The University Express Vol.23 Issue 2

University Volume 24 | Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st October 2019

Express UCCExpress.ie

Calls For UCC To Take Stance On Vaping

Photo Credit: Tomas Tyner

Writes Maeve O’Sullivan, health reports which have been oxidants within the body, which Countries such as Argentina, made publically known. Just a lit- increases the risk of plaque build- Indonesia, Mexico and ThaiDeputy News Editor Following University of Limerick’s President Dr Des Fitzgerald’s announcement that vaping on campus will banned , people in the UCC community are calling out for a similar action to be carried out, to restrict the usage of the addictive devices.

The announcement came following Dr Fitzgerald, a professor of molecular medicine’s view that vaping was ‘’a real health risk and is being directly implicated in the health crisis and even [causing] deaths among users.’’

Vaping, a considerably recent phenomenon across the globe, has been subject to negative backlash in recent months due to

UCC Marches with Climate Strikers

Page 3 News

tle over two weeks it was reported that a man in his 40s died from the use of e-cigarettes. The man in question, had no previous lung illness and was considered to be in reasonable health prior to his decision to start vaping in May 2019.

up in the artery walls, which can result in cardiac arrest. According to the Irish Heart Foundation, heart disease is already one of the biggest killers in Ireland and fears that vaping will continue to add to this startling reality.

Unlike the dangers of the traditional cigarette, vapes and their flavoured products have little scientific research to prove that they are healthier than the tobacco filled cigarette. A study published by Environmental Science and Technology in July 2016 identified ‘’harmful emissions in the vapour, including possible carcinogens and irritants.’’

Dr Fitzgerald has called on the Minister for Education and Skills to take action against the battery-powered devices across all educational institutes. In his opinion, more and more young people are finding themselves susceptible to the marketing of the flavoured products, as well as the low cost and aggressive marketing. Most shopping centres and towns across the country tend to have at least one vaping vender available to the public.

Additionally, it is believed that vaping can lead to a rise in free radicals and a reduction in anti-

A Student-Led Approach to Ireland’s Drug Issue

Page 8 Features

Gaza Interview

Page 18 Byline

land have already banned the use of vapourised cigarettes, while Canada and Norway have heavily restricted its usage amongst the population.

Chris Macey, head of advocacy with the Irish Heart Foundation, says ‘’after successfully reducing the number of people smoking, the risk now is that a whole new generation will become addicted to nicotine.’’ In the US, it is reported that 1 in 5 high school students use e-cigarettes.

As educational institutes promote health and wellbeing amongst its students, one must wonder if it is now time that fresh legislation regarding e-cigarettes is brought forward, following in the footsteps of University of Limerick.

Women in Sport

Page 36 Sport

Editorial

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Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

Progress In Civility

Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief – Ciaran Dineen (Editor@UCCExpress.ie) News Editor – Samantha Calthrop (News@UCCExpress.ie) Designer – Fiona Cremins (Design@UCCExpress.ie) Features Editor – Róisin O’Donnell (Features@UCCExpress.ie) Sports Editor – Jack Maguire (Sport@UCCExpress.ie) Opinion Editor – Elisha Carey (Opinion@UCCExpress.ie) Eagarthóir Gaeilge – Hugh Ó Raghallaigh Mac Gearailt (Gaeilge@UCCExpress.ie) Online Editor – Edel Lonergan (Online@UCCExpress.ie) Proof Editor - Chloe Jesse (Proofing@uccexpress.ie)

Marketing Executive – Ciaran Dineen (Marketing@UCCExpress.ie) Webmaster – Jonathan Hanley (Webmaster@UCCExpress.ie) Photographers – Caoimhe Leahy, Eve Harrington (Photographers@uccexpress.ie) Byline Editor – Cian McGrath (Byline@UCCExpress.ie) (Deputy Editor) Food & Health - Katie Kelly (Food@UCCExpress.ie) Arts & Literature Editor – Fiona Keely (Arts@UCCExpress.ie) Gaming Editor – Jack Coleman (Gaming @UCCExpress.ie) Music Editor – Fiona O’Connell (Music@UCCExpress.ie) Film & Television Editor – Eoghan Creedon (Screen@UCCExpress.ie) Sexpress Editor – Caoimhe Battault (Sexpress@uccexpress.ie) Deputy Sports - Sam Curtin (Deputysports@uccexpress.ie) Deputy News Maeve O’Sullivan Deputynews@uccexpress.ie) Deputy Features - Molly O’Rourke (Deputyfeatures@uccexpress.ie)

Writes Ciaran Dineen, Editor in Chief It’s been a tough week once again for onlookers as the Brexit can continues to be kicked down the road. While I have a huge love and time for politics, I must say I have envied those who let it go over their head for some time now. Every day I now feel like it is my regular spoonful of penance, and one could only dream of such sweet commodities like sugar to offer some respite.

While for some watching the UK government continue to crumble may bring extreme joy, I must say that it brings me nothing but sheer sadness and poignancy. This isn’t because I think that the UK executive should be able to move swiftly forward with their extreme tactics, but it’s more so to do with the blatant disregard for common decency that seems to have now been totally forgotten.

Last week witnessed the most “toxic” atmosphere in years seen in the chamber, as described by former UCC guest speaker and outgoing Speaker of the House of Commons, the Right Honourable John Bercow. Members screamed and shouted at each other with such vitriol and hatred that the Commons floor resembled a bloody battlefield, certainly not one for the faint-hearted. Then, just when you thought it could not get any worse MPs started using the death of former member, Jo Cox, who was brutally murdered by a far-right nationalist, to pursue their agenda. The only word to describe such a ploy would be, disgusting.

Coming closer to home we see similar language being used to that of Westminster debates. Following Cork City Council’s decision to not increase property tax by 15%, following a vote, Green Councillor, Oliver Moran, called those who voted against the proposal cowards and that they should “hang their heads in shame”. While I myself was on the green side of the political argument on that occasion, to resort to such provocative language is shameful, especially given that many Councillors are ordinary, good and decent people.

The gloomy and upsetting atmosphere that is being created in our politics is to no one’s benefit, and such reprehensible behaviour is widely deprecated by your average voter. It is therefore crucial that we remind ourselves of who we are, and those who surround us in our daily lives. We are for the most part, good, decent and honest, and ideologs on both ends of the spectrum must remember that. At this stage we need civility, because civility brings progress and progress often leads to change.

In our second edition of the University Express we have some fantastic material that is sure to whet the appetite. News Editor Samantha Calthrop reports on the recent Climate March, where we also have some excellent photos from our resident photographers. Following on from UL’s call to ban vaping on campus, Maeve O’Sullivan suggests UCC could do likewise. We also have our first Lecturer Profile in this week’s paper, which is with the insightful Dr Mary C Murphy. All of that and much more inside! Happy reading.

Until next time, editor@uccexpress.ie Take care, Ciaran.

Is anyone okay?

Writes Samantha Calthrop, News Editor When you get to know somebody— whether as a friend, partner, or even just a colleague— you start seeing more and more of their inner self. Not like in a weird way, just the messier side of them; some of the opinions, the day-to-day habits, the quirks and irregularities. As you become closer and more intimate, you start to learn about issues; about what keeps them awake when they’re too stressed to sleep, about which faults they inherited from their parents, about what scares them most about the future. Some of us get close to many; others to very few. Here’s a question for you: have you ever met someone who was doing okay?

They say that social media has had an insidious effect: it’s misled us into thinking the glamorous, happy, accomplished people on our timelines are in fact doing as well as they look. I can’t say I relate, perhaps because I follow too many private twitters. The sentiment’s true, though; we tend to think other people are as happy, successful, and normal as they appear to us. Whether that’s new or not, I don’t know. I’m twenty-one. Still, I don’t think there are many people who don’t have an answer to the general question of, “What’s wrong?”

People forget things. They wonder how on earth they got as far as they got; they think about what they could have done differently in life. Many of us pull all-nighters, do regrettable things while drunk, and say embarrassing things to people we find attractive. Many of us feel out-of-place, alone, like we’re faking it; many of us feel under pressure, trapped, fearful. We miss people, fear the future, sometimes hate ourselves.

I say this because I wonder if somebody needs to hear it right now. It’s very easy to feel like everybody’s got it together except you. It is, therefore, very easy not to ask for help. It’s very easy to feel weird and like a burden for having problems, and for not dealing with them as silently and efficiently as everybody else seems to be. We feel like we’re the odd one out for struggling.

The early twenties are a bad time for this. Straddling the line between adolescent and adult, aspiring and professional, it seems like everybody else is just a little more grown-up than you are. And yet even the most austere authority figures, when you get to know them, have their demons. They don’t quite have it together yet. Does anyone?

If you’re the person out there who needed to hear this, forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for being behind, for being strange, for not being okay. If you think you’re worse off than the people around you, remember: you just don’t know them as well as you know yourself.

news@uccexpress.ie #uccexpress

Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

News

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UCC Marches in Solidarity with Thousands of Climate Strikers Writes Samantha Calthrop, News Editor Hundreds of UCC students and staff met at the quad at 11:30 on Friday 20 September, listening to a speech by UCC’s deputy president John O’Halloran before joining the school climate strike on Grand Parade.

Last week’s strike for climate, which saw an estimated 15,000 people march through Cork City, called on more direct action from the government to act on climate change. Marching amid calls of “What do we want?” “Climate action!”, UCC students expressed disillusion with the current performance of the government on climate action.

Prof O’Halloran emphasised UCC’s support for the strikes, while addressing a crowd of UCC students and staff, praising protestors for their passion. “Never underestimate the power of what you’re holding in your hands today. Whether it’s a poster or a mission in your heart or it’s something in your mind, never lose sight of that.”

“You lead, we will follow. These changes happened because we’ve listened to the fears and worries of our students. We respected their opinions. This is not for management, this is not for the students, this is for all of us to start taking action.”

“Listen to the scientists, listen to the experts, and take immediate action. We still have the time to avoid the most devastating impacts, but window is narrowing… What future do we want for all our children?”

The University Express spoke to a number of students who attended the pro-

test, almost all of whom expressed dissatisfaction with our parliamentary executive’s approach to dealing with the crisis.

“I’ve been going to protests about climate change since I was in secondary school, and we just need to be doing the same thing again, and again, and again, and there seems to be no major political action” said one student, “Things just seem to be getting worse and worse. Our government is ‘greenwashing’ by declaring a climate emergency, but they don’t seem to back it up with any policy changes, so we’re here to demand that they get off their butts and do something.”

Another student said that the protest was “...the only chance for our voices to actually be heard, because, for the most part, the government don’t really care.

So this is the only chance we have to show this is something we actually do care about and we’re willing to march about it.”

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and the UCC Students’ Union (UCCSU) also had representatives in attendance, also expressed their support, especially for younger school strikers.

“The Union of Students in Ireland are standing in solidarity with the school strikers today,” Darren Moloney, the USI Southern Regional Officer, told the Express.

“It’s important that we are standing in solidarity because this issue is affecting students all across the country. Students are in force today and it’s great to see. We’re here to support school strikers because they started this and it’s important that this continues.”

UCCSU’s president, campaigns

officer and education officer were also in attendance. “We are marching out today because the government and all other human beings have not done enough,” said education officer Catherine Dawson, “Politicians have not done enough to stop this climate change that is happening. We are standing in solidarity with all students, including secondary school students who started this movement.”

Following the strikes, Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton said, “I have heard the voices of those protesting today. By being a powerful voice, they are paying testament to the damage that is being done to their inheritance.

They have a message for governments but also for every sector of society. Now is the time to take action and protect their future.”

Leo Varadkar announced at the climate summit that Ireland will be ending its use of fossil fuels and stop excavating for oil, although gas exploration would need to continue for the next few “decades” to support the economy.

People have been generally disappointed with the commitments made at the climate summit, with goals far less ambitious and extreme than activists were hoping. “[The] lack of ambition stands in sharp contrast with the growing demand for action around the world,” said Andrew Steer, head of the World Resources Institute.

Ireland is one of the worst performers for implementing climate change reforms in Europe, ranking second-last in its working towards the goals of the Paris Agreement in 2018.

In This Issue....

Unanswered:Eva Brennan Page 6 Lecturer Profile: Dr Mary C. Murphy Page 10 The Slow Death of MoviePass Page 20 Sounds From A Safe Harbour ‘19 Page 23 The Scrumptious 6…for €6 (or less) Page 28 Valve & Artifact - Never Too Big To Fail Page 30 Arts For All Page 34 Championship 2019- A year in review Page 38

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News

Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

Viral “Irish Simpsons Fans” political party is in it for the long haul

Warnings Over Lack of Investment in Third-Level Education

Writes Samantha Calthrop, News Editor

Writes Samantha Calthrop, News Editor

Irish Simpsons Fans was a meme page created in 2016, known for posting tongue-incheek memes about Irish issues. However, the popular social media phenomenon has been sprung into the spotlight this week by the creation of the Irish Simpsons Fans Party— a satirical political party that suddenly went viral this week, with international coverage.

Most find the ISF party’s emergence either funny or ridiculous, but the ISF is quite serious in its intention to get to the Dáil.

While the ISF Party’s twitter page, at over 11,500 followers, seems mainly tongue-in-cheek, they’ve also been providing political commentary and inviting members to join, hoping to build up a support base.

A left-wing party aiming for the youth vote, the ISF already has plans to have representatives at the next General and Council elections, with the former of the two predicted to be put to the people in May 2020.

Speaking to the Express, a representative from the ISF party said, “Our goal is to get someone elected to the Dáil. Simple as that. Yes, it seems like a pretty vague and slightly ludicrous goal, but if the last five years have taught us anything, you can’t predict politics. we’re a very real party, and we particularly want to attract the college vote… We’ve had some cynics say ‘they’ll burn out like PBP or every other left-wing

party’, and one or two ‘gobshites’ have said ‘they’re virtue signaling with no real policies’, but we’ll do our talking at the ballot box. We’re in it for the long-haul, we’re very serious about getting someone elected.”

Is the ISF a joke party or a real one? Both, but their agenda is certainly real. “A part of wanting to form the ISF Party came from reading about the Pirate Party and thinking ‘how funny would it be if Ireland had a party like that, and one born from a meme group.’” As for why the Simpsons theme is there, with the party’s logo being the iconic Simpsons donut, the ISF party told us, “The Simpsons theme is baked into our party’s DNA, 100%. A lot of ideas from the show - being tolerant of other religions, gender, race, looking out for the little guy in society, people over profit, strong worker unions...”

The ISF party was the brainchild of previous USI member and Belfast Councilor candidate Jack Leahy, who founded the Irish Simpsons Fans page in January 2016.

“If you’d welcome refugees with open arms, want to fight for gender rights, make Ireland a safe and tolerant place for our transgender community, want to look out for the little guy, and actually have a house to live in, join the ISF Party,” the ISF representative told the Express.

“Leo said he’s planning an election in May 2020, and we’re fighting ready.”

Jim Miley, Director General of the Irish Universities Association (IUA), urged the Oireachtas Committee for Budgetry Oversight that the lack of funding in Irish universities needs to be addressed in the next budget.

With growing numbers of students and an increasing demand from employers, the funding situation is only set to become “considerably worse” without a funding increase, he warned.

“In spite of modest funding increases in the last two budgets, the State funding per student remains 43% below where it was 10 years ago. The recent increases have been largely mopped up by rising student numbers,” he told the committee in his opening speech. “There is now unanimous support for a comprehensive programme of investment amongst employer leaders, unions and students with IBEC, ICTU, USI AND Chambers of Commerce, all advocating significantly increased State investment.”

It’s not the first time this month that attention has been grasped over the lack of funding by the IUA. The Presidents of Ireland’s seven universities called for changes to university funding too, specifically with regard to research funding, after a disappointing lack of grant awards from the European Research Coun-

cil (ERC) funding programme.

“In a week when some universities saw further slippage in international rankings it is clear that addressing research funding as part of an overall investment package for the sector is urgently needed. Ireland’s poor performance in this year’s ERC Funding Awards is a clear warning signal that demands urgent attention from government and the funding agencies.” said professor Brian MacCraith, DCU president and chair of the Council of the IUA. Despite repeated calls for increased funding in third level education, by both the IUA and protest movements like Fund Our Future, no plans have been announced to alleviate rising costs for students and universities.

