journalists, storytellers, designers, editors and reporters that we have assembled possesses such a unique opportunity to progress The College View as a news outlet that we are shaking with intrepid motivation.

We ask you, the reader, to come with us on our journey.

Though we exist as a student publication we nevertheless recognize our role in DCU’s small democracy as the Fourth Estate.

Within these pages we offer you the comings and goings, doings and happenings across our university.

I firmly believe that all those who have committed themselves and their free time toward bringing it to you do so with all of the undoubted talent, conviction and internal journalistic desire they possess.

We will do so for each and every issue from now until the very end.

Because you, the reader, deserve nothing less than our best, and nothing but the truth.

There are going to be many new and exciting changes rolled

out in The College View come September when 2016/17 gets underway and we cannot wait to bring them to the students of DCU. We are the only student newspaper in DCU and we acknowledge the duty we have as such. We believe that The College View can be an all-encompassing media entity which succeeds in reflecting the entire university, and the writing talents of those that contribute towards it.

We want to engage our audience further online. We want to tell our stories through different mediums: visually, audibly as well as in print. We want to report the news, entertain our readers and tell them why something matters and how it will affect them.

We want more people to come on board with us here at The College View. We are not a closed entity and welcome all those who share our passion for news, media and storytelling, for narrative, for DCU and, above all else, for journalism.

The show must go on but we cannot rest on our laurels. We want to better ourselves, realise our true potential and become the student publication that DCU deserves - The College View we know it can be.

From here on in we contribute our verse to the vivid tapestry of those we have gone before us. We thank Catherine, Katie and the entire outgoing editorial team for all they have done.

But it is time to get to work.

sports@ theccollegeview.com arts@thecollegeview. com lifestyle@ thecollegeview.com

Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief: Aaron Paul Dwyer & Brein Gallagher McGinn

Sports Editor: Aidan Geraghty

Chief Sub-Editor: Bríon Hoban

Deputy Editor: Aidan Geraghty

Deputy Sports Editors: Jack O’Toole & Patrick Lynch

Subs: Enda Coll, Kyle Ewald, Elsa McEvoy, Conor O’Doherty, Gavin Quinn & Fionnuala Walsh

Production & Layout Editor: Scout Mitchell

Opinion Editor: Shirley Donlon

Lifestyle Editors: Amy Lawlor & Michelle Martin Arts Editor: Stephen Keegan Features Editor: Megan Deputy Production & Shauna Bowers Deputy Arts Editor: Layout Editor: Hannah Emer Handly Kelly Deputy Features Production & Layout Editor: Orla O’Driscoll Images Editor: Darragh Assistants: Daniel Troy Culhane & Oliver Deane Irish Editor: Cal Ó Donnabháin Deputy Images Editor: News Editors: Hayley Laura Horan Halpin & Rebecca Deputy Irish Editor: Lumley Áine Monk Online News Editor: Deputy News Editors: Clara Hickey

Contacts editor@thecollegeview. com news@thecollegeview. com features@ thecollegeview.com opinion@thecollegeview. com gaeilge@thecollegeview. com

Printed By Datascope, with the DCU Journalism Society Thanks To Sportsfile, SLC, Office of Student Life

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 20 April, 2016

News

Students prepare for Census

Humanities and Social Sciences has the highest first year dropout rate in DCU Katie O’Neill News Reporter @_Katie__ONeill Continued from front page als across all years. 310 students withdrew from DCU that year, 208 of which were undergraduates, 69 were postgraduate taught, six were postgraduate research and 27 were non-award. 166 students have withdrawn from DCU so far this academic year. The lowest recorded number following that since 2006 was in 2011/12 when 178 students dropped out.

Based on the figures obtained

by The College View via a Freedom of Information request undergraduate drop-out rates across all years of study remain small. In 2011/12 just 1.83 per cent of undergraduates withdrew from DCU. The highest percentage in the last five years was in 2012/13 when 2.69 per cent of students withdrew.

Upon leaving DCU, students dropping out are required to complete a ‘R27 - Notification of Withdrawal from DCU’ form. The form allows outgoing students to express their reasoning for

Aaron Gallagher Editor-in-Chief @AaronGallagher8

withdrawal. Motives range from disliking the course, accommodation issues, financial reasons and health reasons. The most common reason cited for withdrawal since 2010/11 is ‘change of mind’ followed by ‘disliked course’.

Two options, ‘didn’t feel settled in’ and ‘travel distance from home’ were the least cited reasons for withdrawal excluding ‘examination appeal’ which just one student said was their reason in 2012/13 and ‘suspended-disciplinary’ which one student said was their reason for withdrawal in 2010/11.

October and January are the months in which first year undergraduates have tended to withdrawal over the past five years.

Taking into account the growing student population figures, the academic year 2011/12 saw the greatest number of internal transfers over the past five years.

A total of 5.63 per cent of DCU students transferred internally into another DCU course in that year. Deferral numbers have remained consistently low. The academic year 2014/15 saw 0.97 per cent of students defer their upcoming academic year the highest figure in the past five years.

Credit Katie O’Neill

CRC elects new chair and secretary Rebecca Lumley News Editor @RebeccaLumley1

SHORTER meetings and greater inclusivity were aims outlined

by Callaghan Commons, who was elected as the new chair of Class Rep Council last Tuesday.

Mary Hand, Eoin Carroll and Commons were all nominated for the position at the council’s final meeting of the year, with Commons succeeding after a second vote. The first vote was a tie between Hand and Commons.

Commons will take over from this year’s chair, Katie Dawson, and said his duty will be to “call the class rep council meetings and to chair the council in an unbiased fashion.”

Attendance of meetings is an issue Commons wishes to address during his time in the role and said time management at meetings is the best way to encourage class reps to attend.

“I want to be stricter on time of motions at council so that meetings don’t go on too long,” he said.

“Also I want to encourage more class reps to go to training so that they are aware of how to pass motions and want to engage with CRC more.”

Also elected was Emma

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DCU students are preparing to take this year’s Census, which will attempt to document who is where in Ireland for the first time since 2011.

Census 2016 will take place on the night of Sunday, April 24th, which will count how many people are living in each home across the country, inclusive of those currently living in student accommodation.

DCU offers campus accommodation in Larkfield, Hampstead and College Park, while the privately owned Gateway and Shanowen Square apartments are located nearby.

The Census contains 35 questions, which must be completed for each person living in the accommodation. Questions such as a person’s name, sex, date of birth, place of birth and religion feature, while those aimed at students include: “what is the main field of study of the highest qualification you have completed to date?” And, “what is the full name and address of your place of work, school or college?”

Census enumerator for DCU student accommodation Rebecca Kehoe says that the process is easy to follow and that questions on the Census form are simple to understand. “The questions are really straightforward and it is completely confidential”, she said.

“The answers contained in the Census cannot be opened for at least one hundred years.”

Students should only fill out the form on the night of Sunday, April 24, accounting for each person sleeping in that house on the night.

The Census aims to give a comprehensive picture of the social and living conditions of the population of Ireland in 2016.

It says on its website that: “Only a census can provide such complete detail. The census is not, however, an end in itself.

Rather the results are essential tools for effective policy, planning and decision making purposes.”

Censuses of Population have been taking place in Ireland since 1821. It allows the country to track changing developments over a long period of time and can help develop plans for the future in areas housing, transport and healthcare.

Credit Hayley Halpin

Tunnicliffe, who will succeed Sadhbh Candon as secretary.

Current returning officer, Cat O’Driscoll was up for re-election and was contested by business student, Jack Butterly.

O’Driscoll, who took over from Stephen Conlon just over a month ago, was re-elected and will reprise the role.

Gender neutral bathrooms were one of the main issues discussed at the meeting, with outgoing clubs officer, Mel Kavanagh, proposing that there be one gender neutral bathroom

in every building on campus.

These bathrooms would be available for anyone to use and would not display gender labels on the doors.

It was mandated for the incoming President and VP Welfare and Equality to support this proposal.

Also on the agenda was the possible change to the number one bus route, as proposed

by Bobby Ó Rinn. He asked the council to explore the possibility of terminating the route at the Heilix, instead of Shanard road.

Ó Rinn also lobbied for the repair or replacement of the water fountains on the first and second floors of the library.

It was also proposed that greater security measures be taken with regards to online voting. Eoin O’Brien said that as the Moodle server stands now, it is possible to hack into the system and intercept votes.

He recommended changing the server from an open http site, to a secure https one, as used by banks and other such institutions.

Credit Andrew Byrne

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THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 20 April, 2016

News

DCU Sabbaticals: Their Year in Review

Sweeney proud of Irish changes and hopes for uaneen progress Rebecca Lumley News Editor @RebeccaLumley1

HAVING overcome the “many challenges and hurdles” that the year brought, analytical science graduate Kim Sweeney prepares to step down as DCU Students Union President.

Her time in office was spent working on a number of proposals set out in her manifesto last year, most notably the encouragement and growth of the Irish language on campus.

In her election campaign she expressed a desire to work closely with An Cumann Gaelach and “to make the Irish language more common throughout campus on a daily basis.” It was Sweeney that had lobbied for an Irish officer on the SU and her idea to provide Irish-speaking campus accommodation.

Also included in Sweeney’s manifesto was the idea for a multi-purpose student card, which could be topped up and used to purchase a wide range of goods across

campus. Though the idea was found to be too costly to implement, a Yoyo Wallet scheme was rolled out, allowing students to make card payments using a mobile app.

One of Sweeney’s biggest challenges of the year lay in her promise to make Uaneen a contributory module for engineering, computing, science and health courses. This was not implemented due to the strict course requirements of such courses and was “the most unachievable” item on Sweeney’s manifesto.

The outgoing President is, however, working on an “e-badge” system to reward the extra-curricular work of students. These virtual badges will appear on students’ LinkedIn profiles and will act as a positive addition to their CV. First to be rolled out is a “class rep badge”, followed by a badge for Uaneen involvement.

“I think people don’t get enough credit for what they do. Even if it’s just a small bit of volunteering they should still get credit,” she said.

Sweeney will continue her work until the end of June, after which she will be replaced by Dylan Kehoe.

Credit: Laura Horan

Donoghue says Accademic Affairs will be last political role

Credit: Laura Horan

Paul Dwyer Deputy News Editor @PaulWicklo

Hayley Halpin News Editor @HayleyHalpin1

THE role of DCUSU Welfare Officer faired tougher and busier than anticipated, Domhnaill Harkin, the outgoing Welfare Officer told The College View.