Jim Miley pointed out the economic advantages of increased funding in his speech, arguing that under-investment would ultimately worsen the state of the country. “The requirement for significantly increased investment is now urgent. As a society, we cannot stand over any deterioration in our third level system. It would erode our competitiveness at a time when we need to invest in our future talent to compete globally. Politicians must take responsibility for addressing this imperative.”

News

Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

WESTLIFE ANNOUNCE DATES FOR PÁIRC UI CHAOIMH Writes Maeve O’Sullivan, Deputy News Editor

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One-third of students rely on parents for contribution fee, says Bank of Ireland study Writes Samantha Calthrop, News Editor

According to a survey run by the Bank of Ireland, about 36% of students rely on their parents to cover their student contribution fee. About 65% live at home with their parents while at univeristy, with 24% of students needing parents to pay for transport.

Held in August 2019 with 550 respondents, the Bank of Ireland commissioned this survey as part of their “Financial Wellbeing Programme”, which includes launching several student offers.

The survey found that students had an average disposable income of just €9.20 a day, with 63% working at least parttime and 8% working fulltime. 23% of students living in private accommodation rely on parents for rent and utility bills.

For the first time in history, Ireland’s very own superstars Westlife will perform in Cork’s newly renovated Páirc Ui Chaoimh over two nights in summer 2020. The 28th and 29th of August will see the ‘Flying Without Wings’ singers perform in the 45,000-seater GAA grounds.

The concert, which was announced in a press release Monday 16th September from the stadium itself, was a sellout when tickets went live on Friday 20th September at 9am. Fans were delighted when the band announced later that day that they would be adding a second date due to phenomenal demand.

For €59.50, fans will be treated to what is sure to be a historic show, incorporating classics such as ‘Swear It Again’, ‘You Raise Me Up’, and ‘Uptown Girl’, in addition to new music from their newest album, ‘Spectrum’.

The 11th addition to Nicky, Shane, Mark and Kian’s array of studio albums will be released Friday 15th November. The album, co-produced by previous Páirc Ui Chaoimh headliner Ed Sheeran, has been teased with singles the boys released during the summer and has proved a major hit amongst Irish and UK listeners.

group can make, is that as a live act, Westlife have sold over 5 million concert tickets worldwide.

Just two weeks ago, the band announced that they will also be headlining Wembley Stadium, London, UK on the 22nd of August. Until then, U2 are the only other Irish act to achieve this.

‘’Headlining Páirc Ui Chaoimh for the first time ever is a dream come true for all of us. We’re incredibly excited for a show which will be different and more spectacular than anything we’ve ever done before’’, said Westlife.

Westlife have sold over 55 million records worldwide and are the only band to have their first 7 singles enter the UK charts at #1. They also have the most singles of any artist to debut at #1 in the UK. In the band’s 20-year career, they have produced 14 #1 singles, behind only Elvis Presley and The Beatles. They have had 33 #1 albums world-wide. Another impressive claim the Irish

For the band to perform on home ground will always be special for both artists and fans alike, as was seen in the sold out (150,000 tickets) show in Croke Park, Dublin in the past year.

The last act to play in the GAA stadium that did not consist of 15 jerseys on the pitch, was Rod Stewart on May 25th 2019. Since the refurbishment of the grounds, it has become a prime venue for the music industry. While Westlife may be the next act to perform, they certainly won’t be the last.

“College life is complicated. From finding affordable accommodation to making time for studies, students in Ireland are working part time and trying to enjoy their social life too. Bank of Ireland’s Financial Wellbeing programme helps inform and educate students on spending and saving in a way that suits their needs, as we understand that this is a time when they can feel under financial pressure.” said Rory Cart, Head of Youth Banking at Bank of Ireland, “To make the transition a little easier we are rewarding all our Bank of Ireland student customers with cashback offers that have been designed by students for students, such as free NOW TV passes, 30% cashback on every Just Eat order and €5 cashback on a €20 spend in Maxol, offering value throughout the college year.”

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Features

Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

Unanswered: Eva Brennan Writes Roisin O’Donnell, Features Editor ‘Fears were openly expressed that a serial killer was operating, either alone or with other like-minded predators, in an area of the country where instances of female disappearance had become so common that it had been dubbed the ‘Vanishing Triangle’.’ Alan Bailey, ‘Missing, Presumed’.

starting to form. Annie McCarrick was still missing and had no new evidence attached to her name. The year previous, men digging turf in the Dublin mountains had found the remains of Patricia Doherty, a woman only a couple of years younger than Eva. And that following June, Antoinette Smith’s body was found in the same foothills of the mountains.

The second member of Ireland’s Vanishing Triangle is the oldest by a over a decade and has the least number of headlines tied to her name, if any in recent years. The common thread shared with Eva Brennan and the other victims of the Triangle is that she was here, and then she was not.

While the Triangle has grown and developed new markers, Eva has never been seen again, alive or dead.

Over the next three months, no Garda investigation was launched. The family was forced to conduct their own search for Eva. Multiple theories point to why there was a lack of Garda involvement.

The first is the obvious pointed out by PJ, Colette’s husband.

He spoke out comparing the efforts to locate Annie McCarrick and Eva. He has stressed there is ‘a complete world of a difference between the reaction to the disappearance of the American policeman’s daughter and Eva’s.’

Twelve weeks after Annie McCarrick’s Express Feature left off, Eva Brennan was leaving a family lunch in Rathgar, Co. Dublin. Lunch at her parents’ house was a ritual she followed without fail. There were no obvious red flags pointing to what was about to happen next.

Eva failed to return for lunch the next day. Her family thought she would reappear once she was hungry. When her short absence turned to two days it raised eyebrows. It was out of character for Eva. Her life revolved around her daily visit to her family home.

She was predictable: rarely went out, lived alone and went to mass.

Her father, Davy Brennan, visited Eva’s apartment. He rang the doorbell but received no answer. With no sign of Eva, her father grew increasingly concerned. He headed over to the nearby Horse and Hound Pub owned by the Brennan family. With the help of a barman, they broke one of the apartment windows and got

Maybe it was the Irish way of being over-friendly to ‘outsiders’, maybe outside pressures from the States, Annie’s father’s experience or a combination of all three. But the truth that can be found in PJ’s remark is that in the business of locating missing people, it is all about who you know.

in. What was inside gave Eva’s loved ones no hints to where Eva was. The jacket she had worn during that Sunday lunch was in the apartment. It was the only indicator that the apartment had been touched since then.

With no Eva, her father went to the Garda station. The Brennan family knew something was wrong. However, the Gardaí had

a different idea. According to Eva’s sister Colette ‘They [the police] said she was over 21’ and therefore they did not believe Eva’s sudden disappearance was a result of a crime.

Her father returned to the station the next day, gave a description and pressured the Gardaí to visit Eva’s residence. Meanwhile, the dark shapes of the Triangle were

At the end of their rope, the Brennan family did everything they could to get people’s attention and the help they needed. Years later, Colette, during a radio interview with Newstalk, described her father as a man that did not like to ask for help or favours. Davy Brennan used his connections as a member of the Fianna Fail party to get in contact with the then Taoiseach Albert Reynolds. He knew the Taoiseach through a network of horse racing fans.

Immediately the family saw a

Features

Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express change. Suddenly there were Gardaí in their house, drinking tea and waiting to piece together Eva’s disappearance. Finally acting to bring their daughter and sister home.

This was a sharp contrast to the supposed attitude and line of belief the Gardaí had first followed. Eva struggled with bouts of depression. According to her sister, Colette, Eva would tell her not to mind her and pass it off as her hormones. In the 1990s, mental illness and wellbeing were still hidden by the signature Irish pint and a jolly smile. It is theorised that because of reports of Eva’s unsteady wellbeing the Garda shrugged off the case as anything investigation worthy.

If it was suicide a body would show up for them or, the best scenario, she had run off and would return to her family in a few years.

Case closed?

Her family was not convinced.

Colette has said she does not think her sister took her own life. There is certain evidence pointing to this, Eva’s strong faith in religion, suicide being a sin in the Catholic line of faith and her strong bond with her family. Colette strongly believes ‘She would have left a note.’

Whatever relief the police’s cooperation gave the family was quickly taken away. A new Taoiseach was elected, and the Gardaí disappeared again.

An Garda Síochána at that time only left behind empty tea mugs and a rumour. Some Gardaí suggested that Eva may have had ties to convicted double-killer Michael Bambrick, from Clondalkin.

The family found it easy to poke holes in this theory. The reclusive Eva, according to all information available, had never been in the same area that Michael Bambrick had lived.

Bambrick, anyhow, seems like an unlikely character for Eva to associate with. His Dublin neighbours told the media in the 1990s, that he was ‘weird’.

According to stories brought forward by the black humoured neighbours, he had gained

the nickname “Josephine” and mothers of the neighbourhood had to guard their washing lines against his fascination for little girls’ clothes. He murdered two women he had a history with, Mary Cummins, (the mother of two of his children), and Patricia McGauley, (the mother of another pair of his children). These personal crimes of passion make Bambrick an unlikely suspect in Eva’s disappearance, going by his known history.

According to Colette, her and a family member visited Eva’s apartment months later to clean it. After rigorous cleaning removed the dust and dirt built up from months of being uninhabited, the Gardai decided to conduct forensics on the apartment.

The Brennan family was handed with another crippling set back in the case. However unlikely as

fair, it’s really not fair.’

In Winter 1995, a case that reminded some of Eva’s appeared in the media. Marilyn Rynn disappeared after attending a Christmas party. Marilyn was forty-one and lived a quiet life working as a civil servant at the Department of Environment.

Her family reported her missing at the same speed the Brennan family reported Eva missing. The Garda suspected, just like Eva, suicide. An investigation was only triggered when her family gathered media attention with their concerns.

Marilyn’s body was found a couple of hours into the first Garda search. It was discovered within the undergrowth along where she would have walked from the bus stop to her home in Blanchardstown, West Dublin. She was officially missing for seven days.

“Suddenly there were Gardaí in their house, drinking tea and waiting to piece together Eva’s disappearance. Finally acting to bring their daughter and sister home...” it would be to gather clues from a months-old open crime scene, it was the only scrap of hope they had in months.

The next few years were just blank. No Eva. Every report of remains being found, something out of the usual, led the Brennan family back down to the Garda station asking the same question again and again, ‘Is it Eva?’ Colette has spoken out about the family’s struggle every time a body or piece of remains made headlines. The news seemed to be their only source of intel on the progress of Eva’s investigation. All she wanted was a phone call from the Gardaí confirming or denying her worries.

Colette described how her parents coped, ‘Mummy stayed in the house for about three years waiting in the kitchen every day for Eva to come home. It’s not

Marilyn was assaulted and strangled to death by a former telephone technician called David Lawler. David Lawler lived a stable life from the outside, with a wife, a young son and career.

It is reported he is the cousin of sexual offender Larry Murphy, who has been linked to other members of the Vanishing Triangle.

During his trial the court was told he was overcome by ‘homicidal and sexual impulse’. The killer himself only spoke once during his hearing and that was to admit his guilt. He was the first person in the history of the Irish state to be put behind bars using DNA evidence. He was handed a life sentence.

Like Bambrick, it has been reported that the convicted murderer was set free after serving out a portion of his sentence.

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Renewed interest in Ireland’s Vanishing Triangle highlights the high-profile disappearances of Jo Jo Dollard, Deirdre Jacobs and Annie McCarrick, still presented as the lead star in this tangle of unanswered questions and breadcrumbs of evidence.

Unfortunately, Colette did not get the closure for which she had spent decades searching.

She died in 2014. In interviews, she had discussed the passing of her father and her hope that the afterlife would provide the answers her family had been searching for and reunite them all again.

The Brennan family has created a positive out of their heart-breaking situation. The family drew up an action list based on their experience, knowledge and lessons learnt with the hope of helping others. Colette recounted this list to the Independent newspaper, ‘Don’t be put off – know your own. Report the person missing. Check phone, bank accounts and passport. Talk as a family. Use posters, internet, TV and newspapers. Be kind to yourself. Ask the police to stay in contact.’

Eva’s picture and description have moved to online archives and social media posts counting the years since she was reported missing by her father.

The last sighting of Eva at her ritual lunch is the only memory left of her. Ever since her disappearance she has been just her description, wearing a pink tracksuit and leggings, a man’s wristwatch with a brown strap and a red handbag.

Evidence of what happened to her, just like what happened to the other victims of the Vanishing Triangle, exists somewhere on this Green Isle, whether it be under the soil of the infamous Dublin mountains, hiding in someone’s house or backfield has yet to be answered. Someone must know something. And if you, reader, know something the Gardaí, the families, friends and the concerned public are interested.

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Features

Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

A New Student-Led Approach to Ireland’s Drug Issue Writes Molly O’Rourke, Deputy Features Editor

In our last issue, Roisin O’Donnell discussed the drug epidemic that is happening in Cork City. While her article detailed discarded needles and anti-social behaviour on the streets of our city, there is another narcotic culture developing on our campuses around Ireland. Drug use among young adults, (in particular, third-level students), has always been prevalent in Ireland, but according to recent studies, it is on the rise.

Detailed in an EU wide study conducted in 2015, Cannabis and cocaine still remain the most popular choices, although there is an alarming rise in the use of so-called

‘party drugs’; namely MDMA, (also known as “ecstasy”), and LSD. These are hallucinogenic and psychedelic, respectively, and both are associated with feelings of euphoria and hallucinations. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to determine either what is in a single dose of ecstasy or its strength and there can be other dangerous chemicals mixed into the drug. On top of this, mixing hard drugs with alcohol or polydrug use, (taking multiple types of drugs at once), can lead to health complications, and in some cases, death.

Drug use typically goes hand in hand with Irish music festivals,

with a reported 453 drug-related incidents occurring at Electric Picnic this year. In a recent study conducted on festival-goers, it found that one in twenty young adults, (18-34-year-olds), had taken MDMA within the last twelve months. A more alarming statistic is the 90% of respondents who admitted to mixing drugs on one or more occasions.

It is evident that prohibition and prevention are not working. People are still finding ways to sneak drugs into festivals, bars, and nightclubs. If we can’t eradicate them, isn’t it time we start educating people to make drug use as safe as possible? Traditionally, Ireland has adopted a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to

drugs. This started changing in 2017 when a new health strategy was implemented. “Reducing harm, supporting recovery: a health-led response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland 20172025”, is the first government-led strategy to move towards an integrated approach to illegal drug use and alcohol consumption.

Now, Ireland is moving towards a harm reduction approach. Rather than shaming people who take drugs and attempting to reduce drug use, we are now trying to inform people and make them aware of the steps that can be taken to minimise the negative impact of drug use. The HSE is pushing a major harm-reduction campaign with information and

Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

advice being offered. Messages such as “start low, go slow” and “leave the mixing to the DJ” are being spread around social media, however, the underlying message of abstinence being the safest approach is still present. Interestingly, the HSE has found that festival organisers and nightclub owners are reluctant to share these messages of harm reduction themselves. It is thought that the reasoning behind this is avoidance, if these organisations agree to participate in harm reduction strategies, they are also admitting that drugs are an issue at their festival or in their clubs.

When it comes to drugs policies in university, there is a noticeable divide between students and University administrators.

In UCC for example, the official policy is one of zero-tolerance. It has been proven in studies and by medical professionals that this is not always the best approach.

For many, the stereotypic “Just Say No” does work, but not for those people who choose to take drugs. Amongst these people, this strategy can actually do more harm than good. Young people are simply told “Don’t do drugs, they’re dangerous” and expected to believe this. Yet they may have a friend who has tried illicit drugs and seemed perfectly fine, so they think it must be okay for them too. The next day they realise nothing bad happened, so surely everything they’ve been told about drugs being dangerous is a lie. This is where the problem lies with a zero-tolerance policy. It suddenly becomes hard to differentiate between using a little and using a lot. We cannot ignore the fact that students partake in illicit drug use, the same way we cannot ignore the excessive alcohol consumption that occurs among younger people. So why is there a harm reduction, health-based approach to alcohol with guidelines for long term use and nothing similar in place for drugs?

While cannabis use is preva-

lent among 16-18-year-olds, hard drugs become the ‘thing to take’ in university. Students are arriving into university, going out more and being exposed to drugs regularly. For many young people, their first experience of hard drugs is in university or at music festivals. This was the case for me, two months into my first year at UCC. I was heading into a bathroom stall in a popular student bar when another girl pushed in with me, dragging a guy behind her. I began to object to the intrusion when the girl shushed me. “It’s fine, he’s only here to take something. He won’t look at you”. I watched on in awe as this boy produced a small bag of white powder and proceeded to tap some onto his hand. After snorting some of the product, he looked up to see me watching him. Mistaking my horror for curiosity, he reached out his hand and asked if I wanted any. After telling him I was okay, but thank you, I quickly ducked out of the cubicle, overwhelmed at what had occurred. Never before had I come in contact with anything stronger than cannabis, and here was this stranger offering me an unknown white powder to snort out of his dirty hand.

A national student drug survey carried out in 2015 found that out of 2,701 college students, 82% had tried illegal drugs at least once. Of these respondents, 34% admitted that they had purchased a bag of ‘mystery white powder’.

The most common reason for taking illicit drugs is to have fun, followed by curiosity. Interestingly, peer pressure was cited as the least common reason, which contrasts to the popular warnings young people are given about copying friends who take drugs. With these statistics in mind, students across Ireland are taking a different approach to the drug problem on campus. Far from condoning it, they simply recognise that drug use is an issue but, rather than condemning the action, they work to educate students on safer

Features drug use and harm reduction.

Student-led organisations such as Student Unions and Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) are working together to promote this message of harm reduction.

They do not aim to eliminate the harm associated with drug use, (they believe that abstinence is the safest approach), their goal is to educate students about the risks associated with different drugs and to effectively reduce the overall harm involved. One campaign that the SSDP has been running is the use of drug testing kits on campus. Having previously given out these kits at different events on campus, the group had been planning on handing out more kits during Freshers Week 2019. Unfortunately, the University denied them permission to hand out these kits, claiming they were unreliable and not yet HSE approved. While the SSDP admits that these kits have their limitations, they believe that they are a helpful step towards harm reduction in Ireland.

These kits would allow students to test a sample of their drug for particular substances and adulterants. Some kits also allow for the purity of the substance to be tested. In previous years, the SSDP reports that students who have received a testing kit have often thrown away the substance they were planning on taking, after finding dangerous ingredients in the sample. Chairwoman Ruby Lawlor described how the kits could help in more than one way; “When students came to our stand to collect the kit, we had the opportunity to talk to them about the particular drug they were planning on taking.

We could give them information about the effects of the drug and the comedown, as well as giving advice on harm reduction and how to stay safer. This was an important part of our process as we were able to reach a new population. Unfortunately, these students who do partake in drug use are not the ones who attend our harm reduction events and

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workshops. Yet they were coming along to collect a drug testing kit, at which point we could target them with valuable information and a little intervention in their behaviour.”

Festivals in other countries around the world have implemented on-site drug testing labs, the results of which have been positive. These pilot introductions have proven that “festival-goers engage productively with onsite testing services when given the opportunity; such services can access harder-to-reach and new user groups as well as playing a role in harm reduction”.

It is now known that zero-tolerance, prohibition policies do not work, while harm reduction strategies have been yielding increasingly positive results. With this in mind, surely it is time for Irish universities to work alongside the HSE and student organisations to promote a harm reduction ethos?

There is a hopeful trend occurring in our government which coincides with the new 2017 Health Strategy. Minister for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, is currently working on a twopronged action plan to promote safer attitudes towards drug use amongst students. She believes that a key problem is the lack of reliable data and information surrounding drug use, and thus plans to work alongside Universities and other third-level institutions to gather new data directly from students. Simultaneously, the creation of a rapid response group will provide resources and processes on campus’ for students to seek advice and information before or after taking drugs.

This action plan will begin here in UCC before being rolled out among other Irish universities.

For now, we can only hope that third-level institutions continue to work alongside government departments and student groups to promote this much-needed harm reduction policy.

For further advice and information, visit ssdp.org or drugs.ie.

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Features

Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

Lecturer Profile: Dr Mary C. Murphy This year the University Express hopes to bring you, our readers high quality news and content that you can’t get anywhere else. We feel that there is no better place to look than on our own institution, which at its heart has an incredible set of expertise and information in the form of lecturers who teach at UCC.

is something that she acknowledges and goes on to explain that her studies from 20 years ago Beginning our series of lec- have helped to put her into such turer interviews is Dr Mary C. a niche position. “As an academic Murphy from the Department I’ve been lucky because when I did of Government and Politics. my PhD I was at Queens in Belfast Dr Murphy has been lecturing and it was around the time of the at UCC since 2003. She specia- Good Friday Agreement and the lises in the study of the EU and topic I chose was to look at NorthNorthern Ireland and her latest ern Ireland and the EU,” Mary monograph titled, Europe and tells the Express. “So when David Northern Ireland’s Future: Ne- Cameron announced the plans for gotiating Brexit’s Unique Case, a referendum in 2015 I was really was a major success. Since fortunate to be in such a nice area.

2015 and in particular follow- Since 2015 the work that I specialing the Brexit Referendum in ise in has been in huge demand 2016, Mary has become one and not just from an academic of, if not the leading Irish aca- perspective, so it’s been quite opdemic when it comes to impli- portune”, she continues. So since cations for Ireland and North- then Mary has clocked up the ern Ireland following the UK’s air miles, speaking as an expert decision to leave the European across the world at various events Union. For the past three years and while this has been at times she has been invited to speak challenging, the overall experiin the US, across Europe, here ence has been one of positivity. in Ireland and to China, where she was invited by the Irish Contemporary Morale Government. Dr Murphy’s extensive understanding of the Given her rise to the top of the Brexit process and the impact field, Mary encounters many inthat it would have on the island teresting people along the way, of Ireland has pushed her to who like her have many interestthe apex of academic thought ing insights and thoughts on the on the subject, much to the current state of Anglo-Irish poladvantage of her students itics. Recently she was speaking and the wider UCC audience. at a two-day event in Dundalk, a town which of course is very close “It’s been very busy”, laughs Dr to the Northern Irish border. Dr Murphy when asked what the Murphy recalls quite evidentpast few years have been like. ly how surprised she was when Without taking any credit away the gloomy and ominous atmofrom the Government and Poli- sphere became apparent around tics lecturer, the decision made the room. “It was quite down by 17.4 million people to leave beat to be honest, I was a little the EU gave Mary an incredible taken aback by that. The head of opportunity to showcase her the Northern Ireland Civil Serknowledge and understanding vice was there and he was very on a topic that she may not have interesting, forthright and frank, been otherwise able to share to where he revealed some very consuch a wide audience. In a way siderable concerns about Brexit”. the referendum was the lottery and Dr Murphy was holding the Having spent a number of years Brexit ticket, effectively mean- in Northern Ireland, Mary knows ing that she “struck gold”. This more than most about the impacts

Writes Ciaran Dineen, Editer-In-Chief

that a hard Brexit could have for not only economic relations on the island of Ireland but also cultural.

“I’ve drawn on my time in QUB quite a lot recently in terms of my own research”, Mary says. “In some ways the challenges then are the same today, in terms of trying to bring Unionists and Nationalists together, which is becoming increasingly difficult. I have been quite disappointed that that period of time seems to have been forgotten. Britain and Ireland, to a lesser extent, have become less attentive to the post-conflict challenges that any post-conflict area faces, and then you through Brexit into the mix which creates other distinct problems.”

it comes to borders. The key question is how will that border take shape. How light is it and where does it border infrastructure go?”

Early suggestions at the beginning of the Brexit debate showed an appetite for what was deemed to be one of the most sensible solutions, where a border would develop on the Irish Sea. However, as the Conservatives lost their majority following a snap-election in 2017, and subsequently has to rely on the DUP for minority support, this idea quickly washed away with the tide due to the new-found power for electThe Reality Of A Hard Brexit ed Ulster and British Unionists.

“The idea of a Northern Ireland Since June 2016 every spokesper- only ‘backstop’ was the initial verson for the British government sion of the 2017 joint report, but it and likewise for the EU counter- was shelved because the DUP reparts, there has been constant jected it.” However, an Irish Sea reiteration that all parties want border is now back on the agento and openly advocate for the da and one wonders if it is only avoidance of border infrastruc- a matter of time before the Tory ture in Ireland, aka a hard border. party through their Ulster friends The Irish Executive have spoken under the bus and push for such in similar utterances, with An Ta- an arrangement. According to Dr naiste Simon Coveney saying last Murphy an sea border does seem year at an event in UCC that the to be a considerable solution. “In government would “not facilitate terms of giving Northern Ireland border infrastructure in Ireland.” the best of both worlds, there is However, despite the rhetoric definitely merit in that argument. used, which now seems in some But the problem is for Unionways disingenuous, the island of ism that a border in those terms Ireland is on the brink of facing is hugely problematic, however I physical barriers between North can’t see any other way around it.” and South. “It is the reality”, Dr Murphy says on the inevitability of Where Does The EU Go From borders subsequent to what seems Here? to be an impending hard Brexit. “A lot of academics including myself While many on this side of the have been saying for some time pond currently hold the EU and its that if there is no deal, that border main figureheads in high esteem infrastructure of some form is a due to their clear backing of the necessity. Ireland is remaining in Irish question in the whole Brexit the Single Market and the priority process, questions may arise when for the EU in all of this is the pro- other issues on the agenda take tection of the Single Market and centre stage. When asked whether there has to be a distinction when she thinks the EU will take some

Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

moments for self-reflection, given that an important nation state has now left the table, Dr Murphy says, “I think the EU is certainly considering its future and they have been doing that explicitly since 2017. I do think that European leaders are cognisant that Brexit poses challenges not just for the UK as it leaves the EU but it also to a certain extent re-awakens some of the forces and pressures in their own member states.

However, what has been really striking over the EU’s response to Brexit is the single voice which they have adopted in responding to it. I don’t think we have ever seen a period where the EU has been as one as this, but I suspect it’s because European leaders fear that if you leave that genie out of the bottle then forces in their own states will start to agitate.”

Despite the fact that the EU is currently working through this harmonic voice, it’s of vital importance that they don’t take their eye off the ball and take time to take on board what has happened according to the UCC lecturer. “I think it’s important that the EU self-reflect

in a very meaningful way because the Brexit vote to a certain extent reflects badly on them. Some people do feel let down by the forces of globalisation and the EU is sort of a manifestation of that. There is a sense of despair and despondency and I guess that lack of hope is a consequence of an EU that hasn’t been wholly attentive to cohorts of the population, not just in the UK but across the EU.” On A United Ireland Mary has been quite clear in her views that any talk of a United Ireland on these shores today is very unwise and insensitive, given the polarisation that has developed in recent times. “There should be preparation for that debate on every possible aspect of life on this Island because there are so many things that need to be understood and considered. I think we should take stock from what happened in the UK referendum when the population was not prepared to take on that type of discussion.”

Many people south of the border and also in UCC believe that

Features “taking back” the six counties is a rite of passage, while little attention is actually paid to those that have actual ‘skin in the game’. Dr Murphy is of the opinion that in the Republic we have not yet taken the time to consider all sides of the argument. “I don’t think we pay enough attention to (British) Unionism and we haven’t throughout the Brexit discussions.

That is probably because we fail to understand the Unionist mindset but at the same token Unionism hasn’t done itself a whole lot of favours because it doesn’t always engage on this side of the border.”

Given the hostility in the North, any serious push for a United Ireland as it currently stands would create tension and invariably this would lead to violent conflict, akin to the 70s and 80s. “What we know about Unionists and loyalism is that they are reactive”, Mary explains. “They would and will react to anything that they see as being a threat to their culture and identity, so a lot care is needed.....because relations have taken a bit of a battering.

I’m very conscious of the words

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and rhetoric we are using at this time because I’ve lived in Northern Ireland for seven or eight years and I have definitely been impacted by that on how I understand relations on this Islands.”

End In Sight While like many of us watching, Mary cannot see into the crystal ball and give a certain prediction of how the next few weeks will play out. Before our interview, the Supreme Court judgement had not yet been announced, typifying what it’s been like to stay on top of Brexit proceedings. However, Dr Murphy does believe that some form of ‘technical extension’ will see this process extend, and from there negotiations will continue.

In a couple of weeks’ time Mary is pleased to announce that renowned scholar and academic, Prof Des Dinan, will be coming to UCC as part of a lecture series.

Further details will emerge for what is sure to be a great event.

Opinion

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Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

Injecting Some Sense Into The Situation Writes Elisha Carey, Opinions Editor When you think about it, humans are remarkably fragile little beings. In the days before modern medicine, a couple of fleas, rats and germs wiped out over a third of Europe. Infectious diseases, for a very long time, were the largest threat to mankind: the 6th century Plague of Justinian knocked out an estimated 17 percent of the world’s population, the 1918 influenza pandemic decimated 5 percent of the world and malaria is estimated to have killed about half of all humans that have ever lived. It used to be so easy to kill us. Yet now thanks to sanitation, vaccination, insecticide, antibiotics and the like we have the luxury of dying in our 8th or 9th decade from ‘old-age’. We owe modern medicine a hell of a lot.

Thanks to it, long gone are the days we used to die from easily curable diseases like mumps, measles or tuberculosis.

Or so we thought…

Spurred on by bogus science and downright lies, the anti-vax movement has blown up over the past decade with devastating consequences.

In 2017, 110,000 people died from measles despite the disease being declared eradicated at the turn of the century. This figure was an increase of 22 per cent on the previous year.

UNICEF released a report this summer revealing that more than 20 million children a year are missing their measles vaccine. Here in Ireland, infection rates have doubled as uptake rates for the MMR have fallen to 85 percent in parts of the country. As a result, there’s also been a nationwide outbreak of mumps with 1,600 confirmed infections this year alone. The World Health Organisation has declared the anti-vaccine movement a major global health crisis. These are serious diseases that can lead to fatal complications and vaccinating your children is the only way to prevent that heartbreak. Why forego it?

The watershed moment for the anti-vax movement came in 1998 when Andrew Wakefield

published a paper in medical journal the Lancet suggesting a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. The paper sent parents into a panic and is still knocking about today over 20 years later despite it being retracted from the Lancet and Wakefield’s medical license being revoked. The paper only reported on the cases of eight children (yes, only eight) whose autism became evident around the time of their first MMR injection.

It’s important to note that children receive their first MMR injection between 12 and 15 months which is also the usual age that a child with autism spectrum disorder would present with the behavioural symptoms of autism anyway. There is no link between vaccines and autism and even if there was, denying your child a vaccine because of a potential risk of autism is extremely problematic. It implies you’d rather your child dying a horrific death at the hands of a preventable disease than have a child with autism.

It’s an insult to people living with autism and it’s just plain wrong.

The vaccine’s biggest strength has become its biggest weakness.

Those not vaccinating their children don’t remember the times when babies were born blind and deaf because their mothers suffered from measles or rubella during pregnancy, when whole classes of children were wiped out by smallpox or when tuberculosis killed thousands of Irish children and adults each year.

This was the reality of life in Ireland in the 1940’s and 50’s, our parents’ parents’ era. Our parents, and now us, have grown up in a new age in child health. We know nothing of the catastrophic impact of these diseases and maybe that’s why anti-vaxxers refuse to vaccinate their children.

This month, the HPV vaccine was rolled out to boys in their first year of secondary school for the first time in Ireland. The vaccine was originally introduced to 12-year-old girls in 2010 with the main aim of reducing HPV-introduced cervical cancer. HPV or human papilloma virus is the cause of five percent of all cancers. This introduction of the vaccine for boys is hugely instrumental in the eradication of HPV-related illness in Ireland. Unfortunately,

like any vaccine, there has been a tremendous amount of opposition to the HPV vaccine. The main source of pushback is coming from members and supporters of the ‘Reactions and Effects of Gardasil Resulting in Extreme Trauma’ (REGRET) group. Mothers in the group allege their daughters experienced chronic headaches, muscle and joint pain and memory loss after being administered the vaccine. In a way, I feel for the mothers grappling for an explanation as to why their daughters have fallen ill. But this isn’t it.

Former IMO president Dr Hogan has said “there is no scientific evidence that links these conditions with the HPV vaccine” and that “anti-expert bias” and “fake news” are to blame for falling uptake rates. The HPV vaccine has been proven time and again to be safe and not only that, but effective.