NEW Academic Affairs and pre-

viously Education Officer, James Donoghue, spoke to the College View to describe how he felt that he completed a number of topics on his manifesto, this year’s campaign experience and how he will say goodbye to politics after next year.

Donoghue said that he was very pleased to have introduced, “Careers week” in DCU as it had been an important point in his original manifesto when he ran in 2015.

He said, “I suppose the main point of my manifesto last year would have been careers…and I didn’t have to tip into the SU fund.”

He went on to say that the Career’s Week was a huge success this year and it is now expected to become an annual event.

“It looks like it’s going to be a weekly event every year now hopefully,” Donoghue said.

When asked about how he will manage his time between both of DCU’s campuses next year he said he will split it evenly between the two campuses and will have another SU member stand in on the days he’s not present.

Welfare Officer Domhnaill Harkin struggled to pinpoint one highlight of the year

“It will be difficult but hope fully, next year, we will have a system where I’ll be in Pat’s one day and the Education and Placement office will be up in my office to fill the void left by me on those days.”

Speaking on how his campaign experience differed from last year, Donoghue said that it was not as exciting as the previous year because all of his friends had graduated and left college and couldn’t

help with the campaign.

He said, “My campaign was poor…to campaign again was extremely difficult and I found it far more difficult because a lot of my friends had graduated and moved on from college so it was tough to even put a team together.”

Donoghue said he is looking forward to taking on the role of Academic affairs, however he added that this will be his “last time in politics in both DCU and in politics as a whole.”

Harkin admitted that he was a little bit naive entering the role of Welfare Officer, “it’s a lot of process to go through and change takes a lot of time,” he said, “you just have to do the best you can in your one year here”.

Harkin struggled to pin down one highlight, but he said that two students approached him regarding unfair fines from student accommodation and favoured this because he believed he had made a difference.

“I studied law so I researched it,” Harkin said. “We came back with a huge counter-argument and they got the fine reduced so much”.

Harkin’s manifesto stated that he wanted to introduce an appeals system to campus residence fines.

The appeals system was not implemented this year. Harkin approached campus residence about the matter but he claimed “the appetite for that just wasn’t there”.

“Once the people in charge aren’t up for it, you can’t really push for it,” he said.

STI screening days were run throughout the year, as Harkin’s manifesto stated he would do. €6000 has

Credit: Laura Horan

been put into the screening days and 1300 people have been tested. Another €3000 will be put into the fund this week, according to Harkin.

“It’s expensive to do, it’s where nearly all my budget went to, but I think it’s a worthwhile project to do,” he said.

When asked if there was anything he would have done differently as Welfare Officer, Harkin stated that he wouldn’t be so headstrong.

“I can go in with all guns blazing sometimes, it’s something I need to address,” Harkin said, “You need to be cool and collected, that’s something I failed in during my early days, but I think I’m better at it now.”

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 20 April, 2016

News

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1.5 million of public funding used to pay for religious services in college: Paul Dwyer Deputy News Editor @PaulWicklo

A recent freedom of information request has revealed that only a handful of students are turning up to weekly masses held in a number of third-level colleges.

While colleges and universities spend about €1.5 million in public funds annually to employ chaplains, attendance rates at services in many institutions are in single figures.

The chaplain, a Catholic priest, is paid a salary of about €49,000.

In Cork Institute of Technology, for example, there are about 12,000 students but average attendance at the religious services on campus is four.

At Sligo IT, which has 6,000 students, the average week-

ly

Mass attendance is nine.

The information was obtained from colleges under the Freedom of Information Act by Atheist Ireland.

The group is campaigning against the use of public funds to hire members of the clergy at a time of cutbacks to the higher education sector.

Atheist Ireland is lobbying for the funds to be used to help subsidize the cost of registration fees instead of using it to fund religious services that are failing to provide religious diversity in universities across Ireland.

The costs and recruitment processes involved are at the centre of an investigation ordered last year by outgoing Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan.

A spokesperson for the Higher Education Authority, which is carrying out the investigation, confirmed that it is finalizing the report but de-

clined to comment any further.

Records released to Atheist Ireland show that recruitment procedures and pay for chaplains vary widely.

However, the majority are Catholic and are appointed by the local bishop. The colleges in almost all cases, through students’ fees or college funds, meet salaries.

Martin Long of the Catholic Communications Office defended the work of chaplains who, he said, provided extraordinary support to students.

Sixty-five per cent of Irish Times readers think colleges should continue to employ chaplains, according to an online poll.

The Irish Times Poll of the Day on Monday asked readers: “Should Irish colleges continue to employ chaplains?” The poll received 2,247 responses with 65 per cent voting “yes” and 35 per cent voting “no”.

Credit Anne Marie Kelly

RTÉ may face cuts and structural USI study finds female graduates more employable than males problems unless it is given more funding, Curran warns Jennifer Purdy News Reporter @thecollegeview

FEMALES are more likely to secure employments after graduating according to a survey conducted by the USI. The survey found that twenty seven per cent of females were successful in securing employment after graduation compared to twenty one per cent of males.

The survey also found that the vast majority of students are worried about securing employment after graduating and many felt their degree does not properly prepare them to find future employment.

Seventy six per cent of students surveyed all over Ireland by the USI answered “yes” when asked “Are you anxious and troubled over actual or potential problems about finding employment after you graduate?”.

Only twenty six per cent of students feel their course has sufficiently prepared them for seeking employment

Hayley Halpin News Editor @HayleyHalpin1

THE whole media and journalism sector in Ireland faces persistent and structural problems that cannot be solved on their own, warns Director-General of RTÉ, Noel Curran.

Curran spoke out on the financial issues that may lead to service cut backs and structural revamp during an inaugural lecture for DCU’s Institute for Future Media and Journalism (FuJo).

“I’d love to be standing up here telling you that all of RTÉ’s funding challenges are over and that we can all just look ahead and concentrate on programming. Until our funding model has changed that will not be the case,” he said.

The regulatory system governing the public service broadcasting in Ireland is broken, Curran said.

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) have made three consecutive recommendations to increase RTÉ’s public funding.

These recommendations were ignored and public funding was cut by more than €15 million since Curran became Director-General of RTÉ in 2010.

Curran noted that either the BAI must be listened to or legislation regarding public funding must be changed.

Media policy needs to be controlled by a body in-

upon finishing their degree.

Though the latest CSO figures showed a slight decrease in under twenty five’s signing on, over thirteen thousand young people are still unemployed long-term.

James Doorely, deputy director of The National Youth Council of Ireland has called for more resources to be allocated to solve the problem of long-term unemployment for young people.

“Policy measures need to focus primarily on this group, to support them into a quality education, training or work experience that leads to sustainable and decent employment”, he said.

He went on to raise concerns about the Youth Guarantee Scheme and how it needs a reboot to help deal with the issue.

“The scheme is designed to ensure that any young person unemployed for four months or more is guaranteed a quality education, training or work experience place.

A renewed emphasis on this valuable scheme, and the political will to implement it fully, is urgently needed,” concluded Mr Doorley.

Credit Hayley Halpin

dependent of the government, Curran stressed.

“It is very difficult to see how a public media organisation, like RTÉ doing its job in an election campaign, is not going to ruffle some political feathers,” he said.

Mr. Curran expressed concerns of how RTÉ would be able to persuade the same political body that is needs broadcasting changes.

RTÉ is about to enter a

new five year planning cycle, “without any meaningful response to the first one”.

He claimed that RTÉ is not seeking to increase the burden on individual households, but “a reform of the licence committee” which is no longer fit for purpose must be imposed.

“RTÉ is also not looking for a free ride,” Curran said. “We fully accept the added responsibility that such funding would bring”.

Credit: Laura Horan

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News

New primary school amongst plans for All Hallows campus

DCU graduation rate amongst top in the world Jamie Concannon News Reporter @thecollegeview

DCU is in the top 15 per cent globally for Bachelor graduation rate, according to the world’s largest university ranking survey.

The survey U-multirank was set up in 2014 by the European Commission to provide a comprehensive means for students to compare universities with similar courses, or in the same locality. This year’s report was the third and largest of its kind, and while the data on other Irish universities is incomplete, DCU was given high grades in all areas of assessment.

“It’s great to see DCU continuously doing well in these rankings and it’s testament to the work being done by staff across all faculties and areas,” incoming SU President Dylan Kehoe told The College View.

The results of the report graded DCU highly in areas such as teaching and learning, research

Aoibheann Diver News Reporter @aoibheanndiver

A new primary school will be situated on the grounds of All Hallows College in Drumcondra, as part of a €14 million deal with DCU. DCU had provisionally agreed on a deal with All Hallows last June, but the sale was completed on April 8th. Although there were higher bids, DCU succeeded in buying the 6.74 hectare site as they promised to keep the educational values of the college.

“Retaining the educational ethos of the All Hallows site was a fundamental aspect of the sale agreement,” Dr Patrick McDevitt, President of All Hallows College said.

“It was of great importance to both All Hallows and DCU.” DCU will keep all existing buildings on the site, in order to preserve the “character and history of All Hallows.”

The new primary school will open for the coming 2016/17 school year, according to Stephen Loftus of the Department of Education Press Office.

“We are satisfied that there is sufficient demand for the provision of a new primary school to serve this area,” he said.

The existing accommodation on the campus currently houses 100 students. There are plans to upgrade this and to de-

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 20 April, 2016

and international orientation.

“In particular it’s tremendous to see us achieving well in areas that concern international students.

We’re a leading, innovative university and it’s great that we’re being recognised on an international level,” Kehoe said.

DCU also received a high score regarding its contribution to the local region, with the results putting it in the top 20 per cent globally for students taking local internships.

Comparison to other neighbouring universities such as UCD or TCD remains limited, though it is clear from the existing data that DCU ranks highly on a global scale. By comparison, the rate by which DCU is cited in other research is slightly stronger with TCD and UCD, though DCU is stronger in the number of patents awarded to its inventors.

Looking forward to future years, Kehoe said “it’ll be no surprise to see us continue climbing” in the rankings of reports such as this.

DCU’s registry office Credit: Ciara Moran

Credit: St Rita’s College

velop additional accommodation units to meet the demands of a growing student body.

A range of academic schools and support units will be also established on the new campus.

All existing All Hallows students will be able to complete their courses.

“The DCU All Hallows campus is an integral part of our vision for a new DCU,” DCU

President Brian MacCraith said.

The 174-year-old college was put up for sale in 2014 because of controversial money problems relating to the sale of letters from Jackie Kennedy to a priest there.

The letters were planned to sell for about €3m, but the sale was abandoned after the Vincentian Fathers asserted ownership over the letters.

Insurance Ireland criticise premium hikes for young drivers Brein Mc Ginn Deputy News Editor @thecollegeview

INSURANCE Ireland have hit out at the ever-rising car insurance premiums which affect the demographic of young and inexperienced drivers more than others.

According to the AA, Irish drivers have paid an extra €300 million in car insurance premiums over the past year.

Insurance Ireland, which represents the vast majority of multiple insurance markets, believes a range of measures are needed to stabilise pricing for consumers, particularly in the area of motor premiums.

Kevin Thompson, CEO of Insurance Ireland, has suggested the augmentation of legal costs have had a lot to do with the corresponding hikes in premiums.

“Motor claims costs are rising. The level of awards being made in the Courts is at an

Credit: Carinsurancequotes.com

all-time high,” said Thompson.

According to Insurance Ireland, the average High Court award in 2014 was up 34 per

cent on 2013 and the average count for more than 60 per cent Circuit Court award was up 14 of the compensation awarded. per cent on 2013. In litigated Incoming VP for Welfare and cases, legal costs in Ireland ac- Equality Cody Byrne would like

the USI to step in and attempt to halt the insurance cost increases.

“I do feel that the USI should investigate the possibility of lobbying for, at the very least, a cap on car insurance premiums” said Byrne.

Byrne understands the reasoning behind higher premiums for younger, more inexperienced drivers but feels this leads to a vicious cycle.

“We tell young drivers that they’re being charged more because they’re more likely to drive recklessly and so they engage in behaviours that justify those expectations,” Byrne said.

Byrne is disappointed that this is yet another cost for some students that keeps continuing to rise.

“This seems to be a growing trend.” said Byrne. “The prices keep going up, yet the wage remains the same. Dublin accommodation rent prices, public transport, insurance premiums, even groceries.”

“It is getting more and more financially strenuous to become a full-time student,” he said.

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 20 April, 2016

News

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THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 20 April, 2016

News

‘What’s in the Powder’ campaign launched last week by Lord Mayor of Dublin Aine Monk Deputy Irish Editor @Ainemonk

THE Lord Mayor of Dublin has

offered her support to a new drugs initiative called ‘What’s inthe Powder?’

What started out as a collaborative project between Irish universities UCD, TCD and DIT and The Ana Liffey Drug Project could be set for nationwide success, with resources to be distributed across college campuses, social media campaigns and the launch of the website drugs.ie.

This initiative was launched after the success ‘What’s in the Pill?’ project, launched in October 2015. The new campaign focuses primarily on the contents of powder substances,

often dubbed ‘designer drugs’, which have caused great harm to people in the past six months.

Speaking about the project, the Lord Mayor, Criona Ni Dhalaigh, said, “While it’s always safest not to use illicit drugs at all, the reality is that people do use drugs. Given that this is the case, they need to be properly informed about the risks and how to reduce the potential for harm.”

The Ana Liffey Drug Project are hopeful that the project will enlighten incoming and current students to the consequences of substance abuse and allow them to make a more informed decision surrounding drugs when they enter third-level education.

The Lord Mayor was on hand to launch the campaign Credit: Seán O’Reilly

DCU scores in the top 50 of the High standard best young colleges in the world recognised at Hybrids Rebecca Lumley News Editor @RebeccaLumley1

Tara Sperrin News Reporter @thecollegeview

DUBLIN City University is the

only Irish university to feature on the list of the top 50 young universities in the world, scoring 46th on the list.

To be awarded a place on the list, each university was evaluated on a number of factors, including academic performance, faculty- student ratio, international nature of the university, their research publications per academic staff and their citations per paper.

President of DCU, Professor Brian MacCraith had this to say of the achievement, “We are delighted with this ranking that recognises the quality of our graduates and the excellent learning experience of DCU students, the impact of our research output and our international outlook”.

The international nature of DCU was measured by both staff and students.

“The ranking has a significant impact on our ability to develop international partnerships and to attract inter-

Credit: Darragh Culhane

national students and staff to DCU,” continued MacCraith.

He said that it was important to remember the financial difficulties that third level education institutes are experiencing at the moment.

“This success has been achieved despite a very challenging funding environment that has had a direct and negative impact on some of the key rankings criteria such as faculty-student ratios.”

This comes after the launch of DCU/Shaping the Future, a fundraising initiative that will

hopefully tackle funding issues with regards future education, innovation and creativity.

MacCraith reinforced the message that “Our future prosperity, our innovation ecosystem, and the quality of our shared society are all dependent on a thriving education system which is geared towards developing leaders, critical thinkers and problem solvers.”

While Hong Kong universities dominate the list’s Top ten, it is the newer Spanish universities that govern much of the list overall.

THE Hybrid Awards were marked by an “incredibly high standard” this year, according to Irish Independent journalist and category judge, Niall O’Connor.

The annual MPS event took place in the Heilix last Monday and presented awards to students in 23 different categories.

Each category was judged by an industry professional, while local comedian and actor Eric Lalor was the evening’s host.

Hybrids were awarded for technical skill and creativity in a range of media, including radio, television, print journalism and graphic design.

The first prize of the night went to Darragh McGowan, who won “Photo of the Year.”

The self-proclaimed Leonardo Di Caprio of the Hybrids, McGowan had amassed twenty nominations over his three years in DCU. He took home two awards on the night, also winning best “News/Current Affairs Radio Show of the Year,” and was “delighted after three years of work.”

Credit: DCU MPS

“In one word, it’s surreal,” he said.

Other radio awards were picked up by “DJ of the Year”, Kevin Kelly, and radio documentary-maker Andrew Gleeson.

Several reporters for The College View received awards in the area of print, with Hayley Halpin crowned best “news and current affairs” journalist and Scout Mitchell coming out top in arts and features.

Megan Roantree was awarded both “Iriseoir na Bliana” and “Journalist of the Year,” accolades that came as a surprise to the outgoing Features Editor.

“I’m obviously not the only writer who doubts my ability and this was a major confidence boost,” she said.

“It was a shock but I’m very grateful.”

SU wrap up academic year with Summer Ball

Conor O’ Doherty News Reporter @thecollegeview

THE DCU Students’ Union Summer Ball, expected to be the last in the current incarnation of The Hub, will take place on Thursday April 21st.

The Summer Ball is the final ball hosted by the DCU Students’ Union in the academic year.

Tickets cost €15 and are on sale from Tuesday April 12th from the Students’ Union helpdesk

on Glasnevin campus. Students are allowed to purchase one ticket for themselves and one for another student, if they have their student card.

Acts booked to perform at the Ball include several DJs with 3 stages themed for the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s playing hits from each era.

Individual acts are yet to be announced by the Students’ Union.

There will also be a silent disco, as well as face painting set up in The Hub. Thousands of students are expected to attend, as the event is the largest in the Students’ Union timetable.

Last year Swedish DJ Basshunter performed at the Summer Ball. In 2014 The Raglans, The Academic, Rory Lynam and DJ Rankin performed.

The event will be one of the last to take place in the Hub, due to a planned Student Centre that will cost €14 million. The new Student Centre will hold multi-function rooms and office space for students, clubs and societies and a print and broadcast media room.

Speaking to The Irish Times, President of DCU Professor Brian MacCraith said “we believe that our students should have access to a venue and supports which fully reflect our ambitions for them.”

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 20 April, 2016

Opinion 9

Ireland to become Europe’s fattest country – Who is to blame?

Opinion Editor, Shirley Donlon discusses the questionable tactics and advertising of the Irish food industry.

Credit: Nutrino.co

ACCORDING to health experts, Ireland is likely to be the fattest European country by the year 2025. With fast food and sugary treats so readily available and easy to access, who is at fault?

Are we ourselves to blame for over indulging in fatty foods, or is it the food industry’s fault for selling these life threatening products?

I strongly believe that if the bad food was not so easily accessible and promoted in Ireland, then we would not have such a problem.

If we look back at previous generations, surely the issue of obesity was not as threatening as it is today. It can only be as a result of the recent introduction of fast foods, sugar-packed treats and sweetened drinks that our nation is on its way to becoming Europe’s fattest.

It is no secret that the battle to lose weight is not solely about going to the gym or popping on the runners for an evening jog.

Watching what you eat is a must as well. However, with hidden sugar in so many popular food choices, the battle to lose a few pounds and get in shape is becoming an extremely difficult challenge.

I fail to believe that the high obesity levels in our country are due to sheer laziness and lack of determination. The problem is that the food industry has advertised, promoted and encouraged us as a nation to eat high calorie food loaded with hidden sugars. The food industry is just as much of a business as any high tech company with a goal to earn money. When we buy their food, they receive our money, it is that simple.

Encouraging a healthy lifestyle among individuals is not the only element of solving Ireland’s obesity issue. Eliminating the promotion of bad foods, curtailing where they are sold and forcing the industry to indicate the exact ingredients are all equally important measures to solving this problem.

Fizzy drinks, energy drinks and sugar packed juices advertised as ‘fruit smoothies’ are a part of some of our nation’s daily choices when it comes to needing that midday energy boost.

Many of the ‘go-to’ fizzy drinks contain more sugar than our recommended daily allowance, yet Irish people continue to turn to these quick fix options

“

With hidden sugar in so many popular food choices, the battle to lose a few pounds and get into shape is becoming an extremely difficult challenge

when craving something sweet.

As much as we depend on it on a regular basis, coffee is also one to watch. Many of us do not think twice when ordering our coffee of choice at Starbucks.

The need for a morning caffeine hit is enough to make us choose whatever seems appealing. However, according to The Huffington Post, one of Starbucks’ latest coffee creations contains enough, if not more sugar than our recommended daily intake.

The ‘Caramelised Honey Latte’ is topped with whipped cream, honey sauce and a honey sugar crumble (which mainly consists of sugar) and amounts to over 35 grams of sugar per drink. With these seasonal drinks advertised to tempt us on a regular basis, we cannot simply blame the problem of obesity on our over-indulgent nature.

Now I will admit it, we have all been out at three in the morning and felt somewhat peckish after a night out in town. The obvious choice is to head to one of many fast food chain restaurants that surround us and to overindulge.

Ludacris student-friendly deals like a €1 burger at McDonalds are a no-brainer, and with so much

temptation and encouragement from the aroma of artificial food being cooked, only the strongwilled will make it out the door without indulging in copious amounts of unnecessary carbs.