Effective at preventing cancer.

Do you have any idea how big of a deal that is? We’re hugely privileged to be alive at the same time as a vaccine that prevents cancer, those trying to discourage others from availing of it lose my respect.

Last week, I tuned into the documentary ‘Laura Brennan: This Is Me’. It follows the final few months of the life of HPV vaccine campaigner, Laura Brennan and it was absolutely heart wrenching. Laura was only 26 when cervical cancer took her life. The HPV vaccine wasn’t yet available when she was in school, but had she had the HPV vaccine, Laura would still be alive today. Her story, although tragic, is truly remarkable. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer in August 2017 around the same time as the HSE was tackling falling uptake rates of the HPV vaccine. Only 51 percent of girls were availing of the vaccine where previously it was 87 percent, and Laura saw this as her “call to action”. She spent the last couple of years of her life campaigning for the vaccine in the hopes other women could be spared her and her family’s pain and heartbreak. The documentary doesn’t hold back. It opens with a shot of Laura lying peacefully in her casket, her makeup is perfectly applied, and her multiple piercings are visible in her right ear, over the shot, Laura’s own voice narrates: “I am the reality of an

unvaccinated girl”. Even lying in repose, Laura looks scarily normal, like she could be you or your daughter or someone you know. Scenes of Laura on her deathbed are intertwined with old home movies of her as a child, pulled together under a poignant soundtrack. It’s made to move you, to provoke a reaction that results in action. Discussing the decision to film on her deathbed, Laura said “if seeing me in that position stops someone from having to be in my position, I will film for as long as it takes.” Just before Laura’s death, the HSE indicated that uptake rates for the vaccine moved up to 70 percent but this isn’t enough for Laura, “I would like the vaccine rate to be 100 percent, that’s the legacy I want to leave behind.” This doesn’t end with Laura and the fight is only beginning. The HSE will continue to tackle the low uptake rates until they’re where they should be and that’s 100 percent.

Anti-vaxxers, it’s not just about you. While I find it easy to sympathise with people who are just trying to do right by their child in an increasingly terrifying world, you’re endangering lives and your dogma is based on fake science and lies. It kills people. All over the world. Vaccinations need herd immunity to succeed.

By not vaccinating your child you put those unable to avail of vaccines, like immunocompromised children, at extreme risk. You’re causing more harm than you know. I would favour Health Minister Simon Harris’ view that a mandatory vaccination scheme be put in place in schools and creches here in Ireland. Antivaxxers, you’ve had your fun but it’s time to give this issue back over to the experts. Misinformation and scaremongering have led to the hugely dramatic drop off in the uptake rates of the MMR and HPV vaccines. Campaigns can only do so much to fight this. A mandatory vaccination scheme may be our only way forward to prevent more damage being done unless mindsets start changing and changing fast.

Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

Opinion

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To Shame Or Not To Shame? ‘Fat’ Is The Question Writes Elisha Carey, Opinions Editor

American talk show host Bill Maher came under fire recently for suggesting that body shaming overweight people should make a “comeback” in order to combat obesity. “We have gone to this weird place where fat is good. It’s pointing out that fat is unhealthy, that’s what’s bad” Maher said. “Fat shaming doesn’t need to end. It needs to make a comeback. Some amount of shame is good.”

Well thanks for that, Bill.

Fat shaming, for those unfamiliar, is the act of humiliating an overweight or obese person through mocking or criticisms, it generally involves the fat shamer making prejudicial assumptions about a person based on their physical size.

We live in a world where being fat is one of the worst things you can be. I mean, it was only last week that we stopped advertising diet products to actual children. We are bombarded with media stories of the ‘obesity epidemic’ and the problems associated with childhood obesity on the daily. Fad diets are shoved down our throats and people in larger bodies are shamed on the cover of magazines. The media constantly portrays anyone inhabiting a larger body as stupid and lazy. The dieting industry pays millions of dollars to indoctrinate you (yes

you!) into hating your body for profit and it’s gotten out of hand.

I can’t even begin to imagine how heavier people feel being exposed to this every day. It’s inescapable.

But does Maher have a point?

Could fat-shaming be the answer to our prayers in solving the obesity problem?

Obesity rates in Ireland have absolutely soared in the last decade.

Ireland now has one of the highest rates of obesity in Europe, with one in four adults classed as obese and one in four children overweight. This is obviously a very serious problem. Being overweight or obese can cause a whole host of health issues like heart problems or even cancer but is shaming people the right way to go about it? Speaking out in support of Maher during the backlash was former professional baseball player, Kevin Youkilis. Mr Youkilis claimed that he owed his “whole entire career” to fat shaming as it inspired him to lose weight after being constantly overlooked by scouts. But all the evidence points to the contrary. A study by behavioural scientists at University College London found rather than encouraging people to lose weight, fat shaming led people to put on more weight. It has been proven that weight bias and weight stigma impacts detrimentally on both physical and mental health.

Obesity and weight gain are really

complex issues. PhD Researcher at Ulster University, Fiona Quigley says “obesity is not a choice.

It is a condition which makes it very difficult to maintain a lower weight.” It’s not always as simple as telling someone to eat healthy and exercise more, either. Genetics, hormones, the environment and the economy can all be factors in a person’s weight. Even if it is a simple case of the person needing to eat healthier and exercise more, that’s not an excuse to bully and shame them for it because overweight people are still people.

James Corden responded passionately to the remarks by Maher, “It’s proven that fat shaming only does one thing,” he said. “It makes people feel ashamed and shame leads to depression, anxiety and self-destructive behaviour - self-destructive behaviour like overeating. If making fun of fat people made them lose weight, there’d be no fat kids in schools.”

The internet erupted in support for Corden, with many people who are or were once overweight speaking out about their experiences. Most seemed to agree that fat-shaming is mere bullying under the guise of “concern for your health” and we all know bullying is never a positive addition to anyone’s life. A few others, including Piers Morgan sided with Maher: “We don’t just tolerate obesity, we celebrate it.

We put people of 320 pounds on the covers of magazines and

say well isn’t this empowering.”

“Stop celebrating being massively overweight” said the controversial former newspaper editor.

Morgan is right, fat acceptance has gained traction over the past few years as a result of the wider body positivity movement. This is a good thing. Body positivity means enjoying a positive body image no matter your shape and size. Bill and Piers, are you really telling me that fat people deserve to hate their bodies? Body positivity is about loving who you are, it’s about changing mindsets, and it’s about recovering from living in a culture that tells you there’s only one acceptable type of body.

It’s important and it’s necessary because nobody deserves to feel ashamed of who they are. It’s a big time for body positivity. Plussize icons Lizzo and Barbie Ferreira made waves all summer in their revolutionising of fat acceptance and self-love. Larger people are finally seeing positive representation of their bodies and fat acceptance in mainstream media and I think it’s about damn time.

Life is too short to hate who you are and it’s also too short to be so full of hate that you shame other people for who they are.

Fat shaming doesn’t do anything. It’s not motivating, it’s not inspirational and it certainly doesn’t make fat people any less fat. “Some amount of shame” is never good, it’s psychologically damaging, and it needs to stop.

Photo Credits: @abandoned_westcork

BYLINE

Editorial

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3 editorials in and I’m running out of ideas! It’s been a fairly tumultuous few weeks around the place to be fair. From Climate Action Strikes, the Brits remaining at it as always and Ireland losing to Japan, keeping up with it all can be head wrecking, but at least Jonny Sexton got a rest!

First of all, huge credit goes to the Football Association of Ireland’s new regime of transparency in announcing that John Delaney had left the association. As transparent as a mirror, the FAI made the announcement just after most of the Sunday Papers had gone to print, and announced that “both parties have agreed to make no further comment.”. Even more credit to them in ensuring that Mr Delaney wasn’t left feeling hard done by making it out with a large compensation package and a pension.

This week’s feature interview is Garry Keane, the director and producer of GAZA, an amazing documentary filmed on the ground in the Gaza Strip. The film is powerful and moving and does a fantastic job of giving the people of Gaza humanity and dignity in such a politically charged time. I am really humbled to have gotten the chance to speak to Garry and I implore you to check out the documentary (and our interview) as soon as possible.

Our second Byline section is an absolute credit to the editors once again. To me, I found that Caoimhe’s piece for Sexpress was hugely insightful and interesting. As someone who’s been in an LDR (an unsuccessful one albeit!), I found it to be really funny but informative, an almost perfect tone! It wouldn’t be right to go without mentioning Eoghan Creedon’s piece on the Moviepass. It’s a story that I have followed for a few years now, but Eoghan’s breakdown is really concise and tuned in as always!

On a personal note, I’ve been busy with Netsoc. Ciara, our Esports Co-ordinator, and I have been up the walls trying to get everyone registered in time, but we are on schedule! As things stand, we have 30ish UCC students representing UCC at an intervarsity level, something that I am really proud of for a team founded about 9 months ago. If anyone wants to play, feel free to fire an email at me, newcomers always welcome!

Another edition down and another spiel of my inane ramblings. Cheers again for checking us out!

Contributions and complaints can make their way to; John Cian McGrath byline@uccexpress.ie

Irish

Editor: Hugh Ó Raghallaigh Mac Gearailt

Kneecap: Laochra Gaelacha an 21ú Aois Scríobhann Hugh Ó Raghallaigh Mac Gearailt, Eagarthóir Gaeilge

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Our Fada atá in Éirinn Nith lárnach i dteanga náisiúnta na hÉireann is ea an síneadh fada. Is minic nach ghlacannn comhlachtaí, idir chinn poiblí agus cinn príobháideacha leis an síneadh tabhachtach san, áfach. Mar is eol dúinn go léir i saol na Gaeilge, ní foláir do a bheith ann ionas ná dtuigfeadh daoine go mícheart na focail i gceist. Órla mar shampla gan an fada is ea Orla, focal a chialaíonn ‘vomit’ i mBéarla, agus Seán gan é is ea sean, ar ndoigh.

Dar le Ciarán Ó Cofaigh, othar ailse as Ghaeltacht na Mhí is “the essence of who [atá sé]” an slí ina bhfuil a ainm liteartha as Gaeilge. Deireann sé go bhfuil sé maslach nach dhéanann an HSE fiú iarracht freastal air mar dhuine le ainm nach bhfuil Béarla. Ceapann sé nach bhfuil Rialtas na hÉireann agus na comhlachtaí príobháideacha ag claoí leis na rialacha agus dlíthe Eorapacha leagtha síos ag an AE san chomhaontú GDPR, ach de réir An Coimisiún Um Chosaint Sonraí ní haon ceart absolóideach é, d’ainm a bheith i gceart ar cháipéisí an stáit.

Muna bhfuil cloiste agat ó Kneecap, tá ionadh orm. Grúpa rap-cheoil ó Iarthar Bhéal Feiriste is ea iad atá ag déanamh ceol conspóideach le dhá bhlian anuas. Éisíodh a gcéad singil ‘C.E.A.R.T.A’ i 2017, agus is léir ón théideal go raibh teachtaireacht fé leith acu do Rialtas Stormont, agus dos na hAontaithe Daonlathacha (DUP), dream atá in éadan cearta teangan na Gaeilge sna sé Chontae.

Déanann na liricí níos mó plé ar ragairneacht na leaids ná ar toipicí dáiríre poilitiúla ach bíonn siad ag caint fé na Gardaí agus fén bPSNI, áfach. Bíonn siad ag magadh fé na Péas agus is cinnte go dtaitníonn sé san le lucht na héisteoirí, agus formhór acu óg. Ó shin táid tar éis an-chuid saothair a chur amach, dhá amhrán déag go dtí seo agus de réir

dealraimh táid ag éirí i gcliú agus i gcáil go fóil. D’fhreastalaíodar ar Chorcaigh ar an 20ú lá Mheán Fhómhair mar chuid den ‘Your ma hates ya’ turas agus bhí níos mó ná cúig céad daoine i láthair, an chuid is mó acu le Gaeilge ach roinnt nach raibh in ann céistiú fén leithreas fiú amháin.

Bíonn na liricí dáteangach acu níos minicí ná a mhalairt ach an formhór i nGaeilge. Bhí pointe conspóid ann luath ina ngairme nuair a thosaigh RTÉ ag déanamh cinsireacht ar a gcuid amhráin dá bharr na tagairtí go léir do ghnéithe mídleathacha dá saolta, ar nós drugaí agus baint úsáid as focail gránna. Ní raibh sé ró-fhada go dtí go tosóidh achairt (petition) chun ceol na leaids a chur ar ais ar an radio. Theip ar an bhfeachtas ach fós fhéin bhí sé ráthiúil a dhothain, le os cionn 700 sínithe.

Táid ag tarraingt airde ar chúrsaí cearta teangan i measc lucht an Bhéarla comh maith, ag cur an teanga féna mbráid. Tá muintir na sé chontae tar éis a bheith ag feitheamh ar Acht na Gaeilge le breis is deich mbliana anuas, ón am a bheartaíodh an Comhaontú Chill Rímhinn nó St. Andrew’s Agreement mar gheall ar teangacha oifigiúla.

Le san go léir ráite níl ann go labhraíonn Kneecap go deas múinte fé chearta teangan ar feadh an lae ach fé rudaí gnáthach ina saolta cosúil le iompar frith-shóisialta agus drugaí 7rl. Is trua nach bhfuilid ceadaithe a bheith craolta ar RTÉ ach mar atá ráite acu cheana, briseann Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap agus D.J. Próvaí gach riail seachas caol le caol.

Deireann an Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhís Sláinte (HSE) chomh maith le comhlachtaí eile an stáit ar nós Iarnróid Éireann nach féidir leis an teicneolaíocht atá acu glacadh leis an síneadh fada, ach is deacar an rud é san a chreidiúnt nuair a dhéanann tú macnamh ceart ar thíortha eile na hEorapa atá carachtéirí agus siombalacha nach bhfuil i láthair i mBéarla acu. Ní bhainfeadh seirbhísí poiblí na Fraince an ghraif (‘accent grave’) nó an agúid (accent acute) ó ainmneacha na saoránaigh, agus ní ghlacfadh Rialtas na Fraince leis ach an oiread. Déileáiltear leis na diacritice san agus glaotar ‘litreacha neamhsplácha’ orthu i gcomhair foclóirí agus córais eagraíochtúila. Bhí cás UÍ Chofaigh pléite ag an gCoimisiún um Chosaint Sonraí agus bheartaíodar gan an ceart a dearbhú in Éirinn.

INTERVIEW

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GAZA is a 2019 film by Garry Keane and Andrew McConnell.

GAZA brings us into a unique place beyond the reach of television news reports to reveal a world rich with eloquent and resilient characters, offering us a cinematic and enriching portrait of a people attempting to lead meaningful lives against the rubble of perennial conflict. This elegantly shot and masterfully crafted portrait of Palestinian life offers a rare chance to be immersed in the heart of Gaza, as we glimpse behind the walls of this misunderstood land to get to know the real people who inhabit it.

I spoke to Director and Producer of GAZA Garry Keane, a documentary filmmaker in Ireland for the last 25 years. Garry has received two nominations in the “Best Director TV” category in the Irish Film & Television Academy Awards. Garry explained the premise behind the film and it’s importance to the people of Gaza’ “The film is our attempt to shine a light on the ordinary people of Gaza and to highlight the fact that they’re forgotten about in popular media. We wanted to give a voice to people who really have been dehumanised in the process that’s going on with the conflict in Israel. It’s a one-sided propaganda machine that just cancels ordinary people out of the equation and we just felt that they weren’t getting a look in and that nobody was seeing the truth behind the headlines that are conflict based and propaganda ridden. This is our attempt to put ordinary people on the screen with their ordinary life stories, just to make people aware of the fact that they need a voice, they need to be heard, and to make people realise that behind every big headline of conflict there is ordinary people suffering hugely, it’s the collective punishment of 2 million people as the result of the actions of very few” The Gaza Strip has been witness to huge upheaval since ancient times, and little has change today. The Strip is blockaded by Israel and Egypt and has been witness to three wars in the past decade. The effect of this siege has been devastating. Almost

An Interview with Garry Keane Director and Producer of “Gaza” two million Palestinians now live in poverty. Unemployment sits at 50%, electricity is available for only four hours each day, and the water is now largely undrinkable. The United Nations has publicly said that the Gaza Strip will be unliveable by 2020.