If you consciously choose to overeat while knowing the outcome then that is another issue at the other end of the spectrum, but I do not think that we as a nation are the only ones to blame for the high levels of obesity. I blame the food and drink industry for advertising, promoting and (above all) packing food and drink with such toxic ingredients in the first place.

How are we going to change if the high-risk food and drink products are consistently tempting us to purchase and consume them?

I refuse to believe that the problem will end when the people of this country decide it is time to lose weight. Whether the people of Ireland will live up to the predictions of becoming Europe’s fattest country by 2025 is something I do not know. However, what I do believe is that these high levels of obesity are a cause for concern for more people than the victims of clever advertising and addictive foods.

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 20 April, 2016

10 Opinion

Should the Gardaí be grateful for what they’re given?

In recent weeks, many have condemned Gardaí for their dissatifcation on rates of pay. Alison Ring tells us why the force deserve to be paid more and takes an in depth look at the requirements of the job.

ANOTHER day, another group of workers looking for a rise in pay. This time it is the Gardaí. Is it warranted?

In my opinion, yes, and this is why. Gardaí are often seen as the cornerstones of our community and since the downturn in 2008 they have been hit as hard as any other public servant body.

Hiring freezes were introduced in 2011. The force was expected to be increased to close to 16,000 Gardaí, but instead was reduced to 13,000.

The knock-on effect of this has been incredible.

Gardaí are under-staffed and over-worked. A survey published last week stated that Gardaí are 10 times more likely to be injured than the average worker. They are forced to work unsociable hours, including weekend shifts and overnight shifts from 8pm to 6am.

Gardaí often work up to six days a week because of these demanding shifts and shortfalls in staffing.

We are continually hearing reports of increased intimidation on the streets. The Journal reported an incident where a pregnant female Garda was

“

Gardaí are often seen as the cornerstones of our community and since the downturn in 2008 they have been hit as hard as any other public servant body Credit: Darragh Culhane

told by a criminal that he would rape her and her unborn child.

They are also the only state employees who have to wear bullet proof vests as part of their daily job. They are under constant threat from members of the public and are often taken for granted.

They are criticised for their lack of presence at certain events

or for not handling situations correctly, but in reality this is often out of their control. They can only work with the resources they have.

The main reason I feel this pay increase is warranted is because there is simply no one else to do their job. Without their presence we are utterly defenceless.

We have seen the Luas drivers

come out in force, supported by their Union with a strong we will not budge stance, resulting in numerous disruptive strikes. With the Gardaí, we simply cannot afford this kind of disturbance.

A survey taken by The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) revealed that out of 1,000 Gardaí, 84 per cent have

said that pay is their number one issue.

At present a newly-graduated Gardaí earns €8,000 less than their colleagues.

It is time to listen to the men and women who are on the front line of our streets. Our Gardaí deserve a pay rise and it is high time they were given one.

Respect sees no nationality

Emily Crowley reflects on the events of 1916 and reaffirms how important it is that the newly built memorial wall celebrates each and every man who was killed during the Easter Rising.

ANYONE who had seen RTÉ’s recent drama series Rebellion will have realised it perfectly encapsulated the hardship faced by the poor working class of the Irish nation during 1916.

It often meant that the men of the house in these poorer families, usually the father or elder sons, had no choice but to sign themselves over and fight on behalf of British forces.

More than one third of the British soldier fatalities that occurred during the Rising were actually Irishmen.

These men were providing for their families in the only way possible. Many missed out on momentous parts of their lives because of their duty – family deaths and the birth of their children. The first steps, first words and final goodbyes.

British men, fighting for British forces, were fighting for their country. It may not have been that they were under the belief that Ireland belonged (and was to remain) under the rule of Great Britain, as many would think in hindsight today.

These men, much like the Irish men that were fighting for Britain, were doing so out of obligation. They also had children,

wives, brothers, sisters and parents waiting for them to return as the payment for their duty rolled in at home. They were providing.

I know Catholicism and the influence of the Church has taken a backseat in the lives of many Irish people today. Regardless of this, if there is one thing I can recognise in the Irish nation, it is the respect they have for the deceased and the mourning.

Credit: UTV

Enemy lines are distant when it comes to death. We forget the past, we forget the wrongdoing that person has done, we forget about nationality, race and religion. All is forgotten when we are staring at the name on a headstone.

In this case, the name is on a wall.

The new memorial wall, unveiled at Glasnevin Cemetery last month, bears the names of all who have fallen during the Rising. Yes, it includes the names of the British soldiers. Why let their names be forgotten?

They too had a pivotal part in Irish history. They too had a role in the way the foundations of this nation are set out today. They too died fierce, gruesome and painful deaths like many Irish rebels and civilians during this time.

There is no sugar-coating the ugly, violent and unconstitutional aspects of the 1916 Rising. Why not honour all of those who gave up their lives, not just for their country, but for their families?

People that died so that their children, and their children’s children, would thrive and live a better life.

A life that their forefathers died to provide.

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 6 April, 2016

Saol Lasmuigh Dár bhFuinneog - Agallamh

Gaeilge 11

Credit: Daniel Shoenfeld

Eagarthóir Gaeilge @thecollegeview

AG a leath i ndiaidh sé san iarnón

15ú Márta chuaigh mé i dteagmháil leis an scríbhneoir gairmiúil Fionlannach Panu Höglund agus thógamar faoi hagallamh eagraithe againn.

Thosaigh mé an comhrá agus mise á cheistiú i leith a áite dhúchas agus a chúlra. Ar dtús, dúradh liom nach bhfuil braon fola Éireannach ag sreabhadh trí Phanu, toisc go bhfuil gairm aige sa scríbhneoireacht trí mhéan na Gaeilge.

Scríobhann se chugam “Mé féin rinne mé staidéar ar an bPolainnis agus ar an Rúisis sula bhfuair mé greim ceart ar an nGaeilge. Le fírinne theastaigh uaim dul leis an léann Slavach sular chuir mé spéis cheart sa Ghaeilge.” Leis an nGaeilge, tá an Rúisis, an tSualainnis, an Béarla agus an Fhionlainnis ag Panu Höglund, ach níl leabhar scríofa aige ach amháin trí mheán na Gaeilge.

Mar bhuachaill óig is léir go raibh suim ar leith aige ó thaobh na cultúr eachtranacha de

agus ba chlár faisnéise a spreag é chun an Ghaeilge a fhoghlaim, clár a chur eolas i leith na teanga in iúl dó agus a spreag grá di ann.

I ndiaidh don ghrá muscailt ann, thug sé faoin nGaeilge a fhoghlaim.

Ar dtús ba le cuideamh leabhair a d’fhoghlaim sé í, leabhar ar a dtugtar “Learning Irish” le Mícheál Ó Siadhail. Sheoil cairde leis as Éireann leabhair scríofa i dteanga na Gaeltachta chuige, teidil cosúil le ‘Peig’ agus ‘Rotha Mór an tSaoil’, agus is as iadsan a fuair sé blas don Ghaeilge agus tuiscint ar na canúintí difriúla aige anois. Chuir sé críoch lena fhreagra ag rá, “D’ordaigh mé leabhair ó dhíoltóirí leabhar in Éirinn agus bí cinnte gur éirigh siad saibhir ag díol leabhar Gaeilge liom”, é ag cur a acmhainn grinn in iúl.

Ag cur ceiste air conas mar a chuir sé snas ar a chuid Gaeilge, dúirt sé liom, “fuair mé scoláireacht acadúil sa bhliain 1998 agus chaith mé bliain ag staidéar i nGaillimh”.

Le déanaí feictear go bhfuil stadas na Gaeilge ceistithe anseo in Éirinn agus is dócha go mbeadh meon na n-eachtrannach ina leith spéisiúil toisc nach mbeadh claon ann. Cheistigh mé a smaointe

“

Ach fad is atá sracadh éigin fágtha sa teanga beidh mise ag déanamh mo dhichill le hí a shábháil agus le daoine eile a spreagadh chun na hoibre céanna.

“

Cal Ó Donnabháin

i leith todhchaí na Gaeilge agus an bhfuil sí ar shlí na fírinne nó an bhfuil forbairt ag teacht uirthi.

D’fheagair sé le sliocht fada mé.

“Bhuel tá sí beo breabhsánta i gcónaí agus tá sí doiciméadaithe go hiomlán. Is é sin, dá bhfaigheadh an cainteoir deireanach dúchais bás, bheadh an litríocht iomlán againn chomh maith leis an mbéaloideas.

Agus bheadh strainséirí craiceáilte cosúil liom féin ag foghlaim na teanga, marbh is uile mar a bheadh sí. Pé scéal é cuirfidh mise cath ar son na teanga agus le cúnamh Dé éireoidh liom súil tuilleadh daoine a tharraingt uirthi. Tá leabhair nua á scríobh nó á n-aistriú agam, agus tiocfaidh siad faoi chlúdach fós. Is féidir go n-imeodh an Ghaeilge, is féidir go n-imeodh an cine daonna féin, is féidir go dtiocfadh cogadh adamhach nó rud eile a chuirfidh de dhroim an domhain sinn. Ach fad is atá sracadh éigin fágtha sa teanga beidh mise ag déanamh mo dhichill le hí a shábháil agus le daoine eile a spreagadh chun na hoibre céanna.”

Nuair a d’fhiafaigh mé de cad chuige a bhfuil grá chomh mór aige don Ghaeilge agus a tábhacht ina

shaol, chuir sé in iúl nach gcreideann sé go mbeadh bean chéile aige mura raibh an Ghaeilge, “ba dhual di grá a thabhairt domsa, ó ba mise an fear a bhí eolach ar Éireann”. Is cosúil go bhfuil ár dteanga níos tábhachtaí ná mar a shíleamar tráth, ón méid atá le rá ag Panu.

Ag cur crích lenár agallamh shíl mé go mbeadh ní le rá ag Panu i dtaca le téarmaíocht seanfhaiseanta na Gaeilge agus greim an Eaglais Chaitlicigh, toisc go bhfuil cónaí air i dtír shaolta, nach mór.

Deir sé liom nach bhfuil, dar leis, go dtugann sé pearsanta di. Deir sé nach bhfuil ort a chloisteáil “ach cúpla téarma le rudaí cosúil leis na dúphoill, na neodrónréaltaí nó na cuasáir a phlé as Gaeilge”.