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges in making this film is attempting to tell a story from such a place, that western audiences can relate to? Keane explains how they did this; We thought about finding single stories, which in their telling would encapsulate the essence of what it is like to live in Gaza.

But we decided that there are too many stories to tell and to

take that approach would limit our ability to reflect the unique collective spirit of almost two million people, doing their best under the most extreme circumstances imaginable. Through a cast of major and minor characters, we meet Palestinians from all walks of life, who individually have a strong story to tell but who together, create a portrait of Gaza like no other. The siege, brought on by history, Israel, Hamas and the abandonment of the international community, is the villain of our story.

For someone from Ireland, the Gaza Strip is an awfully long distance to think about shooting a documentary, so I asked Gar-

ry how the partnership between Andrew and him had started; “In 2012, I was developing a project called ‘One Eye on the World’ which was going to be following 5 or 6 conflict photographers all over the world. One of those photographers who I came across during the research period was Andrew McConnell, so I contacted Andrew and during the course of the research I learned that Andrew had worked and filmed in Gaza. He had done a great project called the ‘Gaza Surf Club’ way back in 2010 and I was fascinated by that project and when funding didn’t come through for the other project (One Eye on the World), we started talking. I said to Andrew, “Have you ever thought about making a documentary in Gaza?” and he said he was a photographer and had no experience. I said to him that I would do the documentary part and you do the photography bit, we could see if we joined forces would our varying skillsets

Interviewer: John Cian McGrath make something happen there?

The conversation started in 2012, we ended up in the middle of a war in 2014 by accident, came out of there with about 150 hours of the most brutal, horrible footage you’ll ever see in your life. Went back in in 2015 with a small amount of funding from screen Ireland and then it took us from 2015 to 2018 to raise the money to go back in again and finish the project properly, so it’s been a long time coming” In something as highly politically charged as Israeli foreign policy, one could be forgiven for expecting the worst out of certain portions of the public when reacting to Keane and O’Connell’s film. I was surprised to learn that the general consensus and reaction was hugely positive; “For the most part, we’ve had a very positive reaction. At some of the screenings, we’ve had the token Israeli Lobby coming along to shout abuse at us and leave, but those people aren’t interested in engaging in any kind of meaningful conversation they just

want to shout their slogans and go so we’re not really going to worry about that. We had armed police in Sundance Film Festival, because they were concerned with problems, but they never really materialised to any degree.

What’s been really heartening in America for any of our screens is that we were approached, after every single screening, by Jewish people who thanked us for making the film and said that they are constantly tarred with the same brush as those who believe in the Israeli government’s decision to do what they do and that they don’t have any part or want any part in it. They want people to understand that they, as Jewish people, do not agree with the Israeli foreign policy and policy of occupation. That was really positive. We had screenings with 500 schoolkids and it was fantastic to be able to talk those kids and say, “look, you need to talk to your politicians and start a conversation here”. We’ve had a fantastic run, it’s been shown all over the world now and somewhere down the line we are off to America to show it in Harvard, San Francisco and all over Can-

ada, we’re getting exposure and that’s the whole point of it.

To get people to look at this film and to give them a new view on what’s happening in Gaza.”

With the film screening in plethora of countries in the past few, and upcoming months, I was curious to hear whether or not there would be a screening in Israel; “We’re going over to Israel on October the 31st, there’s between 6 and 8 screenings being set up over there at the moment and we’re going to visit 2 of them.

We’re thrilled to be going there, of all countries, we wanted to make sure it was shown in Israel. We don’t know what the reception will be, I’m sure quite a lot of the audience will be Arab-Israeli, but I’m sure we’ll get the alternate view as well!

We wait with bated breath for the debates post screenings! But of course, we are delighted to be there to screen it” Over the coming months, the Red-Carpet Film Festival is due to take place in Gaza, thanks to donations made in conjunction

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with this film. Keane and O’Connell hope to show the fruits of their labour at the Festival, and are very close to hitting their goal; “The Red-Carpet Film Festival in Gaza is due to take place between the 7th and 10th of November this year, so we are well on the way. We are hoping to raise €18.5k and we’ve raised just over €14k and we have some fundraisers coming up. The nearest one to Cork City is in Youghal on the 16th of October which has drinks and canapés and chats and that sort of thing! It’s a very important one and we’d love to nail it, as 100% of the proceeds are going to the screening” GAZA is a documentary that people from all walks of life should see if the opportunity arises. So often in the modern 24-hour news cycle, the people at the heart of great conflicts are forgotten and so is the humanity of the piece. Each person can do their small part to re-humanise the many who find themselves caught in the conflict of few.

Film & T.V.

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The Slow Death Of MoviePass Writes Eoghan Creedon, Film & TV Editor

MoviePass was an online ticket subscription service which involved its users paying a monthly fee in exchange for reduced ticket prices. Established in 2011, the small tech start-up aimed to dominate the theatre going market by charging users a discounted fee for movie tickets. However, in just 8 years, MoviePass has gone through significant changes, been involved in several controversies and collected hundreds of millions in debt. This company was doomed from the very beginning.

It was never clear how MoviePass were expecting to ever make a profit from their business model.

No one involved in the company seemed to realise that buying the tickets at full price and selling them at a discount wouldn’t lead to MoviePass making any money.

In their first few years of operating they had accumulated a couple of million dollars in debt. It wasn’t a small amount, but nothing out of the ordinary for a tech start-up.

However, that would be the best it would ever get for MoviePass.

In 2017, MoviePass had around 3 million monthly subscribers. A company by the name of Helios

+ Matheson Analytics saw how much attention MoviePass had garnered and decided to purchase a majority share in the company.

This proved to be the beginning of the end for poor old MoviePass. Helios + Matheson Analytics made the bizarre choice to change the conditions of the subscription to $9.95 a month for one ticket a day to any movie in any theatre. This decision essentially gave MoviePass the green light to throw all their money away, as by the end of 2017 the company had accumulated $150 million in debt. That is extraordinary when you consider they only lost $7 million the year prior.

when in the summer of 2018, the service started charging extra for tickets to “Blockbuster” movies.

Again, changing the terms of the original subscription and what users were actually paying for.

During the release week of Mission Impossible: Fallout, MoviePass conveniently experienced “technical difficulties” which essentially saw the app shut down for the week. It was later revealed that if MoviePass were to have been operating that week, it would have seen the company go bust as they could not have been able to incur the losses that tickets to Mission Impossible: Fallout would have cost them.

Less than a year on from the Helios + Matheson purchase, MoviePass realised they simply could not keep up their current business model as it was bleeding them dry. Hence, the subscription changed. It was now $10 a month for 4 movies. However, subscribers of the service were not pleased with this change and after outrage online, the original deal was re-established.

MoviePass even went as far as to change users’ passwords in order to lock them out of their accounts, to save the company losing even more money. They also raised prices to $15 a month and stopped offering discounts on new releases. After even further outrage among users, MoviePass again reverted back to the old price but now only offering 3 tickets a month. To add insult to injury for MoviePass, they reported quarterly losses of around $130 million throughout 2018.

Subscribers of MoviePass would continue to voice their concerns

MoviePass were struggling to stay afloat but managed to see out the worst year in company’s very short history. Coming into 2019, MoviePass’ subscriber count had dropped significantly from the 3 million users they had in 2016, to roughly 225,000. It is no wonder that people got fed up with MoviePass. They were now paying an increased fee on a significantly worse deal than what was previously on offer.

This business model was clearly unsustainable. Something which the heads of MoviePass should have seen before they even began back in 2011. After years of losing hundreds of millions of dollars along with millions of subscribers, MoviePass officially shut down on September 14th, 2019. MoviePass had a short, but entertaining lifespan. Entertaining from the outside that is. It must have been a nightmare for those involved in the business. Hopefully the rise and fall of MoviePass will act as a lesson to anyone out there starting their own business. Be smart. Don’t pull a “MoviePass”.

Editor: Eoghan Creedon

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It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Ultimate Cult Comedy Writes Eoghan Creedon, Film & TV Editor It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia returned this month for its 14th season. The long running, cult comedy has been on the air since 2005 and has only grown in stature over the preceding almost decade and a half. The show has garnered legions of fans along with heaps of critical praise during its lifespan and is on course to be the longest running American comedy series of all time.

could get esteemed actor Danny DeVito to crawl out of a couch naked during its Christmas episode. Despite DeVito being on our screens since the 1960s in countless iconic roles, he has now been immortalized as Frank Reynolds, the dirty old man who intentionally poops the bed and in his own words, “loves banging whores”.

The acting as whole in the show is impeccable. Charlie Day plays the lovably illiterate and borderline homeless Charlie. Rob McElhenney plays Mac, the easily persuaded, deluded “head of security” who is obsessed with martial arts, yet knows absolutely nothing about the sport and most things in general.

Glenn Howerton plays Dennis – the egotistical, psychotic, possible serial killer (I told you, these people are terrible).

With Kaitlin Olson playing Dee, who is constantly the butt of ‘The Gang’s’ jokes and who is constantly referred to as a “big dumb bird”. However, she takes this abuse because she likes being the only girl in the group.

This show is unlike any other currently on television or like any before it. Comparing the show to other successful ensemble comedy series is extremely difficult. Unlike shows such as The Office or Brooklyn Nine Nine, who’s casts are filled with loveable and quirky characters who people enjoy tuning into every episode to see, Its Always Sunny’s cast of main characters are perhaps the most despicable and vile human beings to ever be portrayed in a comedy series.

The show follows the lives of the owners of Paddy’s Pub, also known as ‘The Gang’. The writers of the show (who are uniquely also the stars) have done a truly commendable job of tricking viewers into liking these genuinely horrible people. Most episode consists of ‘The Gang’ coming up with some sort of scheme for almost no apparent reason, only to have the whole thing to be an unmitigated disaster. However, the results of these schemes never affect ‘The Gang’ who are at fault. These failed schemes always affect innocent people who somehow find themselves involved with ‘The Gang’. Throughout the years, the owners of Paddy’s Pub have convinced a priest to leave the church only for him to become a horribly disfigured homeless person. They have been the root cause of a man’s wife leaving him, only for the man to

spiral into a haze of drug use and attempt suicide. They have held a family hostage in their own home because they wanted to try their hand at home renovations. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Due to these schemes rarely directly affecting ‘The Gang’, they never learn from their mistakes. There in lies the beauty of the show. The world around them changes, but they stay the same. They are completely oblivious as to how the real-world works. They have never had to face any repercussions for their actions, so why would they feel the need to change? As far as they are concerned, the rest of the world is out of touch with re-

ality and should be more like ‘The Gang’. If we knew someone in our real lives who has done something a fraction as bad as the things the main characters do, we would get as far away from them as possible, so why do adore 5 people who regularly ruin the lives as others?

It’s Always Sunny is the only comedy in recent history to openly portray the main cast as villains for the most part. However, the writing is so funny, and the characters are so well defined that the viewer finds themselves actively cheering on these narcissists.

Only a show as good as It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia truly is in a league of its own when it comes to television shows. It has been consistently hilarious and maintained its quality throughout its long lifetime. Fans are obsessed with the series and the show only stands to gain more attention in the future with the show finding a new lease of life through streaming networks.

The past, the present and the future look bright for Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia as it truly is the ultimate cult comedy.

Picture Credits: FX

Music

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Gig Review - Yenkee EP Launch with Meghan Murray and Ghostking is Dead @ Plugd in the Roundy Culture Night 2019 Writes Fiona O’Connell, Music Editor

If culture night was a monthly event in each city it still wouldn’t be enough. It’s one of those nights that showcases every city in Ireland in such a unique and beautiful way in terms of music, art, theatre, and so much more. With specially curated experiences all free of charge in galleries, music venues, and theatres all over the city, culture night always draws huge crowds of all ages to the city centre and so what better night to launch an EP! The wonderful Yenkee thought exactly that when booking their launch of ‘Cannibal Tree’ in one of the cosiest music venues in Cork. Plugd at the Roundy was positively hopping before the doors were even opened. With such a stellar lineup of emerging Cork talent under the one roof for a free gig, this one felt like a no-brainer.

Kicking things off with a bang is the wonderful Ghostking is Dead.

It feels as if Ghostking is Dead have been around forever acting

as one of the central powerhouses of the Cork music scene. Members of the Cork based music collective Hausu, Ghosking is Dead also features some of the most wellversed and versatile musicians in Cork including Chris O’ Sullivan and Alex Gough. It cannot be denied that Ghosking and Co. know exactly how to work a crowd. Led by frontman Matt Corrigan‘s incredible stage presence and intricate vocals reminiscent of the late Jeff Buckley, the band’s performance is nothing short of inspiring. It is rare to find a group of musicians so in sync both musically and physically. It felt as if each member was a body part all working together to produce a unique and beautiful sound. If anything can be said after witnessing such a performance it is this - the future is most certainly bright for the wondrous five-piece.

Next up is the magical Meghan Murray. It is difficult not to feel entranced by the Belgian-born

Murray, with crystal clear vocals and beautifully vulnerable songwriting. From start to finish Meghan claims the stage as entirely her own. Acknowledging her exceptional band, Meghan appears taken aback by the reaction of the crowd, many of whom know every word to some of her big singles like ‘Broken Ladders’ and ‘Feeling Blue’. She appears completely comfortable on stage showcasing some impressive vocal gymnastics in the funky ‘Space’ which gauges huge applause from the audience. By the end of her set Plugd has become an absolute sweatbox but the crowd is still left wanting more from one of the most exciting female artists to come out of Cork in the last while.

Last but not least are the men of the moment, Yenkee. The band take to the stage of the Roundy for a raucous home crowd who devour every single song. The lads appear almost overwhelmed by the receptive audience filled

with family, friends, and a flock of fans. With the opening chords to each song comes a wild applause followed by the echoing shouts of every lyric. Highlights are the infectious ‘Would You Rather’ and the title track of their EP ‘Cannibal Tree’. As the set approaches its end, the cosy bar setting has been transformed into a dance hall with the crowd soaking it all in; the music, the energy, and the pungent smell of sweat. Undoubtedly one of the most promising bands in Cork City, it is simply onwards and upwards for Yenkee.

Not only was the quality of acts playing at the gig completely outstanding, the energy and excited nature of the crowd captured everything that culture night is about. It was one of those gigs that restores every faith in the music industry, in the city, and most importantly, in people.

Editor: Fiona O’Connell Sounds From A Safe Harbour ‘19 Writes Fiona O’Connell, Music Editor

Curated by Bryce and Aaron Dessner, Enda Walsh, Mary Hickon, and the beloved Cillian Murphy, Sounds from a Safe Harbour is a biennial festival that takes place in the heart of Cork city over an awe-inspiring weekend of thought-provoking art, theatre, and music. This year the festival took place between the 12th-15th of September. Over the course of the weekend Damien Rice played a pop up gig in the lobby of The River Lee Hotel, Junior Brother played a free gig in the newly opened Winthrop Avenue, and Feist worked her inexplicable magic in the magnificent setting of the Cork Opera House. Other musical highlights of the weekend included Jon Hopkins’ sold out DJ set in Dali and Caoimhin O’ Raghallaigh & Thomas Bartlett’s stellar show in St. Luke’s.

It is hard to capture what exactly it is that makes this festival so special. With an exceptionally varied and eclectic lineup of acts, the curators of this festival were able to turn a bustling city into what felt like a wide-open field of stunning music-making, dancing, and modern theatre. With great focus on emerging talent as well as left-of-field international acts, the festival promotes the idea of open-mindedness, acceptance, and according to Justin Vernon, it provides a borderline holy experience; “It’s a spiritual fucking thing!” he exclaimed after playing the festival with his band two

years ago. There is something quite beautiful about creating a festival that lends itself so perfectly to its location. Cork is a city that is bustling with music, passion, and youthful energy that is crying out for the biggest names

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Album of the Month Caoimhin O’ Raghallaigh & Thomas Bartlett

in music as well as the most exciting upcoming acts to showcase their talent and share their magic. And that precisely, is what took place over the course of a moving weekend of music.