Chríochnaigh sé a fhreagra a chinntigh nach teanga seanfhaiseanta í an Ghaeilge. “Ní mhothaím in aon chor. Tá mé féin tar éis scéalta craicinn a scríobh agus a fhoilsiú as Gaeilge agus ba chuma leis an Eaglais faoi. ” Foirfe. *Gabhaim mo mhíle buíochas le Panu as ucht a gcuideachta agus Brent Ó Casaide, cé nach raibh mé ábalta a agallamh a fhoilsiú sa leagan seo.

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 6 April, 2016

12 Gaeilge

Liopair, Culaith agus Capaill Cormac Sheehy Scríbhneoir @thecollegeview

COSÚIL le mórlach na ndaltaí in Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath (OCBÁC) nach de dhúchas na háite dóibh, tagaim chun na cathrach gach Domhnach. Tógaim mo mhála lán le héadaí liom, á tharraingt aníos Sráid Uí Chonaill agus ag bordáil an 13 go Baile Munna. An tseachtain seo, bhí meáchan breise á iompar agam: Mo chulaith.

Chuala mé go raibh slua mór ag freastal ar Rásaí Bhaile na Lobhar (Leopardstown)agus gur gnáth an rud é culaith a caitheamh chucu. Ní raibh mé ag na rásaí riamh agus ní raibh mé cinnte cad a bhí bainteach leis an lá scolaire seo ach caithim mo chulaith, aon leithscéal a fhaighim.

Bhí mé ag tnúth go mór leo go dtí gur an nuacht mé, nach raibh ticéad fágtha. Dá bharr, bhí mé i measc an mhionlaigh ag súil timpill OCBÁC i gculaith reatha agus gach éinne eile ina n-éadaí galánta deasa. Ní hinseoidh mé bréag dhaoibh; Bhí meangadh gáire orm nuair a chonaic mé gur thosaigh sé ag stealladh báistí.

Ní raibh mo chulaith croctha agam go foil, áfach, agus bheartaigh mé féin agus fear eile nach raibh ticéad aige chomh

maith freastal ar an gcéiliúradh sa chathair. Chuir mé mo chulaith ghalánta orm, bróga agus carbhat agus shiúil mé ó Gateway (áit a bhfuil cónaí orm) chuig OCBÁC chun bualadh le mo chomhlach agus an 13 a fháil chun na cathrach. Shroich mé stad an bhus nuair a fuair mé glaoch uaidh, é ag insint dom nach raibh sé ag dul amach ar chor ar bith toisc nach raibh uisce te fágtha aige cith a thógáil. Tipiciúil. Ní rachainn amach liom féin riamh.

Shiúil mé timpeall an champais ar feadh 10 noiméad agus ansin ar ais go Gateway liom. Bhí dream buachaillí ann ag ligean a scíthe i ndiaidh na rásaí. Ní raibh culaith á caitheamh ag duine díobh, cé go raibh cuid díobh ann. Ag siúl isteach an dorais thosaigh gach duine ag briseadh a dtóin ag gáire ar feiceáil na culaithe dóibh nuair a chuala siad nach ndeachaigh mé go Baile na Lobhar. “Cén fáth a bhfuil culaith á caitheamh agat?” a thosaigh siad ag magadh liom. “Cén fáth nach mbeinn?” a d’fhreagair mé.Tháinig críoch leis an ngáire.

Ní fhéadfaidís argóint le sin.

D’inis siad liom scéalta as Baile na Lobhar. Ní raibh liopar ar bith ann, ar dtús, ní raibh ann ach chapaill. Ansin dúradh liom go raibh na chapaill go léir ag rith timpill cé nach

Credit: John Picken

raibh liopar á leanúint. Chaill daoine an t-uafás airgid ag iarraidh buaiteoir an rása a thuar agus bhí gach duine ar meisce don lá. Dúirt iriseoir ar Twitter go raibh dalta éigin ag stealladh

fuail ar fhuinneog a bhosca (dalta as coláiste eile gan dabht!). É seo go léir cloiste agam, ní raibh tuairim chinnte samhlaithe agam go fóill. B’fhéidir gur maith an rud é nach raibh mé ann agus

gur chaith mé mo chulaith sa bhaile, ag ithe “Uncle Bens” agus ag pleidhchíocht ar “Yik Yak”. Beidh mé ann an bhliain seo chugainn gan dabht chun m’aigne féin a dhéanamh suas.

Dúshlán na Foghlaimeora

Pléann Megan Roantree a dúshlán agus í ag iarraidh snas a chur ar a cuid Gaeilge ina háit dhúchas; Oileán Árainn.

Megan Roantree Scríbhneoir @MeganRoantree

CUIMHNÍM go soiléir ag 14 bliain d’aois ag siúl chun an mhúinteora os comhair an ranga agus ag rá “I do not have good Irish, so could you explain things in English too?”

Rugadh sa Ghaeltacht mé, ach ní raibh mé i mo Ghaeilgeoir go dtí gur thosaigh mé ar an mbunscoil.

Ba Shasanach é m’athair agus is as Baile Átha Cliath do mo mháthair, iad ag bogadh go hOileán Árainn i 1994. Nuair a thosaigh siad ag obair agus ag maireachtáil in Arainn ar dtús bhí daoine cairdiúil ann, ach i mbealach amháin ní raibh aon duine sásta an Ghaeilge a labhairt leo.

Bhí m’athair féin líofa sa bhFraincis, chomh maith leis an Spáinnis, Iodáilis, Arabach, bhí beagán Seapainise agus neart eile aige, ach sa 16 bliain ina raibh sé ag maireachtail ar an oileán ní raibh sé in ann an teanga Ghaelach a fhoghlaim. Cinnte is teanga dheacair í an Ghaeilge, ach an fhadhb is mó a bhí ann ná an easpa tacaíochta a fuair sé ó chuid

is mó de dhúchasach na háite. Áfach, rugadh mé ar an oileán agus cinnte gur cheap daoine gur cineál strainseirí iad mo thuismitheoirí ar dtús, ach bhí sé difriúil domsa. Níor labhair mé fein nó mo dheartháir focal ar bith go dtí gur thosaíomar ag dul go tithe daoine eile. Bhí neart Gaeilge ag na comharsan béal dorais a bhí againn agus bhí siad breá sasta í a labhairt liomsa, dá bhrí sin phioc mé suas ar bheagáinín di.

Nuair a thosaigh mé ag an scoil naisiunta, fiú amhain ag aois óg, ní raibh an mhuinín agam an teanga a labhairt os comhair múinteoirí no páistí eile. Cuimhním go soiléir ag 14 bliain d’aois ag siúl chun an mhúinteora os comhair an ranga agus ag rá “I don’t have good Irish, so could you explain things in English too?” Is é sin ceann de mo chumhneacháin is óige agus tá sé suimiúil, go raibh a fhios agam ag an aois sin nach raibh Gaeilge sách maith agam.

Cheap mé ag fás suas go raibh an teanga eisiach agus nach raibh fáilte roimh éinne gan an teanga í a fhoghlaim, agus bfhéidir go raibh sé mar sin 15 nó 20 bliain ó shin. Ach measaim anois go bh-

Credit: Kenneth Allen

fuil sé ag athrú i mbealach maith.

Nuair a bhog mé go Baile Átha Cliath cúpla bliain ó shin bhí iontas orm an méid spéise a bhí ag daoine an teanga a fhoghlaim, a

úsáid agus a labhairt. Anois nuair atá mé ag labhairt na Gaeilge bíonn daoine ag tabhairt molta dom agus bionn neart tacaiochta ann.

Freisin, le déanaí tá náisiún-

tachtaí eile i ndiaidh teacht chun cónaithe sa tír seo, fiú amháin sa Ghaeltacht. Tá deis ag daoine nua ag teacht isteach nach raibh ann cheana agus mar sin feicimid paistí beaga trítheangacha ag rith timpill.

Tá an teanga anois úsáidthe ar na méain sóisialta. Tá seachtain na Gaeilge againn. Tá cumainn agus clubanna ann agus tá fáilte mhór roimh dhaoine gan Ghaeilge í a fhoghlaim.

Nuair a bhog mo thuismitheoirí chun na gaeltachta sna nóchaidí b’fhéidir gur cheap daoine go raibh sé níos éasca labhairt as Béarla agus go raibh an iomarca iarrachta agus foighne ag teastáil le Gaeilge a labhairt le duine nach raibh liofa, ach is cosuil go bhfeiceann daoine anois go bhfuil iarracht ag teastáil agus is fiu é chun an teanga a choimeád ar snámh.

Má‘s mian linn comhrá a bheith againn as gaeilge caithfimid glacadh leis go bhfuil iarracht agus tacaiocht ag teastail ón bhfoghlaimeoir. Tuigeann daoine seo anois ach is gá go dtuigfeadh gach éinne. id glacadh leis go bhfuil iarracht agus tacaiocht ag teastail ón bhfoghlaimeoir. Tuigeann daoine seo anois ach is gá go dtuigfeadh gach éinne.

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 20 April, 2016

Features 13

Why advertisements are restricted and monitored

Advertising doesn’t always receive much attention but it plays a bigger role in life than we expect.

Credit: cascadiaartpostcentroid.blogspot.com

Shauna Bowers Features Editor @shaunabowerss

MOST of our days are spent

surrounded by advertisements.

Whether they are on television, radio, the internet, magazines or even just the posters surrounding us; they are always there. It seems like a natural part of our lives but perhaps if we paid more attention to the advertisements that are inherent in society maybe we would realise what message they’re truly portraying.

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the new Budweiser advertisement. It features UFC fighter Conor McGregor who tells people to reach for their dreams. It’s an inspiring advertisement really, but many people have raised questions about how relevant that is to drinking Budweiser.

A lot of people have condemned the company for using a role model for young people to promote an alcoholic beverage.

But would something that a lot of us don’t actively pay attention to even have an impact on us?

RTÉ have actually banned the advertisement as they fear that it is in breach the advertis-

ing Standards Association of Ireland (ASAI) codes and will promote underage drinking. Despite the fact that McGregor doesn’t drink in the ad, he is classified as a ‘hero of the young’ and so this will pique interest in the youth.

An advertisement that was run

by Harvey Norman that was aimed at Leaving Certificate students is no longer allowed to appear on radio in its current form. The ASAI committee decided that the reference to ‘sore heads’ implies overindulgence in alcoholic beverages to celebrate the results of their exams.

It was considered socially irresponsible by the committee since the majority of Leaving Certificate students would be under the age of 18 and so they did not want to encourage underage drinking.