Two fifths of the critically acclaimed group The Gloaming have joined forces in the releasing of their new self-titled album. A nine track collection of music that will tug at your heart strings, open your imagination, and perhaps even make you fall in love with Irish traditional music.

Let it be known however, that this isn’t just an album of Irish dance tunes. Whilst still firmly rooted in the Irish music tradition, the pair have succeeded in creating a diverse sound, exploring influences from all over the world.

It follows along the same route as that of The Gloaming in terms of musical style and atmospheric creation. This is achieved beautifully with minimalist patterns on the keys which build and evolve until they reach crescendo levels, seemingly responding to every passionate bow of the fiddle. Highlights are ‘We Thought We Knew’ and ‘Open Shelter’ the latter of which is fourteen minutes of entirely cinematic bliss in the form of simply stunning melodies and motifs. Fresh off the bat of a spellbinding gig in St. Luke’s as part of the Sounds from a Safe Harbour festival, this power duo are set to reach new heights with the release of this superb debut album.

SEXPRESS

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The Trials and Tribulations of Long-Distance Love Writes Caoimhe Battault, Sexpress Editor Relationships in college can be very complicated, even more so when you live on opposites sides of the country- or even plane journeys apart. But it can definitely be worth it. I spoke to four current students who have experienced the difficulty and joys of long-distance relationships.

Did you start going out before or after you moved?

Rachel (Literary Student, Amsterdam): We started dating before I moved here but it was pretty much always on the cards for us. I was initially planning on going to Berlin for college and we discussed this on our first date, and he was the one who told me about university in Amsterdam.

Evan (Masters Student, UCC): We’re from the same town, but were studying in two different cities for the first few months/ first year of our relationship.

It’s probably for the best that it started out at a distance, because if we’d been as dependent on each other as we are now it would’ve been a lot more difficult.

Anna (Drama Student, Cork): We started dating officially in March of our respective first years of college. It originally started as

a serial hook-up that neither of us talked about, but after Christmas that year we got more serious.

E: We had the opportunity to see each other most weekends however we had work and other commitments which sometimes made it difficult to meet up. We pretty much ended up just carving time out of our sleep schedules, so many of our early relationship memories are from 11pm onwards and in (shady) pubs and bars.

Robyn (English Student, Cork): Our situation was different as neither of us moved out. I was born and raised in Cork, and him in Kildare. We met on tinder, and no, I didn’t have my distance set for miles away, he works in Cork frequently, so we A: We saw each other as often as matched when he was in the city. we could afford to be in the same time zone. I flew to her from Ireland a few times and we travelled from Florida (where she goes How often might you see to college) up to Pennsylvania each other? (where we are both from originally) and she came to Cork a few times. Maintaining regular visits Ra: My boyfriend came to visit with someone 3,000 miles away is me 2 weeks after I arrived here financially impossible for students and now, we’re planning a week- to keep up with on a basis that can end away in October. He is also sustain a relationship, though. trying to get a VISA to move here around the beginning of next year. He’s originally from MexiRo: We see each other every one co though and is going to visit his or two weeks, but it can be longer, family for a few months but I’m like when he is working abroad. hoping to fly over for Christmas.

Over summer I didn’t see him for four or five weeks at a time.

What forms of communication did you find the most helpful for keeping your sex life active?

Ra: I feel like this was one of the most difficult things about being in a long-distance relationship.

It’s hard to go from having an active sex life to only having technology as a reliever. My boyfriend bought me a vibrator and we send nudes and sext over video call quite regularly. There’s nothing that could replicate the intimacy of being with the person you love but I suppose we’re lucky now because we do have social media at our disposal, and we can constantly be talking on Whatsapp even in different countries.

E: We mostly communicated using messenger. Although snapchat might be the most obvious communication method, in terms of visual sexuality, it just so developed that it was more natural for us to engage with each other through words. I would proba-

Editor: Caoimhe Battault bly attribute a decent amount of our initial personal connections with those long, often steamy, weeknights spent on messenger

A: It always felt nice to know she was thinking about me- whether it was sexual or not. Just a quick text every now and then. Neither of us really ever got into video sex calls or anything. Sometimes I would send or receive a racy picture, but it never felt necessary or forced. Longing for another person is incredibly romantic if you’re a good communicator.

ing miserable too, mine eased. media is tricky for that- it’s great to see what the person you love is doing, but you can find yourself getting lost in that world. It made E: Obvious problems, really. It’s me really sad to have a window taxing to be constantly missing into the life of the person I loved your partner, and there’s no deand to not be able to be a part of it. nying that that can have an effect on focus or general mood.

We were lucky that no major arguments came about in that Ro: We have run into no real probfirst year, that’s a situation that lems! Granted, we missed each distance can make even hard- other but you’re so excited when er. There’s also a wider space you do get moments together. for jealousy to creep into sometimes, when you have such geographically separate social live.

turning to a dark place, discuss it.

Support and trust each other, it’s easy to be overwhelmed but you are both going through the same thing.

Understand that it does get easier- the first two weeks were so painful and empty but now I feel much more confident in our relationship and much more capable of dealing with the distance.

Buy a sex toy and try not to cry every time you see a couple in public.

E: The main thing for me would be mutual trust. If you feel that there’s isn’t a strong sense of connection and trust in the relationship, living apart could prove a bit rough. Communication is key, and if communication isn’t your strong point, making the extra effort to chat or call to talk about your days or sending thoughtful messages at night can really make a huge difference to your partner’s day. Effort is always important, but when functioning long-distance it can be absolutely crucial.

Ro: Snapchat is handy because its easy to send something provocative when it only lasts ten seconds. We can see each other’s face every day that way which makes it easier being apart.

What problems did you run into in general?

Ra: Our biggest problem was separation anxiety and the way it manifested into thoughts of infidelity. From his perspective, I was moving into a new country, completely anonymous and capable of cheating on him without him ever finding out. For me, he was a former lothario ready to sew some wild oats before he moved on with me. He believed that I was having a freshers fling while realistically I was trying to make friends with the people on my course and spending too much money on KFC. I believed he was living like a bachelor while realistically he was playing a lot of Pokemon and working as much as he could. The only way that we got through this was communication. Explaining the truth of the situation and knowing that you only feel this way because you care so much about the person is important. He visited me and got to see what my reality was over here and got to meet my friends.

Once he realised that I wasn’t hanging out with tall, threatening Dutch men his anxiety eased and once I realised he had spent two weeks missing me and be-

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A: Keep it simple, for as long as you can. Meeting a significant other again after a long time apart is almost intoxicating, but it won’t always feel that good.

Setting boundaries is also a good idea. Be interested in what they’re doing but foster your world as well. I think it takes a lot of selflove to get over the jealousy and loneliness that can come with any relationship, but long distance is all of that on steroids. Also, in the same line with keeping it simple, don’t commit to anything serious unless you have a clear enough plan for the future that includes both of you in the same place.

A: Being on the same page was ultimately what proved to be the most problematic thing. You can’t exist in two places at once, and we both found ourselves sacrificing things in our own lives to make the other person feel involved. Social

What tips would you give anyone entering a long-distance relationship?

Ra: Communicate- regularly and truthfully. If something is bothering you or your thoughts are

Ro: Make sure you communicate your feelings. It’s easy getting trapped in your own thoughts while apart, so its so important that you do talk things through.

Make sure you let them know how important they are to you.

Finally, if you so desire, ride them like its going out of fashion to make up for lost time.

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Photos

Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

Photo Credits: School Strike for Climate, Cork City by (Left) Caoimhe Leahy (Right) Eve Harrington, University Express Photographers

Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

Photos

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Food & Health

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The Scrumptious 6…for €6 (or less) Writes Laura Edgerton, Ballymalloe Graduate Eating the best of what the city has to offer doesn’t have to empty your wallet. Stick to your budget, support local businesses and taste the best of what’s around all for €6 or less.

Orso Kitchen & Bar is a small restaurant, working closely with a big list of local producers. In the morning, the bar is transformed into a café serving up gourmet coffee and pastries to-go. Orso also offers a sit-down breakfast, for those looking for a healthy fryup alternative. With flavorful vegetarian and vegan options, even the most die-hard carnivores will leave satisfied. For €6 start your morning with the Greek yogurt and granola bowl, topped with fresh fruit and berry compote.

Twitter: @ORSOCork

O’Flynn’s Gourmet Sausage is a staple in Cork, in business since 1921. With two locations to pick up one of their massive rolls (the English Market or 14 Winthrop Street), indulging in one of their 9 signature sandwiches (all €6 or less) may become a regular occurrence. If it’s your first time visiting, try the “Cork Boi” for a fiver.

This gourmet sausage comes with relish, caramelized onions, ketchup and mayo on a fresh bulky roll. The only lingering hunger you’ll have is for your next visit.

Instagram: oflynnssausages Twitter: @oflynnssausages

The Long Valley Bar has been around since 1842, and with age comes great sandwich wisdom. This bar just clenched the top sandwich award in a reader poll on Yay Cork. Sit down and enjoy the ambiance of one of Cork’s oldest bars or take away the €5.50 corned beef sandwich.

And don’t hold back - get butter and mayo smeared on the pillowy, fresh white bread. These sandwiches perfect the allusive meat-to-bread ratio that will make you a regular in no-time.

Twitter: @longvalleybar

Son of a Bun in the Victorian Quarter is known for over-thetop burgers and a buzzing atmosphere. If you’re looking for a delicious, vegetarian friendly snack, head in for the lightly battered paneer cheese tossed in hot sauce for €5.50. It’s expertly fried, locally sourced and not too hot for the spice adverse. It’s a decedent treat when you’re craving a little heat!

Instagram: sunofabuncork Twitter: @sonofabuncork

Joe’s+Bros has something for everyone, offering smoothies, acai bowls, salads and sandwiches. It’s a great place to get a health-conscious meal. For a hardy and filling inexpensive lunch, order the Joe’s+Bros incredibly generous €4.50 soup of the day that comes with fresh sourdough bread. The flavors change daily according to the season, ensuring that you get the freshest flavor combinations.

Instagram: joesandbros Twitter: @joesandbros

Ali’s Kitchen consistently serves up some of the best from scratch food, sourcing from local producers whenever possible. Located in the heart of the city, it’ll be no bother to stop in and pick up the €3.75 Saturday brownie special. The most popular flavor is “Ferrero Rocher” which starts with a brownie base, a layer of hazelnut mousse and is topped with chocolate ganache and toasted hazelnuts.

Instagram: aliskitchencork Twitter: @AlisKitchenCork

Editor: Katie Kelly Rapido Mexican Bowls Serves: 4 Total Cost: €10.66 Make healthy and filling Mexican bowls for you and your friends with inexpensive ingredients that offer a few shortcuts!

Ingredients: •

1 can sweet corn* – €0.26

•

1 packet Old El Paso taco seasoning – €0.77

•

2 packets microwavable long grain rice* – €1.18

•

1 can black beans* – €0.69

•

1 lime – €0.55

•

1 pack fresh coriander*, washed – €0.99

•

•

Minced meat – your choice or tofu (approx. 400500 grams) – €3.00

and chop coriander.

3.

Empty cooked rice into a large bowl. Squeeze lime over rice. Mix in coriander.

4.

Continue to cook meat and break up any large chunks.

5.

Drain beans and corn. Combine and put into a microwave safe container.

Heat for 2 minutes.

6.

If the meat isn’t fully cooked continue cooking until there are no pink traces.

If there is fat in the pan, strain before proceeding.

Add 150ml of cold water and the seasoning packet to the meat or tofu. Stir and cook for 10 minutes.

7.

In the bowl with the rice, add the meat, beans and corn and thoroughly combine.

Taste and add salt if needed.

Tablespoon of oil

• Salt

•

1 avocado, sliced – €0.69

8.

Put ¼ of the rice mixture into 4 single serving bowls, and top with optional tomatoes, sour cream, sliced avocado and tortilla chips.

•

2 medium tomatoes, diced – €0.50

*Tesco brand

Optional toppings:

• •

Tortilla chips, roughly crushed* – €0.35 Sour cream* – €1.13 Preparation:

1.

Turn on hob to mediumhigh. Place a large frying pan on direct heat, add oil, swirl in pan.

Wait for it to warm, then add the meat/tofu. Start browning and break it up with a spatula.

2.

Break up rice packets in the pouch with your hands.

Cook packets individually in microwave, 90 seconds each. While the rice is cooking, cut lime into wedges

Reach out with comments, questions or suggestions to the author, Laura Edgerton, by email: 119220049@umail.ucc.ie

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Gaming

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Valve & Artifact - Never Too Big To Fail Writes Jack Coleman, Gaming Editor

In 2017, during DotA 2’s premier tournament, The International, Valve took the opportunity to tease their newest project. The crowd waited with bated breath as the word “Artifact” flashed across the screen underneath a snazzy logo. Their excited gasps quickly turned into a chorus of boos as the rest of the teaser played, revealing the dreaded words “The DotA Card Game” underneath the name of the game they had been excited for just moments earlier. Some might call that a bad omen and say Artifact was cursed from the beginning. Nevertheless, Valve powered onwards with Artifact.

At the time, and maybe even to this day, the gaming industry was experiencing a severe case of card game fatigue. Ever since the incredible success of Blizzard’s Hearthstone, a card game set in the Warcraft universe, several developers have tried their hand at releasing their own online card games. This is part of

the reason the crowd bemoaned the announcement of Artifact.

game, Valve brought in legendary game designer Richard Garfield.

Despite a frosty initial reception, fans of the genre began to get excited about Artifact. It was a Valve game, after all. A developer known for delivering on incredible multiplayer experiences such as the aforementioned DotA as well as Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

Richard Garfield has designed a multitude of games, card-based and otherwise but he is best known as the original inventor of Magic: The Gathering, which since it’s release in 1993 is still the most played paper-based card game in the world. Bringing in Garfield was an astute move by Valve as they needed serious design credentials to convince people their game would be unique among a stacked lineup. People noted Garfield’s prowess in developing card games that were strategically rewarding which pleased fans who were disgruntled with the overwhelming amount of random gameplay elements in titles such as Hearthstone. With a proven developer in Valve and a famous lead designer in Garfield, how could Artifact possibly fail to impress?

However, nothing was quite liking making a card game. It requires meticulous design to ensure that gameplay functions correctly with a diverse library of cards.

Cards need to have interesting interactions to allow for the development of new strategies and multiple strategies need to be viable at once or else the metagame gets too stale. Valve also needed to add enough unique elements to their card game to differentiate from the flood of similar games that had recently hit the market.

Knowing they needed an experienced hand to help design their

Through press conferences and online announcements, more in-

formation about Artifact was revealed to the public. A decision was made early on that proved controversial. Unlike its counterparts on the market, Artifact wouldn’t be free to play. The usual business model is to allow players to download and play the game for free and instead earn money from players who purchase card packs and engage in other monetised features such as additional paid modes. Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve and star of the “Gaben” internet meme, explained during a press conference that his decision was made to avoid the game becoming “pay to win”. Optimistic players assumed that since they had to pay for the game, there would be in-game methods available to earn new cards. These players proved naive and the irony of Newell’s statement would later become clear.

Artifact was heavily marketed pre-launch to casual and professional players alike. Valve held a lengthy closed beta that was re-

Editor: Jack Coleman served for players who had been professional in other card games such as Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering as well as other industry insiders. Many of these early adopters praised the game’s mechanics and depth and some professional players even took the risky decision to stop playing their original game and instead started practicing Artifact in order to go pro when it officially released.

Artifact released on November 28th, 2018 and eager card game players flocked to pay the €20 price of entry to Valve’s newest title. Card gaming has always been a niche market so it’s no small feat that over 50,000 players logged onto their Steam account on opening day to play the game.

At first, everything went smoothly. Much like their professional counterparts, players praised the strategic depth of the gameplay and were incredibly impressed at how Garfield and his team managed to transition the “threelane” system of a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) like DotA to the card game board.

Players also noted the respectable 228 card library that Valve promised was soon to grow larger.

However, after a few days of playing Artifact, its glaring flaws became apparent. The game’s monetisation model quickly came under fire as players grew dissatisfied. Despite paying $20 just to play the game, there was no ingame system for earning cards besides a game mode which required a ticket (which also costs) to participate in. In order to get new cards, a player had to purchase them from other players through the Steam marketplace.