This brings to light whether or not there are a lot of advertisements that are withheld from use for the protection of young people and for the protection of adults as consumers. There were 13 cases of socially irresponsible ads from March 1st when the new ASAI code was introduced, to the March 22nd This leads us to ask what exactly makes ads unsuitable for public consumption and why do we need an advertising watchdog to monitor the PR that

“

The purpose of controlling the output of advertisements is to protect everybody

hits our screens and airwaves?

The ASAI state: “The primary objective of the Code is to regulate commercial marketing communications in the interest of consumers ensuring, so far as possible, that all marketing communications are prepared with a sense of responsibility both to the consumer and to society.”

First of all, new research from the UK shows that our brain does notfully mature during puberty and it actually continues to develop into your 30s and sometimes even into your 40s. So even though you are legally classified as an adult once you’re 18, you are actually still mentally growing and maturing.

This leaves us open and exposed to misleading or socially irresponsible advertisements that are directed to sway or encourage us into purchasing something or believing a certain ideology.

It has been proven that advertisers place their products next to bright colours or things that evoke happiness and so subconsciously you are won over by their advertisement without even realising that you’re paying attention to it.

Art Markman, a cognitive scientist at the University of Texas, said this allows advertisers to access our ‘mental world’

without us actually realising it.

They are paid to effectively tell us what is good and what is not.

In cases concerning children especially, they are more vulnerable to the allure of advertised products. It has been shown that advertisements can influence a child’s choice in food products.

If all a child sees is chocolate on the television, then they are inclined to want to eat chocolate.

Research conducted by the Children’s Database back in 2002, shows a strong correlation between ads and something called ‘pester power’. ‘Pester power’ is when children see a product in advertising and then continue to cajole their parents until they relent and buy the child the product.

This ‘pester power’ has resulted in an increase in materialism not only among the youth, but carries through into adulthood too.

The purpose of controlling the output of advertisements is to protect everybody. Whether we are children, or young or mature adults, advertising impacts us more than we even realise. Next time you have an inane desire to purchase a product you should consider where this desire developed from.

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 20 April, 2016

14 Features

Living with disablement

Disabilities come in all shapes and sizes but Grace’s disability doesn’t prevent her from inspiring others.

Alex Dunne Contributor @thecollegeview

MY little sister Grace is 10 years old. She can’t walk or talk. She knows basic sign language. She gets around in a wheelchair. She couldn’t eat for years. She can only do for herself what the average one year old can. And the likelihood is, she’ll be like this for the rest of her life.

She has Global Developmental Delay (GDD), which basically means everything about her develops fine, but just at a slower pace. There are different degrees to which you can suffer with GDD but in Grace’s case, it’s equal to virtually no development.

I could sit here and speak of the difficulties surrounding her, but they are obvious. She requires constant care from the whole family, like a young child.

I’m not going to complain about it, we all understand and we all take care of her. It’s not Grace’s fault.

Rather I’d like to spend this article talking about Grace as a

“People who are disabled are more than just their disabilities person. I remember being asked back in transition year by a man named Ian to name our inspirations. It got around to me and I named Grace. When asked why, I said it was all pretty simple:

Grace gets what she wants and lives a happy life, despite the limitations that she has to deal with on a daily basis.

We all have things in life we feel hold us back. Money, our social circle, looks and intelligence but with Grace, it’s different. Her limitations are her disabilities, which are more serious than only having €30 on a night out, or a mate with no ambition. Yet, Grace is able to remain perfectly satisfied despite this.

Some may think living with a disability would be terrible. I look at Grace and all I see is joy.

When she smiles, it instantly brightens the mood of a room.

She has an incredibly infectious giggle. She’s a great person. She has basic needs and wants, sure, but she doesn’t let what she can’t do hold her back.

Ian said to me “So you obviously love your sister”, and I remember replying: “oh no, she’s alright...” Well, you can finish that sentence yourself.

She’s demanding, she’s loud, and when she wants something she will not leave you alone until she gets it, but this only adds to her charm.

She’s a real character, unafraid to express how she truly

Credit: Darragh Culhane

feels. I think this is often overlooked by people who look from the outside into families living with children like Grace. People who are disabled are more than just their disabilities, and some of them can be truly inspiring.

She inspires me to be able to

have a joke. She inspires me to see what is petty and what is important in life. Above all else, she inspires me to succeed at everything I do, no matter what limitations there are. She’s the reason I’m writing this. She’s my inspiration.

Young people are sizing up the future of body image Helen O’Neill Contributor @thecollegeview

WE all have insecurities with our

bodies. Whether it’s our weight, the shape of our nose or those dark circles under our eyes that never seem to go away. But just how young do these insecurities start?

It is hard to believe that a child as young as six years old could be thinking about body image. However, the Common Sense Media body image report 2015 found that almost one third of children aged between five and six are aware of dieting and have tried it. By the time children are seven, one-quarter of them will have already developed some form of dietary behaviour.

It is facts like these that shock people but it’s easy to get frightened for 30 seconds while reading this piece and then move on. With access to the internet becoming easier from a younger age each year, it’s no wonder these body image issues are starting to develop.

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Around 3335 percent of boys surveyed, aged 6-8 years old, would like to be thinner With just a few clicks we can see images of the Kardashians using waist trainers to achieve their weight loss goal, or a Victoria’s Secret model with pin-like legs. And when we think about body image issues most of us would think of a young girl. Rarely would our mind

picture a young boy looking in the mirror, picking apart what he doesn’t like.

In society, it is expected for young girls to have hang ups about their body while boys seem unconcerned. And while the rate for body image issues in girls is higher than in boys, a lot of young boys feel they can’t speak out about their body stress in fear of being labelled ‘girls’ or ‘gay’. According to the CSM report, 33 to 35 per cent of boys surveyed, who are aged six to eight years old, would like to be thinner.

As a teenager a mirror can seem like your worst enemy.

The ideal body size in your head doesn’t match up to what you’re seeing in front of you.

These ideal images conjured by teens come from a vast range of places. From their peers; the popular girl in class who seems to have the perfect figure. From magazines that create unrealistic images on how your hair, smile and skin should look. From Barbies with their tiny waists or Action Men dolls that showed young boys that ‘real men’ have defined and

Credit: Dove

sculpted bodies.

A lot of body image issues come with expectations—what way you are supposed to look according to society depending on your age, gender and race. How a boyfriend is supposed to match up

to the looks of his girlfriend and vice versa. It’s these expectations from society and the growth of social media that give rise to the endless body image issues teens and young adults are suffering from today.

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 20 April, 2016

Features 15

Is technology a hindrance or a helping hand in relationships? “ Ailbhe Daly Contributor @thecollegeview

LONG gone are the days where meeting a partner was confined to weekends down in the local, at a party or at a disco in your local GAA club. Technology has seen the rise of dating apps like Tinder and Plenty of Fish, which make it possible for anybody to meet the possible love of their lives without even leaving their homes.

Like everything though, technology has its downsides.

Approaching somebody attractive and asking them out can come across as a bit forward, and could get you branded as a ‘creep’. What was once seen as being confident can now be seen as being a bad approach, and technology is definitely a contributor to this. Unless you awkwardly text someone for a few weeks and then profess your attraction after a few pints, it’s seen as being a bit weird.

People will often sit texting each other in the same room rather than have a conversation without the use of their thumbs.

Striking up a conversation in a new setting can be more difficult if you’re used to communicating electronically, and the develop-

Technology has both

helped and hindered relationships but as a whole it has evolved alongside the progression of our society ment of social skills in younger people can be stunted due to this.

It has been proven that technology has an impact on the social skills of young people. Melissa Ortego, a child psychologist in America said: “They don’t know how to handle conflict face to face because so many things happen through some sort of technology.”

It’s not all bad, however. Apps like Skype and Whatsapp allow people to keep in contact regardless of where in the world they

Credit: Darragh Culhane

are. Being able to see the faces of friends, family, or a partner while being apart from them is utterly invaluable when you’re missing somebody. With emigration being as common as it is, being able to see the face of a loved one when they’re at the other side of the world provides an adequate short term fix, and can also ease the

homesickness that may be felt by the other party.

Technology has both helped and hindered relationships, but as a whole it has evolved alongside the progression of our society. While younger people will grow up with these benefits at their fingertips, it also provides the elderly with new ways to keep in touch with people

or reconnect with long lost friends.

Technology opens up new corridors for people in all walks of life. For some, you may make a good friend, write about your ideas on a blog or even meet someone you end up spending the rest of your life with. Whether it becomes a help or a hindrance is really up to you.

The Government battles Ireland’s drugs problem but is it too late?

Arthur Velker Contributor @thecollegeview

THE recent amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Bill introduces supervised injecting facilities for heroin addicts, and it’s the Government’s biggest attempt to tackle the drug problem in Ireland in over a decade. With online suppliers becoming a major player in the drugs trade and the exploitation of legal loopholes, the Government may be trying to grapple something that’s out of their reach.

The Europol EU Drug Markets Report 2016 states that Irish people are the biggest consumers of drugs and psychoactive substances in the EU and the country accounts for 5 per cent of all ecstasy seizures.

This may not come as much of a surprise given the draconian drug laws governing our system.

The rest of Europe has had to deal with their own drug crises at one stage or another, and most countries came out of them with significantly lower drug crime figures, but the spotlight is now on Ireland to either follow in their footsteps or introduce an equally effective policy that puts this conundrum to rest.

At the peak of its own drug problem, Portugal decriminalised all psychoactive substances in 2001, turning the possession of drugs into a health issue rather than a criminal one. Roughly 14 years on, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction figures show that HIV cases in the country have drastically decreased, going from 1,016 in 2001 to 56 in 2012. The nation now has the second lowest death rate among drug users in Europe.

In contrast Ireland has one of the highest death rates among drug users. The country ranks third in Europe for

most drug-related deaths per million of the population.

One walk along Dublin’s inner city centre shows that the Irish citizens simply refuse to acknowledge the inherent problem, and they completely marginalise drug users into a category of petty, useless criminals who sponge from society.

Heroin usage in rural Ireland has also been vastly on the rise. Despite this, there are just six needle exchanges outside of Dublin, and the only care available to addicts is methadone even though there are a number of other treatments available in other European countries.

Ireland has now developed into a drug-ridden society. Irish politicians, such as former Minister of State and TD, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, have been and still are trying to be proactive about the situation.

However, the pace at which it took the Government to pro-

Credit: DEA

vide the first step of a solution is quite worrying, and if it takes more than a decade to address a problem that’s been visible for

over 30 years, by the time a productive strategy presents itself we might be faced with an issue that has escalated beyond repair.

Scorn in the USA

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 20 April, 2016

16 Features

An equal society has always been campaigned for and now, even celebrities are getting involved Adam Daly Contributor @thecollegeview

THROWING a tantrum. Crying over spilled milk. Cancelling a concert to stand up for what you believe in. To one North Carolina Congressman, these are all one and the same.

Bruce Springsteen decided to cancel his upcoming concert in Greensboro North Carolina, to protest a new law that’s known as HB2 or the ‘bathroom law’. While most people viewed Springsteen as a hero, Congressman Mark Walker hit back at Springsteen, saying it was a “bully tactic”.

“It’s like when a kid gets upset and says he’s going to take his ball and go home,” Walker said to a US reporter about Springsteen’s actions.

This ‘bathroom law’ dictates which bathrooms transgender people are permitted to use. But it also affects the rights of North Carolina LGBT citizens to sue when their human rights are violated in the workplace.

Springsteen released a statement on his website to let his fans

“Bruce’s cancellation has shed light on an issue that may have not made global news otherwise

know that he would be cancelling his stop in North Carolina to support those who oppose this law. ‘’I feel that this is a time for me and the band to show solidarity for those freedom fighters. ‘’Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry - which is happening as I write - is one of them. It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards.’’ he said.

Despite the growing support for the abolition of the ‘bathroom law’, Walker said that the law will be there to protect the people of North Carolina and that it “doesn’t target the LGBTQ community; it targets impostors. It’s a little crazy to think sexual predators wouldn’t be devious enough to pull something off if they were free to go into any bathroom they want.”

Despite the backlash from Walker, Bruce’s cancellation has shed light on an issue that may have not made global news otherwise. Other celebrities, such as Ellen DeGeneres, James Corden and Tim Burgess are now standing in

Credit: sprattreport.com

solidarity and praising Springsteen for his actions.

American actress Melissa McCarthy also showed her support for Bruce’s actions against the law that has been described as ‘anti-gay’. In a tweet sent out last Saturday, McCarthy said: “One more incredible reason to love Bruce Springsteen. Your integrity is inspiring! From one boss to another

@springsteen thank you for NC!” Even the porn site X-Hamster has come out in unity with Springsteen and has blocked the state of North Carolina from its network. A spokesman for the site has claimed that their actions may have a bigger impact because he believes that the porn has the power to do what Springsteen cannot.

To make a mother

Mothers inflicting abuse on children comes as no surprise, but is the punishment harsh

Orla O’Driscoll Deputy Features Editor @thecollegeview

CALLS for a review of the judicial system and sentencing laws have been heard too often in cases of rape, manslaughter, and sexual abuse. Examples where the level of the sentence does not appear to meet the seriousness of the crime however are still prevalent.

This week a 39-year-old mother of seven children was given a sentence of 4 and a half years with the last six months suspended, for the horrific abuse and mistreatment of her children.

The woman was charged with 29 counts of child cruelty, willful assault, neglect, abandonment, leaving them for days on end with strangers, including a paedophile, between 2006 and 2011.

On its own, this case seems to go against the very ideology of motherhood, but this isn’t an isolated case.

In 2014, the court found a mother-of-three guilty of the “chronic neglect and other abuse” of her children. The lead detective said it was the worst case he had seen in his 13 years on the job. The

eight-year-old daughter was made watch porn to show her how to have sex, and her brothers, then two and four, were made to watch videos of animal slaughter. The sentence for this? Four years, suspended.

In 2013, when Gardai stopped a car in a popular seaside town in Kerry, they found a two-year-old child with sunburnt skin wearing only a badly soiled nappy clutching a can of beer. His mother and three other adults were in the car which had travelled in the wrong direction along the road.The court heard there was a smell of alcohol on the child’s breath, and he was complaining of hunger. In this case, the mother was jailed for eight months.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Fergus Finlay of Barnardos said: “Unfortunately, there have been plenty of high-profile cases of child neglect and abuse such as Roscommon Case and Kelly Fitzgerald.

The key recommendations issuing from these have consistently highlighted the need to invest properly in appropriate supports and services for parents. However, the State still hasn’t done this sufficiently meaning cases are continuing, and children remain at risk.”

A mother who would hold a child’s head underwater beat them

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with a hammer, or use their child for sexual gratification, or to assert dominance, should not receive compassionate punishment.

In 2011 the ISPCC’s Lisa Collins said: “The voice of the child,

the best interests of the child and the welfare of the child must be the primary consideration at all times. This also applies to the treatment, handling and sentencing of the perpetrators of

abuse, to ensure that the safety of all children is considered, and the message of complete intolerance to child abuse is reinforced.”

Evidently, the victims still wait for change.

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 20 April, 2016

Dreaded Hamstring Injury Makes No Exceptions Sport

17

Patrick Lynch Deputy Sports Editor @Mycroman13

HAMSTRING injuries are among the most prevalent and painful in any sport. They have derailed seasons and ended careers. One of the easiest body parts to damage, the hamstring becomes strained or torn when a player simply stretches awkwardly.

Like metatarsal and ACL, the term hamstring has been reduced to a buzz word that fans and coaches alike throw around without really understanding what it is, or the severity that an injury to it can cause.

At a local level, six of the 28 squad members of the Louth senior hurlers suffered hamstring injuries during the 2015 season.

Statistics confirm that hamstring injury is the most prevalent in sport today. Of the 98 Premier League footballers listed as injured on Physioroom.com, 27 are suffering from hamstring injuries (28%).

A study carried out by UCD academics and students in 2013 consisting of 2,500 GAA players, highlighted that 25% suffered hamstring injuries in a playing season, with 62% suffering a recurrence of the same injury.

Bryan Heiderscheit, a professor at the University of Wisconsin and leading expert on the hamstring injury, explained the process of the hamstring tear in a 2010 study of American football players.

“The occurrence of hamstring strain injuries during high-speed running is generally believed to occur during the terminal swing phase of the gait cycle.” he said.

“As the leg straightens upon contact with the ground, the biceps femoris, the longest of the hamstring muscles (“which has a tendency to be more incurred than the other two hamstring muscles - semimembranosus and semitendinosus”) becomes elognated. It is at this point that the leg is most vulnerable to tear.”

Physiotherapist Charles Markey, who specialises in neuromusculoskeletal dysfunction, feels that GAA players not getting requisite recovery time is a leading cause of injury. “A player working in an office from nine to five will obviously be stiffer and have a predisposition to injury.

Peter Browne, a third year DCU student of Sport Science and Gaelic footballer for his local club St.Fechin’s in Co. Louth feels that there is a lack of education on treating injuries in the GAA due to the volunteer nature of the association.

“I suffered many hamstring injuries while I was in secondary school. The general consensus was ‘rest and when it feels ok, comeback’, when in reality you need to be getting back to pre-injury flexibility and power.”

The GAA’s relaxed approach to injuries has been criticised in medical circles Credit: Sportsfile

Former Clare senior footballer Aidan Greene offered a more practical reason on the growing trend of muscular injuries.

“Lads used to do a lot more manual labour. Teenagers now tend to spend lots of time sitting around watching television.

They don’t develop key muscles as guys used to. This combined with increased intensity of training leads to injuries.”

It’s always difficult to compare professional and amateur athletes due to lifestyle, however, the causes for injury are similar. Eoghan O’Neill, former physio of the Armagh and Mayo senior footballers, detailed the main injury causes.

“Players that have previously suffered from hamstring injury and older players are particularly susceptible to this injury.”

Core strength is a term often bandied around in injury prevention, but O’Neill feels the term is inadequate in this case.

He highlighted the importance of Lumbopelvic control, the ability to maintain stability between the vertebrae through range.

“Lumbopelvic control in a player really determines whether or not they manage to stay

free of hamstring problems. Lack of flexibility would be down the line in terms of primary cause.”

“Marshmallow asses” is a term frequently coined by DCU physiotherapist Miriam Downey as a leading cause of hamstring tears.

but in-game injury is much more heavily influenced by fatigue.”

Professional sports teams being run as businesses largely dictates the seriousness with which injury prevention and rehabilitation is treated.

“ When you’ve paid millions for players, the last place you want them is constantly perched up on the physio’s bed.

They’re needed on the pitch offering a return on your investment “In many cases the gluteal muscles are very weak, and in some cases not working at all. The hamstring muscles have to compensate and therefore are overworked.”

She remains unconvinced that external factors such as playing surfaces play a significant role in injury.

“Wet pitches with mud stuck to the boots obviously won’t help,

“When you’ve paid millions for players, the last place you want them is constantly perched up on the physio’s bed. They’re needed on the pitch offering a return on your investment,” concluded Markey.

Ex-Liverpool player Vegard Heggem knows better than most that hamstring injury can dismantle a career. Heggem seemed destined for stardom, howev-

er recurring hamstring injuries meant Liverpool opted against renewing his contract in 2003.

No club was willing to offer such an injury prone player a contract.

He retired shortly after. He is now the manager of a Norwegian salmon fishing business, Aunan Lodge.

There is a near-universal agreement among physiotherapists that there’s been mammoth changes in the way with which the hamstring injury is dealt. Eccentric strengthening (strengthening of muscles when elongated) is the requirement: dead-lifting and nordic hamstring curls are the means.

Thundery Termonfeckin on a terrible Tuesday appears a world far removed from the glitz, the glamour and the prestige of an illustrious night of European football at Anfield or the Bernabeu.

The destructive hamstring tear, however, is not picky about where it decides to rear its unwanted head. Education of injury prevention and rehabilitation, discipline in strength training and a healthy lifestyle without a good balance between work and rest, is a player’s best bet at eluding ‘the curse of the hammy.’

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 20 April, 2016

Smith believes there’s more to come from Roscommon 18

Sport

Conor Hawkins Contributor @ConorHawkins4

IN 2014 Roscommon were playing in Division Three of the National Football League. This year, they secured a top three finish in Division One, beating Kerry and Cork along the way.

DCU student Enda Smith is one of Roscommon’s most talented young footballers. The College View’s Conor Hawkins met up with him to discuss Roscommon’s recent success and what the future holds.

“I’d say it probably did surprise us a little,” said Smith, when asked about Roscommon’s four league victories in seven games this season. “If you told us in early January that we’d be playing in the semi-final in Croke Park we’d have been delighted. Having said that we put in an awful amount of hard work since early November and that really helped us out along the way, so it was probably deserved.”