To make matters worse, due to the nature of supply and demand prices were exorbitant in the first few weeks after release.

With a small number of cards in circulation (because players had just started playing) and high demand for the most powerful cards, prices rose and rose.

Top tier hero cards such as Axe were selling for over €20 (more than the price of the game) for days after release. Theoretically, a player who unboxes Axe in the free packs they get for buying the

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game could sell the card and make a profit on their game purchase.

Besides poor monetisation, the game lacked features such as a ranked mode and a quest system.

It often felt like you were playing for no reason at all. There was nothing to work towards and you couldn’t even gauge how good you were compared to others.

Within two months of Artifact’s release, the player base shrunk 95% from 50,000 average daily players in November down to approximately 2,000 in January.

Today, Artifact’s average daily player sits at a pathetic 78. A dead game in every sense of the word.

Valve has repeatedly stated that they haven’t given up on Artifact and are working to fix its flaws but all signs suggest only a skeleton team has been left to develop the game which means players still playing Artifact are truly in it for the long run. Richard Garfield, who has since been laid off from Valve, later stated that he felt the game failed because of early negative reviews which warned players of the game’s expensive economy before it had been given time to properly stabilise.

The game’s situation recently reached such a low that it became a meme on the Twitch streaming platform. Since, by now, so little eyes are on Artifact, users of the platform began using the section of the website dedicated to the game to stream illicit content such as pornography and pirated movies. Tragically, the Twitch Artifact section debacle is the most thought anyone has given the game in months.

It just goes to show, no matter how much money and how many big names are behind a project, nothing is ever too big to fail.

Pick A Card Writes Jack Coleman, Gaming Editor There are plenty of options for card game enthusiasts in the digital sphere. Card games were and are still are a major trend in gaming which means you’re spoiled for choice in this regard.

Here are some popular options on the market right now.

1. Hearthstone Hearthstone is the top-dog on the card game scene. It’s incredibly easy to pick up and it’s fast-paced gameplay delights many players. Hearthstone’s zany art style is also a big plus.

2. The Elder Scrolls: Legends Bethesda’s card game combines some of the modern elements of newer titles with traditional ones like all cards having specific colours. The dual-lane system the game employs forces the player to strategise for two boards rather than one which is a satisfying challenge.

3. Gwent: The Witcher Card Game Gwent is entirely unique in its structure. Players draw almost all of their cards at the beginning of the game and their goal is to simply win two rounds of three. Its gameplay is very interesting as players try to balance when and where to commit their cards.

Fashion

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Trend-Watch: Women’s A/W 19/20 Trends Writes Katie Burke, Fashion Editor

While we are not long out of the summer months, the fashion world has been way ahead of us in thinking about our sartorial choices this Autumn/Winter. Back in February’s fashion month, a host of designers showcased what they thought we should be wearing during the colder months. Some common themes between these shows became apparent to anyone who was following the shows, and we soon had clear indication what the biggest trends would be for the latter half of the year. In many ways the top trends both clash and compliment each other, in terms of colour palettes and structure; perhaps indicating that fashion is giving us a bigger opportunity to play around with and mix different styles to create our own individual aesthetics, rather than following trends blindly each season. Below are some of the top trends for A/W19 to take inspiration from, should any of them interest you, and incorporate into your own personal style.

Luxe Librarian I bet you never thought you would see the word ‘librarian’ on a trend list but here we are. This

trend could also be described as a 1970s bourgeois newsroom look (think Lois Lane). As Vogue described, this look is distinctly ‘nonfashion’, perhaps reminiscent of the era where women were calling for their work to be focused on, as opposed to what they wore. This trend successfully blends more masculine items such as the oversized blazer and sweater vest, with hints of femininity from silk blouses and skirts (but always with a sensible length as opposed to the hyper-feminine mini skirt of the 1960s). Favouring a muted colour palette of neutrals, this trend was seen on the runways of designers such as Chloé and Victoria Beckham.

in your wardrobe from dresses to headpieces to handbags.

Birds of a Feather Feathers are no stranger to recent trend lists and it appears that they will be staying with us in the months ahead, judging by the shows of designers such as Loewe and Proenza Schouler. The ultimate texture to add some glamour to your look, this wispy trend is ideal for the Christmas party season ahead. There is no limit to the use of feathers

Sharp Shouldered Suiting The 80s have been regular on recent trend lists, and this season is no different. This time around the power suit is having its moment by bringing us super-cinched waists and shoulders that would not look out of place in the costume of a sci-fi villain. With brands such as Louis Vuitton and Tibi championing these silhouettes, it will be of no surprise when the

Block Colours Despite being a complete contrast to the Luxe Librarian trend and a colour palette more commonly associated Spring/Summer, bright colours have appeared in many Autumn/Winter runway shows.

With many fashion houses opting to send out looks comprised entirely of the one colour, this trend is a call to arms for those brave enough to emulate designer looks of a single colour top-to-toe. With Jacquemus sending out an entirely neon pink look and Fendi opting for bright yellow, this trend is not for the faint hearted.

high street taps into this trend.

Romantic Runway The A/W runway collections were awash with rose prints in the name of romance. The print could be seen at shows such as Alexander McQueen and Erdem but seemed to signal a transformation in itself. Gone are the light-coloured ditzy florals of Spring/Summer, and here is their darker hued, sultrier sister. Fashion’s latest take on La Vie En Rose has grown up and become very sophisticated.

Editor: Katie Burke

ASOS’ Charity Boutiques Writes Katie Burke, Fashion Editor

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Depop Shop Recommendations Writes Katie Burke, Fashion Editor Founded in 2011, Depop has fast become everyone’s favourite online car-boot sale. Primarily used for the resale of clothing and accessories, Depop allows users to buy and sell unwanted items from their app or website.

Depop is a great way to give clothes a new lease of life in someone else’s wardrobe and purchase an item, chances are, nobody else will have. Here are five sellers to get you started in the treasure chest that is Depop, where you can find great pieces regardless of your style, budget or gender. @loiterer

In May 2019, online retail giant, ASOS, launched three charity boutiques online just in time for the upcoming festival season.

Found under the Marketplace branch of ASOS’ website, the boutiques are on behalf of Barnardos, Oxfam and Traid. Of course, with collaborations like these, it would not be unsurprising for consumers to question just how much of the proceeds accumulated from sales will go directly to the charity? In a world of small print and drives to make profits soar, it is pleasant and welcome to hear that 100% of proceeds go directly to the three charities.

shop five times and see nothing that you like, but on the sixth trip find an amazing piece, for a reasonable price, that you know you will constantly re-wear with different pieces already in your wardrobe. But what happens if there are no charity shops in your area if you want to do your bit for the planet and shop more sustainably? This is where ASOS Marketplace’s collaboration with the three charities is genius as it relies on the already-popular online shopping model and brings charity shopping to people who might not have access to such stores in their local area.

As we are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of fast fashion on the environment, we all are doing our best to look at more sustainable methods of shopping. If we are to buy from the high street, we should buy items we know we will re-wear again and again or we could do one better and invest in a pre-loved piece from a second-hand shop. Unfortunately, when shopping in vintage stores, the price points are higher (and often-times rightly so) and that just isn’t feasible for most people, especially college students.

In one of their Instagram posts announcing the collaborations, ASOS Marketplace wrote: “Specialist teams rifled through them, and thousands of others, to select the highest quality one-offs.

They were cleaned, re-conditioned, photographed and then uploaded on to site for other people to find and treasure all over again”. Featuring clothes for all sexes, you can find great vintage t-shirts and vintage sportswear amongst other things, with the lowest prices floating between the €10-€20 mark. Of course, for designer pieces you will pay above €100 but if you want to be more sustainable and support deserving charities, and it’s a piece you will re-wear, then it’s worth it all.

This is where charity shops come into play. You need to have the right mindset when venturing on a charity shop trip. The beauty of charity shops are the unexpected finds. You can visit a charity

If like me, you’re all about animal print everything, amazing vintage heels and boots, and delicate accessories, then this is the shop for you. Expect everything from iconic Y2K-esque handbags, vintage Miu Miu heels for well under €100, and animal print trousers. This shop definitely invites you to take a walk on the wild side. @frankiesthrifts This shop has something for everyone from vintage sportswear, fluffy co-ords, to vintage boots and accessories. This is one shop where you’re never quite sure what will pop up next. @phrmacy82 With pieces selected in France, this shop is ideal for anyone who wants to re-create that effortless, but insanely stylish, French sense of cool. Expect everything from oversized sportswear to incredible handbags. @hollycoco Ever see those girls on Instagram who look like something out of a 90s Spice Girls video? This shop would be there place of worship. If you’re in the market for some major Sporty Spice at a festival vibes, then look no further than this seller. @studdedpetals If you have a bit more money to spend and want to get yourself an investment piece, then this seller is probably a great place to start. While also selling cheaper items of clothing, this shop puts a lot of emphasis on vintage designer goods. You could find everything from a vintage Dolce and Gabbana dress for just under €100 to a vintage oversized Moschino shirt. Shops like this on Depop remind us that we don’t have to spend crazy amounts of money to get the latest designer clothing, when we can find similar pieces online for a fraction of the price.

Arts & Literature

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Arts For All Writes Fiona Keeley, Arts and Literature Editor Making its first appearance in May 2019 in the Glucksman Gallery, Arts For All called upon people representing diverse communities, community arts organisations and cultural institutes from across Cork to come together and scrutinize how to make Arts a part of life for everyone in Cork.

One of the goals of Arts For All is the development of a city Charter for inclusion and diversity in the Arts. During the event, different ideas were established using discussion groups. At the end of the day a firm proposal of ideas had been established and gave organisers of the event multiple ideas to take to the first draft of the charter.

Five months later, on October 1st, Arts For All hosted their second public consultation event in the Millennium Hall in Cork City Hall. The agenda for this consultation was a continuation from the previous event and asked participants to look at the programme that was created from the ideas communicated in the previous consultation. Four main themes had emerged from the first consultation; Communication and Collaboration, Inclusion, Accessibility and Diversity. These themes were explored during the second consultation.

After this consultation, the findings will be presented to City Council executive and elected representatives. Arts For All plans to host an event where organisations can choose to sign up to the values and principles of the charter publicly, as well as make commitments for the year ahead. The vision is that organisations will sign up to the charter annually after demonstrating their progress and engagement in diverse and inclusive practice.

University Express interviewed Derval McDonagh, one of the organisers of Arts For All;

What inspired you to establish Arts For All in Cork?

“Arts For All Cork was initiated by Eoin Nash, our Arts and Creative Arts Therapy manager at Cope Foundation. He was motivated primarily, at first, by people with disabilities and their right to be included meaningfully and to participate in the Arts. With the support of Maria Minguella in the Social Inclusion Unit of Cork City Council, our vision for an inclusive Cork was firmly embedded into the local, economic and community plan for the city (LECP 2016-2021) Our vision broadened to include anyone or any community who may experience marginalisation and challenges accessing and participating fully in the Arts.

We fully recognise and appreciate all the work that has happened in Cork long before our establishment, and indeed many people around the table at Arts For All have been working on this agenda for many years. Our aim is to build on this work, knowing that an alliance of many people with a common voice can be a powerful one.”

What improvements have

you seen since it started?

Some of our key highlights so far: Establishment of a platform: We meet 3-4 times a year, the platform is a forum for artists working in inclusive practice; a network of people who support each other in inclusive practice in and through the arts.

Establishment of a strategic group to drive our vision: We have representation from many communities and practitioners on this group as well as from organisations and cultural institutes; U.C.C, C.I.T., Cork E.T.B, Cope Foundation, The Social Inclusion Unit and the Arts Office of Cork City Council, H.S.E, Cork City Libraries, Graffiti Theatre Company and Music Generation.

ditional support has been given by the Glucksman Gallery, Cork City Council and other venues to host consultations and events through the “Arts for All” initiative.

What are your hopes for the future of Arts For All? “Our vision is a Cork which celebrates diversity as a cornerstone of creativity. A city which is open, accessible and intentionally inclusive in the Arts. We believe that Cork could become the first European City of excellence in inclusivity and we are working with partners in Europe to realise that ambition over the next number of years.”

Inclusive Education: Partners including Cork Academy of Music, Firkin Crane, City North College and Cope Foundation are working together to provide inclusive education and training through the arts.

Financial Support from the HSE, Cork City Council and Cope Foundation has been committed to run consultations in 2019. Ad-

https://icons8.com

Editor: Fiona Keeley

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Culture Night – A Night to Remember Writes Fiona Keeley, Arts and Literature Editor

September 20th,2019 was a date that was scratched into everybody’s diary in Cork to come out and celebrate Culture Night.

Taking place in towns and cities across Ireland, Cork played its part in hosting Culture Night and putting Cork culture on the map.

Businesses and organisations across Cork hosted events and opened their doors to the public to show off the culture in Cork.

Waterstones, situated on St. Patrick Street in the heart of the city, hosted readings in store from Running To Stand Still by poet Kimberly Reyes and the Banshee literary journal edited by Eimear Ryan. University Express had the chance to talk to Reyes to ask her why she thought Culture Night was so important: [It’s] “all about cultures mixing and to be invited to a Culture Night event just for being here for a month is the perfect example of how it is actually working. I have a book coming out and I get to read for culture night and not only suck up Irish culture but contribute to it which is really important to me.” During the

reading, the audience got a taste of the work of Kimberly Reyes as she read poems Opening Lines, Beloved and The Body to name a few. These poems moved through the themes of loss and pop culture, both very relevant in our modern world, which shows her congruency with current issues.

University Express also talked to Eimear Ryan, editor of Banshee about the success of Culture Night: “It was a great experience to be here in Waterstones with our contributors Marie Gethins, Rachel Andrews and Dee Collins, I thought they all read fantastically. I think Culture Night is great because it allows you dip in and out of several different art forms, in a way that’s what we’re trying to do with Banshee.”

After that, I walked to Comic Vault who were hosting an event at 7pm. A selection of free comic books were available as the crowd began to fill the shop. Comic Vault commented: “We host the Cork Comic Creators as well as selling comics. We sell a lot of Cork com-

ics so it’s great to be part of Culture Night.” Three comic book artists, Ellie Wright, Eoin Coveney and Chris O’Halloran made up a panel who answered questioned from the audience on their individual resumes and on the creation of comic books. This allowed the audience to have the rare chance to talk to published artists in the comic book industry. University Express had the opportunity to speak to Ellie Wright about the importance of comic books in culture today: “I think they’re very important even in TV, for example last year Netflix had The Punisher, Jessica Jaynes, Daredevil, Luke Cage and Iron Fist so I feel like it’s gone to mainstream TV.” Many coffee shops were taking part in the Culture Night celebrations this year. One coffee shop that was at the top of my list to visit was Fellini on Carey’s Lane.

Taking inspiration from Italian film director Federico Fellini, it has been open twenty-eight years and is one of Cork’s oldest coffee shops. Decorated with soft pink lighting, the artwork of

Cork artists Dermot Browne and Noel Lenihan hung on the walls.

Seated on the tables were the sculptures of Luke Sisk, brought in especially for Culture Night.

In its long history, art has become a part of the history and ethos of Fellini. A second generation of children are growing up with stories of good food and coffee at Fellini. Relaxing back into the seat, I understand why an art ethos runs through Fellini. As I look up at the art exhibition above my head the portraits above me gaze across the room creating a reassuring atmosphere.

As the blanket of night fell across the city, Coal Quay and North Main St lit up with fire and flames of Circus and Street Performance: Pitch’d Circus Arts Festival who performed dazzling tricks in front of a mesmerized crowd. It was a perfect way to end a day that had captured the city’s imagination and celebrated everything that is good about culture in Cork.

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Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

Women’s Sport and the Respect it Deserves

Writes Conor O’Carroll As Conor Lane blew the final whistle last Saturday evening, the last of the Five Lamps on Dublin’s North Strand was illuminated in a shade of blue.

The prevailing headline across the media was that history had been made. For the first time ever, a team had won five consecutive All-Ireland Championships. This, however, isn’t technically correct. A quick perusal of the history books shows that Kerry won nine, yes nine, titles in a row from 1982 to 1990, and over a period of twelve years, a dominant Cork team won eleven titles (2005– 2009 & 2011–2016) with a pesky Dublin team thwarting their clean sweep in 2010.