Roscommon became the first team to play eight league games all at different venues but Smith doesn’t think that had a negative impact on the Rossies’ campaign. “I think it was just something we had to go with.

“We knew the Hyde (Dr. Hyde Park) wasn’t in good condition from the start of the year, we were prepared for any potential changes. Obviously the situation with the Dublin game wasn’t ideal with the venue change being left so late, but you can see why it happened.

“A game against Dublin would have been a huge pull for Roscommon town and would have pulled in a huge crowd.

Some of our best performances came away from home, so I really don’t think it had much of an impact on how we played.”

As one of his county’s star players, Smith is often relied upon to play in different positions, but he enjoys none more than wing forward. “I was moved about a bit, but if you asked me now to pick a position I’d like a half forward position, ideally 10 or 12.

“I think wing forward is my favourite and most natural position. But having said that I do like midfield, each position has its positives and negatives.

You’re less tightly marked in the middle of the field but then there are a lot of responsibilities with the kick outs. So yeah, 10 or 12 would be first preference but midfield isn’t far behind.”

“Well I think we were up

Enda Smith in action against UUJ’s Stephen Sherida Credit: Sportsfile against the best team in the country right now, ” was how Smith explained his side’s 3-15 to 0-14 defeat against Kerry.

“They were going very well since losing to us, winning five games in a row. They’re playing a team full of championship players who have seen and done it all.

“Having been in the semi-final obviously we would have liked to have won it, but I think if I had to put it down to something it would be that they’re just more experienced than us and they put it to use on the day.

“We can learn a lot (from that game) though. I think we might have shown a bit too much respect.

“We might have been in awe of them a small bit. Once the goals went in they really deflated us, we started to think, ‘are they really that much better than us?’

“I don’t think we’re that far off. So if we could take something from it, it would to

play with no fear because we all in it for the long haul.” to face New York on Sunday, May are where we are on merit.”

Roscommon will open the 1st at 8pm IST (3pm local time).

Despite back-to-back promo- 2016 Championship Stateside, tions in the league and finish- as they travel to the Gaelic Park ing above provincial rivals Mayo this Spring, Smith insists that the Connacht Championship has to be their goal in the Summer.

“Our last three games were against the best three teams in the country (Kerry, Dublin, Mayo.)

We came up short; we still have a lot to learn. Mayo are still a level above us and Galway are coming back too, but we will still be going out to win the Connacht title.

There’s no doubt about that but it won’t be an easy championship.”

There have been suggestions that the rise of Roscommon isn’t just a flash in the pan, and that the county can expect to continue to grow. “We hope so,” was Smith’s modest response.

“With the two new managers in I think it’s a three Enda Smith Credit: Sportsfile or four year journey. We’re

THE COLLEGE VIEW Wednesday, 20 April, 2016

Sport

19

Looking back at a disappointing season

Niall Moyna stepped down as DCU manager after this year’s Sigerson Cup Final Credit: Sportsfile

Aidan Geraghty Deputy Editor @AidanGeraghty1

THE sports year in Dublin City Uni-

versity concluded this past week as The College View defeated DCUfm 10-4 in the Seventh Annual Bill O’Herlihy Memorial Cup, but the jubilation on the faces of your favourite reporters was a rare sight.

More common were images such as Deirdre Murphy’s tears and Niall Moyna’s unforeseen farewell as it was a year of league success and championship heartbreak for teams in Glasnevin.

For the men’s senior Gaelic football team last season’s Sigerson success would of course be difficult to replicate, and maybe it was fitting that the late Dave Billings’ work with the University College Dublin programme came to fruition in the wake of his untimely death.

That won’t be of any comfort to Moyna and his team though.

Defeat to their cross-city rivals in both the Ryan Cup and Sigerson Cup finals was a tough pill to swallow, one made all the more bitter by the manag-

er’s surprise resignation after the latter game. The man described

by Conor Moynagh as ‘Mr. DCU’ leaves enormous shoes to be filled following the college’s unprecedented success during his decadeand-a-half in charge. Although the ladies’ team did bring home some silverware, they too tasted defeat in their final game of the season.

Stephen Maxwell and Niamh McEvoy laid solid foundations for the often overlooked women’s programme by claiming the league title and in the process handed the University of Limerick their first loss in over three years.

T h e Shannons i d e r s w o u l d get their revenge, though, as they b e a t DCU by a score of 3-4 to 1-8 in their O’Connor Cup semi-final in March before falling to, you guessed it, UCD in the O’Connor Cup Final.

The male and female Gaelic football teams are licking

“For the men’s senior Gaelic football team

last season’s Sigerson success would of course be difficult to replicate, and maybe it was fitting that the late Dave Billings’ work with the University College Dublin programme came to fruition in the wake of his untimely death. their wounds, but anyone involved in DCU hurling is unlikely to show much sympathy. Nicky English’s side never recovered from a shock 1-21 to 1-08 defeat in Carlow on opening night, suffering a 12-point rout against Waterford Institute of Technology before drawing a dead-rubber match against St. Pat’s in the teaching college’s final game before amalgamation with DCU. The 2016 Collingwood Cup can only be described as heartbreaking for DCU’s football team. This season, manager Declan Roche wanted to place more emphasis on attractive football and did so with great success. However, he reflected that “at this time of the year (January and February), most college pitches aren’t conducive to playing good football” after his team’s last gasp

concession against Trinity College to lose 1-0, despite having dominated the previous 89 minutes.

In March, DCU’s women’s football team came out on the wrong end of a thrilling WSCAI Division One final which finished 6-4 after extra time. The added pressure of chasing a game likely took its toll on Grace McAuley Ryan’s team as the Northsiders trailed 1-0, 3-1 and 4-2 before dragging the game to extra time at 4-4. Despite not lifting the cup, Emma Boyle’s free kick from 25 yards out will go down as one of this season’s memorable moments.DCU Amateur Boxing Club walked away with five medals (four gold, one silver) from the Irish Athletic Third Level Boxing Association Championships in March.

GAA players, Basket-

ball players and athletes from DCU also came away with individual accolades this season.

Five DCU players were named to the Sigerson Cup All-Star team while Siobhán Woods was named to the O’Connor Cup team. Five DCU Mercy players were called up to the national team for the FIBA Small Countries tournament in June. In athletics, David McCarthy won gold at the University Intervarsity Cross-Country Race.

There were some unforgettable moments involving DCU teams in the 2015-16 season but ultimately, when this season is reflected upon in years to come, the records will show that the three major sports only brought home one trophy.

Sport THE COLLEGE VIEW

Wednesday, 20 April 2016

INSIDE A review of the DCU sports year

Read more on page 19

www.thecollegeview.com

College View triumphs in Bill O’Herlihy Cup The College View

10

DCUfm

4

Aaron Gallagher Editor-in-Chief @AaronGallagher8

BILL O’Herlihy always harboured a deep-rooted desire for print journalism, confessing numerous times throughout his career a lifelong goal to become the Editor of his native Cork Examiner.

One can only hope that the Seventh Annual Bill O’Herlihy Memorial Cup, renamed after the legendary broadcaster’s passing in May 2015, will go some of the distance to realising his inward longing, as The College View triumphed 10-4 in this year’s competition over DCUfm. The Cup, first played in 2010 when then-College View Sports Editor Niall Farrell and DCUfm Head of Sport Stephen Long conceived of the idea to provide an

outlet for the heated rivalry between the two strands of DCU’s journalism core, has gone on to garner untold reverence in its seven years.

This year’s affair was no different as the sun bled down onto the DCU astro pitches in radiant fashion, making sprints an agonising penance for those competing, with sweat serving as the day’s featured entrée on a melting April afternoon.

The College View, controversially, brought with them some new recruits featuring Shelbourne youth player Stephen Meaney.

The affair bizarrely mimicked the events of Homer at the Bat, an episode of The

Sport Editor, Aidan Geragthy and former Deputy, Cormac O’Shea celebrate their win against DCUfm.

The College View retains the Bill O’Herlihy Cup for the first time since 2012 Credit: Aaron Gallagher

Simpsons where, gunning to win a softball game between rival nuclear powerplants, Mr. Burns hired an array of Major League Baseball players such as Roger Clemens, Ken Griffey Jr., Steve Sax, Jose Canseco, Mike Scioscia, Don Mattingly and Darryl Strawberry.

The College View’s captain Aidan Geraghty reassured sceptics that DCUfm manager Aidan Delaney agreed that no players should be turned away, although the question of some of their contributions to the newspaper hung in the air as kick-off loomed.

The College View took the lead in their mixture of red, orange and Gibraltar shirts as outgoing Deputy Sports Editor Cormac O’Shea loomed inside the penalty area and steered the ball home.

A hat-trick from Gary O’Brien brought The View into a 4-2 lead before DCUfm, led charismatically by Delaney and incoming Head of Sport Jack O’Toole

on the sideline, rallied to make it 4-4 shortly after the break.

Water was in short supply during the interval but inspiration was not as The College View reverted back to its original starting team of Deputy Editor and Sports Editor Geraghty, Deputy Sports Editor O’Shea, Arts Editor Stephen Keegan, Sports Columnist Conor Hawkins, Deputy Production Editor Niall Connolly, Deputy Images Editor David Clarke and Chief Sub-Editor Jamie Concannon.

Concannon was kept busy in goal and made a crucial save as the game reached its climactic turning point through a low diving save to his right that took all of the might he put into fixing headlines throughout the year into palming the ball to safety.

The View rallied and took no prisoners in the process - six goals to no reply in the second half reigning home their first Bill O’Herlihy Cup since 2012.

Speaking after the final whistle – although no whistle was

in fact sounded due to the absent nature of a non-existent referee - incoming Arts Editor Stephen Keegan summed up the thoughts of a university.

“We kept our hearts pure,” he said. “We believed in ourselves, we believed in the tactics, the spirit, the purity and the Total Football of the 1970s.

Rinus Michels, Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona and The College View. We all stand together at the pinnacle of football.”

Manager of DCUfm, Delaney graciously handed over the cup to College View captain Geraghty with modest words.“Congratulations to The College View,” he said. “They were just simply the better team on the day. We tried our best, I’m happy with our team’s performance. We had an awful lot of players here today and we got them all on so I’m happy that everyone got their opportunity to play for DCUfm.” Captain Geraghty hoisted the cup into the air before dedicating the win to the departing Cormac