The difference with those teams? They were women.

The knee-jerk response to this is to point out that the men and women’s games are governed by different organisations, and so, Dublin’s achievement still stands as the first in the history of the GAA. To me, however, this is semantics. At county board level, the ladies’ teams are as much a part of the

GAA as the men. They may not receive the same amount of coverage, support or funding as their male counterparts, but they fall under the dominion of the thirty-two county boards established by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and while there may also be subtle differences in the rule book, both competitions are derivative of the Gaelic games that have excited and entertained the people of this island for centuries.

The disregard for female sporting achievements is not exclusive to Ireland unfortunately. Last season, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City became the first men’s team to win the domestic treble. Before what would come to be the history-writing match, Guardiola was asked by a reporter about the prospect of “winning the first-ever domestic treble in this country”.

Guardiola quickly interrupted the reporter to clarify that it would be the first time a men’s team had won the treble, as the women had completed it previously, some time before in fact, with Arsenal Women completing the formidable feat in 1993. Since then, Arsenal Women have repeated their success on a further three occasions, including the 2006–07 season where they added the Champions League to accomplish an

unprecedented quadruple. Such an achievement has never been matched in the English game, and yet the women receive little to no recognition for what is a remarkable sporting performance.

Even off the pitch the dismissal of female athletes continues. Following her retirement in 2017, Alex Scott made a transition into punditry that many former players make. Scott spent over ten years at Arsenal Women during three different spells, collecting twenty-one honours in the process and she played a vital role in the aforementioned quadruple-winning season of 2006–07.

She also made over 140 appearances for the national team, taking part in three Women’s World Cups. With such a wealth of knowledge on the game, Scott joined the BBC as a pundit for the 2018 World Cup and 2019 Women’s World Cup. She also signed with Sky Sports to cover the Premier League on their Super Sunday show. Following her TV appearances, Scott was subject to vitriolic sexist abuse online, as the insecurity of some exploded at the sight of a former professional athlete offering insight and analysis of the game, seemingly suggesting that they somehow were more knowledgeable than a profession-

al with a drawer full of medals.

So, why is the female game met with such disdain from certain people? The most common argument is that the quality simply doesn’t stack up to men’s game. I find there are two issues with this line of thinking. Firstly, it pits both the men and women’s game against one another where biology is always going to play a factor. Sticking with soccer as an example, facing Megan Rapinoe against Sergio Aguero will result in an outcome that may be influenced by the biological differences between the two. The thing is, Aguero will never face Rapinoe and likewise, no men’s team will play a women’s team which leaves us with a redundant point about a gap in quality that has no real relevance on either game.

Additionally, dismissing the women’s game as inferior, and thus, not worth your time, is ignorant of why people watch sport in the first place. Why do people continue to support teams like Sunderland or Portsmouth? Teams who have enjoyed success in the past but have since fallen away and currently play in the 3rd tier of English soccer. Sure, part of it is geographic, but most of it is loy-

Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

alty. They don’t play the flashy, high-quality game of the Premier League and yet their supporters travel the length and breadth of the country to watch their team play, in good times and in bad. This proves there’s more to people’s support than the quality of the game, much more in fact. It’s about the passion shown on the pitch and the values that embody a club or team. Nothing is any different in the women’s game.

Thankfully, times are slowly changing, and people are beginning to broaden their horizons. Women’s sport is growing at a rapid rate, thanks in part to the increased media

coverage it’s receiving. Throughout the competition, more than a billion people from across the globe tuned into the 2019 Women’s World Cup according to FIFA. And in the UK, 11.7 million people watched Alex Morgan sip tea as the USA eased passed the UK in the semi-final. This recent upturn in interest has boosted the Women’s Super League to new heights. The season opener drew a huge attendance as over thirty-one thousand people watched an enthralling Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium. Caroline Weir’s thumping shot from distance provided the moment of magic required to secure all three points, something Kevin De

Sports

Bruyne would have been proud of.

Back at home, the recent All-Ireland Ladies Football Final saw lashing rain and a record crowd of 56,114 as Dublin completed the double, breezing past Galway in what was their third title in a row. Attendance at the final has risen consistently over the past six years. From a measly 27,374 in 2014 to the record-breaking attendance last Sunday, the prevalence of the female game is growing exceptionally. While it hasn’t yet reached the heights of the men’s final, it is certainly on the right track and with performances from Dublin like the one against Galway, the Five Lamps

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might be blue for some time!

As women’s sport continues to grow and gain the recognition it deserves, many people’s preconceptions will be broken and new fans will be made, further propelling it to new heights.

Nobody is requesting that every soccer fan tune into the Women’s Super League every week, but these athletes who play for the love of the game, deserve some respect and recognition for their achievements. That is all they ask, and frankly, it’s the least they deserve. At the end of the day, sport is sport whoever is playing it and if you ask me, the more of it that’s showcased, the better!

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Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

Championship 2019- A Year in Review Writes Sam Curtin, Deputy Sports Editor

The 2019 All Ireland Championships have come to an end for another year. In the hurling, one team went from being ‘over the hill’ to being kings of it once more, while in football, one team continued their monopoly over the rest of the country.

The small-ball game may not have lived up to last year’s epic championship, which was always going to be a huge ask to begin with, but there were however, some stand out moments. Wexford beating Kilkenny to win their first Leinster title since 2004 was a huge statement from the Yellowbellies who only two weeks earlier very nearly went out of the championship altogether only for a late Lee Chin point to snatch a draw against the Cats in the round robin phase. In fact, one could argue that this year it was Leinster that took all the plaudits in what was a pulsating championship, as Dublin, Galway and Kilkenny all took points off each other in breathtaking fashion while Wexford only won one game against Carlow but finished the campaign unbeaten en route to the Bob O’Keefe cup.

As for their Munster counterparts, well they had quite the shoes to fill from 2018, possibly the greatest ever Munster

Championship. The signs looked ominous when defending All Ireland champions Limerick annihilated Tipperary to win their first Munster title since 2013. The latter stages of the Munster championship this year however turned more into a game of shadow boxing than a game of hurling. This was down more to the structure of the championship, although realistically, Liam McCarthy is the only trophy that really mattered for the top three teams who qualified for the All Ireland Series.

This year one of the main highlights of the championship was not the clash of the titans, but in fact the rise of the underdogs.

Going into the knockout series the hurling world was shocked when Joe MacDonagh cup winners Laois, under the tutelage of 9 time all Ireland medal winner Eddie Brennan, stunned Dublin (who had knocked out Galway) 1-22 to 0-23 to book their place in the the quarter finals for the first time since 1985. Laois’ arrival into the big time sparked the championship into life with two thrilling semi finals on the same weekend being the highlight of the summer, proving that the championship restructuring can be viable, at least in hurling. Champions Limerick were dethroned

by Cody’s Cats, while the game of the year was Wexford and Tipperary. It had it all from dodgy ref-

ereeing decisions to astonishing scores, it was Tipp who managed to find a way to get over the line to face their most bitter rivals.

The final itself was a bit of an anti-climax, Tipperary comfortably saw off 14 man Kilkenny 3-25 to 0-20. The encounter summed up this year’s hurling series. As for Cork? Well that’s a discussion for another day.

The football played out in the way many thought (and some feared) it would. Dublin as you may know, completed the five in a row defeating Kerry in a replay 1-18 to 0-15. The manner in which Kerry were able to push and nearly beat Dublin on the first day out will give the footballing community some cause for optimism. Players such as David Clfford and Sean O’ Shea will only get better in the coming years which could elevate this new rivalry to another level.

Speaking of big name players, this year will be remembered for some of the older stalwarts, who left their mark in more ways than one. Mayo’s Andy Moran retired after 15 seasons at inter- county level, finishing up with 8 Connacht, 2 National football league medals and 2 all stars, all of which he would swap for a Celtic Cross. Stephen Cluxton showed why he is one of the greatest goalkeepers to ever play the game.

It’s hard to believe that he only

won his first All Ireland aged 30.

Cluxton is akin to any good whiskey, who gets better with age.

Ultimately the All Ireland football championship left us with more questions than answers, will Jim Gavin and Stephen Cluxton go? Where do Mayo go from here? Is gaelic football in a good place? One question that was certainly answered is that this Dublin team, regardless of the funding and professional like set up they have, are one of the greatest to play the game.

Another year down and already there is talk about what may happen come next May when we do it all again. A championship restructure looks likely in football while the hurling will be another rollercoaster ride. It may not have been the greatest season ever, but two teams got what they deserve, the Premier county went back to the well one more time while the Dubs did what they do best, make history, what more could you want?

Cork people know just the thing.

Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st Oct 2019 | University Express

Sports

Former Rugby Star Opens Up on Battle With HIV Writes Jack Maguire, Sports Editor

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Reeling In The Years - October Sports Rewind

Writes Jack Maguire, Sports Editor The 1st of October 1975 witnessed one of the greatest sporting spectacles in history.

Muhammad Ali defeated Joe Frazier in the ‘Thrilla in Manila’ which lasted 14 rounds before Frazier’s coach called it off.

Gareth Thomas is one of the most decorated rugby players in Welsh history. Over a career spanning 12 years, Thomas made 100 appearances for the Welsh National Team, scoring 200 points and becoming the second highest try scorer behind Shane Williams. He also enjoyed a fantastic club career with teams such as Bridgend, Cardiff RFC and Toulouse.

As well as being a hero and role model to the world on the pitch, Gareth Thomas is equally inspirational on the other side of the white line. A man who has received much abuse and was attacked last November in Cardiff, must be admired for his courage and determination following his public announcement that he lives with HIV. 2009 was a big year for Gareth Thomas. But it was equally a big year for male sexuality and sportspeople, when Thomas revealed that he was gay. This was a massive advancement for the awareness of male sexuality in breaking the stigma.

Thomas became one of the highest profile sportspeople to come out as gay, and he has remained strong through

any criticism he has received.

In a video Gareth released a few weeks ago, he announced to the world that he was living with HIV. Thomas shared an emotional video on social media, having been blackmailed by a couple of journalists who found out. After making the statement, Thomas said “That makes me extremely vulnerable, but it does not make me weak”. `Having composed himself again, Gareth explained “Even though I’ve been forced to tell you this, I choose to fight to educate and break the stigma around this subject”. The bravery it takes to make such a big statement is admirable. A man who was strong enough to reveal his sexuality in a time when very few people did, shows the fearlessness of one of the greatest full backs the game of rugby has seen. “I don’t want people to treat me differently…. I’m not ill”. When speaking to Phil and Holly on ‘This Morning’, Thomas addressed the real problems and situations encountered by people living with the virus “All of a sudden people look at you different, treat you different, they speak to you different or they act different”.

There has been a stigma around HIV for a long time, but with

inspirations such as Gareth fighting against it, one can only hope that better support is provided across the board. People have many preconceptions about viruses such as HIV, and Gareth is aware of the apprehensions surrounding it. One striking point made by Thomas in the interview was about his brother who he thought might “Be afraid of me cuddling my niece or wanting to hold people”. Thomas fought back tears as he expressed “I didn’t want to scare everybody, I wanted to protect everybody”.

After Thomas’ statement, he described the importance of his husband and how he helped him through his ordeal. “He has been a beacon of light for me. Stephen was the only reason I got through the dark times”. As Gareth said himself, revealing his secret leaves him vulnerable, but his honesty will help so many other people facing the same struggle.

In an age where mental health is commonly mentioned, it is vital that a public figure like Gareth tells their story and people realise that it is important to express themselves and acknowledge their feelings.

Ryder Cup drama is a marvel that we only see every second year, but on the 4th of October 2010, Europe reclaimed the Ryder Cup title with a 14½ to 13½ victory over USA. USA fought back from 3 points down but Graeme McDowell sealed the victory by defeating Hunter Mahan.

On the 7th of October 2000, the last competitive match was played at the original Wembley Stadium. Germany defeated England 1-0 with a goal from Dietmar Hamann.

It was also Kevin Keegan’s last game as England Manager.

The World Grand Prix of Darts visits Dublin every October and on the 8th of October 2011, Irishman Brendan Dolan made history by becoming the first player to hit a televised perfect nine dart leg in a double in double out format.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup came to a dramatic climax as Germany defeated Sweden 2-1. Nia Künzer scored the decisive goal in sudden death extra time for Germany who lifted the cup for the first time.

University

Volume 24 | Issue 2 | Tuesday 1st October 2019

Sports

UCCExpress.ie

Ireland Young Guns: The Future Is Bright Shamrock Rovers. He has been a vital part of Bohs surge towards a European spot in the league, and having only made his Ireland U21 debut this season, there is plenty more to come from Danny.

Writes Jack Maguire, Sports Editor There has been a lot of hype about the Ireland U21 squad over the past few months after they reached the semi final of The Maurice Revello Tournament, and following their UEFA Championship 1-0 victory over Armenia and a 3-1 defeat of Sweden. Many of the U21 stars are competing at a very high club standard and continue to grow.

Firstly, the goalkeeper Caiomhín Kelleher. The former Ringmahon Rangers man now plying his trade with the European Champions Liverpool. Kelleher joined the Liverpool Academy in 2015 and made his first team debut against MK Dons last Wednesday where Liverpool won 2-0.

Kelleher has been consistent over the last few years for Ireland and there is no doubt he will push on from making his Liverpool debut to bigger and better things.

The regular at right back for Ireland is the Waterford man, Lee

O’Connor. O’Connor secured a 4-year deal with Celtic on the 2nd of September. Having spent 3 years in the Manchester United Academy before his move North to Glasgow, he has loads of potential and is an exciting prospect. Conor Masterson and Dara O’ Shea make up the half back line. Masterson joined the Liverpool Academy in 2013 and spent 6 years there before making the move to Queen’s Park Rangers.

Dara O’Shea who came through the ranks at St. Kevin’s Boys in Dublin, is now at West Bromwich Albion. In his younger years, O’ Shea spent time at Exeter City and FC Hereford, so he has plenty experience across the water which will certainly benefit him in the long run. Darragh Leahy is Irelands main left back and is one of several League of Ireland players in the Irish set up. He has made 23 league appearances for Bohemians so far this season. In 2015, Darragh moved to Coventry and also spent time on loan at Nuneaton. His performances

for Bohs this season have been impressive, and he promises to get better in the coming years.

One of 3 midfielders is Conor Coventry. Coventry moved to West Ham in 2016 and has progressed up to the U23 squad where he has featured in the Premier League and Carabao Cup. Coventry is also captain of the West Ham squad which shows his determination and courage, and he is sure to be a vital part of the Ireland squad over the coming months. The Irish captain is Jayson Molumby. Molumby was loaned out to Millwall over the summer and is set to return to Brighton at the end of the season. The Cappoquin native has made 3 starts so far for Millwall and this experience will hopefully see him break into the first team when he returns to Brighton.

Another Bohemians man in the midfield 3 is Danny Mandroiu.

Mandroiu has scored 10 goals for Bohs in 27 appearances so far this season, including a sensational strike against Dublin rivals

Perhaps the most formidable attacking line Ireland U21 have had in many years, includes Troy Parrott, Aaron Connolly and Adam Idah. Parrott has gained many plaudits over the past few months for his impressive performances for Ireland and Tottenham Hotspur. The teenager scored a brace to overturn a 1-0 deficit to Sweden which Ireland eventually won 3-1. Parrott also made his senior debut for Spurs last Tuesday night against Colchester in the Carabao Cup. Likewise with similar success is Aaron Connolly who has been making a great name for himself at Brighton. He has netted 3 goals in 2 appearances for the U23 whilst scoring 1 goal in 5 appearances for the senior squad.

After his many impressive performances in an Ireland jersey, many are suggesting he should be promoted to the senior squad. Completing the line up is Douglas man, Adam Idah. Idah joined Norwich in 2017 from College Corinthians.

He went on to win the player of the season award for the 2017/2018 and was one of eight players nominated for the Premier League 2 player of the season award, scoring 12 goals in 19 league games. Idah’s success earned him promotion to the senior Norwich squad where he made his competitive debut against Crawley Town in the EFL Cup. Taking all things into account, it is safe to say that the future of Irish football is in a good place. With all players playing at a decent club level, they are on track to make Ireland competitive in each of their upcoming campaigns.